As many of you may know, a wonderful man by the name of Ed has been editing my story for the last 8 months or so. Ed is a wonderful, older gentleman who I had the pleasure of meeting last Christmas. I found out when I got back from San Diego that he was involved in a single-car accident last month and is currently in the hospital. Your prayers and best wishes are appreciated for his speedy recovery. I for one hope he's home soon!
Mists of Fate Chapter 2 -- Strange Visitors
High Priest Ter ran his hands through his short blond hair and pulled at it. The moment of pain helped him bring release to some of the frustration he was feeling and he sighed as he let his hair go. Finally, he leaned back in the hard wooden chair and closed his eyes for a moment.
The last few weeks had been full of hard work and frustration for him. His shoulders shook with a silent chuckle, a tension-releasing laugh more than humor. On the table before him was the latest report from the farms, and the news was a mixed bag. Thanks to the work of Shaper Andrei, farm production was up, but the harvest would still be tight. Rationing could not be ended yet.
The People were not happy about that. They assumed that with a Shaper again, things would become easy. What they didn't understand was that even Shapers had limits. Hellfires, he was the High Priest and he still had problems figuring out what those limits were and were not. He rubbed his eyes after putting the farm report away. His eyes drifted over the stack of Journals on the side of his huge wooden desk.
Three centuries of Journals from previous High Priests. They did not make for easy readings, especially those of his predecessor. He'd seen much of what the old man had done within the confines of the Priest's Quarters. As the man had grown older, especially in the last few years, his orders had become erratic and did not make much sense. The flawed reasoning revealed in the Journals made those memories even worse.
Abandoning farms, squelching warnings of possible breaks by the Mists, these only were the beginning of what was recorded. If Shaper Andrei had seen them, there's no telling how he'd react. The Priesthood was charged with guiding and safeguarding the people, not leaving them at the mercy of the Mists. More than that, they were not supposed to condone or take part in abusing the People themselves!
His mental wandering was interrupted by a knock at the door. He called out for the person to come in. Expecting an Acolyte, or one of his priests, Ter was surprised to see High Priestess Minalena enter. She crossed the floor with a grace that belied her years. Despite seventy years of age, her face was nearly wrinkle free. The beauty of her youth was still there, made majestic with her age. He rose and gave a hug in greeting before escorting her to a chair near his desk.
"Ter, you work too hard." She told him once they were both seated. Her tone was a mix of motherly and collegial.
"I don't have much choice, Mina" Ter responded with a sigh. "The old man left things a mess. I've got problems ranging from broken water lines to getting the manpower needed to bring in the harvest."
"I've got as many problems as you, dear." She responded seriously. "The bastard and his cronies were using the orphanage as their own private harem. Instead of finding places for these kids, they used them any way they wanted. Now my priestesses and I are picking up the pieces and trying to help them recover."
"Are you making any progress?" Ter asked, concerned. He'd known what was happening, but as a regular priest he'd been unable to stop it. The day after Andrei's emergence as a Shaper, he'd cleaned house and set Mina to work on healing the mental wounds. The cells at the bottom level of the building were currently filled with a dozen former priests awaiting sentencing. He'd have to talk about them with Shaper Andrei soon.
"Some, not much, but some." The older woman sighed heavily. "We'll get through to them all eventually, by the Shapers we will."
"He's handling things well, isn't he?" Ter asked, switching the subject.
"Decently well, aye." Mina answered. "Shaper Andrei shows a lot of maturity for someone his age, but then he always did. Do you really believe he has all the memories of J'Stan?"
"I'm the High Priest, of course I do." Ter answered with a harrumph. "Seriously though, yes I believe him. Too many things he has said matches the ancient teachings, and the things hinted at in the Journals."
"It's comforting to hear that. We're the leaders of Tylera, but we're still human. He isn't." Mina said.
"Not now, no he isn't. It's amazing, he hasn't moved from that chair in a week but he's taking care of things very well. By next month there will be another few hundred acres available for farming. Too bad the growing season will be over by then."
"That's the message you should be sending to the people!" Mina said, slapping the desk with her palm for emphasis. "They want everything NOW, NOW, NOW. Patience is something they need to learn, to believe in. NEXT year there will be more farming, more food. We have a Shaper again!"
"Patience on the sermon list, eh?" Ter said with a slight chuckle. It had taken him two weeks to remind Shaper Andrei that it was the Priests who gave sermons at the nightly convocation. The old balance between the Shapers and their Priests was being reestablished slowly but surely.
