Fourth Vector Ch. 16

Vera nodded. "I certainly was. I expected him to take over the harem himself. When he didn't, I knew there was something different about him. I also knew there was something about him that attracted me to him. Not as in a romantic attraction, but something that was magnetic about his personality. I felt like he was familiar and that I should be by his side."

"You felt the bond," said Evelyn, clutching at her own chest. "We all do, all those of Galician blood. We feel the presence of Jack inside us. It's stronger the closer that he is to you physically, but it was probably the first time you really felt the bond."

"Is that what that is? That tightening in my chest every time he's near me?"

Evelyn nodded. "It's a symbol of our people. Our king is as much a part of us as our own hearts. Now you can see why we've struggled so much without our kings. It's like asking you to run without your legs."

Vera smiled. "It's funny, you know. Jack didn't want me with him at first. I think he may have thought I was just another whore. But we developed our friendship and it deepened. At first, I wasn't sure if it would turn romantic, but I think I can see now why it didn't. Even when Kat started to develop feelings for him, I was just happy for her instead of sad for myself. I guess our own bodies have a way of recognizing our kin even if the mind doesn't."

"I doubt the fates would've allowed that to happen even if you did," said Evelyn. "It's always been set for him what his future would be. You, though, don't have as much predetermined."

"I'm okay with that," said Vera with a laugh. "I can't imagine what Jack is feeling right now. I know the way I feel, and he has to have it ten times worse."

"He'll be all right," said Evelyn. "Although I do have half a mind to check on him. I'm not sure I want him out there all night."

Vera nodded and then let out a yawn. "I'm sorry, it's not your company. It's just that today has been exhausting."

"No matter whatsoever," said Evelyn. "Why don't you go to the bedroom beside Kat's? There's two empty beds in there, and you can have one for the night. You'll feel better in the morning with some sleep."

"I will," said Vera as she stood up. She pressed into the older woman and hugged her soundly. "Is it all right if I call you grandmother? I mean, I know it was just today and all but I figured—"

Evelyn nodded happily. "Nothing would make me happier! Please do."

"Okay. Goodnight, grandmother," said Vera with a small wave as she disappeared into the back bedroom.

"Goodnight, Vera. Sleep well."

*****

Jack had long lost track of the time he spent watching the waves crash upon the shore. When he first came out to the beach, the sun was still mostly overhead, and the day was still warm. Now, he could better hear the sounds of the waves rather than see them, and the temperature had long since dropped to a cooler nightly normal. He stuffed his hands in his jacket pocket, trying to keep warm the best he could.

That entire time, he thought about the course of the day. Mostly, he thought about Evelyn's words. He thought about gaining a new family in the form of Vera and Evelyn. Even his anger toward Kat had started to dissipate as he realized that such a conversation would never have gone well, no matter how she approached it. In the end, he was more frustrated than angry.

So deep in thought was he that Jack never heard the approach of someone behind him. It wasn't until he heard Evelyn's voice that he realized she'd come out to see him.

"Aren't you cold, Jack? It's not exactly the warmest out here right now," said the older woman, now bundled up in a coat to combat the breeze.

"This jacket keeps me pretty warm," he replied. "Besides, it was a lot warmer earlier."

"Perhaps it's time to come in then now?" she asked hopefully. "You've been out here for a long time."

"Not yet," said Jack as he shook his head. "It's been helping me, really. The chance to think it all out on my own. It makes me feel not so helpless."

"No one can blame you for how you feel, dear. It's perfectly all right to feel angry or upset or scared at what this means."

Jack nodded before looking back out to sea. "Part of me wants to just go back out to my ships and leave." He looked back at Evelyn and cracked a smile. "Like maybe this was just a bad dream."

Evelyn chuckled. "Your father said the same thing to me once, right around the time we told him who he really was."

"And how did he take it? Just as bad as I did?"

Evelyn shook her head. "Almost worse, if you can believe it! He was angry for days and wouldn't speak to us. But then again, he was much younger than you, and I have to believe the hotheadedness of youth had much to do with that."

