Chaser of Faith

I was sitting on a piece of broken, white, marble stone. I was in what used to be a Grecian temple. The ruins of the temple stood alone in the middle of a field of stone; the sky was cloudless and bright blue. The sun beat down on me through the gaping holes in the ceiling of the temple.

I stood up, and when something brushed against my feet, I looked down. It was my dress. I was wearing a long, dark blue, silk dress, and I wore a golden arm cuff above my left elbow. The biggest change I felt was the weight on my back. I couldn’t help showing my surprise when I was able to create gusts of air with the wings from my back. I opened my mouth with a shocked gasp, widening my eyes. I turned my head to look behind me. White wings.

I stared for a while. My mouth hung open and I couldn’t help my face contorting with fearful amazement. I was able to move them again. The weight felt like a backpack full of school books. I turned my head back to the ruins and reached a hand back. I felt the soft feathers, and let out a sharp breath.

I’m dreaming. I know I am. But it feels so real.

Aren’t I supposed to wake up when I realize that it’s a dream?

I felt another presence behind me. I spun around, pulling my wings in and folding them against my back. I gasped at the sight of a giant black wolf. His eyes glowed bright orange. His ears were perked up and he stared intently at me. I didn’t move- I was frozen with fear.

I don’t know how to fly.

The wolf started to move closer to me. Still, I didn’t move. Running would do nothing but hurt me. Dogs chase animals when they try to run. I stood my ground, trying to relax my tensed muscles. I let my nervous expression fall, relaxing my mouth and brows. My shoulders relaxed. I stood tall and fearless.

The wolf came closer. I couldn’t look away as it moved its nose to my hand, sniffing. I opened my mouth to take in steadier breaths. It suddenly rubbed its temple against my hand. I let out a sharp breath at the sudden movement and put my hand on its head as it wanted. It started walking and my hand smoothed down his thick fur as he rubbed against my thigh and circled me. I was in awe and I couldn't help but smile slightly.

What is going on? I asked myself.

His fur felt coarse around my fingers. I was afraid by how real it felt. I closed my eyes. I felt the wolf make its way back around to my side again.

I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming.

I felt my knees buckle and I fell back onto the stone behind me. My stomach flipped and I widened my eyes again. I feared that the sudden movement might startle the wolf, but he continued to stare at me calmly. I was face to face with the wolf now. He came closer to me- his nose brushed against my cheek. I tensed my muscles again, gasping. He pressed the side of his head against my own. I closed my eyes once more. I felt… comfort and safety.

I’m dreaming. I’m dreaming.

The wolf backed away, slowly at first and then he turned away from me. He looked back at me for a moment and started to run. I suddenly felt empty with his loss. I put up my hand and stood up.

“Wait! Stop!”

When I blinked and opened my eyes, I was back in my room in Rahmiel’s cottage. The sun poured in through the window, forcing me to blink to adjust to the sudden light. I sat up and felt a warmness against my chest. I put a hand to my necklace. It was hot. I moved it out of the way, and gasped when I saw a red print that the heated star charm had left against my skin.

“What in the world,” I breathed out. I held the charm in my hands. It was lukewarm now. “It must have been the sun,” I reasoned. It beat down on me and it must have heated the metal too much. I could tell it was going to be a hot day. I let go of my necklace and it fell back into place. I put a hand to my head.

It felt… so real.

I could practically feel the wolf’s fur once more. I felt the ghostly weight of the wings on my back still. I lightly tapped my forehead with the palm of my hand, trying to snap myself out of my dream.

“Bath,” I muttered. I stood up and made my way to the bathroom. I hoped that the water would help.

-*-

After soaking in the tub for a while, I got dressed and ready for the day. I made my way out to the living room. It was quiet.

“Anyone home?” I called out. I heard nothing.

Am I alone today?

I went back to my room, grabbed my dictionary, and headed outside to the firepit. I set the paper down on one of the log stumps and started making myself breakfast. Adriel had shown me how to start a fire and cook some of the food. I studied my vocab as I cooked.

“Sav rith bazaren,” I recited. I am hungry. “Derite kon ta commes, risk.” Give me two commes, please. A comm was a fruit that Adriel had compared to a pear and an apple.

When I finished eating, I had memorized half of the pronouns that Nicholas had written down. I was really proud of myself. I bit my lip as I washed up my dishes, trying to think of how to spend my day.

What if I spent some time in Beythas? I thought suddenly.

That could be the perfect opportunity to see how I make it on my own for a few hours. I couldn’t help smiling to myself. I had no money of my own, but I didn’t need any. I didn’t need to buy anything. I could just wander and scope out where to buy food and supplies for when I finally left. I folded my dictionary and tucked it into the pocket in my dress. I went back inside and grabbed my cloak. I stopped when I noticed Adriel’s cloak hanging next to mine.

Maybe his money is still there, I thought to myself.

