The raindrops were hitting the glass of my window slowly.
Every drop made me remember the tears in my mom's eyes when my father took me from her arms.
I was so young, I couldn't say goodbye or I love you mom the only thing that I could do it was cry and cry.
After this day I arrived in this colony... I was young but I knew that was my new "sweet" home. The Colony of Douléia, the most important colony of reproduction at Mor Empire. I met Drusilia in this same day, she is my first and best friend in this jungle of ice and stones.
We grew up and learned how to survive tougher. We are a family, I protect her and she protects me.
I never hear from my parents again, when a girl arrives at Douléia or at another colony, the Igetis who controls all the women that live in their colony and the diokets whose work is teaching this women to be a good mistress or a good royal breeder. They destroy all of them possibilities to contact the outside world.
- Kristma? Are you there?
I hear Drusilia's voice echoing in my old and musty room.
My eyes flow through the quarter and end up in Drusilia.
- Hi Drus... The rain it's too heavy... Hey! You remember when we were kids and...
- I know. - Drusilia interrupted me.
- What's wrong?
- The Igietis Cezare is looking for you... I think someone bought you...
A mix of sadness and loneliness filled up on Drusilia's eyes and condensed into uneven tears streaming down on her face.
I understood what those tears meant. I would never see my friend's face again. More one time someone would be pulled out of my life.
Two drops of sadness emerged in my eyes, I was not ready to say goodbye and I lost my mind in that moment and so I ran into her arms and cried.
- Please... Don't forget about me -Drusilia cried against my shoulders.
- I won't! I won't forget about you... About our friendship, about our days playing by the river while dioket Johansson was screaming our names in the main theater...
We laughed with that glimpse from those years, our sunny and sweet days in the past.
- You should go... He is waiting for you in the council hall...
- I know it...
- Please, take care of yourself...
- You too...
More tears fell from my eyes
- I will miss you Kris... The life for a pallaki is hard but you can survive... - A hiccup emerged from her throat - Please... Always remember our best weapons...
- The courage, the intelligence and the cunning...
- Yes...
- Kristma of Douléia! The Igietis Cezare is requiring your presence to start the ceremony of initiation Pallaki! - Called out a strange voice outside my chalet.
- You need to go...
- I know...
The taste of our hug ended.
- Drus... Don't trust dioketes Johansson! I heard that all girls that go to his chalet are being raped... Don't let him take you to his home...
Her eyes filled me again.
Our happy moments made me forget about the pain and the sadness that I felt every time I think about my mom.
We hug one last time and I obeyed the voice that was calling me.
🌫❄🌫
The rain was not as heavy as I thought but the mud mixed with the thin layer of snow was terribly slippery and wet.
The wooden old door was behind me, in the middle of snow a old woman was waiting me. Her dress was dirty and the dark blue of her cloak no longer revealed the splendor of the past.
- This is your time pallaki your master is waiting you so that the ceremony will start!
- I'm ready!
I follow her to the large construction made of rustic wooden and grey marble.
The day was too cold and I cursed the winter for that.
- You're lucky Kristma of Douléia... Your master is a Iudex.
- Thank you.
- He has a harem in the land of Andrismus... Maybe you will be sent to there...
- Yes... Maybe... do you know his name?
- Iudex Cael. Kristma... Can I ask you a question?
- Yes.
- Do you what to do in the ceremony?
- Yes... The Igietis Cezare will give me the white cape and we gonna wait until the minister call us inside...
- And then the Igietis Cezare will take you to your master... - The old lady said.
- And my master will take me as his pallaki and the ceremony will finish.
That was the worse part, the end of the ceremony... I will swear my loyalty, my life and my future to a stranger.
I don't know all things about the Iudexes but all pornes and pallakis from this region say that the Iudexes are the worse caste in Mor.
- Good my future pallaki!- The old woman praised me.
I abandoned my thoughts when a majestic castle ornamented in a variety shades of brown and gray deriving from union of the innumerable wood amount and marble used to build that manor house rised in front of me.
A lot of Mor soldiers were around the castle and a log red carpet was resting on the ground creating behind the soldiers, the snow and the black stones a passageway towards the solid marble door.
I walked slowly among the men wearing black and boasting their golden swords.
Next to the big door the Igietis Cezare was waiting me. His black hair was brushed and his mantle was as red as the blood pounding through my varicose veins.
Step by step I was getting closer him, Cezare was too serious it seemed that the of his eyes was ice.
- Are you ready Kristma?
- Yes sir.
- Get your cape. -Cezare hand me the white cape with expressing a deep disdain in his face- Don't say anything stupid! You gonna meet your master, If I were you I'd lean to keep the mouth closed!
I ignored his words and focused on my cape.
- You are lucky Kristma... Your master is a...
- Iudex. I know it...
- Shut your mouth your slut! If I were your master I would punish your for this! I hope your master know how to control you...
And once again I ignored him.
From the day when I arrived here he treats me like this. I was always the impulsive, the liar, the rebel, the dummy.... In another words... I was the big snake of this colony! But I never understood why...
The door opened quietly revealing a long and fancy hall.
There was an warm wind whispering gently between the golden chandeliers hanging on the ceiling.
- Come on Kristma of Douleia! - Igietis Cezare said harshly and I obeyed in silence.
We entered the castle, Igietis Cezare was by my side as inflexible as a mountain.
I lived here for years supposing my father just abandoned me and dropped me out forever but now I realized that he did worse! He sold me as if I were a cow!
For two seconds my mind figured out the perfect plan to escape but the reality called me back making me remember that I was a futurepallaki and according the law all future pallakis who leave the pallaki ceremony are decapitated.
A sad melody filled my ears, it was the first part of that ritual.
Suddenly, a big party room emerged in my field of view. Some golden chandeliers were adorning that room. The floor was black and the walls were covered with golden leaves. It a caricature attempt to replicate the lost forest of Tecnus. The mystical world that only existed in the kids stores that my mom used tell me before bed.
More five steps.
My hands were shredded and the dance room was not so far away. Quite the opposite, Igietis Cezare and me were inside the big lounge.
There was a red circle in the middle of the room a handsome man with grey eyes was sitting on a fancy fold throne. His black hair was short and it was twisted in some waves.
He was looking at me, my long cape was hiding my the curves of my body but it didn't do the same with my face.
My golden face and my long black hair were visible.
- Master Iudex Cael of Mor! - Proclaimed Igietis Cezare next to me - Here is your new pallaki! Begin the ceremony!
The surrounding people. All them Dioketes and Igietis from the other colonies, were in silence waiting for the ritual.
The musicians, obeying the Igietis Cezare and began to play an intense melody.
From that moment the ritual was initiated and unfortunately I knew what to do.
I began to move towards the men sitting in the throne.
My heart was filling up with every hatred. I wish I could get put of there, the beauty of that Iudex wasn't enough to make me agree with that.
I wanted came back to my home. I was afraid but I didn't want to die so to surve I needed keep walking.
I let the song guide me toward that Iudex and accept that man as my master to use my body whatever way he could want.
I got to the circle. Iudex's eyes were on me, like a hunter stalking his prey. I tried ignore my afraid and I got on my knees and I hunched my body exactly as the ritual requested and I kissed his feet and his hands as a mark of my respect and loyalty to my master.
- Now the greatest master will give to your pallaki the necklace as a sign of pallaki acceptance!
The Iudex reached out and hung around my neck a winding diamond trail. After this gesture he helped me to stand on my feet and gently he leads me to the holy fire.