At the bottom of a lone mountain was A small village holding a small population of twelve families, huts made from straws and oak, fields covered with snow.
The village was on the verge of destruction with no house in proper condition to shelter the people from the cold and no food to keep its people from starvation.
With no light and sign of life at any of the houses at the village, the stone temple at its center Begins to look suspicious as it was well kept with snow dug away from the entrance as if it was enticing the people to enter.
A large room made from slabs of stone so old that it's already covered with moss and web.
Torch at all sides to serve as light for the temple and at the very end of the room covered by a bright red curtain to keep its figure hidden was an altar made from bones were a statue of their Lord was placed.
chatter from the people can be heard inside the temple.
"How long do we need to wait?"
"I can't take it anymore, my stomach hurts!"
Cough!, cough!
"I don't think my daughter can last any longer"
"Are you sure they will even come back?"
"What if they didn't even reach the top?"
"My wife can't take it any longer"
The voice of the people that were filled with despair asked one person for reassurance.
All the villagers were at the temple, their body tattered and starving, clothes like rugs full of tiny holes and stains.
Their sunken faces ask the old man at the front of the statue.
"How long do we have to wait elder?"
An old man looked at them, his eyes pure white.
"I do not know, we can only trust them"
The old man looked at the makeshift beds that were laid down at the floor spread at each opposite side of the hall.
Young or old, all the females in the village lay at the beds. coughing blood and their face turning pale.
No one knew when exactly it happened and how but all girls suffered from the same fate, the cough that results in the vomit of blood as the illness slowly eat away their insides
'Who could have cursed our home?' The old man pondered looking at the statue of their god feeling guilty at what he is now thinking
Some succumbed to the unknown sickness and died at the spot, their bodies were mercilessly thrown to the cold ground outside at the side of the temple where it was covered by snow.
"Help your loved ones until our warriors safely return" The old man said kneeling at the ground touching the forehead of a weakened girl.
The girl recognized his touch as she smiled and muttered the word "grandpa"
"Elder, how about half of us leave and find the group" A man suggested
"I will join you!, elder my wife can no longer hold on I beg you to let us!" A person cried out holding his wife's hand.
"Then who will take care of all these people?, the group was made of the strongest men we have." the old man paused for a moment looking at the red curtain that hid the carved statue of the one they worshipped.
"If even they can't succeed how do you think you would?, just pray to our forefather and he might expel your worries"
The people were silenced by his words but even if they didn't respond the old man can still see with his foggy eyes the worry on their faces.
"Everything they care about and know is here they have no choice but to come back"
He said kneeling at the statue to his front.
"All we can do is ask our Lord"
'I do not know if this calamity is to challenge our devotion to our Lord and if it is, it will not succeed' The old man prayed as the people behind him all started to kneel in silence.
'Bless us with strength to survive this disaster as thy always give us life we will do the same to honor thy name'
The sound of cough vanished almost entirely not even the blowing of wind can be heard as if the temple was separated from the world itself.
"Eitryl, We bow to your merciful rule"
The prayer ended and nothing happened, no help came for them making their devotion waver.
The old man watches the statue as the red curtain that hides it got dragged by the wind allowing the old man to see the glimpse of the gods figure.
Even though made from wood, the statue seemed alive, the old man cannot understand what his eyes saw.
How does their God look?, he saw it but he does not know.
Thud.
As he contemplated what he saw the stone door that seals the temple opened and the people rushed to see what was outside.
The old man was no exception, he turned his head towards the light to see the figure of his youngest son carrying what seemed to be a little lamb.
"a child" The old man muttered as he rushed to his youngest son.
"Explain what happened?, are you hurt?" The old man asked and the people that were left behind to take care of the women voiced out their thoughts.
"Where's the chief?"
"My son, Plato tell me he's alive?"
"My father and brother, where are they?"
The people crowded Dreg and he was forced to step back, he tightened his hold on the child in his arms and said
"I'll tell you everything so let us enter"
All the men that were dying from waiting at the temple all circle Dreg and the little number of people he have come back with took that time to enter the temple unnoticed.
Dreg took a deep breath as he look at the dying child at his arms before telling the people everything.
The old man lost his balance as he heard the shocking news that his eldest son had died.
"Impossible, Your brother...no the chief has the blessing of our Lord"
Dreg looked away from his father and continued.
When his mouth was parched and he already told them everything did he go towards the statue at the very end of the altar
"The chief died?, then what are we gonna do about food?"
"What can we do?, only the chief can hunt at this cursed weather"
"Brother, father why did you leave us so soon"
"If the chief is gone then what about Sally?"
They all sob quietly as they mourn for the people that died, the only people with no tears in their eyes were the elder and Dreg.
Dreg knelt at the altar and ask the question that was bothering him the moment he reached the top of that Mountain.
'My lord I ask if I was able to accomplish your task ?, is this child the one you want?'
He prayed but received no answer so he repeated feeling a claw on his heart guilty that maybe his brother's death would have no meaning.
'My lord I ask if this child is the one you need?'
'My lord tell me if I have sinned tell me if I have wronged you, I beg you my Lord please talk to me!'
'My lord-
Dreg felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Dreg, can I ask something?" The old man asked as he looked at the child that his son bought
"Where is the thing that our Lord wants?"
At his question Dreg showed the child to his father.
"I think it is this child,elder."
"....." The elder grabbed the child's arm and raise it not caring for its safety.
"You did enough, go rest." The elder whispered to Dreg as he raised the child for all to see while dreg head towards one of the corners of the temple where his wife is silently suffering from the unknown disease.
"My people!, we will see another day with this child, the sacrifice our Lord wants"
All were silent as the old man walk towards the altar and dropped the child's body to the front of it.
THUD
The child's head bleed a pool of blood as it hit the concrete floor, the young one's in the village flinch as they saw the cruelty the old man displayed
While the adults watch the child with no remorse. Clenching their fist and their eyes glued to the altar, some even going as far as to smile seeing the unconscious boy.
A dark liquid oozes out of the altar flowing towards the body of the boy.
"My son did it" The elder muttered smiling ear to ear, he turn to the people with enthusiasm
"Sing with praise as we are saved!" his call was what the people were waiting for , they knelt in front of the altar crying tears of joy
murmured of gratitude flooded the altar. As the black liquid in front of it started to grow bigger and bigger as it engulfed the child.
Boom
The stone wall that act like the door and sealed the temple exploded into hundred of peebles.
Surprisingly no one was hurt by the explosion, even those who are near the wall didn't suffer even a scratch.
Scared for their life the people couldn't help but peek their whole body trembling scared of even moving an inch as it might be seen as disrespectful by their Lord , some who couldnt take it any longer crawled away from the exploded wall while others who are foolish decided to help the sick girls that was laying beside that wall, carrying them away from danger.
Those who help the sick didn't get words of praise but was meet with eyes of pity.
Whispering to himself the old man slowly turn his way to the remains of the stone door.
His face red with anger he shouted looking at the shadow of a man standing at their doorstep.
"How dare you destroy the home of our Lord!"