Ninte awoke with a start to the sound of footsteps approaching behind her, the echoes of another vision still resounding before her mind’s eye. She didn’t know when she had dozed off, but a woolen blanket had been placed over her and Nevayi’s body was covered in white linen sheets. She knew what she had seen in her dreams, and she knew now what her mother had meant.

Spinning around and scrambling to her knees, Ninte was faced with Teyomon Daster. A stream of sunlight filtered in through gaps in the wooden shutters that covered the otherwise empty windows, illuminating his face and giving Ninte her first proper look at her savior. It was a man she now felt she knew.

It had been too dark the previous night, and even if the sun had been shining Ninte doubted that she would have paid much attention to his appearance at the time, all things considered. Silver hair encircled the upper reaches of his head, leaving a shiny, bald pate at the top, and the scalp above his forehead was blotched with a prominent brown birthmark. He was unshaven, but judging by the shadow of silver stubble covering his sagging cheeks and wrinkled chin, it was clear that this was not his usual choice. Pale blue eyes glinted at her, filled with sorrow as he stooped down and offered her a mug from which steam was rising in thin wisps that swirled in the sun’s morning rays.

She accepted the mug slowly and took a whiff of its contents. The drink within was dark and smelled strongly of spices that sent her stomach rumbling as the scent flooded her nostrils.

Teyomon gave her a lopsided smile. “Spiced wine,” he said, licking his lips. “It’ll do you some good after last night and I’ve prepared some food for you too, if you’re hungry.”

Then he turned and walked over to a small table at the far end of the room that sat before a small fireplace that crackled eagerly as he tossed a fresh log onto the flaming embers. Ninte stood and joined him at the table. She took a sip of the wine, and her eyes grew wide as the warm, sweet, spicy liquid coated her tongue. She swirled it around in her mouth, savoring every drop before finally swallowing and relishing in the warmth running down her throat and into her stomach.

Laid out on the round wooden table was a modest spread of bread and cheese with vibrant red jams and a small bowl that contained a fluffy yellow substance. When the man motioned for her to eat, she took a slice of bread and topped it with cheese, taking a bite, all the while eying the bowl of yellow fluff.

“Eggs,” Teyomon said, a twinkle of amusement in his eye though his voice held no judgment.

Ninte raised an eyebrow and picked up the wooden spoon sitting next to the bowl, scooping up a small amount and bringing it to her lips. It was good, very good. She began eating ravenously, shoveling food into her mouth and allowing the previous night’s events to sink to the back of her mind as she enjoyed the meal.

“I wouldn’t eat too much now. We have to head out soon and you don’t want any of this coming back up,” Teyomon said. The amusement had vanished from his face, replaced with the sadness that Ninte found all too familiar.

Her stomach growled in protest, but she heeded the man’s warning and forced herself to stop after only a few more bites. Sitting back in the old man’s creaky wooden chair, she wrapped her hands around the mug of spiced wine and allowed the warmth to spread through her fingers as she sipped it before finally opening her mind to the memories of the night before.

She wanted to cry. She felt a lump in her throat, but no tears came. She had wept so much on Nevayi’s body, she simply had nothing left. A rooster crowed somewhere off in the distance, and Ninte became faintly aware of low voices outside along with a quiet scraping sound as though something was being dragged through the dirt.

She stiffened in her chair and shot a look toward the door, which was still barred with nothing more than a dark wooden plank. What if the fighting hadn’t finished? What if they were looking for her, dragging a battering ram to beat down the old man’s door and kill the both of them?

“Don’t worry,” she heard Teyomon say from his seat opposite her next to the fire. “There will be no more bloodshed today. I’m not even sure there are any men left to die.”

He spoke softly, his voice pained, then stood with a grunt, his knees popping loudly and his back cracking as he straightened it.

“Wait here. I’m going to take a look outside, but I won’t be long. Stay calm and rest while you can.”

He strode over to the door with the vigor of a much younger man, hoisted the plank away and slipped outside. He was gone for some time, so long in fact that the fire dwindled down to little more than ashes and Ninte began to worry. As the time passed, however, she cared less about what was happening outside and her mind returned to Nevayi, lying lifeless on the ground covered with linen cloth.

Ninte remained lost in her thoughts, until Teyomon finally returned with two scrawny teenage boys filing in through the door behind him. The old man raised his hand and motioned to Nevayi’s body. The boys looked over and moved to pick Nevayi up. It was then that she saw their faces, ashen white with red, puffy eyes. They each wore clothes splashed with what could only be blood, and as Ninte looked at them, she realized that she must look the same. These were not warriors, they were children forced into a war they wanted no part of, just like her.

“We’re taking her to the square,” said the old man. “Come with me. I know it’s not pretty out there. The population of Velniya has been decimated and I truly wish we could put this off, but if we don’t do something quickly, we risk being attacked by the Mano, and then there will truly be no hope for the survival of our people.”

Ninte watched as the boys hauled Nevayi’s body out through the door and followed them outside. The old man closed the door behind him and rested a calloused hand on her arm. “Are you ready?”

Ninte nodded but held her breath when they entered the square. Not pretty was an understatement when it came to describing the carnage that lay beyond the door. The remaining people of the town, mostly women and children, had been doing their best to clean up after the battle. The square had clearly been where the bulk of the fighting had taken place, and the ground was soaked deep red with puddles of blood dotted around. Bodies were being dragged into piles at the edges of the square, and all around her, Ninte could hear weeping. Here and there, she saw women and children kneeling next to mangled corpses, sobbing into their hands as they mourned for loved ones who had been ripped from their world. The smell of iron was in the air all around them, and Ninte quickly understood why the old man had cautioned her against eating too large a breakfast.

