Episode 3: The Explanatory Exposition Episode

ATIYAH NARRATION

Atiyah:
Is... he...? [squeals in embarrassment]

The guy is totally naked! Luckily I didn't see anything, not really, but STILL! What is Demi doing in the arms of some naked guy!?

Mikael: [hackles rising]
Tch... He isn't human...

Basir:
I know.

I peek through my fingers. What do they mean he isn't human? What else would he be? The strange man suddenly goes limp and drops Demi on the floor, falling beside her with a heavy thud. Poor Demi... That had to hurt.

Basir:
Mikael, grab the girl, carefully. Then take her and Atiyah upstairs. I'll take care of this... thing. Whatever it is, it's been severely weakened.

Mikael:
Yes, Master.

Atiyah:
But Jaddi!

My protests get me nowhere. Mikael scoops Demi up with surprising ease—who knew he was so strong?—and then throws me over his shoulder and carries us both upstairs.

Atiyah:
Mikael, what's going on? What did you mean “he isn't human”? What is he then? He can't possibly be an Otherfolk, can he? C'mon! Explain it to me! Is Demi hurt? Is she going to be okay? What did he do to her?

Mikael puts me down, and lays Demi down on the couch.

Demi:
[pained noise]

Demi flinches. I watch as Mikael gingerly turns her onto her side.

Atiyah:
[gasp!]

Demi's clothes are slashed open at the back, and... so is her skin. The wounds are still fresh and bleeding. She looks like she got clawed by a wild panther or something!

Mikael:
This doesn't bode well. Rakshasa claws aren't poison as far as I know, but I'm certainly no expert.

Atiyah:
W-what? You mean... that naked man in there... he's a real life Rakshasa!?

Mikael:
Yes. I could smell it on him. Atiyah, I need you to call your brother Ithnanie, please. He'd know how to treat her far better than I would.

Atiyah:
O-okay!

I run as fast as I can. Ithnanie is usually in dad's study, and tonight is no exception. I burst in. He’s talking to Wahid, but I can’t wait around for them to finish! I grab a handful of Ithnanie’s shirt and drag him out behind me.

Wahid:
Atiyah! What on Earth?

Ithnanie:
My word. You're strong for your size, aren't you? [laughs good naturedly]

It’s not like I can explain. I have no idea what's going on! My heart is pounding. But there's no time to worry about that right now. All that matters is taking care of Demi! I can worry about the details after she's safe.

Atiyah:
Here he is!

Mikael straightens.

Wahid:
What's the meaning of this?

Ithnanie:
It's alright, Wahid. Relax.

Mikael:
Young master Ithnanie, forgive me for the intrusion, but...

Mikael shows him Demi's injuries. Ithnanie's eyes go wide with shock.

Ithnanie:
But how—?

Mikael:
The barrier's been breached. She was attacked by a Rakshasa.

Ithnanie:
W-what do you want me to do about it? I'm no doctor! I'm a historian! A student of literature! The humanities! I'm not qualified—

Wahid:
You're the only one qualified. No one knows the history of these creatures as well as you.

Ithnanie goes pale. For a second I worry he's gonna faint, but he swallows, breathes out, and gets control of himself.

Ithnanie:
We have to flush the wound out with hot water and soap immediately. She  needs antibiotics as well. Rakshasa claws aren't venomous, but they're coated in rot and bacteria. We have to act fast, before the infection takes hold.

Mikael nods and dashes off. He works fast, bringing a bucket of hot soapy water to wash out Demi's wounds while Ithnanie gets some of dad's emergency medical supplies and administers an IV. All I can do is stand there, watching and hoping. Once she's all bandaged up, Jaddi comes up from the basement, looking drained.

Basir:
I've contained him. For now. Mikael, come with me. We have to discuss the next course of action.

Wahid:
Jaddi, has the barrier truly been breached? Use me, Jaddi. How can I be of service?

Atiyah:
Jaddi! What's going on!? Someone has to explain this to me! She's MY friend!

Basir: [sighs]
Alright. Gather your brothers. I think it's time your siblings learn the truth. Once Atiyah's friend wakes, explain it to her as well. Mikael, with me.

