work in progress

Prologue

'Natalia why must I repeat myself over and over again. You know this isn't safe. Just come back its not the end of the world there will be others.' Natalie cringed she couldn't take anymore of her mothers god forsaken bickering. Did she think that was all Nat cared about.

“Dammit” Natalie screamed out her frustration to the blackness around her. What was the harm of staying in the void. It was quite, peaceful. The void let her think. Her mother hated the void she said it was cold like ice. Natalia had never felt cold in the void, she felt at home, and safe. Which admittedly was probably what her mother was really scared about.

'Natalia!!!' Nat cringed again she wished she could block her mother from her mind and simply be at peace for a few moments.

'Fine' Natalia looked around her for the first time and she was surrounded by light. The void was supposed to be nothingness. She smiled, this had always been her void. Its not like there wasn't darkness just the light always seemed to surround her. She smiled again before feeling her ears pop loudly the gratingly clear reminder she was back in the real world.

“Natalia how many times do I need to tell you...” Natalia looked at her mother in confusion for a second. She had never told her about the light. How would she react? Natalia wondered as more questions she had no answers for filled her mind incessantly.

“I know” Natalia gave her mom a sad smile she wasn't sure where the sadness always came from. It was there in her every waking moment. A sadness so strong she couldn't begin to fathom what could cause such sadness. All she had ever managed to find out about it was that this sadness was not her own.

“Just be careful Nat, I don't want to lose you to” Nat could see the tears forming themselves in her mothers amber eyes. It had only been a few months since her father and older brother had been consumed by the void. A sharp pang of guilt struck her, she hadn't been there when it happened. The void had begun swallowing people, no one knew why or when it started. It was hard to see how far people had gone. It was her job, her fate to save them, but how, how do you save them when your not even sure that staying in this world is such a good idea. They were all starving, there wasn't enough food to go around even with there conjuring food. So many had died already from starvation and there was nothing she could do about it.

“Have you ever seen light In the void?” She asked her mother softly. Her mother looked at her in confusion.

“Light in the void?” She seemed to repeat the question in confusion. Nat looked at her and quickly pulled her into her arms in a tight hug. Her mother was so worried about her, yet she was the one slipping away.

“Only....” Her mothers voice quivered and trailed of. Nat looked into her eyes.

“Only your father..” She barely managed to choke out over the tears that swelled down her cheeks in steady streams. Natalia looked at her in confusion a moment but held her close. She wouldn't have her mother for much longer, she knew that much. What could she mean by 'only your father.' How could her father be light in the void. It just didn't make any sense. She calmed her mother down and took her to her room.

“Just rest today momma. You deserve it” she smiled sadly and tucked her mother in. She looked so lost. Her mother had always been bright and shiny but the loss of her husband and son was taking its tole. Natalia couldn't help but feel that the only reason she was still here was for her. Nat waited til her mother drifted into sleep and left to take up her position as aide to the priestess. She walked the halls slowly to the great hall. Nat marveled at the carvings in the walls, they always seemed alive to her. She sighed as she entered the great hall.

“Priestess” She bowed low to the now very slender woman before. Freya was one of the most beautiful maidens in the hall, though Nat had always figured that was to be expected of the priestess. As of late though she had been looking very thin and frail. Natalia worried about her little sister.

“Have you been eating properly?” Natalia quickly covered her mouth and walked away to her place by Freya's side. It was not her place to question the priestess. What worried her most was that Freya didn't reprimand her or answer her question in any way.

“Natalia” Freya's voice was so distant. Natalia walked up to her side breaking nearly every law they held in the great hall. Freya collapsed in her arms, Natalia could feel the void inside Freya. It was so strong and quickly becoming uncontrollable. Natalia pulled Freya up into her arms. It had been a long time since she had been able to hold her little sister to her.

“Freya” she said, her voice so soft, barely audible, and felt the void within Freya reacting to her. The great hall had fallen to a hush it had never known before. Natalia began to reach inside her sister, she could feel Freya's void but her life-force was so small she could barely feel it. Natalia knew if she didn't do something she would loose her sister to the void before her eyes.

“I'm sorry, Freya.” Freya looked at her and tried to push her from her quickly.

“Natalia, No!!!!!!” her scream resounded through the great hall as wings of black tar seemed to be pulled for Freya's very soul into Natalia manifesting itself. Natalia could feel the cold, bitter void Freya had been fighting alone for so long claw and crawl its way through her. Natalia could barely feel anything, her body was numbed as if she were frozen from the inside out. She could barley feel the stone beneath her, nor hear the people around her as she was being dragged away. Natalia couldn't feel the stairs as she hit each of them being dragged from the great hall. She knew she would be condemned to death the moment she chose to save her sister.

