How long I spent in the nothingness I have no idea for I had no form, no sensation. I knew I existed but that was all. Then, a single point of light appeared. It grew rapidly until all I could see was white light.

The next thing I knew, I was standing on something solid and falling forward. The white light receded, and I took a shaky breath. Slowly, all my senses came back to me. I was kneeling on something hard. My breathing became normal and rhythmic. I could feel my backpack on my back.

My eyes slowly opened to see polished stone tiles. Lifting my eyes upward, I saw the feet of dozens of people. I continued to lift my head until I focused on the face of one man that stepped forward from the crowd. It wasn’t a kind face, nor was it inherently evil, but his eyes were dark and penetrating.

“As the prophecies foretold, you’ve finally returned to us, Aila.”

“Aila?” My voice wasn’t my own and I felt a heated rush through my body. I was overwhelmed with dizziness and I slumped forward onto the tiles and descended into the solace of darkness.

***

My eyes fluttered open. I could see a beautiful violet flower resting delicately on white silky sheets next to my face. I thought perhaps I was in Peru and back at the hotel except that the flower looked like no flower I had ever seen before. The violet petals gently curved into iridescent, almost glowing yellows and gold at the center. It was beautiful, and the scent vaguely reminded me of something.

I lifted my head and looked around. The room was bright from sunlight coming through a window, but the walls were made of rough, dark stone. The floors were wood, and the furnishings constructed of strange materials. A wisp of long brunette hair floated before my eyes and I moved quickly to look behind me to find the source of it.

Rolling over in the bed, I found no one there, only more hair that pulled against my head and weight that shifted across my chest. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply wishing this dream would simply go away. When I opened them, everything was still the same. I reached for the hair and found it attached to my head. I stared at my hand that was slender and feminine before looking down to find two breasts partially hidden by thin, shiny, black fabric.

“This can’t be…” I pushed myself backwards and out of the bed even as I questioned my own voice; a voice that sounded silky, delicate, and smooth. My feet met with the cool wooden floors and I stood upright. Looking down past my breasts, I could see that the hem of the gown I was wearing stopped just below my knees.

“I’m a woman…” My hands moved to my face and slid through my long hair before descending to my breasts. They were full, heavy, and supple. My head moved quickly from side to side causing my hair to slide across my back. I was looking for anything that could tell me for certain I was dreaming, or perhaps dead. What caught my eye was a mirror in the corner of the room and I slowly made my way towards it.

My first view of myself caught me off guard for standing in the mirror was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She was flawless, lean, and what she was wearing did little to hide her shapely body. I spun around expecting to see another woman in the room, but there was none and when I turned back to the mirror, the woman in the reflection did the same. She was me and I was her. I moved closer to examine my face. My eyes were turquois like the greenish blue of a tropical sea. They were stunningly vibrant. My lips were full and slid easily over perfect teeth.

Stepping back, I was more amazed at my beauty than frightened for the reflection of myself brought peace to my soul. My hair was gorgeous and fell to the middle of my back. It looked like highly polished mahogany.

I tore myself away from my reflection and was instantly fearful as the sound of a door opened behind me. A slightly older woman entered and closed the door behind her. She curtsied ever so slightly.

“I’m glad to see you’re finally awake, Priestess Aila. My name is Tayodh and I’m here to serve you. I must say, it’s a great honor to meet the legendary missing priestess. That you came through the Earth stargate is leading to much speculation about the prophecy.”

I recognized she wasn’t speaking English, but I understood it and responded in the same language. My fear dissipated slightly as I tried to absorb what she had said. I had so many questions.

“Why do you call me Priestess Aila?”

“Master Vikold told me you might not remember everything and would likely be confused. You were very young when you went missing just before the Great Culling. There is no mistaking your eyes, for every High Priestess has unique eyes and your image was cast throughout the worlds in an attempt to find you. You are indeed Aila of Yalshema, daughter of the Manu Priestess Feylen and Master Jannalor.”

“But why are you calling me priestess?”

“I mean no disrespect to you. You have not yet come of age so are only considered a priestess. Upon your tenth birthday, you will gather your magic and be sent on your quest to find your animal companion. Only when you return will your title be bestowed as High Priestess.”

“You’re a high priestess as well, Tayodh?”

She laughed. “Oh my! I’m of the Onal caste, Priestess Aila. There is only one High Priestess in all the worlds at any time. Our prophets have foretold your arrival. These are exciting days for we have been without a High Priestess for over ten years.”

