(OOC: Takes place approximately two months after Portents of Change)










[FONT=Palatino Linotype]The Lexian Temple of the Nightsisters


Rancor calls could be heard in the distance…

Leaves brushed against one another as a gentle breeze blew by…

The temple’s stonework sparkled by torchlight…

Numerous Lexians from the surrounding villages had gathered at the Temple of the Nightsisters. They were all holding torches while kneeling before the temple and were all chanting together in low tones.

Ishara heard the gathered crowd from outside her chambers and walked out onto the balcony…

Once she had, the Lexians below silenced as there heads touched the ground…

Ishara was puzzled. The Lexians seemed to treat her differently from the other Nightsisters ever since she had arrived on Lexia. They seemed to hold more honor for her than the Matriarch herself!

Ishara felt as though she should address the crowd but received a visitor at that very moment…

“Ishara, what are you looking at my sister?” Selene asked her newest Learner as she joined Ishara on the balcony.

Ishara bowed her head to the Matriarch…

Looking down from the balcony, and much to Ishara’s surprise, Selene saw nothing. The Lexians Ishara had been watching just moments ago had vanished.

“Nothing my Matriarch, I was lost in thought” Ishara answered, hoping Selene would not question her further.

Selene gave a suspicious look at Ishara but dismissed whatever had happened as being unimportant.

“Your training has gone well Ishara, you are learning faster than any other Learner I can remember. You have also been noticed by our Shadow Priestess Surpanakha. For her to recognize your ability is truly an honor and tells me you have a promising future ahead of you.”

Selene took Ishara by the shoulder and led her back inside from the balcony…

“You have been summoned by Celina. She is a Lexian Shaman from the nearest village.”

Selene released Ishara and walked towards the doorway…

She then turned to face Ishara…

“You will go to her. See what she wants then you will tell me what the outcome was.”

“Yes my Matriarch” Ishara replied as she bowed her head.

Ishara watched as Selene exited her chambers and then looked outside where she could barely see the lights from the nearby village…

Ishara picked up her lightsaber and headed to her meeting with Celina.







Lexian Village


Ishara followed the path from the temple and arrived at the village where there were drums beating and dancing going on…

When the Lexians noticed Ishara, the drums stopped and all of them dropped to their knees and began chanting.

Ishara walked to the center of the gathering as she looked down at the Lexians…

“I am looking for Celina. Is she here?”

The Lexians stopped chanting once Ishara asked her question and then a drum beat started and several Lexians moved to clear a path from one of the stone buildings…

A Lexian woman appeared from the building and made her way to where Ishara stood…

She too held her head low in a show of respect for Ishara.

Once the Lexian was close, she dropped to her knees…

“My Goddess Ishara, we have been waiting for you to come to us.”

The chanting of the Lexians began again…

“Our lives are yours to command. What are your wishes my Goddess?”

Ishara was confused. She had no idea what they were talking about and she looked down to who she now believed was Celina…

“I do not know what you mean”

Celina’s arms rose towards the sky…

“You are the Goddess who will lead us to a new age. The Goddess who shall wield magnificent powers and tame powerful beasts. The Goddess who shall build great monuments and bring to us her Legio Domina” Celina explained.

Celina carefully raised her head and looked into Ishara’s eyes…

“Come with me my Goddess, I shall show you” she said as she pointed in the direction of the stone building Celina had appeared from.

Ishara then followed Celina into the building.[/FONT]

[FONT=Palatino Linotype]Ishara sat on the ground near the fire in the center of the building as Celina sat across from her.

Ishara stared at Celina for several minutes before Celina spoke…

“You are the one we have been waiting so long for my Goddess” Celina said as she handed her a cup with something to drink inside. “Drink this and the answers will be revealed.”

Celina began chanting and shaking a dried plant whose seeds inside made a musical rattle.

Ishara reluctantly drank from the cup. The warm liquid was quite bitter and seemed like a strong alcohol.

A few moments after Ishara drank from the cup, she began to feel dizzy…

Her eyes became heavy…

The room went white as the vision began…








The vision faded and Ishara was once again looking at the fire before her.