Mikael ducks his head and follows after Jaddi. I sit with Demi, praying for her as Wahid and Ithnanie gather the others. So Thalata, Arebah, the twins, and Seba... none of them know about this either. I guess it figures the first and second born are the only ones in the loop. Ageism is so unfair!

DEMI NARRATION

The first thing I realize is that I'm lying down. The second, that I've just woken up. That's a relief. That was one screwed up dream. I wonder how much of it was a dream? Did I even go to Atiyah's house? Or was that part of the nightmare too? Whatever, I'm too tired to worry about it right now. I'm going back to sleep. I shift, trying to get comfortable in my bed, and a SHARP pain shoots through my back. I sit up abruptly and my eyes fly open—

Demi:
A-Ahh!

This... isn't my bedroom.

Demi:
No...

This isn't even my apartment.

Demi:
No, no, no...

I'm in Atiyah's living room, surrounded by her whole friggin PACK of brothers.

Demi:
NO! NO! NO!

I fling my legs over the side of the couch, intending to get up, but SEARING NEEDLES OF PAIN stab deep into my back. I fall back down onto my stomach...

Demi:
[whimpers] What... happened to me?

Ithnanie:
You were attacked.

Thalata:
Tch. By what? Slenderman?

Sittah:
Maybe a lion!

Hemsah:
Or tiger!

Hemsah/Sittah:
Or bear! Oh my!

Wahid:
Stop joking around. This is serious.

Arebah:
Surprise, surprise~ Wahid thinks we should all be serious. What's next? Ice is cold? Lightning is bright? Ooh, maybe that rainbows are multicolored! [giggles]

Thalata:
Just because you're the first born doesn't mean you're the boss of me!

I can't stand this right now. I'm WAY too woozy!

Demi:
[grimaces in pain]

Seba:
GEEZ, you guys! Chill! You're totally stressing her out. Give her some air, will ya?

Thanks, littlest bro. You're the only one in this crazy family that gets me.

Ithnanie:
So sorry. You must be terribly confused... Here, perhaps it would help if we introduced ourselves more clearly. The imposing one over there is our eldest brother, Wahid.

Wahid:
As the first in line to the Basilah name, it is my duty to explain...

Ithnanie:
In a minute, Wahid. Let the poor girl get her bearings. I'm the second son, Ithnanie. I suppose you could say I'm something of the family scholar.

Thalata:
More like the family nerd.

Ithnanie: [sighs]
That hothead is the third son, Thalata. It's best just to ignore him and let him tire himself out.

Thalata:
Hey don't tell her that!

Ithnanie:
The... metropolitan looking one is Arebah. The fourth brother.

Arebah:
Metropolitan? Honey, that's just his way of saying I'm a little more stylish and a LOT more concerned with personal hygiene than the rest of these lugs. Hah!

Hemsah/Sittah:
And we're the twins!

Sittah:
I'm Hemsah!

Hemsah:
And I'm Sittah!

Sittah:
Or am I Sittah?

Hemsah:
And I'm Hemsah?

Ithnanie:
Fifth in line, the twins. Don't waste your time trying to tell them apart. They'll only lie to you.

Hemsah/Sittah:
Where's the fun in having a twin otherwise?

Ithnanie:
Then of course is Atiyah.

Atiyah:
Hey Demi... How're you feeling?

Demi:
[muffled sound]

Ithnanie:
And finally, our youngest brother, Seba.

Seba:
Yeah, yeah. Look, are you guys gonna get to the point or what?

Ithnanie:
I suppose we should get it out of the way so our guest can rest.

Demi:
What are you guys even talking about? Explain what?

Wahid:
Now?

Ithnanie:
Fine, yes, now.

Wahid:
Demi, what you witnessed was neither dream nor illusion. You briefly visited a parallel world.

Demi:
Eh?

Wahid:
Every culture that has ever graced this planet, however isolated, has stories of great and terrible beasts. Monsters that have fallen into myth and legend.

Demi:
Uh... you mean like fairies and dragons and stuff?

