The Chosen; Chapter 2

I approach the iron door at the back of Ragna's temple. As always, it opens for me. I don't see many as I wind my way through the Temple Shadows, winding my way down to the War Hall. Hidden deep under the temple, it should be lit by torches, yet the light during the day doesn't come from torches. I still wasn't sure where the mirrors were or how they got the light down this far, but I was grateful for it.

I slow as I enter the War Hall. Amara sits bending light around a cup before her making it flicker in and out of sight. She's the only other one here. I stop. I thought I was going to be the one holding up the meeting.

Amara looks up and smiles brightly. "Good morning, Drahzan."

I continue toward the table. "Where are the rest?"

She shrugs lightly, letting the cup come back into sight, dropping her hand. "Jaromir was here. He said he'd be right back. . . About five minutes ago."

"Still not the last one here, so it's fine," Jaromir says from behind me.

I turn to find him walking into the war room, an unfamiliar girl behind him. She doesn't wear temple clothes, so she has to be,

"Everyone, meet Makatza," Jaromir says, waving a hand toward the girl, "Chosen of Zephyr. Our sixth and final member. Makatza, meet Amara, chosen of Aonani, and Drahzan, chosen of Miyabi."

The girl lifts a hand in a wave. "Hello." Her eyes flick between the three of us. "Are the other two not coming?"

"Tallulah usually comes late," Amara answers, "And Rohana. . . Is supposed to be here."

There's no mistaking the annoyance in her voice. Not that I can blame her.

This was the one time a year we had the chance to meet, to get to know each other, and learn to work together. She had been the first chosen of all of us. She was meant to be our leader. Yet if she was supposed to be leading us, shouldn't she, more than any of us, be here?

Not that her presence helped. She hardly talked to any of us. Always cold, always distant, always hostile, she never seemed to want to be here.

"Sorry, I'm late!" Tallulah's voice floats in ahead of her.

Amara's eyes are narrowing in on her before I've even turned. "And Rohana?"

Tallulah pauses, eyes flicking away. "She's not coming."

"She took off again," Amara huffs. "How are we supposed to learn to work together if she never shows up?"

"How are we supposed to trust her if she keeps bailing?" Jaromir counters, flopping down into the chair next to Amara.

"She's not bailing," Tallulah quickly cuts in. "Something just came up."

"Something always comes up," I remind her. "How do we even know she's actually training?"

"Is my word no longer good enough for you?" Tallulah counters. "Need I remind you that the last time you sparred with her, she beat you?"

"Which is exactly why she needs to be here!" Amara cuts in, in annoyance. "We're supposed to be learning from each other. Not that the rest of us have much other chance to learn elsewhere."

We were kept separate in our training, except for Rohana. She often visited Tallulah. We were supposed to stay at one temple, except for Rohana. I wasn't the only one who'd seen her in passing at my home temple. We weren't supposed to just take off, except for Rohana. None of our keepers seemed to care much when it was Rohana leaving without a word or permission.

There was always an exception for Rohana because Rohana was supposed to lead us. Yet she couldn't be bothered to actually act like she even cared about us. I'm sure I wasn't the only one getting tired of her constant exceptions.

"She'll be here next time," Tallulah says definitively.

"Will she?" Amara snaps back.

Tallulah looks down at her hands. I can't help but feel a little bad for Tallulah. This wasn't fair to her either. She had been the second chosen, shortly after Rohana, but still a few years before me. I always had the feeling they had rushed Tallulah's selection in hopes of having someone who might soften Rohana's edges. It hadn't exactly worked.

Tallulah was loyal to Rohana, no matter what. And while Rohana was kinder to her than us, it always seemed to fall to Tallulah to make peace for her. Tallulah was always here, speaking for her, taking the brunt of our anger towards Rohana. I had no doubt Tallulah would follow Rohana anywhere, but I don't think I'd place any bets on Rohana doing the same.

"Regardless," I say, drawing the attention to myself. "We have the next two days together. Let's focus on what we can control. Jaromir, I know you were the last new addition, but let's be nice to Makatza."

Jaromir gives me an offended look. "I should be telling you that."

Amara rolls her eyes. "Why don't you boys just keep to whacking each other with sticks."

I can feel a light smile touching my lips as the tension begins to ease out of the room.

xXxXx

The quiet of Ragna's temple at night is something I still can't quite place. It's calm and peaceful just like I'm used to back in Miyabi's temple and yet, there was still something else. A slight unease, a feeling that at any moment the calm could turn to chaos. I suppose that was only appropriate for the goddess of war's temple.

I can hear hushed voices talking quickly. Curious, I follow them along. I follow them all the way to the High Priestess's room.

I quickly move toward the room, flattening myself against the wall so I can listen to the voices.

"I know you're angry, but please just sit still and let me-" Tallulah's voice cuts off as something metallic clatters to the ground.

"I said no," Rohana's voice growls back.

I blink in surprise. Had she just gotten here or had Tallulah been covering for her earlier?

"Rohana," High Priestess Lioni begins gently, "Tallulah just wants to help."

"No, you want her to help," Rohana replies curtly. "You thought that by dragging her out of bed you might convince me to stay. I'm not staying and I'm not changing my mind."

"Then I'm going with you," Tallulah responds.

"No."

"Rohana," Tallulah pleads. "You shouldn't be alone right now."

Had something happened?

"She's right," High Priestess Lioni adds.

Rohana laughs curtly. "You don't know what I need."

"We just want what's best for you," High Priestess Lioni tries again.

"And lying to me helps achieve that how?"

"Does knowing the truth change anything?"

"And lying to me does?"

Silence hangs in the air. I can feel the tension even out in the hall.

A moment later, I start as a dagger glints my way. Rohana simply pulls the dagger back to herself, not even slowing as she passes. I can understand the beginning of what I heard a bit better now. Rohana's bottom lip is split and there's no mistaking the bruise forming by her eye.

"You're a horrible spy," she says curtly.

Against my better judgment, I'm quick to follow after her. "What-"

"Amazingly, it was none of your concern."

"I was actually going to ask what happened to you," I respond just as curtly.

She shakes her head. "Such a stupid question."

"Fine. Where were you today?"

"Not here. Obviously."

"So instead of being here and training with us, you were off Belig knows where picking a fight?"

Having reached the door to her room she stops, turning stiffly towards me. "If you don't mind, I'd like to enjoy my word falling apart by myself."

I take a deep breath. How could Tallulah stand her? "We all have the same lot. We're all going to be dead when this is all over. None of us are throwing pity parties and picking fights."

Her eyes flick up for a second, focusing on something above mine. When they come back to mine, they're somehow harder and colder than before. "You want to know what I find most annoying about you? Your insufferable sense of self-importance. You are so self-righteous you can't even tell when you're acting like a prick. I might be an insufferable ass, but at least I'll admit it."

Her door is slamming in my face before I can respond. All I can do is stare at it in stunned silence.