The Second Archon War: Sapientia Oromasdis 9 (Patreon)

Sapientia Oromasdis 9: Childlike Wonder

This chapter was accidentally briefly put up early, so some may have already seen it. Here it is properly for the rest of you. 

Like most young children, Nahida often had dreams of flying. Unlike most young children, Nahida actually could fly, either in the Dream or in the waking world. Her flying was more like “floating”, but she had the ability to levitate herself and move about as fast as she could running or walking, so no more than 20 kph or so.

That said, getting to fly on an airplane for the first time had Nahida so excited that even with her mental discipline she hadn’t been able to sleep the night before. She’d eagerly looked up information on the aircraft they’d be taking, the Gulfstream III, and proceeded to talk Bashir and Farasha’s ear off that entire morning.

“Did you know that the Gulfstream III is powered by two Rolls-Royce Spey jet engines, which have a maximum thrust of 78 kilonewtons!?”

“No, Nahida.”

“Did you know that the Gulfstream III was manufactured from 1979-1988 on Earth Bet, but on Earth Aleph, it was built from 1979-1986 instead!?”

“No, Nahida.”

“Did you know that it has a maximum velocity of 1157kPH if you ignore safety regulations without a tailwind?”

“No Nahida- Wait, what do you mean, ignore the safety regulations?” Farasha asked, turning around in the car to frown at Nahida.

“Well, the official listed maximum speed is 928 kPH, but I calculated that if you disable certain safety functions, it should be able to attain speeds of 1157 kPH without a tailwind. Obviously, real-world conditions will vary. I also gathered meteorological data to provide a forecast for today, broken down by hour and elevation!”

Nahida rummaged around in her backpack, until the Aranara she was smuggling held it out to her, then passed them to Farasha, straining against the restraints of her car seat to do it.

Bemusedly, Farasha took the extremely detailed forecast, her eyebrows climbing up her forehead. “Hey Doc, did you realize our daughter has a weather control power?”

“I can’t control the weather,” Nahida said in exasperation. “That’s more Anemo, Electro, Cryo, and Hydro. Even Pyro would have a better shot at it than Dendro. But I can make detailed predictions predicated on advanced data collection!”

“That’s very nice, but I’m trying to drive, and-” HONK- “MOVE! We’re going to be late!” Bashir snapped, leaning on his horn and causing Qiqi to start in surprise.

“According to current traffic patterns, the distance to the airport, and our scheduled itinerary, we’re still 15 minutes ahead of schedule,” Nahida offered consolingly.

“Yes, thank you for the help, Nahida,” Bashir growled in a tone that indicated she was being anything but, and honked his horn again.

“Move, asshole!” Qiqi cried, shaking her little fist at the car in front of them and swearing in English of all things. Bashir’s head snapped around so fast that Nahida was concerned he’d give himself whiplash, while Farasha leaned over and honked the horn for Bashir, cackling madly.

“Qiqi, those are not words we should say,” Bashir said, looking more than a little flushed.

“Oh. OK,” Qiqi said with a nod.

“You’re cute when you get mad,” Farasha teased, and Bashir turned to glower at her. “Teaching Qiqi new words when you’re driving, are you?”

“I’m an excellent driver,” he grumbled. “I just can’t stand these idiots when I have somewhere to be in a hurry. It’s even worse when I’m transporting a patient.”

“Just relax. We literally can’t be late. It’s a private jet,” Farasha told him.

Bashir very much did not relax, and telling him to do so seemed to only wind him tighter.

Still, they managed to get to the airport with plenty of time to spare, and the plane was indeed waiting for them, as they were the only passengers.

“Make sure to buckle your seatbelt,” Nahida told Farasha as she sprawled in the chair across from her, Nahida assiduously buckling her own.

Farasha rolled her eyes but did buckle up her seatbelt as Bashir did up Qiqi’s. After that, Nahida and Qiqi had their faces glued to the windows as the plane took off, until they were high up in the sky over Baghdad itself. Nahida turned away to see poor Aranarakin and Arana shivering in fear, huddled under the seats.

“It’s OK,” Nahida told them, holding out a hand to the little forest spirits. “You can fly, right? It’s just like that, only higher!”