"I wish I could have met him at least. That's not to say I had a bad life," said Jack. "I got along well with my other father. He was a good man, but now I wish I had gotten to know the blood relation."

"You're the spitting image of him, Jack. Looking at you now takes me back all those years ago to when I last saw him. I think that's why it scared me so much when you first appeared at the door. It was like a ghost from the past that came back alive."

Jack chuckled. "I'm sorry then for giving you such a fright."

"It was a good fright," said Evelyn with a grin. "And I'm glad to see the man you've become. It doesn't surprise me that you're a naval officer either. Galicians are natural sailors."

"So I've heard. The funny thing about that is that this path always felt right to me. I really felt at home when I entered the Academy back in Java. When I was assigned my first ship, it just felt like I'd found my purpose."

"That's your ancestry coming out of you," said Evelyn. "Galicians are as much at home on the water as they are on land."

"You know, it's funny to me. These features have always earned me stares back at home," said Jack while pulling a strand of his hair. "Everyone thought I was different, which I can see now that I was. But ever since we arrived in the Vector, everyone has thought that I was Galician. Even back when I didn't even know that Galicia existed. It's not a total surprise to me for that reason. There was always that grain of doubt when everyone seemed to think it was who I was."

"Our people are very conspicuous to those in the rest of the world, Jack. The blonde hair and the blue eyes mark us for who we are. There are no others like Galicians in the world, and that alone makes our people special."

Jack chuckled. "Half the time I thought it was a curse growing up. I just wished I looked like everyone else on Java."

Evelyn laughed and touched his arm. "I can see why!"

"I used to take some mild ribbing over it from my childhood friends," said Jack. "I was the only one that looked different in that entire group. I should've figured out why sooner."

"Perhaps those friends of yours should've paid more attention to their history classes," said Evelyn.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm talking about the Javan creation myth. The people that the Javans call the Ancestors. Who do you think they really were?"

"Wait a minute," said Jack, giving her an incredulous look. "That story is true?"

"Of course, it's true! Why wouldn't it be?"

"I thought it was just a story for children," said Jack with a shrug. "I didn't expect there to be any truth to it."

"And you probably don't even know the real story, do you?" asked Evelyn.

"I just know the Ancestors were the founders of Java, and that supposedly they originated in the Fourth Vector, but not much more than that. Like I said before, it was always a children's fable so there wasn't much more to be expanded upon."

Evelyn growled. "How quickly people forget their own history." She sighed. "No matter, I'll tell you the real story. Not that the major details you listed are wrong, but it leaves out a great deal."

"Well, I'm listening," said Jack with a chuckle.

Evelyn took a deep breath before she began. "There is a reason why we selected Java as the place for you to be raised. Java was founded by Galicians over three thousand years ago. The first Galicians to cross the ocean settled in Java, those people that you call the Ancestors. They were never many in number, only a few hundred when they came across in their ships but it was a long journey. Even now, it takes many weeks to do it with modern ships, but back then? It was a life or death trip if you didn't prepare adequately for the voyage."

"It sounds like they got across just fine though," said Jack. "Especially if they founded Java."

"It wasn't without trouble," said Evelyn. "Most of those that came to Java were men, tempted by new lands and the desire to explore. Many of the women that went with them weren't strong enough to survive the long voyage, and as such, they perished before arriving in Java. As you can imagine, it was a large group of men that arrived in Java on the other end."

"That doesn't sound so great for them. With so little women, how did they survive?"

"That's where the story gets interesting," said Evelyn. "In Java at the time, there were other groups of people. One in particular were called the People of the Lake—"

"The People of the Lake!" exclaimed Jack. "Now you're really pulling my leg. Everyone knows they didn't actually exist."

"They really did, Jack. And they form the other half of Javan ancestry."

He gave her a confused look. "You'll need to explain that one to me."

"Well, the People of the Lake were the indigenous people of Java, and they were mostly formed up into small, warring tribes. In fact, the lake from where they got their name is one that still exists, found not far from Belfort. They were much darker in coloring than Javans are now, all with dark hair and eyes. And they called the lake their home."

"I've been there," said Jack. "It even has a plaque to commemorate that heritage, but I didn't think it was actually a real event."

