Work Text:
'Are you happy, ru'lina?'
The sudden intrusion of a voice startles the young priestess out of her meditation and she glances around the dimly lit room for the source of the voice. A voice that sounds so much like her honored mentor, the High Priestess, and yet so much unlike her in the same instance.
Her sharp glance around the room, shows her only the sleeping bodies of her cohorts. The people that she has over time and effort learned to give her trust too. And all of them so very deep in sleep and snuggled in their bedding while she kept the night watch over them through her meditation.
Given the lateness of the hour and seeing that no one was awake among those with her in the room that could have spoke to her, she decides to ignore the question from the nameless voice by returning her mind back to the interrupted meditation. Not even deep into her meditation the same nameless voice speaks to her again.
'Are you happy, ru'lina? Are you happy with your current station in life, Ary'la?'
The use of her previous name – shed when she started her journey to become the next Priestess – startles her out of the meditation that she had just barely started. Not many, save for herself and her mentor knew that name that had once been hers. Along with the life that she had left behind to start her training. A name to a life that had been forfeited in all rights known to their people when she had gone to the Temple and entered into the life and training that would eventually lead to her taking over her mentor's position.
'Who's there? How do you know that name?'
She opens her eyes and focuses hard on a distant point in the dark room, where she thinks that she might see the shining glow of eyes.
'I know a great many things about the world and all who reside within it, young Ary'la. Just as I know your mentor name, young Ta'laris.'
Both of her names now, sends a shiver of apprehension running down her spine as she wondered who could possibly be the owner of the mystery voice speaking to her this night. No one save for the High Priestesses and the ones they were sworn to train knew their names, it was something of a closely guarded secret kept away from the ears of those outside their Orders.
A Witch?
Warlock?
Mage?
Demon?
Some step in her training that she hasn't even begun to learn about yet? Or possibly a Priestess who had gone rogue?
The voice chuckles softly in her mind as it seems to follow her line of thoughts and her eyes widen slightly as she watches a form by one of the pillars slowly begin to take shape, its features hidden by the shadows of the room.
'I am all of those and yet not so at the same time. Are you happy with you current station of life? Are you happy with where your training is taking you? With your mentor as she holds you back?'
'My mentor is kind and wise in all that she does. If she is holding me back then it is for good reason and I trust in her judgement.'
'And if she did not have good reason for such an act?'
'I trust her to do what she believes to be the right thing to do.'
The voice continues to speak as though she hadn't responded to its inquiry. She feels a touch of irritation at being ignored by the voice.
'I can grant you the power that you are training so hard for, child. Open your mind to me and I will show you a better to reach it. To understand it. And how to use in the world around you.'
It was a very tempting offer that was being teased to her and she was actually surprised to find herself thinking about it as the presence seemed to be ripe with amusement at her confusion. Then she remember something that her mentor during the very first moments when she began her training.
That she would be tempted with seemingly innocents offers that would be meant to lead her astray from the hard paths that she had chosen to follow.
“.... As you train here, you will find yourself being tempted by offers that will seem innocent enough in their nature. They serve only lead you astray from this path. Do not allow them to trick you. This is something that everyone encounters in their training, though the end result will not always be the same for everyone. This is called ashw'kla, the temptations that will occur through out your training and testing your willingness to remain with the Order.”
“I promise that I will not fall to these temptations, High Priestess.”
“Hm indeed. We shall see if you do. Regardless we let us begin your training...”
That this was the first of ashw'kla, the first of what would likely be many temptations to appear during her training and test her willingness to continue down the hard path to become the next High Priestess for her temple territory and of the surrounding town lands or take the easy path and likely be destroyed by the consequences of her choices.
'No. As tempting as your offer may be I cannot and will not accept it. I will stay with this branch of the Order and continue training under my mentor.'
She glares hard at the dark human like shape standing within the dark shadows of the alter room antechamber. She senses the now seething anger of the presence as the amusement drys away and feels relief that she had made the right choice for now.
'You will regret this.'
'No, I don't believe that I will.'
Mentally she shakes her head at the fading presence as the room begins to lighten with morning's warmth. A light touch on her shoulder has her looking up fast into the concerned eyes of her mentor. Respectfully she bows her head slightly.
“High Priestess.”
“Are you well, Ta'laris?”
Chancing a quick glance around the room, now that areas of it are touched by the morning light of the sun she sees no evidence of her mysterious night visitor. She looks up back at her mentor as the temple children begin to stir and awaken to meet the new day.
“Mentor, If may make a request. Will you teach me about telepathy and how to block it if anyone were to try using it against me? I know that its a more advanced training, but I'm willing to learn about it from you.”
Soft yellow eyes search her face and then slowly glance down at her balled fists atop her thighs and then back to her face as though the older woman were attempting to search her soul. The hand on her shoulder slowly tightens its hold as her mentor watches her keenly.
'You are one of my best students at this time. I would be happy too, Ta'laris.'
She smiles despite her surprise, feeling grateful once more to have a kind mentor.
'Thank you, mentor.'