Chapter 1:
Endaruta knelt before the altar of Lord Indra and reflected on the unease that had brought him here tonight. He was certain it had nothing to do with the King's death - usurper that he was, Artatama had brought peace to the land for the last ten years - more peace, if Endaruta were honest, than the three decades that had preceded them, with the ongoing strife and constant border raiding between the Mitanni, the Assyrians, and the Hittite. The king had died of a respectable old age, and the kingdom was in forced mourning until the dawn, when his son Shuttarna would take the throne. Despite the peace, however, for the last several moons his nights had been disturbed by dreams of ill portent, and none of the soothsayers in the temple had been able to give him the answers he was looking for.
Prince Shuttarna himself, sybarite that he was, also did not seem to be the cause of the dreams. The man - boy, really - was not ready to rule, but his father had left him a strong council, and the peace should continue for the immediate future with those wise heads in charge. No, the present was not the cause of the unease then. But then, if not the present and not the foreseeable future, what in the past could it be? Endaruta cast his mind back.
Artatama had come to the Mitanni throne ten years ago, in the aftermath of the chaos that had killed King Tushratta. Cousin to Tushratta, Artatama had been carving off bits of the wilder ends of the country for some time, under a false kingship. He had taken advantage of the situation in the capital to place himself on the throne he really wanted, and had clamped down on the chaos with an iron fist. Shortly after, the border raiding had stopped by the Assyrians and Hittites had stopped, as well. It seems unlikely he would have had much effect on the Hittites, Endaruta mused. Although he might have had some sway over the Assyrian border raiding, since that was where he had been building up his pocket kingdom.
The death of Tushratta... perhaps this unease stemmed from that horrifying time. The priest bowed his head as he recalled the events. The king's youngest son, name now stricken from the family records, had killed his father while leading an uprising of non-Maryanni nobles. The nobles, seeking more power than they had under the Maryanni rule, had not been satisfied with the death of just the king; the youngest son had been killed by his co-conspirators, and the rightful heir, Shattiwaza, had been forced to flee.
Was Shattiwaza, then, the source of his concern? He sensed a connection, but that was clearly not the entire source. Endaruta thought further back. The tragedies had begun when Tushratta's eldest son, Citraratha, as well as Citraratha's own son and his wife died in a suspicious hunting accident, a bare year before Tushratta's own death. Endaruta could not see any connection to Shattiwaza there, as Citraratha's entire family had been wiped out at the time.
Struck by a sudden sense, Endaruta considered that thought again - Citraratha's entire family had been destroyed, hadn't it? Perhaps not. The night of the hunting accident, the prince's twin daughters had vanished from the palace and never found. Rumors ran rampant that the young girls were taken by a shadowy figure, although none of the rumors agreed on the reasons for the disappearance - some said the girls were used in an evil, dark ritual to bring harm to the land, while others claimed that they would be brought forward when they were older to strengthen the throne. Was it possible, then, that these girls were part the ill-ease gripping him?
Endaruta snorted in stymied frustration. Dreams were not his province - he operated with firm facts and accurate information, but when the God spoke, one found a way to listen. He had been discreet, of course, as he had no wish to cause a panic. The head priest of the King of Gods having inauspicious visions was not something that would go over well with the remaining Maryanni nobility in the city, especially right before a coronation.
Yet despite his discretion, he had received a note with his meal this noontime. For answers to your dreams, be at Indra's altar at moonrise was all that had been written on the papyrus scrap lying on his tray, with no signature or mark to indicate who had sent the instruction. Endaruta had his suspicions, though - only one group of priests would actively work by the moonlight, and they were a mysterious bunch at the best of times.
Hearing a rustle in the temple behind him, he stood and peered into the darkness beyond the circle cast by the altar's candles. A slim form in an enveloping cloak approached and made obeisance to Indra, placing a simple offering of wine on the altar before turning to the priest and removing the cloak's hood.
"Priyamazda," Endaruta said with some satisfaction, recognizing the priestess. "I thought when I received the note it might be you. I should have considered - Lady Ratri watches the night and blesses dreams; if anyone could make sense of this, it is you. I apologize for not coming to you directly."
The woman before him was old, perhaps even ancient. She had been the Speaker - high priestess - of Ratri before Endaruta had come to serve Indra, and some whispered that she would serve long after the current generation was dead. Priyamazda was aware of the whispers, of course, but ignored them, as she ignored most things that were foolish. Looking into her eyes, however, Endaruta was suddenly grateful that he had never been disrespectful of the woman - she had power, real power, if she chose to use it.
Priyamazda smiled now, and nodded her head. "Yes, you should have come to me. It would have saved a great deal of time, and now you must rush a bit. There is only so much I can do to help you, I fear. My time is nearly at an end, and when you leave, it will be finished."
Endaruta shook his head. Leave? He wasn't going to leave - he had been made High Priest only a few years ago, and there was still so much to accomplish. He didn't think he had said it aloud, but Priyamazda's smile only got wider and she gestured to a low bench. "Come. Sit and I will explain."
In confusion, Endaruta followed the venerable woman to the bench, and sat as she instructed. In growing disbelief, he listened as she explained her words.
"Prince Shattiwaza was not an innocent in the killing of his father and his older brother. He arranged, also, for the death of his younger brother by the hands of the mob. We have proof of this - proof that came too late to save Tushratta and prevent the chaos. Now we have additional proof that Shattiwaza is on his way back at the head of a Hittite army, intent on taking the throne and making the country a Hittite client state. Shuttarna is a weakling and an idiot. He will not be able to withstand the cunning and might of Shattiwaza... and Shattiwaza will destroy us, to appease his Hittite masters."
The old woman looked sharply at Endaruta, and he realized he'd made a sound of protest. "Listen! This is deeper than you know. Lady Ratri has shown me, even as Lord Indra has tried to show you. The city will fall. The temples will fall. And when they do, unless you and those who are still true Maryanni are away, there will be nothing left of us. Mitanni will vanish into the mists of history, never to return. You must prepare to set out on a long journey, to find a new home where our people can be sheltered until it is time for us to return. And you must do so soon." Priyamazda paused for a long moment, then sighed and shook her head. "You do not have much time to seek Lord Indra's counsel, but seek it you must. Do not delay in this - there is already too little time."
Stunned, Endaruta found himself rising in silence as the old woman stood, bowed again to the altar, and disappeared into the night from which she had come. Her last words hung in the air around him, pushing at him with urgency that echoed his dreams - seek Lord Indra's counsel, there is too little time, seek Lord Indra's counsel, do not delay... Wrapping his robes tight around his body, he absently checked the altar to insure that the candles would burn through the night and moved further into the temple's depths, considering the options.
Three nights later, Endaruta once again knelt before the altar of Indra. Although his position was the same as before, the scene was considerably different - the doors were shut and barred, the entire temple gleamed with torches, and priests lined the walls, chanting incantations. Outside, a storm raged across the city, with Indra's bolts flashing across the sky while the first rain of the spring thundered down into the streets and the fields beyond. Endaruta could not help thinking that it was an auspicious night to perform this communion ceremony. Where before there was an air of wariness about the temple, now there was almost an air of celebration, as if the priests were expecting a positive outcome. Endaruta could only hope the outcome was positive, and not as mixed as he feared it would ultimately be.
Turning his attention back to the ceremony, the High Priest raised his hands above his head, intoning as he did, "Lord Indra, King of Gods, grant me this audience. Permit me to approach and seek wisdom to guide the people, even as you dispense wisdom to guide the Gods." Accepting a cup from one of the acolytes, Endaruta downed it fully, hiding a grimace at the herbal taste the wine couldn't fully mask. Sinking back onto his heels, he joined in the chanting, waiting for the herbs and wine to take hold and move his consciousness onto the path leading into the spirit world.
Gradually, Endaruta became aware that the only sound he heard was that of his own voice. As awareness dawned, his voice faltered, then silenced, and he looked around. The temple still surrounded him, as solid as it had ever been, but the people in it all seemed as insubstantial as ghosts. He turned back to the altar before him, and raised his eyes to the image of Lord Indra behind that. Immediately, he prostrated himself, and began to apologize, "My Lord, please forgive me, I did not mean to dishonor you by looking upon you..."
"Enough." He couldn't tell if the voice filled his head, or the room, but it vibrated through his body, and he fell silent to listen.
"You have been told by the Speaker of Ratri what is to come. You have been told truly. If you would serve me faithfully, you must now prepare yourself to leave this place, and lead the Maryanni to their new home. "
"I serve only you, my Lord I shall serve you faithfully as I have sworn to do...!" Endaruta was aware he was stammering and close to babbling, but he had only expected to meet one of Lord Indra's servants, not the Great Lord himself.
"Will you sacrifice yourself to me, Endaruta?"
"Yes, my Lord!"
"Then I claim you as my own. You will receive this prophecy, and you will serve me as my eyes and hands until it comes to pass. Listen now!
When Indra walks free
The Lords stir
Ratri awakes
Mitanni watch, wait
Hidden away
The world will pass
Child of Day, born quietly
Child of Night, born fighting
Each shall show their way
Maryanni guide, learn
Children to find
The world to regain
Passions shall rise
Virtue discarded
The world cries out
A Night of Sin, chaos eternal
Comes forth from Dark Child
The storm shall rise
Sin brought to light, order revealing
All forgiven by Child of Day
The storm shall pass
Two shall battle
One triumphant
The world turns on the word
Find the children of the prophecy, the one that forgives on the Day of Sin and the one that unleashes the Night of Sin. When they have been found, one of them shall triumph, and lead the Maryanni back into the world. This is your task. Until it is done, you shall not find your peace. Now go. Collect the Maryanni, and find your Mitanni-in-exile."
Consciousness returned slowly to Endaruta after that, and he found the atmosphere subtly changed in the temple when it did. Sitting up, he accepted the water and cheese brought to him, frowning when he realized that it was brought by one of the senior priests and not an acolyte. Looking around, he realized that the youngest of the priests and all of the acolytes were gone, and the temple returned to its usual state. Fixing his assistant with a glare, he sternly asked, "What happened?"
Sativaja swallowed, then hesitantly answered, "Lord Indra spoke through you. He gave a prophecy, and said you had a task. He charged us with helping you, in his own name. And..." He paused, swallowed again, then whispered, "you've changed."
Endaruta looked down at himself, and saw nothing different. "Changed? Changed how?" As another priest offered forth a small mirror of beaten silver, Endaruta felt his eyebrows ascend in astonishment. His hair had turned from black to a silver-grey, and his eyes had been bleached as blue as a newborn's. While he considered the changes, he became aware of a steady tugging deep within himself, pulling him to the east. He also realized that he had a basic understanding of what was needed for the journey they were about to set forth on, and quietly sent a prayer of thanks and gratitude to Lord Indra for providing the necessary wisdom. Standing, he said to the waiting priests, "I can see why you are concerned. It is of no matter. We have a task, set to us by Lord Indra. I have the information. Go now and sleep - in the morning, we have a great deal of work to do, and very little time in which to do it."
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Chapter 2:
Standing beside his tent, Endaruta looked out over the encampment. The tiny population of refugees had travelled for most of a year before coming to the base of tall, imposing mountains, where they were forced to stop until passage opened up with the coming of warmer weather. They had camped outside a small city, waiting for a sign from Lord Indra or Lady Ratri, and finally it had come. A group of impoverished farmers had come down to trade in the city, making their own small camp near to that of the refugees. The farmers had told the refugees of the abandoned temple on the mountain above their village, and Endaruta had declared that temple their final destination. To that end, they had assisted the astonished farmers with the necessary trading, and then asked the farmers to lead their new neighbors home. The farmers, confused but willing, agreed.
Now the travelers camped once more, sprawled along a protected valley floor. The easiest to settle had been some of the families of the lowborn priests and the few trusted retainers brought by the nobles. Although the land was different, farming was still essentially farming, and while there was not time now to start new fields, extra hands made for lighter work in the existing fields and would ensure more time to build homes for the new residents of the village once planting was completed. In the process, the village council of elders was adapting to the new residents, including them in the administration of the village.
The rest of the lowborn families and retainers, along with the house and temple slaves, were working on repairing the temple, making it ready for the Maryanni nobles and priests to move in. Endaruta would be happy to have a temple to preside over again, and he was certain the priests of Ratri felt the same way. Fortunately, there were so few priests and nobles that the temple would comfortably hold them all for at least some time.
The nobles were what concerned Endaruta now. None of the highborn were happy with stopping in this valley, high up on a mountain, far from home. Word had reached them as they rested on Persia's far border that Shattiwaza had returned at the head of a Hittite army and Mitanni was no more. Many of the warrior-bred nobles wanted to return to take back the capital city and place a Maryanni ruler back on the throne; only the fact that Endaruta had been guided to choose the most devout followers of Indra or Ratri kept them from turning back now. He might be the High Priest of the High God, but that only left him in an advisory role as far as the Maryanni nobles were concerned, and he needed to make sure his advice, when he gave it, was both sound and sensible if he wanted to guide them down the path Lord Indra had set before them.
He watched as the young men trained in weapons-work, encouraged by the giggles and glances of the young women sitting on the sidelines. The women would do as women did; once they were settled, they would resume weaving and sewing as always. The men, however - and, he was forced to add to himself, some few of the women as well! - had no outlet for their skills or their energy, and hunting would not contain them for long. It was a problem in search of a solution.
An eddy in the even rows of training caught his eye, and he grimaced as he looked down. Beyond even the few women who trained for fighting, that one was strange. The night before they had finally left Mitanni, Priyamazda had come to him in secret, bringing two teenage girls with her.
"I am not coming with you," she had said. "My time is through and my task is here. I will cover your absence for as long as I can. These two, however, are now in your care. The future of the Maryanni rests within them." She indicated each girl in turn, "Princess Anumita follows the path of Ratri. Princess Jayani follows in her father's footsteps as a warrior." Endaruta had recognized the names immediately - the long missing daughters of Citraratha - and frowned thunderously at Priyamazda. The old woman had merely smiled serenely. "I do as my Lady bids me. Lord Indra and Lady Ratri bless and watch over your travels, Endaruta. We will not meet again in this lifetime."
Since then, Jayani had demanded more advanced training than she had previously received. Only Anumita had been able to restrain her sister, and she did that only when the headstrong young warrior would otherwise have gone too far. Yet the Maryanni had been willing to teach her, beyond all normal limits set for the fighting women. He was not yet certain how these two girls would be the future of the Maryanni, but he was certain Indra's will would be revealed eventually. However, until that time presented itself, he needed to consider the more urgent issues at hand - such as what to do with all of the young warriors. Settling himself before his travelling altar, he began to meditate.
Several moons later, the problem of what advice to give about the young warriors was still facing Endaruta, and he found himself no closer to a solution. Fortunately, both for his peace of mind and for the continued settling of the refugees, the restless warriors had found themselves occupied with learning new ways to hunt in the mountain regions, so different from the desert they were used to. As a result, the village and the temple were well supplied with meat for the coming winter and the Maryanni women were learning new ways to work leather and furs. The men would spend the winter learning to track and fight in the snow... and come spring, a solution may finally have presented itself.
Before the snows truly began to fly, however, the final harvest was to be celebrated with a feast of thanksgiving. The Temple was complete, and Lord Indra's altar was once again bright with burning light. Lady Ratri's temple was deep in the mountain, in the perpetual dimness suited to the Goddess of the dark, and her priests had begun the process of finding a new Speaker. He would reveal the Prophecy, name the Princesses, and declare the valley the new Mitanni. All would be done according to Indra's will - he would see to it.
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Chapter 3.
Five years after the Grand Feast, Endaruta stood on the temple walls and looked out over the valley below, waiting impatiently for news from both without and within.
Random chance had solved the problem of his restless warriors - a Raja from further south had come into the trade city while some of the warriors had been there three springs previously, seeking men to fill out his army. Sativaja, previously Endaruta's aide and now overseer of supplies, had seen an opportunity. He invited the Raja back to the temple to discuss hiring some of their warriors, and thus had their young men found a trade. The Maryanni nobles had taken to the life warriors-for-hire with a relish, and even those who did not go out turned their attention to supporting those that did. The villagers, old and new, had settled into a comfortable routine that included the Maryanni and temple priests as a matter of course. There were still growing pains, but Endaruta believed that the Mitanni valley would be a safe place for the Maryanni to watch the world until it was time for Indra's prophecy to come to pass.
Not all of the warriors had been content with simply fighting in the wars of others. A small group of the more adventuresome men had gone out to find what they could about the world, and one of those men had returned the previous day, ahead of the rest of the group, indicating that they had found people who could "promote the Maryanni agenda." The forerunner would not say more, turning instead to making rooms ready for their impending guests.
The news from within had the possibility of being much more grim. Princess Anumita had taken to spouse one of the young noblemen who led the mercenary forces. Word had reached them of his death and Anumita, near to term in a difficult pregnancy, went into labor. Princess Jayani had stayed behind this season, studying with Ratri's priests, saying only that she would be near her sister when the time came. Endaruta wondered now if, perhaps, the young warrior had been given a foreseeing of this trouble.
All he could do, however, was walk the walls and wait for one situation or the other to resolve.
It was near dusk when the first news came. A shout went up from the gate, and a procession appeared on the road below the temple. Endaruta watched its approach, seeking guidance from the voice within on his course of action regarding these newcomers. The voice was silent, as it had been more and more of late, and he told himself once more that he was performing the will of Indra, then climbed off the wall as the party moved into the courtyard.
Biridashva, the fiery youngest son of a noble with too many sons, dismounted from his horse with a bound. "High Priest," he bowed with a flourish, "We bring to you teachers and inventers, magicians and wise men, scholars and warriors all."
"Very colorful," replied Endaruta dryly, "but what is the point?" He watched with some interest as strong men lifted a complex box off one of the pack mules, and then turned his attention back to the young man. "Your runner failed to mention anything about these people, and I confess to a certain amount of curiosity as to what to do with them."
Biridashva smiled. "Well, as to what to do with them... pretty much anything you would like to. All of them were outcast or destitute, helpless and hopeless. We, ah, rescued them. They're ours now, and they understand that we're their last hope. They believe they will be permitted to continue with their experiments and studies, in exchange for service to the Maryanni. If that service is sacrifice to Lord Indra... well, we didn't cover that part, but they can't complain. They got to see more of the world."
Endaruta held back a smirk. "I see. Very practical. Go on." He began to walk into the main building, perforce bringing Biridashva with him, the younger man falling a step behind out of respect.
"While we explored the world, we discovered that there is a great deal more to it than we had realized. We saw great and wondrous things, powers we had never seen; we heard of even more. We also saw that there are great nations full of fighting men, many of whom may be even as skilled as our own. We came to understand that if we wished to prosper, we must become special in the eyes of the world, unique and sought after. To do that, we must offer what no one else can offer."
Endaruta nodded, listening carefully.
"We thought about what we could offer that would be different than others, and we came to realize that if we could learn to harness the abilities offered by many different lands and cultures, while adapting them to Lord Indra's will, we would become what no one else in the world is - infinitely adaptable, no matter what the situation. We would become special. We could choose which tasks suited us, and demand our own terms." The young man stopped as Endaruta turned at looked at him.
"It will not be easy, this task you believe we should take on."
"We know that. And we will have to earn our reputation."
"More than that, you'll have to convince the others that your way is the right way to proceed. They are fighters - fighting is what they know, that is their way. These new ways will be resisted."
"If we have your blessing, and Lord Indra's permission, I cannot see that we will fail." Biridashva's eyes were bright with Indra's light, and Endaruta thought that perhaps the answers he had been searching for had been found by this young man.
Endaruta spoke cautiously, considering each word. "We will examine each of your... recruits... in turn. We will determine what they have to teach, and where their studies will take them. If they are acceptable, you may use them." He held up a cautionary hand as Biridashva began to grin, "If they are not, they will be given to Lord Indra and Lady Ratri. And if all of them are found unacceptable, you will be dispatched to Lord Indra to explain yourself personally."
Biridashva sobered up immediately at this dire warning, and bowed again. "I understand, sir. You won't be disappointed. We'll begin immediately."
In the end, only three of Biridashva's twenty recruits were given to Lady Ratri.
The other news Endaruta was waiting for did not come until dawn. After his morning devotions, he exited the temple to find the Princess Jayani waiting for him with a young woman from the village and two small bundles. The expression on Jayani's face did not comfort him, despite the presence of the children. The few Maryanni nobles waiting in the chamber as well stirred in discomfort.
"Princess."
"High Priest." Jayani's tone was formal, "I present to you my children, blood of my blood, born of my sister and taken as my own. My daughters, Pritaśva and Sativaja."
