Chapter 19 The Sign
Beret and the others had spent the whole morning attempting to persuade Durem to stay in Arkam. Misara was concerned about the danger the assassin posed. There was no telling what could happen next, she thought.
“You will be safer in Arkam,” Beret said to Durem.
“I agree,” Misara said.
“You can stay in my house there,” Beret added. “It is near the garrison of the company to which I belong.”
“Convincing mother will be a problem,” Durem said. “I can’t think of any good reason to tell her why we should leave Torinth.”
“I will help you speak with her,” Misara replied.
Misara accompanied Durem to his mother’s chambers and there they stayed for over an hour before they emerged.
“How did it go?” Beret asked.
“She agreed but only if we brought all the things she would miss,” Durem said.
“I need to hire a wagon,” Durem said.
The new plan proved a bit problematic, Misara thought. The list of things they had to transport was long. But the safety of Durem and his mother outweighed any inconvenience they had to undergo. When they did find a wagon, it took an entire day for them to fill it with the belongings Durem’s mother needed.
Misara and Aisha were outside the house sharing stories with each other the whole time the men were filling the wagon with items both light and heavy. Aisha listened to the tales of Misara’s life at the Temple.
“I have never been inside a temple,” Aisha said.
“When we see one along the way I will take you inside,” Misara told her.
Aisha’s eyes began to widen in apparent excitement.
“Is it true that on rare occasions the gods walked among men?” Aisha asked.
“Many believe so,” Misara said.
Aisha appeared to consider this briefly and then asked, “Are all the temples the same?”
“In the beginning, there were temples of the old gods,” Misara answered. “But there seem to be new temples now that worship new gods.”
“Oh,” Aisha replied.
“I’ve never been inside a temple of the new gods myself,” Misara said.
“Where will we find these temples?” Aisha asked.
“The temples of the old gods are typically found in the wilderness,” Misara answered. “My temple is in a forest south of Torinth.”
“What about the temples of the new gods?” Aisha asked further.
“I believe they are located mostly in towns and cities,” Misara answered.
“I do hope we see one on our journey,” Aisha said.
The wagon was finally filled. But the sun was already setting.
“It will be dark soon,” Kort said. “It would be best to travel tomorrow. We could all leave together.”
“Agreed,” Durem said.
Misara was still thinking about the conversation she had with Aisha concerning the different temples. It made her wonder about the old and new gods. She thought about the Temple of Ebomel in Hedak. But as her thoughts continued, something caught her attention.
There were many houses on Durem’s street. It was common for the neighbors at this hour to be inside their homes having their dinner. But Misara noticed something odd. Many of the neighbors were outside with lanterns and torches. They were all standing with their families staring at the same direction. As she followed their gaze, she saw that they were looking at the sky. When she looked up, that’s when she saw it. Misara noticed Durem staring at it as well.
“By the old gods!” Durem said almost shouting.
The others suddenly stopped what they were doing and stared at Durem with a puzzled look.
Durem pointed at something in the sky.
They all slowly turned to where Durem was pointing. It was a comet.
“It has begun,” Revik said.
The others were silent. They all appeared to understand what Revik meant.
“What has begun?” Aisha asked Misara in a hushed voice.
Misara was still in disbelief at what she was seeing. She was unable to compose the words that would satisfy Aisha’s curiosity.
Misara then noticed a group of people that were walking down the street. They appeared to be a family. A tall man held a torch while a young boy carried a lantern. They kept on walking and were about to pass them by. But when they noticed the comet, they stopped right in front of Durem’s house. The young boy began looking at them. His gaze met Misara’s. The boy smiled and spoke.
“What do you think it means?” the boy asked.
Misara was moved by the boy’s question.
She smiled back at the boy. She thought deeply before answering.
“It is a gift from the gods,” Misara said to the boy. “It is a reminder to all of us to have faith in them and never lose hope.”
Misara was herself surprised by what she had just said. She felt as though it wasn’t her who spoke the words.
The boy’s smile disappeared as he again looked at the night sky.
“It is a light to guide you on your journey,” the boy said.
Misara was taken aback by what the boy said. She looked at the sky once more as the family continued to walk down the street. She stared at the comet for some time before her gaze returned to the family that was now walking farther from them. The soft glow from the torches and lanterns that people carried illuminated the street. But she could no longer see the boy with the family. The boy with the lantern was gone. Perhaps they lived in one of the houses and went inside, she told herself.
“What has begun?” Aisha asked again still staring at the night sky.
“I will tell you tomorrow,” Misara said as she tried to smile at Aisha reassuringly.