Through the Gate of the Gods Ch. 01

"Then who is the toughest?" Magenta challenged, and he smiled widely.

"I don't know," he admitted, and she smiled back.

Then it was Orchid's turn. "My family always prays to Rozella," she said.

"Not your family, sweetheart," the Priest admonished gently. "You."

"Oh, me too," Orchid answered. "Farming is hard work. We need all the help we can get."

Lily chose Newlan. "I love to read and learn things," she explained.

When all the girls had answered, the young Priest rose.

"You have the rest of the day to yourselves. You can talk, read, color, even go back to your rooms if you wish. I'll be at the front desk if you need me."

It was awkward at first, being in a room filled with near-strangers who were also your Sisters, but Magenta, Thistle and Midnight were outgoing and talkative enough to get things started. Soon, there were several lively conversations going on.

Before lunch, Orchid spoke with Breath for the first time. They couldn't have been more different. Her father was a wealthy merchant, and her mother had been Chosen but not sacrificed. Her bedroom in her parent's house had been bigger than Orchid's whole farm house.

It didn't matter. They became friends immediately, and remained best friends for the next ten years.

XXXXXXXXXX

The girls began classes the next day, and another difference became evident. Orchid had never gone to school, and while her parents had taught her how to read and write a little, as well as add and subtract, she was way behind the other girls.

Lord Sullivan quickly put an end to any harassment. "Everyone has different abilities and different talents," he said. "It's what makes a group strong."

He assigned Breath and Lily to help tutor her, and Orchid discovered she liked school, and was a fast learner. By the end of their first year, she could read as well as just about anyone in the group.

They had classes six days a week. The two Teachers alternated days, and every session was different.

They had reading&writing, math and science, history and religion, but also sang, played games, ran races, drew and painted pictures, and spent a lot of time learning how to dance.

They also spent many days talking about and practicing proper behavior. It was important to always be 'ladylike,' and the Teachers stressed that the girls always act a certain way.

They were to always be demure, modest, kind, soft-spoken, helpful, and honest. Never vulgar, never angry, never cruel or petty. Cursing, shouting, or grumbling were frowned upon and sometimes punished.

They were never beaten or hit-"That would be vulgar, after all," Lady Clara explained-but they might have to stand in the corner for a while. Or run sprints until they collapsed, panting with exhaustion. Or hang from a chin-up bar until their arms and shoulders burned like fire from exertion.

But those things didn't happen very often. The girls adored their Teachers, and tried very hard to please them. Both Lord Sullivan and Lady Clara also spent a lot of time alone with each girl, bonding with them as they discussed the child's fears and concerns.

Every month, the girls would go to the compounds huge auditorium for a special event. It was one of the rare times they saw the older girls, aged eleven to nineteen, that had been Chosen before them.

Most days, they wore a simple uniform consisting of loose, lightweight black or white slacks, and long-sleeved tops of royal blue or scarlet, their little feet covered in black flats. But for events and assemblies, they wore their robes.

Sometimes there would be a play. Sometimes it was musicians, jugglers, acrobats, animal acts-always something wonderful and exciting.

Often, the Teachers would take them out into the city, pointing out landmarks and historic sites. The girls who had grown up their were pretty blase' about the field trips, but Orchid was constantly amazed.

She'd only been to the City twice before the day she was Chosen. When she was nine, her parents had allowed her to go with her father and oldest brother to sell their surplus in the market. And even then, she'd only been to the big Market just inside the city's western gate, never into the heart of Mulvadora.

"It makes me feel so small," she said one day in class. "Like I don't even matter."

Lady Clara was teaching that day, and she gathered the girls close.

"Watch," she said, and dipped her finger into a cup of water. She held it out, and a single drop hung, quivering, from her fingertip.

"It's just one drop," she said. "Not much alone. But when you add it with the others, you get something wonderful. Add enough, and you get a mighty river."

The water drop fell, splashing gently on the floor. "Just like us. By ourselves, we're nothing much. But together!" She spread her arms wide and turned in a circle, smiling widely. "Together, we make a great city. Together, we can accomplish great things. Together, we can please the gods themselves."

