The Consequence of Saving

Ferah could here the annoyance deep within Cassadel's throat. He had practically growled out his last sentence. She didn't know if she was the cause of his annoyance or if he was having internal problems with himself just as she was. The last thing she wanted was to have a public display of her powers shown to him for the second time, and this time she had no control over it. This...isn't me. I have to remain calm. It's my last day! I cant go around acting like some child! With that, the opened her eyes and wiped at the sweat on her brow. When she looked up, she saw Cassadel packing up the supplies around her in an angry manor.

"Sir Cassadel?"she whispered. He didn't give her an answer and that made her heart drop. I really did make him mad, did I? Oh, I'll never get to the temple! Ferah stood up and gathered her things, walking behind him and tapping him on the shoulder.

"Cassadel?"she said softly. She tilted her head and walked in front of him, looking at the ground with her blue eyes then up to his helmet. "Please forgive me. I am really sorry for starting off your morning like this. I owe you my life after what you have done for me and this is my repayment? I feel horrible about this. Can you please find it in you to forgive me?" Her voice was soft and a light blush crept to her cheeks when she looked up at his helmet again.


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Blue eyes rose at the touch.
A sigh whipped through the metal.

"It won't matter if I forgive you. After tonight, we probably will never lock eyes again. Then again, you won't know who I was to begin with. I will still defend you, until then."

Turning to her his metaphoric wall turned to mush.
The look on her face just too him.
What the goddess does she have to do up there, anyway?
Cassadel almost took his helmet off, right there.
The least he could do was a least let her save face.

"I forgive you, my lady."

Using his hands to guide, he slipped past and gathered the rest of the supplies.
 
She was relieved to know that he forgave her. His words had hit like stones against her chest but there was nothing more she could do about it. In all actuality, Ferah deserved the words that he flung at her. With them came pain but she had to endure that pain. Only for a little while longer, anyway. Bending down to retrieve the last item that had risen out of her bag, Ferah stuffed the brush back into her bag and walked out of the tent. A blast of sunlight hit her eyes. It was so bright that she had to shield it with the back of her hand.

"My. The sun is very relentless today. I am almost beginning to wonder how you can endure the heat with the bulk of armor you carry with you every day. My skin is pale and fair, so the sun is sensitive to the touch, but I can manipulate things with my mind, as....as you saw..."she said in an embarrassed tone. The rest of her sentence drifted away and she paused to check and see if she angered him again. When he said nothing, Ferah walked farther and came next to Spirit who was nuzzling the bark of the tree.

"I can manipulate things with my mind, so when I walk outside like this, I bend the branches in the trees a bit to give me some shade. It does enough not to let the rays of sun damage me. It isn't as if I am allergic to the sun. It's only when it is extremely strong as it is now, though its a beautiful sight, is it not?"she said, twisting on one foot to smile at him while she walked backwards.
 
Cassdel was not sure, what the sun had to do with anything.
He chose to engage her, anyway.

"Not as beautiful as some things. The sun just reminds me that there is still life. Young and vibrant, life will always be inside us."

Smirking, tightened a strap.
To this, Spirit scoffed and hip checked the knight.
Unforgivably, Cassadel tripped and fell.
His helmet rode up his head.
It was off enough to see his mouth.
Sighing the armor just stayed there, with him.

"Ow." he whispered


 
"Yes, the sun does symbolize life. Especially to the plants and animals. It is something amazi--" Ferah's sentence was cut off when she heard the annoyed whinny from Spirit. Ferah didn't get to see exactly what Cassadel did to anger the horse, but whatever it was, he sure did pay for it. The horse reared on its legs and kicked Cassadel at full force in the hip. Ferah watched the whole thing unravel in front of her while she was walking backwards. She had immediately stopped walking and her eyes widened when Cassadel hit the ground.

"Oh geez!"she shouted and trotted up next to him. Kneeling down on her knees, Ferah grabbed his head and laid it on her lap, tilting his head to the side. "Sir Cassadel! Are you..." Her sentence trailed off when she caught a glimpse of his jaw. It was clenched in a slight pain. The muscles were very defined, sculpting his jaw into a sketch of strength. His skin complexion was lightly tanned, darker than hers by a slight, but none the less, just as fair. Ferah found herself staring more than helping. Her blue eyes scanned over the exposed skin and a blush crept to her cheeks as a result. Her first instinct was to laugh when she saw Spirit ransack him. Now, however, she was absolutely speechless.

