S01E07 - Prayers

Tracy ran at the head of the squad as they made another lap around the training course, holding back so the others could keep up. The wooden sword in her right hand was light as a feather. The shield in her left felt thin as paper. Her heavy brigandine armor was as ephemeral as cobwebs. The last three days of physical training had been gruelling, but totally worth it. The softness of her body had been replaced by hard muscle and her strength, stamina, and agility had increased as the magic from the summoning continued to transform her and her friends.

Her friends could keep pace with her, but the eight veteran soldiers assigned as babysitters had been outpaced on the second day. Now they struggled to keep up with the intensity of the training, and it wasn't even noon yet. With a quick glance behind her she could see that half of them had lost formation and were strung out behind the group.

She frowned at the sight. These guys were assigned to accompany them through the training, providing guidance and camaraderie while the heroes adjusted to their lives in Avelan. What they were doing, in her opinion, was holding them back from the fun.

She fell back a bit until Dinah, Paige, and Yvonne ran alongside her. Catching their eye, she gave them a mischievous grin.

"Grab the slowpokes and let's double-time the course." She laughed, reversing course and snatching up the slowest soldier in a princess carry. "Girl Power!"

Seconds later each girl had a 100kg soldier in a princess carry and were running at top speed to catch up with Tracy. The men held on for dear life as the girls dashed across the palace grounds, leaping over obstacles, then finally onto structures themselves where they engaged in an impromptu game of parkour-tag. They yelled and whooped as their unwilling baggage screamed and cursed the girls for using them as potato sacks.

Tracy ran across the roofs of the palace outbuildings with her friends following, leaping to ever higher structures until she reached the guard wall and jumped the fifteen metre gap. She dodged startled guards and yelled like a banshee as she surged to nearly 60km/h on the chemin de ronde before skidding to an abrupt halt in front of Sergeant Miles. The other girls slammed into her back and they fell in a tangle of bodies at his feet.

Sergeant Miles reached down and grabbed her leather helmet, pulling it up painfully so he could look her in the eyes. "You done using your comrades as play toys?" He asked.

Tracy could hear the nervous gulps of her friends. "Yes, Sergeant Miles." She said, keeping her face carefully neutral. "Would you like me to put them away now?"

"Yes, Hero," He said. "I would like all of my men to be on the training grounds in five minutes, or I'll see exactly what your limits are."

Tracy stumbled to her feet, grabbed a random soldier, private first class Hayden Carr as it turned out, and leapt over the wall to the courtyard below. Stumbling on impact, she recovered in a flash and bolted for the training grounds with Private Carr screaming the whole way.

*****

The women's bath was an elaborate affair of gold-flecked marble where porcelain cherubs attached to the walls poured magically heated water from urns. The water flowed into a series of pools and over little waterfalls to cascade into one another before vanishing into a drain. After the last few days of rigorous training, it was the girls favourite place to soak and rest their aching muscles.

"He was really mad this time." Dinah said, handing Tracy a scratchy towel as she stepped from the bath.

"He turned purple!" Yvonne giggled. "His face actually turned purple! I didn't think people could really do that!"

"That man scares me right down to my toes." Tracy said, grimacing at the rough touch of the towel. This world may have magic, she thought, but it still drys laundry on a clothesline.

There was a light rapping on the door and moments later Mirna entered the bath with a frown on her face.

"It seems," she said. "That Sergeant Miles is done with your endurance training. Starting Monday you'll begin combat training in the afternoons, and you'll be tutored in the mornings to learn theology, magic, politics, and the cultures of Avelan."

Mirna clasped her hands in front of her white robes. "The sergeant was really upset with your antics today," She said. "But I managed to convince him that teenage girls aren't like his soldiers and require more free time to rid themselves of the vapours."

Dinah had finished dressing and was combing out her curly, dark hair. "Vapours," she snarled. "Women here have no rights. They're considered property, just like cattle. It's disgusting."

Yvonne spoke up in agreement. "We really need to start a women's right movement or something," her voice tight with anger. "Women can do everything men can do, and better."

Mirna gave the girls a sad smile. "Perhaps it is that way in your world, but not in Avelan. The Lady herself has decreed that men must be the protectors of women."