“You said I come of age when I turn ten?”

“I can see your confusion, Priestess Aila. If you spent your missing years on Earth, then you would equate one of our years to roughly two and a half Earth years. We would need to confirm with the historians when to expect your birthday.”

“You mentioned prophecy several times, Tayodh. What prophecy?”

“I beg you to forgive me, Priestess Aila, but I’m forbidden to speak of the details of the prophecy. Master Vikold has decreed this. I see you have many questions, but I’ve been directed to bring you to the temple. I must get you ready.”

My confusion hadn’t ebbed. If all of this was real, then somehow, I was in a new world and now a woman. I glanced back at my reflection. What if this is real? What if my memories of being a young girl were real? What if…

“I have placed your things here, Priestess Aila.”

Tayodh touched a mark on the wall and the rough stones vanished. Beyond the stones was a small room with clothing. My pants, shirt, and backpack were there. My hand went to my neck and my ring necklace was no longer there.

“My necklace…”

“Master Vikold has it. He was afraid that until you come of age you can’t protect yourself or it. I’ve never seen the ring and necklace of the High Priestess before. It’s a priceless relic. I must say that you were wearing very strange clothing. Might I suggest this outfit? I’m sorry these clothes are not befitting your status. They were the best we could find for you.”

I walked over, fully aware of how my new body was moving. I tried my best to ignore the subtle movements. My fingers lingered on the finest fabric I had ever felt. “This will do fine, Tayodh.”

“Let me lay it out for you and I will give you some privacy to change.”

“Thank you.”

Tayodh tipped her head slightly to the side. “There’s no need to be thanking me, Priestess Aila, but you’re very welcome.”

“My mom would slap me upside the head if I wasn’t thankful.”

“Manu Priestess Feylen?”

“No… Someone back on Earth.”

“I’ve never been to Earth. There’s no magic there and the people are savage. It’s why we left.”

I had dozens of questions just for her last statements, but Tayodh quickly laid out the dress, curtsied, and slipped out of the room.

I looked over the dress absentmindedly. Perhaps this is a parallel universe and in this universe I’m Aila and on Earth I’m Luke. I just need to get back to Earth which means I must find the gate.

With somewhat renewed energy, I slipped out of the nightdress and took a moment to stare at myself in the mirror. Without the nightdress, it was very clear there was nothing left of my maleness. I did, however, find myself drawn to my reflection and yet not drawn to it in the same way I would have been on Earth as Luke. This mystified me.

Turning back to the dress ensemble I noticed there were knee-high black leather-like boots, something that resembled women’s black dance shorts, and the black dress which offered an asymmetrical cut exposing one thigh while covering the other. I slipped on the shorts and boots before putting on the dress. The dress had something to support my breasts and straps under the breasts snugged everything up well. The overall look was dark, sultry, and quite sexy in my opinion.

I wished I had more time to figure everything out, but it wasn’t long before Tayodh came back to escort me to Master Vikold. I wasn’t feeling overly confident in myself hoping that no one would see through the ruse that I was a male although even I was beginning to question myself on that. Had I really been born here and somehow sent through the gate to Earth some twenty years ago? If so, then perhaps I started out as a female and maybe, just maybe, that’s why I struggled in my relationships. Have I been unable to commit because I never felt quite secure with who I am?

I found myself torn. Torn between a chance to learn about another world or to go back to everything I knew. Perhaps I’m dead. If so, wouldn’t I see mom and dad as mom always said we would see each other again.

Tayodh led me through hallways and rooms until I began to wonder if I would ever find my way back to where my clothes and backpack were. Finally, we ascended a stone ramp and turned a corner to arrive at a large space with polished tile floors. What drew my immediate attention was the stone gate. It was carved far more elaborately than the one in Peru. Across the room from the gate, a small circular hole in the stone wall allowed the sun to cast a focused ray of light onto the floor. In a remote way, this reminded me of the ancient Mayan observatories.

“Welcome, Priestess Aila. I trust you have recovered from your passage between worlds?”

I recognized this man as the one I had seen the moment I came out of the gate.

“You have me at a disadvantage for we have not been formally introduced.”

“Ah, yes. I’m Master Vikold. I must say, you’re far more beautiful than your mother and she was quite breathtaking.”

“You knew her?”

