A/N- Hey, how's it going? I realize I haven't updated in FOREVER, but
I'm gonna try and do it a little more often now. Also, to those of you who
read my stuff on fictionpress.net, my name has changed (as well as on
fanfiction.net) to J.L. Tinsley. I'm going to try and finish this story and
'Goddesses' before I start up on 'Elenyaiy' again. Anyway, earlier I said
this might be considered offensive to Wiccans, but I have changed the name
to simply 'witches' now, since that word can have many meanings. Oh, and
the rating is now back to PG. Enjoy!
The White Rider-
Chapter Three: Changing of Times
Everything was different now. Everything gone. Everyone had changed so much. Even Eirya had changed. Now she was dark and hateful. The Land of Innocents seemed all but a dream, far, far away.
When she had first arrived with Lord Lucius she had cried out that he have mercy, she wished to be with her people, her kind. These strange beasts looked much like Lord Lucius, though slightly smaller. They were all dark haired with deep, conniving eyes and a foul heart ruined through years of corruption. They had no emotion left; their soul was but an empty black space. Kalaya begged his pity to leave here, for she did not belong with these creatures. He had simply smiled his chilling smile and said, "You will."
Suddenly that inviting kindness she had felt when they first met had disappeared and she was left there, standing, with no one to help her. He left her then, and she dared not follow. So she began to search for a way out. She met some of the Older ones she had known from long ago, who had been taken just as she. They were so different, their sweet smiles and warm greetings were now but a thing of the past. What could have ever changed anyone so much, she asked one, who seemed much kinder than the rest. They had smiled and chuckled a bit before growing solemn and pensive once more.
"Him."
That single word was all that she needed to hear, and over time it seemed that that one word grew ever wiser and more deep. She, too, felt the changing in her heart, surrounded by evil, wanting to try what they were doing, disobeying what she was told. She felt dirty and bad, but she couldn't stop; he wouldn't let her. She loved him so much, for while she hated this place with every fiber of her being, she was still so passionate and immersed in its commodities that she could never leave, even if she had wanted too. She loved him every day, more and more, for saving her from 'the bad place', as it was known by there.
Since that day, each moment grew worse for Kalaya. She finally grew into something she loved to do-she was a thief. And to you, dear child, it seems that such a living would not be what you might consider 'fun', but to her mind, it was perfect. She could have all things, everything she ever wanted, for not a single penny. Eirya too, changed, though more dreadfully (at least to Kalaya) than she. She was a devil worshipper, a witch. And she hated Eirya all the more for it, for they were Lord Lucius' favorites. They would do anything he might command without a single question, and for it, they received the special seats of power; promises of eternal authority in the after-life, when he would finally be restored to his former glory.
Kalaya did not attend to such empty promises, however. She was a woman of words, highly educated and not willing to adhere to a theory until she had solid proof of its accuracy. But that was before it had all begun to be different- strange disappearances, mysterious tales of a 'white rider' who came to save them from their bondage. Before she had left. Before he had come.