“You saw the visions my Goddess. The visions I have seen for a long time now” Celina said as she stopped shaking the dried plant. “Now come with me” Celina said as she led Ishara back outside.

The Lexians were silent as Ishara again appeared.

Celina brought her to a pile of wood that had been gathered in the center of the village…

“By your own fire shall the new age begin” she said as she knelt before Ishara.

Ishara looked around as all the Lexians were waiting in anticipation of Ishara’s next move. She then realized what they wanted and something was telling her to give it to them.

Ishara approached the pile of wood and outstretched her arms and closed her eyes…

She began to chant to herself the Spell of Fire Creation…

Sparks began to appear in the air around Ishara and the pile of wood…

Suddenly the pile of wood was a towering flame which reached to the sky.

Ishara opened her eyes as the Lexians were in awe of what they had just witnessed…

Celina brought a torch to the enormous fire and lit it. She then lifted it high above her and addressed the Lexian gathering…

“The age has begun!” she shouted as the Lexians began to cheer and the music again started.

One by one the Lexians lit torches and danced around the village…

Ishara watched them as each bowed to her as they passed…

It was at this moment Ishara began to understand the vision...



I am the one they have been waiting for.[/FONT]

Allysha had hidden behind a tree some distance from the Lexians. She witnessed Ishara light the great fire in the center of the village and heard Celina’s words. She began to think of the Nightsisters own legends and of the one who would come to lead the Nightsisters into their own new age.

As she had come to know Ishara, Allysha had sensed she was different than the others. Ishara had always seemed as if she should be respected as a Matriarch herself. Thinking of this, Allysha made her decision.

Allysha walked out from the trees and began to make her way through the celebrating Lexians who briefly bowed to her as she passed them. She walked up to Ishara and looked her in the eyes. Allysha then knelt before Ishara.

“I believe you have been brought to the Nightsisters for a reason of great importance. I pledge to you my loyalty until death.”

Allysha then looked up at Ishara and waited for her reply.

[FONT=Palatino Linotype]Ishara looked down at Allysha who had now vowed to follow her…

She hadn’t even begun an insurrection and already had an entire Lexian village at her disposal and now a fellow sister was willing to follow.

“Rise my sister, take your place at my side” Ishara said as she waived her hand to her right.

Allysha returned to her feet and took a place to the right of Ishara.


Ishara now had an enlightened sense of what she was called to do. It seemed her destiny was made clear and all that was left to do was make it a reality.

Ishara and Allysha walked through the village…

“I am in no position to challenge Selene for leadership my Sister” Ishara said while deep in thought.

Allysha then added; “I am not the only Nightsister who will follow you. Others will come when you make your intentions clear.” She then held out an ancient talisman and presented it to Ishara. “Someone instructed me to give this to you.”

Ishara looked at the talisman. It was one which described in detail the Nightsisters own legend of the one who would come.

Ishara was surprised as this talisman was not available to just anyone, it came from Selene’s private collection…

“Who instructed you to give this to me?”

Allysha bowed her head…

“The Shadow Priestess herself.”


The Shadow Priestess?


Could it be possible?


It appeared that even Surpanakha knew of what would happen before Ishara even did.

Ishara placed her hand on Allysha’s shoulder…

“What has happened here tonight must be kept secret for now. At least until the time comes when we are ready.”

Allysha nodded in agreement; “Yes my sister.”

Ishara then gave the talisman to Celina to keep it safe.

Ishara and Allysha began to make their way back to the temple...


How many more would follow?[/FONT]

Selene had been eagerly awaiting Ishara’s return to the temple…

She watched Ishara enter with Allysha following closely behind…

“My Sister, I did not know Allysha would be accompanying you.” Selene then looked at Allysha; ‘You are dismissed.”

Allysha bowed and left Ishara and Selene alone.


Selene sat down and her face went rigid…

“Now tell me, what did Celina want with you?”

Ishara did not hesitate…

“She wanted to wish me a warm welcome, nothing more.”

