As I strode through the passageway leading to the temple's exit. I silently recited the speech I planned to give, as I mentally prepared myself for the upcoming battle of wills.
In the week since I’d opened the temple, I had been awaiting a meeting with the city chancellors. Yet to this day, that meeting never occurred, and not a single disciple arrived at the doors of the temple.
The only elevators that stopped at our platform was one which brought a contingent of guards, and their replacements. I wasn’t sure what they intended with this little siege of the temple. But today was the day the siege would end.
I was tired of this foolishness, every day I received a slew of complaints from the disciples who were able to pray to me, many having traveled to the city on hearing of its opening.
To make matters worse, Trismegistus declared he would be ‘forwarding’ all two hundred and fifty six disciples onto me if I did not resolve this matter soon. The god was also growing tired of the complaints, which was to my advantage, as he was more than willing to aid me in breaking the siege, if it would give him some peace.
Reaching the end of the passage, I greeted Victoria, and her brother Roan who were guarding the doors. The pair were both wearing their best armor, with purple cloaks that matched my new robes. Rainy had insisted on creating the robes, which she’d sent along with the cloaks through Kip.
The Dryad had been insistent that I needed to dress the part of a high priestess, and be presentable when interacting with the city officials. I’d been skeptical at first, not seeing how clothing would make any difference.
With or without robes, I was a high priestess, clothing wouldn’t change that fact. Yet now, wearing the beautiful purple and maroon robes, with intricate gold embroidery I felt different. When I put on the robes, it was as though I left behind Kadia, the girl who liked chemistry, and became Kadia, High Priestess of Philosophia Naturalis.
“Vicky, Roan,” I murmured softly, moving to stand between the two. “Anything new?”
“Same shit, different day.” Victoria grumbled, and I sighed, giving her a look which I hoped conveyed how sorry I was for what she was about to go through.
“It’s time.” I informed the pair, who nodded, giving the guards on the platform below one final glare.
When the two had retreated into the temple, I raised my left hand towards the open doors, mentally directing the temple to seal itself. The temple's stone doors slammed shut with a crash, and the broken circle carved on each of the doors flashed gold as it became whole once more.
With the doors closed, I drew in a deep breath and waited. Staring down at the guards on the platform, I eyed them with anticipation, hoping one of them would do something.
No one on the platform said or did anything, with the exception of this group's captain, who crossed his arms with a sneer. His expression made it clear he did not believe I would follow through with my threats, a foolish belief to be sure.
I wouldn’t bow or cower, I was not going to let anyone dictate how I lived my life, not anymore.
This life isn’t the one I choose, but it will be one of my own making. I thought as I moved to the statue of Trismegistus, and grasped the orrery staff a few centimeters below where the statue held it. In response to my touch, the statue released the staff to my hold, allowing me to take possession of it.
“Hear me, citizens of Airus! Hear me citizens of Kaledon! Hear me Disciples of Trismegistus, God of Alchemy, Transmutation and Astrology!” I shouted, slamming the staff onto the ground as I spoke. “The city of Airus has set its guards within the halls of worship, they bar entry to all who seek the temple of my patron! They hath been given chances to repent, yet they continue to act against him! Thus, he shall grace this city no more! The temple of Trismegistus shall forever be closed to the city of Airus!”
As the last word left my lips, the statue of Trismegistus fractured, and crumbled into dust. Behind me, the doors of the temple faded from view, and as I descended the stairs towards the platform they too crumbled into rubble behind me.
Thanks to the journal I found in the high priestess quarters, I’d learned a lot about the duties, and powers of the high priestess. Honestly, If I’d known that opening the temple would be so beneficial, I would have done it much sooner.
One particular ability of a god's high priest, or priestess, that was of the most use to me was the forsaking. The former high priestess mentioned this in depth, speaking of the light gods forsaking the city of Valonia, when those who resided in the city began favoring the dark pantheon.
The few gods of light who’d built temples in the city then declared the lands unworthy of their grace, removing their presence from the city. Use of their domains, such as the ability to heal or perform other acts related to one of those gods was impossible within the city. The forsaken city was a massive dead zone where light-aligned magics were concerned.
This wasn’t something which had been done since the world went live, and I really hoped I wouldn’t actually have to do it. A forsaking could not be done without a god's aid, and thanks Trismegistus’s annoyance over the repeated complaints of the disciples, he’d agreed to do it.
