Filed to story: The Chosen Saga Novel PDF Free
She washed her body a total of twenty-one times, a holy number, as well as her hair. She then spent time putting moisture back into her hair and skin. She had finally finished brushing out her hair and walked out of her bathing room to find Shavon there.
“How do you feel?”
“My stomach is in knots. The elixir didn’t work for me.” Araiya joined Shavon by the bed. “Do you think I got the wrong one? Or will I just not be Anointed?”
“I don’t know. This has never happened before to be truthful. You should be fine though. The Goddess will see how amazing you are.” Shavon gave her a hug and pulled her into her dressing room. “Let’s get to dinner. I am starving.” Shavon reached out and removed the thinnest robe in her closet. “I know it’s thin, but thankfully not see-through. You can wear the booties to protect your feet until it’s time to go to the altar.”
Araiya quickly dressed in the robe and booties. Shavon brushed through Araiya’s hair again and added oil to make it stay softly curled. They discussed her day and her meditations and prayers. How she felt so far into her training and if she still wanted to go for a warrior position. Araiya also peppered Shavon with questions about her bond with Tal that she couldn’t ask when he was around. It was a nice healing for their relationship, something that neither one of them realized they needed.
They walked down to dinner and found Tal waiting. They ate their meals and when someone called out it was time, got up and followed everyone else through the village. The group of Chosen made their way to an open field that had a small hut.
“Hello everyone, if you don’t know by now, I am head Chosen Amara. As I have explained before I am the Chosen who runs this place. I know you probably have become close to the Chosen who brought you here, some you probably knew before they came here last year. Although they will help with your development, they are on loan to us. The Chosen in black are from this village, and the ones in color are from the corresponding province. I am sure everyone has figured at least that out.” A few chuckled at that. “I am sure all of you are full of questions. After the ritual we will gladly explain to the ones that become anointed. To the ones that are not, fear not. If the Goddess chooses not to bestow you with her grace, you will be escorted back to your home. You will drink a simple tea we give you that muddles the past few weeks of your memories, and you go home. No harm no foul. We do not claim to understand the Goddess, just that she sees all.”
A few more recruits nodded along like they had already spoken with the Goddess. “This year we have fourteen Chosen recruits. Only about half make it through initiation. Those that do will go on a tour of the province keeps and find a position within those ranks. Those that do not, come back here. Even if you get a province color tonight, that does not guarantee a position in the keep. If you come back here, you will wear black with your province color embroidered on the sleeves, like mine. I was meant for Air, but as you see the Goddess gave me a different path.” Chosen Amara smiled while lifting her arms. Her black robe was accented by yellow around the edges in soft sweeping lines, almost like a breeze was caught and trapped in the design.
“Now don’t despair. The Goddess has a destiny for us all. So, keep faith! Now the ritual, when you enter the Goddess shrine, remove your robe. Step up to the altar. Plant your feet firmly on the earth. Raise your arms to the two bowls and place your hands into them. Show courage, connect to the elements, and the Goddess will connect with you. Once you hear the chime, put your robe back on and exit the shrine.” Amara paused. “Once everyone is complete, we will address each of you personally and the night will be over. You go home, and we regroup tomorrow. Sounds easy right.” Amara laughed. “Now we start with the first.” She motioned to the first Chosen to go into the shrine.
The first girl entered the shrine and was in there maybe ten seconds before she walked out. She had tears running down her face and was shaking her head. She padded over to Amara. The Chosen whispered something to her and kissed her forehead. She stepped back behind the crowd and silently cried. The next recruit was a young man. He stepped into the shrine.
He was in there for a few minutes, and Araiya swore she heard crashing waves. He stepped out, and everyone gasped. On his forehead was a shining blue wave. He walked over to the Chosen, who whispered to him, kissed his forehead and motioned him to the other recruit. He stepped in line next to the first and the next one went in.
It went like that for a while. Some came out quickly with nothing like the first girl, some with shining symbols. Yellow swirls, blue waves, red flames or green leaves dotted people’s foreheads. Araiya could see that it was only her group left. Tamara and Jack were ahead of her, but she stayed next to Tal.
