| Fantasy Fiction posted June 5, 2021 | Chapters: |
...4 5 -6- 7... 
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Gangus' last leg of his journey
A chapter in the book The Chronicals Of Bethica: The Rise
The Chronicles Of Bethica
by amahra
| Background Gangus and clan embark on the last leg of this god-driven journey |
Chapter Six (Part 1)
The Endless Ocean
The Cristofur glided across the blue waters; the moon's light sparkled upon the waves as they splashed against the ship.
With the Brutus debacle behind them, the passengers settled in for the night. In the cabin next to Captain Dordrecht, Gangus and Brehira readied for bed. Gangus yawned widely and fluffed his pillow. He watched as she sat in front of her mirror brushing her long, raven hair that flowed to the middle of her back.
"All right," he said. "We're alone now. Just how did you get the general to change his mind?"
She looked over her shoulder at him momentarily, but didn't answer and continued brushing.
He sat patiently waiting for her to respond; finally, she placed the brush aside--walked over, and slid into bed beside him, but said nothing.
"Well?" he prompted.
She gathered the covers around her and pulled them up to her waist. "I offered him gems."
"Gems...you offered him your jewels?"
"Yes," she said her eyes downcast.
"How many?"
"Not many."
"How many are not many?"
"Necklaces, bracelets," she spat out, as if unconcerned.
"Necklaces? bracelets?"
"Yes."
"How many necklaces and bracelets?"
"Ah.....two, three...ah..."
"Well, which is it two or three?"
"Oh, great stars, does it really matter!"
"Brehira, your jewels are all we've got. If we should run into some financial problems..."
"All right! It was three rubies, three ruby necklaces, and two ruby bracelets."
"Holy Mother of earth, Brehira...that's a small fortune." Gangus raised his eyebrows and his eyes darted until they took in the whole area of the cabin. "And he took them? Brutus took a bribe...this so-called noble General of a royal fleet?"
"The man is noble," Brehira said solemnly.
"What?"
"The man is noble," she repeated more slowly.
"How can you say that when..."
"He refused the jewels."
"But, I don't understand. He didn't take the jewels, but you got him to leave without the princess?"
Brehira closed her eyes for a moment--inhaled then exhaled heavily. "I told him I would tear my clothes and..."
"You'd what?"
"Tear my clothes...scream and our soldiers would come...pieces of him all over the floor." She gave a long sigh. "So he took the jewels."
"Whoa! Say that again...slower."
"I...told the General if he didn't take the jewels and go without the princess I would scream and tear my clothes off and you and your men would ...you know."
"Bree hi ra."
"Well, what were we to do...with only twenty fighting men and Brutus with more reinforcement aboard the royal ship? And...and Myrah, I mean Netrekka refusing to go and you and Dinary could have been killed...and..." Her eyes filled.
"But, Bree hira...we would have butchered an innocent man."
Brehira pulled the covers up to her chin as if she wished to disappear in the mix of her shame. She laid her head against the headboard and closed her eyes.
There was a long silence as Gangus tried to take it all in. His thoughts grew crowded with the faces of those who could have died, including his son. Brehira was right--there had to be a less drastic course of action. He saw the moisture on her cheek and wiped it with his hand. She opened her eyes, grabbed his hand, and pressed it to her lips with a lingering kiss.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Gangus' eyes softened as he gazed into hers. "Oh, honey," he blew out hard, "I supposed before this godforsaken trip is at its end, we all will have done something out of character."
"You're not angry, then?" she asked.
"No. Now that I think of it, you were the only one who had a bloodless solution...an expensive one, but bloodless."
Brehira wiped the tears from her cheek. Both lay back against the pillows. Neither spoke; their eyes staring up at the ceiling as if their thoughts were in sync. Their labored breathing and blinking of eyelids seemed their only activities for moments at a time. The room was quiet, allowing Gangus' mind to wander into mischievous territory--the fallen angel's playground, as his ancestors had called it. He tilted his head to one side and a smirk spread across his face. Brehira--her eyes closed and nearness to sleep, felt Gangus' shoulder quiver against her. She tried to ignore it but the quivering became more intense. Finally, opening her eyes, she observed him shaking with silent laughter.
Confused, she asked, "Why are you laughing?"
"I didn't mean to disturb you. It's just I was lying here and the image of you stripped naked in front of me and twenty men with drawn swords popped into my head. And I thought, great Zeus, they would have been so captivated looking at you, I doubt if they would have given Brutus a thought." His shoulders shook again.