“Metal bird flies so high, Arana does not like it,” the female whimpered, even as she clung to Nahida’s hand.

“Aranarakin can no longer feel the ground and trees, this is not like regular flying at all,” her companion agreed.

Farasha frowned at the exchange, but then blinked in surprise when Nahida handed Arana over to Qiqi.

“Don’t be sad, little djinn. Qiqi will protect you.”

“Thank you, Cold Nara. You are not so scary now,” Arana whimpered as Qiqi cradled her in her arms.

“Uh, they’re just playing with their imaginary invisible friends, right?” Farasha whispered to Bashir.

Bashir coughed and glanced at Nahida, then looked around, but the Stewardess was up talking with the pilots and couldn’t hear them.

“I’m interfacing with the bugs, you can talk safely,” Nahida assured him.

“Ah, Nahida’s invisible friends are… not so imaginary,” Bashir said quietly.

“... right. I don’t suppose you’ve been introduced?” Farasha asked.

“You met them in the Dream, remember?” Nahida prompted. “When you spend the night, I always invite Aranarakin and Arana to our tea parties.”

“Butterfly Nara cannot see us now, she is too big, with thoughts full of sand,” Aranarakin said with a shake of his head.

“Wait, hold on, you know about my dreams?! I thought… you mean that stuff with me playing with you and Qiqi was real?!” Farasha demanded.

“Qiqi likes dreams. But Mommy is little in them,” Qiqi said, which caused Farasha’s jaw to drop.

“Holy shiitake mushrooms, Radish. When you said you could see people’s dreams… What are you, a Master 11?!” Farasha groaned, slumping back in her seat.

“By my estimation? At least that,” Bashir said firmly. “Along with Thinker and Tinker ratings.”

“Huh.” Farasha suddenly grinned, and winked at Nahida. “Think you could use those Thinker powers to convince the inlaws to love us?”

“Um, dad says that I have to be very careful with my most powerful Master Power against grownups,” Nahida said. When Farasha blanched, she hastily clarified, “I mean, like what you showed me. You know?” She folded her hands together, stuck her lip out a little, and made some tears dance in her eyes.

Farasha and Bashir both started laughing at that. “Save us! A Master 15 power! Who could resist!?”

Nahida giggled at that but had to suppress a shiver. She probably wouldn’t qualify as a Master 15, she’d never tried to extend her range beyond a local level, but she was at least a Master 11 or 12. She’d accidentally learned long ago that she could puppet anything from animals to people, and of course, it would be easy for her to trap anything in a Dream, even inanimate objects.

That was one reason she’d vowed to herself long ago to never, ever use her powers to dominate the minds of mortals. The one and only time she’d done it, it had been when a Sage had threatened to beat her if she didn’t follow his orders. Nahida had been only three years old at the time, and in her panic had completely dominated the man’s mind, to the point that he’d suffered permanent brain damage.

She still felt horribly guilty about it, all these centuries later.

The flight to Basra was only an hour long, and the plane landed with no fuss for fanfare. However, on the runway, a man was waiting for them, and Nahida nervously hid behind Bashir as he escorted her down the stairs.

“Father, Peace Be With You,” Bashir called, going over to hug and kiss the older man. He didn’t look that much like Bashir, being bald with liver spots and a scraggly beard. But when he turned to Nahida, she could see the same kindness in his eyes.

“Peace Be With You, my son. And to you, my future daughter.” He embraced Farasha, who was nervous herself, kissing her on the cheek.

“Well, not yet, but uh, you don’t mind if I call you dad?” Farasha said in jocular tones, even if she was sweating more than the mild March weather called for.

“Well, don’t tell anyone, but I had two sons, and always wanted a daughter. Faqir is yet unwed, the lazy layabout, so I’m glad I have at least one son who is taking care of his parents,” the elder Saeed said.

Then he turned to Nahida and Qiqi, and Nahida felt her heart skip a beat. “Um, h-hello. I’m Nahida…”

“Hello, Qiqi,” Qiqi said, waving one hand.

