Coil of Worlds

The next morning saw everyone back in front of the fire eating a light repast. Lara couldn’t contain her nervousness, knowing they’d soon take part in the rituals the House of the Dead required. But first, they had to update Skye on the latest information.

Not able to wait any longer, she leaned toward Skye. “The priest found a possible burial site for the Lan’Ai. In case it isn’t the right one, he has also located another, though the priest thinks it a less likely option. Neither burial site has been seen by any of the priests living today.”

Indeed, Chion inserted, none of the priests even knew it existed. They are searching for maps that will take us to the sites. It’s in a section of the House that is rarely visited by the priests.

Lara nodded with enthusiasm. “It’s in the oldest part of the House. You should have seen the commotion it raised among the priests and priestesses charged with charting the burial grounds, especially since the tunnel where the tomb resides has long since been hidden. As far as the priest can tell, the tunnel was abandoned about two hundred years after the House of the Dead was created. They’ve yet to come across any scrolls that reveal what happened,” she shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out what happened when we get there.”

Skye put his bowl aside and asked, “I vaguely remember the priest telling us we would partake in several rituals. Have they told you what they entail?”

Yes, there are three rituals we each must complete. Chion stood and stretched up onto his toes, his spine curling into a hump before landing back on the pads of his feet. The first ritual begins tomorrow morning. We will bathe in waters blessed by the high priest for the House of the Dead. We’re tasked with centering ourselves with prayer to both God and Goddess.

Lara worried about the first ritual. She didn’t believe in the Goddess. How could she, then, pray to a deity that didn’t exist in her belief system? Even if she could find it within her to pray to another deity, it’d feel false, defeating the whole purpose. What if her inability to believe in a female god hurt her chances—their chances—of surviving the crypt?

The thought made her decidedly uneasy. She didn’t dare broach the topic with Chion. The pakas and Skye were fervent in their belief of the dual deities’ existence.

Unaware of her predicament, Skye nodded his understanding. “And the second ritual?”

Eager to distance herself from the doubt plaguing her, Lara spoke up, “For the second ritual, we’re tasked with meditating on our past. Supposedly, after the bath, we’ll each be taken to a different room and left alone for the remainder of the day.” She glanced at the others, her cheeks heating. “When I heard about the second ritual, I admit my first thought was how awful I am at meditating. I’ve tried it several times with no success.”

The last time she’d gone to a yoga class, she was bored to tears thirty seconds into the routine. Feeling as if the odds were stacking against her, Lara twisted the edges of her shirt into tight rolls.

Eiren thumped her tail against the floor. Skye turned his head toward the paka, nodded once, and repeated the paka’s words. “Eiren believes that contemplation doesn’t require stillness. If you have the urge to move, then you shouldn’t fight it.” Skye rubbed his hand down his face. “I was taught meditation in my first year as a trainee. In order to center our minds, we were required to sit for long periods of time.”

Even though Lara stared into the flames, she felt Eiren’s interest and sent the paka a brief smile, careful to hide her growing anxiety.

Skye rolled his shoulders back, sending his long hair backward where it hung down his back. “So far, the first two rituals seem easy enough to accomplish. Is the third as easy as the first two?”

Lara shook her head and relayed the bad news. “Unfortunately, we don’t know what the third ritual encompasses. All we know is that we’ll somehow relive our worst memory.”

“How long will the ritual last?”

The priest told us that it depends on the individual. Some last days. Others, one night only, Chion revealed. He sat down again and licked his paw once before finishing his explanation. Every experience is different. Some are traumatized while others attain some measure of peace with their pasts.

Lara thought of the rakir attack she survived. Although she’d lived through other skirmishes since then, it was easily the most horrific moment in her life. She remembered the terror as she ran through the tunnels searching for a place to hide. Even now, the thought of blood running down her arm made her squeamish. She hoped the last ritual was quick. After all, she’d lived through it once. Surely she could relive it without a problem.

That night Lara tossed and turned until she gave up and inched her way out of the bed, leaving Chion to sleep undisturbed. She brooded in front of the small fire, feeding the flames with pieces of dried moss. Although questions swirled, no answers were forthcoming.

Without warning, homesickness hit her hard in the middle of the night. Lara felt a lone tear trek down her cheek, and she hastily brushed it away. Her life on Aradun was beyond exhilarating. The things she had seen and done in the short time here was so incredible, fantastical that Lara didn’t have the words to describe it.

