**Kuro**
Cherhom. So, that was the old name of Equality, lost in the passage of time, along with its people's faith in the saints.
"…"
And also, a land filled with abandoned settlements…villages long forgotten, where giants and dwarves lived. When the fog cover was lifted, Lily and I was utterly silent for a long while, unsure of what we should do. Before us, great ruins of a giant village made from polished megaliths and woven, though never decayed, thatch stood as a reminder of that lost era. Smashed potteries, enormous burnt wooden tables, and broken chairs lay scattered around the place, as if it was a recent victim of an enemy raid.
"…"
However, there were no bodies, or at least, skeletons. One would think that because the organic materials like wood and thatch were preserved by that magic-laden fog, we would see corpses of giants. But, just as what the dwarves and Lady Martelle said, they disappeared long ago. No one knew what happened to them.
Still, my curiosity at the huge ruin is already piqued.
"What happened here?" were Lily's first words after our mute amazement. I guess we both have the same sentiments; we wanted to know the events that led to the scenery before us. "The giants disappeared because they were attacked long ago?"
"And who will attack them with such devastation?" I chimed in my questions, removing possibilities that could be answered early on. "I don't think the dwarves, no matter how many they are, will be able to mount a powerful force enough to cause this."
Lady Martelle was silent, however. Instead of answering us, she just went forward to some unknown place in the ruins, devoid of the thick vegetation that greeted us when we exited the dwarf tunnels. Of course, not wishing to lose our only guide, we came after her. And she led us to another clearing…
"…"
Or make that a clearing with many free-standing megaliths. It's as if we're looking at some sort of a cemetery.
"It's because it is one, Kuro," the dwarf lady finally spoke, confirming my hunches. "You and the Princess keep asking about the disappearance of my people; well, here are some of them, buried under these megaliths—as what you call the stones marking their graves."
Naturally, Lily and I had nothing else to say other than to stand in awe of what we saw and learned. But Lady Martelle continued…
"The giants disappeared after they were killed," she revealed. "And their murderer had no stomach to leave their bodies where they were slain. Thus, this cemetery came to exist."
"Your…Holiness, when you say murderer, you mean…"
"Yes, Princess," the dwarf nodded. "I killed them with my hands; the giants…my people. No one knew what was coming…"
----------
***The city of Hemelin…***
Running across the near-empty hallways of the Grand Temple of the Golden Hammer was a messenger. His leather armor showed everyone that he belonged to the scouts of the army of the Church, and on his hand was a dwarven 'smartphone.' Passing by several 'checkpoints' of the temple guards, he forced himself in the office of the Chief Security Officer of the Golden Hammer. Farah Koh and her commanders immediately stopped on whatever they were doing, and focused their attention on the new arrival.
"Miss Koh!" the messenger said in-between his breaths. "There's something you should see!"
The dwarf chief of security took the smartphone and looked unto the picture on the screen. She asked the scout, "What is this? Some sort of a jungle?"
"Miss! That's…no jungle!" the young dwarf countered. "It is the forests at the foot of the mountains of Hemelin!"
Tense silence enveloped the room. Miss Koh and the other commanders exchanged bewildered stares as the 'incredible' words of the messenger sunk into their minds. One of the commanders then broke the ice, "Are you telling us that the clouds are gone? That we can now see what is beneath the mountains?"
"Sir, come with me! You have to see it to believe! Even I—nor my captain—can't believe our eyes at first! So, they sent us, including me, to make sure that it is true! And it is true!"
As the messenger's insistence couldn't be ignored, Miss Koh and her commanders went outside to check on his words. They were still some distances away from the gates, but they could already see the shocked and bewildered throng of dwarves rushing to any viewing decks, or edge of the city surface, to look at the vast land that was hidden by the clouds for a long time. And, true enough, Miss Farah Koh was awed by the lush, green scenery below them as far as their eyes could see.
"This is…" one of her commanders blurted out. "…so, this is Equality's land!"
However, the jungle was not the only part of Equality that was worth their attention. The lush forests of the land of the dwarves was dotted by ruins; Miss Koh herself could tell that it was created not by dwarven hands.