"I...I...are...um..." She sounded like a blundering fool, but every time so tried to close her mouth, it only opened again so she could splutter out words. Her right hand lay shaking on his jaw when she picked his head up and now she had no idea what to do with him. If I move...he may be offended. But I can't...I can't just stay like this! Ferah's breathing started to pick up, and, as a result, her powers sparked once more, causing the branches in the trees to bend and crack relentlessly.
 
Cassadel's warm hand slid over hers.
The feel of her on his bare skin was rather nice.

"I am fine, my lady. Being caught off guard was the reason for this. Damn horse."

Spirit whinny sounded almost like a chuckle.
Lifting his head up more, the helmet reveal a bit of his blushed cheek.
The weight then pushed it back on.
Noticing the branches, he squeezed her hand.

"My lady, I am okay. Please, nature does not deserve your wrath."

His free hand then warmed her own jaw.

Would it be wrong to kiss her? Once?
Huh? Why are you thinking that?
Why are you stopping it?
..Touche.

The knight swallowed and helped her up.
Thoughts were batted away, swiftly.

"To the temple?" he whispered
 
Everything was happening faster than she thought it would, but then again, they did need to quicken up the pace. Even though it was still the morning time, they had to be at the Temple before sunset. Ferah coughed awkwardly, a scratching sound cutting her throat while his hand laid on her own. The branches shook once and then lay limply back into their own position. The rustling of the leaves had finally stopped and she took a deep exhale to calm down. Cassadel's voice returned back into her ears, just as the helmet returned to its rightful place back on his face.

"Oh, right. Yes, sir."she said, standing up and dusting her legs off. Their were a few leaves that had attached to her dress. Her fingers fluttered over them and they all began to float down back to the ground. Ferah watched them as her blue eyes swam back into it's fuscia/pink color. She looked over to Cassadel who looked lost in thought. She chuckled when Spirit whinnied louder, growing impatient of their wait.

"Patience, Spirit. We will arrive there soon."she said, patting the horse's mane. A large huff was Spirit's response as her padded on across the ground. Ferah smiled and continued to pat her mane softly.

"She sure is beautiful, excluding the attitude."she said quietly so that only Cassadel could hear. If Spirit heard, she'd probably be on the ground just like Cassadel was.
 
Thankfully, the horse wasn't paying attention.

"She is. You are not too bad either."

With a chuckle, he double checked to see if they had everything.
Cassadel had to get out of the lovey dovey feeling.
This was bad for business.
Duty before heart.
The other way around is not gonna work in this condition.

Seeing that everything was packed, the knight beckoned Ferah to get onto Spirit.

"Off to the temple, my lady."
 
She was just about to open her mouth and say something about how rude he was being, but then thought twice about it. No no, Ferah. You remember what happened the last time you opened your mouth. He was practically steaming from his helmet. Besides, maybe it's best for us to travel in silence. Ferah closed her mouth and turned around so that she was walking the normal way now. The two of them continued down the path of the woods. If Ferah wasn't mistaken, they were reaching the edge of Hydrena, heading to the entrance of Zarlom. The Temple of Ulm was nestled right in the middle of the two lands, and for good reason.

Hydrena and Zarlom were both becoming restless in the past few months. Even though both the lands need one another for their goods and people, they were still living in a life of paranoia. Each thought that the other could spring and attack the other on any given day. Whether those accusations were true or not, not many knew, but it was merely their word against the other. the civil war in Gestolan was getting out of hand. Ferah had to do her duty and do it quick. For if she wasn't sacrificed, the two would wage an all out never ending war on the two of them, relentlessly tearing Gestolan to shreds.

"I can't let that happen..."she said aloud, not noticing that she was talking out loud as she continued to walk beside Cassadel, looking to the ground.
 
Before long, it would be over.
He still had to track all the way back to the order halls, but it would be over.
There was important work to be done.
The civil war needed to be stopped.
It needed to be aborted before it was indeed a war.
Cassadel and his order were intended to be peacemakers.
It was ironic that sometimes war was meant to bring peace.
To have peace....there must be war?

"Huh?" he muttered

Ferah sudden words, made him squint.

"My lady?"
 
"Sir?!"she squeaked. Her voice got higher as she let out a tiny squeak when Cassadel called her name forth. Her mind was in two completely different directions, and she was sure that she had blocked both him and Sprirt off. The thoughts of the fate of Gestolan were far more important anyway. She would much rather think of that than think of her upcoming death when they reach the Temple of Ulm. Ferah let her purple eyes slide over to Cassadel's general direction.

