Lost Sands

Chapter 3

Dawn broke cleanly through the holes in the walls. There were no windows to be found in the temple, except for in the medical ward. The High Priestess believed in the connection to nature being the way to the evolution of the soul.

It was a beautiful belief, in Zaytri's opinion. Religion was a dual-edged sword, while it had the innate ability to bring people together, it also destroyed people, families, and in drastic cases, civilizations. It was for that reason that Zaytri was grateful that out of all the heads of the nation, the High Priestess took it upon herself to lead Arlien.

The sky was empty, save for a few stray clouds dotting the sky, making a picturesque scene with the freshly risen sun. Birds could be seen in the distance, and a light mist was hanging in the air, some of it following the birds, other bits just simply hung near the ground or along the church walls, moving about through the landscape.

She loved the mist, its colours added a magical feeling to her surroundings, although magic wasn't really anything to marvel at, the High Priestess and the mages were all experts at it. Though they did dedicate a life of study to it.

This morning she would have to pay a visit to the High Priestess, their meeting last night was rescheduled, although they did not tell Zaytri why the plans had abruptly changed, but she trusted the High Priestess, she was a busy woman after all, and whatever she needed to do was likely very important, she didn't dare disrupt her in her work... well more than she already does anyway.

But like always, most of the things that she did weren't really her fault. Okay, that's a lie, they are, but in her defense, it could get really, really boring in the temple.

It was the same every day, get up, pray, clean, help with cooking, pray again, teach the younger children (though she usually just played with them), and then if you're lucky, you'd go visit the city, but otherwise, you'd be helping out one of the senior mages or workers, and yeah, that's about it. Pretty boring, especially when she'd been living there since she was a child.

When Zaytri thought to herself, she figured that maybe she shouldn't cause as much trouble as she does, after all, she was quite lucky. She was originally abandoned as a child, and it was thanks to the High Priestess' generosity that she had a home still. She had found Zaytri, at the steps of the church, alone and freezing in the desert night, and she had personally cared for her until she had been a year old.

When it came down to it, Zaytri owed her life to the High Priestess.

She hoped one day she could repay it.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, she got out of her bed, truthfully, many expect her to be a messy person, her wild personality usually pointed to a disorganized chaotic room, however, she was actually quite neat, her desk had several stacks of paintings and sketches of various topics. Nothing was out of place or out of order.

She quickly got dressed in her clothes, to meet the High Priestess was quite an ordeal, and normally she simply wore nicer clothes, however, she had been requested to arrive in her ceremonial wear.

The main halls were full, as per usual, Zaytri guided herself through the familiar corridors with ease. Honestly, she could probably navigate the temple with her eyes closed. She greeted children and workers as she passed, some gave her strange looks, seeing someone in ceremonial clothes was rare, especially without there being an event. She merely brushed them off, and they did the same to her.

As she walked through the halls, she eventually reached the grand chambers, the ceiling was high, about 50 meters above her head if she had to guess. She took off her shoes, a custom the Priestess insists on, to allow the body to become more grounded with the earth. She stalked through the empty room, her footsteps silent against the cold granite floors. The room was dimly lit, only by natural light through open windows and the stained glass ceiling above her. The art depicted two orbs, one of darkness and one of light, in a perfect balance, surrounded by pieces of the world, angels sang and swam through the sky around the orb of darkness, and around the orb of light demons played and joked.

But the middle of the piece is what interested Zaytri.

A lone human sat in the center, arms spread to each side facing the orbs, in one hand, a shield sat, and in the other a set of scales.

Zaytri wondered a lot about the meaning of the glass painting but had never quite gotten the chance to ask the High Priestess.

At the end of the circular room, a single candle was lit, and behind it, the High Priestess sat.

Zaytri's suddenly found it harder to swallow, in all her 20 years of living in this temple, being in the High Priestess' presence always made her nervous, and as she approacher her in her silent prayer, she watched the mist move back as if sensing some urgency behind what was about to happen.

In the many times she's visited the High Priestess, she had always been accompanied, or there would be at least a few people, praying or cleaning the carpets that line the room.

This time, however, it was empty, the silence was deafening, and Zaytri suddenly felt a wrongness, an air of anxiety blanketed the room, and Zaytri sped up her pace.

As she reached the edge of the room, the High Priestess sat still, unmoving, someone likely could've even mistaken her for a statue. Zaytri followed that posture, not daring to move or speak before she did.

Finally, after a pause, the High Priestess faced her, her eyes covered with a white cloth, Zaytri had never seen this before, although, she had heard that the High Priestess wore her veil when she urgently needed guidance.

The thought aligned with what she felt in the room, the High Priestess had seen something, she had had a vision that unnerved her. And strangely, she needed to consult with Zaytri of all people, she had never shown an aptitude for magic, she was not strong, nor fast. What could the High Priestess possibly need her for in troubling times?

She broke the silence before Zaytri, which unwinded the tension in her shoulders.

"Hello, Zaytri, please follow me, I am weary, I have seen terrible things."