Valery closed her eyes and breathed deeply, making her best attempt to drown out the horses rhythmic footsteps. She played a game with herself to pass the time. Was that bump the baby or the carriage rocking? The point wasn’t to win or lose, it was to avoid thinking of her destination. She envisioned each rock the carriage passed over in as much detail as she could, working hard not to let her own image of the temple slip through the cracks.

  ‘Won’t be long now, Miss.’

  Her eyes shot open and, after she moved her own ginger hair from her sight, she beheld the vibrant fields of orange grass that stretched out before melding with the green forest that made its natural borders on the horizon. The carriage rolled smoothly along now, its path laid out by an uncountable number of those who came before. Mismatched plants made attempts at growing along it but ultimately fell to the constant horse hooves across it. Behind her own carriage Valery saw another on the same journey. She couldn’t see the passengers it carried behind the large driver but knew she had something in common with them. Desperation.

  She leaned out of the carriage. Before her stood the Temple of the Seraphim, a name as fitting as calling a Dragon a “big lizard.” Steps led to a platform that spanned half the length of the village she came from while columns, each lined with ancient wording, spiralled above the clouds to look over the world. They gleamed in the sun, refusing to cast shadows under its light. Each blessed letter glowed a different colour, slowing fading into another as if breathing.

  Valery edged herself to the back of the carriage and swung her legs over. Her hand held her baby as they laid safe inside her. Soon, my child. She took a deep breath. The air smelt of comfort, bringing her back to the days of her youth spent amongst the speckless marble of her villages temple.

  The carriage crawled to a halt. A robed figure approached the carriage, face mostly obscured by a thick hood, offering a youthful hand to Valery. He helped her down as her driver came around from the front. Her driver’s short, fire brown hair bounced when she bowed to the figure. Valery quickly mimicked. The driver stood a foot taller than the others, coupled with her narrow physique and bare tattooed arm, she fit right in with the columns.

  ‘Welcome, travellers,’ greeted the figure, his wise tone ill suiting such a young voice. ‘I trust the journey went well.’

  ‘You’re new,’ commented the driver.

  He nodded. ‘I admittedly began caretaking the temple only recently, are you a regular?’

  ‘Yeah, you’ll know the drivers well after a while.’ She turned to Valery. ‘I’ll be waiting here until you get back, take as long as you need.’

  The man pointed to two more robed figures who stood by the nearest staircase. ‘Head to them and they will help you in your prayer today.’

  Valery’s heart screeched. ‘Are you not coming along?’

  The driver shook her head. ‘He must stay with me, right?’

  The young man smiled nervously. ‘That is correct. It is customary that a member of the Community of the Seraphim stay with a driver so that they cannot leave someone stranded.’

  The driver let out a deep chuckle. ‘It also gives me someone to chat to.’

  With little more than a nod, Valery made her way to the steps, looking back to her driver speaking with the member. Their voices soon faded into the rabble of people discussing their wishes with each other and hooves coming to a stop but the image of the two amongst a row of other driver/member duos stood out. It needed to if Valery was to find it again. She stopped, closed her eyes to lock the image in her mind, and turned away.

  Her gaze first met the silver stairs up to the platform, a reflection shone back at her. The two members of the community reassured her steps forward.

  ‘This way to your answer,’ said the woman on the left, her hair draping over her robe’s collar.

  ‘Don’t fret,’ continued the man on the right, ‘your struggles will be over soon.’

  Valery could hear the echo of that same advise all around her and feel the hurried breath of the person behind her. She looked back. A father walked slowly with his little boy clutching his hand tightly. A harsh cough told Valery the reason they ended up at the temple.

  It didn’t take long for Valery to reach the platform, a stone field which welcomed humans as a lake welcomed fish. They knelt, praying to one of the twelve Gods to save them. Valery’s eyes darted to the people who began to glow like the writing. Their lips would grow still, only moving again shortly after to grin before they stood to bow.

  Valery found a spot. She fought through the strain and knelt, cupping her quivering hands together. Which God? They flashed through her mind, each in shadows denying her request. Their names died on the tip of her tongue. Against the backdrop of people from across the land begging for help, Valery remained silent.

