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| Mother Priestess Myra | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Goddess Araphenia | Odeedo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mati | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prologue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This particular story takes place on the edge of a deep forest in the magical country of Gaul in Zoni. Now this forest is forbidden. Only the sorceress of the country was allowed to enter this forest. If anyone else tries to enter the forest, they are never seen again. Now of course, other beings who possessed magic could enter the forest, but only with the permission of the trees. The sorceress is known as Odeedo, or The Old Wise One, to the people who come to her for healing, advice, or anyother service. It was well known in the kingdom that Odeedo needed help around her cottage and she needed an apprentice to take her place when she left for Earth, the world that all magical beings go to when they become too weary of their work on Zoni. Many people of the kingdom brought their daughters to Odeedo for an exchangeof money or medicine. These people were mostly poor and need money or medicine, not another daughter. These girls all disappeared. Of course,no one minded because these girls were unwanted unless they held powers and they didn't. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| One day, things began to change. A woman and her daughter came to Odeedo for help. The woman was a priestess and a closefriend to Odeedo. The priestess needed a place to keep her daughter safe, for the priestess was being hunted for heresy. Her daughter's name was Mati. Now I give you Mati's story as told by Mati. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter 1: Day 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| My mother was scared for me. She kept preaching things that went against what the people believed. Such as. She said the Goddess Araphenia tells her these things. I didn't understand though. Why should I be endangered by what my mother preached and practiced? I was scared. Scared for myself and my mother. The Great Empresses Doreen and Elizabeth were very busy, and though they had a very tolerant policy and could possibly settle the people down, they could not help my mother right then. Mother told me that we were going to see an old friend of hers. The Great Sorceress Odeedo. "Odeedo will keep you safe while I help the people understand that the Goddess Araphenia is right and so am I. Odeedo will teach you and help you no matter what rumor says. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Does the sorceress know about Goddess Araphenia?" I had asked her on our way to see Odeedo. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes, she knows our goddess very well. You shall see." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We walked for hours and hours. When Mother said we had arrived I thought she was joking. All I could see was a forest. A dense, green forest. Mother then said something in a foreign tongue and a woman suddenly appeared before us. "I've been expecting you Mother Priestess or shall I say Myra?" The lady's voice was like a quiet, soothing stream. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Good day Odeedo. I presume you know why I've come?" Mother asked the lady. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Indeed." The lady turned to me and said,"Good day daughter Mati. I am Odeedo, the sorceress of this great country in Zoni. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Good day Great One." I said curtsying. "How is it you know my name?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know all my daughter. I know that you are afraid for your mother and what will happen in the coming time." This startled me, for not even my mother knew of this. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well why don't we go inside and I shall make us some tea." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Thank you Odeedo," Mother had said, bowing her head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Excuse me," I said. "I don't know if this is impolite or foolish of me, but where is you house Great One?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why my daughter it is right in front of your eyes." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I don't see it, though." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Mati," Mother said. "Remember what I've been teaching you? Clear your mind of all thought and concentrate." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes Mother" I did so and then I saw it. A small, neat, but quaint cottage. A garden of flowers was in front while herbs grew on the left and vegetables on the right. Fruit trees grew along side the herbs and vegetables. Behind the cottage was the same forest I had at first seen.Odeedo and Mother smiled at me and Odeedo said,"Here in my part of the world you have to keep an open mind or else you will find yourself lost and alone for magic demands an open mind. You will understand and learn over time. Now come." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The three of us walked into the cottage together. What had looked small on the outside had actually been a fairly good size on the inside. It seemed to be, at first, one room with one door. Odeedo went through the door and I glimsed a kitchen on the other side. This made me quite curious because I wondered where the sleeping quarters were. I took my time to now look around the main room. There were two ancient looking armchairs, one olden couch, and a splintery rocking chair. In the center of the room was a table, and around the table were three soft pillows. The table was atop a gorgeous carpet of midievel art depicting a glory of unicorns and a sparkling waterfall. The only other thing I noticed about the room (were/was) cats. There were many cats all over. Yellow, black, white, brown, orange, and every combination of color cats. The cats were everywhere; on the couch, chairs, table, and floor. