19 The Atheoi

Chapter 2: TA Pub

She gulped as she looked up at into the hidden face of the hooded figure, a tall young man. His face was masked, but his eyes were still visible. They were bright yellow and piercing hers strangely. Just as Sasha started to devise a plan to run away, he held out a gloved hand and grunted.

Surprised, she took it gratefully and he helped her up. “Err, thanks,” she told him.

“You can fly,” he said bluntly in response. His accent was a bit strange, slightly different from the normal Lodretian. Sasha felt a sinking feeling in her chest; there was no way to get out of this one. “One of the forbidden sins, right?”

Sasha was a bit surprised—the young man’s last comment seemed a bit unsure, like he was unfamiliar with the Religion. She could tell him it wasn’t, that actually the God cherished people who flew, but then he’d tell all his friends which would only lead her to more trouble... So she nodded her head, heart thumping in her chest.

The hooded man was quiet for a moment. Finally, he murmured, “Come with me.” He grabbed her arm and started running. He was extremely fast, so quick that Sasha could hardly keep up. Pain spread through the arm that the he had grabbed—it felt like it was being disconnected. Angry that some stranger had grabbed her and fearful for what would happen, she tried yanking her arm out of his vice in vain.

“Can’t you slow down?” she shouted at him. He said nothing, and continued on. However, Sasha felt like they had slowed down just a little and was now able to keep up better.

An urge told her to fight him, but an inside voice inside her advised her not to. What if he’s a policeman? Or from the government? He’s probably taking me away to tell about my flight...

Sasha cursed once again, she had always been so careful when walking down stairs so she wouldn’t trip and this wouldn’t happen. How could she have been so careless? She’d had this weird ability ever since she was around ten. At least, that’s when she’d discovered it. Luckily, when she tripped down the stairs no one was around to see her glide gently down in a panic. Of course, as any young child would, she was excited to see could fly. But the feeling disappeared quickly when she remembered that flight without a machine was a forbidden sin. Even aeroplanes, hot air balloons, and any other machine that could fly were generally frowned upon. So she had tried her best to keep her ability of flight hidden, and had done so up until now.

They were in the darker part of downtown Lodret, where many bars and pubs were. Sasha felt relief at first—he didn’t seem to be taking her to a government building. But, where was he taking her? Words popped in her mind, Keven warning her about young girls being kidnapped by those who went against the path of the God. She started to struggle again, pulling her arm and even kicking him at times.

“Stop,” he warned her. “If you continue kicking you’ll trip and fall, and I don’t want to drag you.” She realized this was true and stopped. Perhaps she could think of a plan to escape once they reached their destination. Time was limited to think though, as the man’s pace had slowed down greatly. They were walking now, down a shadowy alley. There was only one streetlamp. The only other source of light was from a dim-lit sign that read, “The TA Pub.” He pulled her over to the entrance of the pub, and knocked thrice on the rotting door. Someone cracked it open and asked in a raspy voice,

“Who comes?”

“Lep,” the man said with confidence, “And a nonbeliever.”

“Come,” the raspy voice replied, opening the door fully. Lep and Sasha walked into the Pub’s hallway. And then she gaped at the source of the voice with disgust and amazement. He was a short, stubby man with round fingers. His eyes were gruesomely bloodshot, and slightly unfocused. But worst of all, he had no ears—only small holes on either side of his head. Sasha’s imagination raced as she wondered and feared what these people would do to her.

The man pursed his lips and then opened his mouth, revealing crooked, yellow teeth. “She does not look like a disbeliever.”

“She can fly,” responded Lep, still gripping Sasha’s arm.

“Ahhh, I see... Well, let’s take her in...” They walked into the pub’s bar, and Sasha’s heart thumped even faster. There were a dozen or so other people, all of them disfigured. Some were not as bad, with only strange markings on them that Sasha knew were considered malevolent. However, some were terrible to look at—one man had an eagle’s beak for a nose and mouth. The man to his left was similar, only they adorned a crow’s beak. As young woman rubbed her forehead, pushing up her bangs it was revealed her forehead read in bright red letters “Liar.”

At entering the bar, Lep pulled down his hood and took of his mask. Sasha flinched at this sight—his face was speckled with a faded golden leopard pattern. The others in the bar though, seemed used to this strangeness.

