Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Life Outside the walls

"Wake up," Amelia said as she gently shook Ash's shoulder. The young boy groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. Looking through the windshield with half-open eyes, all Ash could see were trees all around him.

"Huh? Wha,"Ash mumbled, while still half asleep. "Where are we?" He asked as he sat up straight and rubbed his eyes.

"Still on the road, we have a long way to go before the next city," Amelia said as she got out of the truck. "Come on. It's lunchtime." Once Ash heard those words, his stomach started rumbling, and his eyes snapped open. He quickly got out of his seat and followed Amelia. 

Looking around Ash could see that they were still on the dirt road leading away from his village, but the forest surrounding the road seemed thicker to Ash, and the trees seemed taller. 

"Here," Amelia said while handing Ash a bottle of water. Ash accepted the bottle and quickly started to drink it. "Let's go." She said.

"Huh? Where are we going?"

"To find food," Amelia said as she started walking through the trees. Ash quickly chased after the blind woman; he didn't want to be left alone; he could hear noises screeching from the trees behind him. 

~S~o~t~G~

"Careful where you step, never know what's dangerous until it bites you," Amelia said, which caused Ash to walk closer to the woman and look around nervously. 

The forest was alive with the sounds of monsters. Hissing, growling, twigs snapping, and fighting. All of these sounds were amplified in Ash’s ears. But, he didn’t have to worry, no monster would attack him when Amelia was near.

The pair kept walking through the trees until they reached a river. It was the same river that flowed through Ash's village. "Is your bottle low on water?" Amelia asked as she stopped walking. "Go fill it up in that river. It's safe to drink." Ash shook his empty bottle then shrugged his shoulders as he took a step towards the river. But before he could take his second step, Amelia gripped the back of his vest and yanked him back.

"Wha! Hey!" Ash yelped as he steadied himself. "What was that for?"

"That was a test, and you failed," Amelia said with a sigh. "Didn't I tell you to be careful? To watch where you step?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Amelia didn't answer Ash's question. Instead, the blind woman reached down and picked up a small rock.

"Pay attention," Amelia said. Ash watched her closely as the woman threw the rock into the river.

To Ash, it felt like time slowed down as he watched the rock sail through the air, then as soon as the stone met the water's surface, all Ash could see was teeth.

"Gah!" Ash shouted in surprise as large fish-like creatures swarmed the spot the rock landed on. Ash's eyes were immediately drawn to the large sharp jagged teeth lining the mouths of the creatures. "Wh-what the heck are those?"

"Rippez, sharp tooth-fish that live in groups ripping apart and eating anything that wanders into their waters," Amelia explained as the creatures settled down, the water turning calm once more. "I told you before, your village kept you safe, but life outside those walls is dangerous. You have to pay attention to everything, or you will die a hundred times before you notice you're dead."    

"But, how was I supposed to know they were there? How do you even know they're there?!" Ash waved his hands in front of Amelia's face to double-check her vision.

"While I don't have my sight, I have my other senses. My hearing and my sense of smell are enhanced thanks to the Mist. I also can feel vibrations in the earth thanks to my geomancy. These are abilities I've trained all my life, and even though I'm only thirty-two, I started my training when I was younger than you."   

"Wha, well, if you have all that, then how am I supposed to know they're there?" Ash asked as he looked back to the river. Everything looked normal to the boy, and the river looked as calm as the river in his village.

"Use your eyes. What do you see there?" Amelia asked as she pointed to a bush hanging slightly into the river.

"Uh? A bush?" Ash tilted his head in confusion as he studied the bush. "Looks like a normal bush to me."

"No, look under the bush. I can smell them."

Ash slightly leaned forward, trying to focus on what he was supposed to look at. Then he saw it, under the bush in the shallow water, several tiny bumps sticking just above the water. "What are those? Rocks?" 

"Eggs, Rippez eggs. That is how I noticed they were in the water. I could smell the eggs. Even if you can't smell them, you should have seen the bush and the eggs below it. But, it's fine, you might have a lot to learn, but you have the time to learn." Amelia patted Ash's head. "For now, let's just get some lunch." With those final words, Amelia knelt and pressed her hand against the ground. A second later, a hand made of dirt appeared in the river, lifting out of the water and trapping four fish in its grip. "Whoa," Ash mumbled in awe as he watched the hand shift into a small ball, trapping the fish even further. 

