"Arka", she read out softly. "The flaming sun."

The intricate portrait depicted Lord Arka, in his most popular image of a large, fiery sun. The energy from the painting seemed to seep through the frames and settle into the very walls it adorned.

The same image was all around Rakini- everywhere from the large dome above her head to the small flag fluttering far away. Inching away from the elite crowd in the banquet hall, she made her way to the balcony.

To Rakini, it felt like the Arka's radiance grew more and more prominent every time she set her eyes on it. The sun stood powerfully in the clear green sky, emitting immeasurable amounts of heat and light. She shut her eyes in prayer. May Arka, the flaming sun, protect us.

Her eyes shot open, involuntary flicking West. A second sun, though far, far away from them, shimmered weakly in the sky. It was the weakened Raatri, the Goddess of the Raatrikas. The black sun stood out starkly against the sky, a thin halo surrounding it's diameter.

Rakini had learnt that it was the result of absorption, of vanquishment of evil by Lady Raatri. The halo, that had been a dark purple many years before her birth, had thinned into a pale lilac due to the sun's detoriated strength.

She turned her attention back to the banquet hall, where the Arkan elite danced, ate, and socialized with happy fervour. The Raatrika slaves walked around the place, serving their masters with sad, sullen faces. A twinge of pity hit her heart. It made her wonder how badly it pained them to see their sun goddess rot away in the skies.

Catching some of the guests' eyes, she smiled and nodded politely. Clutching the hem of her expensive clothes, she decided to head back into the party. It would be rude to not mingle in her own family's gathering, after all.

She went around, greeting the priests, their spouses and children. The priests of Lord Arka were considered the highest of nobility, and were very influential in the running of the State. The rest of the government were elected by the Arkan population, and headed by the Chief Priest of Lord Arka.

Sanav, one of her closest friends, beckoned her over. "Did you know", he whispered into her ear. "There has been another event involving the Raatrikas. Two days back."

She gasped. "But the last one was suppressed hardly eight days ago."

He nodded, leading her away from the crowd. His eyes anxiously scanned the hall before turning back to her. "The Raatrikas were conducting another ritual for their Goddess. They were trying to offer the power of the Arka as sacrifice."

"The power of Arka?", she hissed.

He nodded. "Yes, a burning lamp. Our government keeps warning them, but do they listen? They force our Arkan soldiers to use brutality."

Rakini bit her lip. "But why are they doing this?"

He shrugged, his thumb rubbing the bottom of his lip in deep thought. "No one knows. First, they destroy their own Goddess Raatri with their darkness and evil. Now, they're after our sun. Lord Arka forbid, they succeed in doing something terrible."

Rakini couldn't help but turn back to the slaves. Their hollow, sunken eyelids and dirty faces held no rebellion. Some sort of dignified resignation sat etched in their demeanor as they quietly went about their jobs.

"I don't understand." Sanav sighed. "They look so harmless, don't they? How could this very same race give birth to such uncouth rebel groups and attack our nobility?"

Rakini shook her head. "I don't know either. But perhaps time will tell."

"Perhaps. But right now-", he gestured to an altar right at the center of the banquet hall. "-looks like it is time for the prayer."

Rakini allowed her feet to lead her to the shrine, bowing when she got there. Her parents soon joined her as the crowd gathered around in a large circle.

The idol in front of them was one of the rarest in the entire land. It depicted Arka in his human form, fashioned out of molten gold and clad in majestic ruby-encrusted robes. Tendrils of golden flames surrounded Arka on all sides, submerging the entire hall in it's luminescence.

Ornate goblets of fire were placed around the idol in a large circle, the direct energy of Lord Arka. They were, in total, sixteen- the holy number of the sun god. Rakini had, somehow, never learnt why.

As the Chief Priest walked into the holy circle, a huge blanket of silence fell over the hall. The woman bowed deeply to the turning around to face the crowd with a gentle smile.

"Our Lord Arka has blessed us with another year of happiness and prosperity", she began."And we have gathered here to give thanks for his compassion."

The crowd murmured appreciatively to each other, all clad in rich silks and expensive jewellery. On the back of each person's left palm, the symbol of Arka was tattooed, just like the one Rakini had. She examined it quickly as the Priest continued speaking. The sun symbol on her hand stood a bright orange against her dark Arkan skin. She rubbed her right thumb against the centre, feeling a sudden burst of energy flow through her. She turned her attention back to the speech.

"...and to this day, Lord Arka continues to rule over us, blessing us with an abundance of resources and joy. Our Lord Arka emits light, which is a symbol of illumination of our soul. The light given by Arka is the very light that burns inside all of us. May Lord Arka illuminate our souls with knowledge!"

"Lord Arka will illuminate our souls with knowledge!", Rakini repeated, alongside the gathering around her. The cries echoed around the walls of the large halls, setting of a familiar warmth in her stomach. She closed her eyes, savoring the heat and light coming from the idol in front of her.

"We are the Children of Light", the priest spoke. "Arka's warmth gushes through our blood and fills our hearts with exuberance. Our golden eyes permit us to see Arka in his glowing form in the vast green skies. May Arka's joy wash over us!"

