Chapter 34: The Royal Treatment
She bit down on another exotic looking fruit, taking a moment to consider its taste before washing it down with plain water. Too sweet, and the texture was weird. She tossed it back onto the ornate platter.
“Jerome! I need strawberries!”
The poor servant hustled in red faced, his bald head shining with sweat. She’d ensured his previous task had taken him down the many steps of the ziggurat before his return.
“At once, priestess. Your will is my burden” he said, bowing deeply before hustling away once more, leaving her alone, save the two silent guards that escorted her everywhere but her own chambers. There was nothing to be done about those two unfortunately. She’d learnt that after the first couple fruitless attempts. They’d even taken her transformation stone after that first attempt, along with the rest of her stuff.
Those first few nights had been the worst. At least they were willing to accommodate her creature comforts.
She emptied a sack of Wall Nuts onto the marble countertop. It was in neat harmony with the rest of her quarters, which was black with gold highlights. If there was one thing to say about these cultists, they had good taste. She patted the jet-black counter affectionately. It had taken some negotiation, but she’d at least managed to furnish her quarters with a well-equipped enchanted kitchen, though not as advanced as Selia’s had been. That milk frother thing had been amazing. She hoped to see the woman again some day.
Idly, she chopped the nuts. They’d been a good find among the many things she’d tasked Jerome with sourcing. The magic inside wasn’t delicate, so it stuck well enough to doughs. The last batch of cookies had burnt hen she’d been called to meet with the Master of Ceremonies as she did every afternoon, and her useless guards couldn’t even unbend themselves out of their behinds enough to…
She took a breath. Nothing like ruined food to fire her temper, but no point letting it rule her. She mixed the nuts into the dough and used her hands to roll them into little balls onto a tray. There was calm in the repetition and soon enough, the cookies were in the oven. Chocolate had been the one thing she’d been unable to source, even with the considerable efforts they’d gone to accommodate her demands. They’d found cocoa beans for her, but she didn’t know the first thing about turning them into chocolate, so she had them taken away. Also, it was apparently bad for dogs, so she figured it wouldn’t be much of a loss anyhow.
If only he’d show up. It wasn’t even much of a journey, just a day or so’s flight; he should’ve been here days ago, by her very accurate reckoning.
No, he’d probably gotten lost, or some other equally stupid outcome. Maybe she should throw a feast. He always seemed to show up whenever food was available. She tucked that idea away for now as a backup.
A quick peek in the oven revealed her cookies had finished baking, and the earthy scent of roasted Wall Nuts filled her chambers.
“Priestess, the Master of Ceremonies requests your holy presence in the ritual chambers.” An emotionless guard spoke softly from the entryway to her quarters. That man couldn’t take a hint. She knew from experience it wasn’t much of a request either but saw little point in making it easy on the man, so she ignored the guard in favor of transferring the cookies to a cooling rack. For a time, at least. After a few insistences, she went willingly before he mucked up her chambers coming after her. The guard had shown himself willing to do that in the past.
The walk was short, as the ritual chambers were directly over hers, only below the altar at the peak, though the way up required her to exit the ziggurat and climb the stairs outside.
“We’ll need to take a detour to that building down there, Victor” she said, pointing at a large building of carved stone near the base of the ziggurat. “I have some duties to attend to.”
“I’m sorry priestess, I cannot follow your orders. I will ensure the head administrator is sent to your quarters to assist you with whatever business you have.”
She sighed but didn’t argue. She rarely got her way in such things. And unfortunately, while Victor might seem a pushover, in this case, looks were deceiving. Behind that plain looking build and face was a moderately capable man. Fast too.
She quickly found herself in front of the simple stone double doors of the ritual chamber flanked by a pair of guards. Though they appeared stone faced now, she recognized these two as some of the friendlier ones.
She nodded to them as she entered the torchlit chamber. It was unfurnished, just smooth black stone and a dais in the center. The walls were plain, devoid of carvings or paintings, though it felt like they shouldn’t have been. Behind the dais stood the Master of Ceremonies, bald, and altogether too confident for one with so little hair.
