Chapter Three
Fox gingerly cupped his hands and blew into them with great force as he stood outside the great wooden doors to the Cathedral of the Seven Holy Sacraments. With shivers running through his muzzle, he banged a fist on a door. The doors, constructed out of polvenu wood, were as hard as stone and held patterns of intricate knots and twists of ivy. Even the gray stone arch surrounding it was decorated with friezes of monks and saints of Uno. Fox tried to identify them all as he rubbed his leather trench coat with his arms to get warm. Above the doorway was St. Thomasso gazing down at anyone who stood in front of the gothic building. He held his familiar written texts in his hand, including the book of Vers and the Holy Bible. On his side was St. Aiya, or at least it looked like her. Fox shrugged as he brushed some snow off his shoulders. Apparently, from what he had learned in a year, she was known to have been a very frail vixen with fur a crimson red, rumored to be the same color as the blood of Christ. She was usually depicted wearing a dress as green as the Unonian fields and a small stole as brown as jaku bark. Just above the saintly couple was a collection of stained glass windows that stretched far into the sky, feebly attempting to reach to what it glorified. A centerpiece was near the keystone, showing Christ ascending from the dead after the third day. Two large spires sprouted from the left and right side of the front. The right side was taller, probably because the early builders believed that since the right hand of God saved, the left sides of other things, like spires on cathedrals, were inferior.
Suddenly, the massive portal creaked open. "Welcome to the dwelling of the Lord Almighty! Come in, my son." He opened the door wider to let Fox in, but he suddenly stopped when Fox moved closer to the entrance. "Fox?" he asked.
From what he saw, Fox couldn't tell who this man was. He wore a drab brown hooded robe with a white belt that hugged his thin waist. But, as the creature removed his hood, he could tell the man was a young blue-furred fox. "Ives?" Fox asked.
The fox smiled warmly at him. He held up his arms, showing his missing hand through a large sleeve. "Yes," he replied. He paused to gaze at Fox, checking out his attire and face, almost like he didn't believe he was standing in front of him. With a sudden jerk, Ives grabbed Fox and hugged him, crying tears of joy and rubbing his hand and wrists on his back. "Oh, Fox! I'm so glad to see you! I'm so thankful you are safe and well! Oh, please come in and warm yourself up! Please rest yourself!" As he patted Fox on the back, he led him into the massive structure, closing the door behind him with a slam that was amazingly soft considering the weight of the door. "Come in! Come in!"
Inside were hundreds, maybe thousands of candles that lit up the congregation area with an almost holy glow. Moonlight, reflected from the snow clouds, poured in from the towering windows like light from heaven raining down in the open place. As he looked up, he noticed he couldn't really see the ceiling, but he could at least make out the outlines of some murals. But the most surprising feature was the absolute massiveness of the building. The four spacious wings of the cathedral were so large that Fox believed some Unonian villages could fit within the splendid walls. It was truly a sight to be seen.
"Nice cathedral," he complimented.
Ives nodded. "The second buttress on the left side needs repairing, but other than that it is in very good condition. The monks have kept it very well."
"How did you get here?" Fox asked as he looked down ahead to the rows of pews in the distance. He assumed the place could seat thousands, but much, much more if people stood in the standing areas.
"After we left you, my damaged wrist was cauterized. But it became infected, infected to the point where I thought I was going to lose my entire arm. The pain was unbearable." Suddenly, a chorus of foxes and vixens echoed off into the distance somewhere. The whole sound seemed heavenly, almost as if angels resided in the cavernous gothic building at that very moment. "I prayed every night, but nothing worked. I became unable to fight and was deserted by the kral commodore soon after in the woods." Ives looked over at Fox as he continued to walk. "My arm hurt so much, Fox! I tried to cut it off, but I couldn't because I would get sick to my stomach. Then came my miracle." Ives smiled. "One night I was praying in a wooded area when I saw a bright light. I walked toward it, naturally, and I was healed. I heard a soothing voice that said my life was not over and that there is much left for me to do. Then the beam of light disappeared. I glanced at my arm, and I saw that my infection was gone." He paused as he walked next to a collection of long candles near an altar so beautiful and so massive it caught Fox off guard. "I heard that your men were under the leadership of Sorrento in Cavask, so I joined this cathedral to study the priesthood. I speak to a few of them on occasion, and I've been here ever since."
"So you're going to be a priest?" Fox asked.
Ives nodded. "Very soon I will be finished with my studies. I want to work very diligently and become a great priest. Someday, I hope to be the one to crown the new king of Uno!"
