Taken: The Life of Uktesh Book 3 (27 page)

Uktesh looked down into the pit at the blackened body of his wife and Walked to her and he cradled her in his arms.  As he cried he felt the claws recede, the scales revert back to skin, and the wings fold back into his body.  He felt womanly arms go around his neck, and knew he needed to apologize to Heathyr for not protecting her daughter, but he couldn’t find the words.  He felt broken and numb. He felt like letting the dragon take over again and just letting him remain in control.  “Who was she?  Laurilli asked.

Uktesh blinked his eyes open and pushed Laurilli an arm’s length away, “Laurilli!  You’re not-” he looked down at the body he had been cradling and asked, “who’s this?”

Ceftin put a claw on Uktesh’s shoulder and said,

“Thisss isss the woman whossse love,

you chossse to dispossse of.

Thisss isss the woman who in harsh reality,

would ssstill not allow you to fall to brutality.

Thisss woman isss your wife,

though now of another life.”

Uktesh felt his eyes water again, “Talia?  Why?  How’d she even get on the sand, or know to do it in time?”

Airos said, “She and a few other people jumped onto the sand when Larut became victorious.  When we were distracted by the former Storm lord’s ranting I noticed that she never stopped running toward you.  I did not know what was about to happen, or I would’ve blocked the lightning myself.  I believe my armor would’ve insulated me from the worst of it.  She, however, it seems did know, and made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Uktesh smoothed her hair and kissed her blackened forehead. He felt sorry for her that he would never be able to return her love, that her life had been cut short because of him, and because he’d hadn’t truly saved her from Neftalix; she’d saved him.

He stood and lifted her body with him as he did.  He felt Laurilli let go and he thought back to one of the many conversations he and Talia had had in his bed as they tried to stay warm. 

Uktesh had asked, “Where do you want to live when this is all over?”

Talia had sighed, stretched, trying to entice him again, and said, “I don’t know.  I’ve only known the Empire.  I think I’d like to see this Isle de Tramonto and the leviathan lagoon.”

Uktesh had said, “That’s just because I said it was so nice.”

Talia had responded, “Nope, I want to go there because you said it’s warm.  No more huddling under the covers for warmth once the sun goes down.”

Uktesh had said, “I tell you what. I’m going back there anyway. I’ll take you with me when I go.  Any place seems better than here.”

Talia had rolled to face him in the bed, smiled at him, and had said, “I knew you wanted me.”  She had straddled him then and said, “so no more of this nonsense about a wife that may or may not be alive.”

Uktesh had laughed and rolled her off him before he said, “I won’t believe she’s dead until I get proof, or hear it from her parents.”

Talia had folded her arms under her breasts, and Uktesh hadn’t been sure if she was trying to draw attention to them or was just annoyed.  She had said, “Either take me with you or leave me here. Don’t dangle a life I can’t have over me.”

Uktesh had said, “You’re right, that’s not fair.”  He paused and said, “I tell you what. I’ll take you there either way and if you want to go home, you can go home.  If you want to try to make a life in Manori try that too.”

She had rolled away from him at that and he’d fallen asleep. 
Time to keep a promise.
  Uktesh picked up her burnt corpse and Walked back to the Isle de Tramonto, to the leviathan lagoon, and buried her in a corner that was over grown with weeds.  He didn’t want any curious person to dig her up.  With the help of the dragon, he used earth to split the ground and floated her gently into it, then covered her up with his borrowed earth powers again.  He Walked to the top of the volcano when he was finished burying her and let the wind cool him down.

You know coming here was a stupid idea right?

Uktesh responded to the dragon,
yeah, but I needed to do it.  For two reasons: The first is to keep my promise and the second is to ask you what you did without interruption. 

I…,
the dragon paused,
I don’t know.
 

What do you mean you don’t know?

I just don’t know what I did, if anything.  That could’ve been all you.

Uktesh asked,
is that what the Old Ones you kept talking about look like?  Did I attempt a god form and fail?

No, to both questions.  The Old Ones look like a normal human except they have wings.  The wings come in all sorts. Some are colorful feathers, some are solid one color, some are leathery like my kind, and some transparent like a dragonfly’s.  I knew one, once whose wings were invisible!  People kept walking into them, and causing him no end of grief. 

Then how did I get wings, claws, and scales?  If it wasn’t me and it wasn’t you, who could it have been?

I don’t know!  You have no dragon’s blood in you, I know that!  What happened should’ve been impossible!

What happened!

You transformed into a Dragoon.

The thing Laurilli fought?  And it wasn’t a failed god form?

No, and no.  The dragoon Laurilli fought was a dragoon but he was a failed god form dragoon
. 
You were somehow a successful god form Dragoon.  With a capitol D.

I don’t understand.  I didn’t try to do a god for attack! 

That’s why I don’t know what’s going to either!

So were my ancestors dragons?  Is that why I turned into a Dragoon?

No.  Trust me when I tell you, you’re and Old One through and through.

Then.  What.  Did.  You.  Do?

I might have, somehow, in my rage, and grief taken over your body and attacked Neftalix in god form.

Finally!  What if you’d failed?

I don’t know. I have no memory of trying to take over or of attacking him!  I saw her dead, and then nothing until I heard her voice.

That seems convenient. 

It really isn’t!  I wish I could tell you, “Yeah, sorry, my bad, I needed to use you to kill Neftalix, I hope you don’t mind, but he was kind of a jerk”’ but I can’t!

Uktesh took a deep breath,
so where does this leave us?

I don’t know.

