Reign Of Fayala

Servitude

     Several weeks had passed since Fayala's decree that the fourteen remaining attackers and their families were to become slaves in the Earth Goddess Temple. People from all over the federation gathered to protest. However, the crowds gradually decreased in size as it became obvious that the Goddess was not to be swayed.  Even objections from within the temple, that her verdict was unjust, quickly faded as the reality of servitude in the temple revealed it to be far less harsh than could have been imagined.      

After some initial tensions and anxiety driven issues,  the newly acquired "slaves" settled into a routine that involved the establishment of living quarters and assigning of  chores. There was plenty of room for the excess people whose numbers more than made up for the servants and priestesses that were lost as a result of the attack and subsequent healing ritual for Fayala. Food provisions restarted as soon as word reached the outer lying townships that the citizens of Bidar were not going to be released.

     Fayala had instructed Ohas and Mira to make sure the fourteen remaining men cleaned up the blood and gore in the courtyard and performed any other dirty work that needed to be done. Jargon's blacksmithing skills were put to use repairing the doors and fabricating new metal works for the temple. His first task, however, was to destroy and smelt down into scrap the weapons he had made.  She also made sure that the children, many of whom were no older than five or six seasons, were tasked only with light housekeeping and clothes washing duties.

Ohas and Mira were pleasantly surprised to discover that the fullness of village life actually complemented the pious atmosphere of the temple.  The priestesses initially supervised the work however a routine quickly developed that resembled less like slavery and more like a communal sharing of tasks.  The experienced village women fell into a practiced division of labor that required little if any direction. Once they knew what was where and what needed to be done it was just a matter of staying out of their way.

     The children adapted to temple life the quickest and even Fayala fell victim to their youthful charm. She learned to step lightly when they were present as even she could not predict when one might unexpectedly dart out in front of her.  She subsequently discovered that despite the priestesses best efforts, her personal chamber became the favorite place for the children to play their games. Notwithstanding the inconvenience it lightened her mood greatly to watch the tiny youngsters scamper beneath the oversized furniture and even hide behind her feet as they played. 

     One particular afternoon Ohas was assisting a distraught mother who had loss track of her daughter. It turns out all of the children were missing and it was discovered that Fayala had taken them with her to the Sanctuary without letting anyone know. On her return, as she stepped through the giant doors into the courtyard, one could see her struggling to control the horde of rambunctious children that scampered out from under the hem of her gown and frolicked in her hands and arms. 

     Upon entering the temple she knelt and lowered her hands letting the youngsters tumble joyfully down her palms rolling off her fingers to the floor.     Fayala was laughing at the antics of her charges when she suddenly sensed the distress her spontaneous excursion had caused their mothers. Apologizing profusely for her lapse in judgment she begged their forgiveness. An act that betrayed her to the women as being much less than the angry vengeful Goddess guise she displayed at the sentencing.  Although the Fourteen, as they came to be known, would not agree that life in the temple was an equally pleasant experience for them.

        For the Fourteen, whom toiled endlessly cleaning and repairing the temple, life was miserable and glum. It took weeks of scrubbing drudgery to remove all of the blood from the stone floor of the courtyard.  For the long months that followed they worked from dawn to dusk as subsequent tasking's where no less arduous.  The  temple was an endless maze of courtyards, plazas, passageways, and quarters that needed cleaning and repair.

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          After a long day cleaning a cistern, Kele, Delsin, and Jacy were looking forward to the respite that dusk would give them from their labors. It was Delsin who first noticed the dark shadow that suddenly covered them. He turned, looked up, gasped then fell back on his rear.

"What the hell is wrong with you," shouted Kele who then followed Delsin's stunned look upwards. There standing over them was the Goddess who had somehow approached without being heard, or felt. She had a look of loathing on her face and was glaring down on the three as if they were nothing but repugnant rodents that needed to be exterminated.

          Sensing her foul mood Jacy panicked and started crawling away in a fruitless attempt to escape, a move which the Goddess easily blocked by placing her giant sandaled foot in his path. Jacy cried out and hastily scampered backwards to his cowering companions.

Delsin was on his knees begging for mercy pleading that he was forced to attack her by Kele. Kele for his part was quiet and just lowered his head. All were expecting some type of retribution and the horrible experience of Waterford's being burned alive was still fresh on their minds. 

          Fayala brusquely swept the three men up into her hands and lifted them from the floor.  She held them at chest level, her gaze was hard and pitiless. She could feel their bodies trembling against the cool skin of her fingers. "Now you little vermin, you will tell me everything about the attack and who in the other towns were involved." 

     She did not need to hear their answer, her question prompted their subconscious minds to recollect the events leading up to the attack which she easily read.   Nevertheless both Jacy and Delsin immediately began telling her every detail about the plan.

          Fayala sneered at the trio then lowered them to within a few feet of the ground before opening her hands and dropping them in a heap to the stone floor. Her disgust over what she saw in their feeble minds caused her to ruminate on their fate. She even pondered the idea of stomping on the trio and crushing them beneath her foot. 

"Fayala, is everything alright?" Mira had followed her to the courtyard and watched the incident, she also picked up Fayala's thoughts and decided it was time to intervene.

     "Yes sister," Fayala replied telepathically as she turned away from the men. "Everything is ... fine."   

          Mira waited until Fayala was out of sight before approaching the three who remained kneeling. She too was repulsed at the thoughts they harbored and for a second regretted interfering with Fayala's design for them.  "I suggest the three of you stay clear of the Goddess," she stated. "She has a particular loathing for you that I do not sense for any others."

"Yes ma'am," stammered Jacy and Delsin, "we will."

Mira looked hard at Kele and walked away.

"Boys," whispered Kele. "If we don't get out of here soon we may well end up as stains on the bottom of that giant bitches sandals."