Sacred Mountain

Chapter 2: The Burned One

Daisy stared transfixed, her mouth open in wonderment.

In front of her on a low marble plinth, glittered the largest, most magnificent crystal she had ever seen. It caught the sunbeam that slanted in through the skylight and refracted rainbows onto the white painted walls of the temple.

It's bigger than a giant pumpkin, thought her kitchen maid's brain as soon as it started working again. She leant forward to study it more closely.  The crystal was multi-faceted and clear as ice with white striations running through it like wisps of cloud. At the top it tapered into a point like a pyramid.

Cressida sat cross-legged on the floor beside it in a long, flowing white dress. Her white hair hung loose down to her waist and her emerald green eyes sparkled in a kind face, creased with laughter lines. She patted the floor next to her and smiled an invitation. Daisy took her seat and tried to stay focussed. Looking into Cressida's eyes was mesmerising, like diving into an unfathomably deep ocean. Sometimes it made her quite dizzy.

'The crystal is a conduit.' Cressida spoke with the clear measured tones of one who values words for the power they possess. 'It enhances our healing powers. When a patient is so ill we cannot heal them by ourselves, we bring them here and the crystal amplifies our healing energy. It is a symbol of our power. But, Daisy, with great power comes great responsibility. Let the crystal tell you my story.'

Daisy gazed into its translucent depths. Shapes and colours started to shift and coalesce into an image of two young chestnut-haired girls collecting herbs in a wood. Daisy heard their voices in her head. They were chattering excitedly about a plant they had found, their identical faces beaming with childish delight.

'My twin sister, Isolda, and I grew up in a farming village in Frailing. From early childhood we both felt the call. We knew all we wanted was to become Wise Women. The local Wise Woman taught us for a few years and then took us to the Great Forest where we became acolytes and finished our education.' The scene shifted and she saw them both kneeling in the stone circle before a very old dark-skinned woman in a white dress who was holding two twilight blue cloaks in her arms. They spoke in unison.

I swear before the almighty Goddess that I shall use my Goddess-given powers only for the benefit of human and animal kind. I shall never allow selfishness, greed, hatred, ambition or jealousy to rule over me. I shall do no harm but only serve You, Goddess, in the lives of those You bring before me. This is my solemn oath.

'We served the people of Frailing peacefully and happily for many years until the Burned One called us back to the Forest.' Now the crystal showed the old woman lying in bed, her eyes sunken, her flesh wasted. The two sisters, fully grown now, knelt on either side of her, tears in their eyes. She turned her head towards one of them and whispered something. The sister leaned in to hear her better, tears coursing down her cheeks.

'The Burned One told me she was dying. She wanted me to replace her. I would have to be burned in the Fire Ceremony.'

Next the chosen sister was standing once again in the stone circle, alone this time. She wore the Burned One's white dress, her eyes were closed and her hands clasped together in front of her chest. She chanted spells in the ancient language.

In an instant, a gust of wind blew her hair back and she was plunged into darkness as an enormous shape blotted out the sun. Daisy could hear the sound of huge wings beating the air and gasped in amazement as a red and gold scaled reptile, twice the size of a cart horse, landed in the circle in front of her. Long claws gouged the grass as it folded its leathery wings. Sharp red spikes marched down the creature's back from its head all the way to the tip of its tail. The dragon blinked its glowing orange, slit-pupil eyes and locked eyes with Cressida.