Tuesday August 23, 454 MC
1117 GMT
Requiem
“EVERYONE READY to go to the temple for offerings today?” Juni asked, walking right into Damion’s room.
Requiem had examined Damion’s increasing agitation in conjunction with Juni’s and 108’s sexual activities. The more apparent sex they had, the more verbally disparaging Damion was toward Juni.
“Think the Goddess would listen if I asked her to strike you mute?” Damion smirked.
“Might I suggest using duct tape instead?” Requiem came out of the bedroom with Damion’s shoes and placed them on the floor next to his feet. “It is an ancient invention but still very effective to this day.” He opened his mouth to say more, then realized that what he was going to say might not be appropriate, so he closed it. Requiem believed that duct tape was more effective than sending prayers to a force that only existed in the collective minds of worshipers looking for an answer. An answer they eventually pulled from their own thoughts but insisted came from a higher power. He did not believe it was plausible.
“You would miss me,” Juni said rather proudly.
“Sure I would,” Damion answered dryly. “We’re ready. It should be interesting seeing a well-funded and established temple.”
Requiem reached out and gently grabbed Damion’s wrist. “Is it proper for 108 and me to attend?”
“Yeah, I don’t think it will be a problem.” Damion looked to Juni for confirmation.
“They’ll just think you two are servants.” Juni’s smile slipped some. “But it is beautiful.”
“If you believe so,” Requiem stated, reluctantly letting go of Damion’s arm.
“Just stay close.” Damion’s common mantra came out naturally.
“There’s a speeder outside waiting, so let’s go!” Juni clapped and rushed out of the room, probably to collect 108.
Requiem followed Damion out the door. He had read about the temples and had to admit to some curiosity about them. But it was still more than a little nerve-racking to be leaving the sanctuary of the room.
Damion put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to be so worried. Nothing happened the other day when we went out and looked around the neighborhood. The only difference is we’re going a bit farther in.”
Not saying anything, Requiem placed his hand briefly over Damion’s before letting it drop. Damion had been so busy looking around at the tall, beautifully structured buildings that he had not seen the looks of contempt and curiosity that he and 108 had received from passersby. Contempt from the locals, curiosity from the servants walking around.
Unexpectedly, the Cores had one ally within the house in the form of Matha, the head servant of the Mathis household. Matha had been the person outside their door the first night while Juni and Damion were out, apparently checking up on the Cores. Since then, she had discreetly left them sweets and other things when she delivered their clean clothes every morning. When they saw her in the halls or when she came to tidy the rooms, which the Cores kept nearly immaculate, she favored them with a smile and a wink. Requiem had been wary of her at first, as he was with anyone except for Damion and a few others, but 108 had assured him that she meant them no harm. He had begun to thank her, which seemed to please the middle-aged woman greatly.
They walked outside, where a fancy and expensive-looking speeder waited beside the curb. Requiem knew Damion appreciated speeders, having seen him watching them in vids and remarking on the look of them. This one had a highly polished metal exterior and the silence of its engines was impressive as the transport hovered about thirty centimeters off the ground.
“This yours?” he asked his friend while appreciating the black-tinted windows.
“Nah, my dad’s. They refuse to buy me one since I wrecked one when I was fifteen.” Juni grinned. “It wasn’t my fault.”
Damion let out a snort of disbelief. “Of course it wasn’t. Who’s driving?”
“Me of course!” Juni announced, running to the left side of the vehicle.
“We won’t make it to the temple in one piece.” Damion gave Requiem a wry grin.
“He has yet to run into the Zeus during sims, and a Zodiac is much more difficult to control than a speeder,” Requiem replied. “He is within the top class of Alpha Fighters. I am not concerned. Although, I would be even less concerned if you were piloting.” With a faint smile to Damion, he slid gracefully into the back seat.
At Juni’s command, 108 sat in the passenger seat next to him. Luckily the darker Core slid his seat up, enabling Damion to stretch out his legs. Damion had a moment to look at the red-lit digital controls before he lurched forward.
Juni sped off into the city abruptly, making Damion grab on to the door handle. “You drive like a madman.”