Wahid:
Yes. This is no coincidence. Long ago, mankind and these mythological creatures—these Otherfolk—once coexisted.

Demi: [flat]
...what?

Wahid:
Records from the time are sparse and unclear, but I’m sure you can imagine just how large a threat these Otherfolk were. This was hundreds, possibly thousands, of years ago; human ingenuity had been stymied by the ever-present fear of death, our numbers forcibly controlled by constant Otherfolk raids. It took a coalition of great and powerful men--warriors, scholars, Otherfolk hunters--to rise up and defend humanity against the Otherfolk.

In time, rebellion grew into all-out war. At first, humanity was severely outmatched. Our extermination seemed imminent until mankind enacted a final, desperate solution. Our world was split into two dimensions, and the human exodus began. Though some chose to remain behind in the Other World, the majority of humanity traveled to this plane, where we have remained ever since. To protect our new home, a great barrier was raised between the worlds. Since then, Jaddi has served as the guardian to the barrier's power source, The Orbs of Ragnor.

Demi:
...I understand.

Wahid:
You do?

Demi:
Yes. I only have one question. [pause] What are you smoking and where can I get some? Because clearly it’s the good stuff.

Wahid:
Excuse me!?

Hemsah:
So you're saying the bedtime stories Jaddi used to tell us about monsters are all true? AHAHAHA!

Sittah:
Wow, Wahid, I didn't know you could TELL jokes! HAHAHA!

Wahid:
This is NO joke! I told you, this is serious!

Thalata:
Oh yeah? If it's so serious, how come you're the only one that knows about it!?

Arebah:
Because he's the first born~~~

Wahid:
As heir to the Basilah line, it is my duty to take over for Jaddi should anything happen to him.

Thalata:
Why should YOU be the friggin heir!? I could take you out, easily! And why does that nerd Ithnanie know about this too!?

Ithnanie:
I've been studying our family's history since I was young. It wasn’t difficult to deduce. Really, it's rather obvious when you pay attention.

Thalata:
PAY ATTENTION TO THIS!

Hemsah:
Ooooooh!

Hemsah/Sittah:
Fight! Fight! Fight!

Demi:
HOLD ON A SECOND!

[everyone stops]

Demi:
So you're telling me your grandpa was alive hundreds to thousands of years ago? He looks good for his age.

Basir:
This is because I am not their grandfather.

Atiyah:
Jaddi! Wh... what do you mean you're not my grandpa? Of course you are! You've always been!

Basir:
No, Atiyah. I am your ancestor, from long, long ago. I achieved immortality from an Otherfolk I sealed into this very amulet that hangs from my neck.

Demi:
Riiiiight. Next you're gonna tell me Mikael isn't just the hired help, he's an Otherfolk!

[Silence]

Demi:
Oh go to hell, there is no way.

Seba:
Mikael's a monster!? Cool!

Atiyah:
Seba, that's not nice! We don't call them monsters, we call them Otherfolk Americans! But seriously Mikael, you are!? WOW! All my life reading stories and playing make-believe when there was a real Otherfolk right under my nose! What kind are you!? Is it something that can fly? Can I see!?

Mikael: [flustered]
Please... Miss Atiyah...

Basir: [stern]
Atiyah, stay away from him! [calmer] Like all Otherfolk, he is not to be trusted. He may appear harmless, but he is a wild animal. He could become violent at anytime, with no provocation whatsoever. It's in their nature.

I could see Mikael's nearly imperceptible flinch.

Demi:
Okay, that's just crazy! Human, Otherfolk, whatever you wanna call it, he's a person! Since I've been here, all I've seen is you people treating him like a doormat! I wouldn't even treat a dog the way you treat him! It isn't right!

Mikael:
[soft little whimper]

Atiyah:
And Jaddi, if you sealed him, then he's under your control, right? He can’t hurt anyone if you don't let him.

Basir:
Mikael is not bound in any way.

Wahid:
What!? But Jaddi! You just said it yourself, he's dangerous! How could you allow him to run free?

Basir:
Because there is nothing else I can do. He cannot be sealed.

Wahid:
What do you mean?

