Legends: Beginnings
By: Karasu Kyra
Disclaimer: I don't own the Keisha'ra series.
Maeve turned to Keisha and Cjarsa donned in her robes of deep blue silk. She sat upon her large chair in a joined temple of Anhamirak and Ahnmik. Before her stood the two High Priestess'. Keisha was of the worship of Anhamirak, the goddess of fire, love, life, beauty, passion, chaos, and destruction. Cjarsa was of Ahnmik, the god of control, power, manipulation, cold, sleep, silence, and peace.
"What is it you believe Keisha has done that is upsetting the Court?" Maeve, the head of the Dasi -- the group that worshipped Anhamirak and Ahnmik -- who was to keep balance between the two High Priestess', asked calmly.
"She disrupted the entire Court with an opposing outburst toward myself. The entire Court was present, all of the Rsh. They were sent into a mild chaos."
"All is calm now, yes?" Maeve asked, closing her sharp azure eyes for just a moment.
"Well, yes." Cjarsa admitted.
"Then what quarrel have you with Keisha any longer?"
"I ask that she not oppose me in front of the Rsh."
Keisha's kelly green eye's turned towards Cjarsa. "Don't try to control everything and I wouldn't have to oppose you!"
"Fine," Cjarsa compromised, "I will be less...controlling, as long as you don't have another outburst like that."
Keisha's brown eyebrows knitted together as she sighed. "Fine. Agreed."
"Alright then, go to your Temples now." Maeve said.
The two women before her bowed before they left. Maeve closed her eyes, listening as the large, golden double doors opened and then closed a moment later. She opened her eyes again watching the fire sticks lining the sides of the room flicker, sending shadows dancing on the walls. She brought her hands up to her head, rubbing her temples, wishing her headache away.
0o0o0o0
Keisha walked swiftly to her Temple of Anhamirak, her vibrant crimson robes flowing around her. The wood lined path she walked upon, twisted, sending her in another direction. She followed until she came upon a large building of sorts. The door was opened for her. She nodded to the man doing so, before walking down the center of the fairly empty room, save for many soft cushions strewn about the floor, and a large cushioned chair at the head of the room, where she took her seat.
She just sat there, shifting in the large chair before deciding that since she had an hour before nightly Worship, which was where Anhamirak's followers got together and mingled before nightfall, she would go out to the Marketplace. She pulled off the heavy, crimson robes that she wore for show and put on a lighter crimson cloak. She left the Temple and chose the shortest wooden path towards the Marketplace.
She walked between her and Cjarsa's people, both watching her with a slight awe in their eyes. She stopped at a small treat stand and bought flavored Soft-ice[1. She took a bit of her Soft-ice, drifting towards the dais that her people were dancing on. She watched two people weave together, circling around and together. They were dancing the dance of mates, the one that united them together officially.
She stopped in midst the crowd, closing her eyes. She listened to the base line of the drums as they cried out a steady beat. She listened to the flute weaving a beautiful magic through the air that came from the two dancers and wrapped around the listeners. Keisha opened her eyes. Some younger children watched in awe, the man and the woman on the stage.
She moved on to another stand and bought some groceries to take home that night to her small home, just outside the main part of the city of Dasi. She continued on to her house with her basket full of groceries. She walked to her eating area and put them away in the wall-boxes[2 with doors on her walls, and in her cold-box[3. After that task was finished, she began meandering her way back toward the Temple of Anhamirak.
She arrived just in time to don her ornamental red robe and greet the first of the arrivers for Worship. Everyone found a cushion to sit on and mingled with each other, talking of the recently mated couple she had seen dancing with each other, and Keisha's outburst at Court, of which they believed she had every right to oppose Cjarsa and her unnessicary control.
Then night closed in on them, and they began to rearrange the pillows and curl up together under the watchful eye of Keisha. Keisha watched as all of Anhamirak's followers fell asleep. She then slipped off the heavy robe, and again into the light cloak. She then carefully walked around the people on the ground, sneaking out into the moonlit night.
She walked to the public dais and stepped upon it, taking a careful stance, her wrists crossed above her head, poised on her toes. She then dropped them fluidly and commenced a private dance. She danced a dance of lonliness.
0o0o0o0
Maeve had snuck out of her own temple that night, grabbing a breath of fresh air after being confined in the joined Temple of Ahnmik and Anhamirak. She twisted herself in circles, in her own dance to silent music. She completed a twist in the center of the Court, opening her eyes. She was faced with Keisha dancing upon the dais. She watched the young woman dance of lonliness in the moonlight.
The head of the Dasi couldn't take her eyes of the High Priestess of Anhamirak. She was graceful as any of Anhamirak's followers and just as unreserved despite her high position. The moon's light shadowed Keisha's closed eyes and highlighted her high cheekbones. She wore loose black pants that were tight against the ankles to keep sand from entering the clothes, and a matching, ebony, sleeveless shirt that was tight and high collared, hugging Keisha's neck and torso.
Impulsively, Maeve herself walked upon the dais and stepped behind the dancing girl, who had yet to notice her, and grabbed her hands spinning Keisha to face her. Keisha's shocked face looked upon her, the kelly eyes wide. Maeve just smiled and began to dance along with Keisha, a dance of courtship.
Thus the legend of Maeve, Keisha, and Leben began.
[1 Equivelent of Ice cream.
[2 Equivelent of a cupboard.
[3 Equivelent of a refridgerator.