Selene remained silent as she stared at Ishara…

Ishara’s eyes never moved away from Selene’s…

“Then feel welcomed my Sister. You may now leave.”

Ishara bowed and returned to her quarters.


Selene made her way back to her sanctum…

She felt there was something more but would meditate further on this.

[FONT=Palatino Linotype]The humming of lightsabers could be heard along with the occasional cracks of blades colliding…

The blue glows of the blades also lighted up the clearing where Ishara and Allysha were sparring in.

The two had been practicing for just over two hours when they finally had stopped…

“Our skills are increasing my Sister” Ishara mentioned as she sat down.

“Indeed they are” Allysha replied as she sat down alongside Ishara.

Looking down the pathway nearby, they noticed Talia approach.

Ishara now looked at Allysha…

She invoked the power of Mind Touch…

“Talia seems to have taken an interest in me” Ishara said as she spoke directly to Allysha’s mind…

“Our Sister Talia did wish to speak to you. She came to me early this morning” Allysha replied using the same power.

Ishara and Allysha stood up…

“Talia, is there something I can do for you my sister?” Ishara asked.[/FONT]

Talia approached Ishara and Allysha and bowed her deah to her fellow Nightsisters. She had listened to the words Celina had told her which brought her to this very moment. Ishara was the one she was meant to follow.

"My sister, I sense changes on the horizon for Lexia and I belive you are the one who is meant to bring them. Celina spoke of one who would come and bring a new age to both the Lexians and the Nightsisters. I have been watching you and I belive you are the one."

Talia knelt before Ishara and lowered her head. "I offer you my loyalty" she said as Talia remained still, waiting for Ishara's response.

[FONT=Palatino Linotype]Lexian Village of Celina…

Ishara and Allysha made their way back to the village only a short time after Ishara accepted Talia’s oath of loyalty. It was also with this last offer of loyalty that Ishara realized she had gotten involved in something much bigger than she had originally thought.

Lexians often related reality in a mystical sense. Everything major that happed did so for a reason which revolved around ancient legends and religion…

This was different…

Now there were two Nightsisters who swore their lives to Ishara as if they were drawn to her by the very Shadow Magic they practiced. Now the legends written in the ancient talismans of the Nightsisters themselves were coming true.


Can both the Lexian and Nightsister legends be connected?


Can they involve the same person?


Questions Ishara needed to find answers to and she was going to the very person who brought them into the light…

Ishara was going to speak to Celina again.


The village was quiet. Only a few Lexians were roaming about who immediately bowed to the two Nightsisters as they walked among them…

They made their way to the ruin that Celina lived in…

Ishara began to shout; “Celina, it is…”

“Ishara, come in my goddess, both of you” Celina replied before Ishara could finish.

Ishara and Allysha entered and each sat around the fire in the center where Celina was…

“You are here for more answers. You want to know how you are to fulfill such intertwined destinies. I have no answers to give you but I can tell you where to find them.”

Ishara glanced at Allysha for a moment until her eyes returned to Celina’s…

“Where can these answers be found?” she asked.

Celina’s gave Ishara a serious look…

“Varia, you must seek Varia deep in the Lexian forests. Only she can give you the answers you seek.”

“Who is Varia?”

Celina looked into the fire…

“Varia is the only Lexian who has ever been trained in the ways of the Nightsisters. She was once the shaman of this very tribe before she left to be trained by Selene herself.”

Celina’s eyes closed and her head lowered as images of the past returned to her mind…

“She had ascended to the level of Shadow Priestess until something started to happen to her. The dark power Varia had absorbed began to transform her into something else and she began to act like a different person. It was believed she was going mad and Varia chose to live in exile deep in the dark forests where she remains.”

Celina opened her eyes and looked at Ishara…

“There you must go.”

Ishara nodded her head. “Why do I need to go to Varia? If she truly is mad, how can she be of any help?”

Celina gave a slight smirk…

“Because Varia is the one who predicted your arrival would be not long after she left.”

