Finding Contentus

Chapter 136: Terms and Conditions

Genesia sat there on the walnut desk, cross-legged, while Neosa paced around the oval-shaped room of Masters. His eyes were closed, submerged in patient meditation. Her eyes were open, exposed in impatient alertness. His silver crescent earrings sparkled. Her gold hoop earrings shined.

She looked out of the clear windows to see Captains Brehnt and Haanah, sitting by the courtyard with Admiral Ayanda and Emperor Ehit. The warriors looked like the textbook example of friends that were enemies as they clasped hands and spoke with cold glares and hot smiles. Rivals that would kill one another if they absolutely had to, but rivals that sought not to kill each other given the respect that had been earned on both sides.

New recruits had been summoned from Membus on Ramela's orders, a special task force that used to be part of Ramsis and Xantris's regime. Emissary Shakir, a Gypti man, and Agent Xolani, a Xoxo woman, were the two standout leaders of the task force who were due to arrive soon.

Neosa doubted they would be on friendly terms right from the jump with Ayanda and Ehit. Conflict was bound to ensue. Hell, the entire month had been a waiting game of conflict, like the audience waiting for the punchline to a fucked up joke, as Ramoth put it. Everyone in Chanco was on edge. Waiting

for some explosion to go off, some spark to alight in preparation for Genesia and Neosa's fight to kick off.

Before Papa and Ramsis make their way here. I suppose they're sightseeing first, mustering up the courage to face us and the populus. I wouldn't be surprised if they're passing by Mount Killes. Neosa chewed on gum, blowing and popping bubbles every few minutes or so.

She saw Naana and Kwakuu conversing as they sat in the courtyard, exchanging notes for constructive criticism purposes concerning their duties on their respective sides. They looked so serious, so devoted, working towards common goals. A meeting of loyalty that didn't just stay loyal to their masters, but to their province. The quintessential servants.

If only the East and the West could do the same like them. Neosa continued to pace around. It was all she could do as a means to keep her active brain contained in the midst of its over-saturated period of processing that Neo was struggling to compartmentalize. Sometimes she wished she could sit still like her brother. But that's boring. Lazy bum.

She heard Genesia grunt with his eyes closed, a fragment of a smile forming on his lips. "At least you can sleep like an inactive rock sometimes. I've never understood how you do that, even back when we were in the womb. Except whenever you slapped and kicked me for no reason."

"No reason? It was because you kept moving around like a fish out of water, disrupting my sleep. Besides, I'm in the same boat as you now. I can't sleep for shit nowadays. It's as though I've become a volcano that is active all the time, day and night."

"I would say welcome to my sleepless world, but..." He winced. We welcomed ourselves into this world, didn't we? Gene sighed, as did Genesia, thinking about the last Impulse dream his twin had with Pharaoh.

Neosa popped a bubble and chewed. She didn't want to think about that monster. She picked up a random potted plant, turning it from right to left, setting it down and pacing again. She let her fingers touch a canvas that depicted scenes of her triumph in Numbe. The painting showed Morena Neosa at the top of a watchtower, raising one finger above her head as the freed Shonas chanted her name, becoming members of the Ones of Neo.

"Why must you pour sorrow over us like oil? Aaaah," she berated him, sucking her teeth and shaking the tremors out of her hands. Now she couldn't stop thinking about Pharaoh and his demoralizing barrage of questions that ripped her tongue out.

"So that you can glitter us with merriment, obviously. You're doing quite the shitty job if I say so myself. Zero marks." Genesia aimed a lethal shot at her piss poor performance, cracking his fingers methodically.