"Yes, lad. You might even want to ask Andrei to say something about that. Just a short sentence."
"I'll talk to him before the morning devotion. Those are going very well. Even I am impressed by his `history lessons'. Being able to see history as if you were there is so much better."
"I agree. It's about the only reason I have to get these old bones up so early in the morning. Well, I think it's time for bed. You be sure to get some rest, too."
"I will, and thanks Mina. Talking with you helps."
"Part of the job, lad. Besides, I like you. I just wish you'd find yourself a mate. There's got to be someone out there for you."
"That's not important for me..."
"Malarkey!" Mina exclaimed, turning halfway to the doorway. "Even a High Priest can love."
"Love can get in the way sometimes." Ter said softly, closing his eyes and trying to keep certain thoughts buried.
"What do you mean? My husband and I were very happy together, right up to the day he died. Having him there made life easier." Mina said sharply, then stared deep into Ter's anguished face.
"It's a little different for me." He told her after a moment of silence.
"Oh." She said softly, walking across the room and putting her hands on his shoulders. "How long have you been in love with him?"
"Since he found out about Creis', um, habits." Ter said softly, letting his long-held secret out at last.
"Ahhh, and now?"
"I feel even more strongly now." He said simply.
"A tough situation to be in, loving a Shaper." She said softly.
"At least he's still alive. Standing there, watching him fly through the air was the hardest thing I've ever endured."
"I know lad, I know. How do you think I felt, having pulled the lever that launched him?"
"Duty first, ourselves last. Hard words to live by and they will break your heart. But it is the way we must be." Ter quoted.
"Shaper J'Stan to child-Shaper Tyler in the year 12 After Founding." Mina supplied from memory. It was the first quote they all learned on becoming acolytes.
"So, any words of advice?" Ter asked after another few minutes of silence.
"Give him some time before you drop this on him. He needs to be totally comfortable with himself as Shaper before his High Priest declares his undying love."
"What good would it do? He's going to live forever and I'll be dead in a few decades." Ter mumbled dejectedly.
"Casten and I were together for three decades, and I've lived two more since then." Mina said, her voice gentle as silk. "It hurts every day since he passed on, but I would never trade back the times we had. When love is true, the pain it brings is always worth it."
"Love hurts." Ter said softly, another quote.
"Shaper B'rel to Shaper J'sin." Mina quoted with a smile. "It is time I get to bed. Good night, High Priest."
"Good night High Priestess, and thank you." Ter said as he walked her to the door. He shut it behind her gently and made his way to the bedroom on the other side of his office. The robes of his office slid to the floor and he climbed wearily into bed. The dreams came soon after his head hit the pillows.
Andrei's body sat in the silver throne, but he was not there. Ter knew that instinctively when he looked at the Shaper. How he knew he couldn't say, but he felt it. Not even Mina knew this. She thought it was part of the balance reached between Shaper and High Priest. He hated lying to her, letting her believe he talked to Andrei in these morning hours before dawn, before the morning conversation.
How could he tell her the truth, that the body sitting here on this throne was little more than a shell? At least she hadn't visited him in his rooms in over a month. It was hard to lie to her in such an intimate setting. Lovingly, he stared at the seated form and traced the handsome jawline. Wherever Andrei was, at least he still heard the prayers of the people and answered them. He said so aloud, hoping the Shaper could hear him too.
"I hear you, priest." Andrei's voice was soft, barely audible. Ter jumped back a foot in shock, staring at the Shaper as he lifted his arms and stood up from the silver chair.
"You're, you're back?!" Ter exclaimed, more than half a question.
"I never left. There were some things I needed to think about." Andrei told him as he stretched, arms high above his head, the blue Shapers tunic stretching enough to reveal his lower stomach. Ter was grateful that his priestly robes hid his reaction to the sight.
"What happened when you disappeared, and why did you go all quiet recently?" Ter asked after a moment.
"How long ago was that occurrence?" Andrei asked quietly.
"Three months since you disappeared off the dais, almost a month since you stopped interacting with the people. They miss the morning history lessons."
"My how time flies." Andrei said, somewhat sarcastically.
"For you, maybe. For us mortals it's been a long three weeks." Ter let some of his feelings show. His worry had turned to anger now that Andrei was `back'.
"Easy, there Ter." Andrei said sharply. Apparently he didn't like the tone. "It was important. Three months ago I had a visitor."
