The Sublime spoke to John before he could begin meditating.

[Copper, I’m going to need that portal anchor back, along with the other one. I was going to wait to collect them after all’s said and done, but those cost me a lot of crystals. If you’re dealing with Sunshine, I can’t risk leaving them with you any longer.]

Adrenaline spiked in John’s heart as he kowtowed again. “Of course, Sublime. The portal anchor I just recovered is yours but…uh, I hate to say it, but Sunshine already took the other one after Ukaraaz was defeated.”

[You little…ugh, I doubt it’s your fault. That snake is slippery. It’s still your debt to pay. I took the anchor from your spatial device, and I’ll take from what equipment litters the field of battle as compensation. Okay, I took the two Gold tier mini-mechs and three of the Silver tier ones. That should cover it. There’s still three Silvers left and those are far too big for terrans to utilize anyways. Don’t tell anyone but I’ll be away from Terra for a few days. I’m going to destroy a nest of traitors called Forsaken. Try to stay out of trouble. And good luck with your injury.]

“Thank you, Sublime. I will tell no one.”

John recovered and sat down again to meditate. He could feel the little spy-drones fly closer. After some time meditating, he felt a few helicopters approaching. He ignored them as they landed. People exited the vehicles but kept a respectful distance away. Once the helicopters were silent, John stood and approached the group.

The group was made up of mostly leaders from countries named Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. They thanked John profusely for closing the portal and defeating the horde. While they spoke, a new helicopter arrived with the rulers of countries called Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti – countries the demon horde already passed through and ravaged.

John was glad to be thanked, praised, and honored so, but he was angered that none of the leaders offered him treasure or tribute for avenging or saving their people. Since they didn’t offer, he had to ask if they’d be willing to store the remaining gear for him. Many said they’d be happy to do so. He could tell a few of the leaders disliked each other greatly.

John was told Meghan, the name his wife’s new body was born to, rallied the world to send troops and save John, and that she was on her way with the ‘bear-woman.’ They were expected to arrive in a couple hours, and Hubaba would arrive some hours later.

It made John glad to have such a dutiful and caring wife. After constantly coughing up blood, it was easy to beg his pardon from the leaders and go off alone to meditate. He couldn’t go deep because the environment around him was far too busy. Many soldiers arrived, some collecting and transporting his booty. Reporters with their cameras and questions also arrived.

The rulers ensured that John wasn’t bothered, though the amount of people, noise, and activity in the previously peaceful desert bothered him. Once Lilly arrived, she charged in and tried to tackle him in a big hug while calling him many vulgar names. She then held him and put her head on his cheek, telling him he was her heart’s content.

Lilly said Hubaba was no longer coming and went off to speak with the leaders, John assumed to get some of the treasure and tribute the leaders should have showered upon him of their own accord without it needing to be asked for.

John thought he was alone as he coughed up as much blood as he could to clear his lungs for meditation when Amber said, “Are you okay, buddy?”

John sighed. “So, I’m your buddy again?”

“You never stopped being my friend, you jerk! Why…ugh, why…I’m sure you love all this. You just couldn’t wait a day so we could do it safely and smartly, could you? Big, bad John had to rush in like an idiot again, and since it worked out and you didn’t die you think you’re right to be an idiot. And a Jerk.

“You know how scared your wife was? She, like, went crazy and was threatening the whole world with destruction if they wouldn’t help you…and bring us to you. I can’t believe she followed you into the portal…thing. You are so lucky to have someone that loves you so, so much. To have…true love. At least from her to you. It doesn’t seem to go both ways. Because you’re a jerk. You don’t even care what we dealt with, do you? I…I accidentally…ugh, you wouldn’t even care. And you still look bad, by the way.”

Amber was really starting to annoy John. “As I said before, I will not stand aside and wait as those I swore to protect are slaughtered by those I swore to fight. How many more would’ve died while we waited? I must meditate. Please, I’d like to be left in peace.”

John heard Amber say, “Jerk” from a little distance off as she walked away. Not too long later, John, Lilly, and Amber got on a helicopter that brought them to a plane that would fly them back to DC.

The gear that the rulers said they’d store filled the plane, including the three Silver and two Bronze mini-mech suits. Lilly really thinks of everything. At least when it comes to treasure and wealth, thought John.

