91 Soulless, lifeless

HAELAN/HELENA POV

With a hailing distance, I instantly felt the weakened energy of Bertram at the entry of the relic hall. He was struggling to keep his eyes open, as he lean by the doorway. He bobbed his head at my presence, tending on his burned bare flesh. Peeling the thin fabric covering his shoulder down to his elbow, he panted as he strip it off leaving his injury exposed.

"May I see?", I asked as I stood near him. I kept my distance knowing the priests are suspicious of other people, except for Atrius. 

"I don't think I'd see the light of the day", he answered weakly as he wave a hand in approval. 

"It's not like it's that beautiful anyway. Sunsets are way better", I said as I force a smile. He chuckled softly showing the lines around his eyes. I stayed where I stood and took a look at his wound. The cold outside doesn't seem to bother him.

"Come closer, I don't.. bite", Bertram seemed to be more approachable than the others. I knelt on one knee to see his burns clearly. His injuries were far more extensive than I thought. The charring of his skin, the blisters and scalding all around, the partially revealed bones, and the inflamed flesh should be bringing turmoil to this priest. I'm in complete awe to see him only gasp for such a harrowing sight. 

"Heh", he gasped at the discomfort of my light touch on his wound. His skin is hot, yet his hands are cold as a fish. 

"Where's High Priest Onias?", I asked as I looked around. Despite feeling his presence in the hall, he's nowhere to be found.

"Back in.. the tunnel. He took some.. clean fabric to cover up..my wounds", he uttered wearily as he catch his breath in every word.

I sat beside him at the doorway as I rest my scepter against the wall. Staring at his pale skin and heavy breathing, I couldn't let this man slip through my healing hands. "You're in terrible shape", I said.

"I'm already… done for. I'm ready to meet.. my creator, Sir Haelan", Bertram said. 

"Why don't you take a rest, maybe when you wake up, you'll realize this is all a dream", I waited until he closed his eyes. His vigor and vitality have started to decline. I held his wounded arm and started to restore his skin consumed by fire.

It was tough. There was too much damage. The element of fire is surely unfriendly to our healing magic that it's exceedingly detrimental, for it took me some glorious time to completely repair his injury. With the help of the bracelet, I managed to maximize my power of healing at its optimal capacity - not weakening my body, and satisfying my aims to help the poor priest. Moments later, I finally completed healing. I stood up, grabbed my scepter and heaved a loud sigh of relief as I wipe a few drops of sweat from my forehead.

Then, he opened his eyes and looked at me. It was like he wasn't surprised of my abilities at all. "I knew it, Prince Haelan", he said with a beaming smile and starry eyes as he remained seated at the doorway. "You are the King and Tris' son", he said breathlessly as he raise his hands toward me.

"That's.. that's..", I cleared ny throat to catch a word. But none really came out.

"It's alright, your secret is safe with me", Bertram said softly. "I never thought you'd help me. But may I know why would you risk it? I'm just a priest", he asked.

"I just thought you have more teachings to preach, and stories to share", I shrugged my shoulders as I prepared to walk away. I just extended my healing hands for I pity his short fragile life.

"Where are you going?", he asked. "I thought I lived to share stories? Aren't you interested with the story of what really happened here? Sir Ottis made quite a good story, but he missed some details", he said as I turn my head towards him.

I was hesitant at first. What took place here wasn't really any of my top concerns. "I'm not quite sure if I need to know it", I answered as I sat across him, placing my scepter on the ground beside me. "But, let's hear it.", I said as I give him a chance to have a talk. It's not like I have anything else to do anyway.

"Very well", he said. "It was just one of our very ordinary days. We woke up early, had one of our square meals, checked our crops, fed the chickens… prayed, and listened to some preaches.", he started amicably. He remembered that day with a smile. "In the late afternoon, I was assigned to arrange the books in the scriptorium after our writing session. If you knew, that room had a good view of the main entrance of the Holy land. I was the only one left, as usual. But that day, it was strangely quiet. No sound of the birds, no hush of the winds. It was just the voices of the priests and scholars starting to call it a day", the glimmer in his eyes started to fade and the lines around his forehead have appeared. "I was about to leave the room when I saw Elijah open the gates for five people. They were on foot with their faces hidden under the shadows. On their tail was a woman in a cerulean gown with a large gainsboro cloak covering her head, riding a war horse. She carried a palace emblem.", he said.

"The Queen?", I asked. If there's any woman with a palace emblem, it should be the Queen.

"That's what I thought first. But, the Queen never gets out of the palace with no grand escorts. You know… palace knights, paladins. Usually, she come announced, on three palace carriages. One for her, one for her servants and one for gifts for the priests", he explained.

"Right", I nodded. Certainly, the queen is as grand as any royal could ever be. Why would she ride a dangerous stallion trained for wars anyway? "So who was it?", I asked.

"I didn't know. The woman ordered her escorts around, and they follow her like loyal dogs to their master. By their stances, I could already tell… they are far more different than ordinary people.", Bertram said.

"What did they do?", I asked.

"They just talked to Elijah. I was about to look away when they seemed like they were already having an argument. It was then that I noticed Elijah looked very afraid and then he sprinted away.", at this point, Bertram lowered his voice as his hands tremble. "Without any subtle movements, the three other escorts started grabbing the priests… delivering them to the woman on the horse. It was a stupendous horror to see with my own eyes that many of my people were killed in an inhumane manner. Fear couldn't even escape my mouth. My feet couldn't move. My eyes never turned away. She savored their souls as she suck the lives out of their bodies. I watched the priests drop dead on the cold ground with their eyes turn black as the night. Soulless, lifeless.", he said fearfully.

"Travelers..", I uttered. Listening intently, I couldn't imagine how brutal soul travelers can be.