Chương 65: The Oathrunner Walks

Mira nodded against Enel's chest. And that was all Lamb needed for her to move. Her hand went to where her sword should have been, but her face twisted when she remembered they had surrendered it. Still, that did not stop her from stepping forward. No one really stopped her… except for Enel, and this shocked her, truly.

"What…?" Lamb's eyes widened as she saw Enel's hand on her wrist.

"Enel. They are taking her. Are you really going to let this happen? You?"

"I am not going to let them sacrifice her."

"Then what are you doing? Let go."

"No." Lamb's eyes turned even wider, and her voice dropped in disbelief.

"No?" Enel turned to the road again. He watched as Alma walked, small, white… and scared beneath the morning sun. The golden pin in her hair glinted with every step.

"Let us watch for a moment and not rush in," Enel said quietly.

"These people… have their own beliefs."

"Ulf had his own belief, too." Lamb's voice turned cold.

"And from what I gathered from Tiny, he was a repenting man about to go to war to die—you executed him on the spot for having killed children."

"This is different, Lamb."

"How is it any different?!"

"Because I do not wish for you to be like me," Enel whispered, looking Lamb in the eyes.

"When I did what I did, I… scared Tiny and all the other people there." Tiny lowered his head at his words, remembering the moment of Ulf's sudden execution. Enel glanced at him, then also looked down as he gently adjusted Mira in his arm.

"I am bound by oath to punish those who need to be punished, but… there are children here," he whispered, finally letting go of Lamb's wrist. She did not need to, however, as his words stopped her more than his grip did. Lamb looked at Mira, then at the villagers lining the side of the road, then at Alma. Her fingers curled so tightly that her nails almost cut her palms. Tiny stepped beside them, voice low.

"M'lord. If we start fighting in the middle of all these people…"

"I know," Enel said. Guinevere's eyes moved across the road.

"They are unarmed, mostly. But there are many children. If panic begins, they will be trampled."

"And…" Lamb closed her eyes.

"... Most of these people are not warriors." The villagers remained bowed as Alma continued forward. No one spoke, and no one even looked up, as if watching her would make the moment less holy. Flowers lined the road in pale trails, and ribbons moved softly between the houses. Alma walked alone in the center. Enel followed outside the road, carrying Mira. Lamb, Tiny, Guinevere, and Bernard walked with him, separated from Alma by the kneeling villagers. Alma noticed them halfway down the road, and her eyes widened.

She smiled at them, waving her hand and the bouquet. And although Alma's smile did not tremble… everything else did. Enel could hear all of it. Even beneath the prayers the villagers whispered, he could hear the stems shaking in her fingers.. He could hear her teeth chattering behind her smile…. And her heart, striking against her chest. She was terrified. And soon, they reached the end of the road. Hadd stood there with several older-looking people, a garland hanging from their necks.

Behind them, two Black Masks stood near the pillars of the cave, their hands folded behind their backs. They watched Alma bow her head at the cave, then just quietly turned and entered into the fog.

"You are here." Hadd raised both hands as Alma stood in front of him. He then turned his eyes toward the villagers.

"Brothers and sisters," he said, his voice carrying across the road.

"Today, Valir receives one of his most beloved children. Today, one who has been fed by his breath returns to that breath, so the rest of us may continue to eat, to learn, to grow, and to love beneath his gaze. Today, the blessed one will enter His embrace." The villagers lowered their heads even further, and Alma clutched the bouquet as the edges of her lips turned heavier by the second.

"Mira of Valir's Crescent," Hadd said gently as he looked at her, "you who have been chosen, you who have been purified, you who—" But all of a sudden, one of the elders leaned close and whispered into Hadd's ear.

"What…?" Hadd stopped, and for the first time since Enel and the party arrived, his smile dropped. His eyes went everywhere at first, then finally landed on Enel, or rather, on the child in his arms. The whisper spread quickly between the elders. They turned toward Alma's parents, who stood near the front of the kneeling crowd with their heads lowered and shoulders shaking.

