7 Chapter 6: Trials

"Youngling what is the meaning of this? Why have you brought this trouble before my door?" Te'Liona bowed in deference and hastily picked up the dropped scroll from the floor containing her report. Her voice lowered to keep from showing how shaken she was, she held out the scroll.

"I apologize your Holiness. You had wanted my report after this evenings devotions. I sought you out, but you had already departed to your chambers.", her eyes slid up at hearing a manly groan escape the open door behind Trissae. Trissae smirked unabashedly and ignored the questioning sound behind her as male hands slide up along her slickened hips to rest cupping her firm full breasts, the warm glow of eyes over her shoulder taking in the hallway silently.

The clearing of a throat brought the females attention. Te'Liona's gaze lingering on the fingers caressing a nipple reverently before looking flushed up at the first brother.

"I believe you Holiness, in all her gloriousness, would like to know that this priestess was spying at your door and would appreciate knowing this." His smile like a cheshire cat or a snake oil salesman. Sickeningly sweet and completely up to no good. Trissae arched a brow and looked over to her young priestess. Te'Liona had to physically snap her jaw shut to keep from uttering the scathing retort she wanted to at the male. Her lips twitching she clenched her fists and shaking off the anger ,she spoke with a calm she did not feel.

"I was standing outside your door your Holiness. I came to deliver that which you had asked me, but I thought I heard a strange noise and so I stepped closer to investigate. I was concerned for your safety was all. I will be truthful seeing as how if I leave anything out this snake will slither around it to his advantage. The noises I heard both intrigued and embarrassed me. You know that I have not been around many males. My curiosity got the better of me and that is how this," Te'Liona's fingers flickered toward the two brothers, "male found me. I utter my apology and my deference to how you wish to handle this Uth'Tallar. My life is in your hands."

Bowing low Te'Liona once again finds herself at her Holiness's feet on her knees with her head kowtowed in supplication.

Brushing the hands that were playing lustfully over her bloodied skin away she stepped towards her priestess and pressed her fingertips under Te'Liona's chin forcing her face up to look at her. Looking into her eyes Trissae shared a long discussion just through her look before speaking. "Stand youngling. You as a priestess are more valuable than these prostrating males vying for my attention. Do not show them fear or even any emotion." The last line she had leaned over and whispered into her ear.

Standing up gracefully from the floor, Te'Liona face the three of them with her face blank but for a small smoldering of her eyes.

Trissae kneeled down and picked up Te'Liona's rolled up scroll and unfurled it. She looked over them and nodded her approval before acknowledging the outriders. Her eyes unwavering and predatory as she gestured over her shoulder for the male behind her. Te'Liona muffled a gasp at the sight he made in his scarred nudity. "V'taal show these males out of my Temple. I shall summon them when I wish, so they should not leave the city." Not even deeming them worthy to talk to she dismissed them with a turn of her head and headed back into her room with a slam of the door. The male servant strutted past the three and knocked the male's toes as he passed them letting them know to follow. Not noticing the fury ignited in the assassin's eyes before his brother could rein him in.

"Come brother we are not needed here now. Oh and priestess, I would suggest not crossing our paths again." He snarled viciously and strolled behind the servant followed by his brother.

Shivering lightly Te'Liona broke out of her trance and sneered. Muttering to herself, "Good riddance! Lithos you must be mightily amused by this. Is this all my life is to be? This constant warring and wariness? Surely I am meant for more than this." Throwing her hands up Te'Liona stalked out of the chamber and to her bed.

Watching in the shadows were several pairs of eyes, all trained on the priestess's retreating form, all of them amused and scheming, but each one for different purposes.

The days that turned to weeks that followed were wholly uneventful. The routine reminiscent of her early days of training. Wake up, morning devotions, gardens, study, break-in daily fast, gardens, afternoon devotions, more study, evening devotions then bed. Every now and again she would catch a glimpse of a shadow stalking over the walls or disappearing into an alcove, but she thought maybe it was just some other priestess's lover sneaking in to service their partner. In her grew a growing apprehension and extra attentiveness. The whispering of other priestesses seemed to follow her, but she never could make out what it was about. Trying to focus on her studies seemed a tremendous task to her that grew daily. She was so accustomed to having her arachnid companions that in truth she was becoming quite bored without them. Often she would sneak out after evening devotions and before resting to visit the small ones that hovered in the darkened recesses of the gardens.