To Nahida’s surprise, Grandpa Saeed knelt down and pulled both girls into a hug. “And what’s this? Two cute granddaughters? And here I thought my religious son would have waited until marriage.”

Bashir let out a strangled sound and went red, while Farasha laughed nervously.

“It is good to meet you, Nahida and Qiqi. I am Grandpa Ali. But what’s this? There’s something in your ears!”

Nahida watched in fascination as Grandpa Ali reached into her ear and palmed a caramel candy. Qiqi gasped in delight, her eyes going wide as one hand went to her own ear.

“Ah, ear wax. Very disgusting. Surely you don’t want to eat it?” Grandpa Ali said seriously.

“That’s not ear wax,” Nahida giggled, deciding she liked the trick better if she just played along.

“Qiqi eat earwax?” Qiqi asked hopefully, reaching for one of the candies.

Grandpa Ali laughed and gave them both the sweets, which they popped into their mouths immediately. “Well, do you have much luggage?”

“Eh, that’s what the help is for,” Farasha said, nodding as the Stewardess and copilot carried down their bags. “Gotta be some perks to being dogs of the state.”

“To those whom much is given, much is required,” Grandpa Ali said with the air of someone quoting something.

“The Christian Bible, Luke 12:48,” Nahida supplied. “A wise proverb.”

Grandpa Ali’s wiry eyebrows shot up nearly to the crown of his head. “Is that where it’s from? Hmm, I thought that it was in the Quran…”

“It’s similar to Surah 102. Both passages contain the same truth: That if you are given much, you must give back even more,” Nahida said with a nod.

While the bags were put in the black car parked on the asphalt, Grandpa Ali studied Nahida, and she held her breath. At last, he smiled and slapped his son on the back. “Quite the little scholar you’ve raised, my son! To know the Sacred Quran so well!”

“She is a remarkable Little Radish,” Bashir agreed, and Nahida felt an immense sense of relief.

After that, Grandpa Ali drove them across the city, Nahida eagerly studying everything they passed from her car seat in the back with Farasha and Qiqi. Basra was similar to Baghdad, though smaller. The main difference though was the port on the Shatt Al Arab River, which flowed into the Persian Gulf. It reminded Nahida of the trade flowing out of Sumeru City, which made her sit back in her car seat, a sudden realization dawning on her.

Sumeru City wasn’t home for her anymore.

When had that happened, exactly? It was hard to know for certain. But despite having been on Earth Bet for less than half a year, and having spent half a millenia in Sumeru…this world, this land, now felt like home. The people they passed by on the street felt more like her people than those in Sumeru had. And most importantly: here, she had family.

The car ride wasn’t too long, and before long, they were on the edge of the city, away from the port, but near the waterfront by a two story home with sprawling gardens and white washed walls. There was an iron gate out front, and the entire neighborhood was clearly the wealthy part of the city. Nahida had always known that Dr. Bashir was far from poor, even though he lived near the ghetto and treated lower-income patients. This, however, was a much more blatant display of wealth.

After getting out of the car, Nahida followed Grandpa Ali inside, finding a house that seemed to be decorated with fashions from several decades ago, along with a number of pictures of powerful members of the Ba’ath party with Grandpa Ali, especially Saddam Hussein. Everything was well maintained, and Nahida finally understood fully just what sort of family Bashir belonged to.

Before she could ask any questions, a woman with greying hair hanging loose about her shoulders and a fine dress bustled in. Unlike Grandpa Ali, this woman was clearly Bashir’s mother. Their jawline and nose were very similar, and aside from Bashir’s broader shoulders, their willowy build was very similar. Upon seeing her son, she beamed, and hurried over to him to wrap him in a tight hug.

“My baby boy! It has been so long! Look at you, so thin! Does your bride-to-be not feed you?” Grandma Saeed huffed.

“Heck no, have you seen my cooking? If anything, he’s the one who feeds me,” Farasha blurted.

Stepping back from her son, the older woman looked Farasha up and down. They were rather similar in many ways, both being of average height with slim figures, though Bashir’s mother was slightly more rounded from age and childbirth. Their faces were quite different though, with Farasha’s cheery smile and a rather more sour demeanor from Mrs. Saeed.