"Protector doesn't mean owner," Paige argued, dropping her brush into a silver dish with a clatter. "There's a difference, and you need to speak with your god changing things."

Tracy shook her head in disagreement. "We don't have a living god in our world to give us directives," she said to Paige. "It's really weird to think about. Mirna can pray and receive the words of her goddess directly. Besides, we're only going to be here for a few weeks or months. I doubt that we'll have time to make a change."

Mirna shook her head in agreement. "Just so," she said. "The Lady Avelan is quite clear on many matters. One simply has to pray and she will answer."

"You think she would speak to me?" Yvonne asked eagerly. "Maybe I can put a bug in her ear about equality."

"She is resting after the labour of calling you from your world," Mirna replied. "But I'm certain she will answer if the heroes pray. All of you are welcome at services on Saturday. Or any time you have need."

"Oh, it nearly slipped my mind," she said, looking at Tracy. "Your comrades have leave as well, and they invited you to join them in town this afternoon. I trust you'll behave yourselves."

*****

Tracy, Dinah, Paige, and Yvonne met the rest of the squad in front of the palace gates. The men were dressed in civilian clothes and the contrast made the girls nervous. They knew the men were several years older than they were, but there was no time to really learn much about one another. Not unless you counted things like how fast private Owen could crawl through the mud, or how loud private Carr could scream when carried like a potato sack.

Yvonne took the lead, pushing her nervousness down. "So, you guys taking us out drinking, dancing, and whoring?" she demanded, walking up to look corporal Shaw in the eye. "Or did you have something else in mind?"

The young men burst out laughing as Shaw backed away from Yvonne.

"No," he said, the skin around his eyes crinkling with amusement. "Not today. We're not allowed to take you past the city walls. But I promise we'll go whoring next week if you want."

Yvonne blushed at the riposte, but refused to back down. "So exactly what did you have in mind?"

"Show you around the city." Shaw said, pointing outside the gates where pedestrians could be seen occasionally peering inside the protected area with curious looks as they walked about their business. "The king's peace holds within city walls. Only nobles, knights, and guards may go armed therein, so it's safe for you."

"Maybe you boys forgot about this morning?" Tracy said, twisting a strand of strawberry blonde hair around her finger.

Barking a laugh, Shaw corrected himself. "What I mean is, the citizens should be safe from you with us there to protect them."

With the tension defused, the group crossed under the portcullis and into the capital city of Cerise for the first time. Shaw, Hayden, Owen, and Jaden paired up with the girls, leaving Jensen, Elias, and the brothers Riley and Rory to follow behind.

"I was expecting poop in the streets." Paige said as they walked along the cobblestone streets into the quarter known as 'Old Town'. "I'm really glad I'm not stepping in poop."

Dinah pointed. "Plenty of horse poop." She said. Watch your step.

"Every capital city in Avelan has a sewerage system," Corporal Shaw explained. "Inside the walls, at least. Wells are dug to provide water for drinking, bathing and washing. Cerise is quite civilised, you know. Not anything like Blecker, where I was born."

"Just toss it right out the window, eh?" Yvonne said, dodging around a fresh pile of manure.

Shaw laughed in embarrassment. "Yeah, I've dodged the contents of a few guzunder's in my time. You'll learn to keep a sharp eye out when in small towns."

"Guzunder?" Paige asked at the unfamiliar word.

"A chamber pot," Hayden supplied. "It goes under the bed."

"Look!" Tracy yelled, grabbing Yvonne's arm in excitement. "Is that really a magic shop?"

Sandwiched between an apothecary and a spice merchant, the dark blue sign over the door had "Euan's Enchantments" carved in bright yellow letters and featured a four-pointed star surrounded by lightning bolts. The girls bustled inside the shop and stood gawking at the eclectic display.

The floors were honey coloured wood with faint silvery tracings of runic designs running along each plank. On the left, a long glass showcase ran alongside the wall. Inside were wands and loose gemstones, rings, bracelets, necklaces, and an assortment of jewellery in designs both simple and complex. Clothing hung from small racks in the centre of the shop, with shirts and pants, cloaks, hats, slippers, and even lingerie on offer.

To the right, shelves were built into the wall and were filled with a sparse selection of strange oddities. Tea pots, and cups, jars, spoons, pots, and pairs mirrors were arranged neatly, but in no particular order. A stuffed owl peered at them from one shelf, blinked enormous eyes and called out "Whoo?"

