I woke up on a blinding hot light entering from my window. A fire? Was it the ‘hell’ that priests described? No matter what it was, I started screaming for help.
And guess who answered my calls.
“- What is it?! You're okay?! Who attacked?!
- The… the light… blinding…”
He looked relieved but then looked at me with curious eyes.
“- Are you going to tell me that you never left Stellara?
- Of course I didn't! I'm the only throne heir, it's too dangerous!”
After sighing (and thankfully closing the curtains) he sat on the side of my bed. He wore his usual uniform, but this time with a long white scarf on his neck. I also noticed that I was wearing some long robe hiding everything but my tiny white hands. I never thought that I would hate modesty, but then, nothing is normal. I moved back from him anyway.
“- What do you want!
- I remember you screaming for help and me coming to save you. From the sun!
- Nobody asked you to come!
- Then maybe I should bring you back where you were! Remember? On that altar?
- I…”
That phrase was like a knife in my heart. As the throne's heir I should not show any weakness, but I couldn't hold my tears back. I held mother's ‘dead’ pendant in my hands—wearing it around my neck, of course—, at least succeeding in holding back my sobs. I was yelling at the one who saved me from my lustful cousin and my greedy ‘friend’. He saved me from death —and worse, from slavery. I expect him to take me by my long brown hair and kick me out.
But, to my surprise, he didn't. Instead, I found my kidnapper tenderly drying my tears, looking at me with his piercing blue eyes. This time, I saw something more inside them: regret, understanding, and… compassion. It lasted a short moment before he took his hand away and got serious again.
“- I would like to apologize for what I said, miss Iahe.
- It's my fault. I acted like a child while you saved me. Thank you. And please, just Iahe.”
After a moment of complete silence (except for the crying baby), he shifted a little and started talking.
“- Well let's start slowly with everything. First, my name is Taeyong, protector of Amun village, the place you are right now. Second the bright light you just saw, that's the sun, a giant star that brightens and warms our village. And, just like you have night and darkness, here it's ‘day’ and night.
- So that's what Aten's village worships. You worship it too?
- No. We actually worship a God named Amun. He's the creator of the world, the master of the sun.
- Amun… does he have a consort?
- Yes, but unlike Nut, she was a powerful human whose name is still a mystery. So we call her Amunet.
- And what are the powers he gifted the village with?
- Well since he's the creator, there are many kinds of gifts. Mother, Taweret, can heal, while little Sia recently showed traces of wind control. Some powers are very common while some are rarer. As for me, I have some of spirit's abilities, one of the rare elements, the only one in this village to be precise.
- Abilities? Like what?
- I can compell, and I can see people's true core.
- That night, you compelled me to sleep, right?
- Yes, so we could get you out without anyone noticing. But I promise, I never used it with bad intentions.
- I know, you don't have to explain. Because if you did I would've been a prisoner, or worse, thinking I'm someone else. But true core? What is it?
- Yes. It means I could see people's true intentions, their core. Take for example an apple. You can't see what's inside unless you cut it, but I can. It helps us rule with justice. Anything else?
- Um, yes. Are there cases of people born without a gift?
- Not that I heard of. Why are you asking?
- It's just that…
- Oh wait. You don't have to explain. I get it.”
We went silent for what felt like an eternity. But then Taeyong started explaining about how things worked here. We wake up early in the ‘morning’ —the start of their ‘day’— and go working in the fields (except in the case of attacks when Taeyong would have to defend his village). Since no one knew about my arrival, I had to wear a scarf on my head and pass for one of them. Sounds easy.
But no, it wasn't.
After ‘breakfast’, a meal we have in the ‘morning’, we stepped out of the door… to find myself stepping back inside.
“- What is it now?
- It's… hot.
- Step out! It won't burn you!”
I wouldn't step out so Taeyong took my hand and pulled me out. The sun felt like fire on my skin, my eyes were blinded, and my mouth was dry in seconds. I don't know how they survive here but it was a perfect description of hell.
And then came the worst part. I had to ‘work’ under that burning ‘sun’. I haven't even arrived at the field, but my body started releasing a smelly liquid.
“- Taeyong!!
- What's wrong?! Who attacked?!
- Why do you keep thinking that someone attacked?!
- Because you're practically screaming!! Now tell me what is it?
- My body... that liquid…
- Ok another lesson in life: this, is sweat. It's a mixture of water and dirt that your skin will produce when your body needs to cool down. Which reminds me, when you sweat, you have to drink a lot of water or you'll end up dehydrated. Anything else?”
I shook my head, though I still have no idea what I have to do. But after looking around, I took what looked like a giant fork and started removing herbs.
“What do you think you're doing here?!”
It was the man Taeyong told me was the owner of this field. If he knew who I am, he would have immediately begged on his knees for mercy. But no one should know about me, so I had to stay quiet.
“- I asked a question! Answer!
- I'm removing bad herbs, sir.
- Are you ignorant! These are our medicinal herbs!
- How am I supposed to know?! I never even touched dirt in my life!
- Don't answer back!”
And here, I received a slap. Not even father touched me, he only caned me as punishment for my words, but no one ever laid a finger on me. Except for Shezmu.
As he took me by my collar, I had a flashback of what happened that night. I thought the land owner would tear the dress off my back, that he would hurt me. That he would make me a slave. Just like Shezmu wanted.
This time, I screamed. I screamed for help. I screamed for I was terrified of Shezmu and Melqart. I screamed for someone to help me out of my bad dream. I screamed for Nut to take me in her beloved arms and guide me to my parents. I screamed for Geb to bring justice to my land. I just wanted to die.
But then he released me. He had to deal with the punch he received from Taeyong. As I fell on the muddy ground, I looked up to see. It was like that night again. Taeyong was looking at me. But tonight—today, I saw for a moment what looked like worry in his eyes. I don't know if it was real, because it quickly disappeared.
And, for the second time in a couple of days, everything went black.