Summer Alternatives

Brit watched the street from the vantage point of the upstairs window just outside of their resting place. The sun was setting, she noted as she watched the street below. As the sky grew darker, she heard the door behind her open followed by the sound of familiar footsteps. Strong arms embraced her and she felt soft kisses on her temple before she turned to kiss Ethan’s lips. “Good evening, princess,” murmured Ethan.

Smiling, Brit replied, “Good evening, Ethan.” Quiet followed. Brit had acclimated to the quiet and knew the reason. Ethan’s thoughts broadcast his unhappiness over the shortened days. The summer before, he expressed frustration. This summer, she could feel deepened unhappiness over an occurrence in nature that he could not control. Summer nights were short and there was nothing Ethan could do about it.

Brit sensed his mood and could see the thoughts behind it. His thoughts were filled with resentment toward not having more time at night with her. It never bothered him in the past. Now, he was entertaining options that he would have never considered in years gone by: Moving to the southern hemisphere for the summer months would place him in a region entirely unknown to him. Ethan’s thoughts flashed anger that, in 1500 years, he had not bothered to venture there making the option unattractive without contacts or knowledge. “We could go to the library and look up wherever you wish to go, Ethan,” offered Brit.

He blinked realizing she was linked to every thought. “No, baby. The information I wish to obtain would not be found there, I fear.” Ethan caressed Brit’s arms and pulled her against him again after turning her to the window in hopes that the view would distract her for a moment. Ethan had made inquiries, but information obtained was sketchy to him. The unknown was unsettling. It had been many years since he had experienced such feelings.

Ethan reflected on Latin America. Ethan had no intentions of staying in a rainforest tree house as Brit had excitedly suggested. The strict Roman Catholic religion and American baby-napping rumors associated with organ harvesting also made him realize that logic was not always first and foremost in villager’s minds. Chile, Brazil, and Argentina had some nice cities, and he had requested more information about them. Regardless, most information that he had obtained revealed tight-knit families, which could prove difficult.

Brit was also excited about the concept of visiting Africa. Jungle cats and safari came to her mind. Ethan had not burst her bubble that safari activities usually were daytime options. Draught, disease, smugglers, and weak medical care for his mortal wife were all concerns. The many local religions also made him pause. With a shake of his head, he cleared the image of him becoming tribal chieftain of the gourd people though he did think Brit would look cute in a grass skirt.

The intense poverty of many areas of southern Asia coupled with the highly diverse religions did not make a visit favorable to Ethan. He sighed pulling Brit closer to him. Again religious extremism and lack of tolerance for outsiders would prove problematic. Besides, the last news report that Ethan had seen on a television reported piracy and drug running was prevalent in some of the more interesting locations.

Europe, like North America, had shortened days. Ethan yearned for some locations in Europe. Places he had stayed and known. If only nights were longer, how lovely it would be to take Brit there. “Perhaps we will spend Christmas in Salzburg, Brit,” he said wistfully as he arranged her hair away from her face. “Salzburg is beautiful when the snow falls,” he whispered picturing the longer nights of winter with Brit on his arm. The image of her bundled in a fur-lined hood with her nose reddened by the cold night made him smile.

“There is a castle there,” Brit replied. Ethan smiled again knowing there were many and wondered which she meant. His mind returned to the problem at hand and he considered other locals. Polar caps were simply out of the question. He had running water and livable conditions 1500 years ago. Needless to say he was not giving that up in the new day and age. Brit tilted her head curiously at a glimpse of penguins in his thoughts.

“They do not fly,” she said remembering yet another book she had read. He grinned kissing the top of her head and felt his mood lift a bit. Looking up to him, she needlessly clarified, “Penguins do not fly.”

“Perhaps next summer we could venture somewhere within Oceania, Brit,” said Ethan. “Sydney is said to be pleasant enough and New Zealand, I have been told, is bearable.” Ethan paused silently vowing to kill the first person who called him ‘mate.’ Ethan reflected on what he had read about the city of Sydney. “Australia. We could go to the opera, perhaps.” His eyes narrowed thinking of the beautiful opera house in Vienna, but he placated himself with the promise of longer nights.

