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♢ Chapter 2: Temple
The houses red Llums lived in were simple. Elongated wooden structures built with logs and plant fiber. Reds’ Vie allowed them to carry heavy objects and move them with precision, which made them efficient workers who also were very intricate in their craftsmanship. What their structures lacked in sturdy materials they made up for with beauty. A beam of light that entered through an open hole on the wooden roof was now angled enough to wake Rosie up, shining on her closed eyelids. She yawned and stretched, sluggishly standing up and walking away from the pile of thick leaves her kind slept on. She walked down a hallway that was more akin to a tunnel, coated in hanging leaves and decorated with flower pots made of clay.
“Good morning”
She greeted with her usual soft spoken and warm tone. Two red Llums waited for her in a large circular room that had a fire and a large clay pot full of water and essences in the center.
“Rosie!”
One of the Llums called. She was much smaller and spoke cheerfully. She ran towards the girl.
“Hey there sis”
Rosie responded, as they got closer and nuzzled each other softly.
“Cheery as always, that little brat”
Rosie said in a playful way as she walked towards the other Llums, a taller one.
“Oh you know her.”
The tall Llums spoke. Her Vie shone red. Flowers around her floated in circles and their petals were picked off one by one, these petals then floated towards the pot in the center and were placed in the water.
“Good morning, mother”
Rosie said as she approached to give a nuzzle to the taller one, which she leaned for and gladly accepted. “Come, it’s ready.” The three girls approached the center and sat down next to each other. The little one sat against Rosie, and seemed to hop up and down very lightly with a smile on her face.
“Hailey? How about you do the honors this morning?”
The mother spoke. The little Llums’ ears perked up and she jumped in place more visibly now.
“Oh of course! Ahem! Thank you dear lord, for this nourishment and all the good stuff and family and the things and yeah, let's drink!”
Rosie’s Vie lit up, stopping the cub in place as their mother rolled her eyes and scoffed.
“You can not be that disrespectful, child! Blessing our drink is important, it’s not a joke!”
The mother said in a calm, yet serious manner. Even though frozen in place, Hailey giggled. Rosie’s Vie faded, letting her little sister go. She then sat down and inhaled deeply.
“Ok mom!”
She said. Rosie didn’t reply, but just gave her a wink and a smile. The bigger Llums then took a breath.
“I’ll do it myself then. Aigaion, lord of all, may you bless this nourishment and this family, may your grace sit on high and judge us favorably so that we may sit with you in eternity. We thank you with our soul and our Vie for this life. Praise be to him, who is one.”
The three bowed their heads lightly, and then opened their eyes.
“Now we drink”
The mother said this with a smile, knowing that this would bring Hailey’s spirits back up in an instant. She used her Vie to slide up a small panel on the side of the pot, which made the contents inside pour into a small channel carved on the dirt floor, that ended in a smaller circular groove which filled up with the liquid. Hailey quickly leaned forward and drank from it without waiting, then the other two.
“Ahh, that was great as always, I feel so alive!"
The little one chanted and then trotted around the room while her markings flickered red.
“Thank you, mother”
Rosie said and bowed her head.
“Don’t thank me, and do raise your head! Oh so formal, you!”
“Why do we have to be so formal to Aigaion but not our moms?”
Rosie tilted her head as she asked. Her mother spoke in a friendly manner.
“Well, did moms create the world and everything in it? Can moms bring about the end of the world with a single swipe of their paw?”
“…Well yeah, kind of!”
They both giggled.
“Oh child. You have to take your sister to the temple, the sermon Deon is giving is important, today is an important day of the cycle.”
Rosie nodded as she started heading for the wooden doorway.
“I know mom, we’re heading out now! Come, twat!”
Hailey, who had been out of sight for a little, rushed out from one of the wooden hallways and walked next to her big sister.
“Yay! We’re going out! Bye mom!”
Walking slowly deeper into the house, their mother replied.
“Bye girls.”
“So! So! Where are we going? Are we going to play with your blue friend?”
Hailey asked. They walked out of the house and through the village; hundreds of wooden houses just like theirs, all inhabited exclusively by red Llums just like them.
