Teyva slipped into the party chat as she made her way into the entry chamber of the tower. It was a large, wide space that opened up into a circular central chamber. To her right she spotted doors leading to a stairwell going up, there was the same on her left side. Immediately past that was an open archway that had been carved with simplistic reliefs of strange creatures she’d never seen before. She stopped at the edge of the circular chamber. After she finished explaining what she’d learned about the High Priestess and what one of her aspects likely was to the group, there was a moment of quiet before Paraklytus chimed in.

I am aware of such Aspect Stones, they were quite rare in my time. Unique because they performed a similar role to a Sovereign Aspect.

How so? Azrael asked.

Such Stones would synchronize with the other Aspects wielded by the user but instead of urging them to work in harmony as a Sovereign Aspect would, they amplify the adjoining aspects, providing unearned strength to the user. Paraklytus added.

Leech. Just cut her off already. Azrael growled.

If she is truly using her Aspect to draw power from your existence then I am curious as to what she is capable of, especially if her priests were able to use instances of your abilities, Majesty. Paraklytus continued, ignoring Azrael’s grumbling.

Teyva rubbed her chin, You’re suggesting I give her a chance to show off a little?

And then strip her of her power before crushing her body and spirit? Conrad added.

You make it sound so cold and manipulative. Paraklytus said.

One hell of a wake-up call, though, I say go for it, my lady. Azrael added.

Teyva rolled her jaw thoughtfully and closed the connection, she waved a hand and dismissed the Death Elemental outside the tower, freeing up her [Dominion Pool] a little before summoning up a quartet of [Darkeyes]. The creatures rose into the air and darted in multiple directions before turning their attention on every angle around Teyva. Teyva let out a breath and crossed her arms behind her back before stepping into the central chamber. Out of a pair of doors opening to the east and west a horde of men and women in dark robes came stumbling into the open space, wands and weapons at the ready. Teyva sighed, “Really?”

The cultists raised their weapons before hesitating, something that looked like glass taking shape in the open space between them and Teyva. Two thin panes of faint light erupted into being, blocking the cultist’s attacks and protecting them from a possible retaliation against Teyva. Teyva sniffed, “Finally, you’re a really bad host, you know that? Making a Queen fight her way inside?”

“I want to thank you for not killing my followers, you have been quite magnanimous, messenger,” A luxurious feminine voice came from an opening on the far side of the circular chamber-turned rectangular arena. Teyva glanced down at the floor as she drew closer to the center of the room. There was a small depression in the floor with what looked like decorative mosaic tiles embedded in the surface. They didn’t match up with the style of the place. She tilted her head, it looked like some kind of white-haired gorilla. She glanced up at the opening and finally got her first sight of the Dark Priestess.

The woman was clearly an elf, no doubt there, her angular features were softened with radiant white-silver skin that shone a bit in the faint light that illuminated the chamber from the openings that lead out of the tower above them. She had a striking figure, voluptuous compared to the thinner and more athletic-looking female elves she’d seen before in Osan. Her hair was jet black, bangs cut in a straight line over her soft face with eyes as dark as shadows. Her lips were blood red, gleaming in contrast with her skin. She was straight out of a vampire fantasy as far as Teyva was concerned. Teyva cleared her throat and looked up to the ceiling for a moment.

“Something wrong, messenger?” The Dark Priestess asked.

Teyva steeled herself and clamped down on the small part of her that immediately wanted to ogle. Yaga had given her permission to do whatever she pleased while she was up here, but she was absolutely certain that a half-assed come-on would put her out on the couches for at least a month. Teyva rubbed the side of her head, “I was kind of hoping you’d be less gorgeous,” Teyva admitted, finally, “See now I feel bad.”

“Feel bad about what?” The woman tilted her head, looking a little confused.

“I’m planning on beating your ass in a minute,” Teyva said with a sigh, “Now I kind of don’t want to,” She was really glad Azrael wasn’t here to overhear that.

The woman burst into laughter, “You are a funny one! I figured a messenger from the Age Eater would be more stoic!”

Teyva sniffed, “Messenger, huh?”

“Well yes, you seem to possess abilities similar to our Goddess! You have come here to test us, haven’t you? As you can see our numbers grow by the day as more of the fair-folk come to their senses and realize that the great change is coming!” She threw her arms up into the air, “Our powers grow and soon I will have enough strength to create yet another Priest! We will be ready when she comes!”