"Do you need something, sir?"she asked, this time in her normal voice. Sprirt let out a large exhale, louder than normal, signifying her annoyance at the entire situation. The horse was really starting to irk Ferah's nerves. It had an attitude since the first second Ferah laid eyes on it's mane! She had done her very best to console the animal:stroking its mane, speaking softly, even scratching it behind the ear. But to no avail, for every 10 minutes, Spirit would just become riled up all over again. You have no right to be agitated! You are not the one being sent to die! Ferah walked on, not saying a single word.
 
Sir Cassadel knew she was hiding something.
It was time for it to come out.

"My lady, what is it you can't let happen? I need to know."

He gently grabs Ferah's hand and faces her.

"Please, my lady. If there is something on you mind, I would be happy to relieve it."

The sincerity in voice was stressed.
He didn't want her to have anything bottled.
People should not have to deal with thing on their own.

 
It was getting harder to make it through the day with him. If it were any other quiet guide that did not care at all for her feelings, she would've been to the temple by now, as well as the afterlife. However, Cassadel held a certain worry for her and that worry was delaying their time. Not only that, but it was also making it hard for her to answer. Ferah was bound by a oath not to reveal her information of her business at the Temple of Ulm, but Cassadel's sincerity was getting in the way of that. The confilcting thoughts were tearing her apart, but Ferah had to remain calm. The forest before them was winding down into a plain, rocks and boulders were detected on each side of them. They were nearing the temple.

Ferah bit her lip and unconsciously let her fingers wrap around the ends of her silver hair while she walked alongside the man. I can't tell him. I really can't tell him why I'm going! The Miheth clan specifically said that I was to keep my task a secret from everyone, or bad things will happen, and the temple won't accept my sacrifice. However, I can be honest with him to some extent. Ferah cleared her throat and threw away the look of fear as she looked up into the sky above her.

"I can not voice my reason for going to the temple. My clan is very specific with keeping to the oath we all make upon initiation. We are not allowed to discuss our reasons for traveling to sacred temples. I am sorry, but do not fear. Everything is yet to be okay."she said. the last part was a slight less than true. Yes, everything will be good in Gestolan for there would not be an all out war. However, at the cost of her life. Ferah finished what she was saying and she continued to walk forward, eyes to the sky.
 
"Fine, my lady. I apologize for pestering you." he whispered

There was no passive aggressive tone, in his voice.
If anything, the tone was defeated.
Ferah was not going to budge.
The knight wasn't going to push it more.
Oaths are oaths.
They are a cold, stubborn thing.

Cassadel then decided it was a good time for silence.
Maybe the scenery could mull it all over.
The temple was getting near.
Maybe then, it could be all over.
 
"Pestering, sir? Oh no, you are not pestering me! I understand that you can be curious about my reasons for going where I am, as well as you should be. It would be a bit odd to guide someone to a specific place and not know the reason behind it. Infuriating to say the least. However, I am still bound by oath to remain silent."she said. That was all she could say as the two of them traveled through what was now a meadow. The trees were slowly dwindling down and being replaced by ancient rocks and shattered remains of ruins. Every time they would pass one, Ferah would flinch. Her mind kept going back to the dream she had last night. The temple, the roof, the walls raining down above her head...

Its almost over. Once we get there, I won't have to worry about fear anymore. I won't have to worry about anything. Ferah's eyes wandered over to Cassadel who had grown silent. Did I do something to upset him? Again? Spirit's hooves pounded across the underbrush beneath their foot and Ferah linked her ears to that sound for quite some time. It was both melodious and soothing, which was just what she needed to calm her spirits.

Bethal wouldn't want me to be emotional before the task...
 
Cassadel just took in her words.
She could have anything and he would not have retorted.
He wasn't upset, just felt useless.
This dance around had taken it's toll.
His armor seemed to weight a little more.

Spirit wiggled her mane.
They could almost see the Temple of Ulm.
Somehow, the knight didn't really notice it.
All he could do was walk.
 
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And there it was. Only a few paces in front of them lay the simple yet Ancient Temple of Ulm. The Temple got its name from the first sacrifice of the Miheth Clan. A girl by the name of Ulma had to be sacrificed in order to keep the land of Gestolan together, for the great earthquake had hit over hundreds of years ago. She was late on her task, and that rift almost caused the two lands of Hydrena and Zarlom to be split, though there were no thoughts of war between them back then. However, Ulma made it to the temple, barely in time, and her sacrifice unified Gestolan...until now that is. Ferah's sacrifice was a little more important than Ulma's previous one, for if the world were split into, it only gave Hydrena and Zarlom free reign to wage war on each other.

