Dianal held the blade to eye level.
“Justice, I name you and justice you will bring to the people of Keltoi. One
day those who follow the mistress of the Dark Moon will face judgment for all
the evils they have done to the people.”
She turned away from the circle of
disturbed earth and joined her friends. Shiera’s and Gera’s smiles broke their
somber expressions. They hugged her. Laughter filled the night air.
“We are three,” Shiera said.
Dianal nodded. Her friend was right. ‘we
are three,” she repeated. “Do either of you know what we are to do now?”
Gera nodded. “We must go to the lake and
then we will learn what the Mistress of the Moons has for us to do.”
Dianal frowned. What would their orders be.
She turned to Shiera. “You’ve read the scrolls. What do they say?”
Shiera tapped her chin. “Many things. The
latest ones I’ve read speak of a time when three will come.”
“We are three,” Gera said. “What must we
do?”
“Listen to what Midra says and follow,”
Shiera said.
Dianal clasped their hands. “Then to the
lake we must go.” She walked toward the tunnel where four times a year, the
people of the hodara went to pay homage to Midra, Mistress of the Moon.
Sometimes the lake’s mists cleared to reveal an isle where three massive
crystals, one red, one blue and one green, stood.
Would going there this night bring a
revelation of what they must do? She could only hope. “Shall we?” Her friends
nodded. Together they walked the spiral path to the mouth of the tunnel.
Shiera smiled. “I pray Midra, Mistress of
the moon will welcome us and take us into her service.”
Gera stepped into the darkness. “There is a
strangeness in the atmosphere but also a
welcome. Soon we will reach the tunnel’s eye and perhaps learn more.”
Dianal ran a hand along the smooth rock
wall as she strode forward. Amazement filled her thoughts at the feat. One hand
had carved the tunnel from a single massive boulder. Darkness enfolded her but
she felt no fear. Her friends’ presence filled her with hope. They walked where
they must.
At the end of the passage, she halted on
the first step until her eyes adjusted to light from the full moon over the
mountain peaks and shining on the dark waters of the lake. Fog covered the isle
allowing no sight of the gems. She and her friends strode down the broad steps
past the rows of seats carved from stone. Here people of the hodara gathered to
celebrate the seasons.
For an instant the fog cleared. Her breath
caught in her throat as her gaze focused on the red crystal flashing on the moon’s
rays. She clasped the hilt of her sword and felt the hollow to fit such a
stone,
She reached the level grassy area at the
edge of the dark water. For a short time, she waited for Gera and Shiera to
join her. Together, they approached the edge of the lake and faced a transparent
barrier.
What did this mean? Dianal’s heart pounded
so hard she feared her ribs would crack. Where did I fail? Maybe I’m not the one but she couldn’t’ believe
her friends could err. Why were they denied. She glanced at one and then the
other. Their expressions were the same as her confusion.
A voice sounded in the air. “Greetings.”
Dianal gasped and looked around. She saw no
one. Gera grasped her hand. Shiera leaned closer.
“The time is not yet. You are Three,
Warrior, Healer and Seer. There are three more to come. You must find them and
return here for the blessing. You will be empowered on that day, you and your
counterparts appear. Seek them diligently. Go now to the hodara. Rest for the
remainder of the night, Leave on your quest in the morning.”
Dianal drew a deep breath. She turned from
the lake and walked up the steps. The words echoed in her thoughts. Who were
the other three and where would they be found?
As she exited the tunnel, she glanced at
the sky. During the time spent at the lake, she felt no time had passed. The
full moon still rode high. Gera and Shiera clasped her hands.
“What now?” Gera asked.
“We do what we were told,’ Shiera said.
Dianal nodded. “We must speak to the elders
in the morning so we can prepare to leave to seek these other three.”
Excitement rose but so did fear. She had never left the hodara, Nor had her
friends. What would they find when the reached the outer world?
3 comments:
Great description of them coming out of the tunnel!
Yes, who are the other three? I thought for sure they'd be.
Arouses curiosity for sure. Who are the other three?
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