The Girl with No Name Ch. 32

The Clergywoman thought for a moment before ordering Vesna to kneel. She grabbed her hands and prayed. The Priestess's hands clamped down on those of her visitor as her arms shook violently. She let go and told Vesna to stand up.

"You need to go home."

"What?"

"You need to return to Rika Héckt-nemát."

"I... I can't go there."

"Oh really? And where else would you go? You've told me yourself you don't want to go to any other city. Whether you're a wanted fugitive or there's a person you don't want to see, you're convinced there's nowhere for you to go. Your Path in Life is to return to Rika Héckt-nemát. The city needs you to go back."

"But... what about... my arrest... and all those people... thinking I drowned in the river... and... looking for my body?"

"That happened to the peasant Danka Síluckt. She's dead and there's no proof she ever existed apart from a bunch of legends that don't even use her real name. You're Vesna Rogúskt, the traveler from Rika Chorna. You have the paperwork to prove it. You have nothing to do with the peasant Danka Síluckt. So... I'm telling you the Path of Your Life is to return to Rika Héckt-nemát."

"But... go back... to a dead city... and what would I do there?"

"The Creator didn't enlighten me about what you will do there. All I know is you must go back, as soon as possible. And I'll tell you how to go. You can't go in through any of the main roads because they're blocked by Royal Guards. The only way in is a smugglers' trail that goes through the forest and comes up from the south."

"So there are people still alive..."

"There must be, if smugglers are going in."

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Vesna left the following morning, wearing her guard outfit. She wore a tunic with the insignia of the Danubian Church to let others know she was traveling with the blessing of the Clergy. Moonlight trotted south through farmland and orchards, as Vesna bypassed Starívktaki Móskt and headed straight south towards the main road. She followed it for a while, reliving the journey she had taken along the same route a decade before. She crossed the Rika Chorna River and passed the spot where she saw the stage-coach accident and the farm where she first saw goats. She looked west towards some forested hills. Rika Héckt-nemát lay on the other side of those hills, but she couldn't go that way because a garrison of Royal Guards blocked the road. Instead, she went south and stayed overnight at the chapel in a village at the southern edge of the cleared area.

She went into the woods and followed a narrow trail through the hills. The path continued south for a while until it arrived at a fork. The left fork continued south towards Hórkustk Ris province. She took the right fork, which turned west and would eventually lead her home.

She had hoped to complete the trip before nightfall, but when she noticed the darkness closing in on her she knew she needed to look for a place to stop. She found a cleared spot near a stream, just large enough to set up her bedroll and tie her horse. She was very apprehensive: she knew what was coming.

The night was pitch-black, so she didn't need to wait for darkness to surround her. Instead she waited for the sound of the stream to go silent. She heard the soft flutter of a large bird. Its eyes glowed, reflecting non-existent light. Vesna stood up. She knew what else was coming: the ground grabbed her feet. The eyes slowly grew until they filled her entire range of vision. She had to wait a long time before the Destroyer spoke to her.

"Danka... Danka... Danka Síluckt"

"Yes."

"It's been a decade, hasn't it? Well, almost a decade. Not that it matters anymore."

"Matters anymore? Why? Why do you say that?"

"This is the last time you'll ever see me, Danka Síluckt. Whether you wanted to or not, you've served me well, but your travels are about to conclude, and I must release you."

"Release me?"

There was a long pause, as Danka stared into the unblinking yellow eyes.

"Yes indeed, release you. I have no further use for you, Danka Síluckt, so it is time for our Paths in Life to separate. You will not see me again. You will understand that I am leaving you because I have chosen to spare you, just as I have chosen to spare the Duchy. Other places in the Realm of the Living will receive my attention. The Duchy, at least for the foreseeable future, will not."

The eyes began to fade.

"Goodbye, Danka Síluckt."