A Priestess for the Blind God (Legends of Rahasia Book 1)

Chapter Fifteen

"First, we will increase your strength for the Elder." A crowd gathers as the rumor spreads of the Chosen One's charity project, helping a bastard and a girl learn to fight. The prince has an entire royal section of the arena partitioned behind wooden stakes, and the onlookers stand at least thirty paces away from those for fear of his sun-residing powers. Elio is a predator, pacing in front of his red-and-black-draped prey. His golden tattoos glow softly, flames beneath skin. "Afterwards, we will have you practice your performance skills for the Beloved."

"What of the Blind God?" I murmur. I flush as the crowd of onlookers laugh behind me.

Elio silences them with a withering stare. "Cato the Elder likes warriors. Aziz the Beloved enjoys fine arts. Nobody knows what Kane the Blind wants. You simply enter a cavern where he tests you, and then you leave as soon as he's done."

"Does it hurt?" Ryu's eyes widen, the picture of innocence.

Elio pats Ryu fondly on the shoulder, but he noticeably maneuvers his torso away from him. He doesn't want to seem too familiar. "Not a bit, my friend."

I still shudder. You enter a cavern...leave when he's done.

What the hell does Kane do to you?

It's no wonder his favorite color is black. This god is a mystery.

"Well," Elio crosses his arms, forearms bulging, "show me your strength."

Ryu closes his eyes, his fingers clasped over the glass beads. A fire appears over his palms. Elio walks over and, without thinking, places his hand into the flame. When he removes his hand, his skin is unblemished. "The fire does not burn like my sun does."

Ryu looks to his sandaled feet. "It's not real fire. It's an illusion, my prince. That's what my Diviner powers are. Illusions."

People start to snicker in the crowd, but Elio holds his hand up to shush them. "No, I can teach you a way to use this skill for combat." He walks over to me as I stare at my mirror despondently. "And you, milady?"

I whisper a few words and the ghosts come quickly to the surface of the mirror. Elio taps his fingernail against them. The ghouls hiss in response. "And?"

I prepare for the humiliation. "And nothing, my prince."

Elio's eyes widen in alarm. "You're telling me there's no way to harness them as weaponry."

I grit my teeth. "My mother was our family's Diviner. She died only after she taught me this. She died before she could teach me much else." I lift my chin, "but my father was a war general, the best. He taught me how to use a sword and shield."

"That won't do much against magic in the arena."

I look to him. "You don't fight with a Diviner's weapon."

Elio chuckles, "I am the weapon. Cato blessed me so my body would harness the sun."

I do not laugh as he does. "Then I am a weapon too."

The crowd disperses after that. Perhaps they do not want to see a girl die in the arena after she so blatantly makes a fool out of herself.

***

Hello my Champions!

Anybody have any theories about what happens in that cavern? 

Hint. Magic.

-Sophia