Neophyte

Valentina

Padre Federico walked into the small halls of the Mission, still seething from his meeting with the Bishop. His hatred for the Bishop was imminent, but he had to contain his tongue if he were to survive.

He then saw someone entering the Mission through the small gardens. It was someone he knew very well. It was a young woman who slowly walked toward his path but stopped when they stood before one another.

The young woman was a twenty-year-old with long raven hair in two braids decorated with tiny beads. Her eyes were black and hard as stone; her skin was moderate brown with a couple of freckles on her face. Her face was slightly masculine, with a broadness and a flat nose. She wore a dark brown dress with red decorations in some places and handmade jewelry. The young woman was short in stature but held a proud aura.

"Valentina, I did not expect you to arrive here so soon. I thought you despised it here."

"Federico, I see you still bite your tongue and tolerate your prison."

"I am to be addressed as Padre Federico, remember that, heathen." Valentina would have been punished for speaking with such disrespect. Padre Federico couldn't do anything since she was under Bishop Victoriano's protection.

"You became a Padre due to your crimes. It is comical that you try to 'teach' my people the ways of your God that you broke. Hn, this is a beffiting punishment for you."

"It's true that I have done crimes in my past." Padre Federico refused to be disrespected; he continued, "It isn't easy for you to accept that my God and people were able to prevail over your people and Gods. Your people grovel beneath us. Yet, your Gods do nothing as they hear their children cry."

Padre Federico smirked in satisfaction and was about to leave, but Valentina responded, "You and these filthy Padres speak for your God, but be careful. In your book, your God says, 'The prophets prophesy lies in my name; I didn't send them, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke I to them: they prophesy to you a lying vision, and divination, and a thing of nothing, and the deceit of their own heart.'"

"My, my, for a heathen, you think by saying certain verses are to frighten me?"

"No, just to remind you of your fate when it is your turn to meet your maker. Now, I must go to my mother. You block my path, and I will not tolerate the sight of you any longer." 

"Worry not, even your appearance makes me ill with disgust. Now I must go and teach your people out of your heathen ways. The people that you do nothing to help." Padre Federico walked past Valentina proudly.

The young woman quickly gave him a hateful glance, but she didn't want to give him any satisfaction. Valentina traveled for hours to get to the Mission to visit her mother and brother.

Valentina headed to the infirmary. It was the one area her mother would always be since she was a healer.

 Seeing the doors open, Valentina noticed that most of the beds were full. It pained her heart to see her people in such pain. "These Padres and their God caused this pain and sadness! Why must my people continue to suffer this torment!?" She walked inside the infirmary until she saw her mother sitting by a particular bed. "Piyali, nonantzin. Nican nica (Hello, my mother. Here I am)."

Mariana turned and looked at her daughter. "Piyali, noichpocauh (Hello, my daughter). What are you doing here? I thought you didn't wish to be here."

"Yes, but I didn't feel like staying alone in the village knowing that you would be here in this hell of a place." Valentina looked back at the occupants and then noticed Metztli, who was still unconscious. Noticing her, Valentina couldn't help but feel envious of Metztli's beauty. "Who is she?"