"Arka's light washes over us!"
Rakini touched her index finger to her forehead, the sacred gesture of Arka that was done to recieve divine energy. Dropping her hand, her gaze roamed over the Raatrika slaves in the hall.

They stood far away, huddled to the corners of the banquet hall. Raakini could feel them squirm in discomfort from the fire; their Raatrika ancestory caused them pain when exposed to the heat and light of the Arkan energy. The same held true for the Arkan population, when it came to darkness.

The Arkan sun never stopped emitting light, and the Arkan population had taken to artificially creating some darkness in their homes. They slept under the darkness, which, though uncomfortable, was necessary. Too much exposure to the Arka's energy was supposed to be overwhelming, even for the Arkan population.

But when the curtains and blinds did their jobs too well in blocking out the heat and light, their bodies grew too cold to bear. This happened when the sun shifted from the Northern Hemisphere, where Rakini lived, to the South bianually. Rakini would try to push away the darkness during that part of the year, drenching herself in the Arka's warmth.

She'd contemplated many a time how the Raatri population could bear Arka's energy. She knew that they suffered, but didn't know to what extent. She'd always felt like their pale skins, unlike the dark Arkan complexion, was already too fragile. Their eyes...dull, dreamy, but always dignified.

A blink of lilac made her realize that she'd been staring too long. She'd caught the attention of a young Raatri slave-boy, his mild violet eyes blinking rapidly. He was tall, with dishelved hair and worn out clothes. A dark purple bruise lined his cheek, matching with his wide eyes.

Hesitantly, Rakini twisted her lips into a small smile. Seemingly startled, he whipped his head around, only to encounter a blank wall. As though convinced that it really was him she was smiling at, he turned back again.

Rakini kept her expression intact, curiosity bubbling inside her. Would he, at least, respond, or keep his eyes downcast like the rest of the Raatrika slaves did whenever she tried to communicate with them?

His cautious gaze dipped to the floor, and disappointment flooded Rakini. She was  about to turn away, but his eyes shot back to her, this time alive with mirth. A slow grin grew on his lips, lighting up his entire face. His eyes seemed to sparkle a brilliant purple momentarily as she grinned back at him. It disappeared as quickly as it came, morphing into the original dull lilac.

Not wanting anyone to notice their little exchange, Rakini turned back to the gathering.

The priest had finished her speech a while ago, and the crowd was eagerly paying attention to a speech being made by Rakini's father.

"...there is another important matter we'd like to discuss. A lot of our citizens feel that the heat we have been receiving from our great Lord Arka has been, well...growing rather bountiful."

He swept his gaze around the crowd, a large smile etched on his face. Rakini frowned as the people murmered uneasily amongst each other.

Rumor had it, that the heat from the Arkan sun was increasing at a rapid rate. At one point, everyone feared, it would cross a state when it would turn intolerable to the Arkan population themselves. Rakini herself could feel it, the sudden heat waves moistening her forehead and warming up the ground.

Her father, though, swept a confident gaze around the crowd as though dismissing the concerns. "We must keep away such unnecessary and baseless fears. Our Lord Arka-", he turned to the idol, bowing. "-is the most merciful of Gods. We have absolutely no reason to worry. May Lord Arka will forever protect us!"

"Lord Arka will forever protect us!", they echoed, though slightly unsurely.

"But what may be the cause of all this, you may ask", her father continued triumphantly. "What, do you all think, is the cause of Lord Arka's sudden change?"

The crowd exchanged nervous looks, but said nothing.

"The Raatrika slaves", he spat out. "The Raatrikas have, though their rebellious violence and unholy rituals, polluted the land of the Great Arka!"

Rakini could feel the anger stirring amongst the crowd. They shot vicious looks at the group of slaves standing around, as though they were the root cause of all the trouble in the land.

"Only last week", her father panted. "Only last week, was a rebel uprising suppressed by our brave Arkan soldiers. The Raatri barbarians launched a violent attack on a group of Arkan traders and noblemen. Such events aren't isolated. Many uprisings have been brought to our notice."

The looks now turned into anxious whisperings.

"Remember, they've destroyed their own sun with their evil and greed." A deep frown marred her father's features. "And now, they have incurred our great Arka's wrath. This heat is his punishment to the vermin that pollute the very land which has them refuge."

Rakini bit her lip, her mind going back to the brightness dancing in the Raatri slave's eyes when she'd smiled at him. "Could they really be so cruel?", she whispered to herself.

"But worry not, my dear Children of the Light", her father proclaimed proudly. "As long as your government is here, there is not one Raatri slave that can dare challenge us-"

"-Oh, but there is."

A coarse, furious voice cut through from the back, making them whip around in shock. A tall, well-built Raatrika slave stepped forward, her violet eyes glistening with venom. The other slaves quickly joined her, pulling out swords and pickaxes.

She smiled, showing off yellow, crooked teeth. "And not just one."

Before anyone could react, they launched attack.

_________________________________________

Author's note:

Hope you've enjoyed reading...

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