Category: Creative Writing

In The beginning

Within the slums of a small  Caribbean village, a girl called Keinah grew. By the time she was roughly the age of six her life began to shape. She had twelve elder siblings who were either married off or joined the militia by the time she was born. When she was two-years-old,  her mother died from hard child labor with a set of twins. Her father became betrothed to a wealthy woman who had no interest in raising a child, not of her own. Four years later, Keinah went to live with her maternal grandmother in another province by the sea, far from where she was born.

For Keinah, it was easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the living. She dwelled in poverty, ignorance, and neglect. Without her knowledge, her pure soul could drift between the living human world and that of the spiritual realm. She did not know the difference. The summer heat made it too hot for work in the mid-day. Grandmother often sent Keinah to their hut to rest on the floor. Many heatwaves caused her to lose consciousness.

Keinah did not like to leave Grandmother’s side, and she hated going back to the hut to rest. She often pretended to sleep, and when no one was watching, she would head to the shore with a flask of fresh tea and the remaining breadcrumbs from supper. 

One day, after she had already prepared a meal for her basket and bucket for collecting shells, she planned her escape. The other frail children from the village had already fallen asleep inside the one-room shack. There was a senile old nursemaid who was often chastised for neglect in tending to her chores. She rested on a wicker rocking chair in front of the main entrance. Keinah rolled her raggedy sleep mat to use as a rope to lead her out of the only window in the room. Once she hit the trail, she made haste towards the shoreline.

She merrily skipped and hummed along. Before she knew it, she had reached her destination. She arrived at a deserted black-sanded beach that ranged for miles, lined with an enormous amount of palm and coconut trees. The ocean was a beautiful, deep, bluish-green sea.

Without her knowledge, a presence had been watching her every single time she made the trek to the ocean shore. It noticed how tiny and sickly she always looked. She wore the same dingy blue tattered dress that was nearly a size too small for her body. Her black braids laid matted, and her dark ebony complexion was smooth, but ashy from dryness. The Presence had also noted how free and at ease she was as she played in the water and collected shells from the beach. Not even the sand in her hair caused her to fret. She hummed a simple tune and seemed to be uplifted by the sound of the waves.

Suddenly, Keinah stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. “Are you going to stand by and watch me?” She asked.

The Presence paused. “She can’t be speaking to me, can she? There is no one else around. She definitely has addressed me at this moment,” It thought. The Presence took pity on her, knowing that she was that much closer to death because she could now sense it. “I must introduce myself, but in a manner not frighten her,” It decided. The Presence disguised himself as a human boy with straight long silvery-white hair that  hung halfway down his back, piercing green eyes, and a bronzed skin tone. He appeared to be around ten years of age.

The Presence made his way down a coconut tree and stood before Keinah. She gasped at first, from shock. The Presence did not know if his appearance was pleasing or a terror to her. He quickly checked his attire to ensure his swimming trunks fit him presentably.

She softened her disposition and said, “My name is Keinah; how do you do, Sir?” She stuck out her hand to shake his. He shook her hand but did not speak. “Do you come here a lot?” She inquired.

Again, he did not speak. She smiled and included, “This is my most favorite place in the entire world!” His silence gave her a frosty chill of concern. “What’s wrong? Are you mad or something?” She paused to study his unreadable expression. “You don’t like me much, do you?” In that moment, she concluded that she had been rejected by the strange boy. “ That’s Ok. I’m used to it,” she sniffled and sauntered away in defeat.

The Presence became alarmed and stuttered until he could finally speak.

“Please, don’t go,” he shouted. The Presence reached for her arm to turn her around towards him, then looked into her big brown eyes.  Her eyes were swollen with tears.

Her somber mood crushed him as hard as the waves that crashed against the rocks at the edge of the shoreline. During all his observations, he had never seen her in a distraught state. It did not sit well with him that he was the reason for her discontent.

Keinah snatch her tiny arm away and bawled, “If you’re going to be mean, then don’t pretend you want to play with me.”  

The Presence stood shocked and taken aback. He had not intended to cause her any distress, and in fact, only meant to bring comfort.

“Please forgive me, Keinah. I did not mean to make you cry,” he calmly explained as he pulled her into his embrace. “ Of course, I will play with you,”

Keinah dried her tears with her dress and she looked up at him with a half-smile.

