“So, as I was saying,” VinWei1Literally vin (hard) + wei (crystal) started, distractedly playing with a piece of fresh, dark bread.
The tray that Storm had brought them contained mainly cheese, dry fruits, fresh bread, and four small bowls filled with hot, vegetable soup. Thankfully there wasn’t a single piece of meat in sight, Snow sighed in relief, holding his bowl of soup with both hands, taking comfort in its warmth and delicious scent.
“You both know that the main Temple of Wei2Literally wei (crystal / precious stone). Wei is the name of the Clan (family name), also the name of a Province. is one of the oldest Temples of the Empire, right? So, after I returned to the Temple, I somehow managed to get access to these ancient scriptures, that were being kept in this old, secret library.”
“You somehow managed?” ZenTar3Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind) repeated, giving her a critical look, and VinWei waved a hand dismissively.
“Yeah. Well, they were all kept underground, beneath the actual library. I bet no one has even laid eyes on them for a very long time. Since someone went to the trouble of actually writing them, it’s obvious they were meant to be read, right?”
“Which makes it all right to break into said secret library, even though you were not allowed to set foot in it?” ZenTar guessed the rest and VinWei shrugged.
“You’re always such a sucker for annoying details,” she criticized.
“Anyway. I was trying to look for a way to, well, solve your problem, like we had discussed,” she told ZaiWin4Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos)., and Snow simply kept drinking his soup, as if he didn’t know that said problem was actually him. “And, unfortunately, I did not find any acceptable solution. But I did learn a few interesting things. For instance, there is nothing written in any of the scriptures that actually states that a Tien’Elhar5Literally tien (Heaven) + el (supreme) + har (girl child). The Heavenly Beings also known as Celestials in the common language. must always be a girl,” she declared and Snow lowered his bowl at that, giving her his undivided attention.
“In fact, back then, and we’re talking like nine-hundred years ago, Celestials were only called Tien’El6Literally tien (Heaven) + el (supreme) . The Heavenly Beings also known as Celestials in the common language., as in superior heavenly beings. There isn’t a single scripture mentioning their sex, or physical description. They are merely described as heavenly, sacred beings, with a special and strong affinity to the land, sent by the Heavens as a means to make up for the barren lands that were entrusted to the first ruler of Wen7Literally wen (sun). Name of one of the three Empires, Wen, Ran and Sen. (Sun, Moon and Star). Also used as surname by the members of the Imperial Family with ascending rights to the throne. The scriptures say they are born to the common folk, as a means to remind those in power of the importance of the common people. And it is written that they normally roam the land, spreading their blessings when and where needed.
"It also said that, from time to time, in order to better perform their mission, they would look for a partner of noble heart, and they would do this by listening to the people’s prayers and by choosing the one that was more in sync with their heavenly purpose. Once they chose a partner, however, theirs would be a connection made for life, and they both would wander the land, spreading Heaven’s blessings wherever they went.”
Snow’s eyes were as wide as full-moons, staring fixedly at her, his bowl of soup completely forgotten in his hands.
“So … they were unbound?” ZaiWin voiced the question that kept echoing in his mind and VinWei nodded softly.
“If we’re to believe the old scriptures, some were. In fact, it’s almost as if they only looked for a Chosen One when needed. Otherwise, they would just roam the land on their own.”
“How’s that possible? Aren’t Celestials supposed to need to find a Chosen One?” ZaiWin asked, sounding very much like a confused child, and VinWei gave him a gentle smile.
“Well, your Snow lived fine until now without a Chosen One, didn’t he?” she pointed out.
Snow squeezed the bowl he still held in his hands.
That’s right. He had lived just fine. He had had a shitty life, but he had never felt that he needed another person in his life to make things better. In fact, all he had ever wanted was quite the opposite. To be free from everyone around him!