"Those ruins," another commander directed their eyes towards it. "Do you think those are giant villages?"
"It must be,' Miss Koh replied. "I mean, from its size, it's impossible for our people to have done it…even with the technology we have today."
"So that appearance of a giant several days ago…"
"No, it's impossible," the dwarf security lady shook her head. "Even the previous Dwarf Saint—who is a giant—know that her people had long disappeared. And if those giants are still alive, those ruins will not be 'ruins.'"
"But what is the meaning of this?"
"I don't know as well," Miss Koh turned back and walked away from the viewing deck. "However, if there's something I should be concerned about, it's the war I'm currently fighting."
----------
***Cherhom, during the time of the Giants…***
"At the beginning of the ages, the land was empty and barren. The winds scatter the dust from the west to east, north to south, and the gray heavens look upon its shores. The almighty Gaius, gazing at the dreadful grayness, called upon his wife Arame, and together they created the white light of the sky.
The ages had begun.
Gaius lay with his wife Arame, and she bore him twins, Enver and Noctir. Enver was a great hunter, and from him, the trees came forth and covered the vast land. Noctir was gifted with wisdom, and from her sprang the skills of magic. They were the first-born; the forebears of the elves.
Then Gaius slept with his wife once again, thus, the ever-persevering Yuvis was born. He was a child of the earth, a skilled worker of the land's riches. From him, mountains, hills, valleys, and plains were formed. His children were henceforth called the dwarves.
In their desire to sire a child that was perfect, Gaius laid with Arame yet another time, and she bore the powerful Tehmon from this union. Tehmon possessed a strength that could level mountains and raise the seas, yet she remained a gentle soul. She loved the earth, and from it came the creatures that walked the land. When Tehmon took for herself a husband, their descendants were the firstborn of the Beastmen.
Gaius' desire for the perfect child never left him. He wanted a babe that could gain the wisdom of the heavens and possessed the strength equal to the gods. While his children Noctir and Tehmon have those qualities, he dreamed of a child that has both. So, he slept with his wife once again.
But Arame's sister, Vanya, disguised herself and bore Gaius a son, Hanno. Hanno grew up to be both powerful and wise, but he dared to raise his hands against the gods, first against his siblings and then his father. In the end, he was defeated and was cast out."
"You're reading that book again from Cherwind, Helgath?"
The young giant turned to the person who asked, which was no other than her mother. The Lady Glenheim was one of the giant 'lore keepers,' equivalent to the demon 'scholars' for her race. Her daughter, Helgath, was being groomed to follow her footsteps, and eventually became a 'medicine priestess' like Helgath's grandmother.
"I just find this book fascinating, mother," Helgath replied as she returned to its pages. "The beastmen recorded the story of the Lord Gaius in a wrong way. I can't believe that the Lady Arame even has a sister! Where did they get that? And who's Hanno?"
"Beats me," the Lady Glenheim shrugged. "Look, they even wrote that the Lord Yuvis was the forebears of the dwarves! We are the rightful heirs of the Lord Yuvis; we, people of the stone, are his descendants! You must remember that."
"But why did they write this book when it's full of errors?"
"I don't know myself, young one," the giant lady admitted. "However, just like what your grandmother used to tell me when I have the same questions, these things happened too far in the past that memories of people often get mixed up, and we don't know which is which."
"Won't that make mistakes?"
"It surely will, Helgath. However, the Lord Gaius is just and understanding. He knows our hearts, so even if we remembered things wrong, he will forgive us because we did not intend for it to happen in the first place."
"I see…" the young giant nodded.
"That's why your grandmother and I offered you to him," the Lady Glenheim caressed her daughter's hair. "You will be like us, who serve the god who made this land and the others, like Chersea."
"Yes, that's why I'm studying the faith of the other lands and races," Helgath reiterated, and then fell silent.
The Lady Glenheim knew that once her daughter became like that, she had something in mind. So, she asked, "Tell me, Helgath, what bothers you?"
"Hmm…if the humans came from the Lady Ava, the beastmen from the Lady Tehmon, the elves from the Lady Noctir, the stone people from the Lord Yuvis, and…as this book says, the demons from this certain Lord Hanno, then where did the dwarves come from?"