Endaruta sighed silently. He'd been afraid Anumita would not survive the childbirth, and now his fears were realized. He was considering rejecting Jayani's claim to the children, when the voice that guided him suddenly spoke through him. "I recognize your children, the blood of your blood, heirs of your family. The path of the Maryanni continues through Pritaśva and Sativaja."
Jayani smiled, bittersweet. "Thank you, High Priest. Before she died, Anumita was able to hold them and name them. Lady Ratri helped her to stay that long. She also..." Jayani paused, and gave Endaruta a considering look. "She spoke before she died, in much the same way you just did. She said that it was important that we both be the mothers of our daughters, and that it will be that way until the last two. She also said that you shall stand as father to all of our daughters. I do not believe she meant only these two children."
Endaruta coughed to cover his surprise. This was something he was going to have to consider in meditation, as it raised questions he had never thought to ask - starting with, just how long did Lord Indra expect his prophecy to take, and what, precisely, had been meant by "shall not find peace" until it was done? He became aware that Jayani was looking at him with concern, and responded gruffly, "Of course, Princess, I will stand as father to your daughters. All of your daughters." And if, as I am beginning to suspect, that is several generations of daughters... well, there are worse things than making sure children are properly raised. Patting each of the tiny infants on the head, Endaruta nodded gravely to the Princess, and began to attend to his other duties of the day, his thoughts turning away from those difficult concepts best considered in private meditation.
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Chapter 4.
Over a thousand years had passed since Endaruta first brought the Maryanni refugees to the Mitanni valley, and in all of that time, he had not outwardly seemed to age. Inside, he knew that he had gotten older - he felt the press of history. He made certain the Maryanni had kept careful records, chronicling the history of the world as it changed. That the Mitanni valley had changed as well was inevitable - families grew, new fields were turned over, and while the village lived in support of the temple and its pursuits, it also had its own cycles and traditions.
One of the inevitable changes, however, had been in the meanings of Maryanni and Mitanni. Before, they had been the names of both the country and the people the original group of refugees had come from. Now Mitanni referred only to the valley and all of the people who lived there. The term Maryanni had come to mean the elite - the priests and the specialists, the descendants of the original nobles. Outside of the valley, the word Maryanni was now spoken of in elite circles - Biridashva's plan of so many years ago had worked out better than even that talented individual had foreseen.
The Maryanni had prospered, well beyond Endaruta's wildest hopes, and he briefly offered a prayer of apology to Indra for his doubt. The noble families and trained fighters had resisted the new ways at first, even as Endaruta predicted. Biridashva had converted the first of them within the space of a single winter season, and the resulting successes had started the change. Now the young men and women, formerly merely fighters, were trained in the arts of spying, deception, war, and trickery. Some few of these also had rarer talents - some had the ability to control the elements, others to control a weak man's mind. There were even those who could summon forth dark energies that warped the fabric of reality around them. They were all the specialists of the Maryanni, hired by rulers and war leaders with the riches to afford the very best. All those who went out into the world were taught to bring back every new thing they learned, and, as necessary, to find teachers and scholars that would increase the knowledge and skills available to the Mitanni valley. Despite the influx of knowledge, Endaruta insured that the Maryanni retained their culture; it was Indra's Will that the Maryanni would return to the world, and they would return as they had left it, only stronger.
Insuring Indra's Will had, by necessity, required him to take more of the leadership roles on himself. He had lost so many of his trusted advisors and the young nobles seemed less capable than those who had started this journey with him. Of course, there were those he could delegate to, but in order to make sure the Maryanni prospered, there needed to be one hand guiding the path. He knew he would be there to see the prophecy through, so it was only reasonable that his be that hand.
A rustle at his door caused him to look up from his thoughts, and he smiled. Amrita came in with a tray, and a slightly scolding look, "Grandfather, you're lost in thought again, and you missed dinner."
Endaruta chuckled. "Perhaps, dear child, I simply knew I would get the pleasure of your company as I ate if I waited."
Amrita placed the tray on the table and joined him, pouring tea for both as Endaruta watched. She was the warrior twin this generation, her sister Ceba the priestess. In over sixty generations, there had been twelve pairs of twins from the line of Anumita and Jayani. While not all of the children had been girls, all of the twins had been - and of each pairing, one was a warrior and one a priestess. Only one of the pair ever had children, and thus the line had remained true, with no conflicting branches to muddy the waters. Endaruta was well aware that this was not natural, but the Mitanni had plenty of other problems to occupy their time and he wasn't going to question this bit of good fortune. It was difficult enough knowing that when the twins were born, their parents were soon to die. As instructed, he raised each pair of twins himself. It was one of the few true joys left to him, now that he was realizing that the Mitanni were hemmed in by potential enemies on all sides.
Endaruta leaned back in his chair. In truth, he had lost track of time with all of the details he needed to see to, but he was just as glad. He had wanted to speak with Amrita, and now, in private, was the best time to do so. "You seem bothered recently. What's wrong, child?"
"Wrong? Nothing." Amrita played with the ends of her hair, "it's just... You know the dream priests are choosing a new Speaker?" Endaruta nodded. Like him, Amrita followed Indra and she had little use for the dreams and divining practiced by Ratri's priests. "It's possible they could choose Ceba." The last bit came out in a rush.
"Ah." Endaruta considered that for a moment. Not all of the priestesses of this line had gone to Ratri, but most had. None had ever been Speaker, however, and he thought on that carefully. It would mean that Amrita would be the mother of the next generation - something he did not wish to examine too carefully. Ceba was rather too unworldly for the job of mother, but she made a very good priestess. "Are you worried you'll lose her?"
Amrita nodded. "Ratri doesn't share very well. It's why the Speakers never have lovers or children." She paused, and then added truthfully, "not that Ceba would anyway. I just don't know how Ratri feels about sisters."
"Lady Ratri is not an unfair Goddess, my dear, and many of the Speakers through the years have had close relationships and loved ones, even though they lose the ability and desire to take lovers. While the Goddess does not, as you say, share well, she is not so possessive as to deny her Speaker all human companionship. Your sister will always be your sister."
Amrita considered this for a few moments, then nodded, and finished her tea. Kissing Endaruta on the cheek, she excused herself. "I promised to help decorate the hall for Harvest Feast tomorrow. If I don't go, then Hariti will direct everything, and you know what she did last year."
Endaruta rolled his eyes. "By all means, go. I shall see you after the ceremonies." He watched as she ran out of the room, then leaned back in his chair. Ceba as Speaker certainly had possibilities. To start, it could mean both twins might live their full lives, even once Amrita had her child. Also, the more he thought, the more he realized Ceba would make a very revered Speaker, and that might bind the priests of Ratri even closer to the Maryanni prophecy - something, he reflected, that could be useful. They are far too independent for my comfort as it is. With a little bit of prompting, Amrita could be counted on to sway Ceba, and with careful work, the temple of Ratri would be brought into line in a timely fashion. He smiled briefly. Yes, that would most certainly work.
The next day dawned crisp and clear, a perfect day for the Harvest Festival. Throughout the village and temple, song and celebration raised into the air as thanks was given for the year's bounty.
Deep within the temple, in a room cut far back into the mountain, the sounds of celebration did not penetrate. Here, Endaruta glared at the priests and wizards who were seated around the table with the Maryanni nobles that advised him. "The news from out of the west is decidedly dangerous. These Romans will not pay us to fight for them, and they have been taking over wide swathes of land. While it is useful for us to collect the wisdom they discard, it would not be at all good for the Maryanni to be beset by a group of conquerors intent on taking our abilities for their own! We have already lost one homeland, we shall not be driven from another!" The High Priest drew a deep breath, and gathered his temper. "The east is equally dangerous to us, with the Han coming back into power. We will not be caught between the two!"
"We already have precautions, Lord Endaruta," one of the Maryanni nobles said. Endaruta took careful note of him - anyone who dared contradict him would either turn out to be a useful advisor or a betrayer in the making. "We do not permit clients to come here, we watch the pathways and turn back strangers before they make it this far, and we limit those who may come to trade. Surely those precautions will keep up safe."
Endaruta's face hardened. He would not give up his intention to keep the Mitanni valley secret and safe. "Where there is even one enemy that could seek us out and try to take us, more will follow. We know that others are learning some of our ways, trying to duplicate what we do. It is only a matter of time before someone attempts to follow one of our war-groups home or slips a spy into the trading parties. No. We must find a way to construct a veil around the valley, to keep all strangers and prying eyes out. Only those who are sent out, our specialists and the traders, should have the ability to pass through. Trading shall be done at the city below - no more will traders come up here. We will have our own trading parties go down and bring supplies up. We will control who comes here. We will keep our people safe!" Once more, he glared around the table, until his eyes fixed on the head of the magi. "I want you to work only on a veil for the valley. Only on that, until it is in place."
The mage shrank back from Endaruta's intensity and nodded. "It shall be as you command, my Lord."
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Chapter 5.
Zigsa and Kipu ran across the expanse of pasture, joining the other children in a game of chase-the-dogs, as Endaruta looked on from his seat on the terrace. Spring had arrived late in the Mitanni valley and the children were all eager to be out. For himself, Endaruta was absently pleased to see the twins laughing again - while he knew that losing both their parents to snow-sickness had been inevitable, the girls were only four and did not understand. Once again he had another pair of twins to raise, and he sighed inwardly - he simply did not have the time to raise children and also rule over the Mitanni valley. Standing, he moved to the terrace railing and looked out. On the other slope, another house similar to this was being raised; tea plantations dotted the slopes below the houses. The valley looked peaceful and prosperous. Further down, the veil of protection the priests and wizards had finally managed to design covered the incoming road. For anyone with a protective amulet the veil simply sparkled in the light; to everyone else, the road appeared to simply end at a steep-sided, impassable ravine. There had been some grumbling in the village when the veil had been placed; he had declared it Indra's Will, and offered to send the worst complainers on to express their opinion to Indra directly.
The grumbling in the village had gotten louder when the traders had stopped coming and the Maryanni had taken over the trading routes. Prices were fixed and many things were less expensive now, but the villagers wanted the chance to see the travelling traders for themselves rather than to have to place orders for the valley traders to get for them. Endaruta had bowed to the inevitable at that point and brought the village under his direct authority. It added to his burdens, of course, but there was no other as appropriately equipped to do so as he. As well, he had proven to himself over and again that no other was as concerned for the safety and security of the Mitanni valley, or for the fulfillment of the Maryanni prophecy, as he.
Endaruta shook his head. Another thousand years had passed in the outside world. The Maryanni had factors now, people who never came to the valley at all. It was safer that way - the factors were not of the Mitanni, and could be sacrificed if necessary. A virulent religion called Christianity was spreading rapidly over the western lands; anyone who did not profess to the Christian faith was suspect and in danger. This simply added to the ongoing need for secrecy and protection, and it only took a few stories by the traders and specialists to convince the villagers that they did not wish to be the focus of one of these Crusades. To the east, the ****** rampaged over the lands, consolidating many people under one great ruler. The Mitanni had been forgotten, even in their old lands, which were now held by the Assyrians. The Maryanni existed now as rumors and whispers, hired only by those who could afford the best and needed the most discreet. Tasks were coming more slowly, but he had thoughts on how to change that - with a little effort, even kings could be led to indiscretion, and working on both sides had long been more profitable than working on just one.
Footsteps sounded on the stone behind him and he turned to see his host approaching quickly. "My Lord Endaruta, please, forgive me. We had not expected you, I was out with my sons overseeing the planting; I did not mean to keep you waiting." The man was nervously stammering, bowing low.
Endaruta, bored, raised a hand. "No matter, no matter. It gave the children a chance to play, and that will only help them settle down to their lessons later. I came to inform you that your record-keeping has come to my attention." He paused, waiting to see what the reaction would be.
It came quickly. "Our record-keeping, my lord? Is there a problem? We have always strived for clarity and accuracy in our records, to best track our growing seasons and crop results..." The man was confused and babbling, rather than practiced and glib. A good sign; it meant that the records were not falsified. Once again, Endaruta raised a hand to stop the flow of words.
"There was no problem. Rather, say, you shall be our solution to a problem." Endaruta snapped his fingers, and an acolyte came forward with a box of scrolls and parchments. "In addition to your records, your wife's detailed genealogy tracing has also been brought to our attention. Together, you will trace the history of all marriages and children in Mitanni since the Maryanni came. You will arrange for a proper method of recording future marriages and children, so that the new laws on who may marry whom are followed appropriately."
"New laws, my lord?"
"Yes. We have had far too much weakening of the blood. There will no longer be marriages between those of close relation. The Arab physician, Ibn Alhacen, will delineate the safe distances for you. The Maryanni must continue to carefully select breeding stock from the outside world, but that part is not your concern."
The newly promoted archivist looked as if he'd very much like to protest, especially as the boxes of scrolls and parchments kept arriving. Finally, a very subdued query emerged from the confusion and squelched protest, "My lord? May we at least place the material in a warehouse? And have assistance?"
Endaruta waved a hand. He was finished with this conversation - he had given his orders, how the man carried them out was not his concern. "As you need. It is your project, dictated as Lord Indra's Will. Do what you must, simply get it done." He turned to the children and called out sharply, "Zigsa! Kipu! Come, it is time to return." He then strode off, never looking behind as the children raced to catch up. His mind was already turning to the next task on his list, and still he considered how best to manipulate world events to his own uses.
Late that night, Endaruta's thoughts turned inward, considering once again the safety of the valley. He had ideas on how to strengthen the veil even farther, to cause it to cover the entire valley, rather than just block off the entrance. It would take work, of course, so that animals could still move freely, but humans would be blocked from leaving by any passage. The importance of this had been brought home to him recently - just last week, some of the specialists in training had come across a young village couple attempting to escape through one of the hunting passes, trying to elope together despite parental disapproval. Where someone could get out, unwanted visitors could come in, and that was an unacceptable compromise to valley security. Yes, the veil would have to be tightened across the whole valley - no one to be allowed in or out without permission.
Of course, that only begged the question of what to do with those of the valley who attempted to leave without permission. It was Indra's Will that the Mitanni live in this valley until the Prophecy was fulfilled and no one could be permitted to deny Indra's Will. Such people, mused Endaruta, should be beneath the lowest of the Mitanni, and cast out. It would be kindest to simply kill them, really, once they were no longer one of the chosen of Indra, but if they were forced to live with their shame within the valley, it would be even more of a punishment. Yes, outcast would do... and it was appropriate for any violation of Indra's Will, not simply attempting to leave the valley without permission.
Endaruta nodded firmly to himself, and began to write the new laws.
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-------------------------
Chapter 6.
Endaruta woke abruptly from his dreams. What does it mean, he wondered, to have remembered the last three thousand years now? What's changed?
Rising, he left the bedroom without disturbing the girl sleeping there and moved into his private workroom. With a thought, he lit the candles and called his familiar. The hulking black shape stood soundlessly before him, waiting for instruction. Considering carefully, Endaruta sent it off hunting in the direction his uneasiness seemed to be coming from, telling it to look for anything unusual and to report back when it found something.
Once his shadow servant had left, the man who had started as merely the High Priest of Indra and was now the ruler of the Maryanni slowly sank into his chair, considering the series of dreams he had just had. He found it interesting that the dreams highlighted some of the major turning points of the Maryanni, and wondered what it meant that they had each happened nearly a thousand years apart - and that it was now another thousand years since the last. He also wondered if it was significant that there were no twins for this millennial turning, nor had there been for the last four generations. The current child was a boy of six who would be a good, strong Maryanni soldier, but he was no child of prophecy.
The outside world had just come out of a great war. Publicly, Endaruta gave thanks to Indra for providing the Maryanni with such opportunities; privately, he thought that using the magics of his priests to influence the councils of both world leaders and extremist organizations worked even better than he had ever hoped. He would give decadent Europe a chance to recover, and then try again. Until then, however, he would make certain that the veil would protect against the new aircraft being put to extensive use by militaries around the world.
The veil itself had been a troublesome matter until a Spanish mathematician, running from charges of witchcraft, had been brought in as a potential teacher. The Spaniard had understood immediately the need for stronger protections around the valley and had applied his considerable intellect to the problem. It was due to his approach that Endaruta now had control over his own, previously undiscovered, magics, and together they had managed to develop the improved veil that now arced over the valley. It had been the Spaniard's excellent idea to link the paths in and out to specific people through spells rather than amulets that could be lost or stolen. The pathfinders were loyal to Indra - more spells saw to that - and were the only ones who could navigate the ever-changing conditions of the veil. By the time the changes had been complete no one had dared question him, and the valley's security was as thorough as he could make it.
It was because of the security of the veil that he had permitted the village to take on more of their own governance. He would control the laws, of course, but there was no reason that a council could not handle their own basic affairs. He had assigned two of his more conservative priests to the council so that the villagers would not feel as if the temple were abandoning them; he was certain that important matters would be brought to him promptly.
Leaning back in his chair, he considered the Mitanni valley further. No, the village was not the source of his discomfort, nor were the Maryanni specialist teams. His own temple of Indra was well controlled, and he would know if there were a problem there. The temple of Ratri, however... Endaruta grimaced. The priests of Ratri had remained as stubbornly independent over the years as they had started. Outwardly, they supported him and Indra's Will. Behind the closed doors of their temple, deep within the mountain, however, who knew what they were planning and plotting? He knew that he could not move against them, however - although none of the Speakers had the length of life he could boast, they had all been powerful in their own way, and he was certain their Goddess would manifest if necessary. In the darkness that much of the paired temples boasted, they would have an advantage, and so he was left with them - for now. It was simply a matter of time before that changed, however, then he would move and Indra would be the only true God in the valley.
As he waited for the return of his familiar, Endaruta's mind turned inward, seeking once again the feeling of power and certainty that had led him for so long and brought him to this place. He wasn't entirely certain when it had left him; he only knew that it had waned. For a brief moment, he was certain he had felt a spark of the old power, then his concentration was shattered by the return of his shadow servant.
Endaruta nearly screamed in frustration. He had been so close. "Well?" he snapped, looking at the dark mass expectantly.
The servant roiled in place for a moment, then sent out tendrils towards Endaruta's face. Endaruta steeled himself - he knew this was the only way the dark creature could communicate, but that didn't make it pleasant.
Instantly, his mind was filled with the image of a tall man, blond and blue-eyed, surrounded by other men. This man was a predator, a danger, and one to watch. The other men did not even register with the servant - they were nonentities, prey. They were searching for something, the others obviously following the blond man's instructions, deferring to him. The air all around them shimmered with power, somehow centered on the blond, and Endaruta felt again the strength of a God. Then the image receded, leaving Endaruta with the image of the man, a single word, and the conviction that things were about to change.
Absently, the priest paid his familiar in energy and dismissed the creature. Before he could know how to react, he had to get more information. He had to know more, and get reports from people who could make sense of what they saw and heard. Considering the matter further, he began to write orders. The Maryanni had many skills; information gathering was child's play to them. He had agents all over the world - some who did not even know for whom they worked, merely that they provided regular reports in exchange for a steady stipend. It was time to put these agents to work, learning what had changed this night... and what they heard of a blond man named Marcus.
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-------------------------
Chapter 7.
Endaruta stared down into the courtyard and watched the two children play. Finally, after years of waiting, another set of twins. These two were special, however. These two were the ones he had been waiting for - Papahai Rata, Sin's Night, and Papahai Dina, Sin's Day. Now that they were here, however, now that he had spent seven years raising them, he wasn't entirely certain that a mistake had not been made.
The signs had seemed right. Ever since that night more than sixty years prior, he could feel a storm building, as if just over the horizon. For the first time since that disturbance, there were twins expected. He could feel Indra's Will stirring in him once again, filling him with renewed purpose. The world had changed, even more than he had expected, and some of the Maryanni had changed with it. Indra had made the Maryanni stronger, and Endaruta had honed that strength into an even firmer purpose than before.
Knowing that the twins were to be the children of the Prophecy, Endaruta felt it best to make certain there was no early trauma to delay or distract from their training. Disposing of the twins' father had been simplicity itself... before they were even born, he had arranged to send Dorje on a mission designed to fail. These sorts of missions were always needed to get rid of unstable elements who were still loyal, and while it was regrettable that Dorje had fallen into that category, the woman he'd brought home as wife made it obvious he was on his way out. The boy had merely been sent to have a child with a woman made available to them by the crime syndicate of Paris. A mutually beneficial arrangement had long ago been set up with the syndicate and they had provided a perfectly good female for Dorje. Instead, he had come home married to the woman's half-trained younger cousin! Besotted with his already pregnant wife, Dorje had definitely proven himself a liability, and Endaruta was not one to waste time with regret over broken tools.
