Part 1: Piece of fable.
Selena
She didn't know how her parents had died, no she did, it was a fire. But who caused it, she wonders- such fire that burnt half the castle- and why. A secret the people close to her all seemed to keep. No one tells her: not the elders of the temple, not her best friend- Khaln, not her teacher and the closest thing she has to a mother- Wema... The frustration grows each day like a cancer, it was killing her.
She fitted the last books in their places on the shelves and stood back admiring her work. The books were finely arranged on the long shelves that reached the top of the hundred feet walls of the big library. Selena had been at it for hours, the hardest was not arranging them, it was tracing the spot they were before Wema inconsiderately brought it all down. Now tired, she slumped hands on knees, but smiling with a sense of satisfaction of completing her task. She stayed in her state a moment more, before heading to the door out.
Cluto the library watcher was reading at his desk. He was a skinny dark skinned young man with an afro, the badge of his order on his chest. "Cluto, I am leaving." She called.
The man murmured something under his breath and waved dismissively, his head not leaving the pages.
"Right?" Selena muttered with humour before going through the door, down the stone stairs,and into the temple's hall.
The temple's hall. A big hall with a blue pool at the centre, its ceiling two hundred feet high and vaulted, and its floor made of black marbles. Worshipers were about mostly at the stone statues of Cairia gods on the walls: Hayaki the two headed smoke god, Karsa the four armed sand god, Kawy the goddess of beauty, Sarki king of the gods... It went. These gods are older than the Persa and Hark gods- Cairian gods. Only the one benevolent god of the Wallers is said to be older- that one has no name.
Wema was standing supported by her long stick at the pool looking in it. The stick was longer than she was tall- Wema was never that tall. She was a dark skinned small old woman, her hair all greyed and kept in long braids that reach just past her shoulders, her wrinkled skin in a black hooded robe. Despite appearing weak she is the priestess of Cairia's temple, and the high sorceress of the empire- a powerful existence. No one knew how old she has lived, some says centuries others claimed no knowledge. But a fact all agrees to is she's old, very old, one of the oldest things walking around.
Selena went to her. "Wema I am off." She said.
Wema lifted her head from the pool, turned, looking at Selena with her grey old eyes. "Where to?" She asked. The words came out slow, gruff, and old. Like a small shacking would take its owner to the grave.
"To Khaln," Selena replied, "I wanted to see how she is doing." Selena's friend, princess Khaln. Is set to marry a womanizing prince of the south kingdom Fortwall to stop a war between the two kingdoms of the same empire. If she was the woman, she'd take the news hard. She only heard it just after Wema brought down the books in the library- in search of an old book- now she was worried sick and wanted to check on her friend.
Wema looked back at the pool. "The spirit water is as clear as yesterday," she said, "as the day before that." The woman always said strange obvious things. Selena could not think anything the spirit water could be unless clear- it's one of the thing that makes it special. Wema started trudging away. "I am going to seclusion with the spirit water. Keep this place together while I am away."
Selena frowned. Anytime Wema takes the spirit water to seclusion it almost kills her. "You can't do that!" She called. "It might kill you."
"Then so be it." Wema replied. The old woman stopped, turned, looked at the ceiling. "You are supposed to child, can't you see it?"
Selena looked up at the ceiling confused what she should see, before realising the woman is just talking strange again. Wema went on. "The weathers are getting extreme, it's just a matter of time before the heat kills us and the cold freeze the other races. That's even before something else has the chance to... I...I.. have to find a solution and fast." Dread in the powerful sorceress voice.
Fear swirled in Selena. "Wha... What are you talking about Wema?" She asked, her voice trembling.
Wema gave a soft chuckle-showing reddish brown teeth-, turned to Selena, her eyes glittering with amusement. "Hopefully just empty words from a senile, paranoid old woman that could die in her sleep any day." She turned away and continued walking. "Stay at peace Selena. And tell Khaln I never knew even she couldn't resist a handsome gallant prince."
Wema joked, but somehow that did not help the fear Selena felt, it wasn't empty words she knew. At least the weather part. The heat is really getting unbearable, and it wasn't close to the hottest month yet, but its the hottest Cairia have ever been for all Selena knew. She watched Wema walk unto a set of stairs leading down, before turning.
