Saving Hibreon

This is the last chapter of Saving Hibreon. I'm going to miss these characters, but as the Eloua say, 'we swim forward.' I've got some new projects percolating, and I'm looking forward to starting those. As always, I thank you for reading my work and I do hope you enjoy it.

-Guinevere A. Hart

***

Harmony Station was a compact city in space that served several purposes. Travelers could rest, refuel, repair, and resupply. The place was a neutral meeting ground where various sentient species could negotiate under the care and wisdom of Elouan moderators. Harmony also boasted high quality spas, shops, and even casinos. Though Eloua didn't use currency amongst themselves, they understood the concept well enough.

When Ilyana, Kytia, and Wy arrived everything was closed, but Harmony was far from desolate. The militant Sil had turned the entire station into a base from which to launch their campaign against the Ay'niki. Their population was matched by the Eloua and their Oracles who provided superior physical, mental, and spiritual health care for the newly freed captives.

At the station's heart was an Elouan temple. There were quiet botanical areas for meditation and contemplation. Beyond these were forums and classrooms for lessons and philosophical discourse. The last and most spacious chamber was for long distance conferencing with the Elouan Elder Council from their home world of Arcadia.

A tight weave of faintly glowing filament made up an eight-foot-high web from the ceiling to about five feet from the floor. The massive bio-technical screen bordered the entire circumference of the chamber. Subdued floor lighting guided those who entered toward the center of the room.

The room reminded Ilyana of similar place at the Temple of Iatsun on Arcadia. Replace with the webbing with a pool, and the chamber would be the same as the one she knew. Kytia fidgeted beside her and complained, "This room is creepy. Why do aliens have to be so fucking creepy?"

Wy added to the creep factor when he suggested, "Are they going to use some weird kind of spider creatures to talk for them?"

Ilyana was used to Kytia's way, but Wy's idea was so odd that it threw her off for a second. She turned to look at his face, wondering if he was trying to joke. He wasn't. "What?" she asked, incredulous.

"The webs," Wy began. He walked to the wall and reached up to touch the filaments. The firm but flexible stuff bowed slightly under his fingers and glowed a bit brighter where he touched them. "They're not sticky, though."

Ilyana shook her head. "

Nai

. It just screen, Wy. For pictures.

Nai

spiders." She didn't want him to feel dumb, so she added, "I like you idea though."

None of this was normal for either of her partners. Ilyana suddenly reconsidered. She thought she should have been more courteous than to ask them to come with her to the meeting. "Sorry, Kytia. Sorry, Wy. If you scared, you could wait out if you want." She pointed to the door.

"I'm not fucking scared," Kytia stated with only a light break in her tone. She grabbed Ilyana's hand, but it felt like it was more for her own comfort than Ilyana's. "I'm here for you, sweetheart. Just tell me what you want me to do."

"Just listen, 'kay? And Wy, please, you stop poking the screen."

Ilyana wanted to go home to Hibreon as much as her lovers did, but she needed this meeting with the council. Whatever knowledge they had to impart could only help her solve Hibreon's afterlife problem. And she hoped for some clarity regarding her own genetics.

The surrounding screen brightened then revealed the assembled Eloua Elder Council. The full display made the room look even more like its counterpart at the Temple of Iatsun. Among the fifteen councilmembers, a few faces reminded Ilyana of Elders she'd known in her youth. The familiarity put her at ease.

Greetings and pleasantries were kept short. An assembly meant serious business, and the speaker quickly called for order. "First, let it be known that Ilyana's mission, once thought lost to us, has been reinstated with Ambassador Araquies. We look forward to a long and amicable exchange with the peoples of Hibreon."

A brief wave of bright aqua flowed among the bioluminescent bodies in acceptance and unanimous agreement. The speaker continued, "We have reviewed the data received from Araquies." With a gesture, he activated a small display window near his head. He revealed a series of pictures representing a being like the one that had birthed Ilyana.

"We refer to them as Divines. They call themselves Aasera and Viliru— two factions of the same species. We Eloua have encountered only one such being within the last century. Where our own species relies on our advancement of biotechnical achievement, the Divines have mastered the science of spirit."

Ilyana noticed quick flashes of color, a fidgeting of hands and mantles. Their colors revealed some annoyance and disbelief, but mostly a nervous energy. One of the elders vocalized, "It is immoral to meddle in the affairs of the Divines."