The wife, hardly surprising, was a problem. Instead of a pliant, biddable young girl, Brigitte had proven to be a headstrong, fiery-haired virago. She chafed at his rulings, challenged their religions, and compromised the Maryanni way of life. He'd had no choice but to slowly poison her once Dorje had been gone, publicly attributing her worsening health to a difficult pregnancy and grief at the loss of her husband. In private, she had guessed the truth before her death, but by then it had been too late. She was too weak to prevent the massive dose he gave her to induce labor, and thus had he been rid of her.
The midwives and healers told him he'd almost been rid of the children, as well. Or, he corrected himself, one of them, at least. The older, by nearly three hours, had been "born fighting" as the prophecy called for. Papahai Rata, Sin's Night, had come into this world ready to lash out at everyone around her and delighting in the chaos she caused. Blue eyed and dark haired, at least until her accident, she had been everyone's little beauty, constantly keeping her caretakers and teachers hopping. Her, he thought, he could have almost enjoyed raising. She would be this generation's warrior.
A sneer crossed his face as he thought of the other. If Rata would be this generation's warrior, that one would be the priestess. A redheaded, green-eyed Maryanni! The thought seemed impossible, but somehow the girl had inherited her mother's coloring. Papahai Dina, Sin's Day, born wandering in spirit. The head of the healers told him later that they had spent several hours making sure she would live, and they had nearly failed. Seven years later, he still thought perhaps they shouldnt have wasted the time. They had, however, and now he was stuck with both of them.
Order and Chaos. Night and Day. Endaruta considered the two girls, and watched them as they interacted. Dina was quiet and compassionate, looking out for her sister and anyone she cared for like a little mother. It was a softness that would need to be excised if she were to be worth anything to the Maryanni. On the other hand, there was a certain wildness to Rata that he thought needed to be tamed. That wildness had caused her accident in the well six months ago, an accident that had left the girl in a healing coma down in the temple of Ratri for three days. Upon her reappearance, her beautiful dark hair had paled to pure silver. Rata had been delighted, exclaiming that it made her look more like "Grandfather." It was directly afterward that he had arranged for their lessons to be increased. They were children of Prophecy; they shouldn't have time to make trouble. Even this playtime was part of a lesson, and should be ending soon.
Even as he looked over to check the time, he was distracted by a shriek coming from the courtyard below. Rata was fighting with her teachers, refusing to come in. This is what he had been waiting to see, as he had received reports of this behavior. Glancing back to the acolyte waiting by the door, he nodded and sat down to wait for his wards to appear before him.
*
Dina chewed on her lip when the acolyte appeared in the courtyard and the teachers got a half-worried, half-resigned look on their faces. She knew this acolyte was one who served her guardian, and his appearance here could only mean that they were to appear before him. She trailed along behind as the teachers, once they got Rata subdued, followed the acolyte to Lord Endaruta's chambers. Rata, once she realized where they were going, quickly settled down and by the time the acolyte had opened the chamber doors, was as serious as her sister. The twins glanced at each other as they entered the room with trepidation and came to stand in front of a massive desk; waiting to be addressed by the man they called Grandfather when he was in a good mood and Lord Endaruta when he was not. Unfortunately, when he spoke, no sign of Grandfather was evident.
"Do you know why you're here?" His voice was cold and stern, and the girls clasped hands behind their backs, where he couldn't see.
"Yes, Lord Endaruta," they answered together, although Dina was not entirely certain why she was there, since she hadn't actually done anything wrong.
"Hmm. Well, now there is a new rule. Since you are twins, you will share one another's punishment. If one of you gets into trouble, you will be corrected as usual, but your sister will also receive your full measure. Your failures remain your own, but your troublemaking is now joined." He fixed Rata with a stern eye. "I told you what would happen the next time I had to call you in, did I not?" As she nodded, he barked, "Well, girl, what did I tell you?"
"You said I would be caned, sir."
"Well, now so will your sister. You may go. Dina, stay."
Rata looked at Dina in apology, then turn and fled the room. Dina watched Rata for a moment, then turned to look up at Endaruta with tears in her eyes and an expression of misery. That expression became shock and pain a moment later as the flat of the old man's hand hit her cheek.
"Now, girl, you listen and you learn. You are the Day of Sin. You are Order, Virtue, and Light, and you will, by Indra, learn control. You will start with no more crying. You will learn to control yourself, your expression, your thoughts, and emotions - all of it. No more excuses. You will also learn how to control your sister, or you will start earning extra punishments for failure. Do you understand?" As Dina swayed in confusion, he growled and shook her shoulder before shoving her to the door. "Go to the temple, find one of the priests, and tell them you have to start learning detachment. Go now!"
Stumbling and bewildered, she went out the door. Dazed, she turned the wrong way and wandered deeper into the temple than she had ever been before. Coming at last to a large, dim room, she collapsed onto a bench and started to cry.
Sobbing, she didn't hear the shuffling footsteps come into the room. Still shocked, she didn't completely register the soft hand stroking her hair, or the aged voice quietly murmuring words of comfort until she had cried herself out. It was only then she realized that not only was she not alone, but whomever was with her had lifted her head onto their lap and was still gently petting her hair. Sitting up, she scrubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, and was astonished to meet the gaze of the oldest woman she had ever seen.
The woman smiled. "Well, then. All cried out?" Dina nodded. "Ah. You'll want something to drink then, and a handkerchief. The temple's not the place to get either, but I know where is. You come with me then, young lady, and we'll talk, see if we can't get you straightened out." The old woman stood and held out her hand to Dina, who, taking upon it, was pulled along into a warm, comfortable warren of rooms.
"Where are we? I... I sort of got lost."
"Ah. I wondered. You're in the priest's quarters for Ratri's temple."
"You're a priestess of Ratri?"
The old woman laughed gently. "I have been since I was only a little older than you, my dear. My name is Jamyang, and I would like to think I have some understanding of how to help young ladies. Even those stuck with unfortunate prophecies."
"You know who I am?"
"Dear child, you may be the only individual in the temple with quite that shade of hair, although there are some in the town. Everyone here knows who you are, and yes, your sister too." Jamyang handed Dina a small washcloth and towel, and pointed to a small room. "Go on in there and wash your face and hands. When you come out, you'll tell me all about it."
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Chapter 8.
Jamyang shook her head. "No, Dina, again. Focus your will. You cannot light a candle just by staring at it; you must bring your will to bear." The old woman sighed, and rubbed at her temples, leaning back against her cushions.
"I think this is giving you as much a headache as it's giving me," remarked Dina, looking at her teacher in concern. A year had passed since the old priestess had found Dina in Ratri's temple, and since then Jamyang had provided the explanations and teaching Endaruta had required Dina to acquire. Control was hard for Dina, and she regularly struggled to keep from expressing her emotions to those around her - especially Rata, who complained that Dina was no fun anymore. For her own part, Rata was still the embodiment of chaos, but she was at least learning to think about her goals before setting out on a course of action. Dina still wasn't entirely sure the resulting trade-off was worth it - the inevitable punishments were less frequent, but they were for considerably more spectacular results.
In order to fit in these lessons with Jamyang, Dina had been forced to skimp on other lessons and her martial training was suffering. She knew she had to pass basic competency before she was fifteen, but that was still seven years away, and in the mean time, she was excelling in her language, history, and magic studies, thanks to Jamyang's help. Well, magic theory, at any rate - practical application still seemed to elude her.
Jamyang's health, however, had started to deteriorate rather rapidly recently, and nothing any of them had tried had been able to help. Dina knew it was a matter of time before she lost her elderly friend, and she bitterly resented the fact. That was another thing she tried not to show, and having that sort of secret made not showing the rest of it harder and easier both - harder, because she wanted to lash out; easier because she had no wish for Jamyang to see her fail. She rather suspected Jamyang knew, regardless.
Now, though, was not the time for those reflections, and Dina brought a glass of water to the old woman. "You should be resting."
"And you should be learning. You'll be caned again if you don't pass the test to become an acolyte and you know that Rata doesn't share those punishments. "
Dina looked down at the floor and took a breath. She had what she thought was a wonderful solution, but it would only work if her teacher helped her. "Jamyang... I wouldn't have to pass the tests to become an acolyte of Indra if I were already an acolyte of Ratri."
A light tenor voice spoke from behind her, "She's right, you know. And if you don't sponsor her, Jamyang... I will."
Dina's eyes brightened as she turned. "Davos! You passed your tests!"
The young priest in the doorway laughed. "That I did. And I am pleased to say I didn't fall asleep in the ceremony afterward, either." He reached out and tousled Dina's hair, giving the girl a brief hug before bending over Jamyang and giving her a hug as well. "I'm serious, teacher. If you don't offer her name forward, I will. Ah... Dina, could you run down to the kitchen and get tea for us?"
Dina frowned. She knew she was being sent away, but she also knew they wouldn't speak until she was gone. Besides, if they were having tea, Jamyang was resting, and that was more important just now. She went.
"That would be suicide, Davos, and Endaruta would never permit it." Jamyang's voice was fretful as she looked up at her favorite student. "Don't think I haven't considered it, but there's no possible way it would be allowed."
Davos sat on the floor at his mentor's side, looking serious. "I am given to understand that not only will it be permitted, it will be very obviously accepted by the Lady. Given Her participation, how can Endaruta object? He follows the forms of the devout in public at least, and most of Dina's line has come to Ratri anyway. He might want her for Indra, but as long as she's a priestess, he'll be satisfied."
"I'm not sure of that. I'm not sure anything would satisfy him, really. That poor girl. Rata, too, of course, but she gets away with rather more. They have no one on their side, and no choices."
Davos sighed. "It's not so much that they have no one on their side, it's that no one is willing to cross Endaruta. Why would they? He's established total control over the valley, and they're all afraid of him. Ratri's temple isn't strong enough to actually stop him, not without the Lady's avatar, and we don't know when that's going to happen. The best we can do is keep some of his plans from fully succeeding."
Jamyang nodded sadly. "You may be right. Well... if they have no one on their side but us, then I suppose it's up to us to help at least Dina. I think Rata will be all right - she'll land on her feet no matter what happens. It's still suicide to put the girl's name forward, though, even if you do have an understanding, so you will do no such thing yourself. I have very little time left; I will take care of it. Say nothing to the girl! She is open to anyone with mental powers who walks past. It is sadly cruel to crush her hopes, but it will save her. Now, tell me about the tests, what were your dreams?"
When Dina arrived a few minutes later with the tea, she found Davos and Jamyang deep in a discussion about the finer points of dream interpretation. Used to this, she settled in a corner with one of her books and began puzzling through the next chapter in magic theory. They would come out of the discussion eventually, and then her next set of practical lessons would begin.
Two weeks later, Dina stood with the other children applying as acolytes in the temple courtyard. On one side, an ornate and elaborate altar to Lord Indra loomed, the bright gold-work gleaming and gems sparkling and twinkling as they caught the sunlight. In the shade on the other side, the altar to Lady Ratri was stark in its simplicity, the simple silver chalice and white cloth providing a clean, bright spot in the dimness. As befitting the High Priest of Indra, Endaruta presided over the main altar, calling forth the most promising candidates to his God's service. More quietly, the Speaker of Ratri called forward the acolyte candidates who had presented themselves for service to Ratri. In the midst of all the excitement surrounding her, Dina hid in the shadows, and hoped Endaruta would forget about her. She had finally been able to consistently light a single, small candle. It tired her and gave her a headache, and it took far longer than she thought her guardian would have patience for, but it was enough for her to pass the test to become an acolyte. She sighed, and listened for her name.
"Papahai Dina!" The call rang out, and she straightened. She hadn't been forgotten after all. She turned to face Indra's altar, and found Lord Endaruta's face thunderous. What was he angry about now?
"Papahai Dina, you are called to Ratri's Altar. Papahai Dina, come forth!"
Dina turned in shock. She hadn't been called by Endaruta; she'd been called by the Speaker. That would explain why Endaruta was so angry, but why was the Speaker calling for her? Jamyang and Davos had refused to address the possibility of entering Ratri's service with her, and she had thought it impossible.
As if her thoughts had conjured him, Davos appeared before her. "Come on. I know it's a shock, but it's all right. Come, quickly now." He held out a hand; taking it, she followed him forward to the altar and knelt.
Staring at the white cloth, she realized there was a jasmine flower picked out in white stitching. Without thinking, she reached out with one finger to trace the line of the embroidery. As she did so, a woman's voice began to speak in her head.
Well, then, my little Sin's Day. Your life is not going to get any easier just because I've finally made you mine, but at least now I can protect you a bit - until you're old enough to do what I need you to do.
Dina pulled her hand back from the cloth, and looked up at the bemused face of the Speaker, catching only the last of what he was saying. "... take the cup, child, and offer yourself. Do you swear to serve Ratri, to the best of your abilities, in all things?"
"Yes, sir, I do."
"Then drink, and accept your place as an acolyte."
Dina drank as ordered, and moved to stand next to the other acolytes, carefully not looking towards Indra's altar and the probable expression of her guardian. It wasn't until Davos was relating the incident to Jamyang that she discovered that at the same time she touched the cloth, the image of an opening jasmine flower had appeared above her head.
"But what does it mean?" She still hadn't told anyone of the voice in her head. She wasn't entirely sure she hadn't dreamed it, and didn't want to appear silly now that she had gotten what she wanted.
"It means, girl, that Ratri knew you'd have problems with Endaruta and wanted to make sure she got you before he did." Jamyang sounded satisfied. "Now you're both taken care of, and I'll be able to rest."
Dina bit her lip, and pulled the blanket up over the old woman, kissed her cheek, then left her to Davos' care. When Jamyang died in the night, Dina was glad that she had managed to restrain from saying anything impetuous, and resolved to try harder to put her teacher's lessons in restraint and detachment into practice. If that voice in her head had been real, then she was going to need those lessons more than ever in the coming years.
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Chapter 9.
"I'm going, and I don't care what he says about it." Dina could see that Rata's face was set, even though the other girl was half-turned away and looking out the window as she spoke heatedly, "We never get to do anything fun, and we'll be too old after this year. I'm tired of being cooped up and treated like a fragile piece of glass. Or a child!" Rata spun and a slim knife went flying from her hand to cross the room and thump into the center of a small target on the wall. Smiling with triumph, the girl continued, "Besides, we're good enough to start being sent out now, and I want to do this to celebrate." Looking at her sister dubiously, Rata amended her statement, "well... I'm good enough. They're never letting you go."
Dina refused to flinch, either at the knife flying past her ear - although Rata had only recently been hitting the target, Dina herself had long sense developed a sense of when to duck - or at the probable truth of her captivity within the Maryanni. "They won't let me go yet. Eventually they will, or I'll get out some other way. And I'll talk to Endaruta about going to Dreaming Night - once he knows how important it is to you, I'm sure he won't mind."
Rata huffed, "Of course, if you ask him, he'll let us. He thinks you're better than I am at everything and too valuable to let out. That's the real reason they won't let you go."
Shaking her head, Dina sighed. She had heard this refrain before, increasingly more frequently over the last few months. Although she had no idea why it had begun or how to combat it, she tried again anyway, "Rata, it's not that anyone thinks that I'm better, it's that I'm a priestess and you're a warrior. We have different interests. You're much better at the secretive stuff than I am, you're better with weapons..."
"You don't need weapons, Dina, you fight with your mind, everyone says so! Besides, sure, you're a priestess, but you work with some of our unarmed trainers, and you don't do too badly. Or... well, at least you're good at getting out of the way of fists. Besides, you've got the magic Ratri has given you." Rata turned away, fidgeting. Dina waited, wondering if she'd finally hear the reason for this ongoing bitterness. Finally, Rata spoke again, so soft as to be nearly inaudible, "I hear them talking, you know, when they don't know I'm there. They say you are going to fulfill the prophecy and lead the Maryanni into the world. They also say that I have to... to die first."
"Oh. Oh, Rata, no." Dina crossed the room and wrapped her twin in a gentle hug. "We've always looked out for each other, haven't we? There's no reason for that to change. The prophecy doesn't say one of us has to die, it just says that we're going to fight something, and we'll come out the winner, and that'll be enough. We probably can't even do it alone, either, there has to be a reason there's all these twins in our family line. Besides, would you really want to be the leader? Think of all the paperwork! It would be much better to be the head of the army, to go off all over the world and have adventures! You'd get bored staying home all the time. Anyway, really, they just want an excuse to keep me cooped up, because my handwriting is better than yours - that way they can have me write the orders and still be sure they'd be able to read them."
Rata smiled faintly at Dina's attempt to tease her. "Sure, that's it; it's all because of the handwriting." Tilting her head, she listened to the sounds coming up from the courtyard below. "I'm supposed to have a lesson with the Huntmaster. If I don't go down, he'll leave without me. Talk to Endaruta about Dreaming Night so we don't get into trouble, but I am going." With that, Rata stalked out of the room, grabbing her knife out of the target on the way down.
Dina stood by the window for a long moment, watching after her sister. She knew Rata well enough to know that the other girl had not been remotely appeased by her attempt to reassure or tease; eventually, there would be trouble, and Dina wasn't happy about it. At least she now knew why.
As she crossed to the small mirror, Dina checked herself for neatness. It wasnt so much that Endaruta would do anything she asked but nothing for Rata, it was more that she finally understood how to approach him and Rata still did not. Running a brush through her hair, she studied herself in the mirror. Her eyes were clear, her robes were clean... she was as presentable as possible, and if she delayed much longer, she would have to admit to herself that she did not actually want to talk to the priest today. His behavior at breakfast this morning had indicated that he was in one of his moods, and that was never comfortable.
Fifteen minutes later, she knocked on Endaruta's door, carefully balancing a tea tray in her hands and quietly called "Grandfather?" Within moments, the door opened, and a young acolyte appeared before her, bowing deeply.
"Lady Papahai Dina, Lord Endaruta bids you enter." The acolyte reached for the tray and Dina, resigned, let him have it. She hated the formality of her full name, she despised the prophetic intonation that all the priests of Indra gave it, and the fact that the acolyte was taking the tray rather than opening the door and leaving meant that this would be a formal setting rather than the quasi-familial one she had hoped for.
When she entered the study, only her training carried her forward as she saw who was already seated within. Coming to a halt a polite distance away, she offered a bow and a greeting, "Good afternoon Lord Endaruta, Speaker Davos." As she waited to see how Endaruta would respond, she eyed Davos with curiosity, wondering what her mentor was already doing there.
Dismissing the acolyte, Endaruta waved her to the chair next to the tea and commanded her to pour. "The Speaker is here about Dreaming Night. He has brought the list of girls who will be participating. Your name, and that of your sister, is on it." He gave her a sharp look, and waited for her response.
Dina thought furiously. This was not the way she had intended to approach the subject, and she had certainly not expected Davos to press the matter forward himself, even though she had spoken with him about it previously. Carefully, she responded to Endaruta, "It was kind of Speaker Davos to include us on his list with the other girls, sir. I know Sister would very much like to attend, and I had come to ask your permission to approach the Speaker about it."
Endaruta's eyes glinted, and Dina felt her heart sink. She was not yet adept at keeping him out of her thoughts, and she was very much afraid that he was far more aware of the truth of the situation than she would like him to be. "Papahai Rata would like to attend, would she? And what about Papahai Dina, would she like to attend?" His voice had a certain edge to it that warned Dina; if she got what she asked for, it would come at a price.
Concentrating on her breathing as a quick method of keeping him out of her head, Dina was even more cautious as she answered, "I would find it interesting, and as a priestess of Ratri, I feel I should experience the Night myself, before being expected to advise the girls who go through it in the future."
Davos nodded in approval. Endaruta glared at the Speaker, and snorted in Dina's direction. "I do not feel this is a worthwhile use of your time! Dreaming Night is all very well and good for the girls who do not have a destiny, but you are the children of Prophecy! When you - one of you - succeed in leading the Maryanni back out to take our rightful place in the world, you will be the queen of Indra himself! You do not need to dream of a husband!" He slammed his hand down on the table, then frowned as the tea in front of him spilled over the side. Impatiently gesturing for a napkin, he blotted up the liquid. "However, it would seem that Lady Ratri does not agree with me on the use of your time." He glared at Davos again. "The Speaker tells me the inclusion of the two of you is by direct order from the Lady herself, and thus you will go. However!" This time his glare was turned on Dina. "You will tell me of any dreams you have, do you understand? Immediately. This is the Will of Indra!" He finished with a bellow, and Dina was hard pressed not to sit back in her chair.
"Yes, sir. If Papahai Rata or I have any dreams, we shall tell you of them." Dina reflected that she doubted she would be having any dreams at all, but if he really wanted to know, that was quite probably the smallest price that he could have demanded.