"A visitor? One of the citizens came to see you directly?" Ter asked confused about what anyone could say that would cause Andrei's behavior.
"It wasn't someone from Tylera." Andrei said. It took Ter a moment to realize the full significance of that statement.
"J'Stan?" Ter asked softly.
"No." Andrei answered, a cryptic smile on his face.
"You gonna make me guess all day?" Ter asked, a little peeved.
"Of course not, you've never heard of her." Andrei answered.
"Her? If I've never heard of your visitor, why don't you just tell me about her?" Ter said, his tone revealing his exasperation.
"Easy High Priest, I'm not your husband!" the Shaper said sharply. The words more than the tone caused a sharp pain in Ter. He was acting a little possessive.
"Sorry, m'lord. No offense intended. I was just worried." Ter mumbled after a moment. His head was bowed, but he was looking at the Shaper standing in front of the silver throne. The look Shaper Andrei gave him caused shivers up his spine for a second before he felt Andrei's hands on his shoulders.
"Apology accepted, Ter." Andrei said softly, his face so close that Ter could feel his own breath reflecting off of it. "You're my High Priest, I shouldn't play games like that with you at times like this."
Ter jumped a little as he heard the great doors close at the far end of the Temple. This was the first time they had closed since Andrei had made them. The room darkened and images began to appear around them. Ter spun around and stared, becoming slightly dizzy. A warm presence behind him stopped him from falling, and he felt the arms he dreamed of holding him upright.
Before them an image coalesced. It was of a field on the edge of Tylera. Ter recognized it as belonging to old Parsa's family. On the edge of the field shone the shield over protecting Tylera and a short, dark figure could be made out just inside it. The form of Andrei appeared in front of her, and the view zoomed closer.
"You!" the image of Andrei exclaimed.
"Me!" the old, dark-skinned woman responded mockingly. She adjusted the shawl she wore over the thing wraps she had on underneath. Her form was old, looking older than Mina did.
"I recognize you, but it's impossible!" Andrei said after a moment.
"Well, I don't recognize you, child. I was expecting the other boy." She harrumphed, setting off at a brisk pace across the field. Andrei followed her.
"Do you mean J'Stan?" he asked her after a moment.
"Who else would I mean? That boy gets his self into more trouble than any other ten basawra I've known."
"Basawra?" Andrei asked, not sure what the woman meant.
"Basawra, people with abilities like that boys, like you, like me."
"I remember you from J'Stan's time with the Southern Alliance. That was thousands of years ago, and you were reported to be dead!"
"We let people believe we die. It makes things easier for us. Especially considering how old some of us are."
"Just how old is that?" Andrei asked quietly.
"You assume that your boy J'Stan is the oldest being alive right now?" she asked
"The oldest we know about," Andrei hedged. He had the feeling she was trying to set him up for something.
"Smart answer, child. You show more promise than that other lout did the first time I met him."
"When was that?" he asked her.
"Oh, years before he became basawra. When he still served in the U.S. Navy. He visited the land I lived in at the time. I felt him pass, felt the ripples he spread in the future and watched him. He was being chased by some other sailors. They didn't like his choice of bedmates and was intent on teaching him a lesson. When he got close to me I asked him why he was running."
"Because I have to!" Andrei answered aloud, the memory obviously having been included from J'Stan.
"You shouldn't be running from yourself like that, or from them, boy. Stand up to them!" the old woman responded.
"I remember that." Andrei said softly, tears in his eyes.
"The boy won that fight, pounded all three of them to the dirt, then went out and got his self drunk. Foolish boy always did have a problem trying to run from things. Might as well get your name while I'm here, I'm Zela." The old woman finished, holding out her hand.
"Andrei" the image of the Shaper responded. "So how long have you been around?"
"I've been around Tylera since it was founded. Just didn't let the boy or his friends know that. No need. We had our own people to worry about." Zela answered quickly.
"That's not what I meant." Andrei said, fighting her attempt at evasion.
"Ok, I been around a long time, at least a few thousand years before the boy was even born."
"How?" Andrei began excitedly, a thousand questions boiling in his mind.
"That's all I'm gonna tell you, child. Some people like us were born thousands of years ago, most died or moved on. A few of us stayed with our tribes. I chose to stay. Now, I came here to warn the boy, but you'll just have to do."
"Warn about what?" Andrei asked, determined to keep her around as long as possible.
