Hadya (prime)/Vignette: The Eyes of The Acolyte

The girl made her way through the shadowy cavern, feeling along the walls with her touch till she found the passage in the darkness. Slipping through, the first thing she was greeted with was the pervasive stench of rot. Thick and cloying, she covered her mouth for a moment, steadying herself. She willed herself not to vomit, she would have to get used to the smell, after all, this was her newly found path. She moved through the narrow tunnel, her way lit by the soft glow of lichen that scattered itself along the passage. She straightened the folds of her newly earned robes of emerald cotton as she progressed further in.

As she did, the stench grew worse as did the sound of moaning and groaning, their pitch almost hungry, and the familiar clang of weapons on one another. As the sounds increased in clarity the girl reached the end of the tunnel, and there she found the Tehir woman. The priestess who was small in stature and looked young, though by all accounts from other initiates, had been all over the empire and spent many years in the service of Luukos. The woman was speaking with a man—no, not a living man, now an undead creature. Tall in stature, he stood in plated armor and wore a cape of green that matched her own robes. His eyes were clouded over, and the hollows of his cheeks were rotted to the point you could see what remained of his teeth through them. He gazed down at the Tehir woman who spoke to him in a quiet, measured tone. He turned his head to gaze at the girl briefly, before nodding at the Tehir woman and passing through the barrier that lay before them. The barrier, gelatinous in nature, sealed over as the creature passed through, muffling the sounds that lay beyond. The woman glanced over her shoulder at the girl and gestured for her to come over. The girl hurried over to the Tehir woman’s side and nodded respectfully.

“What is your name?” The Tehir woman asked her dark amber eyes regarding the girl.

“Oearis, priestess.” The girl said with a quick bow of her head.

“Oearis..interesting. You are Shakat?” The woman inquired as she began to descend the passage, the girl quickly following on her heels.

“My father was. My mother was from Phannus.” The girl quickly answered.

“Ah, I see.” The woman nodded as she swept through the tunnel and into the dark and cool of the caverns where the air was blessedly free of the cloying stench of the tunnel.

The girl noticed that the Tehir woman didn’t even seem to take the same, deep, cleansing breath that she had. It was as if the scent had not even bothered her, the girl watched the Tehir woman for a long moment wondering if she had no sense of smell.

“How long have you been with us, Oearis?” The woman asked as they walked through the caverns passing through torchlight and back into shadowy pools of darkness.

“A year, in Koaratos.” Oearis answered.

“I asked the priest to send me one he felt was dedicated and obedient. He sent you. Do you feel his judgment is sound?” The woman stopped in a pool of torchlight; the flickering glow played over her face briefly and illuminated the malachite green tattoos on her face as she turned to regard the girl.

Oearis stared back at the woman for a moment before answering slowly, making sure her words were carefully chosen. “Priestess Hadya, I have known nothing of hunger or the danger of the streets since the Order found me and gave me purpose. I dedicate myself daily to the service of Luukos.” The woman simply nodded and continued through the maze of the caverns, remaining silent as they made their way to a set of massive bronze doors.

The girl worried at the silence of her walking partner, and she thought she had failed some sort of test put before her by the woman. The woman turned once again to face Oaeris and offered the barest hint of a smile. “I think I may have a use for you. You will travel to Icemule, there you will watch and listen.”

Oearis offered a puzzled look and repeated. “Watch and listen, in Icemule?”

The woman nodded at Oaeris. “You see, they seem to be willing to align with Krolvin. If they are willing to make deals with unorganized slavers, perhaps we might offer them a more organized option. An option that will be best for both sides.”

“Freedom is of value to us, just as it is to them. I want you to tell me when the time is right to put this idea forth.” The Tehir woman added.

“When should I leave?” The girl replied as she played uncertainly with the folds of her robes.

“Tonight, I think. Go see the priest, he will outfit you with clothes and silver for the journey and to stay in the inn there.” The woman drew close to Oaeris and reached out to softly squeeze her shoulders, like her mother had done when she was little, to offer reassurance. “Do not fret, I will visit you there.” The woman’s smile became more apparent as her tone grew warm. “There is a chapel there to Master, fear not; this will be a short task.”

The girl offered a slow nod and smiled at the woman. “I will not fail you, priestess Hadya.”