《Clarent Saga: Chronicles》2. The Four Heroes (2) Ceres, The Priestess
Advertisement
Music: Dungeon 1
Once they had defeated the monsters, the party had a proper chance to survey their surroundings.
They found themselves in a large, roughly circular chamber, the rock of the walls just smooth enough to indicate that it had been hewn rather than being a natural space.
There was just enough sunlight coming in from the entrance behind them to see by, but it only just reached the far edge of the chamber.
On the opposite wall, above another set of grey stone doors, written in a glowing, faintly-blue script were the words: Those who seek to progress further into this crypt must invoke the Kindness of Qind.
Across the middle of the chamber, perpendicular to the way the doors faced, ran a deep, black, chasm, like a long gash in the floor, several people wide.
Horatio wandered over it, taking care not to get too close. He craned his head over, peering down into it. It fell away into darkness, eating up the light from outside. He could not see the bottom.
‘How are we going to get across this?’ said Egea, joining him.
‘Whoever created this crypt,’ said Primus, joining them too, ‘in order to store their treasure here must have had access to very powerful magics. They were able to shape the stone, trap Braxian monsters in here and make use of holy magic. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have just unwittingly made our way into a tetrachamber.’
‘What’s a tetrachamber?’ asked Egea.
‘A tetrachamber, my dear, is a special kind of underground crypt for storing treasure that is designed to only to a band with a particular combination of four different skill-sets, or to someone who possesses all of those skill sets at once.’
‘And what skill-sets would those be?’ asked Horatio.
Advertisement
‘Why, those of a warrior, a magus, a thief and a cleric, of course. The classic composition of a small adventuring party.’
‘Well that’s a stroke of luck!’ said Egea. ‘That’s basically what we are, give or take!’
‘Indeed. Yes, this was an influence at work in my mind when I hired the three of you, though I wasn’t expecting to come across any tetrachambers. I didn’t know that there were any around here. Anyway, young Horatio here has just granted us access to the first door using the strength of a warrior.’
‘Right,’ said Egea, ‘so now you need to do something magical in here to get us over the cavern?’
‘I think not. Qind, while He may be the ultimate source of all noble magics, has a particular variety of magic associated with Himself. I am merely a scholar of magic–I am neither particularly religious, nor a priest, so I am not qualified to solve this riddle.’ He turned and looked behind them. ‘I believe this is your department, young lady.’
Framed by the light, Ceres, who had been hanging back, now stepped tentatively over to join them at the side of the chasm, brushing back a strand of her azure-blue hair that had fallen across her face and tucking it behind one ear.
‘It’s not even a riddle,’ she said. ‘It’s quite straightforward really. ‘‘The Kindness of Qind” is a particular prayer that Devotees of the Way are taught to recite as novices. It’s quite long, actually. My guess is that if a priest prays it here and invokes Qind, He will create a way over this chasm.’
‘Wonderful!’ said Primus. ‘Why are you hesitating then, young mistress? Pray the prayer and get us over the abyss!’
Advertisement
Ceres was hesitating. ‘I’m… I’m not sure if the invocation will work for me or not. Ever since I ran away from the monastery I’ve had a bit of a…peculiar relationship to Qind in my head… It’s not that I don’t believe in him anymore–of course I do. It’s just that…I’d come to see certain practices of the Order as being…unnecessary.’
I wonder if that applies to the vow of celibacy… thought Horatio.
‘So I’m not even sure,’ Ceres went on, ‘if you can call me a “priest” any more… If this room is designed to work for a priest, I don’t know if it will respond to me…’
‘Well it’s worth a try, isn’t it?’ said Horatio, he hoped encouragingly. ‘What have we got to lose?’
Ceres bit her bottom lip. ‘Okay then… I’ll give it a go…’
She knelt down on the ground. She didn’t bow her head, but she did shut her eyes and hold out her hands.
‘Lord Qind, full of Kindness and Truthfulness…’
Horatio looked away. He felt like he was invading something private by watching her while she prayed. He wasn’t entirely sure where he stood with Qind himself. He probably did believe in him–after all, there was the holy magic which Ceres could do, which was a kind of evidence. But he also had some doubts and some questions. If Qind was really there, why had he allowed Horatio’s parents to split up, and why hadn’t he made it easier for Horatio to get along with them? And weren’t there those who believed that magic actually came from Brax, the Demon God, the Lord of the Monsters? That he was the source of all magic?
