Divinity's Hold

Prologue

Has she come? I thought. The human girl who’d always visit my hole usually came when the bright ball of light in the sky cast its light shadow in the wet tunnel like it was now.

It was dark down here, but I never seemed to mind. I’ve only been here for as long as I thought I remembered, the dark always seemed to be my friend. I heard footsteps approaching and I saw the same familiar face that had visited me for the past few seasons.

“Hi, Lyu.” she greeted me.

“Hi, Rori.” I greeted her back.

She called me “Lyu” because it was easier than my full name, “Lyutyerryan”.

“I see you’re still stuck in that hole.” she said.

“Yeah, but it’s not that bad. It’s better than being out in the rain.”

“Yeah, but the hole you’re in is there to collect rain to prevent flooding up here.” she giggled, “I wish you could come and live with me, but my parents would never let me.”

Rori reached down and ran her fingers through my hair and around my short, dull horns. I blushed as she reached to put her hand down on my cheek.

“I also wish that I could be up there with you,” I sighed, “but the Serevinese people don’t want me around.”

“Well, I’m Serevinese,” Rori smiled, “and I want you around.”

Humans called Rori’s name in the distance. Rori took her hand off my cheek and out of the hole.

“I have to go,” Rori sighed, “I’ll be back tomorrow to talk later, okay?”

“Okay.” I smiled a faint smile.

“Bye now!” she waved as she stood up from the hole, but a silver chain slipped from her wrist..

“Wait! Your chain!” I stuck the chain out of the hole.

“Oh! Thanks! Bye!” Rori quickly turned back to grab the chain and left through the broken fence board she always appeared from.

“Goodbye Rori.” I said quietly, already knowing that she was too far to hear me.

I sat down in the wet tunnel and looked at my reflection in the trickling water flowing endlessly through the tunnel. I still had faint memories of how I got stuck down here in the first place. Serevine had made a law that only humans were allowed to be citizens in their nation. Rori said all others of my kind were either driven out of Serevine or kept away somewhere.

But that was many seasons ago, could it be different now? No. Serevine’s laws were never changed or abolished once they were made. There was a special class in Serevine they called warriors that could hold light in their hands. How I wished that I could be a warrior if I weren’t illegal. To be able to protect and fight for what I believe in.

Days seemed to pass like minutes down here. Rori hasn’t visited for the past few days either. I waited, and waited, but she never came.

Where was she? Had something happened to her? I wondered.

The little stream in the tunnel grew. A storm was on its way. Rain poured down outside and I tried to stay dry as the tunnel filled with water. It was cold and I tried to shake off the rain that leaked through the stone bricks of the tunnel.

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled a few moments after. I hated storms. Not just because my shelter became useless from them, but because of the horrible wrath it brings. The water rose and I was running out of space to sit as the cylindrical tunnel sloped upwards.

My ears twitched as rain from the hole in the tunnel fell on my head. I heard crying. I peered out of the tunnel and saw Rori against the wall next to the hole. She had her head between her knees while she was soaked by the rain.

“Rori?” I called, but suddenly, more people entered the small lot where she was.

I slipped down to stay out of sight but fell down into the rushing water in the tunnel. I flailed around trying to reach the side. I managed to grab onto the brick and pulled myself back to the hole, looking at the scene.

“Roritana,” a boy sneered, “what’s wrong? Upset that you’re not good enough to be a warrior?”

“Yeah, Rori!” another joined the taunting, “are you afraid? You’re a joke to Serevine!”

There were two others with the taunting boys who kept pushing Rori around as she sobbed. I grew hot with anger and gritted my teeth. I couldn’t let them do that to her. Scrambling up the hole clumsily, I scratched at the opening trying to get out, snarling.

“What is that?!” one of them fretted.

I yowled and lashed my claws out even though I couldn’t possibly get to them while in the hole.

“It’s a monster!” another screamed.

They all screamed and ran out of the lot through the broken fence board. I lifted myself halfway out of the hole and looked at Rori with worried eyes.

“Are you okay?” I asked, “What happened?”

“I’ve been recognized as a warrior apprentice by my chancellor and the senate.” Rori sniffed, “I’ve been in the apprentice hall at the church for the past few days. Those boys were making fun of me because I was new.”

“Is that why you haven’t come to visit?” I asked innocently.

“Lyu, I don’t think I can visit anymore.” she sighed hopelessly.

“What?!” I exclaimed, “Rori, just because you’re going to be a warrior, doesn’t mean that you can’t see me anymore!”

“But it does, Lyu.” Rori sobbed, “I won’t be able to leave the church grounds once I have the Crest of Serevine on my chest. I am to have it applied tonight.”

“But...you can’t just forget about me!” I cried, “I can’t lose you!”

“Lyu, I will never forget you!” Rori pulled me out of the hole and hugged me, “I promise, I will never forget you. And when I am able to, I will come back to free you from hiding.”

I clenched to her clothes, afraid to lose her. I smelled her sweet scent and shuddered a sigh. Rori brushed her hand through my wet hair and set it on my cheek.

“Promise me you’ll never forget me?” Rori chuckled, trying to stay positive.

“All I ever think about is you.” I chuckled with her.

She kissed my wet, furry forehead and slipped her hand off my face. She got up off the wet grass and moss and left. Her shirt had tears in it from my claws, but she didn’t notice.