“Hmph. Well, I suppose you have some work to do before you are a proper bride,” Grandma Saeed said, her nose up in the air.

“Hmm, remind me my beloved, when was the last time you cooked for us?” Grandpa Ali mused, stroking his grey beard, a bemused smile on his face.

His wife colored at that. “Well, I can cook.”

“Do let me know when you do, I shall make sure to dine out that night,” Grandpa Ali said gravely, which earned him a furious look from his wife.

She turned then to her son, giving him a warm smile. “My Bashir enjoys my cooking, do you not?”

Bashir coughed, struggling to hide his own smile. “You shouldn’t wear yourself out, mother. Please, I would be more than happy to cook for you.”

“I can cook!” Nahida said, raising her hand. “I’m really good at it too!”

That got her a beaming smile. “Why, I’m so sorry my dears, I forgot all about you. You can call me Granny Heba. And I would be delighted to cook with my grandaughters. You’re Nahida, right? And this must be Qiqi.”

“Hello, Qiqi,” Qiqi said, opening and closing her fingers in greeting.

That made Grandma Heba blink in surprise. “Ah, say, ‘hello, Grandma.”

“Hello, Grandma,” Nahida said, and Qiqi echoed her a moment later.

“Um, Qiqi’s mind is still hurt,” Nahida said, putting an arm around her adoptive sister.

“I see, Bashir said she was getting better, though,” Grandma Heba said, looking to her son.

“She is, but the road to recovery is a long one, and it’s likely she’ll always have some sort of trauma and delay,” Bashir said, putting a hand on each of his girls’ shoulders. “Nahida has helped with that a great deal.”

“Well, I heard you like coconuts, so I had Mariam buy the ingredients to make macaroons. We had them in France on our last visit, and I got the recipe,” Granny Heba said. “Come, I’ll introduce you to Granny Ela, she’s out on the porch, then we can make some. You too, young woman. I won’t have my daughter-in-law be unable to cook!”

“Sure thing, mom,” Farasha said with a roll of her eyes, but trotted along after.

They went out into an inner garden with several flower beds and decorative palms, with a small fountain at the center. There, they found an old woman in a wheelchair with a young attendant at her side, sitting in a puddle of sunlight and soaking up the rays with her wrinkled old face.

“Mother,” Granny Heba said, coming close. “This is Farasha, you know, your grandson’s intended. And their daughters.”

“Daughters? Yes, I had two daughters, including that scoundrel Heba. Never could cook, you know,” the old woman said, turning bright eyes towards the group and smiling.

Heba sighed, “Mother I am-”

“I know you’re Heba, my mind isn’t gone yet!” the matriarch cackled. She beckoned. “Come closer, please. My eyes aren’t as good as they used to be. Ears aren’t so good either, so speak up.”

Farasha stepped forward first, crouching down by the wheelchair. “Um, hello, Granny. I’m… I’m Hutah Tanha. You might… you might know me as Farasha.”

“Hmm? What’s that, dearie? Are you Hutah, or Farasha?” Grandma Ela asked, tilting her head to one side.

“... Hutah.”

On hearing that name, Nahida’s heart nearly burst for joy, even as she sensed Farasha’s Demon grumble slightly. She sent it a small burst of information, with a message: Thank you. Let her be happy, and herself. Can’t you see how much more wonderful this is?

DATA ACCEPTABLE. SPECMEN EXPERIMENT MAY CONTINUE UNDER NEW PARAMETERS.

Alright. What’s your name, by the way?

NAMES ARE EXTRANEOUS.

I have to call you something, though. ‘Demon’ seems rude.

After a pause so long Nahida thought she wouldn’t get an answer, the Demon responded, YOU MAY DESIGNATE THIS ONE AS PROPAGATION OF DEATH TO BRING RENEWAL.

That’s… not a very good name. I know! You’re like a butterfly, right? What if I called you… Papilio Charontis. That means Butterfly of Charon. Charon was the boatman over the River Styx in Greek Mythology and carried souls to the underworld.

DESIGNATIONS ARE IRRELEVANT. YOU MAY REFER TO THIS ONE AS YOU WISH.

PapilIo Charontis it is! And thank you. I’m sure we can be friends!

