Part 1 Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

 

 

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here are many religions in The Highlands; some believe all actions around them (falling rain or snow, wind blowing, and the sun rising and falling) are all the work of one or more Gods. Temples and entire religious sects have been erected for worship to the Gods. The most popular religion that people believe in is the Twelve; the Twelve are twelve Gods that have control over a great many things in The Highlands, most importantly is their control of one’s destiny. It is believed people all people from farmers to Kings and Queens that if they pray hard enough to the Twelve for guidance and help on certain things then if they decided to the Twelve would manoeuvre events for their favour. It is so popular that while soldiers pray to Bellum they also pray to the Twelve for help. Kings have built temple to the Twelve of the centuries all to show the beauty of the Twelve by having the temples reflect the number in as many ways as they can. The Twelve are most widely known for being both nameless and formless entities, and this is what makes a small minority of people reject the belief of that religion for something that they believe can be more substantial. 

  For a time some claimed that the faces on the Eyeless Mountains are those of the Twelve, but this was quickly shot down from the priests and priestesses of the temples. 

  Everyone has their own religious beliefs, some may hate others but never enough for a fight (or worse) to break out, but there is one that everyone hates. That is the Brotherhood of Speechless Words, although many have asked why it is called a Brotherhood since women are also in it. While the Brotherhood believes in the Gods of other religions, mostly the Twelve, and a few of their own they believe that speech is a right only for the Gods to have and the fact that humans can talk is the work of evil. They used to try converting others to their cause but when that did not work they tended more towards mingling with themselves so there is plenty of inbreeding; distant cousins, and siblings mostly. Convert attempts failed not just because of the mistrust but also for the fact that at age two all those in the Brotherhood have their mouths sewn shut. Not completely, they leave just enough in the middle to allow food to be eaten in small bites. But even so they never talk or even make the slightest noise.

  Their only form of communication is with hand signals that only they themselves understand.  There are a fraction of a percentage of people outside the Brotherhood that understand the hand signals but none try to turn that skill into a job or position with them.

  They are not evil per say, the huge lack of trust when it comes to them is there because no one knows or wants to know much about them.

  That is why far outside the city of Tov’ra in the outskirts of Divinwood a man stands still, hands at his sides, his legs bent as if he is about to move and his eyes dart around him in quick movements like he is looking for something, or someone.

  He jest left his small village half a mile from Divinwood. He enjoys the occasional walk, keep up his strength. On his walks he sees a group of four, two men and two women, from the Brotherhood, coming towards him, they like all members are wearing the bare essential in clothing, just enough to appear modest and to keep warm in the cold nights, in a dull black colour with the symbol of a sewn mouth in white across the chests. While not dirty they aren’t exactly clean either; no tavern would let them in; not for a night of rest, not for a minutes of drinking. Although the man can see that the four do have certain handsome qualities they are overshadowed by the similarities between the four of them due to obvious inbreeding. He wonders for a moment how closely related they are.

  So when he sees them he stops and after a moment of careful consideration he changes direction to one he has never gone before, not alone anyway. He looks behind him as he walks to find the Brotherhood members passing by the way he had come, sighing in relief he decides not to turn back for fear of seeing them again or worse them seeing him. Not paying any attention he soon finds himself lost and within sight of Divinwood which is what made him stop in the first place.

  His entire body is shaking even though the air is warm.  He is afraid, of both what is ahead of him and behind him. A mild wind blows past him, carrying with it whispers from somewhere far away. They seem to beckon him to go into the forest. He turns around about to head back from where he came when another gust of wind, another bout of whispers, stops him. He doesn’t know why but he feels a desire to follow the whispers’ desire and enter Divinwood, as if the whispers are controlling him. Despite his better judgement he turns back around and slowly enters Divinwood.

  After passing through the outer rim of trees it is like entering a different world; there is no sunlight, the sun has no place in Divinwood, and there is a thick fog stretching as far as the man can see. Although there is no sunlight he can still see, there is a dull soft light, like moonlight, all around him but he cannot see where it is coming. From everywhere the man hears the sound of chirping birds but sees none and smells a faint sweet smell. He decides to follow the smell. The further in to Divinwood he goes the more intense the smell is, it becomes more sweet but also earthy as if the smell is Divinwood itself.

  He walks for what feels to him like miles then comes to a stop; he can no longer smell that sweet smell. He moves around hoping to find that smell again then stops as the whispering breeze returns, only this time the whispers are clearer more understandable. They seem to be speaking a single word over and over again but he doesn’t know what.

  He suddenly hears the sound of branches crunching underfoot and slowly hesitantly turns around. Behind him is a hooded figure and he realises that the breeze and the whispers are coming from her. He becomes too scared to move but the figure moves closer.

  “WH-who are you? What are you?” his voice barely above a whisper itself. The figure stops and stands in front of him.

  “Change,” she says.

  He backs away quick, screams and turns and bursts into a run back the way he had come through the forest, tripping over roots and scratching his face and hands on many of the branches in his way. As if he is aiming for them.

 

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The whispers vanish as the hooded figure in Divinwood watches the man run away screaming. She doesn’t seem to give any emotion to the sight in front of her, just watches as if it is a spectator sport. As the screaming dies away another hooded figure appears standing next to her. This one is taller and her and although the robes are the same colour the pattern is discernibly different.

  “Why give him the message?” asks the second figure in a deep male voice.  The female figure turns her head to him for a second then turns back to face forward.

  “The prince boy has heard the message many times, but done nothing. Perhaps if the message is heard from his own kind he might take action.”

  “Are you sure it will work with him?”

  The female figure is silent for a moment, and then says: “perhaps more will be needed.”

  The male figure is still then nods in agreement. The two are silent, with the darkness growing thicker around them.

  “We must retire for the night. The others will be waiting for us.” Says the male figure and without waiting turns around and walks deeper into the forest. A short while later the female figure, after watching the darkness around them as if it has great meaning, does the same.