XXXXXXXXXX

They had chores to do, too-light stuff, suitable for little girls; and one of the first days Orchid got a little back.

She had been assigned along with Magenta and Breath to sweep one of the gym floors, and discovered neither one of them had a clue how to do it right.

Breath had grown up with maids; Magenta with one of those workaholic moms that did all the cleaning herself. Breath tried to just drag the broom along the floor while Magenta sort of slapped the ground with hers.

Orchid showed them how to wisk wisk wisk the dirt and dust bunnies into the pan, and was rewarded with grins.

"That works great!" Breath told her. "Thanks!"

Of course, they were also responsible for keeping their own quarters neat and tidy, but there the girls had help. To take care of 200 girls, plus Teachers, Priests and other personnel, the School needed a good sized staff. Once or twice a week, the cleaning ladies would go to each girl's room, give them some help, some advice on how to keep the room cleaner, and (usually) do most of the work themselves. Still, the girls learned, and got better, and by the end of the year the maids rarely had to do more than look around the room and bathroom and say 'good job.'

XXXXXXXXXX

The two Teachers were excellent. They were experienced, both having trained two classes of girls already, and had the wisdom of generations to draw upon.

They understood how to keep things fun and interesting. Yes, some of the lessons were difficult, but they always followed a demanding day with two or three fun ones.

They made sure whenever the girls were paired up or broken into small groups, it was with different partners. As a result, they all got to spend time getting to know one another. After only a few months, Orchid and the other girls thought of each other as friends and Sisters.

They didn't cut the girls hair, just trimmed bangs and snipped off unruly, frizzy ends. By the end of the first year, most of them had hair that reached the middle of their backs, or even lower.

As the year drew to a close, big events began to happen. First came a visit from the girl's parents.

Orchid, and most of the other girls, began crying as soon as they saw their mothers and fathers for the first time since they'd come to the School.

The reunited families spent a couple happy hours together. The parents had been briefed, and called their daughters by their new names.

Orchid was thrilled to see her mom and dad, but as their time ended and she said goodbye, she realized something. Her parents were part of her old life. She still loved and cared for them, but her real family was at the school.

It was the last time any of them saw their parents.

A few days later came the final banquet for the oldest girls. All the students and Teachers came to the feast, to hear the 20 year old girls and their Teachers each give a short speech, and to see which twelve were selected to be Sacrificed, and which eight would be sent back into the city.

Watching from her chair as they split the girls into two groups, Orchid honestly didn't know which fate she most hoped for-and she could tell from the older girl's reactions that they weren't sure either.

Lady Clara talked about it in class the next day.

"While you're here, your feelings are sure to change many times. Some days, you'll be excited and honored to be a Sacrifice, and other days you'll hope and pray to be left behind."

The Teacher's eyes were filled with affection as she gazed around the room. "But I know, those of you who are chosen to go through that gate, will do so with grace and courage."

The girls attended the Sacrifice. The youngest class always attended, to get a glimpse of their distant future.

In a way, it was anti-climactic. The Head Priest gave his speech, and as the sun set a gong sounded behind the Gate-once, twice, three times.

The twenty-year old girls, clad in the beautiful gold robes that were only worn on this day, lined up in front of the Gate-and if their legs trembled and their stomachs were filled with butterflies, they nonetheless held their heads high and proud.

Once more the gong crashed, and the Gate slid open with a whisper.

The girls walked into the darkness, slowly and regally. When the last one vanished into the blackness, the Gate closed behind them.

Everyone present said a prayer, and it was over. Mulvadora would prosper for another year.

XXXXXXXXXX

The last thing that happened that first year was the girls were moved upstairs.

The School building had four stories. Three classes of girls lived on each level, and the youngest on the ground floor. Now that Orchid and her Sisters were eleven, they moved to make room for the newest group of Chosen girls.

Things on the second floor weren't very different. The rooms were slightly larger, they saw the girls from the two classes just ahead of them a little more often-and they were one year closer to their own day of Sacrifice.