“I drive like I have a purpose. Right now my purpose is to make it to the temple in under ten minutes.” Juni chuckled almost maniacally.
Damion gave his friend a peculiar look. “How far is it?”
“About twenty minutes away!”
Juni laughed at Damion’s groan.
Requiem was intrigued by Damion’s death grip on the door handle with one hand and the near crushing grasp on Requiem’s with the other. Damion was tense.
Excessive velocity did not bother Requiem, nor the thought of death in a speeding vehicle. Perhaps the slight worrisome feeling was because Damion himself did not have control over the vehicle, because Requiem had seen Damion’s love and need for speed in the way he piloted a Zodiac. Requiem moved his free hand and placed it over Damion’s as he moved his gaze from Damion to out the window, watching the buildings pass in a blur of motion.
Juni made it to the temple in a little over eleven minutes, and Requiem wondered how the local law enforcement hadn’t pulled Juni over. He tried to shake off that feeling as he looked at the immense temple through the window of the speeder.
“This is just one temple?” Damion asked.
“The largest one on Lunar. Modeled similarly after the Parthenon in ancient Greece,” Requiem said quietly, looking over the large building.
There were two levels on which worshipers could watch over the ceremony. Cylindrical columns surrounded them and gave the illusion of infinite height—an elaborate illusion, since Requiem had calculated that the ornate ceiling was approximately 60.9 meters above the altar. Each architectural embellishment had been gilded. Gold reflected from the hovering light fixtures that circled the columns, shining onto the marble floors and giving the temple what Requiem would define as grandeur.
Damion was still shocked speechless as Juni led them inside the temple. Afternoon prayers had already started, but they weren’t the only group running late. He kept hold of Requiem’s hand.
His grip on Damion tightened, his knuckles white with the pressure he was exerting. As soon as they entered the temple, with its lines of benches, his gaze lowered to the marble floor. Too many eyes on them, on him and 108. Damion had asked him to wear a sleeveless button-up shirt that left his arms bare and the ports on them exposed for all to see.
Requiem could feel his heart beating faster, audible to his own ears as Damion gently directed him onto a bench seat near the center of the temple. Requiem slid along the marble seat, the thick velvet cushion making it bearable to the backside. He stopped next to 108, who had seated himself before Requiem.
Damion and Juni had put the Cores between them while they sat and listened to the priestess.
Requiem kept his head down and his mouth shut throughout the service. Most of the time his hands were in his lap, clenched tightly together. The few times he did venture to look up at 108, the other Core looked enraptured by what the priestess was saying, her voice reaching everyone just by using the acoustics in the expansive building.
The center of the ceiling above the priestess opened in a perfect circle, letting bright sunlight in. It was an impressive sight, but it was also functional since during major holidays, a large bonfire would be needed. The shrine had two white candles that had the names of the god and goddess carved into them. Today’s offerings were for Artemis and her husband, Ares. The first candle, representing Ares, was larger than the second—Ares was a god of far more import in this temple. A procession began from the back of the temple to the front. The priestess’s voice rose as the chanting filled the space around them. Two large men passed, dressed in red robes, and one held a large gold chalice filled with red wine, which he stood on the altar in front of Ares’s candle. The second placed a sheathed dagger next to the bowl.
Another procession began for Artemis, this one with two women dressed in white. The younger woman bore an armful of yellow and white flowers. Wildflowers, Requiem believed they were called. The older woman held a small replica of a bow and arrows. As those were placed, there was another eruption of chanting from the crowd.
Gaze flickering down to 108’s hands, Requiem saw 108’s fingers wrapped around Juni’s wrist. Juni’s hand had settled on the inside of 108’s upper leg, merely resting there, looking as comfortable with its placement as 108 was with having it there.
Requiem turned back to his hands, closing his eyes again. He came to the conclusion that he was inexplicably afraid of people in general, or at least the majority of people he didn’t know. He couldn’t even listen to the service; he merely sat there.
Damion was watching the ceremony closely until he glanced over toward Requiem, and then he reached up to gently ruffle the back of his hair. Although Damion was enraptured with the service, Requiem felt out of place.
