43 - “A Destined Role”

Originally Written: February 10th, 2001

June 10th, 2001

“Wow, you like these even more than I do, don’t you, Trini?” asked Elisa of her daughter, watching the small child relish her treat of fresh sliced peaches. The small gargess gurgled and swallowed the last of her spoonful, immediately grasping forwards with her hands in a gesture Elisa knew so well. “You want some more?” Elisa coyly cooed, splashing the spoon into the small jar and deliberately waving the sweet smelling fruit in front of Trinity’s great sense of smell. “I’ll give you another helping, if you say...mama.”

Trinity tilted her head slightly, her adolescent mind attempting to figure out why her mother had so black-heartedly suspended her feeding.

“C’mon, Trini,” she urged her on, swirling the spoonful of fruit in front of her daughter’s wide chocolate eyes, “mama...ma...ma...c’mon...you can do it...mmmma...”

Trinity burst out in laughter, hearing her mother babble so much like her. She clapped her hands and fluffed her wings, pleading for yet more of Elisa’s efforts to influence her child’s first words.

“Stubborn little squirt, aren’t you...” Elisa huffed, relenting to her daughter’s longing stare to the fruit hovering mere inches from her mouth, and slipping the spoonful into her awaiting mouth. “I guess you’ll talk soon enough, but I swear, if you say daddy...I will be extremely pissed off.”

“A child’s first word is truly an event to be cherished,” a voice called out behind the raven haired detective, “why would you be disappointed if she said what you did not expect to hear?”

“AHH!!!” Elisa screeched, whirling around to find a cream-colored gargess standing near the arched entrance to the kitchen. “Jesus...Infiniti...” Elisa placed a hand to her chest, forcing her heart to continue it’s beating, after receiving the errant shock of the gargoyle guardian’s soft voice appearing from nowhere. “Must you do that all the time?!”

“Do what?” she asked innocently, slowly approaching the mother and daughter.

“You know...that whole ‘pop in and scare the hell out of me’ thing...” Elisa whispered harshly. “So, you here because you’re letting another friend of mine into the castle, or is this just a social call?”

“Are you still angry about that?” Infiniti replied. “I only wished to allow your friend to witness firsthand the true, gentle nature of the gargoyle race. My task is to ensure their survival...and yours.”

Elisa quickly turned around to match eyes with the goddess. “But Iliana??”

“Human allies must be sought out, in any form. She now knows the real truth about your husband and clan, that they are peaceful creatures whose only reason to exist is to protect those they love.”

“Yeah, and Demona was a prime example.” Elisa chuffed. “Allowing ‘Ana to interrupt her time with Trini was real smart...”

“She is still alive, that is a clear sign of Demona’s willingness to change her stubborn ideals. If one who has tasted nothing but bitter hatred and burning conceit for an entire millennium can actually find the power to change, than perhaps, so can this world.”

Elisa actually formed a half-smile at this declaration, finding an inspiring solace in Infiniti’s great hope.

As Infiniti took her place at the table’s side, Trinity turned to see the radiant she-goyle move near her high-chair, and eyes of cinnamon swirl locked with a dark emerald green. “Hello, Trinity child.” Infiniti greeted the young adolescent. “Enjoying your snack?”

Trinity slapped her diminutive hands to the wooden tray and flapped her wings, trying to claw her way from the chair to get at her friend.

Yet Infiniti placed a hand to the baby’s shoulder and slowly nudged her back into place with her soothing touch. Trinity relented as Infiniti took a seat next to her, and drifted a slender hand through the infant’s ebony tress, long enough to nearly fall past her eyes, and cascade down her back, between her wings. “Your hair is growing out of control, my child.”

“Yeah, call it a gargoyle trait. She’s barely eight months old and has hair down to her wings.” Elisa chuffed, straightening out a wayward strand, and brushing it back past her slightly pointed ear. “She’s getting a little shaggy. I’m going to have to cut it again. Goliath doesn’t want me to, he says he likes it long. But I don’t want it floating past her eyes when she’s...hmmm, learning how to fly.”

“You fear her first flight.” Infiniti exclaimed, a declaration to match Elisa’s dread in having her firstborn taking to the misted skies on her own.

“Goliath said it’ll be probably less than a year when she’ll...how did he put it? Feel the need to stretch her wings, and heed the call of the wind.”

“Gargoyle hatchlings need to learn to fly at a very young age. To strengthen the muscles in their wing struts.”

“Said the lavender giant.” Elisa cursed beneath her breath, her husband’s insistence to encourage her baby girl to fly. “She is barely learning how to walk, let alone flying around Manhattan.”

