10Author Comment: Hello everyone. This is Starart and let me present you this Science Fantasy story. I'll five you a fair warning in advance, it is a more religious story than I usually made, but with Covid-19 and the stress I built up, I realised that nothing will be back to normal. Instead of letting this get the best if me, I made this.
If you aren't into this kind of stories, you can leave.
The prologue and the first chapter will have much more of that religious tone than later as it introduces the world of The Land. A very religious world that worship The Unique. After this, I will make the character shine more in the story as a bit of the important world-building would have been done.
Let's on the story.
Inside of a small church, a group of people were kneeling down, while holding their hands together. In front of them, one man stood alone, gazing at those who came. He was a priest that held a large book in front of him and began to tell the sacred words.
Prologue: The Unique Answer Us
Oh, The Unique father of us all. Creator of everything in the universe. Hear the prayers of your children. Guide us through our life to seek salvation.
Oh, my dear children. I shall guide you through your life to seek salvation.
Oh, The Unique father of us all. Creator of everything in the universe. Why do we are born with flaws while you are flawless?
Oh, my dear children. You are born with flaws, so you can overcome them or turn them into strength. I see beauties in your flaws.
Oh, The Unique father of us all. Creator of everything in the universe. Why do we live through your Ten commandments?
Oh, my dear children. Those Ten Commandments are guides, so it will protect the beauty of your souls.
Oh, The Unique father of us all. Creator of everything in the universe. Why do we suffer on The Land; body and soul?
Oh, my dear children. You are suffering because you are made of flesh. Your souls are suffering because of your fight to overcome your flaws and the temptation of the sins.
Oh, The Unique father of us all. Creator of everything in the universe. Why do we die?
Oh, my dear children. It is so that we can embrace you one day.
Oh, The Unique father of us all. Creator of everything in the universe. Why do demons plague our world?
Oh, my dear children. The demons plague your world because the humans who sold their kind to The Lord Of Chaos.
Oh, The Unique father of us all. Creator of everything in the universe. When shall the demon left The Land forever?
Oh, my dear children. The Demon plague shall leave on the day next the Judgement Day.
Oh, The Unique father of us all. Creator of everything in the universe. Shall we know eternal peace once we overcome Judgement Day?
Oh, my dear children. You won't know eternal peace once you overcome Judgement Day. You will bath in my eternal love. You won't ever fear to lose my love anymore. No demons will ever claim your souls.
After that day, each of my children won't ever fear their flaws, as you shall never succumb by them. You will all come by my side once your flesh shall fall. Each of you, I shall embrace you with tenderness.
Never forget, my dear children. My love is eternal. As the sacred bound that unite your souls to my love, shall never be shattered.
Oh, The Unique father of us all. Creator of everything in the universe. We feel your love deep in our soul.
Oh, my dear children. I feel your love deep into mine.
*Clap!* *Clap!*
A man clapped his hands twice. A few people in front of him did the same.
The one who clapped first was a Caucasian bald man with pale blue eyes. He wore a white Cassock with a black belt, a golden necklace, a pair of silver bracelets and a golden ring, "Those are the answers that the Unique gave us in this verse."
"Thank you for those enlightening words Father," the group replied to the priest.
The priest continued with the sermon of the day. When it was over, he told them, "As you know, in a week, I will leave to begin the pilgrimage. As of now, only one person will come with me to reach the enlighten and find answers that his soul seeks from The Unique."
The one in question nodded.
"I was hoping that more of you would join us in the great journey to the Holy City, but The Unique granted our village his blessing. The field grew big and soon, the biggest harvest of the decade is about to come. The Unique understands that feeding everyone is important."
"We thank The Unique for his blessings," the people replied.
"Amen," the priest concluded the Mess and invited everyone to the confessional or to return to the field.
The villagers stood up and left the church. Only one person remained.
He was a Caucasian man with short black hair, chocolate eyes and a scar on his left cheek. He wore a white armor with a magenta scarf and a silver gauntlet on his left hand. He continued praying for a moment, before he stood up and came to the priest.
"You need to confess a sin to The Unique?" he asked.
"No Father Paul. I came here to talk a little to my family," the man replied.
Paul nodded and raised his hand, "Come this way Didymus. I'm sure they are all waiting for you."
They walked outside of the church. The church was a small one made of gray stone that could be found around the village. It had a large tower with a bronze belt at the top. The church was at the corner of the village, near a large hill.
The two went on the back where a large cemetery was there with many tombstones. The tombstones were divided into seven sections, each of them for a family that resided in the village. There was another one farther away, but that one was for the priests and nuns that left the living world.
Paul guided them to the middle section and invited Didymus in there. They reached their destinations.
They were six tombstones that the man gave more attention than the others. He kneeled in front of them and began to pray. It took a few minutes before he finished, "Father. Why did The Unique took them all? My parents and my siblings. Why did he leave me in my flesh?" He sighed and closed his eyes, "Why me?" A tear escaped from his eyes.
"I do not know my child. The will of The Unique isn't possible to comprehend. His love for all comes in many ways that we cannot understand. Remember in our sermon. Oh, The Unique father of us all. Creator of everything in the universe. Why do we die? Oh, my dear children. It is so that we can embrace you one day."
"I need their embrace too," Didymus countered. He prayed, "Sorry oh Father of All. I didn't mean any disrespect."
