by Willan Ellis
Teanne woke to the sun warming her face. She stretched, her legs cramping as she lengthened her body. She had fallen asleep against the wall, again. Tracing her fingers along the stone making circles, she smiled sleepily. It was warm, as it always was. Blinking, she looked up to the sky - not a cloud to be seen. The warm air filled her lungs as she took a long breath; it was going to be a beautiful day. She smiled to herself as she slowly yawned.
Teanne jolted upright, the realisation flooding her sleepy mind. She checked for the stone, it was there, but it was cold, and black. Standing and wiping the sleep from her eyes, she looked towards the temples; they stood proudly against the rising sun. She looked toward the surrounding village, small puffs of smoke started to filter through the chimneys as it awakened. Was it all a dream? Hope began filling her.
Brushing the dirt from her clothes, she noticed the black pants and shirt - she didn’t recall choosing to wear them. Teanne looked around - she needed to find Chev, to find Jacob. She headed towards the village and the Mother Temple that stood proudly in the rising sun. Her forehead creased as she tried to process what was happening. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she hurried through the village on the path she and Chev had followed the night before, she slowed as she turned the corner.
The bodies were not there.
An elderly villager stopped short as Teanne walked by, and the old woman curtsied; hesitantly Teanne returned the curtsy and kept moving. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the woman grab a man and point after her. Teanne's confusion grew as more of the villagers curtsied as she approached. A young girl no more than ten turns skipped towards her. She stopped abruptly and bowed. Looking up she smiled. Teanne thought her face was somewhat familiar.
‘Blessings to the Sovereign.’
Teanne returned the bow and watched as she continued skipping away. A large flaxen ball from another child, shot out in front of the girl, who skidded to a halt and grunted something in the direction of the children.
Finally arriving at the temple stairway, Teanne hesitantly took a step, expecting her feet to slosh from water or mud; they didn’t. Holding her breath she made her way up towards the entrance of the Mother Temple.
The large doors were no longer hanging from their hinges. Everything was as it should be, except standing at attention to either side were guards. There had never before been guards at the temple. They were clothed in black head-to-toe, both barefoot, each holding a long spear over his left arm. Both guards had what looked like lines carved into their faces – she had never seen anything like it before. Teanne was finding it difficult to catch her breath. They bowed as she approached and pulled the doors open.
Teanne entered the hallway, noticing the walls were alight with the same vein like lines as in the below world, and the walls were gleaming with gold leaf. It has to be a dream! She looked up at the walls to the paintings that hung proudly where the day before they were burnt, and then cautiously she moved forward, slowing as she heard the laughter of children. She saw two children running around the columns playing hide and seek; a young girl with ringlets screamed with pleasure as the other pounced on her. Teanne felt saddened, remembering her and Chev as children.
'This is a dream Teanne' she whispered to herself, you need to wake up.
‘There you are. Hurry up. They have nearly finished.’ The woman grabbed Teanne and started pulling her toward the rear of the Mother Temple, toward the sacred garden. Teanne fought, but the woman’s grip was fierce.
‘It’s not going to be that bad, flames breath you will be the end of me.’ The woman looked her up and down, ‘nice outfit, felt like slumming it again, did we?’
Teanne was sure now. This is a dream!
Reaching the entrance to the sacred garden, Teanne tried to stop the woman again, but it was no use, her grip was firm and as she pulled her through the entrance, Teanne stopped short.
There were rows of sisters kneeling with their foreheads to the ground. The slow humming coming from the women made the sight ethereal, and the hypnotic swaying made Teanne feel light headed. These were Elite sisters – but that was impossible - There was only one Sister Elite, and she had died, I was there when she died.
Teanne looked around the garden frantically, and froze on a pair of piercing eyes looking straight at her. She felt her knees grow weak; the woman next to her steadied her and pulled her down so they were both kneeling on the ground. Teanne could not look away from the woman on the rotunda – she was the Mother Sovereign – the First Mother Sovereign.
‘What’s wrong with you?’ The woman to her side asked slapping her arm. Teanne felt foolish but could only shrug her shoulders. Maybe she was still in the below world, and all this was a part of the dream; she felt for the stone, it was still secure in its pouch. If this was a dream, then why did she have the stone? Teanne jumped when all the sisters in unison loudly finished their prayer with an affirmation to the woman on the rotunda.
‘Today is a day of celebration,’ applause broke out amongst the sisters as the Mother Sovereign spoke, ‘we have been blessed by the safe arrival of our friends from Aelia.’ Teanne followed the Mother Sovereign's gaze to a small group standing under large coverings being held by more men like those at the entrance. Teanne flinched as she felt the stone heat. She continued to look around, little specks of light fluttered across her sight as everything began to spin, faster and faster until she finally felt herself collapse and lose consciousness.
‘Mother Sovereign, you know what she is like when she is in one of her moods. I cannot look out for her, every waking moment.’