“This one thanks the priestess for gracing him with her presence. I would once again ask you reconsider your participation in the ritual in three days. We would greatly appreciate your cooperation.” He said, unrolling the scroll he’d presented her previously. It was magically enforceable contract that basically said she would have to complete her duties in the ritual.
She rolled her eyes. “No, I’m just here for the free food. You losers can figure that out yourself.”
Exasperation entered the tall man’s eyes. “Priestess, the fate of the world is at stake. Your cooperation would ensure the birth of the new sun. Please reconsider.”
While his face was perfectly schooled, she didn’t like that look in his eyes. It was altogether too… boring. No one had eyes that boring.
“No” she said, pretending to flick some dirt from under her nails onto the floor to properly show her contempt.
The man gave her a shallow bow, and the doors opened behind her, though she hadn’t notice them closing. She took that as an invitation to depart. The doors shut noiselessly behind her, squeezing out somewhat stagnant air from the chamber.
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Victor was waiting outside, and he turned to escort her back.
“Wait.”
He turned back wordlessly and expressionlessly.
“Fetch me that person we spoke of earlier and deliver him to my room. Please” she added after a short pause.
A further pause elapsed before he responded with a nod. “Alphonso, ensure the priestess is returned safely to her chambers.”
With that, he turned and descended the steps of the ziggurat with a flowing grace.
One of the guards flanking the door turned to her.
“Come, priestess. Let’s get you back to your room, eh?”
She nodded, then paused.
“Actually, I have something I forgot to discuss with the Master of Ceremonies. Wait a moment, please.”
Alphonso nodded but stayed next to her.
“You’ll have to wait, priestess. We don’t actually open the doors. The Master handles that. He must have some short business to conduct, but I’m sure he’ll be ready for you again in a bit, eh?”
“I was just making candy earlier, would either of you boys like one while we wait?”
“Sure thing, priestess. We don’t get off until dusk, so something to tide me over would be appreciated, eh?”
The other guard nodded and grunted something under his breath, which she took as ascent, so she gave each a dark candy she’d made. As they crunched into them, the scent of [Sleep] wafted through the air. She held her breath until it passed. Strong stuff, that.
It didn’t take longer than a couple seconds for the two to pass out. She hoped neither took it personally. She just had business to take care of, and she didn’t think they would appreciate her conducting it.
She bit into a cookie still cooling in the pouch at her waist. It was slightly soggy, since it needed to cool fully on the rack beforehand, but it was still perfectly edible. And more importantly, effective.
The spiciness of the Ghost Peppers and the crunchiness of the Wall Nuts combined in an unusual fusion, and she felt a cold burning travel down into her stomach, where it spread to the rest of her body.
She stepped forward and pressed her hand against the double doors. Instead of resistance, her hand passed right through the thick stone slabs. It was somewhat cool to the touch, and where her hand overlapped with the stone felt a bit tingly.
Grinning, she walked forward, through the still closed double doors. She had some investigation to do.
But before that, she wanted to check out the muffled conversation she could hear from deeper in the chamber.
Following the voices, she found a tunnel beneath the altar which led to normal looking wooden door. She stopped to listen.
“…time, master.” This was the Master of Ceremonies’ voice.
An unknown, but plain voice responded to him.
“So be it. She will bleed on the altar whether she signs or not. Make sure she remains unaware of her role in the ritual. No need to make this harder than it needs to be.”
“Of course, master. That may be difficult though, as I believe she already suspects something. She has been testing her bonds since arrival.”
“That’s only natural for one such as her to resist cages. It’s against a voyager’s nature. Don’t worry about that though. My loyal dog should be here tonight. He will convince her. I understand she trusts him.”
Was that Dantes? It couldn’t be… could it?
She discarded the idea, instead focusing on another detail.
The unknown voice seemed entirely unremarkable, but something about it tickled her memory.
