Chapter
4 – Continuing on the Narrow Road
Astorath finds himself in the lands
of the kingdom of Onocrotalus after walking through the crimson mists. He sighs
in thankful relief since he’s recently been through a series of difficult
encounters that resulted in him shedding a lot of his blood and being broken
into bits. Looking up at the gray sky with bits of sunlight breaking through
it, he was hoping that he'd arrive at night so he could see a clear sky to see
the blood moon and so that he could just crash on his bed and wouldn’t bother
his family in their daily activities. Around him are the crimson, orange, and
yellow trees, bushes, and fields of grass common to the land along with
pelicans in the sky, ants the size of housecats marching between their homes,
and deer prowling around, which are a few examples of wildlife found in this
land. In the distance, Astorath sees one of the many cities of Onocrotalus surrounded by jagged walls. Its buildings are made of black stone and all
have roofs that are jagged as well with thorn-like edges that almost appear
like a hand that is reaching up to the sky that is trying to claim it.
Seeing him from afar, the guards
open the gates for Astorath to let him through. The streets of the city are
normal for the most part compared to other cities and towns with people going
about their trade selling clothes, food, and weapons though there is a penitent
or group of penitents on every other corner that is either kneeling in prayer
or flagellating themselves in penance. While going into his house, Astorath
takes off his penitential mask, puts his mace aside near the front door, and
breathes another sigh of relief.
“I’m home,” Astorath says.
His mother peeks out from the kitchen
where his family is preparing to eat. She says, “Come in, Astorath. I’m so glad
you’re here in time for dinner.”
“Thanks be to God.”
As he silently sits at the table,
Astorath’s siblings jabbering on and on about school, work, and their life’s difficulties
and how much they appreciate God’s love. His mother chimes in as well while, on
the other hand, his father simply reads his pocket Bible. The table only
becomes completely silent when grace is said and then erupts back into noise
except for Astorath and his father. On the table is an assortment of fruits, a
cooked goose, and some greens, which are enough to feed the family despite seeming
meager. A sudden knock at the door further adds to the noise of the house as Astorath’s
siblings wonder who it could be while their father goes to answer it.
Opening the door reveals Myrtle who
has changed a bit since her last meeting with Astorath with black and red armor,
mace, cuts all over her right arm, and a penitential mask of her own that is
similar to Astorath in that it appears doll-like with a black blotch on the
left side of its face. She explains that she’s a friend of Astorath, his father lets her in, and his mother offers her a place at the table with a plate
and all.
“Hello, Myrtle,” Astorath says before
she sits next to him.
Myrtle looks at Astorath who she
didn’t really expect to have such a young and innocent face despite his red
eyes. Astorath’s eyes also widen a bit to see Myrtle with white hair and a beautiful pale complexion no longer dirtied by the muck and blood that he remembers
seeing on her. She slaps him, sits down, and starts to eat. One of Astorath’s
siblings asks if Myrtle is his girlfriend, which he ignores and makes Myrtle
choke on her food.
“Are you okay?” Astorath asks. “It’s
good seeing you.”
“I’m fine,” Myrtle says, “You aren’t
surprised that I kept my promise that I’d slap you?”
“No, I knew you would.”
“Oh, really?”
Myrtle then begins to explain how
much trouble she’s been through after having gotten the stigmata and the day
Astorath and her met as she goes back and forth talking with Astorath’s
siblings and mother, a conversation that Astorath and his father stay out of
while they enjoy their meal. This dinner is again interrupted by the sound of a
disturbing deep but loud horn that signals that they’re being invaded. Called
by God in different directions, they all pick up their weapons and don their penitential
masks as they defend different parts of the city. Most of the other people in
the city are armed and ready to fight while a few simply stay where they are
and pray. Once Astorath goes to where he is called, he sees that hundreds of
ratmen, beastmen, and possessed sinners are charging the gates.
The people of Onocrotalus send
their own overwhelming numbers at the attackers including those who have been
secluded for years. These special defenders and penitents of the city are
essentially walking corpses with very little armor and even fewer layers of
skin with bones and organs showing. Despite this, these soldiers are the toughest
to bring down and keep getting up no matter how many bits that are cut up and
broken down into just like the rest of the defenders. Meanwhile, Astorath is
doing his part by crushing the heads of his enemies with his mace and using his
blood magic to drown and turn his blood into crystals that impale them. During
the battle, a red fog, unlike the crimson mist, blankets the battlefield
confusing everyone.
Astorath seems to be alone as if
the fighting stopped and everyone else disappeared. Nevertheless, he stands
firm and ready for whatever is coming. A few moments pass until he sees a
figure walking out of the red fog. It’s a high elf who is dressed in the black
and silver armor of a king and has golden skin, and white eyes.
The royal elf raises an eyebrow in
confusion before saying, “Does my being here not surprise you?”
“Why should it?” Astorath asks in his
usual blunt tone. “I don’t care who I’m facing. If God has sent me against you,
then I’ll take you on.”
“That’s what bothers me the most
about your people. You’ve all been interfering in the plans of my associates without
the slightest idea of the bigger picture.”
“We don’t care about it if we don’t
have to.”
“You people should. My band of high
elves, wood elves, dark elves, orcs, and humans along with our ratmen and
beastmen underlings are all working together for our own ends to-”
“Like I said, we don’t care. You
can explain all your plans and tell all your excuses for your sins to God.”
“Have it your way then. I’ll see
the extinction of your people. I’ve already made it through your mysterious
mist because of the fog that I’ve created through years of magical research and
my God-given talents.”
“That’s what you think. God’s just led
you to your humbling defeat.”
“I’ve had enough of you dismissing
my achievements and plans. It’s time to prove to you their worth through
action. We’ll see how blasé you’ll act when your own turn on you.”
The high elf disappears back into
the red fog and the battle resumes as if nothing happened. Astorath and his
people begin to finish off their attackers until a group of elves, orcs, and humans
join in the fight against them one of which is the high elf that just talked to
Astorath and who fights him specifically with conjured swords made of fire.
“Why is it so hard to bring you
people down?! Why are your minds so stubborn?!” the high elf wonders aloud.
“Humility and the love of God gives
us a holy stubbornness,” Astorath answers.
“For what goal do you fight?! What
greater change are you trying to instill upon the world?!”
“We don’t fight for any other goal
than to strive and live out our purpose for God. We are already at our goal as
we live out our duty.”
Having enough of Astorath’s words,
the high elf fights fiercer, however, the elf’s anger makes him sloppy allowing
Astorath an opening to smash his head with his mace. The rest of the elf’s
allies are finished off in the same way. Now that the fighting has subsided,
the people of Onocrotalus loudly praise God and offer this victory to Him.
Some of them start to clean up the battlefield to take away the bodies to be
burned, which are unfit to even be food for maggots and corpse-eating vermin.
On the other hand, others go back to their daily duties. As for Astorath, his
family, and Myrtle, they go back home to resume their dinner as if what happened
was of no concern.
In reality, it was really of no concern
despite this seemingly unreachable kingdom being attacked by outsiders. God
allowed it and so it was accepted as something right and good by the kingdom’s
people even if they don’t know why He allowed it. All they care to know
is that God is good and loving and has offered up their works, suffering, and
bloodshed to God just like every other day, and what better way to live life is
there than to suffer for the love of God and neighbor?
The End
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