  ‘Do not worry,’ came a voice around her.

  She looked up. An Angel stood over her alone, everything around her now simply a blurred image in a dream.

  Valery took in the Angel’s wingspan which emerged from her flawless pearl grown, her crimson feathers outstretched but allowing the sunlight to shine through. She was perfection. Her face lived without scars, dirt, or the faintest sign of age. The Angel’s gown invited Valery to touch it, to prove if her hand could be lost in its fabric.

  ‘You’re a Seraphim,’ said Valery

  The Angel nodded, her face a flesh reflection of carved marble dotted with stars for eyes.

  ‘You have come a long way, my child.’

  ‘Yes, I need the help of the Gods, or at least a God but I don’t know who.’

  The Angel dropped to the floor. Flicking her white hair over her shoulders, she sat with her legs crossed and leaned in intently. ‘What is the trouble?’

  Valery stroked her bump as she spoke. ‘My husband was a warrior. That’s how many people knew and feared him.’

  The Angel raised an eyebrow. ‘You didn’t fear him?’

  Without hesitation she politely shook her head. ‘No, he never fooled me for a moment. Underneath the stained sword or his shattered axe, was the heart of a man who enjoyed cloud watching and puns.’

  ‘They do say those who use puns should be feared,’ joked the Angel.

  Valery chuckled. ‘The first time we met he had just come back from a battle with some friends. While they were waltzing around the bar showing off wounds and swords, Eric showed off his weapon.’

  ‘Oh?’

  ‘Yeah, he walked up to me and said “mind if I axe you a question?.”’ She paused, sighing at the memory of a man riddled with cuts. ‘He continued to stride to battle even after we were married.’

  ‘Did you ask why?’

  ‘Only once, it was the only time I ever needed to.’ Her hand stopped on the centre of the bump. ‘He’d arrived back late with an arrow through his arm, kept joking that he “got the point”, I couldn’t take my eyes off his arm, more so because that one arrow was just the latest in a line of close calls. I asked him “Why? Why do you keep going back out there? Do you prefer the fight over your wife.”’ The echo of that night’s tear rolled down her warm cheek. ‘Eric smiled softly, held me close, and said “If I don’t do it, the laughter will stop. If I just stay at home then somewhere a family is torn apart. Nobody should have their world darken just because one man failed to stand up and aid them. Most importantly, It keeps you safe. I cherish the moments we spend together more because I have seen people who aren’t as lucky.”’

  The Angel’s eyes widened. ‘He sounds like quite the mortal.’

  ‘He was. One day though, one day he didn’t come back with his friends.’

  Silence.

  ‘They brought back his old axe and told me of how well he had fought. I never got to tell him he was going to be a father.’

  The Angel bolted to her feet. ‘You wish for me to contact his spirit?’

  Valery shook her head. ‘I’m sure that Marinus herself has told him.’

  Relief washed over the Seraphim’s face.

  ‘I came here because I want my child to be safe. Can you tell me what is going to happen to them?’

  Silence fell over the pair. The Angel cupped her hands together and closed her eyes.

  ‘To see the future is beyond even a Seraphim’s abilities, but to come here today means you have already assured that your child’s future is in safe hands.’ Her eyes opened, a light with a warm yellow glow. ‘Your own.’

  ‘I’m not a warrior,’ Valery whimpered

  ‘Warriors are but one form of protector, Under your guidance, your child will grow in peace.’

  ‘Are there wars coming?’

  The light from her eyes faded. ‘Do you believe they are?’

  Valery shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Eric always believed they were.’ Her expression deflated. ‘I just want to know that, if my child does have to fight, they will be safe.’

  The Angel knelt down and stroked Valery’s cheek. Old words danced from her tongue before she embraced Valery in her arms, fine silk against her skin.

  ‘Life,’ she whispered, ‘is full of risks and trials that countless generations have overcome. I have no doubt that you will keep your child safe throughout each one. That is the power of a true parent. I give you the blessing of a Seraphim and my God that your child will grow to be wise and strong.’ The Angel giggled. ‘She will be amazing.’

