Seven Sacreds

Sacred Priestess

God save us everyone,

Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns?

For the sins of our hands,

The sins of our tongues,

The sins of our fathers,

The sins of our young. – The Catalyst by Linkin Park

Chapter 1: Sacred Priestess

20 years later

Xeraelyn Reif barely managed to catch herself before she tumbled out of the plush nest of silk and velvet pillows and onto the hard ground as one of her guards stumbled over a stump. Given that her hands were shackled and secured to two posts in front of her– serving as a frame over which rich gold baldachin fabric was elegantly draped and tied to the four posts with thin strips of leather – such a spill would not be very pleasant even if she somehow managed to not get crushed by the ottoman.

Had she not known otherwise she would think that this was part of a procession of a sort. The fabrics, pillows and the ornate chair back that was cushioned and covered in a comfortable rose-coloured silk all screamed opulence and high standing – something that only the Seven Sacreds were permitted to indulge in. In a sense she supposed it could be considered a procession, she being the unwilling captive to be presented to the rogue leader. Why they indulged her as such was quite beyond her, though. Unless such splendour was common enough to allow even prisoners to be treated in such a way, their reasoning was beyond her.

The Guard that had tripped was smacked upside the head by a burly older man that Xeraelyn had come to know as the head of the group. He growled something at the guard, his bushy grey brows pulled down in agitation as he shook his head.

The guard apologised quickly to the man before turning to Xeraelyn with the ottoman supported on one broad shoulder, “I apologise for your discomfort, Priestess.” He ducked his head leaving no doubt in her mind that he would have swept into a very low bow had he not been supporting the structure.

And just like that they were off again, leaving Xeraelyn even more puzzled about her captors. Such interactions were common over the last four days since her abduction. Each and every time one of the guards tripped they were made to apologise. When they stopped to rest for a few hours each night two fires were lit on either side of her bed for warmth and the leather ties were removed to allow her privacy while the group of ten men slept in a wide circle with her in the centre as protection. The shackles were not removed. Xeraelyn didn’t expect them to, after all, they appeared to want to make her as comfortable as possible, not let her escape completely.

She spoke little to any of them, limiting their conversations to requests for a few moments alone to take care of personal needs or to indicate yes or no to the food they offered. This too was a surprise. She didn’t know what she’d expected but without fail every time they stopped two or three of the men would break from the group and disappear into the dense forest to reappear no more than an hour later with a fresh kill and sack of vegetables and fruits.

The latter was only due to a small reaction on her part during the second day. They’d marched straight past a bush overflowing with ripe blackberries and Xera had glanced back at them longingly. It was that simple action that had the leader bringing the group to a stop and ordering one of the youngest to collect a pouch for her. The eager boy handed her a leather pouch overflowing with fat juicy berries and offered a tentative smile as if he was waiting for her approval. That was the first time she uttered a word in their presence. She simply had to thank him. Contact between her and the men relaxed slightly since then but was still kept to a minimum.

She didn’t ask where they were taking her or why, knowing full well that they wouldn’t tell her. Why would they when she’d soon see for herself? As for the second question she was already aware of whom they were. Rogues; Hylen who had long since broken away and turned their backs on the way of her people. Up until the day they stole her from her room in Filo she’d believed them long dead, unable to survive the dangers of Beyond. Clearly she was wrong.

What they wanted with her was a whole other matter. There was no contact between the city of Filo and the rogues from Beyond, no cause for them to capture the Sacred Priestess. She would have to bide her time and learn what she could from them and their intentions before she attempted to escape. Patience was a virtue that she was thankfully gifted with.

As they continued through the day Xeraelyn noticed the men growing restless and surmised that they were growing nearer to their destination. It was just as the sky above turned a deep purple dotted with the occasional pinprick of white light that they came across another warrior. At the sight of the group approaching the man grinned broadly and shouted in welcome, thrusting his fist in the air before turning on his heel and disappearing into the forest.

Noting her curious glance the young man who’d given her the berries brightly explained, “He has gone to announce our arrival, Priestess. Lord Caeroe is anxious to meet you.”

“Enough, Talin.” the older man growled, a large hand coming to rest on the boy’s shoulder. “Do not disturb the Priestess. Run ahead and make sure that everything has been prepared.”

With an audible gulp Talin blushed a deep red and did as instructed, vanishing in the same direction as the other man.

“I am sure you have many questions for us, Priestess.” The older man stated, his eyes set on the barely visible trail before them. “You will have your answers soon enough, I assure you.”

Xeraelyn said nothing, choosing to examine the hulking walls that were slowly emerging from the vegetation. Thick grey slabs of rectangular rock patched with dark green moss and plants sprouting from gaps made up a high wall. It spread off into the distance with two staggered walls jutting out towards them on either side of the entrance.

Even though the forest continued past the wall not even the dense brush could obscure the massive structures towering over them. Xeraelyn couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of the spectacular pyramid surrounded by smaller but no less breath-taking buildings. Never had she heard of such edifices, their rugged beauty complementing the rogues perfectly. It didn’t surprise her that they called this place home.

The closer they moved to the pyramid set in the centre the more the forest thinned. Not to the extent that the land was stripped but enough to identify it as a place of dwelling. Ample trees supplied shade while still allowing a full view of the sky and its many stars. Due to the quickly fading light Xeraelyn couldn’t take in nearly as much as she wanted to but swore to explore this wonderful place in the morning.

More men appeared as they proceeded towards the base of the pyramid where two men stood waiting for them. Most were completely silent as they regarded the Priestess sitting straight and proud with her hands folded in her lap, her cascading fiery hair pulled back from her face by a series of braids pinned expertly into place. It was what she did to keep herself entertained during the long hours, refusing to lie down and sleep the days away.

When they reached the two men – no doubt of high standing amongst the rogues – her guards easily dropped to their knees and the engraved steps she’d become accustomed to were set beside the lowered ottoman. The older man offered his hand which Xeraelyn accepted before gracefully descending the steps.

“May I present the Lady Xeraelyn Reif, fiftieth Sacred Priestess of Filo.” He gruffly introduced, more to the crowd than the men before him.

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