Perspective: First Priestiess: Nimue Sylzana

Authors note: <<Brackets>> are implied to be universal/world announcements. “Quotes” are character speech. “Italicized text” are thoughts. <single bracket> are displayed to characters.

Edited by: Dragodonv2 on discord

Turning back the clock five years, a few months before Syvis’s birth, we find Nimue in her office discussing things with Arilemna, her trusted aide and assistant. Her stomach is still full with her child. Her life had been full of troubles constantly working and making sure that the world she lived in had the right people in the right place, while also speaking with the goddess. In the mornings she would pray to the goddess and see where troubles might unfold in the world. She would then call upon her priestesses to go out and aid those troubled, in the eyes of the world she was a true saint, a pure and noble blood that would never be tainted by vile hands.  

Nimue sat at her desk with Arilemna up till this point, discussing allocating the movement of their people into the human kingdom for the ongoing war efforts. Nimue is trying to distract herself with her work rather than focusing on the child which grew inside of her.  

Arilemna smiled gently towards Nimue, closing up another file that she had talked with Nimue about before standing up out of her chair and bowing towards Nimue.

Arilemna: “Now that the last file is wrapped up, can we finally move onto the most important situation? The living situation of your unborn?”

Nimue’s hands stopped writing in her document, a shade of darkness covering her face before looking up towards Arilemna with a defeated look.

Nimue: “I assume that you won’t leave till we finally discuss this huh?...”

Arilemna shook her head placing the sealed documents down on the desk in front of Nimue.

Arilemna: “Of course not, you can only put it off for so long, I get that you are swarmed with work requests and training under the goddesses name, but that doesn’t excuse things.”

Nimue sighed leaning back into her chair rubbing her stomach gently, she had difficulty finding clothes recently that fit her having to rely on some of Arilemna’s old clothes. Her normal grace and beauty felt far away from her with this stomach. Of course a new profound set of feelings had replaced them, a sense of longing for the child’s birth. She wanted to know what type of child she would have, would it be the same species or some kind of god?

Nimue: “When I am not working, my mind races… Is this really my child? Why would the gods bless me as a lowly priestess with a child from them… Is this a blessing or a curse? Am I really worth it? If I am, what if I anger the gods as a parent? What happens with my work ....” Arilemna interjects herself here raising her voice and placing a palm over Nimue’s mouth.

Arilemna: “Stop Nimue… You shouldn’t worry over things that have yet to come. How about this? We can go with the proposed plans of retirement, it may take a few years, but our lives are long. Technically speaking, she isn’t an adult until she is 200 years old, so 20 years isn’t all that long to get your retirement in order.”

As Arilemna pulled her palm away from Nimue’s mouth, Nimue frowned and looked once more back to her stomach before sighing in defeat.

Nimue: “What can I say to the Priestess of Family and Friends.”

Arilemna made a knowing smile before placing a palm on top of Nimue’s stomach, rubbing it gently and staring towards it. This caused Nimue to weakly smile back.

Nimue: “Only a few weeks left right?....”

Arilemna nods before pulling away from Nimue’s stomach.

Arilemna: “Indeed, how about this? While you clean up your work and get others trained to do the work you currently do, I will take care of the child for you. I have done it plenty of times prior, you know my history the best after all.”

Nimue sighed both helplessly and in defeat, raising up both of her hands in a playful defensive stance. While making a fake pleading face.

Nimue: “Alright alright, you're the only one I can act normal around anyways. To you my friend, to others the “First Priestess”, Though that said, when are you going to tell the world about your position Miss “Priestess of….””

 Arilemna stood up and tried to cover Nimue’s mouth once more, causing Nimue to laugh, something she rarely did these days. The feeling of old friends working together was something Nimue lacked in her life. Those around her saw her as her position, the First Priestess, the one closest to the goddess, and a princess, not many saw her as a person. The comfort of her friend Arilemna helps her in her day to day complete her work. After a few minutes of laughing they calmed themselves down before putting on their business faces once more. Arilemna cleared her throat before picking up a stack of the completed documents. 

Arilemna: “Now, I think you should prepare a nurse to take care of the child for a few years, at least until we can give most of your work to others. If you are serious about retiring in the future, you need to be sure to get others trained in your work. For far too long you have shouldered too much.”

Nimue frowned hearing the truth, sighing gently she leaned back into her chair and looked out the window towards the capital city that the temple resided in.

Nimue: “I wonder if it's the right thing to do… I am afraid my child will hate me, as this pregnancy has gone on, my feelings and thoughts have radically changed. I am no longer as cold as I once was, I constantly worry about the direction of the country. Not to mention the nobles who I once ignored for my work. Goddess knows what kinds of things they are saying and thinking! Lately I have wanted nothing more than to rest and watch my child grow.”

Arilemna tilted her head before walking towards the door.  Making her signature smile once more, while pulling open the door and looking back towards Nimue.
Arilemna: “Forget all that, if you want to spend your days with your child, then that is what you should focus on. That is what the gods want for us, to live our lives to the fullest.”

As Arilemna left, Nimue contemplated the words she said. She looked down at her engorged stomach and rubbed it softly before smiling towards it.
Nimue: “Guess I will be training others once you're born...I hope you can forgive me, my child… My Miracle Child... I have always been a workaholic, but I need to change...I want to be with you for the rest of our lives.”

Arilemna had left Nimue with her words, she walked from the inner halls towards the outer halls, the normally empty halls had a single person standing within them. The person spoke out towards Arilemna with a soft, almost hypnotic voice.

Dummun: “Priestess Arilemna, it is a pleasure to see you today, what brings you into our goddess’s great inner halls?”

Arilemna made a poker face smiling back towards Dummun stopping for the moment facing the woman who was known to be a bit of an extremist. 

Arilemna: “Transporting documents to the First Priestess is a requirement, only certain people may walk those great halls, although I am not under the goddess Draya I do worship the sister goddess of Family. Dear Dummun, you know as much as others what it means to be a Priestess, considering your blood and your history.”

 Dummun frowned at hearing those words, finally turning to face Arilemna. Her eyes glowing red and fangs appear over her bottom lip. 

Dummun: “How do you know?! My history and blood should have NO relation to our faith!”

Arilemna smiled even more towards Dummun running a palm through her own hair elegantly. 

Arilemna: “You are quite right my dear… but you should remember that even if you can fool some eyes, you can’t fool them all. It is my job to ensure stability, and even more so around those I value.” 

Dummun retracted her fangs and her eyes returned to their normal color before folding her arms together and bowing towards Arilemna. 

Dummun: “I shall keep those words close to my undead heart, High Priestess. I shall keep them far from those who you value…”

Dummun remained bowing as a sign of respect towards Arilemna, which prompted her to walk away from her. Dummun vowed in her heart to be even more careful with her actions in the future, even more so from the woman who just left her.

Dummun: “My work just got harder my prince… I apologize to you in my heart for my lack of progress… These two are too secretive, always focused on work...”