“Kylie, I think I can see it.” Naomi gazed forward, pointing towards the mountains. 

Kylie struggled to look past the blinding light of the morning sun reflecting off the snow. It’d hardly been an hour since they’d awoken, curled up next to Asalya and her dragon stone for warmth. Kylie was still rubbing sleep from her eyes. Their magical aid, as well as the relatively flat terrain, had made their current leg of the journey the simplest thus far. Yet as the days wore on, their remaining food dwindled away until the night prior, when they’d simply run out. Hunger and fatigue were building rapidly. The idea that Naomi saw anything helpful was enough to make Kylie’s tail wag.

A few steps later, Kylie saw what Naomi did. Far in the distance, several black lines cut across the top of a mountain. On each line hundreds of equally-dark rectangles reached towards the sky. Though these structures were too far away to make out many details, they definitely looked hand-built. Even if it wasn’t Crescentia, it might have been another settlement. That alone was cause to celebrate.

Naomi’s stomach rumbled. She laid her hand across it. “I really hope we can get some food there.” 

“Same here.” The nausea of hunger swirled in Kylie’s gut. “If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?”

“I’d kill someone to have a steak right now,” was Naomi’s disconcertingly quick reply.

“Wow,” Kylie jumped back, her hand flying over her heart dramatically. “You’d kill someone? Naomi, that seems like very improper conduct for a magical doctor. Haven’t you taken some kind of oath?”

“Oh, we’re very beyond oaths at this point.” Naomi flashed a fake smile that showed all her teeth. Kylie wondered if it was an imitation of when she showed her fangs. Naomi closed her eyes and held her nose high. “I’d cook it nice and rare, too. Just a nice sear on the outside. I’d want it left bloodier than the victim I took it from.”

Kylie let out a laugh that was more just a sudden expulsion of air. “Gross. You’re gross. I think I’d just politely ask for some lentil soup or maybe some-”

“No, there’s going to be none of that. It’s going to be all meat, all the time. Right, Asalya?”

Asalya barked in agreement.

“Well, then what am I gonna do? I’ve got a sensitive tum, remember?” 

“Hmm, I don’t know. But you’re a smart girl; you’ll figure it out.” Naomi reached across Asalya and pat Kylie’s head. “Meanwhile Asalya and I are going to be having a delicious steak buffet. The savory aroma will spread from here to Laryth.”

Kylie rolled her eyes and pointed up at the city. “Where exactly is ‘here,’ anyway?”

Naomi raised an eyebrow at Kylie. “Well, that’s Crescentia, obviously.” 

As they approached the mountain, their perspective on it shifted. What once seemed like a complete mountain now looked as if a massive chunk had been taken out of the center, all the way from the top to the base. The shape left no doubt that this was Mount Crescent, and the stone settlement wrapped around it was Crescentia. Their destination was in sight. The mountain was higher in the back than at the crescent’s points. The city wrapped around the peak in several distinct rings, held up by pitch black pillars and buttresses, a series of concentric circular bridges that only led to themselves. The massive black buildings somewhat intimidated Kylie, if only because it must have been difficult to build them on the face of such a steep mountain.  It was an impossible city built on improbable geography. Kylie struggled to take her eyes away.

“What do you think made the mountain shaped like that?” asked Kylie.

“The Order has a story about that, and it’s actually the reason we’re here. Legend says this is the place where a star once fell to earth. The starfire was hot enough to burn away the center and the sides of the mountain. Supposedly, ancient Crescentians discovered Mount Crescent because of the star and settled here because of the healing of the light it gave. That’s why the Order of Rejuvenance, at its founding, chose this as the place to perform the ritual to refresh our light.”

“Wow. My hometown was founded when my great-grandparents and their shepherd friends found a river. Wasn’t nearly as grandiose as this place.”

“You’re sort of underselling the mystery of a village of cursed people who befriend wolves.” Naomi pet Asalya’s back.

“Well, yeah. Nighthills was founded after my teacher got cursed by a witch and began raising wolves, and that is weirder. But I’m from Rodehills. The boring one.” Kylie shrugged.

“Ah, sorry. I still get confused about that,” said Naomi. “But, just so you know, I’ve done some reading that suggests the story of Crescentia’s founding is apocryphal. Books and papers written in Laryth thousands of years ago reference the existence of a city on a crescent mountain to the north, meaning not only did Crescentia exist, the two towns had established contact and likely traded. Meanwhile, the earliest known reference to the tale of the falling star only dates back a few hundred years or so, though it’s possible it was carried by an oral tradition beforehand.”