  As she let go, the temple around Valery became clearer. The sweet dream had ended, replaced by the reality of waves of people coming and going from the platform. Her knees shaking, Valery stood up , breathing deeply as she gazed back across to the steps. The father from earlier carried the laughing boy in his arms. Valery’s feet remained stoned by her experience. The glow from those who prayed around her entranced her, feeding her the image of a small red haired child holding her hand, looking up and calling her “mother.”

  A shaggy passerby brushed her side. He apologised quickly, head darted about to find a spot of his own. Valery gestured to her spot before walking away. Her eyes didn’t meet his, or anyone else’s on the way to the steps. Valery’s right hand could feel the tingle of a smaller one gripping it. Descending the steps, she could only muster a nod to the members who had greeted her. The further she got from the platform, the less she felt something in her right hand. Her chi-daughter, was blessed.

  She will grow but to meet what fate?

  She began to flex her hand in an attempt to recapture the vision of her daughter’s grip. A grin warily wormed across her face. Amidst the ringing sounds of clashing swords in her thoughts of the future, was the lone feeling of a midday sun watching over her daughter playing.

  A hand on her shoulder shook her system back to reality. The driver stood in front of her, the young member meekly peering over her shoulder.

  ‘You all right, there?’

  ‘To speak with a Seraphim,’ commented the member, ‘can be a shocking experience. The first time I did I didn’t stop walking away for a few hours. My feet ached that day.’

  Valery breathed deeply. ‘I don’t blame you.’ She took a look back from where she had come from. One of the members by the steps waved her goodbye. Valery shakily waved back. ‘The Angel blessed my daughter.’

  The driver’s jaw dropped. ‘Wow, the Gods must have something planned for her.’

  The member nodded proudly. ‘Trust in your God and they will trust in you.’ His eyes widened suddenly. ‘Oh, by the way, which of the twelve answered you?’

  Valery’s expression soured. ‘I’m not sure.’

  She got onto the carriage and tucked herself up in a corner nearest to the driver’s seat. Valery placed her hand over her bump. ‘I wish the Angel had told me so I could thank them.’

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  ‘If you thank them all I’m sure the right one will hear it,’ said the driver before making her way to her seat.

  The member bowed. I’m glad your visit today was to your liking.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Valery called out as the they set off away from the pillars. The carriage found itself on a new road, one filled with people leaving the temple. It would be a long journey for all.

  Time passed and her village grew nearer. On the horizon of the winding road, Little Cussler’s watchtower peaked over the hills, an eager dog waiting its master’s arrival. Valery leaned her head back and took in the peace. It had been sometime since they had left the Temple of the Seraphim, her travels back home joined by the sun setting. In the air of dusk she caught the smell of burning wood. The carriage crawled to a stop and a muffled conversation met Valery’s ears.

  ‘Is everything all right?’ She hopped down to the road. The hills to the right of her chirped with life preparing for the night. On her left, a thick forest sat with the faintest cracklings of a bonfire catching the breeze on its way out of the forest. A small orange light in the centre of the forest, barely a spot in Valery’s sight, quickly became hidden as she walked around the carriage to the front.

  Her driver stood talking to a lady, no older than Valery herself, garbed in an inky gown that swept across the ground. The coif of her outfit cupped her face in cotton, a curl of crimson hair dangling between her eyes. Behind the woman, the ground lay scorched under a large bulging blanket. The partially skeletal remains of a tail poked out from beneath it. Valery looked either side of it, the forest sat to the right while a steep hill overlooked the left, bristling with the tangled silhouettes of thorny vines. There was no space for a carriage to go around.

  ‘Sorry about the stop.’ The driver scratched her chin, her sweat rolled down her forehead, gleaming in the last light of the day. ‘Some creature’s got itself killed in the middle of the road.’

  ‘But it’s all right,’ chimed in the lady, ‘my friends are getting help from the shrine.’

  ‘Shrine?’ Valery asked.

  ‘Yes, the Yavach shrine is in the forest, there will be a few spare hands to lift the creature.’ She bent down and adjusted the tarp. ‘Most I could do was give it some privacy.’

  Valery stared up at the mass. From a distance, it became another hill in the countryside.

