King, Country, and Beauty

11

 In that moment Peter would wake up. Everything stopped moving but him. It was like everyone was frozen in time but him. Everything started to dissolve into shards. The people, the champion, Akarra and Agathri, even the sky. All of the sudden a new area had been made. Peter had been in a wheat field. He looked at his clothes as two holes had been in his gear. Not aware of what happened, someone tapped on Peter's shoulder. Peter let out a quick scream as he turned around. "Sorry." The alien said. "I didn't mean to scare you." She was tall, and had some sort of sacred look on her and her clothing was white. She reminded Peter of greek gods and goddesses.

"Ikaros," sighed a male alien as he arose from the ground, "you need to learn to wait for me before addressing one of our guests." This second alien was a male. He had a dark look to him, and wore black clothing. This reminded Peter of Hades, or the harbinger of death. "Please excuse my other half," said the male. "She can attend to be clumsy at times. I'm Phobos, and this is my other half Ikaros. We're the yautja god and goddess of life and death." The word that Phobos had just said confused Peter. "What is a yautja?" Peter asked. The two gave out a bit of a laugh. "Yautjas are the beings you've been with and have encountered the past few weeks," explained Phobos. Now Peter had just been even more confused.

"Well if you're both yautja gods and goddesses," Peter said, "what do you want with a human like me?"

"Why," Ikaros said, "because you are a yautja." Peter had been speechless. He had lived and grown up on Earth his entire life. How could he be an alien? "What do you mean I'm a yautja?" Peter asked. "I'm pretty sure all of my family are humans."

"That is true your family is human," explained Ikaros, "but you see, when you killed that bad blood on Earth when you first met Akarra, his blood soaked into your bloodstream, causing your DNA to alter. So you're a mix between a yautja and a human."

"Wait what happened to me?" Peter asked. "And what happened to Akarra?"

"Shortly after you died," Phobos explained, "Akarra had rushed into the arena and decapitated the gladiator's head."

"She's quite one to be dating you at the age she is," said Ikaros. "Wait how old is Akarra actually?" Peter asked. "Well," Ikaros started, "what year were you born?"

"April 9th, 1916." Peter explained. "Ugh," Ikaros grunted, "human logic is so confusing. Just tell me how many years you've been alive for."

"I'm 25 years-old." Peter said. "Ok," Ikaros said. "Now take your age and multiply it by three." Peter did so and realized straight away. "Great snakes!" Peter said in surprise as he found out. "Cut it out Ikaros," said Phobos. "Now you're just messing with him. She's not really that old in human years."

"Wait," Peter spoke up. "Where is Akarra?" With this question Ikaros and Phobos looked at eachother, and once again the world had dissolved into crystals. Now they were in Akarra's ship. Akarra had been in her bed crying for quite some time. Agathri had put her hand out about to attempt to cheer up Akarra. "HE NEVER SHOULD HAVE LEFT!" Akarra screamed as tears ran down her face. "Wait," Peter said to Ikaros and Phobos. "How can I understand her all of the sudden?"

"When you died," Ikaros explained, "we gave you the ability to understand our language." Peter had turned his head back to the heartbroken Akarra as she cried herself to sleep. Peter, feeling her pain, started to shed tears as well. He tried to reach his hand out to her but as he did, she began to dissolve. The entire ship had dissolved into crystals as they returned to the meadows. Peter got down on his knees and began to cry realizing he had caused Akarra this pain.

"What is it that you want with me?" Peter asked as tears ran down his face. "Because we're willing to give you a second chance." Phobos said. "A chance to come back and see Akarra."

"What's the catch?" Peter said with tears still running down his face. "Well there are quite a few catches," said Phobos. "You'll be reincarnated into a yautja and you won't be able to speak. Akarra must say your name. Only then can you reclaim your voice. On top of that it will have been a year since you died and Akarra could have found someone new."

"Peter," Ikaros said, "If you do this there is no turning back. The life you once had on Earth will cease to exist. Anything could have happened to Akarra in one year. Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Peter would remember all the good times he had with Akarra and then remember seeing her cry herself to sleep just then. Peter shedded his tears at the memory as he turned to Phobos and Ikaros. "Whatever it takes just to be with her again." Peter said firmly. He didn't care what the cost was. He just wanted to be with Akarra again. Or at least see her. "Very well," said Phobos.