"Tell me. What's going on?"
I scowled at her. "I think I'm sick."
"What do you mean? Sick?" asked Tlaca.
"I was in the temple... To pray," I replied, running my hands through my hair.
"And it didn't go away after you prayed?" asked Tlaca in alarm, looking around to see if anyone was listening to us. However, everyone was too busy with the festive arrangements, so they didn't even notice us.
"Your prayer should have made the pain go away. No matter whether you have already been blessed or not. Eurybia always heals small injuries and illnesses," Tlaca continued, chewing obsessively on her lower lip.
Each patron god shows gratitude to their devotees in their own ways. Our patron goddess Eurybia is connected to water and gives her followers an increased resistance to illnesses and injuries of all kinds. In the case of serious illnesses, Eurybia decides individually whether she will heal you or not.
But this privilege is reserved only for the true believers. As a child of two followers of Eurybia, you can go to the patron goddess with injuries even before the divine blessing, as you are considered family until the blessing.
"Why weren't you healed in the temple! Did you do something wrong? Did you say a prayer wrongly or...?", she didn't get any further because I interrupted her at this point.
"Tlaca stop! Listen to me... I didn't get to pray, or rather I'm convinced I didn't make it to prayer."
"Yona, what nonsense are you talking again? Is this some kind of joke? If it is, it's not funny!" Tlaca gave me a questionable look and I sighed.
"I can't explain it to you right now. The reason is simply that I don't know what happened myself. I was going up the stairs when I suddenly saw salles blurred and when I came to I was sitting at home."
"Alright..." Tlaca frowned and looked around nervously.
"But that is not the worst Tlaca!"
"You're scaring the shit out of me right now Yona!"
"I came back to my senses this morning while sitting in the kitchen. I came home last night and lay down due to feeling unwell. And then I changed and went downstairs this morning. My mother told me."
Tlaca's remaining face colour had drained away completely.
"This is not normal Yona, I told you to go to the temepl regularly and now we have a problem!"
I didn't know what to say to that. Of course I knew that this was anything but normal.
"Yona, listen to me!"
"What?"
"Do you know what you just did? .... that means that you are either the youngest or the oldest person in the history of Niantra who has not received a cure in such a case. I mean headache is not a big concern!"
"I'm fine Tlaca!" I snapped back. The fact that you could literally feel her fear sent a shiver down my spine.
Tlaca grabbed my arm. "Look, I know it's hard for you, but you have to take this seriously."
I nodded and closed my eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm just tired."
"I can understand you, Yona. This is some fucked up shit. I hope your divine blessing will be completed today without any incidents."
I smiled weakly, while imagining what would happen if I wouldn't receive my blessing. It was impossible for me to imagine. I didn't think much of the blessings, but after the incident yesterday in the temple, I had a queasy feeling in my stomach.
Without knowing why, I felt compelled to say: "Thanks for being there for me."
Tlaca hugged me tightly and kissed the top of my head. "It's nothing, I'm happy to help you."
She broke away from the embrace, only to look me in the eye with a serious look. "Are you sure you're pregnant?"
"Excuse me?" I looked at her in surprise.
"That's something women's bodies do. They start to show when they have children."
"What's wrong with you, Tlaca? I'm just telling you that my life is falling apart and you're seriously asking me if I'm pregnant?"
"No, don't get upset, I thought you might be pregnant... your belly... You've clearly gained some weight in that area."
"Oh, well, thanks for that little piece of information."
I replied irnonically and then looked at my belly. "That bad?" I finally asked and gave Tlaca a sad look.
"Not too much, but enough to notice..." She answered nonchalantly.
I wasn't pissed off by Tlaca's comments. I appreciate her direct and blunt manner. This was one of the reasons why she was like a sister to me.
"If my mother looks at it the same way you do, she'll put me on a diet... as if I don't have other problems at the moment."
A sudden clang at the back of the square made us all sit up and take notice. A young girl had dropped a string of lights and a lot of glassware.
"Poor girl, she's going to get into a lot of trouble. Those were very special dishes," Tlaca said, and at the same time the commotion subsided, so everyone went back to their work.
"Again, about your unnecessary comment," I interjected and gave Tlaca a grin. "Tell me, what makes you think I could be pregnant?"
"I thought maybe you and Lito were getting a little closer. I wouldn't be surprised if that happened at some point."
I sighed and shook my head. "You know we're just friends."
"Yes, of course. That's what I meant." She grinned mischievously at me and I shook my head in amusement. "You weirdo."
We both laughed and then fell silent.
"So, that's what's going on in your head?" I asked Tlaca, who looked at me inquisitively.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm pretty sure you have the same thoughts as me."
"I'm thinking about the divine hunt." I nodded in agreement. "Our village epidermis has made my knees weak."
"Exactly! I feel for the warriors who have to hunt down Chuptri. It will not be an easy task." Tlaca looked around as if checking to see if anyone was eavesdropping on us.
"Yona, that critter Chuptri is a big one. I'm worried that no one will come back alive. I mean, they're all men our age and they don't look bad either. If they all die, we'll never have anyone to grow old with."