  The lady gestured towards the forest. ‘If you need food and water in the meantime, the ruins have provisions for travellers. I could show you if you want?’

  The driver nodded. ‘I’d suggest it, might be some time before we get going.’

  Valery followed her as they made their way through the dense forest. The short grass that carpeted the ground grew less frequent the further in they went, spots of it nothing more than damp earth. A scent of roasting meat quickly grew to guide them more than the lady did who muttered with each new turn.

  ‘I’m Valery.’

  The lady stopped and turned back, outstretching a friendly hand. ‘My name is Cassandra, sorry about the path, it shouldn’t be long to the shrine.’

  The growing light of the bonfire watched them on their journey, enticing Valery further with the scent of a hearty meal.

  ‘Where were you travelling?’ A wind slithered through the oncoming branches causing flurry of leaves to glide past their faces.

  Valery sighed. ‘Just home, my daughter and I could use a rest.’

  Cassandra’s voice bounced. ‘Oh, you’ve been to the Temple of the Seraphim?’

  ‘Yes, I needed…to know something.’

  A sound trickled into existence with the growing warm fire. The low, slow, melody crept amongst the trees. Valery stood still and took it in. The old muffled words had a gentle grip on her.

  ‘What are they singing?’ she asked.

  Cassandra put a hand on her shoulder. ‘That is the Lullaby of Yavach. We sing it every year to ease her rest. It is the least we can do for her when she does so much to us.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Valery ducked under a branch, continuing on her way.

  ‘Yavach grants wishes to the people who come see her.’

  Valery’s eyes widened. Pieces of a puzzle dropped into place. The bonfire came into sight and she saw the figures around it garbed in the same cloaks as the members of the temple. Large stones bordered the fire. Etched into them, a single hieroglyph, the name of a single God. A rock bridge sat above the flames, someone standing in the middle dropping flowers into them.

  ‘This is my blessing,’ she muttered.

  Cassandra raised an eyebrow. ‘Blessing?’

  Valery’s pace quickened. ‘An Angel blessed my child, perhaps its that that has led me here.’

  They moved into the clearing, the figures’ faces hidden in thick hoods as they circled the bonfire, nodded at their arrival. As the heat of the flames grew with her steps, Valery caught a glimpse at something engulfed yet untouched by the fires just under the bridge. She pointed to it and looked to Cassandra whose eyes glistened in the glow of the bonfire.

  ‘What is that?’

  ‘A well shaft,’ she replied. ‘It leads to the chamber of Yavach herself.’

  ‘Is there no other way down?’

  Cassandra grinned. ‘Its safe to go down, Yavach ensures that. Do you want to see her?’

  Valery ran around to the steps of the bridge. Her heartbeat quickening with each fresh theory in her mind. Whatever God had sent the Seraphim was acting now. Her blessed daughter could walk without fear in a world so eager to pick up a blade.

  She felt numb with her first step on the smooth rock. The heat of the flames that surrounded the stones forgot her, she became little more than a dream to them. Valery stroked her bump.

  ‘You will be safe,’ she whispered.

  Cassandra trailed behind, muttering the same words in a string. ‘YavachAcceptOurVisitYavachAcceptOurVisitYavachAcceptOurVisitYavachAcceptOurVisit.’

  The top of the well showed itself. Flames held it tight but didn’t harm the stone. A smaller blue light twinkled at the bottom of the shaft, specks that used to be flowers carpeting the area around it. The figure who stood above it bowed to Valery.

  ‘Are you in need of Yavach?’

  Cassandra caught up behind her. Her hard breathes gave Valery pause. Her guide bowed with the figure but coincidentally, in an attempt to regain herself. When she finished, Cassandra stood straight, dusting off her gown before speaking to the figure.

  ‘Tal dem Yavach.’ The words came as an order.

  Valery watched as the stones beneath her feet crumbled away into dust and yet she did not feel herself drop. Each flickering flames faded until the only light became a blue lantern sat on a pedestal behind her. The bowing figure rotted away, skin flaking off as each layer became apart of the air itself. Valery reached out to touch him but her fingers found the surface of a stone wall.

  ‘Are you all right?’

