There was a comfort in doing a task that had been done a thousand times before, muscles easily taking to familiar movements, and the mind blank from the simplicity of it, or so Velmira was taught. What they failed to teach was that pulling water from a well was boring. She learned that all on her own. It wasn’t until she heard a sharp “psst!” that she turned her head away from the bucket before her, attention peaking at the sight of Edard’s mischievous smirk peeking up from over the temple wall.

  “Edard!” she scolded, a smile playing over her face. “What if someone sees you!” Yet, she left the bucket there, and moved closer to the white stony wall, but not before briefly looking along it for anyone else.

  “Bah! You know me, Vel,” he said, and with a grunt, made his way over the wall. He landed beside her, barely faltering on his once injured leg, an injury that ensured it’d never be the same again, not without a [healer], that was.

  The [tracker] pulled a cloth from his pocket, and began to gently unfold it. “You won’t believe the man I met today,” he said. “I was down by the river, fishhook in the water and fresh breeze in my face when he happened upon me. He was dressed, head to toe in orange, the brightest you’d ever see!”

  “Orange?” Vel asked, leaning forward to look at the item emerging from the cloth.

  “Like the sun, if the sun were orange. Rather, I’m sure if you placed the man’s suit in the setting sky, you couldn’t tell the difference,” Edard snickered, and looked up at Vel, rudely stopping just before what he held could be unveiled. Oh, how she hated that! He was always showing her things, only to draw out the suspense at just the last second.

  Edard lifted a finger, and in a higher, more squeezed voice, said, “He pulled me from my peaceful stupor, stating, ‘Good day, fine sir! Might I offer you a trade?’ I looked up at him, and really now, how could I resist? The man had to be wealthy, else how he’d get such a fine orange suit? After giving him a nod, he pulled this out of the golden ring on his right finger━he only had one.”

  Vel giggled at the absurdity! If a man was so wealthy, could he not afford a [healer] to restore his fingers? But she did know Edard to embellish a time or two.

  “He said,” Edard continued, using that same posh voice for the man in orange, “‘This will grant the wearer a boon of the strongest kind, for there is nothing stronger than that which keeps us going, fine sir.’” Finally, Edard relieved Velmira of her anticipation, pulling the last bit of fabric free.

  She gasped, eyes scanning over the glittery object. A polished blue gem sat between golden wires that encased it like the roots of a mighty tree. Edard grabbed the golden chain it hung from, and lifted the dainty amulet up for her to see more.

  “What could he have possibly asked for in exchange?” Velmira asked, looking up into the young soldier’s gray eyes.

  “He told me that I had to give it to someone whose bright blue eyes could not be outmatched by the light in the sky, the deepness of the ocean, and sparkled brighter than any king’s sapphire.”

  A warmth came to Velmira’s cheeks.

  Edard’s smile grew almost sinister as he asked, “So, know anyone like that?”

  “Edard!” Velmira exclaimed, though quiet so as to not attract attention from any of the temple patrons. “You’re so unbelievable,” she said, shaking her head.

  The soldier snickered, then said, “Turn around.”

  Velmira turned and pulled her long lavender hair out of the way as heat returned to her face. Edard placed the necklace upon her, clasping it, and she had to ask, “Was that story true?”

  “Partly,” Edard answered. Vel turned, looking up at him for more. “He took all my fish,” Edard grinned, and Vel rolled her eyes.

  “Of course,” she said, and touched the small pendant with a finger. “Thank you, Edard, for making these final days so special.”

  Edard’s face fell, Velmira’s heart trying to punch its way out of her chest while she internally scolded herself for reminding him. “How much━”

  “[Sacrifice]!” The soldier winced at the word Oma called from within the temple, her voice carrying easily out the open side door.

  Velmira furrowed her brow, glancing in the direction of the voice. She held her hands up to Edard, prompting him to move back to the wall. “You must go,” she said. The [tracker] moved to the wall, and made an impressive jump to catch the ledge. Leveraging his good leg, he got himself sitting on the wall.

  Glancing down at her, he said, “Our usual place, under the stars?”

  A soft smile returned to Vel’s face. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said.

  Then he was gone. She sighed, and moved back to the bucket of water on the well.

  “There you are,” Oma said, voice terse. Vel looked over her shoulder, at the older woman, and nearly forgot about the pendant. She was quick to tuck it away under her white and gold robes before picking the bucket up, and turning to the patron who’d raised her.

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  “Sorry, High Priestess Oma,” she said.

  “What has taken you so long?” Oma asked, and prompted Vel to come inside with a hand.

  “I was lost in thought, High Priestess,” Vel said. “Thinking about tomorrow, of course.”

  Oma sighed, and as Vel moved into the corridor with her, she motioned to the etched walls, depicting the blessings of the gods. “Yours is the highest and most sacred of all duties,” she launched into another lesson, Vel barely looking at the images of fertile mothers and harvests aplenty that were motioned to. She’d seen them a thousand times over a thousand.

  She wasn’t even sure which part of the lesson Oma was in when she interjected, “Yes, and I will fulfill my duties for the good of mankind, High Priestess. I’m honorbound. Without my offering of life, the world would perish.”

  A smile grew on the high priestess’ face, and she stopped walking, turning to face Velmira. “I know you will,” she said. “Your soul will be numbered among the greatest in the heavens for it.” She reached a hand out, moving aside a thick strand of hair from Velmira’s pale face. Then her smile faded, and she grabbed the chain that peeked out from underneath Vel’s robes.