A scarecrow-thin man garbed in loose fitting clothes appeared from a door in the rear. He paused, taking in the appearance of the group, then plastered a greasy smile on his face. "You have an appointment?" he asked.

A minute later the group found themselves back on the streets. "Well, that was just rude!" Tracy fumed. "He wouldn't even talk to us."

"We got an appointment for two weeks from next Tuesday," Paige said, trying to calm her friend. "We'll come back and run him through the wringer."

Shaw shrugged. "He's a posh enchanter. You'll probably have to come back with Lady Mirna or a writ from the king if you want to see him without an appointment."

They wandered slowly down King street, passing the private homes of nobility which Shaw pointed out and detailed like a tour guide. Occasionally pausing look through the expensive shops set up on the expensive real estate, they emerged into a large plaza with a cathedral set on the western side.

The plaza was crowded in the autumn chill of the late afternoon, but not overly so. Brightly dressed venders had set up small carts to hawk trinkets and other goods to tourists and pilgrims who came to pray at the temple. People gathered in small clusters around buskers who played and sang for the sound of bronze tillits tossed at their feet. Laughing and clapping at the entertainment, the people fed on their performance until it was time for the hat-passing, then they would burst apart like frightened pigeons until settling to feed again at another venue. Street urchins darted in-between people, yelling and jeering, occasionally pinching or slapping to distract while a Fagian comrade would slip sly fingers into an unguarded purse.

"The Temple of Lady Avelan," Carr said, pointing a finger at the obvious structure. "I was baptised there after I joined the city guard. The Lady spoke when the waters had covered me and said "Prepare Thyself". It inspired to work harder than ever and within a month Sir Stefan had personally picked me to serve on the royal guard."

"She spoke to me while I was in prayer," Hayden said, his voice full of pride. "Her message to me was 'Gather Thy Strength' and Sir Stefan chose me the very next day."

Surprised by the revelations of Hayden and Carr, the other men shared similar experiences. Each had heard their goddess speak a simple phrase telling them to prepare, and Sir Stefan soon chose to serve in the royal guard.

"Is it so common for Lady Avelan to speak?" Yvonne asked, curious.

"No," Shaw confessed, unnerved at the situation. "It's very rare. A man may live his entire life and hear her only on the day she calls him to her bosom."

"I want to go pray." Yvonne said. Without waiting for a response, she navigated her way through the plaza towards the enormous structure.

Built along classical Greek lines, seven columns supported the large dome of the main place of worship. Utility buildings wrapped around it in a horseshoe, providing living space for Priestess of Avelan and all the other services necessary for serving the needs of goddess. Yvonne climbed the eight stairs to the open door of the temple and brushed past the attendant.

Inside, shafts of sunlight streaming from the dome overhead illuminated a milky white statue of the Lady Avelan. Waves of marble hair framed almond eyes and a powerful nose that ruled over lips with a pronounced cupid's bow. Her appearance was exotic and lush, with curves and proportions that would drive men to worship and women to envy. With one hand cupped under her breast as if carrying a child, the other reached out in invitation, promising tender comforts to all that joined her.

Yvonne didn't spare a glance at the beautifully painted dome which featured the Seven Gods of Creation or the small icons of each that were set into the walls of the heptagonal temple itself. Marching to the base of the statue she pushed aside a suffragan and dropped to her knees.

"Lady Avelan," she whispered, halting and uncertain how to proceed. "I know you've called us to save your world and... and we're going to help, we'll defeat the demon king and save this world... but, but please, if you can hear me, if you can... will you please help my brother? He needs strength to beat his addiction. He needs something more than what I can do for him." A tear rolled slowly down her cheek. "Please, I know you can help him. I know you're real. I'm begging you."

A low bell began ringing in the distance, drawing the day to an end as the sun dipped towards the horizon. Golden light filled the temple as the final rays of the sun were caught and reflected by artfully placed bronze mirrors.

A weak whisper came to Yvonne's ears, "Beware the All-Mother."

*****

Author's Note: Included a reference map of the capital Cerise. Credit: www.fantasycities.watabou.ru

Completion date: 16NOV2019

https://twitter.com/GrinWry