The corpse of the aevis was unmistakable. Roen had seen other similar displays--the remains of dragonkin and beastkin alike left out in the open, chained or just abandoned where they had been killed. She thought it was just another grim reminder of the ongoing war, and a part of her wondered if it also served to boost the confidence of weary soldiers who faced the possibilities of death every sun in battling such creatures.
But the sight that greeted her now somehow seemed more than just an effort to boast a victory. As the paladin continued to stare at the staked carcass, she came to realize why. There was another skull at the pointed tip, and it did not belong to any fiends. Its smaller size was similar to that of men, and the broken bones to the sides of the cheeks made the identity of who it belonged to obvious.
This skull was that of an Au Ra.
Roen pulled back on the reins, bringing the birds and the wagon to a stop. Her gaze first flickered to Khadai, who had also stopped as his attention was fixated on the gruesome sight. She could see his frame turn rigid, his hand reaching for the sword that hung at his back. But then it dropped, and the warrior shivered. He said nothing and continued on past.
The paladin scowled. Khadai had not said a word on the incident since they discovered the body of the female Au Ra on the wooden stake. The grisly vision had haunted her since, and she wondered if it too lingered on Khadai’s mind. Having gained more insight on the Xaela warrior since, as well as having spotted his brief but veiled reaction just now, Roen suspected that it must trouble him more than he had been letting on.
“Khadai, wait,†she called out. The paladin hopped off the wagon, wading through the thick snowdrift to inspect the ghastly scene. She noted the roughly drawn picture on its flank first: a lance through a dragon’s skull. The comparison drawn to the Au Ra skull on the top of the stake was unmistakable. As she approached the wooden spike, she also noted the words that were carved into the shaft.
“Where there is sin, we bring atonement,†she read the words out loud.
Roen narrowed her eyes and tapped her fingers against the wood. “These are the same words that were also carved into the stake we found near Dragonhead,†she said, clear enough for Khadai to hear. To the paladin’s mind, this was proof that these may be indeed ritual killings, and the nature of the words seemed to imply a religious purpose. And yet when she had inquired about it to Ser Heuloix, he knew naught of any radical groups that carried out such abominable practices.
Although the fact that it was an accepted Ishgardian tradition to hurl people who were suspected of heresy off of a cliff to see if they die from their innocence or were to be killed if they revealed their guilt… Roen silently lamented the fact that staking heretics did not seem entirely outside the realm of possibility. But that meant that a race of people were being unjustly targeted, solely based on their appearance and alien nature alone.
That she could not abide by.
“These are not isolated incidents,†she pondered aloud. She studied the carved depiction on the flank once more, committing it to memory. She gave Khadai a sidelong glance. “It maybe a group of zealots, from the drawing on the flesh. I will… ask others about it. See if it means something to someone.â€
The paladin paused, furrowing her brow. “But this is not the norm, even for a land such as Ishgard.†The edge of her voice had softened just slightly although her expression remained intent, as if imploring him to listen. “The Holy See recognizes the Au Ra as its own people, not Dravanians.†She quickly dismissed the pang that accompanied the memory of her own misjudgement as she too mistook Khadai for a dragon thrall in their initial meeting.
Roen chewed her lips, a concerned pause filling the silence between them for a few breaths. When she spoke again, her voice had quieted and her gaze rested steady on the warrior. “Are you… at unease about this?â€
But the sight that greeted her now somehow seemed more than just an effort to boast a victory. As the paladin continued to stare at the staked carcass, she came to realize why. There was another skull at the pointed tip, and it did not belong to any fiends. Its smaller size was similar to that of men, and the broken bones to the sides of the cheeks made the identity of who it belonged to obvious.
This skull was that of an Au Ra.
Roen pulled back on the reins, bringing the birds and the wagon to a stop. Her gaze first flickered to Khadai, who had also stopped as his attention was fixated on the gruesome sight. She could see his frame turn rigid, his hand reaching for the sword that hung at his back. But then it dropped, and the warrior shivered. He said nothing and continued on past.
The paladin scowled. Khadai had not said a word on the incident since they discovered the body of the female Au Ra on the wooden stake. The grisly vision had haunted her since, and she wondered if it too lingered on Khadai’s mind. Having gained more insight on the Xaela warrior since, as well as having spotted his brief but veiled reaction just now, Roen suspected that it must trouble him more than he had been letting on.
“Khadai, wait,†she called out. The paladin hopped off the wagon, wading through the thick snowdrift to inspect the ghastly scene. She noted the roughly drawn picture on its flank first: a lance through a dragon’s skull. The comparison drawn to the Au Ra skull on the top of the stake was unmistakable. As she approached the wooden spike, she also noted the words that were carved into the shaft.
“Where there is sin, we bring atonement,†she read the words out loud.
Roen narrowed her eyes and tapped her fingers against the wood. “These are the same words that were also carved into the stake we found near Dragonhead,†she said, clear enough for Khadai to hear. To the paladin’s mind, this was proof that these may be indeed ritual killings, and the nature of the words seemed to imply a religious purpose. And yet when she had inquired about it to Ser Heuloix, he knew naught of any radical groups that carried out such abominable practices.
Although the fact that it was an accepted Ishgardian tradition to hurl people who were suspected of heresy off of a cliff to see if they die from their innocence or were to be killed if they revealed their guilt… Roen silently lamented the fact that staking heretics did not seem entirely outside the realm of possibility. But that meant that a race of people were being unjustly targeted, solely based on their appearance and alien nature alone.
That she could not abide by.
“These are not isolated incidents,†she pondered aloud. She studied the carved depiction on the flank once more, committing it to memory. She gave Khadai a sidelong glance. “It maybe a group of zealots, from the drawing on the flesh. I will… ask others about it. See if it means something to someone.â€
The paladin paused, furrowing her brow. “But this is not the norm, even for a land such as Ishgard.†The edge of her voice had softened just slightly although her expression remained intent, as if imploring him to listen. “The Holy See recognizes the Au Ra as its own people, not Dravanians.†She quickly dismissed the pang that accompanied the memory of her own misjudgement as she too mistook Khadai for a dragon thrall in their initial meeting.
Roen chewed her lips, a concerned pause filling the silence between them for a few breaths. When she spoke again, her voice had quieted and her gaze rested steady on the warrior. “Are you… at unease about this?â€
