Endido coalesced herself, pulling each scattered fragment of her shadows into a singular form. She preferred a more complex shape but her mother found her favored arrangement "disturbing" so she avoided presenting herself that way when called for in person conversations.

She chose the figure most pleasing to her mother, tall and feminine, draped in a cloak of her own shadows with features resembling her mother but with less definition, a few imperfections, nose a bit larger, lips a bit thinner, her eyes a bit wider set. She paid extra attention to the formation of her eyes, imbuing them with the thin gray shadows seen in encroaching light so as to give her a semblance of iris and sclera.

She took a few more moments to double check the body she had shaped. Hands, feet, curves and a steady rise and fall to her chest to simulate breathing. She made certain there was a bit of shadow with the texture of hair showing from under her cowl before she raised one hand to knock at the large gold embossed door.

"Enter," came her mother’s voice, muffled by the wood separating them. Endido made herself open the door, resisting the habit of sliding between the cracks in the wood and around the edges as she was typically want to do.

"Finally," her mother, Kyra, called; watching her from her golden throne atop the dais. The throne room was large and lined with tapestries depicting the history of Pedra to dampen the natural echo caused by such a large chamber.

Endido had been within this room on countless occasions but each time she entered she needed a moment to orient herself. The chandelier of light crystals that hung six meters overhead spanned a third of the ceiling and cast light into every corner of the room. Only behind the throne and tapestries were there enough shadows to make her feel she was wanted in this space. Standing as she was in the entryway she felt diminished by the light, her edges blurred and hazy.

Endido turned away from her mother to shut the door firmly behind her before moving further into the room. She stood beneath the center of the chandelier, knowing this was the space Kyra expected her visitors to gravitate towards. Endido often wondered if it was to make them seem smaller, with such close proximity to the steps that lead up to the throne one was forced to raise their face to peer up at the radiant Goddess.

Endido knew the light that emanated around Kyra was an effect of the light crystals under her chair and the gold plating of the throne, not the Goddess's own skin as was the common belief. Though Endido did not perceive through her eyes she made a point of peering up at her mother as though she did.

"Has the estate been eradicated?" Kyra asked without preamble.

Endido held back her flinch, forcing her shape to hold still through her discomfort. "Yes, mother. The mages arrived yesterday evening and by morning all was completed. The estate lies empty and I relocated the remains deep into the forest. Should the premises be-"

"Unnecessary," Kyra interrupted with a wave of her ring laden hand, the golden embroidery of her wide sleeve twinkling in the light. "You, yourself reported the failure of their well.”

Endido had also informed her of the various ways in which the estate inhabitants had overcome that issue, though Kyra seemed determined to ignore such solutions. With the wilds laden in thick snow there was no reason for the water rationing Kyra enforced. Endido had yet to discern her mother’s obsession with wells.

“There is no point in maintaining a location with a dry well. We leave it to the snow," Kyra punctuated her words with another wave of her hand, fingers brushing the air with a dismissive flick.

"As you say," Endido answered, bowing her head in assent. There was no point in arguing. Just as there had been no point in disagreeing with Kyra when she ordered Endido to watch the estate, to report on their activities and conversations, to wait and watch as the mages eradicated the populous who had been found guilty of sacrilege and blasphemy. Just as there was no good reason to tell Kyra of what else had transpired at the estate, of what Endido had done in those final moments...

"What am I bidden to do now?" Endido asked, moving her mind away from such thoughts and back to the present moment. 'Avoidance is not a lie,' she told herself firmly.

"There have been developments in your absence. Plots against me and damages done to the holy grounds," Kyra said her face showing a few lines of angers as she scowled.

Endido did not move, only watched her mother. These words could mean so many different things. Did Kyra know what she had done?

"A gate has been destroyed," Kyra said, watching her with cold eyes.

Endido forced her body to flinch, her face to show confusion, anger and a hint of fear, the emotions only amplified as she felt them deeply enough for it to be an honest reaction.