Brit perked, “They eat bugs there! I read it in the library. You can order a plate of bugs at many nice restaurants.” She giggled at the thought of bugs for dinner, but her smile faded at the decidedly un-amused expression of her husband. “No bugs,” she lisped questioningly.

“Quite right,” said Ethan with a decisive nod. He blinked again and visibly shook his head. “Bugs are what one eats out of necessity, Brit. You have no need to consume bugs.” Sensing her confusion, he glanced at her thoughts and waved his hand dismissively. “Just because someone deemed it a delicacy does not mean it is good or something you should ingest, princess.”

Brit nibbled her lip, “Maybe they are not real bugs.”

Ethan replied, “Then they should have called them something else. We do not call fish ‘sea kittens,’ do we? Of course not. They are fish. And bugs are bugs.” Seeing her puff her cheeks slightly, he grinned again giving her a playful squeeze. “Do not let me dark mood upset you, Brit. I am unhappy over the short night. If you having bugs for dinner will allow my summer nights grow longer, I’ll consider it.” Brit grinned, which caused him to chuckle. Kissing her, he mused there would be no bugs in her future without a call to the health department. “Shall we go see Kylean? Perhaps he can assist us in making inquiries about Oceania.”

They prepared to leave the Shelter and Brit paused at the door. "Don't perish anyone if they call you 'mate.' Okay?" she asked.

Ethan grinned again at her glimpse into his thoughts and motioned her toward the door.

Belladonna & Eosphoros

Opening the book, Ethan pointed out a picture and said to Brit, “Their names were Belladonna and Eosphoros and they had been life-long nemeses.” Seeing Brit’s confusion, Ethan clarified, “A nemesis is a formidable rival. All their lives, Bella and Eosphoros had competed for honors and awards in and out of school. Each of them achieved early admittance to a most prestigious magic school as both showed talent for magical feats.”

After a moment, Brit responded, “You do not like magic, Ethan.” Though she saw Ethan use archaic methods to do mystical things, she had noted his distain when others used similar methods. “How did you know these two? Were they friends of yours? Did they perish? How long ago did they live?” With a grin, Ethan patiently let her ramble out her questions until she puffed her cheeks and whispered, “I know….one question at a time.”

With a soft chuckle, he touched her nose playfully and said, “All questions will be answered in due time, darling. This is simply a story, but all stories tend to be based on some inkling of truth, hm?” She smiled giving him an affirmative nod and he settled her back to him and continued. “As fate would have it, each responded with immediate animosity when they first saw one another. Of course the rivalry continued. One took top marks one week only to be usurped the following week. And each blamed the other for their own lack of success when the other moved ahead.”

“I guess that made them not like each other even more,” lisped Brit. She shifted against Ethan so that she could look up at him. Seeing him nod in agreement, she settled back against him. Within his mind, she glimpsed images that she assumed were Belladonna and Eosphoros.

Ethan caressed her arm. “With hatred growing, each lost the ability to think rationally when it came to the other. With each passing week, the other had planned how to discredit or dishonor the other so they would leave. It was late in their first year when they gave up trying to harm the other, and a more sinister plan started to form.”

Brit’s eyes grew big. “They tried to perish each other?”

Brushing his lips over her temple, Ethan said, “No, baby. Truly perishing would have been kind compared to what each planned.” Brit looked almost fearful but remained silent to hear what each did. Ethan gave her a reassuring hug and reminded her, “Tis a story, baby. No need for concern.” She relaxed against him and he moved forward with the story. “Eosphoros decided that, since he could not drive Belladonna off, he would enslave her. Staying up all night, he made a love potion that would bind her to him. Her heart would feel that it could not beat if he were not near.”

Looking thoroughly confused, Brit said, “He hated her so he wanted her to love him?” Ethan nodded. “That does not seem like hate to me. Maybe he secretly loved her.”

“It is said that there is a very thin line between love and hate,” Ethan said. It was clear to him that Brit did not understand, but to discuss such now would mean to side track from the story. Ethan had learned early on to stick to a path when talking with Brit or their conversations would go in more directions than hydras had heads. Besides, he had eternity to follow each path in time. “We shall come back to that topic, baby.”