"Brothers and sisters. Please, pray for a moment," Hadd said before slowly stepping away and approaching Enel.

"Brother Enel," he said softly.

"There seems to have been… confusion." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"There has," Enel answered.

"Thank you for bringing the blessed one here." Hadd smiled and opened his arms.

"Sister Mira, come now." Mira's hands tightened around Enel's coat.

"Mira." Hadd's smile faltered once more.

"There is nothing to be scared of." Hadd stepped forward, but Enel stepped back. Hadd was about to say something, but Lamb stood in front of him and stared right into his eyes. Although she did not have her sword at all, a punch from someone with Breath would… leave a hole in him.

"Please. We… have been nothing but kind and courteous to you all." Hadd seemed genuinely confused as he saw Lamb's frown.

"You are our brothers and sisters. Why are you doing this? Mira is blessed, and had been chosen to be with the most—""No!" Before Hadd could finish his words, everyone turned their heads toward the scream. Alma stood before the pillars, already only a few steps away from the fog swirling in the mouth of the cave.

"I am the older one!" she shouted. Her voice cracked, but she did not stutter at all.

"I came out first. Mother said so. I am older, so I should be the one to join Valir!" Mira shook in Enel's arms.

"Alma…"

"Is that… true?" Hadd also looked at the twins' parents, and they looked away and lowered their heads further.

"I have already been purified!" Alma continued, looking toward Hadd and the elders.

"I have the flowers. I have the robe. I am already here. Mira is not. So I… I will go." The elders looked at one another. Hadd's smile had vanished completely now.

"This is… unusual," he said. He turned toward the elders, then all of them gathered to the side to discuss what they needed to do. The villagers remained kneeling, but now a few had raised their heads, their whispers slowly crawling through the road. Enel lowered Mira carefully. She refused to let go at first, so he crouched with her until Lamb knelt beside them.

"Stay with Lamb," Enel said. Mira shook her head.

"Mira," he whispered gently.

"I need to speak with your sister." Her hands slowly loosened. Lamb wrapped one arm around her, awkwardly at first, then tighter when Mira leaned into her.

"Are… you sure you should be the one talking to her?" Lamb asked.

"Maybe someone older should do it." She looked at Bernard at first, then her eyes quickly moved toward Guinevere.

"... Go," Lamb said. Enel nodded, then carefully walked toward Alma. And with the villagers still kneeling and the elders discussing, no one really stopped him. Alma watched him come closer, her eyes red but dry now. She tried to smile again, but her lips quivered.

"Alma," Enel gently said. He stopped beside her, and since they were at the mouth of the cave, no one could truly hear the two of them if they did not raise their voices.

"B-Brother Enel," Alma said, looking down at the bouquet before touching the pin on her head.

"I… does it suit me?"

"You could have just asked me if you wanted one, you know?" Alma looked down. Her hand that was holding the bouquet tightened around the stems.

"Are you… angry?"

"Why would I be angry?" Enel smiled at her, then crouched down so that she would not have to look up at him.

"You… do you know what you are doing?"

"Y-yes."

"You are going to be sacrificed." Enel looked at the cave, then back at her.

"Do you know what that means?"

"Yes."

"You took Mira's place."

"Because I am older."

"Because you love her."

"I…"

"I would do the same for the people I love." Enel looked at Lamb and the others.

"I would walk into the Veil for them, as well. But… you do not have to."

"Mira… she cried every night," Alma whispered.

"She thought I was asleep, but… but I heard her. She said she was happy when people asked. But she cried and cried."

"Hm…" Enel closed his eyes.

"So I cut her hair," Alma said.

"And I took the pin and locked her in our room. Maybe… if I looked like her, no one would notice. But I… I don't know how she got out. She… was so scared, Brother Enel."

"And you are not?" Alma looked at him for a while, then shook her head.

"No," she said.

"Because Mira will still be here after."

"Perhaps." Enel sighed.

"But will she be happy if you are gone?" Alma's gaze dropped.

"Alma… do you want to go to Valir?" Her lips started to quiver again, and Enel did not need to focus his hearing to know that her legs were trembling.

