by Drew Wagar
She turned to look, craning her neck around to see where the sound was coming from. The organ was actually positioned over the arch that they had come through to enter the temple. She could see enormous golden tubes which looked similar to those of the simple wooden flutes she’d seen children playing with, magnified a hundred fold.
Kiri had never felt anything like it. The organ volume increased until she could feel it vibrating through her whole body. The choir began chanting note after harmonised note, reaching ever higher plateaus of sound. On every face was an expression of joy and rapture. They reached the last lines of the chant and suddenly Lacaille blazed out from behind the clouds, shining strongly through the multi-coloured windows, bathing the congregation in sparkling light. Kiri felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and felt a huge shiver go through her, like a sudden chill.
Silence fell and Kiri saw Charis arise from the bench in front of her, stepping smoothly forward. After a brief nod, Nerina and Merrin joined her.
Charis, Nerina and Merrin knelt at the base of the monument with heads bowed. There was now silence in the temple, save for the distant crackle of flames. No one moved, or dared to make a noise.
There was a faint scrape of a chair against the stone floor from ahead. Kiri saw that the figure behind the altar was slowly rising, straightening to its full height. It moved slowly, almost painfully. Kiri could see a staff in its hand, clearly being used to support it as it circumnavigated the altar and unhurriedly proceeded towards them, walking between the massed ranks of the choir.
The figure’s gait was uneven, limping from one foot with a heavy step, counterpointed by a sharp click from the staff and then a shuffling scrape from the other foot as it was dragged forward. Halfway towards the monument the figure paused, as if recovering strength for the remaining distance.
Kiri spared a glance at her fellow candids. Sahria wore something resembling a sympathetic expression, apparently concerned for the frailty of whoever it was that was slowly making their way towards the priestesses. Tasha looked bored, but Rihanna’s face was the most interesting. Kiri saw an undisguised expression of disgust on her face. Rihanna seemed to notice her scrutiny, turning and giving Kiri an unpleasant glare by return.
The figure arrived at the monument. Nerina and Merrin stepped smoothly to their feet as the figure raised its arms, their heads still bowed in deference. The staff was taken and safely stored to one side by Charis. Nerina and Merrin gently eased the cowl aside, revealing an aged face crowned with a lavish and opulent tiara, wrapped around thin and fragile silver hair. It was a woman, a woman of many rounds indeed. Kiri had never seen anyone so old. Her skin was paper thin, pale and almost translucent, the bones of her face and hands could clearly be seen. She was shorter than Kiri and looked to weigh far less. Nerina and Merrin stepped backwards, the cowl and cloak in their combined hands. The woman was dressed in a dark-hued yet beautifully ornate sweeping gown embroidered with the iridescent sparkling shells of some long dead sea creature.
Nerina stepped forward, gently supporting the old woman.
‘Pay homage to Launa, high priestess of Daine, Darek, Daria, Kerchin, Farren, Goshe and all other provinces shadeward of the Long Downs loyal to Drayden.’
Every head in the temple bowed in unison. A moment of silence was observed before everyone looked back up.
After a pause, Launa raised a wrinkled and aged-spotted hand with a brief wave.
At once the candids began filing out of their pews, arranging themselves in a circle around the enigmatic old woman. Kiri followed Sahria out and joined the circle. Before long all the candids, some two dozen or thereabouts, were arranged all facing inwards to the old priestess.
Another brief flicker of Launa’s hand and the candids knelt, going down on the left knee first. Kiri followed them.
Launa looked down at them and then spoke, her voice crackling across the intense silence; rough and sharp.
‘We testify to the truth.’
Kiri had to stop herself from gasping. Launa’s voice was hollow-sounding, almost coarse, rattling out as if through dry bones, but Kiri could sense it was underscored by use of the seeing. The emotion tore through alongside the words, sharp snatches of bitterness, prejudice, discrimination, suffering and despair mixed with inconsolable loss. Every candid felt the outpouring and was buffeted by it. Kiri felt tears spring to her eyes.
