A Warrior's Redemption (The Warrior Kind)

by Stanton III, Guy

  She paused in her narrative. Still somewhat disbelieving of her story I said peevishly, “So I guess you didn’t jump.”

  Smiling, she looked up at me and said, “No, Roric, I didn’t jump.” Feeling like a chastised little boy under her gaze I fidgeted waiting for her to continue.

  She began again, “I accepted the new path offered to me and it completely changed me. I’ve never been the same since then. I could have walked away from the temple life there and then and enjoyed a peaceful life away from the darkness of this city. I got the feeling that although I had the Creator’s blessing to leave; there was more to be gained by staying here and helping to right the wrongs of this place. I’ve had to be wise about it though. The people here see only what they want to see. The vision that you saw when you first came in here and saw me is still what they see because that is what I want them to see. It is safer that they see me as such so that the mission that I have undertaken has less of a chance of being found out.”

  “This mission concerns children?” I asked.

  Nodding her head she said, “Yes. You see contrary to what popular belief is there have been no sacrificial slayings here of newborns since I took over the high priestess position in charge of the sacrifice. Only a select few know of this however. The children are switched for fake doll babies before the ceremony and as high priestess I preside over the ceremony as the head executioner. A position unchallenged by the other priestesses as they much prefer someone else to perform the actual sacrificial slaying of their newborns rather than themselves. The real babies are smuggled outside of the city to an outlying farm that I’ve set up to care for them.”

  Crossing my arms I stared at her, “I find it hard to believe that this has evaded the notice of the temple priests?”

  “Oh, but it hasn’t. They have known about it from the beginning.”

  At my puzzled expression she explained, “You see, it has been increasingly difficult in recent years to find girls and boys that have the sufficient innocent appeal that is craved by the temple’s most ardent financiers. As the societal life of the Zoarinian Empire has decayed, so has any semblance of morality in its youth. It may sound like an oxymoron, but innocent children are preferred by the temple priests, who are the first to initiate them into their new life of whoredom. Not surprisingly the children of this land are far from innocent when they come to the temple doors, which isn’t surprising given the hedonistic examples that their parents hand down to them. I suggested to the high temple priests that the continuing financial support of these grounds and festivities would be best served if the children meant for sacrifice were instead raised apart from the society, until such a time was needed for a renewal of the currently available flesh to be had. They would then be able to provide their most affluent backers with fresher product so to speak. The priests have been only too willing to provide assistance with their part of the subterfuge. Most of the girls and boys here are riddled with diseases that are carefully concealed by the priests so that can they can continue to reap in the profits, but it is increasingly hard to disguise the sickened state of the temple consorts. The priests have decided to do away with all the current stock and bring in the children that I have rescued over the years to replace them, which will allow them to raise the rates because of the higher quality of the new stock. They couldn’t be happier with me or my plan, as it is they stand to make a lot of extra money. They will be collecting them from the farm at the end of the month, which is where you come in Roric.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, I need someone to get those children to safety in the only place left that is safe for children to grow up, which is the Valley Lands. There they will have a chance at life and most importantly a chance at learning the Creator’s ways and His purposes for their lives. Will you do it Roric? Will you help me save these children?”

  Not wanting to believe her, but not being able to deny the honesty and clarity with which she had shared her story I asked, “How would I go about doing it?”

  Excited she rose from her chair and appeared much younger for a moment, “The wagons are leaving now that are meant to pick up the children. I want you to intercept them, pick the children up at the farm, and get them safely to the Valley Lands.”

  “I’m going to need help to accomplish all that, and this?” I said raising my chained hands, “Might pose a problem.”

  “It has all been arranged. I have set up a plan to rescue you from the arena tomorrow; however, the rescue cannot be attempted before the second round of the games. Which means you will have to survive the first round! Can you do that?”

  Looking at her wryly I noted her doubt of my capability for survival and I responded cockily, “I’ll make it to the second round.”

  “Good!” She said smiling. “I have no doubt that with the Creator’s help you will.”

  “What does the first round of the games consist of by the way?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure they haven’t told anyone. All I know is that it involves animals and that it’s not expected that you will survive past the first round.”

  “That sounds like fun. You’re sure no one suspects your ulterior motives concerning these children?” I asked.

  I watched a darkness come into her eyes that made me sorry I had asked the question.

