Cera was afraid. She stood behind the stone pillar, feeling the sand between her toes. It felt warm, and comforting. The sun was reaching it’s zenith. Soon her mother would be calling her in for the customary midday sleep, only to find her gone. Cera wasn’t afraid of her mother’s panicked anger. She was afraid of the crowd; afraid of the aura that surrounded it. The sounds made her hesitate. Briefly she considered running away. But Maila was worried, and Cera loved her sister dearly.

Slowly, as not to be noticed, Cera dipped away from the pillar. She scampered over a fallen column, it’s surface was rough on her hands. She dropped clumsy down on the other side, falling on her hands and knees. Standing, she dusted herself off. No one had noticed. Making her way into the crowd, Cera pushed. The musk of bodies stifled her small nose. She pinched it with her fingers, using her other hand as a lever. Somewhere in the press of bodies was Riuy. Riuy would know what to do.

The Temple was massive. It rose up out of the sand, and from the rock face. Etched from the cliff was the form of Ia, standing sentinel over Her subjects. Her giant outstretched hands lay on the platform, welcoming the faithful to Her. Enormous eyes, without pupils, gazed over the Ussim Desert. Before the Temple was a wide bowl shaped canyon. The crowd stood waiting inside it. The steps were bare of the devoted. Only two figures graced it’s surface. Cera could not make them out.

A small rock shelf jutted from the side of a gently sloping cliff. Cera made for it, hoping that she would go unnoticed standing there. It was to the left, slightly back, out of the way. Besides, the crowd was not there to see her. Scrambling for a purchase, Cera scrapped her knees on the way up. Still cradling her hand, she balanced. Stepping forward, to the very edge, she put a hand to the stone beside her head. She could see the Temple clearly. She could even see Kuhn waiting before it’s entrance. There was some one at his feet. Cera squinted, discerning the shape. She gasped. Her eyes went wide.

It was the Priestess. Suhu.

As Kuhn struck the prostrate Priestess, the crowd cried out again. Cera gazed out over them. Shaking there fists, they were like bloodthirsty wolves. And Riuy was somewhere in there.

Suddenly Kuhn spoke.

“With their religion they condemn us,” Kuhn shouted.

A reply from the crowd caused Cera to cover her ears.

Kuhn mocked Suhu. He tore at her black robes, exposing her flesh. Her brown hair fell in two long braids down her back. Kuhn grabbed them, tugging hard. With a dagger he severed them at the base of her skull. Holding them up like trophies he spoke again. “They tell us we are not the Children of Ia. That we are not worthy of Her promises,” Kuhn cried. “They treat us like cattle!”

Suhu murmured something. Kuhn struck her again. “Lies! All of it! We are nothing but slaves to the Hidine!”

Another man suddenly appeared on the steps of the Temple. Cera recognized Kereon, the village leader. “Stop this, Kuhn,” Kereon said, his voice projecting through the bowl. “The Hidine have been just to us; for centuries.”

“They stole our land!” Kuhn exclaimed. His hands were out, held high in the air. He still held the dagger and Suhu’s hair. “They live like gluttonous swine...”

“Kuhn! Enough! This is treason!” Kereon said. Reaching out he tried to touch Kuhn. The other man recoiled. The crowd grew silent. Pensive. Cera stood horror struck upon the rock shelf. “I tell you the Hidine are just.”

“How can you say that when your own daughter starves...”
“The famine has hit them hard as well, Kuhn,” Kereon uttered, gritting his teeth. “If it were not for them, we would all have perished long ago.”

“Lies! Lies! Lies!” Kuhn exclaimed. Kereon backed away. “They rape our land. We must take back what is rightfully ours. We must rise together and crush the Hidine.”

Kereon was livid. “Are you mad? They will destroy you!”

“Us!” Kuhn corrected.

“I will have no part in this idiocy. And neither will my village,” Kereon promised. He turned as if to leave; Cera felt a swell of relief at his words.

“If we rise as one, they will run in terror before our fury!” Kuhn shouted.

Cera shook her head in disbelief. Kuhn spoke nonsense. The Hidine were powerful. An Empire. They could not fall. Kereon was right. The Hidine would crush her entire world.

Suhu was calm. She stared out into the crowd. Her face was slack. The luster of her skin was dulled by the kestia laced tonic Kuhn’s men had forced down her throat. Her powers were temporarily gone. However, she seemed unperturbed by this fact. Her eyes were riveted on the crowd. Even from where she stood, Cera could see the look in the Priestess’ eyes; she was trying to communicate something to the crowd.

“The Hidine have their own fury,” Kereon replied. “Dragons.”

