The Cycles of Revelation Series

Artifact of the Dawn: Maala’naa (A Queer Sci-Fi Adventure)

Episode 86: Ardyn and Jevan spend some time in Ardyn’s home settlement of Maala’naa.

They reached Maala’naa by mid-morning the next day. After they let the Rahn’naa know they had arrived, they reached out to Elder Taesys, who was awaiting their arrival along with Saelyn, Cylaen, and little Myria.

“Papa Ardyn!” Myria cried out, running toward them. “I made a gift for you!”

Ardyn dropped his pack and scooped up the young child. “You did? Show me!”

She handed him a small leather pouch.

“Oh, it’s beautiful! Did you make it?” Ardyn asked.

Nodding with a shy smile, she looked up at Jevan. “There’s another gift inside, and one is for you, Papa Jevan!”

An unexpected pang of emotion hit Jevan when Myria called him that, and Ardyn smirked as he handed the pouch to him. Opening it, he pulled out a pair of embroidered leather bracelets. “These are beautiful, thank you little one.”

Myria buried her head in Ardyn’s chest as she mumbled. “You’re welcome.”

Ardyn set Myria down and let Jevan tie one bracelet on his left wrist and then tied the other on Jevan’s right wrist. That way, whenever they held hands, the bracelets would be together. Seeing that thrilled Myria as she ran around the small group while they made their way into the settlement.

“Thank you for coming to visit before leaving,” Saelyn said, giving Ardyn a small hug. “It has been too long since you’ve been home.”

“I know, and I’m sorry Mama. So much has happened since the day Aelrynd sent me out after that sar’ora.”

“Oh, don’t remind me,” Saelyn admonished. “You’ve both turned our lives upside down. Hopefully for the better, but that’s yet to be seen.”

Elder Taesys approached Jevan as they walked toward the center of Maala’naa, putting a hand on his upper arm. “You will look after my son and protect him in that distant land you’re going to. If you don’t, you will have to answer to me. Is that understood?”

Smiling at him, Jevan nodded. “Perfectly clear. I hope you know I will protect Ardyn with my very life.”

“Good. That’s what I needed to hear,” he said, patting Jevan on the back.

Ardyn caught up with them and admonished his father. “Leave my bondmate alone.”

“I can’t help being protective of you,” Taesys said, pulling Ardyn into an embrace. “You’re the only child of mine that I’m close to, and I don’t want to lose you.”

Returning the hug, he pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Taesys. “I almost forgot. Taeglyn asked me to give this to you.”

Taesys looked at it curiously for a moment before slipping it into a pocket in his robes. “I’ll read it later. Thank you.”

Approaching a rope ladder, Jevan could hear a festive cacophony coming from the largest hut overlooking the center of Maala’naa. They built the hut in the branches of a large, gnarly old tree, and probably served as the central gathering place for celebrations.

Taesys led the way, and a rousing cheer came from those gathered as they entered the large hut. Inside, they saw a feast set up, with at least fifty people gathered. He led them toward a low table in a place for honored guests. This treatment differed from the last time Jevan had been in Maala’naa.

Instead of chairs or benches, there were furs and blankets spread out for the guests to sit on, and the feast before them looked amazing. It must have taken many people to prepare all the food they saw. There was roast paal’dak, fish stew, and an array of fresh fruits and root vegetables that the Athla’naa were fond of eating. It had been a long time since they had eaten home-cooked Athla’naa cuisine, and they savored every bite. They may not have seasoned the food with the spices Takyra had introduced them to, but Jevan could feel through Ardyn that it tasted like home.

There were many stories to share, and they passed around the wah’roh as everyone enjoyed the feast. After everyone finished eating, Taesys stood to address the group gathered. “Today we celebrate one of our own, along with his partner and bondmate. Ardyn opened our eyes to many truths, and we are being led out of the darkness and into a new era of enlightenment.”

A hush fell over the crowd and they heard a few disgruntled voices muttering under their breaths.

Holding up his hands, Taesys continued. “I know many of you are still skeptical, but I believe this is the right path for our people. However, tonight is not the time for this debate.”

Giving a pointed look to everyone gathered, he waited to see if anyone would challenge him, but none did. “To honor Ardyn for what he has achieved, and for stepping up to represent our people on our ancestral homeworld, I wish to present him with a gift.”

Jevan looked at Ardyn, feeling as surprised by this as he could tell Ardyn felt.

“Many months ago, our Triumvirate asked him to track and kill the sar’ora that had been preying upon our children. It was that task that led him down the path of discovery that has changed our entire world. We saved the pelt of that beast, and I asked our best craftspeople to make a coat for him to wear on his journey.”

A young Athla’naa approached them with a cloth wrapped parcel that must have contained the coat. Accepting it, Ardyn stood and bowed. “I am honored to receive such a fine gift, Elder Taesys. Thank you, Papa.”

“Also, for Jevan, whom I believe is the one who killed the beast and saved Ardyn’s life,” Taesys continued. “I have asked our best bowyer and fletcher to fashion you a new bow and quiver. After all your experiences onboard the Rahn’naa, you probably consider these primitive weapons, but perhaps they may still remind you of home.”

Accepting the beautifully crafted bow and quiver filled with arrows, Jevan also tried to stand, but he hit his head on the roof of the hut, making everyone laugh. Opting to bow and then kneel back down, Jevan responded. “Thank you, Elder Taesys. This is a beautiful gift, and no matter how far we travel, it will remind me of our humble beginnings.”

After the feast, Ardyn led Jevan to the hut he’d always shared with his parents. Taesys and Saelyn had since moved into the huts reserved for the Triumvirate, but they had kept the hut for guests. When they entered, they saw the old packs that had been confiscated next to the pile of furs Ardyn used to sleep on.

“Oh, wow, I can’t believe they’d kept these,” Jevan said, grabbing his pack, looking through it. It was still filled with all the items he’d traded for all those months ago. “Your people can keep these things. We don’t need them, and I’m sure those back in Yanen had given up waiting on them now. I certainly don’t want to lug this heavy thing back with me, but I will keep a few of the personal items.”

“Yeah, that pack always looked too heavy,” Ardyn thought, as he went through his old ranger pack with the same intent, pulling out a few personal items he wanted to keep, putting them into his new pack from the Rahn’naa.

That night, Jevan helped Ardyn replace his terrible memories of Maala’naa by making love to him there in his old home. Using their deep bond, he made it a joyous night, and it deepened the increasing intimacy between them.