  With Cassandra’s question the world became still. Valery looked up. A shaft led up to a round opening, the edges of flames spilling over it. A cloaked man waved to the pair above it. The lantern, moulded into the shape of two hands cupping the flame, bathed the room in its cool blue glow.

  ‘I’m fine, I think,’ Valery replied. Her eyes scanned the floor. Etched carefully into the ground was a symbol of a triangle inside a circle, an eye sat in the centre. ‘Where are we?’

  Cassandra outstretched her arms. ‘Welcome to Yavach’s resting place. She’s allowed us entry so she must know you are pure of heart.’

  ‘Where is-’ her words came to a halt at the sight of a maiden’s statue, bound in chains. The room she found herself in held a deep hole, separating it, just out of arm’s reach, from the round platform of the effigy. Each ring of chain gleamed in the light as they wrapped around the body of the idol, holding her onto the ground. That’s statue smile lay unnoticed by the chains, her eyes blissfully shut.

  Cassandra knelt on the edge of the chasm. ‘Yavach, we seek your guidance.’

  A woman, translucent amidst the blue lantern, faded into existence behind the idol who bore her likeness. Her own black hair dropped down to her heels. She leaned on the statue, head cocked to the side with a warm grin.

  ‘Then my guidance you shall have. How can I…’ She looked up to Valery. ‘I see you’ve brought a friend today. Welcome to my humble home, my name is Yavach.’

  Valery quickly knelt beside Cassandra. She tried to focus on her starlight eyes but Yavach’s skin still held a tinge of the stone from the statue. Valery searched for the right word. She slowed her breathing, placing a hand on her bump before clenching the other into a fist.

  ‘I have come to ask for your help for my child,’ she declared.

  Yavach clapped her hands together. ‘Congratulations, what can I do to help?’

  ‘Their father was a born fighter, I’m sure they’ll be the same. Admittedly, I have been to see the Angels who have blessed them and stated that no harm will come to them, I believe that has led me to you.’

  Yavach cupped her hands behind her back and began to walk towards Valery, ignoring the gap.

  Valery continued. ‘Please, I need to know that they will be safe, that no one will ever hurt them.’ Her voice lowered to a whisper. ‘I can't lose someone else.’

  Yavach sat in front of Valery. Her hand phased through the mother’s and into her bump. A cool wave flushed through Valery’s body. An exuberant force compelled her to stand with Yavach, the image of a young lady garbed in a delicate red dress flashed for an eternal second. Her soft face appeared in Yavach’s eyes.

  ‘She will be great, ending a fight before it begins without raising a blade. Her name will be known by so many she has affected. You will be a proud mother to a safe child with my help.’ The woman vanished from Yavach’s eyes. ‘If you are all right with it, I will ensure that she is safe from any war or creature to grace the world.’

  ‘You’ll keep her safe?’

  Yavach turned back to the statue. ‘While my body is stone I cannot roam far from it but there is a way I wouldn’t need it.’ She cast her gaze back to Valery, outstretching a hand. ‘If I become one with your daughter, she will know a power unmatched by any weapon.’

  Valery’s eyes widened. ‘One with her?’

  ‘Yes, rest assured she will be in control, I will just be a part of her, an ever-present guide to her abilities.’

  Valery nodded. ‘What do I have to do?’

  The stone colour dripped away from Yavach’s skin. ‘Nothing more than what you’ve agreed to do.’

  Cassandra stood with the pair and placed a hand on Valery’s shoulder. ‘The order of Yavach will be there with you.’ Her eyes lit up. ‘We should make today an annual celebration, it’s not everyday you are blessed like this by Yavach.’

  Yavach’s image scattered into the air. The pieces of her slowly swirled around Valery, Cassandra stepping away, hand held close to her heart as she watched the tomb around the pair wash away like paint in a gentle rain. Yavach’s statue crumbled, its rubble rolling over the edge of its platform. Valery felt a wisp of air stroke her cheek. The ground beneath her grew softer with blades of grass springing to life. She knelt down and felt them. Between her fingers. The pieces of Yavach began to swirl faster and faster, blocking the rest of the world from view while casting it into silence.

  Praise Yavach.

  A quiet chirping pierced the void.