He ignored my question and walked around me slowly. “We’ve been looking for you for many years. Perhaps you can enlighten me as to how you found yourself on Earth?”

“I have no knowledge of what transpired. Can you tell me how I can return?”

“Anxious to return so soon? Our hospitality isn’t to your liking? Eight years from now, on our summer solstice the sun from Earth and our suns will simultaneously power the gates from both ends. This will allow someone to pass back through.”

“Eight years?”

Vikold smiled but it wasn’t comforting. “Eight of our years.”

I felt a dark heaviness upon me. If he isn’t lying, then I’m stuck here and stuck as a woman.

“I’m sure this is disconcerting for you, but this is your true home. This is where you belong.”

Vikold stepped towards a wall and tapped his finger on a mark that closely resembled the one Tayodh used in the bedroom. An entire wall of stone vanished, and sunlight flooded the temple. I was transfixed by the sight of the world beyond the temple and I blindly followed Vikold out onto a large stone deck. Up until this moment I had questioned the possibility that this was all some elaborate hoax, however, before me left no doubt I wasn’t in Kansas, Peru, or Earth anymore.

What I saw took my breath away. Twin suns hovered high above the horizon. A giant lake glittered like sapphires in the distance. Between me and the water were miles of rolling meadows, forests, and jungle. Mountains with sharper peaks than the Rockies stretched towards the heavens like ghostly gray fingers coming up from the ground. Two moons, one emerald green that hung suspended behind the mountain peaks, and another that was red with swirling white gaseous clouds drifted ever so slowly over the jungles to my left. As I looked down, I could see the shape of the temple. I was standing close to the top of a pyramid of stone that rose up through the jungle canopy.

To my right, a dark, forbidding valley was guarded by huge faces carved out of the distant stone cliffs. Above the faces, strange serpent-like creatures flew while closer to the pyramid a myriad of colorful birds darted between the treetops.

Tayodh had silently came up behind me. “Welcome home, Priestess Aila. Welcome to Amaru Meru.”

“On Earth, the natives called the stone gate the Doorway to the Amaru Meru.”

Vikold stepped back in front of me. “We are the people of Amaru Meru. I’m certain you must have many questions and I’m a very busy man. I have two historians that will guide you and answer your questions. For your safety, you’re not to leave the sanctuary of this structure and the immediate vicinity.”

Vikold turned to where two people were waiting. “Asunru is from your home city of Yalshema. We found him a few years after the Great Culling and he has earned his place amongst us.”

A man with a cowl over his head took a step forward. He was tall, a good six inches taller than I was.

“I have also assigned Syette to assist you in your transition back to Amaru Meru.” I glanced at a pretty woman who merely offered a sly, sinister grin. “I will leave you in their capable hands.”

I watched Vikold leave. I felt lost as if I was stuck in an impossible dream. I’m a woman in a strange world. Had I arrived here as a man I would still be dealing with lack of understanding and little knowledge of customs and culture, but now I was dealing with that and a new body.

I stood in silence, not knowing what to do. Asunru turned to Syette. “I’m happy to start with the Priestess.”

Syette stepped in front of the man and hissed back at him. “I’ll not remind you of your place, Onal Asunru. The Priestess is mine.”

There was obvious tension between the two and I saw Asunru flex his fist before turning and stepping back into the shadows of the temple.

“What was that all about?”

Syette stepped up close to me. “You need to learn how things work around here. Onal’s are barely worth the food we feed them and Asunru isn’t truly one of us.”

“Onal… I’ve heard Tayodh say she was Onal. Vikold is Master, and my mother was Manu? These are roles?”

“Castes. Onals are the lowest order, the ones with the least magic. They typically work as servants and maintain magical devices created by higher castes. They don’t even have an animal companion. The next caste level is Senal. That’s what I am. The highest level is named differently for women and men. Women of that caste are called Manu which is the equivalent of Master for men. Then there is you.”

“Me?”

“You’re the next High Priestess. The High Priestess reigns over all. You would know these things had you not run away to that backwards planet.”

“I have no idea how I got to Earth. Perhaps my parents would know more. Are they still alive?”

She laughed and turned away. “They died in the Great Culling.”

“I think I’ve dreamed of them, but I can’t say I have memories of them.”

“They were angry and disobedient people that used your birth to garner favor in the realms and they sought to overthrow the interim leadership of the people. In the absence of a High Priestess, there is often conflict between the factions.”