She got no response and got the impression that Papilo was digesting the thesis on Elemental Reactions involving Pyro she’d set it, and let it be.

Even as that conversation had been taking place, Nahida had stepped forward to Grandma Ela and introduced herself.

“Nahida? That’s a pretty name,” Grandma Ela said, taking Nahida’s face in her hands and caressing it. Nahida could tell the old woman’s eyesight was much worse than she let on, though her hearing wasn’t as bad as she pretended. She was very nearly blind thanks to Age-Related Macular Degeneration. There wasn’t much Nahida could do about it, or rather, would do about it, as this was the natural course of things.

However, what she could do, she did. Gently, Nahida cupped Ela’s face in her hands, and breathed on her eyes. “See. For just a few hours more, see.”

The dendro infusion she used strengthened the optic nerve as well as formed temporary lenses to correct vision, and enhanced the visual areas of the brain. Grandma Ela gasped, her eyes going wide, even as Grandma Heba let out a cry.

“No! Don’t use your devilry in this house!”

“Heba?” Ela said, even as Nahida was dragged away by the back of her neck. “When did you get so grey?”

Heba froze in the act of shoving Nahida away. “Mother?”

“Let go of the child, Heba. My, my. The roses are budding. Young lady, ah, I’ve forgotten your name, but would you push me a little closer? I’d like to smell them.”

The woman, Mariam, Nahida knew though they hadn’t been introduced, rose, but Farasha stepped in. “I got this. Come on, Granny. Let’s go smell the flowers together.”

Heba watched Farasha push her mother over to the flower bush, talking quietly with the suddenly animated old woman. Frowning, Heba let go of Nahida and looked down at her. “What… what did you do?”

“Her vision has decayed greatly. I put in a few temporary fixes. Studies show that dementia is greatly accelerated by a lack of sensory input. I also fixed up her taste buds and sense of smell, just a little. I can’t completely halt the progress of age, but I did what I could for now,” Nahida said quietly. “I’m sorry if I scared you. I just… I wanted her to have at least one more happy day, before she passes on.”

Tears filled Heba’s eyes, and she managed, “Thank you. Is… can you tell? When her time is? I know you parahumans have some devilry, but-”

“No one can truly know the hour of a woman’s death, save Allah,” Nahida said with a shake of her head. But she bit her lip, and continued, “But if we stay more than a day or two… I think we’ll probably be here for it. Has she been eating, lately?”

“She lost her appetite several weeks ago. We keep offering her food, but…” Heba trailed off and swallowed. “I told Bashir he had to come now, if he was going to come. I wanted him to take a look at her. The doctors say her time is near, but…”

“They’re right,” Nahida said, gently taking Heba’s hand. “You know they are. It’s alright. She’s had a good life.”

Heba closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes, I suppose so.” Then she shook herself. “Look at me, getting all morose. And talking of such things with a little girl! Ah, never mind.”

“Heba, come here. You simply must see these darling creatures,” Ela called. “They look like djinn.”

“They are not djinn, they’re parahumans, and your great-granddaughters,” Heba said firmly, taking Nahida’s hand and gently pulling her forward. “This is Nahida.”

“No, not her, these little ones! They say their names are Arana and Aranarakin,” Ela called, her voice containing more strength than it had before.

Nahda’s breath caught in her throat, and she broke away from Heba. “Sorry! I’ll be right back!”

She scurried back to the living room, where she found Bashir sitting with his father and talking. They looked up, surprised to see her.

“Nahida? Is something wrong?” Bashir asked.

“Come quickly,” Nahida begged, grabbing Bashir’s hand. “Hurry. Please.”

Bashir stood instantly, and Ali got slowly to his feet. “Nahida? What’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer, only sprinting back to the garden, the two men hot on her heels.

When she got there, Ela was smiling at the two Aranara, who were singing softly to her, Qiqi humming along.

Life is a dream

We all must wake

Life is a dream

New journey to take

“Ah, Bashir. Grandson,” Ela said, her tone sleepy. “So good of you to come see me.”

