Don't Destroy the World

Her family decided to go together to the temple and soon set off. Coming back to town, the cheer from the last few days was gone. A blanket of grief and fear hung over everything. It felt so strange because everything around them looked just the same. Since the monsters never reached the town there were still half-decorated shops and stands prepared with knick-knacks. A few local merchants still stood outside but no one was buying.

Ember caught sight of several injured people and others whose faces were painted with grief. She wondered what was going to happen, especially now that the delegation had arrived early. Would they start the Choosing or would they wait until after the funerals? She grimaced at her thoughts, but shoved such feelings away. There was nothing she could do for the dead. Her focus was on the living.

"Hey, girl!"

Ember glanced over to see a woman hurrying over to them.

"You, girl with the weird eye," the woman called out.

Ember frowned and then it dawned on her who the woman was. It was the knife woman she had saved. The same one who had ran off and immediately leapt on top of a leech and started stabbing it.

"What do you want with my daughter?" Her father said, stepping forward.

"Calm down. You're a big one, aren't you?" The woman said, giving her father a long appreciative look.

"He is and taken," her mother said, glaring.

"I get it. Sheesh, what a family." The woman's bright green eyes turned to Ember. "Kid, I didn't get to thank you before. You saved me back there."

Ember nodded. "Did you kill that leeched you jumped on?"

"Saw that, did you? Yeah, I did and another two after that. Those damn monsters."

"We're on our way to the temple," her mother said, interrupting.

"All right. I don't mean to hold you up. Kid, what's your name?"

Ember's eye twitched at being called a kid but she shoved it away. "Ember."

"I'm Justine. I owe you one. I mean it. You need something, you come find me."

"Okay," Ember said. She didn't think she would take her up on her offer. After all, they would be leaving Goros behind soon.

"Nice meeting you all," Justine said, waving at the family before trotting off.

Ember watched her go, bemused. She was an interesting woman.

Her mother threw one last glare at Justine's back before they continued walking to the temple. Rowan grinned, obviously getting a kick at seeing their mom acting jealous. Dad didn't seem to notice or at least pretended not to.

It didn't take them long to reach the temple and Priest Octorin was waiting for them. As soon as they arrived, he hurried them into the temple and one of the rooms used for guest. Ember couldn't help noticing the amount of people clustered into the temple. Since the town didn't have a healer, they depended on the temple to help with the injured and sick.

"I apologize that I can't stay with you," the priest said as they all sat down in the backroom he brought them to. "But there are many people who are in need of me after the attack. Knight Vantosia will meet you here as soon as he returns."

Then the priest was gone back to the mass of injured waiting for him.

The room was quiet. Five minutes past, then ten. After twenty minutes her parents began to talk softly among themselves. Rowan was swinging his legs back and forth in boredom. Ember simply felt irritated. Why did the knight tell them to meet him in an hour if he wasn't going to even be here?

She sighed. She supposed this gave her time to think. For the most part, her plan was to answer the knight's questions truthfully about Mally and the attack. She wanted to also see if she could determine what kind of person he was. Depending on that determined what her next steps would be.

Right now, she wasn't sure what to make of the knight. Sure, he beat up Welks when he tried to attack her but Welks was being a dick so the knight could've just did that for himself. Either that or he was trying to gain her trust so he could get to the soul weapon.

If he was after the weapon that could be a problem. She had no delusions that she could take on a knight as she currently was. Sure, she could take him off-guard but he was a knight and not just any knight. He had defeated the Dawneater. Still, she had her tump card. She didn't like to use Soul Torture but she would if it came down to it.

Another twenty minutes pass, and then there was a knock on the door before it was swung open. Two men stepped in. One was Knight Vantosia and the other was a familiar face, Priest Beslen, the priest that had awaken her in her prisoner life. The priest was young, probably around 18 or 19. She figured that the Choosing was one of his first assignments. She never had much of an impression about the priest one way or another besides him being a priest that had the Blessing ability which meant he could awaken people. Which, honestly, was a big deal.