I reached around to find his pocket and felt a lump. My smile grew when I pulled out his pouch. I debated taking the whole thing with me, or stowing it away in my room. But that would have been foolish. I took a handful of coins- some bronze, silver, and gold- and put them in my pocket, as well. I wrapped myself in my cloak and put on my shoes. I let out a breath, excited, still holding my smile, and I headed out the door. I closed the door behind me, and walked quickly down the path in front of the house, past the fence, and out onto the road.

I travelled quickly, my excitement getting the best of me. It felt good to walk and get fresh air. Being alone was also a welcome change. I didn’t realize how much I missed my independence.

It took about thirty minutes of quick walking before I finally saw the wall of Beythas. My stomach flipped as my excitement grew. I walked quicker, and was nearly out of breath when I crossed the small, wooden bridge to enter the city. The crowded streets buzzed with life.

I made my way into the crowd, following the traffic. I passed clothing shops, food stalls, and weapons stores. I debated stopping in one of the stores to practice my Sanen. I had to admit, I had a great desire to find a weapon for myself. But, I didn’t know the first thing about weapons, and I was fairly certain that the seller would try to screw me over. I passed a few weapons shops, peering in subtly to check the amount of traffic that each one was getting. No one shop was very crowded. I couldn’t get a good read on which one would be worth it.

I found one shop whose sign read ‘Ferasse eto erex.’ I had to look up the first word, and luckily Nicholas had included it. It meant ‘Swords and help.’ That stuck out to me. Something was telling me to go in. I held onto my dictionary tightly and headed in. I was alone in the shop.

“Deskent?” I called out, saying hello. I tried to find a bell to ring, but there was nothing. There was a single closed door behind one of the counters, but I saw no movement behind the large glass window near the top of the door. I shrugged, biting my lip, and started to wander the shop. Like Cal’s shop, the walls were lined with swords and daggers, and bows and arrows. There were headless wooden mannequins set around the room with armor and equipment. “Deskent,” I called once more. “Tothra?” Anyone? I bit my lip, scratching the back of my head. “Nan jo erex mye,” I called out, asking if they needed help.

“Deskent, biente geera,” I heard an old man’s voice call as the door creaked open. A small old man with pale yellow skin, a stark white beard, a bald head, and completely white eyes closed the door behind him. He shuffled closer to me slowly. I knew geera meant lady or miss, but I didn’t know what biente meant. My heart pounded. I suddenly felt nervous to interact with someone in a language that I didn’t understand.

“Oh, uh, deskent, gere,” I stuttered embarrassingly. Gere meant sir or mister. “Sav nan co ferasse,” I said finally. I need a sword. I tried to speak confidently, without stuttering. But I was so nervous that once it was out of my mouth, I immediately forgot what I had said. I couldn’t remember if I had said the right thing. “Sav votor,” I stammered to apologize, realizing that I should be honest. “Sav topar kolet dae Sanen.” I do not speak Sanen well. The old man chuckled.

“I did assume as much, young lady. Your accent is clear. Worry not, I speak Ronen.” I let out a breath, smiling with relief.

Adriel had told me that Ronen was another common language on Aksan. It was surprisingly similar to English because of its origins. The language came from the Roniat, meaning ‘those who come.’ Awhile after the angels settled on Aksan, there were many settlers from America, trying to escape persecution as witches in the 1690’s. They came to Aksan to live and practice their magic freely. They were much better received than the angels. Perhaps this man was a descendent of the Roniat.

“Thank goodness,” I laughed with a smile.

“You are unsure of what to look for,” he stated. He walked closer and I realized just how small he was. He was about half my height, partly because he was hunched over. He walked carefully with a smile on his face. I nodded, bashfully.

“Yes. I need a sword, but I have a rather limited budget.” He nodded.

“You have made a wise choice coming into my store, my dear.” I blinked at the pet name, remember Adriel’s pet name for me. He motioned for me to follow him, so I did, silently sighing with a smile. He moved so slowly I understood why it took him so long to come to my aid when I first arrived. “I make my measurements using your body type and your personality traits. My whole shop is ordered so it takes me no time at all to find the sword that is meant for you.” He led me to the back of the shop.

“Personality traits?” I asked curiously. “My personality reflects on my weapon?” He nodded once.

“Of course, young lady. You and your sword are connected. Your sword is an extension of yourself. I can tell that you are patient, kind, and persevering, at the very least. You waited for me patiently, offering your help, and you even tried to speak a language that you knew little of to aid me better.” We stopped at the wall. “Your sword will be an extension of these traits.” He motioned with his hand. “Your sword is on this wall. You must find it.” I looked at him with confusion.

“H-How do I do that?” He held up a pointed finger to me.

“You will look at this wall and pick the sword that calls to you.” I bit my lip again, my heart beating faster.

“But, what if I choose wrong?” I questioned fearfully. He smiled, opening his arms wide.

“You will not,” he laughed. I let out a breathy laugh. I looked at the wall, my stomach flipping.

