Chapter 31 Human Eyes
Elric, who had been listening to the conversation with the crowd, heard the last words of Lord Ezra. He was taken aback, as those words were not what he had expected. No one had expected that the Almighty would want one of His faithful priestesses sacrificed for just a sin. It did not sound like the words of the God he served.
“Is there absolutely no alternative that would spare the priestess from death?” he heard the high priest ask in a low tone. Everyone present could feel his sadness.
“If there is another way, the Almighty will definitely show it to us. I am only here to carry out the sacrifice to Elyon, regardless of what must be offered,” Lord Ezra replied.
The high priest gave a brief, unexpected laugh, startling everyone. The high priest never laughed, and definitely not over the words of a Lord and prophet.
“I have sent my warriors all over Malakh and the whole forest in search of a White Giant Deer, with the hope that the Almighty would send one to us… yet they have not returned,” the high priest said bitterly. "Elyon accepts no sacrifice but that of a white deer… We cannot offer a human; it has never been done since the beginning of time. What if we are misinterpreting the will of Elyon?”
“Do not doubt His judgment, for that is the greatest of all sins,” Lord Ezra warned the high priest, then closed his eyes with his head bowed, as if he had fallen asleep.
The high priest instinctively took a step back, and so did the priests who stood guard around the vicinity. They knew that once Lord Ezra assumed such a strange posture, whatever was to happen next would be fatal. He was a mysterious and handsome man, with a reputation so great that no one dared approach him. Half spirit, half man was, in fact, one of his many names… he was a vessel that contained light and darkness in equal measure.
A long staff appeared in his hands out of thin air, and when he stamped it on the ground, an earthquake shook the mountain before abruptly ceasing. It was only a hint of the powers he possessed. The people stared at him in awe, wondering what he might do next.
He turned toward the north as if being called and lifted his gaze. The hour of the Sacrifice was nearly upon them, and the temple bell would sound at any moment, but Elric watched closely as Lord Ezra raised his staff toward the sky. There was something about his movement that made everyone terrified. He did not just raise his staff to the sky; he was commanding all the heavens and all the spirits of the earth.
“Hored Ruach’cha Elohim, ki va’ah sha’at han’vuah!” Lord Ezra chanted, and suddenly a thick dark cloud covered the sky, accompanied by flashes of lightning. A strong wind swept around the mountain, extending throughout the kingdom like a hurricane.
It was a frightening phenomenon. The people who lived in the kingdom were forced awake, some even struggling to lock their doors properly as the wind raged against them. At that same moment, the great temple bells resounded from the four corners of the mountain, signaling to the people of Malakh that something terrifying was about to take place at the temple of Elyon — though no one knew what it was, except the priests and priestesses.
Back in the forest, the trees quavered at the touch of the breeze that had reached them, though it was gentle and could not be compared to the horror unfolding within the walls of the kingdom.
Lyriel, who had been fast asleep, tossed on her bed, feeling uncomfortable as the continuous tolling of the bell disturbed her. She wondered why the temple would toll its bell so late at night; it sounded like a message, as if warning the people of an impending war. She hoped it was not so.
But as she lay in bed, eyes open and all alone in the room, she heard strange noises and movement outside. Was that Eli? No, it did not sound like him. Where had he gone?
She looked out the window as a soft breeze brushed her hair. Her gaze fell on the trees swaying in the darkness; they were just trees, yet the shadows made her uneasy. It reminded her of the being with glowing silver eyes she had seen at that exact spot. She sighed. How terrifying that had been.
As she stared, lost in thought, she saw a shadow darted past and she gasped in shock. She slammed the window shut and sank onto her bed, her heart racing. What was that? It was definitely not Eli. Still, she jumped up and ran toward the door leading outside. She had a very bad feeling that night and could only hope she was imagining things. That boy, Fabian, had really frightened her with his stories; she prayed they were not true. But she was still worried about Eli.
As she opened the door and stepped outside the cottage, she noticed that there was something about the atmosphere that was not right. The weather was slightly cloudy, and as she walked farther from the cottage, she saw a dark cloud gathered around the mountain in the far west. This was no ordinary weather, it was a massive storm, with lightning flashing across the sky. She wondered where Eli was and hoped he was safe.
She turned to walk back into the cottage but froze immediately. Goosebumps prickled her skin, and she slowly turned back to take another look at the forest. It was then that she realized the forest was not as calm and natural as it had appeared. She had been blinded by seeing the forest through human eyes… for all humans were blind.
Lyriel’s eyes glowed like precious stones, her irises turning from blue to pure white, and her entire eyes shone with the brilliance of the full moon. With that, she saw the true state of the forest… it was indeed a den of demons and evil spirits alike. She watched in awe as these beings swarmed around her in great multitudes, both small and large, taking all manner of forms, squeaking and roaring as they prepared for battle. Their gaze was fixed on one place only… the mountain and the temple that crowned it. This was, in fact, the day they had been waiting for… the day they might ensure that the prophecy foretold would never come to pass.