Whispers of the Gods

Chapter 16 Nalanni II
Dusk has come, and the prophecy knights camped beside the Baixi River.

The knights sat around a hissing fire in a stone circle, and a fresh-hunted hare was hung from a pole above the flame.

They talked softly about the day's journey and enjoyed their dinner.Their attendants pitched tents for them.

Nalanni had been on the horse since before dawn, and "Dawn" panted lightly, looking tired, but did not complain loudly.

"Have a good rest, my friend."

Nalanni got off her horse and led "Daxiao" to the stake where she could get water, and hugged the girl from the saddle with both hands.

She stroked the horses that were drinking water and asked the girl, "What's your name?"

The girl stood blankly, looking at herself with grievances in her eyes swollen from crying.

"My name is Nalanni, and this is 'Dawn'." Nalanni introduced while combing the mane of "Dawn".

"Rashia," the girl muttered.

Looking down at the girl who was only seven or eight years old in front of her, Nalanni couldn't help feeling sympathetic. She was just that age when she separated from her parents.

Nalanni took Rashia's little hand and led her to her tent.

"Drink some water first." Nalanni handed her leather water bottle to the girl.

Rashia stared at the water bottle, took it after hesitating for a while, and eagerly drank it.

"Drink slowly," Nalanni said softly, "don't choke yourself."

"Haha, you said you came from Alenia, right?" Weigel's laughter came from beside the fire.

"That's right, Commander." Ragueno took a hard bite of the dried beef on the knife, "It's a good place, but it's too hot."

"What kind of place is that?" Weigel asked, "I have never been to the west of Scarlet Castle in my life."

"Well, like I said, it's a hot place," Ragnol replied.

"I know it's hot," Weigel said impatiently. "How about more details?"

"Hmm..." Ragnol looked at the pile of burning branches, "It's a very lively place, and many trading ships from all over the world pass by every day. We have the best hunting trophies in Kanka Tuguco , leopard skin, ivory and elephant skin."

"Have you ever seen an elephant? How big is it?" Weigel asked curiously.

"Yes, I have," Ragnol replied proudly, "those giant beasts are as tall as four or five men, and one of their tusks weighs more than the strongest of our warriors."

"That big?" Weigel marveled. "They sound as majestic as a dragon."

"No, the dragon is bigger than that," one knight denied, "at least as big as ten elephants put together."

"I've heard that a dragon's foot can crush the greatest city in the world," said another knight.

"It's as if you've seen a dragon." Nalanni joined them with the girl.

"Have you ever seen a dragon, Master Knight?" Ragnol asked Nalanni.

"No one has seen dragons, Ragnor," Nalanni said, hugging Rashia, "because they don't exist."

"Yet we all know people who have fought dragons," Weigel argued.

Nalanni looked at him suspiciously, "Are you referring to the stories that are made up to scare children into obedience?"

"Those are not fabricated stories, but real records." A knight insisted.

"But no one has ever found any evidence of the existence of dragons." Nalanni emphasized.

"That's because none of the people who saw them survived," Weigel affirmed.

"That's all." Nalanni didn't want to be involved in this stupid topic, so she asked Ragnol, "Ragnor, what brought you here?"

"Hey, the city of prophecy?" Ragnol grinned, showing a row of neat white teeth. "As a believer in the Sun King, I want to come to his land and dedicate myself to him."

"The kindness and kindness of the Holy King will last forever." Wei Geer clasped his hands together and praised, and Nalanni and the surrounding knights followed suit.

"Are there many brothers and sisters in Alenia?" Nalanni asked.

"Although the footprints of God's people are all over the world," Ragueno said, "there are not many believers there, only a few dozen."

"Why?" asked a knight.

"They are still lost," Ragnol explained. "They worship ancestors, nature, and animal spirits, and their ation."

"I heard that they will sacrifice human beings, terrible heretics." Another knight god muttered.

"I've never seen that..." said Ragnol.

Nalanni cut off a piece of hare's leg with a knife, and handed it to Rashia in her arms.

"This child likes you, Lord Knight Commander." Ragnol said with a smile.

Hearing Ragueno's words, Nalanni looked at the girl who was silently eating rabbit meat.She was a little happy in her heart, but more worried about the girl's future—whether Rashia's life would be as difficult and full of unknowns as hers.

"Can I go back?" the girl asked childishly, "I want my dad."

"You're with us now, little girl," Ragnol said.

"Why?" Rashia asked. "Where's my dad? Didn't he come?"

"He can't come," Weigel said with a chuckle, "because your father has already died..." Seeing Nalanni's fierce eyes, Weigel didn't say anything.

But the girl seemed to understand what he meant, and she hugged herself and began to sob.

Guilt overwhelms Nalanni, whose presence killed Rashia's father.

Although this is not the first time she has committed crimes for the Holy Empire, but this time she can't justify her actions, because she orphaned a child-just like the damn Holy King did to her back then.

"Is it my fault?" the girl asked with a sob.

"No, it's not your fault." Nalanni hugged Rashia tightly. "You did nothing wrong."

"The Archbishop Gironche will treat you well," said Ragueneau. "He is a good man."

"I will take care of this girl," Nalanni said.

"Ha, you are so humorous, Captain." Weigel laughed.

"I'm serious." Nalanni looked at Wei Geer seriously and said, "I need an attendant."

Weigel was stunned, "I'm glad you figured it out, a good attendant can save a lot of trouble, but she's just a little girl."

"And the children of the criminals who committed extreme crimes belong to the church, Lord Knight Commander." Ragueno said doubtfully.

"I will tell Archbishop Gironche," Nalanni replied. "Everything is to better serve the Holy King, I believe he will understand this."

"This is unprecedented in the Holy Empire," Weigel said.

"The female knight was once unprecedented, Weigel." Nalanni reminded Weigel.

"That's why you have my eternal respect, sir." Wei Geer bowed his head to Nalanni with a smile to show his respect.

Nalanni put her hand on the girl's head to try to calm her down, Rashia's body was still trembling slightly.

"In our tradition," Weigel mused, "this child needs a new name, to say goodbye to her past and embrace her future."

"I've figured it out," Nalanni replied. "Her new name is 'Nakia'."

(End of this chapter)