THE LOST TRIBE OF QUEEN VASHTI

VISCOT

“You are bleeding, finally!” Vahitna embraced her daughter and called upon a servant to assist her in bathing the lovely Vashti who just turned twelve seven moons ago.

“Ina (mother), I’m scared.” Vashti was playing with friends when she felt weird around her stomach area. Thinking that she just needed to relieve herself, she screamed for her mother upon seeing the red warm liquid coming out of her.

“Oh, don’t be. You’re a woman now. We will celebrate as soon as the whole family knows about this,” Vahitna stripped her daughter naked and started bathing her.

“Does this mean I’m going to Viscot where ate (older sister) Halliya is living?” Vashti asked.

“Yes, but your ate Halliya is already betrothed to a nobleman from the tribe of Dessi. She might not be there when it’s your turn to go,” Vahitna explained. “Oh, don’t be sad,” Vahitna became teary-eyed upon seeing Vashti’s expression of sadness and confusion.

“I don’t want to go. Can’t I just stay here and be with you and Ama (father)?” Vashti begged.

“Oh, daughter, I want you to stay with me forever. If only I can, but you have to train in Viscot and learn more about our way of life, especially how to be a good wife. With your beauty, no commoner can afford your dowry, for sure. At best, a nobleman will take you home like your sisters before you. Be sure to give your husband strong children, you hear?” Vahitna caressed her daughter’s cheeks, assuring Vashti that everything’s for the best.

“How come my brothers don’t go to Viscot? If I go there, I will never be allowed back here, to see you and be with you,” Vashti protested continuously.

“Your brothers are needed here to ensure that our bloodlines and tribe thrives. They also go to Viscot…”

“Only to find their wives and live here with you. How come I can’t do that?” Vashti couldn’t hold her tears anymore.

“Because you will be someone else’s wife and live in the tribe where your husband belongs.” Vahitna explained patiently, wiping her daughter’s tears away.

“I will marry a man from our tribe then,” Vashti swore with determination. Vahitna laughed.

“Fine!” Vahitna said, knowing quite well that it will never be Vashti’s choice. Vahitna was from the tribe of Avryl, yet she was chosen by a nobleman from the tribe of Seth. She still misses her old life but she can barely remember what it’s like. Losing three daughters to other tribes and now her final one leaving very soon, the heartache of a mother never ceases. Having five sons who will stay with their tribe forever is a blessing indeed, but sometimes Vahitna wishes not to have daughters to send to Viscot.

“You know that it’s for the best,” Vahitna’s husband assured her. “This is our way of life as Vathala designed it to be.” With that, Vahitna has no choice but to submit to her husband and the will of their God, Vathala.

Viscot is a thriving city of wealth and beauty seated at the heart of Mt. Edem. A neutral territory, none of the twelve thrives can claim Viscot for their own. The sacred place has its own rules and protective powers. Surrounded by the twelve powerful tribes, the circumference of the city is impenetrable because each tribe assigned warriors with spiritual powers to protect the city known to be the womb of their world.

Days after coming to Viscot, Vashti had to admit that she didn’t miss her family that much. There’s a lot to learn and explore in Viscot that Vashti felt like a whole new world opened before her eyes.

The city has the most beautiful and humongous almost castle-like cottages she has ever seen. In her first year, she lived with the girls her age who all came from various tribes. She was happy to learn that some of her friends also came either before or after her arrival. Most of all, her mother sent for Rem to be with her. Rem took care of her since she was a baby, so it gave Vashti so much joy that Rem agreed to be her handmaiden.

“You’ve been here before, right Rem?” Vashti asked her handmaiden when they first arrived. “Yes,” Rem smiled sadly. She was a young virgin too, a long time ago. She was chosen by a commoner from the tribe of Seth who worked for Vashti’s father. When Rem’s husband became one with Vathala before giving her a child, she chose not to go back to Viscot. “I can’t bear the thought of loving another man other than my husband,” Rem said to Vashti’s mom as she made a request to take her in even as the family’s maid. It just so happened that Vahitna was pregnant with Vashti and in need of assistance. From then on, Rem became Vashti’s second mother.

Vashti already knows that there are ten houses in Viscot. The seven houses are for each year that the girls are staying in the sacred village. The seventh house is very important because it is known to be the proposal house. Unlike the first six houses, men are allowed to visit the seventh house where the young pure maidens are put on display for men from various tribes to choose for betrothal.

