Howard ~ Past ~ How did we end up like this

I felt as if I was being treated as a commodity.

While I stayed, hearing the enraged mob outside, I looked out the window.

The stream had fallen into the earth, and once again, there was no sacrifice to throw into it.

The first time around I only thought about saving my own life, which worked wonders back then, but a new problem surfaced after it.

The ritual in which they sacrifice people into the stream is a religious mandate, and as such, there is no reason good enough to stop it without casting doubt on their faith. Meofor did go against it anyways, by taking me to save his daughter’s life. In the start, the only reason it worked was because the people were… lenient, for the time being. After all, they could not sacrifice me in that moment even if they wanted to.

The riots started after the first time the stream fell.

After there was no sacrifice the city plunged into chaos. Why was the sacrifice not thrown in? Does that idiot Meofor wants all of us to be punished by the Gods? Were the questions that went around everyone’s heads.

Even then, his daughter was still sick, so he forced his will through by deploying his soldiers to quell the protests. I had to stay in protection, with Euryce, until things eventually calmed down. Considering what Swerans told me later, it was a bloody affair, but the armed guard managed to force their will in the rest, to say it kindly.

The day the riots started was also the day I met Orphie, Meofor’s son. He was Euryce’s fiancee, as part of an arranged marriage they had organized ever since they were kids. The only reason they could not go through with it yet was Euryce’s disease.

Needless to say, he didn’t like me. He looked at me like I was a commodity, just like everyone else. I was not too surprised, but a conversation from that time did stick with me.

He was looking at me with stern eyes, with a spear in his hand as he guarded the room. I tried to ignore him, with the same silent treatment I gave most guards. Only a couple of them actually tried to communicate with me, being Swerans the only one who did an actual effort to understand my language.

But this man? I could see from a mile that he wanted nothing to do with me, so I didn’t even try. He surely doesn’t even want to be here. He surely doesn’t even speak english nor wants to even try.

“Why are you taking care of Eury?” asked Orphie, out of nowhere.

Okay, maybe I misjudged him. I looked at him shocked by the fact that he spoke english, but soon enough I noticed that I had to answer.

“Do I need a reason to help a sick woman back to health?” I asked, gauging his reactions.

He frowned. His frown was so deep, I thought back then that if he didn’t stop doing that, his brows would solidify in that position.

“Don’t play games with me. I can see that you are not doing this for her.” Orphie said, looking straight at me, as if he saw right through me.

I looked at Eury. She had had an specially ugly relapse and now had fallen deeply asleep. She would not be able to help me here.

“I am not lying when I say I’m trying to help her.” I insisted.

He still looked unsatisfied.

“You are still not saying the truth.” Said Orphie, standing and walking towards me. When he stood right in front of me, looking at me in the eyes, he continued. “Are you even trying to heal her?”

I tried to ignore the nerves that his proximity caused, looked at him back in the eyes and said.

“Yes, with all I have.”

He looked at me with suspicion, his eyes closing lightly. He spoke, still with deep untrust.

“You are aware that if she comes back to health, nor my father nor I will have any reason to keep you alive. Right?” He said. Now he was the one gauging my response.

I had to look away. Even so, I felt exposed, the truth coming out by itself.

“I know.” I said, still not looking at him.

“And so, why are you taking care of her then? Why are you trying to heal her?” He asked, grabbing me by the head and forcing me to look back at him.

I saw the way he grabbed his spear. I could not lie to him, I did not dare. In that sense, him and Euryce were the same, but the fact that he had a weapon made his point even more poignant.

“Because when she first met me she thought that I was a quack who planed to feign helping her for my own sake, just like you probably do. I am doing this to keep living, but I also do it because I promised her that I would. And honestly, it infuriates me to think that all of you diminish me and treat me like an incompetent when I know that I’ll be able to heal her… given enough time.

Is that enough for you?”

He kept watching me, until finally, he let me go.

“Yes, it actually is.” He said, relaxing and finally getting away from me.

“Although I must say, that’s a very arrogant reason to help someone.” He said, going back to his seat.

“I don’t think myself as arrogant, but the fact that she thought I was only feigning to help did wound my pride.” I conceded, but not liking the way he talked about it.

“Good. Stick to it. Defend your pride if you are actually a man. And for my own pride, I’ll make sure you fulfill that promise to her. I’ll keep an eye to you until the day she’s healthy again.” He said, leaning back in his chair, the aggresivity seeping away from his voice.

After that, he did not say any word until the end of the riots.

And so, I lived.

At the very least, for that day, I would still live.