The Carrier - Episode Four



  The Carrier – Episode Four

  Willan Ellis

  Copyright 2014 Willan Ellis

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  Cover Image: Original art by Jane Stradwick

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  LUIA - Morning

  Teanne could make out the quiet whispers as she slowly opened her eyes, and saw Lin lift a cloth from her forehead and smile down at her

  ‘There you are. Welcome back.’ she said softly as Teanne pushed herself up to sit and rubbed her head. The pressing feeling had subsided, and Teanne chuckled to herself. Lin questioned her with a bemused look. She reassuringly whispered,

  ‘I don’t think, I have fainted this much in my whole life.’

  Lin returned a sided grin and rinsed out the cloth ‘try not to make a habit of it. I’m getting a little bored with tending to you.’ The two shared a smile.

  ‘How are you my dear’?

  Teanne felt the anger rise immediately as she turned and watched Empe approach. She pushed it aside and forced a smile. ‘I’m fine, all things considered. What exactly happened out there?'

  Empe sat down next to Teanne and lightly took her hand,

  'You are the true carrier Teanne, there is no doubt. I did not think that carrying the Estrus would be so literal however'. Empe chuckled to herself. Teanne turned her hand over and looked at the glow coming from her palm, she squeezed her fingers shut and opened them quickly, the glow remained. Teanne pinched herself to make sure she was awake.

  ‘We have been searching for you a long time.’ Empe said, as Teanne pulled her hand away.

  ‘How are you not sure that it is Kera that is this carrier? It is after all her body I’m trapped in.’

  Empe laughed and her smile faded as she looked down at Teanne’s hand.

  ‘Do you think an upstart like Kera, would be worthy to carry such a blessing’?

  Teanne laughed back at her, ‘Blessing! You call this a blessing? I would say more of a curse – I am in mother knows what time. I am away from my friends…’ Teanne took a quick breath trying to calm herself.

  Empe lowered her eyes; she had to make this girl understand.

  ‘Teanne, I have searched for you my whole life. The Estrus has chosen you, do you not understand? It is a blessing.

  The book that I gave you is a final test. It is meant to determine if the potential person is the true carrier, by calling the Estrus to them. It had once hidden the Estrus after the elements were separated. It is meant to guide the true carrier – to guide them to reunite our world and to create balance. We thought, well, I thought that the book would house the Estrus. I never imagined it would join with you’.

  Teanne ran her hand through her hair. She was losing patience and getting angrier.

  ‘Empe, I truly appreciate what you are trying to tell me, but you need to understand – up until a few weeks ago I was merely an initiate in the Sisterhood of the Flame. My Luia was destroyed and My Head Elder Elite...’ Teanne looked over to Lin and gently smiled, ‘she gave me a stone to return it to its rightful owner. Nothing more, nothing less – and by some force I do not understand, I am now sitting here in another’s body discussing an alignment, discussing a true carrier, discussing elements -whatever they are,’ Teanne sighed loudly, and lifted Empe's chin and looked her in the eye, 'you do realise how ridiculous this all sounds, and not to mention I now have the sacred, mythical stone of Luia embedded beneath my skin.’

  ‘Seriously someone please pinch me, I don’t think even my imagination could conjure this up’.

  Teanne noticed Lin try to conceal a grin as she looked around the room. Alexander was now standing in the doorway listening to the conversation. His eyes were set like stone. Teanne pulled her gaze away from him and returned it to Empe – she looked to be lost in thought.

  Empe suddenly looked up at Teanne with renewed vigour, ‘Tell me child, why did you not offer the woman in the below world, Kera, the stone?’

  Teanne stumbled to answer, ‘how did you know that?’ Empe gestured to Alexander, who simply nodded, ‘because she is not the rightful owner.’ Teanne concluded cautiously looking at every set of eyes that were now fixed on her.

  ‘How did you know she was not – you said it yourself, you are merely an initiate and she is your supreme leader, surely it would have to be her?’ Teanne pressed her temple. She did not like the direction of this question, ‘I just knew’ she whispered.

  ‘You just knew? What you did was blasphemous. You broke the whole doctrine of your sisterhood by not obeying her.’

  You must realise that in some way you were guided by the Estrus. Only a carrier can read the stone. Only a true carrier can be guided.’

  Empe was determined; Teanne had to admit that.

  ‘How is it that I came to be here?’

  Empe sighed, deciding to allow this little diversion. ‘It would seem the Estrus was trying to protect you’

  ‘Surely it could have sent me outside’ Teanne replied angrily.

  ‘Technically it did.’ Lin added sarcastically, Teanne smirked at her then looked back at Empe urging her to continue,

  ‘Maybe you needed to learn something – and as you say, your time has been destroyed. Perhaps you were brought here to this place for guidance, or perhaps it was a simple error’.

  Teanne slumped back against the bed head; she was tired. She closed her eyes, and sent a silent prayer to Jacob.

  ‘Empe?’ Teanne’s voice was now weary ‘what did you mean before about Lin not hiding the Estrus?’

  Empe had hoped that comment would not arise again. Elder Lin had been the stones protector and had kept it hidden for so long. But the fact that an alignment was about to begin, and of course the fact Luia had been attacked was something she could not ignore. Empe sighed deeply, her resolution now set. The child before her needed to understand what had been started. She looked lovingly at Teanne then gently took her hand.

