I'm What?

Finally!

High Priestess Magnolia has been has been showing me around the place, and can I just say....wow. At the moment, we are standing on the banks of a lake that doesn't move, literally. I threw a stone in it and nothing. The stone sunk but no splash, no rings....nothing "We call it the lake of timeless dreams" Priestess Magnola smiles "You grab a pebble, whisper your dreams to it and throw it in the lake. It'll stay there forever, nothing corroding, never moving, forever still and waiting for it to come true"

"That's beautiful" I smile, looking over the still,  clear water

"It was created by the first of us. She was and still is the most powerful hybrid today. Creating a safe haven for those of us who needed it was her main concern, but creating a home for us is what she gave us" Priestess Magnolia looks to the sky in thought "She travels now. Seeking out those who need help and refuge"

"But I thought the Temple was thousands of years old?" I gasp

"It is" Priestess Magnolia smiles at me "Like I said, she's very powerful"

"How long have you been here?" I ask

"Since before I was born. My father knew without a shadow of a doubt that I would be like this" She points to herself "He wanted me to live without fear, so him and my mother travelled weeks on foot to get here. Back in those days, travelling here was only accessible by foot. My mother went into early labor a few hours from the steps. My father carried her the entire way, even up the stairs, until we came across the first Priestess. I was born 15 minutes later"

"Wow"

"My father said that when he held me for the first time, he'd never seen anyone so perfect" She smiles from her memories "Both my parents raised me here. Brought me up to be kind and wise. The first Priestess saw something in me and took me under he guidance. My Mum was so proud when I got my first shawl that she wrote a letter to everyone she knew, letting them know. I became this holy being in my family. It was never, my aunty such and such or my uncle so and so. It was always 'Oh, you're the Aunty of Magnolia' or 'Oh my goddess, you're related to the Priestess Magnolia' I was lucky. For many centuries, being a Priestess wasn't exactly popular amongst the normal folk down below. I came along when it was starting to be known as being prestigious, an honor or above all others"

"Did it ever get to you? Having to be a Priestess?"

"Not at first" She sighs and looks down "Because of the way I looked, I was always mindful of what others thought. When I realised they thought me a holy being in my shawl, I craved the attention, but by the time I was 21, I hadn't found my mate cause I was stuck here learning. I resented my father for bringing me here. I resented the first Priestess for not allowing me to explore the world she was teaching me about. On my 25th birthday, I'd had enough. I packed my bags and left. On the 6th day of travelling, I came across a village. Thinking the world had changed, I walked in and started greeting everyone who walked past. They called me a monster and tried to chase me away" She smiles sadly "I've never felt so terrified in all my life. That day however, I met my husband, my mate. He picked me up and ran with me into his home. He barricaded his doors before turning to me and giving me his charming smile" She giggles "It still makes me weak today"

"Did you keep travelling or did you come back here?"

"My mate and I travelled. He protected me when he needed too and I did the same. I was 30 when I realised I was pregnant. We decided to have our child here and here is where we've stayed" She smiles

"I bet your family was glad to see you again" I chuckle

"I got grounded" She groans, making me laugh "30 year old pregnant woman, and I was grounded to my room for a month, so yeah, it was safe to say my parents were a little upset"