Light Of Asteria

Chapter Three: Lucia

Quiet. Calm. A peaceful sanctuary. Serenity blanketed over Lucia as tears streamed across her cheeks and soft hiccups echoed through the garden in the heart of the Holy Temple.

The Tower of Reckoning resided at the courtyard's center. An enormous mass crafted of sleek stone, it engulfed the garden, disrupting the flow of emerald grass and preventing a clear view to the other side. The highest point, a dismal blur of gray masked by sun drenched clouds, stretched to eternity. She knew her destiny lingered at the top. Someday, in the distant future, duty would require her to ascend. Prophecy declared this to be the destination of the confrontation with Sanheim. Though, would she be ready?

Young priestess, you will never ascend, Agatha's words reflected in Lucia's mind, followed by Boudreaux's. A disappointment. You surely can not be the one.

Yet, The Great Mother had brought her here. She refused to believe it was without purpose. Though, the goddess's veiled motives swirled in divine secrecy. Absence of clarity denied revelation, however, it didn't prevent wonder.

Splayed across the marble bench, Lucia soaked in the radiance of the sun as she sniffled the final tears from her eyes and let her thoughts drift. Gnarled vines twisted around the tower, sprinkled by the pulsating coral glow of star flowers. The surrounding ruby roses appeared bleak in comparison to their mesmerizing light. Yet, the star flowers were loathed. A pest to the roses, they choked and induced rot.

Grand Master Elias, the former pope of Asteria, feared their conquest signified the end of days. The newly appointed Pope Alazar, on the other hand, viewed them as a symbol of light and hope. First appearing when he'd entered the temple to train as a knight and only a few years prior to encountering Juno and Lucia, Alazar believed the star flowers announced the arrival of two great forces—the first male heir of The Great Mother's direct bloodline in companionship with the goddess herself in human form; two halves of the same soul.

As she contemplated the significance of their meaning, gentle tweets enveloped the senses. A warm breeze accompanied, energizing and blissful. It reinvigorated and cleared the mind. The chilling atmosphere of the deepest corridors of the Holy Temple found no way here. The garden existed outside their confines. Lucia's favorite spot, it permeated as the only place where nature reigned and where she felt most connected to The Great Mother.

She sighed, letting her hands fall to her lap. A tiny twinge of pink graced the ivory fabric of her gown. Delicate fingers stretching forward, Lucia traced the mark and flinched. Agatha had drawn blood. She whimpered, pursed her lips, and averted her gaze. A hand clamped her shoulder. Embrace firm, yet gentle, she knew exactly who lingered even before they spoke.

"Little light, what troubles you today?" Elias questioned, croaky voice quivering.

His pruney fingers traveled from Lucia's shoulder to her cheeks as he wrapped around the bench and planted a slobbery kiss upon her forehead. The snow white robes adorning his body mirrored silk as they graced her skin.

"Grand Master," Lucia breathed, a smile tickling her lips, "it's a blessing to see you today, as always. I've just finished my lessons. I came to the garden to collect my thoughts."

Elias's pale blue eyes narrowed. He glanced between the tear stained cheeks and pink tinted gown.

"Agatha has been at it, again, has she?" he grumbled, wispy gray hair fluttering in the breeze. "I knew she was trouble, has been for a while now, but Alazar insists she is devout, graced by the powers of The Great Mother. Though, I have my doubts. Snakes tend to hide in the softest grass, usually among the star flowers."

He hissed his final statement as he puckered his lips and queerly gazed at the tower.

"Yes, but she does have a knack for getting me to remember things," Lucia muttered.