  ‘The ancient law we know, that we are taught is simply a fairytale. It was created to hide a treaty, – a true treaty, that was governed and sanctioned by the Order Lords. It was simply, that no matter what, if the Estrus was ever revealed, ever used’ Empe paused ‘the stone must be returned to the Order Lords. Failure to do so would deem whomever has it - traitors to this treaty.’

  Teanne looked at Empe angrily ‘Are you telling me that in some way Elder Lin was responsible for the destruction of Luia?’

  ‘I am not saying that exactly. Lin had made contact with me through the message runes, and said that she had found the carrier. We were so careful. But somehow the return of the Estrus was revealed to the Order Lords’. Teanne felt sick to the stomach. How could something so beautiful be responsible for something that horrible? Empe looked towards Alexander and sighed. She had to make Teanne understand.

  'It is not the stone itself child. It is what it represents; the Order Lords know and believe that the existence of this stone would prove fatal to their rule, to their dominion. After the Old War, the stone disappeared – believed destroyed, and the world as we know it became as it is now – the four lands,

  After many years living as we do, a woman found the stone and knew it could only be the Estrus, a piece of something larger than each of us. She came to learn about its importance to each living soul on this world. Many years later, at the time this secret treaty was signed, a small group believed that
the Estrus would unite the roots. They believed that the lands should not be separated, and they believed that the lands joined would lead to us living in perfect harmony’.

  Empe searched for understanding in Teanne’s eyes, ‘and at the centre of this belief is the Estrus – the Order Lords could not allow this and wanted to destroy the stone and put a stop to this belief. The mere mention of the stone was treasonous.’

  Empe gently turned Teannes hand over, the stone was glowing brightly, and she smiled and continued, ‘this woman believed that the Estrus was a great power that once belonged to every person on this world. She was determined that she would keep it safe until a time would come, a time of rebirth where she could bring the roots together and restore balance. Where the Estrus could return to its rightful place,

  Alexander moved to the bed and sat on the opposite side of Empe, and smiled as Teanne rested her head on his shoulder and he looked at Empe almost requesting permission to speak. She nodded and he began speaking,

  ‘For a century this woman studied the old texts, and found other like-minded people who too shared her belief. They searched for a person who could carry the stone and return it and lead the roots to unification. She originally believed that the carrier would be an elder from one of the now separated lands – but on each occasion they failed to be the one – this failure almost always resulted in death for the potential carrier or even worse the death of their sanity.’

  Empe sighed deeply and interrupted ‘If Lin, somehow revealed the existence of this stone, then the Order Lords would want it destroyed – to put finality to this woman’s belief’.

  ‘But why would it be so important for the lands to be united. Things seem to be fine the way they are?’ Lin interrupted.

  ‘Have you ever been outside the borders of Luia?’

  Lin shook her head then added, ‘No, because it is the way, Empe. Every land does not interfere with the other’.

  ‘You only believe this because it is what you are taught to believe. Another thing the Order Lords control. If any of the lands converged or joined it would prove disastrous to their plans’. Teanne noticed Lin get angry as Empe challenged her.

  ‘If that is true then why have we not been attacked? There are people from Aelia within our borders right now’. Lin angrily spat back.

  ‘They re-signed a treaty, did they not?’ Lin nodded. ‘What treaty? What treaty would the Mother Sovereign and the Queen of Aelia need to re-sign, that the Order Lords would permit?’ Lin faltered as she thought through the question.

  ‘This secret treaty is not common knowledge Lin. Only the Mother Sovereign and her immediate advisors are privy to this information’

  Angrily Lin looked at Alexander, ‘you are a part of the Elite Alexander. Do you believe what Empe is telling us?’ Teanne knew Lin was finding it hard to let go of her beliefs and accept what the others were saying. Alexander nodded.

  ‘Yes I do. My family have always believed that the lands should not be separated. They believe that the Estrus will unite the world and we will once again be blessed’.

  ‘This goes against everything Luia is built on. What you are speaking is blasphemous. Teanne you cannot believe what they are saying?’

  Teanne looked at Lin. She didn’t know what she believed anymore. Looking down at her hand she urged the Estrus to somehow confirm what the truth was.

  ‘I don’t know what I believe anymore Lin' Teanne whispered.

  ‘I can’t listen to this anymore. I’ll be outside’ Lin stormed from the room. Teanne moved to follow her, but Alexander gently stopped her.

  ‘Let her go. It will be hard for a Sister of the Flame to forget all the teachings.’

  Teanne looked at Alexander, and then turned back to Empe, ‘Are you telling the truth?’

  Empe smiled ‘you are living proof that what we believe is true. If we were lying then explain why you are here and why you now carry the Estrus within you’.

  ‘Why me?’ Teanne was almost hoarse from the strain in her throat.

  ‘Elder Lin must have discovered something that chose you as the carrier’

  Shaking her head Teanne moved to the edge of the bed, she was finding it hard to process everything. She suddenly remembered the voice in the whiteness Remember, Remember what?! Did that really happen – Teanne knew it had, but no one else had mentioned it? Did no one else experience what she had? She looked at Empe, the truth behind her words was convincing, but it went against everything that she knew or was taught to be true – she suddenly felt a sense of betrayal to her teachers and for her beloved Luia and everything it stood for. She turned to meet Alexander’s eyes; he smiled softly as he continued,

  ‘We are taught that we all live at peace. We have been living a lie. It is time that the truth is known’.

  Overcome with the enormity of the situation Teanne pushed aside a tear.

  'What truth?'

  LUIA – Morning