The Puppet for the Goddess' Revenge

Chapter Three - Brought Into the Fold

Chapter Three

Brought Into the Fold

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From a young age, our village elder taught us about the seasons. She spoke of the planting and growing, harvesting and clearing. We learned about why our village grew palita, a special type of grain that was coveted throughout our kingdom. It was why our little village stayed afloat, even during the droughts that hit every few years.

We learned how hunting helps us, but we don’t hunt more than we can eat. Hunting more than we should could lead to the animals moving from the area and leaving us with nothing. We used every part of the animal to make sure that we were not wasting a single thing. Also, she taught us about the bounty of the forest and the different plants we could bring home to eat.

Then, there were the lessons about the Goddess. How she was pure, kind, and fair as she watched over all of us. We were to give her our praise and thankfulness, even in times of hardship. There was a reason for everything, and she was the one who protected the entire world.

She was the one who decided a person’s destiny. Whether they were strong to be soldiers, wise enough to be teachers, skilled enough to be farmers, or sharp enough to be hunters. The Goddess dictated our roles in life herself; her hand chose even the king and queen. Their line being the chosen one to lead the country through prosperity and hardship.

The Goddess within every living thing, as she molded us into what she wanted us to be. How could we better help our fellows in the world? Where our placement was, and we should not stray from her path she set out for us. She was our guide and the one we looked to in times of need.

It was a lesson I’d heard plenty of times. We understood and accepted her, giving praise every meal, when we had a good harvest or when the men came back from a good hunt. All things we praised the Goddess for. A Goddess, that until today I did not know her name.

“Our country has enjoyed many decades of peace. Rarely were we threatened by people or monsters alike. We have lived in harmony with the surrounding countries, and the Goddess Filaura blessed our land.” The king was actually the one who spoke, his frown still deeply etched into his face. “However, there were signs in the past few years that we might face darker times ahead.”