XXXXXXXXXX

EVERY year had a different emphasis. The eleven year olds spent a lot of time on proper behavior. Their Teachers kept putting them into situations where they wanted to get angry, or annoyed, or frustrated, teaching them to control those emotions and react instead with patience, calm, and a gentle smile.

They also spent a lot of time learning what things young ladies simply DID NOT talk about-with one exception.

About halfway through the year, the girls had a rare guest speaker in the classroom.

Lady Ann talked to them about puberty-about the changes in their shapes, about body hair and monthly bleeding, about breasts and pimples, hormones and mood swings, new urges and desires, and all those other things that any other time were off-limits topics.

She stayed at the School for two weeks after that initial lecture, meeting with each girl privately, answering questions and calming anxieties. A year later, when Orchid had her first period, she remembered Lady Ann and her lessons with gratitude, and dealt with the things that happened to her calmly.

And one night, close to the end of the year, Orchid learned she wasn't just Chosen-she was chosen by one of the gods as well.

Lady Clara had talked one day about why she became a Teacher. She told them how Newlan himself had come to her, filling her soul with his warmth and love and telling her 'you are mine.'

Every Teacher she knew had had a similar experience. They knew this was their path because the god himself had told them so.

Still, nothing could have prepared Orchid for the night Darella came to her. The god of Love filled her mind and heart with his presence. She felt so warm, so safe, so loved and protected as he held her in his arms and whispered those words.

'Child, you are mine.'

The happiness she felt the next few days was noticeable. Her Sisters asked why she was in such a good mood, but she didn't say anything. Her visit from the god seemed like something she should keep private.

She prayed to him every night, but got no revelation as to whether or not she should tell people. In the end, she decided to go with her instincts and keep it to herself.

Still, Lady Clara knew. She took Orchid aside one day. Smiling, she put her hands on the girl's shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"Darella?" she asked simply, and Orchid nodded, smiling with pure pleasure.

"That's wonderful, sweetheart," her Teacher told her. "You are marked for great things!"

XXXXXXXXXX

When they moved into the twelve year old's wing, they found there were only ten rooms instead of twenty. To teach them to get along with people, cooperate, and promote closeness, they changed roommates every two weeks.

Switching rooms wasn't hard. The girls had very few possessions-really just their clothes, toiletries, and school books. Everything else was communal.

It was kind of fun, Orchid discovered. She liked spending time with different Sisters, listening to their thoughts on the day's events.

The emphasis for the twelve year old girls was religion and history. Teachers had found that for the first two years at the School, most girls accepted everything they were taught. It was at age twelve that they started asking questions, and (occasionally) rebelling.

It was the absolute bedrock of Mulvadoran society that to be Chosen for Sacrifice was the highest honor any girl could be given. There was no concern that any of the girls would try to run away, or balk, or try to get out of it.

The real problem was that at age twelve, it was common for girls to start questioning their classes and training. "Why do I have to learn all this stuff and do all this hard work when I'm just going to be sacrificed anyway?"

So the girls learned history-how difficult life in Mulvadora was before the coming of Ardell and the other gods, and how idyllic it had been sense.

The Teachers spoke at length about their personal relationships with Newlan and the other gods, and the lesser Priest spoke of how their bond with Tottle had brought them to the School.

One day, even the School's cooks, janitors, maintenance people, and cleaning ladies came into the classroom, telling the girls that they too had been called by Tottle to help with the training of the Chosen.

And after all that, they went to Ardell's temple to view one of the holiest items in the entire city.

The High Priest himself led the girls deep into the great temple, to a small chamber hidden behind several locked doors.

There, in a glass case, was a manuscript.

"In the first year after the coming of Ardell (Chulda), a young man named Mong went into a trance. He sat down at his desk and put pen to paper. For an entire day and night, he wrote and wrote."

The Priest gestured to the pages, which seemed to glow inside their case.

"This was the result. Mong could not read what he had written. No one could. But the lad knew the words he had written had been sent to him by Ardell himself (Chulda).

