Dawn by Dan O'Brien

Author:Dan O'Brien [O'Brien, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-01-12T16:00:00+00:00

The Sollemne

The sun was beginning to set and the tall buildings of the Sollemne district cast shadows into one of the small rooms on the ninth floor of the Third Domus, one of the many edifices in the Sollemne that was built for the instruction of the children of Pa’ngarin. The instruction of the young maidens of the realm was as important as Ascension and every female citizen was expected to know the collected knowledge of Pa’ngarin and beyond.

Painted a blinding white with purple and gold trim along the ceiling and floor, the small room contained no seats and only one wide window on the western wall. On the bare floor, two dozen girls sat cross-legged and listened as a tall woman lectured eloquently about the histories of the realm.

The instructor was a Junior Minister of Education named Hera, of House Ios. Her inquisitive, brown eyes were tucked behind thin glasses that sat perfectly on her small noise. As she paced the room, her teal summer dress seemed to float, while her curly, auburn hair fell loosely to her shoulders.

“Who can tell me what the Rule of Eleven is?” she began, in a clearly feminine, high-pitched voice.

A young girl, no more than eight, raised her hand. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail and smudges of dirt and oil covered her light dress.

“Yes, Nephele?”

Nephele stood and cleared her throat. “The Rule of Eleven is what governs the acritudo and states that a wielder of the energies of the universe may undo the tethers of fate only eleven times before she is rendered mortal once more and stripped of her power.”

“Not only Ascendants, but also men,” corrected Hera.

Many of the smaller children made disgusted faces. They already feared, distrusted, and even hated men, sentiments inculcated in them from birth.

One of the older girls, nearly a woman, raised her hand.

“Yes, Nina?”

She was long-legged with slender calves and wide shoulders. With her strong build, she would make a splendid Curator, if she wished. Her black hair spilled over her bangs and obscured her gray eyes. “Is this why we fear men? Why they are collared?”

Nephele raised her hand again.

“Would you like to answer, Nephele?” queried Hera sweetly.

She nodded vigorously and Hera smiled, gesturing for the young girl to stand. Nina lowered her hand as Nephele began to speak. “Not all men can wield the acritudo, only those who have shadow blood. Since the men of Scythia have polluted their bloodlines, they can no longer feel the acritudo, which leaves the men of the North living in Pa’ngarin as the only ones who could wield the acritudo. Thus, we collar them at birth.”

Hera smiled widely and motioned for Nephele to sit. Turning back to Nina, the younger girl stuck out her tongue. The instructor continued. “What we must remember is that we collar our men because of love, not hatred as some would believe. When the blood mages of the Fatum ruled the realm, men would send legions of soldiers into other nations and exhaust the Rule of Eleven until entire cities were leveled.

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