"Good. Now go." Endaruta waved both Davos and Dina out. "Send in the girl. Tell the boy not to come back until morning." He turned away and strode further into his suite, having already dismissed them from his mind.
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Chapter 10.
Dina was down in Ratri's temple, supervising a group of young acolytes as they set up for Dreaming Night. The children were giggling and having fun, and although she had to step in once and stop a pillow fight, the work was being done. Finally, she decided it was enough and she shooed the children back to their studies. The youngest acolyte stopped next to her on the way out, however, and looked up at her.
"Priestess? What is Dreaming Night? And why is it only for girls?"
Dina looked down at the girl, a new acolyte named Rinchen who had just entered the temple, and thought for a moment before sinking down onto a bench and answering. "Well, I don't know why it's only for girls, actually. You might want to ask Lady Ratri about that when you pray." She paused a moment. "I might want to ask the Lady about that when I pray, it's a good question. However, Dreaming Night is the night when the girls who are determined to be coming of age that year come to sleep in the temple. If they have a certain man that is going to be their husband, or a certain task that Lady Ratri wishes them to accomplish, the Goddess gives them a dream. She shows them the face of their chosen husband, or the beginnings of their assigned task. Then, in the morning, they tell the priests about their dreams, and we help them tell their families."
Rinchen considered that for a moment. "Does everyone get dreams or just special people?"
Dina allowed a brief smile to cross her face. "Not everyone gets dreams on Dreaming Night, but the people who do are not necessarily more special than others. Lady Ratri watches over all of us, and we all get dreams from Her from time to time." She glanced up as one of the other acolytes reappeared in the doorway "Sangmu is looking for you. Go to your lessons now."
As Rinchen scampered out, Rata came in, arms full of papers. "Hey, Dina... look what I found." She dropped down onto the bench next to Dina, tossing a large number of the papers over to her sister in the process. "See if you can spot what's interesting in those."
After a brief glance at the gleeful face of her sister, Dina's brief frown smoothed into her trained non-expression. She looked over the papers now occupying her lap, discovering that they were a series of photographs with names and dates handwritten on the back. Putting them into order, she flipped through them once, then again slowly.
"Endaruta..." The single word was half comment, half question.
"Yeah. He's the one person in all of them, from the earliest one until the most recent. Over a hundred and fifty, nearly two hundred years of photographs... and he's exactly the same in all of them, until the last ten years, when all of a sudden he's getting old. But that's not all of it, either." Rata handed Dina the rest of the papers in her hand. Dina looked through the recreated sketches, noting the dates of the originals as Rata continued. "I found these going back another three hundred years, and he's exactly the same in all of them, as well. And there's reference to him even further back than that."
"As far back as three thousand years, actually." The light voice of Davos spoke from behind them. Both girls jumped, and turned to look at him. "The temple of Ratri keeps independent records from the rest of the Mitanni. We have records going back to the fall of the original Mitanni, the travel to get here, and all that has been done while we have been here. Endaruta is over three thousand years old, and from everything I have been able to gather, those years have not been kind to him." He picked up the photographs and sketches and began looking through them. "Rata, do you mind if I get copies of these before they're put back? We don't have most of the photographs, and I want to make certain of the sketches." As Rata nodded, Davos fixed both girls with a firm look. "You two are in a position where you have to interact with Endaruta regularly. Rata, you have a natural block to mind reading, which is useful - your mother had one, too - but Dina, your control is still uncertain and you need to get it so ingrained that it's unconscious. He's a dangerous man, and he's powerful. You have a certain amount of protection because of who you are, but I don't think I want to count on that shielding you from him if he takes another turn for the paranoid. He seems to be finally dying after all this time, and if it occurs to him that the start of his aging coincides with your birth, I'm very much afraid he might think that a halt to that might also coincide with your death. "
Rata and Dina exchanged looks, then, surprisingly, Rata grinned. "Well, I'm not going to worry about it tonight. We're down here, he's up there, and tonight is all about the future. Don't be so dour! You'll scare all the other girls." Laughing, Rata flounced out of the room, Davos and Dina watching after her in concern.
"Do you have any idea what she's up to?" Davos inquired.
"Absolutely none and it worries me. She's been far too interested in this Dreaming Night for it to be purely innocent. At best, she plans to sneak out. At worst, we'll have a pile of traumatized girls here. In any case, Endaruta will be angry."
Davos frowned, "Which means he'll punish you for it, and she'll get barely a word spoken to her. I still don't understand why you get punished for her misbehavior and she doesn't."
"Because of who we are. She's Chaos; she's supposed to be off causing trouble. As Order, I'm supposed to be stopping her. Or something, I guess. So she gets to be wild, expressive, and troublesome, whereas I," Dina sighed. "I don't know. I don't want to be Sin's Day, but she seems perfectly happy with being Sin's Night."
"Wild, expressive, and troublesome describes her perfectly, yes. Whereas controlled, controlled, and controlled describes you. You are allowed to smile occasionally, you know."
"No, actually, I'm not."
"What?"
"I thought you knew?" As Davos shook his head, Dina's brief smile came and went, and she continued. "By order of Endaruta, one of my lessons starting from when I was... seven, I think. Just before I met you, while you were in seclusion. It was some of what Jamyang was teaching me." Davos nodded at the mention of their former shared teacher, and she continued. "While Rata may express herself however she likes, I must stay in control at all times. I may not show my emotions. This means no smiling, no frowning, and especially, no crying. That was about the same time he decided I should share in any punishment Rata received - and she in mine, truthfully, although that's long since fallen by the wayside. I don't think she knows that I now take hers entirely in her place, actually."
Davos hmm'd, "I'm not entirely sure of that, myself."
"She can't be. She thinks I'm Endaruta's favorite. If she knew, that would have to kill that particular thought, wouldn't it?"
"Not necessarily." Davos sighed. "She's jealous, and that doesn't usually require reasoning. She could do things knowing that you'll be punished in an attempt to lower your standing in other people's eyes. It doesn't have to make logical sense when it's an emotional act." He shrugged and continued. "However, since we're discussing emotional acts, that still leaves us with the question of what we're going to do about tonight and keeping her from acting as Lady Chaos."
Dina considered for a moment, then turned sad eyes to Davos. "Remember how I asked if it would be all right to use separate cups for the wine instead of everyone drinking from one this year?" Davos nodded. "Well... the reason is that I think we need to give Rata a slightly different wine - one that promises a little more sleeping and a little less dreaming."
Davos drew himself up and looked seriously down at the young priestess. "Papahai Dina, you are asking me to interfere with a ceremony blessed by the Goddess."
Dina bowed her head. "Speaker Davos, I am asking you to protect a ceremony blessed by the Goddess."
"And you would betray your sister to accomplish this?"
Dina was quiet for a long moment as she contemplated the question. Finally, softly, she responded, "I don't know if it is a betrayal or not, but if it is, it is also a betrayal of my responsibilities as a Priestess to allow her to disrupt the ceremony, and as a protector to allow her to possibly harm any of the girls here tonight. If it is a betrayal, then I have to choose which loyalties I must betray... and if that is true here, then I suspect that it will be only the first of such choices I have to make."
Davos briefly rested his hand on the back of his protégé's head. "You came of age several years ago you know, and in a hard way. There are still many priests older than you who wouldn't see it that clearly."
"They didn't have Endaruta raising them to be some great "destined one," either."
"There is that, certainly. As I said, a hard way to grow up. All right, then, we'll do it as you suggest, but you'll have to give her the cup, or there's liable to be a mix-up. Plus, I think she's absorbed some of Endaruta's paranoia - she might not trust it coming from anyone but you."
"Are you sure she'll trust it coming from me?"
"Well, no, but what choice do we have?" Davos glanced at his watch and stood. "It's time to go start welcoming girls."
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Chapter 11.
Dinner had been a quiet event, attended only by the girls of the Maryanni. It was at the dinner that Rata's desire to be part of this event finally became clear - two of the Maryanni girls who were going through Dreaming Night were a year younger than she, yet they were slated to start going out as assistants in operations. Dina, bemused, cooperated quietly as Rata fussed over her - making an apparent production over "getting dear sister comfortable" - and resolved to take a quiet moment with her twin before the evening went much further.
That moment came as the Mitanni valley girls were escorted into the temple to join the Maryanni girls. Under cover of everyone being introduced and finding beds, Dina pulled Rata aside. "What are you doing?" she whispered.
"I've been getting a little bit of a hard time for not being scheduled to go out yet. So I've... sort of said it's because I was making sure you were settled here, as Priestess, before I accepted any assignments." Rata had the grace to look a little sheepish as she said this. "No one seemed to find this unusual since the twins in our family have always been one warrior and one priestess."
"You didn't think to mention this? I could have helped."
"I don't need your help! Not in this, not in anything!" Rata's voice rose and she glared at Dina before turning away and huffing off to the other side of the room, where she picked a bed near to that of the other Maryanni girls.
Dina was left watching Rata's back in confusion as Pema and Nima, the two priestesses supervising the Dreaming Night, approached.
"Is everything all right?" Pema asked.
Dina nodded, then shrugged slightly. "I think she's hoping to dream of an important task tonight, so she has an excuse to go out and have a high adventure." She gave one of her brief smiles to the other priestesses. "If one of you want to stay out here, I'll help make the dream wine."
Nima laughed, "We don't often have a priestess as a Dreamer, just a few acolytes. At least you know the recipe. It's cut with water for the girls, though..." She continued talking as she moved toward the back, Dina following on autopilot and answering automatically.
As she worked with Nima, Dina considered her sister's reasons for coming to Dreaming Night, and her apparent need to impress the Maryanni girls of her age. In the end, she decided that Rata's reasons were clear enough that she would not give Rata a sleeping potion, and simply prayed that she'd read her twin correctly this time. If she hadn't, she'd pay for it in multiple ways on the following day.
***
Sin's Day opened her eyes and looked around her - the city was extensive, both horizontally and vertically. Grassy parks spread out, tree-dotted lawns sloping down to sparkling blue lakes. The shadows of buildings fell across the empty streets, here and there next to the statues of valiant looking men and women in dramatic poses. Although there was a bright blue sky above, there was no sign of a sun and time itself seemed to be holding still in the eerie quiet of the scene.
She took a step forward, and became aware of the long coat she was wearing - black leather, it fell past her knees and flowed around her. Heavy and protective, she knew it was made to fit her, to stay with her as she moved and fought. Her clothing was dark and tightly fitted and she had tall leather boots with high heels on her feet. Even as she took in these details, committing them to memory and wondering what they meant, she became aware of someone approaching up the stairs before her.
He was a tall man, with wide shoulders and narrow hips. Wearing a neatly cut charcoal suit, white shirt, and dark blue tie, he simultaneously gave the impression of both immense strength and careful thought. Short, dark blond hair was neatly clipped above intense blue eyes and a nose that had been broken at least once in his past, and she was mesmerized as she watched him move. Somehow she knew him, and she realized that he was the only man she would ever have eyes for. In that moment, she gave him her heart without question.
As he approached, he smiled and took her hand. "I'm glad you're here." His voice was deep, strong without becoming a rumble. He then kissed the hand he held and, in the blink of an eye, his clothing changed. He was wearing a blue-and-red, skin-tight outfit of the same sort she wore, with a black belt, red cape and silver mask. White stars raced up in lines on his arms and legs, while a single star graced the center of his chest. He stepped back from her, and his eyes behind the mask were serious and concerned. "We have to go now. Try to stay near me - we don't fully know what they can do yet." He kissed her hand once again, and then leapt into the sky. Sin's Day closed her eyes, and the world went black.
***
Dina opened her eyes, confused, and sat up, trying to make sense of the dream. That had been her, yet in so many ways, it hadn't. But that man...! Who was he, where was he? She had never before believed that the Dreaming could show a girl her heart's beloved, but that man she would know instantly - if she ever had the chance to meet him.
Slowly, her surroundings seeped into her consciousness and she looked around, realizing she was still dreaming. She was sitting on a plain of featureless white, and while she couldn't entirely tell, it seemed as if she were surrounded by dense white fog. "It's like being stuck on the mountain on a spring morning."
She didn't realize she had spoken aloud until the light voice came out of the white. "Well, that is where I got the idea, yes." She stood and turned to face the direction the voice had come from, waiting tensely as a voluptuous woman walked calmly toward her. "After all, you would have been rather less comfortable in the dark."
Dina's eyes grew wide and she knelt. "Lady Ratri, how may I serve you?"
Ratri laughed. "You can start by standing up. Formality is a nuisance; it gets in the way of accomplishing anything." Dina stood, but kept her eyes downcast. Ratri hummed, and reached out to lift Dina's chin, studying the girl's face. "Well. Yes. You're pretty enough, but you're going to have to get stronger if you want to be a match for that one. Or me, for that matter." Releasing Dina's chin, Ratri sat - apparently on thin air - and made herself comfortable. "So, here we are. Unfortunately for you, you will not remember this part of the dream. This is my little self-indulgence, you see."
"Ma'am?" Dina knew she sounded confused. She was, but most of what Ratri was saying made no sense.
Ratri laughed. "The man you saw. He's strong, and he's strong-willed. You'll have to be equally strong if you want to be with him, which might wind up being a very good idea in the future. You'll also have to be strong to stand up to Endaruta - yes, he is insane, by any manner of measurement, but it's going to be your job to undo a large part of the harm he's done over the years. And to do that, you have to stay alive - which is rapidly becoming less likely by the day." The Goddess leaned back on her cushion of air. "To help you avoid the fate we'd both rather you miss, I will increase your abilities. You will be immortal. And you will carry a piece of me inside of you."
"I don't want to be immortal! I don't want to be insane like Endaruta."
"It wasn't immortality that drove Endaruta insane, it was his lack of contact with humanity. He didn't have anyone to keep him grounded in reality, and he didn't trust anyone. That's enough to make any strong man insane, and I don't think he was particularly strong to start with. Besides, your man... well, never mind that, you'll find out soon enough. Suffice it to say, I don't believe you'll have the same problem that Endaruta did. Besides, I'm not precisely offering you a choice."
Dina considered the Goddess' words. "You're giving me these things. Why?"
Ratri laughed again. "Good girl! Always ask why when someone is offering you something immense for apparently nothing in return." She sat up and became serious. "You said earlier that you have responsibilities as a protector. Why was that?"
Dina blinked. "Because you protect dreamers and their dreams, you protect the people of the night, and you protect people from the night. It seems to me that if that is what you do, that is what your priests should do."
Ratri nodded. "Exactly... and there are a lot more people in the world than in the Mitanni valley. They don't know me, not as you do, but the faith of the Maryanni gives me strength to see through their eyes when they go out in the world. There are places in the world where my protection is desperately needed... and the Maryanni could provide it, but they need a leader to show them the way. You have to show the Maryanni how to stop being the predators in the night and to start being the protectors of the night. Only then may I once again stretch out my hand over the entire world. "
Dina nodded. "I understand. I am your servant, Lady, and your hands. It will be as you say."
Ratri smiled. "To do that, you must improve your skills. So, now... you will forget all of this and remember only the dream of your beloved, and these two commands. First, do not tell Endaruta of your dream - tell him you did not dream at all. Second, learn how to be a predator yourself... only then will you understand how to defeat them." The Goddess leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Dina's head. For Dina, the world once again went black.
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-------------------------
Chapter 12.
Dina lay still as she came awake, blinking her eyes open as the sound of others moving around her filtered in. Before she could sit up, Rata threw herself across Dina's bed - and across Dina herself.
"Did you dream?" The question was impatient, and Rata didn't wait for an answer, "I did. I don't understand it, but I did. Grandfather's coming down, you'll want to get up now. I've already talked to the priests, they think it's a task sign, do you think he'll finally let me have an assignment? Well, did you dream?"
Dina shoved her sister off the bed, and sat up, pushing her hair off her face and feeling a bone-deep certainty that she should not let Endaruta know that she dreamt - and that meant not telling Rata, either. "No," she replied slowly, "no, I didn't dream." Seeing Rata's triumphant face, she shrugged. "I have time for other dreams. But if Grandfather's coming down, I don't have time to sit around." She got up and had just enough time to wash her face before the girls were herded out to take their breakfast with the priests of Ratri and - as a surprise - to be blessed by Lord Endaruta, High Priest of Indra. Dina remained quiet through the entire meal, encouraging her sister's happiness and speculation to flourish.
"A spider all made out of silver. It wasn't very large, but I could tell it was poisonous. Maybe I'm supposed to find it, maybe it's something special that will help the Maryanni." Rata had a far-away look in her eyes as she spoke.
"It could have been symbolic. What did the priests say?" Dina watched over her sister's shoulder as Endaruta drew near and tried to direct Rata onto a line of conversation that wouldn't set their guardian off.
"Oh, they said the same thing - the spider was symbolic and the poison probably meant something to do with an assassination." Rata waved a hand in unconcern. "Whatever, it's fine. Don't you see? They've agreed, I dreamed a task sign, he's got to let me follow it now, I only would have dreamed it if it had lead to fulfilling the prophecy!"
Dina's eyes widened marginally as Endaruta came close enough to hear the last part of Rata's statement, but instead of exploding as she feared, he actually smiled and clapped Rata on the shoulder. "I quite agree my dear, I quite agree."
Rata straightened and beamed up at him. "You do?"
"Of course I do. I've just been waiting for some sort of sign before I sent you on your missions, and I think you just received one. The priests agree. Once you're done here, get your weapons and report to the Quartermaster. You'll leave tonight." Turning away from the shocked and briefly speechless Rata, Endaruta continued, "And you, Papahai Dina, what did you dream?"
Dina bowed in her seat to her guardian, "Grandfather," she answered softly, "I did not dream at all."
Endaruta raised an eyebrow. "No dreams? At all? A Priestess of Ratri on Dreaming Night, and you had no dreams?" Davos, coming up behind Endaruta, watched Dina's face intently. Everyone else in the room was quiet, listening to the exchange and watching the changeable High Priest carefully.
Dina took a quiet breath, and concentrated on what she was saying. "Sir, I believe that the Lady Ratri passed me by last night, because it was Dreaming Night, and I am a Priestess. I will have many further opportunities to commune with the Lady, but this was a special night for the other girls here. It was more important for them to get their dreams and Her attention than it was for me to get either."
Endaruta huffed. "Perhaps, and perhaps you need to spend more time in prayer and meditation. Now that your sister is gone, you have no more excuses for foolishness. Attend to your duties, Papahai Dina." The High Priest turned and stalked out, ignoring the nervous looks cast in his wake.
"Tonight! What does he mean tonight?" Rata had found her voice at last. "I haven't gotten any briefings, I haven't been able to do any prep, I don't know anything about the job, the target, the situation, the country, and I don't even know if it's a theft or an assassination! And I don't know who I'm supposed to go with!"
Dina caught Davos' eye and nodded, then turned her attention to calming her sister - and later still, to helping pack, getting information, and saying goodbye.
"I don't know if I can do this without you, you're the one who really thinks things through." Rata was pacing back and forth in their room, waiting for her new squad leader to come get her. As operations went, it was a simple political kidnapping, and shouldn't be too hard for a beginner - but Rata had gotten a little more training than usual, and most of it involved all the ways things could go wrong, so she was now fretting.
"You don't want me along; you always get irritated with me when I tell you what's going to happen next." Dina had gotten the same sorts of training, although not as much of it, and the two had never cooperated well in classes. "Besides, you know how to do this better than I do. You'll do fine. Anyway, even if everything does go sideways, you'll turn it to your advantage. You always do."
Both girls turned at the knock on their door; Rata opened it to see the squad leader standing outside impatiently. Hitching a thumb at her to follow, he set off down the stairs. Rata turned back to Dina, and, giving her sister a quick, impulsive hug, whispered, "When I come back, you'll have to tell me what you really dreamed." Then Rata stepped back, turned, and ran down the stairs.
Dina stared long after her sister had vanished from sight.
Early the next morning, Dina sat in one of the temple's formal gardens, watching the sun come up. She had dreamed once more of the tall blond man, although this time she didn't remember the context, just his face. She had woken well before dawn with the image of him still before her eyes and, driven by some urge she didn't understand, began practicing the unarmed katas she had been learning since she was small. When she had finished, she had come out here to think - in a temple of mind readers, privacy was certain only when no one was close. Here she could see anyone approach.
As she expected, eventually someone did approach. She watched calmly as Davos, carrying a sketch box, wandered up the path as the sun tipped the horizon, then waited patiently as he settled his box with paper and charcoal. Neither one of them said anything until, once he was ready, she closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and began to describe her dream. She faltered, her voice catching, as she described the man, noticing further details as he came to her mind's eye. Finally, she stopped speaking, and looked at the Speaker.
