Bathed In Gold Pt. 4

A few weeks had passed since our arrival in the world I learnt was called Edenton and the reason we were here was an event called the Great collision. Something that happened once every five hundred years.

According to Ueel, that's how mankind, the dragons and the Rendaro, or the mud crawlers, made it to this world.

A Great War followed shortly the collision and mankind emerged victorious thanks to the valiant efforts of the Golden and Silver Knights.

We were located in the kingdom of Lanceberg ruled over by Luno Corriandos the Moon King, Caligo the Golden Prince, Ferrum the Grandmaster of Knights and the High Priests.

The kingdom itself was divided into three provinces: Medelona the capital, Aurenia and Agna which was a large island off the western coast.

We were in Medelona, which was divided into two: northern Medelona or Helmia and southern Medelona also known as Helia, which is where we were.

If I wanted to get Adia back home, I'd need to get to Middlen, the capital city because chances are, the means to do so where there.

"Oi, Zuri. Come here. I need your help with something." Ueel called prompting me to close one of the many books various people had given me. I'd gotten some from Ueel's friends and some people in town and they helped me gather more knowledge.

I stood up in a new room Ueel and his friends had built for Adia and I before emerging out into the open where the sun lovingly kissed my skin.

My vision adjusted allowing me to see Ueel, who was moving various batches of hey into the barn.

Ever since Adia healed my arm, I insisted that Ueel could call on me for help whenever he needed it and since his wife was always busy inside and he didn't have any farm hands, I was always helping him.

I helped Ueel feed the handful of animals we'd recently gotten.

Four sheep, two goats and several more chickens.

We fed the animals and I checked to see if the chickens had laid any eggs.

They hadn't and so I stood up before joining Ueel outside where he stared at his still barren land.

He told me that he was originally from Agna and that he came to Medelona in search of glory. He tried becoming a knight but failed meeting the requirements.

According to him, Golden and silver knight candidates were only ever chosen from the ages of five to fifteen. Anyone older would be sent to train to becoming a regular knight and if you failed at that, you'd end up being a normal foot soldier.

Disheartened by his many failures, Ueel ended up using the land all servicemen are allowed to build a farm.

He met his wife shortly after and they both hoped their farm would a be a prosperous one, but…

Ueel scoffed before entering the house.

He returned shortly after with what looked like a piece of pie on a wooden plate.

"It's fresh. Straight from the bakery."

I graciously accepted the pie before thanking Ueel, who bashfully scratched his head in response.

He then accompanied me as I took the pie to the room Adia and I shared.

Sitting cross legged behind by the outside wall, was Adia.

His eyes were closed and he appeared to be in deep meditation.

My chest ached slightly upon seeing that both Adia and I had lost quite a bit of weight since our arrival in Edenton, but not much could be done about that.

"Hey."

"Mmm?" Adia sweetly sounded as he opened his eyes which glowed beautifully green.

"Here."

Adia accepted the pie and he greedily ate it while Ueel and I stared at the setting sun.

"You say that you want to go to Middlen one day."

"Yes." I said softly as a rare cool breeze blew by.

"This place… it won't be the same without you."

"Hey, don't say that. You'll still have Luna, right?"

Ueel's eyes lowered slightly.

"Yes. Anyway, let's have some chicken tonight!" He declared while marching towards his house.

"Oh? Did something good happen?" I asked as I followed Ueel with a smile.

"NO! I just feel like it!"

.

..

"That's the thing about that legion. No one ever points that out! I've been to countless parades and people always call them The Second of Ten but no one ever tries explaining why!" Ueel yelled passionately as Luna and I tidied everything up.

We had just had a delicious chicken dinner and Ueel was going on and on about a certain legion of knights.

I quickly realized that he was quite obsessed with all fifty legions and knew them all by memory.

He even tried learning what he could about lost legions.

"Huh? What do you both think?"

"I think it doesn't matter what they're called." Luna said flatly.

"Aww. What about you, boy?"

Adia opened his still green eyes.

"If… they are called the second… then there has to be a first… right?" Aida asked.

"Exactly!" Ueel exploded, nearly frightening Aida.

I opened my mouth to speak only to be stopped by the knocking that came from the door.

"Who is it?" Ueel happily asked, but no one responded.

He opened the door to find a badly beaten Jael who was one of Ueel's friends.

"By the light, what did you do now?" Ueel asked as he helped Jael to a chair.

"B- bandits." Jael said through bloody teeth.

"Bandits? In Medelona? We must inform the knights at once." Ueel said as he reached out to the door, but he immediately stopped as Jael pulled out a pouch from his pocket.

He then poured all of its contents out, revealing about ten gold coins. Each embellished with the image of a brilliant sun.

Everyone except Ueel gasped as Jael turned to face me.

"My farm… burns. The work of several generations is in ruin. I only ask of you one thing… may I spend the night with Zuri… just one more time." He said weakly.

Ueel looked at the gold on the table before looking at me, but I simply bowed.

