“Welcome,” boomed a commanding voice. “to Sukhavati!”  The two men, who were standing next to one another, jumped as the voice echoed then slowly faded. All around them everything was brilliant white. There were no shadows to help orient themselves to their environment. The air was crisp and fresh, but carried no scent. As far as their senses could perceive there was no up, down, left, right, depth, beginning, or ending — even time was impossible to decipher. Before the voice spoke, they knew nothing. They did not exist. To them it seemed as if they had only woken into form and memory at the booming of the voice.  “Where are we?” the blonde whispered to the brunette. “I have no idea. Do you know how we got here?” the brunette whispered back, as he turned slowly around trying to decipher where they might be or where the voice was coming from. “Please… Enter.” boomed the loud, commanding voice. “Excuse me, but what do you mean? I… I mean we,” the blonde stuttered nervously. “We don't know where you are or see anything to enter. It sounds like you are everywhere.” “I’m on the other side of the door, of course.” the booming voice answered. A second later, a doorway appeared and a warm light emanated from the other side. The blonde and brunette took each other's hand and walked towards the softly lit doorway. As they neared the doorway they could make out a great King, on the other side, standing with a welcoming smile. His hands were clasped in front of him almost as if he were nervous and not sure what to do with them. How they knew he was a King, they couldn’t have told you. Somehow they just knew. Maybe it was his stature. It was the epitome of regal - he was poised, confident, brave, and wise. He could have been nothing less than a King. “Welcome, sons!” the King said in a less loud but still commanding voice. “Sons!?” They echoed in unison as they looked at each other in surprise. They had no idea who this King was or how they had found themselves in his presence. “We have much to talk about,” the King replied, smiling as they tried, in vain, to erase the shock and confusion etched across their faces. “Unfortunately, our time is short. In only a short while, you must depart. But first, I would like to welcome you to my palace. Please have a seat.” The blonde and the brunette turned and looked behind them, where there were two chairs. They had not seen them when they walked in. “How did those get there?” the brunette mused out loud. Together, they took a step back and in unison sat down on the chairs. “Aishani ^1 - please bring in a glass of our finest amaro for our travelers.” the King commanded. Again the two men peered about, there was no one but the three of them in the room. “Who is he talking to?” the blonde whispered as he leaned a little closer to his companion. Just like the last room they could not tell where the walls began and the floor ended. Everything was perfectly white. A few tense seconds later, the two companions heard a shuffle behind them. When they turned to look, standing behind them was a beautiful woman. She was clothed in a simple tunic tied with a rainbow sash around her middle. She was holding three glass chalices filled to the brim with a delicious-smelling brown elixir. Wordlessly Aishani walked past them and handed the King his chalice before turning to offer them each their own. Then she smiled, bowed, turned about, and disappeared through a door which melted away after she passed through it. “Now, where were we?” exclaimed the King. “Ah yes – first a toast to my two sons, who have been gone for far too long. Welcome home!” Then raising his chalice in the air, he took a mighty gulp and downed half the contents and wiped his beard with the back of his hand. “I can’t wait for the adventures we will have together. But it will have to wait, because as I alluded to earlier you are needed elsewhere.”  “Excuse me, your Royal Highness, but…” the blonde's voice trailed off as the King waved his hand in the air. “Please don’t call me that - I work for a living,” he chuckled. “I’ve always wanted to say that,” he mused with a devious smile as he stroked his beard. “Never had the opportunity to until now.” “Alright, but then what should we call you?” the brunette questioned a little taken aback by the King's cavalier demeanor.  “You can call me Vishnayam.” the King took another large sip of his elixir. When the brunette heard the King's name, it was as if a flood gate opened up and memories of before came spewing into his mind. The monster. The blonde sitting next to him – they were lovers. He remembered how his lover had shielded him with his body from the explosion. He could hear the wailing guitar.  “While my guitar slowly weeps.” he gasped and dropped his chalice, which shattered on the cool marble floor. “I thought that might do the trick,” Vishnayam said, without a trace of anger or frustration at the broken chalice.  “I remember!” the brunette blurted out as he gripped the chair tightly. “Remember what?” the blonde asked, scared of the answer. The look on his companion’s face was causing him great concern and he was also deeply embarrassed by his clumsiness. “Don't worry about the chalice. It’s easily replaced. It came from the great fire mountain where the mighty Condra clan resides. Aishani has already contacted them and ordered a replacement.” Vishnayam smiled as he handed the brunette his personal chalice. Before either could think what to say next Aishani appeared carrying a new chalice, filled to the brim, with the same delicious smelling elixir.  Close behind her was a curious-looking metal box. It was hovering in the air and moved silently. It stopped over the pile of broken glass and spilled elixir, and a moment later from its underbody shone a bright light. The broken glass and liquid was lifted off the ground as if by magic and disappeared into the metal hovering box. With both their jobs completed, Aishani and the metallic box turned and again disappeared through the melting doorway. “I do have several questions,” the brunette began after taking a long sip of the cool brown elixir. “If I may?” “Of course. Ask away.” Vishnayam set down his chalice and looked at him expectantly.  “I remember what happened to us,” he gestured to the blonde. “But where are we now?” “You are in Sukhavati. What you remember is the completion of both your iterations in the other realm.” “I remember Sukhavati too though. Although those memories feel much more distant. Almost like seeing you, this room, Aishani – all of it, is some sort of strange deja vu.”  “Well you’ve been here before, many times in fact. Now you are here to stay…” the King paused and took another sip from his chalice. “In a roundabout way though.” “There is one thing I cannot recall. I can feel it on the tip of my tongue but when I grasp at it it’s like trying to grab smoke…” “Your name?” the King offered as he scooted his chair closer to the two companions. “Yes.” “Here you are known by the name Branwen,” Vishnayam replied with a gleam in his eyes. “In the other realm you were called Kevin.”  “Branwen!” the blonde whispered with a smile. He had been sitting in his chair transfixed on the conversation taking place between his companion and the King. When Vishnayam had said the name Branwen though a chill ran down his body. He knew the name, but he could not recall from where. The brunette rose, “I am Branwen son of Vishnayam brother of Aion and…” then he turned and looked lovingly at the blonde. The devotion on his face was suddenly overcome with concern though and he spun around. Then with a tone of grave concern, he asked the King “... but – what about him?”  “Who is Aiōn?” the blonde blurted out.  The King smiled, rose, and put his hand on Branwen’s shoulder. “You were successful, my son. Your lover is here with us now, because of your sacrifice.”  “My lover?” the blonde stood and crossed his arms across his chest. “Seriously, what the hell is going on here?” The King chuckled and winked at Branwen. “I can see why you’ve fallen in love with him and chased him through the history books. He’s a firecracker.”  Then he turned and with a kind smile looked at the blonde. “You have many questions. However, before I answer them we should eat,” then with a booming voice he bellowed “Bring in the feast!”  An instant later, several doors appeared in the gleaming white walls, and out scurried a happy-looking assortment of children carrying chairs, a large table, bowls, utensils, plates, pitchers, and platter after platter of the most delicious-looking and smelling foods. A small red-headed girl with striking blue eyes and freckles stopped in front of the blonde, carrying a chair which was three times her size. “Pardon me sir, but would you mind stepping to the side?” “Ummm but of course,” he stammered as he quickly jumped out of the way. “May I help you with the chair?” “Thank you,” the girl replied with a smile. “but I can manage it.”  Then she set the chair down, curtsied, and scuttled back through the door which she had appeared from but moments ago. The children were astonishingly agile, and after a minute of bustling activity, set before the trio was the most exquisite-looking meal. “Thank you, my dears.” Vishnayam beamed as he lovingly patted each child on the head as they scurried past him. The freckled girl stopped in front of the King, and without warning, grabbed him around the neck, and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. Vishnayam let out a laugh. “Oh my dear, aren’t you the sweetest.” Then he kissed her on the forehead and lowered her to the ground. Blushing, she scurried off to the last remaining open door, which like the rest melted away behind her. ![[meal.jpg]] “Who were those children?” the blonde asked as he took a seat at the table. “All of them are mine – adopted, as are all my children. They were once undesirable, the forgotten, the