Shadows of the Light

Page 23

For the next few days, all Sakiya did was eat and sleep to heal from his vicious whipping. The fact that the one who did such a thing was his own father had sent waves of pain and trauma through his entire being. He had felt the rage behind every blow and he knew for certain that at that moment, he had been well and truly disowned by Petlan Mening. He wondered bleakly how his mother was doing. While he and his father had only shared the same enthusiasm in similar Paths, Sakiya had spent more time with his mother and he remembered that she had so devoutly defended him during that fateful Ascension Day. The scars would not heal; in mind nor in body. Sakiya didn't expect them to. This was the price he had to pay, or so he felt. He resolved then, and told Marcy as such, to never touch his dark powers again. Marcy mumbled something but Sakiya couldn't make out what she said and she would not repeat it. In this period of idle healing, Marcy had taken the time to educate Sakiya on her race, the vampites.

In the first war between Light and Darkness, also known as the First Darkening, the leader of all Darkness stepped onto the realm of Light and whatever it touched was corrupted with an everlasting taint. Before any kind of resistance had mounted, the Abomination had engulfed half the known world and all the living things on it. Thus, the Tainted Races were born, and the vampites were one of them.

Vampites were women, but they weren't just a man's fantasy of a tribe of beautiful women. For one, every one of them could transform to a huge bat-creature that Sakiya was already familiar with. They also were stronger, faster and much more resilient than normal humans which Marcy demonstrated by calmly tearing a steel bar from the stone it was firmly fixed in as easy as a person tearing a single sheet of paper in half. They were also long-lived, and on average, lived to a minimum of about 150 years...without a hint of any of those years on them. All these were attributed to their diet which was simply life. Vampites fed on the life force of living things. This was why all vampites were women, because all women have the ability to carry something which contained, at the very least, sixty years worth of life: a baby. However, though blood was the most potent food source for them, all vampites saw the act of feeding on blood as an act of barbarism and so, settled on the next best thing which were vegetables and fruits. While Sakiya winced slightly, Marcy explained that those two things were brimming with living energy. Life was and is sacred to all vampites and that was why those who tended fields and cattle were repected highly in vampite culture, much to Sakiya's bewilderment. Children were the greatest gift a vampite could receive, and children were doted on by entire cities. Sakiya then asked her about the men; were they male vampites? She shook her head. Males were the exact opposite of what they were in the Illune Kingdom. The males were the housekeepers and majority of the servants. Each vampite woman would have a personal set of servants and she would pick a husband from that group. The husband, however, would still not be entitled to what Illunes like Sakiya expected them to hold, such as land, position, etcetera, but instead became the head of all the servants, second only to the vampite herself.

When Marcy had told him about all of that, Sakiya had pictured a woman who was headstrong, fearless and confident, if not arrogant. However, Marcy seemed different. She was like a child, innocent and curious but also very easily frightened. Once Sakiya was well enough to sleep on his own, he would find her clinging on to him because she was scared of the noises in the night. If someone dropped by at the tower, such as the High Cardinal one day, she would utter a nervous 'eep' and zip behind Sakiya, clutching onto his shirt while peeping over his shoulder. After her elaborate explanations, he found himself very puzzled over her behaviour but seeing as she was, in a sense, his, he took care of her much like an older brother takes care of his baby sister. Still, she would occasionally say things that were proof of a far more matured mind before blushing and keeping quiet. All in all, Sakiya found himself healing in the presence of this strange, but loving companion....which was just as well.

Though there was a time that was allocated for him to heal, his exile was a set date. If he wasn't fit to go, it was unfortunate for him because he would receive no help from any of the major Illune Kingdom cities; they made sure of that. Sakiya forced himself not to scream as the brand burned itself on the knuckle-side of his hand. Marcy closed her eyes with a small whimper as they did. They, and a few others, were at the fringe of the gates of Abestos, capital of the Illune Kingdom. Those were the High Cardinal and those who had been wronged, to see judgment come to pass. Sakiya was gasping once the hot iron brand was removed when the High Cardinal spoke up, "Here, before the Light that brings forth the day, will the darkness be banished. Let those who have feared and suffered see punishment meted."

Then he leaned close to Sakiya and said softly, "Remember what I have told you, Sakiya Lightwalker. Your destiny may seem dark now, but what mortal can see how their lives go? Go with the Light, my son."

Sakiya nodded sadly and turned towards the gate. He was given nothing except for a simple travel vest and breeches and tough leather boots. Marcy wore the same outfit except that hers were all black. Each of them had a long cloak covering them but that was all. The two walked towards the gate when Sakiya noticed a couple. He walked towards them, and while the few people behind edged away nervously, they stood where they were. The woman was weeping softly behind a satin kerchief while the man had a protective arm round her shoulder. Sakiya took off the half ring that was around his neck and hung it out to the man. "Here, master Medhen. I don't think I am worthy to hold something that your daughter counted as precious."

Master Medhen stood there silently for a brief moment before gently lifting it out of his hands. Sakiya turned away when he said, "Give me your hand."

Sakiya complied. Lucienne's father put the ring and the chain back into his hands.

"I am sure she would have wanted you to have this. She loved you, to the very end."

A hand touched Sakiya's arm and he turned to see a teary-eyed Mistress Medhen looking at him.

"She wanted to be your light, Sakiya," she said, "I will honour her actions as a way to remember her. All I ask of you is this, Sakiya. Never forget what she did for you."

Sakiya clutched the ring and chain tightly. "I won't."

They smiled, with tears now flowing, and Master Medhen produced two bags.

"The journey is long. I will not send you out without means for you to survive."

Sakiya nodded, too touched for words. He hefted one onto hus shoulders while Marcy took the other. He bowed to the Medhens and they walked out of the gates. He didn't look back.