"And that's what you were lying here thinking?"
"I'm sorry, angel," Gangus said grinning.
"You think it's funny?"
"Forgive me, Love."
"Forgive you. You have any idea how dirty I felt having to tell the General such a thing?"
"I didn't mean to make light of your ordeal, Brehira. You have to admit it would have made quite a sight."
Brehira's mouth drooped and she fell back against the pillow. Gangus, seeing the frowns on his beautiful wife's face, became more serious in his tone. "I'm so sorry you had to stoop to that, my love." He pulled her to him. She resisted at first, but then let him pull her until her head lay upon his chest. "I will never allow you or any of our women to be put in a position like that again." He kissed her forehead. "You have my word."
"Well," she said, appearing to forgive his warped sense of humor, "thank the gods it worked."
"And thank you."
"Um," she uttered, "for keeping our men from bloodshed? You're welcome."
"No. For not stripping naked and traumatizing our son." His shoulders shook, heavily.
Brehira shot from his chest to a sitting position. "You despicable varmint!" she snapped and punched his shoulder.
He playfully grabbed her and pulled her to him. She tussled with him, but he wouldn't let go until he had teased her into laughter. Finally, after sharing moments of his contorted humor, she settled beside him. They held each other until the laughter ceased and sleep claimed them both.
End of part one
Image: by Dantegrafice from Pixabay
Main Characters
Lord Gangus Abram Leader of his clan
Lady Brehira (Bree he ra) His wife
Dinary (Di nary) Youngest Son
Celio (Seal le o) Soldier and close friend
Princess Netrekka (Neh trek kah) Dinary's Lover/wife
Minor Characters
Khimah (Kee ma) Eldest Son
Captain Dulcy P Dordrecht (Door check) Captain of the Cristofur
Judian (Jew-dee-in) Second in Command of the Christofur
Kofius (Ko fee us) The Sail Master
The Endless Ocean
The Cristofur glided across the blue waters; the moon's light sparkled upon the waves as they splashed against the ship.
With the Brutus debacle behind them, the passengers settled in for the night. In the cabin next to Captain Dordrecht, Gangus and Brehira readied for bed. Gangus yawned widely and fluffed his pillow. He watched as she sat in front of her mirror brushing her long, raven hair that flowed to the middle of her back.
"All right," he said. "We're alone now. Just how did you get the general to change his mind?"
She looked over her shoulder at him momentarily, but didn't answer and continued brushing.
He sat patiently waiting for her to respond; finally, she placed the brush aside--walked over, and slid into bed beside him, but said nothing.
"Well?" he prompted.
She gathered the covers around her and pulled them up to her waist. "I offered him gems."
"Gems...you offered him your jewels?"
"Yes," she said her eyes downcast.
"How many?"
"Not many."
"How many are not many?"
"Necklaces, bracelets," she spat out, as if unconcerned.
"Necklaces? bracelets?"
"Yes."
"How many necklaces and bracelets?"
"Ah.....two, three...ah..."
"Well, which is it two or three?"
"Oh, great stars, does it really matter!"
"Brehira, your jewels are all we've got. If we should run into some financial problems..."
"All right! It was three rubies, three ruby necklaces, and two ruby bracelets."
"Holy Mother of earth, Brehira...that's a small fortune." Gangus raised his eyebrows and his eyes darted until they took in the whole area of the cabin. "And he took them? Brutus took a bribe...this so-called noble General of a royal fleet?"
"The man is noble," Brehira said solemnly.
"What?"
"The man is noble," she repeated more slowly.
"How can you say that when..."
"He refused the jewels."
"But, I don't understand. He didn't take the jewels, but you got him to leave without the princess?"
Brehira closed her eyes for a moment--inhaled then exhaled heavily. "I told him I would tear my clothes and..."
"You'd what?"
"Tear my clothes...scream and our soldiers would come...pieces of him all over the floor." She gave a long sigh. "So he took the jewels."
"Whoa! Say that again...slower."
"I...told the General if he didn't take the jewels and go without the princess I would scream and tear my clothes off and you and your men would ...you know."
"Bree hi ra."
"Well, what were we to do...with only twenty fighting men and Brutus with more reinforcement aboard the royal ship? And...and Myrah, I mean Netrekka refusing to go and you and Dinary could have been killed...and..." Her eyes filled.
"But, Bree hira...we would have butchered an innocent man."
