Private Tales May His Light Open Your Eyes

[Maximiliano Bergara]

Cortos

Not too recent did an expedition of conquistadors and soldiers, provided by the various Cortosi kingdoms and the Radiant Church, returned from their mission in hopes to find gold and treasures across the ocean. An expedition Maximiliano did not participate, staying with the Radiant Church but not from being a coward; the expedition was limited, though not severely, on funds and could only afford to take so many men and supplement them with supplies.

With their return they told tales and stories of what they encountered, large creatures taller than men in the shape of a snake with obstructing them from claiming what they sought for. Some said it took three men to slay these monstrosities, even the skilled veterans of the expedition not able to vanquish them.

Interesting to hear for men, and terrifying for children.

Many came unscathed from their violent encounters, and many came with critical injuries. There was one woman, entrusted in the safety and care of Maximiliano, that required to see a local healer for a tragic injury she suffered from the expedition. She lost her vision, something depressing than losing a hand or having a limp. A priestess from the Radiant Church, too, and Church was eager to help their sister in need.

On the highway, now leaving the city limits of a major city and entering its outskirts before finding themselves in the untamed plains, Max was on horseback with Amorea’s own horse tied to his so she did not stray from the course.

“How do you find yourself, Sister Amorea?”

 

[Amorea Delarosa]

They had tried to send her in a carriage. Tried to supply her with small comforts so she need not worry for the journey. Tried to make it quiet, to send her in the night when the people slept and would not see. Amorea insisted otherwise.

The public knew she'd been struck by great sickness from the expedition but they did not know to what extent. She'd not been seen by them for over a moon cycle now, and though her place was not necessarily one of public service, the Lady Delarosa was missed at mass and ceremony. Enough that many had begun to ask after her.

Where was she? Was she recovering? When would she return to mass? Why had no word been given on her health? What if the worse had come to pass? What if the Nagai islands possessed a power greater than the Bright One - great enough to taken down a beloved and powerful member of the Solar Choir?

"I must be seen," she'd said, "astride my horse. It will calm the people and it will assure them of their faith in our Sunfather."

And so in the warmth of an afternoon sun the Priestess stepped out through the gates of the Church courtyard astride the golden stallion called Cortez in the company of Inquisitor Bergara. She wore her Solar Choir robes of black and red and gold, the ones she wore when embarking on a mission of utmost importance. It wasn't the truth but making haste through the crowds that would surely arrive was of greater priority. Hood pulled to shield the sunken features of her face and the milky hue of her eyes, they departed through the streets. It took little time for word to get around, that the Lady Delarosa was riding again, and many came to see her off. Cortez grew tense in the throngs, threatening to kick out at those who moved too close.

Amorea never thought she would think it, but she was glad when they finally left the city through the outer gates into the quiet of the country beyond. They traveled in silence for some time, moving at pace with Cortez tethered to Bergara's steed. Not being able to see where they went was disorienting but Amore entrusted the Inquisitor to lead her true.

He spoke, finally, after a time when they'd taken to a more leisurely gait. The man knew only that her sight had been stricken from her but not the how nor anything beyond that. She could only pray to her Bright Father that their path would be without challenge that he may not know more than he needed.

"Strange," she admitted with a fair and faint smile, "I had a thought that this would feel like riding through the night under a new moon. Seems I was mistaken."

A night ride still maintained that sense of sight. This was something else entirely. Amore could find on a map the city they rode to but she'd not find her way otherwise.

"I understand you volunteered to see me to Brightvane. You have my gratitude. Is there a reason why?"

 

[Maximiliano Bergara]

“I cannot imagine how it must feel to be stripped away from your vision. It would sadden me to not be able to see a new light in the world from our Father had I been afflicted with such cruel wounds,” trying to empathize with his fellow Radiant Sister. “But I am certain the Lord has a plan for you as He does for all of us, and I hope He’ll restore your vision,”
more words to cheer her up, no doubt she was sad to be in this current dilemma of her life.

