REBIRTH OF A WARRIOR

Chapter 13

She paused in her narrative. Still not quite believing her story, I said peevishly, “So, I guess you didn’t jump.”

Smiling, she looked up at me and said, “No, Jasper, 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. Since then, I’ve never been the same. I could have walked away from the temple life, then and there and enjoyed a peaceful life away from the darkness of this city. However, 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, 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 discovered.”

“This mission concerns children?” I asked.

Nodding her head, she said, “Yes. You see, contrary to popular belief, there have been no sacrificial slayings 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 is 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 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. 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 they can continue to reap 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, Jasper.”

“Me?”

“Yes, I need someone to get those children to safety in the only place left that is safe for children to grow up; 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, Jasper? 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 quite be able to fully forgive myself.”

I had one more question, “How soon can I expect pursuit after I pick up the children?”

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

“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

I need to in order to make sure those children have a chance at a better 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. 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 into 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. The prayers of my boyhood seemed inadequate to say what I felt needed to be communicated. I decided to talk to my Creator as if He were a friend standing beside me.

“Creator, I’m not sure about where to begin here. I’ve done a lot of bad things, for which I’m very sorry! 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 path I’ve felt you leading me down has led me here. I have a chance to do something meaningful; a chance to save these children the priestess has rescued. It’s 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.