“For now, just keep her happy until the ritual. I have a council meeting to attend. Surely you can handle a cat for three days. Now shoo.”
She barely had time to meld through a wall before the bald man pushed open the door and passed where she hid. He would discover the unconscious guards soon, but there was little she could do about it now. Already she felt the effects of her cookie wearing out so she followed her instincts, and stepped downwards through the stone as though descending steps.
After a few steps though, she stepped down, and nothing was there. With that sickening jolting sensation, she exited through the ceiling of her personal chambers and fell onto her own bed. Which was all planned, of course, she reassured herself. She did not just yelp like a kitten falling on its face, but rather exclaimed in victory at having her masterful reconnaissance mission go exactly according to plan.
But who was the man the master of ceremonies was talking to? She couldn’t place the voice, it was so generic and bored, but that in itself stood out.
A knock on her door prevented her from thinking about it more. It would come to her, she was sure.
“Priestess, I’ve obtained the strawberries”
She strode out of her bedroom into the lounge where she was greeted by the very red-faced man.
“Good job Jerome, they look a little green though.”
“Apologies, priestess. They’re out of season. We only managed to purchase these few off a merchant for a vast sum.”
She pretended to sigh, though her nose told her he’d done well. “I suppose these will do. Fetch some milk for me as well, won’t you?”
“But your holiness, we’re in a jungle with nothing but insects and flowers. Strawberries already was a stroke of fortune, milk would be…”
She looked at him sharply, raising an eyebrow.
“At once, priestess.” The man stumbled away out of her chambers, and presumably down the many stairs of the temple for the dozenth time that day. On of the many perks of her position. It was almost a shame she wouldn’t be staying much longer.
She eyed the unripe ‘strawberries’ in a little wicker basket and smiled. She could use these. They would pair well with-
Another knock at the door. She scowled at her thoughts being interrupted again. This place was so loud she could hardly hear herself think. She placed the basket out of obvious sight, but not hidden so as to bring suspicion, and opened the door, just as Victor opened it into her.
She glared at him, though it hadn’t the effect it did on Jerome.
“Priestess, I’ve brought the head administrator as requested. He is at your disposal.”
“Alright, you can go away now Vicky” she said as condescendingly as possible.
Unfortunately, the man merely nodded and returned down the short hallway leading outside. Seeing him walk down that hall where she could not, not freely at least, bothered her.
Before he took more than a couple steps, he looked back. “Also, priestess, there seems to have been an intruder in the ritual chamber. The guards were knocked out. You wouldn’t have seen any intruders on your return, would you have?”
“Nah.” She closed the door in his face.
She then turned her attention on the man in front of her. He had the look of someone used to getting the better end of a deal, though he appeared nervous in the moment. It might’ve been warranted too, if she had any real power. No, the Master of Ceremonies had final say in what happened around here. The worst she could do was make him run annoying errands. Not that he knew that.
“So, you’ve not found this man I take it?”
“No, great priestess. He is not to be found. We’ve searched every neighbouring grove, and their neighbours, and most of their neighbours besides. Are you sure he’s nearby?”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Are you doubting me, Mr…?”
“Seal, priestess. And never. Of course. We will redouble the search. If he was seen in the entire jungle in the last century, we will know of it.”
“Very good, Mister Meal. Scurry along. Send him to me when you find him. Yes. Go. Shoo.”
The man looked too relieved at her dismissal to bother being annoyed at her getting his name wrong, something she’d ensured she did every time they’d met over the past week.
She hadn’t expected much, but she did hope they found Dantes soon. The eclipse was coming up in only three days, and she wasn’t sure how much she could get done before then without his help. She wasn’t concerned about whether he’d come; she’d left a crystal-clear message that would send him her way. No, she was just worried he’d get lost.
It was a silly worry of course. He could get directions at the village, and a compass was part of his hunter’s kit, she knew. No, he was probably just dragging his feet. How long could a simple day’s flight take when travelling along a quiet little flowery trail?