"There it is."she said in a light voice. It took a great deal of strength to keep her teeth from chattering. Every step she took was a step closer to the end. Her mind was whirling with thoughts, paranoia, and down right fear. Do I remember the chant? What if I slip up? What if Cassadel is hurt by the crumbling of the Temple? What if it doesn't work? What will I do? What will I do!? Due to the lack of branches, the only thing her powers could grasp on was things that were near to her, like bushes and rocks. They started to tremble in their place and she did her best to cease her powers from goiing out of control. Calm, Ferah...Calm.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Cassadel. I know our journey was hectic, but I am forever in your debt."she said, stopping to bow in front him, silver hair falling around her face.
 
The temple was in sight.
It exuded a certain presence, with hint of danger.
Cassadel did not like this all.
Images of death started to flash in his mind.
Disturbing him so that his face was in shock.
Thankfully, it was hidden Ferah.
Something was very wrong here.
Was this what she was choosing to keep from him?
Her death...

"The pleasure was all mine, my lady. Our journey was very...eye-opening. Please, be safe. Promise me that much? I don't want to guide a corpse, in the near future."

His hand hit his chest once, to signify the honor of completion.
Spirit nuzzled her.
The horse knew they would part soon.
Sunlight fell upon them, slowly.
The outlined the face just enough to see his saddened expression.
There was pain in his barely visible blue eyes.
The images continued to flash.
He grabbed hold of Spirit's reigns and began to walk away.
 
There were two options on her mind: walk into the temple and say the ancient words to destroy her life and the temple, thus saving Gestolan or run after Cassadel and beg to be taken back home at the cost of a Gestolian war. Those thoughts played a tug-of-war in her head as she watched both Cassadel and Spirit walk away from whence they came. The would probably make it back to Hydrena soon while Ferah...she would...No. Enough of these thoughts. This is your duty and you are going to complete it. She didn't allow for an internal retort of any sort, so instead, she took cautious steps into the temple.

The Temple of Ulm was as ancient a temple as any. It had no stained glass or carved designs. The structure was the only thing that stood out to her eyes. It looked as though it had been broken and repaired with the same pillars for quite some time over the years. That was a shuddering thought, to know that each time it was broken and rebuilt, that was a Miheth girl being sacrifice. Now, it's my turn to uphold the legacy. Ferah grabbed a handful of the side of her dress and walked deeper into the beige tower.

The sun was blocked out, leaving nothing but a faint flow of the outside world in the middle of the temple. Ferah had walked on for half a minute until she finally saw the stone alter ahead of her. She stopped walking only because her legs were shaking terribly. The fear was now too much for her to bare. This was it. This was the last thing she would see before the end. Suddenly, an image of Cassadel saving her from the forest beast played in her mind. Even if he didn't know it, he saved her only to let her do this deed in the end. He would want her to be strong. Ferah stepped ever so slowly up to the alter and stopped when she neared the large arch in front of her. Silence dawned the inside of the temple and seconds passed before Ferah dipped her head, silver bangs covering her closed eyes.

"Miheth gensto cruinha meios.
Valdir fruncar torsna ploxien.
Miheth qisan'ta tokanme
Valdir fruncar bestel moheer."


Once the first word of the chant left her mouth, her voice grew in size. There was a deep echo and an amplification in her voice but she could not falter or stop. Once she began the chant, she could not stop for it would only bring chaos in the end. The chant was finished and Ferah breathed silently as the walls of the temple began to light up a dark pink color, much like her eyes. She didn't dare open her eyes to see what was happening. She'd much rather not know how she was being killed. The walls lightened and shook tremendously as if a mini earthquake was hitting that exact area. The inner walls of the temple were crumbling in large sections, giant pieces of fallen temple falling around her head. Ferah didn't know why she did it...but she opened her eyes and tilted her head up, looking above her. There, in plain sight, was the ceiling of the temple, cascading down above her head while she stared wide eyed, seconds from death.
 
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FERAAHHHHHHH!!

A thump of an echo blanketed the area.
The shout was in defiance.
It was a shout of a warrior.
Cassadel's throat was the given epicenter.
The force of his roof entry almost blew apart the temple.
With stopping, his formed wings pushed the body to snatch her own.
The enter and exit was all in a giant, angled swing.
The angel-like knight gripped Ferah, as they flew among the clouds.
Cassadel stopped in the the middle of cumulus.
His wings fluttered.
The mist had obstructed vision.
.
.
.
"My lady..."