Tamara stepped in, and nothing happened. She came out quickly and wasn’t anointed. She threw a look at Araiya and rushed to the line. Jack looked back at her and gave a slight smirk. She wanted nothing more than for him to come out with nothing. He was in there for a few minutes. When she heard the crackling of a fire, she sighed, waiting for him to come out with a red flame on his forehead. His smirk was even bigger when he stepped out. He mouthed good luck; you’ll need it back to her before he stepped up to the Chosen.
Araiya took a deep breath and looked at Shavon and Tal. Shavon patted her shoulder and Tal nodded and gently pushed her towards the door. She walked in and stripped off her robe. She took another deep breath as she looked around. In the center of the room there was the altar. The grass was vibrant green when she stepped up to it. The walls, she had thought were solid, actually had slats built in to let the breeze filter in. The two bowls were a little higher than hip height; one filled with water; the other was a brazier lit with fire. She took one more reassuring breath. She stood up to her full height, pulled back her shoulders to gain confidence, then plunged her hands into the water and flame. She waited for the bite but was surprised that the flame didn’t burn her.
Nothing was happening, and she started to panic. She looked around; nothing had changed. She hadn’t heard a chime to tell her to exit. She was a dud. Araiya started to cry because she knew at that moment she wouldn’t be anointed. She looked to the moon to see it covered in clouds, tears falling down her face and whispered, “So I was right, even you do not want me.” The clouds moved off the moon and the light shined down onto the altar. When the light hit her the world went dark.
She tried to scream but she couldn’t hear herself. She saw nothing and then the world blossomed in front of her from one blink to another, and somehow, she was kneeling. She was back on the hill next to the tree, overlooking the misted forest. Araiya slowly stood up. “I am back here. Did I die?”
“No daughter, you did not succumb to the darkness. I brought you here again.” Araiya looked over her shoulder to see the Goddess leaning against the tree. She was smiling softly and walked over.
“You were real. I thought it was just a dream,” Araiya whispered.
“No, it was not a dream. I brought you here to show you the truth. You doubt yourself and how important you can be. You doubt that you could ever matter.” The Goddess leaned down and cupped her face. “You are a fighter. Your strength is stunning. In all the years that the world has existed this place has been here. The in-between, the land of the lost that no one comes back from. No one but you. Look over there.” She pointed down the hill to a man. He was standing up confused and slowly looking around. The Goddess leaned over. “Watch, listen, and learn daughter.” The Goddess was gone from her shoulder, and a second later, she popped next to the man.
“Gregory, my son. I am saddened to see you here so young.” The Goddess stepped toward him.
“Goddess, can you send me back? I have a family to care for. Please, let me go back,” the man pleaded with the Goddess.
“Gregory. You knew you had a family before you started down the line you had been following that led you here. I cannot help you change your mistakes, but I will give you advice. If you can fight your way back, then change your ways. You have gone down a dark path. This was the outcome. Now to fade, walk into the forest. It will be peaceful and free. Your family will be cared for, and you can watch over them. To fight your way back, trust yourself and learn to fly.” The Goddess disappeared again and ended up back next to Araiya.
“You told me something similar.”
The Goddess slowly smiled and nodded. “Yes, I did, and you were strong enough to figure it out, and take the leap. No one other than you has ever figured it out. That or they honestly do not want to go back. They just want the reassurance that their family will be taken care of. That they can watch over them. Not many people actually want to go back to the struggle that is life. Watch him, go speak with him, guide him if he will listen, but do not give him the answer.”
Araiya nodded and stood up. She walked over to the man. “Hello.”
The man jumped. “Oh, my Goddess, you scared me.”
Araiya chuckled. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s okay. Not like things could get any worse. I am already dead.” The man rubbed his face and turned toward her. “You died too?”
“Yeah, I guess you can say that. What’s your name? How did you get here?”
“I’m Gregory. I made a few bad decisions. Took too many bad turns and yeah, I got really hurt in a fight, and now I don’t know what to do.”
“Well, Gregory, what do you want to do?” Araiya sat down on the ground and patted next to her. “Sit, and we can talk about it.”
“I want to be able to watch my kids grow, but the Goddess was right. I turned down a dark path. My death would actually solve a lot of debts I owe. These are dark men, but they don’t know about my family. I made sure of that.”
“Well, how are you so sure?”
“I went by a different name and lived away from them. I just sent them money. I haven’t seen my kids in a few years. My wife actually remarried last year. If I was gone then they could move on.”