"You can't be too careful when hunting Rippez. Their teeth can shred you to ribbons, one on its own is no problem, but they normally travel in groups of up to fifty or more." As Amelia spoke, the ball holding the fish floated to her. "These fish will die by the time we reach the truck. So we'll cut out and eat the meat and keep the teeth, and scales." 

"Huh? Why would you keep all of that?" Ash asked in confusion. His question caused Amelia to sigh.

"Didn't they teach you anything in that village?" The woman mumbled. "Every monster you kill is valuable. Blacksmiths can use the teeth to make tools or weapons, monster fat is used as fuel, and monster bones are one of the strongest materials in the world. The plates that reinforce the truck are bone-steel plates, that's normal steel embedded with monster bones. Didn't you notice the bones that lined your village's walls?"  

Ash thought back to his village; he did see the bones but never thought about them before. To Ash, it was just his village's wall, something he'd seen hundreds of times. He gripped the vest on his chest, suddenly reminded that the vest was made from monster leather.

"We can talk more about this later," Amelia said as the pair reached the road. "For now, I have a portable grill in the truck. Let's eat before we start driving again." 

Ash's stomach started rumbling once more when he heard those words. But, he was quick to follow Amelia's orders helping her cook.

~S~o~t~G~ 

Ash yawned as he stared out the window, his mind blank with boredom. Three days had passed since leaving his village, and the pair spent all that time on the same road staring at the same trees, just driving in a straight line. He was close to pulling his hair out, but thankfully for the boy, a low beeping sound filled the air breaking him out of his thoughts.

"What's that?" Ash asked as he turned to the beeping source; a small light was blinking on the truck’s dashboard.

'So this is the spot her crow was scouting before it saw the nomad bandits and found the village. Well, let's hope the place is still standing.' Amelia thought as she listened to the beeping as it started to get louder. She pulled the truck to a stop once the beeping reached its loudest. 

"Follow me," Amelia said as she stepped out of the truck. Ash had no choice but to follow along.

Once she was out, the blind woman could hear a low humming noise coming from behind a tree. Walking to it, she found a small device pinned behind the tree, hidden from the road. Amelia looked around, ignoring the humming and focusing her senses. 'There it is.' She thought as her senses found something in the distance.  

"Tell me, what do you see?" Amelia asked as she turned to Ash. "Here, where we're standing, observe your surroundings. Tell me what you see."

At her words, Ash swallowed nervously as his eyes darted around. For the past few days, Amelia kept giving him 'test' as she called them. Ever since the Rippez test, every time they stop for lunch, she asks him what he sees; sometimes it's danger, other times its monster tracks. Amelia tried to teach him how to spot the small details. A broken branch here, a piece of feather there. Ash was learning no detail was too small.

"Um, this tree? It's smaller than the other's?" Ash questioned as he walked to the tree. The line of trees surrounding the road was massive, and after days of staring at them while Amelia drove, this smaller tree was the first thing he noticed. "It's not even half as tall as the others." The boy mumbled as he pressed a hand against it.

After observing the tree for a moment, Ash turned away and looked around more. He took a few steps deeper into the forest. "This all seems bigger? No, wider? There are fewer trees here?" Ash thought back to all the times he and Amelia walked through the forest to look for food. Those times he had to either walk behind her or right next to her because of how dense the forest was. But now, he felt like Amelia could drive her truck through with all the space they had. "Wait, are those? Rocks?" 

A few feet away from the road, Ash found a gravel pathway that led even deeper into the forest. "Let's follow it." Amelia said, which startled Ash, who was focused entirely on 'observing' his surroundings. No other words were said as Amelia started walking down the path. Ash quickly followed behind her.

~S~o~t~G~       

The sound of rocks crunching filled the air as the pair walked down the gravel path. They walked for a few minutes before they reached the end. The path led them to a large building. 

"Whoa," Ash couldn't help but stare in awe at what he saw.

