On the third day of Saharl, in the year fifteen hundred fifty-seven, a terrifying rumor spread through Alarna. It was said that their neighboring town, Cerus, had been destroyed by beasts, and that the guards who had been there hadn’t encountered any living citizens. Worse yet, the Alarna soldiers who had been there in search of criminals were seemingly killed as well. Dozens of parents, siblings, and children would never return to their loved ones. Many were mourning, and even more were uncertain about their future.
If the rumors were to be believed, the guards had encountered a beast that had talked to them before attacking, and they hadn’t been able to injure it. Beasts were frightening to begin with, but the thought that there might be one the guards were helpless against shook people. The citizens of Alarna were largely living in blissful ignorance of the more dangerous parts of this world, and for many this was the first time they saw themselves confronted with such a threat. Even if the soldiers might not be able to save everyone every time, the citizens believed that they would at least be able to neutralize any threat. Now, however, a town not far from their own had been attacked by beasts, and even though soldiers of Alarna had been there, it seemed that Cerus had not stood any chance.
Even though it was a workday, the town came to a standstill. Practically anyone who didn’t have a critical role to fulfill ended up spreading the news, talking to others, or going home to their family, fearing that their town might be next.
Some pointed out that their town would surely be safe, since it had been blessed by Lilly, but not everybody was convinced yet. This was still a relatively recent development, and if these beasts were too strong for the guards, who knew whether the blessing would stop them. Still, the so-called “True Angel of Alarna” had accomplished more than anyone before her in regards to making Alarna and the surrounding Wildlands a safer place. Enough people had seen her by now that the stories about her couldn’t just be rumors. She was real, and if the beasts were to come here, the general consensus was that she might be their best chance for survival. Not only because of her blessings, but also because she and her followers were supposedly strong enough to actually kill this new enemy. They were their hope. If only they could be certain that she would come to their aid.
The mood in town shifted in the afternoon, when more news started to spread, with some people going as far as running through the streets and announcing them to anyone who would listen. Tomorrow, Lilly would make an appearance in the main square, and she was explicitly inviting every single citizen to come, to address them on various topics, such as this new type of beast. Finally, they would be able to see her with their own eyes, judge her not just based on rumors, and maybe, just maybe, she would be able to tell them more about this enemy. After all, she was rumored to tell people the truth about what was going on, unlike the town’s leaders, who tried to protect the people by essentially telling them nothing at all. In times of apparent peace, most citizens appreciated this, but it irked them to not know what was going on when their lives were on the line.
Night came and went, and by the next morning, basically anyone in town knew about Lilly. And even if someone managed to not hear about it, they would be greeted by empty buildings and streets when they went out, as everyone attempted to get a good spot at the main square, hours before the appointed time. The area was easily large enough for hundreds of people, and thousands if they moved closer together. Today, however, the main square was entirely maxed out, and some people had to stand on the streets leading into the square. Those who were close enough to see the center were a little annoyed, because it was occupied by guards who had reserved a small area for a group of seemingly wealthy people and temple personnel. Had this area been available to anyone, there would’ve been space for dozens more people. Very few cared that the people who sat in that area included the king, the High Priest, and Hope, though people weren’t brave enough to actually confront them either.
Eventually, a bell rang, announcing to everyone that it was noon. Many stretched their necks and turned their heads left and right, trying to see if anyone appeared anywhere, but nothing happened. The bell kept ringing, and with every passing second, the murmurs of the people grew louder.
“Do you really think she’ll come?”
“Is she late?”
“Lilly! I believe in you! Where are you?”
“I knew this was all just a stupid rumor! How would some girl do all these things!?”
As the bell fell silent after its eighth ring, the voices grew louder yet, until everyone in the square suddenly stopped, when water shot into the air from somewhere in the south and rained down upon them.
“They’re here!” someone shouted.
“They??” shouted another.
The sea of people parted, creating a path from the main street to the center of the main square, and people watched in awe, as a pretty, young woman lowered her hood and walked down the path with a benevolent smile. However, many had already heard descriptions of Lilly, and what surprised people more were the four people following after her. They were all wearing temple robes and their faces were obscured by their hoods, but one could make out that two of them seemed to be young men. There was also a young child, however, which didn’t quite fit into this group, and what looked like a young woman with a missing leg, using walking aids nobody had ever seen. Some looked at the handicaped woman in displeasure, but most were simply curious why she was alive and what she was doing here with the divine messenger.
As the procession got closer to the center, many eyes turned to the king and the High Priest, who stayed seated, seemingly waiting for Lilly and her followers to walk up to them. However, when the group reached the point where they would’ve had to enter the center area, they turned to the right and walked on, around the free space, without so much as a glance towards the leaders.
While the king looked at them with a perplexed expression, the High Priest finally got up from his ornate chair and pointed at Lilly. “You! You will come before us and explain what all this is!”
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When Lilly didn’t react, he angrily waved his hand and a guard stepped up to grab her by the arm, at which point the group came to a sudden halt.
“Who do you think you are!?”
The smile didn’t fade from the young woman’s face as she leaned in and whispered something to the guard and his eyes went wide. Hesitantly, he glanced back at the High Priest and finally let go of her arm, prompting the group to resume their walk towards the temple, with people moving out of the way as they went.
“What are you doing!?” the High Priest yelled at the guard and then looked after the group angrily, as it disappeared into the crowd.
“I’m sorry, sir...” was all he got from the guard in response.