`*+~___~+*``*+~___~+*``*+~___~+*``*+~___~+*``*+~___~+*``*+~___~+*`
She made her way through the small cobblestone streets with a scowl on her face. What horrid weather! Thick gray clouds seemed to hang but a few inches from her thinly veiled face, threatening rain at any given moment. Strong winds pushed with a mighty hand against her body, willing her return to the warmth of her home. The mud huts in this part of town were far cries from the comfort of her own home she had grown so accustomed too. She sighed. Another meeting with Mandrid. ANOTHER! In the last three weeks, she had already been summoned to at least ten meetings. Mandrid was Lord Lucius' personal advisor, and for some reason, he claimed he had reason to doubt her sincerity to Lucius, that she was "insecure" in her loyalty. Nothing could be further to the truth. She loved him; he was her very breath, her lifeline, the thing that kept her going every day. Anything she had ever wanted, he had given her. Except.......no! She shouldn't think about it! Who knows what spies might be lurking in the shadows of the streets, prowling the minds of innocent people? Her lord was known to do such things; he sent out whole troops of strange shadow creatures to read the thoughts of anyone they might encounter, in order to insure the kingdom subjects' fidelity and satisfaction. But once they found someone questioning their lord's ways, they would hound them and harass them till they could take it no more and give into their demons. It was necessary, Kalaya thought. It keeps the whole kingdom in check and in service to their king. But still...why her? She had been nothing but loyal to him, and yet he said he had heard several reports of her cursing the name of Lucius and following another religion of sorts. Again, he could not have been more wrong. Then it hit her. Coming round a nearby corner she saw the last people she had wished to see; five women, all in black, with their eyes locked in a withering gaze, hair as raven as the night, and a small black colored tattoo of sorts borne on their right hand, saw her, and with near synchronicity they turned to walk her way. She shuddered, and with good reason-the witches were back. The witches were her worst enemies. They were back-stabbing, conniving little imbeciles whose whole life goal was to please Lucius. Shallow little fools. Kalaya, too, wished to please him, but in their arrogance they were willing to hurt anything or anyone necessary to make him happy. At least she had morals. At least she had control. The tallest and most fearsome looking of the company stepped forward with bold and rather audacious determination. "Well, well; it is Kalaya again. On your way to see Mandrid? I should hope so. We have heard so many rumors of your cursing to the Lord... it is quite scary really." Kalaya's brazen expression made some of the women shift in discomfort but the leader of the pack stood her ground in a silent battle. "And how might you have heard these rumors, Sheena; save that you had them started yourself...or with the help of your assistants?" Kalaya's impertinent tone of voice surprised even herself. Sheena growled and held a low scowl on her face, though she began to feel a bit as if she had crawled out on a broken limb with no one there to support her. She was a foolish girl, and more immature than Kalaya, though she was ten years older. "Perhaps we did...perhaps we did not..." she paused with a cruel grimace painted on her face. "That is for you to find out." She turned sharply on her heel, and commenced to parade down the street with her company, all the while holding back a rather menacing cackle in her throat till she was out of hearing range. Then it dawned on Kalaya... the reason she had been called to Mandrid was not simply from rumors, but indeed they had ratted her into a crime she had not committed! Treason against the king was highly looked down upon; sometimes, in the more severe cases, Lucius would set the person free, bearing a mark on their forehead in the shape of a cross. Anyone who found them could have their way with them, or simply turn them over to the king, in which case they would be executed. Of course, some escaped any harm at all, but Lucius was always with them, the little voice ringing in their ears, motivating them in their decisions. But...at least so she heard... something was different in them; those who escaped, that is. Something inside made them think differently than they used to, and they were said to be more happy than any of the most successful people here in this land. Could there be another place, Kalaya wondered? Could she be taken again, to a better place than this? Was there another Land of Innocents? It was of no avail to wonder at such things, for she knew that once one came to here, it was here that one stayed. Lucius was sure of that. As a form of security, everyone in the city was made to wear a special mark, on either their hand or their forehead, one of the mark of the beast, in the form of '666'. Anyone with this mark could live, buy, and trade inside the city. Those who were discovered without the mark, intruders of sorts, would be sentenced to death. She passed through the gallows of the city, located right in front of the castle gate, and was drawn aback by the horrid stench. Four days ago, two such men and one woman were discovered in the city. They were hung, in front of the whole city, to show what happened to those who tried to escape. But what was so strange about the hanging was the last thing they had said; the woman first stated, " Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for you are with me.", at which point the men joined her. "Your rod and you staff, they comfort me..." She thought this such a strange thing to say- they enjoyed being beaten?! These people were very strange indeed. "...Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." It was at that moment that the plank dropped, and she watched satisfactorily as their lives slowly slipped from their eyes, until finally, they were dead. Today they were being taken down; it was a chilling sight indeed. Birds had been feasting on their rotting flesh while young pranksters had thrown such things as rotted vegetables and sour milk, adding to the ghastly smell. She held her vale close to her nostrils as she made her way to the front of the tower and showed her mark to the keeper at the gates. Metal chains began to squeak and squeal until finally the portal was opened. She walked tensely as she passed through hallway and shadow before coming upon the rotted wooden door behind which Mandrid made his chamber. Mandrid was a sorcerer, and each week one could tell how he was feeling by the condition of his door and room; if he was feeling up, it would appear neat and clean, if he was feeling rather sour, it was discovered that moss and spiders inhabited its nooks and crannies. She knocked carefully and the thunders outside echoed like an answer to her plead. An old, country sounding voice called out. "Mandrid's not here right now; he'll be back later." She was befuddled. "I'm sorry milord, but he told me he would be here at half-past nine...where else could he be? When will he be back?" The old man sighed and the door opened to reveal a hideously dirty shrimp of a man with old gray hair now thickly covered in filthy black soot. "Yer questions are a fallin' on deaf ears, milady. I'm just a chimney sweeper; not a bookkeeper. He might be back by tonight." She sighed. "Alright then. When he returns, shall you tell him I was here? The name's Kalaya Sandrill." "Yeah, yeah." Said the old man, and turned back into the room, closing the door with a sudden thud. Making her way back to her house was not easy. The rain had already begun to fall on the already soaked ground and formed small muddy puddles on the cobblestone street. Dabs of silt began claming the hem of her finely detailed cloak as she passed through the markets and alleys of the city. By now, most tradesmen and merchants had closed up their shops and brought their goods into shelter, though a few still scurried in the streets frantically trying to save what was still valuable. Rot was a terrible issue here. Most of the year was spent in rain, and anything left outside for a few days was either stolen or rotted beyond the point of further use. She climbed clumsily up the front steps to her house and shed her coat onto an old table in the front. It was a beautiful house, though it had some flaws. When she found the kitchen, she realized the roof was leaking again, and she retrieved an old clay pot to catch any further drops. "Eleay?" she called. Her housemate, a tall, thin girl stepped from the shadows. She was not much older than Kalaya, perhaps a year at most. Her deep blackish-brown hair framed an elegant tan face and two beautiful nutmeg colored eyes. "Yes?" "What happened to the roof? I thought you had it fixed." "I did. The man said it might leak a little at first but in a few days it should get better." "Oh. Okay then." Kalaya smiled. She knew she could trust Eleay. As a housemate and a friend Eleay had never defied her privacy or her friendship. In the kingdom, to save space and to keep from overcrowding streets, each person lived with one other person, know as a housemate. It was a wonderful system. While one could work in the day to raise money, the other could stay at home and rest or take care of household chores and work at night when the first person returned. Kalaya usually worked as a thief all day around, coming back to the home to drop off her load when it became too much to carry. Mostly she stole money or other small valuables, but occasionally she took food and such as well. Eleay simply stayed at home and upon finding an occasional job as a maid or nurse, she would work until the person either died or could no longer afford to pay them. It worked beautifully; the two had never lacked for money or fellowship since the day they had met. "Oh, Kalaya?" "Yes?" "Matthew wrote you a letter today." "Really? Where is it?" "I placed it on the table...don't worry I didn't read it." Eleay chuckled. "Oh ha-ha." She said sarcastically. "Very humorous." Matthew was Kalaya's best male friend. The two of them often spent long hours together simply talking and chatting together. But recently Matthew had seemed...troubled, disoriented. She often worried about him and wondered what was happening in his life, but he simply said, "Not right now". She picked up the letter and first noticed that his handwriting was rather shaky and it seemed as if he had been nervous when he wrote, for several words were misspelled. It was very short for his letters. It read:
I alwyas told you 'not now', but now it is time. I msut go but I will be bak soon. I love yu so much and I am sorry I had to leave you lik this. Your frind, Mathew stalls
What had happened? Where was he? She flew into a panic and ran to his house down the street. Hid housemate, Judas, said he was not there and hadn't been all day. Hearing these words felt like a dagger to her heart. He really had left, and he wasn't coming back. When one ran away, the mark of the beast would disappear, and if he were ever to return, he might be taken prisoner...or worse. She fell to the ground and wept. She wept for Matthew, she wept for the kingdom, and she wept for Lucius, for she knew he would never take him back.