She then asked him a question, inquiring why he decided to help her. The question made it seem that she probably thought he was after something, to use this as a way to gain a favor from her. In all honesty he only wished to help her, dedicating himself to the teachings of the Radiant Church with scriptures that lectured to always help those in need.

“It is a simple reason why, Sister Amorea. We are all taught to help one another from the teachings of the Church, no? Those of the church and those who come to mass are worried for you and your health, missing you from service. It would be a service to the Lord for helping someone like you.”

He sounded so pious, so incorruptible. As if the devices of demons and hell never tainted his soul he dedicated to the Bright Father. Sadly, he too sinned and would always seek atonement as he confessed his sins.

“Forgive me for my curiosity, Sister Amorea, but how did you receive those injuries? Dark magic from those monsters you faced?”

They were alone and would ride many more miles before reaching Brightvane. Anything outside the city would bring unfortunate events to those who did not tread carefully. Wild animals, bandits, heretics, and other rogue elements he dedicated to eradicate on orders from the Church as an Inquisitor.

 

[Amorea Delarosa]

A faint smile posed fleetingly on the Priestess' lips, milky gaze blinking against the fair breeze across her face. She lifted a hand to pull back her hood, secure in the notion that her people were far behind them now and would not see. Black material fell across her armored shoulders, allowing the intense red of her hair to catch that same wind, loose strands plying free of a long, single braid. The man thought her sad, but he couldn't be more wrong. She did not speak to the contrary.

"That is well, Inquisitor Bergara," the woman replied to his reasoning, "and I am glad to hear it."

She fell silent at his question, leaving not but the sound of the countryside accompanied by the clip-clop of their horses along the road. Leaves rustled to her right as they passed by an orchard beyond a split-rail fence. A stream burbled off to her left. Amore thought she recognized where they might be, but couldn't be certain. She had not made ride for Brightvane in many years.

"My blindness is of my own making," the woman replied after a time of quiet introspection, "we did not make it to Nagai proper, but landed on a smaller island to the north east where Cortos once kept an outpost. We expected to make camp with our men and learn what they knew of the Nagai, but the camp was found empty and abandoned. We came to learn the island and its creatures had fallen victim to a strange infection, one that spread by spores through the air and through contact. It proved fatal."

The screams of the man she'd burned to put him from his misery of the viciously spreading infection still loomed within her mind, but no more than the screams of those heathens she had burned in the name of the Sun Father for their trespasses against the faith.

"Our men were courageous and wished to fight to keep the camp, but the creatures were far too many and the infection too powerful. I feared it would spread to the main lands if it was not fully extinguished, and so our men escaped to the ships while I purged the island of its disease."

"For the greed of my power used for this task, I was stricken of my sight."

As well as her magic, but the less who knew of that the better.

 

[Maximiliano Bergara]

His eyes looked at her as she pulled back her hood and the light beam down on her face. To Max’s opinion about her appearance, she was very beautiful. Crimson hair that caught the light, refreshing wind. Her eyes were milky grey, clouding over her sight and the natural color of her eyes. He wondered what color they were. He allowed another good moment to gaze at her face to admire her beauty, before his eyes retreated back. Part of him felt guilty to look so long on Amorea when she was a blind, yet revered woman among Cortos. Was it a sin?

He listened to her with full attention, revealing how she lost her vision. It appeared the expedition was not as successful as he thought it would; be could only imagine the terrors they faced on that island from the spores they encountered. It was noble of her to purge such disease before expanding across the waters towards the mainlands.

“We are taught to be cautious of the sins of greed in this world, but it is hard to say if what you did was a sin or not. Had it not been for your actions cities would be in chaos if those spores expanded themselves. What you did was very noble, an example men and women should take after to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. You could’ve been killed, but I am sure our Lord was with you in your time of need.”

“What color were your eyes, Sister? I’m sure they were beautiful gifts from our Father.” He made sure to be careful with his choice of words. His intentions were honest and good, but others would misunderstand and create their own truth that didn’t fell in line with others.