For some unknown reason, the mysterious city chancellors refused to even communicate with me. I’d sent letters by passing them to the guards, and even used the statue to speak through the city, threatening to forsake the mountain if they did not remove the guards. Yet, the guards remained, and no disciples came to my doors.
I did not know why they were blocking the disciples from entering the temple. I’d done nothing against them, aside from preventing the city guards from accessing aid from the temple. But, regardless of what reasoning they had, I wasn’t going to sit around playing games with these people. I didn’t care about their politics, or what they were trying to achieve by blocking me, all I wanted was some peace and quiet.
If I had to move the temple outside of their city to do it, then I would. Tris didn’t care either way, so long as the temple was accessible, and he was also left unbothered. I suppose that was one good thing about Trismegistus being a neutral god, as it meant he didn’t care where the temple was. I could plop this staff down in the middle of a swamp, and so long as the disciples could enter, he’d have no issue with it.
The only one I suspected would have an issue with my actions was Darius. I hadn’t told the guild leader what I was planning, as I suspected he’d try to stop me.
I knew Darius wanted to regain Eternia’s place within the city, but I didn’t see the point in fighting over something that would eventually be abandoned. Eternia wouldn’t be making Salvia it’s primary continent of residence, so why squabble over crumbs? If he wanted to fight for Airus, he could do it without using the temple as his foothold, just as he would have if I wasn't a high priestess.
Now, if I could work out how to get off this platform without dying, that would be great. I mused, eyeing the stunned looking guards who surrounded me on the platform.
As Trismegistus’s high priestess, I could no longer revive at a revival altar, or to a token, as those were Celeste's domain. My position meant I was bound to Trismegistus’s domains, and it would be he who oversaw me when I died, not the goddess.
According to the journal of the former high priestess, when my body reformed, I would be revived within the nearest active temple. However, with the only temple currently sealed, I didn’t know where I would end up if I was killed.
There was also the issue of my companions, who were now dead, courtesy of the fast acting poison I’d provided them. It was not possible to seal the temple with living beings inside it, and their own attempts to leave the city failed when the guards refused to call an elevator to the platform.
With no way for them to safely leave the city, without jumping off the platform, it was agreed they’d give up a life in order to allow me to seal the temple. Victoria’s brothers were each bound to a revival token, and Victoria was bound to the token given to my team. So in death, they would both be able to safely exit the city, reviving with the others who were currently staying in a nearby town.
That only left Zosimos, and myself needing to find passage safely out of the city. To achieve this, I was counting on Tris to aid me by using his ‘godly might’ to shake fear into the guards with threats of destroying the city if they hindered my departure. These guards would have no way of knowing Trismegistus wasn’t willing to do more than cause a few tremors.
Plus, if I really did destroy the city, I’d never hear the end of it.
With Zosimos perched on my shoulder, I strode confidently towards the guards who were gathered on the platform.
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“Summon an elevator, so I may leave the city in peace, or suffer the wrath of my patron.” I declared, eyes firmly locked on the guard captain, who was staring in shock at the place where the temple once was.
“Thats, that’s not possible!” He spluttered, shaking his head. “You… You can't be! They said you were a pretender! A charlatan claiming to be the high priestess, and preventing the true high priest from entry! You can't be a high priestess! It’s not possible!”
“Who would speak such lies that you would believe them in the face of such proof? I have spoken multiple times through the city by means of the temple, and it was I who opened the temple before the eyes of many witnesses.” I reminded him, having a strong suspicion of who might be behind the man's belief.
“Kitsune trickery!” Another guard hissed, unsheathing his sword. “Captain, she is clearly casting an illusion to fool us! You can not believe the words of this demon kin! The Eternia filth has finally left the temple, we can kill it now without fear of angering the god.”
More swords were unsheathed at the man's words, and I tightened my hold on the staff I held in my right hand.
“There is no trickery from me, if you wish to seek those you tell you lies, turn your gaze to those whom declared me false. I am the one, true High Priestess of Trismegistus, there are no others! Slay me now, and his wrath shall be upon you.” I said firmly, continuing to project my words throughout the mountain. “Should I die here, the city of Airus shall fall!”
The mountain shuddered, as did the platform we stood on, causing the surrounding men to stumble. Holding tightly to the staff, I braced myself as the mountain continued to shake. As the mountain continued its shaking, a loud voice called out from somewhere above us.
“Sheath your swords, besmirchers of a godly chosen!”
Looking up, I saw a group of winged men and women who wore gleaming silver armor. At the center of the group, flew a man in a white toga, and I suspected he was the one who’d spoken.
