Intro
Fire. So much fire. Everywhere I look there's hot burning fire. All is burning, everything is burning. Everyone is burning. Screams of those dying praying for it to all stop. The smell of melting flesh, body parts strewn about from battle, charred remains surround me. Friends and family, dead. Our homes, our ships, our livelihoods all destroyed.
The Palace. Our beloved King and Queen, their beautiful unborn child all turned to ash.
Panic sets in as I look around for the culprit. 'Who would do this?' I ask myself, tears streaming down my face. 'Why would they do this?'.
In the corner of my eye I see someone, tall and dark walking towards me with steady calculated steps. The closer they get I notice they are male, a male not of my clan, but from a clan so dishonourable, so evil, that they are no longer part of society. He stops not ten feet from me with an aura of death and hatred emitting from his very core towards me. A black mask with a red visor staring at me with evil intent as he glares into my very being.
"You will all suffer. You will all die by our hands. You have weakened our race, tarnished our bloodlines with that of Prey and yet call us the badbloods, the dishonourable". He growls harshly at me.
"You, who calls themselves honorable, loyal! Breeding with scum, creating abominations, all in the name of peace". He continues.
"You make me sick". He says as he aims his shoulder canon at me. "Now you will pay with your life".
He fires.
"NO!!" I roar as I wake up from that horrible nightmare, my pelts sticking to my sweaty body. My limbs shaking with fear and anger, my heart hammering in my chest. I check my body to see if it truly was just a nightmare.
'What was that? Was it a vision? Who were those badbloods?'. I ask myself, trying to control my erratic breathing.
After taking several deep, steadying breaths, I finally get out of bed and head to the wet room. There the eta cleanse me thoroughly as I soak in the swimming pool size tub filled with steaming hot water and essential oils. After towel drying myself I change into the clothing worn only by someone of my rank, a high priestess. The eta put oil in my locks and adorn me with my head piece and jewellery. Making sure I am presentable, I head straight for the door and make my way to the house of prayers.
The twin suns were high in the scarlett red sky, bringing warmth and light to all around, putting a slight smile on my face even after last night's horrible dream.
Warriors and hunters, huntress' and children all mingle around the city square, laughing and playing, crying and fighting. Some were bartering with shopkeepers while others just observing the many trinkets, food, clothing and other things available to them.
Large lizard like birds fly over head towards my destination. A gigantic pyramid shaped building home only to the priests, priestess' and their eta, surrounded by the lava river that travels down from Mt Hos'ht. Huge monuments of warriors from days of old, line either side of the single granite bridge proudly standing there sentinel as if they are protecting the very reason for our existence, our gods, Paya, the mother of creation and life mate to Cetanu, the warrior god of death.
Reaching the grand entrance of the pyramid, I am greeted by the buildings guards Ato'she and Bhuja, two renowned warriors in my clan, the seers.
After nodding my head in greeting to the guards I continue my way through the pyramid. Tapestries hang on either side of the long hall, depicting of long ago battles and wars against the deadliest of foes, warriors and hunters alike standing triumphant roaring their victories with their combi sticks held high above their heads. Torches lit on every column, the smell of the ooman flower lavender drifts through the hall, giving an immediate calming effect, to which my body responds to as I begin to feel my muscles relax.
As I approach the large granite door at the bottom of the hall I see the high priest Mor'vek, my long time friend and father to my eldest daughter Tis'hia.
"Greetings Kiota". He calls to me smiling.
"Greetings Mor'vek, what brings you here today?". I reply, not expecting to see him until next month during the mating season.
"I am here to speak with Cetanu. I had what I think was a vision last night". He replies, with a look of horror in his eyes.
"What was it about?". I ask worriedly.
"Our world was destroyed because of a child of two worlds". He whispers, to which I feel the colour drain from my face as realisation dawns.
"I had the same vision. How can this be? How could we both have the same vision? I whisper back, my voice shaken.
"Unless...no, that cannot be. Could it be a prophecy?". I quickly add.
"Yes". He says, after a few moments of silence.
"Oh Paya help us".
Hey everyone... sorry I took so long again in writing/updating anything but I've decided to rewrite The Prophet as I noticed everything was a bit rushed in my previous one, so I've decided to try again and I hope I have made progress in my writing and that you all enjoy it. Please feel free to let me know if anything you think I should change or that could be made better. See you all for the next chapter. HQ xx