‘We are the survivors,’ Launa continued, ‘now held by Lacaille for seven generations beyond the war, blessed by the shadeward wind and saved from the destruction of the wicked.’
The old woman’s voice was dry, calm and unemotional, yet the seeing resounded with terrifying clamour …
The wicked, how cruel they were! Their utterly contemptible war! Why did they start it? So many killed and for what?
Around her, many of the candids were already sobbing, desperately trying to hold themselves together as the wash of passion swept over them, threatening to overwhelm. The crowd of onlookers muttered in surprise at the reactions of the candids, most unaware of the sweeping emotional undercurrent.
‘We are the survivors, raptured safely from a sinful world, when all others were cast into the pit or the frozen wastes.’
Those terrible sinners! Those hateful others! Why did they sin? The desolation of the wastes!
Launa raised her head slightly.
‘We are the survivors, spared from the suffering of the world, saved from the weeping and gnashing of teeth. Humble recipients of the gift of life denied to so many.’
Kiri felt tears rolling down her own cheeks now. At the ‘gnashing of teeth’ several of the younger candids had thrown themselves forward on the floor with wrenching groans, shuddering and writhing on the floor. Kiri could hear them pleading for Launa’s monologue to stop, unable to bear anymore. Kiri clenched her teeth and refused to take her eyes from Launa’s face.
‘Redeemed from those who practice base and fell crafts; those we call the Exiles.’
Hatred! Blasphemy! Evil! They do not deserve mercy! The Exiles must be punished!
Kiri’s throat was dry, her body trembling with the effort of not turning away. She was conscious of groans all around her now, but it took all the will she had just to keep herself upright and not throw herself cowering on the floor in a gibbering heap. She looked at Charis, her eyes were closed, a tear marking each cheek, even Merrin seemed to be struggling, only Nerina seemed unaffected. Her eyes were open, looking around at the candids with an almost distasteful air, her gaze caught on Kiri for a brief moment and Kiri saw the tiniest of smiles flicker on her features.
Launa continued, her words accompanied by a fresh wave of raw and hammering emotion.
‘Their throats were open graves, their tongues practiced deceit. The poison of snares was on their lips. Their mouths were full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet were swift to shed blood; ruin and misery marked their ways and the ways of peace they knew not. In their eyes was no fear of Lacaille.’
Kiri shuddered, sweat cooled on her body, making her shiver uncontrollably.
How evil the Exiles were! They shunned the gift of life they had been given, squandering their chances, failing to learn from the mistakes of the past, bound to repeat them once again!
‘All of them sinned and fell short of the glory of Lacaille. They said they had no sin and they deluded themselves. The truth was not in them. Remember now what the elements tell us of those days, how close we came to destruction.’
We were so lucky to have survived!
Launa raised her head, staring sightless into the distance, her voice continuing to rasp.
‘In those times we were tasked with eradicating that evil. We failed in that task. Those responsible were almost destroyed, but some survived and fled, surviving to spread their evil once more in lands afar.’
We failed! We left that work unfinished, thus evil remains, festers and grows once more, threatens to overwhelm us …
‘What should their punishment be?’ Launa sa
id, her voice now barely above a whisper. ‘What are the wages of their sin? What must be done?’
Drayden must survive, must prevail! A holy duty to cleanse, purge and make good all that which was laid waste! Esurio must be cleansed!
Kiri shuffled closer, almost hypnotised, her fists clenched, her body tense. She couldn’t help herself, she shouted out in concert with the other few remaining candids who still retained presence of mind, a single word, repeated over and over again in their minds.
Drayden! Drayden! Drayden!
‘And these Exiles? Who were they?’ Launa whispered.
Who are these accursed and hated people that nearly ruined the world?
Launa grew silent, slowly lowering her hands.
The word, when it came, was a bare whisper, little more than a tiny crackle of noise. Kiri never forgot it. It was burned upon her mind forever.
‘From Nireus!’
Hated enemy of truth, peace and justice! Evil incarnate, the persecutors, the dealers of death and suffering! The denizens of Nireus!
Kiri mouthed the word again to herself, finally succumbing and falling full length on the floor with all the other candids.
