The Holy Gatherers

The weight of the day’s events pressed down on me, but despite the solemnity, my mind kept drifting to forbidden thoughts—curiosity. I knew better than to let it consume me, but I couldn’t help it. Questions buzzed around in my mind. What lay beyond the borders of Overa? What truth was there in the stories of Girar?

I had been a sister to my mothers for so long, but now I was a mother in my own right. The transition felt sudden, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for it.

We gathered in the dining hall, where the Goddess of Harmony’s influence could be felt in every corner. The tables, formed by the twisted roots of the sacred trees, were brimming with food and drink. I found my seat among the other new mothers, all of us nervous, awaiting the trials that would come at midnight.

“Tiya!” a familiar voice called. It was Meme again, waving me over to sit beside her. Her smile, always so bright, was contagious.

I shuffled through the crowd and sat down next to her. “Hey, Meme.”

She nudged me playfully. “We’ve come this far, Ti! Can you believe it?”

I offered a weak smile. “I’m nervous... what if I fail tonight?”

Meme’s smile didn’t waver. “You won’t fail. Trust me. I bet your weapon will be a crystal arrow, just like your mother’s.”

I chuckled, though the thought of receiving a weapon made my stomach churn. “I doubt it...”

Meme’s eyes softened. “I know things have been tense with your mothers, but you just have to prove yourself, Ti. The Priestess of War chose us for a reason. This is our destiny.”

Her optimism made me feel lighter, even if only for a moment. “Maybe you’re right.”

Suddenly, a voice cut through the chatter. “My fellow new mothers, tonight we will be sanctified by the Goddess of War,” Ivy’s voice rang out, dripping with confidence. “It’s clear to me that I am destined to be her right hand.”

Meme rolled her eyes. “Here she goes again.”

Ivy raised her cup in a mock toast. “To be chosen as the right hand of the Goddess of War is my calling...”

Before I could respond, the High Priestess, my mother, entered the room. “Ambition is a gift from the goddesses. To possess it is a sign of your destiny!” Her words were directed at Ivy, but her gaze settled on me for a brief, piercing moment.

Ivy, never one to miss an opportunity, leaned forward, sipping her wine

The room fell silent as the High Priestess took her place at the head of the table. “Let us raise our drinks to the new mothers,” she said, her voice commanding. “May you all find prosperity in the trials ahead.”

The room echoed with the word, “Waka,” meaning eternity, before everyone sat down to feast.

The dining hall was a marvel of nature’s architecture, crafted by the Goddess of Harmony herself. The trees that formed the space had wide, ancient barks, their branches smooth and flat, twisted together with roots that created round dining tables. The benches, formed naturally from the roots, were long enough to seat everyone. The space felt eternal, as if the trees whispered of the countless generations of mothers who had sat here before us.

I took in the beauty of the hall, but my mind was elsewhere—troubled by the weight of the coming trials. Around me, the other new mothers were laughing, enjoying the feast as if tonight wasn’t the most important night of their lives.

Meme, seated next to me, was happily reaching for cherries, her energy so effortlessly light. She seemed almost oblivious to the tension in the room, or maybe she just chose to ignore it. Her joy was contagious, but today it barely made a dent in my anxiety.

Ivy, on the other hand, was in her element. She sat across from me, her presence bold and commanding. She lifted her cup of wine, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “The High Priestess recognizes a unique talent when she sees one,” she said, taking a slow sip. There was an arrogance in her tone that made my skin crawl.

“I guess we will see,” Meme chimed in, her voice casual as she plucked a cherry from the bowl and popped it into her mouth.

Ivy’s gaze flickered to Meme briefly before returning to me. I felt her eyes burning into mine, as if she could read my every thought. I didn’t care much for Ivy’s comments or her veiled threats. Her ambition was palpable, but it was something I had never envied. I wanted to keep my head down, get through the trials, and make my mothers proud.

I wasn’t sure if I was imagining it, but it seemed like Ivy had been watching me the entire night. I kept fishing for eye contact with the High Priestess, hoping for a silent nod of approval, but all I got was Ivy’s piercing gaze.

