The Ultimate Sacrifice

• Sargunvir Kaur Saddhar, Grade 9, Penrith High School
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Track 2015' competition

“A child of a snake will grow up to be a snake. In the same way the child of a Warlord and Prophet is just as dangerous ” said the real snake with honey between his forked tongue. The king glanced thoughtfully at the two children in the court. He had only just considered leniency towards these two children. But his trusted advisor, made his statement and the King made his decision. The snake licked his lips in bloodlust just like any snake would before it struck its prey. He knew that with the right words from his honeyed tongue the king would agree with him. Except the pride of a lion never falls.
“I’ll give you one more chance. Convert to Cavanism and I will give fine houses for your living. Beautiful women. Even your own kingdoms,” said the King.
The eldest only nine years glared at the king with his bright brown eyes full of wisdom beyond his years.
“No! We will not convert!” he said in a voice clear and high.
“We have lived like lions! We will die as lions! A lion can never be a snake!” stated the youngest one with just as much zeal and passion as his elder brother. He was only seven.
“Then I sentence you to death!” thundered the king. Yet even this sounded like the mew of a baby cat compared to the roars of the two lion cubs in his court.
The court murmured, bringing an air of grimness and uncertainty. The snake licked his lips with delight. The king sat proudly at his throne, but even that seemed pathetic compared to the lion cubs, who had such dignity and poise you would think that they were the real kings.
The guard ushered the children back to the glacier cold tower in the west. Their grandmother was there. Her soft eyes showed neither sadness nor regret. She held her chin up in pride as she gave them a warm embrace as she learnt of their fate. She felt proud, ever so proud of being the grandmother of these brave children.
As the sun made its journey downwards the stars wept in the loss of the beloved children of the earth. The moon didn’t show her face out of grief. The Prophet, the father of these children felt a tugging at his heart. He sensed their fate but held his gaze at the moonless night. He felt proud of such children.
The sun prolonged its climb, the sun also dreading the moment to come. But nothing comes in the way of fate. At midday the children were led to their deaths. Nature howled in fury like the people who were witnessing this. Children did not deserve such a fate. But the children remained calm and with passion and zeal called the world to piety and enlightenment. Their undying love for their religion and spirituality called for the ultimate sacrifice. Their bodies have perished but their spirits live on.