Grace of An Elder

Chapter 11

The people of Loriette were having a splendid time dancing around the fire pit on the shore of the beach. The summer solstice was always made to be a grand celebration with a full night of jubilation and intoxication alike. Jason Stevenson was the only child to Malcom and his deceased wife, Clair. He was one of the first to notice the descending spacecraft, and his father was quick to declare the return of the gods.

Jason had been told stories of the gods since he was a young boy, but like all teenagers he'd doubted his family's belief system. The hardest part to believe was that a two year old girl had been spared and taken to the realm of the gods. It was only when the human girl dressed in what looked to be (rather revealing) battle armor and hair twisted into dreadlocks stepped off the ship and revealed the face hidden by that strange mask that he began to believe the rumors.

Her eyes were what had drawn him in. He'd never seen eyes like hers; so gentle, yet so intense. It was as if she had a soft, caring heart but also the fierce soul of a serial killer. His lungs had nearly given out when his father had instructed him to take Sarah to the hutch for some better clothing. Unfortunately, the leader of the gods had told the one directly behind him to go with the pair. Sarah had called him Zaiyu; apparently he was her adopted brother.

The one known as Zaiyu followed them all the way to the community home, and even into the women's side of the house where they continued on to Toree's room. Toree was the seamstress and she often kept spare changes of clothes for anyone who would need them. The woman in her thirties has reacted as well as could be expected to seeing the son of their leader step into her room with the now grown baby Sarah, clad in a fishnet body suit, extremely revealing breastplate, metal loincloth, metal boots and bracelet-type jewelry, and dreadlocks. The fact that one of the gods themselves was with them didn't help the shell shock in the least.

"Oh my, c-come here my dear...let's get you cleaned up." She had ushered the young woman into her large bathroom once she gathered an outfit for her, and Zaiyu had tried to follow them. Sarah had made strange clicking sounds that Zaiyu didn't seem to notice, and she in turn growled at him. It had been a deep, threatening, guttural sound like that of an animal. It had gotten her brother's attention though, and he waited in the bedroom with Jason.

Jason began to daydream while the women were gone, and images of Sarah filled his mind. Her armor, what little there was, emphasized her natural curves, and her toned muscles had been quite appealing. He thought of her foreign accent spilling from her plump lips, and her gorgeous shining eyes that seemed to pierce his very being. Jason visibly flinched when Zaiyu firmly whacked his upper arm and let out a low growl. "What's wrong?" Zaiyu trilled in a succession of clicks and chirps, and Jason only shook his head. "Sorry, dude. I don't know what you're saying." The god creature growled again, and Sarah called out from the bathroom.

"Whatever you are doing, my brother insists you stop..!"

"I'm not doing anything, I'm just standing here!" More strange clicks sounded from the bathroom and they were answered by Zaiyu, the being never turning his masked gaze from the teenager.

"He can smell your elevated hormones...he says you must show restraint. He feels you are being disrespectful."

"I'm only seventeen, Sarah. My hormones are supposed to be elevated, just like yours."

A brief silence fell over the room and the girl finally stepped into view with Toree close behind her. She was now wearing an oversized grey sweater and black tights, and she carried her previous outfit in her arms. "My name is Dahdtoudi. You will do well to remember it. My brother is not as kind as I am...he gives no warning, you just die."