Teanne fell out of the doorway onto the cold floor of the below world. Alexander gently helped her to her feet, ‘Are you all right’? Teanne pushed Alexander aside and moved to the altar, she slumped across it.
‘What did you see’? Teanne asked her three companions. The confusion on their faces answered her question.
‘Why? What did you see?’ Empe asked.
‘I’m not sure, a great chamber, with mosaics and thrones, and an old man – he was standing at a table, the runes, he was reading message runes.’
‘Are you sure Teanne that sounds a little farfetched – even for you’ Teanne looked at Lin menacingly,
‘I know what I saw Lin’ she moved to one of the chairs and sat down ‘It was as if I was there.’
‘You were’ Empe said ‘I think I now understand what Lin said about this being a place where the four roots communicated’ Teanne ran her fingers through her hair and breathed deeply, she urged Empe to continue,
‘I think long ago, the sovereigns whenever they wanted to meet, would read the runes and then enter a doorway taking them to where they would all meet. I think it a portal of sorts.’ Empe paused waiting for the other three to process what she was saying, ‘I think this is how my mother travelled trying to find the one. She often spoke of visiting the other four lands, I was too young to realise that you can’t cross this entire world in a day.’
‘Do you think the Mother Sovereign knows this’? Alexander asked
‘She would, she is the sovereign and when Lin informed her I had the message runes, she knew she had to have them’ Empe replied
‘For what purpose’? Lin asked
‘She could go anywhere, maybe to search for the Estrus, seize control, I don’t know but it would be invaluable’ Empe said fearfully, ‘but, I don’t think she knows of this set.’
‘I do now!’
Everyone turned to the stairway, the Mother Sovereign stood with a dozen guards, all had crossbows aimed at them.
Teanne shot Lin a look of suspicion, ‘I didn’t I swear.’
‘She’s not too blame Kera.’ The Mother Sovereign looked around the chamber, and sighed. Teanne stood and began to cross the room. As she approached the Mother Sovereign, the guards lifted their crossbows higher.
‘Mother, please. We were only trying to do something for the glory of Luia.’ Teanne attempted a sincere look. But knew she had failed. The Mother Sovereign slapped Teanne hard across the face.
Teanne turned and looked at the woman venomously.
‘Do something? What exactly would that be Kera? You have lied to me relentlessly, and now you are here. I thought you were a victim.’ The last word was filled with sadness,
‘But I see you are here by choice, which begs me to question, exactly how do you happen to be here?’
Teannes mind was racing frantically to conceive a plan, ‘curiosity mother.’
The Mother Sovereigns laugh filled the room.
‘Curiosity’ she continued laughing then stopped suddenly and looked at her daughter,
‘Where is the stone you found?’ Teanne covered her wrist instinctively,
‘In my room’ she replied.
‘Well, you see, I searched your room and it’s not there, the three Sister Elites are convinced it is the Estrus, they need to examine it, before we return it to the Order Lords of course, where is it?’
The Mother Sovereign moved directly in front of Teanne and stared at her. Teanne smiled and lifted her arm and pushed her wrist directly into her mother’s face. The Mother Sovereign took a couple of steps back, confused, but then realisation struck.
‘A carrier has been born… mother’ The Mother Sovereign moved toward Teanne lifting her wrist to strike. Teanne waggled a finger. ‘I wouldn’t, if I were you. You have tried to take this from me once before, and failed – now the only way you are getting it is by tearing the arm from this body.’
‘That can be arranged daughter, the glory of Luia is more important than a defiant child’
Teanne lifted her chin and smiled. ‘Are you sure, you want to do this?’
The Mother Sovereign laughed maniacally, and then smirked viciously.
‘As you wish’ Teanne whispered.