“We are going to the temple to listen to Deon. But Zech will be there”
Rosie smiled with those last words. Hailey’s enthusiasm seemed to fade away immediately, and her ears folded backwards.
“Oh darn it... The temple is booooring, Deon is a boring old Llums. I hate temple days.”
Rosie scoffed.
“Well we’ve told you that today was important. When I was smaller like you I also hated it, but you understand it more as you grow…Hey, maybe we can go play with Zech after the sermon is over.”
Hailey rolled her eyes and sighed.
“Sure, whatever. If the grownups don’t yell at us for hanging out with a blue.”
Noticing her little sister’s fading glee, Rosie bumped into her playfully and gave her a warm, caring smile.
“I’ll make you a new doll when we’re back home.”
Her words worked like magic. The little one’s ears perked up again and she began hopping as they walked.
“Yay!”
Hailey cheered. They walked through the lively town; seeing red Llums chatting and smiling, grouping up to walk towards the temple cheerfully made Rosie forget the hatred they held for the other, a hatred she never shared. Whenever she thought about Zech, she smiled inside, excitedly thinking about the next time they’d hang out and play in the fields. Zech had left his home earlier that morning, along with a swarm of blue Llums that flew in a group towards the temple. They could see it from their home; The wooden and overgrown town of the reds, Aria decorating the skyline, and the temple. A massive structure carved out of white marble, larger than the town and broader than the ancient tree the blues called home, though not a single one of the structure’s towers or pillars was quite as tall. Towers, gardens and massive rooms that were surrounded by water that flowed through its channels and carved waterfalls. Llums red and blue, young and old gathered at the gate, making sure to keep their distance from ones with a different Vie and not exchanging words. They waited for the gates to open.
“Brothers. Sisters. Children. Come in, come and listen to the word, we shall start our holy gathering.”
A powerful voice everyone knew spoke from behind the gates, echoing. The gates opened and everyone walked into the temple. A massive room where all sound echoed, adorned by pristine crystal windows and impeccable marble pillars. Waiting for them at the end of the hall was a Llums with white fur, which contrasted with the darker gray tone of all the rest. Slightly taller than the others as well, he sat and looked, not speaking a word. His Vie shone in a light blue hue bright enough to be confused with pure white, and his wings extended from his sides almost reaching each end of the hall. Behind him in elevated positions sat six individuals, three on either side of the hall, silent. Zech scurried around the crowd as they walked in, heading towards the side where the red Llums sat. He raised his head and looked back and forth until he spotted Rosie and Hailey, who were slightly ahead of him. He hurried and caught up, walking next to them without overstepping into the red horde.
“Hey!”
He whispered very lightly to get their attention. An older red looked down at him with distaste and kept walking, Rosie and Hailey turned their heads to see him and smiled without replying. Zech smiled back. The hordes sat on opposite sides of the hall, and remained in silence. Though remaining on their own horde’s side, Zech and the girls sat next to each other. Though there was no visible line dividing the groups, everyone had grown familiar with this. Once everyone was settled down, the figure at the center spoke. His voice echoed through the hall. As gentle as it was firm.
“Children of Aigaion. We gather today in this Holy temple to praise him who is one, and to celebrate. As you know, today marks the second thousandth year since this glorious place of worship was built by our ancestors. Llums of blue and red worked together in harmony, using their gifts to create art of the most honorable kind. The kind that worships the glory of the almighty. It is my wish, my longing, that we can set aside our differences and fix this twisted community that we’ve inherited. A divided community full of hate and resentment…We must remember the truth. Aigaion loves the righteous, regardless of their Vie. Red and blue, these are gifts given from the creator, not for the sake of division but the sake of unity. From this millennium onwards, I want us all to end our separation, so that we may rejoice in prayer together as one. I will ask you today to cross those imaginary lines you’ve drawn, to talk with each other, to make friends from the other side… to unite.”
Hearing this, whispers were heard amongst concerned faces in the crowds. One of the council members seemed to visibly smile and nod, while the others looked with blank expressions. Zech and Rosie however smiled wide, Hailey stood up in a playful stance. They leaned closer to each other and whispered, none of the older folk seemed to pay much attention, lost in the idea of having to interact with the other kind.