Evelyn nodded. "Those warring tribes were scattered about that lake. Always in conflict with each other, they never knew when to stop. A great war overtook them close to the time when the Galicians arrived. Many of their men perished in that war, leaving scores of women without their husbands, fathers, or sons."

"So you have one group with no wives, and the other group with no husbands," said Jack. "I think I can figure out what happened next."

Evelyn smiled. "What always happens in that situation. The two groups began to intermingle. The Galicians were exhausted after their trip across the sea and worried about the long-term survival in a primitive and hostile country. Likewise the People of the Lake were without their menfolk and struggling to survive. The Galicians invited the women into their makeshift camps and they began to breed. And breed they surely did. Within ten years, the population of both groups had risen significantly. The men had found wives and the women had found protectors."

"The curious nature of all of it was that the mixed children of the two groups took on a distinctive appearance of their own. The children inherited the fair skin of their fathers but the dark hair and eyes of their mothers. In doing so, they created the typical Javan appearance that still exists to this day."

"I had no idea," whispered Jack. "I guess I never really considered the origin of the Javans."

"A perfect combination of the indigenous peoples of Java and the Galicians. That's why we brought you there in the first place. We figured if you couldn't live in Galicia, then the next best thing we could do for you was to bring you somewhere with Galician blood, no matter how ancient."

"That's remarkable," said Jack softly.

"I thought you might enjoy that story," said Evelyn with a gentle laugh. "It was always a favorite of mine growing up as well."

Jack smiled and then turned back out to the water. He remained silent for a moment as many thoughts drifted back into his mind. The smile slowly dropped from his face as he contemplated another topic.

"What's on your mind, Jack? Talk to me," urged Evelyn.

"It's just . . . I don't know how I'm supposed to do this," he said finally.

"Do what?"

"Be this savior of the world that you've made me out to be," he said, crestfallen. "I feel like I can barely run my own life at times, not to mention those of my crew. How am I supposed to do this?"

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "I wish I had an answer for you on that one, Jack. I really do. I've studied enough prophecy to know what's generally supposed to happen, but many of the lines don't actually make sense to me until after they happen. Such is the nature of prophecy. But I'm sure the fates will guide you along in their purpose. They've brought you this far, right?"

"I suppose," he said hesitantly. "I'd be happier with a road map though. Something to tell me where I'm supposed to go next or what to do after that."

"I think everyone would kill to have such a map for their lives," said Evelyn. "I know I sure would, and it would have made things a lot easier on us. But such is the nature of life, Jack. We don't know what the future holds or how it will affect us. That's up for all of us to figure out on our own terms."

"That makes it sound like free will has an observable part in it though," he grumbled. "I don't feel like I have any if a good portion of my life has been foretold by prophecy."

"I like to think of it this way, Jack. The prophecy tells you the journey, but not how to get there. That's for you to decide. You can decide your own path, Jack."

He mulled those words over for a few moments while remaining silent. It helped a little, although not as much as he'd hoped. It was still a daunting task in front of him, and he would have felt better knowing what he was supposed to do.

Unfortunately, he'd have to rely on fate and his gut instincts to get him to the next steps, a prospect that wasn't easy to accept.

"Do you think I can do this? Do you think I can live up to the prophecy?" he asked finally, as a loud wave crashed upon the beach.

Evelyn nodded. "I don't think all these events would've happened just for you to fail, my dear. The world has been preparing for your birth for thousands of years. You are the ultimate champion, here to protect all that's good from falling under sway of the ultimate evil."

Jack gulped heavily. "The ultimate evil. And here I've never heard of the Swabians until a few months ago."

Evelyn took a deep breath. "Jack, I do not believe the Swabians are the ultimate evil that's been referenced by the prophecy."

"You don't? Then who could it be?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it will be someone else. Someone who hasn't been revealed yet. That's not to say that I don't find the Swabians reprehensible in most respects, but they are motivated by power and self-interest, not unlike most peoples. While some of their leaders are an unsavory sort, I don't think they'll be the main adversaries you'll face."

"Is there anyone else in the world that fits the description?" asked Jack. "How am I supposed to find and fight an evil that I don't know about?"