Chanting resonated in her mind, rousing her from a sleep so deep it seemed unnatural. Dimly Kiri was aware that she was still lying where she had fallen, in the centre of the temple. She had never felt so tired; there seemed no possibility of moving, in fact her body didn’t seem to want to respond to her commands at all. A strange lethargy suffused her, warm and comforting, yet implacable.
Footsteps …
Someone was moving around. Kiri opened her eyes a crack, just enough to glimpse through. Even that effort took huge reserves of energy.
She could see the forms of the other candids also lying on the floor. Next to her she recognised Sahria, her eyes closed and her skin pale, her blonde hair half fallen across her face.
Footsteps …
A figure was walking between the ranks of the candids, stopping at intervals to bend down, thick black robes disguising their form. An arm was outstretched, tense and stiff. The figure paused before straightening. Kiri couldn’t raise her head to see clearly.
Kiri felt the strange metallic tingle fizzle faintly around her.
The seeing …
The figure was methodical, moving up and down the prone bodies of the candids with singular intent. Each time the figure bent down Kiri felt the shiver of the seeing. It felt twisted somehow, as if it was being coerced in some artificial way, not naturally flowing as she had felt it in conversation with Charis, or even in confrontation with Rihanna.
Abruptly the figure was close by, a foot came down between Kiri and Sahria, a hand was outstretched. Kiri could see it was pale, thin and delicate. Young skin. With practiced precision fingers sought out Sahria’s temple, touching her forehead and cheeks.
Kiri saw Sahria’s eyelids flutter open, just visible between the fingers of the hand that clasped her face. Her eyes were dark, staring in horrified realisation, helpless to resist.
Terror!
The seeing twisted unpleasantly around her making Kiri flinch in response, the metallic tang taking on an acidic bitterness, writhing and knotting, being forced in a direction contrary to the way it seemed it should flow.
No! You can’t! Don’t take, please don’t take … no!
Kiri saw Sahria’s body tremble and shudder involuntarily. Her fingers twitched, but she was unable to move, her eyes staring into Kiri’s, helpless and despairing.
The hand released its grip, the figure straightened. Kiri tried to move again, but found herself immobile. She tensed, waiting for the hand to grasp her own face, but the figure stepped over and past her. Kiri waited for a moment, but then heard the sound of footsteps moving away.
A wearying dizziness flooded back across Kiri, swamping her and driving her into insensibility. As her consciousness faded she saw Sahria’s face again, now empty, eyes wide and vacant, a faint dribble of saliva at the corner of her mouth.
Kiri woke to see Charis smiling down at her. Kiri blinked and sat up, she was in her room, lying on her bed. For a moment she remained disoriented, looking around her with wide eyes.
The choosing …
She looked up at Charis.
‘You were chosen,’ Charis assured her. ‘You are now an acolyte of the temple Daine, one of the most honoured of the people of Drayden. Congratulations, Kiri.’
Kiri blinked. ‘I was? What about the others?’
‘Nearly all were chosen from Daine,’ Charis told her. ‘You were all selected by Launa except Sahria.’
‘Sahria?’
‘It’s not always clear as to why some are chosen and some are not.’
Kiri blinked, the images coming back to her. A dark robed figure striding between the candids, reaching down … Sahria’s deadened face.
‘What happens to those who aren’t chosen?’
Charis looked away as if nervous, but then her smile returned. ‘So many questions already! Worry not, Kiri. They will be found tasks and roles suitable for their skills, or they return home. Nerina is required to make sure this is so.’
Nerina?
‘I saw her. At least I think it was her,’ Kiri mumbled.
Charis frowned. ‘Saw her? What do you mean?’
Kiri looked up at Charis, confused. ‘In the temple, it had to be Nerina. We were all lying on the floor. She was walking between the candids, touching them. It’s hard to remember …’
‘Only Launa was present with the candids, Kiri,’ Charis replied. ‘It is forbidden for any others to be present. Only the high priestess chooses the acolytes.’
Kiri shook her head. ‘I’m sure it was her, she wore black.’
