??? : "I have heard that you wish for your daughter to join us..."
The conversations between the nobles in the room paused, causing a deathly silence to fall across the room. From the large doors at the front of the hall, a group of five people marched in, four of them were covered from head to toe in loose white robes, leaving no skin visible, and making it unclear which gender they might be. To cover their faces they wore a white veil, similar to that a bride would wear on her wedding day, except denser, and each one of the group walked with a strange weapon staff-like weapon in their hands. This mysterious group was lead by a masked woman, with crimson hair that reached down past her shoulders. Even her loose robes could not hide her voluptuous chest, but they did well to hide her slender curves and optimal bodily shape.
A knight tried to stop the group from entering, reaching out towards the leading woman. In the blink of an eye however, he found himself on the floor, his windpipe being held down firmly by a blunt edge from the staff-like weapon. The highly trained royal knight was dazed at how quickly he had been disarmed and neutralized by the robed person. He had had no idea what had lead to him being on the ground.
At the conflict between the two, the rest of the knights in the room drew their swords and moved between the mysterious group and the nobles in the room. The group responded to this, circling around the masked woman in a defensive formation.
The knights watched on for a moment, filled with awe, as the strange staff-like weapons lit up, sparks crackling along their edges and a strange high pitched sound emitted from their ends.
???#2 : "Wait..."
An aged voice rang out, as the king rose from his throne at the end of the room. The knights hesitantly looked towards the king, still weary of this mysterious group before them. All of them wondering if there was a purpose for this group's presence, or if they must fight these strange warriors.
The king, in response to the curious gazes, waved them off, and they obediently sheathed their swords and resumed their positions. The group followed suit, taking their ranks behind the masked woman once more, as if nothing had happened, their weapons grew silent as the hums faded.
King : "You... Are you her? The immortal priestess?"
At his words, a clamor broke out amongst the assembled people. If this person truly was who the king thought she was, then they were standing in the presence of a demigod. One who has been known to have lived for over three hundred years without aging... A person who can not only survive mortal wounds, but also cure others of theirs. If such a person were here then it could only mean one thing...
Woman : "Indeed I am...I have journeyed all of the way here on behalf of my God so that I might take your daughter into our order..."
The king nodded at this, motioning towards a guard to go and fetch his daughter. The guard instantly nodded and went running off.
A man directly to the kings left chose that moment to speak up, drawing the attention of every person in the room.
Man : "My Lord! You MUST not do this!?! Your kingship has been chosen as the king due to the malevolent Yorinal's will!! Giving your sole heir to a different religion is BLASPHEMY!!!"
The King emitted a low, irritated growling sound, before yelling towards the priest.
King : "GRRR!! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO?? STAND BY AND LET HER DIE?!?!!?! Your god has done nothing while my sweet sweet daughter has been suffering. Time and time again we have prayed, time and time again we have given offerings to your temple, time and time again our prayers and gestures of good will have done NOTHING... I am tired of gods who sit upon high and do not respond when we are in danger... I am tired of hearing 'it is god's will that she dies...'!!! I DON'T CARE IF ITS BLASPHEMY!!!... just...."
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The kings raging voice broke off, stifling a pitiful sob. His composure crumbled for a moment, revealing what he truly was. An old, dying man, tired and aged with no purpose in life anymore. Father to no sons, Husband to no wife... A man who's sole objective was to save his last remaining relative from certain death.
King : " Just... as long as it works... I don't care if your god reigns fire from the heavens... Actually, I would care. I would care that with his almighty power which could shatter my kingdom in an instant, or a flick of his hand, he didn't bother to save one helpless little girl...
Bedridden for all of her life, paralyzed, unable to see the world beyond her doors. Unable to move, too weak to do anything... If this mighty god, who sits up on high, is unable to save such a pitiful and harmless girl, sole child of the 'Divinely Chosen King' of the 'Divinely Chosen Kingdom' of his own creation... Then he is foolish... He is scum... He cares nothing for mortals until they disobey, at which point one must ask, why worship such a thing??"
The nobles and pope from the religion were stunned by the kings words. Many breaking out into prayer so that they might be spared the coming onslaught that would slay the heretic King where he stood. Others simply grieved that their kingdom was doomed, and cursed the king for killing them all. A small portion, only five in number, stood completely motionless for a few seconds, before one broke that charade and started slowly clapping, instantly breaking through the clamor of the room. A silence crept in while the slow clap continued, until it was only the sound of that clap echoing off of the stone walls.
Woman : "Well said... But, we did not come here for your reasoning behind your decision King Balatox... Instead, we came to cure your daughter and initiate her into our order. I believe we are..."
She paused, slightly rolling up her sleeve on her left arm, revealing a perfectly feminine hand, and a small metallic device attached to her wrist. She glanced at this metallic device, before nodding to herself and re-addressing the room.
Woman : "We are currently four minutes behind schedule... If possible I wish to leave soon, could you please make haste?"
As if on que, a guard walked in, carrying a small girl covered in thick blankets. It could be seen from the side that she was thin and frail, but that did little to hide the features her noble lineage gave her. Her hair was dirty blond, darkened from a lack of exposure to light. Her skin was milky white, tender and spotless. Her face was beautiful, despite the slightly gaunt look it had due to her inborn disability.If one were to estimate her age, they would assume she was under the age of ten years, but older then eight.
The small child was wheezing roughly in the tight grasp of the guard. Instantly she was taken into the grasp of one of the four waiting guards who had been standing idle behind the woman.
The kind noticed this action, and his saddened face came alight with the spark of hope.
King : "Th-then you will take her? She will LIVE??!?"
The woman turned away from the little girl, whom she had been studying intensely. As she looked at the king, her eyes pierced into his, causing his face to tense up. She nodded slowly.
Woman : "It.. is a possibility... Whether she lives or dies shall ultimately depend on her, and her will to live. Our order shall do as we do for all initiates... She will be given the trial of entry. If she passes, she shall be healed, and her afflictions cured, should she fail she shall die. Such has always been the case.... Inquisitors... We are behind schedule, onward..."
And with those final words, the group left, creating a stir within the room at the sudden appearance and then prompt leaving of this legendary group.