This didn’t sit well with me. “Political factions?”

“Magic is what creates the factions. There is light magic and dark magic. Light magic users belong to the Twuilhe faction and dark magic users are Viangi. Asunru is Twuilhe.”

“Light and dark, good and evil. Even on Earth they have the same concepts.” I thought of mom before Syette’s angry voice caught me off guard.

“You understand nothing! Light magic is merely focused on creation and dark, destruction. Neither are good or evil. They are both equally needed and equally valued. You developed those archaic beliefs on Earth.”

I was getting a little defensive. “What do you know of Earth?”

“We’ve visited Earth for thousands of years. When we first arrived, the people were little more than beasts of burden. We put them to work, built civilizations, gave them culture and skills yet they hated and feared us for it.”

It was best to change topics as otherwise I might get myself into trouble. “Can you show me your magic?”

“Asunru!”

The hooded man came out from the shadows and stood near me.

“The Priestess wants a demonstration of magic. I think she deserves to see it.” She grabbed my hand and pulled it towards her. “Hold your hand still.”

“Don’t do this, Syette.” His voice was low and threatening.

She sneered at Asunru. Red light began dancing between her fingers and suddenly my hand blistered as if placed in a metal forge. I screamed in pain and fell to my knees. My fingers blackened, seared, and smoke drifted up from them. Moments later Asunru grabbed my burned hand with his and as white light danced between his fingers, my hand healed, and the pain slowly went away.

I forgot all about the fact I was a woman. I forgot I was a woman with nothing to combat magic. I forgot I was on another world and understood nothing. I lashed out with anger. Standing up, I slapped Syette before I could control myself.

She wiped her lip and looked at me with loathing. “Just as I suspected. You’ve been tainted by Earth. You’re no more than a savage yourself. You’re not worthy to become High Priestess.”

I watched in horror as red light danced over both of her hands.

“Enough!”

We all turned to see Vikold coming towards us.

“She struck me, Master Vikold. She deserves death.”

“Be gone with you, Syette. You couldn’t kill her if you tried.”

“Perhaps not, but she would burn.”

Syette turned and walked away.

“It was my fault. I asked for a demonstration of magic.”

“She could have burned a stick just as easily. I apologize, Priestess Aila. Not everyone is as pleased as I am that our future High Priestess is amongst us. Asunru. You will take over from here.”

“Yes, Master Vikold.”

Vikold left and Asunru waited until we were alone.

“I, for one, am very glad you have returned. I knew your parents.”

“You used the past tense. I’m to assume Syette wasn’t lying and they are truly dead?”

“Sadly.”

“What were they like?”

Asunru looked around cautiously. “We can’t speak of them here. It’s important you understand what is expected of you. In two days, you will have your tenth birthday.”

I was beginning to tire of everything. “This is when I get little sparkly lights on my fingers? Do people throw a party for me and we all eat cake and ice cream?” I immediately regretted saying this. “I’m sorry. I’m having a hard time processing everything.”

“I don’t judge you for this. Walk with me, Aila.”

Asunru was silent as he led me through the structure and back to my room. I felt awkward and more than a little frightened to be alone in a room with a man. I watched him closely as he slid off his hood.

I blinked several times making sure my vision was clear. There was no mistaking his eyes. They were the same as the boy from my dreams.

“Do I know you?”

He moved quickly over to me. “Shhh…” His voice was a mere whisper. “You don’t know me.”

“I do…”

“No… You’ve never met me before.”

“Sharian?”

“It’s not possible for you to remember. The spell should have removed everything.”

“It’s you… from my dreams. That was real?” I spun around and looked at the bed. Suddenly it came to me. The flower was the same kind that Sharian had placed in my hair. I reached for the flower and held it out. “I remember you.” I felt such joy and a rush of emotions.

He frowned. “What you’re experiencing isn’t a memory. They are fragments and residual echoes created when passing through the stargates.”

“No… I’m certain.” I was desperate. Before me was a tangible link to something I believed was real. “I need to know…”

Asunru, if that was his real name, seemed to struggle.

“In two days, you will reach your tenth birthday. When this happens, you will gather your magic, but be warned. As High Priestess you will possess both light and dark magic, but you will not have full strength until you find your animal companion. Eight days after that, you will ascend into the fullness of your heritage. It will take time for you fully learn your abilities. Be cautious of the darkness.”