"That's a good question, Helgath," the giant lady admitted after a period of silence. "Even your grandmother can't answer that question."
"Didn't the Lord Gaius create them, too?"
"I doubt it, young one!" the Lady Glenheim replied. "In the first place, the Lord Gaius will never make a creature so small and weak only for us to eat."
"Small and weak, huh?" Helgath's gaze fell inadvertently to a small cage in her room, where a dwarf was kept as a pet. "Don't you think they awfully look like small humans, mother?"
"Hmm…now that you mention it, I think they do," the giant lady chuckled. "However, humans can think and speak. And we can negotiate with them; the dwarves are dumb and fragile. So, I guess they're meant to be like that, creatures for us to eat and/or keep as pets."
The young giant only stared at the dwarves in her room. Seeing that she gave her daughter a satisfactory answer, the Lady Glenheim told her, "Alright, Helgath, you should drink your medicine now before you sleep."
Saying nothing, Helgath obeyed. Then, after that, she laid on her bed, tucked under the blanket by her mother, before the Lady Glenheim went out of her room. Once far from Helgath's ears, she was met by the Lady Animia, her mother, who inquired about her granddaughter's condition.
"What did Helgath tell you?" was the old giant's question.
"She still believes the dwarves can talk, mother," the giant lady's reply. "I don't know how it started, but Helgath sincerely thinks she can communicate with those creatures."
"Maybe you should remove those dwarves in her room," the Lady Animia suggested. "I guess her sickness is affecting her head. That might help her heal."
"I don't know mother!" Helgath's mother bemoaned. "If I remove those pets in her room, Helgath will surely be mad. It's her memories of her father, after all."
----------
***Meanwhile, in Helgath's room…***
Once her mother disappeared, Helgath rose from her bed and approached the dwarf cage. There, a female dwarf was kept as her pet, which was caught before by her deceased father. "My mother says you can't talk," she told the little creature. "That you're supposed to be dumb and meant to be eaten or as our pets. Tell me, Basuji, am I talking to a delusion?"
"No, you're not, Lady Helgath," the dwarf finally spoke. "I'm just keeping silent so as your mother and grandmother won't think of me as some evil-possessed creature. At least, compared to them, you have an open mind to these things."
"Really, huh?"
The dwarf called Basuji nodded. "And honestly, I can't thank you more than enough for the countless times you saved me from being eaten. First from your father, then your mother and grandmother. Surely, my people will forever look at this favor of yours."
"Well, aside that you're a gift from my father, I find your wisdom interesting," Helgath admitted. "If possible, I'd like to spend my life listening to you!"
"Thank you for that, milady!" Basuji bowed. "However, since you've been a great friend of mine, can I trust you with a secret?"
The young giant's eyes widened in surprise. "Ooh! What is it?"
"Well, you have to promise me first that you'll be a friend to my people forever," the dwarf countered. "And being a friend to my people means…"
"I won't eat them! Not one of you, ever!" Helgath continued on her words. "Besides, I find dwarf dishes quite disgusting…especially now that I'm talking to you."
"Alright, I get what you mean," Basuji chuckled. "Now, as for the secret I'll entrust you, Lady Helgath, you have to understand that once you learned of this, your life will be prolonged."
"Oh?! You mean I'll get healthy?"
The dwarf shook her head. "Not really like that, for it is another secret. But, well…you see, milady, as I said before, you've been a good friend to my people. And I wanted that to remain forever. As such, I'll pass you my secret, so when I move on to my next life, you'll become me. You deserve it, my friend."
Helgath was silent. Ever since she was young, she was already aware of her sickly condition, thus, she rarely went out of their home. Her father, one of the hunters for their village, was the one who 'showed' the outside world to her, while her mother and grandmother kept her 'alive' with all the medicines and knowledge they knew. Now the promise of a prolonged life was attractive, even though Basuji made her understand she wouldn't get 'too healthy.'
But the promise of avoiding death, thus, making her mother happy, is there.
