The Mantis Continuum - Book Four - 13. Chapter 13 - Bivon

The aroma of roasted food permeated the air in the kitchen. A large shank was resting on the counter with a tea towel on top of it. The meat was steaming, and it smelled delicious.

“Bivon, there’s an extra chair in our bedroom,” the mystic said. “Do you mind getting it? Fennah, maybe you could lead the way.”

The little girl grabbed the big red-bearded man’s hand, and Bivon smiled as she brought him down the hall. A moment later, the pair of them returned, and Fennah asked, “Can I sit between Thech and Jzuna?”

Bivon turned to the siblings. “Would that be okay with you two?”

Jzuna replied in a brighter tone than Bivon had heard her use since the death of their mother. “Yeah, alright!” Her brother huffed and Jzuna added, “Thech and me both want Fennan to sit between us,” and the little girl let out a delighted squeal that made Bivon laugh.

Theolan plated chunks of the roast meat for everyone, but Jzuna spoke up again. “I’m not really all that hungry.”

“Right,” Bivon replied, “Jzuna, you just ate quite a large snack.”

“Would you like a little something?” Theolan offered.

His husband added, “It’s quite yummy!” The mystic then leaned in and whispered to Jzuna, “I’ve already stolen a few bites.” He beamed at her and she let out a giggle that warmed Bivon’s heart. “And look at this!” the mystic continued. “I’ve made a lovely salad.”

Onto the center of the kitchen table he placed a large wooden bowl full of vibrant and rainbow-colored ingredients. Lettuce leaves of pale green, burgundy, emerald, and magenta were mixed with pieces of bright stone fruit and dark berries. There were sunflower, pumpkin, and black and white sesame seeds. On the side was a creamy dressing that would provide umami and spice.

Jzuna looked in the bowl. “Okay, I’ll have a little,” she chirped. Fennah and Thech sat together, but Jzuna paused by the table and looked over at her brother. “Oh, Fennah,” her disembodied voice said, “I need to help Thech eat, but after he’s done, I can be on the other side of you.”

“You need to help Thech eat?”

“Yeah, sometimes.”

“Okay,” Fennah said, “I don’t mind waiting until he’s done eating.”

The mystic chuckled and asked, “Jzuna, honey, what do you need to help feed Thech?”

She looked at the plate that Theolan placed in front of her brother, and then she turned back to the mystic. “Do you have a big spoon?”

“We certainly do,” he replied, and he began rummaging through a cluttered drawer. He found what he was looking for and passed it to Jzuna.

One of the unique Biological Shift girl’s tendrils coiled around the utensil’s handle. “Thank you,” she said, and she floated over to her brother.

The three men joined the children at the table, and they all started to eat, but they found Thech and Jzuna distracting. Jzuna was very focused on her task; she managed to feed her brother without spilling anything. He chomped down each bite she served him, as the others tried not to stare and continued eating.

“Isn’t this just scrumptious?!” Bivon declared through a mouthful of food.

A few minutes later, Thech’s dinner was gone, and Jzuna drifted around the table and over to Fennah’s other side. The little girl let out another giggle when she was between the pair, and Thech hummed.

“Thech likes you, Fennah,” Jzuna squeaked, and Fennah burst out with peals of gleeful laughter that were contagious to everyone else. Then Jzuna focused on her small plate of food. The rest of them stopped eating again, as her meat and the little pile of salad began to dematerialize and disappear.

The mystic gasped and said, “Remarkable!”

“Hey, your food is shrinking,” Fennah stated in confusion, but then all that was left on Jzuna’s plate was a little chunk of bone.

“I liked that a lot!” her voice said all around them, and Fennah could not help but laugh even more.

After the lovely meal, Bivon carried Thech and Jzuna’s basin into the mystic’s house.

Theolan shifted a few chairs in the sitting room and made a space for the children’s tub. “This placement is only temporary until we set up a room for both of you,” he told them.

Bivon knelt in front of Thech and Jzuna. “Will you two be okay staying here without me for a little while this evening? I’m hoping to run out for a bit, but I’ll be back later tonight.”

Fennah answered for them. “Oh, yes, Thech and Jzuna, let’s go play!”

“Bivon, at least take one of these for the road,” the mystic urged, holding up a tray of freshly baked cupcakes.

Bivon grabbed one and headed outside. He walked through the quiet streets as the moon began to rise, nibbling on the cupcake, and he made his way out of Gate Town toward the crumbled ruins of the Messiah Tower. He stopped as he approached.

“You murdered so many of us,” he said bitterly to the rubble. “You’ve killed my friends. You’ve killed my family and lovers, and you deserved what you got.”

Bivon stood staring for a moment longer in silence, remembering those whom he had lost, and without another word, he turned and headed back into Gate Town. At the border of Shifton, he entered a quiet tavern and took a seat at the bar.

“Give me something strong,” he requested before the barman could even ask.

“Y’alright?” a drunk woman managed to say. She was seated two chairs down from him.

“Haven’t been back to Teshon City since the Tower fell. I needed to go see it for myself.” He then added in a quiet voice, “Messiahs killed a lot of my friends over the years.”

“My mosht heartfelt condolences,” the woman slurred, sidling down the two seats and positioning herself next to him. “I’mma have one o’them, too,” she said to the man behind the bar. She turned to Bivon. “What brings ya back to town, then?”

He sighed. “A couple of Bio-Shift kids from Hazel Cove lost their mother, and I brought them up here to stay with some people.”

“Oh no, them poor chil’ens,” she said.

“Yes, it’s very tragic,” Bivon responded.

An hour, and several strong drinks later, he was feeling rather forthcoming, and the woman was even drunker. Bivon had shared quite a lot about Thech and Jzuna and their mother, none of which the woman had retained, and he opened up about the mystic and Theolan.

“We used to be together,” Bivon said in a wistful tone, “Theolan and I, and when we met Tophilogin, the three of us connected, and we quickly fell in love. I adored being in a throuple; it can be so satisfying.” He sighed. “I’ve always enjoyed having many partners, and we let each other be free. The two of them continued to grow closer, though, and eventually I stepped back and let them enjoy their lives together.” Bivon took a sip of his beverage, and he made a goofy grin, dribbling a little and whipping his chin.

He continued to ramble, and he sounded proud. “I’ve had countless lovers since, but I still adore Theolan and Tophilogin. I love them both deeply, and I’m not jealous or upset that I’m no longer part of the relationship; the two of them are best together. They are so good, and they immediately took in the children I brought up from Hazel Cove, just like I knew they would.” He smiled again and reiterated, “They are such good men.”

Bivon turned to the woman. She was asleep with her head on the bar.

“Cheers,” Bivon whispered, and he clinked his glass against hers.

It was very late when he stumbled back to the mystic’s house, and he spent the rest of the night in his cart.

Bivon was unaware of what happened.

Ilya had returned★