“You are a traitor to your people,” Kuhn spoke. He glanced at the Priestess. Reaching out he gripped her arm, pulling her back. Suhu fell without removing her stare. “This woman, and those like her, have poisoned your mind.”

Suddenly Suhu looked up at him. She smiled sweetly, innocently. “I have but served Ia,” she said, clearly. “You must now face Her wrath.”

There was silence.

Cera looked out over the crowd.

With contempt, Kuhn moved to strike the Priestess, but the sudden growls from the silent crowd stayed his hand. Suhu maintained her innocent expression. The growls rose to snarls; someone in the crowd screamed. Cera searched the clearing with her eyes, but the noise projected from the far side. As the snarls continued a surge of bodies pushed towards Cera’s rock shelf. Cera backed farther from the edge, pressing her spine against the wall behind her. She glanced fearfully to the Temple steps. Kereon had disappeared, leaving Suhu in a desperate struggle with Kuhn. She was beating him off; the kestia tonic they had forced on her was losing it’s potency. A few men clambered up the steps, advancing on Suhu. But the men had hardly advanced within twenty feet of her when they were beset by a dog. Cera recognized it as a Loro; most of the free ones roamed the desert in packs.

The Loro landed on one man’s back. Reaching around with his teeth the creature ripped open his throat, and exposing the man’s blood to the steps. His comrades attacked the Loro, but the hound danced out of the way, crouching low. Suhu was calling to it. It did not heed her. Howling, it rushed the remaining men. They attempted to deflect the creature, but the Loro passed through their attacks like a phantom. With carefully aimed snaps the Loro dispatched one man and sent the other one scurrying into the crowd. Blood dripping from it’s fangs the Loro rounded on the crowd, snarling, it’s body bent over it’s kill. Cera watched in fear.

“Cera? Cera!”

Cera looked down. A man’s hand gripped her ankle. Screaming, she fell. The fingers were tight, but she fought against the vice.

“Cera! It’s me! Riuy!”

Turning the young desert girl looked into the face of her sister’s husband. “Riuy! Thank Ia!” She slid down into his awaiting arms.

“Why are you here?” Riuy whispered.

“I came for you.” Cera took his hand, pulling him up onto the rock shelf. “You know how Maila worries.”

“What are you doing?” Riuy asked, as Cera attempted to stand taller.

Cera pointed to the Temple. “There is a Loro, Riuy,” she said. “Aren’t you curious?”

“No!” He replied firmly. Taking her by the shoulder, he pulled her away. There were people crowding the space around the rock. Riuy watched, waiting for his chance to jump back in and escape.

“Why not?”

Riuy turned back to his wife’s sister. The girl’s eyes were round like two giant moons. “Because were Loro appear, a Sorcerer isn’t far behind.”

“Exactly. I want to see one.”

Reluctantly Riuy spoke. “You’ve seen Suhu many times before.”

“Yes, but I want to see a real Sorcerer,” Cera said. She stood her ground, pulling away from Riuy. “I want to see one for myself.”

Riuy grabbed Cera around the waist, determined to drag her away. This was no place for her, but a sudden shift in the crowd caught his attention. He held Cera clamped to his side, looking up at the steps. Parting the crowd without word or gesture, a man approached the Temple. Suhu lay still, her hands slowly dropping down to cover her unclad form. Kuhn fell back from her, his arms up to ward. The man stroked the head of the Loro as he passed the creature. It panted softly, reveling in it’s master’s pleasure.

“Guardian...” Suhu stated. Her voice was soft, but it projected over the crowd.

“Get away!” Kuhn screamed. “Get away!”

“Stand up.” The man spoke simply. “Stand up, you bastard.”

Kuhn attempted to stand, his legs shaking. The man grabbed hold over Kuhn’s elbow, hoisting him up. “I have my orders,” he said. Kuhn whimpered. “They are absolute.” Suhu attempted to sit. “And I’m going to enjoy this.”

As if regaining some sense of self preservation, Kuhn whirled on the Sorcerer. His fist was raised, striking out. The man caught Kuhn’s fist in his right hand, twisting the desert man’s arm behind his back. Kuhn cried out in pain.

“By the orders of the Sage Mother Kuralina, and the Will of the Sisterhood, I give your soul to Ia...” The Sorcerer drew his blade. He placed it against Kuhn’s throat. “May She show more mercy to you, than I have. Pray that you are worthy to stand in Her presence. Pray that She does not feed your soul to Sievan. And pray that Sievan does not hand you over to his demons. Avia.”

His head up, looking toward the heavens, the man drew his blade across Kuhn’s throat. Blood slipped over his chest, dropping down, to stain Suhu’s pristine white thighs.