“Are you hungry?” She asked,  remembering her basket. She broke away from his arms and ran to fetch it. Then, she unrolled her raggedy sleeping mat. plopped down, and opened the contents of her basket.

“The way she proudly brought her goods over, one would think it was a feast fit to serve a banquet of guests,” he chuckled to himself.

Keinah pulled out the flask of tea and handed it to her new friend. At first, he did not want to drink but also did not want to risk another offense. The Presence took a small sip from the flask. His reluctant eyes met with hers, as she eagerly sought approval.

“I made it myself, with some tea leaves I stole from Grandmother’s garden,” she said.

“It is very refreshing,” he said with confidence. 

Next, she handed him a napkin with breadcrumbs inside. “Don’t be shy, I already ate some on my way here,” she giggled. The Presence hesitated for a second before scooping a handful of crumbs into his mouth. He smiled back at her elated face.

After eating, the two cohorts walked hand in hand along the beach. Keinah merrily hummed her tune, as the Presence took stock of the glorious occasion. The sun hung low over the horizon to make way for evening. He sighed and gently scooped her up in his arms, as he was ready to take Keinah with him to the other side of the sea.

 “She is happy and content. There could be no better time to take her away from her suffering.” He thought.

Just as he was about to make his plans known to her, a faraway voice bellowed over overhead, like a dark cloud. “Keinah! Come now, Keinah!”

The pair froze for a moment, then took a seat in silence on a large moss-covered rock.

“That is Grandmother calling. I have to go now.” Keinah mustered with a whimper.

The Presence realized that Keinah was still within an inch of her life, which meant it would not be the right time to take her.

 “Will I see you again?” She asked, with a blank gaze toward the water.

He gently kissed her forehead and whispered, “I will be here waiting for you to come and go with me.”

She smiled, kissed him back on the cheek, then hopped off the rock. “Before I go, you must tell me your name?” She asked.

The Presence paused for a minute to stare hopelessly at the prized child. “I will tell you my name on your next visit, which I am certain will soon be,” he replied.

Within a blink of the eye, she vanished before him

Ch. 1, The Far Side Hereafter

Severance

Alëxios sent the lead physician to treat Malaykah with medicine to help her rest comfortably, though he was unsure how well the antidote had taken effect. His severe headache made it clear that he was no longer privy to her thoughts. It would be impossible to know whether Malaykah made that choice on her own or if it was due to the pregnancy. Two things he knew for sure; she was in excruciating pain and terrified of something at the same time.

Alëxios demanded a conference with The Jade Rabbit and Lady Rüvym to get to the bottom of it all. He was enraged and worried for Malaykah’s safety. When the two entered his study, Alëxios verbally pounced on ‘Yù tù.’

“I demand you tell me the meaning behind Malaykah’s condition at once! Has she been ruthlessly sabotaged by The Moon? I believe she was set up and impregnated with an evil demon,” he said.

‘Yù tù’ became indignantly offended by the accusations hurled at him.

“How dare you speak of such vile things regarding the pure intentions of The Moon and her innocent children! We may have your ancestor, Lord Chiyou, to thank for the queen’s present state. All who knew of him declared him a monster, and it is written in the Sacred Scrolls as well. However, let us not forget; it is your seed that was merely fertilized with The Moon’s essence,” he replied.

Alëxios raised his voice loud enough to shake the entire palace.

“All that I am sure of is that I refuse to rear a motherless child! Malaykah had better be revived back to health promptly!” he exclaimed

The Jade Rabbit bounced high in the air, then on a long desk.

“Or else, what?” he asked defiantly.

By then, Lady Rüvym had enough of the shouting match.

“Stop this madness, this instance! Both of you shall put aside your enormous egos in favor of reason. Queen Malaykah is half-human. In truth, we all were concerned whether she would even successfully conceive, let alone carry Alëxios’s offspring to full term. Couple that with the essence of The Moon. Her children are the most powerful elements to be manifested within the realm. Malaykah’s divinity has never been questioned here, but her humanity is what is at odds. Her human traits have been dormant all the while, but now it appears the matter must be reconciled as she prepares for the birth of a triple-divine heir,” she explained.