"Grr… fine, but before any of that…"

Ueel stormed out of the house leaving the rest of us in an chilling silence.

"What were the bandits like?" Luna asked as she stood by door that led into the bedroom.

"Huh? They were just men, armed with old swords and clubs."

"Do you think they were from Aurenia?" Luna asked.

"I don't know. Probably. They said that they would be coming for every farm." Jael said weakly as I walked up to him.

I then handed him damp towel which he used to wipe away the blood and droll on his face.

Ueel eventually returned with a chicken.

"Adia, please."

Aida nodded before raising his hand.

The chicken loudly flapped it's wings as wisps of green light left its body.

They then seeped into the body of a wide eyed Jael.

His wounds slowly closed and even though he let out a slight groan as his flesh briefly swelled and convulsed, the entire process was quick and looked mostly painless.

"What in the…" Jael gasped as he looked at Adia, who's arms were now crossed.

He had grown a lot more silent since we discovered that he could use magic.

We talked and he said many things, some which I didn't expect a ten year old boy to say.

He spoke about how all lives are connected and that a natural death is an important part of the natural cycle.

It sounded as though someone was speaking through him.

Fortunately, when he wasn't meditating, he was teasing the animals and being his normal self.

Jael stood up while inspecting his fully healed body.

He then joined us all in staring at the black dusty husk that was once a chicken.

"Mmm… thank you." He said before facing me.

I nodded before placing my hand Adia's head.

"Help uncle Ueel with the discarding ritual OK?" I said and the boy nodded as left the house with Jael in tow.

We entered the spare room where I removed my now old maid's uniform.

Jael and I had actually spent many nights together and he'd often vent about many things before indulging in my body.

He was a troubled man.

Many of his brothers had become soldiers, leaving him to tend to the land his family had owned for generations.

He was a lazy, but honest man who was often getting into fights over silly things all just to prove that he was as strong as his brothers or as proud as his brothers.

I sat on the bed of blankets while Jael removed his clothes.

He then collapsed on me as he frantically breathed.

"Its all… it's all gone, Zuri." He whimpered as I gently ran my hands through his messy hair.

"What will I say when my brothers return?" He sniffled as we laid in the dark.

"Zuri… what should I do?" He asked, but like so many times before, I couldn't answer.

I never knew what to say to those who rested their heads in my bosom.

They'd vomit their emotional bile onto me or shed the tears of their souls on my breasts and even with them being so transparent, I never knew what to say.

I was taught to simply hold them and assure them.

So that's what I did.

.

..

"How's work?" Jael asked as he slipped into his dirty shirt.

"It's fine. I'm more concerned about you? What are you going to do?" I asked while fasting my shoes onto my feet.

"Gonna head back to the farm, salvage what I can and come live here!" Jael said with a pained grin.

I smiled as well before leaving the room with him and returning to the main house where everyone else was.

Luna was making breakfast and so I joined her while the men sat together.

Jael told Ueel his plan and the older farmer didn't react very positively.

"Absolutely not! We're going to report this to lord Ferran, have him send out a Legion of knights to hunt those scumbags and you're gonna get your farm back!"

"Come on! You don't know what it's like to tend to all that land by yourself!" Jael cried.

"Heh! Of course I do!"

"But there's nothing here to tend!"

I couldn't help but smile as the two argued.

Luna and I eventually served everyone some porridge and we joined them in eating the sweet breakfast while Ueel continuously scolded his young friend.

Everyone eventually finished eating and we began collecting everyone's bowls.

We promptly tidied everything up while Ueel and Jael continued their discussions.

"What do you think that bandits are really after?" Luno asked.

"Heh?" Ueel sounded.

"What do thugs ever want apart from shit that's not theirs?"

"Watch your language in my house, boy."

"Sorry, but I don't think they were up to anything too bad and besides, not all is lost since I'm gonna be living here now-"

"No. Dust yourself off. We're headed to town. I wonder which legion will come to our aid." Ueel wondered aloud as he stood up.

"Keep dreaming, grandpa. They're probably gonna send some grunts who'll demand payment even though it's their duty to defend the innocent!" Jael cried as he joined Ueel in leaving.

I sighed as I dried my hands.

I then walked up to Adia, who had his eyes closed.

"Hey."

The boy opened his eyes.

"Why don't you show me where you buried the chicken?"

Adia nodded before leading me to a certain spot near the barn.

He pointed at a small patch of recently disturbed dirt.

He then closed his eyes before raising his head to face the sun.

Ueel had taught us that everything that was, is and will ever be was created by Summus. He willed everything into being in the dark void and he has since continued to bath all of creation in his holy light.

However, as powerful as Summus is, he cannot fend of the darkness from beyond forever.

According to Ueel, one day light and darkness will reach their extremes as we approach the end of the world.

Those blessed by Summus's light will be consumed in a pure fire that will return all who are worthy to the great Will itself and we will aid it I its endless battle with the dark.

Adia seemed to believe all of it.

I guess it made sense since he could use magic now.

Ueel must have convinced him that it was a gift from Summus.