by Lyra Shanti
“All we need to do is make it to the main city and find a place to stay for the night,” said Meddhi. “And then, Ayn, Axis, and I will head to the temple while you two will wait for Reese’s signal.”
“Right,” said Hynfir with a slight smile, proud of how far his sister had come.
Pei, however, didn’t want to think about Reese at the moment. He had woken up early on the day he departed for Deius, only to find out that she had already left his bed. Then, on his way to the meeting with Meddhi and the others, he saw Reese and Baran walking together in the hall, smiling at each other in a way that was all too obvious. His heart was crushed, but he refused to speak with her before he left. He didn’t even want to think about it. Not today - maybe not ever again.
Ayn could sense that Pei was suffering in some way, though covering it up with stoic silence. Despite his urge to inquire about what was the matter, Ayn figured it would be better if the subject was left alone for the time being. He could only hope Pei would be able to remain focused and strong enough for the battle ahead.
With their own anxieties and fears swirling around in their minds, all five of them made their way down the mountain, and soon found themselves on the main road. There were bits of grass and rock with sparse trees in the near distance. It reminded Ayn of Sirin’s stony and cold mountains, which was how most of that planet appeared. Yet, he had heard, at one time, Sirin was very lush and green. Ayn wondered if Sirin's fate was where Deius was heading if the draining of plasma continued.
Closing his eyes and shaking his head, attempting to focus his thoughts, Ayn opened his eyes to see the city before him.
At first, the road was vast and unpopulated with only a few farmers transporting their jugs of milk and various animal furs. Ayn kept his hood over his head and tried not to look anyone in the eyes. He was utterly curious though; this was the very first time he had seen his kingdom’s people!
As they walked further into the heart of the Holy City, the sun had finally set, causing a pale, light blue glow on the horizon.
Out of nowhere, a smiling little boy came up to Ayn and tugged at his light brown Tah jacket. The boy had dark hair and bright hazel eyes and was wearing a tattered brown tunic with a tan knapsack across his shoulder. His teeth were slightly crooked, and he was missing one in the front. Though obviously poor with short, scruffy, brown hair, the boy somehow reminded Ayn of himself when he was a child. There was an innocence in the boy's eyes, and it made Ayn curious about the child.
“Hello there,” said Ayn, bending down.
“Are you a soldier?” asked the boy.
“Well, uh…” said Ayn as he looked to Hynfir who nodded in return. “Yes, yes I am.”
The boy smiled wider and then gently pulled at Ayn’s ponytail. He then said, “You have long hair… for a soldier.”
Not sure what to say, Ayn cleared his throat and said, “Yes. Do you like it?”
The boy giggled and nodded.
Meddhi had been busy trying to ask the locals about a place for them to stay, but he finally looked back and saw the boy with Ayn. It tickled him to see Ayn with the child, but he worried it would possibly attract attention.
Axis was absolutely annoyed at the boy and wished he would just go away.
“Don’t you have a home to go to?” Axis snapped.
Ayn got to his feet and looked at Axis and frowned at him. Thinking to him, he said, “That was uncalled for, Axis.”
The boy shook his head and said, “No, Sir, I don’t. My parents died from illness. But I do have a place I stay with other children like me. I can take you there and show you!” Excitedly, he took Ayn’s hand. A second later, however, he pouted and added, “They don’t like The Tah though.”
“Really?” said Ayn with a wink. “Well, neither do we.”
“Ayn, what are you doing?” asked Meddhi nervously as he walked over to them.
“I’m making friends with...” Ayn said as he turned to the boy, “I'm sorry. What’s your name?”
“Inda.”
“What a wonderful name!” Ayn exclaimed with a smile. Inda was the name of Adin’s great-grandfather who was legendary for bringing together the warring tribes of early Deiusian history. “I’m making friends with Inda,” he said to Meddhi. “Is that alright with you?”
