Author's Note - Please read from Chapter 1 to make sense of this. This is not a quick stroke story. There will be sexy-times, but they will only happen as the story's pace dictates.
All characters participating in sexual activities are 18 or older.
Chapter 60
As the last of her Jann arrived, Emma told Ray, "By defending and not attacking Jann, even when Jann attempted to harm you and yours, you kept your oath with the Jann at risk to yourself. That will be remembered and treasured, Hinn. That you and your allies saved those Jann you could shall also be remembered. That your allies arrived without delay when required, even here in this seat of the Jann's power, was not missed. You have brought yourself much closer to where Jann will seek to ally with you, Hinn - and I am glad to see that outcome of this otherwise horrible situation. I must ask - had you known this would happen?"
"No, Emma, I didn't. When I arrived, I sensed that there was something wrong here, but I didn't know what it was. In all honestly, nor did I attempt to find out."
"I see. The tales of Hinn valor shall grow yet again in the annals of the Jann, then."
"Not why I did what I did, and you know that." Jann listening to their conversation blinked, and some looked upset or even angry at Ray's words. "We defeated these beings due to your keeping these Jann informed, more than any of my actions."
"Not how I see it, Hinn, but I will not argue the point with you." Emma's audience of Jann may have had some upset individuals before, but now the whole of the Jann present were stunned. She must not have been behaving as normal. "In any case, we have lost eight of the Jann, as well as having three Jinn slain and two now as captives. I assume you and your allies can release the remaining two, allowing us to learn more of their plans?"
Tauriz nodded. Ray poked her via Hinn, smiling. "Yes, Emma," she replied. The Jann didn't much like her form of address, but Tauriz ran roughshod over their sensibilities. "How would you like to handle that? I can see two basic options - I can illuminate their relevant memories and share them as I do so, even without freeing them from how they are bound, or we can release them and allow you and yours to question them in other ways."
"Would you be willing to share those memories with myself and the Jann here?"
"I can share them with yourself and a few of the Jann, perhaps three or four of them. My apologies, but I cannot stretch the experience much beyond that without some time in preparation."
Nodding, Emma singled out three of the Jann present, Belphebe being one of them. "Let the Hinn share these memories with you. I will watch as well."
One of the three blanched, his previously matte-black skin fading to an unhealthy, bleached-bone white, but Belphebe and the third Jann simply accepted Emma's direction. Turning on the reluctant Jann, Emma scowled at him. "You offer violence while I am present, even though you claim to follow me? And then you have the, the GALL to resist my direction? Be wary, Hulthoon, for your chosen actions are leading you far from my side."
The pale Jann bowed to Emma, apparently struck speechless. Tauriz asked, "Everyone ready?" while eyeing Emma and the three Jann. Ray reached into Tauriz' perceptions via Hinn, keeping the defensive field alive even as he did. He ensured Ousha and Dhakira were also watching within Tauriz' perceptions, wanting their take on whatever they observed.
Each of the selected Jann met Tauriz' eyes and nodded, as did Emma. "Then we shall begin," she said. Focusing on the first Jinn, she set up a mental stage that she gently pulled Emma nad her three Janns' perceptions around. She took to this stage, soundlessly informing Emma and the Jann, "The Jinn's experience will play out here before us. With an effort of will, you may reach out to me if you would like to replay or refocus some portion of the memory. I will start with how each arrived in this place and we can work from there, unless any of you have a different preference?"
Not hearing or feeling any objections, she drew forth that Jinn's first perceptions of this place. Surprisingly, this was an ancient memory - this Jinn had first arrived here centuries ago, at the invite of a Jann not currently present. Emma reacted at the sight of this Jann - she knew who it was, as did the other three. "Remember," the Jann on the stage told the Jinn, "you are not supposed to be here. If any were to find you, there would be difficult questions to answer and problems for myself and others." Tauriz' skill pulled forth the sounds of the language as well as the meaning, allowing comprehension for all those intellects surrounding the stage. The Jinn nodded, accepting the warning without comment before walking off the stage. The welcoming Jann sighed before turning and walking away in a different direction.
Emma requested Tauriz review the most recent time that Jinn arrived in this place, instead. Acknowledging the request, Tauriz cleared the stage and restarted. Six Jinn bloomed into this stronghold, uninvited and unescorted by Jann. Five turned and bowed to the sixth, who returned the honor albeit not as deeply. "You have your task," he told the five. "Succeed." The five bowed again before turning and heading off-stage together as the sixth seemingly evaporated, leaving the stage as it had arrived.
Following back, Tauriz sought the Jinn's task. She found a gathering of scores of Jinn in something resembling a royal audience chamber with what was to be the sixth Jinn standing at the focus of the room, where a throne would have been had they been human. "We are told of an opportunity, one unique in our long experience." His audience stilled, the anticipation thick.
