Wandering around the church, Aliya was searching for her childhood friend Delta. The gnome was checking each specific location dedicated to one of the seven gods. When Aliya went to embark on her impossible quest of curing the plague that killed her parents, Delta hadn't picked a main god to devote most of her time to. This made finding her friend harder than she first guessed. Aliya had only two more places to check, Tyora's Room of Life and Baron's Library of Knowledge.

The Cleric knew that Baron's rites and practices were far too strict for her friend's free spirit. She walked past the library and went to Tyora's special room near the back of the church. The room itself wasn't very big but it was beautiful. A thin layer of grass lined the floor with a small pool filled with a teal liquid in the centre of it.

Some flowers and small trees grew along the edge of the room. A very narrow stream was dug from the pond and went to a little patch of soil on the wall opposite of the entrance. A few tiny woodland critters also scurried around the room. If one didn't know better, this room could have been confused as a room for Fiora because of the abundance of nature but this was because small animals and plants were the best for testing and growing a cleric's healing magic.

A group of clerics was gathered around the pond. A beautiful gnome with long brown hair and pale skin was giving a lecture. Aliya immediately recognized her as her friend Delta. Delta's voice filled the room, causing the Jellybean's cleric to notice how her friend's gentle and soft voice juxtaposed her own hoarse voice.

"With the guidance of Tyora, we can transfer our life energy into other living things," Delta preached. "Allow me to demonstrate the beginner's way of learning how to transfer life with that wilting tree." The beautiful cleric gestured towards a dying tree in the soil that the small humanoid-made stream went to.

Delta raised her holy symbol, which looked like a rose with a long, diamond-shaped blade sticking out of the bottom, posing as a stem, and stabbed it between her breasts. Blood gushed out as she removed the blade from her flesh and spilled in the pool teal pool. The liquid became a dull pink and began to glow faintly. The tree flashed with a sudden pink hue and slowly stood erect again. Delta then lowered herself into the liquid and the wound in her chest began closing. The blood that covered her breasts and stained her shirt began seeping backing into her body.

The cleric smiled at her class and then made eye contact with Aliya. "That's all for today, the class is dismissed. Tomorrow we'll learn about the fear of hurting oneself because it's required for higher levels of healing."

The students left the room, leaving Aliya and Delta alone together. "It's great to see you," said Aliya.

"Well, I knew you were coming," laughed Delta. She continued to soak in the liquid that was becoming teal again. "Tyora said you would need me to teach you the technique that I was just demonstrating."

Shock took over Aliya's face, "What do you mean? You spoke with Tyora?" How could Delta speak to the goddess? The gods rarely spoke to mortals, which is why her encounter with two of them in the forest was beyond magical.

"Don't be so surprised," sighed Delta. "I am her high priestess after all."

"You're her what?" Aliya shouted so loud it spooked her. "How did that happen? I was only gone for a few years and you weren't even devoted to a primary god yet! Becoming a high priest or priestess takes years of training and service to that god."

"Normally, that would be the case but I have you to thank for my current title," grinned Delta.

"I don't understand," said Aliya. "I have done nothing to help you these past few years, nor did I advise you to follow Tyora, so I'm extremely confused."

Delta lifted her small body out of the pool. Her white robes were drenched and revealed her nude body underneath. Aliya couldn't help but wonder why the women she allied herself with all had amazing bodies and gorgeous faces.

"Allow me to explain then," replied Delta. She laid down on the grass and patted the area next to her, indicating that she wanted Aliya to join her.

The Jellybean's cleric did as Delta wanted and then waited for her childhood friend to explain.

"When you left, I was lost." The sadness in Delta's voice pressed down on Aliya's heart. "I wandered the halls endlessly, trying to find some sort of purpose. After about half a year of going through the motions of daily life, I decided to commit suicide."

Tears started streaming down Aliya's face. She had no way of knowing that her sacred mission would cause her best friend such pain. She hated herself and wanted to punish herself in some way. Maybe she would give up on her impossible task and stay in Hillfar. Then, she could never cause Delta such sorrow.

Delta placed a comforting hand on Aliya's leg, "I went to the part of the forest that we would visit together and played in most of our lives. There, I climbed a tree all the way to the top and mentally prepared myself to dive off head first so that I could die almost instantly. Lorian's presence was behind me, eagerly offering his assistance. I took one final breath and was about to jump when that stupid eagle that you use to talk to preached itself on the same branch as me."

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Silence gripped Aliya's tongue leaving her speechless. "The winged pest cawed at me and told me to follow him. I figured, "Why not? I can always kill myself after I see what it wants." So, I carefully made my way down and ran after the bird. It led me into a small clearing and sitting on a log in the middle of it was Tyora.

Her beauty was breathtaking. All thoughts of death had left my mind. I just stood there dumbfounded. It must have been the equivalent to when a man sees a woman's naked body for the first time," chuckled Delta.