Ayn was clearly being sarcastic, and it made Meddhi highly uncomfortable. There was a silent thickness growing between them, and the more it grew, the more Meddhi wanted to bend Ayn over his knee and swat his behind. He held back the urge, however, and calmly replied, “Yes, it’s alright… though we really need to focus on finding somewhere to stay for the night.”
“You can stay with me!” Inda exclaimed.
“No, son,” said Meddhi, “we don’t want to be a bother to your family.”
“My family wouldn’t mind… they’re all dead, though their spirits are very nice. But the family I’m staying with are my new family now and they’re really friendly. Even if you’re Tah, if I said you needed help, they’d help.”
“That’s really kind of you, Inda, but-”
“Meddhi,” whispered Hynfir, “maybe you should take their offer. Staying in a poor house where no one will rat us out is probably far better than staying at an inn that’s crawling with Tah.”
Realizing Hynfir was right, Meddhi nodded and said, "Actually, please lead on, Inda. We could really use a place to stay for the night and we'd be very grateful."
Pei and Axis looked at each other skeptically, wondering if Meddhi knew what he was doing.
"Just follow me!" Inda said happily with a wave of his hand.
The boy led on through the city, and the rest followed, trying their best to keep hidden from passersby, especially from Tah soldiers who causally roamed the streets, as if they owned them.
As Ayn walked through the city, he was amazed at the poverty before him. Most people were dirty with ripped clothing, either begging on the street corners or selling their wares at small stands. Vendors were selling meats on sticks, and the smell wafted in the night air. It was somehow intoxicating to Ayn. This was his city! It was amazing and horrible and wonderful, all at once!
Pei too was a bit stunned. He hadn’t seen The Holy City outside the temple and palace. It was as if it was a whole other universe.
Meddhi, however, had seen it all before; he’d grown up in these dirty streets. Even though he escaped the street when Amun-Lan had recruited him at the age of ten, his mind still flooded with memories. He remembered where his old school had once stood, but as they passed by where it should have been, he realized it had long been deserted.
Walking through the city, they all wondered the same thing: where were all the schools and hospitals Yol had promised when he took power? Everything seemed in ruin and even worse off than before The Tah’s takeover. Making matters worse, the soldiers didn’t seem to have a job other than watching for criminal behavior. It felt as though the city was a large prison, under constant surveillance, yet never actually protected.
Hynfir, in particular, was deeply upset by what they saw, though he kept it to himself. He knew there would be a time and place to discuss such problems. Right now, the mission at hand was more important, and so Hynfir, and everyone else, kept on following Inda to wherever he was going.
The boy finally stopped at an old, abandoned temple. It wasn’t like the royal, holy one with its bright colors and painted stars. This temple was large, but simple and dusty. There were paintings on the outside, though they were now faded, and appeared painted by poor townsfolk with rustic colors and child-like figures of gods and goddesses, including a portrait of Ayn when he was the boy Bodanya.
It made Ayn smile, but also made him feel a twinge of sadness. Clearly, this was a temple without funding and without support from The Tah. It was quite possible that the soldiers had even desecrated it. Ayn was expecting the worst as they walked inside its oval front doors.
Much to his surprise, Ayn saw that, despite its lack of upkeep, the temple was brig
ht and cheery inside. There were quite a few children running around and playing, and there was a distinct smell of freshly baked Ahggie bread rolls in the air, which he hadn’t tasted since he was a child.
It appeared that the people inside the temple had turned it into their home. There was a kitchen in the back area with a dining table in the main hall, and there were sectioned off rooms to the sides with cots and pillows.
“See?!” said Inda, “this is my home!”
Tugging at Ayn’s hand, he pulled Ayn into the kitchen area where a young woman was cooling the bread rolls she had just made. She was rather skinny, but fair faced with her black hair pulled up into a bun.
“Weema!” said Inda. “I’ve brought home guests and they’re probably hungry! Can they stay for the night? Please?!”
The woman looked up at the five men in Tah uniforms and tried her best to contain her fear.
“Um… Inda, I’m not sure if we have the room to-”
“But Weema, they’re my guests! And they’re special. I just know it!”