The White Rider-
Chapter Three: Changing of Times
Everything was different now. Everything gone. Everyone had changed so much. Even Eirya had changed. Now she was dark and hateful. The Land of Innocents seemed all but a dream, far, far away.
When she had first arrived with Lord Lucius she had cried out that he have mercy, she wished to be with her people, her kind. These strange beasts looked much like Lord Lucius, though slightly smaller. They were all dark haired with deep, conniving eyes and a foul heart ruined through years of corruption. They had no emotion left; their soul was but an empty black space. Kalaya begged his pity to leave here, for she did not belong with these creatures. He had simply smiled his chilling smile and said, "You will."
Suddenly that inviting kindness she had felt when they first met had disappeared and she was left there, standing, with no one to help her. He left her then, and she dared not follow. So she began to search for a way out. She met some of the Older ones she had known from long ago, who had been taken just as she. They were so different, their sweet smiles and warm greetings were now but a thing of the past. What could have ever changed anyone so much, she asked one, who seemed much kinder than the rest. They had smiled and chuckled a bit before growing solemn and pensive once more.
"Him."
That single word was all that she needed to hear, and over time it seemed that that one word grew ever wiser and more deep. She, too, felt the changing in her heart, surrounded by evil, wanting to try what they were doing, disobeying what she was told. She felt dirty and bad, but she couldn't stop; he wouldn't let her. She loved him so much, for while she hated this place with every fiber of her being, she was still so passionate and immersed in its commodities that she could never leave, even if she had wanted too. She loved him every day, more and more, for saving her from 'the bad place', as it was known by there.
Since that day, each moment grew worse for Kalaya. She finally grew into something she loved to do-she was a thief. And to you, dear child, it seems that such a living would not be what you might consider 'fun', but to her mind, it was perfect. She could have all things, everything she ever wanted, for not a single penny. Eirya too, changed, though more dreadfully (at least to Kalaya) than she. She was a devil worshipper, a witch. And she hated Eirya all the more for it, for they were Lord Lucius' favorites. They would do anything he might command without a single question, and for it, they received the special seats of power; promises of eternal authority in the after-life, when he would finally be restored to his former glory.
Kalaya did not attend to such empty promises, however. She was a woman of words, highly educated and not willing to adhere to a theory until she had solid proof of its accuracy. But that was before it had all begun to be different- strange disappearances, mysterious tales of a 'white rider' who came to save them from their bondage. Before she had left. Before he had come.
`*+~___~+*``*+~___~+*``*+~___~+*``*+~___~+*``*+~___~+*``*+~___~+*`
She made her way through the small cobblestone streets with a scowl on her face. What horrid weather! Thick gray clouds seemed to hang but a few inches from her thinly veiled face, threatening rain at any given moment. Strong winds pushed with a mighty hand against her body, willing her return to the warmth of her home. The mud huts in this part of town were far cries from the comfort of her own home she had grown so accustomed too. She sighed. Another meeting with Mandrid. ANOTHER! In the last three weeks, she had already been summoned to at least ten meetings. Mandrid was Lord Lucius' personal advisor, and for some reason, he claimed he had reason to doubt her sincerity to Lucius, that she was "insecure" in her loyalty. Nothing could be further to the truth. She loved him; he was her very breath, her lifeline, the thing that kept her going every day. Anything she had ever wanted, he had given her. Except.......no! She shouldn't think about it! Who knows what spies might be lurking in the shadows of the streets, prowling the minds of innocent people? Her lord was known to do such things; he sent out whole troops of strange shadow creatures to read the thoughts of anyone they might encounter, in order to insure the kingdom subjects' fidelity and satisfaction. But once they found someone questioning their lord's ways, they would hound them and harass them till they could take it no more and give into their demons. It was necessary, Kalaya thought. It keeps the whole kingdom in check and in service to their king. But still...why her? She had been nothing but loyal to him, and yet he said he had heard several reports of her cursing the name of Lucius and