Plez see chapter one for disclaimer/notes/etc

Wow!! Thanks to everyone who reviewed!! Here's Chapter 2!! J

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Kamilah sat quietly in the gardens. It was nighttime. The two moons of Abayomous shone brightly through the overcast sky. There were no stars and the air was chilly. If you kept going down the rocky path through the gardens, there was a magnificent circular monument of stone.

She was a foreigner in her own home. She knew that she'd lived on Abayomous her entire life, but still the people watched her strangely. She supposed it was her fare complexion and blond hair. Or it could also be her distinct blue eyes. All of the natives of Abayomous, the Abayomi, had dark skin tones and equally dark eyes and hair. All of them except her.

A hand touched her shoulder, "Kamilah?"

It was instinct, Kamilah's hand shot out and grabbed the forearm of the other woman. She twisted. Hard.

"Kamilah! Stop! That hurts!!"

"Mert?" Kamilah quickly let go of Mert's arm, "I'm so sorry, it's just that… you caught me by surprise. Are you okay?"

The woman's face turned into a smile, "Don't worry. Just remind me not to sneak up on you again, though."

Kamilah shrugged, "Good reflexes, I guess."

Mert was Kamilah's 'handmaiden', for lack of a better word. Mert was only in her mid-30s, a few years older than she was. Like most of the Abayomi, Mert had black hair and brown eyes. She was a cheerful lady, with a slightly plump figure.

Mert sat down next to her on the stone bench. "You shouldn't be out here. What if you become sick again?"

"I'm fine," replied Kamilah, slightly annoyed, "fine other than I can't remember anything."

"Give it time," reassured Mert, "the memory is a tricky thing."

"It's just so frustrating." Kamilah stood up and began to pace, "I don't even remember my husband, for Christ's sake." Kamilah stopped her pacing to stare at Mert, her eyes full of confusion, "and who's Christ?!"

"I've never heard of the expression," admitted Mert. Kamilah sat heavily back on the bench and cradled her head between her hands. Mert rubbed her back comfortably.

"What was I like… before?" asked Kamilah timidly.

"Before what?"

"Before the sickness."

"You know that I'm not suppose to say anything. You're suppose to remember on your own." Mert's voice was apologetic.

"But…"

"No. Now let's go inside, Kamilah. Runihura will be worried." Mert, like everyone else, was careful to not say anything about her past. Nothing ever slipped by them.

"Runihura." Kamilah let out a dry laugh, "The husband I don't know."

"You don't mean that," said her handmaiden.

"I don't know what anything means these days." Her voice was sarcastic.

Kamilah stood up and began walking down the stone path, towards the manor that was 'home'. The stone building was massive. Statues of deities were displayed at odd intervals both in and outside. The place was filled with history, the air humming with it. Large torches and strange oval-shaped rocks lighted the garden path. She stopped briefly to look at the stone monument that was the centerpiece of the garden.

Sometimes I think that I'm so close to remembering. It's there, but I can't reach it.

"Isn't it beautiful? We have legends that the Gateway to Eternity is the portal that the gods travel through to visit Abayomous."

"That's a lovely story."

It's called a Stargate.

Kamilah creased her forehead in frustration, desperately trying to grasp the fleeting thought.

"A Stargate?" she whispered.

Mert glanced in her direction. "I guess you could call it that." She shrugged and turned towards the household, "Come on. It's time to go in."

Kamilah didn't move, still trying to remember lost memories. Mert turned and grabbed her mistress' wrist.

"Let's go, Kamilah. It's late."

Kamilah's face lost its blank expression, "Sorry, go ahead, I'll be just a few minutes."

"Sure," muttered Mert sarcastically, "you'll be a few minutes…" but she left anyway.

A Stargate, thought Kamilah. It's important to me. I know it is. But why would a giant rock be so valuable?

TBC

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Just to repeat: please, please review! I'd love to hear what you guys think of it so far, plus I need the motivation.

-S