As soon as the landing craft had touch down Carmilla left the ship. A rifle and a backpack slung over her shoulder. She was still wearing the stained and worn clothes she had worn when she had been present at the awakening at the cloning station of her Mistress.
She had made her presence known and was glad that she hadn't had to board the station under arms as she had thought, but it was obvious, Mizhara didn't want her there. It had taken a while to see that Ithiria was infact back to her normal self, and again she had managed to irritate Miz. But the main fact, Ithiria was herself, and had a few changes to make, was all she needed to know. As soon as they had conducted their business, and then spent precious little time together she left for the digsite.
Several weeks before they had started putting down the foundations for the colony, with plans to exploit the planet and begin exporting it's resources. What they had not expected were the ruins. All the building was stopped and a team was brought into explore and map, lead by Carmilla who after all, had the training. What she found blew her mind.
The ruins were of a temple. A temple of extreme age. And unlike anything she had ever seen before. Temples of the Amarr she had seen, great and ornate. But this one, though large seemed to be simple. None of the walls were engraved or etched or imprinted, and no trace of colour could be found. Only the most simple carvings on the exterior of what they assumed was the entrance.
It was more by luck than design that they found the rest of the temple, out beyond what they had created as their landing platform. A mile away from the pad several geologists had noticed something strange about the way one of the hills looked and began to investigate. To their excitement they realised the whole side of the hill was actually created by a landslide from the mountain beyond, hundreds, perhaps thousands of years ago. They began to excavate, and it was to this site that Carmilla was shown when she docked.
Although it has recieved some damage from the rockfall, the great statue carved into the wall radiated a serenity that was almost palpable. The statue was of a large man sitting in a lotus position, an outstretched hand and a smile that transcended the ages. For what seemed like an eternity Carmilla stood and stared.
"There are structures beneath the statue, we're only just getting to them, but they seem to be in remarkable condition as they were covered by the rockfall."
"Have you dated it yet?"
"We have..... but we're unsure. It's about four thousand years old."
"That's old.... take me to the dig site. What of the primary site?"
"We've found some scrolls which we've managed to preserve, but we cant' translate them. We've found numerous small tokens which look like the statue, but nothing of any technological nature."
They walked to the statue and Carmilla looked up at it. It was huge and old, carved straight into the side of the hill. Traces of carvings on the walls looked faded and damaged. At the very base they had opened up an undamaged area of one building and found several large cylinders which were on primitive rollers. The walls were bare again, but this time found several paintings on the walls, faded with time but still visible.
"I've seen these things before, these wheels. In one of the Sani Sabik books on older religions. These are prayer wheels I think."
"Why do they need wheels?"
She ran her hand over the exterior.
"Here, feel, there are carvings underneath, faint, worn down."
"They are... and these are moving. After all this time."
"Take images of them, I want the carvings catalogued and collated. All the writings, images, pictures, anything. I want them as soon as you can. And call Ithiria..... I think she needs to see this...."
It was a week before Ithiria Deritan managed to make it to the site though. Pressing matters and a hectic personal life had consipired to keep her away not only from her wife, but also several of those close to her. But they had found her and impressed upon her the need to come. And, for Carmilla, she had come.
When she had landed the area around the statue had been covered with a powerful chamelon field and deflector shield, obscuring it from casual viewers. There were armed troops all around, all from Carmilla's estate from the look of the sigils. She was ushered into the main chamber where she found her wife and slave.
"Carmilla, what is this place you have found?"
"Aaah, Ithi, I'm so glad you could come. I think I've found the questions I was looking for."
She smiled and took her wife into her arms and kissed her, then wiped the dust from her brow, sweeping her hair back.
"I didn't know you were looking for any questions."
"This is a temple to an old god, a very ancient god. We've managed to decipher some of the scrolls and prayers we've found. It all makes sense... the four noble truths and the eightfold path. This is everything I've been looking for. I just have to understand it.. and follow them. There is a lot of talk of suffering. It's nature, how to stop it, how to pass it.... the paths needed to reach past it. Then there is more, paths to wisdom, concentration, and ethical conduct. It is the key needed to the greatest mystery of all, which we've lost."
She turned and looked at Ithiria and stopped.
"I'm sorry... maybe if you look at the statue..."
They both stood and looked at the statue. As were a good number of those who were nearby. They had restored it, cleaned it and tidied away the rubble. It sat there, quite content radiating serenity.
"This is what I'm after. This is the key to perfect peace. To a state of mind that is free from craving, anger and hate."
She turned to Ithiria and looked at her, seeing in her eyes the same look that was on hers when she first saw the statue.
"Since I've been here I've not sacrificed once, or offered up any prayers to the Red God, or even thought much about it. It pales into insignificance next to this."
Ithiria looked at Carmilla and wondered what had happened to her, what had changed her so much. It was almost as if this wasn't Carm at all.
"Carmilla, leave your people to look after it, come with me."
"No, I must finish my work....."
"Get on board the shuttle now, and pray I do not loose my temper."
Something in her voice got through to Carm and she turned around and looked at her.
"Right now?"
She nodded, and pointed."Don't ask. Just obey. Now!"
Carmilla nodded and obeyed, she had heard the tone before, knew what would happen if she disobeyed her. That wouldn't happen, not again. She sat next to her wife, holding her hand and rested her head on her shoulder and was asleep before the shuttle entered orbit.