“It will be time soon enough. But do not fret, Elisa, for there are many qualified instructors in this clan.”

“Yeah, I suppose.” Elisa slipped another spoonful of peaches to Trinity, and the small girl smacked her lips with the sugary feast. “But for right now...she’s grounded, no matter what her father says.”

Infiniti laughed at the display of strength in this slender woman, a power that even the leader of this clan would shy away from. Suddenly, from inside of Elisa’s crimson bomber jacket, came a shrill ringing, that seemed to elicit a grimace from the mother.

Elisa grumbled and delved her hand onto the jacket and pulled out the small device.

“This better be good...” she hissed, as she placed the cellphone to her ear. “Oh, captain...” Elisa rose from the table, immediately dropping the spoon and jar, unintentionally leaving it in full sight of Trinity, yet far enough away to remain out of reach.

The small girl gave up her futile efforts to reach it, and instead could do nothing but stare sadly at the jar, and pout.

“Do not worry, Trinity child.” Infiniti came to the rescue, and grabbed the jar, using the metal utensil to feed her once more.

Elisa noticed this and crossed by Infiniti’s side. “Oh thanks. Would you watch her for a minute? I need to take this.”

“Of course, Elisa,” she answered, watching this simple fruit bring so much pleasure to this small child, “say hello to captain Chavez for me.” Elisa slowly trailed to the far side of the room, turning her back to the two female gargoyles, caught up in her discussion with Maria Chavez.

Infiniti scooped off the remnants of food on Trinity’s chin, gently urging it back into her mouth. A simple task for the guardian of the gargoyle race, perhaps beneath her earthly duties, yet still a job she most enjoyed, seeing her child of destiny so content brought a smile to her lips and an enjoyment to her soul.

But something was wrong, as the goddess found the world was growing faded, and suddenly a bright flash surrounded her, numbing every sense, and as if pulling her essence from her physical form. Trinity’s laughter withered, as did everything else. A total cessation of sound filled her ears, and when Infiniti opened her eyes, she was blinded by a domain of utter nothingness. The purest of ivory, with no noise or perception, just absolute white.

“Ah, she has called me away.” Infiniti whispered to herself, settling her wings and crossing her arms, a rare display of what almost could be called anger in her journey to this place.

“I am somewhat disappointed, guardian.” a feminine voice echoed all around her, serene, calming, motherly.

“And may I ask why?” Infiniti replied, searching this realm of nonexistence for her friend.

“You are breaking the rules set out for you.”

As if a flow of wind passed by the gargess, with the scent of rose petals and fresh earth, a woman appeared in front of her. “I merely fed Trinity some peaches.” she replied, defending herself to the encroaching form.

The woman appeared in full to the gargoyle’s eyes. Dark, mahogany brown skin, and long flowing hair, a gleaming black void set against the light. She wore a light violet robe, a surface of strange material flowing with the invisible wind, seeming to come from this woman herself. “It wasn’t that, and you know it.” she huffed, playing upon Infiniti’s own jest. “You have been continuously stepping over the boundaries laid out for you, with increasing audacity.”

“What do you mean?”

“You revealed yourself to Goliath and Elisa, and the other clans of this world, which is in fact within the realm of your duties, but now I find you have on many occasions appeared to the Wyvern clan to help them in their affairs, allowed Iliana Starr to gain access to the castle...you even turned Sir Griff into a chicken. You seem to appear everywhere, and meddle in their own concerns. I would not take any notice except the fact you are revealing too much to them. I instilled these boundaries to prevent...”

“Those boundaries should not exist.” Infiniti hissed back. “I am merely helping to guide those who want peace, and preparing the clan for the future. I am power incarnate, yet I cannot use it. I have the conceivable power to...”

“To what? Wipe out every ‘bad guy’ on this planet?” the woman argued back, outstretching her arms, and clicking her shining gaze to the she-goyle. “Correct all the mistakes both man and gargoyle have made?”

“You gave me these powers. I should be able to use them to help my race. I am sick of being forced to combat fear, prejudice and hatred with only words.”

“Those abilities are not yours to do with as you wish, they are there only to serve as a reminder to what great power in the wrong hands can do.”

Infiniti thinned her eyes, her wings trembling with the hint of anger very seldom displayed. “Sometimes words are not enough.”

“That is what the greatest of terrorists often say, before they destroy and maim to prove their point.” the mature woman countered. “I will not allow you to become one of them.”

“You know me better than that, lady Gaia. I would never harm anyone with the power I hold, unless it was absolutely necessary to save innocent lives.”