ZaiWin lowered his gaze. Had he really? Even though they had clearly lived apart from one another for more than ten years, hadn’t they been bound together all along? Even the old man he had found in that cavern had told him that their link was an old one. And he had successfully reestablished their bond by repeating what had happened in that forest, all those years ago. They might have not realized it before, but they had both been stuck together since that moment.
“And this is not the first time a Tien’Elhar has lived such a long time without finding a Chosen One. Nowadays you can say that it is a rare occurrence, but it still happens, now and then,” VinWei added and ZaiWin’s expression immediately darkened.
He knew who she was referring to, and that VinWei was purposely leaving her name unsaid out of consideration for him. Even so he could still hear it in his mind. Nox8Literally nox (night). Where Nox is the name of the Clan, also the name of a Province. NimMai9Literally nim (gentle) + mai (hand).. His mother’s Tien’Elhar, and the oldest Tien’Elhar to ever find her Chosen One.
“And you expect us to believe that all that information was just lying beneath your feet, waiting to be found when you went looking for it?” ZenTar asked, clearly also annoyed at the fact that she had dared bring up that topic even if she hadn’t really talked about it, and VinWei patiently sighed for once, instead of immediately trying to tear his head off with words.
“I confess that this wasn’t the first time that I kind of sneaked into said old library. I have been going down there for a few years, now. It’s just that I always thought that I would have loads of time to leisurely go through all those old documents, since there’s not much to do in a Temple anyways. I am sorry it never occurred to me that the next time I crossed paths with this barbaric man, he would actually be considering murdering such a sacred being!” she accused, flashing ZaiWin with her purplish glare, and Snow, sitting right next to him, went back to drinking his soup.
ZaiWin still took a peek at him, fearing how he would take those thoughtless words, but the boy was acting as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
VinWei bit her lower lip, obviously regretting what she’d just said in the heat of the moment, and sighed.
“Anyway. I kind of went through all the most important documents all over again. When I read them before I was only interested in learning more about Tien'Elhar's likes and dislikes, about what their daitai10 Literally dai (light) + tai (mark), or holy Markings, considered Heavenly Blessings. They’re the source of power. could do, and what kind of miracles they could actually perform. So there was a lot of information that I simply skipped through,” she confessed.
“But now that I read them more carefully, I noticed that a lot of things are actually in accordance to Snow, here,” she declared and smiled when the boy’s pale eyes looked up at her. “There was even one document that mentioned that a Tien’El could not stand to consume the flesh of a dead animal. Which is true, right? As far as I’ve been told, you can’t even bear the smell of it.”
Snow nodded, lowering his bowl again. So that wasn’t him being a freak?
“But the other Celestials have no problem with that. I’ve seen them eat the same as everyone else,” ZaiWin declared and ZenTar nodded.
“Same here. HaeTae frequently has her meals with my aunt, and there has never been a need to account for any special kind of diet.”
“Well, we are talking about how things used to be nine-hundred years ago. A lot is bound to change in such a long period of time. Maybe the Tien’Elhar have changed as well. This just means that, if Snow had been born nine-hundred years ago he would have probably been easily accepted for who he is. And it also tells us that there isn’t anything wrong with him. He was just kind of … born in the wrong age?” VinWei suggested with a sorrowful expression, and Snow lowered his gaze to the green soup half-filling his bowl.
So he wouldn’t have been a freak nine-hundred years ago. But he most definitely was one in the present days?
“So you're saying that back then Tien'Elhar were both boys and girls, and that since then, somehow, male Celestials stopped being born?” ZenTar frowned, clearly trying to find some kind of logic in that. “If Tien'Elhar are Heaven sent, like you say, why would they change such a thing. Why would that matter, anyway? I can even buy the whole golden hair, golden eyes thing, since it makes them look as if they all belong to the same family. The same Celestial family, if you want. Born to the common folk but not common at all. But why only girls?”
No. There were other boys, Snow thought, but pursed his lips, keeping his silence.
