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Orion staggered into the room and knelt. Flynn’s eyes were half-open and his chest was still - he had been dead for a few hours. His mouth open, Orion looked at Kora and saw her staring at him, her eyes tinged with worry. Why was she looking at him like that? He put his hand over his face and felt his fingers dampen: he was crying…
He shook his head. “I’m alright,”
She placed a hand on his shoulder before walking out. “I’ll tell the innkeeper,”
Orion got up and followed her. “No, I’ll come with,”
They went downstairs and found the innkeeper. His face was tinted red and glimmering with sweat.
Kora got his attention and beckoned him. “Um, our friend, the one in the 12th room, overdosed and died,”
The innkeeper’s face paled. “Flynn? No, surely not.” He looked at the floorboards and rubbed his forehead. “Look, I’m busy so if you clean out his room, you can have whatever he’s left,” he said, before bowing his head and dashing to another customer.
They went back upstairs and moved Flynn’s body to the side. Orion searched the drawers but found nothing except the longsword. Flynn’s bag and gold coins had disappeared, maybe bartered for the Gajoi powder. They picked up his corpse and carried it with the sword, exiting through the front door. Some of the inn’s merry-goers seemed shocked but most ignored them, and one bouncer even poked Flynn’s head as a joke, before bursting into laughter with his friends.
Kora piggybacked the body and Orion held the sword as they headed to the Temple. The moon and stars poorly lit up the inky sky, but luckily, Hexham’s road was well-lit and allowed them safe passage through the city. During his tour, Thimble had mentioned the Temple was close to the Palace, but he hadn’t revealed anything else, most likely not the praying type.
While treading the stone-laid path, a thought entered Orion’s head.
“Don’t you think it’s a bit fishy?” he said, wiping away the dried tears.
“What?” she said.
“The innkeeper didn’t ask us any questions, and the guards acted carefree about his death,”
Kora smirked. “You are a bit slow, aren’t you?
When he faced her with confusion, she continued.
“Flynn was a Seeker, but his room was basically naked. Nothing there, and even if he had traded his gold coins for powder, where was the rest of it? A gold coin can get you a bagful of Gajoi powder, more than enough for several uses.”
Orion wondered how she knew such a fact but didn’t comment. Maybe she used to be an addict.
“Who’s got the best access to Flynn’s room? All the innkeeper had to do was check up on him, see him dead, strip the room of valuables, leave the door unlocked for his friends, and then act shocked at his death. Damn boy, how did you not notice the nutty smell in the inn? Clearly a meeting place for addicts and dealers, probably the innkeeper himself. How did you not even smell the blood on him?” she finished.
Orion couldn’t bear his curiosity anymore. “How do you know all this?”
She chortled and bent over, holding her stomach while she shook, precariously tilting Flynn’s corpse. A lifetime later, she stopped and wiped at her tears, before facing Orion. “You’re too good. Where have you been living, some castle? Just spend time without your head up your arse and you’ll learn some common sense,”
He glared at her, then frowned. She really was laid-back around him, and now he knew why. She believed she was stronger, and apparently more pragmatic, so she didn’t have to worry in his presence.
“I’m kidding, Jax. Put that pout away,”
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He harrumphed and looked away. They walked the rest of the distance in relative quiet, eventually arriving at the Temple’s gates. A patrol of guards stood at attention by the ornate gates.
“What is your business here?” a guard asked.
“We want to cremate our friend,” Orion answered.
“And the sword?” the guard asked, furrowing his brow.
“He was a Seeker. We thought it was only right,” Kora said.
The guard nodded. “A Seeker, eh? A good man then,” He stepped out of the way, allowing the Seekers in.
The Temple was as grandly decorated as the gate. Large torch fires were scattered every few metres, lighting up the area like in daytime. Pillars of marble stood as tall as dragons and as long as horses. The roof and floor were made of polished marble, reflecting and distorting their faces from many angles. Around the temple were two small waterfalls and oasis-like pools filled with emerald plants. Gold tinted statues were spread over the grounds, mostly small ones of great people, but also larger ones of Kings and Gods embellished with jewels.