"I hope you get there," Fox replied. "Who will be the next king? Do you know?"
Ives shook his head as he lit more candles. "No one knows, especially since Casko II hasn't had any children yet. He'll probably pick some rich noble or someone like that. The Noble of Eris looks to be highly favored, in my opinion." He sighed. "Oh well, it looks like Uno will once again suffer under a weak king. Is there no rest, Almighty Father?" With a slight chuckle, Ives shook his head and walked over to the pulpit. "Stay here, Fox. I'll get you some food and blankets. You can sleep anywhere you want, okay?"
Fox shrugged. "Okay. I wasn't really planning on sleeping, but I guess that's okay." As Ives nodded and disappeared behind a dark wooden door, Fox turned around and gazed out at the pews in front of him. It looked intimidating, he reasoned, from that vantage point. He began to wonder what it would be like for be a priest. Thousands of people would have his eyes on him, and he would have to be flawless. Grand speeches would have to flow from his pious tongue. On the other hand, he'd be revered and trusted with knowledge beyond anything he thought was important.
"I guess priests are like fighters too," Fox whispered to himself. "Instead of fighting the Mafia, they fight all forms of evil. Their weapon is their words, and they fight with a burning passion, hungry to save a soul from impending death." Fox scoffed. "I guess I'm like a priest in a way. Yeah right." He began to walk down the wide aisle passed rows and rows of pews. Each pew had a large candle on a brass stand at each end, and it reminded Fox of crude streetlamps of a solemn city. With a slight turn, he collapsed into a pew and rested his head in his hands, rubbing his forehead to try to think.
"How do I defeat the Mafia this time?" Fox asked. He hoped someone would answer, but the only thing he heard was the faint chants of the choir. With a sigh, Fox buried his head in his arms.
"Fox, why are you sad?"
Fox looked up. "Who said that? Maria?"
"I'm right here, Fox."
Fox turned to his right and saw Maria, looking like her typical self. Her white and black dress seemed to brighten the area around her. Her blue fur looked beautiful, and her indigo colored hair, still at its typical cut length, seemed to glisten in the moonlight. "Maria?" Fox asked as a smile over came his face. "Maria! You've come back!"
"I never left you, Fox," she replied with a smile. "Fox, why have you tried to fight your feelings?"
"What?" Fox asked. He shifted in his seat nervously.
"You have been sad for a long time, Fox. When the pain became too much, you tried to bury it in your thoughts. I understand because it's very hard for me too. I miss you as much as you miss me, Fox. But you can't run from your feelings. You have to face them and understand them. Then you will feel a little better."
"It's not that I want to forget you, Maria. I would never do that. But I miss you, and nothing in this life will change that." A tear streamed from the male's eyes.
Maria smiled. "Fox, just remember that we are still married, and although we are separated, we are still united. It hurts to remember, but you must. You must, in order to help yourself and keep going." She set a beautiful hand on fox's leg and looked into his eyes with a smile. "We will always need each other."
Fox gently grabbed Maria's hand and kissed it. Maria giggled slightly, which made Fox bear a grin he hadn't done in months. His soul finally began to bask once again in her warmth, melting the terrors and sadness away. "Maria, I will never forget you. You and I are inseparable."
"I know."
"But Maria, why haven't I seen you for so long? That's part of the reason why I've felt so lonely." Fox looked down at the floor. He didn't want to make her upset, but she did tell him to face his feelings, so he felt he should tell her that, even thought the thought of her upset made his heart wrench.
"I know, Fox. I haven't spoken with you in a while. If it were up to me, I'd be around you every second of every day, but I can't. I'm told when I can see you, and I cry when I have to go back. But I know how you feel, Fox, and I know you and I hold a love that is still growing, growing more intense and more longing with each slow step of life and the afterlife. Don't worry, though. I am always with you."
Fox nodded. "Thank you, my Maria."
Maria smiled. "Do you feel better now?"
Fox paused. "I will always remember – nothing will block that anymore. The happiness I get from thinking about you outweighs the pain. Maria... I can see it clearly now. I'd rather remember and suffer than suppress. In a way, suppressing it is suffering. I don't mind the pain anymore. I'll gladly take the pain. I love you more than that."
Maria grinned. "You are well again, my love." She positioned one leg over another as she flicked her tail silently. "Now tell me, what else is bothering you?"
Fox grimaced. "In less than twenty four hours, a Mafian division will be advancing to Cavask, and I don't know what to do."
Maria put a hand on Fox's chest, letting it rest silently on his sternum. "You will know, Fox. That's why you were chosen."
