Tearing Me Apart - Chapter 12

Disclaimers: This is a work of fiction. Any similarities between the characters in this story and real people (appearances, names, etc.) are purely coincidental. This story may contain homosexual material, including love and sex, so if material like this is illegal in your region or if it discomforts you, please leave.

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Tearing Me Apart

Chapter XII

Devon laid on the hot sand of Copacabana Beach, completely relaxed and warm from the rays of sunshine licking his tanning skin. The beach was aflutter with beach goers frolicking and seagulls crowing. Devon had been in Rio for four days, and had gone sunbathing three times. He was happy with the progress of his tan, but slightly annoyed at the numerous applications of sunscreen.

"Hello, Devon," Alaeh's voice said.

Devon smiled, but kept his eyes closed. He stretched his right arm out, laying it on the hot sand. Alaeh happily laid down beside the man, and laid its head upon Devon's strong, warm arm. Devon's smile grew bigger, and held the being securely.

"I hope you're not wearing your wings," Devon said warmly.

"I am not," Alaeh replied. "It is unnecessary to cause additional fear."

"Mm. I know you're not, love. I don't feel them. How was your progress report?"

"Kiorna appears healthier already. A third of the Americas are now powered by renewable energy, a quarter of their transportation do not require fuels to operate. Much else of Kiorna are not far behind in those regards. Calhior Industrial is very close to developing batteries that energize large aircrafts. I am becoming increasingly more satisfied with the brashi of this planet."

"Mm," Devon hummed as he finally opened his eyes. "It's only been seven hours since I last saw you, but it's good to see you again."

Alaeh pressed a sweet kiss to Devon's chest, and asked, "When last did you eat?"

"'Bout two hours ago, I guess. Tell me about another planet."

"Veslic appears almost exactly as Kiorna. Its various lands include lush forests, cold and dry tundra, treacherous desert, and bountiful plains. But the entirety of Veslic is lit by starlight eternally due to the five stars that revolve in close proximity."

Intrigued, Devon asked, "Suns? Veslic has five suns?"

"Yes. The brashi of Veslic evolved with a microscopic film over their skin, which protects them from the harsh radiation of the stars and prevents sunburn. The flesh around their eyes is sinewy and tough, which blocks much light when their eyes are closed. The common pets that Kiorna brashi possess are canines and felines, but on Veslic they share companionship with Lilioms. They are snake-like, akin to your king cobra."

"They have snakes for pets?" Devon asked, his intrigue doubled. "How's that work?"

"Liliom are very protective of young creatures of all species. Not even the Divine knows why that is. A liliom will devour a lone rodent, but will leave mothering and young rodent unharmed. When Wan-ha, a brashi of Veslic, realized this, he began trying to domesticate the liliom first by having his wife and infant near the nest. That same day, Wan-ha brought the liliom to their home. The liliom protected the infant with fierceness and unwavering bravery. In return, Wan-ha and Pen-tal offered the creature shelter and food. Nine hundred twenty-six of their years later, all brashi on Veslic had liliom pets."

"How does a liliom know a lone rodent isn't mothering?"

"The liliom have very acute senses of smell. They can detect hormones of mothers even before sighting them."

"That's mad," Devon said with a smile. "What is the most dangerous creature that you've come across?"

"It is easily the tukjaray. It is a spider the size of a domestic feline with ten legs, four pincers, and six eyes. The tukjaray shoots a slime out of their backs at its prey which, if hit, paralyzes them within minutes. When their victims are paralyzed, the tukjaray seeps another liquid from their pincers that dissolves flesh. The tukjaray uses this to dismember its victims, and devours them. The victims are fully conscious, but can't even scream or cry cry for help."

"Fuck, that's scary. You nemlai and the Divine allow these tukjaray to exist?"

"The tukjaray are not killing excessively. They don't prey on every creature they come across. They only do so when they themselves or their young require feeding."

"Mm," Devon hummed before he leaned in and touched their lips together in a sweet kiss.

Devon rolled back onto his back. Alaeh laid its head on Devon's shoulder, and inhaled the scent of its mate, which was muskiness mixed with the sweet scent of the sunscreen.

Uneasily, Devon asked, "So... what happens if you're not satisfied with the progress of the planet at the deadline? You really gonna wipe us brashi off the planet?"

Alaeh laid another kiss to Devon's chest, and answered simply, "Yes."

"Even... even me?"

"If you feel that you should perish with your people, yes. It is your decision, Devon. If you would like to continue living and being my mate, I can teleport you to another planet."

"Ju- just me? Not my sister? Not my- not my niece?"

"It is forbidden for me to offer asylum to anyone else on Kiorna. You are an exception due to our mate bond. Have faith in brashi, Devon. They have one hundred forty-four days to comply with our conditions."

Fighting back tears, Devon asked, "Why is brashi annihilation the only option? Why'd you and the other nemlai think that was the only option?"

