The Archaeological Chronicles - The New World

Mari

Three years later

The first year was the hardest. Long story short: I told the police I was kidnapped and raped and then put back to the same spot they kidnapped me from.

They bought the story.

I got a lot of money from the government as an ‘uprising’ from the trauma I’ve suffered. It came to good use.

The media stayed clear, luckily.

My mom cried for an entire week after I got home. Hugged me close every time she got the chance.

I was an emotional wreck and if it wasn’t for Gudrun and my family, I wouldn’t have been able to submit my thesis. I got a smashing A on it, too.

She moved in with me permanently, in the new apartment I bought with the money from the government. She stayed with me for the entire year, keeping me sane.

She held me when I had night terrors, when I started hyperventilating if anyone got too near. She was my hero.

I told her everything. I showed her countless pictures and videos of the place I was taken to.

The dumb aliens never thought I was smart enough to record the place I was being held in. I had a few pictures of the siblings, as well. So that she could see their faces.

She held me as I cried when I told her how I ended up back on earth. Told me that I should never feel ashamed of what happened.

Ever.

She forced me to tell the rest of Coreology about it, too. If someone were to believe it, it was them.

They got to read the book Zuuri sent with me, too. They were concerned for my health for a long time. They were all there for me.

Helping me through the worst part of my entire life.

They were there.

I was in constant fear that he would suddenly show up, but he never did.

If I stayed there for three months, and it seemed like only one week here, that makes a month here – 12 months on Ter’ais. A year on earth was therefore equivalent to 144 years on Ter’ais.

It made no sense if he was suddenly about to show up now, after 432 years.

The virus had spread widely, but only after two intense years of lock-downs and constant ‘safe distancing’, the Russians finally broke the code and brought the world a vaccine.

It wasn’t only for the rich and powerful, it was sent throughout the world, free for all.

The states in immediate connection with the Russians contributed greatly to send the vaccine around the world for free.

Humanity wasn’t as bad as Kai’ine thought it was. Some were selfish, most were not.

In the end, the data collected from around the globe, well over three million deaths in total. It was probably more, but it was hard to get a concrete number on it.

These deaths were only based on the viral infection.

There were countless other deaths from the Black Lives Matter movement, the uproars in Russia, the concentration camp in China and whatnot.

The earth was too horrible to handle at one point. Leaving me with doubts about humanity myself.

The second year was better. Gudrun moved out, leaving me to myself. It was good for me.

I applied for the PhD I’ve always dreamt of, and I got it! I’m currently working on it as we speak.

I have four years in total to finish it, and I’m now on my second.

Life was good. I am happy. At ease.

The nightmares had subsided. I felt more and more like myself as time went by. To force my body in change, I tattooed my entire forearms.

With flowers from earth, flowers from Ter’ais. Childhood cartoons. Bees. It was my masterpiece. It was my way of taking my body back.

Back from him. He didn’t own it anymore. It was finally mine, again.

Gudrun got hired for work in Oslo, at the museum. She was currently out doing field work. She loved that. We called each other nearly every day.

Amalie was hired in Italy, the lucky bastard. She was one of the few lucky ones to be hired to do some more systematic work on Pompeii. So lucky.

Ingrid moved to Scotland. Also currently out doing field work. She had always loved that country. She deserved happiness, too.

Bernt went to northern Norway with David and Olav. The three of them are currently digging out the third big Viking Ship in Norway.

We hope it’s bigger than the Oseberg ship. Those lads were always inseparable. Cuties.

Was currently doing some field work in southern Norway, in Stavanger. The fieldwork could help he place my thesis in the right direction.

The people who lived here during the Iron Age was strongly connected to the British Isles and that was just the information I was after.

I was hoping to find some insular artefacts here, before heading straight to Shetland, Scotland, England and Ireland to continue collecting data.

The location was beautiful, and we have been lucky with the weather, so far. You never know in Rogaland. Mandatory field work clothes consisted of work wear in screaming yellow.

No one would miss me if I passed them by. It was comfortable and did its job, so I didn’t mind.

I took a deep breath. Smelling the summer in the air. The birds were chirping, sun shining. I had to put on sunscreen to block my sensitive skin from it. I get terrible sun burns every summer.

I place my pale blue Fjellräven caps on my head, pulling the ponytail through.

My hair had grown to waist-length now. I loved it that way.

We were just finished with lunch, and I, as a project leader had to run back to the office for some paperwork.

I had just parked my car and was heading up the tiny hill to get to the field. I hummed a tune silently for myself as I made my way through the grassed field, my hands full with equipment.

I feel a slight shift in the air, but brushed it off. After Kai’ine marked me, I could feel a lot more things that I never felt before.

My taste, smell, hearing – everything was slightly better. I think that was the only perk of the mark.

I hated it otherwise.

‘’Mai’yri,’’.

I stop dead in my tracks.

Not daring to turn and face where the sound came from. I brush it off.

I have though I’ve heard him call for me before, it’s something my therapist say is normal after suffering from trauma.

Shaking my head once, I continue my way up the hill. The air shifted again. The birds grew silent.

Everything grew eerily silent.

