CHAPTER I: ELEMENT NOT MINE

Sunbeams fell into the window, awaking me violently. Dawn appeared very quickly, as usual. Noises from temple's corridor told me that it was time for morning prayers. Being dizzy, I got up from bed. Then I took a cup of tea. At least small refreshing before that torment ahour-long. I put on my daily robe in hurry. It was long tunic similar to normal priest's outfit.

Hardly had I left my chamber, when a sound of bell spread. Right Hand! Damn it! I was going to be late! I was running through rooms of priests, large kitchen, hall of philosophy, where we were used to discussing about different things. A large central aisle and an altar in its centre was located behind them.

Group of fifty priests and priestesses stood there as they rose their hands towards sun symbol. Higher priest put me nervously behind everyone and then he continued prayer. Or rather singing. Monotonous… music about the hour. If somebody entered now, they would rivet their attention athuge arches. Slender curves meandered proudly among the marble ceiling, reminding about magnificence and the power of temple, the oldest one in Readceras.

In the beginning it was a small chapel, roadside shrine but along with city development and flow of the population, it increased size much. In Kingdom days it became larger with Eothasian altar sinking in gold, brilliants, figures of the natural size and other curiosities the Aedyr would envy. Yeah, castles still looked well, but the rest of world differed in nothing from the roadside fence.

The second thing which would set the potential traveler into the admiration was singing. Unusually monotonous trance, yet still impressing. Additionally, biling of doves couldn't be heard by loud sounds of bells. Right Hand, Left Hand, the Heart, oh well, you would be got flurried... It apperead that only candles basked in listening to psalms as they were dancing in their predictable rhythm.

Singing became extremely frustrating for someone who had sent prayers for twenty two years. Ho-hum, living in the church had it charms! In fact, I lived there for as long as I could remember. One day priests had found me at temple's gate, took under protection, and decided to raise me due to iron rules of their faith, not always suiting me. I had no idea, who were my parents. Instead I knew Eothasian clergy well.

Priests, if not busy with their prayers, liked chattering, of course about the religion with everyone and me. From time to time they met with faithful. Others still moralized in possible ways and explained an essence of the good behavior. Such fundamental moralizing raised me partly so discipline and vigilance. Immortal "remember that" was supposed to sensitize me for needs of the faithful.

When I was praying mechanically, then I noticed the element not mine between priests. Humanoid shape in silver brigantine showed between gilded robes. I fixed my eyes on it longer time, but I felt pulling, attesting to my misbehavior. I shouldn't have looked around, but rather focused myself on the prayer.

There was time for breakfast. Finally! A tasty smell was spreading from kitchen increasing my appetite. That strange figure I had seen before, stood in dining room's door. It was a woman. Her pointed ears and considerable cheekbones told me she was an elf, but something was strange in her appearance. Her face with bicolor eyes filled me with light discomfort, though my pale eyes weren't better and radiated the otherworldly aura in the darkness. I could see more sharply than the others in the day as well as at night. Her one eye was green, and second was honey. Her skin was grayish, a bit like dust-covered. But those 'imperfections' were masked by thick dark blue hair, fastened together into an elegant bun. It gave the woman gentle charm and dignity. I was watching her with interest. When our looks met, I impulsively come back to conversations about approaching winter.

Later I had some break and, not paying heed on nobody, I went to the library. It collected huge sets from immemorial times. I tried to take some book out the bookshelf, but it hadn't even jerk!

"Can I help you?"

I jumped up like burnt at the sound of the voice. Behind me I saw that she-elf, who was watching entire situation with a faint smile. I said her, I had no troubles, embarrassed a little, before she came closer to take the book out of shelf with her dexterous grasp.

I looked at cover. "Legends of Eastern Reach can be very fascinating, indeed." I didn't know, what to answer. "Great Western Stag. Creation of Eothas, Galawain and Hylea. Elusive prey. Inspiration and afflatus. Divine spark in mortality."

Female elf smiled and looked at me. "I had to omitt this chapter", I replied stupidly. "I haven't seen you before. Are you a new priestess?"

"No. My name is Maaetris. And yours?"

"You can call me Seraf, if you wish."

It wasn't my true name, but I was called that, as far as I could remember. "You seemed to searching something. How can I help you?"

"I am looking for reports from the time of war. You know, those letters…"

"You have to ask priests about them. It is a secret."

"Oh, I apologise. I thought you were one", she lowered her voice. "So I won't be bothering you."

