Salvation of the Doomed [BL]

"Ah, yes. Anyone who bumps into these lost kids would do the same," Kael replied. He patted the back of the oldest kid to reassure him that the newcomer was not dangerous. The kids began loosening their grip on his clothes, visibly relieved that the thunderstorm had stopped. Now, they were all observing the new guy. 

The young man arched his brows. He swept a glance at the curious kids once again, then he stared at Kael and answered, "I doubt that. Not everyone is as brave and kind as you. Pilgrim."

Kael subtly smiled. Who would have thought someone would still recognize his robes? These robes he wore were outdated, an ancient garment that priests from centuries ago had worn. 

How did he come to wear it? 

A few days after he left the temple, he was robbed by bandits on his journey. These bandits were cruel and would have killed him if they hadn't seen the medallion around his neck. It was a medallion that symbolized Solvantar's temple. They put two and two together, and one of them exclaimed: This traveler is a priest! He's a pilgrim! But the medallion was hidden inside his robes, so how did these bandits see it? 

Indeed! Kael was stripped to his undergarments! 

These bandits had taken everything he owned, including his clothes. However, after seeing the medallion, the bandits' plan to kill him changed, and they fled, leaving Kael with nothing but his braies. Fortunately, he came across a dilapidated temple where Solvantar's statue was still dressed, with a bit of cobwebs and dust. After apologizing for his atrocities, he left the temple covered with the god statue's robes. 

The robes the priests wore this day were now blue with white underlinings, and the design was more complicated and modern. It was truly different from the old ones. So, how did this young man know?

"What's a pilgrim, mister?" the young girl asked. Her eyes were painted with wonder after hearing an unfamiliar word.

"A pilgrim is someone who travels to sacred places for religious purposes," Kael answered. But since he wasn't traveling to a holy place, he did not consider himself a pilgrim. 

The quiet kid asked, "Do you serve Solvantar?"

The oldest kid asked next, "Are you a priest?"

The youngest said, "Pray for us, mister! I wanna go back home!"

Kael scratched the back of his head. Kids thought that if you were a priest, you were closer to god and your prayers were a priority. But would Solvantar grant his prayers after he took his statue's robes? 

Kael only grinned. It was a miracle he wasn't struck by lightning earlier. He noticed that the kids became silent, their heads bowed, and their hands clasped together in front. They started praying. But they were all kneeling towards Kael. 

This made Kael break into a sweat. He slowly wiped his forehead as he nervously waited for what they would ask. 

Suddenly, at the corner of his eye, he saw the young man rise from his spot and step outside the cave. He turned to ask him where he would go, but the young man just shrugged his shoulders. The rain somehow let up, but it was still deep into the night. 

He arrived here safely despite the dark and wet terrain, so I'm sure he'll return safely as well, Kael thought. He was certain the young man would come back since his outer robe was still drying on the ground. 

Groooowl…

Kael tensed. He turned in the direction of the sound with utmost vigilance. Then, after another guttural sound erupted, a tiny voice followed. 

"Dear god, I'm hungry! Please, help the priest give us food!"

"Priest gives us food!"

"We're hungry!"

The solemn prayers turned to outright demands for sustenance. Kael laughed nervously. He rubbed his forehead in frustration and said, "Kids, I can't miraculously conjure food. I prayed with you, but it is to protect us while I search for something to eat outside. So, wait here. Don't step outside the cave." He rose to his feet, but the quiet kid grabbed his robe. 

"You can't leave us, priest! What if the boar comes back?"

A pair of hands became four, and they all tugged on his robe. Kael heaved a low sigh. "Alright, alright. I'll stay. Let's keep on praying for some food to roll in here." He gathered the kids around the fire again, and they silently prayed altogether. 

After a while, the young man returned. He was carrying a dead wild boar on his shoulder. The kids screamed and ran to the back of the cave after seeing the animal. The boar had a patch of white on its left eye, just like the boar that chased the kids during the day.