I climbed back into the tunnel with the water slowly draining away. Soon the clouds in the sky faded and the bright ball of light glowed as it floated past. I’ve always forgotten to ask Rori what it was actually called. She never really corrected me when I mentioned it either. I felt its warmth radiate into the tunnel, drying the puddles and getting rid of the chill. I liked the bright ball of light, but I didn’t really care for how bright it was.

Weeks, or moons, passed since I had to say goodbye to Rori, and life down in the tunnel became dull and uneventful. I haven’t had much to eat either. Rori usually brought something for me, but since she was gone, I had very little to find.

It was night, but I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t help but think about Rori. I promised her that I wouldn’t forget about her, but what I was doing, others might think is a bit excessive. The moon glowed into the tunnel turning the water a crystal blue. I brushed my tail and stared at the water. The wonders that simple things can give people put me in a trance, seeing things that weren’t really there.

A pebble dropped into the water from the hole, bringing me back to what I thought was the real world. Someone was in the lot. A brighter light flashed from the hole and I slinked back to hide from it. I heard water sloshing from up the tunnel and saw more light glow from it.

The sense of danger flooded through me as I knew I was being persecuted. Those boys that I had scared off must’ve told them about me hiding in the tunnel. I ran down the open side of the tunnel trying to evade the warriors that were after me. The tunnel opened up to a river, carving a giant crack under the city. The glow of the warriors grew and I gasped.

There was no other choice but to jump into the river. I held my breath and leaped into the frigid water. The current swept me under, keeping me from surfacing and I panicked. I fought the current and tried to take a breath when I had my head above the water.

It was pitch black in the underground canyon and I couldn’t see a thing. I cried for help as the river dropped farther down into the Earth. Suddenly, I crashed onto a rock in the river and I held onto it catching my breath. A bright flash of light stung my eyes and I was back in the tunnel. A sudden familiar scream echoed in my head.

Was that all just a dream? I thought.

A pebble fell from the hole and into the moonlit water. It was the same pebble as before! A bright light shone from the hole and the tunnel. A man dropped from it and splashed into the water. He was tall with short brown hair and light brown skin like most humans had in Serevine, and had the Crest of Serevine perfectly visible on his chest. He was a warrior!

I gasped as I saw him form the rod of light that all warriors possessed and the Crest of Serevine glow on his chest with the tattoos on his arms. More warriors came splashing into the moon’s light casting their shadows on me, crying as they all looked down at me with no expression.

The warriors tied me up and pulled me out of the hole. I couldn’t stop crying. Were they going to kill me? They forced me into a cage drawn by a horse and took me away from the familiar area where I had spent such a long time in.

People were gathered on the streets as I was taken to the court. They shouted with hatred and spat on me, cursing and laughing. There were a selected few who tried to stop the cursing and spitting of the crowds, but no one bothered to listen to them.

“Please!” a woman begged the crowd, “it’s just a child!”

“It”? I wasn’t an it. I was a boy. A he, him, etc. Even though they wanted the insults to end, everyone still thought of me as a creature rather than a person.

“Leave it alone!” a man shouted out next to the woman.

The crowd laughed at them and continued their rude, heartless acts. The crowds lasted the entire way to the court. As if they were told that I was to be captured and brought there.

Humans always seemed greedy and selfish from the start, even from Rori sometimes. But I never knew how terrible their selfishness was until now. They revolt against their own species because of color or characteristics and make them slaves or unequals. But I didn’t know how much worse it was with a completely different species.

The crowds ended when I rolled past the gates of the church grounds. I stared in fear and covered in human saliva as I looked at the towering palace and other buildings in the large closed area. The bell that tolled from the palace droned deeply as the warriors stopped the horse and pulled me out of the cage.

They dragged me inside to a round stone building with multiple levels and people walking in its circular halls. A door opened and inside, the floor sloped down beneath the building. It was dark at first, but soon torches lit the damp hallway.

One of the warriors untied my hands and pulled out her hand from a glove. She took my left wrist and pushed her bare fingers into my black fur. Pain stung me and I yelped and tried to pull my hand away, but she kept it firm as the magic burned my fur away and melted my skin.

She took her hand off and tied my hands back together. The other warriors then continued taking me down the hall. I walked past an entrance to the center of the round building and I saw two men fighting each other with swords, trying to kill each other. Then another room, where I saw someone of my kind lifeless on the floor. Even though he was dead, he was the only Kurixi I’ve ever seen that I could remember. His patterns were as soft as the hills beyond the walls of the city with gashes and scars cutting through them.

The warriors threw me into a room and locked the door behind them. I cried and struggled to untie myself, but I couldn’t. Moonlight filtered through a slim opening in the stone brick and I tried to look through the wall.

A colorful courtyard full of pink flowers and water fountains was behind the wall. A group of children entered the courtyard with a warrior. I narrowed my eyes and I was surprised when I saw Rori with the Crest of Serevine on her chest within the group of children. The warrior teacher formed a staff of light from his hands and all the apprentices followed. Rori did it without any fail.

“Rori!” I called out, “Rori! Help me!”

She stopped following the warrior teacher and looked around.

“Lyu?” she spoke out, but was quickly shushed by the warrior teaching her.

“Roritana!” he snapped, “pay attention!”

I continued trying to call for her, but she ignored me and followed her teacher.

“You!” a voice shouted from behind me, “shut up before I come in there and make you!”

I stepped down from the opening in the wall and sat on the floor hopeless, crying. The sounds of chimes clanged from a distance in the wind.

What were they going to do to me?