Calm but firm, the speaker spoke up, "We are in the very

presence

of such, and we are

not

meddling."

The anxious elder pressed, "If the Divines want their lost one returned to them, then it must be

their

decision,

their

action."

Kytia snapped, "No one is taking Ilyana anywhere!"

The conversation momentarily collapsed, and the assembly became a messy paint palette of emotion. Kytia fumed and spat one expletive after another, shaking her fists at people who weren't even physically present. Through it all, Wyfrost just stood by and laughed.

A few seconds of this, and Ilyana had enough. True anger was a rare thing for her, but she could feel it come to a sudden boil inside, like nausea of the soul. Ilyana had been raised to speak gently, to always be the voice of empathy, calm, and reason. One word roared from the center of her ire, reverbed from the walls of the hall, and probably rang out through the rest of the temple. "Hush!"

The Elders immediately quieted. Wyfrost's brows climbed to the top of his forehead, his lips pressed tight together. Kytia ceased mid tirade, snapped her mouth shut, and lowered her hands. Ilyana's rage fled as fast as it came up. Embarrassed by her outburst, she cleared her throat and smoothed the front of her dress. Finally, she looked back up at the speaker. "Elder, please, what can you tell me? Is there some knowledge of how I can help the spirits of Hibreon?"

The speaker began again. "The Divines are collectors of souls. They take the released spirits from what they refer to as 'Root Worlds'— worlds like Hibreon. The spirits are transplanted to new bodies then delivered to new worlds. The Aasera faction seems most interested in the continuation and proliferation of sentient life."

Ilyana said, "Hibreon's souls aren't being collected. It's been two centuries. Why haven't they noticed? Why haven't they fixed it?"

The speaker spread his hands and shook his head. "How does the fisher see one faulty net when there are thousands in the vast ocean of the multiverse? And who can say what time is to the gods?" Then he gave Ilyana a long and serious look. "Perhaps they

have

sent one of their own to repair the net, Oracle."

"How?" Kytia demanded. "How is Ilyana supposed to do anything about this when she doesn't even understand who she is?"

The speaker gave Kytia a gracious smile. "We believe that she does know. From the time she was taken in by Sabrael, even as a little one, Ilyana was adamant in her understanding of the afterlife. It was assumed that she merely parroted a mythos the ylf'nim people had taught her, that her belief would fade over time. Neither her story nor her conviction ever wavered. We believe this knowledge is intrinsic to her nature."

Ilyana intoned in her own language, "I am the Light of the Eternal Empire. I am blessed of the Divines, and their power goes before me. I will harm none, for mercy is my blade and faith my shield." She concluded in Barter, "I know my gods, and my gods know me."

Kytia rankled, "Nice. That's just fine. Meanwhile, Hibreon's ancestors are still wandering, displaced, with nowhere to go. Now, what the fuck are we going to do about it?"

Wy muttered, "Take it easy, Kytia."

The Elder said, "Ilyana, we believe you already possess what is required. Tap into the instincts you were born with. Use your bond with the

Nephilumen

to strengthen your Divine given power. Open renewed eyes to see the network and repair it. That is all the advice we have to offer."

Wy shrugged and said, "It's a place to start."

Ilyana nodded. "Thank you, Elders. May I ask, what happened to the Aasera you encountered?"

The speaker's face darkened, "He was not Aasera. He was Viliru, and we do not know where he went when he left Arcadia. He was looking for something he did not find among our people."

Noticing the change in the Elder's expression, Kytia asked, "What's wrong with the Viliru?"

"They collect the souls that are rejected by the Aasera. Their process is distasteful to us. His presence made us feel... uncomfortable."

There were things Ilyana instinctively knew, but she could never quite define them. Now her mind rapidly made connections. The Elder Council didn't want to discuss it further, so she clarified for everyone. "They make demons."

"What the f—" Kytia began, but she checked herself and started over. "Okay, so what did this Viliru guy want? Is he going to be a problem?"

The speaker opened his hands again in helpless gesture. "He was mainly interested in our non-Eloua colleagues and companions. As forthcoming as he was with some information, he kept his private matters to himself. By his own admission, he was a rogue among his kin. We were relieved when he departed. And we can only pray that he is not, as you say, a problem. That is all we know. Oracle, you must know that revealing the workings of the Divines can be cause for some chaos amidst the unenlightened. We are certain we need not ask for your discretion."

