Armana's Gift

VERA

He left for his duties and she considered what she'd seen in him the night before. Something was weighing on his soul, something that she would have offered to hear confession for if she was in her temple. She considered it and decided it was time. She'd been here for six months and it was time to hear who Liam or Zevan really was.

She knew he needed healing and not just physically and she stripped for prayer. She didn't think she needed to pray this day but she did anyways just to make sure what she intended went well.

Finally, by lunch, her prayers were done and she went to the hallway to wait for lunch. When it arrived, it was Fern pushing the tray.

"Hey, Fern I have a question," she asked quietly. She was in Priestess mode and she saw Fern see the difference.

"Yes, Priestess?" Fern stood straight, eyes proud that Vera had come to her.

"I need candles and oil. Is that possible?" Vera bit her bottom lip, hoping it was.

They weren't necessary objects but they would be useful and make the entire thing official in the eyes of a temple if they ever saw one again.

"Um, does it matter what color the candles are? We have a few white ones we're allowed in the barracks to have some light and the night crew has them for being able to see. And the oil... well we don't have anything special but I know there's a muscle oil that Housekeeper might have."

"Anything works, thank you. I'm going to need them before dinner." Vera smiled and Fern grinned at her, nodding.

"Yes! I'm sure I can do that!" Then the young female was off, and Vera pulled the lunch tray in.

Last night, she'd learned that all the Avium slaves were praying again. Everyone except their fearless leader, she knew. They hadn't seen him do it and he definitely didn't pray in the room. It was time for him to find the forgiveness his soul needed, she knew it.

He desperately needs to be forgiven for something, she thought and it broke her heart. What could he have done that weighed so heavily on him?

Fern was back within an hour and Liam/Zevan never came back for lunch. She hoped today was going well for him and pushed the worry out of her mind.

"So, what are you doing?" Fern whispered.

"I'm going to set up a small ceremony for myself," Vera whispered back. "Tell no one. I don't want anyone getting in trouble but me if our Master finds out. He'll revoke all our few meager rights if he knew I was doing this."

They were allowed to pray but not truly worship. They couldn't congregate for it, nor could they hold ceremonies or rites of their people. This had to be kept quiet.

"I need to find some peace with my goddess," Vera lied. "It's nothing to be concerned over."

Fern nodded and wrapped her arms around Vera's waste. Vera hugged her back. They were both technically young females but she had learned that every female here was taken very young, still children or barely over their majority. None of them had fertility markings, since none of them had reached close to one hundred years old.

She had hers. At one hundred, an Avium female could go to a temple of Armana and request their womb opened. Once open, it couldn't be revoked and every sexual encounter after might lead to a child. It was displayed on a female's lower abdomen and was a pretty red magyck symbol. When it finally faded naturally, a female could no longer have children. Males didn't worry about this, they gained fertility naturally at one hundred years old.

Vera had hidden hers so no one knew she had it and it was better that way. She didn't want these women thinking they should get these. Children shouldn't be born into this.