  “Why should they? After all I sacrificed my own children on the altar didn’t I?”

  Trying to soften the bitterness I saw in her face I said, “You were forgiven for that weren’t you?”

  She nodded her head, “Yes I was, but I fear that I may never be able to quite fully forgive myself.”

  Wanting her to answer one more question I had about tomorrow I asked, “How soon can I expect pursuit after I pick up the children?”

  “A couple of days at the best. You may have close pursuit the whole way though.”

  “You know that your part in all this is likely to be exposed if you stay.” I said.

  Giving me an evasive look she said, “I will do whatever needs done to get those children a better chance at life.”

  Going to a cord hanging on the wall to her right she pulled it, which would summon the guards. Coming once more to stand before me she reached a hand up to touch my cheek and said, “Your mother and father would be very proud of you! I’m sorrier than you can ever know for taking them from you!”

  The doors opened and as the guards entered I witnessed a transformation occur before my eyes as she spit out. “Get this arena rat back to his hole in the dungeons! I’ve had my fill of him tonight!”

  Chuckling the guards pulled me roughly from the room and back down the hall that we had come across earlier. The party was still going strong, but all I could think of was the cold cell waiting for me, and what awaited me tomorrow in the arena.

  Later in my cell, which oddly felt like home to me, I stood holding the bars of the window, reflecting on everything that had happened. If one thing had become clear, it was that I was not in control of anything in my life like I thought I had been, but there was an unmistakable order to the events happening in my life all the same.

  Was the Creator really orchestrating my life, or had everything been merely chance and circumstance? Giving up as I already knew the answer; I sank to my knees onto the cool dirt of the cell and did something I hadn’t done since I was a boy. Something my mother had insisted that I do every night, and even throughout the daytime. I didn’t know where to start as the prayers of my boyhood past seemed inadequate to say what I felt needed to be communicated. I decided to talk to my Creator normal like, as if He were a friend standing beside me.

  “Creator I’m not sure about where to begin here. I’ve done a lot bad things, which I’m very sorry for! Things I had to do to survive. At least that’s what I tell myself. Well, anyway here I am with a chance to do something noble with my life. As You know I’ve been trying to turn my life around and the journey I’ve felt led to go down by You has led me to here. I have a chan
ce to do something meaningful; in concern to these children the priestess has saved. Something I know my father would have done if he were alive and able to do so. I guess what I’m saying is that even though I don’t deserve Your consideration, I’d really appreciate your help in staying alive in the arena tomorrow so that I can help those children get to a safe place. I guess that pretty much says it all. Oh one more thing, be with Larc tonight and help him stay strong and help me get him to safety too.”

  I felt a tingling sense of peace descend upon me as I prayed for the others, which calmed my spirit about tomorrow’s troubles.

  As an afterthought I added, “Thank you for the time I did have with my mother. She tried to teach me about You, but I’m afraid I didn’t pay much attention. I regret that! If You would consider teaching me about Yourself again in some way I would really appreciate it!”

  The night air was still and quiet. No answer. Remembering my mother, I thought of how some of her prayers weren’t answered right away either. She had said that it was up to the Creator, if He chose to do what was asked of Him, but the important thing when waiting for an answer was to be faithful and keep praying. Maybe an answer would come in the morning, hopefully in time for my date with the arena. I wasn’t nearly as confident of surviving the first round as I had led Treorna to believe that I was. Moving over to the cell wall I leaned up against it, as I had many times in the past, and went to sleep almost instantly.

  The darkness in the cell started to glow slightly and like a warm wave it washed over Roric repeatedly as he slept, and it kept the dark memories and insecurities that wanted to intrude his sleeping mind at bay all through the night.

  .

  “Roric.”

  “Yes, mother?”

  “Time for your study of the Holy Words”

  “Mother, can’t we do that later?”

  “Roric you will find out that in life you can’t always put things off to a later time and have everything still workout right.”

  “Then maybe we can skip study time for a third time and that will be once and for all! Ouch! Alright, I’m ready!”

  “Sit down over there Roric. As I’ve told you before we only have remnants of the Book that the Creator wrote, but those remnants that we do still have can help us to live a righteous and pleasing life. A life that honors our Creator and that serves His purposes.”

