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“[i]I am working on it Emery. Being told you’re about to die doesn’t sit well with humans.[/i]” Margaret hissed to Emery in her head before she walked into the room to grab her daughter’s wrist tightly. “Ella come now.” She said sternly to her daughter as she started to pull Ella to her feet.

“No! Emery can go to fucking hell! I am not going to die!” Ella screamed at her mother before her foot came up to kick her mother in the gut making her mother stumble back into the wall holding herself as she winced in pain. Ella who had been pulled half way up then feel back down on the large pillow. Rolling over she started to get up.

 Margaret looked over to the man in the room. “Grab her quickly before she gets away! Unless you want the whole island to [i]burn.[/i]” She said as Ella stood making her way to the door of the confession room. The man got up and made his way across the room and caught her just as she made it to the door. She gasped as she was pulled back in.

“Let me go!” She screamed as she struggled in the man’s overly strong grip. Her foot then came up to hit him in the shin but that didn’t help her at all. 

“Ivan!” Margaret called, Ella’s eyes going wide as she stilled. She had no idea Ivan was even up here. He hated coming up here. Her brother walked into the room with dead eyes before a flicker a surprise came into his eyes as he looked at his sister. 

“Please don’t listen to mom! The-The dragon just picked me for his sacrifice!” Ella yelled at her brother as her mother took a hold of her making her struggle all the more. 

“Wh-what?!” Ivan roared looking to his mother in horror. 

“Ivan get over her and help me remove her and get her ready for tonight.” Margaret same firmly.

“But mom!”

“Ivan!” his lips pressed into a firm line before her looked at his sister sadly but came up behind her and pressed two fingers hard on her neck making her gasped in pain before her knees gave out and she black out.

Looking up to his mother as he took his sister from his mother and the man, the head piece hitting the floor and rolling away. “This isn’t right.” Ivan said angrily at his mother. 

“We have no choice Ivan. It’s part of the deal the very first priestess made with the dragon.” Margaret said to her son. “I know you don’t care for all of this and with age you’ll come to understand. But for now you must listen to me as your mother and your high priestess.” She said to Ivan before waving to the door and having him carry Ella out into the open. Ella lay in her brother’s arms much like a bride being carried. Margaret had picked up the head piece and placed it back on her head before walking outside to the people lined up for confession.

Her hands clutched in front of her body a she stood up tall. “Sadly there will be no more confessions today. I welcome you to come to the rest of the festival that shall be ran by myself.” Margaret paused for just a second her body tense. “For the dragon has requested High Priestess Ella as his only human sacrifice.” The people were quiet for a moment as the information they had just been given sunk in. After that long moment of quiet a mix of horror and fear roared through the crowd before finally falling to anger. “Enough!” Margaret boomed over them the people falling quiet. “I know this does not seem fair, but the dragon has been protecting our island for a long time and asks for little in return. I promise this shall not happen again and I wish for you to all behave yourself unless you want your homes inflamed.” She said and the crowd in a mixture of uneasy fear over taking the people. Margaret new this would be hard on the people for the next few years, but with time they would forgive and forget. Then in 500 years that priestess would have to deal with the same emotions that she was currently dealing with. Glancing to Ivan she said with no emotion. “Get Lailaa to help get her ready.” Margaret said softly before glancing back at the crowd before her. “[i]I hope you’re happy our saviour.[/i]”

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Groaning softly Ella’s eyes fluttered open, she was laying on her bed. She went to move her hands to rub her face but felt the heaviness of chains wrapped around her wrists. Sitting up the rattle of the metal and the touch on her wrists and ankles could be heard. Following the chain links, she realized she was chain to her own bed. Her eyes went wide with panic before she started to pull, knowing no one trusted her not to freak out again. “Ella please stop! You’ve hurt yourself enough.” Came the voice of Ella’s younger sister Lailaa. Ella stopped to glance over and see her sister rushing over to place her hand on Ella’s cheek. She could see that Lailaa had been crying, Ella glanced away in shame from her sister. It was quiet between the two of them for a long time. “I’m sorry.” Lailaa finally whispered. A tear rolled from Ella’s cheek. 

“Me too.” She said and that was the last word that came from Ella’s lips as she pulled away from Lailaa and rolled over on to her side facing away from her younger sister. Looking at her wrists she could see that she had already been changed into the long white sacrificial gown. Her hair had been brushed and her make-up retouched. She closed her eyes and cried softly to herself until it was time for the final ceremony to begin. 
Four men came in as her mother came in and unlocked the chains that were connected to the bedposts, before each man took hold of her chains. There was one on each foot and one on each wrist. Sitting up her mother looked over her one last time without a word before walking from the room. Ella then stood herself and was guided from her room that was within the Temple itself. She moved from the side rooms and into the Temple room where her mother started to speak to the people. “Welcome, I’m glad that you could all make it. I know that many of you have mixed feelings about what is happening tonight but I reassure you that this is for the good of all of us. Tomorrow I shall be holding confessions for the whole day for those of you who wish to question and speak with me. Do not fear the idea of experessing your true emotions, the dragon understands them and welcomes your thoughts for all he wishes for is our loyalty and devotion.” She said standing in front of everyone, as Lailaa stood in the background her head hanging low. Margaret glanced back at her daughter before finally starting the offering.