Teanne slowly woke to the voices in the room; she was lying on a huge bed, bigger than she had ever been in, and there was white cloth hanging from the ceiling, flowing slightly in the breeze. She turned her head to the side and watched the woman from earlier, and the Mother Sovereign continue to argue. They were arguing about someone called Kera.
‘It is your duty – one day Kera will be your sovereign. Enough excuses Lin!’
Lin
‘Head Elder Lin?’ Teanne heard the voice escape her lips, but did not recognise it. She felt herself sink further into the pillows as both women turned to look at her. The younger woman smirked as she responded to Teanne, ‘Ha! Is that an offer?’
‘Go to your studies Lin, I’ll deal with you later. I need to speak to my daughter.’ Lin winked at Teanne as she left. Slowly she pulled herself up, and moved to the edge of the bed. Every movement felt foreign.
‘Where were you?’ Teanne looked at the Mother Sovereign who had her arms crossed and the look on her face could have set Luia a light.
‘I... ah.. .’ Teanne tried to reply but her mouth was dry.
‘Flames below, if you were not my child....’ the Mother Sovereign sighed and lowered her head, ‘today is an important day, we are secure in our relationship with the Order Lords, they are happy. Those idiots from Aelia still believe we are joined with them against the Order Lords, but they will learn of the true power of Luia... once the Estrus is returned to us.’
Teanne looked at the Mother Sovereign, and instantly reached for the pouch. She thought about giving it to the Mother Sovereign, but a sudden surge of heat from the stone made her stop, she recalled the malice in the eyes of the woman from the below world.
The Mother Sovereign moved to the bed and sat on the end never taking her eyes off Teanne, ’you are the next Sovereign, Kera. You must learn your place, enough of these disappearing acts.
So are you going to tell me where you have been?
‘I... I feel asleep against the wall’ Teanne moved her fingers first to her lips, and then to her face pressing and feeling. Confusion settled in rapidly – why did her face feel so different?
‘You are not a very convincing liar, Kera.'
Who in Mothers name was Kera? Teanne thought.
'I hope you weren’t in the below world again. You need to move on, no one has used that
Tomb, for turns, you will never find answers down there... not unless
you have the message runes?’
‘Well, well... you were in the below world again. Tell me little one, have you found the message runes?’
‘No’ Teanne replied quickly, knowing that what she said was truthful.
‘Really? I don’t believe you’ the Mother Sovereign replied maliciously ‘you can be quite deceptive when you want to be. But you do know how important it would be for Luia and me, if we had those stones’ the Mother Sovereign stood and Teanne cowered as she moved to stand over her. Teanne steadied her nerves as she looked at the mother sovereign carefully, and instantly felt a surge of warmth up her side from the stone, this time however the surge eased her feeling of apprehension, she felt instantly relaxed – empowered almost.
Let the stone guide you, Teanne laughed out loud as she tapped the pouch with her finger – the warmth lessened.
‘This is serious! Flames below, tell me now do you have the message runes?!’
‘No!’ Teanne replied confidently, and slowly moved the pouch around her belt out of sight, her heart sank as she realised the Mother Sovereign had seen it.
‘What do you have there?’ The Mother Sovereign smiled wickedly.
‘Nothing’!
Teanne felt a surge rise up through her, but this time it wasn’t from the stone. She found it hard to catch her breath. The pressure in her head grew, the tears began welling in her eyes; she wanted to scream.
'You know I do not like secrets my little one, particularly if it has anything to do with the runes or the … ' the mother sovereign moved closer to Teanne who had now fallen to the floor clenching her fists against her head, 'you do not have the message runes, so what would you be so inclined to keep from me in that little pouch of yours?' Teanne shook her head vigorously.
Like a puppeteer the mother sovereign lifted her hands and waggled her fingers. Without any control Teanne lifted her arms and watched helplessly as the pouch fell to the floor; she watched as the mother sovereign picked it up and looked inside, the pressure in Teannes head eased.
'You disappoint me Kera; you should be able to counteract a manipulation spell being used on you!' The mother sovereign turned and walked back to the window, without turning she whispered, 'or you must learn to lie my sweet-ling'.
‘Give that back, it does not belong to you’ Teanne wiped the tears from her eyes, and looked as the mother sovereign dangled the pouch between her fingers, Teanne wet her lips, and pulled herself up from the floor,
‘Kera, Kera, Kera... you have been a busy little thing’
‘My name is.... Teanne’ her name was nothing more than a whisper as she watched the Mother Sovereign turn on her heel, and cocking her head to the side lifted her hand. A loud crackling sound filled the room, Teanne felt herself fly across the room, her head slamming against a writing table. She tried to pull herself up but the pain pushed her back to the floor. She looked through clouded eyes over to the Mother Sovereign, who was now looking at her with complete hatred. Everything went dark.
Luia – Afternoon
