Katyana

Dim light bathed Trinsic, pouring in from the West as the sun set over the wall and the endless forests in the distance. The warm glow cast a glisten on the tops of waves and on Katyana's glossy white hair. Candle flames were starting to die as the wind blew, but their meaning was not extinguished with them. They represented a life Katyana had never known, and a future that threatened to flee from her each time she saw her Master melt away from the shadows.

The virtues. She had heard of them, and could define them when the names were said... but they had meant nothing to her only hours before. It was Pierre's careful dedication as he worked in silence to set the circle of wax candles around the ankh that convinced her. Once, there had been no faith in her heart, except for the knowledge that there would always be one more monotonous day in servitude to follow the present one.

But things were changing. Humility was not a part of a vocabulary any more than Sacrifice was, because these were things that had no meaning. She had nothing to sacrifice, and she was below all. There was no shame in her life until she met Pierre and felt the guilt of lying. "No one owns me!" she had yelled passionately at the curious child, but it was too late, far too late. He knew. And now her mind played with only one virtue... Justice.

There had been none in the past, but when Pierre said the word in a prayer to save VanQa's health, her life... Katyana believed. There would be justice in her time. If it was her very first and last possession, there would be justice.