Aĉaĵego

IV: A Story-Game

Floreca hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep until she woke up, cold and hungry and sore all over, with her head on Karesema's belly and the rest of her on the damp, hard ground. It took her a few seconds to remember where she was and why she was there. Then the memories flooded her all at once: she and Jadinda waiting up all night for Karesema to come home, realizing she must have been caught and sent to jail, the formal request to the priests for the exchange of punishment, Jadinda clinging to her in hysterical sobbing, the mountain, the Aĉaĵego. Slumping down in the middle of the cave to recover from the day's events, while Karesema brooded by herself. It was a shame for them to be fighting during what would most likely be their last day alive... and Karesema must have felt the same way, because apparently she'd come over to nap with her. Floreca doubted the argument would be brought up again when she woke up.

The Aĉaĵego wasn't there. The blockade of boulders guarding the Aĉaĵego's hideout had been knocked over again. She remembered the puddle on the ledge outside, and she was thirsty. She stood up, with some difficulty as she was still light-headed, and stepped over the fallen blockade, into the sunlight. Though she should have known, from the fact that there was any light at all, that it was still day time, it felt disorienting to step out of the midnight-black cave into a bright, clear day. It felt as though she'd slept for a long time. But the sun hadn't even begun to set.

Aĉaĵego was stooped over the big puddle on the ledge, drinking. Floreca approached it from behind. "Ah... hello," she said, trying to sound pleasant.

It whirled around and faced her, baring its teeth again. Floreca took a step back. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!" It seemed to relax just a bit, closing its mouth, but it did not drop eye contact, or say anything else. Maybe it was wondering why she had approached it? After a brief hesitation, Floreca continued, "...May I have something to drink?"

It hesitated but then slowly replied, "I suppose thou hast willingly chosen this, and art thus free to do as thou desirest."

Floreca scooped up water with the cup she'd brought with her and waited for the dirt that had come with it to settle at the bottom before drinking. It felt strange to be drinking stagnant water without boiling it first, but she reminded herself it didn't matter now. Aĉaĵego lapped from the puddle with its tongue. Floreca felt a bit awkward. Aĉaĵego didn't seem to like her very much.

"I'm sorry I was too pushy, earlier," said Floreca. "I know it's not my place to question your decisions..."

Aĉaĵego lifted its head long enough to confirm she was done talking, then grunted and continued drinking.

"I suppose that's another thing I'll have to repent of," Floreca continued. She meant it as a bit of self-deprecating humor, but it wasn't really all that funny. "You're going to... bring us to repentance soon, right?" She wasn't really sure what that entailed, she just knew the Aĉaĵego brought people to the mountain so they could repent of their sins before they died.

The Aĉaĵego was slow to answer. Finally it said, "Many humans say they must repent before they die. They pray on their own. I do nothing."

"Oh..." said Floreca. Well, that made sense. The Aĉaĵego let them have time to pray to the goddesses and ask for their forgiveness, but it didn't force anything on anyone. Floreca had already prayed for forgiveness, though. She knew what she did was wrong, but she was also sure the goddesses understood why she did it. She felt at peace. Karesema, however, might be a different matter. The older girl was generally disinclined to pray, and tended to have a proud nature, a tendency to justify her own sins rather than apologize for them. That... might be a problem, Floreca realized. It would not be a pleasant conversation, but she would have to talk to her about it.