'I'm sorry' she whispered into Freya's mind. Natalia watched Freya til she was out of sight. No one went to her to see If she was okay. Why would they it was against there laws to even speak to the priestess let alone to touch her. Natalia figured she would probably be publicly executed. It was the least of her worries. Natalia could still see Freya's face in her mind. She was so the her bones were showing through even in her face, her eyes were tired and sunken from exhaustion, but none of that even compared to the tears that fell from her eyes and the small clink from the hardened clusters as they hit the stone floor around her. They said the purest thing a priestess could ever give was her tears.

“Natalia!” Nat looked up to see her mother, she was blurred as Nat was being dragged. She was quickly loosing her grip on this world Natalia smiled at her.

'I love you, don't let go she needs you' She whispered her thoughts to her mother. Nat watched as her mother pushed her way through the crowd fighting to get to her as the world around her began to drift from her.  She could barely feel anything but the cold. A cold she had never felt within herself before now. Only in others. Is this why they succumbed to the void? Did the void fill them over time til they just became a part of it? Natalia found that her mind was beginning to numb. Her thoughts seemed to take lengths of time to occur.

Briar watched as her daughter faded before her eyes, she seemed to dissipate into the darkness around her. She choked on her tears. She had never seen anything like it in all her years. It had seemed almost as if the darkness and the light were fighting over Natalia as she disappeared. Rays of light stood in place of Nat now, Briar stood and watched as the lights slowly faded away. She fell to her knees and cried until she had no tears left. Briar had no idea how long she sat and waited for Natalia to return. She couldn't shake the feeling that if she waited she would see her again.

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Freya watched helplessly as they dragged Natalia from her. Everything in her was screaming at them to stop and leave her alone but she couldn't get the words out over the tears. Natalia had saved her. She didn't understand how but she had. She took away the cold of the void. Freya looked around her at the small pond of crystals she was adding to. It was law, when a priestess cried the great hall was to be cleared of all. Freya looked around her at the empty great hall and new waves of tears poured from her. She was really alone now. Natalia was all she had and she couldn't feel her anymore. It was as if she had simply disappeared from existence all together. Even those consumed by the void leave traces behind.

Freya watched in sadness as Briar slowly stumbled into the great room. The poor woman had been through more than enough and now she lost the last of her family and there was nothing Freya could ever do to make it up to her.

“I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.....” Freya repeated herself over and over the tears still falling as Briar made her way to the stairs before her. Briar looked like she could be lost any second but she seemed stronger somehow almost determined.

'why are you sorry Freya?' Briar asked Freya through her mind. Freya looked up in confusion. Only blood relations could use telepathy. Briar wasn't her mother or even related by blood how could she be...Briar looked down at the circle of crystal tears around Freya and smiled sadly as a tear fell from her eyes and solidified before falling into the pool with the rest of Freya's tears.

Freya found herself shaking there had only been one priestess before her and she had fallen to the void how could she be Briar. She stared at Briar she couldn't quite process the information she had just been given. Briar stepped away from the pool and left the great hall just as quietly as she had arrived. Freya stared down at the tear her mind refusing to think. Of course she was sorry Natalia was her sister and she...well she wasn't quite sure what had happened to her.

“Natalia, why did you leave me?” Freya whispered into the silence.

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She could hear a voice, she didn't know who it belonged to. It kept saying it was sorry but who was it. Who was she? Where was she? Why did she leave the voice? She felt cold, but what was feeling? How did she know how she felt?

'I'm sorry' The voice she heard was different this time it was deeper. Somehow it was sadder. She tried to find the voice to reach for it, but she couldn't feel it. She tried to see it, but found nothingness. Am I lost?

'I'll save you, I swear it' what was this voice? Did she need to be saved? Was she in danger? How long had she needed to be saved? She felt the voice fading from her ears. Panic filled her. Wait don't leave me. Why am I alone?

“Please stay!!!!!!!” she screamed into the cold nothingness. No one responded. She felt like crying but there were no tears. Why was he here? Did she do something wrong? Had she always been here?

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Briar woke in a cold sweat to the sound of screaming. It had filled the halls of the temple.

“Natalia” she whispered before frantically getting up and running to her room. She slammed the door open but there was nothing. She turned to the sound of sudden footfalls.

“Natalia, Natalia....” Freya came flying down the hall as fast as she could manage. She had heard Natalia clearly. She looked up to see Briar at Nat's bedroom door. Briar looked at Freya sadly. They had both heard Natalia. She had sounded frantic. Freya stopped just inside the room and turned to Briar frantically.

“I know I heard her Briar, it was so clear!” Briar looked around at the halls of the temple . Had the temple rejected Natalia as they always claimed or had it accepted her.

“Freya I don't think we should say anything about this” Briar looked at the young priestess strictly. There was something going on here that had never happened or been covered up so deeply they wouldn't be able to find anything without trouble.

“Briar” Freya just nodded and walked quickly back to her own room. What was that and why had they both heard it so clear.