"Alright then," Helgath happily agreed, "…pass your secret unto me!"
----------
For the young Helgath, the ability to control the soil, rocks, and stones was a pleasant surprise for her. Much to her delight, Basuji confessed that she was the Dwarf Saint, one of the powerful beings assigned to guide Chersea and the lands connected to it after the Lord Gaius stepped down as god. The holy lady passed her 'god-powers' to her, after looking into her heart and decided that she was a worthy successor. And because of that, her life was prolonged, and her body did become healthier enough for her to walk short distances from their house.
Her family, starting from her grandmother, were a lineage of giants that could use magic. Of course, Helgath could cast spells at an early age, though her body condition limited her mana pool. Upon receiving the god-powers, however, she began impressing her fellow giants by her 'skills' in detecting where to mine good stones for their tools, clay for the repair of their homes, and even grow food to keep her village from starving. And, it was a welcome change for the Lady Glenheim and Animia…though, they were also bewildered by the powers their youngest member displayed.
Nevertheless, Helgath kept her promise to Basuji. Even when she could see the vast network of dwarf tunnels in some hills that surrounded her village just by her feet touching the ground, she misled the other giants from these places, much to the delight of the Dwarf Saint. Still, though the giant girl did her best to protect the dwarves, some of her people found these settlements and raided them for food and for pets.
"…"
Of course, that didn't escape Helgath's attention.
"Mother, why would the hunters keep coming back for those hills when my magic can provide them with food?" she asked one time, when her mother was in her room.
"I don't really know, Helgath," she replied, obviously avoiding the topic. "I guess some of our people can't resist the taste of dwarf meat?"
"But I can give them food if they'll just ask!"
"Helgath," the Lady Glenheim's voice was firm. "There are some things you shouldn't peer your head into, or you'll suffer consequences. Please say that you understand."
"I'm sorry, mother," the young giant countered. "I can understand you well. However, what puzzles me is that our hunters keep looking for dwarf meat when I can just provide for their food with my magic!"
"I said, you stop doing it! Stop asking those questions!" the giant lady raised her voice. "Is this about your delusions of those dwarves talking to you? Your sickness is getting worse, Helgath!"
"It's not a delusion, mother!" Helgath insisted, blurting out, "The dwarves…I can really understand them! They even gave this power to me! Not only it did prolong my life; it also gave me control over anything that is made of stone, rock or soil!"
"Silence!" the Lady Glenheim slapped her. "I told your father that keeping a dwarf pet is a bad idea! But he wouldn't listen!" The giant lady then stormed towards the cage where Basuji was kept. Helgath, horrified of what she was about to witness, rushed to her mother's side.
"Mother! Please stop!" she pleaded, trying to reach towards the cage that was already in the Lady Glenheim's hands. "That dwarf is from father! Don't take it away from me!"
"This abhorrent creature is poisoning your mind!" the giant lady bellowed. She caught the shocked Basuji and brought her out the cage. "Let me clear your mind, Helgath! Stay away and watch!" At that moment, she pushed her daughter away, causing the young giant to fall on the floor. Helgath attempted to lunge at her mother, but it was too late.
"!!!"
Much to her horror, the Lady Glenheim threw Basuji on the stone floor and crushed the Dwarf Saint with her foot. Helgath went stiff for a moment, as her hands glowed emerald green.
"B-Basuji…" was the first word she uttered, as her mother went to her side to console her. "You…You killed my friend."
"It's all over now, Helgath. That creature cannot poison your thoughts anymore."
"You're the one who kills them! Your kind is the poison of this land!" Helgath screamed, and the intensity of the emerald green glow went blindingly bright. Just before she lost consciousness, the young giant saw the stones, rocks and soil fly, as if being blown by a powerful gale.
----------
When her senses returned, Helgath saw the ruins of her village.
"…"
Mangled corpses of her fellow giants littered the streets, and every house she used to know was destroyed or burned beyond recognition. Still, what caught her immediate attention was her hands, which still glowed in a gentle, emerald green light.
And then, the memories of what happened flash before her eyes.
"!!!"
