Book 4: Chapter 22 (1/2)

On the way to the church, Tafel and the woman, who Tafel found out was named Helena, didn’t encounter anyone. It was almost as if the whole town had been abandoned. The fields were empty, and the buildings were silent. Occasionally, there’d be sounds of scratching as mice scampered about, and every time they did, Helena would flinch and get closer to Tafel. Then she’d flinch again and keep her distance.

Helena sighed. “It’s so … different,” she said and looked around. Was her town always this bleak? The sun was overhead, but everything seemed so dark. “I’ve lived here for over fifteen years, but it feels like this is my first time really seeing the place.”

“Well,” Tafel said, drawing out the word. “Your whole community did try to burn you to death yesterday. It’s not really surprising that you’re a little shocked.” Her brow furrowed. “Now that I think about it, do you even want to live here anymore?”

“I don’t think I do,” Helena said and sighed again. “How about we go to my house, take my money, and go somewhere else?”

Tafel stroked her chin while taking deliberate steps towards the church in the distance. “We could do that, I suppose….”

Helena’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Yes.” Tafel nodded. “But only after I clear up this misunderstanding with the church.”

“Are you sure that’s absolutely necessary?” Helena asked and gulped. “The church is scary. Their influence can be found almost everywhere. If you offend the church, bad things will happen to your family, and you’ll be shunned by your community if not killed after being accused of witchcraft.”

Tafel raised an eyebrow. “Then why are you so scared of the church?” she asked. “You don’t have a family. You don’t want to live in a community that almost burned you to death. And you’re not going to die to them as long as I’m here.”

Helena shook her head. “It’s not only that,” she said and looked up at the sky. She quickly averted her gaze. “The Lord is watching us.”

Tafel raised her head. She frowned and stopped her footsteps as she recalled what that priest had shouted at her while sprinkling her with water when she had first arrived in this world. “Is the Lord some type of deity?”

Helena’s head bobbed up and down. “You’ve never heard of him?”

“Nope. I’m not from around here,” Tafel said and shrugged. “So, about this deity of yours, how powerful is he?”

“All-powerful.”

Tafel furrowed her brow. “How powerful is that in terms of lions he can kill with his bare hands?”

“All the lions that have ever existed and all the lions that will exist in the future.” Helena glanced up at the sky before meeting Tafel’s gaze. “If he wills it, he can destroy the world. He’s already done it once before: he flooded the earth for forty days and forty nights.”

“Oh.” Tafel’s face paled. “That’s … pretty strong.” She wet her lips with her tongue. “He’s the one behind the churches? Do you know where he lives?”