Date: Yithi 10th, 1590 - Before The Long Stillness
Amiranthia and I hunched over large maps spread across a wooden table.
“This is the Temple of Canthia.” Amiranthia pointed to a structure in the heart of Paesuna's capital, Calin.
“My family has tended the temple for generations,” She continued.
“Wow, Canthia, the Goddess of Truth and Strength,” I murmured, tracing the temple's outline on the parchment. “Your family serves her?”
Amiranthia nodded. “Yeah, it’s really just keeping the temple clean. My mom rules as Calin’s Queen.” Something bitter was in her voice. Like she didn’t like that fact.
We kept looking at the maps. Amiranthia moved closer to the top of the Saminda map.
She pointed to a dark mark just off the shoreline. “I wonder what this is.”
I looked at it. “Pa says that the stories say the Ship of Orthynia crashed there and they were never able to get the ship.”
Amiranthia sat back. “Orthynia is a myth; she is just a story that they tell young Seers to scare them.”
I shrugged. “I wonder what other stories they tell us to scare us.”
“I want to keep looking at maps, but I need to eat. Want to go to the kitchens?” she asked, standing.
I bounced up. “Of course I want to go to the kitchens.”
Sertha was already cooking, the smell of fresh lyn berry bread made its way through the halls. Every few days, Ma and Pa let us take a break from training, insisting that rest is just as foundational as training.
Ma always says that rest is not a delay.
The kitchen was warm, smelling of bread and sausage.
Amiranthia walked over to Sertha by the oven. “Can I have a cookie?” she asked.
Sertha turned to her. “Have you eaten breakfast?”
She looked down at her feet and kicked the air. “Not yet.”
Sertha frowned and looked at Amiranthia. “You must eat breakfast first.”
Amiranthia groaned and made her way to the table near the middle of the room.
I skipped over to her.
“How do you have so much energy?” Amiranthia whispered.
I leaned in and smiled. “We get to learn more about Celentra; of course I am excited. One day we will see these places!”
Amiranthia looked over at Sertha, hunger taking over her eyes. “Wherever we go, they need to have food.”
I laughed, “Of course!”
Sertha walked over and set down plates of sausage and lyn berry bread.
For a moment, the room was filled with the crackle of the oven, a large stone mouth with small engravings along the rim. Ma had put them there, saying they protected and strengthened every meal.
Ma was raised differently than most; she doesn’t talk about it much. She says those stories are for when I am older.
The lyn berry bread was tart, and Amiranthia seemed to brighten after eating it.
Suddenly, the kitchen doors burst open. Myron and Roselynn ran in, their faces red and chests heaving.
“Kathera, you need to get to the front gates now,” Myron huffed.
Roselynn gripped the table's edge. “Two riders; both of them look hurt,” She took a deep breath. “We think they came from the Mountains of Mathin.”
“Do you think one of them could be the person from the other day?” Amiranthia asked.
My stomach dropped; my body felt heavy; something told me that this was just the beginning of my destiny. “Maybe.”
Amiranthia and I stood up immediately, forgetting our breakfast as we broke into a run towards the front gate.
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