Chapter 8

Tirr gasped and woke up, sitting up with a jolt as he tried to catch his breath. His heart was racing, and he realized he was covered in a cold sweat. He looked around, noticing that he was in a small poor looking room. Rays of light breached through the shutters nearby and simple furniture lay around.

He tried to remember the dreams he had just seen, but the memories had already drifted away. Except for one, the red robed figure saying goodbye.

As his breathing slowed, a loud gurgle from below made him realize how hungry he was. He grumbled at being left to this state as he got out of the bed. He worked his way out of the room into what looked like a dining/kitchen area. As he entered, he called out, wanting to be fed, but no one seemed to hear him. As he walked around, he soon heard voices from a nearby room.

He approached quickly and entered the room carelessly. Frowning over the figures he found. In the small room he noticed an old woman in one corner sitting in a rocking chair, one arm in a sling. She smiled as he stood at the doorway and beckoned him forward.

One the bed was a middle-aged man with a terrible gash down his shoulder and across his chest. Next to him was a teenage girl, who sat near holding his hand. On the other side was Maria, who was currently washing the wound out with water and applying a poultice.

As Tirr entered he looked at Maria treating the wound and frowned. “Good morning God.” Nora said from the chair. “You’ve slept for a day and a half so you must be starving. Maria will get you something to eat as soon as she’s done getting Lina’s father there settled again. I’d get it myself but this old body of mine doesn’t want to move.”

Tirr grunted “I want food now though…” he looked at Maria accusatorily. “Why don’t you just heal them?"

Maria sighed as she attended to the man. She knew this would come up but hoped it would wait a little longer. “I can’t.” she said plainly as she started wrapping the wound in bandages.

“What do you mean you can’t?” Tirr asked confused as he looked from Nora to Maria. “At least one of you should have reached Disciple, right? You should be able to handle such small…” As he spoke, a loud growl interrupted him. He put his hands on his stomach and blushed. Lina tried to hide a giggle as she held her father’s hand but failed. Maria chuckled as well untill Tirr gave her a dirty look.

He walked over to Nora, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Here then.” His hand lit up with light as he focused, and Nora gasped in surprise as he took his hand away.

Maria and Lina were shocked as they saw Nora stand up and stretch, reaching her hands way over her head as she let the sling drop. “I haven’t felt this good in years!”

Lina watched hopeful as Tirr next came towards her father. He put a hand over the man which lit up again as he focused briefly. They watched as the wound quickly healed, muscle and skin growing and sealing itself until there was no sign of it. The man slowly opened his eyes after the wound closed. He looked around confused before seeing his daughter. “Lina?” he called. Lina jumped into his arms

They hugged for a moment, during which time Tirr, feeling like he had recovered his image, looked arrogantly over at Maria. “Now quickly prepare some food!” He said impatiently.

Maria looked over at her Grandmother who smiled. “I’ll take over here for now.” Maria sighed again as she started to head towards the kitchen.

Tirr started to follow but was caught by Lina, the girl picked him up and hugged him, giving him a kiss on the forehead as she thanked him. She seemed to realize who she was hugging and quickly dropped bowing her head as she apologized for being rude.

Maria watched amused as Tirr blushed again, looking pleased with himself. “It’s nothing, I’m a kind god, so I couldn’t let one of my people die for nothing in front of me.” He said, putting on a proud appearance. “You may call me Tirr, from now on do your best to serve me.”

Lina nodded and agreed, thanking Tirr one more time before going back to her father, who had watched confused.

Tirr then followed Maria out to the kitchen, sitting at a chair she pulled out for him. “Do you see how great I am?” Maria couldn’t help but think he really did act like a child as she agreed with him.

She brought him some fresh fruit and bread, placing the bowl down in front of him. “It’ll take me some time to prepare some eggs and potatoes.

Tirr chomped into the bread, breaking off a piece before taking a bite of the fruit as well. Still chewing he questioned. “What about meat?”

Maria continued preparing, “We don’t have any.”

Tirr almost choked as he swallowed the rough bread. “No Meat? How is it a meal without meat?”

Maria tended to agree but told him the same thing her Granny had always told her. “You don’t need meat to fill you up. Besides I can’t prepare what we don’t have.”

Tirr frowned before calling out, “Mutt!” He heard a whining from the door and stood up going over and opening the door to the sight of the Guardian laying on the ground outside, once again the size of a horse. It looked up at him expectantly with bright eyes.

