Chapter Four
T'Kai nudged Davis from his sleep in the forest three days later, the others having privately agreed that they brown-haired boy should have the last (and therefore least dangerous) watch. The young Warden was anticipating their arrival at the top of the mountain early that evening, something for which he was particularly glad. Every one of the towns or villages that they had stopped at during the previous days had refused to admit them with Davis in their party. Evidently word had spread from the first town that had received them, and from then on guards would always meet them at the gate, telling them the same thing: that while T'Kai, Kari and T.K. were more than welcome to enter, the 'devil' most certainly could not.
The words of the guard at the city from the night before still haunted the young creature, and visions of his death still crept though his mind every time that he looked at the fleshed-out demon. You travel with your doom at your back.
Davis sat up, grumbling, and went to take his turn on the watch for the wild creatures of that land. Perhaps not surprisingly, there was no longer any insistence from the boy that such creatures did not exist.
T'Kai's expression was one of discomfort as he stared at the other's back, and the young creature curled up into a ball by the side of the camp to rest. He swore that, for all of their sakes, he would sleep with one eye open while the D'aevis watched. Try as he might he was uncertain why the Lord Takeru and Lady Hikari seemed so solicitous of their demonic companion. He had already proved himself to be a brooding, dishonest addition to their group and had an obvious and annoying inclination to think of himself as superior to the pair, yet the two were going out of their way to be kind to him. The a'ladon Warden simply could not understand it.
Davis watched as the creature closed its eyes, his thoughts running along much the same lines as those of the child. The squirrel's dislike for him was mutual, mainly for the fact that it (he was still having trouble thinking of the creature as a 'he') had taken over what he saw as his natural position of leader on this trip. Also, it was constantly watching over him, making the boy feel quite uneasy... as if he'd done something wrong. And then there was the fact that all of the thing's race apparently regarded 'Davis' as synonymous with 'demon' while honoring T.K. as some sort of god. That inflamed his rage more than anything.
Then a thin smile appeared on Davis' face as the creature's breathing became steady, indicating to the human boy that it had fallen asleep. He bit back a chuckle, then opened his pack and removed from it the length of nylon rope that he had been provided by the villagers at the start of their journey. As much as he tried he couldn't seem to manage to get the best of T.K., but he'd be damned if he couldn't get back at that one little child of a squirrel.
It was several hours later, and the sun was just beginning to climb over the horizon when Davis put his retaliation into action. Quietly he grabbed a fist-sized rock which was at his side and then raised it over the metal blade of his large weapon. Then.
"Wake up! Everybody wake up quick!" he shouted, repeatedly striking the metal blade of the weapon with the rock. The resonant sound was alarming, even to his own ears, and his three companions quickly started awake. "Hurry!" he shouted, doing his best to sound highly agitated. "We've got trouble!"
T'Kai, wrapped again in the throes of a nightmare, jerked awake in a panic. He had been wrapped in the colossal embrace of the demon D'assan and mere seconds away from having his throat pierced by the creature's saber-like fangs when the human's frantic cry of alarm had awoken him. With adrenaline pounding feverishly through his blood the boy dropped to all fours and scampered across the camp and towards the dell that Davis was indicating as the source of danger... only to feel his paws wrenched out from under him and the air burst from his lungs as he hit the ground heavily. The young creature gasped in pain, then struggled to catch his breath as he looked around, trying to determine exactly what it was that had felled him.
It was then that the a'ladon noticed the peculiar tightness around his bushy tail. Craning his head around, he saw that someone had tied a knot around the furry extremity with a rope and had tied the other end to the large tree which he'd been sleeping next to. When T'Kai had darted off in anticipation of trouble, the knot had tightened and the creature's momentum had thrown him to the ground.
Davis fell to his knees, laughing hysterically at the startled look on the squirrel's face. Kari's hands went to her mouth in dismay and she quickly rushed over to the young a'ladon's side, taking his paw in her hands and whispering soothingly to him. The little creature was struggling for breath, and his other paw was clenched tightly across his ribs.
T.K. threw his weapon to the ground and marched angrily over to the brown-haired boy. "That's not funny, Davis," he said accusingly, his eyebrows furrowing tightly together.