There were four swords on the wall in front of me. The one in the center was large, with a bright silver blade, and golden hilt. The guard and pommel were ornate, decorated with emeralds, rubies, and sapphires. A thought occurred to me, and just as I was about to ask the shop owner, he cut me off.

“The price for each sword in this shop is the same. And I promise, you will be able to afford the sword you need.” I took in a deep breath, nodding nervously, giving him a small, grateful smile, and looking back to the wall.

The second sword, underneath the center sword, had a rusty silver blade that was straight on one side and curved on the other. It was wider towards the hilt and thinner towards the point of the blade. The hilt had a deep brown grip and a black guard and pommel.

The third sword, to the top right of the center sword, was a short sword. The hilt had silver and blue sapphire-encrusted metal, entwining on the grip. The guard and pommel were dark silver.

The final fourth sword, to the top left of the center sword, was a medium-sized silver blade, straight on both sides. The hilt was black- the grip was wrapped in black leather and the guard was a blackened silver. There was a single diamond set in the pommel. My heart skipped a beat when I looked at this sword. I couldn’t take my eyes away from it for a moment. I took in a breath, prying my eyes away from the sword to look at the shop owner. He smiled up at me knowingly.

“This sword was forged in Gazez by the fallen angel of benevolence, Hasdiel.” I gaped at him.

“How do you know this?” He smiled knowingly.

“It is my job to know, my dear.” I looked back at the sword. “Go on,” he encouraged. I reached out nervously, flexing my fingers. When I touched the hilt I felt something like a shock of electricity. I gasped, taking my hand away quickly. The old man chuckled. “I told you so,” he said with a finger raised knowingly. I smiled, shaking my head in disbelief. I quickly picked the sword up by the hilt, tensing my muscles to bare the weight. I turned around, holding the sword out as an extension of my arm. It felt… perfect. I was amazed. I brought it back down slowly with both hands.

The old man moved towards the wall opposite us, motioning for me to follow again. I did, still in awe, staring at my sword and drinking in its subtle detail.

“You need a holster, as well,” he said. I immediately grew nervous, shaking my head, though he could not see.

“Sir, I can’t. I- I don’t have enough to pay you today.” He picked a black leather holster set from a rack of brown and black leather holsters, turning around and handing it to me.

“Try that on for size, my dear.” He shot me a smile, heading over to a desk about his height that I hadn’t noticed before. He started to write in a book with a quill pen as I strapped on the holster nervously. My hands were shaking. It fit perfectly. I holstered my sword. I took all the money I had stolen from Adriel from my pocket, my hands still shaking from adrenaline. I counted out the coins that I had, trying my best to not drop any of them, as I made my way to the old man at the counter.

“Sir, I’m sorry, I only have 260 hass. I-I can come back another day with the rest of the money,” I stuttered. The old man laughed and leaned over the counter, leaning in closely to me, his white eyes meeting my own again. He moved his head, searching my eyes. He said nothing for a moment, just looked into my eyes. I almost started crying, I was afraid he would call the police and have me arrested, or at the very least throw me out of his shop.

“150 hass is all that I need.” I let out a short breath. He dropped back to his feet again and continued writing nonchalantly. I gaped at him.

“S- Sir, please, I know it’s more expensive than that. I can come back another day.” The man smiled, shaking his head. He held up a finger between our eyes, staring intently at me.

“Sav jo rohath.” I didn’t know what to say to that. I see you. I swallowed a lump that was forming in my throat.

“Talas,” I thanked him. “Talas yovet.” Thank you deeply. I blinked rapidly, shaking my head, reeling from his kindness. I counted out 150 hass from the coins in my hand, giving them gently to the man with shaking hands. He patted the back of my hand.

“Gerro jersix. Take care.” I nodded, letting out a breath and smiling widely. He let go of my hands, and I smiled to him once more before turning and heading to the door. I waved back to him when I reached the door, but he was gone. I held my breath, putting a hand on my sword, and headed back into the crowd.

I was so grateful and amazed. I couldn’t believe that people like him existed on this crazy planet. Everyone kept telling me that this city- this country- was nothing but trouble. But a man like that, living in a place like this… that was a miracle. I put a hand to my necklace, which was still concealed under my dress. I felt welcome.

I looked up at the sky. The sun was at about its midpoint. It would begin to set soon. I decided to make my way back home now. I was much slower than I was when I first left the cottage. My adrenaline was starting to settle and I felt exhausted. I checked my pocket to make sure that my one page dictionary and pile of coins were still there. I kept a hand on my sword as I walked.

When I reached the cottage, I opened the door quietly, worried that someone could be home. I made sure that my sword was hidden by my cloak, just in case. I peered in from behind the door. No one was there. I let out a sigh of relief, entering quickly and forgetting to close the door as I ran to my room to put my sword in my room. I unbuckled the holster and put it far under my bed. That would do for now. I couldn’t think of anywhere else that it could fit. I stood back up and started to take off my cloak, turning back to the hall. I gasped and stumbled back.

Adriel stood in my way.