" You do realize we have to hurry, right?"
As a senior disciple Nicoah found herself burdened with carrying her juniors,coupled with the bag filled with ritual items she now had to carry, cause someone today of all the days, had to come up with a stomach upset.
Or did she..? Cause with Morriba, one could hardly tell. The tunnel in itself was already enough headache
"I'm clearly doing that, and it's not like you can't go on your own" replied Morriba in an unaffected tone
Nicoah spun around with fierce determination in her eyes
"Should I have left you to walk down on your own, don't you have an upset stomach? ... I am even carrying your share of the load. Besides, as a delicate and respectful senior, I have to ensure, you are not frightened by the walls."
Despite how she now sounded, Nicoah could not stop herself from glancing back and forth every now and then, and while she tried her best efforts to conceal this, It couldn't be more clear as day to Morriba, who could not help but poke at this.
"You know, for a Doyen you are not really encouraging"
Nicoah curled her lips into a sneer "Excuse you, Says the High Priestess" she clearly knew of her 'respect' for this scary tunnel. But Morriba was one to talk, even her mother found her unruly
"I'm not the High Priestess, My Mother is"
"Tch, good grief, let's hope you don't kill her before her time"
" What do you mean, everyone knows I'm a lovely daughter " Morriba said, rolling her eyes
Nicoah nodded slowly,her expression dripping with sarcasm, and the lanterns they held, made it the more obvious " Of course, we all definitely know that"
Morriba turned to her with the face that said
' I don't blame you'
"Come on, I'm only being sarcastic" Nicoah responded. 'let me breathe' she thought
Morriba took a deep sigh. In that moment, she seemed to have aged a decade, her eyes showing longing and a bit regret
"You know I do love my mother" her gaze dropping to the floor as she spoke.
Nicoah took a glance at her, her eyes filled with understanding, " Mmm...well, I do believe you" seeing as the atmosphere was getting hearty, and glum, she switched into a mischievous glint " but of course I'm sure no other person believes that, you're too naughty for your own good. But..." she puffed her chest, trying to look dependable "...as your only reliable partner, I'll spread your tales to the world, and....."
Whatever else she intended to say, got pushed back into her throat, as the cold breeze from the dark tunnel ahead of them swept past them. In a split second she transformed from the imposing pose she was trying to keep to a scared cat left under the rain..
"aaah..." As if with the will of its own her mouth betrayed her...
Unable to hold back, Morriba bursted into a hearty laugh "A reliable partner indeed" she jeered
As Priestesses of Dorem, one a Doyen(Most senior disciple) and the other, the next High Priestess in line. Recurring cleansing of the Wrath chamber was part of their scared duty, it had to be carried out every full moon, and this night was such a night.
It remained believed that the Goddess of Dorem unleashes her Wrath every full moon, and for her Wrath to not consume the people it had to be pacified, thus a chamber was built for such purpose, and the Doyen and heir to the priestesshood, shared the duty of carrying out this task this month.....
The chamber itself laid underground, built deeply into the temple, utilizing an undergeound system, a tunnel leading to it. The deeper one went the spookier it got. Even for Morriba it was spooky.
As they began closing in, the candle lantern they held began showing it's usefulness. As the tunnel got narrower, and it's walls closing in, the air grew quieter.
Maintaining their pace, the view of two candles flickering could be seen, signaling they were close to the fore entrance.
Getting to the fore entrance, they took out two fresh candle sticks, from their bag, to replace the old ones there. Each candle stick placed there had a month lifespan, and this particular fore entrance was mostly devoid of air..
After carefully passing through the fore entrance, they maintained their pace and before long, got to their destination
Now before them was a massive door. It was the door to the Wrath chamber.
They took in deep breaths while looking at each other. This part of their work was never easy, if the way here was spooky, think higher.
Like comrades at deaths door, they placed their hands on the massive door, pushing it in. It's hinges groaned in resistanc, before the door's thick wolden panels slowly swung inside, revealing a dimly lit beyond.
As the door swung open, the scent of old wood walfed out, and with it, surges of unease.
This very chamber that had many precepts to it.
To be ready for it on the nights of the full moon, one, had to bask in the cleansing incense for a full day prior, (which could be reason for Morriba's stomach upset, though it had never happened before), they had to meditate, they also had to cut their nails, and no one enters with child...
