I stood before the council, a mere child in their eyes. I was, however, a child of rank and respect.
I wore the garb of a visitor, an outsider; a simple black cloak, billowing about me. With the hood over my head and my hands concealed by the flowing sleeves of the cloak, the only evidence in this dark place that someone was under that robe was my hair; two jet-black streams running from my shoulders to my waist.
The room in which I was in was surrounded an all sides by walls made from stones the size of entire bags of wheat. The walls were lined by torches casting their fiery reflections across the floor, shadows dancing in every corner. There were men there also, dressed as me but only in brown instead of black. However nervous they made, I kept my eyes to the floor, as was customary for people unfamiliar with the Temple of Visions... *and* it's inhabitants.
The group of men were standing on a platform. They all stood in a straight line facing the several stairs that were there. The oldest of the men stood forward from them and addressed me.
"State your name before this council, young one," there was an emotion in his voice I couldn't decipher.
"My name is Destiny, and simply that," I replied, my eyes still on the floor.
"State your age and you rank before this council, *simply* Destiny." Again, there was the tone I could not recognize. Again, I dismissed it.
"I am of the age fifteen and my rank is an even twenty."
"State your gift and your challenge before this council, child."
I threw back the sleeves of my cloak to reveal what I was holding. "I bring to you, the purest water from the Northern Geyser in the finest of the golden bowls from the King's treasury. I choose to challenge your champion, Kai"
The man seemed shocked at my response, but he soon overcame whatever emotion he was feeling.
"Surely child, you know not what you speak of! To challenge Kai is to challenge death, himself. It is as challenging Osiris."
I nodded plainly under the dark hood and said, again, "I wish to challenge your champion, Kai! Is my gift not generous enough for you?"
The man shook his head, "The gift is far greater than others we have accepted in times long before you, but the challenge has never been made by one so… so young, highness."
"Don't call me 'highness!'" I hissed at him. "I am no longer in Egypt! I am no longer highness! I wish to challenge Kai and I wish for it now!"
I sensed the man's mentality back away for a moment but he finally agreed to my wishes. Three of the other Elders walked down the steps to where I stood. One stood before me and turned around. The others stood on either side of me and faced the same way. As the man before me began to walk, so did I. When we reached the top of the stairs, the two men at my side turned away from me and walked to the edge of the platform there. They turned again and walked to the two statues of Osiris that stood there.
I followed the man in front of me as he led me to the place between the statues where a pentagram was carved into the wall. He laud his hand in the center of it and began to chant. After a moment, the man back away as the wall, where the pentagram had once been began to separate, the statues of Osiris pulling away from each. I took a big gulp full of air before I descended into the dark depths of the newly opened stairwell.
I wore the garb of a visitor, an outsider; a simple black cloak, billowing about me. With the hood over my head and my hands concealed by the flowing sleeves of the cloak, the only evidence in this dark place that someone was under that robe was my hair; two jet-black streams running from my shoulders to my waist.
The room in which I was in was surrounded an all sides by walls made from stones the size of entire bags of wheat. The walls were lined by torches casting their fiery reflections across the floor, shadows dancing in every corner. There were men there also, dressed as me but only in brown instead of black. However nervous they made, I kept my eyes to the floor, as was customary for people unfamiliar with the Temple of Visions... *and* it's inhabitants.
The group of men were standing on a platform. They all stood in a straight line facing the several stairs that were there. The oldest of the men stood forward from them and addressed me.
"State your name before this council, young one," there was an emotion in his voice I couldn't decipher.
"My name is Destiny, and simply that," I replied, my eyes still on the floor.
"State your age and you rank before this council, *simply* Destiny." Again, there was the tone I could not recognize. Again, I dismissed it.
"I am of the age fifteen and my rank is an even twenty."
"State your gift and your challenge before this council, child."
I threw back the sleeves of my cloak to reveal what I was holding. "I bring to you, the purest water from the Northern Geyser in the finest of the golden bowls from the King's treasury. I choose to challenge your champion, Kai"
The man seemed shocked at my response, but he soon overcame whatever emotion he was feeling.
"Surely child, you know not what you speak of! To challenge Kai is to challenge death, himself. It is as challenging Osiris."
I nodded plainly under the dark hood and said, again, "I wish to challenge your champion, Kai! Is my gift not generous enough for you?"
The man shook his head, "The gift is far greater than others we have accepted in times long before you, but the challenge has never been made by one so… so young, highness."
"Don't call me 'highness!'" I hissed at him. "I am no longer in Egypt! I am no longer highness! I wish to challenge Kai and I wish for it now!"
I sensed the man's mentality back away for a moment but he finally agreed to my wishes. Three of the other Elders walked down the steps to where I stood. One stood before me and turned around. The others stood on either side of me and faced the same way. As the man before me began to walk, so did I. When we reached the top of the stairs, the two men at my side turned away from me and walked to the edge of the platform there. They turned again and walked to the two statues of Osiris that stood there.
I followed the man in front of me as he led me to the place between the statues where a pentagram was carved into the wall. He laud his hand in the center of it and began to chant. After a moment, the man back away as the wall, where the pentagram had once been began to separate, the statues of Osiris pulling away from each. I took a big gulp full of air before I descended into the dark depths of the newly opened stairwell.