"How could this be?" Endido asked, voice edged with a quaver of fear and concern.

Kyra glanced up at the light before pinning Endido with her gaze once more, "that is an answer you will be searching for. I want you here. No part of you is to leave the temple while you seek the cause of this attack. The truth gate was pivotal to the church and myself, to have it in ruins is an afront to us all. You will find the culprit and report their identity directly to me. No matter who it might be, no matter how close you may be with this individual, you will tell me their name."

Endido nodded even as her shadows fought to shiver with trepidation. The only person Endido was close to was her sister, Kalipsy. Kyra could not possibly believe Kal had anything to do with something like this.

"In your search for this heretic you will also be keeping close watch upon your sister and the two strangers that she has taken to consorting with," Kyra told her, tone venomous.

'She thinks Kal is guilty,' Endido could not stop the thought from rolling through her mind, "strangers?" she asked. Who could be unknown to her mother?

"Yes," Kyra hissed the word, scowl deepening, "a man and a woman arrived a fortnight ago with tales of traveling far distances to see the glory of the Temple and attend the sermons of their Goddess in person. I do not need to explain how suspicious this is do I?" the Goddess of the Sun asked with a raised eyebrow.

Endido shook her head, "of course not mother, strangers are anomalies, all are known to your glory and light. They must be responsible given the timing of their arrival. I hope that Kalipsy knowns nothing of their treachery and her interactions are but a ruse to uncover their heretical actions and thoughts," Endido said in a rush, meaning every word.

"Indeed, we hope that Kal has remained uncorrupted. You will watch the new truth mages, the last acolytes to enter the gate before this travesty, and clear them of any wrongdoing."

Endido wondered if Kyra meant she was to clear them regardless of guilt or if it was only that her mother assumed that none of them held the power to affect the gate in such a catastrophic fashion. She did not ask, only nodded her assent.

"I am proud of the work you do, Endido. You are overcoming your deficits and proving worthy of my light," the complement felt as hollow as it sounded sincere, "as a creature of shadow it takes effort for you, and that effort is seen and valued.”

Kyra shifted on her throne, her next words spoken with an airy musing quality, “is it not ironic that your sister, so close to my own nature is now acting against me, yet you, who are a being antithesis to myself are the most dearly held of my confidantes?" Her gaze drifted upwards once more, Endido realized she was staring up at the light crystals overhead.

"I serve only at your pleasure mother, I am unworthy of your praise," Endido forced herself to say the words with audible sincerity.

Kyra waved her hand once more; the jewels set in their gold rings and bracelet sparkling in the light. "You are as worthy as I say you are. Do not disappoint me. You are dismissed."

Endido nodded and turned to leave. She reminded herself to use the door, close it behind her and walk down the hallway. She made it to the first turn before she let herself fall apart, her shadows dispersing to find their natural resting places within the temple, places where light was dimmed or absent.

Total darkness felt as foreign as bright light so she slid into the places betwixt. She avoided the throne room, not wanting to be near her Kyra as she processed what her mother had revealed.

How could Kyra believe Kalipsy capable of acting against her? No one knew of Kyra's temper better than Kalipsy. As head of the Sisters of Light, those that carried out the executions of heretics, Kal was intimately familiar with what dissent brought. Even more than that Kal was the speaker of the church, the voice and face of most sermons. During the annual Ceremonies Kyra spoke to the people but outside of such events it was Kal that preached the scriptures to the people, Kal who reminded them all of the dangers of individuality and selfishness.

Endido let herself sink further into her natural state, turning inward she prayed, not to her mother, but to herself.

'Avoidance is not a lie. Truth is immutable. Truth is more important than opinion. Kyra is our Goddess, she is always right, she must be for she is infallible. Please, let truth show my sister's innocence. Please… please let her be as devout as the day Kyra made us.'

Only after she had repeated the prayer a dozen times did she find it within herself to begin in her new task.