Erika knew she was in trouble when the Duke was overthrown. In the back of her mind she’d always known he was her father, but that wasn’t the point. The point was her mother, Tessa was his favorite prostitute, and as such, they were protected as long as they stayed in the duchy. That is, as long as he was in charge of the duchy.
Now he’d been killed and a warlord was storming through the land, murdering, pillaging, and burning everything in sight. There was little doubt where he was heading. Her mother figured it out and sent Erika to the Temple, the protect Erika and as a final safeguard to the Temple.
Erika had gone there often with her mother to learn the Arts of Juno, magic. While Tessa was a master, Erika was still learning. She doubted her limited ability could protect her long if the Warlord’s arrived, so she pleaded to the lost gods of the Temple and hugged her knees tight. She was scared out of her mind, frightened of the warlord’s men, and what they might do.
“Please, please, protect me.” She whispered as she looked up at the walls of the Temple, images long since lost.
Clink! The sound made Erika’s heart stop as she turned. The source had caught the light as it fell. After waiting a moment and no one came bursting in, she reached for the small object, noting an indent in the wall from where it must have fallen. It was round, Erika realized as she began to rub off the dirt. Soon she found herself holding a medallion, one side made of black pearl and the other of white. Engraved on it was a two faced god she couldn’t identify, but stared at for a long while. Where had it come from? Looters had taken everything of value from the Temple long ago. How had they missed something as precious as this?
A call from the other side of the Temple pulled Erika from her thoughts.
“Erika? Erika, darling, are you in here?” The source was her Aunt Ella, the sister of her mother. Erika slowly peeked out from behind the statue of Juno where she hid, for her mother had told her never to trust anyone in such circumstances. As it turned out, Tessa’s instincts were on the dot. Ella was there, but she’d led the Warlord’s men straight to the temple!
Fury welled up inside Erika as she gripped the medallion, glaring at the traitor. How could she? Their family had been protecting the Temple since before many names were forgotten. Their sacred duty was to keep it safe from outsiders who might defile the Holy Grounds.
“You said she’d be in here.”
That was the first Erika saw of the Warlord Exal as he approached Ella. She had to stop from gasping, for he was dragging in Tessa. She was glaring at her sister, and even spat at her. Exal wore light armor, clearly boosted by a magic amulet that resided on the chest plate, the only thing that could have protected him from Tessa’s magic.
“She’s here, I’m sure!” Ella cried out.
“You will suffer in Tartarus for this betrayal!” Tessa hissed.
“Don’t you see Tess? If we just give them Erika…”
“You want to give them my daughter, your niece, for our lives!”
“For the good of the many, sister!”
“You are no sister of mine!”
“Enough of your bickering!”
Exal interrupted them by grabbing Ella by her hair and dragging her further into the Temple, its hall lit by torches that lined the walls every few feet.
“Girl!” He barked as Erika’s aunt screamed, “Before his passing, your father promised you to me!”
“No!” Tessa hissed as Ella continued to sob. Erika paled and Exal smirked and laughed, tossing his head back.
“
It’s very true, like it or not! So come out girl, so I might make you a woman, and they will be spared!”
Erika glared at him from her hiding spot as she tried to conjure a plan. As long as he wore the amulet, her powers were useless. She didn’t have a moment to think on it though, for Ella suddenly went silent. When her body fell, Exal was cleaning her blood from his sword.
“You can still save one, girl!” He shouted. “Offer yourself now, your mother may live!”
“No, Erika!” Tessa cried out, “Stay away, stay hidden! Do not surrender!”
“Shut your mouth, whore!”
It was the last straw when Exal slapped her mother. Erika stood, still clutching the medallion in a steel grip as she stepped forward.
“Better an honest whore,” She hissed, “Then a warlord who needs cheap tricks to conquer three women.”
“Why you little…”
“Erika, run!”
Exal stormed forward and knocked Erika back when he stuck her. She cried out, hearing an almost sickening crack as her head hit the base of the statue and the medallion fell beside her, white side up. His men were laughing in the distance, and Erika could hear Tessa screaming. Yet, even as she watched her blood drip down onto the medallion from the stone, she was unafraid. Even as Exal approached, and her sight went dark, she knew it would all work out...
Exal on the other hand was rather unnerved when he saw the Medallion beside the nearly dead girl spinning. He would have let it be, but then her body began to hover above the ground. His men gasped, beginning to mutter witchcraft, as he watched in shock. The girl’s unusual silver hair was darkening, becoming black, and her pale skin was tanning before his eyes.
The feminine figure slowly rotated, landing on her feet as the medallion flew up toward her. It was then her red eyes shot open and she caught it, and it seemed to vanish into her hand. The black haired girl turned to Exal with a smirk and for a moment he was unafraid, calm and sure he could wind.
In that moment, she was behind him, had her hands on either side of his head, and snapped his neck. The soldiers in the Temple began to scream and scatter, only causing her to laugh and toss her head back.
“Go ahead and run,” She shouted and pulled the sword from the dead Warlord’s body. “It only makes things more fun!
As the last soldier fell in a puddle of blood, Tessa finally found her ability to address the dark haired girl.
“E-Erika?” She stammered, staring at the body that had been her daughter’s. She laughed softly in replied before facing Tessa.
“You have nothing to fear of me, Lady Protector of this Temple. I am a servant of your Gods, whom your daughter beseeched in time of need.”
“Is Erika…?”
“No, she is quite alive.” She laughed again. “I was unleashed inside her when her innocent blood was spilt on the Medallion of Janus.”
“Who are you?” Tessa finally asked.
“Me?” The woman paused before answering. “I’m Enigma.”
Before another word could be said she collapsed n a heap, the sword falling beside her. Tessa scrambled up and caught the girl as the darkness faded from her hair and her skin once again paled. She groaned softly, blue eyes blinking up at her.
“Mother…?”
“Oh, my sweet child…” Tessa hugged her tightly and close. Erika blinked and returned the hug for a long moment before gasping.
“Mother?”
“What is it?” Tessa asked, releasing her, alarmed.
“…What happened to all the soldiers?” Erika exclaimed as she looked around the Temple, now covered in blood.
“You don’t know?” Tessa stammered, staring at her daughter’s hands, still soaked in that same blood.
“The last thing I remember is getting hit. Then it’s all black.”
Enigma. Tessa thought it over and hugged her daughter tightly once more.
“I suppose it’s a mystery.” She replied as they stood up. “Come on now. We’re the Guardians of this Temple, and we have quite the mess to clean up.”
“Right…” Erika’s blue eyes became distant for a moment as she followed her mother. “An Enigma…”
