Chapter 16: Quake
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Aynilia reached a hand towards the glowing figure before her. The gentle features were welcoming and invited her in.
“How can this be. You look nothing like what I’ve seen” Aynilia touched her trembling fingers to the pale white face. A cold hand gently grasped hers and moved her hand.
“Child do not believe that legend of lies” the voice was calm and soothing. “My legend is not as you have been told. They have hidden me in the darkness and put a fake deity in my place.” There was a hint of hurt beneath the anger in her voice.
“High Priestess Atuya. How is this possible?” Aynilia was so confused that her eyebrows nearly sewed themselves together.
“I have been sealed in this place for a long-time child. Until you found me, I was trapped inside my own body. It was as if I was imprisoned so that I could not reincarnate” the priestess had a flat, monotonous voice that caused a shudder to fire down Aynilia’s spine.
“Why do you and I look so much alike?” the question had a hint of fear laced in it. Aynilia felt fear for information she might already know.
“We are one child. Part of my spirit escaped long ago and wandered looking for you. That part of my spirit is what brought you to me” Atuya took a step forward emphasizing the last part of her statement. Aynilia instinctively stepped back away from the beautiful priestess. “I can sense your fear. I am not the one you should hold any fear towards. All things will be explained in time once I give the rest of my spirit to you” Aynilia froze trying to understand what she just heard from the being.
“What will happen to you once your spirit leaves your body?” Aynilia’s question seemed to break through Atuya’s guarded expression. As a response she looked at her hands momentarily. “This body will return to the stars” was the whispered reply. Aynilia couldn’t tell if the priestess was sad or content with the result. The strange crimson-aqua eyes slowly met Aynilia’s again. “My body will return from where it once came from. There it will wait for my spirit before being born again among the sky” the answer was finite. A wave of sadness took over Aynilia and her eyes welled with unshed tears.
“You need not cry for me child. I cannot leave this world as it was created for me. However, it was my world that also betrayed me in the end” Atuya’s eyes flashed with anger momentarily before returning to their previous blank expression. “How did it betray you?” Aynilia rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands. “All will be explained in time. Now is not the right time” Atuya locked her gaze on the young girl in front of her.
“For now, it is time to be free of this prison” Atuya stepped forward with her arms outreached towards Aynilia. Aynilia had felt no malice towards her and calmed herself. She stood straight and relaxed her shoulders. This felt like it was meant to be and Aynilia was surprised at how she was able to accept that fact. The two girls stepped towards each other and Aynilia lifted her hands, palms facing up. Atuya placed her hands, palm to palm, in Aynilia’s and closed her eyes. A bright white light emitted their joined hands and encircled them. The silver-white hair gracefully danced around them as a small breeze blew through the windowless room. The flames above them flickered and the runes on the walls got brighter.
“I must transfer my spirit before the runes weakened me again” she spoke, a sigh of exhaustion escaping her lips. When Atuya opened her eyes, they were bright white and shinning silver tears slowly crept from her eyes and turned into markings on her face. These markings slithered down her face and neck quickly to her arms. When they reached her hands, the markings bled from her finger tips into Aynilia’s fingertips. The bright white faded back to normal and Atuya smiled briefly before disappearing into stardust. The markings become brighter as they appeared on her arms and neck. The silver seemed to reflect from her skin onto the walls and pillars around her. The dancing lights like stars sparkling in the sky. The markings melded with ones that had surfaced on Aynilia’s face. Her heart stopped for a moment. In the next second the room around her shook and her heart beat again. This time a power surge from deep within her seemed to burst forth with the first beat.

The ground shook beneath the soldiers searching for the girl around the city. A violent shake followed the first almost as if the ground had become alive. Citizens of the city ran out of their dwellings screaming and afraid.
Captain Rhitan stood at the gate to the palace receiving report from the guard when the quake happened. He maintained his balance, but could not maintain is demeanor. An overwhelming sense of fear overtook him in that moment. His face contorted into a look of shock as he stared at the guard before him. They shared a similar look.
“FIND THE CREEGIN GIRL NOW!” His voice boomed with authority, but layered with it was an alarming amount of urgency he had never shown before. Something in his gut told him she was behind this feeling and needed to be found before a disaster struck. They guard before him took off quickly, the clanging of the metal armor deafening to the Captain.

