Date: Aimeri 33, 1027 A.A
Finally, today the last brother arrived. After weeks of politicking, demanding favors, bribes and finally veiled threats of death and slavery, everyone is here. Tomorrow we will discuss what to do. To escape? To fight? None of these options are good.
The village is in chaos, 1 week ago more refugees arrived from isolated settlements, telling horror stories about the carnage left by the Mantis demons. The village's population has tripled, but the food has not. The smell of so many people together is oppressive. I avoid leaving the temple as much as possible, and I keep the doors and windows of my office closed, the marsh sage incense disguises the odors well.
The city guards are finally gettinge arning your share of meat. One of the few things that comforts me in this scenario is knowing that Szeddisosh, that son of a formic, is going through the same thing. Not even his chief butler, who is the only good thing this useless person has brought, can stop this sea of shit from rising to his master's scales.
May Hylasis bring us fresh waters and protection.
I roll up the papyrus and seal it with formica wax, then call my novice.
“Sriltos!” Who had his back to me, cleaning the office, turns around and awaits my orders.
“Take this parchment and file it in your diary.” He gives a slight bow befitting his status as 1st novice. Sriltos was one of the few good things about being sent to this fetid end of the world with Szeddisosh. Competent, ambitious, being young and reasonably attractive helps when performing fertility rites. The other good thing was getting away from those old snakes in the capital, with their opaque scales and dull eyes. At these times, I miss my master, Noliak D’Verda, exiled in the Fortress of Pain.
When he Sriltos comes back. “Call Hiutotiaco and then bring fresh buffalo blood.”
“Master, fresh buffalo blood is in short supply, Szeddisosh has confiscated all production for his own use.”
Another notch on my scroll of things to hate about Szeddisosh.
“Horn rabbit blood will do then.”
He bows and leaves to do my bidding.
A short time later Hiutotiaco enters the office.
“Close the door.”
She turns and closes the door and assumes a martial stance in front of me.
“Rest, sit down.”
She removes the helmet from her head. “Your grace, I prefer to stand, the armor pinches my scales when I sit down.”
“Please, Hiutotiaco, today the last brother arrived for the emergency meeting. I will try to receive support as quickly as possible for what needs to be done, in the meantime I will prepare an expedition for 2 days.”
“Where are we going Your Grace and in how many?”
“Aunnas, 10 priests, without their novices and 4 slaves.”
Hiutotiaco's hand contracts on the handle of his Kilij. “Your grace, we do not have the contingent to protect this number of people, we would need to request guards from Lord Szeddisosh D’Verda. And given the relationship between your Lordships, I would say that would be very difficult. And even then, the village’s defense would be compromised.”
“We will use the guards who came among the refugees.” I raise my hand before Hiutotiaco speaks. "Yes I know. These guards are the type who will run if anything stronger than a water wolf appears. But they will come more to calm the spirits of the priests.”
She bows as she leaves. Hiutotiaco, was assigned to me by the curia, the same curia that exiled me and my master, I don't know if she is a spy for the curia, if she is also a victim of power struggles. As a Paladin of the Aspect of Fury of Hylasis, she has already shown her martial ability a few times, she can even perform 1st circle magic, perhaps even higher. His physical strength and size are also useful in a bodyguard. And even if she is a spy, a knife in the back and poison are not part of the Paladin's code, the attack is turned head on and will be declared.
I put my hands on my head. Why so many trials, My Lady?
I have to calm down until the meeting. Fresh buffalo blood would do that, horn rabbit blood will have to do. Hylasis, may your waters give me strength.
The temple is closed, inside 10 priests, with their 1st novices and a bodyguard leave the place crowded. Calling this place a Temple is almost a fantasy of language, it would be another chapel built inside a stable or barn. I think that was it. After all the brothers were seated, priests sat and the rest stood. I go up to the pulpit.
“I declare this Emergency Assembly open. Here we will decide what measures will be taken in the face of the harassment of the Mantis demons. The Dororo sent to Beymoor has not returned, either our Lord doesn't think we deserve help, or the message got stuck in the gears of bureaucracy or something happened to the messenger before delivering the message. In any case, if the attacks continue, in Tide, there will be no more villages in the region. After much study and a sign of Lady Hylasis.” I lift, with my hand, a scroll. “This Planar Ally scroll was found recently, it is a modified version, which requires sacrifice and at least 6 priests to perform.” Murmurs rise from the audience.
“What sacrifices? How much more will my people have to suffer? This kind of magic demands gold! Gold that only nobles have!” Dazzazn says as he stands up,
Dazzazn, he is one of the strongest priests in the region after me and takes his work very seriously, partly because he fears he won't get a new one. He is lazy, self-centered, vain and jealous. And now, seeing his last thread of security being torn away, he is cornered and afraid.
“We have to escape, we don’t know if this scroll will really work. Because Lady Hylasis would choose you to receive a sign. An exile? Aasathra, has similar power and influence to Dazzazn, but is known for being crazy, her fixation with the 4th moon, Mezlotltec, is well known and a laughing stock. Greedy and ugly as a Rakhor, yet her opinion cannot be easily dispelled.
“I will let anyone who doesn’t have faith analyze the scroll. As for the sacrifices, they will be provided by the village of Kebury, a gift from Lord Szeddisosh D’Verda.” Idea of the chief butler, who used the few criminals in the village and the Lord's enemies.” As I said, this scroll is a modified version, instead of gold it demands that it be performed by 6 priests in a ritual in a place of power.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
“What place of power? There are none of its kind in any village!” Says Dazzazn, many agree with him.