Outside, the sun was high in the middle of the sky, shinning brightly and burning down with an unforgiving heat as if it's some kind of punishment by the heavens. And it was scarce to see anyone working outside at noon. Except slaves and soldiers and guards, even the traders have shades made of special heat resisting materials or cooling artifacts.
Selena walked down the stairs from the veranda- as people went in and out of the temple, through any one of its three arches- to a waiting horse in a shade beside the high tower of the temple. She mounted and sent it racing towards the king's castle.
Traders called for customers, from their shades, knights rode past in the sun: their golden capes fluttering, and apprentices of different orders ran errands. She finally made it to the castle. Showing her badge as a worker in the temple and was let through.
Khaln lived in a fenced tower beside the kings tower, a bridge connected the two towers to the third- a bridge with scarce a sentry atop. Selena navigated the castle through courtyards and keeps some that had squires hard on training, clashing swords with tired hands. Then passed portcullises and covered brigades to which she glimpsed castle cats or lazy lords on shades. At last she came up at the big bronze rusty gates of Khaln's courters. Two blue armored guards holding spears, letting her through.
The courtyard was floored with white rectangular marbles, cleaner parts shinning under the sun. Sand could only be sighted around the old crimson leafed tree: for the roots. She found Khaln there, under the big old tree, reading. Khaln lifted her head as Selena approached, placed a leaf between the pages she was reading, closed the book, and carefully hid it under a cloth beside her. "If it's not the savoir princess." Selena called smiling as she reached.
Gazing at the bark of the big tree were she had carved thirty six lines. Each one she carved every time Khaln hid the truth of the castle fire, that killed her parents from her.
"I am no savoir." Khaln replied bluntly. Selena snorted in amusement, and sank lazily beside her friend, leaning her back to the rough surface of the big tree. Sweaty and spent from the still glaring sun.
Khaln adjusted, seating cross legged, her gaze void of emotions. "You are no savoir." Selena agreed. "You are a prophet, doing the saving bindings of some benevolent god. If not why marry an imbecile prince...."
Khaln did not respond, she just stared at her fingers with her brilliant black eyes, her well lined eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully. "Do you like him?" Selena asked.
Her friend looked ahead, her eyes going distant. "You know I don't." She said. Silence fell. It was then that Selena took a better look at her friend, noticing the tiredness and weariness in the princess. Khaln is just nineteen, same age as her, yet she shoulders such heavy burdens. A wonder they are friends, as Selena could never do that, never hold such responsibilities. The two: one a temple girl the other a princess... They surely come from different worlds.
Far different even in looks. Though they both has the dark skin coloring of Cairians. Khaln is six feet tall, with a smooth beautiful face. Her black hair styled finely in a Bantu knot, with her smooth skin in a delicate black dress. Fine eyebrows, big eyes, and a lean curvy body. Seating even without shoes, her beauty was undeniable. Expected of a woman deemed the most peerless woman in the north of Adaki empire.
Selena was a different story. She was only five feet ten. Which she likes, but she hates that her face is riddled with small spots she could not get rid of. Her hair in old braids she could not maintain, and her less perfect skin in a purple robe of the order of the temple. Though she is lean she is not curvy. And her eyes are brown not black- she looked liked most every other girl.
But even with all her imperfection and Khaln's near perfection, Selena did not feel any envy. As the gods gives different gifts. Beauty is Khaln's, Selena's is magic: the chance to be among the few humans that could wield the art of sorcery. It's luck more than anything. What many would kill for. And she would choose her gift above Khaln's any day.
Selena gazed at her friend somehow feeling the weight the other carried. She tried to reach her, but Khaln is pushing her out. The silence carried on. Suddenly bored, Selena looked up at the leaves spread on the branches above. "Stapi." She chanted quietly. Sticking out her index finger, beckoning some leaves to her. They were plucked from the tree by an invincible force and fell on her palm under her control. She arranged them, afterwards shredding them to pieces.
Khaln looked annoyed at that, the first emotions she showed since Selena came. "You might as well cut the tree while you are at it," she said, "so Tula could work more harder." Selena rolled her eyes neglecting her, then used her magic to send them away. They vanished as if they were mirages.
