"Should we camp here?" A voice echoed loudly from outside the carriage, which made me open my eyes.
I slowly sat up, my hair messy, as the pillows and blankets were rolled over the whole carriage. It was so dark that it made me crawl towards the window to try and catch the slight light of flame from the talking people.
"Uh... isn't this that temple? I don't think this will be appropriate."
"Oh come on! Everyone's tired! The Geikoshi[1] and the Eiko[2] even more... let's just camp here for tonight!"
My small fingers tried to grip onto the window, but it was tightly shut, making me purse my lips.
"B-But... You know the Goddess is not so kind—"
"Have some fear with your words!"
Scratch.Scratch.Scratch. I tried to open it, but it won't, and so I decided to poke a hole in it. But Yun's fingers are small and weak... Yun is young and a baby.
"But it is true. If she is kind, then why would the Goddess do that to all her Priests—"
"What's the matter? Why have we stopped?" Father's voice echoed from outside, making my eyes beam.
Father! I tried to open the window again, but it was so strong. It won't open for me.
"Y-Your Highness, forgive us for being loud... We were simply conversing about whether we should camp here tonight or look for a more appropriate clearing."
Father's breathing is loud. Yun can hear it really well. The sound of his eyes shutting tightly and even his fist clenching too much to the point that no warm liquid could flow through inside it echoed in my ears.
"Do not think that I haven't heard your maddening words...Go on, kneel and ask the Goddess for forgiveness!"
Father muttered, his teeth making loud sounds before he hissed. Yun wanted to see what's happening and who this Goddess is they are talking about, but I can't.
The footsteps of the soldiers followed, as well as their really weak whispers.
"Look at what you've done! You knew very well that the Geika Jin received the Goddess's blessing! How can you be so careless with your tongue!?"
Their bodies made a thud sound as the sound of their legs bending into a kneel echoed.
"That's what I'm trying to say, though? Look at how pitiful the Geika[3]—"
"Hush! Hush! I will cut your tongue if you speak more!"
Their whispers were followed by various sounds of body trembling and teeth grinding. I tried to open the window once again, however my hand was simply weak.
Jin? Is Jin here? Why did Father bring Jin?
The window remained still, and no one was paying attention to Yun.
I pouted and then looked down at my hand. I squinted my eyes to look at them better. My nails are cut short, making me pout even more.
Surely, nails should be longer so I can poke holes easily.
"We should camp here. We will just pay our respects to the Goddess beforehand." Father mumbled, making me tilt my head.
Is that Bevenolent God Ares' other name?
I looked around, my hair falling on my eyes, making me grip them and put them back on top of my head. I patted them in place, but they kept on falling.
I sighed and then crawled towards the door instead.
I hope this one is easier to open— Yun fell into a tall man's hands as the door suddenly opened.
"Y-Your Highness!"
My hair that I just fixed fell on him and on my cheeks, getting stuck on my skin. I looked up at him and saw his dark eyes, so wide and so big looking at me.
His heartbeat was loud as he carried me on his arms and turned to my Father, who had his hands on his head, shaking like swoosh swoosh.
"Yun... Why are you awake— No matter, come here." Father cut off his sentences two times before he reached out to me, making me smile and open my mouth.
No sound came out.
The soldier awkwardly gave me to Father, but Yun was happy that he opened the door for me, so I gave him a pat on his head. My long hair was stuck on his clothes before I snatched it back and patted it back on my head.
This is Yun's hair. I patted and patted. Hoping my unruly hair stays this time.
Father carried me in his arms, looking around the dark forest. My eyes wandered as various sounds echoed in my ears. There are birds, there are growls, there are fishes on streams...there are running animals.
The forest was lively. Really lively even at night.
I looked up at the sky, and the moon was big and round. It's like giving Yun a bright light... The moon is surely kind.
The wind was singing as it touched my cheeks warmly, making me giggle as I noticed a very ugly house in front. I slowly frowned, noticing our people gently cleaning the ugly house and then kneeling outside of it.
The ugly house was built with stones. Stone, then stone, then stone, they were on top of each other. Most stones had leaves and green grasses on them, and the wind rarely surrounds the house.