“Aunnas.” After saying this, a minute of silence falls.
A laugh breaks the silence.
“Are you crazy? That place is cursed!” Says Aasathra pointing her finger at me while looking at the assembly.
“The signs are clear, only those without faith do not come. In moments of need, Lady Hylasis shows us the way, that's how it was on the great crossing and that's how it is now. A scroll of this power level is “found”, at this point, and modified in this way. It’s not a coincidence, it’s a test of faith!”
“WITH OF YOU DOESN’T HAVE FAITH?” The trap was set and they fell. Not that at any point they had any choice, my village, my rules, and as head priestess of the region the meeting was just theater.
The murmurs subside. Nobody objects.
“Get ready. We will leave in 2 days.”
We left at dawn, 10 grumpy priests, 2 on each ankylosaurus, 6 foot soldiers and Hiutotiacus.
On the first day everything was peaceful, apart from the quarrels and complaints typical of the priestly caste who are not used to going out into the countryside.
On the night of the first day we were attacked by Mantis demons. We set up camp in a clearing of giant fluorescent mushrooms, fluorescent, we ascended bonfires to clear away the ever-present fog of the Valley of Shadows. The forest was full of its typical sounds, the buzzing of insects, the singing of spirit birds. All tired of the shaking of our mounts, we went to sleep.
Then we woke up I don't know how long later. I sat on my sleeping bag and watched the scene. One of the sentries, flying in 2 different directions, the torso part going, in a swirling arc of blood and guts, to the right, the waist part down rolling on the floor of the clearing, to the left. May his death be quick, but he still managed to let out a warning roar, which is what saved us.
Hiutotiaco who is sleeping in armor, don't ask me how. One moment she is lying down with her sword at her side and the next she was jumping on top of the demon that split the sentry in two. With a precise blow she hits the center of the demon that collapses to the ground. Meanwhile, 2 other demons disappear into the fog with the remains of the sentry.
And just as I predicted. I see 3 others sentries, in panic running away from the camp.
The 2 who stayed didn't run away because they didn't wake up to all the noise.
Nobody else slept that night.
I say a prayer to the dead sentinels, may their souls ascend to heaven, we set up camp. Everyone agreed to force the march and arrive at Ziggurat Aunnas soon.
In the middle of the day we arrived at Lake Aunnas. Everyone is tired. The 3 sentries who fled never returned. Hiutotiaco found tracks going in different directions, the useless left clothes, supplies, weapons and armor behind. They are probably dead or soon will be, the swamps are merciless.
At my signal all the priests cast Water Walk, then we crossed the lake.
We dismounted from the ankylosaurs. “Hyuthotiacus, set up camp in the first hall of the ziggurat. The others, with me, let’s get this over with.”
We went up the stone stairs. Ancient and powerful magic permeates this place, the reddish stone is immune to time, no moss grows on it, only the best steel tools can leave a mark, even though thousands of years of the people who created this place have disappeared.
We enter the sacrificial room of the ziggurat, 4 pillars support the ceiling which is 5m high, the pillars are decorated with ancient hieroglyphs, each dedicated to a God, but the name of these Gods is unknown to my people. In the center is the sacrificial font, with 4 niches where offerings are offered, channels take the blood that will be spilled to a crystal sink basin, in a depression in the center of the room.
We begin to prepare the ritual, while the 2 remaining sentries bring the 4 sacrifices, these were drugged throughout the trip, they do not offer any resistance when placed in the niches.
“Leave.” I say to the sentries.
Their bodies are stripped and scented water is used to bathe them. As soon as we finish this part, we divide into pairs, each pair stands next to the pillars, looking at the center. Me and Dazzazn take the center. I take out the scroll from the travel tube and start reciting, the other priests on the pillars sing songs to the Lady of the Rivers, thus signaling that this ritual, despite not being carried out in a consecrated place, is not intended for defeated and forgotten Gods. While I recite, Dazzazn cuts the throats of the sacrifices, only small convulsions indicate that the lives of the sacrifices are being offered.
I pause my recitation on the last word, waiting for the blood to arrive in the offering crystal sink basin. Once a good amount is reached, I finish reading the scroll.
The glyphs of the temple light up, we feel the touch of the Goddess, a bluish tear, about 3m long, opens above the sacrificial crystal sink basin.
As it begins to pass through the tear. The temple shakes, dust falls from the ceiling.
SEED DETECTED
Seed ready for harvest.
Welcome to the SYSTEM.
ANALYZE SEED INTEGRITY
100/100
Chosen traveler
Designated traveler
INTEGRATION!
System detected a critical failure during integration process, restart will happen automatically in 1/100 standard time.
1st attempt – ERROR!
2nd attempt – ERROR!
3rd attempt – ERROR!
Collecting data:
100% collected.
----CRITICAL SYSTEM FAILURE!----
----CASCADE FAILURE----
----SYSTEM PURGE: ENABLED----
----CRITICAL SYSTEM FAILURE!----
----CASCADE FAILURE----
----ADM ALERT code42+----
----ANOMALOUS SYSTEM CREATED----
----RESET ----
----CRITICAL SYSTEM FAILURE!----
----CASCADE FAILURE----
OVERRIDED SAFETY LOCKS
----FORCED RESET----
----EJECT----
----EJECT----
---SUCCESS---
***CORRUPTED Traveler***
**integration not possible**
*Welcome to CONTENTION*