Sacrilege

TWENTY-SEVEN

  “Aristaeus, are you okay?”

  I turned to face Astraea as she approached me. After learning of my mother’s death, I retreated away to be alone. My face was soaked with tears as I tried to come to terms with my mother’s death. Astraea stood behind me hesitantly on whether or not I would welcome her. Dyos and the others stood a few feet away throwing me concerned glances. I turned from facing them and stared through the trees, my hands folded. I rubbed my white moonstone ring.

  “It’s my fault.” I mumbled. “I shouldn’t have left her behind.”

  “Aristaeus you had no choice but to leave.”

  “I could have fought harder. I should have fought harder to make my father see. I could have still been there with her.”

  “Your mother wouldn’t want you to suffer this way Aristaeus.” Astraea wrapped her arms around me and hugged my neck. “The best way to honor her memory is remember how much she loved you and how much she believed in what you were doing. Your mother loved you right to the end despite what you were and the unknown plans the world had for you. She wouldn’t want you to give up on your mission. Don’t give Lilith and your father the satisfaction of seeing you down.”

  I turned to stare at Astraea. She was right. My mother was gone. There was nothing I could do about it. There was hurt in my chest from the loss of her, but the only replace that feeling was to adapt another emotion. I pecked Astraea’s hand and stood up from the log I’d been sitting on.

  “You should be getting back to your people. They are going to need you in battle.”

  “No, I’m fighting with you. We’re in all of this together.”

  I smiled at her, happy she was willing to go to war with me. But I couldn’t let her fight with me. “Go Astraea, your father will need you at his side. You have his bolts remember. You take care of things on that side. We’ll take care of things on this side.”

  “But.”

  “No buts. Go.”

  Astraea looked at me to make sure this was what I wanted. Leaning over, she placed a kiss on my lips. “I love you.”

  “I love you as well. Always.”

  Stepping back, Astraea look towards the sky as a light shot down and she disappeared. I walked over to the group as they walked over to meet me.

  “Are you okay?” Dyos asked me.

  “I’ll be fine, as will you.”

  “What are the orders your majesty?” Grethen said.

  I looked at the three creatures in front of me and realized I was their leader. I wasn’t King yet, but they were already ready to follow me into the unknown.

  “We gather as many creatures as we can, and then, we take back our world.”

  We left the forest and made our way back to the marketplace village. Creatures stood in groups pointing towards the sky as the sound of booms could be heard all throughout the world of Pearu. At our entrance they turned to face us their eyes filled with alarm. The male creatures stood in front of their women, weapons drawn. One creature stepped forward a battle axe in his hand.

  “Bahmel, what are you doing over there with those Hell Demons? I hear they’re causing a war up there in the City, do not get mix up with them.”

  “Do not fear.” Bahmel said stepping forward. “They bring us no harm.”

  “Ha!” Another creature yelled. “That’s all the Hell Demons bring, is harm. You get over here right now and help defend our land.”

  “I’m sorry brothers, but I have taken up with these Hell Demons.”

  “Then you are a traitor!”

  Bahmel and the crowd began to argue back and forth as he tried to convince them that he was not a traitor. Even Dyos, tried to make a plea to them, but they had nothing to say to one of their favorite Hell Demons. Grethen said nothing. While he’d taken up residence in this town, he did not communicate much with them so he had no pull.

  I stepped forward and held up my hand as the crowd turned to me and quieted down. “I am Aristaeus Priam, Prince of Pearu.”

  “Not anymore!” Shouted someone in the crowd as they began to cackle.

  “Do not talk to your future King like that you rascals!” Dyos said jumping forward pointing his sword at them.

  “Silence Dyos.” I said sweeping him back. “You are right. I have been banned from Pearu by the King, my father. These two demons beside me have also been banned from this world, but it is not for the reason that you think or that they might have written on the wanted posters. The King, The Courant, and your Prince, are right now at the Gates of our world, about to go to war with the Gods.”