John purposefully avoided entering his Mind’s Eye. He wanted to see if going deep in meditation healed his chest, and he sat on Lilly’s mat to do so. He kept creating shen in his middle dantian, and then using all the shen to create emptiness in his upper dantian.

John went deep for some time and the burning in his chest started to relent. He heard the name Ahn, though it was pronounced Han. Hearing that name made him start to pay attention to the conversation going on between Amber and Lilly. He wished Amber was cultivating instead of talking so she could finally rank up. Unless she wants to delay doing such, and have an excuse to avoid further battle, thought John.

Lilly said, “…Han was a real asshole.” John heard her heart spike and she added on, “From what I was told.”

Amber asked, “How long were you guys…together…married? Did you date for a long time before you got married? When did you know it was true love?”

Lilly laughed. “True love? Immediately! Date? Things worked a little differently back then. When we met, I was badly injured, and we couldn’t communicate well. We technically spoke a similar language but imagine a mealymouthed hillbilly from Louisiana talking to a hillbilly from the backwoods of Scotland.

“My people were called the Children of God. Other Egyptians thought we were a very strange cult and just wanted us out of sight and mind. There were never many of us. My tribe was pushed to the outskirts of our area, nome, whatever, and we lived apart and away long enough it was hard for others to understand us, and John is always hard to understand in any language.

“Well, I healed quickly once I received the dark gift and fed. I didn’t need to understand his speech to know he found me attractive. Well, all men did when I had my first body. I…”

Amber interrupted, “You were so hot. Remember you showed me in your Mind’s Eye? You’re so pretty now too. When you…I mean your body...when your body grows up, you’ll probably be even more beautiful this time.”

John could practically feel Lilly smile and eat that up. His wife said, “Thank you. I hope so, I miss how Adon used to look at me with such hunger. Well, I knew he found me attractive and wanted me, but he just wouldn’t take me, even after I fully healed, no matter how obvious I made my willingness. Not for some time. My hips hurt from shaking my ass around him so much.

“It probably sounds strange, but we never had an official wedding. Weddings were a thing back then. There were many of them, especially for the wealthy. In large part, for the common folk, they were unnecessary. Once Adon finally took me, he told me he’d always protect me, and that was it. He was my husband, and I was his wife. I wanted no one else. Just him. The man that saved me, gave me immortality and power, and ensured no one would ever hurt me again. Besides when…well, that’s a different story.”

Amber sighed. “That sounds so magical. I wish…I wish I could have true love someday. I can tell you truly love him. He’s so lucky to have that. Anyone would be. Heck, anyone that can…you know, do…stuff…is lucky. Compared to me at least.”

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Lilly readily replied, “Who knows what the future holds, Amber? One day you’ll get what you deserve. I’m certain of it. As to how long we were together, I spent some time trying to figure that out when I first returned to Terra in my last body. My husband and I discussed this recently too. A lot of what Adon claims doesn’t mesh up with recorded history, and he always had strange names for places.”

After sighing dramatically, Lilly said, “I guess I should explain how Adon thinks so you’ll see my version of events is far more reliable. He was already old when we met, and old minds are resistant to change and try to force what they know on what’s new to help cope. I was starting to get like that before I left Terra.

“Keep in mind I came from an insular village and knew absolutely nothing when we first met. Adon claims the Akkadians were a people and Sargon just took the name of the people of his area for his city. You’ve heard of the Assyrians?”

Amber said, “Um, I think so.”

“Well, they named their city after their people, Assur, and he makes that point. He ruled Kish and cities north of it for long stretches before we met. He said everyone considered the people north of Kish the Agade, and they spoke Agadi, and this was long before Sargon. He’ll admit many people in the Sumer region considered themselves the Kengi and spoke Emegi, but he still calls them all the Sumer and says they spoke Suma. He also said there was a different area before Sumer, around modern-day Lebanon I think, called Suma, and those people spoke a different language also called Suma.”

John heard Lilly shuffle around for a moment. “We’d enter a city and he’d say its name was some crazy gibberish and all the people there would say, ‘What? This is Urim. And always has been.’ He can’t even remember where he was born or his people. Everything he says has to be taken with a grain of salt. He’s a great man and not a liar, but his memory…I know for certain he gets some facts wrong.”

