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Under the Violet Moon - Part 2
“Vandar,” a beautiful woman said in a flat voice, “The scouts have returned!” she looked older than she actually was.
“What do they say?” the man named Vandar said from a wooden throne inlaid with silver. What is this? Who are these people? Where am I? Alera thought.
“Hey,” she tried to attract the attention of people around her, “Where am I?” Alera looked around the architecture of the throne room was unfamiliar and she decided to let the events unfold.
“The Violet Moon has left the entire Rheanor– not just Ganya– obliterated. Men killed anyone they saw.” Violet Moon? Ganya? Rheanor? What are they talking about? Alera thought loudly– only she could hear her voice.
“Lorenya,” the man named Vandar choked, “What did I do? I destroyed the world, how am I going to fix this?”
The beautiful woman who had told Vandar about the scouts dismissed everyone in the room and embraced the kill in a warm hug, “Vandar,” her voice was soothing, “One step after another. We’ll re-build Rheanor with unrelenting dedication.”
Rebuild? Alera thought, The world has been created only a few thousand years ago. she recalled a verse from the Moon Testament, Lunos, the Moon God, completed creating Riara three thousand years ago, finally withdrew himself to the heavens where he shines brightly in the night sky.
“Lorenya,” Vandar’s voice trembled, “I want Violet Moon wiped out from the history.”
Lorenya nodded silently. Vandar, the King of Ganya wiped his nose took the crown off his head, and traced a crescent Violet Moon tattoo, “A reminder of my failure.” he sighed.
“Time heals everything,” Lorenya said wisely.
Alera’s eyesight returned slowly. Her head hurt with a splitting headache and every muscle in her body ached dully. She looked at the window and found it wide open to the freezing wind, “I must have left it open!” she said loudly, startling her dog. What was that dream about? she walked over to the window and shut it close.
Outside, the sun was just pushing the deep purple off the sky in the east. Alera poured herself some water and wondered about the vision, What is this Violet Moon? she thought, Our God shines brightly as a silver sphere in the night sky, keeping a watchful eye on Riara. she patted her dog who barked at her for food.
“Yeah,” she sighed, “I’ll feed you in a moment!” she walked up and to the kitchen and found a piece of chicken leftover from yesterday and threw it to her dog who wagged his tail happily and bit into the soft meat.
Violet Moon? Vandar? Alera sighed as she stripped herself, Maybe the High Priestess would know something about this? she thought as she washed herself, No! They’ll think I’m mad!
She put on the creamy white robes of the Church of Lunos and drew a crescent moon on her forehead, Was this a vision? Or just a figment of my imagination? she thought as she left a huge bucket of water and a big bone for the dog. She patted him once again before locking him inside the house.
Alera sighed, Lord Lunos, she looked up at the sky and saw a white sphere shining dully in the morning sky, Give us strength and protect us from the evil. she made a crescent shape in the air and walked on the street connecting to her house.
Alera had lived in the city of Gaynamede for almost four decades now. She had seen the crisscrossing network of roads and well-laid buildings transform into an intertwining web. It was as if the city had a life of its own.
Being a priestess of the Church of Lunos she could have lived in the upper Gaynamede– the well-laid, crisscrossing section of the city where the rich, the religious, and the powerful dwelled. But, she had detested those in the upper Gaynamede and had decided to spend her life in service of the lower Gaynamede and so she was given a small church in the lower Gaynamede that served the local community.
“Good Morning, Priestess Alera,” an old man cleaning the nondescript, disinfected, church floor said with a big smile.
“Good Morning Finnius,” Hmm. That is an odd name. I’ve never heard of a name in Gaynamede to end with -ius. “Finnius, where are you from?” Alera asked.
“I’m from Eos,” Finnius looked away ashamed of his heritage, “After the Mad King Tamsius raised an army of undead with the Necromancer guild, I fled. I had to. My son, my wife, my mother, my father. Everyone I had loved and everyone I had buried fought mindlessly for the Mad King. Well, he likes to call himself the Lord of the Dead.”
“I don’t know anything about your pain, Finnius,” Alera said, “But Lord Lunos is watching over this world and one day he’ll crush Lord of the Dead under his mighty Hammer purging this world clean of his undead.” she drew a crescent shape on Finnius’ forehead.
“I’m sure he is!” Finnius made a crescent shape in the air, “As long as Gaynamede stands Tamsius will never rule all of Riara.”
“Yes,” Alera said reassuringly Ha. Emperor Luthor isn’t any better than Tamsius, he wants to rule all of Riara. “Lord Lunos protects us all.” she didn’t want to delve deeper into this conversation.
She had once argued that Emperor Luthor’s ever-growing influence in Riara would be catastrophic, and her tiny church in the lower Gaynamede was boycotted by the High Priestess of Church of Lunos. It had been disastrous for the people of Lower Gaynamede. I’ve promised the High Priestess that I’ll never speak against the Emperor.