Celina handed Ishara a tablet with an inscription…

“The tablet bares your name on it which was written by Varia herself years before your arrival.”

Ishara was taken back at seeing her name on the tablet. It was as if proof of what she was to become was sitting in the palm of her hand.

Ishara’s face turned dark as she glared at Celina through the flames of the fire…

“Where can I find Varia?”[/FONT]

[FONT=Palatino Linotype]Lexus peered through the trees as she watched Talia kneel before Ishara and later followed them to the village…

Lexus was disgusted with what she heard and saw…

They actually believe Ishara is a real goddess?

They wish to betray our Matriarch Selene!



At the edge of the village, she continued to look down as Ishara and Allysha entered the building where Celina resided…

Lexus’ blood was boiling with anger as she waited for them to reappear…

Clutching her lightsaber, Lexus prepared herself to let them know how she truly felt.



Time had passed and they each emerged from the building and began to make there way along the path back to the temple…

With a scream, Lexus lunged out from the trees while she activated her lightsaber…

She targeted Ishara who instinctively managed to grab her lightsaber and defend herself from the attack…

Allysha too was ready as she activated her lightsaber and prepared for a fight.

“You think you are a goddess to the Nightsisters now Ishara!” Lexus yelled in her disgust…

The cracks of lightsabers could be heard in the distance as Lexus fought the two to the best of her abilities…

As the fight carried on, Lexus focused her energy on a fallen branch that she threw at Ishara who countered the move, focusing her own energy into a large leap…

Ishara and Lexus’ lightsabers then locked as they each stared the other down in a similar dark gaze…

“I will never bow to you Ishara!” Lexus said through her gritted teeth…

“You won’t have to…” Ishara replied as a smile crept over her face.

Ishara invoked the Spell of fire Creation, lighting a nearby tree into flames…

Allysha focused her power to break one of the larges limbs from the tree, sending it to the ground…

Ishara managed to catch Lexus off balance and threw her back a few feet to where the branch was falling…

Ishara and Allysha jumped away as the enormous branch came tumbling down, engulfing the surroundings into flames.

Unknown to them, Lexus managed to also evade the branch but did get some burns from the attack.

Lexus returned to her feet with her lightsaber in hand but realized Ishara and Allysha had already left the scene…

She continued to stand in the light of the fire, darkly gazing onto the darkness…


Nicely done…


You won’t be so lucky the same shall happen again.
[/FONT]

[FONT=Palatino Linotype]Ishara and Allysha made their way through the woods until they came to a clearing. They each sat down, their minds focusing on the events that had just occurred moments ago…

“Once Lexus returns to the temple, she will tell Selene what had happened. We will be exiled from the Nightsisters” Allysha said as she looked to the ground…

Ishara stood up and crossed her arms as she looked up into the dark sky above…

The thoughts in her mind were stirring, but one thought stood out from the rest like the tallest building in a city…

Varia

Ishara darkly gazed at Allysha…

“We need to find Varia. She was a Shadow Priestess and can advance our training.”

“But she went mad Ishara” Allysha reminded Ishara…

“We have no choice now. We can’t return to the temple now.”

Ishara continued to stare into the sky. Not only could Varia be the one who could complete their training, she also had answers Ishara needed.

Puzzle pieces were falling into place…

Celina’s revelations…

Both Nightsister and Lexian prophesies…

The Nightsister followers who had come to her…

The exile which will now send her to Varia…

It was becoming clear to Ishara these were no mere coincidences.


A thought now hit Ishara’s mind…

Talia

Had Lexus seen Talia earlier in the evening, her new follower would be in danger.

Ishara invoked the Spell of Mind Touch with Talia…

She sent the images of what had happened to her and warned her to avoid Lexus at all costs. Ishara also summoned her to the clearing where she and Allysha were.

Ishara looked over at Allysha…

“Talia has heard me, she is on her way here. Once she arrives, we go to Varia.”

Allysha nodded.


Uncertain why, Ishara felt drawn to Varia. Something told her Varia was the next step in her destiny…


Varia[/FONT]