Gaia, spirit of the Earth, and she who gave Infiniti her powers four millennia ago, sighed. “I cannot risk it. The temptation would be too great. Even for those, like you, who are of the purest heart.”

“It’s...very frustrating, my old friend. I could have prevented Thailog’s assault, Sobek’s numerous attacks, every hurtful and destructive occurrence that has happened to the gargoyle race since I was freed.” Infiniti rushed forwards, an apparent fear laying within her emerald stare. “By the dragon, Trinity almost died...”

“But she still lives, due to the continuing fight of both races. If they knew they would always be saved by their guardian spirit, they would become careless, almost negligent in their battle for peace. The war for pacification will only be won by the ones who inhabit this world. The three races, human, gargoyle, fay, must co-exist in a peace they themselves worked so hard for, or they shall never learn.”

“But...”

“Imagine...if you could perhaps rid my world of every ounce of pollution.”

“And is that not a good thing?”

“When you continually clean up after a disorderly child, does not this child willingly cause even more disorder? It becomes used to the fact it’s guardian will always be there to clean up after it. The harsh lessons of life are never applied, and thus it never learns.”

Infiniti’s very form became limp, her wings drooping to the reality of the state of the world, and the race in her charge. “I suppose.”

“Your greatest power, guardian, is showing the inhabitants of this world that they can find the path to peace on their own.”

“Yes,” she reluctantly agreed, then strengthened her resolve, her wings of a broken mirrored finish flaring to their furthest reach, “but I will still care for my child of destiny. I will help to guide the clan, and their human allies, and even those I believe shall help in the quest for a unified Earth. I will still continue to seek out new friends, and ensure a safe path for the Maza family.” She raised a talon, pointing to the woman across from her in this desolate environment. “If you still think I am transgressing the rules you have laid out, then send me back to where I should have died four thousand years ago.”

“You whine like a child, Infiniti friend.” she laughed cheerfully, impressed at the gargoyle’s show of strength to someone with the power of a god.

“That is not amusing in the least. I am merely...voicing my concerns.”

“As am I.”

“If you do not believe I am the proper choice for this role...” she yelled, vibrant sparks flaring in the emerald crystal of her eyes.

“You are.” Gaia calmed her friend. “You were destined from the time of your hatching. Your untimely...accident, merely forced me to enlist your services earlier than I had hoped. It seems the curse of youth still resides within you.”

“Is that why you must continually berate me, and my way of performing my duties?”

“You know I am not berating you, or any such thing. I am only here to help you. But...do not break the rules I have set, or you will lose everything you have gained, and your race will be left without a protector.”

“Cold words from the spirit of the Earth.”

Gaia shook her head, a warm smile tugging at her lips. “No. Merely words of truth.

They will never achieve true peace, unless they themselves work for it.”

“Fine. Please send me back, Trinity is most likely waiting to finish her meal.”

Gaia cocked her head, moving near the gargess, yet no sound of footfalls could be heard. “You are fond of this child.”

“Very. She represents the future of all races, and I will die rather than see her hurt.”

“Good. Your convictions are strong, my friend. Please, if you must, continue with her feeding. We shall speak again...very soon.” Gaia lifted her arm, and simply snapped her fingers.

Instantly, the gargoyle guardian was back at the kitchen table, resuming from where she had left off. “I suppose I now know how it feels like.” she joked under her breath, as Trinity squealed and begged for the last of the fruit. “Yes, my child of destiny. I am here. Always.”

“Thanks, Infiniti,” Elisa called to her, as she threw her cellphone back onto the kitchen table, “sorry to stick the mighty guardian spirit with such a menial task.” She threw a quick glance to the cream-colored she-goyle, who returned it with a slight tugging to her full lips.

“It pleases me to aid you and your child in any way possible, Elisa.”

“Well, if she’s finished, it means it’s time for her bath.” Elisa pulled the child from the highchair and nuzzled nose to nose. “Time to get wet, angel. Now this time, don’t splash me...” Elisa scolded the giggling gargess as they both left the kitchen, leaving the guardian to watch mother and daughter fade from her sight.

Yet their auras remained with her, a magical sense she could feel emanating from their bodies. A soothing piece of their very souls that lingered with her. She smiled, and ran through her mind, the conversation held just mere minutes ago. A literal goddess, who must fight for peace with only words. “Was I born for this role?” she asked herself. “Am I prepared for the task to ensure the safety of my race, and that of humanity? I believe I am...” She looked back to the empty jar left on the table, and with only a cock of her spurred ridge, the glass receptacle disappeared with a flash. “But I shall continue to bend the rules as I see fit, for my child of destiny, will be protected...until she takes her place as the leader for all races, and guides them into a brighter future...”

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