As he contemplated these thoughts while he stared into the blackness of the deep chasm that lay before them, trying not to pay attention to the quiet words of Ceres’s prayer…
…a narrow, translucent bridge appeared over the chasm, glowing with the same pale blue light as the writing on the wall above the far door.
Horatio gasped with the others.
It looked like a cross between crystal and glass, but with a blue tint.
Ceres’ eyes were still closed; she didn’t seem to have realised yet.
‘Priestess!’ said Horatio. ‘It worked!’
She opened her eyes. They seemed to glow with the same blue light as that of the bridge. ‘Oh,’ she said softly. ‘So it did.’ She smiled, and Horatio worried his heart might burst. ‘Praise be to Qind!’
‘Nice one, priest-girl!’ said Egea.
‘Indeed,’ said Primus. ‘Now come along, we must be over this bridge. Do you think you need to keep reciting the prayer in order to keep the bridge in place?’
She walked up to its tip and Horatio watched in awe of her courage as she lifted a foot and placed it firmly down on the surface of the bridge
‘It will hold,’ declared Ceres.
‘Excellent,’ said Primus.
They walked across the bridge together, letting Ceres lead. Horatio tried not to look down. This meant that at first he didn’t notice the monsters that jumped out of the chasm at them.
Random battle 3!
Background: Cave 1
Music: SNES_FFbattle.
Battle dialogue:
CERES: Watch out, Horatio, we’re being attacked!
HORATIO: Arhhh!
PRIMUS: Eyes forward, boy!
EGEA: Don’t fall off, anyone!
[Fight]
[End of battle.]
Advertisement
Armored
600 years have passed since the fall of civilization. The earth went through massive changes and core beasts now reign supreme. All that still exists of mankind are ruins and a scattering of walled cities. Festering pits of the worst humanity has to offer, protected by "knights" clad in a mech-like technology called armor. Nobles rule over everyone, little more than warlords. The middle class wants to make a buck and become nobles. And the rats want to survive. But everyone wants a piece of the ancient technology lost to mankind hundreds of years ago. Find one piece and it could change your life forever. For better or worse. This is my second attempt at a story. I haven't been writing for more than 3 or 4 months all combined. I hope to improve as I go. This is first and foremost a learning experience for me.
8 167Banned From Existence
You appear in an infinite white room with nothing but yourself and a piece of paper saying "You have been banned from existence"
8 139Diary of a reincarnate in a cultivation world
Some one who read reincarnation story as a hobby who wanted to be part of it, but when a chance came it was not how he dreamed it to be, full of pain, fear and well not heroic, This is the story of Yu Tian/ William
8 111Prophecy of the Four Pillars
Dave Richardson was a normal guy from earth who was summoned to another world. However, before his adventure could really begin, he’s caught up in a teleportation spell that splits him into two beings. Richardson continued on the adventure to save the kingdom from a vile necromancer, never knowing anything went wrong. The other being, Dave, is sent to a realm of rot and death where he must struggle to find away out. [I write in my free time so my upload schedule will be erratic]
8 114Evolution-revolution ! ( On Hiatus.... I will never give up... just need time. )
In a green planet, much like earth. A silvery round ball appeared out of seemingly nowhere. No, it was silver in color, but in fact it seemed like it was something organic... ___________________________________ In a world full of magic and unplea- I mean pleasant surprises, a being like no other appeared. A life form like no other... or wait, what the !?!? An experimental weapon made from gods ? A being made to destroy? Wait ! Gods ??? What the heck ?.... Something went wrong in the experiment, and what seemed like a success, failed... and so they threw it in a "trash" world, at least then it would be forgotten by everyone.. or would it ?
8 295By your Side - Kaz Brekker x Reader
Summary: after you left the ship you spent the last years working on as well as your best friend Jojo, Kaz takes you in and makes you a member of the Dregs. When Jojo comes to visit several years later, unexpected tensions arise. Based on an idea by tumblr's @ilovemarvelanne1Word Count: approx. 35 000 wordsWarnings: canontypical violence, blood, Kaz's trauma, injuries, angst, jealousy, alcohol, mentions of (child)prostetution (Inej's past), death (of an enemy)
8 106