Except, there was something to be said about normality. It wasn’t exactly boring, but it didn’t get her blood pumping, afraid of what the next day may hold. Her life on Earth was all the more precious for its predictability. Her life as a student was falling more and more to the wayside. With a start, Lara realized she couldn’t remember what day it was at home. Was it still March, or had the days turned into April? She wrapped her arms around her stomach. At home, she didn’t have to worry about whether her beliefs could lead to their failure. At home, she didn’t have to doubt her own beliefs. At home, well… At home, she’d probably be sound asleep, not missing her family like crazy.

The next morning found her sitting across the room from the bed, staring at the coil where it lay nestled in brown cloths. They’d kept the coil away from the bed, afraid its nearness would send her back to Earth.

Chion’s husky voice broke into her reverie. My Lady? Did you not sleep last night?

She twisted around from where she sat. “Good morning. No, I couldn’t sleep. I had too much on my mind. I was restless.”

Solara, he admonished, never hesitate to wake me if you have need.

When he drew up beside her, she draped her right arm around his shoulders and ribcage, hugging him to her. “Thanks, but I think I needed the solitude more than your wisdom.”

He nuzzled her, tickling her neck, making her giggle. You are well?

She squeezed him before letting him go to scratch under his chin. I don’t know. I’m okay, just homesick I guess.

You have surprised me with your resiliency, he said through his purrs. From how you have described your world, Aradun, and Kureto especially, is far different from anything you have ever known. I imagine you will have bouts where you feel disconnected from your surroundings here.

His praise lightened the gloom that had spread as the night progressed. A snort escaped her. “I see the looks all three of you try to hide when I talk. I never know what words or phrases will translate; that is, until a short silence greets me after I say something.”

He sniffed his aristocratic disdain, though the paka couldn’t hide the humor in his gaze. Well, My Lady, you sound so uneducated. His laughter echoed through their link. I admit there are times when I have no idea what you are saying. I have learned new words and have slipped one toe into your world, gaining a new perspective on Kurite culture and traditions. You have opened my eyes, My Lady. Have no doubt the respect I hold for you.

Tears threatened once again. To hide them, Lara crushed him to her in a fierce hug. She whispered, Thank you for always being here. Without you, I don’t know what would’ve happened, My Lord.

You are welcome, his voice floated to her as his tail wrapped around her legs. However, having watched you these past months, you would have found a way to survive.

They sat there for a long moment, neither willing to move. At last, Lara let Chion go and stood up, becoming all business. “Are they coming for us or are we meeting the priests and priestesses somewhere?”

I was under the impression they’d knock on our door when they were ready for us.

Suddenly nervous, she looked down at what she was wearing. She bit her bottom lip. “Am I supposed to wear something for the first ritual?” Now that the day had arrived, Lara realized she knew very little about what to expect. She complained, “The priest could have explained a little more to us. I’ve no idea where we are going, what to expect, what to wear.”

Chion’s chuckle broke through her litany. My Lady, it will all be explained. Have patience.

“Easy for you to say,” Lara grumbled. “You don’t have to wear any clothes.” Louder, she suggested, already walking to the door, “Why don’t we wait with Skye and Eiren. If anything, it’ll help the time pass quicker.”

Knocking once, she stepped into the room Skye and Eiren were in. “Are you both ready for the first ritual?”

Though Eiren didn’t move from where she sat by the bed, her ears swiveled in response, making Lara smile. At least someone was excited.

As she opened her mouth to ask Skye if he felt better, there was a soft knock. They all turned to look at the door. After a moment’s pause, the door opened and a priestess decked out in a white shroud glided into the room. Chill bumps crawled up her arms. The shroud brought to mind a corporeal ghost.

A calm, feminine voice spoke into the expectant silence, “Come, Tal’Ai. It is time.”

Skye spoke up, causing the priestess to hesitate in her return to the hallway, “Can I bring a torch?”

The cloaked head rotated from side to side. “Do not fear, once you reach the baths, there’ll be plenty of light to see.” The priestess left without another word.

Seeing Skye balk at losing the light, Lara extended her arm in invitation. She reminded him, “It’s only for a short distance.”

Trailing behind the priestess, with Chion leading the way, Eiren and her walked on either side of Skye. Taking their cue from the priestess, no one said a word. The closer they came to the baths, the tenser Lara became until Skye rubbed his thumb in a circle on her forearm. She took a few, slow breaths, steeling her nerves for the next twenty-four hours.