Lilly sighed again before saying, “What year did we meet? I have a good guess. After he saved me, we first went to Ur but took our time getting there. I heard about Sargon taking over everything long before getting to Ur. After Ur, we went to a city that was already defeated and made part of the Akkadian Empire, called Uruk. Everything seemed fine and peaceful, but I didn’t understand or care what was happening at the time. I was having too much fun, and I was safe with Adon no matter what.

“My best guess is we met about ten years before 2270 or 2255 or so. When we were in Babylon…I loved that city so much. I really started to embrace the dark gift and spread my wings there. I picked my name there, the name I still use, after the name of a spirit I enjoyed hearing stories of.

“Well, in Babylon we heard Sargon’s son was replaced. That could’ve been 2270 or 55. I’m just not sure. According to the age range the NCS gives Adon, that means he was fifteen or sixteen hundred years old then.”

Amber said, “Sometimes it’s easy to forget how old he is. I think of him more like a knight from the olden…the medieval times.”

“I’m no spring chicken myself, Amber. Adon kept me from Egypt for a long time, but when we went back the king ruled from Tanis. Apepi, so around the mid fifteenth century. I made a deal with him, so I remember this event clearly. Adon swears it was Memphis.

“I know how his mind works. In his mind, the Egyptian emperors united lower and upper Egypt and ruled from Memphis. Apepi ruled Egypt so he had to be in Memphis, and he was an emperor and didn’t rule only lower Egypt because, to Adon, Egypt was already unified. He is wrong, of course.”

Lilly chuckled a little before continuing, “I know for certain it was Seti the first when…you know how the Jews say they were enslaved in Egypt? Well, that wasn’t really true. Or not true enough. Everyone just wanted the Children of God weirdos apart and away from civilized folk and be forgotten about. Even though they were technically made slaves, little changed for most of them. It was infuriating.

“Well, eventually, there were religious reforms in Egypt, and the Hittites were a big worry. I know this was during Seti the first because he ruled from Memphis. Seti wanted more people to settle the area of Canaan. Probably as a buffer against the Hittites. Getting the Children of God to all move there would kill two birds with one stone. The prick Levis were the first to go. The other tribes followed the Levis, as usual. That was around 1280 or so.

“I fucked with my people hard in their new lands. It was positively delightful.” Lilly stopped to chuckle. “I had so much fun. That was well before they became what Jews are today. Adon would get so mad. We already had to hide. He eventually brought me very far, far away to keep me out of trouble. To just…nothing. Barbarians. Tree-worshiping savages far away from everything. Then I left Terra. If I had to guess, I’d say I left around 850 BC, give or take a century.

“So, we were married for a little less than a millennium and a half, or there about. We were married for my whole life on this planet, and about half of his before I left. A long time, but we’ll be together forever now. I have my dear heart back. Finally.”

John wasn’t surprised Lilly’s timeline focused so much on her people. There was a long pause before Amber said, “Wow, over a millennium together. That musta been wonderful. I only had one real friend before you and Baba and your husband and…he wasn’t really a friend. And it wasn’t for long. My other friendships were real, real super short. You’re my first girlfriend. Real one, at least. The first one that’s seen me and knows the real me. It’s so nice having a girl to talk to. And having Baba to do Instagram with. Why did you say you…messed with your people so much?”

“I do enjoy having you as a friend, Amber, but that’s a private matter.”

“Oh. Okay,” said Amber. After a small pause she blurted out, “You’re not…it’s not…I know a lot of people hate Jewish people. You’re not some kind of racist, are you?”

Lilly laughed loudly and for a long time. “Oh, my dear Amber, I’d love to be there to see you ascend off this world. I know it just means bigotry now, but until recently the term racism was defined as believing in superior and inferior races. That is correct and factual everywhere in all realities.

“Outside the core, omegas reign supreme, then alphas. Some Outsiders can compete with them, but the rest of us can’t. Everyone wants to belong to the core. Our race, both yours and mine, is F-grade beta-types. The bottom. We are inferior. Factually and objectively. Many other types and higher-graded races, even E-grade beta-types, are superior to us. It’s just how it is.

