"Children," The man clothed in Holy priest robes said. "You got food."

"Yes! A good man helped us!"

Is that Master Edwin? It was dark, and I couldn't get a good look. I got closer to the church entrance to get a better view while staying in the shadows. The children seemed enthralled with the man they surrounded. Moonlight broke upon the entrance, and I tried to move away from the light. Someone noticed my movements; it was Lisa, the tiny girl who thanked me. She had smiled at me and waved her little arms. The rest of the children turned around and saw me basked under the moonlight.

"Master Edwin! That's the man! He's the one who helped us," one of the children called out.

The children parted away, and I saw the man. He was the blind beggar I'd seen in town earlier that day. Covered in long black hair while wearing the Holy priest robes. The man held what looked like a carved staff in one hand. Gone was the reverence he used to command. The jewelry that used to adorned him were gone as well. He wasn't the Master Edwin I knew at all.

I just couldn't believe he was Master Edwin. He seemed too frail, too broken. My image of Master Edwin couldn't be replaced with this blind beggar in front of me. An animosity built up within the pit of my stomach. Who was he and why is he pretending to be Master Edwin?

"Kind sir, thank you very much for helping these children," the blind beggar said in a hoarse voice. "We don't get much kindness from strangers nowadays."

The children stare at me with happy expressions while surrounding the blind beggar. Their smiles broke down any negative feeling I had. Even if he had used Master Edwin's name, it had to have been for a good reason. I gazed at the decrepit old church and back at the poor children. Even blind, he was begging on the streets to help these children and still spread the word of religion. Master Edwin would've been fine with this man using his name.

I pulled back my thoughts and was about to leave until the blind beggar called out to me.

"Excuse me, sir," the beggar said. "May I get your name?"

The blind beggar was moving his head around searching for me.

"It's Demitri," I said in melancholy.

The blind beggar seemed startled and stumbled towards me when he heard my name.

"Demitri?...is that…are you Demitri?"

The children looked worried as the blind beggar was shaking.

"Yes," I replied almost in confusion by his actions.

"Are you…one of the companions to the Hero of the Veil?" the blind beggar said clearing his throat.

I nodded my head before I realized again he was blind.

"Yes," I said.

The blind beggar dropped to his knees at my confirmation.

"Thank you, Gods!" The beggar said as he looked to the heavens. "You have brought him to me."

I was puzzled by his questions and actions.

"It's been awhile Demitri," the blind beggar said.

A calm expression returned to the blind beggar as he stood up. An almost regal feeling came over him. The impression I first had of him disappeared and replaced with a noble bearing. It seemed as if he knew me, but I didn't know him. No matter how I looked at him, I didn't remember this man at all. Who was this man?

"I'm sorry, who are you?" I said.

The blind beggar was smiling as his head motioned towards the sound of my voice.

"It's me, Helem," the blind beggar said.

"Master Edwin!?" I said.

Helem was Master Edwin's first name; he had become known as Master Edwin when he was officially recognized as a Holy Priest of the Veil. His full name was Helem Edwin, and he was a noble too with a deep background. He had been Master Edwin for so long that people did forget his real name. Only a few people had known his real name, and of course, he had told us as comrades. We had fought off the Demon race together; we had gone to war together, we were allies and friends in the truest sense of the word.

"What?....Why?" I said almost in disbelief. "What happened to you?"

"You," Helem said in clear tone. "Come inside, these children would like to eat their meals, and we could talk."

Helem was always bald and clean shaven. Now he was unimaginably scruffy and dirty all around. He took personal hygiene seriously almost religiously just like his approach to the Religion of the Veil. His soft and soothing voice was gone as well, replaced with something rough and hoarse. Just what had happened to Helem after that incident? I needed to know, yet I couldn't stop thinking it was my fault. Only questions propped up in my mind.

I followed Helem and the children inside the old church. There were brightly lit candles and a fireplace burning on inside. Most of the inner walls were ruined, and I could see some patchwork of materials used to cover the walls. Some benches and furniture were scattered around, broken into pieces. They were most likely using them as firewood for the time being. I didn't think Helem and the children could have chopped down any wood by themselves.

The children sat down close to the fire and began to eat their food while it was still warm. They didn't savor any bite, but it seemed to be euphoric for them with every gulp. Just how long had they gone on without eating? Lisa approached me to give me some of her food. I shook my head to reject any portion, and she returned to eating her food quietly. I gave her a small pat on the head, and she seemed to brighten up by my touch.

The atmosphere of the children enjoying their meals in the dreariest of confines almost transported me back to my youth.

Helem slowly walked over to a chair by a mural of the Four Gods. He used his staff as a walking stick, tapping the ground to lead his way. The Carved staff looked to have been made by children with plenty of small cuts on it. I can see how the children must adore him. When he sat down, he had a faint smile but a tired expression on his face. It was the first time I had noticed; Master Edwin had gotten very old.

I stared at his face briefly and knew that his sight was truly gone.

"Master Edwin," I said almost choked up. "What happened?"

"Where do we start?" Helem said as he coughed.

Helem tried dusting himself off as he gave a smile.

"Why are you here Master Edwin?" I said.

"Oh…I was ex-communicated," Master Edwin said. "You can just call me Helem now."

I was confused by his statement.

"What? How? Why?" I said. "You are the most faithful follower and almost guaranteed to be a cardinal!"