Teyva’s eye twitched, “Yeah, a test, sure,” She mumbled, thinking back to Paraklytus’ statement when it came to Conrad. Not to waste a potential resource. If it could be turned to her use, she shouldn’t just go out of her way and destroy it. That said, Teyva glanced over at the fanatics throwing their arms up to the sky and joining the Dark Priestess in her worship. She felt queasy. She turned her attention back on the priestess and pulled out her journal, the magic text appearing in her hand.

“A sacred text?” The Dark Priestess asked.

“Something like that,” Teyva said, “It will tell me more about you.”

“I am an open book to her messenger!” The woman crowed, closing her eyes. To Teyva’s surprise she could feel the woman’s mana manipulation drop completely even from across the room. Was she nuts? Shrugging, she used the journal.

[Myranda Wylafon] - [High Elven High Priestess of the Mother of Monsters] - Neutral? - Level 13 (18)

Aspect of the Moon, Aspect of the Elfkin, Aspect of the Lord of the Wastes, Aspect of the High Priest

HP: 100% MP: 100% SP: 100%

Teyva blinked, “Well shoot,” She said, “You really are an open book aren’t you?” Aspect of the Lord of the Wastes? She glanced down at the depiction of the white-haired gorilla at her feet and put two and two together. She cleared her throat and dismissed her journal. Also, Myranda? Where had she heard that name before? Forget that, what was with her level? Teyva frowned, was it saying her level was being adjusted somehow? It was the Aspect of the High Priest, wasn’t it?

“I have nothing to hide!” The woman declared.

“Right, okay so,” Teyva rubbed the side of her head, “Myranda, right?”

The woman blinked and looked at Teyva directly, “You know my birth name?”

“You said you had nothing to hide,” Teyva said, putting her hands on her hips, “Myranda Wylafon. Fancy name.”

The woman’s expression went cold, “I don’t care if you are my Goddess’ messenger, that name is not yours to use.”

Teyva laughed, she could sense the woman’s mana coiling back up around her and forming a tight barrier. It was practically like sensing bloodlust. Teyva licked her lips, she hadn’t had a good fight since she faced Azrael during the competition. Perry had suggested that she see what the woman was capable of, right? She could have some fun, “Oh really? Well, miss Wylafon. Fortunately for you, your test is going to involve trying to kill me. You think you can manage it?”

Myranda raised a hand and glared at Teyva, her fingers twisting in a simple pattern before she whipped her hand to the left. A circle of magic formed at her feet and Teyva watched as a [Behemoth] took shape. Teyva’s eyebrows rose, “Okay, I’m impressed,” Teyva said, “But I’m not interested in fighting your monsters.”

“That’s too bad, Behemoth! Deal with her!” The Dark Priestess commanded. The hulking creature let out a roar and charged at Teyva. Teyva crossed her arms, raised her head, and looked the creature in its eyes.

“Sit. Down,” Teyva commanded. The creature hesitated, blinked, and then sat down on the symbol of the Lord of the Wastes, its rage-filled expression suddenly pacified. Teyva approached the creature, reached up and took it by the face in both hands. “Good boy! Such a good boy! Can you go wait outside for me please?” She asked sweetly, stroking its head and rubbing her nose against its disturbing face. It growled an affirmative and got to its feet, rushing past her and out into the snow.

Myranda and all of her acolytes stood there, wide-eyed, as Teyva brushed herself off. “What did you do, that creature was mine to command!”

A vein pulsed in Teyva’s temple, “First off, that creature does not belong to anyone,” She corrected the Dark Priestess, “Do you even know the proper title for the being you worship?”

“The Age Eater of course!” Myranda barked back.

“Wrong! She is The Mother of Monsters! A mother!” Teyva snarled and released a burst of her mana. A few of the acolytes hidden behind the glass barrier Myranda had erected stumbled away from her, terrified. “How dare you! Her children are to be treated with respect! Love!”

“A goddess of destruction that deals in love?” Myranda snorted, “I was wrong! You are a heretic!”

Teyva let her entire presence roll out directly at the woman, focusing it so that her acolytes could watch. She raised her head high, eyes glowing with ferocity. “You think so?” Teyva said, “You know, I haven’t killed anyone in a very long time. I think you might end up being the first. Throw everything at me you’ve got before I lose my patience, ant.”

Myranda took a hesitant step back, sweat beading on her brow, “The hell are you?” She demanded, taking another step back. Teyva whipped her arm up and snarled, bearing her needle-like teeth. She cast [Create Wall] on the opening behind Myranda, preventing any manner of escape. The woman glanced over her shoulder and then back at Teyva.