 

[Amorea Delarosa]

Amore could not say if she felt as though her actions had been in sin, but the price paid for them spoke that a balance had been broken. The limitations of mortals was a lesson learned only through experience and, the Priestess could say with full conviction of their truth, she had learned it.

No gesture or word was given to indicate if she could feel his eyes lingering upon her. In truth she could not tell, merely guess as to the extended silence between thoughts. The question that finally arrived brought a faint smile to her lips again. Such a simple query, like the question from a child. She did not deny him his innocence of intent there.

"They were blue," Amore replied, "what color are they now?"

She knew they had changed. The Doctors had said as much, but they seemed to be continually shifting hue. Where before they had been a murkey grey-blue, last her Apprentice said they had become closer to silver.

 

[Maximiliano Bergara]

He took another look at her, trying to imagine the woman with blue eyes to complement the rest of her beauty. Blue eyes with scarlet hair, and her face sculptured well. But now those blues were replaced with a color much like silver or a grey fog. Ironically the color was something people would stare at in awe as no human could receive those iris unless cursed with blindness. The hue on her eyes was, in a way, pretty.

“I’m sure the blue eyes resonated well with the rest of your beauty, Sister,” did he dare to go that far with words? They weren’t part of the same organization, yet they were only strangers.

“The color of them now is like a grey fog, one so thick that you can’t trace your steps or trust your own instincts. It’s a pretty color, though I believe their former self is better on you.”

Their horses walked on their fours until Max commanded them to a stop.

“Wait,” his words for Amorea. Off in the distance there was smoke from a live fire. Bandits or other fiends in the shape of a human was nearby and when on fertile plains with some stoops and rises of elevation, obviously as the world isn’t even, it was easy to spot things.

“Do not panic, we’re not alone. These lands do not share our ideals of life and the world, and are filled with scum. I will protect you.”

Words of assurance and honest what lay before them if it ever came to them. He hoped she would not panic as that would worsen the situation for them. These men were cowards and preyed on the weak, they must show courage in their spirits. It was only them, and sure they’d be outnumbered. But they weren’t outclassed.

 

[Amorea Delarosa]

"Thank you."

It was good to know of the nature of things as they were, but she appreciated the man's opinion of what had been as well. Blue, like the color of the Cortos sea under their Father's light. Perhaps one day they would be blue again.

As he brought the horses to an abrupt stop and made the potential threat known, Amore had to wonder if he really knew who she was and what purpose the Church had charged her with. It was an honest measure of just how well the Solar Choir's machinations and inner works went unknown by the vast majority. To the people they were creatures of good wielding the power of faith. To those who would deign move against the Church they were a merciless force to be reckoned with.

"I trust that you will," she replied, wondering now if it came down to it would she have the strength to ward off a foe. The fatigue of her body after only a few hours astride her horse told her this was not a likely outcome.

 

[Maximiliano Bergara]

Even if there were potential enemies in the area, they could not stop and wait for them. Waiting around would just decrease their chances of survival. There was great joy in killing heretics and sending them all to the depths of purgatory. It was a sin to murder, but he would always find forgiveness from the Bright One in spreading His light and teachings to the untamed lands of Cortos.

But he wasn’t assigned to kill these heretics and crucify them as examples for others who had ideas in turning their back towards the Bright Father or other heretics. No, he had to protect Amore on this journey and so he kicked his horse from his heel to continue them on the path. The more they made progress, the more they made distance and had more chances of survival.

Survival was all the victory one needed in these lands were fake gods and devils reigned.

A forest came in sight on the pathway they took and the sun began to make its descent for the horizon. The night and its moon he abhorred for that was the time when the demons came to run rampant at their full strength.

“It is almost evening and we’re nearing a forest, we can take rest here if you’d like,” whatever her answer was, he’d honor it. If she wanted to sacrifice some sleep for more progress, then so be it.