Chased Crashed and Standed (ORP)

The world had grown still in anticipation for the sun’s return. As the sky turned a bruised, blueish hue, the stars began to fade away. Birds dared not yet sing to the arrival of the new day and give away their positions to the lingering darkness. It was in this liminal hush that a large figure wandered down the country road. Simeon had decided to spend the day tracking his footsteps, testing the edge of the confusing fog that led him back towards the town. However, before he could be redirected, his journey came to a halt at a sudden labored cry. He followed the road in the direction he believed the noise had come. It didn’t take too long to encounter the blood upon the roadway. There was enough of it to tell the tale of some foul play. It was tepid to the touch- still spreading across his finger tip as he went to sample it. While there was no body in the immediate area, there were a curious set of recently laid tracks. He followed them over to sharp bend in the road and a ragged cliffside, which was high enough for him to approach cautiously. A quick glance revealed the wrecked carriage at the bottom.

Simeon now had a choice. Return and find assistance or descend and attend to any survivors. The latter seemed more reasonable for the time of day and regarding aiding anyone gravely injured. “Hullo,” he called down over the side, his voice cracking as he strained to project it, “Be down....” It was by no means an easy climb, but one that the large priest scaled with relative confidence and a sense of emergency. With a large thump, he landed near the remnants of wheel. The wreckage was telling; it would be a miracle if anyone survived. But if he was here, then it could very well be the Lord’s work, and He did ensure the miraculous. “Hullo,” he called out again stepping carefully around the rubble. His eyes softened as they fell upon the first victims- the twisted forms of cart horses. He bowed his head and said a quiet prayer for the animal. This death would likely not be in vain. The creature would likely provide to scavengers, raptors, and carrion birds in the area. However, that would likely not be the case for the driver, who Simeon could just make out over the wreckage. The large passengers form was barely visible, and he feared the worse. “Amaro dad....,” he croaked as he scrambled his way across the debris to the bodies.

The remains of the driver were completely unrecognizable. It was not a sight for the faint of heart. Simeon had seen his fair share of bloodshed during the war and, while the figure was ghastly, he knew he had a duty to perform. His eyes drifted momentarily to the mangled keys on the ground by the side of the what remained of the man, before deciding to take the risk to perform prayers. There was a chance the man’s soul still lingered, as crash had happened not that long ago. Kneeling by the body, he made the sign of the cross before proceeding with a series of words that flowed out effortlessly like a song. To him it was the sign that the Lord was with him in this moment and it was His will. As there wasn't much to anoint, he concluded with a final blessing and prayer.

His eyes lifted, looking for place and a means to bury the body, but there was nothing readily at hand. There was the potential to build a cairn around him, but that would likely take some time. But between the keys and the broken bars in the wreckage, Simeon could only assume that there might be someone else that required his assistance first. They could be hurt or they could've fled deeper into the woods. Either way, things would only get worse from here. All he could do is call out, voice straining as he did so.