She had made her presence known and was glad that she hadn't had to board the station under arms as she had thought, but it was obvious, Mizhara didn't want her there. It had taken a while to see that Ithiria was infact back to her normal self, and again she had managed to irritate Miz. But the main fact, Ithiria was herself, and had a few changes to make, was all she needed to know. As soon as they had conducted their business, and then spent precious little time together she left for the digsite.
Several weeks before they had started putting down the foundations for the colony, with plans to exploit the planet and begin exporting it's resources. What they had not expected were the ruins. All the building was stopped and a team was brought into explore and map, lead by Carmilla who after all, had the training. What she found blew her mind.
The ruins were of a temple. A temple of extreme age. And unlike anything she had ever seen before. Temples of the Amarr she had seen, great and ornate. But this one, though large seemed to be simple. None of the walls were engraved or etched or imprinted, and no trace of colour could be found. Only the most simple carvings on the exterior of what they assumed was the entrance.
It was more by luck than design that they found the rest of the temple, out beyond what they had created as their landing platform. A mile away from the pad several geologists had noticed something strange about the way one of the hills looked and began to investigate. To their excitement they realised the whole side of the hill was actually created by a landslide from the mountain beyond, hundreds, perhaps thousands of years ago. They began to excavate, and it was to this site that Carmilla was shown when she docked.
Although it has recieved some damage from the rockfall, the great statue carved into the wall radiated a serenity that was almost palpable. The statue was of a large man sitting in a lotus position, an outstretched hand and a smile that transcended the ages. For what seemed like an eternity Carmilla stood and stared.
"There are structures beneath the statue, we're only just getting to them, but they seem to be in remarkable condition as they were covered by the rockfall."
"Have you dated it yet?"
"We have..... but we're unsure. It's about four thousand years old."
"That's old.... take me to the dig site. What of the primary site?"
"We've found some scrolls which we've managed to preserve, but we cant' translate them. We've found numerous small tokens which look like the statue, but nothing of any technological nature."
They walked to the statue and Carmilla looked up at it. It was huge and old, carved straight into the side of the hill. Traces of carvings on the walls looked faded and damaged. At the very base they had opened up an undamaged area of one building and found several large cylinders which were on primitive rollers. The walls were bare again, but this time found several paintings on the walls, faded with time but still visible.
"I've seen these things before, these wheels. In one of the Sani Sabik books on older religions. These are prayer wheels I think."
"Why do they need wheels?"
She ran her hand over the exterior.
"Here, feel, there are carvings underneath, faint, worn down."
"They are... and these are moving. After all this time."
"Take images of them, I want the carvings catalogued and collated. All the writings, images, pictures, anything. I want them as soon as you can. And call Ithiria..... I think she needs to see this...."
It was a week before Ithiria Deritan managed to make it to the site though. Pressing matters and a hectic personal life had consipired to keep her away not only from her wife, but also several of those close to her. But they had found her and impressed upon her the need to come. And, for Carmilla, she had come.
When she had landed the area around the statue had been covered with a powerful chamelon field and deflector shield, obscuring it from casual viewers. There were armed troops all around, all from Carmilla's estate from the look of the sigils. She was ushered into the main chamber where she found her wife and slave.
"Carmilla, what is this place you have found?"
"Aaah, Ithi, I'm so glad you could come. I think I've found the questions I was looking for."
She smiled and took her wife into her arms and kissed her, then wiped the dust from her brow, sweeping her hair back.
"I didn't know you were looking for any questions."
"This is a temple to an old god, a very ancient god. We've managed to decipher some of the scrolls and prayers we've found. It all makes sense... the four noble truths and the eightfold path. This is everything I've been looking for. I just have to understand it.. and follow them. There is a lot of talk of suffering. It's nature, how to stop it, how to pass it.... the paths needed to reach past it. Then there is more, paths to wisdom, concentration, and ethical conduct. It is the key needed to the greatest mystery of all, which we've lost."
She turned and looked at Ithiria and stopped.
"I'm sorry... maybe if you look at the statue..."
They both stood and looked at the statue. As were a good number of those who were nearby. They had restored it, cleaned it and tidied away the rubble. It sat there, quite content radiating serenity.
"This is what I'm after. This is the key to perfect peace. To a state of mind that is free from craving, anger and hate."
She turned to Ithiria and looked at her, seeing in her eyes the same look that was on hers when she first saw the statue.
"Since I've been here I've not sacrificed once, or offered up any prayers to the Red God, or even thought much about it. It pales into insignificance next to this."
Ithiria looked at Carmilla and wondered what had happened to her, what had changed her so much. It was almost as if this wasn't Carm at all.
"Carmilla, leave your people to look after it, come with me."
"No, I must finish my work....."
"Get on board the shuttle now, and pray I do not loose my temper."
Something in her voice got through to Carm and she turned around and looked at her.
"Right now?"
She nodded, and pointed."Don't ask. Just obey. Now!"
Carmilla nodded and obeyed, she had heard the tone before, knew what would happen if she disobeyed her. That wouldn't happen, not again. She sat next to her wife, holding her hand and rested her head on her shoulder and was asleep before the shuttle entered orbit.
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