Brehira pulled the covers up to her chin as if she wished to disappear in the mix of her shame. She laid her head against the headboard and closed her eyes.
There was a long silence as Gangus tried to take it all in. His thoughts grew crowded with the faces of those who could have died, including his son. Brehira was right--there had to be a less drastic course of action. He saw the moisture on her cheek and wiped it with his hand. She opened her eyes, grabbed his hand, and pressed it to her lips with a lingering kiss.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Gangus' eyes softened as he gazed into hers. "Oh, honey," he blew out hard, "I supposed before this godforsaken trip is at its end, we all will have done something out of character."
"You're not angry, then?" she asked.
"No. Now that I think of it, you were the only one who had a bloodless solution...an expensive one, but bloodless."
Brehira wiped the tears from her cheek. Both lay back against the pillows. Neither spoke; their eyes staring up at the ceiling as if their thoughts were in sync. Their labored breathing and blinking of eyelids seemed their only activities for moments at a time. The room was quiet, allowing Gangus' mind to wander into mischievous territory--the fallen angel's playground, as his ancestors had called it. He tilted his head to one side and a smirk spread across his face. Brehira--her eyes closed and nearness to sleep, felt Gangus' shoulder quiver against her. She tried to ignore it but the quivering became more intense. Finally, opening her eyes, she observed him shaking with silent laughter.
Confused, she asked, "Why are you laughing?"
"I didn't mean to disturb you. It's just I was lying here and the image of you stripped naked in front of me and twenty men with drawn swords popped into my head. And I thought, great Zeus, they would have been so captivated looking at you, I doubt if they would have given Brutus a thought." His shoulders shook again.
"And that's what you were lying here thinking?"
"I'm sorry, angel," Gangus said grinning.
"You think it's funny?"
"Forgive me, Love."
"Forgive you. You have any idea how dirty I felt having to tell the General such a thing?"
"I didn't mean to make light of your ordeal, Brehira. You have to admit it would have made quite a sight."
Brehira's mouth drooped and she fell back against the pillow. Gangus, seeing the frowns on his beautiful wife's face, became more serious in his tone. "I'm so sorry you had to stoop to that, my love." He pulled her to him. She resisted at first, but then let him pull her until her head lay upon his chest. "I will never allow you or any of our women to be put in a position like that again." He kissed her forehead. "You have my word."
"Well," she said, appearing to forgive his warped sense of humor, "thank the gods it worked."
"And thank you."
"Um," she uttered, "for keeping our men from bloodshed? You're welcome."
"No. For not stripping naked and traumatizing our son." His shoulders shook, heavily.
Brehira shot from his chest to a sitting position. "You despicable varmint!" she snapped and punched his shoulder.
He playfully grabbed her and pulled her to him. She tussled with him, but he wouldn't let go until he had teased her into laughter. Finally, after sharing moments of his contorted humor, she settled beside him. They held each other until the laughter ceased and sleep claimed them both.
End of part one
Image: by Dantegrafice from Pixabay
Main Characters
Lord Gangus Abram Leader of his clan
Lady Brehira (Bree he ra) His wife
Dinary (Di nary) Youngest Son
Celio (Seal le o) Soldier and close friend
Princess Netrekka (Neh trek kah) Dinary's Lover/wife
Minor Characters
Khimah (Kee ma) Eldest Son
Captain Dulcy P Dordrecht (Door check) Captain of the Cristofur
Judian (Jew-dee-in) Second in Command of the Christofur
Kofius (Ko fee us) The Sail Master
When Lord Gangus Abram is awakened by a mysterious voice in the night and told to seek out the Oracle Naman, he must make a journey across the Endless Ocean to destroy the Nordoxz, an undefeated race of humanoids that are controlled by powerful forces of evil.
Lord Abrams plunges into a perilous trek to obey the gods and settle in Bethica, a land of dragons, cannibals, Fallen Angels, Amazonians, and Dark Lords. He is joined by his wife, Brehira, youngest son Dinary, comrade and friend, Celio, Shapeshifter and Beast Master, Olutunji, and 750 people willing to risk their lives for land and freedom.
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and 2 member cents. Lord Abrams plunges into a perilous trek to obey the gods and settle in Bethica, a land of dragons, cannibals, Fallen Angels, Amazonians, and Dark Lords. He is joined by his wife, Brehira, youngest son Dinary, comrade and friend, Celio, Shapeshifter and Beast Master, Olutunji, and 750 people willing to risk their lives for land and freedom.
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