Ancient history wasn’t a subject Kylie had much interest in, but it felt amazing to hear Naomi speak so excitedly. “So, if it’s possibly not true, why does the Order still base its traditions around it?”

“Well, there’s likely truth to the idea that the light around Crescentia makes for an excellent magic catalyst - at least according to everything the Order has found. The discovery of that may very well be why people chose to settle in an otherwise difficult environment. Regardless of the story, it is still a good place to refresh the Light. And the falling star tale has never been disproven entirely. Besides, it’s a fun thing to tell the kids.

“It’s strange, actually.” Naomi’s face sank as she suddenly changed the topic. “I’ve never been to Crescentia before, but in a way it feels like coming home? They say the family you find in the Order of Rejuvenance is the truest family you’ll ever know, though in my case that’s more literal.”

The look of relief on Naomi’s face dropped instantly into worry at the mention of the Order. Kylie could think of a few reasons for that. Naomi could think that she’d be in trouble for being so late. She could simply be lost in thought, pondering the nature of home. Or maybe, though Kylie recognized potential confirmation bias in this theory, this wasn’t a great home to return to. Regardless, Kylie decided not to stress out the cleric more by pressing for details.

“I don’t know if anyone I know has ever been here. My dad certainly hasn’t, so I’ll have to tell him all about it when I’m done being grounded forever. I guess maybe Madeline or my mom could have, but I’ve never heard them say so.” Kylie racked her brain, trying to think of anyone else who knew who travelled.

Naomi turned quickly to Kylie, her brow furled in confusion. “Forgive me, but I’m a little surprised to hear that your mother is present in your life. Up until now I’ve only ever heard of your teacher and your dad.”

“My mom, Erica, uh, she and I aren’t on the best terms.” Kylie’s ears fell. She paused for a moment to consider discussing this any further. “But I don’t mind talking about it if that’s something you’d be okay with.”

“Absolutely.”

“Thank you. Though, there’s not actually a ton to talk about - I’ve only met her maybe three or four times? It’s weird. She likes to travel and was never really interested in being a mom, and that’s fair enough, I suppose. But I was always confused then why she would sometimes trek all the way over to Rodehills, completely unannounced, and insist on staying with an ex she didn’t like and a kid who didn’t even really know who she was. And when I asked why, she wouldn’t answer. Then she’d leave without any warning.”

Talking about this felt like letting the air out of her lungs after holding it for over a minute. “Uh, sorry, I didn’t mean for this to just become me ranting about her.”

“No, please continue. I’m glad to know more about you.” 

Kylie was happy to have the invitation. She hadn’t known she was keeping this in, but now she couldn’t stop. “I met her when I was six. She asked me if I liked her better than my dad when I was ten. The last time I saw her was actually last spring. I don’t think she ever misgendered or deadnamed me on purpose but she also wasn’t working very hard to break the habit. She kept saying she could barely recognize me. Eventually I told her I was fine with that.”

  By now, Naomi had stopped in place. She reached out to hold Kylie’s hand. “I’m sorry.”

Despite the flush rising in her cheeks, Kylie placed her hand in Naomi’s. It was a comforting gesture, but Kylie found herself surprised that discussing this had failed to bring tears. It was a small confirmation of something she’d suspected - though she needed to talk about it, this was something she felt like she’d mostly recovered from. It filled her with an odd sense of pride. “Erica disappeared that night, along with this total asshole who my dad used to be friends with. Honestly, it’s alright. I’m sure you’ve picked up that me and my dad argue sometimes, but at least I get along better with him than my mom.”

“I have to say this is a bit difficult for me to relate to.” Naomi gently let go of Kylie’s hand. “I never had parents or a consistent guardian at the Order, at least for more than a year or two at a time. I also never experienced much difficulty with my guardians. I was quiet and studious, which they definitely viewed as a positive. I don’t think there’s much I could say that would be helpful.”

“You don’t have to offer advice, it’s just nice to talk.” Kylie watched Naomi begin her pattern of opening and closing her hand.

