by T. Sae-Low
Kara began to reach for her butterfly knife. The man flinched, crawling away on his hands, as if Kara was the boy reincarnated and come back to finish what he had started.
Her hand glanced over the butterfly knife and dipped into her pack, pulling out another apple. “It’s okay, sir. This is for telling us your story.” She handed it to him gently.
“Oh… thanks,” the man whispered, as he took the apple from her. She noticed his hand shaking uncontrollably.
Raden had never seen someone so terrified before, like an abused animal that had been cornered by predators, on the verge of death. “What pain do you feel?” he asked the man.
The man looked down at his hands, slowly flipping them back and forth, staring at the tops and bottoms. The skin was cracked and abused, a physical manifestation of his tormented soul.
“At first, it felt like I was being burned alive. My whole body was in agony. The pain was so excruciating that it was the only thing I could focus upon, everything else didn’t matter. But then, the pain began to subside, and that’s when the headaches started. When I tried to sleep, I became trapped in an endless cycle of nightmares, but these weren’t just any nightmares. They were a collection of all the wrongs I had done in my life. I had to relive them night after night. The pit in my stomach, the lump in my throat, the guilt and shame in my heart.” The man grabbed for his temples as if the pain was coming back, stronger than ever.
“Soon, though, I no longer felt my skin aflame… that pain was gone. The new pain that replaced it made me feel as if I was losing my mind. My headaches were so torturous that I collapsed to the ground and writhed until the episode passed.”
“Do you still suffer from them?” asked Raden.
He hesitated a moment and then answered. “Yes, yes I do. But I have learned to live with the pain, my penance for a wicked life. The Light has marked me as unworthy, and I am never to forget his mercy when I stare at my own reflection.”
“How did you make it out of the city, and what has become of Kih Bayar?” asked Raden.
“I left as soon as possible, perhaps a day or two after the incident with the boy. We had noticed some citizens were leaving the city a couple days prior, too, but they were nomads going on the road to make some sales. We didn’t assume they were leaving for any other reason. After the incident, though, people started fleeing the city in droves. There were no more soldiers to check their destinations. And with…” The man paused for a moment, “God’s messenger of death, now in the city, what reason had they to stay?
“The city emptied quickly. Parents lying to their children, telling them the military was taking over. Religious zealots roamed the streets, crying of the end of the world. Whatever reason people could come up with they did—and fled. The city was a ghost town within days. It made it easy for me to escape when nobody was left to stare at my horrid transformation, I—”
Raden knelt down on one knee, so he was eye level with the man. Perhaps moving down to his level would put him a little more at ease. Kara and Gama followed suit. Oli jumped out of her pouch and sat beside the man, leaning on him as if they were old friends. All of this seemed to have the desired effect as the tormented soul let out a faint smile. He took a deep breath and continued.
“As I left the city, hiding in abandoned houses and thick brushes in the woods, I began to see Vicedonian colonists moving East. They predominately stuck to the main road, but their numbers seemed to swell with each day. Mostly Gokstads and Pilgrims of Fate, the ones that were stationed along the foothills of the Voras Mountains were who I noticed. These soldiers were terrified, at times turning on one another for food or supplies. What could have frightened hardened soldiers like them? Had they seen what I had seen? Had the same thing befallen them?
There was also a thundering noise that began to emanate from beyond the foothills, towards the west side of the mountain range. It sounded like thunder, but there was no rain, no lightning. I never found out what was the origin of that terrible noise, but to me it didn’t matter, a part of me already knew. What can frighten people and soldiers to the point of fleeing, I ask you? Only God can. His retribution has arrived.”
The three of them glanced at one another, understanding that this was more information than they had expected.
“Thank you for telling us of your perils, sir. Your information has been invaluable, and now we know where our next destination will be,” spoke Raden kindly.
The man looked at him doubtfully. “You don’t plan on heading towards Kih Bayar? You risk death by doing so.”
“You are correct, sir, we do risk death, but we need to find out what is happening over in the Vicedonian territories. Find out what has happened to you.”
“You risk too much. Go home while you still have your lives. Hide behind your walls, spend your time with those you love, the end is at hand, I can feel God’s presence in me… and He is angry.”
“We’ve come too far to turn back now. Be at peace, sir. We leave you now,” spoke Raden.
Oli barked happily, saying goodbye before jumping into Gama’s pouch. The trio turned and left the alleyway of the marketplace in Pyteria City. They made their way towards the western edge of the marketplace by the riverbed. Off in the distance they could see the lush covered tips of the Voras Mountains. They looked so peaceful, so serene and calming. That so much chaos could reside within those hills seemed almost blasphemous.
“That’s where we’re headed,” said Raden.
And off in the distance, the sound of thunder echoed furiously.
Chapter 19
