ITHOE: Bastions of the universe

I stared up at the alien wondering what exactly was happening to me. Had I gotten stoned last night? No, I shook my head. I would know if I had. Then again I may have gotten so stoned I can no longer remember getting stoned. That was always a possibility.

"That isn't really what I'm truly called, but they serve as suitable translation in the lacking primary language of your people," the alien continued speaking.

"Yeah, right?" I acknowledged. My past military training was the only thing keeping me from freaking out right now and frankly I found this interesting.

Maybe whatever this was there was some danger to it. On that note: "What are you here for?" I asked the alien, Primus.

Primus visage became grim as he responded. "My time draws close to an end and I have a very great duty, one I must find someone worthy enough to pass on to."

I nodded and smirked. "Let me guess, I'm this someone." Primus nodded, making me scoff. What did he take me for? I was homeless, not stupid. "Whatever your duty is, turn around and return to it. Leave me out of it."

The alien appeared shocked for a bit. He blinked and straightened himself like the moment of surprise never happened. "I would have thought you would be highly receptive to this."

I gave him a deadpan look. "What do they say about assumption?" I teased, only to receive a look of utter confusion from Primus. Ah, yeah, I forgot... alien, I thought. "Look, do you think I'm stupid? I don't know what this is or if you're truly honest about your claims, but that's alright because I'm sure about one thing. You have the look of a man... I mean, someone. You have the look of someone who's about to bestow all his burdens and misfortune on someone else. That's the look of a Colonel leaving all the work to a sergeant even while knowing he wasn't up to task, and claiming he's doing him a lot of good, helping him advance in life."

I bit my lips to avoid using more of my past as a metaphor. I hadn't expected to go that far with the analogy. I seriously shouldn't be awake by now. I was not a morning person and was beginning to speak unchecked. It was all from lack of sleep. Could this also be a trick of my mind from that same lack of sleep?

Taking a moment I let out a deep breath to regain myself. I focused on Primus once more as he began to speak.

"I believe you misjudged me. There is no easy way to make you believe me, regardless I must tell you a story. In the primal days, after the birth of the universe, a phenomenon was engendered by the infantile universal to protect itself. This phenomenon brought about the existence of the Aeons. The Aeons are aspects and elements of the universe having adopted spirit form. Each are primal concepts, existing alongside their complementary opposites. They form the foundation of various philosophical, spiritual, and cultural frameworks that attempt to explain the nature of reality. Let me give you a brief explanation of the ten Aeons in terms you can understand."

I just nodded at him, watching him wax poetically like some ancient Greek philosopher. It was impossible to believe him and yet I did. I believed anything these days, it was a sign of my ever deteriorating mental state.

"First we have the most primal Aeon," Primus began his explanation of the Spirits of the Universe, "Genesis, the Beginning, the spiritual form of the state of origin of everything within the universe. And then there's Genesis' complementary opposite, Finire, the End. Both represent the boundaries of existence, creation, and destruction. Next there is Tryggr, the Universal Spirit of Order and Treta, the Universe Spirit of Chaos. Tryggr and Treta embody the struggle between structure and disorder, harmony and randomness. After them there's Lihtine, the Universal Spirit of Light and Kimmerien, the Universe Spirit of Darkness. These Aeons are in a flux, a steady flowing relationship, symbolizing knowledge and ignorance, good and evil, and the eternal interplay between illumination and obscurity. Amongst the Aeons we have the most adversarial pair: Ativ, the Universal Spirit of Life and Zid, the Universe Spirit of Death. Ativ and Zid are a pair that have been in conflict since their genesis, and they are primal forces that attempt to contend with each other with every given opportunity. They're the fundamental cycle of existence, where birth and growth are balanced by decay and transformation. Finally we have Noyanu, the Universal Spirit of Unity and Xim, the Universal Spirit of Duality. These two Aeons are very linked to Genesis, possessing aspects of origin and continuation respectively, reflecting the tension between oneness and separation, wholeness and fragmentation, and the interconnectedness of all things."

I wanted to take out a pen and paper to write this down so I'd never forget. Admittedly, I must credit Primus, he was a better lecturer than any I'd ever met. His voice, choice of words, and mysterious air grasped my attention in an enveloping hold. I could see myself envisioning each facet of the story.

It was a fascinating tale. One that had me seriously hooked, but I didn't know the purpose of it. Why was he telling me this?

"Eh, Primus?" He gave me an enquiring look, prompting me to go on. "What is the essence of your story?"

He shrugged. "You would have grasped it if only you were patient enough with me to let me tell it to its fullness."

"Ah," I said, feigning an enlightened look. "So in other words, it's your own fault for not knowing as you didn't shut up and let me finish. Understood, carry on."

The alien appeared bewildered. "I never meant to be so hostile with my response. Apologies if you perceived any hostility from me."

I sighed and shook my head. He made it so hard to be mad at him. I just waved him on, "get on with it."