Ilyana assured him, "I only want to help the people of Hibreon in any way I can."

The speaker then turned to regard Kytia. "What?" Kytia balked at him. "Me? I try to avoid chit-chatting about the gods damned

weather

. You think I'm going blather on about

this

shit? I'd swallow my own damn tongue first."

Wy smiled under the speaker's gaze. "I'm just a big, dumb barbarian. I don't know anything about anything."

The elder smiled back at him and said, "We know better. But thank you." He turned again to Ilyana. "Any data you wish to impart to us may go through Ambassador Araquies."

***

The three of them were quiet as they walked back to their room, and Ilyana was grateful for the silence. She'd been reminded of the friends she'd had, the neighbors and teachers who had helped her become who she was. She would miss the Eloua and the Sil. She'd miss Arcadia's warm white sand and endless ocean. It had been her home for a century. She couldn't be sure if she'd ever died or not, but Hibreon was her "afterlife". And she longed to be about it.

They each tried to process the information they'd just received in their own way. Though separate in their thinking, they still shared a oneness. Behind closed doors, the quiet continued, but words were unnecessary. They undressed together and held each other in the stillness.

Slow heat rose with soft caresses and tender kisses. Hands and mouths gently stirred passions awake, and as one being, they moved to their bed. Ilyana and Kytia lay to either side of Wyfrost. The ladies linked their fingers and stroked his stiffening member, and Wy took turns with their mouths engaging each in long and deeply loving kisses.

Ilyana left Wy in Kytia's capable hands, and she moved down. She lapped at the tender flesh of Wy's sac. Kytia joined her, running her own tongue up and down the length of Wy's shaft. He moaned, "Oh, my goddesses." Then he thought about it a second and apologized. "Uh, sorry, Ilyana."

The comment struck Ilyana as hilarious, and she started to laugh. He chuckled along with her, but the ever-serious Kytia didn't see the humor in it. When Ilyana's giggles subsided, Kytia drew her into a strong embrace where they shared another kiss.

Wy sat up and caressed their backs. Then his hands moved lower, tracing the curves of their buttocks down to their upper thighs. He gently massaged their outer labia, patiently working more of their fluids to the surface. When their skin was wet, he slipped his fingers between their folds to rub their clits.

As waves of pleasure radiated form Wy's fingertips, Kytia and Ilyana's kiss became more urgent. Their tongues began to dance with the rhythm of Wy's hands. Then Ilyana felt Wy enter her with two thick fingers. He gave her a couple of strong thrusts, and Ilyana broke off the kiss with a small cry of ecstasy. She tossed her head back and rode Wy's hand.

Kytia wet a finger in her mouth, and with her other hand she parted Ilyana's bottom cheeks. She pressed her finger against Ilyana's pucker, massaging until her body accepted the penetration. With both of her lovers inside of her, Ilyana lost her senses to climax.

It was only the first orgasm of many as their love making intensified. They carried on long after the station lights dimmed in its simulation of nighttime. Their blankets and pillows were kicked and tossed to the floor as they rolled together.

When they'd finally exhausted one another, they lay with their limbs tangled, sweat damp skin cooling in the darkness. The only sound was their quickened breath trying to catch up after what developed into a vigorous tumble. No one said a word for a long time, and Ilyana hoped they weren't going to have to talk about the meeting with the Elder Council.

Then Kytia (of course) had to ask. She spoke quietly, as her body was completely relaxed after sex. "Ilyana, we've just learned that the gods are only another bunch of aliens. How are you okay with this? I really need to know because I'm not."

It was Wyfrost who answered. "They're not gods. Just because the Eloua call them Divines, doesn't mean they are. I for one am glad somebody's collecting ghosts. The thought of invisible dead people stalking around gives me the willies."

Ilyana giggled and repeated the new word. "Wee-lees, hah!"

Kytia said, "You know Wy, for a Frost Giant, you're kind of a big baby."

They could hear the smile in his voice when Wy replied, "Fuck off, Kytia."

Ilyana sat up and tickled Wy's ribs while in her spookiest voice she groaned, "Oooooh, wee-lees. Wee-lees!" Wy chuckled at her playing, but he was too relaxed to be tickled.

Kytia sat up then and took both of Ilyana's hands in her own. Ilyana could barely make out Kytia's face in the deep darkness, but she knew Kytia needed reassurance more than jokes. Nearly pleading, Kytia asked, "Ilyana, seriously, what are we going to do?"

