The Talamute Prince

I listen to the calmness of his heart beat as we fall. "Hold on tight Laoonica." I feel his arms release me but I do as he said and don't loosen my grip. I hear a low soft humming in the distance so I turn my head to see the huge beautiful bird swoop in as Darevan grips the saddle and pulls us both safely onto the bird. "Her name is blue sky, because her top as you see is blue but the under belly is the same color as our sky." I reach out and touch the soft blue feathers on the birds back.

"She is magnificent." He has one arm around me as I sit straddling the very front of what appears to be a hand crafted saddle. It's intricant in its patterns but simple in its design.

"When they are just about ready to hatch a baby of our race is placed with them. They are raised together until the bird takes its first flight. The bond formed between the bird and the infant becomes Unbreakable. Once the birds are steady in their own ability to fly they are slowly introduced to being ridden. Being such intelligent creatures they will only ride with one person and with any being that person allows on their backs with that person present of course. She would throw you to the ground if you tried this solo. However, they out live us so once their rider dies no one else ever is allowed to ride."

"How long do they live?" I pet her feathers as she soars a bit to the right.

"My great grandfather's Paridise still brovides us with new hatchling yearly. My Blue Sky is one of hers."

"I see you had to fetch our dearest Goddess from her cell." I look over to see Bowerd, Melanie, and Tosha holding on to a second bird.

"You can't blame her for being scared. Not everyone can be fearless when they are taught to fear everything including themselves." Darevan says.

"I wasn't afraid." I say in a low tone that only Darevan hears.

"Then why did you hesitate?" I stare in the direction the bird is moving.

"I wanted to watch his face when he realized he had lost. When he realized I would do anything other than stay at his side. I wanted him to know I left of my own free will." Free, the word resonated inside me like a purpose for living had been awaken in me. I didn't know what this path held but something told me it meant complete freedom.

"No one can own a Goddess, we can merely beg for a moment of her eternity. A split second to you is a life time for us. To be graced by your presence, even if it is fleeting, is more than any one man could possibly ask for. I count myself lucky to have lived a path that led to this moment even if it goes no further than this." I look into his deep brown eyes locked inside the words that he had just said. Did he mean it? 'Even if it goes no further than this.' He was offering me a choice in the matter. He was giving me the freedom to walk away from him at this point and for some reason I actually believed he would let me if I chose to leave.

"Your father is going to be furious." Bowerd shouts as the birds start to land in a large open field just to the right of a dense forested area. I watch the second bird land first as we gently sit down beside them.

"Let me help you down." Darevan offers me his hand as I see Bowerd do the same for Tosha then Melena. She tiptoes up and places a kiss on his cheek then gently rubs Tosha's arm leading into a tearful hug.

"Why do I feel as though I am missing something." Darevan smiles at the three embarrassing.

"Time moves differently in the depths of space. On doesn't age as quickly as one who stays on a planet." I'm not sure what he means as I curiously watch them.

"Laoonica, we are free." Melena starts to hug me then she stops. "Your confused." She states the obvious.

"You seem to know them very well." The birds take a few steps from us then take flight.

"You can catch up when we are safe. We need to move your highness." Bowerd glances up looking into he direction of the city. We all rush into the trees, Bowerd leads with Tasha right behind him. Melena walks with me and Darevan keeps a few feet back pausing every now and then to assure we aren't being followed.

"You're her mother, but how is that possible?" I blurt out to Melena.

"When my father would come to the planets surface he would bring his oldest daughter along."

"But Katherine..."

"No, they both look older because I was sent to space the moment I gave birth to Tosha. I'm glad I got away from here away from the toxicity of my own society but time works differently in space and while everyone else aged 20 years, I only aged a few. I was 18 when I left here, she was so tiny and helpless. I was told they were both killed but when I returned, When he attacked Patrick I knew who he was even with the age difference. I had to bite my tongue cause Patrick was never told who Tosha was or that I had a child with him. I saw an opportunity to get my family back and I took it. If I die for them it will be worth it to spend whatever time I have left getting to know my child and the man I feel in love with all over again."

"Tosha was told they killed you as well." She looked at me then turned wiping a tear from her eye.

"I figured as much."

"Can I ask you something?" I study Bowerd not seeing that he appeard that much older at all.