He turned away and put his hood back up before quickly exiting the room. I desperately needed time to think, but I felt a connection to him. I rushed towards the door and opened it only to find he was no longer in sight.

I took this as a sign that I needed to regroup. Can I trust fragments of my dreams? My entire worldview had shattered. I went back to the room and grabbed my backpack. I pulled out an Inca Kola, the remaining aflajor cookie, and a plastic bottled water. They felt physical in my hands; tangible. They were evidence that I wasn’t dreaming or dead. I quickly searched through my old clothes pockets and found my wallet. My driver’s license was there with a picture of me and my name from Earth.

This can’t be a dream. It’s all too real. I pulled out mom’s letter and reread it. I was found at the Gate of the Gods wearing the ring necklace and very strange clothing. Other worlds exist. The Gate of the Gods, the Doorway to the Amaru Meru is truly a gateway. Someone had taken me from my parents here and sent me through the gate to Earth. The gate on Earth and the gate here only opened once every twenty years. The last time it opened, I was sent from here.

I put the Inca Kola, my wallet, letter, and water away and sat down on the bed. I held out the aflajor cookie and took a bite, closing my eyes as the sweet flavors erupted in my mouth. I must assume this is all real.

Looking down past my breasts to my exposed thigh, I took a deep breath to center myself. I need to learn and absorb as much as I possibly can. I can’t let this body… being a woman… interfere with doing what I need to do to survive. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and shook my head. Easier said than done.

I finished the cookie and tore my eyes away from the mirror. I looked around the room and found a marker on a different wall. I touched it lightly and a section of wall vanished to reveal what could only be a bathroom. It seemed even on other worlds people still must take care of the basics. There was a bath, already filled with hot water, and something that resembled a toilet except that it had no tank and the seat was longer and narrower. A sink with a serpent’s head faucet continuously had water flowing from it. The faucet reminded me of stone serpent images from ancient civilizations on Earth.

Moving to the sink, I splashed warm water on my face and looked around for a towel. There were none, but I did find several more markers. I touched one by the sink and I felt a slight tingle on my face and hands and instantly they became dry.

When I stepped back into the bedroom, I found Tayodh waiting for me.

“Where is Asunru?”

“He left suddenly.”

“I apologize, Priestess Aila. I’m sure you have many questions, and therefore we had historians assigned to you.”

“Perhaps you could answer some of my questions?”

“I’m happy to assist you in any way I can.”

***

I spent the rest of the day with Tayodh and she helped me understand much of the day-to-day living activities I needed to know. The bigger questions, such as what was expected of me and trying to understand my place in this world, were to be left for Master Vikold or my assigned historians.

I felt I had done well for my first day and I was mentally exhausted by the time I went to bed. I found I was constantly having to refocus my thoughts away from my physical body to the task of learning. I did manage to eventually get some sleep and woke refreshed even though I was still disoriented. As hard as I tried to ignore being female, I found I was dwelling on the changes to my body. Each move, or slight breeze that caused my hair to blow in front of my eyes was enough to make me pause.

“Good morning, Priestess Aila. I see you have already dressed. I’m to bring you back to the temple.”

I had been itching to explore by myself, but such would not be the case. When we entered the temple, Master Vikold and Syette were there.

“I trust you’re adapting well, Priestess Aila?”

“Tayodh has been invaluable in assisting me understand the new environment.”

“Since we can’t seem to locate Asunru, I will be placing you back under Syette’s care. I’ve spoken with her and she is eager to prove to you that she means you no ill.”

Syette was hard to read this morning. She looked demure, but her eyes never strayed from me.

Vikold left and took Tayodh with him leaving me feeling quite concerned for my personal safety.

Syette came over to me, knelt at my feet, and held my hand to her forehead. “I must apologize for my actions yesterday, Priestess Aila. Master Vikold has explained that you’re not responsible for my parent’s deaths. You see, my parents were killed when your parents led the Twuilhe against the temporary ruling faction of the Viangi. I blamed you for it and your presence, your face that reminds me of your mother, surfaced many bitter emotions in me.”

Mom always taught me to be the forgiving type and Syette appeared contrite. “I accept your apology and offer my own for striking you. Perhaps we can start fresh?”

Syette rose to her feet but kept holding my hand in hers. “I would like that. Let me show you something.”