Briar walked back to her room stumbling into a wary aide on her way. The girl dropped everything in her hands just from seeing Briar. She was nervous but about what. Briar helped the girl recollect her things from the floor. She thanked Briar and than quickly took off down the hall. Over the past few months since Natalia disappeared things in the temple hadn't been nearly the it was as if all the light faded away. Briar had heard Natalia several times as if her spirit still lived within the halls themselves. She had thought it was only her but she was wrong. Freya had, also.

Briar readied herself for the coming day, she had kitchen duty in the temple and it was always hectic. She smiled to herself in the mirror just above her dresser, Natalia's face flashed in it for but a second. The skin on briars arms stood up, had she just seen Natalia or was it fatigue getting to her. No, she had seen Nat. It was just a second but she had seen her. A loud scream struck through the temple. Briar startled and headed to find out what was going on. She arrived quickly at the origin of the scream.

“Whats going.....on” Her voice trailed off as she looked at the halls around them. The hall had turned black, as black as the void itself. Briar found herself shaking as she looked down at the horrified aide. She seemed to be sinking into the nothingness of the void through the very floor and walls around them.

“Come here quickly!” she called to the girl but she wasn't hearing Briar. Freya appeared at the other side of the black hall. Her face twisted in horror for a second before she could compose herself. She looked at the girl in the hall and took hold of her shoulder.

“Quickly now, we must purify this hall” The girl seemed to snap out of it and nodded taking off around the corner. Briar looked at Freya and Freya looked back at Briar.

“You think this could have something to do with Natalia?” Freya asked the question that had them both plagued. They waited in silence until the Priest's arrived. Freya looked at the three present.

“I am hoping to purify the hall” the Priest's looked to her and nodded. They would do as she said but she could see them slowly loosing faith. Sadness began to take over her. The blackness almost looked welcoming. Freya shook herself and stepped away from the nothingness and gestured for the Priest's to do the same.

“Stay away and don't stare into it, it is the void!” She made her statement strongly. The Priest's all looked at her in mock disbelief.

“It can't be the void, these are stone halls they hold no life. We know the void can't function without a soul attached.” At this statement they all looked at each other and took a step back. They looked around nervously.

“You don't think, the temple....” the Priest trailed off unable to finish his sentence. Freya sighed deeply and sent a wave of reassurance through the hall. It seemed to disturb the void and it seemed to send an assault at Freya. She was forced to the ground for the force of the shock wave. Freya recovered quickly and looked sternly at all of the people present.

“Keep this hall clear no one is allowed near, I will consult the gods” The Priest's nodded and cleared the hall setting up a wide clearance. Briar looked at Freya and they met up down the hall.

“This is not the void!” Briar nearly choked getting it out. Freya looked quickly at Briar and continued walking down the hall saying nothing.

“Have we angered the god's?” Briar knew the answer to her question already. They hadn't angered any of the god's this was something entirely different.

“Have you heard of Du'ran Briar?” Freya knew what she was saying was insane, but she had only felt a power like that since she was chosen as the Priestess. It was the same, whatever they were dealing with came from him.

“The leader of sin, you can't mean what I think you do Freya” Briar took a step back and it hit her suddenly. Freya looked at Briar and Briar nodded.

“I will see what I can find in the old temple library, its possible that he is trying to break through the temple of souls, we have records in the new temple of a past event that sounds similar to what is happening now.” They nodded to each other and went there separate ways.

Freya returned to the great hall and looked at her aides, she quietly dismissed them all and headed to the cleansing chamber. She couldn't consult the gods with stain upon her. The cleansing process would take 3 days and if it failed the hall of gods would consume her. She sat before the altar and lit the incense before her with a wave of her hand. Freya stood and removed her clothing leaving nothing but the ceremonial robe about herself. She took a deep breath of incense and walked slowly to the pool of mineral water in the middle of the room. It lacked the elegance and high fashion of the rest of the temple. It was simply a pool surrounded by the earth beneath the stone. She stepped off the white stoned onto the dirt path to the mineral pool. Clearing her mind she stepped into the mineral water and submerged herself completely.

Briar stepped into the cleansing room and prayed to the altar for Freya's success. She felt the ever present caress of the gods themselves. Once a priestess, always a priestess. Briar smiled and left the room quickly. She had work to do. They all did.

If Freya was right than the people being consumed by the void were Du'ran's doing but why try and awaken in the new temple. He was buried beneath the old temple. That's what didn't make sense to Briar.

What if all this had something to do with her Natalia! Briar's steps slowed as she was gripped with sorrow. She took a deep breath she didn't have time for sorrow. If this would help her get any answers about Natalia she would search the old temple library til she was blue in the face. Briar stole her sorrow away and pushed herself through the halls of the new temple. She grabbed a throw blanket from her room and headed for the old temple. She stopped suddenly in front of the old temple as a feeling of deep hatred gripped her and twisted her stomach. Du'ran was definitely awake but why and what was he planning. Briar conjured several orbs of light and pushed forward to the library. It was essentially all that was left of the old temple.