Reign Of Fayala

Defilers

"Defilers, non believers," Ohas shouted at the large group of men filing through the now wide open doorway into the temple. Her protestations drew scowls and snickers, a chill ran down her spine when she saw the ominous looking weapons each carried.

"What have I done!" She exclaimed.  Ohas scrambled to her feet and tried to push past the pack of men only to be roughly shoved back down to the floor. She got to her feet, ran to the main temple doors, she pounded on the thick wood and screamed to be let in. 

Mira, through sheer force of will, forced the body of Tanarah to stagger down the passageway. She was surprised by a horde of strange men clambering through the hall hurrying away from her towards the inner sanctum. Who are they and how did they get in here, she thought. Then she sensed their violent intentions and realized Fayala had to be warned. However, feeling discretion to be the wise tactic at this point she stepped back into a shadow.

Ohas ran back to the door she had so carelessly allowed the men to enter and moved quickly to the main passageway. There she met Mira who had finally regained full control of Tanarah's  faculties. They stood off for a moment unsure of each other's intentions. Mira quickly decided that under the circumstances it was no longer wise to hide the truth, she needed Ohas.

Mira took a strong grip on the startled priestess's shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. "Listen Ohas, my real name is Mira, I am not a demon, I am the one who made Fayala a Goddess, we are one and I would never hurt her ... or you, do you understand?"

Ohas shakily nodded her head.

"Good, now who are those men and why are they here?" She asked. 

"I ... I don't know, I recognized some of them from town, they have weapons and I think they mean harm to the Goddess," stammered Ohas.

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     Faint sounds from outside the temple reached the priestess and servants in the sanctum. They cautiously approached the doors but their thickness made it difficult to tell what or who it was on the other side. Suddenly, the sound of metal clanging and heavy footsteps drew their attention to an adjacent passageway.   

     A large group men burst into the inner sanctum and began to spread out into the temple. Dr. Waterford stepped into the main courtyard, he pointed to the servants and priestesses. "Gather em up boys!"

The men used their muskets to herd everyone into one of the large storage chambers. "Get down on the floor!" Shouted Kele, "and keep quiet!"

Waterford knew where Fayala was and what time she would be returning to the inner sanctum.  He also had a map laying out the entire structure and specifically where the doors to the valley were located.

"How did you get that?" Asked Kele pointing to the map.

"Heh," grunted Waterford, "a foolish temple servant, he thought I was a scholar seeking enlightenment," he chuckled. "The Goddess will be here soon and will enter the sanctum from ... over there."  Waterford pointed to large open court yard that wrapped around and behind a high wall.

Waterford, followed by Kele,  walked to a point opposite the courtyard directly in front of the giant doors. "The entryway to the valley is  there, get thirty men with their muskets lined up here, two rows of fifteen, one kneeling the other standing right behind the first. Make sure they're muskets are loaded and primed to fire. The Goddess will be here any minute and we may have only one chance at this. The rest of you, keep those people quiet and in that room, I don't want her to get any warning."

Mira and Ohas were hiding nearby and heard the orders from Waterford. Mira gasped when she realized their intent. "They are going to attack Fayala," she whispered.