Page 39 of Infala: The Priest's Temptation
“But they’re the heart of the system, and the best way to learn to fit in. Something I’m afraid I haven’t been doing the best job of so far.”
“Through no fault of your own. You just need to learn, is all.”
“Exactly. So, when am I allowed to come here to study?”
“Whenever you wish. The archives are open to all at any time of the day, though the archivist may not be present in the later hours.”
Ella felt a surge of excitement rush through her. She was not only going to learn about the rules of this world, but she was doing so from the actual historical texts themselves. Or, at least ancient copies of them. The thought of it gave her goosebumps, her nipples hardening beneath her top in a delightful way.
She felt a twinge in her chest, the new pigment tugging oddly in the direction of her priestly chaperone. Ella turned and just for a second caught his eyes lingering on her chest, his trouser snake shifting once again, a look of confused desire briefly flashing across his face. Draikis looked up, his eyes meetinghers, something electric passing between them, unspoken but clear to both.
His look shifted to embarrassment as he stepped back, a slight blush growing, accentuating his delicious cheekbones.
“Uh, I should be getting back. I’ll leave you to your studies,” he stammered, heading for the exit.
“See you tomorrow?”
He paused, turning back with a look of mixed desire and confusion so intense it made her want to run to him and kiss him so hard his heart might explode from the intensity. Somehow, she refrained, but only just.
“Yes, of course. I have the morning breaking of bread that accompanies the new lunar cycle to attend, but after that.”
“Can I come? I’d like to see that. If I’m allowed, of course.”
His silver eyes flashed, his pulse visible hard in his neck. “It is not like the dining hall. There are no restrictions on who may come,” he managed, then gave a little bow and spun on his heal, heading out in a hurry.
Ella watched him go, admiring his masculine lines through his clothes with a newfound and increasing appreciation.
Damn. What was that?she wondered.
As she turned her distracted attention back to the ancient texts, the question slowly faded, but not entirely. And it would linger there longing for an answer. An answer that would come soon enough.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The following morning found Ella far more tired than she would have expected. She had slept well, after all, but she had also stayed in the archives studying the fascinating ancient texts until the wee hours, and even as she lay in her bed her mind still couldn’t quite shut off. There was so much to learn. So many new ideas and utterly alien history to try to wrap her head around. Shocking, yes, but also invigorating.
As for the Dotharians, along with this Norvalian sect of monks intertwined within their ranks, it was both confusing yet also a remarkable wonder of intergalactic power struggles that had led to this eventual culmination of their efforts. But it hadn’t been easy, and a lot of proverbial eggs had been broken in the making of this societal omelet.
There had been strife. Conflict. War. And while most records were undoubtedly skewed toward one side, there were still some instances where what appeared to be a retelling from the conquered parties’ side managed to slip into the lopsided histories of their battles.
The winner wrote the history books, and not without bias, but one could still get an idea of what truly went down if she read between the lines.
At the core of it all were these ancient texts. The central tenets of their entire belief system. Their governance. Their religion. And, most importantly for Ella’s current studies, details of the required runes found on the flesh of every single citizen within the Dotharian Conglomerate, the Infala being the most important of them all.
She was befuddled by the concept at first—the very idea of some plant-based ink somehow controlling your romantic fate was anathema to her way of thought and understanding. But then she delved into just how they came to be, the long process whereby the initial runes were discovered, the symbiotic power the various types of pigments possessed and the skills and strengths they conveyed upon those marked with their living colors. It had taken decades to form a basic framework of runes, and several centuries to refine them. But in the end a system had been settled on, and the basis for all Dotharian laws thereafter was established.
It was a noggin-full of fantastical information she had ingested, her translation rune working overtime in the process, and by the time she turned in for the night, Ella’s exhausted brain was ripe for all manner of bizarre dreams.
Her eventual slumber’s sweet embrace did not disappoint.
She didn’t remember the details when she opened her eyes to the sun’s golden morning light, but Ella felt as though she’d just returned from some exciting adventure. And despite many hours of sleep, her body was not nearly as rested as she’d have liked.
“Oof, what a night,” she grumbled, sliding her feet to the warm stone floor and running her hands through her hair,stretching wide before heading to her fantastically alien shower unit.
It was quite a marvel, and one of the things she loved about this place. High-tech goodies hidden within the seemingly rustic stone of the room’s environs. There was no visible spigot for the water to flow from, but when she stepped into the rectangular spot outlined near the far wall, a warm flow rained down on her from above, swirling around her body from all sides, powered by some sort of force-field energy before running from her skin and being swept away by a hidden reclamation system.
Dressed and refreshed, the walk down the corridor was a welcome use of her healed body, the blood flow to her muscles doing the last bit in waking her from her lingering stupor. By the time she reached the chapel area she had previously noted but never actually visited, Ella almost felt like herself again.
Peeking inside she saw almost all the priests were present, filling the vast chamber to near capacity. She’d never seen so many of them in one place at the same time before, and the realization of just how many lived in this place was something of a revelation.