  And praise whichever God sent her.

  A flash of light brought forth the colours of the night again. Valery found herself on the bridge now carpeted with fresh grass. The fire below had dwindled to little more that embers in a pile of wood. Cassandra stood at one of the steps alone, other members of her order absent from the clearing. She waved.

  ‘We should get you back to the carriage.’

  Valery said nothing. She gripped the railings of the bridge tightly, taking in the proof that they were there. With the flames gone she could see through the trees to where the creature laid before. The order had left little more than the tarp blanketing the road.

  ‘Is it all right if you join me?’ Valery asked.

  Cassandra nodded with enthusiasm. ‘Of course I can. I’d be more than happy to. We can start planning the festival.’

  Valery chuckled, ‘The Rebirthday?’

  ‘That’s a good name.’

  With that they duo made their way back through the forest to the driver. Valery’s smile lingered until she fell asleep that night, safe with the image of her recounting the tale to a small girl in a crimson dress.

  Across a blue flame that flowed as the river in His domain, twisting past the rocks and ruined homes that floated in the air of his world, Stang watched a person’s day play out as He had planned. He took the form of a monochrome man in a thin short jacket, whose face did not need the formality of eyes to see. Stang stood on the roof of a small battered house that drifted with the wind of His world. The breeze thought and felt more than a thousand soldiers in the middle of a war. Stang heard each and every word echo through His the flames, commenting on the people illuminated within. It was done.

  Below where He stood, a shape soared up from the hollow chasm of blue flaming rivers and floating rocky platforms, coming to a stop in front of Him. Her gown’s darkness seeped away into the void. The bright crimson of her hair flaked away into two wings that emerged from her back. Landing with a delicate touch on the rock beside Stang, she bowed.

  Stang nodded. ‘You may rise, Cassandra.’

  The eyes that gazed up at Stang gleamed with a proud spark.

  ‘How was that?’

  ‘You did rather well,’ His voice came from the around her and in her mind in harmony. ‘Perhaps I should begin to have open churches like my siblings.’ What could be mistaken for a chuckle rang in her mind. ‘Prayers have a certain joy when answering them. How is Valery?’

  ‘She’s asleep now. Is Yavach truly free, my Lord?’

  ‘Yes, my Angel, It will be good for Yavach to see the outside world.’

  Cassandra peered into the flames. Through them she saw Valery sleeping soundly, the cups they had used still on the table along with a list of girl names.

  ‘Will she be all right?’

  Stang groaned, rumbling rock they stood on. ‘I gave her my blessing, a low price for what her daughter will achieve.’

  ‘Yavach said she wouldn’t need a blade?’

  He nodded. Stang waved a hand over the flames. A column of fire erupted from the river, reaching up in front of the pair. The blue cleared into the image of a battlefield riddled with the swords of fallen soldiers. A woman in an elegant red dress hummed as she crossed through the mud. Any dirt that dared touch her dissolved in a black spark. She stepped on a fallen soldier’s sword, snapping it as a roaming wolf would a twig.

  Her gentle humming stopped along with her pace. The young lady looked around. In a beat of her heart, she raised her hand before allowing a dark mist to weave itself from the tips of her fingers, around her palm and focused itself into a ball of dense energy. With a simple flick of a smooth finger, the power shot out towards a mound of dirt lined with chest plates and blades. The area became engulfed in an ebony sphere that rattled with lighting and roared with thunder. As the woman lowered her hand, the power vanished. From behind the mound something began to smoke.

  With a reinvigorated hum, she skipped to the area and bent down beside the smoke. She gently stroked a colourless, skeletal hand. The skin strangled the body, still leaving the man’s split second reaction to knowing his life was about to end. Her energy still seeped out of his eye sockets. The splinters and string of what was once a large bow littered the ground, the man’s fingers still gripping where the weapon would have been. A shattered arrowhead embedded itself into the mound. The young lady felt the tattered clothes between her fingers. She smiled.

  Stang waved away the image. The column of fire calmed itself before merging back with the river below. Cassandra’s hands shook by her sides and her wings shivered with the repeating image of the crimson woman’s attack. She mirrored the grin.

  ‘She will be truly amazing.’