Chapter 18 Giant deer
Levi walked around the trees at the side of the mountain, picking oak and maple leaves with a small knife and placing them into a basket. She wasn't sure what kind of leaves the beast ate, or if it would accept any other food, but she had once seen priests pluck these particular leaves… so this had to be the right choice.
She had removed her white temple garment and veil in the quarters, replacing them with a long black leather tunic split at the middle and sides, with trousers underneath and sturdy boots to protect her feet. It was called the 'Regular Garment', worn by priests and priestesses who had duties outside the temple—designed for easy movement, sword practice, and running if necessary. And right now, she needed every ounce of freedom it could give her. She could only hope the beast wasn’t as big as she had imagined.
When she thought she had plucked enough leaves, she picked up her basket and walked toward the small stable where they kept the animal. The environment was dry and deserted, as the majority of the young priests and priestesses had gone down the mountain to meet their families. Levi felt a sadness stir within her—her family must be waiting for her too. Anyway, all she had to do was feed the beast. It couldn’t be that hard.
She opened the doors to the stable and stepped inside. A pure white Giant deer stood at the corner, staring at her. Its antlers were large and pointed, standing like two trees with many branches. Levi swallowed hard as she stared at the beast. How could the High Priest betray her this way? He knew how much she hated animals, especially wild animals. And now this deer wasn’t just any regular wild animal—it had antlers. Any mistake on her part and it could drive them straight into her heart, or even trample her beneath its feet.
“Don’t harm me. I’m only here to feed you,” Levi coaxed. She forced a smile as she slowly walked toward the deer, cautious not to frighten it. A priest once told her that animals had spirits and could understand human words and emotions. She could only hope and pray those words were true.
She touched the deer’s head, carefully placing her hands between its towering antlers, patting it gently to keep it calm. The animal stood nearly as tall as she did—five feet seven, and it hadn’t even grown to its full size. Still, the sharp spikes of its antlers pointed directly at her. She could only hope she wasn’t being foolish and making a terrible mistake.
Noticing that the animal remained calm, she dropped her basket to the floor and picked up some leaves. She placed them into the mouth of the deer—and instantly regretted it.
The deer shook its head violently, and in that motion, its antlers pierced her right arm. She screamed in pain as blood flowed down her arm, spilling onto the head of the deer. Instinctively, she pushed the animal away and ran toward the other end of the stable. The deer growled and stamped its hooves against the floor. It fixed its gaze on Levi, then charged toward her with its head lowered and antlers aimed straight at her body. Levi saw her life flash before her eyes...
"The sages say a person’s true potential does not surface until their life hangs by a thread"
who the heck told her that crap? Definitely one of those priests, she scoffed. And… hell yah. He was right, she wasn’t ready to die. Not today!
She didn’t even realize when she flung open the door and ran out of the stable in a blur—a kind of speed she had never attained in her entire life. The deer shattered the door with its mighty antlers, wooden debris scattering through the air as it chased her relentlessly. Levi reasoned with herself—it was either she dealt with it and ended the chase, or it would kill her.
As she ran in circles, her eyes caught a jagged piece of broken wood on the floor. Skidding to a halt, she spun on her heel, and flung it with all her strength, hissing through clenched teeth. The sharp end struck the deer’s neck. It let out a deafening roar, staggering violently before crashing to the ground, antlers thrashing. Dust and debris swirled around her as she darted to the side, narrowly avoiding a sweep of its antlers.
When the noise finally settled, Levi lifted her head from the ground, coughing as dust filled her mouth and nose. The deer’s blood spilled across the floor, some of it rolling toward her. She stood up immediately to avoid her garment being soaked in its blood.
This was not how she had imagined her day would go. She had been waiting eagerly for the day she would see her family again, but when the day finally came, she had killed the beast meant to be sacrificed to Elyon. Worst of all, it wasn’t just any beast. White giant deer were the hardest to find and were usually chosen for sacrifices. Prophecies had to be given before one could even be discovered.
She could only imagine the trouble she had brought upon herself.
“What have you done?!” a powerful voice roared behind her.
She turned to find herself face to face with the High Priest, his body trembling violently with rage. He was accompanied by several priests and priestesses who had heard the deer’s roar. Fear was written plainly on all their faces.
“Master, I...” Levi began, but the High Priest raised his hand and struck her across the face, paying no attention to the fact that she was badly injured.
She fell to the ground in shock. She hadn’t expected him to hit her—but her shock quickly turned to anger. How could he strike her without even hearing her side of the story?
“Do you have any idea what kind of curses and evil you have brought upon this mountain?” he thundered. “The spirit of Elyon brought this deer to the doors of this temple to be sacrificed unto Him, and you desecrated it in such a manner!”
His voice echoed throughout the vicinity. No one had ever seen the High Priest so enraged.
“The animal attacked me!” Levi cried. “It tried to kill me! I had to defend myself!”
But no one looked at her with pity. Their faces were blank, as though her death would have been preferable to angering their God.
The High Priest stared at her for a long moment, contemplating the decision before him. It was a grave matter.
“Tie her to the olive tree,” he commanded.
Everyone gasped in shock.
They all knew what it meant to be tied to an olive tree. It was reserved for punishment, carried out by flogging with a special whip called... 'The Devil's Belt'