Davos smiled gently to her, and showed her the top picture. She nodded, reaching out to touch with one shaking hand. "You'll need to keep it someplace safe for me."
"You lied to Endaruta. Why?"
Dina shook her head, "I don't know. I honestly don't. I just knew it was important that he not know about this."
The other nodded. "Well, as it turns out, I was... um... told, that you shouldn't tell him about any dreams you'd had. I was hoping to catch you before he did and let you know, but you managed fine." Davos rubbed the side of his head, absently smearing charcoal across his cheek. "However, I am about to make your life difficult."
Dina's smile flashed past. "You've been my friend for eight years, my teacher for most of those, and the Speaker for the last two. When in that time havent you made my life difficult?"
"All right, granted, you might have a point. A very small point, of course, but it could be there. This is a little different, though." He fetched out a sheet of paper from inside the box and handed it to her. "I set up this schedule for you yesterday. You start it in about two hours."
Dina looked at it. Her duties as a priestess had been moved to the evening and night, while her day had been filled with training, similar to that which Rata had been receiving - except that she didn't recognize the trainers. "Endaruta will object. Rata is the warrior this generation."
"These people are priests of Ratri. I set up the schedule. If Endaruta finds out and objects, tell him you are obeying the Speaker and to direct questions to me." Davos' eyes seemed to gleam slightly in the dawn, and she wasn't entirely sure it was reflected light.
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Chapter 13.
"Nobody goes from bare competency to full mastery in less than two years! She was hardly able to pass the basic ability tests before Rata left, what makes you think she's going to be able to pass the Mastery Trials now? Besides, she's a priestess, why should she even be concerned with them?" Trial Master Gephel glared at Davos and waited for an answer. Davos might be Speaker to Ratri, but when it came to the Mastery Trials, no one save Endaruta was higher than Gephel.
"I would also like to hear the answer to this." The voice was imperious, the tone cold and commanding. Both men turned toward the judging stands, where Endaruta stood looking down on the field. "Well, Davos?"
"I agree that she only just passed the competency trials when she took them, but she has had intensive training since then, and I have been given to understand that she is more than ready for the Mastery Trials. Once her sister left, she had no further reason to hold back, and her true abilities came forth." Davos hoped that neither man called him on the flimsy reason he offered; in truth, he had no explanation for Dina's abilities, nor was Ratri providing any useful answers. Neither of them were willing to let Dina wait for the next set of trials, however, and so he found himself here. All things considered, he thought it best not to take insult at the lack of title offered to him by Indra's priest.
Before Gephel could speak again, however, Endaruta laughed. Cruel and mocking, he called down, "Let her do it then. Let her prove her abilities. Gephel, enter her into the Trials."
Gephel blanched. "My Lord, are you certain? The Mastery Trials are no place for mistakes. If she is injured..."
Endaruta cut the Trial Master off. "If she is damaged, then she is too weak to lead the Maryanni. Put her in the trials." He turned and left, leaving Gephel looking helplessly after him.
Davos patted the Trial Master gently on the shoulder. "Nothing you can do. Things haven't been right ever since the mission Rata was on went bad and she disappeared."
The other man shook his grizzled head. "No, things havent been right since before that. And it all goes back to those two." He sighed. "Well, let's get this girl of yours signed up. And if you don't mind, Speaker, say an extra prayer for me tonight, that she makes it through all right, or things are going to get a lot worse."
The night before the trials, Dina sat quietly meditating in her room. For this one night, she had been excused from her duties in Ratri's temple, so that she could get a little extra sleep. As much as she would like that, however, she had her private doubts that it would happen - every night since Dreaming Night, she had woken from a dream of him, sleeping through barely half the night. The rest of the dark was taken by katas and mental exercises, strengthening abilities she was sure she hadn't previously had. She was now confident of her ability to keep Endaruta, or any other psychic, out of her surface thoughts. Her persistent inability to consistently block directed probes was joined by a matching inability to summon any sort of psychic attack or to do magic beyond simple spells. She would never have to worry about healing simple cuts and bruises or needing a match to light a candle, but anything more was beyond her without significant help. Fortunately, in the case of blocking Endaruta's constant tests and probes, she had that help; for everything else, she was on her own.
Sending a prayer to Ratri for the safety of her sister, Dina wondered where Rata was now. Shortly after that squad had left, word had gotten back to them - the supposedly simple kidnapping had gone badly wrong. Most of the squad was dead and Rata, the only survivor, was missing. Endaruta had been livid, and after that incident things had gotten worse. She avoided him now as much as possible, a task made simpler by her exhausting schedule. She was aware that Endaruta and Davos had exchanged words over her training; she was unaware of the content of that exchange, and she didn't want to know.
Once it had been clear that Rata wasn't coming back, Dina had moved to a different room, closer to the warrens that the Priests of Ratri lived in. Nearly bare, this room contained only her bed, her dresser, and the low table that held her altar. With barely enough space left over for her to practice katas, she thought the room suited her. Endaruta had not said a word when he had seen it, instead simply glaring at her and storming out. She thought he was more upset to realize that her desk wasn't here but safely in the warrens below where he would have a harder time getting to it.
She wondered what price he would extract when she passed the Mastery Trials.
Shaking her head, Dina stood, and began to move through the dance-like motions of the ceremonial forms. If she couldn't settle her mind by meditating, then she would try through motion - but either way, she needed to get to sleep. She had Trials to face in the morning.
On the other side of the temple, Endaruta stood at his window, looking out over the valley. He had dismissed his girl in annoyance earlier, and now sleep eluded him. The next day would bring an answer to one of his questions, and he wasn't entirely sure which answer he was hoping for. Rata had already survived the trap he had set for her, clever girl - instead of dying, under-equipped and unprepared as her squad leader attacked her, she had turned the tables, killing the entire team and escaping. Indra only knew where she was now, but he had every confidence she was learning things that would make her a strong leader. The question surrounding her, as always, was if she would lead the Maryanni - or ruin them.
Dina was a different question entirely. Her entire life, the damned girl had seemed too weak to lead. She was a little hen, fussing about and trying to protect those less than her. She had been bright enough, though, and he had supposed that he could marry her off to one of the war leaders. As a symbolic ruler, she would have done fine, and he could have made sure she didn't survive her first pregnancy. After all, there were so many difficult pregnancies in her line! Now, however, she was facing the Mastery Trials, and no one who was weak would voluntarily do that. If she died, then perhaps that was for the best. He wouldn't have her challenging him. It would be chaos, and he could operate freely. He could find Rata, make overtures, and together they could take on the world. If Dina survived, however, and passed the Trials... as both warrior and priestess, she was a credible threat. He would have to consider it carefully, and determine how best to proceed.
Endaruta shrugged and turned back to bed. He would find a solution. He always did. He was Indra's Will.
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Chapter 14.
Dina lay draped over the arm of a divan, concentrating only on taking deep, steady breaths. She was naked from the waist up, save for a band around her breasts, and deep bruises showed clearly against her pale skin. She turned her head and opened her eyes as the beaded curtain rattled, then closed them again once Davos entered.
The tall priest winced as he looked over her body. "Are you sure you want to do this now? You're in bad shape. I'm sure you have at least one cracked rib there."
"It will heal. This has to be done now, if we want to do it ourselves, or we'll have to let Endaruta's people do it. I've heard something unpleasant about their inks, and I'd rather not find out for myself."
Davos sighed, "If you insist." Settling behind her, he tied her hair into a thick tail and began to clean her shoulders carefully. "What did you hear about their inks that makes you so nervous?"
"That there are new loyalty spells set into the inks, so that as ink binds to the skin, the spell is tied to the individual. What I haven't heard is if that loyalty is still to the Maryanni or now to Endaruta directly."
Davos, in the process of raising a slender brush to Dina's shoulder, paused in shock. "What? You're not serious?"
Dina sighed. "I wish I weren't. Things have changed since it was announced I was to be tested in the Mastery Trials, Davos. People are talking to me now, as if I am suddenly someone different. As if I can do something about Endaruta's ongoing reign."
"That may happen even more now that you've passed."
"I know. Perhaps Lady Ratri will give me a suggestion of what to do next. I am certain Endaruta must think of me as a threat."
Davos held his silence as he lightly stroked ink onto Dina's skin. Slowly the pattern emerged - a lightning bolt overlaying a jasmine flower. The mark combined the symbol of Indra with that of Ratri and was only granted to those who had passed the mastery trials of the Maryanni. When he was finished, Davos laid the brush down and stretched his hand. "I understand why you want this one done tonight, but you can wait on the other. You're in enough pain already."
Dina didn't move. "Neither of us knows what will happen next, and I want this taken care of while we have the chance. They both get done now."
The priest shook his head at her stubbornness and pulled a paper out from his pocket. Studying the drawing for a moment, he finally asked, "What does it mean? You didn't say when you described it to me."
With a brief smile, Dina responded, "It's the man in my dreams. He wears those symbols."
"Ah," was the only response Davos could make, and he silently applied himself to her right shoulder, carefully inking an eagle imposed over a five-pointed star as he inwardly sought for the cause of his disquiet.
It wasn't until he had finished and sat back to look at the completed work that the reason for his concern became clear to him, and he considered his words as he put away the inks and brushes. "Dina, I'm not sure about the way these symbols are balanced on you. On one side the Maryanni, on the other side your man, with you caught between. Are you sure it is wise to tempt fate and mischief like that?"
"I am tempting truth and wisdom, Davos. Isn't that what we strive for?" Her tone was light, but there was a core of determination in the tone. "He's not of the Maryanni, and that is the truth of it. Eventually, inevitably, if I find him, I will be caught between the Maryanni and him. I will have to choose my home or my heart, and I can only hope to have the wisdom to choose well."
"You don't know that. You can't know it, you only fear it."
"I know Endaruta. He'll force the issue."
Davos shook his head in frustration. "You're tired and you're in pain. You're not thinking straight. If I didn't know you had decided long before now to do both of these at once then there is no way I would honor that request tonight." Dina turned her head to watch as the tall priest stalked through the beaded curtain, then sighed as he disappeared from view and put her head back down on her arms.
A few moments later, the curtain rattled again as several priests and priestesses filed into the room, Davos at the end of the line. With a wince of pain, Dina stood from the divan and moved to the center of the room, standing in front of Davos as the other priests formed a circle around them. Reaching out, Davos gently laid a blindfold over Dina's eyes, tying it behind her head, even as another priest stepped up behind her and tied her wrists together behind her back. When he placed his hands on her shoulders, Davos whispered softly, "Last chance to change your mind." As he expected, she gave a quick shake of her head, and he pressed on her shoulders, guiding her down to kneel in front of him. The other priests linked hands and began to chant softly.
"Papahai Dina, do you now come before Ratri as one who has passed the mastery trials and ask Ratri to acknowledge you as one of Her warriors?"
"Speaker Davos, I do." Dina's voice shook slightly as she answered.
"Papahai Dina, do you renounce your priesthood of Ratri to take up the way of the warrior?" Davos held his breath. This was another source of disagreement between them; he had been trying to talk her into saying yes ever since her intention to stand for the trials had been made clear.
"Speaker Davos, I do not. I shall serve Ratri as both priestess and warrior, if She will have me."
Davos let out his breath in a silent sigh. He wasn't entirely certain why he kept hoping she would change her mind once she had set a course of action, but once again she had done exactly what she said she would do and he could only hope Ratri continued to look favorably on the girl. He felt the circle of priests press closer and part, then the hands of the priests on either side of him gripped his shoulders and made him a part of their joining.
"Papahai Dina, priestess and warrior, as you offer so now will Ratri decide. You will be taken to Her service, or lifted to Her side." As he spoke, Davos reached deep inside himself to the connection he held as the Speaker. Warm and welcoming it held him closer than any lover ever could, filling him completely. He could feel the power flowing through him, gathering up the threads of energy raised by the priests, twisting them together into a pair of spikes, and thrusting them through his hands down into Dina's body.
Under his hands, Davos could feel Dina arch her back and hear her cry out in pain. Just as he began to think it would be too much for her to take and that they were going to lose her after all, the power flowing through him abruptly pulled back, releasing her and dropping the threads of energies from the circled priests, some of whom collapsed in exhaustion. Davos wondered at the feeling of satisfaction he sensed coming across the connection he shared with Ratri before it was entirely gone, then he turned his attention to the people before him.
Dina was collapsed in a heap at his feet, unconscious. She was still breathing, however, and even the worst of her bruises had faded, so he took a moment to look around him. The stronger priests were helping the weaker up, and everyone looked a little ragged. Priestess Pema smiled a little lopsidedly as she caught his eye.
"I forgot how hard confirming a warrior to Her service could be, it's been so long since we've done it," Pema remarked, steadying another priestess on the way out. Glancing down for a moment she added, "Still, at least our girl made it. I'll have an acolyte send food up for both of you and make sure this lot all gets soup and bed. It'll probably take orders from you to make sure she eats and sleeps."
Davos nodded his thanks and knelt down next to the fallen Dina. Quickly removing the blindfold and untying her hands, he checked her injuries, only to find that most of them had been healed. He'd have to ask when she woke, but he rather suspected that even the cracked rib was doing substantially better. "Not the way I'd want to go about doing it, though," he muttered to himself. He lifted her back onto the divan, grateful for once at his security advisor's insistence on keeping up with his physical regime, and settled her against the pillows. As he began to cover her with a blanket, he paused and lifted her gently to look down at her shoulders. Both had indeed taken - there, where the ink had been simply painted on an hour before, were now two complete tattoos. Davos laid Dina back and gently covered her, then settled in to wait for her to wake up and talk about what would happen next.
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Chapter 15.
Papahai Dina, came awake in a rush. Catching her breath as the dream faded, she lay in bed, listening in the dark to assure herself that she was alone before getting out of bed and padding to the window. Pushing back the shutters, she stared unseeing out over the courtyards and terraces of the temple, lost in thought as the cold wind blew down over the high mountains and into the room.
Come to Paragon City. The face was almost hers, but older somehow, and less restrained - and there was an implication of ruthlessness. The hair... her hand touched her own long hair and she frowned briefly. The hair had been short and spiky. Not truly herself, then, but she had already figured that out.
"Come to Paragon City,"The woman that was not her urged. "Learn what the world is about before you blindly follow Prophecy. Learn what it is to be human, before fighting to become more - or less. Make your own choices, with the understanding of what you choose. You have options. Will you be Sin's Day, or Cende?" The dream had ended, as it always did, by fading into an image of the tall, blond man with intense blue eyes.
Dina lit a single candle, then settled into a meditation pose, centered in the moonlight from the window, and contemplated the dream. What did it mean? It had started soon after she had passed the Trials, three months previously, and while she knew that she was being encouraged to make a change in her life, she was still not entirely certain how to do so. She had begun the simplest way she could think of - by looking up the English translation of her name - Sin's Day, used in her dream, and understanding how it could be made into Cende. The first step was often the smallest, after all, but now that she had taken that first step, she had no idea what the second was to be.
Lost in thought, she started as a soft knock sounded at her door and turned to see Davos entering the room. He smiled gently as he saw her and, motioning her to stay seated, crossed to close the window.
"I was walking on the wall and saw the light come up." Davos' light voice held a strong undertone of concern. "You dreamed again? Same dream?"
Dina nodded." I don't understand. Where is Paragon City? The Maryanni are here, what is there that would affect Prophecy?"
Davos shook his head. "As to the latter, I dont know." He folded himself onto the floor beside Day. "However, I can now answer the former. Paragon City is about two-thirds of the way up the eastern coast of the United States, over in North America. From the little I've been able to gather, it is a rather dangerous place."
"Dangerous? Dangerous how?"
"I have no idea, to be honest, and that makes it rather hard to judge why your dream is telling you to go there. I only got what I did because Trial Master Gephel had been through there once, back when he still went out."
Dina looked sharply at Davos, "You asked Gephel about this?"
"Of course not! He mentioned it to someone else in relation to a different city. I played dumb, said I'd thought I heard of it and where was it, then said oh no, it must have been someplace else that I'd heard of." Davos looked thoroughly indignant.
"Davos, nobody believes you're dumb. You wouldn't be Speaker if you were. They know you were interested for a reason. I just hope they don't mention the interest to Endaruta."
"Speaking of..."
"Let's not."
"... I heard you got summoned to tea. What did he have to say?"
Dina allowed herself a small frown. "He said he was considering the possibilities of a husband for me."
Davos stared. "He's what? I thought he was convinced you were to be the bride of some avatar of Indra."
"Maybe that's Rata."
"He can't possibly think you're ready."
"Oh, Davos, really. I'm eighteen now, most of the girls in this valley get married before they're sixteen, and you know perfectly well that he thinks if they're over fifteen, they've gotten too old. As far as he's concerned, I'm well beyond ready and should already have four children."
"Ratri won't permit it. She's sending these dreams to you, there has to be a reason for them."
Dina shook her head. "First, Endaruta doesn't know about the dreams - we've deliberately kept them from him. Second, Ratri might very well permit it if She thinks I'm too slow in acting on them. Or too stupid to figure out what She means. The only thing I can think of, the only thing that seems obvious, is that I have to get to Paragon City, but I don't know how. Davos, I don't know anything about the world outside of the valley!"
Davos stood and began to pace. "I really wish they didn't hold off on the final world training until you were assigned, that would make a big difference, but that's one law even we don't dare break. Still, you know your languages - Hindi, French, and English. You'll need the English in America. I'm sure it's a little out of date since our last instructor, but you're competent enough to pick up the differences and how much can it have really changed in the last forty years? I seem to recall that you need some form of travel papers, and some kind of currency. If we have to, we can forge the former, and I have... resources... in the administration offices that might be able to help with the latter." He stopped and stared at the shuttered window, as if considering the view beyond. "The real problem with trying to slip you out of here is the veil. We don't have anyone who can navigate it. We are all prisoners here, really, you're just a little more valuable to him than most of us."
"What about one of the trade caravans, couldn't I hide in one of the wagons?"
"They're searched. Anyone who is found trying to leave that way is immediately made outcast and turned into a temple slave."
"Ah. Not that way, then." Dina watched as Davos went back to pacing, her thoughts racing around in her head. By the time Davos had tired of pacing and sank back down, the first glimmers of an idea had finally begun. "You said you might be able to get resources together?" Davos nodded, and Dina gave a slight smile. "Then that's where we start. Even if we find an official way for me to get out of here, chances are pretty high that Endaruta will do all he can to make it fail. Anything we can control, we probably should."
Davos nodded again. "What about getting you out, though?"
"I have a suspicion that if we arrange the rest, a way out will turn up. I just have to be ready to take the opportunity when it arrives."
Davos stood and nodded. "I'll get people started on it in the morning. I believe the travel papers part may actually be easier than I originally thought. You'll need a name on them, though - do you have one?"
Dina turned a serene face towards her friend and answered simply, "Cende."
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Chapter 16.
The room deep within the mountain was quiet and dim, despite the brilliant fall day in the valley outside. No sound penetrated this far in, despite the gaiety of the Harvest Festival currently taking place without.
From her seat at one end of the massive center table, Dina discreetly watched the screens that lined the walls as she waited for everyone else to arrive. Some of the screens showed the valley below, but many of them showed other places around the world, and she had seen several glimpses of Paragon City in the never-ending news programs.
It had been shortly after she and Davos had begun preparing for her escape that she had been summoned to attend Endaruta. She had feared the worst - that he had discovered their plans, or that he had found her the threatened husband - but he had surprised her by assigning her time in this "control room," as he called it. Directing her to begin learning about the technology available in the outside world, he informed her that she would oversee the next upgrade to the temple, once electrical power had been brought in.
That had been two months ago. Less than a week into it, she had inquired of one of the many technicians how the machines in this room ran if there was no electricity.
"Generator," she had been informed. "First put in during a war about fifty, sixty years ago and upgraded a few times. Got it because of work we did for one of the sides. Or both of them, maybe."
Some of the machines were things she had never even dreamed existed, and she still wasn't entirely certain what they all did. Although a few were unquestionably reasonable and helpful, some forms of technology seemed quite alien - the concept of a computer, a machine that would hold all the information you could put into it and also fetch information you had never had, for example, was one she thought she would never be quite comfortable with.
Dina was abruptly brought out of her thoughts as Endaruta banged on the table. Glancing about, she realized that everyone else had arrived, and she pulled herself together to concentrate on the dictatorial ruler of the Maryanni. She frowned inwardly as she realized that something about him seemed off, almost as if he were somehow gleeful. Her attention caught, she focused intently on what the old man was saying.