Master Edwin was the closest Holy Priest to having become a Cardinal. The ranks of the Church of the Veil followed an almost rule by longevity. Whoever faithfully served the Church for how many years was guaranteed a high-ranking position. This didn't include merits of outstanding accomplishment and valor which Master Edwin would've easily beat the next competitor. Master Edwin was the prime example of a faithful servant to the church. Being excommunicated sounded like a joke!

Helem laughed coarsely.

"Well, I couldn't save him after all," Helem said, sadness crept over his face.

I stayed silent for a while, and I had understood what he meant. He was a Holy priest and follower of the Veil, assigned to the Hero. Some of the blame must've been pushed on Helem by his enemies when the Hero died. The religion couldn't let anyone else know that one of their priests couldn't save the Hero of the Veil after all. It would've been a blow to their religion and their followers.

"Tell me Demitri, what did you use to kill him with?" Helem questioned.

I balled my hands into fists at my sides and looked down before I glanced at him.

"The Demon Lord's weapon," I answered.

Helem's face was solemn like he understood something at once.

"That accursed thing that you picked up?" Helem said.

"Yes," I said.

Helem burst into a maniacal laughter almost scaring the children. I was taken aback by his insane crackling. The light of the fire seemed to roar out in laughter with him. Slowly, his laughter had died down to small chuckles as a smile covered his face.

"No wonder…I couldn't do anything…None of my healing spells would close the wound!"

It seemed that my answer had lifted a heavy weight off his shoulders.

"I told them, I told them I tried every healing spell I knew, but I couldn't stop the blood. I couldn't stop him from dying," Helem said holding the staff like it was someone he knew.

Helem seemed to be in his world as he mumbled and shook the staff.

I never realized at the time how dangerous a thing I acquired. The Hero was never touched when we fought with the Demon Lord. I picked up the accursed thing on a whim as a souvenir and as a symbol of our triumph over the Demon Lord. The Hero let me have it as I was the one to land the killing blow on the Demon Lord. If the Demon Lord had even scratched him with it, who would've known what would happen? We would've seen its capabilities firsthand. How would the Hero know that I would use it months later during the war between Kingdoms to kill him?

A calm passed by with the crackling of the fire until Helem broke it.

"Why did you attack him?" Helem said. "Why did you do such a thing?"

A strong tightening feeling overcame my chest, and I let it burst out as quickly as it came.

"Because he wasn't who he said he was Helem!" I fired out strongly. "We falsely invaded another land and started a war for nothing!"

I tried to let the matter off my chest, and Helem was puzzled.

"We were attacked first! That's why we defended ourselves! We had a righteous cause!-" Helem said as if he was lecturing me.

"That's bullshit, and you know it Helem!" I stopped his words and reprimanded him.

Helem had a sharp expression on his face before taking a deep breath.

"You are far too kind of a soul Demitri," Helem said.

Helem gave out a sad expression as he seemed to think and time passed us by.

The children finished with their dinner. Some seem to slope down on their chairs and benches. The children didn't even stir amongst our argument. Thier energy went, like puppets with their strings cut. Little Lisa rested her head against me trying to fight off the realm of sleep. I patted her head once more and reminded myself of another little girl in the past.

"Come, children," Helem said. "It's late now Demitri; the children need their sleep."

Helem stood up and tapped his staff on the ground. The children trying to fight off their slumber aroused up and came to him. They flocked around him like chicks to a mother hen as he moved around. Helem had guided the full and content children to another room. It was dusty and dirty, but it was warm, and they had beds to sleep on. After he had put the children to sleep, Helem signaled me out. I went, and Helem followed me out of the church.

Helem faintly touched his eyes with his free hand.

"How did you become blind?" I said while I waited for him to come next to me.

"Punishment for what I couldn't do," Helem said tapping the ground beneath him.

Helem came to a halt before parting his hair to show me. His eyes were closed shut because there was something over them. They were the religious symbols of the Veil branded on top of his eyes. It seemed to have melted his eyelids and skin shut with scars all over. He was tortured by the Religion of the Veil as punishment. Anger and horror-infused into me as I balled my fists tight.

"You know Demitri, with my eyes closed they are not blind," Helem said. "I see things for what they are now, dark black."

"Forgive me Helem," I said biting my lip. "Forgive me, Master Edwin."

Helem didn't say anything but gave me a faint smile.

My heart ached for what happened to Helem. I had always considered him to be like a big brother or a father to me. He cared about the religion of the Veil so much, and they did this to him!? I couldn't imagine what he felt during the time after I left. It was my fault that led him into this situation.

We walked a little distance more after the church. We talked about the things we used to do together. I told him of my eye patch which was courtesy of Cassandra. How our group of friends had banded around the Hero. I knew how much the Hero had meant to everyone in our group and I destroyed it. Still, I know I did the right thing, but it just doesn't feel that way sometimes.

"Here is good," Helem said. "You know there's another thing that comes clear into my eyes every day Demitri."

"What is it?" I said faintly looking up at the night sky.

"The scene of when you murdered him, how I couldn't save him," Helem said.

I stood there and gazed back to him with a soured expression.

"Now that the Four Gods have brought you to me," Helem said in a murderous tone. "I will kill you myself as atonement."

--

Master Edwin was the dedicated healer of our group and a parental figure. He was older than our group by twenty winters. He lived a pious and rigid life, hoping to install the same values onto us. With his noble background, he taught many of the uneducated how to read and write much like myself.