Such a Beautiful Name

OOC - I didn't want to tag anyone in this other than myself as I don't want to get it wrong again after Pliskin's rant. :(

***

It hadn't taken long.

In fact, it had was as long as the priests had taken to move across the open sandy ground to the room where the Dwarfers were.

Accosted with the sight of the muddy, wet, bedraggled Dwarfers the Priests let out a small startled noise. Perhaps they were expecting some errant slaves waiting to be sent back to work. The first barred the doorway with his staff, the second got out a small highly detailed knife. He lifted the sleeve of his robe and Jade gasped at the criss-crossed scarring along the man's arms, deep gouges of flesh had been extracted, old and new marks marred the forearm. He pressed the blade to his arm in preparation.

~Who are you~

Jade heard the voice in her mind. Like an echo of a thought that wasn't her own. She looked around confused, the others seemed to be having similar reactions.

~Strike them down Brother~

~We think as one Brother~

It was evident that the Priests here were telepathic. Who knew what other powers they had? That was pretty much all Jade had time to think before she cried out in surprise. Her Docotorly instincts kicking in she lunged forwards towards the second priest as he sunk the knife deep into his arm. Blood began to ooze out and he made an elaborate complicated gesture, twisting his hands in a way that would make a contortionist wince.

She reached the first priest, who knocked her back effortlessly with his staff, a small jolt of power coming from the hardened shaft of wood. The knock shoved her on her back, her head hitting the soft sand with an unpleasant bump that left her with a headache already. As she looked back at her fellow Dwarfers, she could see that they were all sinking down onto the sand, falling into a deep sleep.

She reached out for someone, anyone, as the sleep began to take her too. She wasn't sure who she had touched, but there was still a pulse.

It all went black.

***

She awoke in a small tent. It was cool, airy and not at all like the oppressive heat from the small portal room they entered from. The tent ceiling was dotted with small glowing blue orbs. Slowly she sat up, her arm hurt. Looking down she saw that someone, from her expert perspective at least, had inserted a needle into her arm. It was secured by a small force band and looked like a drain or medical tap of some kind. She swallowed, wondering what trouble they were in now.

"Please Ma'am, is there anything you need?" A small voice, female, quiet, scared.

"Ah... Me?" Jade asked, slowly sitting up. Her head throbbed. "I have a headache."

"Oh! Is it too warm? Have a drink." She handed Jade a tall container that looked like it was made out of sand. Inside was ice water. Jade sipped at it, her head still ached, it was from the contact with the floor. The woman bustled about, looking for something.

"Who are you?... What are you doing?" The bemused doctor asked the small woman. She couldn't be any older than about 25, long dark hair pulled up into a braid. She turned to look at Jade.

"My name is Kepi. I am here to serve you. Currently I am checking the cooling stones." Jade watched as Kepi unwound a length of cloth that had been hanging by, what Jade assumed, the door. The woman turned her dark eyes, rimmed with Kohl to Jade. "Is that OK Ma'am?"

"Ah... I guess?" Jade said, bemused by the whole affair.

Kepi flicked the cloth, it instantly went rigid, forming a staff like the priests used, except with a cup on the end. She deftly used it to scoop each blue orb down and check it. Each one apparently in full working order.

"They heat up in the day, absorbing the heat and letting it out in the cold nights. The priests gift us with their magic devices, as decreed by the Emperor and in turn we work for them. You are special."

"What about my companions? Where are they? We were knocked out." Jade flustered, she was suffering a mild concussion, confused and delayed in her thinking.

"They are also safe. Treated as you. Your each and every whim will be granted." Kepi smiled and flicked the staff again, an expert movement that was practised with time.

"What's the catch?" Jade asked.

"All the priests ask is that you guide us to your unending water." Kepi poured from a similar sand-jug container into the sand-cup.

"Unending water?" Jade queried.

"You arrived wet. Muddy. We have to dig deep wells, miles into the earth just for what we survive on. To be wet as you all were is magic they want. You can teach them to use your magic and get to the planes of unending water."

"Planes of unending water?" She was lost now. They had come from a Roo outpost. A Swamp, what did these people want?

"Yes. Your homelands. You are Gods right?" Kepi asked, quite honestly, serious in her question "I can't believe that I am the personal servant to you. Oh Ma'am. It is my greatest honour."

"Please, just call me Jade. It's OK."

"Jade! Oh how majestic a name! Like the precious rock, you must be highly prised as a divine to be blessed with such a beautiful name" Kepi continued to beam at Jade, hanging on here every word.

"Can I see the others?" Jade asked, standing, meaning to go and look anyway.

"Oh as you wish. I will take you now. They are all as you are. Divine beings, all are being taken care of as best as we can provide." Kepi moved to the door and began to manipulate a stony looking pad by the door. She hummed a few notes, pitch perfect the door unlocked.

"Can I take this out?" Jade indicated the needle.

"Oh no Miss Jade. How will the priests extract your magic without the divine fluids? They need that to have ready access to it." The young woman moved the flap aside so Jade could follow her out.

Jade understood now why she was quite as dizzy and head achy as she was. They had drained some of her blood. For what purpose she didn't know.

Maybe someone else had a better idea than her as to what was going on.

"Please, take me to see my friends."

<Tag!>