Ithnanie:
Oh my stars. You mean he's...? I didn't even know that was possible, I thought it was only a myth—

Thalata:
Spit it out already, point-dexter!

Ithnanie:
He's...

Basir:
An abomination. The half-breed scum of an Otherfolk and a shameless human being.

Arebah:
I always wondered why he was so pretty. So what's the other half? Elven? Pixie?

Poor Mikael looks mortified, like someone had stripped him bare in front of all of us to poke and prod like a slab of meat. But he suffers in silence, taking the abuse as if he deserves no better.

Demi:
It doesn't matter. I've had enough of this crazy family. I'm leaving, I’m going back to my normal life, and I'm never, ever coming back here again.

Basir:
I'm afraid it's not that simple, Ms Diaz.

Demi:
Oh yes it is, just watch me.

I sit up and make to stand, but the old man stands in front of me, and the severe pain in my back stops me from pushing my way through.

Basir:
You disturbed the Orbs of Ragnor.

Demi:
So bill me.

Basir:
You don't understand. You've left a tear in the barrier. Without new orbs, the barrier cannot be repaired.

Demi:
That's not my problem!

Basir:
It will be when Otherfolk begin seeping into this world and attacking human beings, just as that Rakshasa attacked you!

[Silence]

Demi:
Look. Even if I believed all this, what can I do about it? Your family are the keepers or whatever. This really has nothing to do with me.

Basir:
Normally, you'd be right. But you made a costly mistake..

Demi:
What mistake?

Basir:
You can't be blamed for trying to seal a dangerous Otherfolk in self-defense. But you're supposed to seal them into a manageable item.

Demi:
I did! I said his “true name” or whatever and sealed him into that stupid talisman thingy Atiyah gave me.

Basir:
You performed the sealing ritual incorrectly.

Demi:
So what? I'm alive, so that means it worked, right?

Basir:
Not entirely. You did manage to bind him...

Demi:
Bind. Seal. Sounds close enough to me!

Basir:
...to yourself.

[Silence]

I'm left reeling, even as a thousand questions explode inside my head. I have no idea what such a thing entails, and yet the possible implications fill me with dread. I'm so shocked, I don't process what's happening around me until after Basir's led me back down into the basement. I blink and look around. There he is, sitting in a circle of what appears to be salt. The man who saved me. The monster who attacked me. Jayden. He looks up at me and smirks, shameless in his bare body, and winks at me mockingly. My back throbs in pain. I'm suddenly terrified.

Demi:
Is this safe!?

Basir:
As long as you hold his true name in mind, you may command him as you wish. But do not share his true name with anyone.

His tone leaves no room for argument. In the back of my mind I want to object, “What about Atiyah? She's the one that told me his name!” But before I can even begin to ask--

Basir:
Especially Atiyah. For her own protection. As long as this monster is bound to you, he cannot use any abilities without your permission, but he is a cunning creature. Do not believe his lies. He will try to manipulate you.

Demi:
You don't need to worry about that. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him... So... how do we seal him away?

Basir:
We cannot.

Demi:
What!? Why!?

Basir:
To properly seal him, we would first need to unbind him from you. For a few, brief moments before I could seal him, he would be free. It would not be long, but it would be enough time for him to cut through several of us. Lives would be lost in the process, and there is always the chance he could escape.

Demi:
So I'm stuck this way!? What does that mean!?

Basir:
He cannot leave your side. The farther you are, the weaker he becomes. And when you travel too far, he will be compelled to reunite with you by forces beyond our control.

I feel the blood drain away from my face.

Demi:
You've got to be kidding me... I can't escape?

Basir:
Not until we can repair the barrier and banish him back from whence he came.

Demi: [breathes shakily]
A-alright... how long will that take?

Basir:
It is impossible to say. The Orbs of Ragnor were one of a kind. To find another set would be... miraculous. It could be years.

I feel a pit forming in my stomach.

Demi:
How many years...?

Basir's face sets into a tight frown. He glares at the beast, an intense, burning hatred raging beneath his irises.

Basir:
More than you have to live, Demeter Diaz.

Have I ever mentioned how much my life just... sucks?