‘Yù tù’ gasped, “Ah, now that made perfect sense!”

Alëxios sat in his chair with his head buried in his hands.

“I do not understand. The Moon specifically chose her for this surrogacy. Why would she do so with the awareness that it might harm Malaykah.”

“The Moon saw this plan as a perfect solution. She would not have made the demand if she thought it would not succeed. Malaykah is stronger than you give her credit. We watched from afar while she was in the Tri-cities. Her displayed divinity, compassion, and tenacity (be it a human trait or not) made her the most admirable and desired creature in the realm to The Moon,” ‘Yù tù’ chimed.

“Unfortunately, we shall all have to wait this out and pray Malaykah can survive this daunting task,” Lady Rüvym replied.

~Ch. 31, The Realm Beyond the Stars and Sea~

Between Realms

Malaykah decided to take a walk outside to clear her head. A light rain shower began during her stroll, which made her glad that she thought to bring an umbrella. The rain soothed her mind but often made her joints ache.

“You always looked divine in the rain,” a familiar voice said behind her.

Malaykah tilted her head back to see Alëxios.

“I hope you’re not expecting an Orisha dance,” she chimed.

“You captivated me with your dance,” he replied with sincerity.

Malaykah laughed and said, “I haven’t danced in years.” Her face sobered, and she stopped walking. “The doctors told me I have a weak heart. Apparently, there’s some kind of unknown enzyme attacking my entire body from inside.”

Alëxios turned her around to face him. He was drenched from the rain, so she lifted her umbrella over his head.

“Their diagnosis is all wrong. You have the strongest heart of anyone I have ever met. Unfortunately, though, it appears your onset of suffering stems from your time within the realm. Think of it as an adverse effect on your humanity.” He affectionately ran his fingers through the coils of her all-white tresses, then said, “I stand before you now, and your eyes are just as vibrant as the night we met in your garden.

Malaykah gushed at his flattering praises, then glanced away to look at a flickering street light.

“I’m not the same as when we met, and certainly not how I was in the realm,” she replied.

Alëxios tilted her face back to him. His eyes glowed, as hers did in response.

“Do not mistake me for any human men who are merely attracted to fleeting appearances. On the contrary, I am a deity who continuously requires your soul next to mine. I cannot rule my kingdom if you are not seated on the throne at my side,” he said.

“I haven’t been to the realm in over nine years. At this point, I don’t believe it’s even possible for me to return,” she answered in distrusted confusion.

Alëxios grinned slyly, then said, “Have no fear. Künsey and I will dwell with you here in the human realm. I consulted with The Moon to have the goddess Isis create him an amulet that would allow him to enter this realm without any harm to come. As you have seen, he is well able to manage our affairs.”

“Well, I suppose you have it all figured out then. You came here with no disadvantages. I love how the two of you arrived as successful businessmen,” Malaykah chuckled.

Alëxios caressed her bottom lip with his index finger, then said, “The only realm that I would be at a disadvantage in is the one where you refuse to be by my side.”

She kissed the tip of his finger and replied, “There is no such place.”

Alëxios proposed that they marry right away, but Malaykah postponed the event in favor of allowing her family to get to know him. J’aime and her children were instantly taken in by his charm. They marveled at how he doted on Malaykah and treated her like a queen. His generosity as a philanthropist made him a sensation everywhere. After six months passed, Alëxios and Malaykah married and retired to a quiet life.

Fourteen years later, Malaykah’s health began to rapidly decline. Alëxios spared no expense and sent Künsey to search for a cure. Their efforts were to no avail. She became unable to speak, though she could communicate through her thoughts. Alëxios feared she would soon perish, so he persuaded her they should return to the realm.

Künsey was fortunate enough to find a soothing oil to help her sleep peacefully. One night, after Alëxios applied the oil with a light massage, they both drifted off to a night of deep sleep. When they awoke, they found themselves neck-deep inside a lake. They smiled knowingly at each other. For they both knew they had finally returned to the borderlands of Phëläniciä.

~Ch. 29, The Realm Beyond the Stars and Sea~

Brokenness

Alëxios walked alone on the Phëläniciän beach under a cloudy dark-blue sky. The Moon kept herself hidden from him, and his royal subjects followed suit. His somber mood had the entire realm on edge as they wondered whether Malaykah would truly become the surrogate mother of The Moon’s children. This maneuver guaranteed Phëläniciä would garner realm dominance. All the other races of creatures prepared their respective kingdoms for a showdown to settle the matter for once and for all.

