Year 163 – Summer – Quartus Mensis – 39th day
Screams of hundreds echoed through the land.
Arrows were raining on the southern side of the town, volley after volley. Soldiers and civilians were running east as they forsook the town. The northern gate had been breached, and the savages were flowing in like a wave of despair as they plundered the town.
As the soldiers were trying to regroup near the temple, a lone soldier had stepped away from his patrol and was heading northwest. Ignoring orders and carried by fear and love, he ran across the town and killed the savages in his way. As he reached his home, he saw the door had been breached.
The soldier – "OYUNA!"
Oyuna– "KSANTI!!!"
He ran toward the house and saw two savages raping her. Releasing a war cry, the soldier charged them, and as the two barbarians tried to reach their swords, he cut the head off from the one to his right. The second savage then reached toward his blade and backed against the wall.
Oyuna took a knife and stood back up, side by side with Ksanti. The soldier attacked first, followed by his wife, but the invader pushed the man's blade to the side and slashed the woman's neck. Her mouth filled with blood as her anger fought against the pain. The soldier pierced the savage's shoulder, wounding him severely as he fell to the ground. He then rushed to his wife's aid. She was gasping and crying. The savage on the ground then slashed his blade on Kasnti's leg. Ksanti dragged himself to the side and stood up, facing the savaged. The savage was wounded, yet he smiled. Ksanti quickly looked behind him and saw someone coming his way. He dodged the hit and blocked the incoming strike of the wounded savage. Without waiting for his breath, he grappled the wounded shoulder of his foe as he pressed his blade on his neck and sliced it.
He turned around and got stabbed in the chest. As he fell on the ground, his blurred vision fell on the sight of his daughter hiding in the closet. She was frozen in place, hoping for a miracle, when the savage's sight crossed her own.
Vatra waked in fear and flinched to the right, hitting her left knee on the altar of Ignis as she drew her sword out of its sheath. The pain on her knee and the rush of her wake made her sight blacken for half a second as she partially stumbled. Using her blade as a crutch, Vatra managed to hold herself. She was breathing heavily and had a cold sweat when she noticed the high priest of Avem. He stood in front of her with a lantern and seemed surprisingly calm.
High priest of Avem – "I'm sorry for waking you like this. You seemed tormented, so I thought I should offer you some tea. It's not much, but it might help."
Vatra was confused but slowly returned to reality as the mess of her memory clarified itself.
Vatra – "Eh . . . Yeah . . . Thank you . . ."
Once she regained her stability, she placed her sword back into its scabbard and followed him into another room. The candle of each god had been consumed, and the air felt cold.
High priest of Avem – "That was quite brave of you to take a duel against the Eagle of Vale."
Vatra – "Or quite stupid. . . "
High priest of Avem – "He agreed to train you tomorrow, didn't he?"
Vatra – "He has . . . I suppose it's a success."
The priest opened his lantern and took a candle to light the rest in the room. There were six of them, aside from the three in the lantern. He started a fire underneath a large bowl of water.
High priest of Avem – "You can sit there. No need for formality. Actually, I should have introduced myself earlier. I'm sorry. I'm Jared, the main priest in town. I recall your name was Vatra, was it?"
Vatra – "It is."
Jared– "So, the fire was praying by the fire. It's a funny coincidence."
Vatra – "You expected a name from the East, didn't you?"
Jared – "I find myself guilty, but you speak our tongue well. You must have learnt long ago. I'll look at you not as a stranger, but as a subject of House Valmai. Tell me, do you often pray to Ignis?"
Vatra – "I guess I just really needed to warm myself up a bit . . . umm . . . I'm sorry to ask you this, but why isn't there anyone in the temple?"
Jared – "Well, it might be because the people have lost their faith in the gods. But I believe that even away from a sanctuary, one can always seek the warm compassion of a prayer."
Damn, my whole body hurts. How long have I slept?
Vatra – "What time of the day is it?"
Jared – "We're late into the night, I'd say."
The girl used her palm to stretch the muscle of her face while trying to think clearly.
Talk about a shitty end for summer.
Vatra – "I know I'm using your hospitality, but I'm really hungry. I felt sleepy when the sun was still high, and I suppose it's too late to take the stew for the refugee . . ."
