“When we found him, he acted as if he was unaware of his sins – a sin in and of itself. He insisted on his innocence, but his wicked lies fell on deaf ears. We used a rope to bind him, offering him as a sacrifice to the Taker. But the Taker refused our offering. That day and every day after. His punishment for his transgressions has not yet been fulfilled. He remains a symbol of obedience to the gods still tied to the same post today.”
His words send my skin crawling. Adrenaline floods my system, like ice water in my blood. My eyes find the door leading to freedom opposite of the old man in front of me, but my legs remain planted. Athan was right. These people are bat-shit crazy.
“You know, the gods could use a set of strong hands in the greenhouse, Brother...”
“It’s Eros, and this is Athan. Of course, I can help. It would be an honor,” I reply desperately trying to maintain a sense of tact. Our survival depends on it.
“And, as for you, young man; we don’t typically see many children in Cau. How about you help the gods in the kitchen until dinner is ready? I’m sure we can find something for you to do there.”
Athan cuts his eyes towards me nervously as he reluctantly agrees.
Odd that the will of the gods and the will of Elder Thestor are seemingly inseparable. I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.
“Dinner shouldn’t take too long. When you hear the bells, you are to immediately stop what you are doing, and retire to the dining chamber next door.”
Following the direction of the elder, I stagger towards the main exit of the temple. Looking back, I notice Athan staring at me. The look on his face begs me not to leave him, but I don’t think there is another way. Every part of me just wants this nightmare to end. My body yearns for my bed’s comfort. My stomach turns, but I’m not hungry.
The temple door is much heavier than I expected. Large black strips of bolted metal reinforce it on both sides. It opens as a gust of hot, desert air slaps me in the face, stealing the breath right out of my lungs. It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the brightness. As they correct, I see him. The man Athan and Elder Thestor spoke of, Rome. His blood-dried hands are bound behind his back. The splintery wooden post his arms and legs are tied around is the only thing keeping him upright. “Betrayer” is barely legible on a sign above his matted, auburn hair. His clothes are ripped and bleached from the sweltering sun. Through the holes, his ribs stretch. He doesn’t even look up as I pass by him. He’s accepted his fate. Beaten, this is his life now.
If the gods do exist, this is not what they would have wanted. If so, then they are no gods I want to associate myself with, much less worship and adorn. No loving god would torture its children or be able to stand by and passively watch.
The makeshift greenhouse stands just a few hundred meters from where its maker suffers. The rusty door swings open and I immediately begin searching for anything I can use as a weapon. The temperature inside is at least twenty degrees warmer. The air is thick and nearly unbreathable. I’m light-headed after a few seconds as sweat leaks continuously from every pore and place in between.
A tarnished piece of pipe lies in the sandy dirt next to a plant that’s seen better days. Rows of various vegetables and herbs, neatly aligned and spaced, stripe the dirt from wall to wall. Above, dangles the remnants of an irrigation system with water dripping from the holes of the few pipes left hanging.
I tuck the steel piece into my pants and pick up the shovel leaning on the greenhouse glass to give the illusion that I’m working just in case anyone walks by. I don’t trust these people. I’m not taking any chances.
Palin relentlessly plagues my thoughts, corroding them like acid dripping onto the sandy nothingness. Sometimes I look down and forget I’m not him anymore. I feel so bad for him. Maybe he was right. Maybe life is nothing more than a series of brief happiness and heartbreak between meaningless events. It’s not fair. I’m not sure it was even worth it.
After an hour I’m completely drenched in sweat. My mind is spiraling out of control with guilt and discomfort. The heat is unbearable. I’m not sure I can take much more of this. No wonder dude tried to burn this place down.
Suddenly, the ground begins to gently tremble. The dirt castle I just finished collapses on itself. The entire greenhouse is trembling as a screw from the bracket above falls through the dust, hitting my shoulder on its way down.
Curiosity leads me outside. The familiar roar from the shuttle’s engines brings me to a smile. My upgrade zooms in just before the shuttle lands out of sight. It’s undeniably Olympian. Our ticket out of here just arrived. That trader isn’t leaving unless we are on that ship.
After making a retinal note of where the shuttle landed, I sneak out of the greenhouse to get Athan, passing a stable of diseased and tumorous livestock. This place is a nightmare. I can’t leave him here. There will be no blood on my hands.
Careful not to be seen, I approach the backside of the temple in the direction he took Athan. Crouched and silent, outside an open window, I listen. Voices exit the window, but no sign of the boy. Creeping past another set of open windows on the building adjacent to the dining hall, I quietly crack the door open. The room