"No... you... you're right... " Davis stammered through his laughter. "It's not funny... it's... it's absolutely... hilarious!"
T.K. turned his back on the other boy in disgust and went over to join Kari with T'Kai. "How's he doing?" the blond-haired boy asked her.
Kari was gently prodding at T'Kai's furry chest. "I think he'll be okay," she answered. "He didn't break anything, he just got the wind knocked out of him. T.K.? Can you see if you can get that knot out from around his tail? It's too tight for me."
T.K. nodded and went to T'Kai's backside as Kari continued to stroke the a'ladon's brown fur lovingly. The young creature was still staring sadly across the camp at Davis, who was still rolling about with laughter as if he'd just pulled off the funniest gag ever. "What a jerk," the girl murmured quietly.
T.K. started tugging at the nylon cord where Davis had tied the knot, then frowned as he found that it was much too tight for him to untie as well. "Hmm... T'Kai? Hand me your sword," the boy said, reaching out his hand.
The young a'ladon looked anxious, but slowly eased the weapon from its sheath and passed it, hilt first, to the blond-haired boy. "Please go slowly, Lord," the creature begged, sounding quite concerned. "I'm afraid I'd look somewhat funny without my tail."
"I'll be careful," the boy promised, then set the sharp edge of the blade against the rope and started to slowly saw it off.
It took almost a quarter of an hour, but eventually T.K. did manage to get the cord off of T'Kai's bushy tail. The creature stood up and found that, while his ribs were quite sore from his hard landing, he had apparently suffered no major injury. T.K. and Kari rose as well and placed their packs over their shoulders, the boy glaring at Davis as he did so. T'Kai was already terribly frightened of the vision of death that awaited him at the end of his journey; he didn't need to have the additional concern of Davis hanging over his head as well.
The trek up the mountain proved to be much more difficult than T.K. had anticipated. While there were a few small trails leading up the side, none of them could be considered easily passable. The underbrush was dense and full of thorns, and quite often a path that that they'd chosen would be blocked by a large rock, forcing them off of the trail and into the even thicker bushes at their side. Biting and stinging insects swarmed over them, attracted by their sweat, and soon each of the humans was covered in red welts. Davis was bringing up the rear, under his breath muttering every swear word that he'd ever heard in his young life.
Finally, as both the long climb and the day neared their end, Davis dropped his weapon off of his shoulder and leaned against a moss-covered rock which sat just off the trail. "That's it!" he shouted ahead to the others while gasping to catch his breath. "I'm not... going one... step further... today!"
T.K., Kari and T'Kai all paused to glance at one another, then all shook their heads in tandem and turned and started again up the great climb. All were much too tired to put up with another of Davis' fits, particularly when they were this close to their destination. He was in as good of shape as any of them, and if they could finish the hike then so could he.
Kari looked back, briefly, at the brown-haired boy. How much he reminded her of her brother, Tai... and she was honest enough to admit that that was not always such a good thing. But it did explain why she put up with his childishness, his outrageous and unsolicited flirting... even his temper. Before he had grown up Tai had acted in much the same manner, if to a lesser degree, and she felt somewhat obligated to take care of the boy.
As she stared at him Kari stepped on a loose stone, tweaking her ankle and starting to trip, but then T.K. was there at her side and caught her gently. "Careful now," he whispered, giving her a tender smile.
Kari smiled at T.K.'s back as she watched him continue up the trail ahead of her. How very like T.K. that was. So caring, so protective... not only of her, but of each of his companions. Even of Davis, though the brown-haired boy made him suffer endlessly for it. It was one of the many things that she loved most about him.
T.K. gave a quick glance backwards, making certain that Kari was okay and that Davis was indeed following them. In all honesty he wasn't certain that he'd allow the other boy to be left behind, any more than he would have let him spend the night alone outside of that first city that they had come to. But his patience was running very thin with his friend... and despite everything, T.K. did want to think of Davis as his friend.
