Mutual Aid

“It’s a really, really big thing to ask of me,” Nisho says.

The rain finally broke, and they’re sitting in the garden in the warm sunlight. Kurri’s skin has dried off, but his hair and his pants will take longer.

“I know. It wasn’t really our first choice,” Ketha says. “But things are escalating pretty fast around here. We need to do more than feed this town to win. We need to arm them.”

“I understand. Really, I agree,” Nisho says. “And I have no hesitation to risk my own life for your cause. It’s just that this temple is a clinic, and hiding weapons here is putting an incredible risk on my patients.”

“It’s not an ideal situation,” Perra says.

“I’ll do it. But I need to ask an equally big favor of y’all in return, something that will help my patients.”

“Aw Hel, we’d’ve done it anyway Nisho, you’ve already helped us a lot out here,” Perra says.

“I appreciate that, Filla, but--”

“Perra!”

Nisho looks over at him for a moment. “Right, of course, it’s obvious. But, what I need is pretty big to ask, too.”

“What do you need, friend?” Ketha says.

“I thought about what Kurri and Filla said the other day, about becoming a priest. If you believe in such things, the holy magic of my temple can help the sick to fight disease and ease their suffering. But, as an apprentice, my magic is quite limited. If I could become a priest, a true high priest of this temple, I could do so much more for those in my care. That’s what I want.”

“You want us to make you a priest?” Perra says.

“We can’t do that, only a guardian can!” Kurri says.

Nisho points to him. “Yes, a guardian can. And when an apprentice’s training is complete, they go on a pilgrimage to commune with a guardian, and the guardian anoints them as a priest, if they are worthy. And to protect an apprentice on a pilgrimage, they bring companions to keep them safe. So it’s been done since ancient times.”

“Hmm, I’m sure we will help you in whatever way we can, but we’re not in a position to run off on some pilgrimage right now,” Ketha says.

“Of course not, I would never ask such a thing. We don’t have to go very far at all. There happens to be a holy site where I could attempt to commune with a guardian just a day’s walk from here, on White Ash Mountain.”

Ketha stands up. “You want to go there? It’s crawling with sents.”

“Why? What’s at White Ash Mountain?” Kurri says.

“The strip mine,” Nisho says. “The source of all the discordium that comes through the refinery here. Which is why there’s an urgency to my ask, you can imagine.”

“When they finish tearing down that mountain, your holy place will be a slurry pile seeping into the river,” Perra says. “Yeah, we better hurry.”

“I only ask for a few capable folks beside me. If anybody can sneak me into a strip mine to conduct a sacred rite, the K.R.A. can,” Nisho says.

“Well sure. I mean, we can hardly speak for the collective, but I think we’ll surely agree to that. We’ll let you know for sure next time we see...” Ketha suddenly stops, and looks up at the sky. “Do you hear it?”

The constant drone of the rain has ended, but now a new noise echoes through the valley. Kurri is used to this, living in the capital, so much that he almost didn’t think anything of it.

“Airship.” Ketha points up. Where the clouds break, it emerges, a tiny “V” shape creeping toward them, leaving a trail of clouds in its wake. “Airship! Everyone get inside the temple, and we need something to cover up...this.” They gesture to the broken crate and the pile of weapons.

“There is a canvas banner we use for seasonal festivals, follow me,” Nisho says.

“You two should go ahead and tend to the blighted, we might have to leave this place real damn fast,” Ketha says.

Perra and Kurri look to each other.