Chapter 12

Looking Light Service

People called this building the stained glass temple. The architecture was rich. The owner was humble, and his servants exercised humility. The walls were made of stacked coastal rocks. Earth was stuffed into the spaces between rocks. Moss and plants grew abound.

Travelers knelt with the servants over brass bowls where colored lights sloshed and columned. Lights intrinsic to the magic service here. Some came for the awe of the lights that descended through the overhead dome of stained glass.

I came for the rare service offered by Mija the old man. The Looking Light service. It was a simple, yet profound magic that drew people from all over the island. Travelers and locals alike. Mija trained his servants to develop and use the same artifacts to allow people to consult with their gods, deities, and demi-deities. Sometimes even legendary heroes across the world.

His prices were what one could afford. Judging by the splendor of the architecture and the cleanliness of Mija and his staff, people wanted to give him money. As did I, for the tenth time in a row, because there was one last deity I wanted to talk with. Since I was waiting for Jack to prepare for our adventure, I wanted to do a little preparing myself. So I handed over one last silver coin.

“Another one?” Mija said. “That’s ten now. How many allegiances do you have?”

“Quite a bit,” I said. “I do appreciate you taking the time to help me.”

“I’ll do this all day long for you, if you’d like. Anything to help the people of my island. Anything to help people traveling through as well.”

“This one should be short,” I said.

“What’s the name?” Mija said.

“Meuraali,” I said.

“Another new one for me. I’ll have to request a divine coin once more. Then I can cast Looking Light for you.”

I nodded and gave Mija my warmest smile.

The old man once again brought out his runic stylo and cast a small mana bar. Using filaments of mana, he drew another gold sheen rune in mid-air. The rune wavered as though through heatwaves. Complete, the rune opened, tearing the fabric of space. Light coiled back at the corners of a hole where the rune was. Mija drew another rune with Meuraali’s name written in the center and dragged it into the dimensional space. A moment later, out floated a divine coin with Meuraali’s likeness glowing in the center of the molten white piece.

“You must have quite a collection,” I said, once the dimensional space shrunk shut.

“Quite the collection,” Mija said.

“Must be worth a lot.”

“More than you know,” Mija said. “I’ll never sell them. They’re for people like you and I to use. People who need the guidance of their allegiances.”

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“How often do you need to create a new coin?”

“Once a day on average.”

“That’s seven new ones from me alone today,” I said.

“That’s nothing abnormal. When the island has an arrival of travelers, this is often the case. I do have to say, I rarely obtain more than one new coin per person though.”

“What’s the most common god that people request to use the Looking Light for?”

“Persole,” Mija said quietly. “God of lost souls.” I thought hard about that and rubbed my chin. Mija continued. “Many people on this island have mysteriously lost loved ones. Sometimes not so mysteriously.”

“Not so mysteriously?”

“How about we get started on connecting you with Meruaali, young healer,” Mija said, smiling warmly. He readjusted himself on his stool, and I did the same. Using the divine coin, he cast a long spell, chanting quietly for at least a minute. During that time, I could hear the chanting of Mija’s servants casting the same spell with different divine coins for others that had come to speak to their gods. Several gold bowls popped with sloshing light which also columned up in a reverse waterfall.

A blue and gold light popped like a water balloon in the gold bowl Mija held in one hand. The liquid light splashed around until shooting to the ceiling in a column of blue and gold threads of light.

Mija went silent, closing his eyes and falling into a stupor.

A shape appeared in the light. A shadow that moved. Shadow and light played together until Meuraali’s likeness became visible. Her face was heavily freckled. Her eyes were starburst gold. She wore a dress of seaweed. Wavy red hair cascaded around her shoulders. The ends bounced as if on perpetual springs.

“Tosin,” Meuraali whispered. “You’ve been using my spells. They’re better than Gelmitheon’s spells. Aren’t they, my healer?”

“I’ve never used any of Gelmitheon’s spells,” I said. “I’d like to one day.”

“Don’t upset me Tosin. Gelmitheon’s spells are nothing next to mine. Tell me my spells are better than hers.”

“How do I know that they are?” I said.

“What did I just say about upsetting me, Tosin. I don’t like how flippant you’re being.”

“I’m not…” I disguised my frustration and took a breath. “I wanted to let you know that I’ve leveled up Meuraali’s Carapace to level 100.”

“Oh, Tosin! I knew you loved me! I shall honor my word. Take this divine coin and apply it to Meuraali’s Carapace. It will evolve the spell into its second phase. The shield will now be larger. Whenever you touch an ally, the shield will replicate around them. When that ally touches another ally, the same thing will happen.”

“Thank you so much, Meuraali. I’ve been wanting to work on your spells for quite some time now.”

“My pleasure Tosin. Just remember, there’s nothing Gelmitheon’s spells can do, that mine can’t.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said. “What do I need to do to evolve Meuraali’s Carapace again?”

“I’ll think about that, my healer. Find me again sometime soon. I may send you on a dungeon crawl. We’ll see.”

“Fair enough,” I said.

“One more thing, my healer,” Meuraali said. “I’d like to give you this stone.”

A porous blue stone appeared in thin air in front of me. So did the divine coin Meuraali had mentioned.

“One of my King Cyladon’s is sick. If you could, sail out from the coast and throw this stone into the sea. The Cyladon will find it and won’t feel so… …sick anymore. Poor serpent has a case of the zombies. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that? Would you, Tosin?”

“I uh…”

Meuraali gave me a flat smile and flashed accusing yet playful eyes at me before she turned away. Her hair flowed like a river through the light, and the Looking Light spell came to an abrupt end.

Mija opened his eyes, smiled, and asked if I was all finished. I helped him to his feet and we talked for a few minutes more before saying our goodbyes.

I’d successfully strengthened my alliance with ten gods. I’d wanted to talk with one more, but I hadn’t had to deal with poisons in a while, so I thought Ghospo could wait a week or two until I came back to see Mija again.