“Well, I understand that, Inda,” she said as she wiped her slightly sweating brow with her forearm, “but I really don’t know if-”
“But you said that if someone needs help, then it is our duty to help them!”
“Yes, that’s true, but…”
Inda pouted at her: his weapon of charm.
Quietly laughing, Meddhi whispered to Pei, “Does he remind you of anyone when they were young?”
Pei grinned and nodded, glad that Meddhi seemed to be remembering things more and more.
“Alright, alright,” said Weema, “but your friends will have to stay in your room, if we can manage to get extra cots for them.”
“Of course!” exclaimed Inda while grabbing a roll. “I’ll get them cots from the old music room!”
With that, he went running with a wide smile on his face.
Weema couldn’t help but smile too. She had only met Inda a few months past, but he was such a sweet, energetic boy with hope in his eyes. Even though he had lost his parents and sister to Plasma Sickness, he still found hope in the smallest of things, and it inspired her greatly.
“Excuse me,” said Meddhi, “I don’t mean to pry, but… are you in charge of this temple?”
“Oh…” she nervously replied,” I don’t run it, no. We are all equals here and have equal say about what happens.”
“That’s good,” said Meddhi, suddenly nervous as well. She seemed to be blushing at him, and he could sense her aura warming up. Was she attracted to him? Was he attracted to her in return? He wasn’t sure, but he liked her shy smile.
“Would you like a roll?” she asked as she held up the tray of rolls.
“Thank you,” he replied, taking one from the tray.
Smiling at Meddhi, she then offered the rolls to everyone else.
“So…” said Pei after taking his own roll, “this was once a Dei funded temple? What happened to it?”
She looked at Pei confused, not sure why a Tah soldier would be asking such a question.
“Yes, it used to be funded by The Dei. It was a free temple for the people, originally erected back in the days of Shiva the thirteenth. I used to come here as a child, and I would marvel at the poetic sermons our Lan would give.”
“What happened?” asked Ayn, almost afraid to know.
“The Tah happened,” she dryly replied.
“What does that mean?” asked Hynfir.
“Well,” she said, putting down the tray of rolls, “when The Tah took over The Holy City, the soldiers were given free roam, and many of them seemed to relish desecrating our temples and other religious places, like the base of the mountain where Adin first found the light of truth.” Feeling self conscious, she went quiet, worried these Tah soldiers in front of her might take offense to her words.
“Go on…” said Meddhi as he ate his roll with a serious, knotted brow.
“Not all Tah soldiers did such things, mind you, but many of them were unsupervised, and acted as if they deeply hate our religion. Some of them only painted rude words on our walls, but others did even worse, such as rape women or beat innocent people who dared speak against them, none of which has been reported, nor held accountable. Some soldiers have gone as far as setting buildings on fire, then blame the people for causing riots, which was untrue.”
“What?!” Hynfir gasped as he almost choked on a roll. “Where were their superiors?!”
“I don’t know,” Weema replied with a shrug. “I can only imagine they turned a blind eye to such behavior. All of this has been going on for years on the streets, however. There is a deep prejudice between the religious and the non-religious, which has been going on for many years. Except now, The Tah have complete control, and they decided we should all pay for whatever crimes they hold against The Dei. I know there have been injustices on both sides, but… I personally have not experienced any terrible treatment from The Dei.”
“I doubt you’ve seen it because you have been on the winning side in the past,” said Hynfir. “But believe me, The Dei have long kept the non-religious silent through their secret, terrible methods... as well as refusing to help the poor.”
“Well, I don’t see any evidence of Yol Notama helping the poor either,” she replied with a proud chin. “He talks about curing us of illness and erecting schools and so on, but I’ve not seen any of this. He’s a liar, in my opinion - a power-hungry liar!”
Hynfir took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes… I’m starting to realize that myself these days.”
“I’m sorry,” she said with a grimace, “I’m just… very passionate about what is happening. I’ve seen so much illness and despair in these last few years. That’s why I try my best to keep a sense of family and safety within at least this temple. It’s all we have to keep going.”
