Skye tentatively walked towards the woden double doors that barred the way to the Healers Den. They were elabroately carved with symbols and pictograms illustrating the history of the Four Kingdoms. On the left-hand door, Skye could dimly make out five dancing girls, the founders of the Kingdoms. Looking down, she saw each of the girls sitting on her own separate throne, holding the emblems of her country - paper, pens and medicine for one sister, clothes and musical instruments for another, food and wine were clasped by yet another feminine figure, and the fourth girl held bricks and wooden planks. The fifth female in line had three crowns entertwined in her hands; the symbol of the ruling elite. Nowhere, Skye noticed, was there a notice of the Priestesses that helped rule the land.
She moved to the other door, studying the history of the kingdom Skye was a proud part of : Giselle. She looked at the illustrious and illustrated history carved in wood on the door of the Den. Skye briefly wondered why it was taking so long for the doors to open. But she cast the thought aside, instead trying to recall what little history she had gleaned from her history books. There were six sisters who came to rule over the untamed wilds of the Four (then Five) Kingdoms. Their names were Odette, Coppelia, Aurora, Giselle, Clara and Carabosse. Carabosse had control over the spirit world, ensuring order in the more cosmic side of things. Giselle was tasked with ensuring that the country's health, both bodily and of the mind, were in good shape. Odette was told to clothe and entertain those she ruled over. Coppelia looked after the feeding and hydration of her citizens. Aurora was instructed to build suitable homes for all the people in the land. But Clara had the biggest responsibility. She was to look after the Princes and Princesses of the land, keeping them safe and secure until they were old enough to rule.
At first, all went well. But soon, resentment set in - mainly on the part of Carabosse. She felt it was galling that her little sister should be the one to take care of the ruling elite, and not she, Carabosse, the eldest of them all. So she had taken over the Kingdom of Clara 1600 years ago. Out of all of her sisters, only Carabosse remained alive. People speculated that this was because she had comitted the worst atrocity known to man, woman or sibling. She had lured each of her sisters to Clara on false pretences, ripped their beating hearts from their body, and eaten them raw.
Skye shuddered at the thought, and involuntarily leaned against the doors. Slowly, they opened with much creaking. The inside of the Den was sparsely lit, and then only by flickering candelight. Taking a deep breath, Skye slowly walked into the Den. With an air of finality, the big doors slammed shut behind her. For a moment, Skye panicked remembering Caleb stranded outside. But, as she thought over it, she realised that people would simply assume he was waiting for a sister, mother or girlfriend to come out of the Den. So, with her heart in her mouth, Skye edged further inwards.
She was met with the resentful stares of as many as a hundred Healers. Some, like her mother had been, were young girls, hoping for a bit of life before marriage or children, depending on how lenient the men in their lives were. Others were tall and proud, middle-aged matrons overseeing all. But the wisest, and, of course, the scariest Healers were the elderly ones. In their gnarled fingers lay the true secrets of health. It was said that even if you were at Death's door itself with a foot halfway in that these healers could drag you back out. Skye walked past these women, their scrutiny scaring her. It wasn't until a little girl with a terrible skin rash loudly wondered what a boy was doing here that Skye realised she was still wearing her fathers cap. She slipped it off, and her brown locks pooled around her shoulders. The atmosphere cleared nearly instantly after that, and everybody went back to their own business. As Skye walked through the busy life-filled halls, she noticed a small door of burnished copper metal open seemingly of its own accord. A long, narrow, dark staircase rose up from inside the doorjambs, and Skye could see that some light streamed in from the top of the stairs. So, after checking that nobody was observing her, Skye slipped onto the stairs, drawing the door quietly behind her.
The stairs were bigger than Skye had anticipated, and she was glad when she finally reached the top, and stretched her aching legs gladly. Looking around, she saw she was in a kind of operating room. On the far side of the room was a floor-to-ceiling window, and hunched over at that window was what appeared to be a woman. Skye walked slowly towards the healer. She reached out to touch the woman. But before she could get there, thick white straps embraced her wrists tightly. They dragged her back, and Skye started to scream. She knew what was coming next. The Healer hadn't seen her with her cap off, so she still thought Skye was a boy. Skye would be the subject of a vivisection, her heart and liver and stomach cut out of her body while she was still alive! Skye tugged desperately against the straps, but suddenly another one tightly wound itself around her waist, winding her slightly. Skye screamed all the louder once her breath was back, but by then the straps had retreated into a hospital gurney, and another one had firmly snaked around her forehead. As she was moved into a horizontal position, Skye started kicking, but the final pair of leather bonds encased her ankles, and she lay a helpless prisoner.
Tears filled Skye's eyes. So this was how she would die. Not even a mile from home, failing in her quest to save her mother's life. She listened with an air of resingment to the approaching footsteps of the Healer. Only when she heard a gasp of surprise did Skye dare to open her eyes. What she saw astonished her.