Rushing to her home—or what was left of it, she could only make out a few traces of blood and gore from the ruins…the remains of her mother, grandmother and Basuji, or perhaps, some other victim. Helgath's eyes fell on her hands once again. One conclusion came to her mind…I killed my family.
At once, a surge of sadness, anger, and hatred flowed into her. Helgath wanted to blame someone, but she couldn't, for she knew she only has herself to blame. The god-powers killed them! She repeatedly told herself as tears fell from her eyes. These god-powers destroyed my village!
"I won't say something like that to a holy power that is granted to you, even though you didn't deserve it."
"!!!" The young giant turned towards the source of the voice she just heard, and behind her was a lady—with the same size as a human and had a rapier as thin as a needle on her hand. "Who are you?" she asked.
"I'm a fellow saint," the lady in black answered. "And though I don't like giving my name to you, I am Seirna Stephanie, the Overseer Saint. From now on, since the Lady Basuji is already dead, you'll be the new Dwarf Saint."
"B-But…I killed my people…"
"I can't see how is that my problem, kid. In the first place, you're the one who agreed to take a portion of Lady Basuji's god-powers," Seirna explained. "And since you have no worshippers yet, it went berserk. You really should've listened to your mother and remained the innocent little giant girl you are."
"Will I…ever be forgiven by my mother?"
"Who knows?" the Overseer Saint shrugged. "Only the gods knew where the dead goes. And if you ask me, you really did annihilate your race with that berserk god-power. I guess you can just suck it up, and become the Dwarf Saint in place of Lady Basuji."
At that point, unbeknownst to Seirna, Helgath was about to cry. And her unkind words were not of help either; the moment she said to the young giant to 'suck it up, and become the Dwarf Saint,' it was then that the latter bawled her heart out.
"…" Of course, the Overseer Saint didn't like that. And she could see through the giant's heart, filled with regret, confusion and fear. Not wishing to be the asshole she thought she was for treating the giant like that, Seirna shook her head in disbelief, and sighed. "Hey, Helgath, is it? Look, I have some magic circle with me that can erase some of your memories related to this tragedy. If you want, we can just forget everything that has happened here, and I'll cast another spell to have this place covered by a fog so you won't remember. It's just that, if you return to this place, and use your god-powers, the spell will be broken, and all the painful memories you have will return. Are you okay with that?"
Helgath nodded, but said, "Will you let me bury my people before you cast that?"
The expression in Seirna's eyes changed from annoyed to gentle. "Alright, I'll wait for you to finish that."
----------
**Kuro, the present day…**
My heart was…heavy, after listening to Lady Helgath's story. And though, she was speaking through her 'golem,' Lady Martelle, I couldn't help but want to just…well, you know, embrace her. The tragedy that happened to her and her people was too much to bear, and I guess no words were enough to heal her pain.
"That is also why…now that my memories are returning, the reason for my 'inactivity' as a Saint," the dwarf lady continued. "I…abhorred this god-power. And though the Lady Seirna caused me to forget it for a long time, the resentment remained. And that also caused for the dwarves to look for someone else to guide them. I am alone."
Lily was crying, too. She just held the dwarf in her arms, while sobbing on the latter's shoulders.
"Your Holiness…"
"Kuro?"
"I don't know what to say."
"I can see through your heart, so no worries."
"No…" I insisted. "I wanted to help you, see? Yet, I don't know how."
Lady Martelle shook her head. "There's no hope in my situation," she tried to laugh it off. "Still, knowing that you guys won't judge me for my mistakes is heartening. I mean, being a Saint for a long time now, I've seen the attitudes of mortals enough for me to say that if it is other people, they might've left me out of fear. So, well…you know…" The dwarf lady smiled, "T-Thanks…I guess. Now I understand why Prince Uhrian is so adamant in having me accompany you."
Looking at Lady Martelle/Helgath made me realize the reasons behind her 'toughness.' It was actually a façade, meant to hide the pain she was enduring all these times; her loneliness as the only giant alive, her separation from the only mortal she loved, and the disappointment of the dwarves on her rule as their saint.
I want to help her…and I will help her.
"…"
Though, first, we have to get out of this sad place immediately.