DEMISE

PART ONE: SALVATION

Trust in the wisdom of the gods, for as they have decreed, it shall be. -Caligoson Scripture

Rayne trudged through the heavily falling snow, peering into the white, swirling abyss. The thick wraps of clothing she was wearing restricted her movement and seemed to be doing nothing to keep her warm, as the howling wind blew straight through her many layers and chilled her to the bone. Grasping her hunting spear tightly, she fought against the blizzard, her long brown hair a tangled mess that framed the patches of skin on her face, red from cold, that were not covered by her wrappings. Rayne's crystal blue eyes squinted as she looked for the animal traps she had set and her long lashes had turned white from the small snowflakes they had collected.

Spotting one, she squatted in the deep snow, pulling a knife out of her left boot as she did so. Thanking the animal for giving her its life and murmuring a blessing to release its spirit, she swiftly slit the rabbit's throat and its struggling body went limp. She cleanly dressed it, before slipping a noose over its body and tying it to her leather belt. Rayne stood up and began wading through the accumulating snow, searching for signs of more traps. She rubbed her hands together for warmth but felt a little numb nonetheless as the temperature was swiftly dropping, and she decided to return home once she had checked a few more traps.

As the mountainous terrain became rougher and steeper, Rayne began a strenuous climb upwards to where her larger traps had been set. The first she came across had been triggered, but was empty. Disappointed, she began stamping towards the next trap, but suddenly froze, fear flitting across her face. She had felt something, a presence of terrifying beauty and power that could only have been sent by the supernatural-the gods. Emotions flowed through her and she could feel the coldness and darkness of the supernatural filling her with sorrow, pain, and loss; these feelings on their own were undesirable, but when she felt them through the presence, she understood the unexplainable beauty behind them. Her instincts, which had been urging her to run, were mollified and a peaceful calm settled over her, as she somehow realized she needed to find the source of this supernatural existence.

Almost in a trance, she began walking through the snow, her numb feet making dull crunching sounds as they carried her closer and closer to her destination: a towering cave from which the presence emanated. Slipping quietly through the mouth of the cave, she paused for a moment to stare at her surroundings, her mouth agape.

Stalactites jutted like spears from the roof of the cave and stalagmites rose to meet them. Huge, majestic columns of rock connected the roof with the ground, and glittering black crystals lined the walls, reflecting the dancing snow outside. In the middle of the cave, was a small bundle lying on the stone floor, a circle of polished rocks surrounding it. Slowly walking closer, Rayne saw a baby girl wrapped in a threadbare blanket, seemingly asleep. With a pang, she realized that it would be impossible for the child to be alive, for her blanket was too thin to save her from the cold. Removing one of her mittens, Rayne pressed a hand against the girl's forehead, wincing at its icy coldness. She let out a sorrowful sigh, which quickly turned into a horrified shriek when the baby opened her startling grey eyes and peered interestedly at the woman in front of her. Breathing heavily, Rayne stared in shock, before gingerly picking up the child, who let out a soft whimper and closed her eyes once more.

~~~***~~~

The townsfolk stirred restlessly, waiting for the meeting to begin. The monotonous lifestyle led by the villagers caused any bit of news-good or bad-to create an excited commotion. The fact that something supernatural had occurred on Ernaline's Day resulted in a sort of frenzy. Gathered in the village marketplace, they waited anxiously as Chief Melrosana mounted the steps to a platform in the middle of the square, raising her hands for silence.