Davis, in the meantime, was starting to feel very sorry for himself. Sure, they'd just leave me here by myself, he thought, wallowing in self-pity. What T.K. and his pet squirrel thought about him, Davis didn't care in the least. The boy was almost certain that his own aversion to T.K. was mutual, and the squirrel. well, that little thing was just creepy. Probably just crawling with all sorts of vermin and disease.
Kari was another matter. He was so sick and tired of her paying attention to everyone but him! The boy was always certain that if he could just make her see how much of a jerk T.K. really was then she would come running to his arms in a second. Yet no matter how much he taunted the blond boy, making certain that Kari heard every word, she still insisted on calling him her best friend. But that scene by the gate of the city... that made him start to believe that she felt of him as a lot more than that.
And so Davis' face was locked in a deep glower as he shouldered his heavy weapon and followed the three up the steep trail, too tired to even swat at the insect that was chewing on the back of his neck. T.K. nodded in satisfaction at the sight, then continued his own climb while wiping the perspiration from his forehead with the sleeve of his golden shirt.
"Lord Takeru," T'Kai called, pointing with a forepaw to an area higher up the mountain. T.K. looked, and nodded as he saw a pair of spires towering above the large trees surrounding them. Finally they had almost reached the temple to where T'Kai had been called, and hopefully that meant that they could get there in time to rest as opposed to spending another night in the wilderness.
"Kari, Davis, come on!" he shouted, pointing to the spires. "We're here!"
************
The sun dipped below the western horizon just as the four travelers stepped from the thick forest into the clearing where the temple of Mount Cypress stood, the pair of towers standing on opposite sides of it like giant watchmen made of granite. T.K. exhaled a loud, grateful breath as he placed his feet in the clearing, a sense of overwhelming peace suddenly flowing throughout his body and cleansing it after the trial of the long climb.
Davis grimaced in evident discomfort as he also stepped into the clearing, placing a single hand on his stomach. He was completely miserable, and being in that place somehow made it worse. Probably that stupid food those squirrels sent with me to eat. They probably poisoned it...
T'Kai looked at the D'aevis, surprised for a moment, then led the three humans to the large set of doors that signified the entrance to the temple. In spite of Lord Takeru's insistence that the creature was no demon, he'd honestly expected it to crumble into dust as they neared the great shrine. In any event, the loathsome thing would be the problem of the Sisterhood now. And now he stopped, as the doors eased opened and a cloaked a'ladon, seeming to be of about middle age, stepped forward to greet them. To his surprise the creature was a male priest, and not one of the Sisterhood. Perhaps he'd misunderstood about the inhabitants of this place.
The older creature gave a small bow. "Warden," he nodded to T'Kai, who in return stepped forward and dropped to a knee in order to kiss the other's forepaw. "Reverend Father," he answered, his head bent in respect.
The older creature's brown eyes drifted to the humans. "And these would His Excellency the Lord Takeru and Her Grace his Lady Hikari. And their companion... excuse me, what was it again? Lord Davis the Great?" These last words were spoken in an amused voice, quite different from the solemn one that he had used with the others.
T.K. stepped forward and bowed. "Er, Reverend Father? He's not really a--"
The creature stopped him with a gentle smile. "A D'aevis? Yes, I am aware. Even if I had not known already, his presence in this dell as anything but a pile of ash would provide evidence enough. It is the most holy of all places in our world, and woe be to the demon that sets foot in it. I would be curious to learn, however, what it was that possessed his parents to name him something like that. Did they not like you?" he asked of the brown-haired boy.
Davis' stomachache was not aided by the embarrassment that he felt, though it appeared this time that he would at least be allowed inside with the others. "Please, come in, all of you," the reverend creature said, confirming the boy's hopes. "You are the last to arrive, so we can at least make you welcome for one night before the reckoning tomorrow."
The older creature led first Davis, then T'Kai to simple, but comfortable rooms within the abbey. T.K. and Kari followed him a bit further down the corridor, where he stopped at another room. "For you, Your Grace," he said with a bow, ushering her inside. Kari's face betrayed a grateful smile, then she gave T.K. a quick kiss on the cheek before entering and closing the door behind her.
"Lord?" the creature said, ushering T.K. along.