As their legs crossed the doors threshold into the Chamber, something they had never witnessed or heard of before, took place..
The ground beneath them shook tremendously, the tremor spread to the walls,and continued through the tunnels, spreading throughout the temple.
Inside where Nicoah and Morriba were, something that looked straight out of a nightmare was going on, the room was chaotic and was interchanging between glows of red and black, coupled with loud thundering, that immediately followed a thunderstorm from the center of the chamber.
The tremor of the place brought Nicoah down to the floor, Her eyes wide with alarm, and her eyebrows arched in confusion, she sat paralyzed with fear, and unable to process anything.
Just then the loud anguish wail from a familiar voice, tore her paralysis away. Looking at the direction of her partner, she found her doubled over, clutching her abdomen in pains, she kept wailing in anguish, her face contorted.
Morriba still clutching her abdomen in pains began to lose balance. Whatever was wrong with the room, was insanely affecting her.
"Dooom..." From the center of the large chamber, a massive thunderstorm broke out, with it, spheres of lights and lightnings.
Morriba raised her head to beyond a sphere of light, before she could react to it's speed, it struck her straight in the gut --as if she wasn't feeling enough pains--. After the impact of the sphere and almost losing her sanity to the intense pain, she felt a pulling force, pulling her towards the thunderstorm..
Regaining her senses, after hearing Morriba's wail, and seeing the sphere of light that struck her. Nicoah's first thought was to take heels, but the face of her partner brought back her 'responsible senior ' mode. Also, having to explain to the High Priestess what happened to her daughter if they didn't make it out wasn't a story she was ready to tell, also she couldn't let someone get swallowed in an accident or whatever that thing was, in front of her.
As she tried to reach for Morriba who was now getting pulled into the Storm, a piece of wood flew to her direction, it flew straight to her head, knocking her out cold..
Morriba realizing what had just happened, with one of her hand still on her abdomen, cause of the excruciating pain, stretched the other to get a hold of anything she could to keep her from getting sucked into that storm. And as she stretched her hands, in that instant, everything froze, she found herself suspended mid air, everything quiet and tranquil. As her eyes swept around to understand the situation, as if removed from pause and caused to instant play, instantly she got pulled into the Storm and.....
'Blank' ...
....
Like the snap of a finger, Darkness faded as light came to Morriba's sight, her eyes opened wide, with fear etched on her face, her breathing ragged and uneven, but gradually as her eyes swept across the space, reorienting herself to her surrounding, she became calm.
Just then the creak sound of a door opening could be held and a slender figure skidded in, she held a bowl filled with bathing water and sponge. Walking in closer and seeing Morriba had come to, even though she was still where see laid, her eyes lit up, she dropped the things on her hands and darted out the room.
After scanning her surrounding, Morriba could tell she was in her mother's room. Last she remembered, her sky was dark and chaotic.. what had happened, how did she get there, why was she in her mother's room, all this thoughts roamed her head as she tried rising from the bed.
Just then the door creaked open again, the same slender figure, but this time she held company...
The slender figure led her company carefully, and closely. Morriba could recognize the face of the slender figure's company, it was Nicoah. She was being led by arm to her bedside,
Seeing that her partner was okay, Morriba's face brightened up with a smile, but, almost immediately it turned sour as she noticed that as her friend got closer, though she wore a bright smile, her gaze was unfocused, as if she was absorbing her surrounding through other senses.
The slender figure whilst aiding Nicoah's movement helped her to Morriba's bed side, close enough for them to feel each other's warmth.
As Nicoah began feeling the warmth of her companion, her face brightened the more, she leaned in, her face tilted slightly upward ,her arms wide open, inviting Morriba to draw near. As she did, little tears flowed out their eyes. Morriba couldn't tell why she was crying, but maybe seeing her friend okay, made her eyes act on their own.
"I'm so glad you're okay" Nicoah's voice was muffled against Morriba's shoulder, but her words like clear, soft, sorrowful mummer, they vibrated through her chest...
Morriba soaked it all in, but slowly she pulled from the hug, meeting the eyes of her companion. Her face clouded in confusion and concern, and her eyes narrowing.." Your eyes, what happened?" she couldn't help but ask.
