8 - A thought too many

Razeen’s eyes widened as he took in his new surroundings. The white that had been cast before his eyes before was replaced with a murky atmosphere laced with red. The terrain was rocky and covered in magma, save the circular stone that the future chief stood on at the centre of the fiery expanse. The red sky overhead started to rumble as the underfoot and a figure emerged from the molten rock and magma. 

“Razeen, I have waited forever to finally meet you, my boy,” the molten figure said in a voice that sounded fitting to a being made from the Earth’s core. 

Razeen was not usually one to talk to unnamed deities, but he was also taught by his grandmother to respect the spiritual world and all who dwell there, the Orishas especially. Based on the fact that they were currently surrounded by volcanoes and there was a literal magma figure standing in front of him, he was most definitely talking to Aganjú, the Orisha of volcanoes, the wilderness, and the river. His gran had always paid extra care with this Orisha for some reason. His long locks were covered in flames, and he held double axes in each of his hands. Another dead giveaway. 

“Your Holiness, It is an honour to meet you as well,” he said with a curt voice and a bowed head. 

“You’re a man now. I suspect you’ve started to experience things about you changing lately, haven’t you?” the Orisha asked in a … sympathetic voice? Razeen’s throat tightened, and he raised his head in surprise. What was he talking about? What experiences?

“I see, you are still blocking it off. I thought encountering your sister might have woken you up, but I see that you are still unaware of your true nature,” Aganjú spoke. SISTER? He raised his battle axes above his head and then met Razeen’s eyes before bringing them down with force into the molten ground. The earth cracked in two and lava bubbled right beneath the ground before erupting from the cracks and painting the floor red. Razeen’s eyes widened, and he tried to turn to run away but the Orisha made sure that was not an option. “Don’t run, my boy. Welcome the lava onto your person. It missed you, my son, and now you will be one again.” 

Razeen tried his hardest to jerk his feet out from the melting stone, but it was all for nought. It was like he was immobile, and his body no longer belonged to him. He started to get frustrated at the lack of control over his own body. The frustration turned to fear as the lava got closer to him. He could feel the heat of the molten lava scrape at his skin, buying past the suit he was wearing and penetrating directly into his skin. Soon the lava reaches its own heat waves stabbed at the young chief’s bones. It should have been a searing pain. It should have reduced him to ash, but Razeen found that instead of pain, the lava brought comfort. It felt like it was accepting him and welcoming him home to a place he never knew that he belonged to. And yet he knew it now. As soon as the lava touched his skin, he knew who he was. 

“That’s good, my son. Welcome the heat of our Earth’s soul into your own. Don’t fight your destiny,” Aganjú spoke and walked towards his son. He placed a hand on his son’s shoulder and looked deeply into Razeen’s eyes before leaning forward to kiss his boy on his forehead. 

“Now that you are awake, come find me,” he instructed and then the heat left Razeen’s body all at once. 

The red sky parted, and the ground fell away. Soon the whiteness of the spiritual realm returned … just in time for Razeen to open his eyes. 

“… everyone, stand in celebration for the newly united couple: Razeen and Kelly Kandake-Okpara, our future chiefs,” the Sangoma announced to all of the guests. 

Both Kelly and Razeen opened their eyes simultaneously opened and met each other’s gaze. It was surreal as if they were both instantly aware that the other had shared their experience and yet they were alone in their spiritual realization. 

They searched each other’s eyes for any sign that their betrothed knew what they just experienced. They searched each other’s eyes they each received a ring. Razeen’s was placed on Kelly’s finger and hers was placed around his wrist. It was the physical representation of their union and would never be able to be removed for as long as their union stood. They both understood this as they leaned forward, as instructed, to share their first kiss and only kiss. 

They were bound. And soon their bond would have to be consummated. That was the goal for tonight. They both knew it was true. Both of them went through their post-nuptial celebration with a thousand thoughts crashing around their minds and only one name on their tongue. 

Tamsyn. 

To Razeen, she was his sister and she was the only other person who understood his newfound connection to the Earth’s molten core. 

To Kelly, she was a promise of her destiny and her heart, but she was also the person most likely to know what her spiritual encounter meant. 

Both halves of the newlywed couple were independently aware that they needed to seek out Tamsyn if they had any hope of finding the answers they needed. 

By the time they reached their wedding bed, they what had to be done. 

They had to share a bed tonight. 

Razeen was nervous and confused and mostly he was confused. His thoughts were going a thousand kilometres a second and he was struggling to keep up. The second problem was his breathing, another thing that he could not get a grip on. Especially since he was supposed to share a bed with his WIFE in a few moments and he had no idea how to go about it. It was not like he was inexperienced, but this was not some stranger that he could forget the next day. This was the woman he’d spend the rest of his life with. So, there was no room for error. He had to make sure that she enjoyed herself and that she was proud to be with him. That was a lot of pressure. And the pressure was not the best thing to be under when a young man’s performance was at stake. 

Kelly was not shy about her body. The human body and its natural naked state were something to celebrate instead of letting it inspire fear or embarrassment. She was not afraid of Sex either, that was beautiful too. Natural and beautiful and the closest two souls could ever get to each other. But that was the issue, sex was special and it mattered. The problem was Tamsyn. She wanted to make love to her and not her younger brother. Kelly almost giggled at how ridiculous the whole situation was. So, instead of giggling, she undid her dress and let her dress fall from her shoulder. Maybe if she let it happen like fate had set out, it would all be okay. She could learn to love Razeen with time. 

They both stood in front of each other. Both naked. Both worried about a thousand things that had nothing to do with each other’s hearts. And both of them dreading what was going to happen next. 

“So…” Razeen said and then cleared his throat. He forced himself to not scan her body like a creep. He always struggled with that part but he needed to be somewhat respectful. Considering his ma told him on more than one occasion that she’d castrate him in his sleep and dangle his family gemstones in the village courtyard if she ever heard that he’d disrespected a woman from their village. 

He cleared his throat when Kelly looked at him expectantly. He started to unbutton his shirt and then proceeded to struggle with getting it off for minutes on end. His heart was beating out of his chest and everything about the situation felt wrong. Kelly started to shift on her feet and then she started to pick at her wedding band. She sat down on the bed and picked at the blanket. Razeen felt even more inadequate and stressed and all of that compounded to make his lungs constricted and everything turned red. He was going to throw up or explode. 

Kelly recognised the signs of it. How could she not, it was like she was looking at Tamsyn. She knew what to do. She went to the kitchen to whip up a quick elixir and handed it to her new husband. 

Razeen chugged down the drink that his new wife presented to him and immediately clutched his head as the tension in his body shot up to his head and squeezed his brain in a vice grip. 

“How did you do that?” Razeen’s asked with wide eyes and a racing heart. 

Kelly gave him a knowing look and shrugged her shoulders before smiling at the nervous man in front of her. 

“You are not the first Orisha bloed I’ve met,” she giggled and continued to look away again. Razeen’s eyes widened when he remembered his current state.