T.K. felt a momentary... well, he wasn't certain if it was relief or regret. All of the other times that the a'ladon had quartered them, he and Kari had been placed in the same room. indeed, in the same bed. But with the new emotions that T.K. was having to sort out about the girl he just wasn't sure that he trusted himself to be in that position with her. Certainly not alone, in any event. He knew a lot more now than he did when he was eight, and that knowledge made things distinctly awkward for him... particularly as Kari didn't seem to know exactly how much she was encouraging him with her playful flirting.
The creature at his side gave a quiet chuckle. "In all honesty, Lord, the Sisters had initially prepared that room for the both of you. It was only recently that I had become aware that you were having troubles with your... ah, shall we say, more natural urges?"
T.K.'s face went from flesh-toned to beet red in less than a second. "How did you... did you hear what I... ?" The boy trailed off, stammering his words as he realized that not only did this a'ladon apparently realize that he was not a god, but also knew about his... he cringed at the thought of the word... lusting after Kari.
The reverend stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to face the boy. "Yes, I am quite aware that you and Lady Hikari are not gods. And as for the other thing... well, you were thinking about it quite loudly, you know. But to put it in such terms is overly harsh, I believe."
Though it should have been impossible, T.K.'s blush became even deeper then.
"Those sentiments, Lord, they are hardly anything to be ashamed of, and particularly not for you. It is common for young men of your age to experience such feelings when around those of the opposite gender, and most others are without your devotion or honest commitment for the objects of their affections. I am aware how well you love the Lady Hikari. Be at peace."
T.K.'s blinked, the reassurance making him suddenly feel quite comfortable with the creature. He had been wanting someone to tell him that this new feeling that he was having for Kari didn't mean that there was something wrong with him, and he couldn't just talk to her about it. "Uhm, thank you... uhm... "
"Cheyne, Lord."
"Cheyne, then," the boy finished with a brief bow of his head. "Uh, if you don't mind my asking--"
"You may speak to me of anything, Lord, and I shall answer. I have no secrets that you could possibly mention in passing conversation."
T.K. nodded. "If you know that we're not gods, why do you keep calling me 'Lord' and Kari 'Lady'?"
The creature smiled a response. "They are but titles, Takeru, and if everyone else addresses you as such then it will cause less confusion if I do so as well. If it makes you uncomfortable I will stop doing so, but if I understand correctly, it is the misguided perception that the a'ladon have on your mortality that upsets you, and not the title. I am under no such misconception."
With that the reverend stopped at another door, waving a forepaw that indicated that it was for the blond-haired human. "Now rest well, Lord Takeru. For one night, at least, may all of your worries and responsibilities fall from your shoulders. Sleep while knowing that she whom you are sworn to watch over is safe from any who would do her harm--"
The boy smiled gratefully.
"--and from the one who worries that he would do what comes naturally with a willing partner, despite his vows. Remember, she cannot tempt you beyond your ability to resist." The dignified creature finished with an almost impish wink and a smile, then turned to go.
Once again T.K. flushed in embarrassment, his jaw dropping towards his chest. He hadn't really been prepared for that 'willing partner' comment, and the creature's words started a new concern in his head. Oh, no! Did that mean that Kari was serious? That she feels this way too?
The boy closed the door and fell face-first into the bed that awaited him inside, covering his head with a nearby pillow and wondering if that had been supposed to make him feel better.
************
The three humans and T'Kai were allowed to sleep later than they had for some time the next morning, and so it was that when awakened each of them felt much better than they had in the previous, restless few days. Davis may have been the exception, for he had spent the night uneasily and was still holding his stomach with his hand and complaining about feeling ill when he rejoined the group.
The Reverend Cheyne met the dark-haired boy and pulled him down by his collar until the two were face-to-face. Davis looked somewhat surprised at the strength of the small creature, but said nothing as his brown eyes were drawn into the other's like colored ones. "Hmm... " the creature murmured gravely.
"What?" the boy demanded, alarmed at the other's serious tone. "It's poison, isn't it? I knew it! Those filthy squirrels put something into the food that they gave me and I ate it and now I'm gonna--"
"Child!" the reverend hissed, scorn in his voice as he interrupted Davis' angry outcry. "No one has forced upon you anything to make you experience this particular discomfort... though 'poisoned' may indeed be an accurate expression for it. But if so, it is you who has introduced that poison into your own soul."
