[Edanian Journey] Aal

Chapter 3: The Price of Obedience As we made our way upward, we came upon ancient words written in flame. Ayawaka read them as <b>obedience</b>. Further ahead, a divine emissary suddenly appeared and ordered us to halt and pay our respects. Kuntur shouted that this was a test and that Aal was watching, so I followed the emissary's commands. When the emissary struck the ground with a staff, soldiers appeared. It was a trial in which defying the command brought immediate punishment. Even after the soldiers scattered into flame, the orders continued. "Lower your weapons." Then the exhausted Antay dropped his spear. When he tried to pick it back up, the emissary took it as an act of disobedience. Struck by divine punishment, Antay died. Urku broke down, struggling to accept such a cruel outcome. After the others offered what comfort they could, he eventually resolved to continue. He would reach Aal and ask what meaning there was in his brother's death. Ayawaka and Kuntur then told me about Aal's commandments: <b>obedience, abstinence, sharing, sincerity, humility, purity, and fasting.</b> These were the <b>seven teachings</b> at the heart of their scripture. Here, each seemed to take shape as a trial. Bassam looked ahead, where the next commandments awaited us: abstinence and fasting.