"The final days of the Prophecy are nearly here." Endaruta glared as a stir went around the table. As it subsided, he continued, "Regardless, we have not made all of our preparations. Now is not the time to proceed recklessly. We must be even more cautious than ever as we reach out to sow our seeds of chaos and order." He frowned and glanced briefly at Dina. "Also, we must recover one of our own."
The room was quiet as the High Priest glowered indiscriminately around the table, until he finally made a small noise of disgust, and motioned to a large, raw-boned woman halfway down the table. The woman tapped a few commands into the machine in front of her, and an image of a distorted, humanoid figure with spider-like limbs flickered above the table. "This is the so-called 'Lord Recluse,' leader of the group called Arachnos, based on the Etoile, or Rogue, Islands. In and of themselves, Arachnos is not likely to be a problem for us - they are far too busy fighting within their own ranks." The scorn in the woman's voice was evident. "However, Lord Recluse - formerly known as Stefan Richter - could become a problem if he took offense to our activities. Fortunately, we have recently discovered the whereabouts of our missing Papahai Rata." She briefly looked down the table to Dina then pressed a few more buttons. A figure in shining white and blue sprang up next to the image of Lord Recluse, and the woman smiled thinly. "Papahai Rata, calling herself Silver Spyder, has infiltrated Arachnos. While she did this for her own reasons, we have made contact and confirmed that she intends to either kill or control Lord Recluse. We will let her proceed."
As she finished, the woman stood and picked up a remote. At her command, the previous images disappeared, and that of a large man in a form fitting, blue, red, and white uniform replaced them. A wealth of emotion surged in Dina and she sat forward to examine the figure, listening closely to the woman's harsh voice.
"This is Statesman, also known as Marcus Cole. He is one of the strongest supernatural individuals on Earth, leader of the group Freedom Phalanx, based out of Paragon City. He is also likely to be the first, and most difficult, of our opponents when the time comes to move. He cannot, and will not, be controlled. He must, therefore, be removed. It is entirely likely that whoever goes to Paragon City will also need to remove his inner council, and we should insure that anyone we send -"
"I'll go." Dina straightened in her chair as the entire council turned to look at her in surprise. She gazed calmly through the hologram of Statesman, looking only at Endaruta, sitting at the end of the table. "I will go," she repeated firmly, not showing any outward sign of the hope flaring within her.
Endaruta finally nodded, once. "It is decided. As Papahai Rata faces the champion of Chaos, so will Papahai Dina face the champion of Order. This is Indra's Will." With this proclamation, the rest of the chamber sat back with a sigh, only to quickly rise and file out as the priest barked sharply, "We're done. Go back to your duties."
Shortly, the conference table was empty save for Dina and Endaruta. The priest looked at the young woman sitting across from him and asked harshly, "Why?"
Dina considered her answer carefully, before quietly responding, "It is mine to do. Who better? If I am to fulfill prophecy, then I should show I am able."
"But that is not the only reason. You have more which you have not confided in me."
Dina inclined her head. "There is, of course, always the possibility of more reasons." She permitted a brief flicker of smile to appear and added the one thing she thought he would accept without question. "Besides, if Rata succeeds in her task, and I do not even attempt my own, then I've automatically failed, have I not? I cannot let that happen."
The old man laughed, a cold, sardonic sound. "I trust you will not permit your competition with your sister to interfere with your duties. Very well, we will make the appropriate arrangements." He gave her a sharp look, then amended his statement, "No. You will make the arrangements. I will only arrange for your transport beyond the veil. This is your mission; you will be responsible for all of it. Succeed or fail on your own merits, girl."
Dina stood and bowed to her guardian, acknowledging his directive without words, before turning and leaving the room. Making her way through the temple, she stopped a pair of acolytes sworn to Ratri and sent them to look for Davos with a message. Changing course, she avoided the Harvest Festival entirely and headed out the back to the formal gardens that looked over the temple courtyard. Even on a day like today, they would be mostly empty, and that would suit her purposes.
Arriving in the garden, Dina gratefully sank onto one of the benches set aside for meditation, and began to run through the basic mental exercises taught to her by Jamyang years before. It took several repetitions, but by the time Davos appeared on the path below, she had finally regained her composure and thought she could talk about the situation without losing control.
"Last I checked, I'm the Speaker, you're the priestess. Aren't I supposed to send for you?" Davos dropped onto the bench beside her and handed her a cloth wrapped bundle. "Here, eat. I saw Endaruta. He looked entirely too pleased with himself. Given that look and the timing of your message, I'm going to guess you've missed your midday meal."
Dina accepted the bundle with thanks. "When it's related to temple business, I follow your directions. When it's dealing with Endaruta, the Maryanni, and this prophecy... well, we're in this together, I hope, because I need you. You're my friend, Davos, and you have been since well before you were Speaker."
Davos patted Dina's shoulder. "I know. And yes, we're in this together. The entire temple is behind you, of course, but that really just means that you're out in front where you can be shot at first. Even I'm not as much of a target as you are - and don't think I'm not grateful for that. I have enough to do without fending off Endaruta's aim. So what's happened that couldnt wait?"
In between bites of the keema naan he had brought her, Dina filled in Davos on what she had learned that morning. She completed both the meal and her report about the same time, and waited for his reaction.
It wasn't long in coming. "Rata's alive and in a group that's big into chaos? Somehow, that completely fails to surprise me. Jamyang always said that Rata would land on her feet no matter what happened." He shook his head. "She seems to have found the meaning of her Dreaming Night dream, as well. I have a nasty suspicion that there's more going to happen with that, however, and we're not going to like it."
"She's been gone for over two years, she wasn't prepared for the world outside the valley before she left, and her first mission went badly wrong. I can't imagine she's more stable than when she went. I only hope I'll be able to reach her and help her."
Davos fixed Dina with a fierce look, "Help Rata? While you're in Paragon City to kill the man who has occupied your heart and dreams for those same two years, you mean?"
Dina looked around the garden carefully to make sure there was no one within range to hear what she was going to say next. "I'm not going to kill him. Davos, you know me better than that! I was careful in what I said. I said I would go to Paragon City. I said I had a task there, I said I was to show I could fulfill prophecy. I did not say I would kill him - or anyone else!"
"You're walking a very fine, very treacherous line, Dina. You're going to have to be even more careful now than you've ever been before. One slip and Endaruta will have you killed as a traitor to the Maryanni."
"I know. Davos, I know, but there has to be another way! Everything we do here, everything the Maryanni do... it's all about death, all about chaos and war. When do we become about life, about peace and order? The world doesn't need leaders in fighting. I can see that on those screens in the control room. If the Maryanni are supposed to come out of the valley as leaders in the world, then either the world is going to be in very severe danger, or we have to change - and either way, we need friends and allies who can help and understand us out there."
Davos rubbed his temples with one hand, his dark hair falling forward into his face. Dina watched him in concern - he was young for a Speaker, barely thirty, and had held the position for less than five years now. Even so, he already had a few sparkling silver hairs and she knew that despite his joking about her being out in front, he had taken more than a few of the attacks by Endaruta onto himself. When she left, he would be required to stand alone, and she selfishly wanted him to reassure her that he would be all right.
Looking up, Davos met her eyes. "You're right, and I know it. If nothing else, there's your dream to guide you, and we have to believe Ratri knows what She is doing at least. I have to admit, I'm not looking forward to finding out what lines of attack Endaruta will use next, but the temple will survive. You'll be out there alone."
Dina allowed one of her rare smiles to illuminate her face. "Ratri will guide and protect me. And now I have a name to go with the face in my heart - Marcus Cole. If I can find him, I know it will be all right. I just have to get there, and it will all work out."
Davos stood and looked down into the temple courtyard. "I have to go back to my duties at the Festival. Try to get some rest before you stand watch tonight in the temple. Tomorrow, I'll introduce you to the person in the quartermaster's office who has been helping prepare for... well, this, I guess." He started to walk away, then turned back briefly, "Dina, keep yourself together. Keep your mental guard up at all times. I cannot help but feel that this is in part a trap, and I do not want it to catch you." With that final warning, he disappeared from sight.
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Chapter 17.
Davos had collected Dina early the next morning, barely giving the young woman a chance to eat after coming off the temple watch before pulling her in the direction of the quartermaster's offices. When they entered, she studied the short man standing at one of the desks for a long moment before her eyes widened in surprise and recognition.
"Khadka, hello! It's nice to see you again."
Khadka smiled and bowed slightly, "Papahai Dina, the pleasure is mine. It has been a pleasure to work on your papers." He crossed the room to a cabinet, where he retrieved a file before returning to his desk. "Especially since it gave Davos and me a chance to, ah... mend old hurts."
Dina looked at Davos, and the Speaker nodded with a slight smile. "We've been able to talk things out and become friends again."
"Oh, I'm glad of that." Khadka had been Davos' lover when the latter had been chosen as Speaker. The choosing was unexpected for everyone and Khadka had stormed out, hurt at the inevitable changes it created in Davos. Davos had missed Khadka as a friend, and had been seeking for a way to approach the other man to talk. Dina was quietly pleased that something positive had come out of all the discomfort of the past few months.
Now Khadka motioned them both over to his desk. "Davos slipped me a note last night, let me know things are coming up. This morning I came in and found a travel requisition for you. I'm betting you weren't told that you're leaving at the end of the week?"
"She's what?"
"No, I wasn't."
Davos and Dina both spoke at the same time. Khadka nodded. "I thought as much, or Davos would have mentioned that time was short. Fortunately, there are some mitigating circumstances." He pulled out a slim folder and continued. "First, Dina passed her Mastery trials. That automatically means we created all of the initial documentation. I just need a picture, and I can have the final forms ready tomorrow. Second, since Davos came to me more than a month ago, and had a name for me to work from," he paused and gave Dina an odd look at this, "I was able to finish creating the cover identity, the accounts and all the miscellanea that is needed to handle a long term deep assignment. It was even relatively easy, since we're mostly sticking with the truth and just changing a few of the more pertinent details - such as erasing anything that leads anyone back here. "
"How can we tell the truth?" Dina was aware that she sounded bewildered, and this once she didn't mind. "The Mitanni valley is a secret and the Maryanni are supposed to be invisible."
The smaller man shrugged. "There's temples scattered all through the Himalayans, and most of them aren't that encouraging of outsiders. All you have to do is say you were raised and trained in a temple on a mountain and that you arent allowed to say more. It's true, after all, and while they might be curious, they're human. Something else will come along and they'll forget why they were interested in you."
Davos frowned. "That seems awfully thin. You said you had a cover identity for her?"
"I do, and that's actually why it should hold up," Khadka laughed. "It would work anywhere, but where she's going, it's even more perfect. You gave me the name Cende to work with, and I had the Mastery trials to base it on. Well, "Cende" is a martial artist from Nepal, who is going to America - to Paragon City - for a very special reason. Paragon is the city of heroes, and Cende is now a superhero."
"A what?" Dina was confused.
Davos was stunned. "You're joking."
Khadka straightened up. "I'm not joking. Trust me on this, it's the one thing they won't look at hard. The entire city is full of people with significant abilities of some sort - another martial artist won't be a surprise. I have her on a superhero visa - it's sort of like a diplomatic visa, but a lot less trouble. As long as she's registered with an official organization, she won't be scrutinized too closely." Khadka spread the papers from the folder out in front of him, showing copies of several forms.
"What sort of organization?" Davos leaned over the forms with interest. Dina stood back, listening and waiting for her chance to ask again.
"Well, she's already registered with their Federal Bureau of Superpowered Affairs - that's this form here. She'll have to check in when she gets there. Once she's there, she can join up with a group such as their Freedom Corps organization, which will at least get her the chance to learn about the city and settle in before she makes any more decisions. After that, there are a lot of other heroes who've banded together in recognized groups. She can find one that suits her and apply to join. Once she gets to know them, they'll protect her while she does what she needs to do out there, until it's time for her to come home."
"Excuse me." Dina decided that this was quite enough without the initial explanation that she needed. When the two men paused and looked at her, she quietly asked, "What is a superhero?"
Before either of the men in front of her could answer, a deep voice from behind her replied, "It's an individual of great personal power and responsibility who protects and defends those weaker and more helpless than he." Dina turned to see Trial Master Gephel in the door. Gephel continued as he stepped in and shut the door behind himself, "Some of them are supernatural or magical, while others use technology. Some are purely natural but very highly trained - like you, predominately, although I suspect you'll have some magic about you that the Goddess provides."
As Dina murmured her thanks, Khadka bowed to the Trial Master. "Sir, may I assist you?"
Gephel waved Khadka back. "No, no. I saw these two heading into here and figured they were making sure everything was in place for her to leave. Papahai Dina, I am certain you have very little time before you are rushed out of this place. I would like to make sure you have some final outer world training before you leave, and I want it to be of a quality I trust. Will you allow me to provide this for you?" His voice was grim as he asked this question, and in his eyes was the knowledge that he had chosen a side.
Dina gave a slight bow. "I would be honored by your teachings, Trial Master. And you are correct; we have very little time before I must leave." She looked around to the others. "Davos, thank you for getting this started. Khadka, I won't get a chance to thank you for your efforts when it becomes apparent how effective they are, so I thank you now. Endaruta said he'd arrange for me to get past the veil, but I must get to Paragon City myself. Can you, will you, make sure everything is handled for the travel, as well as the other things I will need?"
Khadka nodded, "Of course. If you wouldn't mind, however, please stand there, on that line, just for a moment. Good, now, look here, at this dot, and keep your eyes open - there's going to be a flash!" There was a bright flash, and Day blinked despite herself. Khadka hummed. "Well, either you were fast, or you were slow, but the picture turned out all right. Don't need to do it again. I'll have the documents for you by tomorrow." With that, he turned back to his desk and began to sort through the papers on and in the folder there.
As they left, Dina glanced over at Davos. "When did he move into the quartermaster's office?"
"Oh, he's always been there, it's just that he was a supply clerk when you first met him. Someone in the long-term cover group got sick, and he was able to fill in. He did well enough that they kept him on. He got promoted to assistant quartermaster a few months ago."
"If it helps," Gephel added, "he is actually quite good at his job. It's a point of pride with him that nobody using one of his backgrounds has ever gotten caught due to a flaw in the cover." They reached an intersection and paused before separating. "Dina, will you join me in the classrooms after midday meal, please? We can start determining what is most urgent for you to know then."
"Of course, Trial Master. After midday meal, then."
Gephel nodded to the two priests and set off down the hallway with a loping stride. After he had disappeared from view, Dina turned to look at Davos. "Are you sure this is a good idea? A superhero?"
"Khadka is good at his job, Dina, and he doesn't want you to get caught. You'll do fine. Besides, your Marcus is most likely a superhero, is he not?"
Dina sighed. "All right, I'll trust you, at least. For now, I should rest. If I am going to spend the rest of the week running at top speed, I think it might be best if I did so after some sleep."
Davos nodded. "I agree, go. As of now, consider yourself relieved of temple duty. I'll make sure you have a traveling altar. We'll have you ready to go before Endaruta tells you to leave." The priest hesitated a moment, then gave his young friend a brief, fierce hug. "It will all work out, Dina. Have faith. Ratri will guide us. Have faith."
Wordlessly, Dina nodded and went to her room to sleep.
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-------------------------
Chapter 18.
Papahai Dina stepped off the airplane and into the customs terminal, listening absently to the woman next to her chatter excitedly. Looking around, she felt a sense of satisfaction when she spied the sign spelling out "Welcome to Paragon City - Birthplace of the Hero!" It had been rather unnerving getting here; she had been introduced to such transportation wonders as automobiles and airplanes, and she was firmly convinced humans had never been intended to travel in metal boxes at high speeds. Fortunately, Gephel's instructions on the outside world had warned her of these forms of transportation before she had been expected to endure them, and so she had been able to face them with an external equanimity that did not expose her inner qualms.
Two of the Maryanni women had recently returned from England, where they had been posing as university students, and they had been able to provide some quick tutoring in western customs and fashions. Looking around she was pleased to note that, outwardly at least, she would not particularly stand out. She had unfortunately already discovered that her command of English idiom was severely lacking and had needed to ask for translations twice on the flight over.
She watched carefully as the customs official went over her paperwork and through her case, but he seemed genuinely unaware of any irregularities in her entry papers and he completely missed the tiny hidden compartment in her travel altar - something that he seemed rather reluctant to touch much of once she explained what it was. She made an effort to smile at him when he handed everything back to her. "Thank you. Where would one go to register, here?"
"What, to be a hero?" At her nod, the official snorted. "See that board over there? You can catch a shuttle down to Freedom Corps headquarters there. It runs every quarter hour. We've got them from the seaport and the train station, too." He grinned up at the tall, slender woman. "And, ah, you have a super day, Ms. Cende with no-last-name."
Cende nodded, and went to catch a shuttle. She had a job to do, and it was time to start the next part of her life in order to do it.
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Chapter 19.
Staring at the pile of papers in front of her, Cende thought wistfully about the quiet of Ratri's temple. There were no reports to fill out in the temple, only people who came in search of advice and help. It was all considerably simpler back home! Not that she missed the constant need to avoid Endaruta, but at least she knew what to expect from him.
The last four months had started out easily enough. She had caught the shuttle to the Freedom Corps building and presented her FBSA registration as Khadka had instructed her to. The first problem had occurred almost immediately - somehow, the FBSA offices had been told she was there to evaluate the program for implementation in Nepal, and she had been greeted as an administrator rather than as a new hero. Thinking quickly and expressing her dismay at translation errors, she constructed a working compromise between the disparate backgrounds and explained that she wished to understand the program by acting as a new hero and slowly studying the administrative details that they were showing her. Apparently, the offices were quite familiar with translation errors - they had been more than willing to make the change.
She still suspected Endaruta's hand in the background edit. A new hero would have no chance of reaching the elite heroes of this city, but a visiting dignitary might. Still, she had to admit that the unexpected changes had been more beneficial than she would have thought at first. Her outside world training had been even sketchier than she had realized, and she was completely unprepared to live away from the temple. Fortunately, there were strange individuals coming to Paragon from not just all over the world, but from outside of it as well, and they needed at least as much remedial training as she did. There were seminars and classes offered on a regular basis to such people, and as a visiting administrator, she was able to attend the classes under the guise of gathering ideas for a Nepalese program. If the notes she took were more for her own use than for suggesting ways to improve outside training at the temple, no one else ever needed to know.
At her own request, she was assigned to work with a Longbow squad in addition to her independent investigations on behalf of the people she met in the city. Lieutenant Jameson, the leader of the squad, had objected at first, but the officer in charge of duty assignments had a few quiet words with him and that had stopped the objections. Given the speculative looks she caught from Jameson occasionally, Cende was very curious what the duty officer had said but she decided it was better not to ask.
She was learning about the outside world, learning about Paragon City, and learning about becoming a hero. She knew there were still obstacles to overcome, and there was the uncomfortable living situation to work through, but otherwise she had thought things were going quite well - until she had been summoned to the Longbow administration office that morning and handed this stack of forms.
"You're behind on your reports," the fresh-faced young woman behind the desk had told her.
"Reports?" Cende knew what reports were from her time in the control room at the temple, but had not been informed of any that she was required to provide here.
The girl behind the desk rolled her eyes. "Bet nobody told ya, huh? You have to document all your arrests so that when the crims go to court the reason they're there is, like, all official and everything, 'k? So go to that desk over there, siddown, and look at this; it's a finished report, just do all yours like this one. All yer info is on the report headers, you just have to put in the details. Best you come in once a week at least to take care of 'em, or they all pile up like this." The words all came out in a rush, and Cende took a moment to make sure she'd understood them before nodding slowly and moving to the indicated desk.
By the time that she had filled out the two oldest reports, an older, matronly woman had taken over the front desk and set the younger woman to filing. Hesitantly, Cende approached the desk again with the completed reports and asked if she were doing them correctly.
The woman behind the desk looked up in surprise. "Didn't anyone show you how?" When Cende shook her head, the older woman snorted. "Well, that's how things go, I suppose. Let me see those." She took the forms and looked them over, then nodded. "Well, yeah, that'll certainly do - I've seen worse. You should really include a little more detail in the arrest field, or they'll have a harder time making it stick in court. Not that it does half the time anyway, but you know, no use in letting it get easier." She handed back the forms and smiled. "You need anything else, you let me know. I'm Barbara, but most everyone calls me Barb. There ain't a form or procedure in this office I don't know. And how do you say your name, honey, is it like Cindy?"
"Thank you, ma'am. No, ma'am, it's Sin-day." This was quickly becoming a common correction, but at least Barb had asked.
"Oh, well, that's a little different, ain't it then? Well, you go on and sit yourself back down, finish up that stack you got. And now you know to come in more often, don't you?" Barb reached out and patted Cende's hand, then went back to typing on the computer.
