Chapter 36

The Spawn-Scorching ceremony and the dry season festivities are being held with an extra celebration this year. The original Saviour Narratives are to be unveiled by the Circle. Mart walks behind the fire that is lighting the dusk sky towards the platform placed in the middle of the Saviour Ship deck. The guards escort him to the platform and the pilgrims’ crowd follows him. The Circle members walk up the platform and the guests from Oxan and the ships sit on the special benches of the ceremony. Mart stands in front of a glass box, covered with a purple Saviour turban. He is wearing a long yellow dress that covers his arms and legs. He waits for everyone to sit on the benches and the frustrated crowd, annoyed by the heat of the season and the ceremony fire become quiet. The heat has gotten to Mart as well. He is not used to the long covering dress and the smooth expensive textile is sticking to his body. He turns to Akhgar and asks for his permission to start and with his sign, he looks to the crowd.

“We shall continue this season’s festivities by unveiling our greatest discovery of the last rain season. As we searched all the books in the libraries, we have come across the original handwritten narratives of the Saviour. This original, ancient version will be our only true source for following the Saviour from now on,” Mart starts his speech and with the cheering of the crowd, pulls down the purple turban from the glass box and unveils the book that is placed inside it. He then bends gently towards the box showing how the pilgrims are to pay their respects to the sacred original copy of the Saviour Narratives.

“With the help of the true disciples of the Saviour, we have gathered and destroyed all the fake narratives of Parsana. We have made recycled papers from them to be able to produce copies of the true narratives!” he continues as the crowd cheerfully claps and shouts in joy. He feels inspired and looks at them proudly.

“The Saviour Army has reached the Atlan borders. We shall soon hear the great news of our victory to overthrow Atlan and capture Tirad… The Saviour Ship has never in the past abandoned its followers and shall never do so in the future… We will get revenge for the innocent lives of Oxan refugees!” Mart finishes his speech and the crowd cheers him louder than before. Mart thanks the crowd and goes to sit on his place, next to Akhgar on the Circle members’ bench. Most of the pilgrims are women, children and the elderly. They walk up the platform with a guard’s signal, bend to the glass box to show their respect to the original Saviour Narratives and go to the back of the ship to receive their free food of the festivities. Akhgar happily puts his hand on Mart’s shoulder and asks him to bring his face forward.