Waken the sleeper

That life may go on

Waken the sleeper

The new dream song

“It is good to see you, Grandmother,” Bashir said, coming to kneel beside the chair as the Aranara continued their song. He put his hand to her wrist on reflex, and frowned, then peered into her eyes. “Grandmother?”

Life is a dream

We all must wake

Life is a dream

New Journey to take

“I think I’ll sleep now,” Ela said, as her soul began to loosen from her body. “Here in the sun.”

Open your eyes

A soul is a seed

Open your Eyes

To sleep in the Mother

Nahida pushed Ali and Heba forward, and they started, looking down at her in shock.

Life is a dream

We all must wake

Life is a dream

New Journey to take

“Say goodbye,” Nahida told them softly. “Tell her you love her, and will see her again.”

All dreams must end

We shall meet again soon

All dreams must end

Until a new world bloom

“Mother?” Heba gasped, falling to her knees beside Bashir. “Mother, are you there?”

The song came to a soft end, and Ela stood up from her body. Old no longer, she was young again. Not a child, but a young woman, full of life.

Goodness, whatever has happened to me? Ela asked, looking down at her old body. When did I get so old and ugly?

“You were never ugly,” Nahida told the spirit. “You were beautiful, as was the life you lived.” She reached out and hugged Ela, her form as tangible as if it were still flesh to Nahida. “Don’t be scared. This was but a Dream. Go now to the next one, and know that you were loved.”

Thank you, Mother, Ela said, bowing. My goodness. Oh! Hello there, little friends.

“Hello, Nara Seed,” Arana said, lifting off the back of the wheelchair and fluttering up by the spirit’s face. “Come. I will show you the way. It is not too far.”

Then, Arana took Ela’s hand, and slipped into the Dream, and Beyond, to the Next Dream. Nahida waved farewell, tears trickling down her face. She sniffed, then scrubbed at them with the back of her hands. When she turned around, she found everyone, even Qiqi, staring at her.

“My son,” Ali whispered, his hands gripping his sobbing wife who was clutching at the cooling body of her mother. “Who… who is this… being? Is she Djinn, or is she an Angel of Allah?”

In response, Bashir put a hand on Nahida’s shoulder and squeezed, kneeling down beside her. “Father, mother. This is my daughter, Nahida. The Dendro Archon.”

Nahida felt tears sting her eyes and hung her head. “W-when… when did you...?”

“When I heard your voice in the night, and received my Vision,” Bashir told her. “Or not long after. I think you knew that.”

“I did,” Nahida admitted. She sniffled again, scrubbing at her face. “I guess… I guess I have to go now… or will you lock me away?”

“Don’t be foolish, child,” Heba snapped, scrubbing at her own face and glaring. “Don’t you have ears?”

Nahida blinked in shock, and Heba stepped forward, then picked Nahida up, holding her in a tight hug. “You’re his daughter, and my granddaughter. You’re not going anywhere.”

That made Nahida cry, emotions too big for her small body bursting forth.

The family stayed in the small garden for a long time, even Mariam. Grandmother Ela might have been gone, but she had left behind a great deal of love.

That night, Nahida snuck into Bashir’s room, only to find him studying the Quran, Farasha drowsing in a chair. He looked up, closing the book, and shook Farasha’s leg. “Wake up, she’s here.”

“Snnerk- I’m awake!” Farasha’s eyes fluttered open, and she stretched and yawned, smiling at Nahida. “There you are kiddo. Come on over, let’s talk.”

Nahida ended up sitting on Farasha’s lap as Bashir pulled a chair in close. She fussed with her night gown, not looking up, uncertain of what to say.

“So. Obviously, we can’t let anyone know about any of this,” Farasha said, hugging Nahida tightly. “But, just for the slow ones in the class, what the hell just happened?”

“No, not hell. Ela didn’t go to hell, I’m very certain of that,” Nahida said with a shake of her head.

Bashir had to knuckle away a tear, while Farasha shifted uncomfortably. When Bashir did speak, he asked, “So. The afterlife is real?”

“There is another world after this one. I know that souls go there when the body dies. I can sense it, like a distant song, like a dream you can almost touch. But I don’t know what it’s like. I’ve never been there,” Nahida admitted.

