The sun shone through the clouds, casting light on Kingsford while warming the morning atmosphere. Aileen took a walk in the castle’s courtyard with Gideon to enjoy the scenery. It was pretty, filled with roses and lilies. However, all of them could not dispel her anxiety. Her steps were sluggish and her eyes were blank. She was really concerned about her children. They should have arrived by now.

“Are they all right?” Aileen asked her husband, whom she actually knew wouldn’t be able to answer.

“I hope so. Eric is with them. They should be safe,” said Gideon. He tried to calm his wife, though his heart wasn’t completely sure. “Let’s just take a walk to the market. Maybe there’s something you like,” said Gideon. They then walked out of the castle down the city streets.

The market was a very crowded place. People from all around the city, old, young, rich, and poor, gathered there. The voices of the merchants who shouted in response made the atmosphere vivacious. After looking around for a while, Aileen was attracted by a light yellow handkerchief. The material was excellent. It has vines and leaves embroidered to form a heart silhouette of two roses in the middle.

“How much does it cost?” asked Aileen.

“Two silver, madam.”

Aileen was about to take money out of her pocket when she felt something strange. The wallet isn’t there! She panicked and immediately looked around.

A child ran nimbly through the crowd.

Aileen shouted spontaneously while pointing at the child. “THIEF!”

Gideon immediately tried to catch him up. However, because of the large number of people, he could not match the boy’s speed and almost lost track. When the thief was about to escape, someone in a white hooded dress ambushed him. The agile boy fell to the ground. His hands were clamped by the stranger, making him struggle helplessly.

“This belongs to your wife.” After tying up the thief, the stranger handed Aileen’s wallet to Gideon.

“Thank you very much, young man. What’s your name? I’ll pay you.”

“My name is Bram. You don’t have to thank me, sir. Thank God. I’m just a gerpa.”

Hearing that, Gideon was getting confused. “What is a gerpa? Then how can I thank your God?”

“Gerpa means servant of God,” said Bram. “Come with me. I’ll show you.” He then walked while herding the little thief. Mr. Gideon and his wife followed him. Their head was full of curiosity.

They walked further away from the crowd, towards the north side of the city. After walking for about half an hour, they finally arrived at a barren plateau. There was a simple temple building standing there, made of white stones arranged neatly. In the front yard, there are several people selling livestock and vegetables. Aileen coughed several times because of the amount of dust flying around there.

“Why are they selling here? Isn’t the market much busier?” Aileen asked Bram.

“The goods sold here are not for personal consumption, but to be presented to God.” Bram then handed the little thief over to another gerpa. He also wore the same white long-sleeved clothes as Bram.

After the thief was brought away, Gideon asked, “what are you going to do with him?”

“He will be temporarily detained before being put on trial. You will also be invited to testify.” Bram then took Gideon and Aileen to look at the items being sold for offerings. “This is how we thank God. By making offerings to Him.”

All the sellers there were also gerpas. Each item sold has its price. Gideon chose a calf as his offering to the Lord. After being paid, the sacrificial animal was brought into the offering court to be slaughtered. His four legs were tied so that it could no longer move when its throat was slit. Meanwhile, an elder came forward and began to recite the prayer. A butcher looks ready with his machete, ignoring the sound of the calf’s pitiful cry.

When the prayer was over, a butcher came forward to fulfill his duty. He cut the neck of the weak and helpless calf. Soon after, the wailing sound was replaced by an odd silence while a seepage of blood ran down the stone floor.

After the sacrifice had been skinned, the old gerpa—previously reciting the prayer—came forward with a wooden plank. The butcher placed a piece of meat on the plank to be brought into the holy temple. Gideon and his wife were invited inside to pray.

The atmosphere inside was dim. The sun’s rays shone through some holes in the walls. A few lit candles added not much of a light. On the front wall of the shrine stood a golden statue in the shape of a large tree with an eye in the center. Aileen sneezed as soon as she entered there. The smell of ash from the burning sacrifice stung her nose.

The old gerpa then took the sacrificial pieces of meat into the fireplace under the golden statue to be burned. The fire was lit and smoke billowed out through the chimney.

“Let’s pray,” Gideon said to his wife. Although he didn’t even know who the God symbolized as the golden tree was, there was no harm in trying. The two of them then joined a group of other people who were praying there. They stood looking down in front of the golden tree statue.

After praying for the safety of their children, Gideon and Aileen leave the holy temple. Bram met them and explained the essence of his belief, known as Herod’s teachings.

“At first, the teachings were spread by a philosopher named Herod. He lived alone on an isolated mountain. One day, he had a vision of a large tree with glowing eyes in the middle. He then accepted the teachings that were given to him and start preaching in town. Currently, this teaching has not yet spread to Yandell island, because of the limitations of preachers and its position which is geographically separated by the Tangal Sea.”

“Philosophically, the big tree is defined as life, while the eye means knowledge. We believe in the existence of a God who is the source of life, as well as All-Knowing. The three core teachings are obedience to God, love for others, and the law for sinners. All of that is then further elaborated into more detailed regulations.”

“It will take years to learn,” said Bram in the end. He then handed over several pieces of the meat to Gideon to take home. “This is some of the sacrificial meat that you have paid for. The rest will be distributed to the gerpas and the poor in the city.”

Gideon received his share and get prepared to return to the castle. In the meantime, Aileen saw someone familiar. “Isn’t that Isabel?” Aileen stared at a beautiful blonde-haired princess walking toward the temple.

Seeing Isabel’s arrival, Bram left Gideon and his wife to welcome the princess. From the way the two of them looked at each other, Aileen realized that the human pair seemed quite close.

“Our son will have a tough competition,” Aileen muttered to her husband. Bram’s face was quite handsome. His jawline is firm, and his blue eyes seem capable of hypnotizing any girl to be his lover. His body was tall and stocky, making the opposite sex feel safe in his protection.

“The most important thing now is, he must arrive here safely first.” Gideon took his wife’s hand as they left the temple.

Aileen nodded in agreement. She really hoped that their prayers were heard by God—whom she had just met.