The Veil of Truth Read online

  The Veil of Truth

  Book Two

  of The Shiva XIV Series

  by

  Lyra Shanti

  Copyright © 2015 Lyra Shanti

  2nd Edition © 2016

  Published by Timely Tales Press

  Cover Art by Timothy Casey

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-10: 0692556141

  ISBN-13: 978-0692556146

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This book is dedicated to my beloved soul-mate and partner, Timothy, and to my sister and greatest friend, Juniper. My thanks also goes to everyone who has helped spread the word about Ayn and his friends. You have inspired me to keep going, no matter how high the mountain is to climb.

  Table of CONTENTS

  The Greater Good 1

  The Palace 12

  Healing and Trust 27

  The Garden 40

  Escape 61

  Memorial 73

  Dance of the Veils 80

  The Forgotten Song 91

  Opening and Closing 134

  The Art of Subterfuge 149

  Letting it Flow 193

  The Chains that Bind 231

  Confrontation 239

  The Auction 263

  The Honey Jar 276

  Behind the Shadows 308

  Comfortably Numb 336

  The Ripple Effect 359

  No More Kings 392

  Revelations 405

  Glossary 432

  More Books by Lyra Shanti 444

  Author Bio 445

  Chapter 1: The Greater Good

  It was ironic how his life had come to this moment; so unimaginable to his younger, foolish self.

  Twenty-seven years have passed since the day I escaped, he thought. Yet, it feels like yesterday.

  Sitting on Shiva the Fourteenth's throne, Yol felt a sense of wonder and amazement at all he had achieved in his tumultuous, difficult life. Surely no one would have expected the poverty-stricken orphan he had once been to become the great leader he now was, and it astounded him as well.

  He could still remember what it felt like to be an adolescent boy enslaved against his will, brought to a palace he loathed, and then forced to work for hypocrites who acted like they were Gods.

  Oh, how those mighty Gods have fallen, he thought as a wicked smile crossed his lips.

  Yet, he couldn't allow himself to feel proud about defeating his enemies. Not only was there a war still raging outside the palace between his army and The Royal Guard, but there was no joy in conquering a bunch of aging priests and their innocent, little puppet-boy.

  Yol felt no hatred against the so-called Bodanya, but he also believed that the young Shiva's death was a necessary sacrifice for his people's freedom, for their addiction to the worshiping of “The Great Adin” turned his stomach. Believing in ancient, mythical Gods was bad enough, in his opinion, but to allow The Dei to control the entire planet with their false messiah was unforgivable.

  Despite his objection to most religions, Yol outwardly embraced the older, forgotten Gods of Deius, such as the silver-colored, truth seeking serpent called Ri. The serpentine God dated back to a time before the universal language, and could be found even in the caves of Ohr, which had fascinated Yol since he was a young boy. To his surprise, there were still many Ri followers, mostly living as outcasts on Xen, though they did not worship their God as something above their own existence. His fellow Ri followers had joined The Tah for the same reasons he had: to bring freedom to those who were enslaved by body or mind.

  The focus of Ri was knowledge, and those who followed him sought self-enlightenment. It spoke to Yol in a way no other God had, and Ri became something sacred to his otherwise anti-religious mind. He even had Ri's circular design stitched onto his belt and painted on his plasma-gun as a symbol of his own love of freedom and knowledge. This, among other reasons, gave him stature and popularity, which helped him gain favor to all within The Tah. Unlike past Tah leaders, he was inclusive and didn't hate the Gods, as many wrongly assumed. He merely believed them to be symbolic stories. They were important and true in their own way, but only stories nonetheless.

  As for the removal of the supposed Second Adin, he hoped his people would one day forgive him for taking such drastic measures. Until then, he was reassured by the memory of his own suffering at the hand of The Dei, for his traumatic experience dealing with their cruelty was more than enough to aid him in feeling vindicated for his actions.

  “Fah Notama,” said his Second-in-Command, Lord General Hynfir Astire, as he entered the throne room. Wearing his trademark white uniform and cloak, he was a handsome man in his early forties with tan skin, wavy golden-brown hair, broad shoulders and of a height that equaled Yol's imposing stature. “I don't mean to disturb you,” Hynfir continued, “but I thought you'd want to know that The Royal Guard has finally crumbled. We now have full occupation of the palace, the temple and the entire Holy City.”

  Brushing aside the strands of silky white hair that loosely hung in front of his forehead, Yol slowly rose from the sun-shaped throne, then walked over to Hynfir. It still somewhat amazed him that his followers called him “Fah” - a title that meant “Strong Leader” in the ancient Deiusian tongue. It was an honor Yol accepted with great pride.

  “You have done well, Lord General Astire. Soon, all of Deius will come to remember today as the day of their liberation!” The Fah and his Lord, who considered themselves to be best friends and of equal status, embraced each other by the arms, speaking an unsaid language only spoken between those who have seen great hardship and battle.

  “Yes, my Fah,” replied Hynfir, “ and then it won't be long before The Tah's righteous path will be honored and understood by all within the Un galaxy!”

  They both nodded while silently holding back their emotions. Taking a good look around at their surroundings, and at each other, memories flooded their minds.

