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Authors: Monique Morgan
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city center. She began to feel as though she were a boat cutting through a sea of faces, as the crowd parted for her and Maleek. She noticed a large dome shaped building as it appeared in front of her, and could tell by the ornate carving on the dome, that it was the building she was looking for. The center of the city of the beneath. Zanas walked up the stone steps and into the huge doorway that loomed above her.
A long aisle lay ahead of her. She was reminded of a church, although there were no pews of worshipping congregants. The circular shaped room echoed as she walked, three hooded figures sat at the end of the walkway. They were motionless as she walked towards them.
They seemed to be very old, aged backs bent over, enveloped by thick robes. They said nothing, simply stared at her, three pairs of eyes looking back: one green, one blue and the third a honey yellow. Then one of them cleared their throat and Zanas heard a distinctively feminine voice.
“ Why are you here, child from above? Your kind does not dwell here,” a raspy voice demanded.
“ I was told that all clans were open, to anyone above or beneath,” Zanas replied, her face serious. Her response was echoed with laughter by the ancient man that sat next to the woman.
“ Your kind is weak. You have no place here,” he spat, a boney finger pointing out towards Zanas, his milky blue eyes flashing in anger. Zanas felt anger rising up inside her, and once again, Maleek began to growl. This time, she did not subdue him; there was something satisfying in the sound, and she felt her own growl in response.
“ You know nothing about me, old man,” she hissed in reply. “Are you telling me that the people beneath no longer follow the main tenant of Alwahi?” The old man began to shake with anger, his hood becoming slightly askew as he fidgeted.
“ How dare you…” he fumed. “ We of the beneath are the only ones who follow the laws of Alwahi.”
“ All may join a clan, but only the true will survive. There is no room for weakness when serving Alwahi,” the third hooded figure interjected softly.
Zanas turned her eyes to the woman who had spoken. All she noticed at first were the bright green eyes that stared back at her. She had been mistaken. They were not all very old. This woman seemed to be in the middle of her life, but one could not always be sure, Alwahi changed her people in different ways.
“ If that is the case then I can be allowed to join a clan, no matter where I come from,” Zanas said forcefully. An amused smile spread across the woman’s face.
“ Of course.” The woman paused, her hands clasped in front of her. “Alwahi always culls the weak ones from the herd,” the woman said, tilting her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. “And which clan do you wish to join?” Her smile seemed to grow somewhat menacing.
“ I, Zanas, child of Alwahi, wish to join the Pursuers of the beneath,” she replied, her voice steady and her eyes cold. Laughter erupted from the ancient man, his cruel eyes turning to the youngest of the three.
“ This is no longer my problem.” He smiled, pulling his twisted body up, and began to walk toward a door at the back of the room. The other woman followed his example and exited behind him. Zanas was left alone with the younger woman; whose bright eyes stared at her, unblinking. Standing up, the woman walked down the steps toward Zanas, until she stood beside her, her eyes never leaving Zanas’s face.
“ This is not a frivolous decision to make, young girl,” she said her voice low. “You will never leave the clan if you are found worthy.” The aggressive way she stated this made Maleek begin to growl once again. The woman glanced over at the beast, no alarm showing in her eyes.
Zanas nodded. She felt no fear as she replied, “I already know this to be true.” And she did. She had always known that this had been a one-way
A long aisle lay ahead of her. She was reminded of a church, although there were no pews of worshipping congregants. The circular shaped room echoed as she walked, three hooded figures sat at the end of the walkway. They were motionless as she walked towards them.
They seemed to be very old, aged backs bent over, enveloped by thick robes. They said nothing, simply stared at her, three pairs of eyes looking back: one green, one blue and the third a honey yellow. Then one of them cleared their throat and Zanas heard a distinctively feminine voice.
“ Why are you here, child from above? Your kind does not dwell here,” a raspy voice demanded.
“ I was told that all clans were open, to anyone above or beneath,” Zanas replied, her face serious. Her response was echoed with laughter by the ancient man that sat next to the woman.
“ Your kind is weak. You have no place here,” he spat, a boney finger pointing out towards Zanas, his milky blue eyes flashing in anger. Zanas felt anger rising up inside her, and once again, Maleek began to growl. This time, she did not subdue him; there was something satisfying in the sound, and she felt her own growl in response.
“ You know nothing about me, old man,” she hissed in reply. “Are you telling me that the people beneath no longer follow the main tenant of Alwahi?” The old man began to shake with anger, his hood becoming slightly askew as he fidgeted.
“ How dare you…” he fumed. “ We of the beneath are the only ones who follow the laws of Alwahi.”
“ All may join a clan, but only the true will survive. There is no room for weakness when serving Alwahi,” the third hooded figure interjected softly.
Zanas turned her eyes to the woman who had spoken. All she noticed at first were the bright green eyes that stared back at her. She had been mistaken. They were not all very old. This woman seemed to be in the middle of her life, but one could not always be sure, Alwahi changed her people in different ways.
“ If that is the case then I can be allowed to join a clan, no matter where I come from,” Zanas said forcefully. An amused smile spread across the woman’s face.
“ Of course.” The woman paused, her hands clasped in front of her. “Alwahi always culls the weak ones from the herd,” the woman said, tilting her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. “And which clan do you wish to join?” Her smile seemed to grow somewhat menacing.
“ I, Zanas, child of Alwahi, wish to join the Pursuers of the beneath,” she replied, her voice steady and her eyes cold. Laughter erupted from the ancient man, his cruel eyes turning to the youngest of the three.
“ This is no longer my problem.” He smiled, pulling his twisted body up, and began to walk toward a door at the back of the room. The other woman followed his example and exited behind him. Zanas was left alone with the younger woman; whose bright eyes stared at her, unblinking. Standing up, the woman walked down the steps toward Zanas, until she stood beside her, her eyes never leaving Zanas’s face.
“ This is not a frivolous decision to make, young girl,” she said her voice low. “You will never leave the clan if you are found worthy.” The aggressive way she stated this made Maleek begin to growl once again. The woman glanced over at the beast, no alarm showing in her eyes.
Zanas nodded. She felt no fear as she replied, “I already know this to be true.” And she did. She had always known that this had been a one-way
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