Byakko flew overhead and landed mere paces behind the king. He did not speak but patiently waited for Alëxios to acknowledge him. After a few steps, they both stopped in their tracks.

“Am I a mad god, unable to control my wrath?” he questioned Byakko with a nod.

“You have acted in accordance with laws established by The Ultimate Creator, Chrëst, and disciplined yourself to tame your emotions. This success is well known by all, even Queen Malaykah,” Byakko responded.

“Then why does she not trust me to keep myself from ruin? I confessed that I shall always become overwhelmed with erratic thoughts whenever she is unwell, yet I still managed not to destroy the realm on the occasions that I had access to her mind,” said Alëxios.

Byakko sighed and answered with great care, “This is not a matter of trust. The two of you are at odds against each other’s true nature. Your nature and reputation as a god of war can terrify anyone. But, then, there is also your desire to help and protect maidens in distress. Queen Malaykah’s nature as a nurturer is akin to that of a protector. Yet, she is not a maiden in need of rescue. Upon her next return to the realm, there should be an effort to learn how to rely upon each other. As a couple, you shall be the bridge between strengths and weaknesses.”

Alëxios signaled for them to continue their walk.

“Malaykah is not only my Queen but also my divine soulmate. We are bound for eternity. Though she has not yet relinquished her role in the human realm, I am certain she desires to dwell within the realm with me. Therefore, I shall continually strive to protect her, regardless of whether she is to produce my heir.”

“Is that to say the anointing to bless your seed and her womb did not take effect?’ Byakko asked in confusion.

“It is far too early to know. My stance shall remain, either way. If she is to be ostracized for her humanity or inability to reproduce The Moon’s children, I shall gladly renounce my throne. The furthest ends of the realm beckon for me to take her and dwell in peace,” Alëxios replied.

Byakko halted his steps and signaled for Alëxios to mount his back.

“Your Majesty, I am not without understanding of your mindset. However, before you result to drastic measures, hear me out. I believe to have a better solution for this dilemma,” he retorted as they took flight.

Malaykah’s return to the human realm did not happen expectantly as it occurred in the past. When she woke up, she was not in her home or in the hospital. On the night she lay in the bathtub to treat her excruciating body aches, her transition to Phëläniciä stemmed from a stroke. She had been hospitalized for six months before her family had her assigned to a physical therapy facility. Once her brain returned to full functions, countless hours were spent retraining her on how to eat, walk, and speak.

Malaykah took her time and worked to reemerge herself back into the human realm. Her emotions fluctuated from extreme highs to debilitating lows. In her less manic moments, depression swung to anxiety. Restless nights kept her exhausted. Her daily battles with apathy made it nearly impossible to move forward.

Out of the depths of her despair, Malaykah found a small spark, which propelled her to fight back to a state of restored health. She began to appreciate her life and no longer wanted to waste any of it. J’aime and her children took turns with their watchful eyes on her progress. She kept her job in the accounting department but retired from being a dance instructor. The stroke had taken a physical toll on her body, and during her recovery, her hair turned completely white.

Malaykah’s memories of the realm and Phëläniciä soon became distant daydreams. It was her fervent wish to return to the human realm during her time in the Tri-cities cavern that kept her away for more than nine years. Though her request had been delayed, it had not been denied. She dared not to mention anything to her family. After all, she doubted anyone would believe that she had the ability to travel to an alternate world.

Life began to happen at an even pace. Malaykah watched Shannon and Alejandro finally tie the knot before their third daughter was born. Roy joined an international task force as a translator, and Roxy decided to study art abroad. Even J’aime took a promotion in accounting to work alongside her best friend.

~Ch. 28, The Realm Beyond the Stars and Sea~

Disposition of Grace (p. 3)

The Phëläniciäns took flight once more to head to the Tri-cities. Alëxios quelled his wrath so that he could find Malaykah in one piece. The battalion did not stop to take any breaks or rest from the cove. Time was of the essence, and no one wanted Malaykah to suffer another moment. It was then the longest journeying the fleet had taken together.

