Season of Sacrifice (Blood of Azure Book 1) Jonathan Michael (red novels .txt) 📖

her face and her kukri blade still in hand. “You survived,” she says, suggesting astonishment. “He was corrupt. He was one of the merchant lords trying to force claim over all the trade commerce amidst the river channels. His death is only one of many you will endure. Someone else will replace him in time. But what you did here will slow the evil in our world. One day, maybe we will change the culture of man, but not likely. Not while the Taoiseach is alive. No, it will take a mind that puts righteousness over life.” She stares at the decomposing body on the ground for several moments. Not disgusted or satisfied. Just deep in thought.

“Come here.”

My body trembles. I languidly climb to my feet and approach Ellia, hoping for a sympathetic gesture or motherly love. Instead, she grabs my chin and forces my mouth open. She pinches my tongue between two fingers and slices it off with her knife. “I told you to restrain your tongue. You’ve failed.”

The new generation plays with death as a toy. They don’t respect it as they should. And the crimson shadows continue to grow because of it. I don’t ask for fear, only respect. Where are their deathly instincts?

32 Goose

F ollowing my near-fatal mistake, I merely received a few disappointed stares and nothing more. It happened, and it was over. The villagers, and more importantly, Graytu, Fairview, and Zoie all quickly forgave my ignorance and aided me in my recovery. As far as I can tell, there is no resentment toward my actions or consequences for my failure. It’s a lifestyle befitting me, but not one I’m accustomed to. Failure should be followed by discipline and consequence, not generosity and kindness.

A month has passed, and I’m unable to walk properly. I sit in an awkward position on one of the many empty benches in the treetop plaza to dissipate the pain. Graytu had a few of the warriors aid me in getting here, despite my resistance. The chief would not let me be left out of the evening celebrations. “Today is the day!” he said as he always does. But this time he followed it with “…you will get to relax and enjoy the celebration of life.” Chippie, perched upon his shoulder, chirped with gratification. I was grateful, but I knew there would be another meaning behind his words. And now I’m here. Sitting awkwardly alone on a bench, as all the other villagers dance and parade among the treetops. Neither Zoie, Fairview, nor Graytu have acknowledged me as of yet. I suppose they may be furious from my actions even if they don’t show it.

A blazing fire centers the celebration, and the canopy is lit up with thunderbugs as it is during every evening celebration. And the drums and the pounding footsteps resonate through the treetops. How do they not get exhausted partaking in this each and every evening? The first dozen were enjoyable, but now…

“Do you know what that fire represents?” Fairview interrupts my sulking thoughts and plops down next to me rather exuberantly for her old knees.

“Fairview! A pleasure. And…” I pause to look down at my twiddling thumbs. “…I’m sorry.”

She whacks my leg with her walking staff. I cringe and do my best to refrain from moving for it will only cause more pain.

“Let it go, lad. We all have. It’s time for you to rise up from your mistakes and learn from them. Don’t dwell on it, or you’ll never get up. So…the fire?”

“Death,” I reply, mocking her question out of pure bitterness of my situation.

“Wiser.”

I tilt my head and give her a sidelong glance.

“Or a mocking smart ass,” she adds. “They are often easy to confuse.”

“How does fire represent death? It offers heat. It offers energy. It offers warm meals and protection. It offers so much.” I shake my head at her.

“You’re the one who said it, not me,” she replies. Then she smiles. “Sorry. A few too many decades with Graytu, I presume.”

I give an empathetic smile.

“It represents death because it is destructive. You may not see it, but when it offers heat and energy, it takes it from another. When it offers that warm meal, it does so by killing another. When it offers protection, it causes only harm. It may be all those things, but with a cost. And the more you feed it, the more the cost. It won’t stop. Aside from that, it is one of the very few things that can truly kill an Azurian. Did you know that?”

With one brow hiked and my lips silent, I shake my head. Is she as crazy as Chief Graytu?

“I must sound like Graytu again.” She winks. “When you’ve been around as long as I have, you learn a thing or two, and it would be shameful not to pass along the knowledge. Sorry, but I am old. And with age inherently comes the role of teacher. Unless you are a selfish bastard, of course.”

I scratch at the stubble growing wild beneath my chin. “So why does your celebration of life have death as its centerpiece?”

“Ah, of course, of course. A logical question. Death awaits us all. It is no reason to fear living your life. It is no reason to remain seated and never rise up.” She nudges me. “It is a reminder for us all to celebrate what we have. What we have been given. What we can accomplish with death awaiting us.” She pauses a moment then smirks. “That, and we like to think we can dance circles around death.”

“You certainly can dance circles around death. You’re a generous and exhausting village. I’ll give you that.”

We sit quietly for a moment. “About Coloss. I would have never imagined he’d chase me as far as he did. And then to have Helios act