Leviath Temple

The three days had passed by quickly. Although he tended to her wounds and made sure she was eating, Sei had put her through harsh training. His reason had not been to make her stronger but, as he put it, break her into the role he wanted her to take. Let go of the behaviour that made her stand out as a person with a high birth. Most of the time he went at her so aggressively that she was sure she had broken bones, though each morning they were just bad bruises. The whole time she endured without complaint, more terrified of what he could do if she did not.

Sei woke her up earlier than usual, like on the first morning he was using his human appearance. It was the first time since, he said its easier to go unnoticed while traveling. Even though it was still on the temple grounds, Sei had said that he lived quite a distance from the actual temple and even further from the Town. They were current within the Leviath Temple grounds, so naturally the town was called Levia. She had never heard of either of them. She changed into the clothing Sei had laid out for her, faded brown rags one would expect a slave to wear. when she was done, Sei carefully bound her hands. She was unrecognizable, she had not once bathed since he took her. Her face smudge with dirt and dried blood. Her hair matted in a similar state, lacking its usual glow.

He had explained that the church had missionaries that looked for talented children, usually they only came back with former slaves and street children. For a price, they offered schooling to any noble or commoner, it was affordable if the student gave 3 years of service to them after graduation. Those who came in for free, were sworn to serve for life. Because she was already educated more than the average commoner and had a strong affiliation to magic, they would take her with open arms and ask no questions. Basically, she was a prisoner of war, even if they have no idea who she was.

Usually missionaries were Berbasi, a name they gave to priests who left the temple to teach. On a special occasion a Devi might travel as one for a mission, but they were the warriors of the temple and preferred not to work so out in the open. Each one was a deadly assassin blessed by the ancient gods with a spirit of the land. The third sector was known as the Ashkan, they were known as keepers of secrets, or librarians. Sworn to serve in silence, they never left the temple grounds often going weeks with out seeing the sun. While priests switched between the sectors, once they became an Ashkan they were bound to the job. There was how ever one exception. Anyone who had been educated as a Barbasi and trained as a Devi who then devoted themselves as an Ashkan would instead get the title of Archdrian. If she worked towards that, she would be able to attain freedom in the form of power. Currently only six people, carry that title.

They walked for what felt like just over an hour. She usually wouldn't have considered it too long. She had always lived in an unreasonably big palace and had loved to explore it. However, she had not been given any shoes, her feet were blistered and bleeding. Had they not left so early the hot sun on the dirt road would have left them scorched as well.

This was the first town she had seen outside of the capital, but she was not sure they were even still in the same land. She had had to learn the names of all the medium and larger towns and states of the Empire, and this place was certainly not one of them. The terrain was even different, dryer than back at home. The people too, there was a much larger variety of skin tones. Not to mention none of them wore bright garments. Dye was one of the prides of the Empire, one of its main trading resources, the lack of it was the biggest give away.

Sei took her to the town gates, there were slave wagons waiting filled with children. Since they had expected him, he must have planned with in advance. The Men she was handed to were obviously not from the temple, they looked more like bandits and reeked of alcohol. Quickly and quietly they spoke with Sei before roughly pushing her into on of the wagons with five other children. all but one of them were at least as filthy as she was. Next to her was a girl roughly her age, about ten summer. She was by far the worst, the stench she let off was unrecognisable and her skin and hair colours unidentifiable. Her eyes were filled with anger and distrust, glared at Audria as if she could see right through her. Next to her was a very young boy. He was pulled as far into the corner as he could get, his eyes, black as the void, blankly staring out of his matted blond hair.

Sitting across from her where two boys, dark features and emerald green eyes, they were identical in every way. She knew they must be twins; it was very rare and they were always exceptionally skilled with magic but still called cursed children. As her own mother had been a twin, it was a fate she had seen in her aunt. After the one dies the other loses their magic. It was why the Empress had hated her so much. Her died in childbirth after all.

The only presentable one of them, also the only one Audria could not get a good view on, sat with her knees up and her face buried in her arms. Her hair was pale blond, almost white and her skin dark as ebony.

Letting out a sigh she watched Sei leave. The past few days had been so rough she didn't think it could get worse. The wagon she was in moved towards to main temple while the others left the town.

She had been spacing out when the dirty girl next to her spoke up, "Ya s'prise me, I be sure you was a rich un. Ya look like ya was close, but ya aint look sad. ya can call me Kira"

"I, what? Oh, my name is Audria" She had never heard anyone speak like that, but she got the gist of what she wanted to say so quickly continued, she didn't want them knowing she was too noble. "I guess I should be more scared. But I just don't feel like anything worse can happen to me right now."

The girl snorted, "knew it, she speaks to proper."

"Well excuse me for not being perfect enough for you!" Audrey shouted back. She knew it did not make much sense, but she felt like she had with her sisters in the palace, they always snickered at her, because she was bad at being a "lady". She hated feeling not good enough, she hated that even with the lowest of society she was being looked down on.

"Quiet!" Came a bellow from the front, "If ya can't keep yer mouths shut, well do it for ya!"

That was all it took to bring silence back to the wagon. Audria then took the time to get a good look at the fast-approaching temple that was to be her new home. It was certainly as majestic as her home had been, but far more eccentric. The towers reached high into the heavens; its tall windows stained with colour in intricate patterns. The walls were carved into detailed depictions of the ancient gods of the skies, and their chosen deities who ruled the lands below. Such art had been forbidden, so she had only heard stories of how the ancients used to build. Seeing it made her forget her situation and stare in awe at its beauty.