They landed on the outskirts early one morning. Daybreak could not come bustling through the giant trees and overgrown grass of the Tri-cities. Alëxios sliced through the paths with a saber, as he did not want to overuse the Excalibur sword for remedial tasks. The hordes of cherubs stampeded through the area until they stumbled upon Alëxios.

They all bowed down to him reverently, then carried on their way to roam about. It became clear that the mindless cherubs would not have been able to help Malaykah, even if they recognized her divinity. The battalion followed a small gaggle within the second cave since Alëxios read the engraved markings that indicated to do so. Before long, they hit the bottom of the cavern. Alëxios sensed a powerful aura nearby, which caused him to become anxious.

Around the corner, they found Malaykah lying lifelessly on the ground. Her face was hidden behind her long braids. In her hands, the Őrb globe clutched tightly to her chest. Suddenly, the Őrb dissolved. Then a forcefield of twinkling silver and blue stars stretched over her body. At first glance, she appeared not to be breathing.

“Malaykah,” Alëxios called to her in an unevenly shaken tone.

She stirred only a little and moaned weakly.

“Malaykah, I am here. I have come to help you,” Alëxios called again with more confidence.

He knelt down beside her, then tried to touch her hair. The powerful aura of the forcefield knocked him back, at least eight feet. Alëxios used cat-like agility to land on his feet. He sighed heavily and covered his hands over his face.

“This is the aura from The Moon’s children. Apparently, they are protecting Malaykah. This is quite the mystery, considering The Moon has ill will against her for an obviously misunderstood trespass,” he said.

He walked back to Malaykah and called her name three times more. Finally, she let out a long sigh and turned her head. She was blinded by a thousand tiny bright lights when she opened her eyes. Her ears rang, her head ached, and her throat felt raw. She tried to sit up but was dizzied by all of her ailments. Then, through the lights, she saw two piercing green eyes. She came fully to her senses, and all her conditions ceased at once.

Malaykah was surprised to still be in the realm. She was certained that she prayed to return home before she black-out. The shield evaporated soon after, which allowed Alëxios to finally embrace her. She looked out at the dragon fleet and spotted Meikko among the others. The young dragon appeared to weep. Without awareness, Malaykah unleashed the veil to her thoughts. Alëxios gasped in horror at the entire revelation of her ordeal with Bässäm.

He hugged her tighter to his chest and cried, “My love, why did you not call for me to be by your side? How could you hide away your thoughts from me when you were in danger?”

Malaykah pulled away from Alëxios and looked him in the eyes.

“I only wanted to protect you. I knew you would lose control if you found out what Bässäm

did to me. I couldn’t save Känëbräl, but I had to save the rest of the realm.”

Alëxios sat with a brief silence. He was unnerved that Malaykah sacrificed herself to save him from destroying the realm. No one could have, or even ever, offered to put him before themselves. He knew that none of his consorts in the harem would have made the same choice. It was unfathomable to him why The Moon was angry with her.

Malaykah stood and leaned against the cavern wall.

“We have to go now. We have to go to The Moon,” she said.

Alëxios stood and grabbed her shoulders.

“How do you know of this?” he demanded.

A single tear slid down Malaykah’s face. She looked at Alëxios fearfully and said, “The Ultimate Creator, Chrëst, just told me.”

~Ch. 26, The Realm Beyond the Stars and Sea~

Disposition of Grace (p. 2)

Alëxios quickly wiped away his tears and regained complete composure. He turned to his counterparts and declared, “Know this; I continue to hold both of you in the highest esteem. Mighty Byakko will always be remembered as my 2nd self on the battlefield. We could not be any closer, even if we were actually brothers. In the monastery temples, we became each other’s lifelines. I watched a fierce battalion leader become a doting father to young Meikko and raise her up to be my queen’s personal guard. I would never allow any harm to come to either of you on behalf of my own errored ways.”

Byakko nodded in agreement.

“What do you plan to do, Alëxios?” He asked.

Alëxios did not answer right away. He sat on the ground cross-legged and began to meditate. They all waited in silence for several moments as Alëxios summoned the legendary Excalibur sword from the Divine Plains. The sky showered golden raindrops and released the blade into his hands.

