The Justiceers - Part Three: Chapter One
the next chapter of my forthcoming novel
The Justiceers
by Daphne Garrido
Part Three: The Will to Choose
3.1
Pedeirò’s cloudscapes were made of mammoths.
The peoples who populated this world knew themselves as Inaku, integrated by most divine harmonic relationship into their surroundings, thriving beyond needs for attachment to ownership.
Nomadic tribes of human beings — their planet covered by a forest of scope beyond all imagination, ancient growths reaching to the sky god Delos himself, their spirit Kalkùa holding them in abundance with its splendor of shadows and life-force alike.
Great goddess Moria of the Night Moon watched over the people here. Herself, and sister of light Enius, synchronized in crisscrossing orbit with such perfection to flow in tune with the cycles of The Sun for these people.
There was a singular home for all of human life upon Peidirò; its central sea, known by its spirit’s name alone, Utega.
Its bounty would be the lone and sustaining force for the Inaku to thrive and grow. Utega’s deepest blues were alone upon this planet of purest green, and it’s radius was beyond that of enormity in itself, the achievement of completing a journey around its border had and would be a most singular feat for the histories of Peidirò and its people.
The name of the huntress who’d done it — unknowing channel herself of the goddess Moria — had one most soulful companion beside her along the way.
Urina Markéos was a chieftain, an explorer, a warrior, and a leader to her tribe so known as the name of their totem, sigil, and soul-bonded animal spirit guardians.
Their bloodhounds were wild, beautiful, the most loyal and trusting creatures God ever created. This huntress chieftain and her bloodhound Celine would become legends which would never be forgotten by the spirit of Peidirò.
Their travels and accomplishments were to be known a joint effort, an equal partnership, the Inaku valuing all life equally and the planet seeing a most simple truth; no matter what container it happened to find itself locked within, the form of its structures or what it came to fit divinely beside, life was ultimately born of one great light.
Urina had more of that light inside her heart than anyone.
Moria gleamed through the treetops, her pale glow’s shattered rays expanding to widest landings across the deadwood and thickets blanketing Kalkùa’s bedding. Celine had led the way tonight, in love with Moria’s shine, empowered so by her moonlight’s gentle soul.
Heart was blooming within Urina Markéos.
It had never stopped for her entire lifetime upon Peidirò, this bliss which lived in her chest. Her journey here had one purpose; the passionate exploration of her own spirit’s will.
This world was more than home to Urina, so far beyond the simple beauties and abundant pleasures she took in for each second of every day, it was the origin place of her soul in the universe.
They were further now than anyone had ever gone before.
Her journey was led by spirit itself, having undertook its offered challenges with fearlessness. While many of Urina’s peoples would never understand, lost to their routines of comfort, purpose and place had been found by the divinity long stowed within herself.
Held tightly to the bosom of their mother Peidirò, this trek had been proving spirit right. It was to be the very best of times for Unrina and Celine, because they’d known themselves doing exactly what they were meant to do.
Urina’s life had been blessed by the waters of Utega, insights stoked by her forest guardian Kalkùa, so graced by the light and healing of twin sisters Enius and Moria above.
Yet Urina’s true path was led by a force of love she’d find hidden within her heart all along, rediscovered in her most loyal companion Celine, stowed inside from before they’d come to join her in this world.
Her love had taught Urina who she was, who she wasn’t, and what she was made for. It led her to become what she had in the end; the legend she was born to be.
Utega’s waves ran beneath Urina’s toes as she’d made her way along the sands of a most hidden beach of its farthest shoreline from her peoples homeland. Celine had followed Moria’s light as she’d led their way here.
This place would never be seen by another human soul.
Magic was a word that paled to explain the graceful splendor of her time spent in this wonder, with her Celine. For it to have been such an effortless part of her life’s journey, found through those steppings forward each day after next, now discovering herself surrounded by more beauty than she’d ever thought possible, just made it all the more special to Urina’s heart.
This had been received, not bought or earned, found; given.
Trust itself had powered this grace, those choices made by strength of will, that power found in her leading love; Celine, souls bound for such lifetimes to come, here now to show the way.
There’d always been an observance held of Celine which felt most pertinent to Urina’s heart — the way she so loved Moria’s glow in the night’s sky — it had caused herself to feel loved in some strangest sense.
It was this feeling remerging to be witnessed once more, at this sacred moment within her lifetime of lifetimes, where Urina had finally solved the riddle her mind had been pondering so playfully for that time in which she’d not been meant to know.
Celine had always been Enius — and she herself the great spirit of Moria — they’d come to form here upon Peidirò together.
Knowing this myth to live by would carry Urina forward. Her life would turn to such shades of spring, eternal summers would reign within the hearth of her and Celine’s place together; the road. Autumn’s would bring bountiful reapings of becoming, Winter’s providing those needed reminders to rest and nurture herself. Year after year uncovering more connection between her and Celine, the planet they called home, Enius and Moria’s great mother spirits inside them, the love of her forest Kalkùa, and the one she’d find most beauty in always; Utega — her storms blessings eternal, shores so magnificent, waters unendingly healing.
Urina Markéos would live a lifetime of greater peace than this universe would ever come to bear again.
Arthur Katrinus woke up.
His heart was pounding in a way he’d not known, that had felt so real to him.
There was a longest time he’d lie in bed unmoving, just feeling into the emotions of that place he’d been, hating more than anything he was no longer there. Despite his Miriam beside him, who he’d known so clearly throughout the experience as Celine, and this greatest love they’d forged in his life — that had been nothing but perfection.
All he wanted in this moment was to go back and live there forever.
He’d sobbed quietly for a while.
Gut was speaking softly, telling tales beneath its voice, making him figure something out on his own; Arthur’s mind was needed in this.
It was here Arthur realized something he’d felt so subtly before coming into newfound focus, though only a conglomeration of feelings to begin with, this Judge of the Justiceers had now clarified it into something more.
Miriam’s ideas about their godhood — this god and goddess she so professed them to be, which he knew spoke of some most universal truth in his heart — maybe it wasn’t as black and white as she’d imagined all along.
Maybe it was even simpler.
In the wake of this realization Miriam had woken up beside him — both of her — on either side.
They’d turned towards him, forcing a choice of which to look at, having no idea with the ways she’d been able to manifest her visage these days who was really her. He’d just looked left, a choice he’d always found himself making for unknown reasons, feeling it most profoundly correct for her to be on that side.
What he’d seen there, in his Miriam’s eyes, had made Arthur weep.
They’d both then held him, leaning in on either side.
Normally he’d hate when they did it, but with that recognition he’d seen in her eyes and how very much it’d meant to him, in this circumstance he would not protest a bit when they whispered it simultaneously.
“That was weird.”