“Where’s Snake?” Lep asked.

“She’s in the back, I’ll go get her.” The liar woman jumped off her stool and ran into the back room.

Sasha felt her body start to shake uncontrollably. Snake? Who was Snake? Was she some sort of evil being that killed those who didn’t believe, taking them into the depths of the underworld? Maybe Sasha was wrong in not believing. She closed her eyes, imagining terrible things.

“Who has come?” a quiet voice asked. Sasha looked up and saw Snake. She was a woman with pointed orange eyes and two small openings for her nose. Her mouth was long and thin, but despite all this she had great beauty somehow. Her skin was scaly, in colors of purple, orange, and blue. No hair grew on her head, or perhaps she shaved it off, as hair growing on such a head would look strange. She had an air of authority around her; the freaks seemed to respect her. Snake walked over to Sasha, almost seeming to slither in her long black dress. “What is your name?” she asked calmly, in the same quiet voice. It seemed to make Sasha relax, and know this woman wouldn’t harm her.

“Sasha Tahla,” she answered.

Snake turned to Lep. “Where did you find Sasha?”

“I was at the party for those two academies, the one in the City Room, just seeing if I could spy any nonbelievers,” recalled Lep. “I left right before midnight when they were doing a prayer session. I was at the bottom of the staircase when I heard a noise and looked up; Sasha was gliding across the air, slowly coming to a descent. She seemed to only come down when she greatly focused on it. She fell in front of me.”

Snake turned to Sasha. “Are you hurt from your fall?” Sasha shook her head. “How long have you been able to fly?”

“Since I was ten,” Sasha explained. “I tripped and fell off the stairs. This is the first time since then that I’ve flown; I try and keep it... hidden.”

Snake nodded understandingly. “Yes... flying is a forbidden sin... how old are you?”

Normally Sasha would think these questions were strange coming from a stranger. But Snake had a way of calming people into answering them. Sasha replied, “16.”

“I see... that is why you are not physically disfigured.” Snake was quiet for a moment, as she looked at Sasha, as if considering her. “Do you believe?”

Sasha took a sharp breath. No one had asked her this sort of question before; it was assumed that everyone believed. She knew it would be unwise to answer truthfully, but she felt that she shouldn’t lie to the woman. Her fear of her secret being discovered battled her sudden urge to tell the truth. After awhile, she finally answered.

“I don’t.” There was a murmur that spread throughout the pub as she said this. Sasha blushed and looked down at her feet. Now she was in trouble, but even if she’d lied they probably wouldn’t believe her. Her secret had finally been divulged. The chatter continued, the voices sounding interested and curious; Sasha looked up in surprise. The mutant faces that were looking at her did not look angry or repulsed. On the contrary, they seemed pleased. What have I walked into?

“Make her fly!” someone shouted. It was the crow man. “We must make sure that she is not lying!”

“Do you not believe me?” Lep growled angrily. “I saw her. She was rather obviously flying.”

“Cauh has a point, Lep,” piped the eagle man. “As she has no physical transformation we can not be one hundred percent sure of her disbelief.”

“Why would she lie though?” inquired a girl who looked about Sasha’s age. She had a strange ornate design all over her face and neck. The crimson swirls seemed to move on their own when the girl changed positions, as she often did. Sasha recognized it as a pattern as one that represented that you though you were smarter than the God. The girl continued, “Most people would say that they believe. It’s dangerous to say you don’t, so I don’t see any reason why a believer would say they don’t.”

Snake raised a hand. The babbling faded out until it was silent in the pub. “I agree with Eeypnost, no one would say they did not believe unless they meant it.” Eeypnost, the girl, smiled triumphantly.

Sasha was unsure whether to be relieved or not. It seemed as if these people actually accepted disbelievers. And even more strange was that they acted as if they were disbelievers themselves. “What is this place?” she demanded. Snake looked at her, and then Lep.

“Did you not explain about us?” she asked softly. Lep shook his head.

“I need to go home,” Sasha stated, hoping she could escape. “My parents will worry.” Snake looked sharply at Lep.