Jared – "Well, I do not believe you're lying. How about we make a deal? You tell me what's tormenting your mind, and I'll give you some bread."
Vatra – "Why do you even care?"
Jared – "Well, if you don't want to eat, it's your choice."
Vatra – "Fine, what do you want to know?"
Jared – "Did you come to pray for what's tormenting you in your dream?"
The girl giggled and partially smiled while looking at the priest with devastated eyes.
Vatra – "If only. If only . . ."
The water was boiling, so the priest added some tea leaves to the water and came back to the table with a loaf of bread.
Jared – "So, do you want that bread?"
Vatra – "How can you believe in the gods in such a chaotic world?"
Jared – "How can you not believe in the gods in such a chaotic world?"
Vatra – "If they do exist, then they are no gods."
Jared – "Well, I cannot speak in their names, but from my experiences, we don't pray to the gods in the hope to be saved; we pray to them to allow ourselves to move forward with our lives. Often, a prayer is its own answer."
Vatra – "So, I prayed to warm myself up, and that's it."
Jared – "A prayer orders our mind and clear both shame and remorse from what we cannot control."
Vatra – "But I haven't moved on. I ran away and hid. That's all I've been doing. Leaving those I loved behind. Surviving like a coward . . . "
Jared – "Then wouldn't you agree it is now your duty to live in their name? Wouldn't living to honour their values and hope be an act of courage?"
The eastern girl placed her burned hand in front of the fire and gazed at the dancing flame to forget her tears. The priest gave her half the bread and brought the tea before serving two cups.
Jared – "Do not hurt or shame yourself, young one. Our world already does it for us too many times. There's no need to add your own regrets and remorse to your burden."
Vatra – "Is there any point to this world?"
Jared – "None that coerces your will, but that simply means you are free to choose which one you want to pursue. Few things are worth fighting for, but one day, you'll find something that will give meaning to everything you once did. So, fight until that day comes."
Vatra – "And what is that thing for you?"
Jared – "Hope. I've seen the sadness for too long to endure it. I've been following orders, walking on the battlefield, when I was still young, that is. I saw the torments of those cursed by fear, so I deserted the army and joined the temple of Inanis."
Vatra – "Who's that god? I've never heard of him."
Jared – "Inanis is the bearer of shackles, the god of the mind. I was full of hatred when I entered their order, and I decided I'd give all the years I had left to allow my soul to die in peace. They allowed me to learn how to watch the world. Once I was a priest, I went to my hometown, more than a decade after I left."
Vatra – "I don't want to end up like that."
Jared – "Like everyone in this town. No one hopes for a life of misery, and the purpose of my life has been to help the people of this town to smile for the last 42 years."
Vatra – "Didn't seem to have worked so well, seeing none are coming to pray."
Jared – "Well, the fear of the Kalator is real. But each day of joy they have lived has forged a bond between them far stronger than their fear. Many sorrows await the upcoming war, but hope lies beyond the storm. I'm old and may not live to see that hope, but you, you're still young. It would be quite sad to punish yourself for a life you've only started. Give yourself the time to be proud."
The girl took her tea and slowly closed her eyes as she took a sip of it. The warmth of the water flowed through her body like a requiem of comfort.
The priest gave her the second piece of bread before standing up.
Jared – "I'll be going to sleep. You can stay here for the night, but tomorrow, you'll have to return to the refugee camps. I sadly cannot afford to disobey my lord's command. But if you need to talk, make sure to pass by."
Vatra – "Thank you. I know I don't deserve that kindness, but I'll take it."
Jared – "Everyone deserves kindness. Even a murderer does. Kindness doesn't cost much, yet too often, it is the rarest commodity. Good night, Vatra."
Vatra – "I meant thank you for not asking me if I was a slave."
Jared – "I think we are all slaves to something. Often, those who fight against the odds and feel tormented by their mistake are the ones who break the shackles of their mind. Even if the path you take seems grim and forlorn, remember that behind the strongest shackle lies the redemption of one's mind. So, don't lose hope and keep fighting for those dreams of yours, and one day, they won't be dreams and foresight, but a tangible goal within your reach. Now, I must sleep; the fire should last until the morning. If you still want to join the army, be sure to not miss Ethen's appointment."
The priest quenched the candles and let the fire consume itself in front of the lonely girl as he left for his personal quarter.