The Matron stared angrily at the maids before her. The two girls kneeled shaking before the imposing monarch. The sheer force of her energy held the girls’ foreheads to the floor. Ruwa was sobbing silently and praying to the High Priestess above that her and her sister servant would not be slain for their incompetence.
The quake shook the walls of the palace and knocked ornaments to the floor. The Matron’s anger faltered and her heart nearly jumped from her chest. ‘What is this feeling of fear. Who do I have to fear?’ the Matron thought as her stomach twisted into a knot. Her eyes widened and she braced her hands on the throne’s golden armrests.
The two servants at the foot of the stairs to the throne clamped their eyes shut and waited for the quake to stop. Their fear shivered violently up their spines. Ruwa let out an audible sob and grasped Ennoa’s hand for comfort. Ennoa squeezed Ruwa’s hand back and prayed for their safety harder than she ever had before. The second quake followed the first and the only noise left in the room was the sound of metal hitting the floor and glass shattering.

Cranis laid in his bed, his arms behind his head and his eyes fixated on the ceiling. The image of Aynilia kept dancing through his mind. He couldn’t help himself from thinking about her and how she was doing. The feeling in his gut was foreign to him and he couldn’t figure out why it felt like he was meant to meet her. His thoughts were interrupted by the violent quake as he sat up and braced himself on his bed. The many items in his room fell to the floor and some shattered from the force. His windows shook violently and the sound rang in his ears and made his head sear with pain. Then the fear crept up his spine.
His stomach knotted and he felt a high level of unease. The second quake followed the first and Cranis tried to get up from his bed. He was unsteady on his feet as he moved across his room to the door.
“I need to find Aynilia” he said, his determination enhanced due to the fear he felt. He needed to make sure she was okay. The only thought in his mind was of her safety. As he left his room, he had to use the wall to stay on his feet as one violent quake followed another while he was making his way through the palace hallways to her room.

The council members had been mulling over Valkon’s report for what seemed like an eternity. His insistence on keeping her hand maids had irritated a few of the elders. Their conversation suddenly came to a halt as the first quake hit the council room. The elder’s each glanced around the room at their fellows. Each once had a strong grip on their armrests to try and hold them steady.
“Frotuk! Take your men to the catacombs and I shall meet you there!” Valkon’s voice shook as he commanded his guardsman. The single nod from the masked man before he vanished into thin air was the only reply.
“The Creegin must be to blame! I knew bringing her to the city was a bad idea!” Elder Shivam shouted angrily. The fear washed over them like a tidal wave as Valkon vanished just as his subordinate had.
Another quake hit the hall as all of the items on the tables and walls crashed to the floor.

Lytosa stood staring up at the sky just as she has done since Aynilia was taken to the city. Her thoughts of worry for her beautiful daughter plagued her mind every waking moment.
“Lytosa, my mate, please come sit. We shall pray for her again” Twalin spoke in a comforting tone. The only solace they had left was their daily prayer for her. Lytosa broke her stare from the sky to regard her mates’ words. She nodded and went to sit beside him in prayer. As she took a step a violent quake shook their dwelling. Lytosa screamed she was unable to keep her balance. Twalin jumped up from his spot and broke his mates fall. He cradled her shaking body protectively as more quakes followed the first. The intensity unchanging.
Across the small village Yutan was speaking with Magow and Urit. The first quake knocked Yutan’s two hunting members to the ground. Yutan looked to the sky in surprise and in that moment saw glittering stardust rising to the skyline. It was distant, but his eyes caught the shimmering before it vanished.
‘Aynilia’ Yutan thought solemnly, his worry for the child intensified with each quake.

Aynilia felt the power move through her body, her veins burning from the force. She cried out in pain as one final violent beat of her heart pushed forth. The runes around the room shattered into nothingness as the girl collapsed of exhaustion onto the cold floor. The flames flickered out and the room was left in an impenetrable blackness. The only sound left in the large empty room was the shallow and labored breathing of the unconscious girl. Her body had a faint pale white glow to it, her hair covered the floor around her like spilled water. Her face and hands returned to their normal pale tone with not a trace of the silver markings.
A single flame broke the darkness as Valkon and 4 masked guardsmen approached the girls form.
“Gather the girl and take her back to her room in the palace. Speak to no one, especially the Matron or the Prince” Valkon’s order was obeyed silently as two men carefully lifted the girl and the other two escorted them back to the palace. Valkon stayed behind and examined the room before him. The runes were gone and the eternal flames extinguished. He took a few steps forward and looked into the open stone coffin. The shock and anger he felt when he saw the High Priestess’s body gone became an audible growl. He clenched his teeth as he turned on his heel and left the room making sure to seal the entrance once more from prying eyes.

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