For almost ten years, the old priestess searched until she could search no more. Young ones would be lined up for her inspection but none of them pulled at her. She traveled everywhere in search of a helper to a priestess in case they were to become the next priestess. None made the cut.

In those ten years, Opheria became much weaker and eventually, she could no longer travel. The most she could do was a small walk in town but she had to get a carriage to get there or she'd never make the journey.

Finally, she saw her. In that one moment where their eyes met briefly, the old priestess understood the god's decree. A child with a light so bright in her brown orbs held both her parents' hands, tugging them to all the different stands in her childish curiosity.

The old priestess stumbled and fell to the ground. Her helpers rushed to her aid but she pushed them aside to get a clear view of the sky.

"I refuse! I refuse to ruin her! Let my people live freely! Let her live freely! I will gladly die to save her from her fate! Leave her be! There are others!" Opheria knew it reached the heavens from how the wind blew a cold laughter into her ear. The old god’s chuckle froze her soul and for a moment time stood still.

“You old fool. Nothing can change this. Not even I. Time and Fate are intertwined lovers who do not care for us immortal or mortal souls. They simply are. I am the unfortunate to be able to see and hear what they plan. I cannot change their immoral minds. Not even Agous has that power.” Breathless, he left her then and time moved forward once more.

Her cry, one of utter pain, shocked the ones around her and everything stopped. People crowded around her.

Suddenly, tiny hands pushed past the legs that blocked their view. The child stood before her. She sat on her knees by her and reached to touch her thin paper cheek in a comforting gesture. It melted the elderly woman's heart. A child so kind… fated to destroy her people. However, the priestess quickly reminded herself that she could save them as well.

"Are you okay?" Her tiny voice laced with so sweet concern. A helping priestess tried to push the child away but the old priestess glared at her until she retreated back to the sidelines.

Grabbing her chubby cheeks, she pulled the child closely and whispered to her, "run. Run and never return. Save yourself and your family. Run!" Sadly, the city head, Eztil-Catl, ripped the small child from her gentle grasp. Her parents were detained by the nearby guards and kept out of reach of their child.

"Is she the one to bring the destruction of this village?" When she didn't respond, he roughly shook the child as if to emphasize his point, "is she to be the new priestess? The one who will destroy us?!"

His voice grew loud enough for all to hear and the people gasped in horror. Everyone already knew the horrible decree laid upon the shoulders of the new priestess. Looking about, one would find few with pity as they gazed at the child. Most felt hate, disgust, fear, and anger towards the child who had done nothing wrong except breathe the same air they all did.

The priestess refused to answer and instead reached for a helper to get her up. Once on her feet, she took deep breaths and steadied herself on her weary legs. Everything spun for a moment but once able, she looked to the sky and spread her arms wide.

"Illness, Fear, Hate, Misery, War, and Death, I call upon you. Shall Eztil-Catl ever directly or indirectly lay a hand on this child in means to harm her, let him feel your wrath. Let him live forever in misery without relief. Kill me and settle this with my blood! Three days from now. In three days let this deal be settled," the ancient tongue floated onto deaf ears, those so unwisely, untrained in the tongue of the gods.

No one had ever heard the language before, it had always been forbidden to speak it publicly. But, as Opheria spoke, the townspeople either fled in sudden fear or leaned forward to listen in their own stupidity.

Figures moved across the sky, unseen by the remaining crowd, and settled over her. They were waiting to settle this deal. The goddess of war, Zenké, calmly stood in the shadows with mild curiosity at the scene.

She looked bored upon arriving, but as she took a look around, her interest piqued. The fear left lingering in the air filled her nose and the chaos before her brought a devilish grin to her face.

"You will burn if you do this!" Tears pricked her eyes as she grabbed the child from his hold.

Zenké came to the edge of the crowd, watching the scene with, once more, a mild interest.

Little hands fisted the priestess’s robes and small droplets of water soaked through to touch her bare skin. She tried to soothe the child with whispered words of hope but they did little as the child watched them bring the wood in.

Her parents were kept detained by the guards as well as the two priestesses. Once the stacks of wood were set up, the parents were pushed towards them.

"No! Mommy! Daddy! No!" Crying out, the new priestess tried to break through the guards who roughly pushed her back but she fought on until the old priestess grabbed a hold of her.

"Don't look, sweety. Don't look." Her old limbs did little to keep her from watching.

The child watched in grief-stricken horror as her parents were tied to the stake and burned. All the while they stared at each other, trying to mentally reach for each other. The priestess didn't know if they ever did but let the child cling to her even when her grip became unbearably painful.

Zenké looked to the sky, still unseen as the dozens came back to watch, encouraging the burning of the new priestess. She searched the cloudless sky for something, then a sadness filled her as she pulled an ancient dagger from her belt loop and traced the old swirls of faded color, where it had once been coated with the blood of her mother’s.

Soon enough, the flames consumed them. Grabbing the child, Opheria hauled her off to the carriage as soon as she was able, where her helping priestesses waited.

The guards stepped aside, too afraid to try and stop her and keep the young girl for the stake the crowd demanded. The head of the city, their chief remained by the smoldering flames, watching them both with contempt in his eyes.