“Wow, I didn’t expect that…! Maybe we can actually hang out in the daytime now!”
Zech seemed excited, an excitement mirrored by Hailey. Rosie sat looking at them with enthusiasm, but not showing it as much as the other two.
“It’s fun to think about but…you know Z, I doubt a single speech is magically going to undo centuries of hate…”
“Are you kidding? Everyone loves Deon, they worship him and his word more than Aigaion’s. Regardless of what happened in the whatever-it-was-war, he speaks and these drones just follow.”
Zech remarked with a scoff. Rosie giggled, but then cleared her throat and fixed her posture.
“Well at least we can hang out right now without getting the bad looks!”
They talked in a very low tone as to not seem too rude while Deon delivered a sermon the young Llums had already heard about a dozen times, yet all the older ones seemed to be captivated by every time, sometimes even whispering the exact words he was saying.
“With all that said… let us take some time on this beautiful day to mingle, and unite in the gardens of this, our Holy temple. May Aigaion judge us favorably, bless our lives and forgive us, and curse the sinners that poison our souls. The day of his return is nigh, fear him and repent. You may go.”
After Deon’s final words, the hordes stood up and a cacophony of chatter began echoing through the hall. Many headed out through the front gate, others went to different hallways and rooms of the temple. The crowds struggled to follow the priest’s petition, but after a few minutes groups of blues and reds were seen chatting and spending time together, some even laughing. Zech stood up and looked at a small group. Two red Llums chatted with two blue ones, and laughed. If he didn’t know better, Zech would’ve imagined they had been friends for a lifetime, just looking at them. Zech, Rosie and Hailey went to their favorite garden. A peaceful area with a small waterfall and a pond, surrounded by tall marble pillars and water channels decorated with all sorts of potted plant life.
“You know Z, I know neither of us is big on the whole Aigaion thing but…Today’s sermon was moving. I feel all fuzzy inside thinking that Llums can get along regardless of their Vie…like we do, you know? Imagine that but for everyone!”
She spoke with a smile, looking at the sky. Hailey trotted around, chasing a flying insect. Zech sat next to Rosie.
“I told you Deon would convince them. But hey I don’t need any more red friends. I have you two, why would I want more? But it’s fun to think about. We get along so well that I don’t know why others can’t.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
A familiar, gentle voice was heard from behind them. The three cubs turned their heads, startled. As soon as they saw him walking towards them, they bowed their heads.
“Deon, our guide!”
They said in an imperfect unison.
“Children.”
The large, white furred Llums sat between them, with a smile that was so familiar and seemed to be permanently plastered on his face. The three raised their heads and seemed more relaxed.
“Don’t treat me like some untouchable saint, I’m your friend.”
“Well everyone does call you a holy saint for some reason.”
Zech replied casually, to which Rosie quickly turned to look at him and then up at Deon to see his response at such cockiness. Deon laughed.
“They do. But I was merely assigned by the council. I’m not one that should be worshipped, you should know. There is only one.”
Zech scoffed and rolled his eyes.
“Yeah tell that to all those mindless drones out there.”
Rosie gasped and stomped the ground, but also blushed a little. There was something about this feisty attitude that always charmed her.
“Zech! Geez!”
Deon looked at her and shook his head.
“It’s ok. Little Zech is just a bit lost. That’s normal, we were all lost at some point. In any case, I came here to see you. I know how you stand with each other; your relationship is remarkable. You broke the boundaries of Vie and became loving friends. Even sneaking out at night to share fun memories. Deserving of praise.”
Zech and Rosie’s ears bent back, and they looked up at the priest with worry.
“Wait huh? You know about that?”
Deon barely reacted to the question, just turning to look at him and tilting his head, with that unmovable smile of his.
“We are the temple, obviously we have scouts. No one has stopped you or said anything because well…is it against the law for young Llums to go out and play? You are not sinning. Well, perhaps if you lied to your parents or went out behind their backs.”
The two cubs gulped and looked away.
“I kid. Don’t worry.”
Deon winked.