"Priest Beslen, this is the girl I told you about, Maiden Ember and her parents Mister Zeris and Matron Camila." The knight paused when his eyes turned to Rowan.

"Rowan, sir. Ember's brother," her brother squeaked out, his eyes so wide they looked like dinner plates.

"And Rowan," the knight said, smiling faintly. When the priest didn't say anything, the knight turned to him.

The priest on the other hand was gawking at Ember.

"Priest Beslen," Knight Vantosia said.

"Oh! Oh, sorry, I just...you're cursed," the priest said, staring at Ember's eye.

"Yes," Ember said. "I'm not sure how it happened."

As she spoke, Ember noticed that Knight Vantosia's eyes began to glow. It looked like she had to be careful what she said from her on out.

"You don't know who placed a curse on you?" the priest asked, curious.

"No but I assume it's someone who doesn't like me," Ember said with a shrug.

The priest nodded his head in agreement. "I supposed that is possible. It's a terrible thing to happen to a girl your age, well anyone really. Are you okay? Does your eye hurt at all?"

Ember blinked. A little surprised at the kindness in the priest's voice. "No. it doesn't bother me. I forget it's even there unless someone points it out."

"Oh! And I did just that with all my staring. I hope you'll forgive me. It was a surprise."

"There's nothing to forgive," Ember said, flippantly.

"There certainly is but I'll take your words as accepting my apology," the priest said with a warm smile.

Ember found herself smiling back and then frowning. This priest Beslen had a way of breaking through the careful barriers she put up. A very dangerous man.

The priest turned to her parents. "Mister Zeris and Matron Camila, I apologize for getting ahead of myself. I have some questions for your daughter as well as you both. Do I have your permission to continue? Yours too, Maiden Ember."

Her parents looked between each other in surprise and some suspicion.

"Do we have a choice?" her father asked.

The priest nodded his head. "You do. You certainly do. Well, in some ways. You don't have to answer my questions if you don't want. I won't force you but I can't say the same for your Lord. I've noticed he's a bit pushy."

Knight Vantosia cleared his throat.

The priest looked at the knight with a confused look. "What is it? It's true, isn't it? Very pushy. If he been a little less pushy, we would have gotten to the town sooner and had helped all those people."

"Priest Beslen, please refrain from criticizing the nobility in front of their charges."

"So stuffy," the priest said, waving his hand.

"Priest Beslen," the knight said, clearly exasperated.

"Fine," the priest said with a huff before turning his attention to her parents. "Do I have your permission?"

Her parents shared a look and then nodded.

The priest then turned to Ember. "And you, Maiden Ember?"

"Yes."

"Wonderful," the priest said. "Now, we'll have to do this one-by-one. Let's start with Mister Zeris."

Priest Beslen rang a bell and an acolyte came in shortly after, guiding everyone from the room, leaving only her father, Priest Beslen, and Knight Vantosia. They were led to another room where a table of food was laid out. She wondered if this food was there for the delegation.

"Please help yourself," said the acolyte before excusing himself and leaving.

Immediately, Rowan dashed to the table and began grabbing as much food as he could.

"Rowan," her mother said aghast. "Manners."

Ember could only laugh as she joined her brother. After all she hadn't eaten all day. After a while, an acolyte came to get her mother but her father didn't return. It was clear they were keeping them separate in order to prevent them from collaborating their stories.

"I don't think you need to be nervous. Priest Beslen seems alright," Rowan said.

"The more likable someone is, the more wary you need to be of them," Ember replied back.

Rowan rolled his eyes. "You think everyone is out to get you."

Ember frowned. "And you're too trusting."

"I'm not. I don't trust Lord Felis or Welks or the entire guard."

"But you're saying you trust Priest Beslen after just meeting him."

Rowan leaned back in his chair. "That's not what I'm saying. I just think he's not so bad. You don't need to think the worst about him."

Ember noticed that her brother was growing sullen so she let it go. "Maybe."