The king finally got up as well at this point and looked on, his expression a mix of confusion and curiosity, while some in the center tried to follow the group. Particularly people from the temple, who were trying to act on the High Priest’s behalf. However, they had a hard time making their way through the crowd, who were largely ignoring them. Ultimately, all of them stayed in the center, as their private viewing area, from where they watched Lilly climb the stairs of the small stage in front of the temple, which had been built to announce Hope’s ascension to the world not long ago.
Had the king wanted to, he could’ve forced his way through the masses, or instructed the guards stationed at the temple to apprehend the group. The High Priest could’ve tried more as well, but both of them also knew that it would be a bad idea to aggravate this group at this point. They had misjudged the situation. Given their station, they had been certain that Lilly would approach them first when they stood before her, so they could finally discuss how to improve the town for everybody and how to handle this new threat, which was a danger to all of humanity. Neither of them had seen coming that she might ignore them entirely.
They also knew better than anyone what this girl was capable of, not to mention the surprising reveal that a boy and a young girl were apparently among her followers. These three would be able to kill dozens, if not hundreds, in the blink of an eye. They thought they were waiting for one girl, who they might’ve been able to contain, even to the displeasure of the citizens, but this group was too dangerous. Unfortunately they also hadn’t known where exactly Lilly would come from, only where she was supposed to be at noon. Otherwise they could’ve set a trap somewhere, but there weren’t enough human resources to do that all around town. It had seemed like a better option to concentrate the men around the main square, until more and more people arrived and made acting decisively much more difficult. At this point, all they could really do was wait and see what would happen.
Lilly finally took the podium, with her four followers lining up behind her. The main square was dead silent as she started speaking in a raised voice that traveled over the entire main square.
“Citizens of Alarna! Thank you for following my invitation on such short notice! I’m delighted to see so many of you here. My name is Lilly, and during my Calling ritual, the gods have called upon me to become the true divine messenger, after the temple of Alarna so brazenly announced someone for this role who merely imitates their power! Most of you have undoubtedly heard about me and my story, as well as what I can do! However, there shall be no doubt about my abilities!”
Lilly raised her right arm above her head and a white figure appeared from within, rising up and spreading its arms. Once its hands were in position, they produced streams of water that fell to the floor like small waterfalls, and many people started murmuring once more, while others stared at the display slack jawed. People had heard about her producing water, as well as the Worshipper calling sign some had seen, but this figure making water flow from its incorporeal hands looked like a literal divine being had visited and blessed them with water. Her powers were genuine and far beyond what Hope had ever shown. Even if she were a divine messenger, it was clear to anyone that Lilly was superior.
“Despite how I was treated by the temple, I have decided to use the abilities the gods have given me, to do the work they intended for me! You have heard about the new state of the Wildlands around Alarna, which have been free of beasts for the first time in history! It is, in fact, safe enough out there for anyone to take a stroll through nature! At least that would be the case, were it not for the reason I decided to come here today, sooner than expected.
“The other rumors you have heard are also true! Cerus was attacked by a group of beasts, and many have died, trying to defend the town! This new type of beast is stronger and smarter than the known variants, and traditional weapons are barely effective against them! However! These monsters are but a last test by the gods, and they are no threat to me and my companions! We have fought them more than once, and I needed to come here to tell you to not be afraid! We want to work together with all of you to fend off this last threat and turn Alarna into a safe zone! A paradise! Blessed by the gods!”
Cheers erupted from the crowd, and many hailed Lilly as their savior, as they looked at the group with hopeful eyes. There was nothing to fear. Someone was finally doing something against the beast threat, both the ones people were familiar with, as well as the new ones. This could only mean that a new, golden age for Alarna was upon them. Some even started imagining what it would be like to set foot outside the walls for the first time in their lives in the near future.
“There is but one problem!” Lilly announced, and the crowd was momentarily shocked silent once more. “We do not recognize your leaders, who have perverted the will of the gods, and who only think of their own benefit, instead of their citizens’! In the eyes of your leaders, everyone on this stage is a criminal, who should be put to death!”
Finally, Lilly’s followers removed their hoods as well and revealed their faces, which many recognized. Some had seen Tomar and Riala on their way to prison, some recognized them based on descriptions, some had heard rumors about the king’s niece getting killed by beasts, and some knew Reurig.
“B-Berla!?” a woman in the center of the square screamed.
“Riala!!” came another scream from somewhere in the crowd.
“A boy, who was blessed before me, to make Alarna a better place, was to be put to death, because he was seen as a threat to your leaders’ power! A little girl of not even ten years was to be killed alongside him, because she wanted to help her friend! A young woman, who was gravely injured while carrying out orders, would be put to rest in this town, only because she would supposedly not be of use anymore! And a young man, who only ever sought a peaceful life, would have to die because he didn’t want to risk his life any longer, carrying out orders that only benefited his superior! And finally, myself, who would be sentenced to death for assaulting guards, when I had to flee from the temple to save my life!! Is this just!?
“All five of us have been born and raised in this town, and we love it with all our heart! Despite how we were treated, we want to see it flourish! We want to see the world open up and become a place where everybody can live in peace! Where nobody has to fear for their life, and where everybody can do what they like! But we believe that will not be possible under the current leadership, who would attack us as soon as they had the chance! It is time for you to decide who you will follow into the future!”
Hundreds of heads turned toward the center of the square, displeasure clear on their faces, and the people there finally realized how screwed they really were.