Chapter Six: Sada
"STOP!" Rocking back and forth wasn't working. "JUST GO AWAY!" I pulled my head between my arms, cradling the heaviness that lay there. But the burning was the worst. It seared my skin, consuming beyond point of sight, overriding my nerves until I couldn't move to scrape my own chest.
"LEAVE!" I howled in anger. Visions of yesterday flashed in my mind. It was the first time I had cut the sacred star. She was dead, lying at my feet. My people hadn't kept her safe while I fought to keep them safe, and I took out my silver blade, cutting my star.
"Fourhundredyearspastandgone, fourhundredyearspastandgone, fourhundredyearspastandgone." slurring left my mouth as deep emotional pain that had been suppressed by cutting the star echoed throughout my body. I could feel heat and light, though, exploding from the candle ring, keeping me in and presumably the entire Dynasty out. "LET ME GO!"
I could see her in my mind.the hair.those eyes.like sweet, dark shade with sun gently coming down.her lips.I could hear her voice.and it haunted me. I hadn't been haunted for quite a long time, and I had used Dynasty magic to cure it, but here, the Dynasty's powers couldn't reach. Memories crashed into my consciousness again of her face, her simple, earthen beauty unhidden by clothing. How had I forgotten?
Light stabbed through my eyes. I heard a splintering sound. "AH!" I felt my retinas burn as a smell of sweet rose, cherry, and spice fragrances reached my nose.
I was standing outside, under the blooming cherry tree, waiting in a black kimono, as nervous as possible. I turned as she came out to join me, dressed beautifully in a white kimono with beautiful rose embroidered into the fine silk. Her long, ebony hair was pulled up with jade hairpins with two pearls a piece, and she was the perfection of all women.Sada.Sada.Sada.Sada.Sada.I had been forever since I had thought her name, ages since I remembered that moment. "Sada," a simple whisper left my lips.
Ages stood still as I moved, wincing at the pain in my chest. I had curled up into a fetal position near the center of the circle, practically at the foot of the casket. I swallowed, unbelieving as to what I had uttered. I stared out of blurred eyes at the flaming candles, now seemingly normal. I tilted to look at the casket, hardly moving. It had broken in pieces. All that remained was a pile of clay and dust. I blinked, trying to see the priestess, and then I saw a hand. It barely poked out of the rubble, but I could identify it only by three fingertips.
"Priestess," I groped for my voice and managed a hoarse whisper. "Show yourself."
The wait could have been centuries, or only minutes, but the hand finally moved. She coughed, and began to scatter the dust from on top of her. I choked, dust filling my already murky vision, and I saw no part of her. "Be merciful," I whispered and a cough followed it. "Be merciful to those who don't know whom they disturb."
She coughed a little, and whispered, "May I ask your name?" I choked again, opening my eyes, trying to look up at her, but pain racked my body, and I yelled out.
"S." I gagged on the dust. "Sada." I heard her voice. If I could open my eyes, I could see and know for sure whether an illusion stood in front of me or not.
"Why.am I deceived?" Her voice was a simple whisper. I felt movement near my body as I strained to see, but to no avail. She began to remove my helmet from my head, and when the weight was fully gone, I heard her gasp. "Dais."
"STOP!" Rocking back and forth wasn't working. "JUST GO AWAY!" I pulled my head between my arms, cradling the heaviness that lay there. But the burning was the worst. It seared my skin, consuming beyond point of sight, overriding my nerves until I couldn't move to scrape my own chest.
"LEAVE!" I howled in anger. Visions of yesterday flashed in my mind. It was the first time I had cut the sacred star. She was dead, lying at my feet. My people hadn't kept her safe while I fought to keep them safe, and I took out my silver blade, cutting my star.
"Fourhundredyearspastandgone, fourhundredyearspastandgone, fourhundredyearspastandgone." slurring left my mouth as deep emotional pain that had been suppressed by cutting the star echoed throughout my body. I could feel heat and light, though, exploding from the candle ring, keeping me in and presumably the entire Dynasty out. "LET ME GO!"
I could see her in my mind.the hair.those eyes.like sweet, dark shade with sun gently coming down.her lips.I could hear her voice.and it haunted me. I hadn't been haunted for quite a long time, and I had used Dynasty magic to cure it, but here, the Dynasty's powers couldn't reach. Memories crashed into my consciousness again of her face, her simple, earthen beauty unhidden by clothing. How had I forgotten?
Light stabbed through my eyes. I heard a splintering sound. "AH!" I felt my retinas burn as a smell of sweet rose, cherry, and spice fragrances reached my nose.
I was standing outside, under the blooming cherry tree, waiting in a black kimono, as nervous as possible. I turned as she came out to join me, dressed beautifully in a white kimono with beautiful rose embroidered into the fine silk. Her long, ebony hair was pulled up with jade hairpins with two pearls a piece, and she was the perfection of all women.Sada.Sada.Sada.Sada.Sada.I had been forever since I had thought her name, ages since I remembered that moment. "Sada," a simple whisper left my lips.
Ages stood still as I moved, wincing at the pain in my chest. I had curled up into a fetal position near the center of the circle, practically at the foot of the casket. I swallowed, unbelieving as to what I had uttered. I stared out of blurred eyes at the flaming candles, now seemingly normal. I tilted to look at the casket, hardly moving. It had broken in pieces. All that remained was a pile of clay and dust. I blinked, trying to see the priestess, and then I saw a hand. It barely poked out of the rubble, but I could identify it only by three fingertips.
"Priestess," I groped for my voice and managed a hoarse whisper. "Show yourself."
The wait could have been centuries, or only minutes, but the hand finally moved. She coughed, and began to scatter the dust from on top of her. I choked, dust filling my already murky vision, and I saw no part of her. "Be merciful," I whispered and a cough followed it. "Be merciful to those who don't know whom they disturb."
She coughed a little, and whispered, "May I ask your name?" I choked again, opening my eyes, trying to look up at her, but pain racked my body, and I yelled out.
"S." I gagged on the dust. "Sada." I heard her voice. If I could open my eyes, I could see and know for sure whether an illusion stood in front of me or not.
"Why.am I deceived?" Her voice was a simple whisper. I felt movement near my body as I strained to see, but to no avail. She began to remove my helmet from my head, and when the weight was fully gone, I heard her gasp. "Dais."