The Last Knights of Belhae

Setting off

The next morning I awoke to the shove of a steel plated boot against my chest, thrusting me to the floor. "Get up," a voice said, "we're already late." I stood, still groggy, and saw that Seirye was already gone. I had hoped she would stay to see me off, but it seems that she left before the morning sun. Left on the bed was a small piece of parchment. I would have reached for it, but I was more concerned with the stranger standing in front of me. I looked to see who the stranger was, a woman stood with an engraved greatsword across her back, covered head to toe in steel plate armor. I noticed the breastplate was flawless, yet the legs and arms were covered in chinks and scratches. Her hair was red, with stray gray hairs tightly braided. She stood very confidently, and stared at me with narrowed eyes.

    "You must be Marae?" I asked.

    "And you must be mad to sleep this late, we should have left at first light. Get your armor and gear and meet me outside the gates," she said, walking towards the door, "there will be plenty of time to talk on our little trip. Make haste and bring only essentials, we will have to travel light and fast to make up for lost time."

    She left the room and I slipped into my armor. How I wished I had received new armor as well as the warhammer, but I suppose my Runatan steel was just as good as any. I slung my pack over my shoulder and grabbed the parchment Seirye left and opened it to see what was written.

"Narifayne, I am sorry to leave before you wake, but if I were to stay through the morning I would surely try to convince you to remain here in Belhae with me. My promise to you still stands, I will await your return by the maple tree outside the city walls. Have courage, and show mercy when you are able. Most beasts are not beyond saving. Keep this note among your travels, to remind you of home when all else is foreign to you.

'From the banks of the river of life
A flower blooms but one night
The elk, a creature of hope
Passes through the dewy meadows
Where fate may act with joy and love

And at the first sight of her petals
The elk and she are joined forever
Spirits of nature intertwined eternal
The flower remains rooted
While the elk must travel on

His strides are long
Through valley and mountain;
He runs, to lands untold
To buck his great antlers
And conquer all that oppose him

The flower must wait
She refuses to bloom
Until the return of her elk
Where she will open again
And remain so forever'

Remain on your path, I will see you soon. -Seirye"

Perhaps it was foolish to put so much care into someone I hardly knew. But I was young, and in love. I tucked the note safely into my pack, this small memory would serve to be my greatest comfort in the days to come. I descended the winding staircase from the castle and exited through the gate, the keeper bringing down the barrier for my passing. I saw Marae there. She stood facing the rolling meadows and grazeland of central Belhae. When she saw me approach, she beckoned me forth and began walking, and so I followed.

"Lesson number one," she finally spoke, hours after we set off. For much of the journey so far, I could tell Marae was deep in thought. "Who is it that you serve?"

"What is it that you mean?"

"I fear that your hearing is already failing. Who is it that you serve?"

"I suppose Uana. She is the greatest god for all in Runata and it is whom I was raised to follow."

Marae stopped in her tracks. "Incorrect."

I was deeply confused. I stood next to her, awaiting an explanation.

"The King, and the kingdom, is who you serve. Putting your blind faith in gods will only lead to your inevitable doom. Worship is an excuse to not perfect skills, in the hope that in your time of need you will be miraculously saved."

"Am I to understand that you do not believe in the gods? Or is it that you have no faith?"

Mersoa began marching once more, "I believe the gods exist, yet I do not believe in them. I used to follow Uana as well, before I learned to rely on myself above all. Faith is something I have for myself and no others. You must learn, the only thing you should trust is the swing of your weapon. To place faith or trust in anyone, or anything, is leverage for your enemy. Trust not your friends, your family, do not even place your trust in me, and you will eliminate the weakness many fall to."

My mind's eye envisioned Seirye, how would our love blossom without trust? How could I learn from my mentor, when I was not supposed to trust her either? Marae must have noticed my silence, she looked back towards me as we reached the bottom of a large hill.
"I can sense your turmoil. Tell me, it is your family that clouds your mind, perhaps close friends, or even a lover? These are weapons your enemy will use to break you. The sole reason I have remained longer than any other is because my enemy will never have power over me. My body may lay broken, but there is nothing on this plane that can be used to turn my spirit."
I could not believe this to be true. I believed there must be someone, somewhere that Mersoa has a deep personal connection to, but I bit my tongue. We continued up the hill.