  “It always seems like we have to do everything for the Creator. What does He do for us?”

  “He did everything for us Roric. When Adam and Eve sinned in the beginning on the first world He could have washed His hands of us and we would have all been doomed to everlasting death, but He didn’t leave it like that. He gave us His Holy Word and even sent His son to die for us that we might have life for evermore, if we believe.”

  “I don’t understand that part.”

  “You have to take it by faith Roric. Until you actually believe in the Son of God and what He did for us, you aren’t saved.”

  “Well, I guess He’ll just have to make Himself real to me for me to believe.”

  “Oh, He will Roric. In His good time He will make Himself real to you in a powerful way. He will use you greatly in some great endeavor to the benefit of His everlasting kingdom.”

  “How do you know He’ll do that?”

  “I have faith that He will even as I ask Him for it every day in my prayers Roric. The Creator has done everything for us and not the other way around. Simply trust Him and have faith, and in the passage of time all will be made right, you’ll see.”

  “Wake up tiger bait!”

  Jarred awake by the kick to my side I jumped to my feet. The memory of my mother quickly faded as the reality of my current situation set in. I was quickly outfitted and shoved through the tunnels of my old haunts. I could hear the noise of the crowd roaring in anticipation of the coming bloodlust. Protesting loudly, the rusty arena door slowly rose upward. I stepped out onto the sand of the arena not waiting for the push from behind.

  The sandy floor of the arena stretched out before me and I advanced into it. The dusty tan color of the sand was mottled in places to a dark red, which helped mark the spots where mortal life had been lost. Casting my gaze upwards I took in the crowd assembled in the bleachers rising on all sides above the arena walls. They were shouting, as they usually were in a mixture of anticipatory excitement and blood lust. They were eager to see suffering and bloodletting.

  All the old memories came flooding back to me now. Mentally attempting to shake them off I remembered my dream from the night before. I hadn’t dreamed about my mother in years, but her lessons of yesterday were very real today too. Emboldened by the need to survive and the belief in my new found faith that I could I stepped into the center of the arena boldly. I stood waiting there patiently for what would come next as obscenities and jeers were thrown my way by the crowd of onlookers all around me.

  A sense of excitement rippled through me as it always did when the fight was about to start. I didn’t have to wait long for it. Seven arena dungeon doors began to creak open and through the half open doors seven starved Attorgron tigers clawed at the dust in eagerness to get into the sunlight. They sprang into the open arena giving each other cautious looks at first. Not liking the roaring of the crowds or their exposure to an unknown situation, they slunk around the arena as they got their bearings.

  One tiger maddened by the need to get free of the exposure and noise of the arena tried to climb the arena wall, but it was too high and he slid back to the arena floor, to the tune of jeers from the crowd at its failed escape. I had seen it all before many times, except I had never faced so many tigers at once, and I usually had other companions to help whittle them down or at least be chewed on while I took care of my own skin and that of my friends when I could. I had no armor this time either, just an arena short sword and a small round shield.

  Soon the inevitable happened; they noticed me in the center of the arena and their first instinct to escape was taken over by their second great need, hunger. They approached me from all sides their eyes glowing with intent to rip me apart. I had to admit that faced with these odds it was an extremely likely scenario. The crowd’s anticipation was a palpable sensation in the hot still air of the arena. Sweat coursed down my back in rivulets under the tunic I wore. I couldn’t win this one! If there had only been three or four maybe, but seven! I remembered my mother’s words and her belief in her Creator that He could do anything. I really couldn’t win this one. The sword dropped from my hand to plop into the dust of the arena floor. I took the shield off of my left forearm and dropped it too. Spreading my arms wide I looked up into the blue sky over head.

  “Creator it’s all yours. Thy will be done.”

  I waited with baited breath, as did everybody else in the arena for what would come next. The husky roars of the tigers intensified. It wouldn’t be long before they attacked. I heard the scramble of claws scraping on dirt behind me and I couldn’t help but flinch, as I waited for the subsequent impact of fangs and claws ripping into me, but it didn’t come.

  “I Am mighty to save and intercede on the behalf of those who put their trust in Me. My creation knows My authority and obeys.”

  I heard the words as clear as day, as if they had been spoken against my ear and yet nobody stood with me in the arena. The roars of the tigers were gone and all I heard was a choked whining.