Once inside, Opheria held the child close to her and rocked her back and forth. They spoke little on the way back and they were not disturbed. When they reached the cabin, the old priestess ushered the child in and sat her down on the bed for rest. Turning back to her helping priestesses, she looked deep into each of their eyes with a fierceness that beguiled her old form.

Disgusted, she yelled, "get out! I know what you are thinking! I will not allow you to harm this child! Leave!" She pointed towards the door and without much resistance, they took their leave. Once they were long gone, she quietly returned to the child who was staring wide eyed at her.

"What is your name child?"

"Sabele," she sniffled slightly and rubbed her eyes dry.

"I'm going to help you, Sabele. I won't always be here and we won't have much time together. I need you to take notes and listen to everything I say. I'm just trying to help you, darling. I'm going to get you something to eat. Rest for now." Leaving, she returned with some crackers and a jug of water.

When the sun had finally set, the candlelight burned. Together, both sat down at the table and as the woman spoke, the child took note.

"Let me tell you, Sabele. You will not have it easy but you will find friends.” Her hand ran through the child’s silky strands, comforting her as best as she could.

“Just remember that you may destroy or save this city.”

Please save these people, even if they are undeserving.

“Now let’s begin with the textbooks here. We will go through everything though I can't teach you the language, you can work with the pictures. Let's begin so you may be prepared.” Handing over a feather and ink, Sabele took care of the bundle of blank paper sheets in front of her. She wrote as fast as she could and as clear as possible.

When the third day arrived, Sabele rested by the old priestess's bedside. Her labored breathing filled the home until the door creaked open followed by a shuffling of footsteps.

An elderly man walked in calmly and pulled up a chair by her. He said nothing but sat there until she took her last breath. Surprised, dark shadows filled the room and rushed about, the man didn’t seem to notice them, but the child did. As quickly as they appeared, they fled the room, sucking all the heat with them.

The elderly man didn’t feel the temperature drop, he simply held his hand out to her and packed three bags filled with furs, blankets, clothing, and food.

He led her to the mountainside where a cave cozily sat. It was small but big enough to have everything there that she needed. The haziness in the air made Sabele dizzy and no sunlight reached it. Cold and dim lighted, the two sat around a dying fire for a while.

"I cannot help you. This is all I can do. Let me show you how to cook and how to preserve food. It will snow all the time here and the forest is just below you, plus you cannot see the sun and it will never see you while you live here.” Sabele sniffed a small cry at what he told her.

The man looked away, unable to comfort her, but he was at least able to educate her.

Down below, torches lit the village and a small line of people who walked towards them. The liveliness returned as soon as she had left that horrible afternoon.

“Follow these rules to a tee. Never get caught hunting. Be up by sunrise. Never summon any god or goddess in front of people. Send them away and make sure they've gone away. As a priestess, you have limited powers so use them wisely. You can set up a bell that will alert you when someone is coming. Now, the head chief - you know his name, yes? Eztil-Catl - will be here at any moment but let me teach you what I can," he stood and grabbed the few bags they had brought.

He didn’t look at her or even explain why she had been forced to live in the dismal cave. The man just unpacked a few things and took to laying them before her.

"Mister?" He stopped and turned to look at her. "What will happen to me?"

"Horrible, horrible things, child. Stay strong. The gods will not forsake you. Never forsake them. They help us in mysterious ways. Are you ready to learn?" Sabele nodded numbly. That's all she had been for days. Numb. Now, she would be cold and numb.

The nice man taught her what she needed to know and left her to make the cave her new home. When he later returned, only half an hour later, but it felt like an eternity, he didn't come alone. The head chief of the village with a few of his men walked in behind him. They brought boxes of the old priestesses things. Bookshelves were set up, old clothes brought, books, and more. They set them in front of her and stepped back.

"You are the new priestess. Most of the old priestesses things are here for you. You are to stay here. You are not allowed to leave this cave. Old rules of the priestess life are no lovers, no killing, no hunting, and you must always be in uniform," he handed over an outfit way too large for her but she took it without complaint.

With one last sneering look over at her, the men left except for the old man who helped her set everything up. Once that was done, he left too.

Sabele settled down on the bundle of furs and blankets. The night would be cold and long. Almost to prove a point, a cool breeze blew snow into the entrance, past the veil of thin sheets that kept the entrance closed off.

Chimes hung right behind the veil and clang together from the blow of air, the moon shined through easily and reflected off the carefully crafted metal.

"I have power?” The man’s words came back to her in a whisper, hushed and faded.

Sabele closed her eyes and focused on envisioning an invisible barrier that alerted her when someone passed through it. She couldn’t think of why that came to mind, but it did, like a natural instinct.

Opening her eyes, she sadly looked at her hands and pulled them into her chest to hold them close. Then, suddenly, a little vision entered her mind. A small baby rabbit had jumped the barrier.

Her power she couldn’t feel, but it was there like the air in her lungs and the blood in her veins. So subtle and unnoticeable.

Sitting up in shock, Sabele smiled in the darkness. Laughing in joy, she laid back down with a thump. She felt exhilarating at a small triumph - knowing she had something to help her. The feeling left her quickly, however.