Selena would not waste the opening though. She placed a hand on Khaln sleeved arm. Khaln turned to it slowly, watching the hand like it was something alien. "Khaln," Selena called softly. Khaln lifted her head to meet her eyes. "You don't have to do this." Selena told her. "We can tell Wema..... she might speak to your father.... talk sense into him..."
"No." Khaln said, shaking her head stubbornly. "I gave my consent before father announced it... I can't go back on my words."
"but.." Selena started desperately...,
"no buts Selena..." Khaln cut her off. Selena's words got caught in throat and she just listened with a deep sense of helplessness. Not Khaln nor Wema listens to her. Khaln went on. "The war between Fortwall and Cairia has gone on for too long," she said, "far long a time. A war lasting for almost ten centuries yet not any close to the end than when it began..... Do you know?, more than four hundred soldiers die a month. My fathers kills in the war twice as much. That's him the king that don't spend much time in the battle field. What about Almar, Saark, and even Gard that spends the entirety of there lives in the battle field?" Khaln turned to Selena, she was in deadly earnest. "Do you know how many they have killed?"
Selena wiped sweat from from her forehead. "One, two..." She counted. Noticing Khaln's seriousness still not abated she sighed. "No."
Khaln looked away, ahead, her eyes going distant again.."I don't either." she admitted. "But people are dying, innocents at both sides. Someone has to stop this, and if it is me and if this is the price I have to pay then I am willing to. The Wallers wants a marriage... I will give it to them." Her voice and tone like she could move armies through every hell and depth.
Still Selena did not think it would end well. Prince Michael has a reputation. "Don't you know what is said about him?" She asked. Her frustration unquenched. "They said he has slept with almost every woman in Ctade city, he goes after even married women, slept with more than a thousand, and keeps there knickers as trophies...."
"Sounds like lies to me." Khaln retorted.
"Maybe." Selena admitted. "But I imaging they is some truth in it."
Khaln shrugged, picked her book from underneath the cloth and stood stretching. "That we will find out," she said, stifling a yawn with her free hand. "The prince is bound here anyway, if I see I cannot go with the marriage I can always stop him at the engagement battle."
Selena thought about it. The engagement battle is the fight for the hand in marriage of a Cairian princess. The princess chooses the opponents, if she likes the man she goes easy,if she don't they is no way he's passing. It is a good plan. Khaln continued. "Let's go inside, the heat is too much out here."
It was true. Even with the shade the heat was getting unbearable. Of course Khaln was all right. Khaln could hide her strangeness from everyone but not Selena. And Selena was hell bent on finding out her friend's secret. "Not that it affects you." She said. "Wema said when the castle caught fire... you were the only one that made it out from the side it started... you weren't even burnt." Afterwards she studied her friend's expression, soon disappointed to see Khaln's normal expressionless face staring back at her.
"Don't tell me!" She snapped growing angry. "I promise you one day Khaln, one day I will discover your secret."
"You are Selena..." Khaln pointed as if it was a fact, not seeming bothered in the least. "I have no doubt you would. Though I am afraid you wouldn't like it or me afterwards..." She smiled down ruefully. "Really let's go inside."
The tower leading to Khaln's room was beside them. An arch metal red door as entrance. Leaves blown by air drifted, and drifting towards it, making it look desolate. Its black ancient walls promising protection from the heat. Selena bit her lip giving up for now. Among Khaln's secretes is heat never affects her. Not the heat of the day, or of fire. When Selena searched for such people from books, only three stood out. Either Khaln is a spirit of fire, one of the snake bloods, or a Queen Phoenix. Which were hard to say; one was frightening to think of, the other would cause a storm in the empire, and the last rare.
"Fine." Selena agreed. "But I need to add a mark first." She shifted and turned to the old tree and the thirty six lines on it. A carving stone appearing in her hand. Though she could not uncover Khaln's secret and how it relates to her parents death this time, she would not give up, she would try for more than a thousand times until she does.... One day.
She carved the thirty seventh line.
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Khaln is pronounced: Ka-ha-lan.