“I didn’t see the High Priestess congratulating you earlier,” Ivy said smoothly, her voice cutting through the noise like a sharp blade. It was as if she had been reading my thoughts, picking at the insecurity I tried so hard to bury.

I tensed, opening my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, Meme jumped in. “Ivy… this is neither the time nor place,” she said, her tone firm, though her eyes still twinkled with that carefree nature of hers.

But Ivy wasn’t deterred. She turned her full attention to Meme, leaning forward, her light brown eyes narrowing in a way that sent a chill down my spine. “I do believe Tiya knows how to use those lips of hers, or am I wrong?” Ivy said, her voice dripping with venom. “Do you not speak?”

Her words were a dagger, sharp and precise, aimed to provoke. My stomach twisted in knots, and I could feel the heat rising to my face. I wanted to speak, but nothing came out. I didn’t understand where this hostility from Ivy was coming from. What had I done to deserve her hatred?

Meme, always my protector, spoke up again before I could gather myself. “Ivy, leave her alone,” she said, her voice calm but edged with warning. “We’re all here for the same reason. There’s no need for this.”

Ivy leaned back, a smirk playing on her lips as she sipped from her cup. “Of course. We’ll see who stands out tonight,” she said, the words heavy with implication.

I felt trapped, the weight of the night pressing down on me harder than ever. My actions would have consequences, and after tonight, my days as a sister were over. I would become a Holy Gatherer—a soul savior, a ground warrior in the name of my makers. But there was something else in the air, something Ivy knew that I didn’t.

Everyone around me was enjoying the feast, but I was lost in my thoughts. The pressure of the impending midnight trial weighed on me like a physical burden. I found it harder to breathe with every passing moment. And then, something cold splashed against my lap, snapping me out of my daze.

I looked down to see my untouched glass of wine overturned, the deep red liquid soaking into my gown. I blinked, confused for a moment before I realized what had happened.

“Oh, Tiya! I’m so sorry!” Meme exclaimed, her eyes wide with horror. She had reached over for more cherries and knocked my glass over in the process. “I was… I was trying to pour myself more wine, and…”

“It’s fine, Meme,” I said quickly, standing up to assess the damage. My gown was ruined, the wine staining the delicate fabric. But it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered tonight except the trial.

I glanced at the table of priestesses, knowing I needed to excuse myself. My mother, the High Priestess, glanced in my direction, her gaze lingering on me for a second before returning to her conversation. She didn’t care. Not anymore. After midnight, I would no longer be her responsibility. I would belong to the Goddess of War.

“I’ll be back,” I muttered to Meme, though I wasn’t sure if she heard me. Her attention had already returned to her plate, a slight flush coloring her cheeks from the wine.

I walked out of the hall slowly, my mind swirling with too many thoughts to process. When I reached the exit, I took a sharp left and found myself by a large, ancient tree—one of the sacred trees that bordered the dining hall. I leaned my back against its bark, the rough texture grounding me as I fought to hold back my tears. My emotions, tightly wound all day, finally began to unravel.

I pressed my hands over my mouth, muffling the sobs that were threatening to spill out. I couldn’t let anyone see me like this. Not tonight. Not when I was so close to the biggest test of my life.

For a moment, I allowed myself the luxury of feeling small—of feeling like the little girl who had once sat at her mother’s feet, desperate for approval, and never quite sure if she was enough.

But I wasn’t a little girl anymore.

Footsteps echoed in the distance, the sound pulling me out of my moment of weakness. Panic surged through me. I couldn’t let anyone see me like this. I pushed myself off the tree and ran, not knowing where I was going but desperate to get away from the shame and fear that threatened to overwhelm me.

The night air was cool against my skin as I ran through the forest, the trees passing in a blur. My gown clung to me, the wet patch from the spilled wine growing cold, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was escaping, even if it was just for a few moments.

Eventually, I slowed, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I had no idea where I was, but the sounds of the feast had faded, leaving only the soft rustling of leaves and the distant hum of the sacred trees.

I stopped and looked around, feeling more lost than I had ever felt in my life.