Sasaki and Miracles

The sun is high on a mid-spring day. The wind sweeps through the foliage as it comes to rest near an unrefined wooden fence stretching across the border of a small town. A gravel pathway welcomes visitors to the peaceful lodgings of farmers, artisans, and the devout. The bountiful resources nearby create the locals’ livelihood.

Children play with makeshift toys, their laughter creating a chorus of peace in the air, backed by their parents’ beaming smiles. A young pastor makes the rounds, greeting locals with a smile upon his face. His name is Sasaki. An 18-year-old man with brown hair and eyes. He’s unremarkable at first glance, but his cheerful demeanor brings this little town together.

“Hey Sasaki.”

A voice calls out, catching his attention.

“I’ve got some mail for you.”

A large man chuckles at him. Sasaki looks perplexed.

“Mail? Like from outside the city?”

“Yeah, outside the city. That makes it mail! And it looks mighty fancy as well.”

Sasaki walks up to the mailman and gazes at the letter he’s waving in his hand. He peeks at the envelope and notes a patterned design surrounding the border. The paint shimmers in the light, as if it were made of gold. He flips it over, revealing a red wax seal. Sasaki’s eyes go wide, recognizing it immediately.

“This is from The Cathedral!”

“Ah yeah, I thought it looked important.”

“More than important! That’s the capital’s church.”

“The capital? They’s the folks that do the Miracles, right?”

“Of course! Why are you pulling my leg, Dan? The Cathedral’s Miracles are the reason I wanted to become a pastor in the first place!”

“I thought you just didn’t have anywhere else to go after the orphanage.”

Sasaki scowls and gives a kick to Dan’s leg.

“Ey! Ey! I didn’t know! This Cathedral guy sounds important; why is he writing you?”

Sasaki gives an even harder kick.

"It’s a place, not a person, Dan.”

“Ouch! Now that one actually smarts! I thought you weren’t supposed to raise your hands in violence or something. Some pastor you are.”

“I never raised a finger.” Sasaki lifts his foot and twirls it with a cheeky grin. Dan chuckles and soon loses it. He begins full-belly laughing, causing a chain reaction to Sasaki. Dan puts his large hand on Sasaki’s shoulder.

“Haha! Well, hopefully it's good news. I sure would miss ya, though.”

“I would too, Dan. But this is a big deal! If this is about Miracles…”

Sasaki shakes his head, making sure he doesn’t get ahead of himself. The Cathedral only enacts Miracles once or twice a year. And for them to write to a town this far out, this might be Sasaki’s only chance. Sasaki looks at the letter once again, still in disbelief. He tucks it into his shirt pocket and says goodbye to Dan as he continues down the street to finish his rounds.

Sasaki looks upon the small town he’s grown up in. It may not be as lavish as the big city, but it’s his home. Not many predators reach this far out, so large barricading walls are unneeded, but because of that, resources like bricks, tools, and weapons aren’t allocated from the capital.

Sasaki does his best to make up for this deficit, though. He’s learned to carve wood, mix cement, and even build houses! He may be just a pastor, but that shouldn’t bind him only to prayer. Though maybe, his efforts may no longer be needed.

Sasaki’s church stood tall despite the eroding walls. It’s been his home for as long as he could remember. He was once abandoned, but the kindness of others raised him into the caring man he is today.
Sasaki shifts his arms, which are filled with stacks of breads, fruits, and freshly picked vegetables. The townsfolk were always charitable. Giving back to the church was their way of sharing the wealth. However, dozens of tiny feet were always a great incentive.

Sasaki opens the double doors and, as if summoning them, an inner door opens, and a horde of small children spill out from the room.

“Sasaki’s back!”
“Oh boy!”
“Wow! What’s all that?”

The children quickly surround the baskets of goods.

“Pretty great, right? Old man Folder even threw in some fresh fruit.”

The children’s faces light up at the thought of berries, and they begin digging through the pile.

“Wait!” Sasaki exclaimed. “Remember, these are offerings. And offerings are to be treated with care.”

The kids pull back and look at him with wide eyes.

“It is through the blessing of the gods that allows such lovely food to grow here. And the reason we get to have some is because our faith allows the gods to thrive. This food is our faith.”