“Eyes. On. Me. Little. Priestess,” Teyva bit out.

That set the woman off, she whipped her arm out and a hail of [Pale Bolt]s went hurtling in Teyva’s direction, they splashed against Teyva’s body, immune as she was to Death Magic. One of the bolts, though, cracked hard against her body and she felt a small shock of pain. Teyva blinked and looked down at her waist where the bolt hit. There was a dark burn there on her armor. Teyva looked back up again, “It looked white but wasn’t death magic, Aspect of the Moon?”

The Priestess created a dozen spheres of glittering milky-white moonlight and hurled them at Teyva. Teyva started to walk forward, forming a wall with [Create Wall] to block the bolts. She lowered it in time to see the woman whip her hands down, ice erupting from her fingertips. A field of cold spread out at Teyva’s feet, chilling the floor. A faint mist rose from it that lingered a bit, now and then a tendril of the mist reached out and tried to grab at Teyva. Teyva stepped up and cast [Glasswalker]. She began to walk across the panes of glass over the field of ice. The Priestess turned her arms in a full circle, before throwing them up into the air, an image of the moon formed above her that spread its light across the battlefield. Curious, Teyva glanced at her stats and came to a full stop. She started laughing. “Hey! Thanks!” She cackled, walking with even more confidence as the woman took two hopping steps forward and twirled, knives of white light taking shape and lancing toward Teyva. Teyva jumped, avoiding the blades. She wasn’t going to waste mana on this.

As soon as Teyva crested her jump, though, the Priestess appeared next to her, her arm having turned into a silver sword. Her eyes were anything but demure now, she drove her weapon forward at Teyva who cast [Glasswalker] catching herself in the air and spinning around the weapon before driving the back of her hand into the woman’s side. The impact sent the woman hurtling to the ground. Teyva turned and looked down at her and was surprised to see her getting up. Her body had an odd pale-green glow wrapping around it and she saw the woman’s shoulder pop back into place of its own accord.

“Aspect of the Elfkin, it gives you regenerative abilities,” Teyva said, “Nice touch.”

“What the hell are you?!” Myranda screamed.

Teyva smiled and raised a finger to her lips, “Want to know that bad? Okay, use all that power the goddess gave you and give me your best shot. I won’t move an inch. Just let me say one thing before you finish casting, how’s that sound?”

The Dark Priestess blinked, confused, “What are you playing at?”

One of the Acolytes shouted through the glass, “She can use word magic, my Lady!”

Teyva scoffed, “Alright, fine, I won’t even use word magic. Just an innocent statement.”

The Dark Priestess looked back at her Acolytes then back at Teyva. She snarled and threw her hands to the ground, muttering under her breath. Teyva felt something tickle at the back of her neck. She tilted her head and shifted her weight a little, setting herself onto two glowing panes instead of one. She stood there, suspended in the air as the woman dug deep. Teyva could almost see the cloud of her mana starting to shrink down a little. Was that what it felt like when someone cast a big spell? “Neat,” Teyva commented, rubbing her chin, “Hurry up!”

The Dark Priestess grunted, her fingertips turning white, the air around her picking up, her eyes glowed and it looked like her skin was beginning to glitter and shine like Teyva’s aura. The woman looked up at Teyva, “Your last words?” She snarled.

Teyva nodded, “Right, that,” She raised her head, “Myranda Wylafon. I am cutting you off. My powers are not yours to play with. You can have them back when you learn to be a good girl.”

The spell in Myranda’s hands faded, her body trembled and she let out a confused gasp. She staggered and seemed to visibly shrink as she dropped to her knees. She looked at her hands, “W-what?”

Teyva stepped down and said, “Myranda, look at me,” Teyva purred. She took another step down, “Stop fretting about your nails and look at me, dearie.”

The Dark Priestess’ hands fell to her sides and she looked up at Teyva. Teyva held her gaze, her expression filled with what only be described as motherly disappointment. The Dark Priestess wilted, a mixture of shame, fear, and confusion working its way across her face as she tried to work out what was going on. Teyva shook her head, “Myranda, it’s not that hard, are you really going to make me say it?”

The weakened woman could barely open her mouth, she just sat on the ground, broken. Teyva alighted on the floor and crouched down, getting in Myranda’s face. “I am the Mother of Monsters,” Teyva hissed, “I am your Goddess.”