As the group of Tengu Yōkai landed on the platform, the guards scrambled to sheath their swords, each one dropping to their knees in a bow, as the white robed man strode forward.
“High Priest Icarus,” the guard captain exclaimed, kneeling with his hands clasped in front of him. “Have you come to purge the city of the deceiver who prevents the High Priest Ge Hong from entering the temple of his patron?”
“I come to lend aid to High Priestess Kadia, who has been suffering the ill treatment of this city, and to plead that she not punish the innocent within the city for the sins of those who attempt to lay claim to her temple.” The winged man informed the guard, before turning his gaze to me. “Greetings to the chosen of Trismegistus, please forgive my failure to greet you before now. I’ve been away, attending to a task for my patron, Vēdiovis.”
“High Priest! Do not be fooled! This Kitsune…” The guard who’d previously accused me of using illusion magic, surged to his feet, and was knocked backward by a streak of blinding light.
The light, was not magic as I’d first thought, but one of the armored Tengu, who’d moved across the platform at such speeds they’d been a shining blur to my eyes. Acting before anyone could protest, the Tengu hoisted the guard up by his collar, and slammed him down onto the stone hard enough that I was sure I heard bones crack.
“Do not besmirch the great Trismegistus’s chosen before me!” Icarus shouted, waving his hand towards the other guards who still knelt.
“Tris, want to fill me in on the new arrivals?”
“It is in Vēdiovis’s interests to aid you, his domains cross into my own.”
“He is the god of light magic, healing and good fortune. I’m assuming it is healing that crosses into alchemy?”
“Each of our domains connect in one way or another,” Trismegistus answered vaguely.
“High Priest Icarus,” I called, smiling warmly at the sandy-haired Tengu priest. “My patron offers his regards, and gratitude.”
“I do no such thing. Don’t give that annoyance the wrong idea, or… Vēdiovis! Get your hands off my wine, that wasn’t an invitation!” As Trismegistus’s voice faded, I fought back a laugh at the mental image of the old man racing through a cluttered lab to yank a bottle of wine out of the grasp of a beautiful winged man, who bore a strong resemblance to the goddess Celeste.
Turning my attention to Icarus, I saw him watching me with a pair of gray-blue eyes that contained a glimmer of amusement within their depths.
“High Priestess Kadia, do you truly intend to forsake Airus?” He asked, and I nodded with a sigh.
“Neither I, nor my patron wish to partake in the political meddling of this city. Those of Airus choose to forsake us, so we in turn shall forsake them.”
“Then allow me to escort you safely from the city, have you chosen where the temple will be relocated to?” Icarus offered, gesturing to one of his companions who leapt into the air flying down from the platform.
“I was pondering the idea of placing it on top of this mountain,” I admitted, which garnered laughs from those around us.
“The Tengu clans reside at the peak of the mountain, and those which surround it. While I’m sure you would be welcomed, it is not a place easily accessed by those without wings.” Icarus informed me, lips curling up in a wide grin. “Were this not the main temple of light on the continent, I would be tempted to forsake this place as you have. It has become a dreary place to reside as of late.”
As the winged high priest escorted me onto the elevator that arrived with the armored Tengu who’d left to retrieve it. I gave a brief look over my shoulder to the guards who knelt on the ground, recalling their words about Ge Hong. It would seem I'd underestimated the elf’s idiocy. But in the end, he’d only dug himself a deeper hole.
“If it is a mountain you seek, there is one I can think of that may suit you well. It is lower on the mountain range, and it’s peak can be seen from the town of Bovia. It is a place being scouted by the Dreadmere guild, who intend to build their guild a castle.” Icarus informed me, his blue eyes dancing with mirth. “It is land not yet claimed, as their scouts discovered it only recently.”
“How do you know this?” I asked, eyeing the man skeptically.
“I have disciples within the guild, who spoke of such a castle. Dreadmere wishes me for their own, but I have no wish to join a guild who would restrict my freedoms even more than my position already does.”
“Icarus, would you be opposed to giving me a ride?” I asked, grinning back at the Tengu. “I can change into my fox form if it will ease the burden.”
“I would not be opposed at all,” he replied. “However, my patron would ask that yours allow him the wine in return for this additional aid.”
As Icarus guided me towards the massive stone gates that lead out of the mountain city, I couldn’t help, but feel that I was forgetting something. It’s probably nothing important. I reassured myself, glancing around at the crowds of people who were watching our group's departure.