30-01-2017, 07:26 AM
(This post was last modified: 08-12-2017, 08:37 PM by Amphitrite.)
“Why do we have to be here in the middle of the night?” Sati asked trailing after her mother.
“Because that is when it is safe, baby.”
“But I’m tired,” Sati whined.
“Do you want me to carry you?” Sati nodded and her mother picked her up, carrying her the rest of the way to the green obelisk. Sati soon felt the warm light of the obelisk washing over her and her mother. She could vaguely hear her mother telling her to pray and let the light take her into a trance. Sati later woke up in her bed, forgetting completely about the midnight trip to the obelisk until later that day when her mother started teaching her about the different plants.
*****
“Mum, look at that one, I think he’s gonna win!” Sati pointed at the largest man chained up with the prisoners about to enter in the Sokiak maze. He was almost as big as the door to the maze.
Her mother shook her head, “No sweetie, he’ll be one of the first to go. Choose another one, perhaps one just as strong but who won’t get stuck go through the doors.”
Sati considered each candidate closely, pressing her face to the window to try and see them better. During her excitement about the Sokiak, Sati never noticed her mother’s cautious glances around to ensure that they were not being watched. Just before the Book announced that he was not going to take any more bets. She bet on a tiny thin girl who looked like she could be fast. When the Book looked at her mother, she just shrugged and handed over the money.
“I said she could choose whoever she wanted.”
Sati cheered as the thin girl ran past her opponents locking the doors behind her, forcing them to take each other out first. The crowd watched with baited breath as it became obvious that this would be violent right off the bat. Finally, it was down to the last two criminals, the tiny girl and a man who was slim but muscular. Sati was ready to cheer in celebration as the girl neared the exit to the maze when the man sprinted past her and out the door. A priest quickly slammed it shut and locked it. Leaving the girl to her fate. Sati sat down in disappointment.
On the way home Sati asked her mother what was going to happen to the girl and her mother told her that she was to be taken by Ra’i. He would use her energy to help protect Kha’al.
*****
“Mum why do we have to hide. I don’t wanna hide anymore” Sati asked cuddled up to her mother inside a closet.
“Shh, baby. Only a little while longer. We have to make sure it is safe.”
“But Mummy, I want to play outside” Her mother shifted Sati so that she could whisper in her ear.
“How about I tell you a story instead?” Sati nodded her head “Okay, a long time ago…”
“How long ago?”
“Just before I was born.”
“That was a long time ago” Sati played with her mother’s necklace.
“Yes it was, now be quiet so I can tell the story.” Her mother whispered into her ear. “A long time ago, a little girl was born, her name was Ma’al. She never knew her mother because she was taken away by an evil Lord. The Lord had her brought to the green obelisk and then had her learn magic. Ma’al loved learning about the plants and how to put everything together to make different potions. But then one day while she was wandering through the Lord’s home, she found another child, a little boy. This little boy wasn’t happy, he had failed at his magic lesson and was being punished. Ma’al didn’t believe him so he told her to fail at hers and see what happened. The next day Ma’al put the wrong ingredient in a potion that she had to make, she didn’t think that she would actually be punished but she was harshly whipped. She then found out that she would be whipped every day until she got the potion right. Ma’al cried for days but she didn’t mess up a potion again.”
“Why didn’t she run away?”
“She wanted to, when she saw the little boy again and asked him to go with her, he said that the last person who ran away was beaten until they were almost dead and then brainwashed so that they wouldn’t run away again. After that the Ma’al never messed up another potion, she did everything the Lord wanted because she was scared of him. She did everything he asked for years and years, until one day he wanted her to have a baby. Ma’al didn’t want to have a baby but no one would help her run away. Once she had the baby, she gave the midwife a potion to make the midwife think that Ma’al and the baby had died and she ran away with the baby.”
“And she lived happily ever after right?”
Sati’s mother pushed back Sati’s hair and held her closer, “Right baby.” Sati didn’t know until much later that the story was about her mother.
*****
Sati hid slightly behind her mother, she wasn’t used to being out in the open with so many people. Over the years she had grown more used to being alone and away from the crowd, except for festivals she was never allowed out of the shacks where they were staying. She had seen the hussle and bussle of the pier from windows before and thought that she might like it but now that she was in the middle of it ,she just found it scary. A lot scarier than when she was younger. She buried her face into her mother as two loud men walked by, her mother stroked her head and continued talking to the captain.
Eventually, Sati’s mother turned to Sati, “Listen baby, this nice man is going to take you to the Temple, okay?”
Sati shook her head “What about you Mum? I don’t want to go without you.”
“I’ll follow later, there are some things that I need to do.”
“I can help you, Mum.” She begged with tears in her eyes.
“No, now get on the boat.” Her mother remained firm. Sati sadly went onto the boat and sulked. Watching her mother out of the corner of her eye, as the crew finished preparing the boat to leave. Right as the boat finished leaving the dock, Sati figured she should probably at least wave goodbye to her mother. Who knew when she would see her again. Sati quickly ran to the back of the ship to see if she could catch one last glance of her. Right as Sati reached the back of the boat she could see her mother being arrested by two guards. She fell to her knees in tears. She couldn’t believe that after spending 10 years on the run, the Lord had finally captured her mother. Sati knew that her mother was as good as dead. And the last thing she had done was act like a spoiled brat.