They felt the heat from the bath long before they reached the large room. In the flickering firelight encircling the room, eight priests and priestesses stood against the walls, all shrouded in white.

As soon as their group stepped into the room, a deep chant filled the air. When the women joined the men, the volume swelled until the room almost burst with sound. It reminded her of a druidic ceremony. The steady chant calmed her, and Lara inhaled deeply for the first time since leaving their chamber.

On the cusp of the second verse, two men flowed forward. Still chanting, they stepped up to Chion and led the paka to one side of the room. Each successive verse brought two more priests and priestesses forward until Lara was drawn toward the last empty side of the pool. She imitated everyone else and bowed her head. Her eyes she kept open. Vapor rose from the water. On each side of the pool, five steps descended into the crystal clear water. From the bottom of the pool, a blue light filtered up, making it easy to see every corner of the bath. As quickly as the song started, it ended, leaving the room ringing with the last note.

When the last echo faded away, a woman’s high pitch, lyrical voice suffused the room, startling her a little. Lara couldn’t understand the words, but it resonated within her all the same. The other priests and priestesses joined in on what sounded like the chorus. A man’s tenor voice took the lead on the next verse. On some predetermined prompt, without a single misstep in the song, each of the men and women surrounding the pakas ushered them into the pool.

Lara felt movement by her feet. Her shoes were untied and slipped off her feet, one by one. Almost instantly, two sets of hands pulled on her arms and shirt. Lara looked around, her eyes wild with disbelief.

No, no, no. Surely not. At their insistence, she lifted her arms, and the shirt rose, sliding up her chest and arms until it was gone. Embarrassed, Lara crossed her arms over her chest, hiding her bra from view.

The priestess to her left picked up the third verse, her voice a low alto. The woman to her right hesitated a heartbeat at seeing her bra, and Lara knew she flamed a bright red up and down her body. She kept her eyes downcast, not wanting to see how the others fared or whether they watched.

Soft, gentle hands pressed down on her arms until Lara dropped them with a silent groan, closing her eyes. Her bra unbuckled behind her, then the straps slid down her shoulders and arms. It dropped to the floor with a slight swish. A deep bass voice sang the fourth verse as her pants and panties slid down to the smooth, limestone floor.

The song ended on a long, drawn out note. The next song was all vocalization, no words. As soon as the song started, a hand landed on each shoulder, and they ushered her into the warm water. Although the water reached above her chest, she could see every inch of her skin in the water. Lara glanced up when white clothes floated into view. The priests and priestesses were still fully shrouded. She’d never be able to pick from a crowd the two women who stood on each side of her.

Maybe that was the point.

She was turned around until she faced the end of the pool. Thank God for that small measure. No one else could see her naked except for the two women. A discreet hole just below the lip of the bath held a pale, cream-colored bar of soap.

She gulped in dismay.

They were going to wash her? How in the world was she supposed to pray to God and some Goddess when she was being violated? When soapy hands met her skin, Lara squeezed her eyes shut, steadfastly turning her thoughts to something, anything else.

After a while, though, Lara realized the bath was more like a massage. Slowly, so slowly, she relaxed. She fell under the spell of those four hands drifting up and down her arms and back. The combination of the song and the massage slipped her into a type of mindful doze. When insistent pressure weighed down her shoulders, she bent her legs, letting the water flow over her head. She came back up on a gasp for air. Unseen hands worked the soap into her hair. When motioned, Lara ducked under the water line several times, washing the soap away.

It was only when she felt a comb running through her hair did she realize her eyes were closed, and had been for quite some time. Opening her eyes, Lara got caught in Skye’s gaze, unaware her face matched his serene expression. Her mind clambered at her in alarm, but it was as if her body was separate, sedated. Lara couldn’t remember why she should be embarrassed or worried; everything was just that little bit fuzzy and inconsequential.

With unhurried motions, the women turned her around and helped her up the stairs. Between one blink and the next, she felt a thick, white shroud slide down her body. The voices in the room disappeared until only the two priestesses standing beside her sang. Each of her hands were enveloped by a set of hands and disappeared beneath the women’s wet shrouds.

They led her around the bath and into the hallway, leaving a trail of water behind them. Two doors down, they ushered her inside. Both hands were squeezed on the last note and then released. They bowed to her and padded out of the room, closing the door behind them.