I have held three names in my lifetime.
The first was given to me at birth, and I held it for most of my young life. My first name meant little to me then, however, and means less to me now. Thus, I will not bother sharing it with you.
The second was stolen from me long ago, along with my innocence and the purpose I once held in life. My second name meant “purity of spirit.” It was given to me on the day I dedicated my life to saving the lives of others.
The third, I carry as a reminder of all that I lost, and all I will destroy lest I forget. A broken name, as steeped in bloodshed and death as my second was in healing and in life. The name marking the dawn of the new purpose I now hold in death.
Vengeance.
* * *
Kaitlyn was in the alcove dedicated to those who had passed on, methodically lighting each votive, when the screaming began. The many windows were arranged in a semicircle so that, by day, the sun would always illuminate the shrine, but as night fell, the candles were dutifully lit so that the memorialized were never without their Lord’s light. Now, however, instead of bestowing Pelor’s blessing upon the fallen, the open windows carried an unexpected medley of suffering and death. The other healers, acolytes, and priests froze, unable to interpret what they were hearing, as the disconcerting sound rose from the outskirts of the surrounding village. All stopped where they were and gazed to the outer world, their thoughts heavy and muddled as if in a fog.
Who would want to attack such a peaceful and generous town? Kaitlyn wondered, her mind chasing itself in circles as she tried unsuccessfully to process the tableau outside and spur her body into motion.
After a moment, the various healers and priests threw off their trance, one by one, and looked about, bewildered. A number of them were used to grisly scenes of torture and violence, having experienced much of both in their travels in the service of their Lord, but most were ill-suited to a situation such as this; even those experienced priests usually came upon the battles
after they had been won or lost. Finally, a precocious little healer’s acolyte snatched up a lantern and raced down the passage to the master cleric, Ayden’s quarters, the light bobbing wildly ahead of her. She returned a moment later, following behind a slender man with long, bleached hair and skin like parchment paper. Every eye turned toward the wizened man as he jerked to a halt, throwing his head up like a startled horse as the ruckus reached him. Without a moment’s hesitation, he took the situation in hand and quickly began calling out orders in a tremulous voice laced with steel.
“All right now, I don’t know what’s happened, but we’re sure to have incoming wounded in a few minutes. Healers, gather your things, then I want the four adepts to take each corner; the rest of you will disperse yourselves evenly around those three walls there,” he said, pointing. “Keep out of each other’s way, and stay to your own section. Triage
only until all of the worst injuries are taken care of. Once the wounded are stable, have the priests move them outside, if they can walk, or to the middle of the room, if they can’t. If they’ve passed on, have them moved to the back wall away from the rest of the healers and the injured.
"You little ones,” he continued, turning now to the acolytes, “I want bedrolls set up in rows through the center of the Hall around the Lord’s Flame, but leave walkways at least three men wide down the middle and from corner to corner. When that’s done, I want two of you to a healer. Help them gather whatever else they need, then stay with them and help with the injured.
"Priests, to the doors,” he said, refocusing his attention once more as the healers and acolytes moved away. “I want you to intercept the wounded as they come in, and distribute them evenly among the healers. Try to divide them up according to specialty, but don’t bog any one of the clerics down. Once you’ve carried them in, check to see if any who’ve been treated need to be carried to the bedrolls or the back wall
before you go back to the doors. We’ll bestow our Lord’s blessings on the dead only
after the living have been cared for. Understood?”
His answer was an explosion of movement as the mass dispersed to all corners of the great room. In a moment’s time, the Healing Hall was afire with activity. A small army of acolytes threw open the doors to various storage niches, returning with arms full of various bandages, dressings, bedrolls and clean linens. Lanterns blazed high along the windowed walls, and the Eternal Flame, ever burning in its great, raised dais at the center of the room, leapt to a roaring light as two of the priests piled it high with kindling. Those with a spark of magery cast floating orbs of light over each healer and throughout the expanse not fully lit by the torches and the Flame, while the screaming grew ever nearer to the temple doors.
Kaitlyn had carried most of her medical supplies over to her corner and was going back for the rest when Ayden pulled her aside, laying a gentle hand upon her arm. Though his frame appeared frail and his skin was thin to the point of translucence, the strength of his light grip exposed the underlying steel. This man had weathered no few battles, both during
and after their progression, and he refused to let a simple thing like old age hinder him overmuch. His pale blue eyes bored into the young woman’s as he lowered his head as if to be heard over the noise.
:Kaity, I want you to try to keep everyone calm, if you can, seeing as you have a talent for it,: he said, speaking privately directly into her mind.
:I wasn’t entirely truthful earlier. I have a fairly good idea what’s going on out there, and if I’m right, the townsfolk will be anywhere from agitated to hysterical by the time they reach us.: Under Ayden’s speech, she could vaguely sense an alarming undercurrent of despair, but in a flash, it was gone and she could sense nothing more from him.
Her eyes grew wide in apprehension, and in her alarm she protested aloud. “Sir, I’ve never–”
:I know it’s nothing trained or terribly powerful,: he interrupted, raising a calming hand,
:but we may be able to fix that, once this is over. At the moment, you have a way of soothing the sick and injured when no one else can. I know you’ve never tried to use it on this scale, but every little bit is going to help. All I ask is that you try.:The young woman swallowed hard and nodded once, deciding that this was neither the time nor the place to question her mentor further.
:Aye, elder,: she replied instead, drawing herself erect.
:I’ll do everything I can.:“Good girl,” he said quietly, a relieved look darting across his creased features. He patted her arm fondly, and then they were both moving off as the first of the injured staggered or were carried into the shining temple.
Kaitlyn noted that Tani and Lauryn, her two assistants, had retrieved the last of her supplies, and so she set to work on her first patient, plunging headlong into a mess of blood and broken bones. She instructed Lauryn and Tani to draw and heat clean water from the many spouts set into each of the walls as she administered a powdered herb meant to ease pain. Remembering what her master had said, she tried to focus all her attention on projecting an aura of serene tranquility about herself. Soon the broken man before her dropped into a light stupor, though she suspected this to be the work of the powdered herbs. This accomplished, she stabilized the man’s broken arm while the girls set about cleaning her patient’s many lacerations. She finished with his arm and moved on to quickly stitching his major wounds as more injured poured through the doors in various stages of mobility.
The priests piled more logs on the Flame, and soon light streamed from every window, a beacon for the townsfolk to follow, visible even to those who were half-dead of injury or fatigue. Unfortunately, this also made the temple a fine target. As the healers, priests, and acolytes worked feverishly into the night, they took little notice of the dark-cloaked, hooded figures emerging from the passage to the temple’s lower levels. Indeed, few even realized the temple
had a lower level. Only one truly took note as the procession glided past, his eyes anxiously following them as they drew weapons and wordlessly split into smaller groups to flank each doorway. As the silent warriors looked on into the night, the master healer lifted his gaze to meet the shadowed eyes of their leader, and a knowing look passed between the two men. After a moment, the cleric nodded once and lowered his head in resignation, praying for the Sun Lord to show them all mercy this dark night.
Sun Jan 31, 2010 12:14 am