The rest of the voyage passed in a blur for Sati, nothing the ship’s crew tried to pull her out of it worked. Sati barely noticed when they got to Crasite.
“Because that is when it is safe, baby.”
“But I’m tired,” Sati whined.
“Do you want me to carry you?” Sati nodded and her mother picked her up, carrying her the rest of the way to the green obelisk. Sati soon felt the warm light of the obelisk washing over her and her mother. She could vaguely hear her mother telling her to pray and let the light take her into a trance. Sati later woke up in her bed, forgetting completely about the midnight trip to the obelisk until later that day when her mother started teaching her about the different plants.
*****
“Mum, look at that one, I think he’s gonna win!” Sati pointed at the largest man chained up with the prisoners about to enter in the Sokiak maze. He was almost as big as the door to the maze.
Her mother shook her head, “No sweetie, he’ll be one of the first to go. Choose another one, perhaps one just as strong but who won’t get stuck go through the doors.”
Sati considered each candidate closely, pressing her face to the window to try and see them better. During her excitement about the Sokiak, Sati never noticed her mother’s cautious glances around to ensure that they were not being watched. Just before the Book announced that he was not going to take any more bets. She bet on a tiny thin girl who looked like she could be fast. When the Book looked at her mother, she just shrugged and handed over the money.
“I said she could choose whoever she wanted.”
Sati cheered as the thin girl ran past her opponents locking the doors behind her, forcing them to take each other out first. The crowd watched with baited breath as it became obvious that this would be violent right off the bat. Finally, it was down to the last two criminals, the tiny girl and a man who was slim but muscular. Sati was ready to cheer in celebration as the girl neared the exit to the maze when the man sprinted past her and out the door. A priest quickly slammed it shut and locked it. Leaving the girl to her fate. Sati sat down in disappointment.
On the way home Sati asked her mother what was going to happen to the girl and her mother told her that she was to be taken by Ra’i. He would use her energy to help protect Kha’al.
*****
“Mum why do we have to hide. I don’t wanna hide anymore” Sati asked cuddled up to her mother inside a closet.
“Shh, baby. Only a little while longer. We have to make sure it is safe.”
“But Mummy, I want to play outside” Her mother shifted Sati so that she could whisper in her ear.
“How about I tell you a story instead?” Sati nodded her head “Okay, a long time ago…”
“How long ago?”
“Just before I was born.”
“That was a long time ago” Sati played with her mother’s necklace.
“Yes it was, now be quiet so I can tell the story.” Her mother whispered into her ear. “A long time ago, a little girl was born, her name was Ma’al. She never knew her mother because she was taken away by an evil Lord. The Lord had her brought to the green obelisk and then had her learn magic. Ma’al loved learning about the plants and how to put everything together to make different potions. But then one day while she was wandering through the Lord’s home, she found another child, a little boy. This little boy wasn’t happy, he had failed at his magic lesson and was being punished. Ma’al didn’t believe him so he told her to fail at hers and see what happened. The next day Ma’al put the wrong ingredient in a potion that she had to make, she didn’t think that she would actually be punished but she was harshly whipped. She then found out that she would be whipped every day until she got the potion right. Ma’al cried for days but she didn’t mess up a potion again.”
“Why didn’t she run away?”
“She wanted to, when she saw the little boy again and asked him to go with her, he said that the last person who ran away was beaten until they were almost dead and then brainwashed so that they wouldn’t run away again. After that the Ma’al never messed up another potion, she did everything the Lord wanted because she was scared of him. She did everything he asked for years and years, until one day he wanted her to have a baby. Ma’al didn’t want to have a baby but no one would help her run away. Once she had the baby, she gave the midwife a potion to make the midwife think that Ma’al and the baby had died and she ran away with the baby.”
“And she lived happily ever after right?”
Sati’s mother pushed back Sati’s hair and held her closer, “Right baby.” Sati didn’t know until much later that the story was about her mother.
*****
Sati hid slightly behind her mother, she wasn’t used to being out in the open with so many people. Over the years she had grown more used to being alone and away from the crowd, except for festivals she was never allowed out of the shacks where they were staying. She had seen the hussle and bussle of the pier from windows before and thought that she might like it but now that she was in the middle of it ,she just found it scary. A lot scarier than when she was younger. She buried her face into her mother as two loud men walked by, her mother stroked her head and continued talking to the captain.
Eventually, Sati’s mother turned to Sati, “Listen baby, this nice man is going to take you to the Temple, okay?”
Sati shook her head “What about you Mum? I don’t want to go without you.”
“I’ll follow later, there are some things that I need to do.”
“I can help you, Mum.” She begged with tears in her eyes.
“No, now get on the boat.” Her mother remained firm. Sati sadly went onto the boat and sulked. Watching her mother out of the corner of her eye, as the crew finished preparing the boat to leave. Right as the boat finished leaving the dock, Sati figured she should probably at least wave goodbye to her mother. Who knew when she would see her again. Sati quickly ran to the back of the ship to see if she could catch one last glance of her. Right as Sati reached the back of the boat she could see her mother being arrested by two guards. She fell to her knees in tears. She couldn’t believe that after spending 10 years on the run, the Lord had finally captured her mother. Sati knew that her mother was as good as dead. And the last thing she had done was act like a spoiled brat.
The rest of the voyage passed in a blur for Sati, nothing the ship’s crew tried to pull her out of it worked. Sati barely noticed when they got to Crasite.