The True First Virtue.
"What really is this Third Virtue?" Havillah found herself questioning, her thoughts going back to the many manuscripts and scrolls she had read on the matter. They were many, but they had all been mentions. Brief paragraphs with nothing noteworthy that she could utilise just like she had done with the Hope Crystals and her Second Virtue.
Back then, it had seemed like discovery of a Third Virtue was her only way out of her problems, even as her First Virtue continued to grow weaker and weaker with every passing day which turned into a week, then months and after that, years. Havillah had thought that with her discovery of this lost Virtue she would somehow bring herself salvation. It had to be easy right? Much easier than working on a power that seemed to elude her, almost like it hated the very fact that she was growing up. Was it her fault that her believes had eventually wavered? That her doubts had grown much stronger with the passing of time? She was constantly in fear. Fear of this and that. Fear of eviction. Fear of the Cataclysm scrambling the city, not that her fearing had helped much in the end. Instead, Fear had turned out to be a mortal enemy. A truth that had evaded her then, but and could now see, much more clearly than she had done back then. Fear had been her downfall. Fear had sown the seeds of doubt in her mind and as they had began to sprout, they flowered and brought forth fruit that had quickly brought about her damnation.
" You truly think that things would have ended differently?" The voice chuckled, completely disregarding the very first question that she had asked him or her.
"I do not know. Like they say, the possibilities are truly endless." Havillah remarked looking around the dense forest that she had been trudging through for the last one hour.
"You are lost by the way." The voice offered even as the girl's brows furrowed with confusion.
"And you would know this how?"
"I am a Guide. It is a requirement to know the way."
The girl deadpanned.
"Like seriously? You are offering me information when I do not need it and when I truly want it, you go on and become evasive! How is that even guidance?"
"Aren't you the least bit grateful that you know what I truly am now?"
"What? Not who? I cannot even begin to tell if you are male or female."
"Gender does not apply to the likes of me Havillah. After all, is not that meant for procreation? Well...we have no need for that where I come from."
"And where do you come from if I may ask?" Her guide completely disregarded her again even as he went back to her first question. If he had no gender, then how would she refer to him? She would refer to him as a man. Somehow, that was a more fitting pronoun as it explained his inexplicable tendancy to be annoying, something that, only the men in her life were ever capable of truly being.
"The Third Virtue or rather the True First Virtue is an embodiment of Honour, Sacrifice and Piety. Sacrifice being the act of giving ardently, pouring yourself out for another even as you give yourself to an Ultimate Cause. Honour, being a virtue of devotedness while Piety is that fervor that holds everything together with trust and tractability. That Havillah, is the apotheosis of the True First Virtue." Havillah did not respond. Her mind was heavy, full of thoughts on the matter even as she tried to discern the meaning behind his words with the little knowledge that she had gleaned from the Sanctuary scrolls in Triberias. As chewed upon it,the Voice continued to speak in response to the thoughts she had thought earlier. "It is not something that can be taught Havillah. It cannot be explained but it can be demonstrated. To get it though, you would have to realise it yourself. Through your choices, your motives, they would all have to be aligned in a particular path and constantly in order to experience the fullness of this Virtue. Even then, Intent is the only way that you can truly define if you have it or not."
"It sounds even more complicated than the first Virtue." Havillah complained rubbing her temples as she pushed away her growing frustration.
"And yet it is the Simplest of all despite being the most powerful of the three. It has more elements and as you can understand,is the glue that keeps everything together."
"If it was that Simple, shouldn't we all have it. Don't you think?"
"You did, at one time at least. Only that it didn't last and the period keeps getting shorter." The voice remarked. She could feel it smile too, at her apparent confusion. That self satisfied smile that comes when you know that you are the only one, the only one who understands what you are saying while other wallow in their abashment. In this case, only he knew what he was going on about and despite all the wondering that Havillah did, the introspection did little to help straighten out the matter and when it appeared like her Guide was about to step in and help, he went on ahead and confused her even more. "Think Havillah. What do the colours of your Robes represent?" Her brows furrowed deeper even as the girl mulled it over until the truth finally dawned on her.
"The fading of the newborns?"