"It was not," Alaeh replied in a soft whisper as it wiped a tear from Devon's eye. "Oss made the suggestion that I eliminate all brashi technology, clear Kiorna of all manmade structures, and completely erase memories of all brashi with the exception of you. This would likely have failed to revitalize Kiorna due to the emotions and instincts embedded in your brains. Your strain of brashi would eventually cause great harm again in the future.
"Taer motioned that relocate all brashi to a single land and rehabilitate them all. The brashi would have been forbidden to travel anywhere else to allow all other life to live peacefully and thrive.
"Zimi proposed that I rehabilitate all brashi to limit the number of children they can birth. Brashi unable to sire or conceive would have been able to arrange contracts to adopt.
"Rofeil suggested the conditions that are in effect now. Due to her superior knowledge, we nemlai agreed with her."

Devon remained silent for a few moments. A couple of tears fell from his saddened eyes. He pressed his forehead to Alaeh's as he sniffled quietly.

"If I choose to die with everyone else," Devon began, but had to swallow to release the lump in his throat, "will you allow me to? What will that do to you?"

With tears in its blue eyes, Alaeh answered, "If it is your wish, Devon, I cannot stop you. Once you die, my body and mind will reform back to the state in which I was before the bond. It will be as if the bond did not occur."

With a deprecating chuckle, Devon said, "Gee, don't that make me feel all special."

"You are an incredible being, Devon," Alaeh said affectionately. "You complete me. You create emotions within me that I did not ever think I would be able to experience. I wish for nothing more than for you to choose life with me."

Devon smiled appreciatively as he leaned forward. He captured Alaeh's soft, perfect lips in a lingering kiss for a few moments.

"I do have another question," Devon said when he removed his lips from his mate's. "Did the Divine intentionally create conditions, illnesses, and diseases?"

"Yes. The Divine created life out of boredom. Everything started as an experiment. But the Divine cares for its creations very, very deeply. Even loves them all, as a parent would. It created these mental and physical ailments, but alongside them, also created all organisms necessary to safely treat and cure these ailments."

"'Safely treat and cure' as in..."

"What I speak of is all-natural and organic combinations of organisms that remedies ailments in safe, risk-free, non-fatal manners."

"Wha- nnooo. So, like, there's a non-invasive cure for cancer?"

"There is a treatment for every disease, for every condition, and for every illness. Brashi just have to analyze the ailments with precision, analyze various organic cells, and test them against each other."

"How have we not discovered these cures yet?" Devon asked seriously, almost shocked. "Doctors and scientists have been trying to develop these cures for decades."

"Not all brashi-inhabited planets discover these cures and treatments. Each brashi society is different."

"Then what's the cure for cancer?"

"I am forbidden to answer that."

"Why? The Divine cares for us."

"The Divine does. But it created these ailments for each planet to test the brashi's intellect and will."

"That's kind of fucked up. That's bordering on psychotic."

"Hemmel!" Edward Winston called happily when Devon walked into the dormitory. "Welcome back, mate!"

Devon shook Winston's hand and replied, "Hey, thanks, Winnie. How've ya been, mate?"

Winston gave a shrug and answered, "Been a'right. Things've actually been damn slow here since Alaeh spends all his free time wit you."

Teasing, Devon asked, "You missing Alaeh, Winnie? He is one sexy angel, huh?"

Winston scoffed, and retorted, "Fuck you, wanker. S'been peaceful. That better?"

Curtis McCann ran into the room, breathless. His brown eyes were wild, and worried. His grey shirt was untucked, and the laces of his boots were tied messily.

"S'all over the news!" McCann said loudly. "The Chinese! They're- they're trying to kill Alaeh! Twelve J-twenties just approached him! Come on!"

McCann ran off just as quickly as he'd arrived. Devon and Winston looked at each for a split second, and then both tore off into a sprint.

"Why are the Chinese trying to kill Alaeh!?" Winston demanded as they ran.

"Dunno!" McCann called back. "Nobody in the UN authorized the attack!"

Once Devon ran into the computer control room, he saw on the sixty-inch television a Chinese newscast displaying a panned out image of Alaeh flying about at great speeds. Direct behind it were two black Chengdu J-20 jets and one in grey. All three were firing seven-point-nine-millimetre rounds at sixteen hundred rounds per minute. A majority of the rounds hit the target, but Alaeh was unaffected.

"Is the UN trying to stop this!?" Devon demanded, his whiskey eyes still trained on the television.

Lt. McGregor answered, "The Secretary is on the phone with Jinping right now."

Alaeh turned and flew in a circle. This made the rest of the twelve jets surround the being completely, which, Devon guessed, it wanted.

"Idiot!" Devon cried angrily. "The lot o' them! Fucking idiots!"

Suddenly, on the television, four of the jets began to disintegrate into nothingness. When halves of the four jets were gone, disappeared, the pilots of those jets ejected, flying into the air. One pilot didn't make it very far, only a couple of metres before he disappeared. The other three didn't fair any better for they disappeared one by one as well.

Peter Jennings grasped Devon's elbow and said urgently, "Summon him. You have to summon him."