She led me to a large wall of smooth stones and held up one hand. Red light flickered on her fingers. At first, I tried to pull away, but she held me fast and waved her hand across the surface of the wall. Images began to appear. “I won’t hurt you, Priestess Aila. I have sworn an oath to Master Vikold that I would be your protector and guide. He told me that you would bring me peace.” Her hand gently squeezed mine. It felt rather intimate, but I was unsure of her motives and I found her touch confusingly comforting.

“Yesterday, Master Vikold suggested you couldn’t kill me. Why would he say that?”

“He is correct. The High Priestess is magically protected throughout their life. While you can be hurt, you can’t die from magically inflicted wounds. Most of our High Priestesses live very long and die of natural causes. I was wrong to cause you pain, but you must know I used the limit of my magic to do what I did to you because while you don’t manifest your magic, you still have some within you. Tomorrow, when you come of age, you will be far more powerful than I ever will be and yet you will still not be complete until you bind with your animal companion. Let me show you.”

The images on the wall shifted. I was watching a woman dressed in layers of golden fabric hold out her hand and raise a stone fifty times her size.

“What you’re seeing happened thousands of years ago on Earth. Our High Priestess travelled to Earth and used her magic to build cities of stone. Earth’s people believed we that came through the gate were gods for we brought with us our magic.”

I could see monuments of stone rising and statues being formed.

“We gave the people of Earth a foundation of technology. We built monuments to our animal companions and they, in turn, began worshipping creatures that resembled them. Our dragons became the Mayan serpents of stone, our birds became Egyptian gods.”

“Why didn’t you tell them the truth and steer them away from their false beliefs?”

“They hated us and instead of being thankful for all that we had done for them, they attacked.”

The images changed, and I saw the High Priestess sleeping in a room only to be murdered by men with spears and axes.

“Earth wasn’t ready for us and they killed our High Priestess. Knowing that we were mortal, they rebelled, and we chose to leave them to their destructive ways.”

The images shifted again. I saw wars and the people of Earth advance technologically. Then the pictures changed again. I saw angels, demons, werewolves, and vampires.

“I don’t understand what I’m seeing.”

“Periodically, we travelled back to Earth. We would send a pair, one Twuilhe and one Viangi to find people who might be open to learning more about us. Every time the people of Earth turned our people into deities and legends.”

“But angels and demons, werewolves and vampires?”

“Due to their creative magic, the Twuilhe came across as benevolent beings. They were worshiped as angels. The Viangi appeared more demonic in the eyes of the people from Earth. Some of our people could be construed as vampires as they thrive at night and their magic can control a victim through their bite and some of our animal companions look similar to Earthly wolves.”

“You’re saying Earth’s cultures and myths are a direct result of interactions with the Amaru Meru? There are vampires here?”

Syette smiled, and this time it seemed genuine. “Yes, but as to vampires that you might think of from Earth’s culture, our people are merely a subclass of the Viangi and they don’t drink blood. In light and dark magic there are those in both factions that develop subclasses. Those that form the lightest of the light magic and those that are the darkest of the dark magic. We call the dark subclass Nakco, controllers of souls.”

“Tell me about the animal companions.”

“The animals on Amaru Meru also have magic and they form a type of symbiotic relationship with their human companions. When you find yours, you will always feel connected to them and you can call them. Each animal type helps their human companion focus their magic.”

“What’s yours?”

I could see Syette concentrate for a moment. “I called her.”

Seconds later a bright red bird that appeared to have its tail feathers on fire flew in and landed on Syette’s shoulders.

“What is it?”

“Earth would call it a phoenix, but here it is a rare animal companion called a flametrill. She helps me specialize in fire magic.”

“Thus, my burnt hand. She’s beautiful. What kind of animal will I get?”

“I can’t say. It is different for every person, but a High Priestess can be aligned with almost any animal.”

“Yesterday you said that good and evil didn’t exist, that both light and dark magic were necessary. Help me understand.”

Syette continued to hold my hand and led me back outside onto the deck. “Look around you. What do you see?”

“Life. It’s everywhere.”

“For the plants to grow, what do they need?”

“Nutrients.”

“And where do those nutrients come from?”

“I think I understand where you are going with this. The death of a tree allows it to put its own nutrients back into the soil to help the new life grow. You’re talking about a circle of life. So, applying this to light and dark magic…”

“You can’t build a building without having the resources to build it. The very act of creation requires destruction. You can’t heal something that is healthy.”

