[member="Galina Kerrigan-Alcori"]
Tempest sighed as her charge stomped off. She knew that teenagers, stereotype ones at least, behaved like this. She couldn’t remember going through a phase like that, probably because she’d ended up getting the tar beaten out of her if she tried. Still, she let Galina have her space, she’d go looking for her if she wasn’t back in ten minutes.
Meanwhile though a figure approached Galina, pushing back its hood when it was close to reveal…Chesna.
The probable demi-goddess looked gravely at Galina, then dropped down beside her.
“Having fun, I see?” she asked, then held up a hand. “I’m not here to interfere. Rather, I’m here to give you some advice. Whether you take it…that’s your choice. My first thing is, don’t be too hard on Tempest. She deals with things differently to you, lacks the patience of other teachers. I reckon this is as much of a test for her as it is for you.”
“More important than that though, I heard your words before, and I understand what it means. Out of everyone in that villa, possibly on Kaeshana, I’ve had to face the choice you are now. What if I did something wrong? What if my choice hurt rather than helped? You probably don’t think much of me, I’m just one of those ladies your mothers have around, just part of the furniture.”
“Well, let me tell you a secret, Galina. That is by choice. I know exactly how powerful I could be, and have spent twenty thousand years hiding it. Yes, that long. See, you know Eyrecae…I am like her, in some ways at least. Whilst she has enormous strength and the mentality of a charging ronto, my powers are more subtle.”
Chesna made a gesture, and the landscape around them shifted and turned, becoming not a forested idyll, but a city of white stone and temples of gold and silver. It could be vaguely recognised as Santaissa, but ancient and without the modern touches that made it so different and modern.
At the top of the largest temple were two women. One looked a lot like Chesna, the other was golden haired, taller, magnificent.
The vision faded.
“The creators had left us, and it was for myself and my ‘mother’, Ashira to hold society together. We were the paragons of rulership and diplomacy, we could do so, right? Wrong. I had long learned of my powers, trained myself to use them, knew what I could do. I was a different woman then, ambitious, confident, arrogant. I believed I deserved rulership more than Ashira. I used my power to overthrow her, to destroy her and to seize control. War followed, and ended with our lands shattered, our people scattered, and I finally understood what I had done. I have spent so many thousands of years atoning for it.”
“Do not make my mistake, Galina. Use your power wisely, use it for good. You will know the right moment…but do not let fear or doubt cloud your judgement. You have a pure heart still, it’s not too late to learn right. Learn the ways of the Sciia and then choose, like me, to hide it…but never forget it in your soul. Become a woman in control of yourself, learn to use your power so you can choose to never use it again.”
