Hero's Journey

Chapter 84

It had all been about trying to make up for the death of a mother I never had a chance of saving. I realize that now. However, I am stronger than I was when my mother died. I can save Delia and Kip. I have to.

Kagon moves closer to Delia and gently squeezes her shoulder. "Don't you worry, lass. Daqa can want us, but he can't have us. Not on my watch, anyway."

Delia smiles gratefully. "Thank you Kagon." Her voice hitches as she hesitates for a moment. "You have been the best friend I've ever had."

Kagon's heart warms from this, a slow smile spreading across his face. "So have you, writer Delia." He squeezes her arm one more time before dropping it back to his side. However, their shoulders still touch.

"We will not let the followers of Gahenna take any more lives." Qin says, lips pressed in a straight, grin line. "Nor can we allow the sacrificing of Kipdale. If we do, then our chance to stop Gahenna and her followers will cease."

"Exactly." Iglesias agrees. "The time to act is now! Qin and I already have a plan within the workings. We will use that to infiltrate the Temple and rip Gahenna's Shadow Stain from Kipdale, collapsing the goddess's power once and for all!"

The crowd of people lift their voices into a chorus of cheers and shouts. Delia looks at Kagon with a smile and the two's voices join the rest.

〰〰〰

Scented water drips off of Kip's hair, rolls down his brown skin, and plops into the pool of cloudy water around him. One of the handmaids scrub soap into his hair while another clips his nails.

Kip has never felt so humiliated. I'm like a prized pet that gets pampered and groomed. I hate it.

Anger stirs in his belly, but he knows that he cannot use Gahenna's powers to escape because of whatever Daqa did to him. It has already been shown to me that running is not an option either.

That leaves Kip to sitting still and quiet, hoping that Delia and Kagon will come soon.

That is if they're alright. Kip isn't even sure that the rebels really were there to save them. They could have wanted us for some ulterior motive.

Kip shivers within the warm water. Everyone has something that they want. Some will destroy others in order to get that, like Daqa and his power or even Maude and his want to be rid of Gahenna's power over him.

Kip can still feel Maude roughly pushing past Delia and him in order to escape the Shadowlander warriors.

If Delia and Kagon have been caught up in the rebels' motive, then I fear my big talk to Daqa will remain as such-- talk and no action.

The handmaiden nearest to him pours water over his head, rinsing the soap suds from his hair. Once the maid is sure that all the soap is off, she gestures for Kip to get out of the tub and then to the towel hanging on a hook.

At once, the handmaids all turn their backs to give Kip some privacy. For this, he is grateful. Kip clambers out of the pool and quickly dries himself. When he's done, he wraps the towel around his waist and clears his throat.

The handmaids turn back around. One of them giggles and blushes at his exposed chest, however she is quickly hushed by another, older maid.

"Why won't any of you talk?" Kip asks.

The handmaid nearest to him only shakes her head. Kip can only guess that the maid's have taken some kind of oath of silence.  The woman that shook her head offers him a pile of neatly folded white clothes. Kip tentatively takes them and the handmaids turn their backs once more. Complacently, he slips on the loose, white pants and short-sleeved shirt. His feet stay bare.

"I'm done." Kip announces, his voice sounding strained and alien.

I sound afraid.

The maids turn back to face him. One of them takes a brush to his wavy, tangled hair. Kip has to slightly hunch his shoulders in order for her to brush properly. Until then, he hadn't really realized just how tall he had gotten.

How old am I now? I was fifteen, but am I sixteen by now? Kip calculates in his head. Yes, I'm sixteen, my birthday came and went while I was unconscious on the ship. I wonder how old Delia is now? Is she still sixteen?

Kip's thoughts turn elsewhere, as thoughts tend to do. Will I live past sixteen? Will I even be able to see Delia again and tell her...tell her how I feel? Sadness and rage build in Kip's chest. Why was I even chosen as Primary Sacrifice?!

Suddenly, Kip is ripped out of his thoughts when the handmaid's straighten to attention as Daqa saunters into the room. His red-violet eyes scan over Kip. He nods once and goes to leave, but Kip stops him with the question that had been plaguing him.

"Why have I been chosen as Primary Sacrifice?"

Daqa looks at him with a sly smile, eyes narrowed like a snake's when studying their prey. "You are young with a heart unselfish and  are loyal to those you love. It is a rare thing paired with all the agony you have faced. Agony is a succulent treat to the goddess. She likes her sacrifices scarred, which is why I allowed you to escape." Daqa says offhandedly.

Kip's whole body feels as if it is already being devoured by Gahenna. "You let me escape?" He breathes out.

Daqa bares his sharp, discolored teeth. "Yesss. You would be so foolish as to think you escaped by your own wits? No, I would never have let you leave unless it was Gahenna's will."

Kip slumps as if he is a child's rag doll that had been swung around too many times. "How did you know I would come back?"

"All those that have been marked by Gahenna either return to her or die, you are no exception. The pain of being separated too far or too long from her is enough to drive a person insane."

Kip feels as if all he knew is crumbling around him. "I was never free...I was always a puppet to the destiny Gahenna set for me."

"Precisely. My goddess wanted you to go through more heartbreak and loss, she wanted to test the limits of your purity and she did. Not only that, but she gained something unexpected from her patience. The ultimate heartbreak you will face is when your friends are all fed to Gahenna before your very eyes, including the woman that holds your heart."

Delia...I-I should have never brought her or anyone else into this.

Daqa licks his lips. "You told me earlier that your friends will come for you, well, I believe you." He chuckles. "Oh, and I being a religious and devout follower thank you on my goddess' behalf. Thank you for bringing her more sacrifices then she expected." Daqa laughs, the sound ringing and echoing throughout the room.

Through the sorrow that pumps through Kip like blood, only three thoughts come to him clearly.

I did this...