"The Mists you foolish children unleashed on the world." Zela snapped sharply.
"Hey! I wasn't even around then!" Andrei exclaimed, raising his hands defensively.
"Didn't say you were, but you claim membership in the same group responsible, so you share the guilt. No mind to that now, though. My warning is simple...The Mists are hungering again. They want the boy, they want him bad. If he's smart he will stay as far from them as possible."
"He's gone." Andrei whispered forlornly. "He went to Europa to see what was happening there."
"Damn that boy!" Zela shouted. "He could destroy the rest of the world fooling around where he doesn't belong! If you see him again, you tell him to sit tight and call my name as loud as he can. Don't let him go out to the Mists!"
The woman disappeared without another word, leaving Andrei alone in the middle of the field. He stood there for a few moments, then disappeared. As soon as he'd disappeared, the room turned black for a moment, then lightened as light streamed through the stained glass windows.
"She also appeared right before the battle that loosed the Mists on the world. She tried to warn J'Stan then as well." Andrei's voice was just barely a whisper, his mouth so close to Ter's ear that he felt his legs grow weak. He stepped forward, out of Andrei's embrace and turned to face his Shaper.
"So what have you been doing the last few weeks?" Ter asked shortly, trying to regain his equilibrium. Andrei moved back to his silver throne and sat down.
"Trying to reach J'Stan." Andrei said absently, waving his hand towards the golden throne next to his.
"At least you didn't just disappear." Ter said lightly, trying not to sound like he was scolding the Shaper. "Your continuing to answer the prayers of the people helped to maintain order."
"Answer prayers? Wish I could take credit for that." Andrei answered with a shrug.
"Then how..how have people been healed, soil fertilized, the shield expanded?" Ter asked, bewildered.
"Were you present during those `prayers'?" Andrei asked with a smirk.
"What do you mean?" Ter asked, his confusion growing.
"Come on, High Priest. Do you think I'm the only one here in Tylera born with the gift?"
"I'm not sure, m'lord. There could be others, which is why we still have the Dedicated. We still look, but with you here, the old law is back in effect."
"Yes, the old law. `No effort shall be made to awaken those with the gift latent inside of them. Let Fate decide if they shall join the ranks of Shapers.' Is that what you refer to?" Andrei asked his Priest.
"Yes, m'lord. I found a reference to it in the first of the Journals." Ter said, then winced as he realized he'd said something he'd promised himself not to.
"Journals?" Andrei asked, his face showing his curiosity.
"The, uh, the Journals of the High Priests..." Ter began to explain cautiously. He never got to finish as the sound of a gong sounded inside the Temple. He fell to his knees, hands covering his ears as the pain of the sound filled his head. At the edge of his wavering vision, he saw Andrei jump to his feet, staring at the ceiling. Oddly, he noticed dust motes drifting down around them. It took a moment, but the sound faded and he struggled to his feet.
He jumped in surprise again to see a third figure standing on the dais between him and Andrei. It was a tall man, with medium length dark hair. Sprinkled liberally through the dark hair were silver hairs as well, giving him a distinguished a look, aided by the goatee he wore. He was a tall man, and broad of shoulder. While he wasn't fat, Ter had to describe him as meaty. Even more strangely, he wore brown leather pants and a white tunic that looked like a uniform. A smirk filled his face as he looked at the two of them.
"So, which of you children are in charge here?" the stranger's voice boomed out in a strong bass. His hands were on his hips and his foot tapped impatiently.
"Michael Strausser...you're supposed to be dead!" Andrei nearly shouted, his face going white with recognition. Ter was confused, he'd never heard of a Shaper with that name, and never heard of a uniform like the one the man wore.
"Interesting. You know me, I don't know you..." Strausser trailed his comment, obviously waiting for a response. Ter was confused. He'd never heard of the man, but obviously he was a Shaper like Andrei and had been known to J'Stan.
"I'm Andrei, student of J'Stan. He shared his memories with me. His last memory of you was from thousands of years ago and you just disappeared...he lost track of what happened to you."
"He always did have a habit of losing contact with his friends." Strausser said with a smirk. "So, he bonded you like the others, eh?"
"No, he didn't." Andrei said with a sigh. Ter felt a wave of jealousy at the thought of J'Stan bonding Andrei. He received a strange look from Strausser for a moment as he fought down the jealousy, calming himself.
"Who's he?" Strausser said with a nod of his head towards Ter.
"High Priest Ter" Andrei stated more firmly.