following another religion of sorts. Again, he could not have been more wrong. Then it hit her. Coming round a nearby corner she saw the last people she had wished to see; five women, all in black, with their eyes locked in a withering gaze, hair as raven as the night, and a small black colored tattoo of sorts borne on their right hand, saw her, and with near synchronicity they turned to walk her way. She shuddered, and with good reason-the witches were back. The witches were her worst enemies. They were back-stabbing, conniving little imbeciles whose whole life goal was to please Lucius. Shallow little fools. Kalaya, too, wished to please him, but in their arrogance they were willing to hurt anything or anyone necessary to make him happy. At least she had morals. At least she had control. The tallest and most fearsome looking of the company stepped forward with bold and rather audacious determination. "Well, well; it is Kalaya again. On your way to see Mandrid? I should hope so. We have heard so many rumors of your cursing to the Lord... it is quite scary really." Kalaya's brazen expression made some of the women shift in discomfort but the leader of the pack stood her ground in a silent battle. "And how might you have heard these rumors, Sheena; save that you had them started yourself...or with the help of your assistants?" Kalaya's impertinent tone of voice surprised even herself. Sheena growled and held a low scowl on her face, though she began to feel a bit as if she had crawled out on a broken limb with no one there to support her. She was a foolish girl, and more immature than Kalaya, though she was ten years older. "Perhaps we did...perhaps we did not..." she paused with a cruel grimace painted on her face. "That is for you to find out." She turned sharply on her heel, and commenced to parade down the street with her company, all the while holding back a rather menacing cackle in her throat till she was out of hearing range. Then it dawned on Kalaya... the reason she had been called to Mandrid was not simply from rumors, but indeed they had ratted her into a crime she had not committed! Treason against the king was highly looked down upon; sometimes, in the more severe cases, Lucius would set the person free, bearing a mark on their forehead in the shape of a cross. Anyone who found them could have their way with them, or simply turn them over to the king, in which case they would be executed. Of course, some escaped any harm at all, but Lucius was always with them, the little voice ringing in their ears, motivating them in their decisions. But...at least so she heard... something was different in them; those who escaped, that is. Something inside made them think differently than they used to, and they were said to be more happy than any of the most successful people here in this land. Could there be another place, Kalaya wondered? Could she be taken again, to a better place than this? Was there another Land of Innocents? It was of no avail to wonder at such things, for she knew that once one came to here, it was here that one stayed. Lucius was sure of that. As a form of security, everyone in the city was made to wear a special mark, on either their hand or their forehead, one of the mark of the beast, in the form of '666'. Anyone with this mark could live, buy, and trade inside the city. Those who were discovered without the mark, intruders of sorts, would be sentenced to death. She passed through the gallows of the city, located right in front of the castle gate, and was drawn aback by the horrid stench. Four days ago, two such men and one woman were discovered in the city. They were hung, in front of the whole city, to show what happened to those who tried to escape. But what was so strange about the hanging was the last thing they had said; the woman first stated, " Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for you are with me.", at which point the men joined her. "Your rod and you staff, they comfort me..." She thought this such a strange thing to say- they enjoyed being beaten?! These people were very strange indeed. "...Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." It was at that moment that the plank dropped, and she watched satisfactorily as their lives slowly slipped from their eyes, until finally, they were dead. Today they were being taken down; it was a chilling sight indeed. Birds had been feasting on their rotting flesh while young pranksters had thrown such things as rotted vegetables and sour milk, adding to the ghastly smell. She held her vale close to her nostrils as she made her way to the front of the tower and showed her mark to the keeper at the gates. Metal chains began to squeak and squeal until finally the portal was opened. She walked tensely as she passed through hallway and shadow before coming upon the rotted wooden door behind which Mandrid made his chamber. Mandrid was a sorcerer, and each week one could tell how he was feeling by the condition of his door and room; if he was feeling up, it would appear neat and clean, if he was feeling rather sour, it was discovered that moss and spiders inhabited its nooks and crannies. She knocked carefully and the thunders outside echoed like an answer to her plead. An old, country sounding voice called out. "Mandrid's not here right now; he'll be back later." She was befuddled. "I'm sorry milord, but he told me he would be here at half-past nine...where else could he be? When will he be back?" The old man sighed and the door opened to reveal a hideously dirty shrimp of a man with old gray hair now thickly covered in filthy black soot. "Yer questions are a fallin' on deaf ears, milady. I'm just a chimney sweeper; not a bookkeeper. He might be back by tonight." She sighed. "Alright then. When he returns, shall you tell him I was here? The name's Kalaya Sandrill." "Yeah, yeah." Said the old man, and turned back into the room, closing the door with a sudden thud. Making her way back to her house was not easy. The rain had already begun to fall on the already soaked ground and formed small muddy puddles on the cobblestone street. Dabs of silt began claming the hem of her finely detailed cloak as she passed through the markets and alleys of the city. By now, most tradesmen and merchants had closed up their shops and brought their goods into shelter, though a few still scurried in the streets frantically trying to save what was still valuable. Rot was a terrible issue here. Most of the year was spent in rain, and anything left outside for a few days was either stolen or rotted beyond the point of further use. She climbed clumsily up the front steps to her house and shed her coat onto an old table in the front. It was a beautiful house, though it had some flaws. When she found the kitchen, she realized the roof was leaking again, and she retrieved an old clay pot to catch any further drops. "Eleay?" she called. Her housemate, a tall, thin girl stepped from the shadows. She was not much older than Kalaya, perhaps a year at most. Her deep blackish-brown hair framed an elegant tan face and two beautiful nutmeg colored eyes. "Yes?" "What happened to the roof? I thought you had it fixed." "I did. The man said it might leak a little at first but in a few days it should get better." "Oh. Okay then." Kalaya smiled. She knew she could trust Eleay. As a housemate and a friend Eleay had never defied her privacy or her friendship. In the kingdom, to save space and to keep from overcrowding streets, each person lived with one other person, know as a housemate. It was a wonderful system. While one could work in the day to raise money, the other could stay at home and rest or take care of household chores and work at night when the first person returned. Kalaya usually worked as a thief all day around, coming back to the home to drop off her load when it became too much to carry. Mostly she stole money or other small valuables, but occasionally she took food and such as well. Eleay simply stayed at home and upon finding an occasional job as a maid or nurse, she would work until the person either died or could no longer afford to pay them. It worked beautifully; the two had never lacked for money or fellowship since the day they had met. "Oh, Kalaya?" "Yes?" "Matthew wrote you a letter today." "Really? Where is it?" "I placed it on the table...don't worry I didn't read it." Eleay chuckled. "Oh ha-ha." She said sarcastically. "Very humorous." Matthew was Kalaya's best male friend. The two of them often spent long hours together simply talking and chatting together. But recently Matthew had seemed...troubled, disoriented. She often worried about him and wondered what was happening in his life, but he simply said, "Not right now". She picked up the letter and first noticed that his handwriting was rather shaky and it seemed as if he had been nervous when he wrote, for several words were misspelled. It was very short for his letters. It read:
I alwyas told you 'not now', but now it is time. I msut go but I will be bak soon. I love yu so much and I am sorry I had to leave you lik this. Your frind, Mathew stalls
What had happened? Where was he? She flew into a panic and ran to his house down the street. Hid housemate, Judas, said he was not there and hadn't been all day. Hearing these words felt like a dagger to her heart. He really had left, and he wasn't coming back. When one ran away, the mark of the beast would disappear, and if he were ever to return, he might be taken prisoner...or worse. She fell to the ground and wept. She wept for Matthew, she wept for the kingdom, and she wept for Lucius, for she knew he would never take him back.