Evelyn gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Jack, but I can't answer that question. I wish I knew, believe me. I just think this is going to go beyond the Swabians. I feel this is bigger than them, and that this conflict will be truly global in level."

"Perhaps the Occitanians then?" asked Jack. "If they join forces with the Swabians, I can think of no bigger threat."

"I think it'll be revealed in time. I just want you to be ready for it, Jack. I need you to keep sharp and keep up your journey."

"I'm supposed to be finding alliances for Java," he said softly. "That's the main reason I'm in the Vector."

Evelyn nodded. "And it's a good one. For you'll need those alliances against the Swabians. Keep doing that. You'll need the Picards for that alliance as well."

"And the Galicians as well? But first, I need to get past the regent," said Jack.

Evelyn gripped his arm tightly. "You'll need to be careful around Eric Rosdahl. He's not to be trusted. He is one of the most sadistic and cruel men I've ever encountered. The majority of the family is like that."

"Sounds like everyone bearing that name will need punishment once we take over Galicia," joked Jack.

"Not all the Rosdahls are bad people, Jack. Remember that, okay?" Evelyn gave him a deep look, one that gave him the impression she knew more than she was letting on.

He nodded regardless. "We'd need to get there first. And that means going near Swabia."

"I'm going to tell you something that you may not want to hear right now, but you need to keep Kat close to you. She's the best person to be your guide in all of this."

"I understand that but—"

"No buts, Jack," said Evelyn firmly. "I know you're angry with her, and I know how much she means to you. You feel hurt, maybe even betrayed, but it's not Kat's fault. You don't know how much she's risked just to help me find you. Her life has been on the line multiple times, and she can't even go back to Galicia without having a death sentence on her head. I know it may hurt now, but Kat needs to stay close to you. Please don't blame her for how she went about this."

"You understand why it hurts so much though, right?" he said softly. "I have feelings for her."

"As she does for you. But she did what she did because she cared for you. She tried to spare you this pain until she was absolutely sure. If she didn't care, she would have told you in Sorella and have been done with it. She wouldn't have dedicated her life to finding you, no matter what it cost her in time or blood."

"I regret the way I've treated her for the last day," said Jack with a painful expression. "I know I was angry, but I shouldn't have taken it out on her. That was foolish of me."

"Kings can't afford to be foolish, dear," said Evelyn as she patted his cheek. "I know you were hurt, and she's hurting now. Don't let it undermine your relationship. Very soon, there will be time for a reconciliation. Just make sure you make the most of it, all right?"

Jack nodded, finding no other words to suit the moment. He continued to watch the waves crash upon the shore, while the soft breeze rustled through his hair. He was starting to get sleepy.

Right on cue, Evelyn let out a long yawn. "I'm afraid you've kept this old woman out of her bed for too long. I'm going to need to get some rest, Jack."

He nodded. "As will I. I think I'm ready to come inside now."

Evelyn smiled. "Good, I was hoping you'd say that."

The two of them walked together back inside, only stopping once to kick the sand off their feet. Upon coming back inside the house, Evelyn pointed out one of the rooms for him to sleep.

"That's Kat's room, if you want to get some sleep," she said. "You may want to be quiet though. The poor dear was so tired that I'd hate to see you wake her."

"If you don't mind, I think I'll sleep on the couch out in the living room," said Jack, earning a confused look from Evelyn.

"Listen, you're not wrong about Kat, and I do need to make it up to her. But not right now. I'm too tired, and my brain is too fried right now to want to attempt that conversation. Let me get some sleep on my own, and her and I can discuss it tomorrow."

Evelyn nodded. "That's fine, Jack. Here, let me get you a pillow and blanket."

She helped to get him set up in the living room before retiring back to her own room. Right as she was about to turn off the light, she gave him an apprehensive look.

"What's wrong, Evelyn?"

"I hope it's not too much to ask, but may I have a hug from you, Jack? It's just been so long."

He smiled fondly. "Of course."

He embraced the old woman tightly, and she melted into his arms. "I've thought about you every day since we had to give you up, Jack. I've missed you so much."