The other three easily slid through the hollowed out niche and into the darkness beyond, now lit up by Gannis ’ divinely glowing hand.

Being so much broader, it was difficult for me to squeeze through, but once I did, I found myself in a small domed chamber made of stone. The dome ’s stone canopy was pristinely smooth.

Down here, the air was stale and oddly cool and damp. Benetah my knees the well-fitting flagstone floor was cold. There was a path which spoke of the story of the many hundreds and thousands who had passed that way.

I didn ’t want to look at the main central highlight of the dome.

Gannis, whom I was sure had been here plenty of times before, had an awestruck and reverent expression on his ruddy, square thuggish face. Tan-bei ’s beautiful smile lit up her copper-fawn face. She was reaching through the stone bars to touch the gleaming golden chest, which held a simple grandeur despite its ornate decorativness. Before this moment, I thought that no craftsman outside of my home island could ever craft something so ornate and tastefully decorative, all the while not overwhelming the simplicity of the design.

But I was wrong.

This golden holy reliquary inlaid with gems which glittered with brilliance so bright and piercing. It had an organic brilliance which I had last seen crafted by the craftsman of my people.

Further more there was a subtle image of a woman ’s face carved into the side of the chest. Something which would normally be overlooked except when the chest was lit up as it was.

This was the first time I had seen her face, as normally her face was hidden behind a veil. Evaine was a stunningly beautiful woman. I could see how she would ’ve caught the eye of the master of the estate. That she turned his lust into love showed that she was not just beautiful in looks, but had something special about her. Not only that, but she was young and innocent, younger than I was.

Maybe Evaine, could ’ve been manipulative. But seeing the innocent eyes gazing out of the chest and into me, I knew she was truly honest and beautiful. Further more I knew she loved him, as much as he loved her.

There was a sense of warmth and peace. As if the treasured memories which were kept locked up tight, hidden, so as not to lose them had escaped. The same half-remembered warmth and love I felt when sitting around the fire with my parents or those nights warmed by Sirona ’s arms and love filled my deep, dark, wounded soul.

A gentle and soft voice, one untouched by the darkness of the world, spoke into my heart. ‘You who are lost, have been found. You who are forlorn and forsaken by the world, have found a new home. You who lost his family and destined lover, have found replacements. You are found. You are loved. You have seen the future. Along with the Spirits, I bless you, my beloved orphan. May you find your beloved as I found my Bercilan. And may your offspring be ever loving and loyal, as was my Malus.’

The gentle warmth of a divine kiss, soft like a feather brushing against my brow, flooded away all the hatred, anger, pain that smothered my soul with a radiant and imaginably tender glow.

A sweetness filled the cavern, a sweet perfume too strong to breathe deeply, yet holding a softness to it like a fresh spring rain filled with flowers and the life affirming loam of soil.

Tears fell unbidden from my eyes.

My body shivering for reasons unknown.

Wretched sobs broke out of my soul.

I heard Sirona ’s tender farewell. The gentle warmth of a kiss on my brow. Then she ran, leaving my fevered body hidden in the damp roots of a fallen tree. They caught her. Powerless in my fever I heard her seemingly endless stifled sobs and the proud boasting and loud laughter of those who had captured her.

Later that night, my fever broke.

After leaving the hollow of the roots, in the soft light of the moon, I saw her body, laying used and broken. She lay only ten meters from where my fevered body had been laying. Unrestrained by her gentle, loving spirit, I lost myself in a mad rush of grief driven suicide.

Despite grievous wounds inflicted upon me, I couldn ’t die.

Then my master, Orla, came. She spent months with me, tending me in ways which I dared not believe I forced her to. Even in the most forceful times, she looked at me with caring love and a gentle smile. A love which I dared not accept.

After months, Orla finally tamed me, calmed me. It was only then I dared accept her caring love.

Then she wounded me again, by convincing me to leave her. Heartbroken again she sent me far from the only place I had ever known as home. Sending me to her only living relation, Doctor Lee.

During the nights after I had worn myself out before I had been tamed, Orla held me in her bruised arms and told me stories of a brilliant place. It was a beacon of hope for the hopeless, somewhere she knew would take me in, give me a purpose. Something to aim for beyond needless death.

Though Doctor Lee accepted me with open arms, the beacon of hope—a place where those with powers could learn to control them, grow stronger, and then help the powerless and needy—which Orla had told me countless stories of had become tainted.

While I held the acceptance of Doctor Lee, the students never accepted me. They looked down at me with fear and disgust.

At first only the fellow-broken Tan-bei accepted me. It was as if she saw something within me which she recognised.

At the start, I remained wary of Gomes. He seemed so almighty and grand, reminding me of those who lorded over those who brought destruction upon my home. So I warily kept my distance.

Cautious step by cautious step, he snuck his way into my life. Bringing with him another broken outcast, Lucia.

Then came Sara.

Gentle Sara, who had a warm smile for me when I never deserved one. After the trouble at her inn ten months ago, Sara started acting differently around me. Last night, she told me she loved me and wanted to be with me. She believed I was a virgin. I had known two women before. I lied by not admitting the truth. Then allowed her to lead me, as if I were a virgin, all the while scared I would hurt her as I hurt Orla. Whilst I liked her and hated seeing her sad, was what we had true love?

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

What was love?

Then this morning, not long ago, Tan-bei finally got the courage to admit that she, too, loved me.

‘It’s your time,’ I heard Tan-bei whisper into my ear. She was leaning against me, her smile wider than normal. Her warm coppered-fawn skin gleamed with an intensity I’d never seen before. ‘My oracle was overwhelmingly positive. I love you,’ she said, then gave me a peck on the cheek, ‘my husband.’

