Battle of Sacrifice

Year 635

The year is of sadness

Of war and delight

Of loss

And forgiveness

Of lies

And Spite

Of Mayans

And their creation

There fall

And their rise

The year is of the Mayans

And how they died

~Nik's POV~

"I will be back, little Noam. Do not fear." I say to my wife, Noam the Smart, as I try once again to walk out of the cottage door. She clings to my arm, refusing to let me go. Her grip strong, her nails digging into my arm.

"Do not leave me, Nik. All I will have then is Kisin, and he is more your Brother than mine." She pleads with me, when I am almost to the door. Her dark hair flowing behind her as she is dragged to the door by my arm.

I scoff at her pulling my arm free. She looks pathetic being dragged behind me. Kisin is my brother but he was hers as well. And I would only be gone for a moon or two.

"Kisin will take care of you. Goodbye." I say ignoring her pleas and walking out the cottage door. I would not look back at her, for I know I would think farewell.

Dread fills my stomach as I get closer to the preparing soldiers. I grab my gear, and am off. Off to battle for a city whose name I don't even know.

To leave a family

Is sad

To leave a wife

Is sadder

To leave a life

And look back

And know

Your not coming again

Is saddest

~Noam's POV~

I hum under my breath whisking around the cottage. It had been a day since Nik left and I wasn't missing him terribly. Yet. I would eventually but not yet, and I was using my happy time to its fullest.

I was cleaning the cottage and it was almost done. I wonder if Kisin is going to visit. If so then I need to hurry.

Almost as if my thoughts had conjured him, a knock on the door is heard.

I run to it and throw it open, a sense of excitement coming over me.

I hug Kisin with all my might, while he is still as a statue. I look at him and see his stony face, just staring at me.

"What is it, Kisin? Who's hurt? Is it Ixxy okay?" I ask holding him at a distance so I could see him.

"No, just a hard day," He sighs looking at me like one might an annoying pest that you love, "And Ix is fine. She is at home now." Ixxy was his wife.

I look at him and see that he is, indeed, worn out. Letting go of him entirely I point to a chair in the room. He sits and I get him some water and beans.

"Aww, poor you. Tell little Noam all about it." I coo at him making him roll his eyes.

"It's fine. Just sing for me." He says making me smile. My singing talent is worshipped in the village.

So I start the lullaby that my mother used to sing to me.

The quetzal will call

So you may now fall

To your happy little place

Where there is no haste

When the quetzal calls

Just fall

Off of your high perch

In the world

When the quetzal calls

When I am finished he is asleep. I put a blanket over him and walk to his house to tell Ixxy that he is staying at the cottage tonight.

I may not have my husband, I think wryly, but I do have family.

War is crazy

It's fast paced

Insane, of course

It's any man's game

It is like the biggest game

But the results are devastating

War maybe fun to play

But in real life, it's a bad place to be

~Nik's POV~

"Nik go on and kill the man, he is no use to us." A man next to me said. I shake my head at him and go back to looking at the man at my feet. He is old, with gray hair and dark brown eyes. He looks like Noam.

"Do I know you?" I ask him quickly, because the general is coming up to me. He looks at me and starts to speak but I shush him. Pulling him behind the wall I let him up and grab his arm.

"No. But you may know my daughter. Her name is Alaghom-Noam." I stare at him and drop him. The general comes up behind me.

"What are you doing? Kill him!" He shouts in my ear.

I shake my head and say four words.

"Father of my wife."

A lie can kill

A family, happiness

Anything

So what can a huge lie kill?

Maybe just about

The world

~Noam POV~

I pull the thread through the cloth and set it down. It had been ten days since Nik left and I missed him terribly.

My hair blows around my face and I swipe it behind my ear. It was annoying at times but oh well.

A knock on the door makes me look up. In the doorway stands Nik and a hunched figure with his head down. I run to him and hug him.

"You aren't supposed to be home yet!" I yell hugging him tight. He just stands there. I pull back and look at his face. It is stoney and I am immediately suspicious.

"Hello." The hunched figure says to me picking his head up. I look at him and I vaguely recognize him. That voice I know that voice. From where though?

"Hello. I am Noam and you are?" I ask with a pointed look at Nik. He knows better than to bring a stranger to the house without consulting me.

The man chuckles at me and holds out a hand. "I am Chua. Please do not be mad at your husband, he is just bringing me to meet you." I smile at him.

Wait that name…. I know that name. My eyes widen and I look at him for a second then look at Nik. He just smirks at me. Shoot.

"Father." I whisper then run out of the cottage.

Maybe if you looked at someone

Just a little harder

You might be able to see

The person the always were

Maybe if you just looked harder

~Nik's POV~

She ran. Just ran out of the cottage. I had smirked at her and she ran. Well it serves me right I guess. She must think I'm mad at her.

I look at Chua and he nods. Running after her I catch up quickly. She is on the ground head in her hands. I move closer and she looks up, tears staining her face.

I bend down so I am at eye level with her. "Are you okay Noam? I thought you would want to see your father." I say looking at her face go through emotions, shock, happiness and lastly anger.

"Why would I want to see him? The man who I haven't seen since I was a child?" She yells getting up and in my face, bewildered. I look at her stunned. She is usually a quiet and refined women.

"Well it's not my fault that you ran away now is it?" Chua asks coming out of the house. His face is red and his eyebrows raised at her.

"Wait you're a run away? Why'd you run?" I ask her pushing her back a little. She just looks at Chua and me and then gives a little sigh.

"Come let's get comfortable, it's a long story, seeing as you don't know of my past." She says moving towards the cottage. I look at Chua and he shrugs. We move towards the cottage, ready to here her tale.

To be given away willingly

Is one thing

To be given away by force

Another

To be killed willingly

One thing

To be killed for a better cause

Another

To be sacrificed

For a King

Unwillingly?

Yeah you got another thing coming

~Noam's POV~

I sigh and begin to tell my tale to my husband and father. How had things gotten this way? Just last night I was just Noam, not Noam the Liar and Teller.

"Well first off my name is Alaghom-Noam, named after the goddess of deep thinking. My father is Chua The great. My mother is Lillian the Sweet. I have a brother, he is…. Not to be named." I say blushing when I can't remember my brother's name. Nik nods and motions his hand for me to continue.

"I was five when they came to the house," I say looking back at the memory, seeing my brother run down the field to talk to mother.

The wind blows against my face and I laugh. It tickles. All of the sudden I stop laughing. A man had grabbed me and was pulling me to the house. I look up and whimper. It is a warrior. What does he want? I wonder silently.

"Come on kid. Let's go." The man says pushing me into the house. He then proceeds to sit me down on the rug and walks to the chair.

"Hello I am Noam." I say in a voice barely above a whisper. The man looks at me and holds out his hand.

"John. I am here to tell you that you are to be sacrificed this coming week for the new king." He says with no emotion. I look at him and burst out crying. He shakes his head and walks away, leaving me to cry my heart out.

~Day Later~

I walk out of my small town to start a new life. This life is over, my father will be missed but it is worth it.

I look behind me one last time, and see the village. I turn and walk away, going nowhere.

I sigh and finish my story. My father looks at me, and comes over and hugs me. I look at him and give in.

I then realize, my life may not be perfect, and I may have many problems to face in the future, but it's better than nothing.