ZINA
"Theta. I fear soone spied in my conversation tonight with the tales man."
"How did that happen?" Zina asked imdiately just as she sensed Ablanch rejoining them while they walked towards the Opaque Shrine which was their next, and hopefully, their last stop.
The presence of the full moon that hung in the night sky wasn’t exactly lost to her, and she wondered if Bella and Eldric were preparing to perform their duties yet. Despite the tantrum that Bella threw, the woman knew she had no choice. As far as the Temple was concerned, a lack of heir ant opening doors to allow treasonous intentions to stew. It also ant that the weight of the crown was low—a fact the stoic elders of the temple would not allow to pass by.
In a low voice, Seraph answered. "I apologise. I only realised it too late."
Zina bit the flesh in her mouth. Quite scared, she wondered if Eldric, or worse, Lupus had managed to catch a whiff of what she was up to. She didn’t fear for her life but for the life of the mbers of the spy guild which she had unceremoniously nad Thralgor Spy Guild.
Six years ago, taking the now late Theta’s advice, Zina had sought a way to protect herself. Unwilling to live a life where she would solely be a spawn, she started her journey to learning the way of a seer. That was before Zina realised that the gift was one thing, and the act of seeing another thing in itself.
In the libraries of the Temple, a thousand books dedicated to the art of fortune telling, prophecy glimpsing, vision seeing and such were in abundance. Arts that brought one closer to the moon, rituals that helped one tap into the threads of the earth to reach to the veil that bordered the world of the living and the dead, more rituals that involved gleaning the past and future through the body of the dead, and many more mind boggling techniques that had Zina’s jaw dropping.
It was then that Zina realised how painfully agre her talents to see vision was. If anything, her gift was categorised in the books as the Art of Prompt Visions aning that Zina as the vessel could not see visions out of will. Combined with her lack of physical sight, learning to beco an actual Great Seer was no easy feat. Being blind ant she was slower than most.
It was on seeing how truly helpless she was in reality that made Zina reckon on how she would survive that world by relying on her powers that seed to be unbelievably nonexistent at most tis. Thus, she had made the foolish decision of learning how to control the outco of the future since she could not always see it. That foolish decision led to the creation of the Thralgor Spy Guild. Although if she were to be quite honest with herself, she had not achieved any great thing using the guild that mostly consisted of people like.
Mostly abandoned children, beggars, and refugees of war.
What Zina had mostly achieved through the guild was helping the family of those whom Eldric executed under the stringent tax laws, and helping so of the refugees who had no place to go to.
Apart from that, Zina’s dream to pull down Eldric from the throne of the Arctic North had been largely unrealized. And her dream to restore Daemon’s rightful place seed farther away from her.
It wasn’t until that night—six years later after creating the guild—did Zina decide to make her first real move yet. What had spurred her was Eldirc’s order for her to journey to the GreenLands, and hearing Seraph talk of how she was spied on naturally made Zina break into a cold sweat.
Voice barely above a whisper, Seraph launched into an explanation. "I had already settled the tales man when South, who was supposed to cover from the rear, reported that a cloaked man had followed us, but said the man left imdiately."
The Spy Guild was small out of necessity. Harbouring such a dangerous ambition ant Zina had to thread carefully. As such, the mbers of the guild were only twenty-nine, and the majority of them were made up of young pups ranging from the ages of eight to fourteen, and youths ranging from the age of fifteen-twenty. The actual adults were not more than ten, and Zina found keeping it like that made them more inconspicuous. Thus, Zina had appointed five heralders who were nad North, East, West, South and Central. Not very creative, but that was the best she could think of at the ti.
Each Heralder had a handful of mbers under their wings whom they directed; the arrangent made it possible for Zina to manage the guild’s business without much interaction with them.
Zina’s throat dried. Wetting her lips, she asked carefully as they navigated a turn. "Did South follow the man?"
"He did." Seraph quickly answered, sensing her anxiousness. "But the man entered the Gorg Brothel so South wasn’t able to follow."
Gorg Brothel? It was the most infamous brothel in the capital, but save for that, Zina knew not much else. Feeling as if she was running against ti even though it was just the first day of her two weeks deadline, she spat impatiently. "Have the North Heralder investigate the brothel. And from now onwards, you will no longer be their point of contact. I shall make a different arrangent before our departure in two weeks."
"But..." Seraph attempted to protest, and Zina could sense the dissatisfaction rising out of her. Knowing that Seraph ant well, she acted hurt, saying.
"Well, it is fine if you don’t want to journey to the GreenLands with . I shall just..."
"No! You must not leave behind! I shall not say anything about the matter, so please, don’t even think of leaving without ."
Zina simply smiled, knowing how easily agitated Seraph could be. The girl had turned out to be surprisingly ill-tempered, and Zina thoroughly enjoyed seeing that part of her against the demure facade she seed to always put on.
The doors of the opaque shrine were drawn open as they approached. And the ancient oak made quite the noise at the attempt. Zina stepped inside, sensing Ablanch still closely following them. She lifted her black dress ever so slightly as she navigated the natural stream in the Opaque Shrine. The Opaque Shrine was the largest shrine in the Temple of the Arctic North said to be marked by towering sculptures, ancient gargoyles, giant pillars, and statues of the great gods of Vraga.
The waters parted slightly as she walked over the shallow stream. The brush of the liquid against her was soothing, but the incense that clung to the air reminded her of the many painful mories she had acquired there.
Seraph, in the manner she always did explained. "There are ten won, four n, and one child gathered for the Taga eting. The selection today was made by the scribes."
When Zina reached what she estimated was the altar of the temple, she sat on a rock, her legs folded underneath her. Ablanch stood behind her, the man ready to attack any that would dare house vicious thoughts against the Theta he was to guard.
"We greet you Theta of the NorthSteed pack." The fifteen greeted in a chorus,and Zina knew they bowed.
Zina gave a small bow of her own as per tradition. A tradition she still wasn’t used to. So days, the respect shown to her felt like a lie... a horrible dream that she would wake from. But then, she realised it was no dream. She, the abandoned one, had co to beco a woman of status.
Zina sighed. She didn’t believe she would be able to attend to all of them, but she strived to do her best.
"I welco you all to the Taga eting." Zina said loud enough that her voice reverberated through the shrine. "Forgive for my tardiness. Matters at the palace held back."
The taga eting was an ancient tradition set up by the first Alpha King of the North to be heralded by the Theta. The eting was simply a place where n and won who felt that due justice hadn’t been done to their case could co and air their grievances to the Theta.
The word taga simply translates to double grievance.
At the eting, Zina had been fortunate to hear just how drab the lives of the people were. Many people strived to have an audience at the eting, but due to ti constraints and other factors, the divisions of the Temple would take turns to shortlist the number of people Zina could see in a day. In all honesty, she had found fulfilnt sitting in the etings, especially in the days when she could actually help restore justice.
But most tis, Zina could actually do nothing about anything, and that was more of a weakness on her part. The fact that she held no actual power.
"Ask the first person to step forward." Zina said to Seraph who imdiately called for the first person. Turning to where Ablanch stood, she said to the man.
"You must take ten steps away. You’re not supposed to hear a thing about the eting."
The man hesitated as if thinking that the person present would purport to take her life. Finally, he acceded. "Of course, Theta."
"The first person is a girl, she looks no more than twenty." Seraph whispered to her as steps approached them.
Before Zina could process the information, a body thumped before her and a horrid, familiar sll wafted through her nose. "Theta! You must avenge !" The voice wailed, "my destined mate rejected without reason!"
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