They sat in silence, Rowan munching away. Then the acolyte gestured for her and she found herself directed to the same room from earlier though she saw no sign of her parents. When she entered, Priest Beslen and Knight Vantosia were inside.

"Please sit," the priest said, his expression a little strained. He shook his head and then focused on Ember. "Madien Ember, I know you have been through a lot today but do you think you're up for telling me what happened at the river?"

Ember looked at Knight Vantosia and then back at Priest Beslen. The knight's eyes were already glowing.

"Yes," she said and then she began to tell them about everything that happened at the river. The only thing she left out was how she used her fire element ability to burn herself out from the mucus around her neck, instead just stating she managed to break free.

Beslan stared at her and shook his head. "You are an extraordinary girl, Maiden Ember. Not everyone could have handled the situation as calmly as you did and you even went back to help."

"I helped because I would want people to help my mother if our positions had been reversed," said flatly. She didn't want to give the idea that she was some self-sacrificing hero. That type of attention could become annoying.

The priest nodded. 'That is certainly an interesting view."

He paused and he looked thoughtful. "Now I must ask you about your soul weapon."

Ember stiffened.

"You said the weapon came from the Hungry Lands?"

"Yes," Ember answered.

"Now that is quite a feat but how did it end up with you?"

Ember hesitated. "I can't say."

The priest's eyebrows went up at her response. "Why can't you?"

"If I talk about it, I'll be in danger," Ember said, honestly.

The priest frowned and then looked at Knight Vantosia. He nodded.

"Well, that is quite the predicament. Do you know having the weapon will put you in danger?"

"Yes," Ember answered, crossing her arms.

"Do you plan to keep it?"

"Yes," she said firmly. Her eyes narrowed waiting to see how the pair would react.

The priest frowned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He then leaned forward and his face grew hard. "Maiden Ember, when I say you could be in danger, I mean there are people who will kill you. And not just you but your family too. Keeping that weapon will risk you and everyone you care for. Are you sure you're not willing to give it up?"

Ember tilted her chin up and met the man's eyes. "I'm sure."

She waited. Seeing if they would attack her now or would they wait later to go after her? Maybe they would make it seem like an accident.

Priest Beslen sighed and then shrugged. "Oh well, it looks like she's going to keep it. I suppose we'll have to keep you safe until you are strong enough to protect yourself."

"What?" Ember asked, shocked.

"It would be terribly neglectful to have you wandering about with a target on your back," the priest said with air that said he thought this was just plain common sense.

Ember just stared at him then turned to Knight Vantosia whose expression gave nothing away.

"So ,you can stay at the temple until we are ready to leave. It'll keep Lord Felis out of your hair. Luckily, I heard you and your family are already planning to travel to get that curse looked at. I suppose we can figure out details in the midst of that."

"Wait," Ember said, frantically. "I can't. I signed up for the Choosing."

"That shouldn't be a problem. You-"

"No," Ember said, interrupting the priest. "If I stay with you and if I get picked, Lord Felis will say that the Choosing was tampered with. I can't stay with you."

The priest stared at her and then sighed. "You really are an interesting girl, Maiden Ember." The priest tapped his chin thoughtfully and then snapped his finger. "Let's assign you a knight." The priest turned to Knight Vantosia. "We can have Knight Garrick watch over her."

"It's our duty to protect you," Knight Vantosia protested.

Priest Beslen waved the words away. "Yes, yes. I'm well aware what your duty is. There are two of you, I'm sure one is enough or do you plan to leave this girl alone with a soul weapon? That's a death sentence and frankly not very knightly of you."

Ember stared between the two men, trying to make sense of the conversation she was hearing. Was this a tactic to keep the soul weapon within their grasp? Possible but it felt too... casual. She wasn't sure how to feel about it.

Finally, Knight Vantosia nodded. "I'll watch over her."

Priest Beslen blinked. "You will?"

The knight glared at the priest. "You said she needed a guard. I'm offering."

The priest grinned and clapped his hands. "Then it's settled."

Ember stared at the pair. The knight of truth was going to guard her? This was going to be a headache.