"So he took the pages to this very temple, and gave them to the first High Priest, the great Axton. And the Priest could read the words."

He paused and looked at the girls, staring in awe at the manuscript.

"To this day, only the High Priest can read what is written here. It is the instructions for the Sacrifice. How to choose, what to do on that holy day-and what qualities the girls-you girls-should embody when they are given to the gods."

"Everything we teach you-everything we ask you to learn and to be-comes directly from the divine words of the great god himself."

He let the girls look at the ancient document for a long time, allowing them to soak in the significance of his words.

XXXXXXXXXX

All of the girls, at one point or another, found themselves in a little bit of trouble-standing in the corner of the classroom, or for more serious transgressions, fidgeting nervously in Lord Sullivan's office as he explained, coldly and patiently, what the girl had done, why it wasn't allowed, and worst of all, why they were so disappointed with her.

In her time at the School, Orchid only got in serious trouble twice.

When she was fourteen, she had to endure a very difficult class in poise. Lady Clara had her stand in front of the room and give a speech, while two of the other girls took turns dripping icy cold water down her back.

The whole point was to focus on what she was doing and not react to distractions, but Orchid kept shivering, squeaking with discomfort, or losing her train of thought.

By itself, that wasn't enough to make her feel anything but determined to do better. If she had been sharing a room with anyone but Midnight, the whole thing would have been forgotten.

Except Midnight wouldn't let her forget. She loved her Sister, like she loved all her Sisters, but the girl was a chatterbox, and just would not shut up about it.

And when Orchid finally complained, Midnight got offended and accused her of having no sense of humor.

And then they were both angry, and yelling, and the next thing you knew pushing and shoving and slapping at each other-until the door flew open and a very angry Priest grabbed them both by the scruff of the neck and hauled them before Lord Sullivan.

Their Teacher subdued both angry girls with his dark stare, then patiently drew the story from them. By the time they were finished, both girls were crying and apologizing and swearing to each other that they would always be friends.

Still, such an event could not go unpunished. If you were to list behaviors that were absolutely unacceptable for young ladies, fighting would be at the top of the list.

And so they were stretched.

Lord Sullivan led the two trembling girls down into the basement, and into a very small room-barely larger than a closet.

He put his arms around Orchid's waist and flipped her upside-down, lifting her effortlessly. Holding her with one arm, he locked her ankles into padded cuffs hanging from the ceiling, leaving her suspended and swaying, blood rushing to her head and pounding in her temples.

Next, he hung Midnight up in the same manner. The girls faced each other, their scared faces barely a foot apart as they swayed gently.

The cuffs that went around the girl's forearms were huge, reaching almost to their elbows, and also thickly padded. A long chain hung from each pair of handcuffs.

Finally, the Teacher threaded each chain through a small hoop embedded in the floor, pulling the girl's bodies taut-and then pulled a little more-and a little more-stretching the girls an inch at a time, until their eyes began to water and the groaned in pain.

With that, he secured the chain in place and crouched to address the whimpering girls.

"The important thing here," he said earnestly, "is not to focus on the pain, but rather why you're feeling the pain. Their is an important lesson here. Learn it."

He left them for half an hour, barely able to see each other in the dimly lit room, their tears flowing down their foreheads and into their hair.

"I'm sorry Sister," Midnight whispered, her voice breaking.

"So am I," Orchid answered. "I lost my temper and got you in trouble."

"No, it was my fault. I pushed you when I should have hushed."

When Lord Sullivan returned, both hanging girls gasped with relief, glad their punishment was finally over-but they were mistaken.

Instead, he stretched them both a little further, ignoring their cries and pleas for mercy.

"Learn," he said simply, and left them again.

"Gods it hurtssss!" Midnight whined.

Orchid tried to fight off her sobs and remember what their Teacher had told them. Crying quietly, their joints stretched to their limits, the girls endured another half hour before Lord Sullivan returned again, this time accompanied by two Priests.

He loosened the chains, and the Priests got the girls down. They let the girls lay on the floor, shuddering, for quiet a long time.