She climbed out of the tree's mouth just before sunrise.
Her dress was caked in dirt, her arms scratched with symbols. Her eyes, once brown, were now rimmed with green. The earth had given her a gift—or a curse.
Waiting near her home was Deacon Methodius.
He stood rigid, as if carved from stone. Behind him, Kyi fidgeted nervously, holding the sacred book he had found.
"You stink of rot," Methodius said coldly.
Lybid said nothing.
He stepped forward. "I offered you the sword of God. I called you to crusade. But you walk with dead gods and nature spirits."
"I felt that…" she hesitated and met his eyes, "I walk where I must."
He turned away from her and knelt before Kyi.
"Lybid," Methodius in a low voice, "'He' still lives in your heart I feel it, you are still his child. Our God will forgive you."
She nodded.
"But now I bare the will of the nature, of Rod," Lybid glanced at Kyi, "I feel great godhood in him."
"Boy," he said, placing a hand on the lad's shoulder, "your heart is unclouded. You seek truth and carry no poison. You shall be my squire. You shall learn the rites and prayers and wield the cross when it is time."
Kyi's mouth opened, then closed. He looked at Lybid.
She gave a slight nod and looked at Methodius.
"I received a revelation, that my brother and crusaders will arrive here to establish themata on this land. They will bring holy artifact to purify this land," Methodius stood up holding a necklace with cross.
"Your ancestors… Did they tell you something?" Methodius was somewhat hesitant about asking anything connected to the traditions of pagans.
Lybid's eyes narrowed.
"Rod's will grows weak, in ancient times 'He' sealed something in this land," Lybid added, almost like a warning.
Methodius expression turned solemn, his eyes closed.
"But our God's flame will spread. The roots will burn if they must." His fingers tightened around the cross as he spoke.
Lybid flinched—but only for a second. Then her jaw tightened.
Kyi swallowed hard.
Methodius looked beyond Lybid, toward the forest's edge, where the mist had thickened since morning. The trees leaned slightly as if listening.
"Until that, we need to try to fight whatever lies there, give resistance."
"Then I will gather the brave," she said. "Go and discuss the matters of evacuating the villagers to Zelu village with elder Petro."
Kyi watched as the two of them—two pillars of different worlds—stepped apart like opposing stones set before a coming flood.