The building was in ruins, broken windows lined the outside, and stone crumbled off the walls. One of the doors lay broken on the ground while the other barely clung to a rusted hinge. Dead grass surrounded the area, but it was a vast clear space. Some trees were growing into the stone walls. The roots and branches broke through the walls and made their way up to the roof. The trees around the clearing were so massive the leaves formed a dense canopy light struggled to get through.

"Umm? Where are we?" Ash asked while tilting his head; he studied the building with wide eyes. Amelia could only sigh as she shook her head.

While she couldn't see the building, she could hear the wind blowing through the broken windows and walls. She could hear some monsters running around inside of it. She could also smell all of the droppings left behind by the monsters. So, even without her sight, she knew this building was a complete mess.

'Why!? Why here!? Did I do something wrong!? I'll train the kid, that's fine! But why here!?' Amelia shouted in her mind as her shoulders slumped for a second, but she quickly fixed her posture. She knew there was no point questioning her orders. She knew the only thing she could do is make the best of her situation.

"This, Is our new home." Amelia stated.

"Our? New home?" The young child turned back to the woman with a raised eyebrow and tilted head.

"Take a step back, Ash. I need to deal with these pests," Amelia said as she took a step forward. 

"Pest?" Ash asked in confusion. But, before he could say anything else, four brown humanoid fur-covered creatures stepped out of the broken building. The creatures beat on their chest with their sharp-clawed human-like hands. Their tails slammed against the ground with each beat. "Monos!" He shouted in surprise. It wasn't his first time seeing the monsters. A group of them once attacked his village. But that time, he only saw their dead bodies when the attack was over.

"Just stay back," Amelia warned once more. As she spoke, a fifth monster stepped out of the building. "Brute-Mono," Amelia said to answer Ash's unasked question. The Monos Ash had seen in the past were only as big as he was. But the Brute-Mono was even bigger than his village's strongest warrior.    

Ash gulped as he stared at the creatures. Each one was covered in scraps of fur like armor and carrying rusty weapons. From daggers to the Brute-Mono, who was wielding a spiked mace, Ash couldn't help but let out a shaky breath as he took a step back.

"GGRRAAH." The Brute-Mono roared as it raised its mace. All four of the small Monos rushed forward with its roar, but they couldn't take more than one step.

"W-Wha…" That was all Ash could mumble as he watched all of the creatures drop to the ground in an instant. "W-what?" He repeated as he tried to recall what he just saw. 

He replayed the scene in his mind, he saw Amelia flick her wrist, and spikes made of hardened dirt flew out of the ground. The spikes pierced through the Monos and Brute-Mono's chest killing them all instantly.

"I told you I'd take care of them." She said as she turned to Ash. The blind woman opened her mouth to speak again but quickly frowned and turned back to the monsters.

Ash's eyes widened as he watched one of the small Monos running away. The Mono clutched its left side, trying to stop the blood as it leaked past its fingers.

'Little monster was fast enough or lucky enough to dodge my attack.' Amelia thought as she listened to the monster run. "Ignore it, that Mono will bleed out soon enough." She said as she turned her attention back to Ash. "Now, do you know what this place is? What it once was?" Amelia took a few steps forward, walking past Ash, and raised her hand towards the building. She completely ignored the monsters she just killed.

You are reading story Servant of the Goddess at novel35.com

Ash gulped as he took a nervous step towards her. He looked at the dead Monos for a brief second before he ignored them as well. Ash spent weeks burying the dead bodies of people he once knew, so it was easy for him to ignore the dead monsters on the floor. Instead, he turned his attention to the building so he could answer Amelia's question. On the building, above the doorway, there was faded writing engraved into the stone.

"The Church of-" Ash started to read the words out loud but stopped because the stone was chipped, making it unreadable.

"The Church of the Mist!" Amelia stated. Ash turned to her with a confused look.

"The Church of the Mist? What is the Mist?” He asked. He’d heard Amelia speak about the Mist many times already but he still didn’t know what it was. 

“So, you’ve never heard of the Mist?" Amelia asked as she turned to Ash.

"Uhh, No? I guess not?" Ash scratched his head as he looked up at Amelia.

"The Mist is the greatest gift the Goddess has ever given to the people of this world. Every living being benefits from the Mist, which means everyone is connected to our Goddess." The smile on the woman's face grew brighter as she spoke.