"Chosen? Why? How?" Fox furrowed his brow as he gazed at Maria's deep blue green eyes.
"Someday you will know," she replied with a grin. "You will know, and it will all be clear. Even the smallest detail will be impossible not to understand. But for now, you've got to look at the paths in front of you and use what you have."
"Show me," Fox said.
"You have three choices. One is obviously not to fight and lose hopes of a plan. Another is to choose to fight these Mafians head on. Yet another is fighting the Mafians, but instead of men and brute force, you use your mind."
"What do you mean?"
"How did McVanke II defeat the Careinians in the Battle of the All-Souls? He used the battlefield to his advantage. When the enemy armies marched into Uno, they met him in a field outside of Cavask. Earlier, he had men pour oil on the field. So, when the battle commenced, he had archers hidden behind the infantry fire arrows tipped with burning cloths onto the field. It was a success. Half of their army was destroyed, and the remainder was damaged to the point where they were easy prey to McVanke's men." She paused. "You can outfox your enemy, Fox."
Fox nodded. "I'll figure it out. Thank you, my Maria. You have so much confidence in me."
She smiled as her hand pulled away from his chest. "I do because I can." She closed her eyes and rested her head against Fox's shoulder, nuzzling it with a soft cheek. "Tell me something, Fox. Pretend we're in our little grove of pines and we're thinking about having children and getting married. Please, take away some of my pain too."
Fox gazed down at the frail vixen. With great care, he put a hand around her shoulder and held her tight. "We live in a big house, a large one that's very well built, here in Cavask. Every morning I leave for my job, a job at a factory, or maybe we live on the edge of town and I'm a rancher outside the city walls. Whatever the location or job I have, we still love each other. See this cathedral around you, my Maria?"
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
"One day we were married here. We still go to mass each weekend. We also bring our child. If it's a girl, her name is Evangelina, and we make sure she wears the finest dresses we can buy. If it's a boy, his name is Jamano, and he is molded into a strong man like I was, but he has the freedom to choose not to fight and the ability to live in peace and harmony with all vulpines and other species. That's because the war would be over by then, and the world would finally open its heavy eyes and realize love is greater than any power, riches, or pride."
"How big is our house, Fox?"
Tears began to well up in the Chaljsko fighter's eyes. "Two stories. We live on a peaceful street covered by trees and friendship."
"Do we still kiss each time we see each other?"
Fox nodded. "Yes, every chance we get."
Maria sighed quivering as Fox moved his hand up and down her back. "Fox?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"Do you remember when you asked if we were married in Uno one night, and I told you that we were, but in a Uno you weren't accustomed to?"
Fox nodded slowly. "Yes, I remember."
"Do you want to know how that can be?"
Fox paused and gazed down at her. She looked relaxed, but something still didn't seem to make sense. What was she hiding? What did she know? Why couldn't he ever know what she knew? Heaving in a deep sigh, the Chaljsko fighter furrowed his brow. "I don't know."
"What do you mean?" Maria asked.
Fox moved his hand to Maria's soft cheek. "Do you ever fear too much knowledge, Maria?"
Maria shook her head. "No, no I don't. Ever since I can remember, Fox, I've wanted to know things and be knowledgeable, knowledgeable like my cousin, parents, and you were."
"You were," Fox replied. "But, if you could see paradise, and know everything about it, but could never experience it, would you want to see it?"
Maria paused and looked up at Fox, appearing slightly puzzled. "Something so beautiful, but you could never experience it?" Fox nodded. "I've already felt that, Fox. But I still want to know them, and I cherish those thoughts like roses cherish the sun and water."
Fox shifted in his seat. "How do you mean?"
"Our dream, our dream of living in Cavask with our child and our home. I've already seen that dream, but I'm glad I did because it told me that everything could have worked out. We could be living that dream if everything was different, and that makes me sad too. But, I'm thankful that we at least had a chance." Fox watched her as tears silently fell from her soft cheeks. "I've never seen the true future between us, though. I don't know if you will make it to paradise, Fox, but what I do know is that if you do, it will be through horrible suffering because of who you are and what you stand for."
"Tell me about our wedding," Fox replied, hoping to change the subject.
"In this cathedral we exchanged our vows. It was a very beautiful ceremony. You wore a tuxedo with a long, thin black coat. I wore a white wedding dress with lace and silk."
Fox shook his head. "But you said it wasn't Uno and it was. What does that mean?"
"There are two Unos, Fox. One the body is accustomed to, and one the soul is. Vulpines who are evil lose sight of that Uno, the Uno that never suffers wars or famine, the Uno that God has truly blessed for our species in the afterlife. Humans receive the New Jerusalem; Careinians have another realm, and so on. We have been blessed with a New Uno."