They reached the center of the square where the charred remnants of the great statue of Eviyra stood. The pool that surrounded it was crimson, and a small group of old men and women stood huddled around, muttering to one another. These were the remnants of the Circle of Elders. They parted as the boys carrying Nevayi’s body pushed their way through and laid her down on the ground next to three other bodies. Ninte recognized them instantly. They were the bodies of Aviliyon Ariyon, and of Taymen and Yurgen Ariyon. Ninte felt a pang of sorrow in her heart as she looked at their pale and lifeless faces.

“What now?” asked one of the elders, a woman with wild white hair and a back so hunched she might have toppled forward had it not been for the cane in her hands supporting her. “The entire Ariyon family has fallen and all of the town's able men have either joined them or been injured. They have left us utterly defenseless against the Mano.”

“We must unite and start fortifying the gate,” cried a man with a long gray beard.

“We’re doomed whether we fortify the gate or not,” said another woman, younger than the others and with straight silver hair that hung over her shoulders like a curtain of silk shimmering in the morning sun. “Whether the Mano attack tomorrow or a year from now, we no longer have the strength to resist an attack, and the Gods showed us last night that we are on our own.”

“The line of the House of Ariyon may have been extinguished,” said Teyomon, “but the long-lost daughter of Lady Nevayi lives. Once left to the wolves by Lord and Lady Ariyon, she has returned to us to help us fulfill her mother’s final request.”

The Circle of Elders turned to look at Ninte, their eyes glancing up at the ridges on her head. Ninte felt as if she was standing there naked as she fought back tears.

“And do you have any proof of this?” the straight-haired woman asked, her voice snide and her upper lip curling. “She bears little resemblance, and even if she is Lady Nevayi’s daughter, why would we follow such a deformed creature who would likely lead us into further trouble?”

Hearing these words, which reminded her of the abuse she had suffered her whole life, caused Ninte’s sadness to melt away like ice before a blazing fire, as it turned into anger. Ninte balled her hands into fists, her knuckles turned white, and the world took on a silver hue as the elder’s life strands pulsed before her.

“Yes, I am the daughter of Lady Ariyon, and ever since I set foot in this village, I have known something was terribly wrong,” Ninte said. “You all must have known this and felt this, yet you were too blind to see that, all this time, it has been Teriyas, God of Creation, who is responsible for your downfall.”

The straight-haired woman laughed. “Why would we believe you?”

“It all began long ago, when my mother Nevayi was violated by a man of the Mano people, which, as you all know, led to the banishment of the Inya from the majestic birchwood in the Northern Sofiyat Forest. However, what none of you know is that this man was actually being possessed by Teriyas, with the purpose of forging a conflict between the Inya and Mano peoples. My mother has never told this to anyone and bore this burden alone out of fear for the God, Teriyas.”

A crowd began to form around Ninte, and a cloak of silence descended on the town’s square.

“You all must remember Lady Ariyon falling pregnant again the months after the Inya were banished?” Teyomon asked the other elders. “We were told the child had been stillborn and we accepted this, as we all suspected the child had been fathered by the Mano man who had violated her, having been possessed by Teriyas as we now know.” He gestured at Ninte’s face and skull. “But how can we deny the truth now?”

Ninte looked at the old and tired faces of the Circle of Elders. “It is of no consequence if you believe us or not. The evil has been done. However, I believe that if you look deep into your hearts, you know that I speak the truth. You cannot deny there is barely anything left of the Inya people after this cursed night of bloodshed. Certainly not enough to defend against an attack from the Mano.”

The crowd had grown and Ninte turned to speak to the people of Velniya fully. “The Mano will come, once they get word of the slaughter that has taken place here. And when they come, you will be defenseless. Not just because you lost so many men in last night’s bloodbath. No. But, also because many families have been destroyed. Because many friends have become enemies. And because many blood debts have been formed that will live on through the coming generations. Even if you manage to fight off the Mano, I foresee that the hatred among yourselves will destroy you.”

“What do you propose?” one of the elders asked.

Ninte thought of the vision she had had just before she had woken up on this horrible morning. With her heart beating faster with every passing moment, she continued to address her audience, “I ask of you, honored elders, to all take what is left of your families and go your separate ways, so that the cycle of violence stops right here today. Make sure that the pain and suffering that has been sown today, will die out and not be passed on to your children. And be aware that Teriyas, God of Creation, is still in our midst, and will be there until the bitter end.”

Complete silence gripped the square. After a moment, Ninte shook her head in disappointment. Teriyas, God of Creation, had won, she thought, despite of her vision.

But then, Teyomon Daster raised his voice, “I will do as she commands, and take my family elsewhere to build a new life, and I ask the other elders to do the same, as I too believe that Velniya will fall, either at the hand of a Mano attack, or otherwise surely as a result of our own feuds, fueled by the God of Creation. Dividing into different clans will prevent us from killing each other and will hopefully make it clear to the Mano that we are not looking to take revenge or pose a threat to them in any way.”

“Yes,” Ninte said, “I have foreseen how the Inya people will recover from this battle, how my lineage will help the Inya people anticipate Teriyas’ ruses, and how the Inya people will flourish once again.”

“I beg you to listen to Ninte, daughter of Lady Ariyon, and daughter of Teriyas, and save the Inya people from its downfall.” Teyomon looked around himself, trying to read the faces of his fellow elders. “What say you?”

There was a moment of silence.

“I will leave Velniya with my family,” one of the elders said eventually. Followed by another. Then another. And another.

Ninte let out a sigh of relief and nodded to Teyomon in gratitude.

Teyomon gently put an arm around Ninte’s shoulders. “Let us now bury your mother and her family,” he said to her softly, “and then you are welcome to join my family in search of a new home. You will be safe with us.”

Ninte smiled at Teyomon lovingly. She had seen her future and knew that he spoke the truth.