"I will ask you a different question, then. Do you… want to be separated from your sister?" She still said nothing for a while. But soon enough… she shook her head.

"No." Enel nodded.

"Then I will stop this."

"No." Alma immediately grabbed his sleeve.

"No, brother Enel."

"Why?"

"If no one goes, Valir might stop feeding everyone. And if I do not go, Mira will go. If not today, then later. Or they will make both of us go because we ruined it."

"I can bring food."

"From… where?"

"Widow's Wall."

"Is that close?"

"It is a little distance away." Alma looked down again.

"Valir is here. His shadow lives inside the cave and provides us with food."

"Hm." Enel looked at the fog. Alma quickly wiped her face with her sleeve, then straightened as much as she could.

"But if I go first, Mira gets to become an adult. And if Valir is kind, maybe I can ask him if I can see her."

"Alma…" Enel quickly glanced at her.

"A sacrifice means you will most likely die."

"H…huh?" Alma's eyes widened at his words. But before she could ask anything else, Hadd had returned. The elders stood behind him, their faces solemn.

"The rite will continue," Hadd announced, loud enough for the villagers to hear.

"Valir sees the heart, not the name. Alma, firstborn of your mother's womb, has offered herself in her sister's place. Such love cannot be rejected." The villagers whispered. Some of them cried, while some nodded. Mira, on the other hand, just tightened her embrace on Lamb and continued to cry. Hadd turned to Alma.

"Come, child." Alma's breath turned heavy as she saw Hadd's hand. Her eyes moved everywhere, and they turned red almost immediately. Still, she raised her shaking hand, not saying anything at all. Her hand drew closer to Hadd… but then landed on Enel as he suddenly moved between them.

"Huh…?" Alma blinked, her tears trailing from her eyes as she looked up at Enel. Enel smiled at her, taking her hand as he turned to Hadd.

"I will walk with her," he said, and the whispers of the villagers stopped. Hadd blinked.

"Pardon?"

"I will walk with her."

"That is not allowed," one elder said at once.

"No one walks with the chosen," another added. Hadd's smile slightly twitched.

"Brother Enel. Your heart is generous, but no one has ever walked with the blessed chosen before."

"I am Enel of House Blackwood," Enel said.

"The Oathrunner."

"... The what?" Enel sighed as he looked at the confusion on Hadd's face. Of course, no one knew of his moniker when it counted the most.

"I am a Blessed, too," he said instead. And the elders instantly stiffened at his words. Lamb's mouth opened slightly, then she smiled despite everything. Hadd's voice lowered.

"A… blessed? How would that be—" Enel reached for the collar of his coat, then pulled the cloth aside, revealing the mark near his collarbone.

"That…" Hadd's eyes turned wide, and even the elders behind him all leaned closer to take a look. It was not ink, nor was it a scar. It throbbed like a vein, almost like it was alive, turning slowly as if drawn in light—the symbol of his oath with the King of the Dark Forest, Great Spirit Blakwud.

"That… is a World Oath." One of the elders took a step back, his finger trembling as he pointed at the mark.

"It…" Hadd whispered.

"This is a miracle! Valir… Valir has sent us a witness! A blessed who has made a contract with a Great Spirit!" Hadd lowered himself to one knee, and the elders followed. Then the villagers, already kneeling, bowed even deeper. Hadd looked up at Enel, eyes wet with awe.

"If one bound by divine oath wishes to witness Valir's embrace, then who are we to refuse? Valir will judge your heart himself."

"Thank you, brother Hadd." Alma stared up at him, then back at his hand.

"So…" Enel smiled at her.

"... Shall we go?" Alma looked at the fog, then at Mira. Her sister shook her head, as if not wanting her to go. But Alma's fingers tightened around Enel's hand.

"Okay," she whispered.

"May… May Valir open our eyes."

"Hm." Enel smiled, then also looked toward the fog.

"And may the Urtmother guide us through." Then together, the two stepped between the pillars… …and the fog swallowed them at the same time.