One night while looking out her balcony doors, Trissae caught a glimpse of a purple robe going around a bush. Blinking her eyes she lowered a second set of eyelids that helped her pick up heat signatures. Focusing on the gardens she dismissed the small signals of warmth for the little creatures and smiled when she saw the larger body heat bent over surrounded by several small scurrying ones. Only one of her priestesses had shown that affinity outside of herself. Making a small clicking noise she opened her hand to the now lowered sentry and stroked between its numerous eyes.

"Bring me the priestess you are all so fond of my pet. It's time for her first lesson. She is so trusting and it's unsettling even to me. Too much elfin blood in her. Go forth and fetch her."

Wrapping her arms around herself she walked to her desk and rubbed her fingertips up and down her biceps before making notes on the scroll in front of her. A correspondence to the Harkonneon family regarding the two outriders, intriguing but disrespectful, although the eldest had certainly caught her attention.

The sound of her door opening did not make her pause or even look up. She ignored who she summoned until she blew her lips across the drying ink and sealed it shut with a generous dab of candle wax. When she did she caught Te'Liona's eyes wandering around the room.

"See anything you like? Perhaps you'd like to browse?" Trissae's voice was quite mocking as she watched Te'Liona fidget on one foot and biting her lower lip. "Or maybe you'd like to find out why I summoned you here at such a late hour when it is your time of rest?"

Bowing her head Te'Liona grimaced knowing she'd been caught in the gardens. Wondering if the spiders had told or if there were spies for her Holiness, it never occurred to her that the Uth'Tallar could do something as simple as pick up on her body heat.

"You've been caring for the gardens this late? I do admire a hard-worker, but this goes too far." Trissae pauses letting her words sink in a moment before continuing. "You are to be tested, not only for your disobedience, but for your continuation here. In the Temple beside the altar is a door in the floor. Wait there and then your instructions will become clear."

With her head lowered Te'Liona nodded slightly and gathered her skirts rushing out the door. Cursing herself she ignored the sentry spiders and continued through the archway leading from Trissae's private area to the main altar room. The silence surrounded her as everything was set in an ethereal glow. A small grouping of blue flame candles were set at the base of the altar. The crack ,where the door to the underground was, was cast in relief. Standing tall beside the altar Trissae flicked her curly white hair over her shoulder and smiled devastatingly sweetly.

"Now your trial begins." Trissae flicked her wrists out at the young priestess. Te'Liona's vision faltered leaving her disoriented with her hand lifting up in an automatic reaction. Her head swiveling around for sounds when she hears a grating sound at her feet. It was the only warning she had before tumbling head over feet down a long stairwell, bruising and bashing her shins and elbows and the back of her head against a rough stone floor and walls. Trissae's voice echoing after her. "I'll return for you or your remains in a few days time, be waiting for me at the bottom. Be Lithos's vessel and serve her well!"

The sound of stone rubbing against stone filled her senses when she came to a rough stop at the bottom. Then silence descended on her. Wincing in pain Te'Liona tried to take inventory of her injuries as she laid against the cool stone, a dank wet smell filling her nostrils making her nose twitch uncomfortably.

The tips of her fingers slid across the floor pushing away loose rocks as she winces , a sharp metallic taste coating her tongue and feeling a pinch above her left brow. Gingerly touching her split brow with her fingers while she licked at her busted lip and cursed spitting out the acrid taste of blood and poison. Pushing up from the floor she carefully felt around her, taking inventory of the close walls and what felt like a freezing stone wall.

Her fingertips scraped across an indentation that ran the length of the wall, a slight draft blowing between the crack to tickle her face. The dank wet smell only intensifying. Feeling that this was the only way out of the bottom of the stairwell she started prying at the slit with both of her hands. Curses fly from her when they slip and rub the skin from her fingers and palms. Blood slickening the stone before she found purchase and felt it shift slightly.

