Challenge #04688-L304: Miracles For Midwinterfeast
"Greatfather Langeven is a childhood god. He only sees that which is good in the world, and so comes for the children who believe they have been good. Which is terribly unfair to those who've been told they're wicked their entire, brief lives. But that's a different story for a different time."
The youth had always been kind, had always done their best to help others, even though they, themselves, were constantly being told they were evil, wicked, and, sadly, thoroughly believing it, often punished themselves almost more brutally than the cruel ones that were raising them. Then another child begs Langeven to stop seeing only the ones who believe they have been good, and start seeing the ones who are ACTUALLY good. -- Anon Guest
[AN: Dear Nonny, there is another childhood god who comes for the ones who are good but believe they're wicked. It's just that Greatfather Langeven can't see them... because they are the Shadow Teufel. But this can be a Midwinterfeast story for a much earlier era.]
Simple Zera was a wicked child. Everyone around hir told hir that ze was, and since they knew more than hir, ze believed them. Nevertheless, ze tried hir heart and soul away to be good. Zera did all hir household duties without complaint, trying hir best to do them well, and only got a drubbing for hir trouble. Ze foraged herbs for sick neighbours, but never got a word of thanks. Zera even worked all day to be sure everyone ze knew had enough firewood for the winter, but only ever got rocks thrown at hir. Ze only had one friend in the whole world, and that was Klare.
Klare was good, kind, and sweet, and everyone said so. She was well-mannered and scholarly, and kind enough to befriend Zera when no-one else would. She even thought it unfair when she learned why the town thought Zera wicked.
Hir mother was a Hellkin who lived in a witch's cottage in the woods. That had to make hir wicked by association.
[Check the source for the rest of the story]