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Odeedo came out of the kitchen carrying a tray. She set the tray down on the table, shooed a large white cat and said, "Well are you two going to sit down and have some tea or are you just going to stand around." She smiled and sat herself down on a pillow. Mother and I sat down opposite her. She passed the cups around and we sat there drinking the tea. When we had finished Odeedo collected the dishes and took them back to the kitchen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I then turned to mother to talk with her, but she had gone into a trance. I patiently sat there watching her, worrying about her, and reading her eyes. Her eyes told of what her trance was telling her. Goddess Araphenia was talking with her about the difficulties at hand. The goddess was also telling my mother it was time to leave me. I sighed. I had known this was coming, but I didn't want my mother to leave. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mother came out of the trance and smiled at me. "Do not be afraid Mati. For as long as you believe and hold your trust in Araphenia, you will be protected. I too will be rotected, so you need not worry about me. Learn what you can from Odeedo and then you too can join in the fight for the truth." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I will do as you ask of me, but not altogether willingly. I will learn what I can, but when I join in the fight it will be a different battleground from you." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Of this I am sure. Now I must go. Odeedo!" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Odeedo came into the room and gave mother a hug and handed her something, whispered in her ear, and then back away. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'll see you both again! Goodbye!" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Then my mother disappeared. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Odeedo sighed then turned to me. "I guess I should first show you where you will be sleeping. Come" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Odeedo then took me through the door that led to the kitchen, but instead of the kitchen, it was a guest room. I turned to Odeedo, but before I could speak she said,"It's called magic. If you touch the handle and think of the room you wish to go to, it will be there when you open the door. It works for both sides of the door, but only for who I say. It shall work for you, but only certain rooms." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I nodded to show I understood. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Good. Now come sit and ask those questions you want to ask, I can't promise I'll be able or want to answer them all." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I sat on one of the ancient armchairs and Odeedo took yhe rocking chair. One of the larger black cats went and sat on Odeedo's lap. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Start whenever you like." Odeedo said. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I guess I should ask why it is you have so many cats." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That is a very interesting first question. I don't have so many cats! So many cats have me. All the stray cats, from all over Zoni, seem to find their way to me. Cats are their own masters and they choose who or what they assosiate with. They chose me. Moreover, they are highly dependable for judging integrity. Once the cats get to know you, they will decide whether they like you or not. Do not take it personally if they don't all like you. Next question." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I smiled. "I won't. You said the magic door only works for those you let it work for. What happens if you don't let it, or they try to go to a room you don't want them in?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Very smart question. Why don't you go try. I promise nothing will hurt you. Think of ... My work room." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Okay." I got up, and thinking of the sorceress' work room, opened the door, and found a curtain blocking the view. I pushed the curtain back and saw what looked like a prison. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That room," Odeedo said, coming up behind me, "is for the people who don't listen to what I tell them. That is if they are still around. No sunlight penetrates the walls, even if there is another person in here, you can't hear or see them." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Is this where those girls, I keep hearing about are?" I asked, suddenly very frightened. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Odeedo sighed. "No Mati. The girls disobeyed my order to not go into the forest behind this house. That is a dangerous forest. They went into the forest and never returned. The people spreading those rumors that I treated them evily are people who want me to leave. They want to scare the population into believing I am evil, but I have done too much good for many to believe the stories." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Okay, I see now." I was greatly relieved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I must inform you now. Do Not go into the forest unless I personally give the permission or I accompany you. Understand?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes, Great One. I will do as you say." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Good. Come sit, I'm sure you have at least one other question to ask right now." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I do Great One. My question is simply, how is it that you know so much about everything? I hear that you never leave you cottage except to go to the forest." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well that's true. I learn everything I know through the people that come to me, through Araphenia, the willings, and nanies." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well I guess that makes sense." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Now are we done with questions?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes, Great One." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Okay, now we can move on to what you will be doing to earn your keep." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I laughed and Odeedo smiled. "You didn't think, just because I know your mother and she's a priestess, you were off the hook, now did you?" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No Great One. Not at all." | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Continue ------------> | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Forbidden Forest | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gaul | Odeedo's Cottage | Earth | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||