I fell into a fit of laughter and Tlaca gave me a scowl. "That's mean! Stop laughing!"
"But you always have to exaggerate," I laughed, brushing a strand of white hair behind my ear that had fallen into my face.
"I'm not exaggerating! Warriors are just really hot guys!"
I giggled and threw my arms around her. We laughed and Tlaca patted my back.
"Well, I'm just saying that if there's no one to grow old with, we'll probably end up living alone for the rest of our lives."
I was about to say something back when my mother called my name from a distance. She was holding fairy lights and other decorative materials in her hand.
"Tlaca, I don't think we can avoid helping any more." She nodded in agreement. "Let's go then, you ice princess."
For Tlaca, I was the ice princess personified. Even as a child, Tlaca had conducted experiments on me to find out why my hair was so snow-white and my eyes so light grey. At some point in the winter she had been convinced that the snow only fell because I existed. In retrospect we could only laugh about it, but as children it was a deadly affair for us.
I grinned and we hugged goodbye. "See you later." Arriving at my mother's house, she handed me the decorations. "The tree behind still needs decorating."
***
After a few hours, the place was festively decorated for the arrival of the warriors. Strings of lights and long colourful silk scarves hung in the trees, swaying back and forth in the wind currents.
A multitude of flowers were scattered on the ground, but the wind made them scatter more and more.
The tables were festively decorated. Red tablecloths made the rustic wood underneath disappear and glass dishes were placed on top. Colourful cushions were laid out on the benches to make sitting for longer periods more comfortable.
Where the wooden imitation of the goddess Eurybias stood, a long table was set up, which, unlike the other tables, was decorated with a white cloth. On it, Chuptri, the killed bull, would be presented to be sacrificed to the goddess before our festivities began.
So we all sat at the tables and waited for the arrival of the victorious warriors. I sat next to my father and mother. Both looked very tense and looked towards the woods. I wondered if they were afraid that my brother would fail.
As the sun set over the forest, we heard the sound of horses approaching from behind the village.
I was surprised when I recognized the voice of my brother. He rode his horse through the village gates and a cheer rose among the people.
Behind him followed a few more warriors on their horses. Among them I could recognise Lito's friends, but I could not see Lito himself.
A cart appeared on which a huge bull was lying. Chuptri.
A few other warriors followed on their horses and my inner restlessness spread through my entire body. Where is Lito?
At the same moment I saw him. My hands began to tremble. Silence spread through the crowd as the warriors came to a halt in the square in front of the statue of Eurybia.
A scream filled the square as an elderly woman broke away from the crowd and stumbled towards the last cart pulled by a horse at the end of the procession of warriors.
There, lying on the leaves, was Lito, bloodied and with his eyes closed. "My son! NO!"
A warrior walked towards the mother. "He is not dead yet. His pulse is still palpable."
"Priest!" the mother cried out oculously and the priest who had briefed the warriors in the morning stepped up to her. "Grant me entry to the temple now. I pray to Eurybia for my son's healing!"
The priest nodded and out of nowhere priestesses stood around the cart, their faces veiled in red silk. They lifted Lito out of the cart and carried him to the temple. His mother and the priest followed them and the sobbing of his mother could still be heard from afar.
My hands were still shaking and my gaze followed Lito. Will he survive? What had happened?
Meanwhile, my brother Zao had stepped in front of our village chief. He in turn grinned delightedly and patted him on the shoulder.
"Our warriors were victorious!"
People cheered. The warriors bowed their heads and thanked the goddess for granting them victory.
"Let us offer the bull to our godmother Eurybia!" shouted our village leader and immediately the noise returned to the square. A group of older women started collecting firewood and soon a large bonfire was lit.
I could still not quite believe everything that had just happened. Everyone acted as if Lito had not just been taken away. Even my mother was happy and looked proudly at Zao.
The villagers quickly brought out the food supplies and laid them on the ground beside the bonfire.
He again looked pleased and was apparently looking for someone in the crowd. When Hua suddenly ran towards him, I had to suppress a gagging sound.
Hua was right behind him, looking worried and nervous. "Zao, my love, how did it go?"
"It went great." Zao grinned happily. "We won."
Despite the noisy crowd, I could hear their conversation. I kept my gaze on Zao's face.
"You know, I really should thank the goddess Eurybia for granting us such an easy victory."
Hua smiled shyly. "Alright."
Zao kissed her cheek and turned back to the crowd.
Despite the noisy crowd, I could hear their conversation. How can he say that this was an easy victory when Lito is dying!
The one in front of me was no longer my brother whom I loved and knew. Standing in front of me was a fame and power hungry asshole and definitely not him.
The next moment the drums were beaten and silence returned. The bull was pushed onto the fire in front of Eurybia's statue. The priests began to say loud prayers in an ancient language that was not understandable to us normal believers.
A few of the veiled priests began to play flutes and the fire under the bull gradually turned blue. The blue flames surrounded the animal and white smoke rose into the air.
Suddenly the flesh of the bull dissolved and was thrown into the air with the smoke where it disappeared. All that remained was the bald skeleton of the huge creature.
The crowd cheered in delight and clapped their hands loudly.
I felt sick. What kind of ritual is this?