By the time of the midday meal, Cende had managed to work through just over half of the reports. They weren't hard, just tedious, and not made any easier by the awkwardness of the English alphabet. Stretching her back, she stared at the next one in the pile and wondered how well it would go over in court if she simply started writing the reports in Sanskrit. She imagined she could get rather more detail in if she could just use a decent language! Sighing, she decided to behave, and reached for the next report. It was going to be a long day.
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Chapter 20.
Cende had finished the reports before the office had actually closed, and Barb had smiled at her when she gave them back with a sigh of relief. As they had gotten more recent they had gotten easier, and she had asked the older woman how best to keep current on them.
"Best way?" Barb had replied. "Well, that'd be doing them on the computer just about every night. Takes a few minutes then you're done, and it's outta your hair. But you got a note here that says you ain't comfortable with computers, so it's prob'ly faster for you to write it longhand and us to type it in for you. That's what that useless girl is for, supposedly." Barb indicated the young woman who had been at the desk when Cende had first come in and who was now at a small computer station, typing slowly. "We print 'em out every Monday from the week before. You pick 'em up and drop 'em off, stay on top of 'em. Easier on you, easier on us. "
Cende thanked her and went searching for something to eat. Terrible as it was, the food provided to the people who worked for Longbow and Freedom Corps was at least plentiful. She held on to the hope that somewhere in this sprawling city was a place that would be able to provide her with decent meals, but until then, the cafeteria would do.
She had just stepped into the dining hall and was trying to determine if she wanted to risk something called rigatoni or if she should just make a sandwich when two of her roommates appeared beside her.
"Don't get the rigatoni. It's got beef in it." Tamara was the computer support specialist for their squad and rarely went into the field, instead providing logistics from base. She had a round face, round glasses and was edging towards a round figure, but she was kind to most people - until they hit her tolerance limit, and then she turned her razor sharp wit onto them. Very few people made the mistake of underestimating her twice. She had quickly learned about Cende's difficulty with American food, customs, and idiom, and made a point of helping when she could.
Cende nodded appreciatively now, "Thank you. I wasn't sure. Chicken sandwich it is again, then."
On Tamara's other side, Emma smiled. "One of these days, they'll surprise you and make something you can actually eat." Emma was a soft-spoken young woman with dark skin, dark hair, and wide expressive eyes. She was a tactical genius who could barely bring herself to fire her weapons in a fight for fear of injuring an innocent person. It was an open secret in the training squads that she had requested a transfer to Freedom Corps Intelligence and Analysis department, and rumor had it that the transfer was simply waiting on the next official rotation schedule to be posted.
Tamara snorted as she got her own sandwich. "Don't bet on ever getting something worth eating here. Most of Longbow is made up of big guys, and as we all know, big guys eat big food. So that's what they're going to serve - big food in bulk. Look - there's the Trio, and they actually have space at their table."
Helen, Tina, and Mindy claimed to have been friends since childhood. They were always found together, and had acquired the collective nickname of the Trio. All of them had grown up in Paragon City and none of them wanted to do anything but be in Longbow. Tina, a blonde, always sat between Helen and Mindy, brunettes, and the three had already received notice that they would be transferring to the Nerva station with the next rotation. They grumbled good-naturedly at having to share their table, but made space for Cende, Tamara, and Emma. Unfortunately, none of them had much time to eat before Lieutenant Jameson appeared and summoned them on a mission.
"C'mon, girls," he said, waving to the squad. "Grab what you can eat on the way, but you don't have time to sit. Those Circle punks are taking more victims in Kings, and we've been called in to help a couple other squads get the people back."
Cende had fought the Circle of Thorns before, both on her own and in the company of the Longbow. Old men in dusty caverns, they reminded her unpleasantly of Endaruta, and their ancient city of Oranbega was far too much like the halls and rooms under the temple of Indra for her comfort - full of old, malevolent magic and dark spirits. While she would not willingly choose to spend time there, she was not inclined to leave innocent people in the hands of such evil, so she put the resemblances out of her mind and focused on the necessary tasks.
This mission started out little different from many others the squad had been on before, save only that there were more Longbow than usual crowding the old mine tunnels under the city. A few Freedom Corps volunteers came along to take care of terrorized hostages and get them the medical and psychological counseling they would need. Squads were rearranged, moving the hand-to-hand fighters up front and keeping those with ranged weapons and abilities back further, to work above the combat and pick off targets of opportunity.
Cende was at the forefront of the operation, moving quickly through the tunnels with other melee specialists, when they broke through into the main cavern. Finding themselves briefly without opponents, the front-runners took a moment to catch their breath and check for damage while they waited for the rest of the group to catch up with them. Then one woman wielding a pair of wickedly curved blades climbed a rock to see what lay ahead and began to swear. Even as the rest of the group scrambled up to see what was so bad, Cende felt a sense of dread wash over her. She paused before reaching the top and said a soft prayer, then peered over - and sank down onto her knees at what she saw ahead.
"What are they?" one of the spine-warden trainees asked.
For a long moment, no one spoke. Then, "Demons," answered Cende, flatly. When they looked at her, she shook her head. "I've seen them before. They can be killed. Do not hold back, for they certainly will not. We cannot let them leave this place."
The others looked at each other, then solemnly nodded. They waited for the entire Longbow force to catch up and the officers in charge agreed that everyone would all go in together. None of the mages or demons came out, and while there were a number of injuries, none of the Longbow were lost. Unfortunately, it was too late for one of the hostages, a girl that reminded Cende all too painfully of her student Rinchen. She skipped the post-mission recreation that evening and went straight to the dorm, a fact not unnoticed by her roommates.
"So where were you for the last two hours, Miss Hero? Too good to join the grunts?" Cende's final roommate, Brittany, flounced into the shared room, trailed by the other five. Slightly above average height, with a trim figure, bright smile, and glossy black hair, Brittany had been voted "most likely to become a superstar" in high school, a fact that she was quick to point out to anyone who would listen. Longbow, she claimed, was simply her community service stop on her way to the top.
Tamara objected, "Brit, you know she's not like that. She found that little girl; she probably just didn't feel like coming down. Besides, look at all those notes she's got - you had another set of seminars to review, didn't you?" The last was directed to Cende, in an apparent attempt to redirect the conversation.
Emma crossed to the connecting bath shared with the room next door and looked in. "Nobody's there yet. I'm going to get a shower before the others invade." She absolutely refused to get involved when there was a possible argument between the people she knew, claiming it was far too stressful for her to be asked to pick sides.
Helen, Tina, and Mindy all went to sit on the unclaimed bed and giggle at a "Sexy Men of Longbow" magazine Tina's cousin had sent to her. They had been Brittany's roommates for close to a year now and were used to ignoring her when she started to rant about something - and recently, that something had consistently been Cende.
Cende once again realized that she was not comfortable with the living arrangements, though Brittany's ongoing antagonism was only one of the reasons why. Nodding to Tamara, she answered the question she actually understood first. "Yes, more seminars, tomorrow. These are about money, banks, and finances." Three words that still somewhat mystified her, and she hoped the seminars proved enlightening. Reluctantly facing Brittany, she asked, "What are grunts?"
"Oh. Em. Gee." Brittany rolled her eyes and flopped on to her bed. "You're not Cen-day, you're Cen-duh! Grunts, stupid. Little people, you know, peons? The ones who do all the work, while you get all the credit?"
Even Helen, Tina, and Mindy looked up at that. Brittany's sniping had never gone into an outright attack before, and their faces reflected their shock. Tamara simply threw a pillow at Brittany. "That's enough. Just because Teddy isn't responding to you doesn't mean you get to take it out on everyone else."
Brittany threw the pillow back at Tamara then got up and stormed into the bathroom. "Fine. Whatever. I'm getting ready for bed."
As the Trio followed suit, Tamara looked at Cende and shrugged. "Sorry 'bout her. Teddy completely ignored her tonight and just talked to his boyfriend. I don't think she's actually figured out that he's gay yet, to be honest. Oh right, you probably don't know gay. It means he likes other men." Tamara shrugged again. "Anyway, looks like you already got your shower. Good call. I still can't believe they only put in four showerheads for sixteen women. Emma and I lucked out though - we got approved for that apartment in Skyway. When the Trio rotates out, we're moving, too." As the other woman headed toward the now-noisy bathroom, she paused and looked back. "Cende, you're a qualified, registered hero. You don't have to actually request off-site housing to get out of living here in quarters. You might want to look at getting your own place. The hours you keep are absolutely insane, and anyone you share a room with is going to wonder about them. Plus, if you don't have six or seven roommates, you don't have to worry about that whole nudity thing."
As she stacked her papers neatly at the side of her bed, Cende considered Tamara's words. Her own space could solve a considerable number of problems. In truth, she had no issue with nudity, merely with preventing anyone outside of the Maryanni from seeing the tattoos on her shoulders. Pretending to body-shyness was the simplest method of insuring that, in the unexpectedly communal showers of the dorm rooms, her markings were not seen and remarked upon. The hours she kept were more obvious, however. Her dreams had returned to being only of her intense-eyed man, yet they still woke her each night after a few hours of sleep. With no privacy to either work on her mental exercises or pray and no space in which to practice katas, she had taken to continuing her private investigations in the deep night until dawn.
Late that night she stalked a member of the Council through the streets of Boomtown by moonlight and reflected that the earlier reports really had been the best part of a bad day. Earlier in the week she had received a request to get into a specific base and acquire data on troop movements; she knew where the base was, but she needed to find a way in. That was why she now slipped through the shadows, following a soldier as he stopped at every possible message drop in his path. She had seen this idiot come out of the base yesterday morning when she had scouted the location; seeing him heading back now was a stroke of good fortune.
Goddess knew she could use good fortune right now. She certainly wasn't looking forward to going back to base and finding what awaited her there once dawn came.
She had been lying down with her eyes closed when the other girls had come out of the bathroom to get into bed. Brittany still sniped, but she was an amateur compared to Endaruta, and Cende had simply concentrated on her breathing. Eventually, her feigned sleep had turned into the real thing, and as always, she had dreamed.
Dina smiled as she watched Marcus sit and read. It was unusual for her to see him quiet, and he seemed relaxed as he turned the page of the book in his hands. He glanced up and she reached out a hand to him, but he looked past her, then smiled and stood. As he stepped forward, she lost sight of him and she turned to look around herself in confusion.
When she had turned completely around and was once again facing where Marcus had been, she stared in shock. Gone was the quiet scene that had been there; in its place stretched out the large cavern with the sandy floors where the Mastery Trials took place. Glancing down at herself, she realized that she was once again dressed in the tight fitting halter and loose pants of the judged, and with dread she saw the priests above raise their hands and begin the incantations.
Across from her, a brilliant red portal formed, eight feet high and flickering as if with flame. The fire trial then; this meant she had passed the mind, skin, and metal trials and had only the ice trial ahead. From the portal stepped a monster, a demon of flame and ire. It threw back its horned head and roared, displaying wicked teeth, each easily as long as her hand. A loincloth was all that covered its scaly body, and it gathered flames around its taloned hands as it stepped forward on cloven hooves and reached for her.
"Wake up, stupid. It's just a dream."
Dina ducked under the reaching hands, sweeping out with a foot to try to knock the monster off balance. It roared again, caught her by the arm, and shook her.
"Cende, come on already, you've woken everyone else up, snap out of it."
She drove a stiffened hand hard towards its throat, hoping that there was a vulnerable point there, then, recognizing the dream for what it was, tensed -
- and barely deflected the blow onto Brittany's shoulder, driving the other girl back against the wall. Sitting up, Cende shook her head to clear the dream from her mind and focus. "Are you all right?"
Brittany was gasping in pain and holding her shoulder. "As if! What is your damage? I was just trying to wake you up from a stupid nightmare! I mean, who has nightmares after they're six, anyway? And you go dislocating my shoulder! Stupid idiot. You're too much of a loser to ever be a hero."
Emma bit her lip as she pulled on a robe, "Brit, c'mon, Ill walk you down to the infirmary. You need to get that looked at." She led the other girl out, casting a glance back at Tamara on the way.
It was Helen that spoke up once the door was closed again. "What were you dreaming about, anyway?"
Cende sighed. "The demons we fought tonight." That was true enough - they were the same demons, even if it wasn't the same fight. Her life for the last several years had been increasingly based on 'true enough', and it seemed as if that was not going to change here.
"Ugh." All four of the other girls made sounds of disgust. Cende nodded in agreement, and got out of bed. Moving quickly, she straightened out her sheets and headed toward the bathroom.
"What are you doing? It's the middle of the night." Tina had already curled back up around her pillow.
"I'm awake now, and it's about the time I usually get up anyway." Cende shrugged. "Besides, I think it would be best if I were not here when Brittany returns."
"Wow." Tamara yawned. "I knew you got up early, but I didn't realize how early. You're right about being gone, but you'll have to deal with it tomorrow anyway." She slid back down into her bed and waved sleepily at Cende. "Take care of yourself out there."
It had taken Cende very little time to change and leave, but the three girls were already asleep by the time she slipped out. Carefully avoiding the infirmary, she had headed straight to Boomtown and nearly run into her erstwhile guide.
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Chapter 21.
It seemed they were finally to the bunker. Cende watched carefully as the Council solider turned a carefully concealed corner, and had to admit she was impressed by the camouflage offered by the shadows. Slipping in behind him, she waited until he'd keyed in his access code and opened the door then she kicked him hard in the head. Stunned, he staggered through the door and half-fell against the railing on the other side. Entering after him, she followed up the kick with a series of quick punches, and he collapsed at her feet. As she tagged him for transport to the prison, she listened carefully for alarms or signals from inside the base, and heard nothing. She frowned slightly. The reports her informant had told her about had indicated this base was quite busy; there should not be such a resounding human silence coming from within. She whispered a prayer to Ratri and gathered the shadows around her for concealment and protection.
Slipping through the narrow, conduit lined tunnels of the base, Cende grew more and more wary. She found several unattended, shut down computers, but very few people. Only one patrol came by and she intended to let them pass - until the voice on the radio told them to check on Conner, who had come in the front door but never reported to his post. Deciding that the best option was to leave everyone with unanswered questions, she followed the patrol back to a narrow point in the tunnels. Stepping forward out of the shadows, Cende knocked both men from their feet with a quick, low spin, then followed up with a disorienting blow to the one who recovered fastest. Switching targets, she swiftly dispatched the second guard and turned back to the first, only to see him raise his radio.
"Intruder alert! Intrud-" The radio went flying from the Council soldier's hand as her foot connected solidly with his knuckles, but it was too late; the warning had gone out. In her frustration, she misjudged her next kick and heard the man's knee snap as the blow landed. The man fell to the ground, holding his knee and screaming incoherent imprecations at her. Murmuring an apology, she slapped a medical-attention arrest tag on his neck. As she tagged his partner, she looked over at the injured solider.
"How many more of you are there here?"
"I'm not telling you anything, cape. You broke my knee!"
Cende shook her head. "I can give you something for the pain. I don't want to hurt anyone else. How many?"
"Eat bullets!"
Cende sighed as the prison teleport cut short that line of questioning, then stood and once again gathered the shadows around her. There was at least one more group in the base, and they were warned she was coming. She had to move fast before they deleted the data - and she had no idea how long that would take.
Running back the way the patrol had come, Cende stopped as she made a final turn and came to a half-open door. In the room beyond, a single human male dashed between several computers while one hulking robot stood and watched. Three much smaller robots stood near the door and Cende felt an atavistic shudder go through her at the sight of the machines. The first time she ran into them had been on a recent leadership evaluation mission she had lead, and Tina had been the one to explain them to her afterward. She still thought computers were a bad idea, and these robots only served to enforce that opinion.
Focusing past the so-called Mek-men at the door, Cende listened to the human. He was screeching at the hulking robot about "intruder protocols" and "shutdown codes" but the big machine did not seem affected by his words. Hoping the larger robot would continue in its indifference for at least a while longer, she picked up a small rock from the tunnel floor and tried to get the attention of the smaller trio.
"What do you mean "no increased threat level assessed," you moronic pile of steel? You heard the intruder alert! Now input those shutdown codes according to protocol - wait, where are the guards going?" Cende could hear the man in the room shouting, but then all three of the Mek-men were on her and she became fully occupied with turning them into scrap.
As she finished with the smaller robots, the quiet, inner sense that had always guided her defensive moments suddenly urged her to duck to one side, quickly. Doing so, she spun and saw the weapon of the hulking Warcry robot tracking her and preparing to fire again. Its previous shot had left a small, smoking crater in the wall just beyond where her head had been, and she was very certain she did not want to be hit with that weapon. As she moved in close, she scooped up one of the jagged shards of metal from the previous fight. Facing off against three robots was a little easier - with careful timing and footwork, you could get them aiming at each other, and they'd shoot one another. That trick wouldnt work with just one, no matter how big he was, and she grimly looked for a vulnerable point in which to stick her makeshift weapon.
It took several tries, and several more shards of metal, before the Warcry suddenly staggered, then stopped moving, swayed, and fell over. Cende stared at the thing for a long moment, waiting to see if it would get back up, before turning and limping into the room beyond. She was bleeding, bruised, and battered, but she still had a job to finish, and there was one more person to face down within.
Passing through the doors, she carefully looked around. Computers hummed and beeped, making the various noises that meant they were working. She checked the padded and protected belt pouch for the small drive she had been given, and, reassured, advanced on one of the computers while keeping an eye out for the man that had been working in here. To her surprise, she found him cowering between the computer banks and the wall.
When he saw her, he dropped to his knees and immediately put his hands in the air, "I surrender, I surrender! I'm not a soldier; I'm just a technician! Oh, God, your eyes... please don't hurt me!"
Cende was a bit taken aback. My eyes? What's wrong with my eyes? Slowly, carefully, she approached the man, warily watching for him to pull a hidden weapon, "I'm not going to hurt you. Stand up, face the wall, and put your hands behind your back, please." The man did so with alacrity, and she bound his hands with the plastic ties provided for the purpose. She turned him around and held up an arrest tag to show to him, "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just sending you to prison. Please tell me which one is the," she checked the note she'd put in with the drive, "the main data storage unit." She hoped this strange man was more cooperative than the solider she'd injured.
The technician gestured with his chin, "That one, next to the one you're standing in front of. It was supposed to be wiped at a disturbance, but since I'm not a soldier, I don't get the codes."
Cende nodded, and peered at the machine in question. Locating the slot she was supposed to use was relatively easy, and she inserted the drive and pressed the buttons she'd memorized to press. Returning to the man, she reached out, then hesitated before putting the arrest tag on him. "If you're not a soldier, why are you here?"
"They have my sister," he responded bitterly. "It's how they get support people. They take our families hostage, and if we don't do what they say, they kill them, usually in front of us. That stupid 'bot probably got my sister killed by not activating the intruder protocols. I'm dead when I get to prison, lady, but I've been working under a death sentence ever since they caught me. I don't care anymore. Take all the info you get off that computer, and take these bastards down." He sagged, his sudden spurt of courage fleeing from him. "Just... tag me and get it over with, okay?"
Considering the man for a long moment, Cende activated the arrest tag and put it on him. Stepping back, she looked at him and said quietly, "Tell all of that to the people you're about to see. They'll find someone to help you." She turned back to the now beeping computer and claimed her drive, then set a Longbow locater beacon in place. They had the resources to send people in and clean the place out, if they got there before the Council discovered it had been compromised. She, however, had only enough time to get back to base and get a shower before the analysts arrived for the morning. They would want this information first thing, and then she, no doubt, would find out what sorts of punishments her superiors meted out to those who failed to meet expectations.
She had no doubt it would be as educational as all the rest of her experiences this far had been.
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Chapter 22.
"So tell me about your dream."
Cende, perched on the edge of a too-soft chair in a pastel office, blinked at the woman across from her. "Pardon?" Like the office, the woman was all rounded edges and soft colors, well-padded and gently worn-in. Her eyes were sharp, however, and she reminded Cende of some of her teachers in the temple.
"The dream you were having when your roommate tried to wake you. It was apparently traumatic enough to cause you to strike out. Tell me about it."
Cende sighed to herself, and ran through a quick exercise to fortify her mental defenses. In the temple, questions like these would often be accompanied by mental scans, and she had no reason to suspect that this place was any different in that regard; especially given the interview she'd had the morning after the incident in question.
Dropping off the data drive had been easy enough. She'd returned with enough time to shower and change into her suit, prepared to spend the day in seminars. Stopping in the analytics office, she spent a moment speaking with the technicians there. Checking the time as she left that office, she sighed and decided to go by the administrative offices and find out whom she was going to have to speak with about Brittany.
