The Exile Chronicles: The Three Sisters Of Jungalla

Part 3 | Chapter 2: The Beginning of The End

 They rushed Pathos to the tribe's healer. There was only so much she could do for Pathos at this stage of her injuries.

Athootita, with tears in her eyes, began to speak, "Please, you can't die. There is so much I don't understand, and I need you. I love you and can't lose you, Pathos." Athootita turned to the healer and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Please, there has to be something you can do. She can't die. Please do something."

Atton walked over and put his arms around her. "I'm so sorry, Athootita," he said.

"No," she shook her head. "No, there is no need for you to say sorry. She is going to be okay. She just has to."

Atton looked into her eyes and pulled her in for a tight embrace. All of a sudden, Athootita heard a familiar voice in her head.

"She still can live if you wish it so," said the voice.

"How," replied Athootita. "Please tell me! I will do anything."

A gust of sand passed by Athootita and Atton to form the old woman from the wellspring. She was not alone this time, however. With her was a woman Jungalleon holding a staff I had never met before. I could tell by her skin and the frill around her neck that she was a Chlamydosaurus.

"You're the woman from before," said Athootita.

"Yes, yes. There will be time for all that later. We must work face to say your sister," replied the woman in a calm but urgent tone. "To do what must be done, you must open your mind to me." The woman's eyes began to glow. Athootita began to walk toward Pathos in a trance.

"What are you doing to her," cried out Atton.

"Hush boy," replied the woman.

As Athootita reached Pathos, the Chlamydosaurus walked over and placed her hand over Atthotita's heart while raising the staff in the other. Athootia then placed her two hands onto Pathos. Rays of different color lights then began to circle around them. Moments later, Pathos rose up and gasped for air. The bleeding stopped, and the wound from her missing arm closed.

"What happened?" asked Pathos in a state of confusion. Her gaze went around the room and stopped when she looked at the old woman. "Who?" Pathos couldn't utter another would as she began to place her hands around her head and screamed.

"Pathos!" cried Athootita.

"Calm yourself, little one," said the mysterious old woman. "She is simply remembering who I am."

Pathos stop screaming and looked back up at the old woman. "So it is as we feared?" She asked.

The old woman nodded.

Atton, frustrated that he seemed to be the only one not knowing what was going on, yelled, "Who are you, and what did you do to them."

Pathos turned to face him and then looked back at the old woman.

The woman nodded and said, "You may tell them."

"She has gone by many names over the years. She Hestia known as Tochter der Zeit and Zeultimpuluișialspațiului," explained Pathos.

Athootita and Atton looked at each other in shock.

"So that makes her," Atton began to speak.

"A child of a god." Said Hestia before he could finish his sentence. "Now that introductions have been made, it is time we discuss what will need to happen in days to come if we ever hope to make things right in the cosmos."

Over the next few hours, they all discussed what had led to this point. Hestia explained what exactly that red aura Pathos witnessed coming from Xaoc and what it meant for both Yperifaneia and Witchbane. She also went into detail about that Yperifaneia and why he had to be kept in secret. Pathos even opened up about her past with The Penumbra Pack.

Eventually, it was nighttime, and the tribe was setting up their campfires. Athootita was curled up in a ball, looking in the direction of the citadel. She had always wished something exciting would happen to her. At this moment, though, she questioned why she would ever wish that.

Hestia walked over and sat next to her. "Now, I believe is the right time for you and I to have a chat about what is really going on with you," she said. "I know you believe you are not ready for this. That you are not fit to be the next Priestess of Dimiourgias. You would be right to think all of this."

"Wait, what?" replied Athootita. "You really aren't the best at pep talks, you know."

Hestia laughed and nodded. "You may be right," she replied. "Though over the many lives I have lived, you learn sometimes it is best to just be straightforward. Do not be mad at your sisters for hiding all of this from you. We have all done things we wish we could forget. Things that we wish we could take back but cannot. And it is with those regrets that we must live with the consequences. Such as I becoming an exile."

"An exile of what?" responded Athootita.

"Let's just say that Yperifaneia wasn't the only one who did something horrific that cost her all her loved ones and other things," replied Hestia. "But that has long passed, and I must live with it. Now, as for you. As I said, you were right about feeling you were not ready for this and not fit to be the next priestess. Though, after I explain what you will need to do, that will take care of both issues."

Hestia and Athootita spent the rest of the evening going over everything. During the last few hours of dusk, Athootia made her way to where Atton was.