Wisdom, awareness, savagery, solace and harmony are different boughs of the same shoot.
Someone with wisdom never fails to wield when necessary. A fool always avoids fights, while a warrior identifies when it's bought to happen.
That day every citizen aligned to see the grisly sight. Near the forgotten ends of the worship place, seven bodies were hanged to tall stalks. They were wrapped in white cloth. It emblemed the Revenant's sickle, mounted over flakes of sun and moon.
Silas himself rushed to the scene
"What has he done"
He was surprised
"Does it have some meaning behind it" Rutherford whispered to Silas
"He hardly does anything frantic" the reply came soon after
"Several days passed since he returned from the void, and he hasn't been the same"
He reasoned….
"Every sinner" a wild beggar nudged the sight "every sinner hide or flee… the Revenant is hunting"
The man stopped as he raised his finger, appendixed over the two eyes "The Revenant is angry"
"He is waged with wrath. Those Crikes hanging is the start, the time is about to change"
As the vanguards flew him away, he kept on repeating
"Every sinner hide or flee… the Revenant is hunting"
His voice faded…
The day marked the overhaul of a decree… a decree to diminish the emperor. It would commence with domination over Imperial town.
Bodies flooded the market, docks, or the Workship place. The faith adjunct with Order of Day Embers was crucified- crumb by crumbs.
People formed a new reform- Embers of Revenant. The group enacted for those- who had eternal trust on the Revenant. They were the disciples and the Revenant was their god.
The trust grew, and unlike placid movements of Day Embers, the group became brutal. People came to the streets- some with sickles, some with mowers, while some with legitimate weapons. Their prey were not only the Crikes, but the entire royal army.
One such movement rose near the outer facades of the fort. People attacked the Vanguards overseeing, demanding their surrender. For once they dominated, but the next instance tides turned.
Reinforcement came…
People's vigor faded, their strength left short. Vanguards held a few captives, people drove for their lives and thus the mess turned chaotic.
"Release them" a shattering voice echoed
Vanguards fell to their knees, in trepidation their hands fondled. They knew it was a dead end, a pure diminish of their kind.
The Revenant was angry…
His eyes were dead numb…
He took out his sickles, each in either hand. A vagrant but terrific mass of chaotic energy rushed in. People bowed down, terrified of the horror.
"Oh my Revenant, we your disciples bow to your immense power" head Chant.Jiggs spoke…
Leon went to the man leading the unit.
"Thereafter, no one harms my people" he whispered- the voice still trembling.
"I… I will remember that" leader stuttered
"Hail Revenant" Chant.Jiggs shouted… followed by other supporters.
Vanguards drew out in fear.
"My people" Revenant turned around "there is no need for sudden revolt"
He sighed
"I will protect you through every constraint. But we won't trigger some little sieges, a single lethal strike, when the time comes"
"We are sorry for our intervention" Chant.Jiggs bowed down again
"I agree it was reckless of us"
Others bowed with their leader
"We will wait for the Day of Judgement"
When their heads rose- Leon vanished.
People nonchalantly celebrated his quick escape… talk about dramatic following…
__________________________________
Tistra Domiscus on the farther end was raged too. He never knew about Crikes, nor did he know about the Revenant. The matters he was incognizant about were disturbing him. Now when he got to discern the crisis- it was too late…
Any intervention would divulge the matter of Crikes. And its reveal would be fatal for the emperor.
"Coana" he shouted "execute all the mediators who knew about it"
The corrupted officials were dragged for execution…
But it wasn't the end. The Crikes and Embers of Revenant were still agile. So the only choice he got was to wait until one of the pages flipped over the other.
In the Great Chamber- Tistra's wife and his adopted daughter were spending some cherished moments.
His wife- May, was unwinding to the pillow, resting across the edge of her bed. She was combing her daughter's hair, scrubbing it with her weakened palms.
"April, will you take care of your father once I leave" she coughed
"Don't you dare say that my queen. You won't be leaving us any sooner. I will cherish you till we leave for the paradise"
She paused
"Ah, that hurts"
She screamed as her hair tangled…
"Sorry… My fault" May giggled
For a cold manifestation April got silent.
"You know about the great war they pledged. Why won't you tell me about it?" she asked
"Cause My dear King asked for my negligence over it" April replied "But the day will come when we will march towards the upper god, taking over the Ascensions"
"It races my heart. Not in excitement but fear, my darling"
"Do not worry My Queen, it won't be a hassle"
April was the Crike's leader, the general behind the shadows. She was the one Leon saw, in the sweet dreams, expending the campaign.
But Tistra, her foster father, was in laxity. He never knew about the wicked plan. He wasn't the one who cared, but his image in the Upper Court was important for his throne. And such an act of disobedience under his rule makes him vulnerable.
April was terrified of one such moment. One picturesque morning, she saw her father angry. It was just the day before the royal assembly.
He asked her enraged for the very first "Do you know about Crikes, my daughter"
She replied with hesitation "No, my king"
His raged grin became a smile, as he hugged her and left for the assembly in his fortress.
The time was changing…
Tistra Domiscus would soon enter the battlefield…
And for the Revenant, he was a dire peril to ignore…
After all Tistra Domiscus was the strongest being of the Ascension one…