Nicoah raised her brows with a warm bright smile that held little regret " Well I lost them" she said
Morriba was now more confused, she had a lot of questions.
"H..." The words yearning to leave her lips siezed as she noticed a sharp movement from inside her.
She paused... And then it happened again.... Slowly she brought her gaze downward to where this nugde was coming from. What met her eyes, almost drove her off the bed and straight for her grave...
Nicoah, still holding unto her, noticed her silence and sudden jerk, and could guess what was probably going on.
With another smile, Nicoah glided her hands on to Morriba's stomach, and said in a slow, low but audible tone "Yes..., you... are pregnant"
Morriba shot her a quick gaze that said 'In the name of bullocks, and everything dear'
Her mind began raging.
At this point nothing was making sense. She had a lot of questions, why was Nicoah blind and more so, how was she this heavy, cause the stomach was at its peak, it's a wonder she didn't notice it immediately she came to... What was going on?
In the spilt moment these thoughts raged her mind her face had assumed different colors. Her overall expression was gobsmacked, she looked like she had aged a few years.
Looking back at the one person who would have the answers to this her 'whoever knows what' situation...
..." Wh...how...how can this be...., how am I with child?" She managed to ask
Nicoah's gaze, now focused on Morriba, her chin slightly elevated, she gave a rather strange reply (at least it sounded so to Morriba) "Well you tell me. I've waited Five months to get that answer"
"WHAT!!!?" Morriba's face contorted in shock" Fiv....Five...Five Months...how ...?"
Now the only questions she needed answers to, where "What the hell?"
Nicoah let out a deep sigh, rubbing her temples. It might be as she had feared, and now she too had to get some answers, " Did u take in a mate?" she started
Still with her face, that was now even more colored, Morriba could barely answer "..Y...es." she managed to spit that one out.
"But what has that got to do with anything ?" She couldn't help but ask.
She might have taken a mate but that barely had anything to do with her situation right now.. she paused in her thinking, or did it?
Nicoah took a deeper sigh, her face now filled with a mix of worry sorrow, and slight disappointment.,all the doubts she had for all this while seemed to be getting closure and the dots began to connect ." Did your mother know?
Did she know you had taken a mate?" she asked further.
"Well no, you know how it is between I and my mother" Morriba replied, her voice ached with tiny bits of sadness
" And yet you didn't tell her something that big, something this life long?" Nicoah asked, her eyes now teary.
"I was going to tell her when the time was right"
"You got a life partner and didn't even tell your mother about it.
"And if I may ask, when last did u bleed?"
This question was even more important to Nicoah right now.
"Did you bleed before we set for the Wrath chamber?" she added
"My bleeding was to come after the week"
"Heh...." Nicoah let out a gentle chuckle
"Well would you look at that?" she couldn't help but exclaim.
This talk was going no where, Morriba remained unclear to what and where Nicoah was going with everything.
Nicoah had to make things clearer " Well...seems you were with child before that night" she then let out a slight chuckle " well ....that explains your stomach ache" she said, her shoulders half -shrug
"No....no...." Morriba shook her head vigorously.
In acute realization, leaning back,she asked," where's my mother?" she was hesitant to ask, a hint of fear in her voice, she feared the worse, if it really was as Nicoah had just said, and she really was with child when she entered the Wrath chamber that night, then that would explain, the raging that night. But her mother, to quail such rage would take and need a lot... Thinking this much, she now was even the more scared.
Knowing the news she was about to share, Nicoah took the hands of Morriba in hers, with great weight in her voice, she broke the words " She's gone.. Your mother is dead Morriba"
Morriba's eyes widened in horror as the words hung in the air, refusing to sink in. And when it did she felt like she was underwater, the news washing over her in a cold, suffocating wave, crushing her spirit...
The news of everything so overwhelming, she passed out...(maybe it was cause of the baby).
Hours later when she came to, Nicoah gave her the full details of what had taken place now that the missing dots were connected...
At the time Nicoah had come to, she was already blind. No one knew if the lightings that day had caused it or it was the hit she took to the head.