"Donit lu hu na Alaeh," Devon said softly.

Devon's eyes never left the television screen. Alaeh didn't teleport to Orly Air Base. It continued to fly in still motion, and the four jets had completely disappeared. And then, to everybody's surprise, one of the J-twenties fired something smaller than an air-to-air missile. It flew a few metres before the shell split and fell, and something smaller continue to fly toward Alaeh. It hit the being, and latched onto its thigh. Devon could barely see it, the blue arcs of electricity that came from the electro-missile onto Alaeh. Alaeh remained unaffected by that, too, so the other seven remaining jets fired their own as well.

Exasperated, Devon said quietly, "Stop. You fucking daft wankers, stop."

The eight electro-missiles attached to Alaeh continued to emit arcs, but four of the jets, too, began to disintegrate.

"Donit lu hu na Alaeh."

Alaeh didn't teleport. The four jets and their pilots were gone. The last four jets also began to disintegrate, and the pilots ejected them. Alaeh allowed one of the pilots to shoot into the air, but the last three disappeared.

"Doni--"

Devon screamed, because he suddenly felt the floor disappear from under his feet and sunlight blind him. But Devon didn't fall for more than two seconds before a pair of arms held him by the legs and back.

"Devon?" Alaeh asked, completely confused. "What are you- how did you teleport?"

Devon wrapped his arms around Alaeh and sighed in relief, then answered, "I don't- I don't know. It wasn't you?"

"No," Alaeh answered plainly.

Devon was teleported again. A half second later, he found himself back at Orly in the control room, his butt on the floor and fell flat on his back due to the sudden loss of Alaeh's support.

"Wha- damn it!" Devon cursed as he stood.

"The fuck was that?" Lt. Wynan asked.

"Something teleported me," Devon replied when he turned his gaze back to the television. "And it wasn't Alaeh."

"Then what was it?" Corvis Achziger asked.

"No idea."

On the live broadcast, Alaeh flew toward the one remaining pilot who was falling with a deployed parachute. Alaeh grabbed the pilot, but only for a second before the pilot disappeared just like all the other pilots had. And then Alaeh disappeared a second later. And materialized directly in front of Devon. Which startled the man slightly.

"Are you injured?" Alaeh asked with great concern.

"I- no. I'm fine. Where'd you teleport the Chinese pilots to?"

"I did not teleport them. I performed a 'clandenai', which erases matter from the entirety of the universe. They no longer exist."

Wide-eyed, Devon demanded, "For shooting at you? None of our weapons can even pluck a hair for your pretty little head! Why make them cease to exist?"

Alaeh stared at Devon with an expression of confusion, and simply answered, "These military units are trying my patience."

"What about Pir? Will she inflict punishment on you? Isn't there a ban on harming brashi?"

"No. Pir will not punish me. We nemlai lifted the ban in preparation for possible militant retaliation. How did you teleport to my location?"

"I didn't. I- I thought it was you!"

"I assure you, Devon, that it was not my doing. Nor any other nemlai's. Non-brashi abilities leave cellular, microscopic traces which will tell me who performed the teleportation. Do you consent to m--"

"--Yes. Go ahead."

Alaeh quickly laid one hand on Devon's neck, and the other on his hip. Alaeh's brilliant blue eyes peered directly and meaningfully into Devon's.

Confused again, Alaeh said quietly, "Nothing. Only brashi cells."

"What? Then- then how?"

"Pir is scanning all nemlai memories now to investigate."

"Are you sure there's nothing else but brashi on me?"

"I am certain."

Worried, worried beyond all hell, Devon whispered more to himself, "What- what's happening?"

"It could be the Divine," Alaeh whispered with its arms snaking around Devon's middle.

Devon felt Alaeh kiss his head as he asked, "What was the Divine's point in teleporting me to Chinese airspace in your arms?"

"I do not have the faintest clue, Dev."

Devon buried his face in the firm, warm, well-defined muscles of Alaeh's chest. He also placed his hands on the being's waist and held it close for comfort.

To Be Continued...

I've received a few emails from readers asking why I don't write my thanks for the emails at the end of each chapter. The answer to that is because I like to write my thanks to each person, because I am thankful they took the time to offer their opinions.

But I really am thankful. If you don't like to email writers, or are too shy, if you are reading this then you enjoy 'Tearing Me Apart' to some degree. Thank you so much for sticking by me and taking this journey with me. I am loving this story, loving writing it, and hoping that I am transferring the story from my head to this page adequately.

Speaking of emails...

Two emails I received were from people who classify themselves as 'Natural Persons', which is just a fancy way of saying 'sovereign citizens'. Each of these people were offended by my writing sovereign citizens into this story.
(See chapter 9)

I am sorry for any persons offended by that chapter. Offense was not my intent. Y'all are just too hilarious not to share. Please continue to upload any of your sovereign citizen videos to YouTube, they're great cheap entertainment.

tyler.christopher36@yahoo.com