The Sacred Red Stone
"Dinner time!"
4 young ladies exclaimed with gentle smiles. Their silky hair, that was tied up in an elegant manner, was perfectly complimented by their golden diaphanous veils. Despite looking distinguished and refined, there wasn't anything intimidating or unapproachable about them. The orphans ran out of the tent and eagerly skipped to the young ladies serving food.
They wore red garments, which matched their ruby pendants. The red gems didn't appear rare or exotic, but were alluring nonetheless.
A single rose was stuck elegantly into their hair. Their birdsong-like voices gently whispered words of love and faith into the little one's ears. Who else could these young ladies be other than those that received the saint king's blessing, nuns of the red stone?
The woman in the middle seemed to be their leader. Her clothing appeared more luxurious and her waist length golden locks were breathtaking. She affectionately picked up the youngest orphan in the middle and began to hum a familiar tune while the child lifted his little fingers and played with her silky hair.
She was relatively thin and looked overworked, as she didn't have the same youth and elegance the nuns had. But Somehow, her radiance felt the most out of reach.
"Big sister Lucia just read us a story!" The little girl grabbing her leg said enthusiastically.
"Is that so?" The golden-locked priestess replied with a smile and stars In her eyes.
"Go on- I'm sure you're hungry after all that listening" she said excitedly while handing the children over to the nuns.
The priestess glanced over to the large tent beside her. "Seems like little Lucy's finally got the hang of it- perhaps I got the wrong idea...." she sighed, relieved.
The tent Lucia was in was set up like a classroom. A Large rug with several pillows laid onto it was placed directly in the middle, with an altar in front of it. A large table was set up behind the altar as a lounge and storage area.
"Hhhhhh-"
Lucia took a heavy breath. She watched the darling young nuns leave with envy. "I'll receive the Saint King's rite and be in training just like them soon enough." She thought to herself reassuringly.
Tap- her elbows fell onto the lounge table as she lowered her head
"Who am I kidding- they're perfect" she quietly whined.
She had to admit that her level of faith was nowhere near the others on the island. In fact, she didn't even lightly believe in the red stone's teachings.....was something wrong with her?
She couldn't find herself randomly praying to the Saint king thanking him for all he's done every hour like most of the residents did and didn't feel the same warmth the others claimed to feel when thinking about him.
Her ancestors vowed to serve the Saint King for eternity, the thought of her having to take over the responsibility of Patriarch terrified her.
Lucia paused her thoughts after vaguely noticing a familiar figure in her peripheral vision. She quickly sat back up like a cadet who spotted their sergeant.
The golden locked priestess entered the tent with a smile, so dazzling that it could blind anyone who was unprepared. However her radiant smile turned meek as she got a good look at the young lady moping beside her. "What did you do this time, Lucy?" The priestess, who looked to be in her 30s nagged. "I read the children the story of our saint." Lucia replied awkwardly. She wasn't lying.
"And-?" The woman said with her brows raised expecting the twist at any moment. "From the textbook-" Lucia mumbled unwillingly with a guilty grin.
"You did what- ?"
"I'm sorry Lady Cynthia, I'm trying, I really am- maybe I'm just not meant to follow my father's footsteps" Lucia said, covering her eyes in embarrassment. Lucia secretly hoped that she would agree with her.
"How did you even manage to-"
"Tsk- well, what's done is done '' Cynthia mumbled, putting her arm around Lucia gently. "You're the most kindhearted and devoted person I know, don't let a bit of clumsiness be your undoing" she said with a deep breath and compassionate grin.
"Yeah…" Lucia was tired of lying to her but she didn't want to lose the relationship she had with this woman.
Cynthia was quite tall however her bones lacked meat and the dark circles around her eyes spoke volumes. Cynthia took on the position of the head priestess, responsible for training nuns and maintaining peace in the encampment
She acted as a mother figure for Lucia, afterall- Lucia didn't have one. Although her mother died peacefully and naturally, the world wasn't safe enough for someone to grow up without a mother's guidance.
Even if there wasn't an ancient threat of demonic mist, naturally, greed and arrogance didn't magically disappear.
The government that ruled the world had no tolerance for worshippers of the red stone. In fact, thousands would be killed monthly if they were accused of practicing.
Thus, the Island of Fauria, named after the Saint king, was established by worshippers as a safe haven for the poor and persecuted. Lucia's ancestors guided their people to safety and led them for generations undetected.
Worshippers of the red stone lived in peace and had kids of their own, allowing the religion to continue to survive in the hearts of the Maisines.
Regrettably, nothing is truly perfect. The tyrannical government was aware of their existence and they weren't going to leave any stones unturned. The government wanted to be the only powers that the people acknowledge as gods. The refugees feared the day that they would fall into the hands of those devils.
Not everyone was willing to lose their freedom and safety for their faith. The once dominating religion was reduced to these helpless refugees. In the eyes of others- if their God couldn't protect them, were they anything but foolish to give everything up for spirituality? Those who believed that way eventually abandoned their devotion and looked down on the ones who didn't, calling them delusional. The Faurians called those people "the hypocrites." Especially those who once used the sacred words of the Saint King as a means to demonize the innocent and arrogantly boasted about how devoted they were, only to betray their faith when it benefited them.
As the daughter of Fauria's leader, Lucia had certain duties. She would have to be its next leader, both politically and religiously she needed to excel. In the state she was now, seemingly talentless, others didn't exactly wholeheartedly welcome her and they began to question the rule of lineage. She didn't know how disappointed they would be if they found she didn't care for the teaching of the red stone, and she didn't want to find out.
Lucia glanced up at Cynthia with a look of desperation. "How am I supposed to protect everyone here if I can't even keep religious classes PG?" she said while her eyes began to water. She was just 17, but she had to contend with the fact that her father certainly wasn't getting any younger.
"How can you say something like that with a straight face?" Cynthia said giggling, hugging Lucia with a single arm.
She glanced at the abrading leather book lying on the carpet like it was bawling for help. "Maybe try not to throw our holy books next time-" Cynthia picked the book up like it was a bar of gold and dusted it off almost intimately.
"Ohhh- Yes! I'm sorry, forgive me" Lucia exclaimed while bowing repeatedly.
"Tsk, that's alright-" Cynthia said in a sigh, laying her backhand against her forehead. She placed the book down carefully on an altar. She had already mentally prepared a long lecture for Lucia, but she wavered in the end.
Cynthia gazed at Lucia with a suspicious stare, it seemed at that moment she made up her mind about something.
"You know Lucy….." She said playfully with a smug spark in her eye. "When I was a girl I found myself….lost- until I saw a vision of the Saint King himself in the ancient ruins of Valene Fortress and vowed to serve under his teachings for the rest of my life"
Lucia's eyes lit up as she lifted her head and sucked up all of her tears and snot. "W-why are you telling me this"
"Hmmmm…I don't knowwww" Cynthia exclaimed with a wink
But before Lucia knew it, Cynthia had already left the tent.