Alëxios stood in a cavalier fashion and said, “I shall exact revenge on all those who harmed and took advantage of my queen.”

With that, he leaped off the cliff and ascended to the sky. Byakko commanded the entire dragon battalion to follow soon after.

The Phëläniciäns turned the nine-day route taken by Bässäm and Malaykah into an overnight trip by flight. They arrived at the cove and dove right to the bottom of the sea. With Alëxios being a deity, there was no need to seek the Ferry Man for a coin to unlock the portal of the whirlpool. Once they reached their destination, Alëxios unsheathed the Excalibur sword and tapped it against the cave wall.

“Come to me, evil sea witch! You must atone for your sins,” he shouted as he unleashed an enormous portion of his chaos.

The sediment rocks within the cave began to crumble, but Alëxios and the dragons held steady in their footing. Then, suddenly fluorescent light from Mäüdräh’s aura illuminated the space.

“I am the great and powerful Mäüdräh. Who dares—” she spoke but was interrupted by Alëxios when he slammed her against the wall and held the Excalibur sword to her throat.

“It is I who shall ask all the questions,” he said with a malicious smirk.

Mäüdräh’s cold dead eyes locked in with his piercing green eyes and shrieked upon realizing precisely who he was. She trembled and waited for his inquiry.

“Within the last fortnight, you were visited by two individuals. Were you not?” he asked.

Mäüdräh cackled with a sigh.

“Divine King Alëxios, it is well within your knowledge that I am visited by a barrage of individuals on a never-ceasing basis. They come here at all times to disturb my sentenced slumber. It is entirely too impossible to keep track of them all,” she replied.

Byakko and the other dragons began a low growl that echoed throughout the space of the cave. Then Alëxios unleashed more of his chaos, which caused Mäüdräh’s aura to dim and the room turned pitch-black. The sediments in the cave floor and walls gave way, and water enveloped everywhere.

Mäüdräh shrieked again in terror.

“Beg forgiveness, My Lord! I misspoke. I know of whom you speak on,” she said nervously.

“A raunchy eunuch and a maiden, to be exact,” Alëxios replied,

“Ah, yes! They were here many nights ago,” she answered.

Alëxios receded some of his chaos and removed the Excalibur sword from Mäüdräh’s throat.

“Tell me everything. What did the eunuch want?” he asked.

Mäüdräh cackled again, this time from amusement.

“He wanted what everyone wants; to obtain the Őrb, for realm domination. So I gave him the coordinates, just as I have always done.”

Alëxios grabbed Mäüdräh’s forehead and slammed the back of her head into the wall, which made the entire cave shake, and more water seeped through the weakened walls.

“So, you boldly confess that you purposefully lead the Queen of Phëläniciä to ruin!” he exclaimed.

Mäüdräh gasped for air as the water rose above her head. Alëxios lifted her by the neck so that the water rested at her chin level.

“My Lord, I beg you to hear me! I did no such thing,” she cried. He squeezed his hand on her throat as she continued.

“I was aware then, just as I am aware now, that I was in the presence of a deity. A mere lowly titan like me would gain no fortune from deceit. I swear to you, I gave no false account to the Daughter of Oshun.”

Alëxios released his hand from her throat, then quickly used the Excalibur sword to stab her in the heart.

“You have been a menace within the realm for far too long. Even if you spoke in truth, I cannot in good faith allow your continued havoc to reign,” he replied.

Mäüdräh let out a long wheeze when he removed the sword from her heart.

“You have done me a great service, Mighty King Alëxios. In the beginning, I taunted fortune seekers for my own amusement. After the 1st Season of Judgement, I hoped my sentenced slumber would finally put an end to the vicious cycle. Twenty centuries later, I realized my eternal damnation was to continuously repeat my trickery and deceit and never receive any rest. There is no amusement in my existence. As a god, you have rightfully ended the fixed situation. Now, I am finally free,” she weakly cackled before she turned to dust.

Meikko stood next to her father in astonishment.

“Father, why did King Alëxios kill the banshee after the knowledge that she did not lead our queen astray?’ she asked.

“In truth, he did so as an act of mercy and in hopes that Captain Mi’yämë’ shall be freed to die in peace,” he answered with admiration for his kin and king.

~Ch. 26, The Realm Beyond the Stars and Sea~