Once they arrived at the temple gates, they were filed out the wagon and greeted by four priests, two men and two women, whose faces were covered by veils. The children were line up, and the priests took a good look at them before one of the men spoke up

"Small in numbers but over all a good recruiting." Stopping in front of the dirty girl he added, "Compared to the others she's a little lacking, but I like her eyes, we will take them all."

With that he paid for them and the wagon left.

They were then untied and separated, the boys went with the men and the girls with the women. The way was long, and her feet still hurt, but it was still an upgrade from the dirt road from her morning walk. The floors were mosaiced to life, a mixture of intricate knotwork and stories of the heroics of the ancient times. A few of them she knew, but most were of figures and gods she had never even heard of. Winged guardians and beastly gods gazed down on them from the windows, filtering the light in hues of reds, greens and blues. She was so intrigued by it that she stumbled when the priestess suddenly pushed her through a doorway, into a large open bath.

"strip down we need to clean you all up." One of the women said. Audria and Kira both stripped down, with out further instruction, but the other girl fell to her knees and curling into a ball. The priestesses did not take likely to her reaction, the pulled her up and tried to force her out her clothes. which resulted in her screaming. By the time the were all naked, the blond girl was silent and unresponsive.

Then came the unthinkable for Audria. It took her a moment to realise what they were going do. The second woman came in with two pairs of what appeared to be sheers, pointed at Audria and the older girl and stated in a husky voice, "Keep the hair from those two."

This time Audria put up a fight, she had never had her hair cut. The priests working together held her still, she was shocked at the strength they had. To think anyone could fight against them, her kicked and screaming hadn't fazed them at all as they cut her hair off.

Their hair was then bound and taken out and they could enter the big bath and soak. Audria did not hesitate to either, though looking at her reflection in the water hurt. She had always been told she had the finest hair in the land, her now sort scruffy hair made her not even look like a girl anymore. slowly she climbed into the water, it was hot and stung her wounded feet but pleasant at the same time. It had a faint scent of calendula and lavender, by the time she was sitting, she felt completely calm.

"So, why'd ya end up getting sold?" Kira asked, pulling Audria back to reality

"Kira! You can't ask someone that!" the other girl exclaimed, speaking for the first time "Sorry, she doesn't really know what you shouldn't ask."

Audria ignored the question and sunk into the water, turning away. "So you two know each other then?"

"Well I guess you could say that. I used to be a servant in Estlan, we met a few weeks ago when I was sold to the trader." the girl replied

"Got lucky, didn't think I'd get chosen. Brin be speaking to spirits, they say they made her hair became so"

Audria scowled, "That's not true, spirits don't bleach people's hair. You shouldn't spread rumours!" One of the few magics allowed in the kingdom was spirit scrying and she had never seen one lose their hair colour.

Brin how ever shook her head, "She's not wrong. I don't actually know why it went blond, but before I started to talk to them it was dark like Kira's"

"But I've seen lots of scryers, they don't lose their hair colour!" Audria argued

"Are ya thick? Scryers summon spirits from water, Kira don't do that, they just talk on their own," Kira chimed in

Letting out a sigh, Brin went on, "The hair creeped out my masters, so they sold me on condition that I would come here. I have to say though, it is strange that you got sold at the temple. I mean if you already come from here why didn't you just enrol?"

"it-it's a long story." Audria mumbled

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She then said looking guilty, Kira eyeing her out suspiciously.

The two priestesses came back in then, saving her from Kira asking any more personal questions. They gave them new white clothes to wear, Kira and Audria's were a little big, but Brin's fitted perfectly. They were brought to a large room; the walls were plastered with bookshelves that reached the ceiling. Aside from the books, the only furniture in the room was a beautiful handcrafted ebony desk and chair, and in it sat a middle-aged man with dark messy hair and a short but unkept stubble on his chin.

"These are the new ones; they all seem to be in a good shape, and all have at least some magic. So, it's up to you if you want to test them academically" The one priest said before they both left not waiting for a reply.

The man then stood up and spoke in a captivating voice, "I am the Archdrian of this temple, Barrath Rivers, refer to me as Archdrian Barreth. Like you I came here unnamed as a slave, so you will receive the same family name regardless of previous alignments. This will be your home from now till you die in service. It sounds a lot worse than it is, all children we take in must work for the education housing and food we provide. we are unfortunately not a charity, but we do what we can. Its will surely be better than any previous life you know." He paused running his eyes over them before continuing, resting on Brin, "You will stay in a dorm with girls your age from all classes. Unless we decide you are unfit for shared living space. Certain magic alignments don't mix well with people. good, that sums it up.

Looking please Archdrian Barreth called the priestess's back in.

"Take them to their dorms, the others should have settled in by now."

The dorm Audria and Kira were taken to was much like the rest of the temple, with large painted windows. but as it was already getting dark, she could not see much detail.

"you'll find everything you need under your beds," one of the priestesses called out pointing at two beds near the door, "for tonight we will bring you dinner, tomorrow you can follow the rest of the girls to breakfast and classes."

A moment later another priestess came in with a food tray for the two of them to share, placing it on a table before leaving with the other priestess. As soon as the door closed, Kira moved so fast Audria had no time to register what was going on. Before she knew it she was on the ground, Kira sitting on her back with an arm locked around her neck.

"Ya be a nice girl an be goin ta sleep. that there is mah food, only the strongest getta eat where I'm from" Kira whispered in her ear. Audria couldn't even respond, breathing hurt. She tried to nod, but couldn't tell if she did, her vision was blurred from the pressure to her head.

A moment later Kira let go and started downing the food, leaving Audria to cough on the floor.