The Dragon's Book

*:.*.:*Chapter 1.2*:.*.:*

Hey everyone! 

Just wanted to briefly say thank you for the support so far! I'm really excited to share this story with you, since I've been working on it for a while and it's my very first time launching something like this online! Please let me know what you think in the comments below! 

Morgan Lester

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Ipotli found An'Ara inside the temple to Ta'Vedi which stood atop Apeti Lun's largest pyramid. The young priest was kneeling over a red stone altar where a small fire burned; one of her hands rested unharmed in the center of the flame. Her other hand sat on the forehead of a young child who lay prostrate on the ground, eyes wide with fear. A woman—probably the child's mother—stood to one side.

The Empress, who was breathing heavily from the exertion of carrying her son up the pyramid's many steps, stayed in the doorway of the temple, half in shadow, and held Nero close to her shoulder; somehow the jostle of climbing so far had not woken him. She glanced at him anxiously and wondered if somehow those—those things—could make him ill.

Would An'Ara be able to help?

Ipotli looked back up and watched An'Ara trace strange patterns in the coals of the altar-fire. Aside from a slight hum, she made no sound, but the air seemed to thicken as she worked. It grew harder to breathe, and the fire began to dance and make strange shadows flicker over the stone carvings on the temple walls. Ipotli knew the figures' eyes were only painted on, but during rituals they seemed to gleam with a spark of life. She shuddered, and blinked to dispel the smoke-sting in her eyes.

Then, suddenly, the fire burned low and went out. The air cleared once more, and An'Ara removed her hand from the child's forehead.

"In the name of Ta'Vedi are you cleansed," she told the child. "Always remember in whose name you have been healed." She looked towards the mother. "Lift her up. It will not hurt her."

The mother reached for her daughter's hand and spoke softly to her. After a moment, she pulled the girl to her feet. She smiled to see her daughter stand, then began to cry. The little girl reached to embrace An'Ara, who quickly stepped away and smiled wistfully. Ipotli wondered what was making the priest's eyes well up like that.

"Go now," An'Ara said, "and may Ta'Vedi guide your feet."

The pair left the temple joyfully, the girl's steps growing ever stronger. An'Ara watched them disappear down the pyramid steps and swiped a barely-noticeable tear from the corner of her eye. When she noticed Ipotli standing to the side she stiffened, then smiled gently.

"I thought Ta'Vedi couldn't give strength to broken limbs," Ipotli said by way of greeting.

An'Ara moved to begin cleaning the blackened remains of the fire from the altar. "It was an illness which made her unable to move, not an injury." She frowned. "It is not your custom to come to the temple at night, Cin'Ipotli, or to bring your son. Is something wrong?"

"My husband's dead." The words echoed harshly against the smooth stone walls of the temple and into the peaked ceiling above them.

An'Ara froze, then looked up from her work. "I...was he ill?"

Ipotli shrugged. "He burned to death when the grove he was hunting in caught fire. Ta'Vedi didn't protect him from the flames the way She protects you." She gestured to the ashes staining the dirty rag An'Ara held.

"Are you alright?" An'Ara asked. She put the cloth down and took a step towards Ipotli, the bright blue feathers adorning the hem of her ceremonial cape swaying behind her as she walked. "Forgive me for intruding on your thoughts. I only know that there was little love between you."