Location: Gastromycen Homeworld
Aliens: Gastromycen
“You’re kidding,” Jia said, her mouth full of food.
“No, seriously,” Mara said, fumbling about for her drink. “C’mon, Gail, help me out,” she said. Her slug dutifully slid down her arm and created a little bridge to the cup. Mara brought the cup to her lips and succeeded in getting a small amount of it into her mouth. The rest dribbled down her chin. She sighed in frustration.
“Just take off the blindfold,” Jia said. Her slug, Nola, was resting atop her head.
“I’m already flirting with excommunication even being here,” Mara said.
“Not just flirting with me?” Jia asked, her voice low.
“If they catch me with you, I’ll have extra chores. If they catch me with you and my eyes uncovered, you won’t have to sneak to see me because I’ll be sleeping in your floor,” Mara said. It had been a difficult few months. Chores. Scripture. Good works. More scripture. Rituals. The Mothers provided for their every need, but there was much work to be done.
“Okay, then in the spirit of spreading the love of Squamus,” Jia said, “tell me one of the scriptures.”
“There’s only one I’ve really cared enough about to learn by memory. I’m not going to recite it word for word and give you the satisfaction of seeing me embarrass myself,” Mara said.
“You’re no fun,” Jia said. She moved everything out of the center of the blanket and laid down, resting her head in Mara’s lap. Mara felt Nola climb up her hand to meet with Gail. Mara felt Jia’s forehead. She could see her face so clearly, even with the blindfold.
“Squamus and Jorn had already devoted themselves to one another and gone about healing people and such,” Mara said. “But invaders from another world appeared. They were corrupt visions of Squamus and his kind.”
“Planarians?” Jia asked.
“Maybe, no one knows for sure. This was hundreds of years ago. Squamous and Jorn called upon the mightiest heroes among the Gastromycen. 25 pairs heeded their call.”
“And you can name them all in order?” Jia asked.
“You’ll never know,” Mara said with a smile. “They built the first temple together and it was their fortress. They dined at the long table, none of them any more important than the rest.”
“Except Squamus and Jorn, since it was their party,” Jia said.
“Even they sat away from the head of the table. And when it was needed, they struck out to where the evil monsters popped up and vanquished them. Lots of slaying and mystical, magical weapons produced by the slugs, that kind of thing.”
“Sounds about right for you,” Jia said and Mara could hear the smile behind it, the tiny bit of a laugh coloring her voice.
“This went on for a while until all the invaders were slain and the people were safe. The 25 heroes went back to their homes and spread the good deeds of Squamus and Jorn. Most of the scriptures come from those 25.”
“What about the original pair?” Jia asked.
“It’s said that with their duty done, they laid down to rest in their temple. But they did not wake the next day or the next. Still they slumber in that first fortress, waiting for the Gastromycen to need them again.”
“And this original temple’s never been found, of course,” Jia said.
“It doesn’t have to be,” Mara said, gently lifting Nola from her arm. She asked Jia to take Nola. “The feeling when Nola is returned to you. When you’re suddenly reminded that you’re not the same entity, but feel that you are. The bond you share day in and day out. That is the temple Squamus and Jorn built.”
“Wow,” Jia said quietly. “No wonder you’ve stuck around.” Mara leaned down so that her hair draped over Jia’s face. Jia leaned up and their lips met briefly.
“Our coming together is just a facet of the interconnectedness of all things. Just as Squamus and Jorn were joined, so are we to each other, and to the planet that houses and feeds us.” Mara whispered all of this down onto Jia.
“Okay, you lost me,” Jia said.
“I think if you tried to be serious you’d die,” Mara said, laughing.
“Better not to find out,” Jia said, getting up. The temple bells began to ring, calling all of the novitiates back. This was supposed to be their time to commune with nature, to deepen the bond with their symbiotes. While it wasn’t exactly what was prescribed, Mara felt she had completed the assignment.
“I’ll see you soon,” Jia whispered, helping Mara stand up. She spun Mara to face the right direction. They said their goodbyes and Mara took tiny steps back to the temple, hoping to savor the magic moment in time that was holding Jia’s head in her lap.
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