The children began to look upon the offerings of food with wonder and mystique.

Sasaki continues:
“So we must treat these with care. And make sure that we give thanks to the gods and thanks to our neighbors for allowing us this feast.”

The kids stare.

"...Ok?”

“Ok!” They sing in chorus. The kids, more carefully, grab from the food stack and take bites of the fruit and bread, obviously avoiding the vegetables.

Sasaki sighs, but knows they’re young and still learning to appreciate the charity of others. He leaves the pile of food on a nearby table for them to munch on and walks towards his quarters. He shuts the door and takes the decorated envelope from his breast pocket.

Flipping it around, Sasaki looks upon The Cathedral’s stamp with bated breath. He has a good idea of what it may contain, but being chosen for such an honor feels like a dream. With an inhale, Sasaki opens the envelope and reads:

“To the church of Neveton,

We are writing to notify you that a Miracle will be performed in the coming weeks to bless our drying lands for a bountiful harvest. The corruption of the land has been ever-growing, but our goddess of harvest, Selus, has granted us the opportunity to channel her power.

Her benevolence has guided us to your town, searching for the most devout to accompany her in the heavens. Selus blesses thee, and as such, we shall be arriving soon to acquire those chosen as offerings. Pray for your chance to accompany the Gods in their Kingdom.”

Sasaki folds the letter back into the envelope and sets it on the table. He takes a step and stares at the statues of the Major gods lining his room. He inhales.

“HECKS YEAH BABY!!” The boom of joy permeates the walls, catching the notice of a couple of kids on the other side. Sasaki takes a breath to calm himself, suddenly clasping his hands together for a quick prayer.

“Forgive my outburst,” he prays.
But his smile can’t hold back as it creeps upon his face once again.

The Cathedral only performs Miracles with those whose devotion surpasses that of the average follower. As a reward for their faith, they are allowed to be given back to the gods as an offering as a true devotee. In turn, the gods grant us a Miracle. 

Those offerings may not be of the mortal realm anymore, but those who humble themselves are allowed to live their eternal life alongside them in heaven. To be chosen as an offering is to be chosen by the gods. And for Sasaki, It's been his lifelong dream to be a part of a Miracle.

Through prayer and devotion, he works to give back to those who have helped him his entire life. Being an orphan meant living off the charity of others your entire young life. Sasaki was supposed to die like most unwanted children, but thanks to the local pastor, his predecessor, he was fed, homed, and cared for.

When his Pastor was chosen as an offering three years ago, Sasaki cried at the knowledge of never seeing him again. But his Pastor looked upon him with a smile. He encouraged Sasaki,
“Don’t cry because I’ll be gone; smile because my life will forever nurture you.” Sasaki was inspired by his resolve and, as a result, took up the position as the next pastor at the age of 15.

Sasaki attended his pastor’s ceremony, wanting to see his mentor and father figure one last time before becoming a part of something greater. In the center of the town, a large circle was being painted. Strange symbols dotted the inside, all spiraling and coalescing into one small circle in the middle.

There they stood, five people, including his pastor. Sasaki tried to get his attention, but their eyes were closed in prayer. Priests surrounded the circle, dressed in the most lavish clothing. The ceremony began, and after a few words to the gods, the priests simultaneously slammed their hands on the circle.

The ink around their palms began to glow softly, then grew bright. The designs illuminated further as holy energy crept toward the center. Reaching its destination, the final circle in the middle grew bright and engulfed the five people within. 

As quickly as it began, the light shatters into floating particles, shimmering under the sunlight. Once Sasaki’s eyes adjusted, they were soon filled with the sting of tears, as he realized that his pastor and those who stood alongside him had disappeared. His entire self, now a part of the shimmers of light that were sailing with the wind into the distance. It was beautiful and devastating all the same for Sasaki.

In the coming weeks after the ceremony, Sasaki’s town began to flourish. New minerals began to appear in nearby mountains, trees grew faster than ever before, and with food becoming abundant, critters of all types could be captured and harvested. He was right. Sasaki’s pastor was still taking care of him even after he was gone. 

And now it might be his turn. After three years of giving back to the place that raised him, the selection committee was coming once again to pick those with the highest faith to become offerings to the land and people.