“Did you just take her without asking?” Her fierce orange eyes pierced into Lep, who nodded his head slightly. She sighed, turning back to Sasha. “Would it be alright if I sent someone to get you tomorrow when I can explain about our... society in detail?” Sasha’s heart started pounding again. Why were these people so interested in her? What did she mean to them? “I think that you’ll find after I explain that it’ll be worthwhile.” The orange orbs of Snake’s dug into Sasha’s coffee eyes, until finally Sasha nodded. Snake’s eyes were not filled with evil, deception, or anything else nasty. She was truly honest. “Thank you. Lep will escort you home so we know where to pick you up. He’ll arrange a spot near your home to meet you at.” While Sasha’s instincts told her not to let these people know where she lived, there was no point in arguing.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then, I guess,” she muttered. Lep put on his mask and hood once more, and led her out of the TA Pub and into the night.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When Sasha woke up she was convinced it was all a dream. A pub full of disbelievers like her? Ha! What a joke! She rolled out of bed and looked at her clock. Nine hours. Yawning and stretching, she staggered into the dining room where she plunked down on a chair. Mehgan walked into the room from the sitting room.

“Good morning, darling,” she smiled, setting the newspaper she had been reading down. She had taken off of her job, journalism, today. Keven was already at the sanctuary to do his work. “Want some breakfast?”

“Sure, Mum. Cereal would be nice,” replied Sasha. Mehgan went into the kitchen and soon returned with a bowl of whole-wheat cereal with fresh fruit cut on top of it.

“You sure were out late last night,” Mehgan said as she set the bowl and spoon in front of Sasha. “3 hours! Keven and I were getting worried.”

Sasha felt another sinking feeling. So it hadn’t been a dream. “Sorry, Mum. I just lost track of the time.” Mehgan nodded understandingly.

Lep had gone with her as she ventured home late last night. As it was so late, no one had seen his disfigured face, luckily. He had told her to meet her at the Hendrad station, at one of the benches, at eleven hours today.

“Can I go out shopping today, Mum? Around eleven or so?” Sasha asked innocently.

“Sure, dear, just come back in time for dinner.”

And so Sasha once again hung out at her home, reading to pass the time, until it was quarter till eleven hours. She waved goodbye to her mother, and traveling carefully down the stairs. She didn’t want to repeat her mistake twice in twenty-four hours.

Her heart sunk as she saw Lep was there, waiting for her by the bench he had pointed out last night. As usual, his face was concealed by his hood and mask. Some people were staring at this strange get-up, but he seemed to notice, or rather, not to mind. She walked next to him and muttered, “Okay, I’m ready...” He nodded his head, and they waited for the train. Once they got on, he didn’t seem to want to talk (maybe it was his accent), so Sasha had plenty of time to think to herself.

She was still unsure why she had agreed to come. After all, she could’ve just led Lep to someplace far away from her actual home. Or maybe she just wanted to fit in, glad that finally she had discovered people like her; disbelievers.

She pondered this the rest of the way to same stop she had gotten off of for the party. When she looked confusingly at him he muttered, “We don’t want to get off too close to the pub... You’ll get it once Snake talks to you.” And so they walked once again the path Lep had dragged her the previous night. Even walking, his pace was fast enough that Sasha had to practically jog to keep up with him.

After half an hour they were in the alley. It seemed hardly any lighter this time, even with the daylight. The sign for TA Pub was turned off, making the building appear to be closed. Of course, Sasha doubted that they let any stranger in the pub even at night when the sign was lit.

Lep knocked the door and the same raspy voice asked the same question. “Who comes?”

“Lep, bringing Sasha as Snake has requested.”

“Come in...” The man opened the door. Sasha found that his face seemed slightly less repulsive the second time of seeing it, but it was still shocking. Lep led her into the bar and offered her a seat. She sat down into it, murmuring thanks. Looking around, she noticed that she and Lep were the only ones in the bar. The busy atmosphere from last night had disappeared.

“Where are the others?” she asked Lep.

He jumped slightly, surprised that she had spoken to him. “They’re in the back. Snake should be coming soon.”

“Why did she—Snake—ask for me to come here?”

“To explain The Atheoi, to see if you want to join.”