I looked around the stone dome and saw An-chau snuggled next to Gannis. Though they couldn ’t look more different, a pretty young woman with a rounded face, soft body, bright eyes and a broad smile with cool beige skin, and a thuggish man who looked much older, with a square ruddy-skinned face, and a squat powerfully built body.

Looking at the two of them resting on each other, I could tell they somehow fit together. In front of them lay a silk mat, with symbols that I recognised from when Sirona cast lots. Six silver inlaid bone tokens, commonly known as stones, lay scattered across the silk mat in a pattern I couldn ’t recognise. From the way they snuggled together, even daring to hold each other’s hands, I guessed it was something positive. The other twelve stones were piled up on the silk mat, just outside of the sewn circle.

‘Sorry for having you break out of your—’ Gannis started.

‘She spoke to me.’ I said, interrupting him, though I didn’t know why I did.

‘Do you wish to share what she told you?’

I shook my head.

He smiled at that and gave me a slight nod, which I took to understand that he accepted my decision. ‘It is getting late now. Tan-bei has said you are due to depart on a long awaited training. Shall we cast lots for you and your marriage endeavours?’

I nodded again.

When I made to move, Tan-bei let me go and gave me space. She smiled at me and gave me a gentle touch on my shoulder.

‘As much as I would love to use the traditional language for the chant, they never taught me that. So I have to use the vernacular they taught me.’

I nodded.

‘Though I always say it, normally I keep it at a prayer in my head, though I twist it slightly as I was told to always remember to keep in mind the one who blessed me. But for you, nameless one, I’ll speak it out aloud.’

‘Saint Evaine blessed me. The Spirits still bless me.’

Though some might ’ve called me unwise telling him, it was my duty as to the one who was receiving the casting to be open with my blessings so that the caster could channel those who wished to pass a message along to the recipient.

I knelt in front of the silk sheet with its sewn circle and markings around the edge. Though Sirona started teaching me the ways of the oracle, she couldn ’t finish what she started and I lost everything to do with her that night.

Gannis pulled all the bone stones together in the centre of the sheet.

‘With the blessings of the Spirits from afar, of Saint Evaine, and of my patron Juron, may the stones that are cast and the truth I speak be ever fruitful.’

‘May the roots of the earth ever keep you honest.’ I responded to the prayer, again in vernacular rather than the traditional language they had taught me.

‘May the roots of the earth, and my promise to Juron, ever keep me honest.’ Gannis responded.

He went to pick up a small selection of the stones, but stopped, his beefy hand hovering over the stones. Confusion washed over his face. Instead, he used both hands to grasp all the stones. Even so, he stopped and picked a single stone out of the pile and placed it all alone on the outside of the sewn circle.

It was the stone of The Clan.

Gannis reached down with both hands and bowed to the collected stones in his hands. With a familiar, complicated twisting motion he released all the stones in his hands. They fell all over the circle in a confusing pattern, much worse than anything I ’d seen before. A number of stones half-fell out of the sewn circle.

He used both of his hands to trace over disparate patterns which seemed interconnected, yet distinct with the stones.

‘May the roots of the earth have mercy upon me,’ Gannis said, taking one last look at the mess of stones laying in front of him. ‘I have no understanding of how to even go about understanding this casting. There seems to be a notion, somewhere, that your marriage has already been blessed. But it seems both that the blessing is here already, and will also arrive. That you are to marry, Tan-bei is clear from her casting. But here,’ he motioned to somewhere in the centre, ‘it indicates that things are not so simple for you. I’m guessing that you have been married before, or have taken a woman to be your wife. But over here,’ he motioned towards where The Clan stone had been removed from of the casting, ‘I’m sensing that The Clan, this token here, is part of the reading. But I removed it. Still it shows you are already of a clan and that this stone here,’ he said, pointing to a stone which was almost fully out of the sewn circle, ‘indicates that your clan is in exile but is growing strong under distant skies.’

Gannis sighed and rubbed his eyes and carried on looking at the confusing clutter of stones.

From my limited knowledge about the stones, I could tell he was telling the truth.

A cluster of two stones called out to me, The Branch and The Bird, they lay in the quadrant of the circle dealing with stability, along with the message and love-filled blessing I had gained from Saint Evaine, I understood they were telling me it was finally time for me to settle down and build my nest.

With a heavy and pained heart I decided to trust this preacher, hoping that he would not turn on me the way his brethren back on the isle did.

‘I am Berwyn, of the nameless family blessed by the Spirits and the Saints, and one with Three Bridge.’

Gannis stopped looking at the stones and up at me. There was a small smile upon his lips. He gave me a half-bow. ‘I see you Berwyn, and I welcome your family to our skies.’

‘Tan-bei, place your hand upon Berwyn’s,’ Gannis said.

Tan-bei made her way next to me. She put her soft and small hand upon my large and rough one. ‘Under the watchful eyes of Saint Evaine, I proclaim the truth of your marriage. May Saint Evaine, the gods, and the spirits, watch over you and bless your fruitful life together.’

Once Gannis announced my marriage to Tan-bei, I felt a heavy warmth as if a cloak had settled gently upon my shoulders. The surprising weight made my body rock slightly. The heavy warmth engulfed me, pressing heavy over me. It felt different from the warm blessing which Saint Evaine had given me. At the same time, the heavy suffocating warmth like a storm wind blowing though the leaves of those ancient trees from my childhood. Hidden in the lull of the storm were the sounds of a storm heavy stream as it rolled through hidden gorges.

Beneath all of that there was the heaviness of a mother ’s reassuring and protective touch. A comfortimg touch, which felt familiar to what I had felt after I awoke following the Night of Destruction.

From the way Tan-bei gasped, I guessed I alone wasn ’t in receiving the heavy warmth. With that, I found myself blessed and married to Tan-bei.