"He didn't take offense in this justified need my child."
"Thanks," he took a deep breath and let it out, "I am ready for the Pilgrimage Father Paul. I have to find out the true."
"And I hope you shall find the answers in our journey to the Holy City."
The man stood up. He let out a small smile, "I need to seek and find the answers to be a proper Saint Knight."
Paul nodded. He gazed at the blue sky as a large ship passed over the village. He took a deep breath and asked, "Come with me. Since you are the only one coming for the pilgrimage, there is no need to plan meetings."
Didymus asked, "Are you sure we can do something like that Father Paul?"
"You are the only one. There are no rules imposed when it comes to the preparation. We just need to organise everything. There it no need for official meeting with only you," the man raised his finger, "And when I am not officially in function, there is no need to use the word Father. Just say my name."
"Fine," he nodded.
The two returned inside the church. As they passed in front of the entrance, there was the nun who was guiding the children inside.
"Come on everyone. I hope you haven't forgot your finish your homework," the nun let out a kind and warm smile to the children of entered in the church for their educations.
The two passed on the side entrance, to avoid the crowd of children. The unofficial Saint Knight would get attention from the kids if they went by the main entrance.
They walked in the dark corridor. The only source of light were a few small light bubs.
Paul opened a door that led to an office. Didymus followed next and closed the door behind.
The priest walked towards the large table. He went on the corner. He put his hand on the table and flipped a switch. In front of him, a little bit of the table flipped and showed a holographic keyboard. He pressed on a few switches and a holographic image appeared.
"Today, we will focus on the path we shall take. First, how do we proceed in a pilgrimage?" he asked the knight.
The other one gazed at the man and let out a smirk, "I'm too old for lessons and tests you know."
"I just want to know if you still have that general knowledge. Half of the students forgot about the procedure of the Pilgrimage when they came the three other times, I guided them. I mean, no one expect to do this in their life and forget about it," Paul then frowned, "So you definitely going to have a test."
Didymus sighed and admitted defeat, "Fine. I'll humor you. The Pilgrimage is a journey we take from foot. We start from out village and we follow a path that will guide us to eight different cities where we pray for a day to The Unique for the guidance of our soul. We cannot use any transportation like the trains, flying ships of close-range individual transportation between cities. It has been decided that the fifth stops is always the citadel as it is the place where the Holy One choose The Messenger who talk in the name of our creator."
"Good. You know that part," the man waved his hand, silently asking him to continue.
"Each villages and cities that does the Pilgrimage must go to eight cities to receive his holy words through The Sacred Text. We will pray for three days before we move on to another city. The fifth one, I already said that, and the last one is at the Holy City where The Messenger give the final passages of The Sacred Text," the man concluded.
"That is good. Anything else?"
"No. That's all."
Paul smiled, "This is a little mistake, but you knew much more than the others," he raised his finger, "Let me help you. Why must I come with you?"
Didymus looked at the priest and nervously chuckled, "Oh. That part. Yeah. It slipped in my mind," he put his hands on his hips, "You are the guide to prove this Pilgrimage is legitimate. The other option is a Nun that guide us through the journey If I went on my own, I have no proof. They are exceptions, but the guide is the one who had to authorise those during the journey."
"Excellent Didymus. You know as much as a Saint Knight," the priest then pressed a few things and a red line went from the village. It connected to seven cities as it followed a path to the Holy City, "As you can see. The eight cities have already been selected. We will follow the map on a mini-map that I'll bring with me. That is not the only thing. We will stop at a few villages for supplies," he pressed a few switches and highlighted some villages they would stop.
"They are many forests and fields in our path," the man commented.
"Until the citadel, it is mostly a plain. A fertile land offered by The Unique himself. It blessed the villages and gives them great power over the cities, but enough about that. The mountainous part of the Pilgrimage begins after we passed the Citadel. Starting there, the cities will have more than 100 million habitants. Expect it to be greatly crowed."
"T-that's a lot. Our village just have around a few hundred people," Didymus replied impressed.
"Hundreds of brave people. None of them afflicted by any sins. However, in cities that large, many gets corrupted by them. Greed is one of the big one. Cities often makes them want more and more palms in their pockets. In our travel, you will have to resist those greedy riches," the priest warned him.
"I will. I only need The Unique by my side."
"Overcoming the temptations might guide you closer to him and the answers you seek. Anyway, the most impressive city is the Holy City which had 500 million habitants. Almost all of them devoted to The Unique and where his Messenger resides," Paul closed the hologram. He gazed at the man, "This shall be here where you'll get your final answers."
"Thank you, Father Paul. Is there anything else?"
"No. We will be prepared everything in the upcoming week. Elisa is an extremely competent nun and can take my place without any differences."
"Indeed. I shall make my leave then," Didymus left the church.
Paul smiled, "No one ever made a pilgrimage without getting the answers they wished. That is not something to tell them however," he grabbed his necklace, "Right Holy One?"
AC: This is the end of this prologue. I hope you enjoy it, despite letting the feeling of being a very religious story. The beginning is strongly put that way, as they are in a very religious village.
Next Chapter: Beginning.
Didymus and Paul left the village and began their Pilgrimage. The man quickly learned how dangerous the journey is by foot, but was prepared for it.