The Gates.
This was where you could see everything and even more if the more rumors were true. Rumors of other cities like Triberias and priestdoms under them. No one had ever checked or investigated those sentiments to find out if it was true and the fact that grandmother had left Bethesda as just a babe meant that Tamaar had also never had a chance to do so. Maybe Lionel had as the Appriser or the Chamberlain as he was the only oldest among them, among the circle of the Elders, but knowing them and the role that their ancestors had played in the ascension, Tamaar could not imagine any of them troubling themselves with such trivial matters. Was not that why Lionel had continuously laboured Havillah with the reading of his scrolls... No, he could not be bothered to do so himself as what had always interested him was what he already knew or what he could use to push along his own wicked agendas.
Tamaar had known. Tamaar had always known what he did to her daughter, but until then he had never dared to harm her like he had done this time. They truly thought that she would not know. The whole council and even Jaykob had tried to hide it from her, but she had known the moment it happened.
They had sent the hoard after her own baby.
Silently, Tamaar seethed. Had they truly thought that she would not know? That she, a true descendant of the High Priests would not find out? She laughed bitterly.
They truly thought that she did not know. That she was not aware of her own lineage, her heritage... Otherwise, why else had their ancestors voted for the Chamberlains and installed them into place when they clearly knew of her family's existence and their claim to that position? They could have it. She told herself. They could all have it. She was done trying to save them and their wretched city anyway and when time called for it, she would come back and retrieve her sons to take them back home. For now she just had to bid her time and also make sure that Havillah was well. Until then, she would not make up any more plans and would wait to see how things played out.
As Tamaar turned around to view the city for one last time,two familiar faces bobbed into view. The yellow locks of Kiera caught her eyes and Moriella too whose red robes closely resembled Havillah's that is, before she had been stripped off of her Virtue and cast away to the world below.
"We want to come with you..." Kiera cried as she rushed out to take the Elder's hand in a tight grip.
"But how... How did you know?"
"We were hiding. We always come out here to look for Havillah." Moriella told her.
"But girls..."
"Please don't stop us. We have tried to access it via the viewpoint like Havillah did before, but it is now virtually impossible."
"Yes, that must be because of the gates, but I know a way out." the woman said even as she dug in deep into her sleeves to retrieve a small glowing crystal. She proceeded to hold it out in front of her and as she did so she channeled her Second Virtue into it and slowly, the crystal seemed to grow not just in size but in brilliance as well until it finally resembled a miniature version of the Hope of Triberias. Tamaar turned about and immediately the surface under their feet shook as the once invisible golden gates of Triberias came into view.
They were endless extending upwards then sideways as far as their eyes could see.
"I... I never knew those were there." Kiera remarked as she stretched a hand to reach out for one of the golden grills.
"Ah ah... I wouldn't do that if I were you."Tamaar warned as she quickly pulled back the girl's hand, saving her from the imminent death that would come from the touching of the golden gates.
" How then will we get out? "
" Follow me. " Tamaar said as she grasped each girl by the hand and pulled them towards the gates. Like a vision the gates momentarily shimmered out of place before settling back right after the trio had gone through. "Now we must fly and fly hard as they will soon find this out and come out hot on our tails." she smiled back even as she looked back at the city she loved fondly. If they had not yet felt the breach then she was sure that Jaykob would alert them. It was sad, but she could not blame him. He only did what he felt that he had to do, but it was rather unfortunate that it also meant that he was also betraying her. She quickly put the dimmed crystal away, weak at having exerted her Virtue too much. Every one was given one opportunity. Everyone in her family and she had expended hers. She could only now hope that the unsealing would take more time than it had taken her to break them out.