Cult of the Lamb : Rise of the Black Crown

Chapter 5.5: Regret

Mir̃alai watched in shock as Narinder continued on without Aym and Baal. She was sure that his servants would have been able to stop him. Bitter tears welled in her eyes as he walked past the gates.

"Good riddance." Caxton grumbled, crossing his arms. He looked back to Mir̃alai and his expression shifted to worry. "Leader, it will be okay... We can do without him, do not fret." He gave her an assuring smile. Mir̃alai shook her head, looking out at her Followers who seemed to be just as concerned as she was.

"We cannot, Caxton. We need him... I shouldn't have been so stubborn."

"No, Leader. Please, do not blame yourself. You finally put your foot down with him. He did not take it well, and he is running away because he could not handle having a stern authority. That is not your fault. We do not need him, I assure you. He left us his servants, and they were more helpful than he was anyway." Mir̃alai shook her head and limped back inside the temple feeling as if a hole had torn open in her chest. Deep regret began to overwhelm her, why had she been so intent on punishing him? It was at the cost of the Cults' welfare. Now their crops were dying, and she was down another Follower. Caxton followed her inside, "We can do this, Leader! Tell me what to do, and we will have it done!"

"I... I suppose do as Narinder suggested. Bring the mill and mine workers to the field to harvest. The Followers assigned to prayer as well."

"I agree that we can spare the mill and mine. But I do not advise moving the Followers assigned to prayer, devotion will aid in your healing."

"That is not what is important, Caxton. We need to save the harvest. All hands in the field."

"Very well, I will aid them." The rabbit nodded and ran out of the temple. Mir̃alai returned to her bedroom, laying in her bed. She trembled as she began to sob into her hands.

With every Follower in the field, they managed to save the year's harvest. Over the course of the next few weeks, Mir̃alai's injuries finally showed signs of healing. By the second month, she no longer needed to wear her bandages, and she could walk without assistance, though it still stung. She had begun holding sermons and rituals again, the faith and devotion aided her healing along even further. It seemed she had gotten things back under control just in time, as the first snow of the season was upon them. As the weather grew colder, she couldn't help but worry for Narinder. She wondered how he was doing on his own, if he was even still alive. Aym and Baal shared in her concerns, they offered to try and find him numerous times, but she refused. She needed them on the grounds, they were an invaluable source of aid. By mid-winter, Mir̃alai had recovered fully. She had even gone on a few crusades to gather more Followers. She had managed to collect six more, bringing their flock to fifteen. A much more comfortable number given how vast her grounds were. Despite the constant ache in her chest at Narinder's absence, she felt pride that she managed to overcome so many obstacles.