  Gasps sounded throughout the crowd as creatures turned to whisper to each other.

  “What are you talking about?’

  “Did the Gods come on our land?”

  “Did they attack us first?”

  Questions started to pour in from different creatures as they began to over talk each other.

  “The King has decided that he will no longer bow down to the Gods. It’s not because he wants to stand up for his world, or that he feels that we are being treated unfair. The King has a vendetta towards the King of Gods that he has been holding onto for centuries. He has decided that this vendetta is worth the lives of you and your families, and it is worth the destruction of our world.”

  “What is the vendetta?” Asked the creature from earlier.

  I stared at the crowd as I revealed the secret I read in my father’s journal. “The King wishes to destroy Zeus, because of the death of his family. But Zeus is not to blame. Eris, your dethroned Queen, is the reason why the King’s parents are dead. Eris has fooled us by thinking that she is only after the throne and that she cares for our world. The truth is, Eris plans to unleash a plague that will destroy our world if we do not stop her.”

  “A plague?”

  “You lie!”

  “What do we do?”

  “He does not lie!” Bahmel said. “I’ve seen this plague.”

  My eyes turned to look at Bahmel. Bahmel gave me a look that said to trust him. I glanced over at Dyos and Grethen as we waited for what Bahmel would say.

  “When Aristaeus told me of this plague, I did not believe him myself. I thought he was crazy and that all the City air had gotten to him. You know how the air has those City demons acting.”

  The creatures laughed in agreement with Bahmel. Maybe he was on to something. He stepped forward closer to them. “I was ready to put him and his buddies out of my house when he mentioned the Cosmic Orb.”

  “Cosmic Orb?”

  “What is that?”

  “Is that some type of moonstone?”

  “Many of you do not know about the Cosmic Orb because you were not around when the Gates were open to us. I discovered the mention of this Cosmic Orb in the mortal world in one of their books. At first I thought it to be a myth, until when I went back the next day the pages about the orb was ripped from the book. An angel approached me and warned me to keep my mouth shut about what I’d read. You know me, I was ready to tell this wing fellow where he could stick it, but he did something to me, to the point that I forgot about it. It is only when Aristaeus mentioned it— did I remember what happened that day? That is how I know he speaks the truth about the plague. Eris has it, and we’ve learned anything from our experience of having to serve someone like her, that she does not mean any good.”

  Bahmel retreated back over to us as the creatures talked amongst themselves trying to decide on whether or not they believed us or not.

  “You’ve never seen the Cosmic Orb. Why did you lie to them?” I said keeping my eye on the crowd.

  “It is the only way they would consider to follow you Prince. These creatures don’t like to get involve in matters unless it pertains to them.”

  “Where did you get that story? I almost believed it myself.” Dyos chuckled.

  Bahmel beamed at Dyos. “It’s some words I took out of a novel I’m writing. I just happened to switch some things
around. Aristaeus is much like the character I’m writing about which was how I knew that this speech would work on my neighbors.”

  “Smart.” Grethen said smiling. I agreed. We only had to hope that it would work.

  The crowd split as they turned to face us. “We’ve considered what you said, and you’re right. But why should we trust the Prince. How do we know he will be able to defeat Eris?”

  I handed my demos to Dyos and took a step forward. Removing my blazer, I stood in front of the crowd. It was time. I thought long and hard during my time alone on what course I would take. Would I remain faithful to those I was raised to serve, or would I change course and serve with someone new.

  Closing my eyes, I whispered in my head. “I accept to be a Sacrilege.”

  There was a slight calm in my head and then Samr spoke, “You are ready, Aristaeus.”

  A heat went through me as I heard the gasps all around me. The gasps came from the crowd and from my friends behind me. Opening my eyes I stared through my eyes as my eyes caught a reflection of me in one of the creature’s eyes. Huge white wings spread from my back as they reached towards the sky, the tip of the feathers a royal blue.

  “Any questions.”

  The creatures shook their heads as they stared at me in awe.

  “Now, where is Lilith.”