"They Don't age the same as we do. They have double the life span we do so my father only gave him an extra 20 yrs or so with me. My daughter will age somewhere in between but being cast into space still gives me more time with them both." She smiled at that thought although ,I'm not sure it made that much sense to me.

"Ahead." Bowerd shouted back.

"All clear." Darevan shouted forward. A huge cliff lay before us as we all came to a stop. And even as fare down as the cliff seemed to go the trees ahead of us still reached for what seemed like miles above our heads. I had never seen such huge trees before. The brilliant colorful branches sway above us letting the occasional red, purple, or yellow captive float to the ground below.

"Britomia, the Goddess is home let us in." Out of nowhere a long bridge extended toward us. It seemed to be made from natural elements and I marveled at the engineering of such a unusual structure without the use of electricity.

"Prince Darevan, Bowerd, you know outsiders aren't welcome." A large muscle bound woman steps across the bridge holding a large spear in her hands.

"Gomania has returned in the flesh." Darevan puts his hand behind my waste gently push me to move forward.

"Prove it." She puts the spiked end of her weapon to my throat and a light blue flame melts the tip. She instantly drops to one knee and bow her head. The spike now on the ground with her hand still on it ready to leap still armed. "Forgive my arrogance my Gomania. I meant no disrespect."

"Please rise up. There is no need for that." I had never seen the need for anyone to bow before me. She stood banged her free hand hard on her chest and both Bowerd and Darevan returned the jester before she moved to let us pass.

"What is wrong?" Darevan looks me up and down as I stare at my feet.

"Your people are going to be disappointed when they realize I'm just some random alien who ended up here by chance." He just smiles.

"I think it is you who will be surprised, Laoonica. You will find out who you really are when the time is right. In the mean time I will serve you in any form you take. It is my destiny to be at your side rather it is as a friend, a warrior, or more. I am yours to command." I turn my head to the side as our eyes meet.

"You really believe I am your Goddess returned in thus form don't you?"

"Without a doubt." I watch the bridge start to pull back in as we reach the other side.

I look around this amazing tree village in awe of how they took everything from nature and used it to make houses wrapped around trees and in between them. It was unlike anything I have ever seen or likely to ever see again. There were simple rope bridges between the trees leading like a spiderweb through the houses. The village was quite even though there were children. The occasional infants cry could be heard but it was quickly silenced the children ran through the rope bridges playing as though they were mute. The colors of everything including the clothing matched the surroundings.

"Brother come quickly father has taken a turn for the worst." A smaller child rushes up to Darevan. Darevan rushes away leaving me behind as I struggled to cross the swaying bridge. Bowerd steps up behind me.

"Come Gomania, I will lead you to the kings hut. He helps me balance as two children rush by causing the swinging to increase almost causing me to fall. We weaved through pathways and around some of the huts to a huge building. All together five trees held the weight of the house. It started even with the very bottom hut and rose to what looked like maybe 3 stories high. There were window with no glass that seemed to spiral around the building equally spaced but not lined up with the floor below it. There were two huge doors facing us that reached to halfway up the structure.

"What is wrong with your king?" I ask somewhat shouting as I almost lost my footing on the bridge leading across to the tree castle.

"The floating city dumps it waste into our drinking water and it is slowly but surely killing our people and our planet. It is believed that you would appear when we needed you and here you are." We make it to the platform that is not swaying in the wind but fixed as a sort of floor outside the door.

"Perhaps I could try to heal him as I did you." He smiles. His sharpened teeth make it look evil almost but the softness in his eyes says otherwise.

"You would be willing to try? You see only someone above mortality would care so much for a complete stranger. You truly are our Goddess."

"I don't have control over my powers and there is a huge chance that I will black out afterwards. No Goddess would have such an issue." As we approach the doors are opened for us.

"Once you're ready to see the truth of your divinity you will gain control, Gomania."

"Please, call me Laoonica. It is the name I was given at birth and it is the one I prefer." I'm not sure if I can actually help the king or not. We walk into a large thrown room. Other than a few Talamutes rushing through to another door from the one they came through, it is empty. Thought of Patrick's father enter my head and I wonder if his father would have been as cruel as him. And to that end I wondered what Darevan's father would be like.