The great tremor spread throughout the entire temple, threatening to bring it to ruins, knowing the possible cause the High Priestess and the few serving with her at the time rushed through the tunnels, straight for the Chamber.
When the High Priestess got to the scene the horrifying scene of her daughter floating in a thunderstorm greeted her, the lightings were too much to get into a close proximity unprotected.
Instantly reading the situation despite not understanding the full of it, the High Priestess broke straight into the Storm and for what looked like a long time, she remained in it.
She sat leg crossed in the center of the raging storm whilst her daughter floated above her, she had tried pulling her out, but had the feeling that it could kill her.
The beads she had on her arms began breaking, and with it the shield it provided leaving gaps for the lighting to slip through, leaving her with several damages.
Knowing her protection would not hold long she began to meditate intensively, her mouth vibrating at the speed of sound.
Above her the lighting began circulating around the belly of her daughter, and after a while it seized from plaguing her daughter.
The instant this opportunity presented itself, she reached out to her daughter pulling her out of the storm, sending her crashing away, giving the few that came with her the opportunity to grab unto her.
They were the rescue team, and with them already was the unconscious Nicoah, they had already draged her to their side, and now that they had Morriba, it was time to vacant.
But the High Priestess was still in the storm. After pulling her child away, the storms rage turned to her, and thus she couldn't leave, and now her beads were running thin.
With all the Strength she could muster, she turned to of the rescue.
These people standing were the three people that had been with her time and time again in her time of service as the High Priestess.
The storm still raging and the place in chaos. Looking towards them,she gave a warm smile " Take care of her for me" her eyes teary but filled with determination.
Then on top of her voice she shouted" Go!!...."
They felt hesitant but, could not bare to defile the wail wish of a dying mother and master, so they made it for the door...
"AHH....HH...!" The High Priestess pitched in a loud scream that ended it all.
The storm imploded and then exploded sending waves that crashed into them sending them faster outside, and the door closed shut behind them and with it a wave of quiet...
The last image in the head of those there were the splattered flesh of the High Priestess as it came with the wave. The only parts that left the door before it shut itself close, was her arm....
Morriba felt like she has been dropped into an abyss, she broke into heavy tears and asked to be left alone., and remained indoors for a while, only getting out when it couldn't be avoided, like when the King came visiting to both share his condolences and wish of full recovery.
Morriba couldn't help but blame herself for her mother's death, 'if only she had been a better daughter' she often thought , "if only she had been more responsible" ...
Yet many things needed to be attended to...
The position of High Priestess couldn't be left empty for long, and she didn't feel fit or worthy to take her mother's seat.
In her moments of grief, one day she left for the the underground Chamber of a wrath, where it all began, she seeked closure.
The massive doors of the chamber had remained shut since that day as the door shut itself close, and it had never opened again, no matter how they tried to get it open.
And thus it was left unattended, and a separate room was used for the ' full moon cleansing'..
Morriba remained in the tunnels for a fortnight, and surprisedly she found her closure. Either that or it was something else.
But after leaving that place, she was never the same.
Four months later....
In a chamber bathed in warm, golden light, from the chandeliers,, the crescent moon streaming in through the large windows, added to the scene within.
The room was simply furnished, with a large bed at its center, where Morriba lay, her body tense with effort, Nicoah and some others around to provide support.
The midwife, a stout woman with a kind face, moved efficiently about the room, her eyes fixed on Morriba as she worked to bring the baby into the world.
As the contractions grew stronger, Morriba's cries filled the room, but they were cries of joy and effort, rather than pain. The midwife urged her on, and with one final push, the baby emerged into the world.
.....
BOOM!
.....
With the baby's emergence came a heavy tremor, one like the Previous incident.
But strangely, it didn't bring anything down, nor did it cause anyone to lose balance, it was a mystery, and even a bigger one, cause it shook in resonance with the baby's cries, and as the the baby seized from crying, so did the tremor..
Everyone in the room wore plenty expressions,(and please do we want to know their thoughts.. we don't)
The only one who seemed oblivious and unaffected was the baby's mother, and like any mother, Morriba took her baby into her arms, and erupted into a joyful laugh .....
She wore a bright smile, gentle and kind as she caressed her child " Welcome, my child" she said "Welcome My Daughter, Welcome Jezreel"....