The Oath (Kingdom)

XXI. Pagan

Thunderstorm was coming.

Air was warm and heavy, buzzing with something wild. She can feel her hair stood up with tension.

She was sitting on the porch, everything was dark, only light came from horizon. More and more often, lightning illuminated her surroundings with white light.

He wants sacrifice she promised to him. It was two weeks, since she prayed to father of gods, pleading for Yeong shin's life. When he was laying in front of her, wounded, weak and blind, she prayed and begged father of gods not to take him away from her.

He survived and now was her time to pay her price.

Hard lump was forming in her throat when she realised what she must do.

Nilah saw a lot of rituals, but never made one. But she was sure that He will hear her and accept her sacrifice no matter how she does it. He will hear her heart.

Loud thunder vibrates through the air when she made a fire. She mixed ash and white clay with water and paint her face and hands with runes of her ancient language.

Yeong shin was calmly sleeping inside the house and didn't knew about it. Maybe he will be scared if he saw her...

... But he cannot.

All he could see was darkness.

"Hail all-father, wise warrior, one eyed wanderer. Come, sit at my fire." She whispered to blinding lightings.

"Tell me your wisdom stories...the scenes your missing eye sees." Her blood was loud in her ears, beating of her heart screaming into the night.

"You, who choses the slain, look on my deeds. And when my times comes, to run the sky with you, let my end be worthy of songs."

She was nervous when she takes out sharp dagger that sparks in the light of flames and lightning. Her prayer was so strong she can feel presence of all-Father. For a second she thought she saw his broad silhouette between the trees. But it was just a shadow.

"in the meantime, let me understand sacrifice, think long, remember well..."

She laid her palm on the ground and her stomach cramps. Cold sweat run down her back.

"Odin witness this..." strong wind took words from her lips. She grips the dagger firmly and with one quick stab she cut of her little finger.

She wanted to be brave and not to cry, but the pain was overwhelming.

Blood spill the ground and sputter when she tosses her flesh to the flames. She watched it burn and felt painful pulsing in her new wound.

"Please, accept this humble sacrifice as a sign of my gratitude."

With last touch she paints a symbol over her lips with her own blood and finished her prayer.

When she raised sight from the flames, she saw him when the lightning strikes.

Sang-Ho's face between the trees illuminated by cold light was white as a moon. His eyes watching her like two hungry pits that wants to swallow her soul. His lips pale and bloodless.

It was just a blink of an eye and he was gone.

Nilah screamed and fall backwards on the ground, trying to stood up and run away, but her legs were suddenly like from mud. She held her knife in trembling hand but it was slipping from her fingers because of blood and sweat.

Her heart was beating so fast that her head was spinning and she felt sick.

And she run.

But she wasn't running for her life. It was vulnerable Yeong shin, alone what scared her more.