Meddhi gave her an understanding smile and said, “Trust me, Weema, we take no offense to what you are saying, and we are deeply disgusted by what some of the soldiers have been doing.”
“Really? Aren’t you part of those soldiers?” came a booming, manly voice out of nowhere.
Turning around to where the voice came from, Meddhi and the others, saw a tall, well-built man in a fur-hide jacket with shoulder-length black hair coming toward them. He was carrying a large basket of fish in his hands, and he was scowling. Meddhi noticed the man had a star-shaped tattoo above his right eye-lid. Both Meddhi and Pei recognized the symbol right away as the Siri-Star. They instantly knew this man was a worshiper of the old ways, reaching back before the following of The Great Adin.
“Who are these Tah soldiers, and what are they doing here, Sister?” asked the burly man as he set the basket down on the wooden dining table they had been gathered around. A few other muscular men in furs followed behind him with their own baskets full of fish and root vegetables.
“They came with Inda,” she said nervously. “He called them... his friends.”
“Oh, that Inda,” he sighed. “What are we going to do with that boy? Well…” he continued while turning to face Meddhi, “I suppose you want food and a place to stay. Fine. You can stay for one night, but that is all. However, mark my words, if any of you even entertain the idea of touching my sister inappropriately, or if you think it would be funny to destroy anything in this temple, I will have no problem going to jail again for beating a soldier to a bloody pulp. Is that understood?”
Meddhi nodded, which made the rest of them nod as well, following along.
When the man seemed convinced, he left with the other men. Axis hoped they went to go bathe.
“I’m sorry for his bluntness,” said Weema, “but my brother, Wen, has been through a lot. He’s been beaten quite a few times for protesting outside the palace… and he’s become very bitter.”
Hynfir could take no more. It turned his stomach to hear how in disarray The Tah had become. He felt completely to blame for it and needed to get some air. He got up and went outside.
Pei followed him, wo
rried, while Meddhi and Axis stayed to eat the rolls and roots that Weema was offering them. Ayn stayed put as well, a bit in shock from it all.
Opening the large, oval door, Pei asked Hynfir if he was alright.
“No, not really,” replied Hynfir, slightly doubled over. “I… just can’t believe how Yol has let things get so bad. It’s as if he can’t see farther than his own nose! How can he let these people suffer like this? Just because they are religious doesn’t mean they should be treated like cattle, or even worse. I’m sorry, Pei, but I feel sick. Excuse me.”
Hurrying off, Hynfir went to the back of the temple. Pei could still hear his retching though, and it made Pei feel truly sorry for him. Slowly approaching his upset friend, Pei said, “None of this is your fault, Hynfir. You needn’t blame yourself for what my insane father is doing. It’s his karma, not yours.”
After a few minutes, Hynfir wiped his mouth and came to where Pei stood, then said, “No, Pei. I supported your father for ten years. It was I who trained him and helped him to become Fah. And at one time, I even convinced myself that killing The Bodanya was the right choice - the only choice! He was just a boy, Pei… and I let myself think such disgustingly cold things. Why? I was angry, lost… and I was hungry for revenge, and it led me astray from my own beliefs.”
“But… you are sorry for your actions, are you not?”
“Yes,” said Hynfir with tears rolling down his face, “beyond sorry.”
“Then the Gods forgive you, Hynfir. I am sure of it.”
Half-crying and laughing, Hynfir said, “I stopped believing in Gods a long time ago, Pei.”
“Then believe in me, my friend. I forgive you.”
Overwhelmed, Hynfir grabbed Pei tightly.
After a few moments, Pei said, “You really should ask Ayn for forgiveness though.”
“I intend to, Pei, I swear it. And if we win this war, I will do all I can to help Ayn build a better, tolerant, and healthy Deius… the way I once hoped Yol would have done.”
“You’re no ordinary Tah soldiers,” said Wen, who emerged from the shadows, secretly listening to their conversation. “Who are you people?”