The bridge between the Kingdom of Baya and the Kingdom of Secil was becoming a path of destruction many continued to take. With every passing body, the bridge grew weaker while He became stronger. The people of Baya within the three Kingdoms were to...
Julian stood in her temporary room, alone, with the two scrolls clutched tightly. Her hands were trembling as she looked around for a place to set down what she considered her fate and debated if she should read it now or take a moment to breath. A small table with two chairs sat on the edge of the room before the open arches that led to a flower garden. The soft light of the candles fluttered as a breeze came through the sheer white curtains. It was the most beautiful bedroom Julian had ever seen.
She sat at the small table, two scrolls sitting rolled tightly before her, and sighed. What was written would be there even if she did not look. Slowly, she unrolled her personal scroll and held it open with a small rock as a paper weight and began to read. Julian read several lines before pausing. She did not completely understand what her scroll was telling her. She unrolled the scroll given to her by The Head priestess, Aimee, had said Julian would require and placed the papers side by side carefully to compare and translate.
The cloth laid on her as an infant had been touched, slightly shifted, but not removed. This symbolized a preference for being reserved but a willingness to act according to the second scroll filled with the detailed explanations of each stage for the Ritual of Emergence. Julian's three coins proved that what Aimee had said earlier had been true. Her coins were complicated matter. The first coin landed on the Golden Leaf almost all the way North with a slight angle to the West towards the mountains Her second coin landed on the Claws turned almost all the way South with a slight angle to the East. A special notation placed "Secil" as if this angle the gold piece had landed pointed straight at the other kingdom. The third coin stated Missing.
Julian looked at her informational paper to see what this meant.
The coins often represent three stages of life; however, the specific coin does not necessarily mean young, adult, and elderly. Can represent the most significant portion of events in the child's life for how fate will play out, typically in all situations for the child. A Golden Leaf is positive. A Claw is negative. North facing is the highest point of positivity while South is the highest point of negativity. All other angles represented a medium between the two points.
Dropping is uncommon and resembles that the fate is unclear. This usually happens in the third portion. This means that it will be up to the Gods to decide at a later time.
Julian reviewed her scroll further with her newly obtained knowledge. The first coin was positive, she assumed this represented her childhood. The second, overwhelmingly negative. She assumed this was the stage she was in at the present time. Unfortunately, information was not provided for a missing coin, only dropped.
This made her even more terrified than before. It had been clear from the start of her brother's illness with The Grey Death that it would be a difficult journey for her family, but it seemed there would not be the Gods blessings on her when Julian reached the Kingdom of Secil. If she even reached it. Her coin was gone. She would be convinced that she was traveling to her end in this world if it were not for the Queen of the Gods speaking to her.
Did I want to know this? She thought to herself. For my sanity should I allow myself to read more, or should I burn this to scroll to ash and let it be with the Gods?
Julian was at least smart enough to know that her sanity likely did not matter anymore. Whoever, and whatever, she was had been predicted during her Ritual of Emergence twenty years prior. She continued to read. Different plants and flowers, per the informational scroll, could represent many things and the order in which it is pulled can determine the meaning and significance.
"But it seems that I will not know more than the basics," Julian signed. "As I seem to only have what appears to be the beginners scroll. Of course."
Thyme - Courageous; Dill - Powerful against evil; Lilac - Magic; Holly - Foresight; Bay tree - Baya Royalty, Glory
Hyssop - Sacrifice; Tansy - War Bringing; Yarrow - Everlasting; Snapdragon - Deception; Black Rose - Revenge
A total of ten. Some not wanted.
"Magic," Julian whispered to herself. "Foresight. Royalty."
She rolled the papers up quickly and placed them in her satchel. Her parents had never discussed her or her siblings Ritual of Emergence. If she had the Bay Tree, then they would too. And at least one parent as well. If anyone in her family had known about the Bay Tree and what is stood for, they never said a word.
"Probably dared not tell," she muttered. To say that any of them had the Bay Tree, for those who knew what it meant, would mean possible death. It meant relation to the late King Baine, who everyone deemed cursed. Most people did not know what any of the plants meant. It was likely for the best that the knowledge was sacred and safe guarded at the main temple.
Julian walked out into the night air to view the garden. The plants she had read about, and some that she had not, were all there growing to be harvested for future ceremonies. Each section had been carefully labeled and were clearly well taken care of. It had to be. The Gods deemed the destiny of every child, no matter how small of a role that child may have, and it was the priestesses' job to document the will of those Gods.
She stopped to smell pink roses. Roses seem delicate but were tough, protected by the thorns. Despite the delicate look and the sweet smell these flowers often held substantial meaning. Julian wished she could let the garden distract her permanently from her troubled thoughts. Despite the temporary soothing environment of plants, crickets, and the moonlight she could still feel an ache in her heart and see her younger brothers face.
The Grey Death had chosen him. Her mother and father were to cross the Glass in two days' time. Julian would be jumping into a rushing river with a monster from the Under World that lusted for a kill.
She was a Conjurer. The only one in Baya. She was of royal blood. Julian felt, despite living as herself for twenty years, she did not know who she was.
Stopping at the end of the garden she stared at purple flowers. Before her was a Lilac bush, the representation of her magic. Her fingers touched the petal softly, respectfully. A sensation overcame her, and she snapped a small bunch off at the stem.
"I do not believe that I should be taking from the garden-" Before she could finish muttering to herself, she could clearly see the image of a large fountain, only she was not looking at a fountain. It was a brief vision. Instructions.
Quickly, Julian made her way back to the center of the garden where she had seen the decorative fountain. It was made of two tiers, water cascading done from the top in a beautiful sheet. Small decorative details had been chiseled into the stone along with different symbols representing blessings.
She plucked several flowers from the lilac bunch and placed the petals in the water. She knew what she needed to do as the vision continued. It was as if she were shadowing her own body, mimicking what she was shown in her mind.
Julian's fingers swirled the petals around in the water and images began to appear before her. Razor sharp teeth, a strong hand, and a golden tray covered with decadent food. As quickly as the vision came it passed and she was once again staring at nothing more than a beautiful water fountain in a garden under the moonlight.
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