With a grunt of effort, a sharp blast of cold taking away her breath, the crack slid open far enough for her to slip her fuller hipped body through. Fearing the stone would slam shut on her she ran forward a few feet just missing it seal behind her with a thud. Her heart rate beat out a staccato rhythm as she allowed her senses to adjust to her predicament. Though it shouldn't have surprised her to have been tested so early it did make her wonder. Had she angered or astonished the Uth'Tallar? Was she sent down here to join a myriad of what she assumed was previous priestesses decaying corpses or was she meant for something greater? Pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers she closed her eyes and shook her head. Squaring her shoulders she kicked out her feet like a blind person and started forward, more determined now than ever to become greater than they all expected.

The depth of the silence seemed to press in on her. Her breathing sounded rough and her heart beat the only steady sound. It was unnerving...chaotic...Lithos's perfect hunting ground. A shiver of anticipation stole up her spine. Knowing that using a ball of fae fire would be of no use she used all her senses to make it forward. The overwhelming bitter taste of mold and other fungi lingered in her nostrils and the back of her throat. Her bare feet burned from small scratches as she shuffled onward.

Faroff in the tunnel she heard scratching, the sound echoing off the rock face making it hard to determine where and what was headed towards her. Slowly crouching she laid her hands to the ground allowing the vibrations to center in her palm. Her nails curled into her hands as she inched forward and splashed hands first into a small pool. Growling softly she lifted her sore hands and froze.

Something brushed over her head, rustling her hair as warm breath enveloped around her. A stark scent of death lingering like a haze. Holding her breath she slowly reached for her dagger before rolling onto her back and dragging her weapon upwards. A sharp screech and a warm splattering of something wet hit her face and ears.

Clicking surrounded her as feet and feelers and pinchers touched over her skin. Biting back a scream she allowed them to touch her as it allowed her to sense their location. The time seemed to pass slowly as she dipped under the dead weight on top of her and into the water, diving down as deep as the 4 foot water would allow and springing to the right and onto the back of the nearest creature. The edge of her blade severing its head from its body, dropping her to the floor. A scream of defiance breaking from her as she breathed harshly, the bitter taste of the creature's blood making her gag as she spat it out to the ground. The thick coating lingered on her skin feeling like a walking blood offering.

The awful sensation of being watched completely pulled her focus. Trying to wipe the gunk from her face she felt a burning tear lash across her lower back. Reacting back instinctively her hand smacked into a giant mandible, the motion jarring the open wound. Sharp pincers grasp her arm and pulls her up roughly making her grunt and then scream in pain. Her eyes flutter closed as she fought from blacking out. Biting down on her lower lip she sucked in a few drops of blood and mixed it with her lip gloss. Filling her mouth with the potent brew she waited till it dropped her unceremoniously to the ground. Turning to face it she spit towards where she felt its warm breath gusting across her.

She knew she had hit her mark when an unholy screech filled the cavern. Crawling backwards on her hands till she hit a wall she listened and waited. Hoping it had been enough to disable the creature. A large thud shook the ground a few feet in front of her. The momentary rush of what happened had masked the pain in her arm and back, but with the exit of endorphins it all came back in a rush. The corrosive agent in the creature's saliva eating away at her flesh. Collapsing to the ground on her side, she tried to inch forward. Dragging her body along the cold cave floor, she slowly made her way back to the small pool of water, falling over into it with only her head and left leg dangling on the edge.

Pulling in deep breaths thru her nose and whistling back thru her teeth forced her to focus on the individual spots of pain. The burning sensation had cooled to a dull ache, but every movement tore at the sensitive skin. Even without her sight she knew she looked like something that had been through a spider's digestive system. Her skin felt aflame as the creature's poison boiled through her veins and made its way to her heart. Screaming only hurt her ears as it reverberated back from the cave walls. A sharp pain along her birthmark made her double over, the sound of her emptying her bowels splattered against the ground. The taste of the acrid bile lingered even after she rinsed her mouth out with sips from the pool of water. The cut on her lip oozed down her chin. Spreading it across her clammy skin her voice rose in a fevered pitch.

"Blessed is Lithos who warrants our death and supreme sacrifice. She who craves for all to bow in submission and those who will kill to be the ones in charge of those submissions. My body is your chaos, my will is your divinity. Do with it as you will, but I shall go on. No measly insect can kill me. No poison shall infect my body to the land between." Pushing herself up from the ground on shaky arms. If her sight was there she would have seen the bright flash from her birthmarks glow an eerie red as her mottled skin dripped over the once silver lines now a pale pink off-setting her shiny silver flesh.

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