She started in ylf'nim for Kytia. "You don't have to be afraid. Whatever this is, it's the same as it's always been. Knowing something about it doesn't change it." Then in Barter, she listed, "I gonna fix Hibreon. The ghosts

es

gonna go. We gonna be married. And we gonna make Fjallheim good."

Wy got off the bed saying, "That's a sound plan, Ilyana. Kytia, you worry too much." He picked up their pillows and tossed them at his fiancées.

"Well," Kytia grumped, "Somebody has to worry around here."

"Yeah?" Wyfrost asked, bringing the blankets with him to bed. "And what good has that done you?"

Kytia snatched the blankets from him and threw her head back onto to her pillow. "Shut up and go to sleep."

***

Ilyana spent most of the return trip to Hibreon in meditation, both with and without Luma. On approach to the planet, she inserted herself once again at Luma's core and became one with the vessel. In their shared vision, she could sense the network of energy that had been laid down millions of years ago by the Aasera. It was a relief to see that it wasn't the whole planet that had been affected, just the areas radiating outward from Raelinholm.

The sight of it awakened a knowledge that came with being Aasera. She still wasn't sure what that meant, but Ilyana had learned to swim with the currents of instinct and experience. It was enough to simply know how to fix it. Soon, the energy that was needed flowed from Raelinholm's node and connected to the rest of the network. Ilyana watched a while longer. Flashes of souls flitting and swirling towards their gates reminded her of schooling fish.

A memory of Sabrael teaching her to swim rose to the surface of her thoughts. It was the first time she'd ever seen real fish in their natural ocean environment. Remembering made her smile, and she realized she wasn't angry with him. He'd been sick, wrong, and more broken than she could possibly imagine. He'd done terrible things, but she knew he had also done the best he could do for her.

She spoke through Luma to Kytia, Wyfrost, and Raeric. "Strap in. We're landing now." Then she took the ship in towards the Hibreon sea.

Kytia, Wyfrost, and Raeric went to Raelinholm's Sacred Grove with Ilyana. She'd brought a few personal items from the ship, remembrances of her friends that had died two hundred years before. Her new family helped her plant a sapling in reverent ceremony. When it was done, the sun had begun to set, and Ilyana had one more thing to do.

She left her family and went alone to the twisted ruin of the old keep. The heavy presence she'd felt in the grove before was gone, lifted, and carried away by the souls who had been freed. She opened her senses and looked for the spirit of Sabrael. He might have moved on, and part of her hoped that he had.

"Sabrael," she called, "Sabrael, if you're here then come out." She waited, but there was no answer. Whether he'd gone to his afterlife or not, there was still something important that Ilyana had to say. "I forgive you, Sabrael. Do you hear me?" She waited a moment more, then repeated, "I forgive you."

The heavy, oppressive atmosphere that she'd felt in this area before had dissipated. Whatever spirits had haunted and protected the Sacred Grove; they were gone now. The dead no longer whispered here. The only sounds were birds, bugs, and the leaves in the breeze accompanied by the clink and clatter of mementos that decorated the trees.

She observed the ruins of what was and knew there was nothing for her there. Everyone she'd known from before was gone. She thought her heart should feel heavy and sad, but what Ilyana felt was a sense of newness. "Swim forward," she muttered to no one but herself. Then Ilyana left the graveyard to find her family.

***

Wy knew that all elves were insane. It was a common fact well known to the Norrhim who'd looked after them for over a century. During the past few years, Wyfrost had met a lot of different people, and he'd concluded that everybody was just a little off in one way or another. Kytia and Ilyana had a crazy that fit his own. As fine as it was to be Arl of Fjallheim, those two made it truly feel like home.

For years, Kytia thought all she'd wanted was home— Raelinholm. She watched her husband and wife playing tag with Raeric's children, and she caught herself imagining their own kids in the mix. Kytia finally understood that "home" wasn't really a place. What surprised her was how genuinely happy that knowledge made her feel.

For all Ilyana had learned, for all the cosmic power that bent to her will, she still couldn't see her own fate. She no longer resented it though. This wasn't some cruel game the multiverse played against her. It's just the way of things, and she could accept that. She didn't know the little person that had recently taken up residence in her womb, but she loved them already. The goddess, who'd decided not to be one, looked into Fjallheim's future and saw that it was good.