I took a moment to ponder that. “The Great Culling. What was that?”

“Our last High Priestess died about eleven of our years ago. Her essence drifted until a new High priestess could be found. That was you, but you had to be born and reach your tenth birthday before you could draw magic unto yourself and become our High Priestess. Between High Priestesses, the factions alternate leadership of the people of Amaru Meru. This time, it fell to the Viangi but the Twuilhe wouldn’t accept this and they formed an army and attacked. They had hoped to take the Viangi off guard, but the Viangi fought back and defeated the Twuilhe uprising.”

“That uprising was led by my parents?”

“Yes. They claimed that by having you, they should be responsible for leading our people.”

“It’s not nice to hear that one’s parents were bad. Somehow I pictured them to be kind and caring.”

Syette turned away from me for a moment. “Tomorrow is your tenth birthday. In the morning you will be brought to the temple. It is normal for a High Priestess to absorb both light and dark magic, but they tend to draw more of the magic from the ruling faction.”

“You think I will have more dark magic then?”

“Almost guaranteed. I know it’s a lot to take in. I will take you back to your room, so you have time to prepare yourself. I suggest you take a bath and get to bed early.”

Syette walked me to my room and stepped inside with me. When I went to move towards the bed, she pulled me back.

“I hope after tomorrow you won’t forget about the lower classes like myself, Priestess Aila. I was wrong in how I treated you yesterday. I have been able to see beyond the subtle resemblance of you mother when I look at you. Before I never have the chance again, I wish to give you something.”

Syette leaned in and kissed me. My eyes opened wide at the slight heat, almost as if electricity danced along my lips. I was both appalled and intrigued. It neither felt wrong, nor right but it left me confused.

Syette pulled away with a slight smile. I saw red light flickering on her lips.

“Until tomorrow, Priestess Aila.”

When the door closed behind her, I nearly collapsed on the bed. I was so confused. When I closed my eyes, I saw the boy Sharian. He was Twuilhe. There was purity and kindness there. If my Earthly mom were in a faction, she would be Twuilhe. All my years I struggled with the concepts of good and evil. What if Syette is right? That good and evil are merely human constructs. I hate to admit it, but there is a lure to the darker magic.

***

I woke with the scent of a flower intruding upon my dreams. When I opened my eyes, there was a fresh violet flower resting next to me again. I made note to ask Syette what the meaning of the flower was. I got up quickly for I was anxious to start the day. I had decided to have my bath this morning and, in some small way, I was interested in seeing Syette for what had transpired yesterday was new and unique. Her kiss made me feel less alone.

When I left the bathing area, I saw a new outfit spread out on the bed. It was a shimmering gray gown. Once I had it on, I looked at myself in the mirror. Today I was much happier to see my reflection. There was something uniquely powerful about being a beautiful woman.

Tayodh came into my room.

“To think I will be here to witness your coming of age, Priestess Aila. It is a great honor. The gray dress symbolizes the hybrid nature of the High Priestess, being neither light or dark, Twuilhe or Viangi. You’re unique in that you’re both. Are you ready?”

“Yes… I think I am.”

Tayodh led me back to the temple. I was then told that each tile represents one day within the year and I was directed to stand on a specific tile. As the rays of the twin suns passed through the small hole, the light came closer and closer to me. Master Vikold and numerous people entered the temple. They were all dressed in black and chanting. In the dark recesses of the temple, I could see several men and women with dark eyes and light skin. They must be Nakco.

I looked around the room. Syette was there next to Master Vikold. She winked at me and smiled. The ray of sunlight moved steadily closer and just before it hit my tile, I saw movement at the side of the chanting crowd. It was Asunru. His cowl was off, and his eyes bored into mine with longing and compassion. In his hand was a violet flower. His mouth began to move, and I tried to concentrate on what he was saying. That’s when the ray of sunlight hit my tile and I screamed as pain tore through my body.

***

End of Part 2

>Thank you for taking the time to read this section of my story. Normally, I write complete stories, but I was lured by the January Reader Retention Contest to write a complete story as a series. The contest counts the kudos and reads, so if you liked this part, please offer a kudos.

This story is a complete novel made up of eight parts. I plan to post one part every two days so watch for part 3 coming January 5, 2019.

As always, I love to hear from you. Please leave a comment or send me a message.

Casey Brooke