"Umm? Goddess? Who's that?" Ash's face scrunched up as he tried to make sense of the woman's words. Outside of Kingdoms, religion is rare. Only the people in kingdoms and some cities worship any type of God or Goddess. Small villages, like the one Ash, was born in, didn't have time to worship. The people of his village were only focused on surviving, not praying.

"The Goddess! You see Ash, a long, long time ago. Before Kingdoms, when the world was still new. All of the races of the world struggled to fight against the monsters that infected the lands. The people of the world were close to going extinct! Until one day, the Goddess appeared!" Amelia shouted while raising her arms in the air. A few birds flew away in fright. Ash, on the other hand, was now enthralled with Amelia and her story.

"Wh-what happened next!?" The boy asked as he sat down on the ground, putting his hands on his cheeks and his elbows on his knees.

"The Goddess saw the state of the world. She saw the people being killed by these monsters. So, to save the people. She sacrificed herself! She gave her soul to the people! Strengthening their souls and allowing them to unlock their true potential!" Once the last word left her mouth, a dirt spear lifted out of the ground until it was floating above her head. She pointed to a nearby tree, causing the spear to shoot towards it. The spear easily pierced through the trunk and into another tree behind it. 

"This is geomancy, a powerful ability I've unlocked thanks to the Mist. As I said, the Mist allows every living being to unlock its potential. A human can train for years, and that human can build strong muscles and become strong enough to break stones. But if that same human is blessed by the Mist and trains the same amount… Well, they could break boulders or even mountains. Living beings can be strong enough to rip trees out of the dirt, fast enough to outrun vehicles, or even make their bodies tough enough to deflect swords. In my case, the Mist allowed me to train my senses to extremely high levels. The Mist is the reason I can see without my eyes, why I can control the dirt as easily as I control my hands. The Mist is the Goddess's gift to every living being, the only reason we weren't all wiped out by the monsters." 

Ash was hanging on to Amelia's every word as she spoke, but when she was done, one question filled his head. "B-But-" Tears started to form in Ash's eyes as he looked away. "No one in my village could do any of that! I've never seen anyone control dirt or block swords with their hands! If everyone has the Mist… Then, why didn't the Mist help them!?" Ash clenched his fist and bit his lip, keeping the tears back. Amelia put a hand on Ash's shoulder, giving him a second to calm down.

"Ash, look over there." The blind woman pointed at the rundown building. "Do you know why a Church devoted to our Goddess is in such a bad state?" She asked. Ash wiped his eyes as he shook his head. "When the Goddess gave up her life for the people of this world, she was rightfully worshiped. For more than a century, her name was spread throughout the land. From small tribe to tribe, the information about her gift and how to use it was widely spread. But, living beings are selfish. I don't know who started it, but a few groups wanted to keep the knowledge of the Mist for themselves. They wanted to keep the power she gave us a secret so they could rule over the people around them. They killed everyone and anyone who worshiped the Goddess. Anyone who spread information of the Mist, her gift, was captured." Amelia clenched her fist, then sighed, letting her hand fall. "It is because of these people that the Goddess is no longer worshiped. And the true knowledge of her gift and how to use it was lost. Where Mist came from, how it truly worked, how to use it safely. For centuries that knowledge was forgotten or rewritten by fools." Amelia sighed as she shook her head. She stood up straight and turned back to the Church.

“But, what is the Mist?” Ash asked.

"The Mist is something that physically exist in this world; it's not something people are born with. No, a person has to inhale the Mist to unlock their potential. Take the Mist into their body, accept it into their soul… But not everyone has access to the Mist, so they can't inhale it, just like in your village. Your village was secluded miles away from the closet city, I doubt any of them knew about the Mist. The only people that could have known about the Mist were likely the people that traveled out of your village… But if the Goddess was still worshiped, if the knowledge of her gift was still spread. Then no one would have to die so easily from any type of attack. Everyone can inhale the Mist and unlock their full potential. But the Kingdoms of the world horde this information; they hold the Goddess's gift hostage."

Ash stood up and wiped his eyes one last time. The young boy knew very little about the Kingdoms. He had heard his parents talking about one day traveling to ‘Unity Kingdom,' but he never asked about it. "What? What do you mean? What about the Kingdoms?" He asked.