Requiem looked up at him and saw the swift, comforting smile Damion gave him before he looked back to the priestess. Damion’s warm hand was still there on the back of his neck, and it seemed to channel confidence into Requiem’s body. It was then Requiem became aware that no matter what, Damion would be there for him. Would protect him from the swarms of people around him even if it meant Damion’s death. He was Damion’s… not his property, no. But his. His to protect, to take care of, and watch over.
That, out of everything, allowed Requiem to relax and look up and listen to the spoken words.
Damion only took his hand away when the ceremony came to an end and people began to empty their pockets of money for donations. Young boys and girls stood holding silver bowls at the exits. He leaned over Requiem and asked Juni in a low voice, “You leaving anything?”
“Nah.” Juni shook his head slowly. “Not today.”
“Really?” Damion sounded shocked at his friend’s response.
“I leave mine at another, smaller temple across town.” Juni shrugged and looked around as if he was expecting to see someone.
“Which temple?” Damion asked.
Now that the ceremony was over, Requiem lowered his gaze once again. He had attempted to keep his head raised, but once the ritual was over, people started looking around at him and 108. Cores were rarely seen off their ships, and those who owned personal Cores wouldn’t dream of bringing their “servants” to temple. So seeing not just one, but two in a place as common as a temple sparked people’s curiosity.
Leaning back in his seat so that Damion could talk over him, Requiem felt a small, warm, slightly damp hand run over the port on the back of his neck in tentative curiosity. Somehow he kept from jumping and turned partially to look over his shoulder. A young child with brilliant green eyes stared back at him in open fascination. The little girl now sucked on her hand, stuffed in her mouth, that had tentatively touched Requiem’s port, a wondrous smile that only a child could make formed around it. Requiem stared at the child, and the child looked back unabashed.
Until a large hand gripped the wrist of the mouth-implanted hand, pulling it out and away. Requiem looked up, ready to defend the child who was so roughly handled, only to find a matching pair of green eyes set in an adult male face frowning disapprovingly down at him.
“Mind your eyes and keep them off my daughter, servant,” the man spat, tugging the child down the row. “Come along, Asrith,” he told her in a tone that was no warmer to the tiny girl.
Asrith looked back over her shoulder at Requiem, waving with a small smile as she was dragged away, pattering her small feet swiftly to try and keep up. Haltingly, Requiem raised his hand and waved back.
“That was unbelievably rude.” Damion glared at the man’s retreating form. “I can’t believe he’s in this temple acting like…. Never mind, yes I can.”
“Hey, don’t start a fight here,” Juni said in a serious tone for once. “My father would kill me.”
“I won’t.” Damion sighed. “We done, then?”
“Want to go down a way and stop off at the smaller one for Ares?” Juni offered.
“Sounds good.”
“Do not concern yourself with it. I am used to it,” Requiem whispered to Damion, feeling his body still tensed for a fight. He placed a cool hand on Damion’s forearm to placate him. “It does no harm.”
“She was only being curious, and he acted like you were a dirty piece of trash.” Damion was upset. “Let’s just go.”
“Follow me,” Juni said, slipping out of the bench to the left.
Requiem didn’t want to explain to Damion that, to the man, he was dirty. He was an abomination—a hybrid of man and technology that just wasn’t natural to the normal population. Core popularity had lowered considerably the past decade and they were not looked upon favorably or with anything but general disgust. He followed 108 out of the row, waiting there for Damion to exit before falling in beside him, his gaze once again on the polished marble floor.
Damion went with Juni and was happy to get out into the fresh air. “I’ll admit that it’s an awesome sight, Juni. The priestess was also very good and she didn’t bore me at all, but….”
“A little too snooty for your taste?” Juni smirked and didn’t sound a bit upset about what Damion thought about it.
Requiem and 108 kept silent and close to their Fighters. While Requiem’s head was down, his hair covering his eyes, 108 kept looking around with open curiosity.
“Let’s jump in the speeder. I think you’ll like the next temple a bit more.” Juni slipped into the driver’s side of the transport again and Damion slipped in the back with Requiem.
“Like I have a choice, since I really don’t know where we are to begin with.” Damion chuckled.
“Sure, sure.” Juni made sure the Cores were in before speeding off.