Brit settled again and Ethan handed her some juice to sip as he returned to the story. “So, Eosphoros would simply give her the potion and Bella would fall in love with him. And he would extract his revenge on her daily knowing she would love him and he would hate her.” Ethan waited for Brit to process and was rewarded with an audible gasp as Brit realized how much it would hurt the other to love and not be loved in return.

He could feel her heart ache for the unloved magic student and moved on quickly. “Eosphoros took his potion and placed it in a wine bottle. He found Bella in a lab working on a class assignment. Entering, he said, ‘Look. We have been at odds for years. Perhaps we should set aside our childhood anger and agree that we will not continue this rivalry since we shall be breathing the same air until we graduate.’ He was most sincere in his tone and actions.”

“Indeed, Bella was surprised,” explained Ethan. “After all, they had hated each other for years. Eosphoros handed Bella a bottle of wine and asked, ‘Truce?’ Bella looked doubtful, but reached for it to accept it. It was a very small bottle and Eosphoros said, ‘I would be so honored if you would accept this truce by drinking of it.’ And with that, he poured the liquid into a glass.”

“If he was always mean to her, why would she trust him?” asked Brit. Ethan hinted a grin that she thought of the obvious question. To him, it showed growth.

“Bella did not trust him. She asked him to sip first and he made a bit of a scene, but drank after telling her that her skepticism was not helping their new truce. Of course, magic users tend to be immune to their own concoctions.” Ethan’s fingers curled a strand of her hair around his index finger. “She watched him drink and said, ‘Then please drink with me.’ And with that, she too poured him a glass of wine from the open bottle she had beside her. Her own glass just inches from her fingertips.’ Seeing this, he smiled graciously accepting her offer. The two clinked glasses and both drank.”

Brit whispered, “And then she fell in love with him and he still hated her!” Her eyes widened in a mixture of horror and sadness.

“Don’t jump ahead,” Ethan chided gently with a playful poke causing her to giggle slightly. She was too focused on the story, and so he went forward with it. “Each drank while watching the other. They kept their individual glasses to their lips and poured in the contents slowly. By drinking slowly and watching, each encouraged the other to drain their glasses dry. When their glasses were empty, each smiled a contented smile.”

“And then she fell in love with him and he still hated her!” Brit exclaimed.

With a bounce and a tickle, Ethan said, “Slow down, you!” Brit giggled more merrily causing him to grin again. When she quieted, he said, “The room was quiet and each sat watching the other. It was then that Bella noticed how very beautiful Eosophoros looked as he gazed back at her almost lovingly. Perhaps the lighting had improved, she thought.”

“Uh oh,” whispered Brit.

“Bella desired above all other things to touch him. Her fingers curled into each other to prevent her from doing so. His hand seemed to reach for her hair and he grabbed the edge of the table blinking. Bella gasped and he widened his eyes. Each shouted, ‘You gave me a potion! What was it?’ They went quiet again and stared at each other. Each seeing beauty and wonder in the other that they had never seen before. Each screamed, ‘How dare you!’ Then words flew from each other. Sparks flew quite literally as they attacked with magic which brought the attention of their instructors running to the lab.’

“Did she give him a potion too? What kind of potion? How did she know to give him one? Did she know he was giving her one?” Brit asked in rapid succession.

Ethan shrugged, “No one knows whether she knew or whether it was just amazing coincidence.” Shifting her back to him again, he said, “By the time, the instructors arrived, the laboratory was quite destroyed. With a bit of a truth spell, it was found that each had used magic against the other. Both gave the other a love potion and, for that, each was expelled from the academy.” Seeing her tilt her head, he clarified, “Expelled means cast out.”

Brit giggled, “Now they both love each other!”

Ethan grinned, “There is a fine line between love and hate, Brit. Neither had been on their own. They stood on the steps of the academy knowing they could not return home in disgrace to their parents. However, for a full hour, they continued to shout at each other that it was the other’s fault. Night was falling, and they spent their first night under trees as they continued to argue and were told to leave the small roadside inn.”

“Did they ever get along?” asked Brit.

“The sun is rising, baby. I will tell you more of their story another night. But safe to say that they were beloved of one another. Willingly or not.”