Mercy & Fire

11. A Divine Visit

Roselena

The sound of soft and loud snoring vibrated at the barrier of my ears, keeping a deep, restful slumber at bay. There were around 20 other women sleeping in the dormitory,  and I was right in the middle of them all on the bottom bunk of my area. This meant I was privy to every snore and word spoken in their sleep, which made it incredibly hard to sleep.  Sleeping next to Adelia who slept like she was seconds away from natural death definitely spoiled me.

I could count the number of hours I'd slept over the past three nights on two hands. Exhaustion weighed me down as I learned to serve the commander – well, the new king. This left me with insomnia that only added to my usual grief at night.

When night came, the worry and yearning for my friends and family was like a burning fire inside of me. All I could do with the stinging pain in my chest was pray to the god who had sent me here in the first place. Only, I had yet to hear from him again.

Even now, I clasped my hands together tightly and looked straight up at the bottom of the bunk bed, begging him with mouthed words.

"Please." I whispered ever so lightly. Heat gathered at my eyes as they  big, plump tears gathered and spilled over. They ran into my hairline as I continued pleading with him.

My throat grew tight as the last moments I had with my family played in my mind. The warmth of my father's temporary farewell haunted me, and the sting of the flick my brother gave me on the forehead ghosted over my face. Adelia's helpless eyes as she watched me be carried off to new Dhernon territory seemed to sear me with sadness.

Again I whispered. "Please let them live. If nothing else, spare their lives..."

I repeated these lines over and over in desperation until I could no longer hold onto consciousness. I fell into a deep sleep only to be awoken once more.

My body jumped with a start as I sat up to find the room was now dimly lit and devoid of any other bunk bed besides mine. The door to my right, where a window should've been, caught my eye as if beckoning me. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and found a bedside table that hadn't been there a second ago. A single lit candle sat on it.

I lifted it up as I stood and walked toward the door. It had translucent, white curtains around it, and even from here, a breeze seemed to push them back toward me. With the breeze came the familiar sound of turning pages, and I knew in that moment what this was.

I walked toward the door, and in passing, the strong breeze whooshing in from outside blew out my candle. A frown dragged the corners of my lips down as I looked from my extinguished flame to the magnificent sight before me.

The moon was huge, as if it had flown closer to the land and wanted to take a closer look at humanity. Then a disembodied voice shrouded with what sounded like rushing waters seemed to tear through the atmosphere. It tickled me all around as I felt a lightness so unlike the overwhelming feeling that knocked the breath out of me the first time I met this god.

"I've heard your prayers and seen your tears. Why do you worry so? Do you not believe I can save your family?"

I shivered at the question. I somehow felt like I was being chided.

"I... I'm sorry for doubting you."

His voice was gentle, but I could feel his authority rattling my bones. Was this the god I'd been praying to all my life?