Priestess of Erkin

“The world began as an empty slate. Chaos roamed the neverending nothingness of the universe. But Chaos became lonely, so he created three children and formed Earth as their home. 

His eldest daughter Daldi created the oceans and claimed them as her own. She is the mother of all water creatures and water gods. 

The second was a son, Erkin. He was a ferocious warrior, creating creatures of terror and danger.” SLAM. “Latuna Adrian Dam Milla! What did I just say?”

Shocked, I jerked out of my own fictional paradise and stuttered, “I… I don’t know, ma’am”. 

Unsatisfied by my answer, our teacher huffed, “This is the most important class you will ever have if you are to teach your daughters about Kub-ba! Now pay attention and keep your head out of the clouds, or it will be trouble!”

“I know the whole story anyway,” I rolled my eyes and tried to go back into my own fantasy land.

SLAM, a cane hit my table. “Then you wouldn’t mind enlightening the class?” our teacher told me.

I stared into her eyes, fully ready to accept the challenge. I stood, never taking my glare away from her. I placed my hands behind my back, mimicking the priestess. “Lastly came his daughter Kub-ba, peaceful and kind. She created all creatures of peacefulness and all nature.” I tried to sound as knowledgeable as possible. “Erkin was intimidated by his elder sister and took Kub-ba as his wife. Together they gave life to mankind. But Kub-ba was horrified by what her children had done to her peaceful world, so behind Erkin’s back, she went to them and tried to bring peace.

But Kub-ba’s actions angered her husband, and he hid Kub-ba away in the depths of the earth. Mankind multiplied and became more hostile under Erkin’s rule, eventually leading to the Catastrophic War, history’s first and worst conflict. 

When the war ended, Erkin was brutally wounded, and in his weak state, Kub-ba was released from her prison. Once out, she searched the land for a gentle soul to share her power with.

She came here to Eirmann and met the first Kub-wo. Knowing her husband was growing in power, Kub-ba placed part of her spirit into the young girl so that she would never again be fully imprisoned. Ever since we have protected that gift to us and followed the guide of Kub-ba’s spirit, and because of our faithfulness to her, Eirmann has had nothing but peace and prosperity.” I smirked and sat back down. My mother recanted the story to me nearly every day when I was a child.

“And what was her name?” our teacher asked me. “The first Kub-wo.”

“Latuna,” I told her.

“You should remember that with that name comes responsibility, not pettiness.” Satisfied with her rant, the teacher returned back to her lecture on how the proceedings of electing the new Kub-wo went.

Still, I did not fully pay attention. It was hard to pay attention to the monotonous teachings that served as the national religion when you could easily concoct a new world in your head.

The lesson wasn’t that important anyway. There was no way I could become Kub-wo. While it was no secret that the current Kub-wo was advancing in years and not as agile as she used to be, the Kub-wo wasn’t going to kick the bucket anytime soon.

Arieana nudged me. She was my person in every way imaginable. I will never forget my fear when, after years of friendship, I told her I loved her and the joy when she returned my feelings. “Stay focused. There are only 5 minutes left.” Her hand met mine under the table. “Good job, by the way.” As she spoke, I could feel her breath on my neck, sending shivers down my spine. I wanted to lean closer to her, but that had to wait.

After class, I told myself, after class, I would take her back to my house and let my mind run wild in all the ways I wanted to touch her.

My thoughts were interrupted by our teacher's dreaded voice. “Exams are next week, and then you will be the newest members of society. I can only hope I have taught you the tenets well enough that your daughters and sons will be appropriately reverent,” she said with a pointed look at me. “Class dismissed!”

Arieana and I walked out of class and headed down one of the bridges toward the town center. It would take us a while to get there, so I took her hand and spun us around laughing.

Arieana stopped spinning and looked at me. “Why do you have to challenge the teacher?”

I leaned back on the railing and looked down. A two-hundred-foot drop was below me. We women lived in the trees with bridges connecting our homes and platforms. After a second of thinking, I shrugged. “Because she is a Su and I am a Dam. I outrank her. She can’t do a thing to me.”

“You only outrank her for a week. Then we will all be Shsh, and she will outrank us. What will you do then?” Arieana asked.

I tugged her body into mine and held her. “I will kiss you, marry you, and we will never have to worry about fighting to the death in a stupid Kub-wo trial.” I gently kissed her.

Her forehead pressed to mine as she spoke. “Do you really worry about being called for the trials? The Kub-wo is young,” she said.

“I worry about being taken away from you. You are my everything, Arieana Adrian Dam Balta.”

“My second name is Kadie,” she laughed.

I put my mouth close to her ear. “Not for long.” Then I kissed her neck, and she melted against me.

My mouth crashed with hers as my hands roamed her. I loved everything about this woman and was determined to keep her forever.

We were interrupted by crowds of women running, jumping, and walking over to the town square. We were pushed to the town square platform by the crowds, and when we got there, I couldn’t speak.

Tied to a piece of wood at the center of The Great Flame was the Kub-wo… burning. FUCK.

“The Kub-wo has retired!” shouted the women around them.

Hundreds of women crowded around, staring at The Great Flame of Kub-ba.

I took Arieana’s hand and ran to the front to see if it was true. Above us, the corpse of the last Kub-wo stood burning.

The priestess walked out of the doors of the Kub-ba temple. “Let the trials begin!” One of them shouted, and the crowd roared.

“We’re going to die,” muttered Arieana, her body collapsing into me in a mess of tears and shrieks. “I don’t want to die Latuna.”

“I will die a thousand times before I let someone touch you,” I said before kissing the top of her head.

“I don’t want to live without you either,” she cried out, hugging me tighter.

I shook my head. “I will die happy knowing you will be cared for.”

***

I stood over the bodies of the girls who had lost the Kub-wo tournament, covered in blood, dagger in my hand. Arieana’s body was a few feet below me. Her body moved in pain. We were the last ones left, and I had failed to protect her.

I had not dealt any of the blows to her body, I had killed everyone who had, but she had been too far hurt. I knew what I had to do, and I hated myself for it.

“I love you.” I kneeled down and kissed my lover's cold cheek. “Please forgive me,” my tears fell onto her face.

She grabbed my hand, her grip barely able to hold on. “Let me go,” she said.

“Never,” I reassured her, “You will be with me forever, now…Rest in peace with the sisters,” I told her before plunging my dagger into the side of her neck and ripping it back out again. I watched as the light left her eyes, and she was gone.

I broke and fell to the ground, weeping in front of her body. She was gone. My one light was gone.

Around me, women roared. “All hail the Kub-wo!” they shouted.

I pulled myself together, knowing the truth. I was no Kub-wo. I was the death of Eirmann. “You will all be tortured by Erkin,” I said low enough that only I could hear. There's no going back now.