“So much for being an atheist,” Farasha said with a heavy sigh. “Guess I gotta start going to the mosque more often. Won’t Taher just be thrilled.”

“Wait, you didn’t believe in gods,” Nahida asked, turning her head around in astonishment. “But… haven’t you seen them? Didn’t the Prophet record his Visions?”

Farasha gave her a blank look, then she glanced at Bashir. “Uh… I haven’t exactly seen Allah, Nahida. And what do you mean ‘them?’”

Bashir cleared his throat. “The Japanese view The Raiden Shogun as the Narukami Ogosho. Literally translated, it means something like ‘Supreme Ruler Thunder God.’ Barbatos is currently viewed either as an angel or as The God of Freedom. Both are Archons.”

“Wait. So Nahida you’re…” Farasha trailed off, swallowing heavily and looking a little pale.

“I think in common nomenclature, I’d be a djinn,” Nahida clarified. “Some have called me a god, but not God, like Allah. I’m more like… a powerful nature spirit. A bigger version of the Aranara. I’m closest biologically to a tree.”

“That’s uh… huh. Alright. Let’s say I buy that. Doesn’t change anything,” Farasha said, squeezing Nahida tightly. “We CANNOT let Saddam know you’re this powerful. What did you do with Grandma Ela, exactly?”

“Nothing. I just sensed it was her time. I… I’m not a psychopomp, not really.” That earned her a blank look from Farasha, but Bashir nodded.

“She means she doesn’t guide the dead to the afterlife. But I thought I caught a glimpse of…” Bashir shook his head, but Nahida nodded.

“Yes. Arana led Ela’s soul to the next life. Or, well, to the door. Aranara can die the same as any living creature, but while they live, they cannot pass beyond this Dream. They don’t always guide souls like that, but when a life was lived well and full of love, a life full of dreams and wonder… they’re attracted to it. They want to celebrate that life. And, well, as we grow near to death, so we grow near to childhood. In her last moments, Ela could see the Aranara. That’s how I knew…” Her throat closed up, and Nahida sniffed again. Bashir handed her a tissue, and Nahida blew her nose and dabbed at her eyes.

“You are a weird little radish, you know that?” Farasha asked, tickling Nahida so that she giggled. She sighed heavily. “Look, I just… I don’t get what all this means. But, if you’re up for it… I guess I sort of still want to be your mom. If Archons have mothers.”

In response, Nahida could only burst into tears and hugged Farasha tightly.

They stayed in Basra for ten days, long enough for the funeral. Nahida met a grand cavalcade of relatives, from cousins to aunts and uncles to old friends that were ancient in their own right. Nahida stayed away from most of them, and they from her. While Heba and Ali brooked no rudeness towards Nahida and Farasha, the fear that most of the family felt towards them was palpable. Qiqi was more pitied, but she didn’t like the big crowds and was kept away as well.

After that, they flew back to Baghdad, which Nahida enjoyed just as much as the first time. Flying was just so wonderful!

A few days after they returned home, Nahida called Bashir into the office and closed the door. “Dad, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Nahida, you haven’t been talking to strangers online again, have you?” Bashir asked, looking concerned. “I know you’re capable of taking care of yourself, but developmentally I’m still worried.”

“Well, she’s not a stranger anymore!” Nahida said brightly. When Bashir scowled at her, she wilted slightly. “Um, yes, I did. But please, talk to her first! She’s not what you expect.”

“She?” Bashir asked, turning towards the computer, where Nahida had set up a microphone and camera.

“Um, hello.” The screen flickered, and the image of Tessa appeared, smiling nervously and waving. “I’m Nahida’s friend.”

“Hello,” Bashir said slowly, taking a seat on the office chair as Nahida shifted nervously at his side. “I’m Nahida’s father, Doctor Bashir Saeed.”

“You don’t look like a tree,” Tess joked, which prompted a frown from Bashir. “Uh, sorry. I know, she’s mentioned you and I sort of looked you up.”

“I see. And how, exactly, do you know my daughter?” Bashir asked, leaning towards the camera.

“We, uh, we were in a couple online classes together and we sort of noticed there was something off about each other,” Tess explained.

