The Search Begins Volume 02 of An Unwanted Destiny

Sixty-Three

The blackness receded, and I found myself staring up at a blue sky, a few clouds delivering a little coverage from the blistering sun. I slowly looked around and saw Eryn kneeling next to me. Tears streamed down her face, and her eyes were bloodshot.

I looked passed her and saw what remained of the Firid Elders and the women who were brought as sacrifices. It seemed that they were trying to come to an understanding of what had occurred here.

"Eryn," I tried to say but my throat was sore, and it hurt to speak. She looked up and smiled when she heard her name. She wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly like she didn't want me to leave. She rocked back and forth sobbing for a few minutes before I could force myself to speak again. When I tried, I coughed a couple of times and spat out some phlegm. "Eryn, how long have I been out?"

"It has been a day since you beat Wanecuh. Drak and the others arrived a few hours after you passed out. Sky offered to carry you back to Firid, but I wanted to wait until you woke before moving you. Drak and Kevdak returned to Firid with some of the Elders."

"Where's Sky?"

"Right here," I heard and I turned my head to see the Togusian walking towards us with what looked like a deer in his hands. "Glad to see you awake. I'm not a Pahtan, but I could feel your battle. You should have seen Drak. He started to sweat and think that the world was going to end." Sky let out a laugh as he dropped the deer before the fire pit. He pulled a large knife from his belt then got to work skinning the deer and preparing it for dinner.

"Eryn I have a question for you," I said trying to sit up. "When you are around a fellow Ice Pahtan is there a sort of glow around them as they start to channel?"

"Yes, there is a slight glow almost like an outline around them. That is why fellow Pahtans can pinpoint where each other are when someone is channeling. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious that is all," I said trying to stand but winced as my ribs sent a sharp pain through my body. I had a couple of broken ribs. When the Elders saw me on my feet, they approached. I waited to see what it was they were going to do since I had just killed their god and I was surprised when they all knelt down. I looked over to Sky and Eryn who looked just as shocked.

"What's going on here?"

"Lord Trez," said a woman who looked to be in her late seventies. "We are begging for mercy for the crimes we have committed in the name of that foul demon."

"How many innocent people have been sacrificed?" I saw a look of grief flash across the Elders' faces. "How much do the people of Firid know of the truth about the Day of Sacrifice?"

"Only those you see before you. Our leader, the Elder Council, the soldiers who make up the elite guard and the woman we have imprisoned as sacrifices my Lord. It has always been deemed that if the people knew they were worshiping a demon they would only do it out of fear or they would revolt. There would be no celebrations. We would live in fear all year round."

"You do not have to call me Lord," I said raising a hand. "If only those here know the truth of the Day of Sacrifice I guess you can still celebrate like you have."

"What are you talking about Trez?" Eryn asked, "Still worship a demon?"

"Like the Elder said. Not everyone knows the truth. Everyone in Firid believes that if they do not have Wanecuh watching over, then it will bring about their destruction. If we told them all the truth, it would just bring forth chaos as they would tear each other apart. I think that it is best to allow people to hold onto something.

"I am the Ajemuha, but I will not allow there to be chaos left behind in my wake. I want to believe that I am the Savior like you and the Xerin say I am. If I were to just tell everyone who they were truly worshiping I would be taking steps onto the side of the Destroyer like everyone believes."