His stern voice cowed the boy, who suddenly fell silent. "And you are aware of it, aren't you? So yes, I will agree, you are poisoned: Poisoned it with immaturity, with lechery and with jealousy. Only the truly pure in spirit may enter this holy place without the pain that such sin will bring here, and you are clearly not such a one as that!"
Davis looked abashed at the other's words, and stood up straight to tower above the creature. "I am so!" he muttered the reply, though not quite as fervently as his friends might have thought.
The creature said nothing, and motioned for the group to follow him down the hall as he led them towards what he had called 'the reckoning'.
T.K. gave a smile, not for the exchange between the two, but simply for the comfort and unfettered peace and that was almost overwhelming his senses. The previous night he had slept better than he had in a long time, as if some unconscious part of his brain had done as Cheyne bade and relaxed its incessant care for Kari for that short time. He had been provided a warm bath and wonderful food that morning, and there was something about that place that brought to him a serenity that he had not been able to enjoy in some time.
The boy looked back at Kari, who gave him a demure smile and wave. She looked as though she were enjoying their stay as much as he was. The young boy's heart was filled anew with love for the brown-haired little girl, as it always seemed to be whenever the two were reunited after being separated for a short time. In addition, he started to wonder if they might not stay in this place for a time after they had finished with whatever task had been set for them in this world. He felt the urge to lag behind and ask her, but at that moment Cheyne stopped the group. "Ah, here we are," the older creature announced.
The humans looked about the cylindrical room which they had entered. It was not very large in diameter from wall to wall, perhaps thirty feet, but was exceptionally tall, the ceiling towering quite far above the three of them.
Gathered in the room were five other a'ladon, all of them looking quite a bit older than T'Kai and all appearing as uncomfortable as Davis. T.K. glanced about at them. Though he had met quite a few of the squirrel-like creatures in the days that he had spent there, he was certain that he had never seen a group of individuals that looked quite so disagreeable as this. Each one of the five was poorly groomed, and all were casting repeated, intimidating looks at one another. As they entered, one of the five even spat upon the unstained floor and started to scratch at various... unseemly areas of his furry body.
Kari gave a cautious glance at T.K., which the boy returned. These were the candidates that T'Kai's neighboring provinces has nominated to be the Wardens of their race? From what T'Kai had told them, the task was supposed to be given only to individuals who had demonstrated 'fine moral character', and despite the young boy's hesitance to prejudge anyone, he wouldn't trust any of their number with anything more valuable than the previous day's newspaper.
T.K. had forgotten Cheyne's evident ability to 'hear' any of his thoughts that were filled with too much emotion. "Yes," the creature murmured quietly beside him. "The prospective candidates grow steadily less impressive, but this year seems particularly flawed. It almost makes me wonder..." The creature trailed off, and did not elaborate any further.
The blond-haired boy turned as a group of solemn, elderly a'ladon women entered the cylindrical room from the opposite direction. The six stopped in the center of the room and slowly took in the assemblage of humans and a'ladon gathered there. Starting from the left side, each of them slowly removed her hood and allowed the group to look upon her previously veiled face. The looks that the women were casting at them were stern, but not unkind, and T.K. felt at ease in their presence. He was about to ask a question of Cheyne, but when he turned to speak, the creature was already gone.
"Welcome, Wardens all," the final female, the one standing on the far right expressed, her tone conveying unconditional respect to each of the aspirants. "We offer our utmost thanks to the six of you for interrupting your lives and journeying here to ensure the safety of all of our people, everywhere."
"She speaks as though we had a choice in the matter," one of the other Wardens muttered gruffly to another at his side, who guffawed loudly in response.
T'Kai frowned at the lack of respect shown by the pair, though the priestess who was speaking hardly seemed to notice. "You have been chosen because your village Fathers have determined that you are the most honorable, the most trustworthy and the most principled a'ladon of sufficient age to be found within your respective provinces. And so into the paws of one of you, the Sisters of this order will deliver the most precious treasure that exists in our land." At this last statement the looks of boredom fell from the scruffy a'ladon on the opposite side of the chamber, the ears of each perking up almost instantly.