When Kael asked why the young man brought it back, the young man placidly answered: "It tried to kill me, so I killed it since I'm hungry." 

The kids all sighed in relief after confirming that the animal was dead. The young man threw it on the ground, and the kids cheered as they finally had something to fill their stomachs. Kael moved closer to the boar and quietly mumbled a short prayer. After that, he reached for the animal, intent on helping the young man butcher it. However, before his long, white fingers touched the animal's skin covered in dried blood, a hand grabbed his wrist and moved his arm away from the animal. 

Kael kindly looked up at the young man, whose expression was unreadable. Was this young, healthy man unwilling to share? If that was the case, then touching the food without his permission was indeed wrong. He cleared his throat and gently shook the young man's hand away. 

"Sorry. I was just trying to help. I should probably leave you on your own devices...and search for our food," Kael said with an apologetic smile. He rose to his feet, but his other hand was caught by him again. As he turned to him, his face displayed his inner thoughts: Hm, what is it this time?

The young man stared at Kael, then his gaze moved to the hand he held. He looked at it as if he were carefully examining every line and print on Kael's fingers. 

On the other hand, Kael suddenly felt self-conscious. When he was still serving as a priest in the temple, shaking and holding the hands of the devotees was his day-to-day occurrence. It somehow honed his sense of touch. He learned that you can feel someone's intention or emotion simply by their touch. Therefore, he knew this young man wasn't thinking maliciously, but rather treating his hand as though it were the most fragile thing in the world. 

"A priest's hands should not be tainted by this filthy crust of blood," the young man said as he gently released his hand. He spoke in a firm tone, leaving no room for argument. "Leave everything to me."

Those words were final. Kael had no choice but to return to his position and just watched the young man butcher the animal near the entrance of the cave. While the kids looked excited to taste the meat of the animal that almost killed them, Kael was lost in thought. His eyes would naturally follow the young man, as he realized that he had not asked for his name, or the man had not yet introduced himself. Then, he would wonder why it mattered and would shake his head afterward.

After several minutes had passed, the young man turned to the fire with the sliced meat cubes stabbed on several wooden sticks. He jabbed the sticks on the ground by the fire before turning back to the remaining body parts and kicking them away, only taking the portion that the six heads could eat.

Kael was grateful, but he couldn't help but think that this young man was a bit strange. When this person looked at him, it was as though he was asking for a compliment. His expectant look was giving off that feeling, and so, Kael stood and slightly bowed his head. 

"Thank you for your hard work, kind sir. You sliced the meat evenly and smoothly. It is very amazing!" He even clapped his hands lightly. The man arched his brows, but he simply nodded and motioned the kids to come closer. With these, the kids joined, and before long, they were circling the fire, eyeing the grilling meat. 

"Priest! You truly are favored by Solvantar! He gave us food after you prayed with us!" The youngest kid exclaimed in awe as he looked at Kael and at the food back and forth. 

Kael scratched his cheek in embarrassment. He furtively glanced at the young man who was busy flipping the sticks, who then scoffed after the other kids agreed. Kael opened his mouth to say something, but the young man thrusted four meat skewers in a blink, one for each blabbering mouth. Then he pulled another two sticks and gingerly gave them to Kael. 

Kael thanked the young man and finally asked for his name. The young man looked at him straight. He gazed at him for a moment, eyes swirling with unconcealed sadness, before looking away. 

Kael was stunned. There was no mistaking it. Did he perhaps bring back some unpleasant memories by asking him his name? He suddenly felt very troubled. But then, the young man turned to him again, this time with a smile that was obviously fake, and answered, "My name is Eryn. Don't forget it."

That night, the kids slept soundly after filling their stomachs. Kael napped, but when he opened his eyes again, the rain stopped and the sky was bright. He searched for the kids and found them huddled on the straw bed. However, the young man was gone.