Can you promise not to take over my body again?

I don’t know. Can you promise not to let Laurilli die again?

She didn’t-

I know, but you also know what I mean.

You know what I can promise about her. 

Yeah, I know.  You’ll die before you let her get hurt.

I guess I should add if I see it coming.

And if you’re not the cause of it.

Yeah.
  Uktesh sighed and asked.
Ready to go home?

Home?

Yeah, home is where my wife is.

By the gods that is so corny.

Shut up.  You love her too.  You went mad like ten minutes ago when you thought she was dead.  Bet you didn’t go mad when I never showed up in Manori.

What can I say; I like her more than you.

Uktesh smiled,
Maybe, but if I know you, and I’m certain I do, you’ve done something inappropriate and now she probably won’t let you back in, except under desperate circumstances.
  The dragon seemed to suddenly be too intent on portraying innocence,
ha!  I knew it!

Well, maybe, just a little, but I did save your son’s life!

I have a son!  That’s right!  I have a son!

Uktesh Walked back to the Osiris arena and found that it was still mostly full, as people slowly made their way out of the only exit.  Laurilli saw him first and Stepped to him, then Rushed as she wrapped her arm around him.  He took the Rush and spun her around.  Uktesh kissed her and said, “I’m sorry I ran off, I just needed to bury her and yell at the dragon.”

She said, “Yeah, that was pretty intense for a moment.  What happened?”

Uktesh rolled his eyes and said, “Let’s just say that neither of us really knows, but we think it was his fault.

Hey!

Did I lie?

Laurilli said, “What’d he say?”

Uktesh replied, “‘Hey!’”

Laurilli smiled and said, “That sounds like him.”

Heathyr came over holding a child and said, “Uktesh may I introduce you to your son?”  She held him out to Uktesh.  Uktesh gently took him from her, and she said, “Make sure to support his head.”

He was asleep, but he was so beautiful!  He looked at Laurilli and whispered, “What’s he named?”

She said, “I didn’t want to name him without your thoughts first.”

Uktesh asked, “What do you think of Talios?”

Laurilli smiled and said, “I thought you might want something like that.  We came up with Talio, Talius, Talionus, and Taliovius too.”

Uktesh kissed her and said, “I love how much you get me.”

She said, “So which do you like most?”

Uktesh said, “I kind of really liked Talionus when you said it.  He can be called Talionus or Talio, or Tali.  It’s a name with nicknames built in.”

Laurilli smiled and said, “I like that too.”

Ceftin said,

“Ha!  Told you mine wasss the bessst.

It was clearly better than all the ressst.”

He had everyone join hands and Walked them all out of the arena and to the gates of the Storm ludis.  Uktesh panted as he’d never tried to carry nearly two hundred people any distance. He was honestly surprised he could, even with the dragon’s help. 
I told you, you’ve gotten stronger. Maybe I should’ve said, much stronger.
  Uktesh shrugged at the group and said, “This is the only place I’m familiar with; well, the only public place.  I know inside of here, the inside of the coliseum, and the sands of the coliseum.”

Ceftin said,

“Not to fear,

our Houssse is near.

He slithered away and the rest of the group followed.  They found their way to a massive building with lush gardens, a massive sparing arena, and places below for slaves, and gladiators.

“Ceftin after buying the dragons you were able to afford this place?”

Ceftin said,

“Not a firssst,

but I thought, ‘at worssst

I’ll be broke

at bessst we’ll never again wear a yoke.’

For you I bet all the ressst of our money.

Win you did, ssso now we’re rich with honey.

Forty platinum coinsss bet for you,

with the oddsss extremely on a ssskew,

we now have ten thousssand coinsss,

enough to houssse anyone who joinsss,

the Houssse of Uktesh.

You’re our leader, in the flesh”

Uktesh said, “You mean we have ten thousand platinum coins?  And we own a House?  And you made me the leader?  Thank you!  I don’t know what to say.”

Airos said, “I find in times like these it is best just to say a heartfelt, ‘thank you.’ Too much more and you risk screwing up the moment.”

Uktesh laughed and said, “He’s right, I would say the wrong thing!  So I’ll just say, thank you, you did all this for me and risked your life and possibly soul to fight at my side.  All of you, thank you.  A man couldn’t ask for better friends.  No.  A better family.  Welcome to our House!”

Everyone cheered and the kids jumped into the stream that went from the top floors to the sands before it rounded into the lower rooms.

Laurilli put her arm around him, moved them aside as everyone came into look at their new home, and asked, “So be honest, do you still find me attractive without both arms?”

Uktesh said, “I’m always honest with you.”  She raised an eyebrow at him, which made him smile and say, “for the most part!  But I will be totally honest this time.  No joking.  Okay?”

She sighed and nodded, “Okay.”

He put his arm around her and led them toward one of the benches in the courtyard to watch the kids play while he said, “That arm was my favorite.”

1.                 
   Osiris
   

The man knelt before the golden alter and said to the empty room, “Yes my god.  It will be as you command.”  The man stood and removed his robes. 

“Yes they’ve already purchased a house.  Soon they will purchase a House.”  The man stepped into the boiling water.  A low moan of pain and pleasure escaped his lips.

“Yes my god soon they will start Spelunking.”  He submerged himself completely under the water.

When he resurfaced his skin peeled off in long strips, “Yes, Darkest of the Darkness, I’ve ensured they have an experienced Spelunker in their House.”  He stepped out of the water and let it and his skin fall to the floor. “Once they’ve found your treasure I will either take it or purchase it.”