I walk with Bav among the throng of people, going about their way. Many people, I notice, are talking with a white robed priest or are gathered around one that is speaking. Listening to what one nearby, I realize that they are teaching the people about the Elements.
'We are at an Elemental temple? His acquaintance is meeting us here? Odd place for a meeting.. Wait didn't he say Priestess earlier?'
I think to myself before asking Bav, "Indulge me, dear husband, who are we meeting with again?"
Bav, who has been quiet since we left the room, spares me a smile before tightening his grasp of my hand hooked around his arm. "Amara. I've never met her in person myself, so once inside, I will have to inquire with a priest."
I nod as we begin to walk up the steps to the three sets of massive doorways that went up three stories and were easily twenty feet wide. I saw the massive gears that work them sticking out like hinges. We enter the vast entry hall that's lit by lamps so well, my eyes do not need to adjust from being in the sunlight. I open my eyes wide as I look around and notice the gigantic statues of the First Elements. I look up to the top of the statues and can't believe my eyes.
'THESE ARE TALLER THAN THE BALCONY OF THE HOTEL!'
"Impressed?" Bav leans close to me, whispering the question.
I snap my head to look at him and clear my throat. "I've never seen statues of the First Elements done on such a grand scale before." I straighten my back and neck, sniffing at his teasing.
"If you consider our humble statues grand, my dear, you should travel to the Temple of the First Elements on the other side of the world. I was blessed to see them once and they dwarf ours here for sure."
An older woman's voice joins our conversation, making us stop and turn around. She is dressed in the white priestess robes, her long silver hair is plaited over her shoulder, a circlet of platinum adorns the crest of her brow. Her face is kind, holding onto the shape of beauty of her youth, with only laugh and smile lines showing.
"Good day, Priestess. I hope I will get the opportunity to travel that far one day." I give her a light curtsy and nod of my head, before checking to see if she's blind like the priests I've seen so far.
"I am not blind, you don't need to check my eyes, young lady. You must be Rakara Langridge and her husband, Bavarthos Fairchild. I am the Priestess Amara. I have been expecting you, please follow me." She smiles warmly, gesturing us to follow her.
She leads us among the small crowds of people that are gathered here and there, in thought, prayer, or conversing with others. We walk down through the giant hall and curiosity gets the better of me.
"Priestess Amara, how did you come to the conclusion that we were ..."
She cuts me off with a laugh, "That you were who I was looking for today?"
I nod in response.
Her eyes crinkle tightly, a wide smile on her face, "I didn't. You were the third couple that I approached today. You are almost an hour later than I thought you would arrive."
Blushing, I give Bav a quick glance from the corner of my peripheral, "Yes, our sincerest apologies for that. It's my first time visiting here and we lost track of the time sightseeing."
"No need to apologize, we can take all the time we need to make up for it." Her raised brow insinuated that there was more to what she was saying out right.
We are led through a smaller heavy wood and metal door that is closed behind us. We continue down a flight of stone stairs, where we pass one or two priests and no one else along the way, the temperature growing cooler as we descended another level down.
"According to your letter, Mr. Fairchild, you needed some answers about the Elemental Catalysts. I'm surprised you even knew about them in the first place. I was under the impression the Jakeshan Government erased that part of our proud history. How did you find out about them?"
Bav says casually, "I like to collect books. It mentions quite a bit about Fire catalysts and then I met my wife and sent you that letter as soon as I could."
"Well, it's good you came to a Free Island to further your knowledge of them. Here we are." She pauses in front of a small, old wooden door that one would assume was a closet for cleaning supplies. A key is procured from around her neck and she opens the door, ushering us into it's dark interior.
"Light." She utters as she shuts the door, locking it tight.
The room is illuminated with bright orbs hanging in midair, flooding the large space to see that the wall are lined in books, weapons, armor, and a staircase leading to a higher level. The chill that was in the outer passage has faded and this room feels quite comfortable.
"Come Rakara, let me test your Aura. Unlike the blind priests, I cannot see a persons Aura and must see it another way." Amara beckons me to an opaque orb that is unlit on a pedistal.
Bav releases my hand and with a nod to one another I join her in front of the orb.
"Place your hands upon the orb, please." She gestures with a hand and a smile.
I place my hands upon the orb and it is cold at first, but heat steadily starts to radiate from it.