Barb looked up from her computer as Cende stepped into the office. "Huh. If I hadn't seen your public info, I woulda sworn you were psychic. I only just got the note to have you summoned to the Commandant's office."
Cende shook her head. "Not psychic, I just thought I would get it over with, and you'd know who I had to see. Where's the Commandant's office?"
Barb pointed to a door at the end of the room, "There. He ain't with nobody right now, so you'll probably be able to get in. Go on down and I'll call to tell him." She gave the younger woman a sympathetic look, "What happened, anyway, hon? You don't seem like the type to get into trouble."
"Just an accident, honestly."
"Well, hon, the Commandant don't usually see people on account of accidents, but maybe there's something else going on, too. Go on, go back. I'll call and tell him youre here."
The Commandant had turned out to be a bit of a surprise. A short, spare man, he was dressed in a basic field uniform and Cende realized that she would never have recognized him as a special individual in the hallways. His hood and mask were currently pushed back, showing a face lightly lined with age and brown hair cut short to his head. He waved her into his office and, as she entered, pulled the blinds covering the window to the outer office open.
"Can never be too careful with a pretty girl in the office," he said brusquely, as he shut the door. "Don't need people to overhear, but this way there's witnesses. Better for both of us." He moved behind his desk and started to sit, then looked up at her. "Sit, sit. That's better. Now, look here. You've been with Longbow for a few months now, and you've been in a deliberately accelerated program. I wasn't sure it was a good idea, you being foreign and all, but you were working out all right. We were about to clear you, in fact. At least until last night. So what the hell happened?"
Cende wasn't entirely sure she'd followed all of this, but she answered what she thought he was asking, "I was caught in a dream because of the demons we fought, and the girl we found. I am not used to being woken from dreams, and didn't realize it was Brittany at first. I tried to pull the strike."
"Huh. There's so many questions that come up from just that, I don't even know where to start. Not my problem, however. One bad reaction to a nightmare isn't enough to completely derail you, just put it back a little. You are to go see Dr. Wattamatasa in Psych for an evaluation. I'm also told you haven't had a physical yet, so you have to get that done. Based on the results they come up with, we'll go from there." He sorted through the papers on his desk. "Additionally, I've received no less than three recommendations that you go into private housing, and these are not the sorts of "recommendations" that I can ignore. Go talk to Rose Purdue as soon as you have the opportunity. She has an opening in her building at the moment, and she's holding it for you for a few days as a favor to me. Get the address from Barb." He nodded to her once, then bent his head to begin reading one of the many files scattered across the desk's surface. "Dismissed. Close the blinds on the way out."
Setting up the physical and the appointment with Dr. Wattamatasa had been simple; Barb had simply arranged it in the computer when Cende had asked what was needed, then handed her the address for Mrs. Purdue. Cende left the administration office feeling rather confused, but thought perhaps her appointments might give her the information she was missing.
That had all been yesterday. The appointments Barb had set up for her were originally for several days from now, but as she had left the final financial seminar at the end of the day, she had been approached by one of the interns and informed that not only had her appointments been moved forward, but that she was confined to base until further notice.
So now she sat, first thing in the morning, in a soft room on a soft chair and looked at a woman who appeared deceptively soft, and hoped she wasn't about to fall into a trap that could end her new life before it had accomplished anything useful. As it was, Cende had managed to waste the first twenty minutes of the appointment by politely asking for explanations of what a psychologist did before Dr. Wattamatasa was able to ask her own question.
Cende took a quiet breath and held it for a moment, then slowly blew it out before replying. "The dream itself was simply fighting the demons Longbow had faced on a mission earlier in the evening."
Dr. Wattamatasa raised an eyebrow, "Simply fighting? That doesn't explain why you struck out."
Cende tilted her head, "Well, it does, of course. A trained fighter, when fighting in dreams, will often strike out if they are touched in a manner in which they not expecting. It's why fighters are taught to get attention in specific ways within their group - it's for any stressful situation, but safe for dreams, as well."
The psychologist leaned back. "You sound almost knowledgeable about this. Did you practice your response before coming?"
"I am a priestess, Doctor, and my Goddess is the protector of dreams. I have been studying and interpreting dreams for years now. I am knowledgeable about this."
"Oh, yes, that's right." Wattamatasa opened a file from the table next to her, and glanced at it. "It says here that you're from the temple of... Ratri?"
Cende nodded.
"There's very little here about your religious observations. Would you care to elaborate on those?"
Cende allowed a long silence to form then attempted to make her expression somewhat friendlier as she answered. "No. The temple prefers to keep its practices private to those who follow the Goddess. You will understand that I must follow the dictates of the temple elders in this?"
Wattamatasa smiled tightly and nodded. "Of course. Well, in that case, can you perhaps tell me what may have triggered dreaming about the demons?"
Closing her eyes, Cende nodded. "There was a young girl. She had been... sacrificed. Ripped apart is perhaps more accurate." Opening her eyes, she met the doctor's gaze steadily. "She was the same age, the same size and had the same hair as one of my students. It was hard not to see Rinchen in that girl's place."
"Ah. So, you're a priestess and a teacher. Why are you also a fighter?"
"All of the priests and priestess teach - there's nothing special in that. I fight because Ratri is the protector of dreams, the protector of the night. I believe that by making the night, and the world as a whole, a safer place, we serve Her wishes."
"I see. And is that why you go out in the middle of the night? Your file has a note from the Longbow Monitoring AI indicating that your arrest records fall across multiple time sections, despite being in day-duty housing. It also has a note from the Housing Coordinator indicating reports from Security, Hall Monitors, and various residents that you often leave in the middle of the night and do not come back until late the next night. Both of these notes strongly recommend you be shifted to independent housing as a result. Don't you sleep?"
Cende blinked. That would be two of the recommendations the Commandant had mentioned, and she wondered whom the third was from. "I sleep, yes, just not very long. I don't seem to need it."
Wattamatasa sighed. "All right. You stonewall better than anyone else I've seen recently, and I'm not a good enough psychic to get past your shields. I'd love to know who taught you those, and if everyone in your temple can do that, I'm glad you're on our side. Honestly, from your file and your actions, I think you're about as stable as any superhero tends to be, and your religious background doesn't hurt. One little dream doesn't change that, but you had to come in anyway because it resulted in a colleague getting injured." She shrugged. "You have slightly asocial tendencies, but that could just as easily be culture shock. You've only been in the here in the US for four months, and I don't know enough about Southeast Asian culture to know what to look for. I will say this, however," the psychologist paused long enough to fix Cende with a firm look. "You need to get out of Longbow. Find a real group. Go into records and look for one that'll work with you, let you grow. Longbow will stifle you. Whatever you're here for, whatever you're trying to find, you'll find it out there, not in here under all the bureaucracy. I'll make sure the report I write lets you out of here, but you have to do the rest."
"I... oh. Thank you. May I ask, though...?"
"Yes?"
"The Commandant said there were three recommendations I be moved out to private housing. Who was the third?"
Wattamatasa checked the file. "The FBSA/Freedom Corp coordinator. It looks like he's upset both because he doesn't want registered heroes bunking in with Longbow, and because he feels having you in a dorm is detrimental to your position as liaison to a sister program in Nepal. Are you really a liaison?"
Cende shrugged. "If I ever understand what the FBSA is actually doing, then possibly. At the very least, I am taking notes to send back home. What they do with it will not be my decision." True enough. Hopefully, it will be something Gephel and Davos will be able to implement, however, and then we won't be dependent on Endaruta's whim for training people to be ready for the outside world.
Wattamatasa nodded. "Well, you can go. You have a physical to get to, and I have a report to write. Remember what I said - and come back to see me if you need someone to talk to. It's what I'm here for."
Cende stood, bowed slightly, and left.
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Chapter 23.
The physical had been a bit of an eye-opening experience in a completely different way. With polite intransigence, Cende had refused to get undressed and with equally polite insistence, the nurse had demanded that she do so. Upon arrival of the doctor, Cende had cited religious issues with nudity, and a compromise had been worked out in the form of an enveloping operating robe. Even with the robe in place, it had been a near thing in keeping her shoulders covered. More distressing than that, however, was the number of machines they had hooked her up to in order to get readings and the amount of "samples" they had taken for analysis.
The nurse who escorted her through the process was disturbingly cheerful about the whole thing. "You're incredibly healthy, for someone who's been injured in the field but never come in. Field medics are one thing, but you heal really well! Don't wiggle; this will only take a minute. It wouldn't be so bad if you didn't have to do it all at once, normally we get you three or four times over the first month, but they want everything done right now, and you never came in at all to start with. Okay, open wide, I've got to get a DNA swab off your cheek!"
The flow of chatter never quite ceased, and at the end of an hour and a half, Cende was left in a changing room with her clothing, a lollipop, and a cheerful, "We'll have a lot of the results a little later today, the rest will be tomorrow or the next day, but you're healthy, so there's no medical reason to keep you confined to the base any longer than today. And come in next time youre hurt, there's no need to be so shy!"
Slightly overwhelmed, Cende dressed in a bit of a daze and wandered out to the main area of the Freedom Corps building. She was considering Wattamatasa's words from earlier and aiming slowly towards the super-group archive when a strong, deep voice caught her attention and she stilled, listening.
"No, there is no evidence at this time to indicate that the so-called "Ghost Ship" is anything to be concerned about. Numina and other heroes are still investigating what causes it. If anyone sees the ship, they should simply stay out of its way and call PPD."
Cende turned in the direction the man's voice came from and she moved closer. Other voices came from the same direction, calling out questions, and as she stepped into a side room, the man spoke again, apparently answering a question she had missed.
"Yes, the Hamidon is still confined to the Hive, and yes, it is being monitored. At this time, there is no sign of further mutation or evolution. "
The room was filled with rows of chairs, each occupied by an individual holding a notepad or a recorder. Longbow stood stationed at the doors and large cameras at the back of the room pointed forward, aimed squarely toward the podium in the front. All this Cende noted only distantly, her eyes seeking out the owner of the voice and finally, for the first time, seeing in person the man she had dreamed of for three years.
Statesman stood tall and straight, his voice rolling out over the room as he answered each question in turn. Cende found herself wishing she could see his eyes, but they were hidden behind the mask of his uniform and the little bit of his facial expression she could see was of polite professionalism. She studied his movements, listened to his voice without really hearing the words, and wondered how she would ever manage to approach him.
A stir at the door behind the speaker's podium caught Statesman's attention, and he held up his hand to pause the questions being thrown to him. Turning away for a moment, he spoke quietly with the person at the door then returned his focus to the reporters. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry, but we have to cut this short for today. There's been a Nemesis uprising in Peregrine, and the Phalanx has been asked to come help put it down. I'm sure your editors have more information for you." With that, he turned and left.
The Longbow agent next to Cende shook his head and turned, then started with surprise, "Oh, Cende! Didn't see you come in. Didn't know you got door-duty. It's the only time I get out of archives, myself."
"Hello, Teddy." Cende shook her head. "I'm not on duty, I just heard his voice, and came to see what it was." She fell into step beside the smaller man as he started down the hall to archives.
"Ah, never been to one of the weekly reports, huh? They happen every Wednesday. Always the same questions from the same reporters with the same answers. Dull as dirt, and I'd probably just scream at them all that the answers never change, but somehow he puts up with it and makes it sound like he's answering them for the first time, every time. Maybe it's because he's immortal, he's got more patience than the rest of us." Teddy shrugged then cocked an eyebrow at her as she followed him into the archives office. "You're actually coming in then? And here I thought I was just getting lucky with your company. What are you looking up?"
One of Cende's brief smiles slipped out. "Company is always nice, but yes, I was coming in here. I'm looking up super-groups."
"Ugh." Teddy slid into a chair behind a desk and pulled a keyboard to him. "There's several hundred of them, and I doubt you want to look at the records of all of them. Can you narrow down the criteria a little? Are you investigating one, or are you doing something sensible and joining one?"
"Several hundred?" Cende sank into a chair. "No, I don't want to go through that many just to find one I wish to join. Can that thing really keep me from having to look through all the records?" She looked at the computer dubiously.
"You're gonna have to get over that technophobia of yours sooner or later. You have a login, you know, and you should know how to use it. Look, I'll make you a deal. You come with me and Jack to a few Indian restaurants and tell us if they're any authentic good, and we'll teach you the basics of logging in, doing your reports and getting Longbow info, ok?"
"Indian restaurants?" Cende was interested to hear more about these. Restaurants had been briefly covered in the using money seminar, and she had made a note to find ones that served something she could eat.
"Yeah, see, were taking a cross-culture diversity course at Paragon U, and we're supposed to try authentic foods we've never had before and write about them. Well, we've got no way of knowing how authentic a place is. I figure, you're from the area, you do. We've got a list of places we wanted to try, you'll just make it that much easier."
"For the chance to have real food I'll learn to use your machine, so yes, you have an agreement."
"That's the spirit!" Teddy laughed. "But for now, let's figure out what you want in a super-group."
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Since this story is very long, comments go into a separate comment thread. The comment thread can be found here.
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Chapter 24.
It was two days after her appointments that Cende finally managed to get to see Mrs. Purdue about the apartment that was being held for her. She was still restricted to base but Tamara and Emma had shown up with orders from the Commandant to escort her to the apartment, so she had gone as instructed.
The first thing that Cende noticed about Mrs. Rose Purdue was a distinct similarity to her old teacher Jamyang. The second thing she noticed was that Mrs. Purdue had begun yelling at a cat in a tree. The three young women came to a halt a few feet away and exchanged puzzled glances. Shrugging, Cende stepped forward.
"Ma'am? Would you like me to get your cat down?"
Mrs. Purdue peered around the tree at Cende and narrowed her eyes for a moment. "OH! You must be my appointment! I'm sorry, so sorry, but Mr. Chuckles gets up there and gets stuck. Can you get him down?"
Cende nodded, and flew up to the top of the tree. Peering into the leaves, she saw an enormous black and white tomcat perched on the thinnest branch it could reasonably sit on looking back at her calmly. Switching into her native tongue, she said with some mild amusement, "You're not stuck, are you? You're just lazy and want someone to fetch you down. Well, come on then, let us not keep your lady waiting." Holding out her arms to the cat, she drifted closer, then let out a soft "oof" as Mr. Chuckles jumped to her and she realized he was even larger than she had initially thought.
Mrs. Purdue was beaming when she landed. "Oh, that's wonderful. And you're a strong thing, Mr. Chuckles weighs over twenty-five pounds, he's far too much for me to pick up. But he likes you. That's a good sign. Come in, come in, I'll show you the place."
Obediently following the old woman, the girls went into the apartment and up to the fifth floor. Mrs. Purdue nattered on the way up about the Longbow and Freedom Corps members who lived in the other apartments, until they reached the top. "It's a long way up, but for you, it shouldn't be so bad. And its really very nice, I recently had it renovated. I'm doing them all as people move out, you see. Have to keep them up to date for my heroes!" She opened the door with a proud smile. "Here you go, it takes up the entire left half of the floor. You'll have plenty of space."
Cende stepped into a bright, spacious, and open apartment, Emma and Tamara right behind. While the other two girls looked through every room and exclaimed over certain features, Cende walked through once, and came back to stand by the door.
Mrs. Purdue looked quizzically at Cende. "You don't like it?"
"It's lovely. It's just... it's too much. This room," Cende indicated the living room, "It's bigger than the entire space I've had to myself for all of my life. I don't need it. Also..." she paused.
Mrs. Purdue laughed creakily. "Let me guess - you're from overseas. No furniture?"
Cende nodded.
Eyeing Cende for a long moment, Mrs. Purdue seemed to come to a decision. Calling out, "Girls, close the door when you're done and come downstairs to the back," she motioned Cende to follow her. "Normally, I wouldn't rent the place I'm about to show you. I keep it for short-term boarders, because, well... you'll see. It's tiny, and it tends to be a little on the cold side, but it's furnished. You'll need to have your own linens and kitchenware, of course, but that's all it needs. I haven't updated it in a long time, though." Smiling at Cende's puzzled expression as they went out the front and around the side, Mrs. Purdue added, "And best of all, it has its own entry. You strike me as the independent sort, just like the cat."
They descended four stairs to an entry below street level and Mrs. Purdue opened the heavy metal door. Reaching inside for the light-switch, she smiled at the tall young woman, "After you. And pardon the dust; I haven't been down here recently."
Cende entered into a single room. The walls were blank white and the carpet was a dingy blue-gray, frayed in places. Along the left wall after the door were a few cabinets, a small refrigerator, a sink and a two-plate stove, while just beyond that was a closed door, presumably to the bathroom. A double bed was on the far wall across from the bath. Along the same wall as the entry was a couch and coffee table, while a few bookshelves and a desk lined the right wall itself. All together, the entire room was about three hundred square feet, perhaps a little smaller.
It was, in fact, somewhat chilly, despite the warm summer day outside. The electric light in the ceiling left pockets of shadows in the corners that the small, high windows let in very little daylight to offset. Cende moved into the open space at the foot of the bed and gauged how much room there was, then looked at Mrs. Purdue.
"Will you accept a two year lease?"
Rose Purdue blinked. "You're not even going to ask how much?"
Cende shook her head. "I am given to understand that rent prices are set by the owner and may not be bargained down. You will tell me how much, and I will arrange for a bankers check to arrive for that amount. I agree this place is not as... as new as the one upstairs, but it is the right size. It will do. Will you accept two years?"
"Why two years?" Mrs. Purdue's tone was genuinely curious.
"Because the last phases of my life have been in two year terms and I see no reason to expect that to change."
"Well then. I think I hear your friends. I'll just send them down and go get the lease papers."
Emma and Tamara were dismayed at the studio, calling it miniscule and dark. Cende distracted them, once she signed the lease, by convincing them that part of their orders to get her into an apartment included shopping for linens and kitchenware. It was those purchases, along with her uniforms and personal possessions, that she needed Teddy and Jack's help in moving a few days later.
She had finally finished packing everything together and was staring in consternation at the pile of boxes and bags when Teddy and Jack had dropped by to fetch her for dinner. With the signing of her lease, her confinement to base had been lifted, and she'd received unexpected news in addition.
"Hey, Lieutenant Cende!" Jack's bass voice carried down the hallway. "Your party has arrived!"
Tamara looked up from her book, "Party? You didn't tell me you were having a party to celebrate!"
Teddy laughed from the doorway. "She's not; Jack's just being an ***, as usual. Pre-arranged dinner, it's just that we saw the notice come through right as I got off shift. Congrats, Cende."
"Thank you." Cende shook her head, "Although I'm not sure I did anything for it. I think I was a ... test pig."
Tamara giggled. "Guinea pig. Or test rat. And maybe, but it can't hurt your chances of getting into a good group. So... is this pre-arranged dinner all set, or can someone else beg to come along?"
Jack was looking at the pile on Cende's bed and answered absently, "The more the merrier. Cende, are you having a fire sale, or is this all here for a reason?"
"It's there because I'm supposed to be moving, but I'm not sure how to get it all over to the apartment. There's too much of it for one trip and I don't want to leave it for long. I think my access to the dorms is being shut off this evening."
"Oh, well, that's easy." Jack reached down and picked up one of the larger boxes. "Tam, you get those two bags. Ted, take that other box. Cen, if you get your duffel and the last bag, that's everything, and we can drop it all off on the way to dinner. "
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Please see the comments thread for some of the background on this story.
Since this story is VERY long, I am requesting that comments go into a separate comment thread. The comment thread can be found here.
Some minor notes:
First, the story does not start in Paragon City. It starts, in fact, about the same time that the Furies were drinking out of the Well back in Ancient Greece (3000 years before our characters are beating up whomever we're currently beating up). Please bear with me. We get to modern day Paragon City relatively quickly, and the background is relevant to the story.
EDIT: -- If you want to skip all of the back-story and start when Cende arrives in Paragon, you can. That's at Chapter 18, and while there will be parts where you're going "who is this and why is it important," it's not as big a deal right now. If you decide you like the story, the background will, after all, still be there when I slow down posting (which is inevitable). -- end edit.
Second, please be aware that this is in many ways a tangential companion volume to Dark Respite's The Course of Superhero Romance. As such, later chapters make reference and tie into events that happen in that story (and there may be some minor reciprocity).
Finally, as always, copyright of the world and all the major characters remains with NC Soft and Paragon Studios. I offer my thanks for the ability to play in their sandbox. To the members of Star Patrol who have graciously allowed me to mercilessly abuse their characters - thank you as well. To anyone who thinks I used their character without their permission - Um. Sorry, it was totally by accident, and I thought I completely made up the character.
Prophecy & Dreams | Prophecy & Dreams Discussion
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Unbidden | Star Patrol | Real World Hero