  Yol had known Hynfir for roughly twenty years. They met on Xen not long after Yol had finally managed to escape from The Holy Temple. It was pure luck that a few secret members of The Tah, such as Hynfir, had been quietly recruiting for their new army.

  Once Yol had joined them, he never looked back. Not only did he join with fervor, but due to his fiery words and commanding voice, it wasn't long before he became their leader. Almost instantaneously, he found himself gaining their support as he told his fellow soldiers of his escape from the unjust rule of The Shiva, and the even more tyrannical, Holy Dei. His experiences and stories made him a hero among the soldiers of The Tah – most of them being ex-slaves themselves, or at the least, oppressed and impoverished Deiusians.

  They could easily relate to Yol's rebellious words, for the soldiers of The Tah had one, vital thing in common: they all had a deep hatred for slavery and had made a sacred vow to eradicate it from the entire Un galaxy. Everyone in The Tah knew what it was like to suffer at the hand of those who mistakenly believed themselves to be of higher mind or breed, an epidemic within the polarizing class system on Deius. However, as Yol soon found out, this epidemic was not only rampant on Deius, but also on supposedly “free thinking” planets such as Xen and Ohr.

  At first, Yol had hope for Kri, being that slavery had been outlawed there when King Atlar took the throne. Atlar even went on record saying he was willing to fight for the end of slavery, no matter what it took. Anti-slavery was what Atlar had built his election campaign around and it helped to make him the popular king he soon became, though his first years as king was more than tested by the long lasting and eventually unpopular Xen War.

  Queen Amya had given aid to Atlar's cause, but she soon found herself, as usual, limited by what The Dei allocated as proper involvement for their kingdom. Her father, Shiva the Thirteenth, had been slightly more effective when dealing with The Dei's demands, but when he died and handed his crown to Amya, his eldest daughter, The Dei defied his orders by electing Amun-Lan as official regent until Amya turned the age of eighteen. When she did reach ruling age, the priests still shunned her.

  Amya, however, was a strong willed, outspoken woman and found a way to rally the people to her side, forcing The Dei to recognize her as queen and to obey her commands, which they did, to an extent. When it came to wars, the priests of Deius usually kept from getting involved, and they were a constant shadow over any decision Amya made.

  In the end, there was no complete victory on Xen for any of the parties involved. A peace treaty had been reluctantly signed between Atlar, Amya and Lod Enra, which stipulated that Xen would be co-ruled by all three planets, which was a near impossible ruling.

  The ever beautiful and charming Queen Amya had somehow convinced everyone that Xen would be a “free outpost planet” and that, even though preexisting slaves would be allowed, no one could own new slaves, nor legally trade them, which was very similar to the new laws she had recently implemented on her own planet. She also demanded that no slave be physically or mentally harmed by their owners. How to police that order was another matter, and slavery continued as it always had before. Ohr, especially, still had plenty of slaves and had no
plans to change their ways anytime soon.

  The terms of the treaty were all agreed upon, however, and though none were truly happy with the outcome, the war indeed ended and many lives were saved, which was all that both Queen Amya and King Atlar cared about at that point. Unfortunately, Amya and Atlar had only managed to enforce regulation to the way slaves were treated, as opposed to the true freedom many were hoping for, including Yol and Hynfir. Those who were pro-slavery were glad to see the war end without too much damage to the ways they were accustomed. However, those who were anti-slavery saw Atlar as a weak, compromising leader who simply buckled to the Ohrian king, Lod Enra.

  Some historians claimed that the Slavery Regulation Treaty of Xen was based solely on the heartfelt plea for peace made by Queen Amya, but there were those who gave Atlar at least some credit in the difficult talks between the three leaders. There were also some who believed that the true reason Atlar went to war on Xen had little to do with slavery, but more to do with plasma; for it was plasma that the most powerful planets struggled to attain.

  In reality, once Sirin began losing its massive plasma supply, Ohr was forced to mine for plasma elsewhere. Xen, being ripe with uncharted pockets of plasma, was a logical choice to send their miners – along with as many Sirini slaves as they felt would be needed for decades of plasma extraction.

  Atlar's doubters, including Councilman Octian, believed that Lod Enra had cut a secret deal with Atlar in which Ohr would share the riches of Xen's plasma in exchange for Kri's tolerance of their archaic use of slavery.

  Atlar vehemently denied the allegations and even publicly stated that his sole purpose in attacking Xen was to force Ohr into recognizing that slavery should be eradicated from the hypocrisy of their “technologically advanced, yet morally backwards society.” Most Krians believed Atlar's declaration, especially his most devoted Lirhan soldiers, including a very fresh faced, young soldier named Baran. Not all believed him, though, including Hynfir, who was wrought with disillusionment.

  All the while, during the entirety of the eight year long war on Xen, The Tah had officially been in hiding, though they were very present regardless – disguised as Krian soldiers or Xenite slaves who had rebelled against their rich, Ohrian captors. To them, it was a war that signified that a change was indeed coming.

  From the beginning of The Xen War, Yol was very vocal about how the true fight for freedom must take place on Deius, where the original Tah members once called their home. Fortunately, most within The Tah eventually agreed with him - even Hynfir, who was technically only half-Deiusian.