“As for Jews, they’re the same race as all other terrans. If I were to rate groups within our own race, I’d rate my people at the top. I’m proud that I’m of my people, and I’m proud of what my people have become. Einstein, Freud, Bohm, Bohr, I could go on and on.

“It may sound strange but I’m most proud that so many hate Jews. Unless it’s a matter of vengeance, people only hate groups of others out of jealousy or when that group makes them feel inferior or lesser. It’s why people hate the rich, or aristocrats, or the beautiful. Wait, is your race even terran? How does it work for Naturals?”

There was a long pause. Since Amber wasn’t hiding, he heard her heartbeat spike and increase. “I’m sorry, but my…my avatar, Party-pooper, said it’s a bad idea to give out information, even to friends, because it can be used against me by accident. I’m super sorry and I feel real bad and I hope you don’t get mad at me, but…because of my…my situation…I have to be more careful than others.”

John knew Lilly heard Amber’s heart rate increase. “Yes, you have the Tech 4 NCS too. You named your avatar Party-pooper? I wonder why?”

The smell humans let off when they felt guilt or fear were similar, John knew. Both scents smelled of weakness. The stress smell was catchy, and people often subconsciously felt the emotion they smelled, especially females. Unless that person was the cause of it in others. Amber reeked of guilt and fear, and Lilly smelled healthier.

Amber said, “Um, the…thing…personality…uh, it recommended me was called Barbarian Hero. It reminded me of…your husband…so I named him Party-pooper.”

After a moment of silence Lilly said, “I see. And you still claim you have no interest in my husband? You know it’s okay to tell me if you slept together. He thought I was dead. I won’t be mad. We’re friends, and the truth won’t change that. It will only make us closer.”

“No! I told you! I can’t! I’d lose my human form forever. It’s the truth! I don’t even like your husband. I think he’s a jerk. Oh! Sorry, that sounds real mean. I think…I think he…honest, I’ve never been with anyone ever! I wish you’d believe me!”

Another long moment passed before Lilly replied. “I’m sorry. I believe you. It’s just that you’re so beautiful it’s hard not to be jealous. It must be hard knowing you’ll never get laid. You’ll never feel the absolute magnificence of a lover slide himself inside of you. I’d probably kill myself if I were you. It only counts for men, right?”

“What?”

“You’re…whatever it is. The rule saying you can’t have sex. It only counts for men, right? You can sleep with women, correct?”

An awkward silence stretched out before Lilly laughed. “Your face is so red! Come now, if girlfriends can’t talk about these things, what’s the point? Tell me!”

“Uh. I don’t think so. It’s…it’s not specific words. I just feel it and know. It feels like it means any carnal relations. With anyone. So that…in my case…for me that means with a man since…since I only…that…I’m attracted to men. Personally, I don’t…I’m not homophobic or anything. I support lesbians and…uh, bisexuals…and, uh, that stuff.”

Lilly laughed. “You’re such a prude! I hope you don’t see me as my husband does. I’m not a child. This looks like a child’s body, but it’s inhabited by a woman. I’m not that much younger than Adon. Jim. John. Whatever he calls himself now. I have the needs of a woman. Knowing I must wait so long to feel my Adon inside of me again is driving me mad. Even if I only had to wait until tomorrow, it would be too long of a wait.”

John could almost feel the embarrassment radiating off Amber. “Oh, well…that stinks. I know how…uh, I can sympathize. Time goes by super-fast, so you’ll be…you know, in no time. Like rabbits, I bet! Um, sorry, but I really gotta meditate. I’m so close to peak. I really love talking to you though! I’m so happy to have a real girlfriend!”

No reply came from Lilly. John sensed Amber become much smaller and her heart rate slowed significantly. He knew she had turned into a frog. Usually, smaller animals had much higher heart rates than bigger ones.

John was glad Amber was going to meditate. He started to do so again himself, and after some time he knew what plagued his chest was finally healed.

Spreading his senses outward, John felt Lilly sitting peacefully, probably looking at her phone, and Amber meditating.

John didn’t want to give Amber an excuse to stop meditating so he quietly entered his Mind’s Eye.