Temple of Triad

From Eye To The Heart

A pool of dark, rising flames, ashes, blood from soil, shuriken spinning, sweat, steel crashing against steel, burning flesh, smoke, children screaming, pain, shadows flaying a mauve of light, hollowness, pale fangs, pain, dribbling black venom, red eyes, more pain...

Aparna opened her eyes. Tears clouded the ghastly shadows of two men standing over her throwing concerned glances at her face. She blinked back her tears to take in the robust young man with a pair of forest green eyes, a well shaped mouth and rough black hair ending in a pony that reached his tanned chest upon which stood the slowly fading henna design of a Helayin five-hooded cobra. He had discarded his shredded top entirely and now stood with his upper half bare in a typical Hela fashion. All he needed was a sarong instead of the dark pants he now wore and he'd be the perfect image of Helayin farmer. Rivayudh Sunclan made her lie back just as she began register the other person bending over her.

"Ayu!"

 Aparna jolted her head up ignoring the protests of the sturdy wizard and regarded the light blue eyes staring back with a sentiment that never should have been in them. Her brother's eyes held pain that seared through her own numbing fear. Aparna felt something snap in her. No! she shoved her pain away. She drove a wall around her memories like she had learnt to do, suppressing them. She hugged her desolate brother to her chest ruffling the blonde's hair with her fingers as he held on to her. They were twined even before they could talk though they were not born twins. It was her mother's dying wish to have her daughter twined with her brother's son. For all intents and purposes, they were magical twins, a bond stronger than blood may never conceive. For him she could do anything, even suppressing the pain of the Rush.

"He - he threw me towards the smoke." Ayu whispered, voice trembling slightly as he leaned into her tight embrace. "said I was too young."

"The old fool!" Rivayudh exclaimed fondly helping the trembling duo up.

"Uncle Jeeth will be back. " Aparna replied firmly. "He will come back. He always do. It's like when he went on those long voyages. He'll find us. "

Her night blue eyes held Ayu's own searching gaze, willing herself to feel as confidant as she spoke. Whatever he saw in them made him relax slightly. He held on to her until his trembling lessened before finally letting go.

" Yeah, that man is entirely too smart for his own good." Rivayudh said, rubbing soothing circles on Ayu's back.

"You made it."

A deep voice interrupted as a lean form made its way to the clearing they stood. The wizard was wearing a dark blue cloak his white kimono gleamed beneath it. Despite the few grey hairs and impossibly ancient blue eyes, he carried his muscled body with vigor. It was those ancient eyes that alerted the trio of his identity rather than his famous flute which he had tucked at his red obi. He was non other than the fabled Meijin himself. The man who guided a non-blooded king to form unite the eastern nations.

"Meijin Sakamoto Akira , an honor to meet thee. "

"Honor is mine, Rivayudh Sunclan. You are indeed welcome in the caring hands of Temple." the man said kindly and then sense of urgency bled in to his tone. " We must quickly get to the temple. This close to Cursed woods in broad daylight too, Elders knows what danger might lurk at us. "

"I assumed that Jeeth San would refuse the offer. The man loves to take his sweet time I guess. I sent the falcon several weeks before the Eye fell, you see."

Meijin rattled on as they scurried towards the base of the mountain where the clearing ended, silently urging them to put as much distance as possible from foreboding foliage that rose behind them. If he noticed A furtive glance back showed Aparna the mass of twisted and gnarled trunks of tropical flora bathing in shadowy gray mist. The very essence of earth felt wrong standing there. She felt glad when they reached the base of the mountain and was able to take a glimpse of it's scraped off top and the floating isles above before she felt the tug of a portal. She closed her eyes.