by Willan Ellis
Luia -Night
Teanne waved her arm around in front of her, and didn’t know why but it felt natural. She watched as everything shimmered, and she smiled as she saw the Mother Sovereign move toward her fast. Teanne watched as the woman’s movement slowed so much that she walked past her - the Mother Sovereign still in motion. She looked at all the others in the chamber they too were slowly going through their motions. She waved her hand again, and watched as everyone froze.
Teanne was surprisingly unaffected by what she had just done. She had heard the whisper. ‘Well, show yourself’ Teanne quietly spoke.
A movement in the corner of her eye made her smile, and she turned and watched the man in black move amongst the frozen figures.
‘Impressive’ he stopped in front of Alexander and smiled adjusting his collar and straightened his hair then turned toward Teanne ‘always was a little scruff.’
‘So what’s your next move’? He asked casually,
‘How did I just do that?’
‘The Estrus has much to show you. This is just one little glimpse into the true power that a carrier holds’ Teanne followed the man in blacks hand motioning around the chamber. She sighed and answered his first question,
‘I’m not sure what I should do now.’
The man smiled, ‘Well, I guess you could destroy everyone here and reset history. But your only problem would be anything you do now will effect what is going to happen in your time.’
‘I could change the outcome and make the destruction of Luia not happen?’ Teanne offered feeling her heart rate fasten,
‘You could, but then the Estrus would never be brought into play, and you will probably not be the Carrier.’
Teanne sighed and walked back toward the altar and gently ran her fingers along the edge, and turned to look at the Mother Sovereign, ‘She’s not going to let me leave easily.’
‘Truthfully, I do not care what you do to her or anyone from this time; you just can’t change any of the important parts.’
Teanne looked towards the doors, ‘Those are portals aren’t they?’ Teanne didn’t need to turn to feel his nod ‘I went through one, and came out in a grand chamber. It looked like a palace.’ Teanne turned to look back at the man; his blue eyes were fixed firmly on her ‘can I get back to my time through those doors’
His eyes flickered ‘You need to learn a bit more before you can control the portals’ Teanne turned back to the doors and looked at the top of each.
‘What are the symbols’?
‘They are the elements.’
‘What are the elements’?
‘They are the roots.’
Teanne looked back impatiently, ‘you are very annoying. Do you know that?’
‘Learn to ask better questions.’ He challenged.
Teanne walked back to him and stopped in front of him. She could feel his warm breath. ‘What does the symbol of that element mean?’ She pointed to the one above the door she
had gone through with a circle and two lines.
‘Earth’ he replied. Teanne pointed to the one above the next door a circle and a single dot in the middle,
‘Air’ he replied not taking his eyes from her, ‘the other one is Water with the single line, and the other one with a simple circle is Fire. The elements.’
Teanne looked at the one with the symbol of Fire ‘And they are the elements and the roots?’ she asked and he nodded ‘and why are there separate doors?’
The man smile brightened ‘Because they are no longer one, they exist separately.’
‘Should they be one?’ Teanne asked carefully.
‘Yes, they should be one. But they are not.’
Teanne moved away from the man in black and moved in front of Empe.
‘Was this what her mother believed, that these roots or elements should be one’?
‘Yes.’
Teanne moved toward a chair and sat down. She looked at her wrist and called the power. A small flame flicked to the tip of her forefinger, she playfully moved it to the other fingers and back. She looked up and smiled,
‘What is my role of the Estrus?’
The man moved to another chair and sat down. ‘The Estrus is a part of something bigger, it is
the home of the elements’
‘So my destiny is to unite these elements and return the Estrus home.’ Teanne asked extinguishing the flames at her fingertips. The man in black smiled, and sat back in his chair
looking at Teanne proudly, ‘It would seem so.’
‘Why is it only Fire that I call. If the Estrus is part of all four elements, why cannot I call the others?’
‘Because, you only know Fire.’ Teanne laughed at the simply explanation and then nodded. It made sense. ‘But you can call any of the elements, but you need to learn more in order to do so.’
Teanne sighed deeply. Learning. More learning. She looked up as she heard the man chuckle, ‘you learn fast young one, don’t be so impatient.’
‘How was I able to appear down here from above without physically doing so?’
Teanne was hoping that answer would come. She had surprised herself when with only a thought she was able to transport herself and the others from above into the chamber. It seemed to come naturally, just like the ability to freeze time. She looked at the man in black, he was not going to offer the answer easily, and she already knew that.
‘As I said be patient’
‘So what now?’ Teanne asked, hoping the man would offer some assistance. The man in
black laughed out loud, and entwined his fingers together resting his chin on his hands
‘You tell me, it looks like you have a little mess here to clean up first.’
