Chapter 12 – A Paradise
“So…” Aurora said. “The Sacred Land isn’t far away?”
The high priestess smiled before taking a sip of her beverage. “It depends on the definition of far away, child.”
Aurora hated this whole game of riddles. The high priestess somehow managed to make Aurora feel like an ignorant and naïve child. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, but she supposed there wasn’t much she could do to prevent it. She grabbed her own cup and tasted the crimson colored wine. It was oddly sweet on her tongue, and a faint nausea crept up on her.
“Tell me, child.” The high priestess threw a berry into her mouth. “Why do you fraternize with those vile creatures?”
The question confused Aurora who leaned against the back of her chair. “What do you mean?” She thought it over. “You mean humans?”
“No…” Heratrix laughed. “Men.”
“Ahh.” Aurora nodded. So that part was true. Ever since Heratrix had presented herself as an Amazon warrior, Aurora had tried to remember everything she’d ever learned about the female tribe. A vague memory of them living without men resurfaced, and she nodded some more. “I forgot you don’t like men.”
“What’s there to like?” Heratrix asked. “Even you understand me here. Men lie to one another—simply for the purpose of fun.”
Aurora shrugged. “So do women.”
“But that is different.”
“How so?”
“Men see women as the weaker gender—as those who cannot live without the protection of the man while a man can easily live without a woman.” Heratrix popped another berry into her mouth, chewing carefully. “If you have the power to change someone’s life to the better—and if you want to have that power acknowledged—then you have to act accordingly.”
“What?” Aurora tried to comprehend the message.
“All that a man wants is to have power,” Heratrix explained. “They want the power to change the world and be loved for it. However, they aren’t equipped to handle the pressure of being worshipped—no male or female is.”
“I suppose I can understand that,” Aurora muttered. She thought of Zachary and his endless lies. Heratrix interrupted her thoughts by clapping her hands twice before a warrior stepped forth to dispose of the remaining fruit.
“You don’t lie to something you consider weak.” Heratrix smiled. “If you believe that you’re strong enough to take on whoever might desire a battle, then you wouldn’t need lies to build a reputation. Actions speak louder than words, and people believe what they see with their own eyes.”
Aurora was just about to ask what that meant when the sound of havoc came from the outside. Jerking up, she ran out through the curtain made from leaves. Rushing past several guards, she headed for the group, hoping that there wasn’t anything wrong.
The shouts of women among the warriors drowned out any other sound. She forced her way through the crowd, just to see Milada and Valeria hold up Zachary. He was sweating furiously, and she could see him mumble incoherent nonsense.
Walking over, Aurora looked between the other Immortalias. “What happened?” she asked.
“He didn’t use the bug repellant,” Milada said. “He has a fever, and mumbles things about some dude called Satan.”
“That’s a human devil, Milada,” Valeria explained.
“How am I supposed know that?”
“You could use your brains once in a—“
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Immortalia
Science Fiction[Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Romance ] Aurora Rosa is bonded—but not by choice, her existence is tied to a man she has yet to meet. Forced into submission because of her origin, her fate is sealed. Why? Because she is the property of Zachary Thomson. The ma...
