Brave Souls. (Book One.)

Inside the Tshamari's Cave.

She sat down upon the cold graphite stone that had once been her source of torture. Now carved into a hideous chair it was her only refuge

Deep in the humid dark cave, the cold smooth feel on her back and neck was pure bliss. Here, only here could she close her eyes and breath. She let her mind free and waited. It came.

The gentle sun, the soft breeze, the beautiful Savannah slowly drifting as a little girl ran. The tall grass danced to her warm giggles as she looked back and waved at her friend to come closer.

"Come on..." the voice of pure innocence warmed her soul.

Then it ended. Abruptly.

Her friend never came. She never saw her face or his face. Ever.

This was her only memory. The only happy moment deep in her entire soul that had remained. The others had been brutally taken from her, tortured and gorged from her tender young mind so long ago. Even her name, her identity was not hers to keep.

Now she was the Tshamari, the chosen one. The seer of the gates that connected the spirit realm to the human realm. She was the spirit's medium as fate had viciously declared.

The ugly granite chair began to lose its coolness and the ounce of peace that it held faded with it. She opened her eyes and gazed at one corner of the humid cave.

She watched unmoved as the rather beautiful daughter of Mariani sobbed quietly, clutching her knees tightly as she rocked back and forth.

"It's not a bad dream.." She spoke to the young girl for the first time.

She watched her freeze at once. Tears flowed down her cheeks but she did not scream. She also made no effort to get up and run. She did not attempt to escape not once.

"She's brave." The Tshamari sighed as she remembered how she had screamed until her voice grew hoarse. How she had clawed and bit and thrashed at everything in her futile efforts to escape her worst nightmare.

"Do not fear, dear child."

The tear stained face looked at her, and it held nothing else but immense soul crushing fear.

"In this world that you hold so dear, that now seems to be so cruel ... we all are just but  mere ants."

" We possess neither will or choice. We exist only to fulfill the wishes and will of those above us."

"Whether you get squashed or devoured you do not leave your path. Because that is your fate."

"For you dear one, you exist to be my apprentice. This is your fate."

"Do you understand this."

The shivering girl attempted to nod but her body was frozen stiff, she could feel her racing heart beat in the deep silence that engulfed them.

"Soon you will understand. Fear breeds from an uncertain mind. When you understand that your will is not your own, when you understand that the very reason you breathe is to fulfill your masters will, you will see that the fear that holds you captive has no place here.'

The Tshamari stood up tall abruptly and Teriah cowered even further into the dark corner, as if she wished the walls could swallow her up.

"Now get up at once, it is time to begin. It is unbecoming for the Tshamari's apprentice to cower on the ground like a weakling.!"

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