‘’Mai’yri,’’ he calls again.

I close my eyes once, taking a deep breath. Clenching my jaw. This better be my imagination. Just to humor myself, I turn and look in the direction where the voice came from.

There he was. Standing in all his glory, looking at me with those eyes.

Those fucking eyes.

I blink twice. Trying to see if this is still my imagination.

It’s not. He’s still standing there. In his regal clothing. More jewels adorning his outfit, than what he usually wore during my time on Ter’ais.

Almost five hundred years has passed for him.

He doesn’t look any different to me. Maybe a little bulkier. More muscle. More muscle to force me down.

I breathe in again and throw everything I have in my hands to the ground.

He can’t do this to me right now.

I stomp angrily towards him, standing right before him, looking up at his terrifying height.

He’s still expressionless, as always.

‘’No!’’ I yell at him.

He looks confused for a moment.

‘’You don’t get to do this. Not now, not ever. Go away!’’ I growl at him.

I’m done being scared. I was terrified of him for years. Not anymore. I’m a grown woman.

I can take care of myself.

‘’What have you done to your arms?’’ he nods towards my tattooed arms, completely ignoring my outburst.

I clench my jaw, blink once and just turn away from him, walking away.

I’m not dealing with this right now. I have a project to lead.

He grab me by my upper arm, pulling me back. The touch sends waves of old memories floating through me. Taking me back to my twenty-four-year-old self.

Taking me back to my nightmares.

As if physically hurt by my reaction, he releases me immediately.

I still have my back to him, heaving.

’’You don’t touch me. Ever,’’ I snarl.

I have used the last three years of my life being terrified of meeting him again, and now that he’s standing in front of me – all I can feel is anger.

Utter furiousness.

He raises his hands slightly, surrendering.

I start walk walking away from him once again, refusing to let him have any more seconds of my time.

‘’Little Viking,’’ he calls as I walk away from him.

I continue ignoring him, once again headed to the field.

The air shifts. He re-appears a few meters in front of me. Hair floating wildly around him.

There was no wind out today.

He was using matter. Dark purple-colored lines appear on his face, swirling around it in a special pattern. He didn’t have that three years ago?

It made him appear more dangerous, more alien.

‘’I was not supposed to come back so soon,’’ he states calmly.

‘’But you were coming back?’’ I snap back at him. Feeling trapped.

‘’Of course, I was,’’ he state matter-of-factly. Like it was the most obvious thing.

‘’Why didn’t you just come after me three years ago?’’ I snap back, wanting to push past him but an internal battle took hold of me first.

I don’t want to touch him. I don't want him to touch me.

After I came back to earth, I couldn’t stand physical contact, especially from the opposite sex. It was in my power to say no, to step away from it.

No one could force me here. I wanted it to stay that way.

An almost guilty look crosses his face, before returning straight to expressionless. ‘’The twins prevented me,’’ is his only answer.

’’Said it was best to ‘give you space’,’’ he quotes.

The twins. The only thing I missed from that planet were those two. And Kaohl.

‘’You can give me more space. Forty more years or so,’’ I spit out.

He doesn’t respond. He moves his gaze directly to the ring I’m still wearing after all this time.

His gaze shifts back to mine.

‘’You are not safe here anymore. Not that you ever were, but the humans will not be able to protect you from it any longer,’’ he explains.

‘’The what now?’’ I raise my voice. ‘’You’ve had people following me around?’’ I ask.

Daring him to say yes.

‘’How else do you expect me to keep you safe?’’ he answers.

I close my eyes once again, rubbing the spot between my eyebrows furiously.

‘’So you are basically telling me,’’ I sneer out. Pausing. ’’That you have been watching me for this entire time? Employing humans to do it?’’

I stare him straight in the eye. He nods once.

A frustrated scream leaves my mouth. Forcing myself to not make too much noise.

The five people who were in the field could hear us, and I didn’t want them to come looking.

Before he can say anything more, I hold my hand up. Silencing him.

‘’I can’t deal with this right now. I need to get back to the field. This can wait until I’m done with work,’’ I state. ‘’Keep your distance until then,’’ I snap as I push past him, smacking my shoulder straight into his arm.

Probably hurting me more than him, but I made my point nonetheless.

I pick up the things I threw to the ground only moments ago, and walk away from him.

Tears threaten to spill, but I swallow them back. I have work to do. Nothing will come in my way for this job.

Not even a white haired alien with striking blue and yellow eyes.

When they see me coming up from the hill, they all stop their work and come over to greet me.

‘’Did you get the dating report from NTNU?’’ Synnøve ask as she helps me carry all the equipment.

‘’Yeah,’’ I breathe. ‘’It’s exactly as we though. We’re looking at a Viking Age house and a few burials around. This looks very promising!’’ I explain as I hand her the sheet of the dating.

‘’Amazing! I knew you had found the right spot to open up a field,’’ Oliver praise.

I give them both a warm smile.

‘’Let’s get to work then!’’ I chirp as I grab my trowel and bucket.

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So what do you guys think so far? Really excited to hear your feedback on the three last chapters (ch. 27 is the last) ;)