As they were saying their prayers, the rain mixed with their sweat run down their body, from their back to the ground. They didn’t seem to care about the mud that was dirtying their faces or even notice.
Mark was looking at this when he heard the voice, but something was different this time. ‘It almost sounds its excited.’
He saw a very thin, golden thread rise from Aileen. It stretched toward him and sunk inside of him. It went straight for the flame of desire and attach itself. And slowly other threads rose and came from the others and attach themselves to the same place.
He looked at the flame of desire, especially at the HAGALAZ rune, which seemed brighter than usual. It felt almost alive. When he focused on it, a red, blazing screen wove itself in front of him.
[DIVINE NAME: GOD OF FLAMES]
[TITLE: SAVIOR OF THE LOST]
[Churches/Temples: 0]
[SOURCE ENERGY: 54]
[MIRACLE: Blessing, Curses, Emberstep]
Before he could comprehend the meaning of each of them, he got pulled into an illusion of Aileen’s entire life until now. He also experienced the entire life of the others.
He now understood what they were saying at the end. ‘Me? A god? I’m just an unlucky soul. Give me a break.’ Thought Mark, shocked. But as he thought about it more, he realized this might be an opportunity for him. ’This might be for the best. I just have to pretend long enough to get all the information I need. This, what were they called again, the auburn Vulpine tribe, might help me, but they are exiled from their clan. This might be tricky.’
He looked at them in silence. Neither side spoke. Bathing the moment in silence. The only sound they could only hear was Raheem’s groaning and crackling of the fire.
‘And there are gods in this world. I need to be care not to get caught or maybe I could ask them for help. If only they would hear or listen to my prayer.’ He thought. ‘That wolf I killed was a pup.’ The guilt of unknowingly causing them harm lingered within him, particularly as he anticipated the arrival of the wolf's pack in the village.
‘Maybe I can help them.’
When he turned his attention towards them, the foxes appeared rigid, as if their spirits had departed their bodies.
‘Why aren’t they moving? Do I have to say something? What would a god say in this situation?’
The silence stretched, oppressive, and the longer it went, the more unnatural it seemed. He had to act, to say something, anything.
“Rise,” he commanded, hoping it was enough. “I have heard your prayers,” he announced.
The words hung in the air, echoing. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. He felt the tension gnawing at him, and he was sure they saw through his deception. But then, slowly, their bodies relaxed. The rigid tension in their limbs softened, and the blank stares faded. One by one, they raised their heads, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, with a strange emotion mixed in their eyes, but mostly it was fear.
He felt the tension leave him.
“Please, help us get home,” Said Brian, his voice shaking.
Mark was confused. He didn’t know why they feared him. He just saved their lives. They should have been happy. And thankful.
But he did say anything. After looking at them, he caused the fire to divide into two firewalls that spread towards their village, engulfing the trees and animals in the way.
Aileen and Alan picked Raheem and started to walk nervously. Their legs were shaking, their hands trembling. Raheem’s body felt as heavy as a mountain. Brian and Garret led the way, thinking they would have to defend them, but no creature came at them. All the animals were running away from the fire that had suddenly spurted.
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The sun was a setting and night was descending bring a river of stars with it. But the dark cloud that refused to go away covered it and kept pouring a torrent of rain. But none of the rain seemed to reach the group, the fire burning anything that was coming into its vicinity.
They walked for a night and a day without rest. They would switch places carrying Raheem’s body after sometime, who still hasn’t woken up, but his fever was high and increasing by the hour.
“We need to get to the herbalist…fast,” said Brian, looking at him with a worried expression.
“I don’t think he could save him. His has lost a lot of blood,” said Garret.
They said nothing as they walked the rest of the way. They felt an intense gaze on their back. Their glances around the fire were mostly to see if the god was there, but they saw nothing. No matter where they looked, they couldn’t find where the gaze was coming from.
When they reached the edge, they saw a group of ten guards and the Chief standing at the gate in a distance. They couldn’t make out who anyone was. They only notice the chief because of his dress.
It was raining here too, but with less intensity than it was in the forest. The fire burned a road of some sort that was wide enough for twenty people to fit in at the same time. Then it slowly receded to the center, extinguishing itself.
Aileen and the others looked back when the heat was gone to see the fire retreat and released a sigh of relief. They felt grateful that he had saved them, but after what they saw when they prayed to him; they were terrified.
The heavy rain had turned the earth to a thick, clinging mud. Chief Talon stood on the battlement, hands gripping his soaked cloak, his eyes sharp but weary as they pierced through the downpour. When the figures emerged from the forest, his heart clenched. Brian leading them. They carried a body. For a moment, hope flicked in his eyes, then drained like water through his fingers as he saw the body wasn’t her.
“Open the gates,” he yelled.
He stepped forward, but his movements were halting, like a man walking on unsteady ground. Disappointment twisted his features, bitter and brief. He stopped, biting his lips, a guilty weight settling in his chest. His eyes flicked to his daughter in the distance—alive, too alive.
Another step, and now he was closer. The relief in his expression was almost imperceptible, a fleeting sigh. But with that relief came the hollow throb of regret, self-reproach gnawing at him. He didn’t want her to die, not really, ‘what right does she have to stand there, breathing, when—’
His jaws tightened, hands trembling as he lead his way to them. He reached them shortly after and saw the body was Raheem.
The eyes of the others were bloodshot from sleeplessness. They were dragging their bodies and were relieved, their faces brightening up a bit when they saw the chief. Except Aileen, who had lowered her head when she saw him.
“How is his conditions?” asked Talon.
“Not good, chief,” answered Brian.
The others kept quiet.
“A guard will take him to the herbalist.”
“But—”
“You have a report to make.”
They walked to the gate without talking.
Aileen would steal glances at her father from time to time, but he showed no concern for her and never asked if she was hurt. He didn’t even look at her throughout their walk to the gate. She bit her lip until it bled, but the rain washed the blood away.
When they reached the gate, Talon ordered one guard to take Raheem to the herbalist. He then took the group to the chief’s hall.
The council was already waiting for them, sitting in a semi-circle. The chief took his sit. Three to his left and three to his right.
All looked at the group with their wet furs, bloodshot eyes, and torn armors with wound all over their bodies. But it seems like they took care of most of those wounds. When they saw that, all the council members turned to Aileen, who still had her head low.
“So, did you find any trace of the Nightshrouds?” asked one of the council member without letting them catch a breath.
“No.” Answered Brian with a strained voice.
“What happened?” asked Talon.
Brain stepped forward, “something attacked us. They wouldn’t die no matter how many times or which part we cut off. They always stood up like nothing happened. Some scouts that went missing were…among them.” He took a deep breath to calm his nerve. “Only Aileen’s flame could kill them.”
The information seemed to stir the council more than the anticipated attack of the Nightshroud. They looked at Aileen, who was now looking at Brian in disbelief. Their eyes that were filled with concealed despise were now softened.
“Did she kill them all?”
“No, they were too many, and she was tired from healing Raheem.”
“Then how did you escape?”
“A help from god.”
When Brian uttered those words, the council fell silent. Then they immediately stood up and started to yelling for more information or asking which god it was or some other things, but through it all Talon was silent. He watched Brian and the others. He tapped his chair once and the council member fell silence.
“Which god was it?” asked the Chief Talon.
After a brief moment of silence, Brian answered, “We don’t know.”
That send the council into panic mode and they started to accuse Brian of blasphemy.