"She slowly turned towards me, then my soul melted as I heard her velvet voice. "Come closer child," she said. After that, my body began to move on its own.

Once I arrived at the log, she gestured to some empty space next to her on the log. "Your friend Aliya is now serving me," Tyora whispered. "And I am giving her aid on her quest. I'm here to offer you a chance to assist her as well."

I was so taken back that I just sat there silently, very similar to how you are now. "How can I help her," I asked."

A small smile broke the sadness on Aliya's face.

""As you know, my current high priestess is about to be taken away by Lorian due to her old age," Tyora told me. "I need to find a new one and I think you would do excellent." I kept staring at the goddess speechless.

"Why me?" I was begging to know the answer. "How will this allow me to help Aliya?"

"I will teach you things that you may teach her," she replied. "There may also come a time you must journey with her or carry on her work. Being my high priestess will allow you the freedom when it is needed. It will also give you a small growth in power and knowledge, giving you the ability to learn great healing arts you can pass down." She paused and stood up. "I will teach one know that you need to teach her. The ability to transfer her life into others, she will be happy to learn this.""

"So here we are," said Delta while smiling at Aliya.

"Well if the goddess demands it, please teach me Delta."

The women stood up and went by the pool. "It's a type of healing potion so that we can recover after practicing because we also need to survive," chuckled Delta. "First you will begin on that tree over there and then we'll exchange the life-force with each other."

Delta took off her holy symbol to Tyora and handed it to Aliya. "Be careful," the high priestess warned. "Focus your divine magic, your life essence, and blood towards that withered tree. It's very similar to when you ask our goddess to do it like she said you did not even a few days ago for your teammate Kira. But this time you'll be using your power and not hers."

The Jellybean's cleric blushed. She had no idea that the goddess told her high priestess everything. Aliya hoped Delta didn't become jealous. With a nod, Aliya grabbed the symbol of Tyora and sliced her arm open with it, making sure to cut it along an important artery.

Blood raced out of her arm, squirting on anything in front of the wound. The cleric focused her mind and whispered a prayer to Tyora. Her eyes locked on the trees and she strained as she willed her life to go towards the plant dying on the other side of the room.

An energy that was very faint run through the trunk of the tree. Aliya stared at it while her life-force filled with vigor shot faster than an arrow across the room and collided with the tree before it enveloped it. Rapidly, leaves turned green and even some buds began to grow. The tiny cleric smile proudly as she shifted her gaze between the tree and Delta.

A small smile was resting on Delta's face before it was erased by a face filled with panic. Before Aliya had a chance to wonder why her friend was worried, the gnome's mind went blank and tumbled into the pool in front of her.

A few moments later, she awoke with her friend in the pool of healing. "It's always like that the first time," whispered Delta as she ran her friends through Aliya's mossy green hair. "You'll get better. Let's keep practicing."

******

Later that afternoon, Aliya went to meet her father. He was sitting at one of the dining room tables enjoying a glass of wine and some cheese. A small black box with lovely silver edgings was on the table next to his plate.

"Hello, father," said Aliya as she got closer to the table.

Her father smiled back, "Hello, my child. As promised, myself and some of the other high priests have created this box to hold that dark power. Sadly, we can't keep it here and don't know how to destroy it so we leave it to you. I'm sure you'll be able to find some help in Cadamem. It is the capital for all things holy and would know best how to remove this curse."

He slid the box towards her. "Please be safe with this child and don't let this fall into the wrong hands."

"Thank you father," she replied. She looked around the room to make sure no one was watching her then gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, dad, please be safe."

"May the Holy Seven watch over you, Aliya. I am proud to call you my child. Don't ever forget it." The man grabbed out a necklace that had a metal white egret orchid with razors at the edge of the petals. A flower that symbolized freedom and purity. Also, the plant loves moss which had the same colour as her hair. Delta had put this kind of flower in Aliya's hair the day she left Hillfar. This was her custom made holy symbol of Tyora. In the centre was a small humanoid heart etched into it, a small reminder of Kyron, from her father. He placed it around her neck. "Try not to destroy this one," he laughed.

Aliya carefully grabbed the tiny box and placed it into a small pocket on her belt next to the pouch that contained various things she used to cast some of her spells. She grinned at her father before heading towards the stables. Words would have ruined the perfect moment of trust and understanding they just shared.

At the stables, she saw the pony that she traveled on, happily chewing on some hay. She patted it gently as some of the men in the stables prepared it for travel. The journey was fruitful, she got to return home, see those important to her, learn an important spell, and most importantly contain the darkness that was haunting her.

Once her ride was ready, she trotted off to try and use the several hours of daylight she had left. She was coming back to her team and with her a task for them to complete. If they could defeat Shield then handing an artifact shouldn't be much of a problem.