Now the six priestesses each took several steps forward until each one stood directly in front of one of the Wardens. The one in front of T'Kai was unremarkable from her sisters, and leaned forward to peer into the juvenile a'ladon's eyes. She smiled kindly at the boy.
You are very young to have been nominated for this duty, Warden T'Kai.
The boy heard the words in his head, though he did not see the woman's lips move. He opened his mouth to respond, but when he went to speak, he realized that while he could think the words that he intended to say, they did not pass his lips, either. I... my village Fathers thought that I was old enough. He hoped that it didn't sound as defensive to her as it did to him.
Indeed. And what, do you believe, is so remarkable about you that they would send you here at such a tender age?
The boy was confused, hesitating for a moment. He hadn't been prepared to be questioned by such a figure of authority... and in any event, he had no answer for what she'd asked. I... I'm not honestly sure, Reverend Mother. I had no right to be heard in my nomination, and had always thought that this was supposed to be done by truly brave and righteous men... heroes and the like. I am not worthy of the honor of standing for our race.
I see... and what do you believe it is that you shall be sent to do, if chosen? Your the Fathers of your village certainly should have given you some inkling?
T'Kai bowed his head. But I do not know, Reverend. It may be that they chose not to speak to me about the matter, knowing that you would certainly find another more worthy than I am. I only know what is common knowledge: That you six shall chose one of us to go to the north side of the mountain and to there speak with those of your order who are sentinel over the demon D'assan.
The creature nodded as her eyes flickered to the group of humans gathered behind the child, her gaze falling on each of them in turn. Such unusual companions. It is rare for any Warden to have an escort, particularly one that is made up of such alien creatures.
The Lord Takeru and the Lady Hikari, ma'am. It is my honor and a blessing that they have come to me in my time of trial. Already I have learned much from my Lord.
Indeed. It is legend that they also came to your forefather in his time. Perhaps there is a correlation?
T'Kai wasn't familiar with the term, and said nothing in response.
And the third... D'aevis, is it? You are aware of what that implies, are you not? It may be that we cannot risk sending that to the north lest he ally himself with D'assan to create an even greater evil. If ordered, would you agree to divest yourself of his company?
Again, an obedient nod. And with a good heart, Mother. Yet I do not believe that my Lord and Lady will continue without him. I will bow to your wisdom in all matters, yet my heart would be heavy to lose the company of my Lord. I feel that I still have much to learn from him.
T'Kai was uncertain that he was supposed to hear the woman's next thought, but it came through to him anyway. How appropriate... a child with the holiest name of all...
And then the supersensible link that the child had with the woman was broken, and suddenly T'Kai was aware that while he had been speaking only with the Reverend before him, all six had learned of his answers through the one. The women turned to meet briefly in the center of the room once again, and when they separated, each of the other five stepped forward to the Warden that she had been interviewing and led him from the room, leaving only T'Kai, his escort and the Reverend Mother behind.
Kari bent over and hugged the young a'ladon joyously. "Oh, T'Kai! Does that mean that they picked you?" she whispered in his furry ear.
T'Kai started to shrug his ignorance, but the female creature answered for him. "It does indeed, Lady Hikari," she said with a brief bow of respect. "Though we had my have desired someone with a bit more. experience, T'Kai is quite obviously our best choice in this matter."
"You mean you didn't trust those others any further than you could pick them up and throw them, right?" Davis pointed out, crushing the young a'ladon's spirit yet again.
T.K. saw the crestfallen look in T'Kai's eyes and proceeded to clamp a hand around Davis' mouth from behind. The female creature ignored the words anyway. "Come with me, child," she said to T'Kai, "and I will take you to your ward."
T'Kai did as he was bade, following the older creature down the hallway from which the six had originally entered the room. Kari followed him, as did T.K. and Davis, once the blond-haired boy released his hand from the other's mouth.
The corridor down which the woman led the group was remarkable for its plainness. There were no decorations, no adornments of any type... just a long hallway made out of the same drab, gray stone as the rest of the building. The walk on which they were led seemed almost endless, and after a while Kari felt the urge to break the oppressive silence. "Uhm... excuse me, Reverend Mother, but if I may ask, what exactly is it that you've chosen T'Kai to do?"