“Go bring some meat!” The Guardian gave a short bark before racing off down the hill towards the forest. Some of the villagers watched still frightened as it ran by. Others stared in wonder at Tirr who quickly went back inside to keep eating.

As he sat down again, he watched as Maria continued to cook. “So, did you use up all your energy healing someone else?”

“What?” Maria asked back.

“You said you couldn’t heal him, and the other lady couldn’t heal herself either. Did you both use too much of your Blessing already?”

Maria rolled her eyes before turning around. “I don’t know what Blessing you're talking about, there are still plenty of injured, we just don’t have room for all of them.”

Tirr snorted. “What do you mean what Blessing? My Blessing! There should be at least a Disciple, even here in the middle of nowhere right?”

“I don’t know what a Disciple or your Blessing is.” Tirr looked shocked for a moment. He got up and walked towards Maria, grabbing her hand and looking it over before pulling on her clothes.

Maria was confused at first when he grabbed her hands. But panicked as he started lifting and pulling at her dress. She shoved him away. “What are you doing?”

He stumbled back before looking angrily at her, “You can’t push your God!”

“A kind God wouldn’t go around pulling at people’s clothes.” She retorted back.

Tirr blushed, “I was just looking for your sigil!”

“What’s a sigil?” Maria asked suspiciously.

“The mark you got when you got your blessing! Didn’t they teach you this at the other temples?”

Maria turned back towards her cooking, “I don’t think there are any other temples.” She said plainly. Tirr’s face went blank… “What?” he asked in a soft voice. Maria turned around at the pain in the question, and the sight of Tirr’s eye’s as he looked at her made her wish she hadn’t been so cavalier.

Nora entered the room having heard the commotion as Tirr stood shocked. “I’m sorry Tirr but what she said is true. Most don’t know anything about you, there may be some small pockets somewhere, but our family has searched for generations and never found them.

Tirr sat back in his chair as he absorbed the news. “How?” he asked, “What happened?”

“We don’t know. There was a great disaster, that caused you to sleep for a very long time. It wiped out the country of the time and you were carried here to rest. No one remembers what the disaster was, but our family has watched over you ever since. The blessing you speak of probably belonged to our family long ago, which is why you could still feel it somewhat."

Tirr just stared blankly at her. “So my followers are gone… Along with my empire…?”

Nora nodded, “Maria and I are the last two.” Tirr seemed lost for a second, “And my Blessings? Is that why I can’t use them?”

“I don’t know…” Nora said solemnly.

“Do you remember what the great disaster was?” asked Maria.

Tirr frowned thinking back to the city of flames and the red robed figure. He tried to remember anything else, his followers or his cities, but names and faces eluded him. His memories were shifting and nebulous. “No…” He said looking down, tears slowly building.

The sight made Maria want to hug him, but she hesitated, not knowing if it was appropriate. He was her god, but right now he seemed like any other sad young boy.

There was an awkward silence for a moment, untill the sounds of dirt and gravel spraying came from outside. There was a loud thud as something dropped to the ground. They could all hear the whining of the Guardian outside.

Tirr got up, and Nora and Maria followed him out. As Tirr walked out he saw the figure of the Guardian, sitting happily beside the body of a large Beast. It had three sets of antlers, giant hooves, and was huge in size. A dozen or so villagers had seen it being dragged towards the temple and had followed in awe. It was large enough for a few families to eat nothing but meat for months.

Tirr looked at the guardian, still brooding, then over the villagers and the village itself. He nodded, having come to a decision. He turned back towards Maria and Nora who stood behind him.

“Alright, hurry and cook it I’m hungry!” He said smiling. Maria was surprised by the sudden change. She looked over the Beast, “I can’t… It would take me weeks just to butcher it.”

Tirr frowned, but some of the nearby villagers had heard her and offered to help. “Good!” He said with a laugh, his hands back on his hips as he took his usual arrogant pose. “You can have some yourselves and for the rest of the village afterwards. Consider this a gift from your god, Tirr.” He said proudly. “And you!” He said turning to Maria, “Go and summon the rest of the injured.”

“Are you going to heal them as well?” Maria asked curiously.

“No, you will!” He said pointing a finger at her. “If my Empire is gone then I just have to rebuild it. I’ll find out what this great disaster was, get back my memories and Blessings, and rebuild everything from the ground up. Starting with this Village!”