344. The Right Thing To Do

Bella scanned the row of products and reached for the Rose Oil, added a few drops to the hot water filling the basin, and hoped for the best. She had never tended to a wounded goddess before and didn't really know what to do for Mel other than clean her up and make her feel better. She pondered her fate as the soapy bubbles glistened in the seductive light of Dion's Salon, so nearly had she taken such a wrong turn. In an unexpected twist of fate, her dreams had come true! Here she was! Employed at Dion's Salon! And not only that, here she was, tending to the top stylist herself, when all had forsaken her. She was set for life. She couldn't help but smile to herself, turned the tap off, reached for a few clean washcloths and hastened back to the bleeding goddess, steaming Rose Oil basin in hand.
         Mika stood nervously in the corner of the room as Bella tended to Mel, scared to go back to the Skin Club alone, terrified by what she was witnessing before her, Mel was almost unrecognizable! The goddess that once held such a lofty position had fallen to such extreme lowliness! As Bella sponged her bloody skin, she saw a new version of Mel. Victim Mel. Weak Mel. Strange Mel. It was awkward to see Mel cowering in a fetal position on the massage table, whimpering from the shame and pain of the assault that had befallen her.

         "He did it to you because you are the best he had to offer the great god of Creation" Bella tried to play counsellor as best she could. "It was an Honor. You shouldn't feel bad!" She soaked the cloth in the basin and continued to gently wash her wounds, the harness had done more damage than the dogons.

         "Ouch!" Mel winced. "Can you get it off?"

         "I don't know..." Bella studied the golden cage Mel was trapped inside, it was locked, there was a key hole. "I don't think it comes undone without some kind of key."

         It was too desperate a situation, the pain was intolerable, Mel began whimpering with heightened anxiety, hyperventilating, the dam was breaking.

         "He wanted to EAT me" she sobbed. "I know him, I KNOW why he didn’t care what I wore to the Final Feast now!"

         Bella searched for soothing words...

         "Did you SEE how Malodon called them off as soon as they attacked me? Did you SEE how long he was drawing it out?"

         "Why would he do something like that?"

         "He wanted my blood lit up" Mel explained. "It makes him feel... I don’t know, powerful or something. That's the real purpose for the TLS Program, by the way. I was supposed to be the Main Dish! He doesn't give a flying fuck about any so-called offering to Medel!"

         "What?" Bella was horrified, she had always wondered what the TLS program was really for, it had never made sense to her.

         Mika was equally shocked although she had never heard about a TLS Program before. She didn't know what to think, she had never heard such insanity, such blasphemous statements, and from the king's own goddess? It was disturbing to say the least. Eat her? Had the great goddess of the Salon lost her mind?

         "What are you going to do?" Bella asked, wondering if any career opportunities were even on her radar anymore.

         Mel sat up as best she could in her golden vice, wondering the same.

         "I don't know..." she replied with a heavy sigh. "I can't work here anymore, not now. Look at me, I'll be covered in scars!"

         Bella felt her heart sink as she realized there was no future with Mel anymore. Maybe she had taken a wrong turn after all.

         "I think I just decided to go to Ebar!" Mel announced, lighting up instantly by the idea.

         "Ebar?" Bella echoed, sinking deeper. Reality was devastating, for a moment she went into shock. Suddenly, just like that, all her hopes and dreams were vanishing into thin air.

         "King Nolan would never do something like this to me!"

         Bella considered Mel's decision factoring in King Nolan. What kind of king would Nolan be? It was hard to imagine Nolan as king. Nolan was a friend of Josh… She pictured Mel partying in Ebar… That was easy to imagine... She could see the attraction. Perhaps Mel would even be able to open her own Salon in Ebar?

         "Can I come with you? You need me to help you take care of these wounds! You'll need someone to help you open a salon!"

         The Ceremonial Candle burned close to the red ring, marked on the stick like a finish line. Torus watched the wax closely, twisting his goblet around under the flickering light, high on life, watching every second inch closer.

         "It's almost The Time" he smiled, mocking.
         The reality was hitting Nolan hard now, this really was it! He scanned the Engine Chamber, naked now without so many of the prototypes, machines, books and artifacts that once decorated the shelves, nonetheless the atmosphere devoid of souvenirs still resonated with good memories, exciting discoveries and fond memories of epic disasters. He chuckled as the memories returned, jittery with nerves, the biggest disaster was yet to come.

         "I'm going to miss this place" he sighed as sentiment was aroused.

         "Grow up!" Torus scolded.

         "You'll forget all about this place the moment you arrive in Ebar" Dion advised.

         The candle flickered as a breeze blew through the ventilation shaft, a flow of wax spilled down the side as the flame rose high. A few moments of silence gripped the room as the red dye spilled into the wax pool, snuffing the flame.

Torus stood as the dark smoke rose from the ashes, holding up his goblet for a toast.

         "Are we ready for a New Empire?"

         "To Ebar!” The gods stood to make their final toast and drank in solidarity. Nolan walked across the room to the storage chamber, pulled open the door exposing a beautiful golden bomb hidden neatly inside. He checked the levels and dials, connected the wires to a large salt timed rig on the side, took a deep breath, spun it upside down and closed the chamber door.

         "As Below, So Above!"

         It was nightfall before Vikkar's boat slipped into the peaceful Bay of Mu. The villagers welcomed the aribu with open doors, and even though they had prepared, they hadn't prepared for so many! The feedback was exhilarating, the show had been an incredible success! Tonight the celebration would continue until the travelers were too tired for more. Tonight they would rest in the musical town, because tomorrow they would all have to embark on a lengthy trek up the valley to Anur.

         Neter watched the crowds disappear into the village from the dock, glowing with happiness inside, they had managed to save them this time. It really had been an epic day, they really had outdone themselves. He couldn't help but wonder every now and then, though. Were the Panthers okay too?

         He turned his gaze back out to the ocean, Vikkar's ship was already leaving the harbor to get them. He would relax in the morning, when they arrived.

         "I think it's time to celebrate!" Jasun offered, joining him by his side.

But Neter barely heard him, loose ends were accumulating, troubling him as he watched the ship sail away.

         "Do you think Ku got all the Panthers to Kergal okay?"

         "If anyone knows their way around the Aquillan tunnels it would be the Nefilim" Jasun assured. "Ku knows tunnels we don't even know about, he knows how much danger they're in, I don't think we need to worry."

         "See... I guess that's partly why I'm troubled" Neter confessed. It bothered him that the Nefilim were so tight lipped about the Underworld, surely some of them knew of things others in leadership positions knew not. Things looked different when looked at differently. Like the ship.

         "Troubled how?"

         "Like... Do you think his ship looks low in the water?"

         Jasun studied the ship, contemplating it’s depth.

         "It's empty" Neter reminded.

         Now Jasun could see it. "You're right… It is sailing low... My god, I hope his ship hasn't sprung a leak!" Suddenly, the fact that they had left the ship unattended without any sort of security measures was another loose end. "Do you think it could have been sabotaged while we were distracting them in the courtyard?"