Maaetris was more clever than I thought. I didn't know, how on Earth, she made herself understood with priests and got famous notes. Of course priests chased everyone away, who even tried to disruptive her. A horrible curiosity was devouring me, I wished at least to see she-elf, working on piles of paper, but priests were staunch and put my patience to the test. From the other Maaetris liked we got on each other.

What's interesting, priests weren't going to stop our acquaintance. Maybe they learnt something in the end, because times of a tight childhood had passed for good. Or they noticed that I used to run late morning prayers...

One day I was sitting in the garden on a temple terrace with Maaetris. Garden was my beloved place at the church, I had spent innumerable hours in it not only as a child, but also as its keeper. You could see a view of the capital city and a white, majestic palace covered in silver mist, royal headquarters once, today occupied by the ruling highest priests of Morning Council.

"White March is over there."

Maaetris argued with me. She opened her eyes widely, trying to notice outlines of the mountain chains. Truly, bicolor irises of hers gained the vivid tint by the setting sun.

"No, it isn't. Look, there is Lake of Pales. East. That way leads to White March towards Little Bend."

"You have good sight for Godlike.", she told me, smiling. I abashed a little, and asked with shyness:

"I have never seen bicolor eyes at elves. At least, I didn't expect to see."

Maaetris raised her eyebrows and remained silent. I was afraid I had hurt her, but apparently she had really great sense of humor, because she replied with friendly laughter:

"Seraf, this is my nature. There is no possibility to choose eye color. Like birthmarks on your skin."

I turned red even more, when she mentioned it. My birthmarks all over the body were… weird as they covered every part of it with silver patterns like tattoos. Even though I got used to them I had impression they were something strange to me.

"That's- my legacy.", I said shakily. "I was born that way. When I had been in adolescence, these marks became more visible on my whole body."

"What deity it is?", Maaetris asked. I began to think about it for a while. And I reached unexpected conclusion that:

"I- don't know. But perhaps you know the answer?"

"I haven't seen many Godlike in my life. I can't tell you what deity had blessed you. Maybe even there were several gods? Have no idea. Your mother, most likely, belonged to the savannah folk called Natlan.", she was watching me. "Gods walk various paths. Sometimes totally crazy. They are simply... working... without any questions. Similar to me and my order. Do you know what cause Fellows of St. Waidwen Martyr serve?"

"They patroll Godhammer pilgrim trails. They protect pilgrims. In short, they're never at home.", I laughed. "Are you asking, because you are a paladin?"

"I am a mentor of the order. I teach fighting mostly, but ideas of our order too. I help also new souls to carry weight of their decision.", Maaetris explained. "Our Fellows always need new souls."

"You wish me to join you? I cannot. My fate has been already settled. My destiny is priesthood."

"You don't wish lead such life, do you?.", first she stopped immediately, and then spoke. "Despite we knew each other newly, I noticed your dissatisfaction. You feel that priests had imposed a view of your life upon you for some reason."

"Perhaps there is no place for me in the world. They had found me and brought me up. Finally, what choice I have? I don't think, I could live in a cottage to till fields."

Maaetris asked quickly. Her curiosity started to rise. "Why not?"

"I'm not an agriculture expert. I have cared for the church garden in main part, but it is something different."

"I'm not asking about that. I'm asking why can't you live in ordinary way?"

"Because I am not ordinary."

"Tell me one more thing, since you have lived here from birth, why aren't you priest now, if you were brought up in that way?"

"Because of very young age. But it seems to me that I'm not not ready, not today."

"So when then?", questions of Maaetris started to upset me.

"You can't sit in your garden for eternity. You know it is time to decide about future."

"I would like to leave temple. They won't allow you to take me however."

"We shall see.", she smiled roguishly. "Know I leave you a choice. Decide by yourself."

I had been plagued by those thoughts by whole evening.

So it happened! Corridors were flooded by nervous cries of priests and Maaetris. I couldn't distinguish words in din, but the quarrel was very vehement. And then irate Maaetris came to announce:

"We can go, but under one condition- Unless you decide to stay with paladins, you will have to come back here."

I gave dissatisfied priests a black look, yet Maaetris quickly brought me to heel. In the end, priests first reached hands for goodbye, however they wanted to return me from the chosen path with their thoughts. I wasn't going to be ingrate so I said goodbye with short, resolute gesture. My reaction didn't astonish 'parents' at all, we haven't got easy life. Soon I packed quickly my things and left the temple with Maaetris. Then I looked at garden climbers with nostalgia as they were hanging from terrace...