“I don’t know. Maybe they really were all girls all along. As you said, like a family trait. But back then people simply didn’t think such details important enough to actually write them down. They were more focused on simply being thankful for their presence, than actually paying attention to such insignificant things. Or maybe they were from both sexes and then things slowly changed.
"It is clear that, somewhere in time, the Temple decided that they should claim custody of all Tien’El. They probably meant to protect them, to make sure they were safe. Since Tien'Elha tended to wander around the land, they began trying to find them a partner as soon as possible, so they wouldn’t be alone. Someone that would be able to protect and defend them. And who better to take on that role than someone of noble blood? At least someone rich enough to pay for travel expenses and armed protection. And so things slowly started to change. And maybe the Heavens simply adjusted according to our way of living. Maybe girls are easier to partner up? I really wouldn’t know,” she confessed. “And we could probably sit here for days, discussing how things might have been, and why things turned out the way they are. But the important thing is that we can use these … omissions, if you want to call them that, to our advantage. Which brings me to the second thing I found out,” she went on and ZenTar frowned, crossing his arms over the table.
“Since apparently there’s no way to separate the two of you without getting one or both of you killed, there’s only one option left,” VinWei declared, looking from ZaiWin to Snow and back to ZaiWin again. “We must have Snow registered and recognized as an official Tien’Elhar!”
“What?!” ZenTar immediately spouted, his green eyes practically jumping out of their sockets.
Snow was so perplexed that he could only gape at her.
But ZaiWin looked unexpectedly calm, which left a small smile on VinWei’s lips. He had also considered that option, she realized, granting her a bit more of hope. She might be able to save the poor boy after all.
“Are you out of your freaking mind?” ZenTar demanded, going from incredulous to openly outraged, and she sighed.
“What do you intend to do, then? Hide Snow away in some dark hole and keep him there for the rest of his life? Simply keep him alive for ZaiWin’s sake?”
“If that’s what it takes!” ZenTar openly replied and Snow’s hands shook so badly that he had to release his bowl or he would end up spilling its contents.
“Have you asked what he thinks about that?” VinWei immediately demanded, mentioning ZaiWin with a tilt of her head.
ZenTar turned to look at him and bit his tongue so hard that it almost drew blood.
ZaiWin was calmly patting Snow’s head, clearly trying to reassure the boy whose face had gone even paler than it already was.
“Please tell me you’re not considering this madness …” ZenTar managed to mutter and ZaiWin sighed, still looking at the boy who sat very still, his gaze glued to his bowl of soup.
“Back then, when you told me to go after him, I made a choice. I could have chosen to simply let Snow die and be rid of this whole situation. All I had to do was sit in that bedroom and wait. Nothing easier than that. And yet I chose to go and find him. I chose to get him back.” ZaiWin lowered his hand and turned to face ZenTar’s green eyes. “You asked me if I understood what my actions meant. And I answered that I did. And I still do.”
“When I asked you that I never meant for you to go and get yourselves killed together!” ZenTar barked back and ZaiWin gave him a bitter smile.
“That was not, and still is not, my intention. But it is a possible result I am ready to face.”
“Nox!” ZenTar frowned angrily and VinWei sighed.
“Now, let's calm down a bit. I understand that you’re worried,” she told ZenTar, trying to appease him. “I don’t want them to die either. And that’s exactly why I said what I said.”
“Have that brat recognized as an official Tien’Elhar? Are you out of your mind?!”
“Now, hear me out. There is actually a probability that we may just be able to pull this off.”
“And how exactly do you propose we do that? When that means that the brat will have to enter the Palace’s Temple in order for the ceremony to take place?”
“That’s just it. He doesn’t have to do any of that. According to the scriptures the ceremony can actually take place in any Temple. As long as three Jundai’El are present to oversee the procedures.”
They all went deadly silent at that, ZenTar’s mouth opening and closing, and opening again, like a lost fish out of water.
More, more please! Hehe. Love it. Snow?❤❤❤❤