Navernost Lost

 

Navernost walked quietly into the room, distracted.

Fox looked up from his book on ancient Egyptian cuneiform symbolism and mathematics to smirk slightly.

“Rough night?” Fox asked.

Navernost shook his head, but said nothing. Fox set a red ribbon inside his book and closed it, indicating his full attention.

“Everything alright?” Fox asked, mildly concerned now.

“I peered into the Nexus tonight,” he said. Fox frowned. None were supposed to be messing with that thing.

“What did you see?” Fox asked.

“Tezave. But different. She was a different person. And she had left me...” he said softly, as though the words caused him pain to emit. Fox had always been a little put off by Tezave's relationship with Navernost. She always seemed more like his apprentice than his lover. But the two of them seemed inseparable, despite the significant age gap. Although amongst vampires, did such things even matter? Fox shook his head to keep himself from wandering down that path of thought and away from his friend that was clearly dealing with something at the moment.

“I don't understand. Why does that concern you so much?” Fox asked.

Navernost looked up at Fox suddenly, fiercely. The look set Fox on edge and had him tensed, ready for anything, even from a friend. He had never seen this look from his old friend. It worried him.

“Her love... it has seemed so unwavering. So absolute. I had never considered a world, a timeline, or any universe in which her love for me would cease...” Navernost said, opening the curtain and peering out into the night sky, as vampires clearly enjoyed doing. It was a past time of theirs Fox had never understood, or questioned.

Still, despite his confusion, Fox nodded.

“This is another dimension. Another world altogether. Possibly one in which the United States never became a country. One in which Europe settled forever in the Near East after the Crusades. Things might be so markedly different in that world that we would hardly recognize it as our own.”

“But Tezave's love has been an absolute in my world. One that I would never have questioned. But here it stands. There are time lines where her love fades. What if it happens in this world as well?”

“My old immortal friend, the thing us flesh bags try not to forget is that nothing is permanent. Now, some of us don't do this very well, or at least not at the right times. But that aside, the temporal part of our nature can give us the ability to try to truly appreciate what we have while we have it. Because tomorrow everything might be different. Nukes could fall. War could break out. The person you love could leave your life for no apparent reason.

“So don't assume that life will always be as it is. You should know that better than most. And even though you last forever, feelings might not. Or at least don't assume they will. If this girl has come to mean so much to you, let her know. Remind her. Stoke the fires my friend. Give her a reason to stay in love with you.”

Navernost wheeled about at this.

“But that's just it! I don't know why! I don't know why she has fallen in love with me. Or why she stays. I am just grateful to whatever powers may be that it has happened. But I don't know how to fight to keep something I don't even understand how I acquired...” the old vampire said, deflated.

There was something truly odd about watch an ancient and powerful immortal, supernatural predator deflate like this. Fox filed it away as something to chuckle about later. Visibly, he only nodded. Fox had an excellent poker face when he wished.

“Look my old friend, the only to do so then is to check in with her. Find out what makes her happy. But don't be obvious or desperate about it. That my friend is a huge turn off to the ladies. So I suggest be subtle. Watch her. Make sure she's happy. Find out what makes her happy. Again, don't appear desperate to please her. Just make it clear that you are willing to make efforts to make her happy. And you're love will grow from there,” Fox replied.

“But I don't want anything to change!” Navernost moaned.

“That's life my friend. Everything changes. Happy endings to stories depend on when you stop talking. Life will always have ups and downs. But that's what love and friendship are for. For enjoying and getting through both ends of the spectrum. Keep that in mind, and love her and check in with her, and you'll both do fine.”

Navernost nodded and left absentmindedly. Fox opened his book. After a few moments, he spoke.

“You can come out now,” Fox said without looking up.

Tezave emerged from the shadows.

“How did you know I was here?” she asked.

“I know a trick or two,” was all Fox belayed.

“So there's another world where I stop loving Navernost?” she asked, concerned. Fox rolled his eyes. These two were ridiculous.

“Hun, it could happen in this world. You never know. But maybe it happened in that world because you didn't ever find out how much he cared about you. Old Navi ain't exactly an open book most nights. Maybe you got frustrated and left,” Fox said, jotting down a note in his journal. Ibis as a catalyst for enlightenment, Isis for change, Thoth for wisdom. This would make for an interesting article. Ah, how occultists paid the bills some days...

“I'd just never thought. Never considered...” Tezave began.

“Even though you're immortal now, doesn't mean you're not still young-” Fox began. Tezave immediately rolled her eyes. Fox shook his head.

“I can go back to reading my book,” Fox added.

“No, go ahead. You'll just be thinking it anyway...” she said.

“Not really. You and Nav staying together? It has nothing to do with me. I can go back to finishing these notes, head down to the pub, drink, play pool and sleep like a baby tonight. The problem Tez, is that you already believe you know what other people are thinking, or what they're going to say. And that's what I mean about still needing to grow up. Trying to help two friends through some potential personal problems is something that would make me happy because I want you two to be happy. But I don't force my opinions on anyone. I've spent the last five years trying to forget the problems of the world. It doesn't take much to convince me to look the other way,” Fox said. He looked down and transcribed another few symbols.

“No. I want to hear what you had to say,” Tezave pressed.

“Well, the advice was free before you interrupted. Now it'll cost you a drink. I'm heading down to the pub,” Fox said with a grin, closing his book. Tezave's eyes narrowed in annoyance.