"You will find out in a moment, Lady Hikari," the other responded kindly. "But let it suffice to say, he will have in his possession the destiny of our entire race. He will be guardian to our token to our sisters in the north... a token so precious that until this very day, only the Sisters of our house have been cognizant to its existence."
"Do you mean that your men aren't allowed near it?" the girl responded, glancing primly at T.K.
The a'ladon gave a brief chuckle. "We have no men in this place, Your Grace, save for the brief period of time when the Wardens arrive. And even then, none are without escort."
T.K. blinked. "But what about Cheyne? He didn't seem to be one of the Wardens."
The creature stopped so suddenly that the group following her was forced to halt quite suddenly to avoid running into her back. "Where did you hear that name?" she asked, whirling about and staring at T.K.
T.K. gulped at the stern look in the other's eyes, much as he might have if under the same stare from his grandmother. "Uhm, he... he told it to us," the blond-haired boy responded hesitantly, uncertain of what he had said to give offense.
The other's eyes hardened for a moment, as if she would see into the human's soul for the truth of his words. "Indeed... " she murmured, trailing off when she finally appeared satisfied the he had given her the truth. "So... He has returned to us... interesting." She did not elaborate any further.
With those words the woman again turned and whisked down the hallway, moving faster than the humans would have thought for one of her evidently advanced age, and T.K. and the others were forced to start quickly to catch up to her. "So, Lord Takeru," she said over her shoulder, ostensibly in an attempt to change the subject. "Tell me, just what is it that has brought you back to our world after so many years absent?"
T.K. looked sideways at Kari, who shrugged. Was this woman one who knew that they were not gods, or...
"We're not actually sure, Reverend," he answered honestly. "Neither Kari nor I produced the conditions for our return, and it came as a surprise to us. But once we found that T'Kai would feel better if we came with him... well, it just felt like the right thing to do," the boy responded.
"I see," the woman replied. Then she paused. "I suppose that it is fortunate that a great hero like yourself is the one that manages to find his way to our people when we are in need of help." She did not elaborate on the nature of 'help'.
Davis snorted derisively as T.K. gave a small grin. "Oh, I'm no hero," he answered good-naturedly. "I'm just an ordinary kid, really."
The woman looked over her shoulder, her brown eyes reflecting amusement. "Indeed. That must be quite an impressive world that you come from, then, if one such as yourself is considered 'ordinary'. Though in truth, I had understood that you are considered to still be children of your kind."
It was only a few moments later when the group finally came to a door in the hallway. The a'ladon stepped forward and placed a paw on the knob, then paused and turned back to the others. "Before we enter, I must ask all of you to vow that you will never speak of what you see behind this door. It is... the greatest shame of our people, but a necessary one. Were it not for this ritual of atonement, the demon god D'assan should have annihilated our race long before the time of your previous coming." She nodded to T.K.
Kari nodded kindly. "We promise," she said. "I'm sure that whatever it is, it's not as bad as you make it sound."
The woman looked ashamed for a brief moment, her stern façade failing, then nodded as she opened the door and ushered the four in.
The room was as bare as the rest of the building, unadorned and empty save for a shimmering curtain of light in the center of the room, and within that glowing light rested...
T'Kai stepped forward, a remarkable look on his face. It was as though the child were enraptured by what he saw, entranced by the emotions that washed over him.
Kari was confused. Certainly they could not mean... that would be... She could barely think straight as a righteous ire rose up within her chest. Then she saw T'Kai wandering around the beam of light, and part of her soul went out to the child. She had seen that look in T.K.'s eyes often enough. Both several years before when he didn't know that she was watching and even now when he knew that she was and didn't really mind.
T.K. stood quite still, a serious look in his eyes as he watched T'Kai circle the light in the center of the room. And there, within that glowing essence, resided the mysterious figure from the boyish a'ladon's sketches. The young and completely innocent-looking female that T'Kai had conjured in his mind and then set to drawing in his book on the night of their departure.