“I won’t tell. But I do hope you know you can come to me if there’s something you wish to say, or if you need guidance. My heart and ears are open to all, always. Keep bonding like you do, Aigaion must be very happy with you.”
Zech rolled his eyes once more.
“Maybe we should ask him! Oh wait. It’s not like anyone can actually talk to him or has ever even seen him.”
Rosie just sighed and looked away. Deon stood up and calmly began walking towards the hallway leading to the main temple hall, looking back at the cubs with a wide smile.
“Shush, Zech.”
He said as he faded into the crowd, which approached and surrounded him with enthusiasm. Rosie stood up and quickly struck Zech on the back of his head with one of her front paws. “Ow! What’s that about!”
He growled.
“You jerk! Yes we all know you don’t believe in Aigaion and all but you don’t have to be such a douche about it, especially to Deon, he’s never been anything other than nice to us.” Zech shook his head.
“I don’t understand why you all buy into that whole thing. A big Llums up somewhere in the sky that created everything magically and sees everything we do and is all powerful and judges us? All we have for proof is some carved stones in this very temple that these guys built themselves. Come on Rosie, it’s obviously a scam, they made it all up.”
“Kind of hard to believe that entire generations over millennia bought into the same ‘scam’… if that’s how you feel, why do you even come?”
Rosie asked in a sincere tone.
“To see you two. Obviously.”
Hailey turned to look at him from the other side of the garden, where she played jumping on some puddles. Rosie tilted her head.
“That’s very nice of you, really. But I’m just… a bit worried, you know? Imagine this all turns out to be true. You’d be dooming yourself for eternity just because you’re petty and you spite him.”
Zech inhaled deeply and looked away, replying after a few seconds of thought.
“Rosie, how can I not? He took my mom without an explanation. He wants you to bow your head and kneel or else he tortures you for eternity, but he doesn’t dare show his face so you have to believe in him blindly. You ask him stuff but has he ever answered? I spite him because if it is all true, he is the pettiest there is.”
The cubs sat in silence for a little, except for Hailey, who was busy chasing bugs instead of contemplating, and probably hadn’t been listening even when Deon was around. Suddenly, the clear blue sky seemed to split; for just a second, a bright streak of light flashed right above the three, flying by with a distorted sound, then disappeared. Zech looked wide eyed, Rosie did as well.
“W-wha…you saw that, right?”
Rosie turned to look at him.
“Y-yes…what was that? It seemed to go towards the plains! A shooting star?”
Hailey quickly ran towards her sister and her friend, seeming cheerful as always and hopping around. “Shooting star? Where! I didn’t see anything, show me!”
The little one exclaimed. Zech shook his head and stood up and his Vie lit up, his wings unfolded.
“That was way too big to be a shooting star. Let’s go, let’s go! We have to check it out!”
He hovered in a circle around Rosie, then started floating towards the main hall. Rosie stood up and grabbed Hailey by the nape with her mouth, starting to run behind Zech.
“Sis! I can run too, you don’t have to carry me like this, I’m not a baby!” The small one protested. Rosie responded muffled but clear enough to be understood, even though she had to hold her mouth closed.
“You wouldn’t keep up!”
The cubs stormed out through the front gate; dodging the crowds was much easier for Zech as he just flew above them, but Rosie had to dodge to make sure she didn’t bump into anyone. Zech could’ve gone much faster, he didn’t want to leave the others behind. After a couple of minutes, they reached their destination. The plains they played at every night. Rosie set Hailey down and looked around.
“Do you see anything?”
Rosie yelled from the ground. Zech, now flying much higher, scouted.
“I…Don’t think so…!”
He yelled back. Rosie and Hailey walked quickly towards one of the smaller trees at the top of a hill. Zech flew down next to them and his light faded, his wings with it.
“I think I must’ve just been seeing things…”
Rosie shook her head quickly.
“I’d normally say so but I saw it too, very clearly. I don’t think we imagined the same thing at the same time.”
Hailey raised her paw.
“But I didn’t see anything to begin with!”
“Shh, Shh!”
They all remained quiet and still.
“…Do you hear that?”
The boy asked.