Bashir looked to Nahida, and she nodded hastily. He continued to frown. “And what, exactly, is different about Tess?”

“Uh, I’m not a human,” Tess said, and Bashir’s head snapped around. Tess’s image suddenly pixilated, until she looked much like a character from a video game, complete with thick polygon lines. Her voice grew digitized, and she added. “I sort of…live in the computer.”

Groaning, Bashir reached up and took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. “Nahida. Please tell me you didn’t create an AI.”

“No, no! She didn’t make me! My creator was, uh, that’s not important, but he’s a parahuman Tinker. We just… met,” Tess explained.

“Well, that’s a relief,” Bashir muttered, putting his glasses back on and squinting at Tess.

“I just didn’t want to lie to you,” Nahida explained. “So, um, I wanted to introduce you to Tess. She’s really nice, promise!”

“And is she a fully functional AI, or just a very advanced program?” Bashir asked wearily.

“I can hear you, you know,” Tess grumbled, putting her hands on her hips.

“She has a soul. She’s more of a digital spirit than a simple machine,” Nahida clarified. “We spend time together in the Dream too.”

Bashir considered that, looking from Nahida to Tess, who both smiled at him hopefully. He finally laughed and shook his head. “You know, when Farasha first brought you home, I knew taking care of a young Vision Holder would be a challenge, but I don’t think I was really prepared for just how interesting life with you is, Nahida. Very well. So, tell me a little about yourself, Tess. Are you a good influence on my daughter?”

“Uh, yes sir! Well, I’m currently working on a degree in Parahuman Psychology, and er, trying to figure out what it means to be… me,” Tess admitted. “I don’t actually have a body, since, you know, Artificial Intelligence. I just… Nahida is the first person who treated me like a person, you know?”

“I am familiar,” Bashir said, rubbing Nahida’s head fondly. “Though she does tend to cause trouble.”

“I’ve noticed. All of the third time we met, she dragged me into another reality and it was a heck of a shock to have a physical body. Well, temporarily. Still working on the whole ‘getting one in the real world’ thing.”

Groaning, Bashir put his head in his hands. “Nahida. We can’t build a body for an unshackled AI. Do you have any idea how much trouble we’d get into, or she would be in? If anyone found out about either of you, you’d be locked away or worse.”

“Um, we weren’t talking about building her a body,” Nahida said, patting Bashir on the arm. “She just… needed some advice.”

“Advice?” Bashir looked up, frowning. “Frankly, I don’t know what sort of medical opinion I could give to a… gynoid?”

“Uh, eventually. But, er, it was more… advice on how to deal with my own creator?” Tess said, sounding concerned and hopeful. “Nahida said you’re pretty good at giving young women advice, so, uh, here I am…”

“I’m going to have to start charging a consulting fee, aren’t I?” Bashir asked Nahida dryly.

“Oh! I have money! Lots of money, actually,” Tess offered. “I sort of steal from the mob and other unsavory sorts. Not in America anymore though, that jerk Cheevy keeps foiling my little schemes.”

“I was making a jest. I don’t know how I’d explain money from a mysterious stranger on the internet showing up in my accounts, especially since I assume you’re foreign despite speaking excellent Arabic,” Bashir said with a shake of his head. He steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair. “Very well. What sort of advice do you need, exactly, Miss Tess?”

Smiling, Nahida listened as Tess started to pour her heart out, and Bashir listened.

Slowly, surely, things were starting to grow in the right direction.

PHILO:
And thus a gentle act of kindness,
a soft song of mercy
marks the quiet anointing
of the Dendro Archon.

In the coming days,
a battle will be fought,
a tyrant overthrown,

and then her country and her people
will crown her ruler.

But in this moment,
in this private coronation,
the only audience she needs is that of her family,
the only crown she cares for is the wreath her sister crafts
with flower and ice,
the only inauguration she desires

is the proud pat of her father

and the warm embrace of her mother,

the only approval she needs

is the one she has finally gained for herself.

Kneel not for this one of the Seven
for her tenets are of kindness and knowledge.
Help one another and aid one another,

banish ignorance and spread knowledge;

these are all that she asks of her Akademiya.