T'Kai was drawn to the girl within the light, the vision that had haunted his nightly dreams since before he could remember. "Who... who is she?" he whispered, quite evidently captivated by the sight.
Kari's eyes burned as she waited an answer from the older creature. "Her name," the Reverend Mother began, "is Kiara, and she has been raised from birth to know what her duty in life is to be." These last words were spoken somewhat defensively, and evidently intended for Kari. "After you, T'Kai, take her to the mountain home of that vile creature, she will stay there as our atonement for sins committed so long ago that they were ancient even to the great-grandfather of King Mylam. That is the agreement, and the price for our continued existence."
Kari's teeth clamped together. "You mean a slave? She had no say in this?" she demanded.
The other's eyes lowered. "Call it as you will. We like it no better than you, Lady Hikari, but it is a small price to pay for tens of thousands of lives." Then the Reverend looked closely at T'Kai, whose eyes had yet to leave the still form of the girl Kiara... not even for a moment. "Take her hand, Warden, and lead her from the light."
The young a'ladon hesitated, then did as he was told. His paw was trembling, but at his touch the girl Kiara stepped forward to his side and stood before him silently and with her head bowed. The boy was confused, for though she had moved to join him her eyes remained closed and her breathing steady. "What's wrong with her?" he asked.
"She sleeps," the Reverend said. "She will continue to do so until she arrives at her final destination, where she will finally awaken in the presence of the demon god. While she sleeps she will need no food or nourishment of any kind, and she will be safe from any that seek to do her harm. You, Warden, are simply there to lead her to her destination, for she cannot find her way alone as she is now. She will be bound to you, mirroring your every step and will obey commands that you give her, if they are simple enough for her subconscious mind to understand."
T'Kai nodded, though T.K. was not certain that the boy actually heard the instructions, as his mind was quite clearly occupied at the time. The girl Kiara, stood quietly at his side, her eyes still closed and her paw still clasped tightly within T'Kai's.
Satisfied that the young a'ladon Warden did indeed understand, the Reverend Mother moved from the doorway and waved the group back the way that they had come. "Return to the room of reckoning," she instructed. "By now the others will have returned and will see to any needs that you may have before you are sent on your way."
T'Kai hardly seemed to hear the words, so T.K. nodded in his stead and led the others from the room. The Reverend Mother watched them go, and as they moved around the first bend she fell to her knees, tears welling within her eyes. "Oh, Lady Hikari, you have no idea how little we like it, for it hurts. Hurts more than you hopefully will ever know... "
"It never gets any easier, does it?" a deep voice whispered from behind her.
The woman did not turn. She knew the voice quite well... indeed, had been expecting it after having spoken with the group. "They said that you had had appeared to them. Why do you insist on being here if you refuse to stop this?" The words were bitter... accusatory.
Cheyne stepped forward and placed a gentle paw on the female's shoulder. "What would you have me do, Auna? It is not for me to forgive the sins of your people, and the price is not one easily paid. You are loved, but love alone cannot cover what your ancestors have done."
The other bit her lip. "And how long must we suffer for their indiscretions, Cheyne? Millennia? There was a time when we were called blessed for our piety. Yet now we are dependant upon an alien child to deliver us from our troubles. By chance alone he came to us to free us when we were slaves within our own land, and now he has returned to..."
The priestess trailed off, and the male voice at her back grew deeper. "Chance? You blaspheme, Auna, and you're wiser than that. Chance is for the ignorant and the heathen... Hope and Faith are for you. Who are you to decide how your race shall be delivered?" The paw resting on her shoulder gave a gesture towards the doorway. "There go two the like of which have seldom come together in all of recorded history. Even if they know it not, they are servants of the One. We shall not bring an end... they may. It has not been given to me to know. But the conditions are now right."
The Reverend Mother thought back to the time when she had briefly touched the minds of the Lord Takeru and the Lady Hikari. She had been somewhat surprised at what she found therein. She had thought that after three hundred years they would have been older, yet they still thought as children. " A difficult burden to place on so young a pair, Cheyne."
"Perhaps," the other answered simply. "Perhaps not. As I have said... it is not for you to say." And then, without another word, he was gone from her presence.