After two long hours the offering finally came to an end. Margaret bow low to the people before standing up and letting her hands clasp together in front of her body. Starting forward between the pathway between the large group of people, Ella felt her chains tug slightly on her wrists before she finally let her head rise. She took in a deep breath and started to walk forward, all she could hear was the rattling of the chains that held her. She walked through the large crowd that had shown up for the night with head her head up high. She did not let her pain show, she didn’t want everyone to see the fear and hurt she was feeling. It was already lingering in the air around her. Any bad reaction from herself more then she already had would result in a roit. However, as much as she tried not to see the people or hear them as the men walked her through the crowd, their soft prayers being made could be heard. She took in a deep shaky breath as her eyes close trying to hide how her eyes water a little. She let out a slow breath through her slightly parted lips as her hands which had been held in front of her fingers laced tightened. Letting her eyes flutter back open the group paused as she looked up at the large staircase leading up to the alter. The sides of the marble staircase had fire light lighting the railings. Her sister came up to her and hugged her crying softly before bowing before Ella. Next came Ivan, as he did the same as Lailaa before the two left, slipping back into the crowd that watched. Now only the four strong men to control her and her mother walking up the staircase to the alter. Two men were in front of her, she behind them, another two behind her followed by her mother. 

When they came to the top of the stairs, there was a large open space outside. A large golden shrine in the middle with designs of dragons flying in the sky engraved all along it, the top flat like a table. Along the edges of the area were trees and flowers, a marble tiled floor leading as a path to the alter. Behind the alter was a wall of the mountain. It was a symbol of their connection to the dragon. The alter being a direct link with the home of the dragon. Looking at it she couldn’t help but let her silent tears roll down her pale cheeks. She used to think this place as so beautiful and now, all she could see was her blood staining the gold and white colours in the flicker of the fire light. The men then walked her around to the alter having her turn around to face the staircase, looking down on the temple and the town. The alter light up well just like the rest of the temple, in the light of fire. The chains on her hands were then connected to hooks on the floor by the alter, her feet being unchained before the men left. Her mother stood before her, still not having let a single emotion show. Margaret looked at Ella for a long time without saying anything and Ella could only return the cold look to her mother.

“I wish it didn’t have to be this way. I love you my daughter.” Margaret whispered the pain finally showing in her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks for the first time. Ella looked away from her mother her hands sitting on her lap as she sat on the edge of the alter, her feet dangling as they were unable to touch the ground. Margaret held the key in her hand to Ella’s chains. “I’ll miss you dearly.” Her mother finally said before walking around to behind Ella before placing the key on the hook left in the wall of the mountain behind Ella where she could not reach it. Her mother then walked out in front of Ella her head bent down her hands clutching together in front of her. “In thanks to our mighty saviour the dragon of the land, the master of our island, I give you Ella Zahn your priestess as your human sacrifice.” She said before bowing her head down low almost touching the floor with her nose. Her hands came out beside her as she shook them bells in her hands making the alter space echo with their soft sound before Margaret sung softly. It was a lovely song and her mother had a wonderful voice, but Ella could only close her eyes from showing her mother how much she wanted to cry. 

As the song came near its end Margaret had danced her way back to in front of Ella before bowing to her daughter. “And thanks for your sacrifice.” Margaret said before the bells were set to the side, well she lit the incenses and waved them around Ella making her smell of the wonderful smell of flowers and herbs. Placing two more in the holes on either end of the alter, Margaret touched the forehead of her daughter with her thumb. Humming in the ancient tongue of their people ,she slowly started dragging her thumb down Ella’s forehead to the bridge of her nose and over her lips before leaning forward and kissing Ella’s forehead. With that the ritual was finally finished and Margaret turned without another look or word to her daughter and made her way down the staircase. 

Once her mother was gone Ella let her head fall down as she started to sob softly to herself, her hands coming up to her face to hide her tears. “Why, why, why! What did I do wrong to deserve this.” She said whispering the last part to herself. The whole day she had blocked Emery from her mind so he could not talk to her. That would be all he got from her after his betrayal to all she’s done for him. This was no honor as it should be, this was betrayal. She had no life and now this lack of a true life was going to end before it really started. She was raised in this temple and she was going to die in this temple. She would never find love, she would never have her own family, she’d never get to teach her child the ways of the priestess. She never got to be the better mother then her own mother. She never got to really meet the people and she never really got to see the land she was pretty much ruling.
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