Chapter 8: Parting gift.
I wake from a nightmare. One where everyone I love is dead, consumed by an unnatural fire. It was hot and filled with black smoke, the smoke morphs into the face of a giant demon.
I wake up, and realize reality is not much better than my nightmare.
Everyone I love is gone. The village existed no longer, burned down as it is. The bodies of the attackers were consumed by Ash, who has been quiet for the hour and a half I have been awake.
Quan and the elder buried the villagers. I missed the funeral.
It turns out, I've been indisposed for two weeks. I even missed my tenth birthday birthday. I felt hollow, wrung out, empty. Kassia has never left my side all these while.
I may have lost my family, but I found a new one. With that realization, comes purpose. I want to be strong. I need to be strong!
Not just for the sake of being strong, not because I read about power in literature. I need to be strong to protect my new family.
"You asked who they were, the people that attacked me and then the village. The answer to that is simple, they belong to an order. A cult if you will; the order of the radiant sun. They live in service of a venerator who achieved godhood a few hundred years ago." Quan speaks mildly, not rushing. His every word chosen with care. "That's what we're called, venerators. Those on the path to ascension. I don't think I mentioned that before.
"The thing is, this god doesn't like the dreadgods much. He's been on a crusade against them for more than a quarter century." The story is obviously a difficult one for him to tell, and I have a sneaky suspicion why that is.
"My wife, was host to the undying serpent." He spoke, voice measured and flat. Like he was talking about the weather, still I sense the pain underneath. I know that pain. "His followers got word of this and sent wave after wave of venerators after us. She was stronger than me, could easily wipe them out. Gold rank, she was powerful, she was beautiful..."
I notice Kassia hovering behind her father, eyes fixed on his back. I wonder how often he talks about her mother, if he talks about her at all.
"...But, she was with child. Due for delivery. This time I had to fight alone. We found a shaman in the wilds, he agreed to help. They found us hours later. They were a lot of bronze staged venerators, led by two silvers."
He fell silent for a while, long enough to make me question if he would end the tale there and then. But he continues.
"They were too many, I couldn't fight them all. I was only a silver stage venerator, I could kill all the bronze but it would take too long. I could hold my own and quite possibly defeat the silvers in one versus one combat. But there was two of them."
"I would have died that night, I sacrificed the shamans children while he helped deliver mine. It gave a me a little edge, I got a clean hit on one of the silvers. But the other kept pace with me... The bronzes went through the shamans tribe like a hot knife through butter. It was a slaughter."
"My wife, knowing victory was a bleak and entirely an unlikely prospect, sacrificed herself. She bound Ashur to the ring on your finger --- it was the one I proposed with. She set him loose on the venerators of the radiant sun..." He gulps down air, reliving his own personal hell.
"...You can imagine what happened. You were able to summon it yourself..."
"Him!" I corrected.
"Him." He inclines his head. "She died shortly after, never even got to hold our child. They've been hunting us ever since."
I wait for him to continue.
"After everything, he --- the shaman --- was wroth with me for sacrificing his first son. I don't blame him. He laid this..." He traces his face with his left hand. "... Curse on me. He could have killed me, but he chose mercy... Because of my little girl. He spared a monstrous man." I see the self loathing hidden behind his calm facade. A man disgusted by his own deeds.
I respect him. I don't doubt he's done some terrible things, but right now all I see is his indomitable will. The discipline to keep going. Even when everything falls apart. I admire him for it.
"When do we leave?"
"As soon as you're travel worthy..." His regrets and shame are shunted aside, in its place returns the cold facade.
"Can I see them?"
He gives me a somber smile, understanding what I meant. "Kassia will take you. Elder Yui would like to have a word with you, I'll tell him to wait awhile longer."
"Thank you."
Kassia offers me a simple kimono, I dress quickly and we set off. Following a straight path, most of the forestry leading to the village was burned down during the attack. I could still see the fires in my minds eye.
It was a quiet walk, she kept pace with me, her hand in mine. I did not feel the need to fill the silence.
We arrive at what used to be the village center. Now, it has become a massive graveyard. About two hundred people were buried here.
Once, this place would be filled with the noise of humans going about their everyday lives. Kids playing, adults doing what adults do... The market would be buzzing. Now it is silent.
The site was still fresh, the turned soil hasn't had time to settle yet, there was no headstones. I could not even tell what grave belong to my family.
I stand there, surrounded by mounds that covered what used to be people. The sun was going down for the day, night would be upon us. I felt heavy...
"We had a funeral while you were asleep, young Heron." The elder spoke while making his way to me, he favored one leg and is using an improvised wooden cane.
"Greetings, elder. This one is glad to see you alive and well." I gave a bow while cupping my hands together in greeting.
"None of that dear boy, up with you." He gestures for me to stand upright again. I did.
He looks toward the mounds around us, the look in his eyes are haunted. This is not the first massive graveyard he's seen. In his eyes, I see the pain of comrades loved and lost --- I wonder just how many he's had to bury.
"I see you've discovered there's more to the world you knew. I built this place, with hopes of sparing my people" he sighs, shaking his head. "I should have known, it was futile. The God'sgrave abhors peace, this world eats up the weak. Those without power are nothing but chaffs before the storm.
"My boy, I am not long for this world, I grow weary of life, I have always been a survivor. I have buried a lot of my enemies and friends..." He falls silent, lost in his thoughts.
"I have a parting gift for you, my journey ends here but yours is only just beginning. Power is respected above all else in this cruel world. But knowledge in itself is also power..." He takes out an old looking tome from his robes, and stretches it to me. "... Take this, study diligently. Uncover it's secrets and you may achieve more power than I ever could."
"Thank you, elder." I bow again, accepting the gift. I did not feel any rush of excitement, only a cold determination to grow as powerful as possible, as fast as possible.
I have a god to kill.