"Am al'Aeda gathers her forces in what she fondly considers the seat of her strength. She also plans to accept outsiders there, this human catspaw that our brethren have empowered. In doing so, she brings the seeds of her own doom to her heart, kindly granting us a weakness we shall leverage, breaking her followers on one another in protest.
"Khayin, take your bondservants. I shall escort you to that place. You are to spark dissent, fan outrage, and drive these Jann against themselves and the human, as you have done before. Fail me not. I will have their lifeblood spilled, especially this human my siblings have decided to focus events around."
The female who died at her own hand saluted the speaker, "As you command, Lord." Four familiar Jinn at her back bowed to both, even as the memory faded.
"I have seen enough," Emma told those gathered around her. "The youngest of the Jinn Lords, Alsyd Alshshabu, has set us into motion against each other, Jann. Your concern for our wellbeing was misused, to the point where you were willing to harm those you should only love. This behavior is unnatural, this is Jinn twisting that which is good within us. Those that would strike their allies, those that they should but love, do not strengthen the Jann, but rather weaken us at the behest of our foes.
"Purge those hatreds! Refocus them where they deserve to be - upon the Jinn that would see you fail, that would see you cease and thus weaken Jann. Grow, do not rot."
Turning to Ray, she bowed. The Jann froze. "Hinn. Ray. I owe you a debt, and I believe these and others not present do, as well. I will not forget, and as I may assist, I shall. Do not hesitate to ask if there is something I can do for you or yours, for your actions for myself and these Jann were not for reward. Thus they SHALL be rewarded.
"I name you friend, Ray. Be welcome."
Bowing to the same depth in return, Ray said nothing. His Hinn memories were all but shouting at him, showing him times where Hinn and Jann had met before. At times, there was bloodshed, other times to the benefit of one or both sides, occasionally for unknown reasons. Uncertain, Ray followed the wisdom so often attributed to Abraham Lincoln - "Better to remain silent and thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."
As Ray and Emma stood back up, the third, unnamed Jann she had selected to share the memories with stepped forward. "Our Mother has spoken, Hinn. Know this place. You and yours are welcome here as you desire. We acknowledge your actions and your firm kindness. We would request that you leave us for a time, however. We have Jann we mourn, and we must learn." She bowed deeply to Ray, her long hair sweeping the ground.
Ray bowed back, careful to bend less to the Jann than he had to Emma. "We are only sad that we were unable to save more. Thank you for your welcome, and I would wish to leave you a gift, a memory to share if I might?"
At the Jann's curious nod, Ray reached back into Hinn. Finding the perfect moment, he focused his attention on the instant Emma called the Jann together in opposition of the Jinn, thunderous rage and implacable purpose written clearly in both her expression and posture. Burning away the time and distance between that moment and the present, charring time's grasp away from the image, he placed it on a small rocky outcrop the stream had noisily excavated over time.
"I leave you a memory of your Mother, upset, hurt, but implacable and determined. I bring you the love of your Mother for you, brought forth into action. It will stay there to share amongst you and yours as long as you desire. My apologies if this is inappropriate, it is simply the best my poor mind can offer to represent this moment, this occurrence. If you desire it removed, I shall do so and apologize for the mistake."
The Jann again bowed deeply to Ray. "We thank you, Hinn. We thank you, Ray. Your gift shall be treasured."
Returning the bow, Ray gathered his people to him. He had Tauriz return them where she had drawn them from, in whatever way would best hide their disappearance.
Stepping out onto the wooded peak of the island, Ray found himself alone. His headset bleeped again, linking up almost instantly. "This is Ray. Everyone please check in, make sure we're all OK?" Kendis and his team replied one by one, each stating they were fine. Amber and Tauriz also spoke up, expressing their satisfaction with all that occurred. On hearing that, Ray sent, "Great! I'm headed back down the mountain. It'll take me about ten or fifteen minutes, I'd guess."
"Ray, Kat. We'll be here, starting to pack up now. We should be ready to leave as soon as you're here, but I suspect it'll take a little longer to get the water taxi back."
"We're calling them now, folks," Kendis' voice came from the headset.
Ray reached out through Hinn, wrapping Tauriz up in a hug formed from all his relief, his pleasure, his awe and love. He felt Ousha join, including himself in hers, and Dhakira's presence was close and warm as well, if not as demonstrative. Stretching a little, he pulled all of them into his hug. Dhakira was a little flustered at that, but they didn't fight it, snuggling into the pleasant sensation instead, and tentatively returning the care as both the others instantly drew them in.
A couple minutes later as Ray moved smoothly downhill through the night-shrouded woods, Kendis spoke back up, "ETA forty minutes for the water taxi at the dock."
"OK - thanks, Kendis."
As promised, when Ray arrived Kat and John already had everything packed up and ready to go. Ray lent a hand to lug it back to the shore by the dock, waiting for the boat.
"Folks? Would anyone be opposed if we can find a good restaurant open?" Ray asked.