“Once your fiance takes you to his house, you must give him a child before the first year ends otherwise it will be a ground to break the engagement and you will be sent back here to live in the 8th house. The 8th house has a reputation of bad luck. Non-virgin rejects live there and it is close to impossible for men of higher stature to choose a wife already bedded by another man. The 9th house is for the dedicated vestals virgins who chose to serve Viscot as teachers, not wanting to have husbands. The 10th house is for the handmaidens, who will leave with their wards off to the tribe who will marry them,” Rem explained to Vashti.

“Well, can’t I just go back home instead of the 8th house?” Vashti asked.

“No. Your family will be disgraced when you return to them marked as a barren woman,” Rem explained.

“Oh, then I better learn how to give my husband a child then. Can you teach me how?” Vashti asked Rem innocently. Rem laughed and hugged her ward. “You teachers will teach you that so you better listen, you hear?”

Excited to learn how the babies are made, Vashti attended her class only to learn about the history of their world and where the twelve tribes of Malacaz came from.

“In the beginning, there was nothing. Then Vathala, the God beyond space, time, and matter. — the Alpha and the Omega — said the Words and our world came to be,” explained the teacher of Vashti’s first class. She knew about this as a young girl. Her father told her of Vathala’s story to put her to sleep.

“Then out of the bamboo sprout came the first man and woman, our ancestors, Mahganda and Malacaz. Their first born son, Gener, bore the promise of inheriting the whole kingdom. From him came the royal bloodlines that protect us from the evil that exists outside of our realm,” the teacher continued her lecture.

“But they don’t have magical power, though.” A maiden from the tribe of Arso exclaimed. Few maidens from the tribe of Gener laughed at the absurdity of such a claim. The teacher also smiled, “Well, that’s not exactly true.”

“Our power disarms the magical powers of all the tribes. Your tricks have no effect on us whatsoever,” said the maiden sitting in the last row. Coming from the royal tribe, maidens from the tribe of Gener have an air of confidence that annoys some of the girls living in Viscot.

“Really, even this?” A maiden from the tribe of Arso flicked her finger and threw the fire that ignited from her skin to a maiden from tribe Gener sitting near her. The fire didn’t even make it near the maiden smiling smugly to the incoming fire, knowing that no magic can touch her.

“Wow!” Some of the students murmured, impressed.

“Settle down,” the teacher stopped the build up of commotion among students, and continued teaching.

Fascinated, Vashti learned that Malacaz and Mahganda had twelve children. Gener has no elemental nor spiritual powers per se but no powers can touch him. To him, the whole kingdom of Malacaz was promised, thus out of his people came the royal rulers. Febo’s beautiful seduction and power of persuasion was evident as soon as Mahganda gave birth to her. Arso burst into flames as soon as she was out of her mother’s womb. Avryl’s light made it possible for the children of Malacaz and Mahganda to directly speak with Vathala and know what His will was for the people. Ayo’s gift of magical healing was a relief to the tribe, it prolonged their lives to last for more than a thousand years. Julio’s power of multiplicity was hilarious as he was always pranking his siblings, except Gener who could spot the real culprit with no sweat. Gustav’s super strength came in handy as he became in charge of building the kingdom as their family started to grow and multiply. The powers of artistry, creativity, and music were given to Seth. He became the source of happiness and entertainment to the tribe. Octavo’s power of seeing the future assisted them in making the best decisions that would please Vathala. Novo’s power lies in bringing the spirit of the dead into the afterlife, first the animals and thousand years later Malacaz and Mahganda. Dessi’s power is promotion of peace and forgiveness all over the kingdom. Sibling rivalry came to be among the brothers and sisters as soon as their parents were gone. Dessi, along with Avryl, would help the tribes resolve their issues before animosity of some kind could tear their kingdom apart.

Knowing all these, the maidens decided to study harder hoping that men from the tribe Gener would choose them. After all, who would not want to belong to a royal bloodline? Vashti, on the other hand, prefers to be married into her tribe so she can be with her family again.

“Teacher, can you tell us more about the serpent and the darkness it spread all over our kingdom?” One maiden blurted. The whole class grew quiet, observing how the teacher suddenly became nervous. “Ahm… that’s for the advanced level. You will know about it soon,” the teacher fidgeted.

“Is it true that we’re supposed to be immortals but there’s a scandal between Malacaz and Mahganda because of a powerful visitor that…”

“Stop it!” The teacher interrupted the maiden who couldn’t seem to feel the sudden change of the atmosphere. “Where did you hear such lies?”

“It is written all over her. I can see her future. You are a serpent’s wife,” the maiden pointed out to Vashti who gasped as all eyes fell upon her.