Kora and Orion soon discovered the Temple’s domain was much larger than they had imagined. The building they been in awe over was the Temple’s facade, and through its mouth they could arrive at the actual temples of the three gods praised in the East.
Orion followed Kora through the right-most corridor and reached Asarte’s temple. In the open hall, scantily dressed priestesses danced in a ceremonial way, hips shaking and steps flowing like water. Behind them stood barely clothed priests, waiting for their turn in the centre. All of them were alluring, their bodies seducing and their speech charming.
Around the hall, there were clay jugs of wine and bowls of fruits, honey, and cheeses. The side walls led to various rooms, some of them lavishly decorated and soundproof. On the furthermost wall was a statue of Asarte. She was voluptuous, her figure naked, and her legs open. She was the Goddess of desires, and for a small fortune, her clergy would drain your impure cravings and itches, your thirst and hunger, your aches and yearnings, and leave you virtuous and sinless.
Orion glanced thunderstruck around the hall for a long time, feeling his desires aroused and arrested. This was his first time at an Asartean temple, and now he understood why their creed was the wealthiest and most powerful: they dominated and controlled the mages’ hearts. Even now, he could see various obese mages around, lecherously slobbering over the eye-candy while being pampered by Asarte’s clergy.
He broke from the spell with a pounding heart and saw Kora beside another corridor, shaking her forefinger at him with a grin plastered over her face. Gulping down his shame, Orion caught up and followed her to the next Temple. While Asarte’s Temple fit Flynn and his death well, they agreed to give him a cremation in honour of his other accomplishments in life.
They entered Fexa’s Temple, took a quick look, then left. Although her hall was embellished with jewels and silks, it wasn’t half as gaudy as Asarte’s. Her Clergy were robed men and women reciting prayers and listening to the common folk, of which there were many in the hall despite the late hour. Fexa herself was on the furthest wall, her statue kneeling with her robes flowing around her, her eyes made of diamonds and her hands clasped in prayer. She had a gentle expression and a noble aura.
She was not a good fit for Flynn.
The last hall was for Kovas, God of glory, but mostly of violence and destruction. In the middle of the hall was a large pit, stained black and red with blood. It was an arena for the faithful to prove themselves. The clergy wore thin and tight-fitting clothes, their figures toned and slim. All of them had injuries of some severity, and they were almost matches for the Western God Vastya’s clergy.
Almost.
Orion and Kora walked past the arena and went to the furthest wall. The statue showed a thinly dressed man holding a sword. He looked plain and unimpressive, unfitting for a God but that was simply the way Kovas had looked. Anyone who had underestimated him for that had died long ago.
“We want to cremate our friend here,” Orion said to a priest.
“What right does he have to enter Kovas’s favour?” the priest replied.
“He was a Seeker,” Kora answered.
“What rank, strong woman?”
“2-stars,” she said.
“But still a Seeker. Do you have payment for his cremation?”
Orion handed the longsword.
The priest brought the sword close and sniffed it. “Good. He will die again in our hall,”
The two of them bowed and left the Temple. Orion was thankful he hadn’t known Flynn well, otherwise, he knew he would have reverted to a weeping fool. They returned to the cold dark of the night and stood in silence for a few moments.
“Do you want to do a contract tomorrow?” Kora asked, her back to Orion.
He considered it. While Kora was temperamental and rude, if she actually was strong, then it meant he could jump up the ranks much quicker. Moreover, he doubted she could be as useless as Flynn had been.
“Us two in a group? Sure. In the building, tomorrow?” he said.
“Fine, I’ll join you since you asked so nicely,” Kora said while patting his head. She left him there gritting his teeth, reconsidering his choice.
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