mistreated. In their realms, many of them were exterminated much too soon. Now they reside in my palace. Their families did not want them - but I do…” Vishnayam’s voice trailed off as a sad look spread across his face. “Enough of this sadness though. Today I am celebrating,” he sat and unfurled his napkin. “Let us dine, for I have been very much looking forward to seeing you two again. It has been too long.” Branwen and the blonde looked at each other, a confused look etched across the latter's face. However, his confusion was soon forgotten when he realized how absolutely famished he was. One second he had not felt hungry at all, and then the next, he felt as if he had not eaten in a thousand years. “I’m starving!” exclaimed the blonde as he took a pair of tongs and began heaping piles of food onto his plate. “I feel as if I haven’t eaten in forever.” “Well, technically you haven’t eaten in over a century,” Vishnayam replied matter-of-factly. “A century?” the blonde wondered aloud. “A unit of time measurement from our realm,” Branwen explained as he stuffed a huge forkful of delicious creamy pasta into his mouth. “It’s longer than the average lifespan.” “The reason you don’t remember much of anything from your realm,” Vishnayam said, looking intently at the blonde, “is for your protection.” “Protection from what?” the blonde asked, slightly distracted. He was too busy marveling at the many delicious dishes spread before him. “Your experiences in your realm weren’t pleasant. Unfortunately, it was necessary to balance out your iterations. In many of your former existences, you harvested life forms solely for the purpose of assuaging your greed and desire for wealth. Still in other iterations you became obsessed with satisfying your cravings and other self-centered pursuits. As a result, you had to balance out those choices. This is why Branwen volunteered to leave this place and to help you navigate your final iteration.” “My final iteration? What does that mean?” the blonde sat back from the table, his appetite suddenly not so ravenous. “Every life force is given finite chances to grow, learn, and love. How much love and growth they experience there determines their status here. You were on your last iteration and in danger of being separated from Branwen. This is why he chose to leave this realm and help you navigate the last challenge in your journey. To put it into the language of your realm - he is your bodhisattva.” “Why did he do that?” the blonde said, gazing at Branwen, who was abashedly looking at the floor, his face flushed red. “Because he loves you and has loved you in your realm for many centuries. Through each of your iterations as individual life forces, you two have been together,” Vishnayam broke a piece of bread off a large round loaf and dipped it into his bowl of steaming soup. “in one form or another.” “I see…” the blonde replied, his voice trailing off. “… but why does he get to know his name and I don’t?” “Those who know their names here have achieved balance. They have achieved the greatest love and peace possible in their realm,” Vishnayam explained, wiping his mouth with his napkin. “You are here now, having completed your last iteration in your realm.” “Oh, I see, so I guess I didn’t achieve balance, love, or peace then in my realm…” the blonde looked dejectedly at the floor. He suddenly felt very small and insignificant. “Not quite,” the King began as he stood from his chair. “The pain you experienced in your last iteration would have turned many more experienced life forms bitter or filled them with rage and malice. You, on the other hand, Edmond son of Vishnayam, brother of Aiōn – you surrendered to love. You let go of needing to control and dominate. You sought peace, love, and balance.” “I did!?” Edmond's face brightened, a smile spreading from ear to ear. “You did, my son. If you hadn’t we would not be sitting here enjoying this meal together.” Vishnayam stepped around the table and held out his arms to embrace Edmond. Edmond stood and approached the King. His first step was slow but when he looked into the king’s eyes his pace quickened. He collapsed into the King, who smelled like a field of dry grass soaked by a long awaited summer storm. When he felt the King’s big arms wrap around him, it was if his heart would burst. Then he felt Branwen’s hand on his back. “Thank you!” Edmond said, turning to look at Branwen. “It isn’t enough for what you have done but it is all I can say.” “Nonsense,” Branwen replied, kissing Edmond lightly on the lips, flushing his cheeks red. “You would’ve done the same for me if the roles had been reversed. We complete each other.” “Let us return to the feast and celebrate, for tonight I have gained two sons!” exclaimed Vishnayam. “Plus, you’re going to need strength for your next mission. It’s going to be your toughest one yet.” ^1: [[2 - Strategy 🦇]] ### Next Chapter: [[16 - Birth 🐣]] ### Previous Chapter: [[14 - Ruth 🏝️]]