"If the Church of the Mist was still around at its full power, they could spread the Goddess's gift; everyone would have their potential unlocked. From the youngest child to even the oldest farmer, everyone would be able to protect themselves from the monsters of this world. But instead of sharing the knowledge of her gift with everyone. The Kingdoms keep the knowledge for themselves and only teach their forces. They train their armies that protect the kingdoms and towns. Then they train their mercenary forces they call the Explorers Union. They use the Goddess's gift for their gain. Villages like yours, who live far away from Kingdoms and live without the Kingdom's support, don't have a high survival rate. If you want a Kingdom's support, you must submit to being a town owned by the Kingdom. That means villages without the protection of the Kingdoms are prime targets for bandits and monsters alike."

Ash clenched his fist and frowned. His village might have been outdated with their weaponry, using simple swords or bows. Still, they were good at fighting off any monsters that attacked. All his life, Ash had never once heard of any threat getting past the village walls. Until the day a gang of bandits attacked.

"That's why I brought you here, Ash." Amelia's voice broke his train of thought, and he just looked up at her, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I lied when I told you I only went to your village for supplies. I didn't find you by chance. The Goddess told me about you. She came to me in a dream, and she told me to find you. She told me to raise you and to train you." Ash's eyes were wide open now, and he felt his knees start to shake. Even though he just heard about this 'Goddess,' he was still a child and it was unnerving to hear about a powerful entity knowing who he was.

"Why me?" He managed to squeak out, suddenly feeling his throat going dry.

"I am a Priestess for the Church of the Mist, for what remains of the Church. I am one of the few people who still know about our Goddess, one of the few people that still worship her. I've spent my entire life going all around the world, helping people the best I can. All in the name of the Goddess. But, when she appeared in my dream, she gave me a mission. The mission was to find you and train you. Why, you, you ask? It's simple. You have more potential than you realize. You survived an event that would break even the most battle-hardened of men. Not just the bandit attack, but you survived the weeks of living alone amongst the dead. The Church needs people like you, people with a strong will, a strong soul. I can train you to become strong if you become a member of the Church." Amelia said. But she was lying, of course she was given the mission to find the boy who survived a bandit attack. But that mission was not given to her in a dream, or giving to her by the Goddess.

"You want me to become a member?" Ash asked. Amelia smiled as she placed a hand on his head.

"Let's just say. One day you'll be helping people, saving those that can't save themselves. You'll be defeating monsters, exploring labyrinths, and earning fame and glory. In the Goddess's name, you'll be stopping bandit gangs before they can attack villages, killing monsters before they can hurt innocents. But it's your choice, Ash. If you stay with me, I'll train you to be strong, to protect the people. But if you want, I can take you to Unity Kingdom, and the path you take from there will be your choice… What will you choose?"

Ash didn't even have to think about it. His village, his family, would still be alive if that bandit gang didn't attack. If he could stop people like them, then it was a simple choice. "I'll stay! I-I'll be a member of the Church of the Goddess!" Ash raised his fist, and a hard look appeared in his eyes. Amelia just sighed as she ruffled his hair.

"It's called the Church of the Mist, and you shouldn't say that out loud. You shouldn't tell people you're a part of the Church. But, if this is truly the path you want to take, then we have work to do."

"Huh? Like what?"

"First, we have to unload some crates from the truck. Then we have to burn those Mono bodies, and then we have to go to a nearby town to buy more supplies. So let's get started." Amelia said as she walked back down the path towards the truck.

~S~o~t~G~

Ash carried a small crate as he followed Amelia into the ruined Church. Stepping over some broken wood, he walked through the broken doors. Unfortunately for him, going from the bright outdoors to a dark and abandoned dark building made the room look almost pitch black.

"It's dark in here. I can't see a thing." Ash mumbled as he stopped to rub his eyes.

"Oh? You can't see a thing? That sounds ~sooooo terribleeee~ I just can't imagine not being able to see." Ash blushed as he looked away from Amelia.

"S-Sorry." He mumbled as his eyes finally adjusted to the room. "Whhooaa." The boy exclaimed as he looked around.

He was currently standing in the middle of a massive room. Rows and rows of wooden benches surrounded him, all lined up and facing a large podium standing tall at the back of the room. But what caught his eye was the massive stone statue standing behind the podium.

