He visibly struggled to contain his anger. “There has to be another way.”
“You know there isn’t,” she said, a single tear rolling down her cheek. “Every month, a city is chosen. A family is chosen, and an offer must be made to the god. It is our turn, like others before us. Please, help me. I can’t do this alone…”
“We can’t do it together, either,” the father replied.
“Welcome!” Shezin’s voice boomed through the grand hall. The gold seemed to shimmer brighter as he spoke, coming through the stone door. Shezin wore rich peach-colored silks today, with plenty of gold and rubies adorning his neck and wrists. His hair was loose and as smooth as the fabrics covering his tall body, though he still seemed tiny compared to the Dainians. If anything, the child was two heads shorter and would soon reach his height—if he were allowed to live. “It pleases me to see you’ve decided to come. Welcome.”
The parents bowed before him, and the boy nodded once, unsure of how the whole bow thing worked. His knee had bent slightly, but he’d yet to get the hang of the entire movement. Besides, there were so many interesting things in this place that he could barely sit still for more than a moment.
“It is an honor to be here, beloved Shezin,” the mother said, her voice trembling.
“No, no, it is an honor that you have accepted my invitation,” he replied, smiling.
I looked at the priestess for a moment and registered the disgust twisting her lips as she stared at him. In all her years of service, she had not been able to accept this particular custom. I wouldn’t have, either. It was a good thing. It meant this particular Dainian priestess had a conscience. The others, too, but they were fearful of their ruler.
“He has probably punished his fair share of priestesses who disobeyed his orders,” Unending told me telepathically. “Otherwise we wouldn’t be here like this.”
“This one is brave, I’ll give credit where it’s due,” I replied.
“It’s awful. Imagine that Shezin has been killing children for eons, all under the guise of his false religion. I’m sickened,” she said, her gaze wandering back to Shezin. He stood proudly before the parents, the boy glancing up at him in sheer awe.
“A life must be given so that Dain may thrive,” he said. “An innocent life must be given so that the stone giants may keep to the mountains.”
“So it must be,” the mother mumbled.
“Must it?” the father asked.
That got Shezin’s attention. “Do you doubt your god’s will? Every month, an innocent soul is sacrificed, and Dain survives. Dain grows and thrives. More children are born for every one that is brought to me.”
“It’s not true,” the priestess whispered, huddled next to Unending behind the altar. “The stone giants have no interest in our land or children. They care not for sacrifices.”
“He’s lying,” Unending murmured.
The priestess nodded. “Every month, people in one of the cities of Dain are made to sacrifice their child. Sometimes, even two cities at once… Shezin demands it.”
“And you serve him,” I shot back.
“We’re sworn to secrecy before we learn of this ritual. We take our oaths seriously.”
“That, and you fear retaliation,” my wife said, sighing.
Shezin shook the boy’s hand. “You’re doing your kingdom a true honor, young man. The realm will flourish with your spirit.”
“What does that mean?” the kid asked, while the mother swallowed back another wave of tears. The father was already broken and inconsolable, barely able to even look at his son.
“It means your life is given with honor and love,” Shezin said, then shifted his focus on the parents. He took out his scythe and offered it to them. “You must be the ones to do it. I cannot.”
“Huh?” the mother was stunned, gawking at the blade in his hands. It was sharp enough to kill. It lacked any other properties for the mortal holding it, but it was still a weapon. It could take a life.
Unending stormed out from behind the altar and waved her weapon from left to right. Its blade shone white, and it made Shezin’s scythe fly across the room. It hit the wall and landed on the marble floor with a sharp clang. “I’ve had enough of this nonsense,” she said.
The priestess stayed hidden, but I came out, unwilling to let my wife stand alone against this monster. Shezin was not pleased to see us, his usually pleasant expression melting into a hateful sneer. “My girls were supposed to—”
“Keep us busy while you fooled two more parents into killing their child for you? Have you lost your damn mind?” Unending snapped, her scythe still burning white in her hand.
The parents huddled with their child, suddenly confused and afraid. I nodded toward the door. “You’d best leave now,” I told them. “Leave, and let your people know that your god is a fraud. He should never have demanded the lives of your children.”
“You shouldn’t get involved,” Shezin warned, casually walking to get his scythe. “This is none of your business. This is not your world. I welcomed you under my roof. Gave you a bed to sleep in. Offered you kindness and hospitality.”
“In exchange for what, exactly? Closing our eyes to the atrocities you’re committing under the pretext of a false religion?” I shot back.
Unending pushed him away from his weapon with a telekinetic hit. He hissed as the air rippled and smacked his wrist, breaking a few bones. “No, you don’t,” she said. “This ends here.”
“Leave!” I shouted at the Dainians, and they finally scrambled backward. The father scooped his son up, and they bolted past the doors, leaving us alone with Shezin. He grew angrier with every second that passed. I understood now that he reveled in the murders of children. He probably projected himself in a second or even a third temple when he demanded multiple sacrifices, forcing the priestesses and the grieving parents to keep this to themselves while he got his kicks. What a disgusting creature he was. What a horrible secret Dain had been hiding for so long…“No wonder Anunit wants him dead.”
“Right?” Unending replied, shaking her head slowly.
“Who?” Shezin asked.
“It’s really none of your concern. Let’s just say someone brought you to our attention, and if at first we were doubtful about killing you, well… consider those doubts gone,” Unending said. “How long have you been doing this, and why?”
Shezin watched us for a while, and I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head. He was working on a way to get himself out of this mess. I doubted he had anything, seeing as his scythe was still on the floor. After a few seconds of heavy silence, the air thick as frozen butter between us, he spoke again, troublingly casual in his approach.
“I got bored. I got bored, and I decided a monthly sacrifice will keep my spirits high. It works, believe it or not,” he said. “Every month, a parent brings me their child, I give them the whole ‘do it for the realm’ speech. They gobble it up because they’re ignorant fools, and I’m the one with the magic. They gobble it up, and they kill their children right in front of me. It pleases me immensely. Plus, it gives this place a sense of order. For all the good I’ve done, I don’t want the Dainians to get too comfortable. This formula works.”