Forgotten; Worshipped (Imported from Ao3)

22

Intrigued by the rumour Aaron heard from Merdi he decided he would investigate. He gathered directions to the next kingdom and a few silver coins, their currency, should he need it or want anything. Merdi also provided him with supplies for the trip and asked him if he ever intended to return, being their saviour and all. He knew he wouldn't, he had to look for Alexander and it was only the last bit of his conscience constantly negotiating with him that he had decided to investigate the rumour and help the people if it was true. He wouldn't return, he told her, or rather he couldn't. She still believed he was a servant of the gods, and while she was disappointed she understood he must have his duties. She asked him, the day he wanted to leave for the other kingdom, if she may look upon his face as a god would and not be obscured by his godly power. Aaron didn't understand what she meant but declined, knowing that if word somehow got to the gods he would be in intense trouble, and he was absolutely not in the mood for that. She was again disappointed but didn't show it for fear of offending this servant of the gods. He left soon after for the kingdom to the north. It was a quick travel, his winged feet propelling him forward with intense speeds and he soon recognized a rather bright city with almost abstract architecture in all colours imaginable. It kind of hurt his eyes looking at it and he soon descended to the outskirts of the city, hiding among the bright alleys. He made sure to pull his hood farther over his head as he exited the alley into the streets. They were rather empty. Only women, children, and old men were out and about, no man his age in sight and his brows furrowed. He decidedly roamed the streets, listening in on conversations that he could barely understand due to their dialects. The women were avoiding each other's eyes and only the children were really talking to each other, wondering were their fathers, uncles or big brothers had disappeared to.

Aaron perked up at that information and approached a pair of sisters, one older and one younger one and asked them about it.

"Excuse me, Miss? I couldn't help but hear you two converse about the absence of most male figures in this city. I am a traveller from a far-away land, and I am curious about this as well. Do you perhaps have some idea of what has occurred here?" he asked most politely and the girl, who had made her sister stand behind her, smiled at him politely and nodded her head.

"Everyone except the children knows. Ask someone who hasn't a child with them. The children mustn't know, sir," she answered and Aaron nodded with a raised brow.

"Thank you, Miss," he said.

"You're most welcome, sir," she answered and left with her sister who looked up at him curiously and waved with a smile which Aaron returned making the small girl laugh. He turned around and looked for someone who hadn't a child with them as instructed by the girl. This turned out to be a bit more difficult than he had anticipated. The first seven streets he walked along were fruitlessly searched for anyone walking by their lonesome without a child. It was almost odd that just about everyone had a child at their hand.

But on the eighth street, he finally found someone. It was a boy, looking like he was about seventeen years old, frantically looking around, paranoid. Whoever he passed he was regarded with pitying looks and frowns. Children pointed at him asking their sisters and mothers why he had no sibling he took care of. Aaron approached the boy who, as soon as he locked eyes with Aaron, stiffened and flinched back immediately with absolute fear and horror frozen into his eyes permanently. Aaron approached him with such calm, however, that the boy somehow didn't feel the intense need to run away and hide like he had so many times before.

"Excuse me for my sudden approach, but I couldn't help but notice, curious as I am, how you are the only one I have seen thus far who hasn't a child with them. Also one of the few men here it seems, and the only young one," Aaron said with a calming and soft tone and smile, hoping to calm the boy down who gulped and shook his head.