"High Priest? Not Shaper?" Strausser said, a look of confusion on his face. "You hiding the gifted among the priesthood now?"
"Sleep" Andrei said, looking Ter in the eyes. He didn't stand a chance and dropped to the floor as darkness consumed him.
"Ter, come on Ter, wake up." The soft, sweet voice called him back out of the darkness. His eyes opened and he realized he was in his own bed. The lanterns along the wall lighted the room softly, and he found himself looking deep into Andrei's green eyes. The events back in the Temple came back in a rush and he sat up quickly, bumping his head with Andrei's. The pain of bumping heads with someone caused him to lay back down, hand on his head. He heard an "oomph" and felt Andrei falling down next to him. He felt a tingle of excitement at the thought of being in bed next to the Shaper, but he suppressed it quickly.
"That hurt" Andrei said after a moment, giggling escaping his lips.
"I thought Shapers were above being hurt by mere mortals." Ter said, jabbing his elbow into Andrei's side. It felt like hitting stone now and his entire arm went numb.
"Sorry, but you deserved that, Priest." Andrei said with a laugh. He put his hand on Ter's elbow and the numbness and tingling went away, replaced by a different tingling. Andrei was sitting up now, and looked deep into Ter's eyes. He couldn't help it, his feelings for Andrei bubbled up shining in his eyes.
`How long?' A voice asked. It was inside his head, and felt like Andrei!
"For years, since you found out about Creis' wanderings." Ter answered honestly. The time for hiding was past.
"I've always liked you. You were always nice, polite, a friend to me." Andrei whispered.
"But you don't feel that way about me?" Ter said, dropping his eyes from Andrei's face. A feeling of despair filled him at the thought of never having his feelings returned.
"I'm not sure, Ter. Things are a little bit in flux right now. Bear with me, please. I need you, and not just as my High Priest. I need a friend, too."
"A friend, I can do that." Ter said softly.
"Good, because I need your help bad." Andrei said, sitting up fully in the bed.
"Strausser?" Ter asked, remembering what had happened in the Temple.
"Waiting for me on the edge of Tylera."
"Waiting for you? That means you're leaving. Why?" Ter asked, his stomach feeling like a bottomless pit had just opened below him.
"J'Stan is in trouble. Something has happened to him. Together Strausser and I are going to go look for him."
"What about us? What about your responsibility to Tylera?"
"I'll leave a form on the throne. It will look like me, feel real if someone touches it."
"But who will hold back the Mists, heal the people, do the numerous things only you can do?"
"I'm not the only one who can do those things." Andrei stated firmly. "You're gifted too."
"Me?!" Ter nearly yelled, he was so startled. "How could I be gifted? I wasn't Dedicated! I'm a Priest! I'm too old!"
"None of those things have to deal with being gifted. The gift exists, whether a person uses it or doesn't. You've never used it, until now. The past few weeks, it's been you doing the things I've been given credit for."
"Shapers have always acted through the priesthood." Ter tried.
"They have, but I wasn't acting through you. You felt the need for something to be done, and touched your gift. You just assumed it was me doing it through you."
Ter thought about what Andrei had said for a moment. He recalled the lessons for the Dedicated, he'd been taught them as part of his role as a priest. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a few moments. He felt something there, and reached out with his mind.
`Can you hear me?' he sent his thought out to Andrei.
`Of course I can.' Andrei's thought returned, a smile brightening his face for a moment.
`This changes a lot of things.' Ter thought back to Andrei.
`Yes, it does. It means I can go find J'Stan. I know him better than anyone alive, including Strausser. I have the best chance of finding him.'
"I agree" Ter said aloud. This mental talking was going to take some getting use to, and he was starting to sweat. "But I still don't know enough to take your place, and there's no one to take my place yet."
"None of the other priests are qualified?" Andrei asked concerned. "What about Mina? She seems capable."
"She is, but she's got her hands full dealing with the hearts and souls of the people. That is the role the Priestesses have always played, and she excels at it."
"Then we go with my plan. I leave a form on the throne, you work the miracles of the Shapers. I trust you don't mind not getting the credit?"
"The job is more important than the credit," Ter said dismissively. "But the problem remains, I don't really know what I'm doing."
"Take care of them, and of yourself, my friend. You will know what to do." Andrei said as he reached out to Ter's forehead. Knowledge flowed through Ter's head and he collapsed back onto the bed and consciousness left him.
To be continued...