  Heart skipping a beat, Vel closed her eyes, hoping that Oma wouldn’t think anything of it as she pulled the pendant free, then held the gem.

  “What’s this?” Oma scrutinized.

  Velmira opened her eyes, looking up at the high priestess. “A gift from a temple visitor,” she answered. “I . . . had hoped it wouldn’t be shameful to wear it for my offering?”

  When Oma’s face relaxed, so did Vel’s. “No, it will be alright,” she said, then leaned over and pulled the bucket of water from Velmira’s hands. She set it aside on the floor, and embraced Vel. “Thank you for your sacrifices,” she said, stroking Vel’s hair.

  Why? Velmira asked, stomach twisting. She nodded, saying nothing as the hug from the high priestess was surreal━the woman had hardly shown such sympathies before.

  Yet it felt . . . not right.

  Edard would make it right, she thought, and patiently waited throughout the remainder of the day until she could leave out the back way of the temple. It wasn’t hard to do, waiting just inside her first floor room, looking out the window for the guards to leave━they always left early, leaving a gap in the shift change.

  Once the guards were moving, Velmira turned away from the window, and crossed the short length of her room to the door. She cracked it open before moving down the short corridor. Though the only time she really had to worry about anyone seeing her sneak out was if they also were out to “relieve themselves”━her usual lie.

  She opened the door to a pillared hall that led into the temple’s courtyard, but turned away from it and crossed the grass to the wall’s back doors. Freedom just beyond, Vel didn’t hesitate to open a door, left unlocked for the shift change, and slipped out.

  Lifting her skirt, she moved with haste across cobblestone streets, moving past wealthy homes until she reached the poorer section of the city, though it remained pretty in its own way. No cobblestone pathways, but natural dirt roads made from the people who traversed here, causing Vel to lift her skirt slightly more. Flowers colored the edge of the pathways, brightening when she finally reached Edard at the lit fountain.

  “Hey,” he said, lifting a hand to her.

  “Hey,” she responded, reaching out and taking his hand for yet another, but final adventure. Velmira let him pull her along, taking her past the fountain out of the city. When they reached the darkness of the forest, he lit his lantern to guide the way.

  It was only in the sweet silence out here that he finally began his story. “After my encounter with the orange suited man, I made my way to the most magical of places to ask a boon of the fairies there.”

  “Fairies?” Vel asked, smiling at the new embellishment.

  “Of course! Fairies have the finest craftsmanship known to the whole world━nay, the whole universe! Their forges are powered by the very stars themselves, and inflamed by the sun’s brilliant rays. You should ever hope for a chance to see the starburned forges in which they craft the purest of golds and silvers.

  “Now, they don’t just let anyone into their forges, but I can get you as close as possible to one,” Edard said, and pulled Velmira out of the brush of the trees, and into a small field of flowers. He took her to the center, the stars shining down on them. Finally, he blew out the lantern, plunging them into the dark of night.

  After setting his lantern down, which disappeared under the large pink and purple flowers smiling up at them, he took her other hand.

  “Wait for it,” he said.

  “What am I waiting for?” Vel asked.

  “You’ll know it when you see it.”

  Sure enough, she did know, seeing floating lights blink into existence one after another, until what seemed to be to her as pure magic filled the space around them. A big smile came across Vel’s face, and she turned, watching how the flowers shimmered in their light.

  “Are these really fairies?” she asked, pulling away to crouch and inspect the nearest of the lights. She swore she saw wings shimmer from within as the light blinked, but couldn’t see anything else.

  “Only the essence of fairies,” Edard said, crouching beside her.

  “Wow,” Vel whispered.

  “Vel,” Edard said, his voice soft and concerned. She looked at him, his brow furrowed. “Please don’t do it,” he said.

  “But I have to,” Velmira replied. “I was preordained as the [Sacrifice]. If I don’t do it, then the gods cannot bless the world━they cannot bless you, Edard.” She reached out, taking his hand and squeezing it.

  He looked down at their hands. “What if . . . what if they’re lying to you,” he said.

  “What?”

  “I'd learned something recently,” his voice grew low and serious, deeper than she’d ever heard from him before. “The [sacrifice] isn’t preordained, Velmira,” he said, “She’s the same girl every time. She’s reborn; reincarnated.”

  “What?” Vel asked again, her face now reflecting his.

  “You’ll be reborn, and you won’t remember who you were, you won’t remember me,” he said. “I think it’s a lie; I think we’ve all been living a lie. Velmira, they didn’t even name you.”

  “I know, but . . .” But, she’d been preparing her whole life for this━she’d only ever known what she was taught in the temple. They never let me leave the temple, she thought. Oma had said it was to safeguard her from those who would try to use her against the gods━those who would rob the world of blessings her spilt blood would grant.

  “Run away with me,” Edard said, placing his other hand over hers to sandwich it. “Please.”

  “Edard,” Velmira said. “I . . . I . . .” It was a big ask of him, and yet, she wanted to, more than anything. “Give me time to think on it? Just one night?”

  “This is your last night,” Edard warned, “not unless you run.”

  “I know, but I can meet you tomorrow evening, before the preparations. Same place as always.”

  Edard nodded, looking nervous. “Okay. I’ll be there, waiting for you.”