  Even though Hynfir had grown up as a wealthy Krian and had not experienced the average Deiusian's life, Yol knew right away that Hynfir was a man of honest integrity and true bravery; their very first meeting confirmed it.

  Yol had only just joined The Tah during The Xen War and was still suffering inside from his time as a slave. He was a shy, defensive young man who was unintentionally hungry for a fight. So hungry, in fact, that when he attended his very first meeting with The Tah, Yol found himself beaten and called a spy from a few members who didn't believe his reasons for being there. It was Hynfir who readily stood up for Yol, pushing back the bullies with his own hands.

  Being the strongest voice within The Tah at the time, Hynfir took the confused, young man aside and offered him an open ear. Hynfir then learned of Yol's painful past as a slave at The Royal Palace on Deius. When he heard of what Yol had been through, Hynfir immediately declared him to be a trustworthy member of their movement, and Yol was soon accepted by every member of The Tah.

  From that point onward, Hynfir helped Yol at every turn to become the great leader he now was. Yol may not have been aware of it to begin with, but he was exactly the type of man that Hynfir had been looking for to lead the then directionless Tah. From that first fateful meeting, Hynfir could see his own fire reflected inside Yol's eyes, and it gave him hope – hope that his soul had almost forgotten.

  Hynfir had been raised on Kri with his mother, Mair, the personal handmaid to Queen Pira. He had been given nothing but love and wealth, yet he knew nothing of his absent father, for it caused his mother too much grief to speak of him. It wasn't until he was almost a man that he learned of his father's sudden death, forcing Hynfir to discover that his father had been of royal blood and was a rather rich Deiusian nobleman. Hynfir was also surprised to hear that his father had left him his entire estate, as well as his Lordship. However, Hynfir had no interest in living at his father's estate, for he felt he was Krian through and through and had no intention of leaving his home.

  He had never known slavery on his own planet, for it had been many decades since slavery existed on Kri, but when he fell in love for the first time with an ex-slave who was working as a palace stable-boy, it gave Hynfir much needed perspective. Even though he was now living as an openly homosexual man and was proud of it, Hynfir's first lover was a native Xenite, and their relationship tested his mother's old-fashioned sensibilities.

  Hynfir believed that Kri was a tolerant, modern planet, especially compared to others, but he also knew there were many of the older generation who did not understand his “life choice.” His mother had once been one of those who seemed stuck in the prejudices of the past. In time, however, his mother learned to love and accept Hynfir for his true self. His passionate fling with the stable-boy, though brief, helped to open both their eyes to the cruelty of the still legalized slavery on other planets.

  As he grew into manhood, Hynfir vowed to become a strong Krian soldier with the mission of destroying slavery in the entire Un. With his mind as focused and true as an arrow, he became one of Atlar's bravest Lirhan warriors. That was when he met his true love, Leif, who was the most beautiful, educated, and graceful man Hynfir had ever laid eyes on. With fine, silky blonde hair and sky blue eyes, Leif captured Hynfir's heart and mind instantaneously. Unfortunately, as the only son of renowned Councilman Octian, Leif had been born and bred for a life of politics – a fate Leif neither wanted nor asked for.

  Because of Leif's indifference, it didn't take Hynfir long to convince his lover to leave behind his political path and join The Lirhan. The two of them had planned to fight for freedom side by side, and for a few years, it was the best time of Hynfir's life.

  Unfortunately, The Xen War was one of the bloodiest and most costly wars in Krian history, and Leif was one of many casualties. He was killed by a plasma-bomb that struck near the temple where the Krian army had been based. Hynfir was utterly devastated, but used his pain as a catalyst to win the war, no matter what.

  He would have gladly joined Leif and lay down his own life in the fight to free the Xenite slaves, but when Atlar suddenly pulled out, signing the Slavery Regulation Treaty with Queen Amya and Lod Enra, which seemed to Hynfir as an act of unreasonable compromise, the cause that Leif had died for seemed all for naught.

  Fortunately, Hynfir had secretly made many friends within The Tah during the Xen War, and at that point, full of grief and rage about Leif's meaningless death, he was glad to officially join them. One day, without a word, he left his home and followed Yol to Deius in hopes of gaining momentum, recruits and weapons. He believed Yol had the courage and stamina that Atlar did not and was willing to fight to the death for a real end of slavery, which Yol had often passionately reiterated was his true goal. Hynfir felt they were unstoppable together as they bonded in friendship, fueling each other's fire for freedom.

  Within a decade, their numbers had grown beyond anyone's expectation, aided even more when Deius' beloved Queen Amya had died. Following her death, there was an outpouring of anger and distrust for The Dei – a situation Yol was eagerly willing to use to their advantage. Hynfir had no problem fanning the fires of anger, as long as it kept their cause alive, which it did, and then some.

  A few years later, and here they both were, two men in their forties, having won control over one of the oldest, most powerful planets in the galaxy. They hoped they would be able to mold and govern Deius with their ultimate goal in sight: to transform their planet into the model of a totally free society - one that worships, not the Gods of old, but the science of a modern world.