“The what?” Just as Sasha uttered this, Snake came creeping through the door. Gracefully and fluidly, she sat down in the chair next to Sasha.

“The Atheoi,” Snake said as though she was Lep, answering Sasha’s exclamation, “is the name of our society. In ancient times it meant those who had no belief in the God. That is who we are. Atheoi. Disbelievers. It matters not what we are called, it doesn’t change who we are.” Sasha gaped at her in disbelief. So it was indeed a group of people who didn’t believe. Snake continued, “The outside world does not look upon us friendly, however. That is why I must ask you, whether you join us or not, that you keep our presence a secret.”

Snake’s orange eyes once again gazed deeply into Sasha’s. Sasha shifted uncomfortably in her seat and uttered, “Of course.”

“Thank you. Now I shall tell you about us. If you choose, you can join our number. We have fifteen members, including myself, as you saw last night. Some are old, some young, some from other cities. With The Atheoi it doesn’t matter who you are. Accepting others is a virtue for us.

Moving onwards, we are a group of disbelievers, as I said previously. We want to spread the truth.”

“The truth?” Sasha inquired. “Do you mean try and convert others?”

Snake answered quietly, “Not quite. Have you ever wondered why you can fly?” Sasha shook her head. “You were not born with this ability. It came to you because you don’t believe. Not given by a divine being,” added Snake, “but by something we are still unsure of. Perhaps by the government, perhaps by someone else who wishes to persecute us. We don’t know how they’re doing it. Did you ever tell anyone of your disbelief?”

“No,” replied Sasha, “Only you guys.”

“You are not the first. It seems they can read our minds. Being an Atheos—a disbeliever—is nothing to be ashamed of. There’s no wrong in it, and it’s wrong to persecute us.

The mutations of I, Lep, and all the others are examples of what can happen in being an Atheos. The younger on is the less the mutations seem to affect one. This explains how you have no physical deformity; later in life you perhaps will grow wings.”

Sasha rubbed her back, trying not to imagine the horror sprouting wings would bring. “I-is there anyway to stop it?”

“That is what we want to know,” Lep declared, jumping in the conversation.

“Yes,” agreed Snake, “it is what we are searching for. The Atheoi are dedicated to finding out the cause of the mutation.”

“To cure yourselves?” asked Sasha. She knew that if she was in their positions, not just having an ability to fly but looking like a freak, she would be desperately searching for a way out.

“Not quite,” Snake said. “I prefer being this way, actually. It tells something about me. Not to mention for some odd reason, perhaps a mistake on their part, many of us have gained abilities. You are able to fly; this can be useful. Lep can run at greater speeds. Eeypnost seems to be a quicker learner. I am rather convincing. All of these make us unique, and many of us do not want to give our abilities up.”

“I see...” Sasha had never thought of her curse being useful. After all, she could hardly control her flight.

“And so, Sasha, I would like to ask if you would like to join us. I am not going to try and convince you, or threaten you for that matter. If you find our cause good and wish to help, you will be welcomed into The Atheoi.”

Sasha thought. They seemed like good enough people, with good intentions. And had she not always wanted to be able to not have to hide her secret? If she joined this society, her dream could come true...

But on the other hand, Snake had wanted her to keep The Atheoi a secret. If the authorities found about this group they would be persecuted. Rahyal’s words echoed in her mind, “That’s only those nut-case disbelievers they kill.” And even if others learnt to accept disbelievers—Atheoi—would Essa and Rahyal learn to accept? Or anyone for that matter?

Sasha debated with herself, half dying to become who she really was and the other half wanting to continue her normal life. If you never try you’ll never know, one voice inside her said.

But how would you like to lose your friends? What about your family, your father would defiantly not approve.

There would always be The Atheoi to take care of you...

Yes, but doesn’t your family matter more to you?

The two voices continued to bicker. Lep tapped his foot impatiently at Sasha, wanting an answer. Snake, on the other hand, seemed to be able to wait, gazing at Sasha uncomplainingly.

Finally, she came to an unsteady conclusion. Taking a deep breath, she spoke,

“I would like to join.” The two Atheoi smiled at her. Lep patted her on the back.

“You won’t regret your decision.”

Sasha sure hoped she wouldn’t.

Nicki Cherry