‘You must have been dreaming,’ Charis said, dismissively. ‘It is not unusual to have a reaction to the ceremony, the emotions are often very raw.’
‘Those evil doers!’ Kiri said, shivering as she remembered the ceremony. ‘What Launa said, what I felt. It was horrible.’
Charis waved her hand airily. ‘Do not fret about it. It is a test, a test of your abilities. Launa was probing deeply to sense your potential. Do not pay too much heed to what was said. It is but an echo.’
‘Like the sixth element?’
Charis turned to look at her, her face creased by a frown. ‘What did you say?’
‘Just something I heard, there was another element, a sixth element. I assumed they were teasing me.’
‘There is no sixth element, Kiri,’ Charis replied. ‘The five are the books of lore, they teach us all we need to know.’
Then someone isn’t telling the truth!
Kiri shook her head. ‘But the evil and the duty we have. It was real, we must …’
Charis smiled and shook her head. ‘Ancient history, Kiri. We are not at war, nor shall we be. The seeing can draw all sorts of emotions out of us. Those with a greater gift sense it more and we have to be mindful of that. It can be all too easy to get carried away with the rush of it. We will teach you how to temper that, remember how gifted you are. All that matters is that you were chosen. You are an acolyte now. Now we train your remarkable talent!’
Kiri rubbed her forehead to erase the frown that had formed there. Despite Charis’ words it didn’t seem right. Those emotions had felt so real, she’d felt the zealous desire to do something about it. Those exiles needed to be punished. Didn’t they? She had felt ready to march on them there and then, taking a sword and a bow with her.
It was ludicrous though, she didn’t even know whether any of it was real.
‘So what was this Nireus?’ Kiri asked.
Charis sighed and sat down at the end of Kiri’s bed.
‘You remember the elements? The sun going black, people turning away from the sun in their arrogance?’
Kiri nodded.
‘Long ago, it is said that a group of people, let’s call them Nirians, determined they no longer needed to believe in Lacaille, that they could do without it,’ Charis began, sadl
y. ‘They made wondrous things by all accounts, machines – metal beasts that moved across the ground and flew through the air. But all too soon these same machines tore up the land, made the air foul and poisoned the rivers and lakes. The elements tell us that Lacaille grew angry at this and a blackness came across her face. Deathly cold smote the land, followed by storms of fire. Only those who saw the evil and turned away from it were saved. Those penitent few were our ancestors and Elena was their leader.’
‘Is it true, this story?’ Kiri demanded.
Charis leaned back. ‘It is true we should dedicate ourselves to what is right and proper and never turn away from Lacaille, yet …’
‘But these Nirians and the machines …’ Kiri said, excitedly.
Charis shook her head slightly. ‘Kiri, the elements are there to teach us the truth, not tell us the truth. The stories are fables, symbols if you like. Perhaps there was some truth in the tales, but that was long ago. Do not take them literally, that is not how they are supposed to be understood. They teach us about the consequences of turning away from what we know is right. Lacaille gives us everything; light, warmth, peace and harmony. We should not strive to change that. If we do, Lacaille cannot help us and, like a good mother, will punish us to set us back on the right path. That is the lesson from these elements.’
‘Oh,’ Kiri said, disappointed. ‘Then why the kai? And why the fighting practice?’
‘Discipline has merit,’ Charis replied. ‘Those arts were used in violence long ago for sure, but today we learn control, balance, focus, grace and strength, not just of our bodies, but of our minds as well. We aim for peace and tranquillity in all things. All those things that allow us to govern our people with surety.’
Rihanna doesn’t have peace on her mind!
‘And what of the gift? This seeing?’
Charis nodded and leant across, patting Kiri’s shoulders gently.
‘Why are you so special you mean? Very few have the ability Kiri. Your gifts of healing will allow us to cure sickness and infirmity in the land. This will promote peace. With training the administrators can communicate at great distance in the blink of an eye. Such aptitude allows us to manage our land so much better than if we had to wait for the written word sent on the back of a herg or a dach. You see, not all is well with our lands, we need more priestesses with the gift than we have, they are always in demand.’