"Which one were we married on, Maria?" Fox asked, still uncertain as to what he just heard.
"The New Uno, Fox," she replied. "It was a wonderful ceremony. Your father and mother were there, along with Frankjo and Janetka. Others sat in pews exactly like these ones."
"But I want to remember!" Fox pleaded. "Oh please, Maria, please show me that night!"
She shook her head. "We were wed, Fox, in a spiritual marriage, an eternal union. Only when your body and soul are eternally separated and you are given your new body will your body be perfect. You can't have that yet, Fox, because you are still living here. You will not be able to view our marriage until then, unless you are granted that privilege on Terrestko."
"Can you act it out then? Please? I can feel it, but I can't remember it."
Maria smiled a wry grin and stood from her seat. Extending out her arm, she waited for Fox to grab it with a gentle hold. She led him to the end of the aisle, her dress softly bouncing with each step. "I came down the aisle, veiled and lead by a man I cannot speak of. I watched as hundreds of bright faces, lit by candlelight, turned their attention to me in anticipation." She pointed to the pulpit. "A saint stood at the end, waiting for me to arrive. I did, slowly and to the beat of the loud organ. Then I waited as I came to your side. You stood there the whole time, waiting for me, with a saint holding onto your arm. She gave both of us a nod and then stood behind her husband as he preformed the ceremony. I cannot tell you how we united, Fox, because you wouldn't fully understand it just yet. But, for the most part, it was like a typical Unonian wedding, only longer and more… different."
Fox shook his head as he began to walk down the aisle with her. "What else can you tell me, Maria?"
"After the chain ceremony, we kissed," she replied.
"Chain? Maria, I've wanted for so long to kiss you again!"
Maria put a finger aside her muzzle, letting the rest remain a secret. "I must go now, my love."
"Wait," Fox begged. Immersed in deep thought, he searched for anything to ask her. "Why did you put that rose at my feet before the battle of McVankevo?"
Maria focused her eyes to the floor and suddenly began to frown. "Because I saw something."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, my love. All I know is that I saw something, something that would alter your life forever, and so I tried to warn you."
Fox put a hand gently under her muzzle and moved her face up to eye-level with his. "Maria? Do you still see it?"
She faintly nodded her head. "I'm sorry, Fox."
With a pliable heart and a heavy head, Fox took in a deep breath. "When is it going to happen?"
Maria opened her mouth, but then stopped herself from saying anything. Instead, she rested her head in his chest, gripping his sides with her thin arms and letting her hair fall all about. "Just promise me that when that time comes, you will never let go."
Fox stroked her cheek with slow movements of his hand. "I will, I promise, so long as you will be there for me."
"You will never leave me. I will never leave you, Fox. That's the way it will always be."
"Fox, don't fall asleep yet! You'll catch a cold out here in the open!"
Looking up with heavy eyes, Fox rubbed his eyes and noticed Ives standing next to him in the aisle. He held an armful of blankets and food that were carefully stacked as he made sure they wouldn't fall from his clutches. "I brought you some bread. We had some left over from our meal a few hours ago." He handed Fox the food. "I'm sorry it isn't much, but it's the best I could do."
"You've done more than enough, friend," Fox replied as he ripped off part of the stale bread.
Suddenly, a voice began to overpower the rest of the choir in the background, the soothing tones cascading into the cavernous building like a gentle breeze from heaven. It was a beautiful, almost as if an angel had taken residence in the old structure. Perking up his ears, the Chaljsko fighter strained to hear her words.
"Oh tell me where the wild rose grows…"
As soon as it had started, the flowing, smooth voice silenced. Fox shook his head. He could barely make out the words, but he knew them by heart. Mother? "Who sang that?" he snapped abruptly.
"What do you mean?"
"That song," Fox replied. "Please tell me!"
Shrugging Ives nearly lost his grip on the cargo he toted. "Um… the choir is singing Vilevexo en Ifuntre."
Furrowing his brow, Fox sighed dejectedly. "Never mind."
Ives nodded as he sat down next to Fox, setting the blankets at his side. After adjusting the hood to his robe, the blue-furred fox let his hand rest firmly in his lap. "So, what brings you to these parts?"
"I came here for guidance and understanding."
"Ah, yes. Did you find any?"
Fox nodded. "More than I could ever imagine."
"What do you mean?"
Fox grabbed a blanket from Ives's side. "Let's just say I now know what I must do."
Ives cocked his head. "How?"
Fox grinned. "I have a plan."