I can hear the stones moving slightly, as if one gust of wind will make them fall and hit the soldiers. It made me realize that the wind was not being mean for not going near the house but rather kind...it only wishes not to ruin it.
Father's hands tightened on my legs, making me look at him. His eyes were focused on the ugly house before he gave me a gentle smile. His lips were pale and almost like blank paper for my poem.
I opened my mouth to ask if the ugly house would be ours, but Father already spoke.
"Yun, we will pay respects to the Goddess of Fate, okay? This is her temple. " Father muttered almost a whisper as he walked towards the house.
Yun was quiet. I looked back at the house and simply pursed my lips.
It was ugly. Really ugly. And dirty, and smelly, and sad. The God of Fate's house is ugly.
I clenched my hands on Father's robes and shook my head. Yun doesn't want to enter such a place. Yun doesn't want to pay respect to this God.
No. Yun doesn't like this God.
Father tapped my hands a bit with a deep frown on his face. "Do not be disrespectful! The Goddess will be unhappy. The temple is just... a little lonely because it's deep in the forest. Do not be fearful. The Goddess is kind."
I looked at Father's eyes. His voice was slow and changing. His heart was quick, but the air entering his body was constantly pausing with every word.
Father...Liar.
Many eyes slowly moved to glance back at us. I heard all of them. Their fingers were scratching their own hands as they knelt. Some were even clashing their swords...
I quickly looked at the sound of clashing metals. A tall man wearing red armor stood there.
He was walking; his footsteps were heavy, making a thud sound. In his hands was a long stick with a sharp blade on top. His hair was short, with a long, tail-like strand braided till his waist.
His whole body was full of screams and metal clashing. Swish. Swoosh.Cries.
All of him was loud.
The man was walking from left to right, staring at our soldiers while nodding his head. Yun's heart started to beat loudly. For some reason, this man's loudness was pretty.
Ah...
I followed him with my eyes. He was gently holding on to the stones of the temple so that they would not fall into our soldiers' hands. He was smiling...brighter than the moon.
"Do you understand, Yun? The Goddess is kind. You do not need to fear her." Father's voice made me look back at him.
Yun can't talk, so I can't talk about the man, but why is Father also ignoring him?
I slowly opened my mouth and then looked back at the man who turned his back and simply walked away from the temple. He had both his hands on his back, clasped together, with the long stick on the empty spaces.
The wind followed him, as his eyes shone like fire.
He left?
"Come on now, kneel and pray to the Goddess. Ask for her guidance during our travel, and most importantly, ask her for permission for us to spend the night here in her temple."
Father kept on talking and talking, but I just watched the man walk away slowly. The bright man with red eyes and red armor... holding a tall stick.
It was Yun's first time meeting a loud person who never hurt my ears.
I felt Father putting me down on a cloth laid on the dry ground, and made me kneel. I looked at the color of the cloth and noticed how red it was. A beautiful shade of red.
Like that red liquid.
I blinked hard. Then, I looked at the ugly house in front of me. The walls made of stones were no longer making a crumbling sound. And the wind was no longer careful to hit them.
"Yun, start praying." Father's voice trembled, making me look at him.
All of the soldiers have started to pray, but Father's eyes remained on me. The warm liquid on his body flowed naturally, but his breathing was slow and paused. His eyes were almost falling out.
I smiled. Okay, Yun is good at praying.
I looked at the ugly house once again and then licked my lips before closing my eyes. I raised both of my hands and clasped them together.
God, Yun prays to you.
The forest trees swayed and tickled my ears with their calm singing, and were soon followed by the familiar heavy footsteps. Screams, cries, and metal clashing echoed in my ears as the footsteps stopped beside me.
Please give this house to me. Yun wants to sleep with Father and everyone here. We will be quiet.
I kept my eyes closed, as I felt a cold, sharp thing on my forehead. A calm yet heavy breathing beside me.
No, God. Don't poke my forehead. Yun is ticklish there.
"Who is this child?" The man asked, making me giggle at the sharp blade tickling me.
Yun. My name is Yun.
______
[1] King
[2] Prince
[3] Crown Princess