Teanne looked around the room. It was going to prove an interesting task trying to talk her way out of this one. She suddenly sat straight as a thought came to her, and looked at the man who sat waiting patiently.
‘When I was first here, I was sent back in time. Can I do that, can the Estrus take us all back to a time before any of this occurred?’
The man clapped his hands then rested them on the arm chair, ‘as I said you learn fast.’ He smiled and before Teanne could respond he was gone. She sat back and thought carefully about her next move. Where could she begin? She couldn’t alter major events that had already occurred, but everything that was happening here, now, was a direct result of her involvement. When? Where?
Teanne smiled and gently rubbed her wrist
‘Ready to start again friend’?
The Estrus responded by glowing brightly. Teanne closed her eyes.
Luia -Morning
Teanne stood and stretched her body; she looked down at her clothes and smoothed the creases, and looked at her wrist. The Estrus was glowing brightly from beneath her skin. Taking a deep breath she headed for the Mother Temple. Like before as she passed many of the villagers, they all bowed. This time there was no confusion to why they were bowing. She stopped and smiled as the little girl stopped and bowed low.
‘What is your name’? The girl hesitated, then proudly stood straight
‘Nai, Sister Kera’
Teanne smiled widely ‘You will be a great sister one day Nai.’
The little girl blushed and bowed ‘Do you think so? Oh I do hope so, I want to be just like you Sister Kera’ Teanne patted her on the head and moved on. She stopped and yelled out to the little girl ‘Watch out for the ball, Nai’ Teanne laughed at the girls’ confused frown.
Walking through the hallway of the Mother Temple, Teanne saw Lin approach hurriedly,
‘I know; I know I’m late’.
Lin stopped and looked at her friend ‘Nice outfit, felt like slumming it again did we?’ Teanne smiled and followed her friend toward the garden ‘We better sneak in so my mother doesn’t see us’ Lin nodded her agreement.
After the speeches finished Teanne moved toward the Mother Sovereign, and bowed,
‘Mother, praise be
.’ the Mother Sovereign looked her daughter up and down and shook her head,
‘Get yourself cleaned up, you two need to get to your studies.’ Teanne smiled and bowed. Teanne waited until the mother sovereign was gone, and then dragged Lin to the side
‘We need to find Alexander’ Lin shot her friend a confused look,
‘What about our studies’? Teanne pulled her friend toward the rotunda,
‘Never mind our studies; I have more important things to do.’
‘You better not be getting me into any trouble Kera, I’m running on thin ice as it is with your mother and the other sisters.’ Teanne grinned, and then looked at Lin seriously,
‘Lin, it is really important that with what is about to happen, you not go to my mother, ever’ Lin laughed then stopped when her friends face remained serious,
‘Why would I go to her?’
Teanne took her friends shoulders and squarely looked her in the eyes,
‘This is very important Lin, you must trust me and not mention anything about what is going to happen to her or anyone, do you understand?’
Lin hesitantly nodded her head ‘On my duty to Luia Kera’
Teanne grabbed her friends shoulder and looked her in the eyes ‘No Lin on your life as my friend.’ Lin looked at the ground then raised her head and nodded. Satisfied that Lin had taken in her request, Teanne pulled her friend toward the hallway.
‘Alexander!’ Teanne yelled as she saw him sitting with friends. He looked over. She slowed as his eyes fixed on her, they were so blue, and they almost made her stop in her tracks. She had not realised how truly handsome Alexander was. He rose and jogged toward her, leaning in for an embrace. Teanne stopped him with her hand, and he faltered and looked rejected
‘I need you to take me to Empe.’
Alexander took a step back, looking around then looked at her ‘Who?’
‘Your aunt. You need to take me to her immediately. It is important.’ Alexander nervously avoided eye contact, and then looked at her suspiciously.
‘Suppose I know who you are talking about. Why would you want to go to her?’
Teanne grabbed his shoulders ‘Because I am the one you seek, I am the carrier of the Estrus.’
If Teanne had not been holding Alexanders shoulders, he would have undoubtedly fallen over. Unmoving Alexander looked at her, trying to process what she had just said,
‘That’s impossible. How do you know? What do you know? I mean.’
Teanne gently shook him, ‘don’t think about it. Just take me to her.’
Alexander reluctantly stepped back and turned. He started to move, then stopped and turned back to Teanne, then looked at Lin who merely shrugged her shoulders.
The three sat patiently in the room. Teanne looked over at Robert who sat looking at her with distrust, she smiled. Empe finally arrived and greeted her nephew then turned to the two women. Teanne stood and bowed.
‘Empe’ the old woman froze and looked at Teanne, and attempted a smile ‘we need to talk. Can we take a walk?’ Empe scratched her head then walked toward the door.
Yes, yes I think we had better.’