Priestess Marta strode away from the scene, examining the contents of the world message. The presence of the various gods that have blessed her flowed through her deckspace, digesting the information she fed them
They clattered like bells, speaking in a language she couldn’t perceive. Not without severe consequences.
“Deacon Issac, I need you to keep a close eye on that boy. Even the gods are paying attention to him.”
“Truly?” He asked beneath his pure white hood, before bowing his head with a gasp. “Forgive me, priestess. I do not mean to question you.”
“You are forgiven, my child.” She said without even turning around. “Just heed my word. Watch that boy. And if you feel the touch of that dark god again, eliminate him.”
“Yes,” Issac said, disappearing mid-step. Deacon Julia signaled the arcanists on the wall to conjure stone steps, to which Marta gratefully kept walking to their compound.
“Deacon Julia.” Marta called to her disciple who followed who was a half-step behind her.
“Yes, priestess.”
“Tell me more about the brother who has lost his way.”
“Brother Donny.” Deacon Julia robotically listed off. “He seemed to fall prey to fear once he was exposed to the monster horde and refused to participate in our defense mission. We have confined him to our meditation rooms beneath our compound.”
“Let’s go see what problem our brother is having.” The priestess said. Deacon Julia nodded dutifully, taking the lead to their compound,
Although her church and several other groups of arcanists were positioned in the evacuation centers in the middle of town, the hundreds of bugs and insects still managed to penetrate their defenses and wreak havoc and devastation. It twisted Marta’s heart.
If they were going to die, then they should have died for her gods instead of uselessly spilling their blood.
Entire chunks were ripped off the few remaining buildings that stood in this small town, some of which could have only came from the elite centipede she and her church members took down. A part of her itched to use the card she gained from [sacrifice]’ing the monster, but she tempered herself.
There will be a time and a place in the future.
Although the town was thorough shambles, the destruction ceased at the stone walls surrounding her church’s compound. The grassy ground and the functioning fountain were as perfect as they were welcoming. The constant flow of displaced normies and even a few arcanists stepped to the side for the priest of the Church of Light and her attendant. She waved her hand and put on a graceful smile as they passed through crowds of refugees and clergymen.
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The smile grew unsettling once they ventured deeper into the church and came across a secret set of stairs downstairs. Raspy screams echoed from the stairwell as the two clergywomen crossed a barrier, yet the duo unhesitatingly walked forward.
The stairs spiral downwards, leading the two to a stone basement free of any dirt, dust, or anything uncleanly. Even Brother Donny was free of any blood, merely covered in bruises and with a few broken bones.
The boy screamed at the sight of their white robes. Priestess tsked, the smile still on her face. “Brother Donny. You heard the word, so why did you disobey.”
“You crazy bitches.” Donny spat a wad of blood and snot at them, which evaporated before it could touch Julia or Marta. “You threw us in the front to die! You sent all of us to our deaths.” Streams of tears ran down his face and burned away just as quickly.
“It’s okay. Your pain will soon disappear.” Priestess Marta said with that same sickly sweet smile.
“No, NO! I don’t want you to convert me!” The battered boy shirked away from her touch.
Priestess Marta snorted. “You don’t deserve to be [convert]’d. All heretics deserve to die.” She declared, using her [sacrifice] skill. Brother Donny shrieked as the white fire consumed every bit of his existence, where she could put it to greater use than the plebian ever could.
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Mayor John tapped his finger on the desk impatiently. "Just what exactly am I supposed to do?"
The Dark Monarch shrugs
"Anyone ever tell you that you're fucking useless?" John growled.
The Dark Monarch smiles at your insolence
"Amy!" John screamed outside of the office.
At his call, his assistant opened the door, exposing the mayor to the roar of activity outside his office. "What can I do for you, Mr. Mayor?"
"What's the status on the flyers situation?"
"I got started on it as soon as the announcement came out. I have a team of thirty people working on in it right now, and they should have a thousand done by the morning."
"Make it two thousand. We need to be sure that everyone in town knows who to vote for." John commanded. With ownership of the Civilization Stone being decided through a vote, John was confident in winning what essentially came down to a popularity contest. He had ample experience in campaigning that would put any other person in this miserable town to shame. It was like fate was conspiring to put him back into power.
Hell, John even had a god by his side. Nothing could go wrong.
"What about our detainee? Did Frank pry off all his cards yet?"
Amy shook her head. "No. He said, and I quote, 'this sonuvabitch is a tough nut to crack. Gonna take longer than a hour."
John slammed a fist on his desk, "Well tell him that's all he got! Who knows when those Army fuckers are gonna come storming in here."
"About that sir." Amy interrupted, "I just got a message from the diviners. They said they detected a caravan of humvees closing in on the town hall. It seems like they'll be here in less than five minutes."
"Shit." John snapped his fingers. "Go tell those idiots out there to go stall for as long as they can, and tell the dumbasses downstairs to wake up our guest. I guess I have to handle this myself."
"Yessir." Amy saluted. "HEY! Listen up everybody!" She yelled outside before slamming the door shut.
Alone once again, John sighed with his whole chest. "Why can't anything just go right ?" He asked as he opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a glass and a nearly empty bottle of whiskey.
"Ahhh, that's the stuff." John savor the smell of the liquor until a soft clicking made him sigh once again.
"Amy?" John yelled without turning back, "I thought I told you to handle all that stuff?"
"I am no mere assistant," A deep, unfamiliar voice said from behind him.
Confused, John risked a glance behind, only to flinch with a gasp as he saw a figure concealed in a black cloak. "Who are you? What do you want?"
"That's the thing, human." The figure took another step closer. "I want to make sure you become king."
"Oh really, you should've said so." John laughed, his mood flipping in an instant. "What I can do for me?"
"I can give your soldiers amazing powers." The figure said as a small pill manifested on his desk. "But first, tell me everything about your prisoner, the number 1 ranker."
(Plans for the civilization stone PLAN A vote, lord of the unseelie court spy diviners PLAN B, what the mayor thinks of DEvin and others. Acknowledges threats from the other two, realizes old man weakness, shadowy gang activities)