“…No, what are you-“
Before Rosie could finish her sentence, the sky split again. This time more than once. First there was a strike, then a second one that crossed it. Then more. An incomprehensible display of geometric shapes that morphed at light speed, that then disappeared with a flash and a loud boom. The three cubs stared at the sky, startled, with wide eyes.
“…You saw it this time, right?”
Zech asked, still staring at the now clear sky. The others nodded lightly, not taking their eyes away from it either.
“Look there.”
Some meters away from where they stood, they saw a bright light floating slightly above the grass, hovering in place.
“Rosie! Let’s check it out!”
Zech quickly showed his wings, ready to approach the strange light.
“Wait, Z. We don’t know what that is. What if that’s the thing that was breaking the sky? Or whatever that light show was…we have to tell the grownups.”
Zech stood there, ready to jump, but hesitated.
“Well what do we tell the grown-ups? That we saw a weird light? That the sky is falling? You know how they respond to children, they’ll just brush it off and not listen.”
He spoke without taking his eyes off of the light. Hailey gulped and shuddered lightly. “Sis…I don’t like this, let’s go home.”
“You two can go if you want. I’m going to investigate. If it’s a dangerous monster I’ll just fight it, ha!” He began floating first, and within a second, he was already flying towards the mysterious light. Rosie quickly sprinted behind him.
“Zech wait, let’s just…!”
“Rosie!”
Hailey cried, staying behind. The two Llums approached the light, slowing down as they got closer. They watched, confused, as the light seemed to bend around a singular spot in a way they hadn’t seen before. It morphed its surroundings in seemingly impossible ways, and at the center of this twisted light, there was a floating object. It looked like a cage; a diamond shaped prism that contained within it a purple pulsating light. Four blades seemed to extend next to it, one for each of its sides. It seemed to be rotating on its axis, though it was hard to tell. The shape swallowed the light around it in a circle, creating pitch black aura around it. Regardless of which angle they looked at it from, it seemed to always face them, as if it was printed on a two-dimensional space.
“What in the world…”
Zech spoke softly. Rosie's eyes now were locked into the prism
“Zech…what is that?”
They stood just a couple meters away from it. Hailey yelled from the distance.
“Guys, come back already! I’m gonna tell mom!”
The two friends paid no attention. They stared at the shape for a couple seconds, seconds that felt like hours.
“I-is it…humming?”
Zech’s ear flicked. Rosie just tilted her head.
“I…I don’t- “
Suddenly, there was an explosion. The shape emitted a pulse that knocked the kids back. Hailey squealed and ran back the same way they came. Rosie and Zech tried to get back on their paws, but there seemed to be a force pushing them to the ground. Their heads pulsed and pounded.
“What is this? Zech? Where am I? Did that thing blind me? No, no, no!”
Rosie saw nothing but emptiness. She tried to scream, but no sound left her mouth. Zech laid next to her, his vision had blurred just enough so that he could still make out shapes. He noticed Rosie lying next to him with her eyes open, but they didn’t move, she seemed frozen in a trance.
“R-Rosie, s-stand up…!”
He muttered. He moved his head just enough to be able to look back at the shape. He saw his light fade, his blue Vie turning into particles sucked in by the shape. His head hurt, and though he tried to fight it he couldn’t move. Just a second later he had passed out. His body gave way completely, though his mind had been transported to the same emptiness Rosie had experienced. He felt aware, but there was only nothingness. He heard a light hum that rang inside his head, and a faint voice whose words he couldn’t make out.
I really liked how you’ve decided to make a group of Llums be called a horde, I thought that was rather creative. I also see that my prior racism theory was in fact correct. It also really seems like they revere Deon, given how much sway he has over the Llums (Though I also enjoy how casual he can be at times, he’s honestly rather cool). Hailey is adorable and the bond between her, Rosie, her mother, and even Z felt really authentic.
That cliffhanger hanger ending was really good though, and has me already thinking and wondering about so many new things (Seems like Z may have challenged the wrong guy). I honestly wonder if this purple Vie is some sort of fusion of both Llums.
Suffice to say it, but you are doing really good with this story Flame, and I thank you again for sharing it with us.
This was another really good chapter. I really liked how you’ve decided to make a group of Llums b