My eyes snap up to Amara, concerned, but the heat only becomes pleasant.
Amaras eyes grow wide, her hand, shaking, covers her mouth. Her hand drops as she whispers in awe, "I thought I'd never live to see the day.."
Tears form in her eyes as she drops to her knees in prayer.
Uncomfortable at her display, I turn to Bav who also looks surprised staring at me.
"Bav? What's going on?" I look at myself and see nothing, but Bav just smiles widely.
"It's beautiful, just like you my love."
Heat rises to my cheeks, and Amara stands her eyes going even wider as she focuses on me, making me flush even more.
"The Elements have a way of surprising me everyday!" Amara claps her hands together and informs me, "You may release the orb, my dear. Your Aura is astonishing! Who are your parents my dear!? I must meet them!"
Her question hits me as soon as I drop my hands.
"I'm sorry, I don't think that will be possible, Priestess." I inform her.
"Why not dear?"
" My mother is dead and my father is dead to me." I say curtly.
Amara shrinks back, her eyes grow with guilt. "I'm sorry."
I shake my head and give her a light smile, "It is quite alright, how could you have known, unless you asked?"
She nods, smiling quickly before letting her face become more serious, "We have a lot to discuss and go over now. I better ring the Elders and get started." Amara walks over to the far side of the room, to a desk that has a talking tube and immediately picks it up and begins talking to someone.
"Bav?" I turn to him and he comes to my side.
"Yes?" He whispers, soothing me with his arm wrapping around my own. "Are you alright dear?"
I fidget where I stand, playing with the hem of my sleeve. "I still don't understand why we're here. How any of this will help me."
"Knowledge is a great weapon." Bav shrugs.
I scoff at his aloofness, rolling my eyes, "And ignorance is a weakness, I am aware of the saying."
At this moment, I'm becoming frustrated with the cryptic and statements that merely avoid my questions.
"They are on their way." Amara calls out as she places the talking tube back down. "Why don't we go upstairs? There's a table we can all sit down at and discuss everything."
I clutch the bridge of my nose, fighting the urge to just walk out of here. This was not how I wanted to be spending the little time I had left with Bav. I let out a heavy breath and started walking dropping my hand from Bav's arm as I did so. I could not help myself, I was a angry with him. He set all of this up knowing, we were counting down the seconds that we had left to together.
I walked with my head held high, though, following Amara up the stairs that partially wrapped around the room. On the landing, more rows of books, weapons, strange devices and odd décor were abundant. Amara walked down a row of shelves, passing a pair of daggers that made me pause.
They were beautiful works of art. The blades the length of my elbow to wrist, curved up at the tip of the blade with a groove leading back to the reversed points that were formed near the hilt. If one of those blades went in it would be fatal, the massive damage they would do coming out would be brutal and cruel.
"Come, we don't want the Elders showing up before we do." Amara called out as Bav caught up with me.
I took one last look at the blades and followed the row until I rejoined Amara, Bav right behind me. We enter a clearing and a large oblong table made of stone and wood dominates the space with large, high backed chairs encircling the circumference. Amara gestures to take a seat, so I do, keeping some distance between me and Amara and placing my hands together in my lap.
I'm about to ask a question, but instead I'm silenced by Bav's hand that crawls into my lap to hold my hand. I give him a flick of my finger, making his hand quickly recede. I don't bother to look his way at the moment.
Amara tosses her eyes between us and cocks a brow, "Did something happen between you two that I missed? You seem tense, and he looks dejected and heartbroken."
I spare Bav a glance and shrug, "He should know what is the problem. It's nothing to concern yourself over, Priestess. Communication errors is all it is about." I inform her, which she accepts with a nod and stands as we hear footsteps approaching. I turn in my seat, watching as a group of older people make their way to us.
The group is mixed, male and female, a few were being helped by others, due to age or blindness.
"We have arrived Amara. Now what was so important to pull me from my meditation?" A gruff sounding older priest who was not blind, asked walking up and taking a seat at the table.
Amara scoffs and gives a short laugh, "You were napping, not meditating and you know it."
The ones who were able to see all took their seats, but the ones that were blind all stopped and were staring at me in shock.
It made my skin crawl, to have so many white glazed eyes that can not see, staring at me like they could see my soul.