"W-Who is that?" Ash asked as he walked up to the statue. It depicted a woman wearing a hooded cloak, long flowing robes while holding her hands up, pressing her palms together.

"Who's what?" Amelia asked as she walked up to Ash.

"This statue can't you see- I mean, it's a statue of a woman."

"Ash, we're in a church dedicated too…." Amelia stopped speaking to let Ash finish her sentence.

"The Goddess?" He said while looking up at Amelia.

"The One True Goddess."

Ash turned his attention to the statue. As he stared at the 'Goddess,' he felt his stomach flip. A wave a nervousness kicked in, seeing the ‘Goddess’ really made what Amelia said feel true.

"Ash." Ash jumped as he was pulled out of his thoughts by Amelia's voice.

"Come on, we need to stash these crates. We'll leave the rest of the food in the truck, and head to the next village." Amelia said as she turned and started walking towards a broken door on the right side of the massive room. Ash didn't notice the doorway until now, but he could see past the broken door into a large and dark hallway.

"R-Right! Be right there!" Ash quickly picked up his crate and entered the darkness, following the Priestess as close as he could. 

~S~o~t~G~

"What are other villages like?" Ash couldn't help but ask as he and Amelia traveled down the dirt road. They had been traveling for two days, and Ash was starting to get incredibly bored once more. The only excitement came from when they hit a fork in the road that led to three other roads. 

"We aren’t heading to a village, we are going to a town." The blind woman replied.

“Uh?” Ash tilted his head as he turned to the blind woman. “What’s the difference?” He asked.

Amelia hummed as she thought about his question. She decided to give him a simple answer since he was just a child. "Towns are bigger, and run by a kingdom. While your village was big, it had no kingdom support so it was a village.” She stated simply. “Although technology-wise, your village was far less advanced. The town we're going to now, Maplekeep, used to be a village. But when Unity Kingdom built the coastal city of Newport a few decades ago, more people came to Maplekeep since it was close by. Maplekeep grew bigger and bigger, then one day it was taken over by Unity Kingdom. Turning it into a town under Unity Kingdom’s government." Amelia explained.

"Uh? Newport? Unity Kingdom?" Ash asked in confusion. Amelia raised an eyebrow as she 'looked' at Ash.

"How much do you know about the world? What did that village teach you?" She asked, which caused Ash to scratch his cheek nervously.

"Well, I knew there were monsters outside the village walls, so I shouldn't leave until I was older." He said, causing Amelia to let out a sigh and shake her head.

"Fine, I'll give you a quick lesson. I'll teach you more later, but for now. All you need to know is currently, there are six kingdoms. To the west of us across the ocean, is the United Front of North Americas, and to the south of them is the isolated Mayan Nation. To the east of us across the ocean, there's the Nippon Outback, that's where I’m from. Above that, is the Orient, then way above that is the kingdom of Everfrost. Then there's where we are, Unity Kingdom, right in the middle of everything." Amelia turned to Ash to ensure he was still paying attention.

“Unity Kingdom?”

"You see, a long time ago, after the greedy people betrayed the Goddess, they started forming alliances and creating Kingdoms. They started taking over all of the lands around the world; all that was left was the land we are currently on. This land was unnamed and unclaimed. So all five kingdoms started a massive war on this land. Each side wanted to claim it as their own. I don't know how long that war lasted, but it ended with peace. Peace, and a treaty naming this land, Unity and the creation of Unity Kingdom. A kingdom run by a council, and assigned to be a neutral ground for all Kingdoms around the world." 

"Unity Kingdom?" Ash mumbled as he tried to process the information.

"Unity Kingdom, its a home for everyone. But, it’s also home to the Explorers Union." Amelia said with a frown. She let out a sigh as she gripped the steering wheel. "We're about to arrive at Maplekeep," Amelia said. Her words caused Ash to quickly turn forward.

'Maplekeep… My first time in a new village, no wait, a town.' Ash thought as excitement started building in his stomach. “Whoa! Those walls are huge!” Ash exclaimed as he laid his eyes on the town of Maplekeep. A town run by Unity Kingdom, a kingdom that would soon know his name. 
 

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