“Sorry. As a medical professional, I want to try to help anyone I see struggling, no matter what that something is. I think that sometimes that instinct kicks in even when I have nothing to give. Sorry. Again.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Kylie felt as though Naomi was holding something back, but she wasn’t sure what. If there was one thing she knew Naomi would avoid talking about, it was the dangers of dark magic, though Kylie didn’t see how that was relevant. “Thank you for listening.”

“Anytime.”

Kylie scanned the mountainside for a path leading up to the city. But the closer she got, the higher she had to crane her neck to see the city above her. The city didn’t seem to stretch any further down the mountain, nor connect to any roads. She started to worry they’d have to circle the whole thing to find a way up.

Turning her gaze back in front of her, she noticed something strange. Long poles were sticking out of the nearby snow, rising straight up for several feet into the air. At first Kylie thought they may have been placed to help travellers find the roadside in heavy snow, but there didn’t seem to be much of a pattern to their position. Kylie tilted her head towards the nearest one, motioning for the others to come with her. The snow around the pole melted away as the group approached, revealing that its base had been buried in the earth. Kylie let go of Asalya, allowing the cold to hit her again so she could investigate freely. The rod seemed to be made of steel, though if that were the case for all of them someone had scattered more steel around the base of this mountain than Kylie had ever seen in her life. Clearly the city had placed these here for a reason.

Asalya found the answer to that question when she continued walking past the pole. The snow that melted around her revealed a thick sheet of ice in their path, which then also melted into a pool of water. Suddenly it made sense, and Kylie saw the pattern of the rods’ placement. They were circling around something. Kylie was right to assume they were guideposts, but they didn’t mark a road. They showed the borders of a massive frozen lake. It appeared to stretch the entire distance between the crescent-shaped mountain’s corners and deep inside the center. There didn’t seem to be a way through.

Kylie looked to Naomi, who scanned the horizon, clearly understanding the issue. Though the lake was frozen, their dragonfire stone would have them swimming all the way to the mountain’s base if they tried to go through it. Naomi was already searching for a way around. 

She pointed away from the mountain. “I think I see something over there.”

Kylie peered over where she indicated. Sure enough, there seemed to be a different pole - a shorter one with something golden dangling from it.

“What do you think that is?”

Then Asalya took off running towards it, across the lake, with the stone still in her mouth.

She ran swiftly on the ice, melting the snow in her path but not lingering long enough for the ice below her to melt or crack. They watched as the wolf dashed all the way to the short pole. Then she stopped and turned back to face them, contented, on dry land.

Naomi shivered and buttoned her jacket. “Did I do something to make her want to leave me out in the cold?”

“No, just the opposite. She likes you enough to want to annoy you.” Kylie buttoned up her jacket as well. “Guess we don’t have to worry about the ice melting under us. Want to just cut across?” 

Naomi agreed. The two of them moved away from the path Asalya cut, both to have better traction and avoid stepping on any part of the ice the wolf may have weakened. Though the walk was frigid, the mere minutes of trudging through the snow barely registered as an inconvenience compared to the miles of blizzard they’d passed through before. Letting them walk across the ice likely saved them considerable time, though Kylie would never validate Asalya’s teasing by admitting that. 

When they again reached land, Kylie rubbed Asalya’s ears, hiding the top of the wolf’s smug face under her hand. Naomi moved instead to examine a small golden bell, hanging from a hook on the rod beside them. Kylie looked again towards Crescentia. They stood between the points of the crescent, and therefore faced the middle of the city. From here, Kylie could see a thin, winding path of stairs that spiraled around the mountain, leading from the base to the city entrance.

“It’s gonna take days to climb all those steps.” Kylie said, her head turning to trace the path. 

“Oh, don’t even worry about that. We’re already here.” A playful smile spread on Naomi’s face as she placed her hand against the bell.

“We are? How?”

“Like this.” Naomi flicked the bell with a single finger. A little chime rang out.

A tiny ray of yellow light, no wider across than a teacup, appeared from the top of the rod. It beamed towards the city on the mountain. The ray was completely opaque, potentially even solid. Kylie reached over to check.

“No, wait! Don’t do that. Your curse could destroy it.” Naomi grabbed Kylie’s wrist, but quickly let go when Kylie backed away.

Asalya, apparently deciding to check in Kylie’s stead, placed the dragonfire stone on the ground, jumped up and bit down on the beam. She hung there, suspended in the air for a moment before she let go and landed back on her feet. She scooped up the stone again, and moved back to Kylie, clearly proud of herself.

Naomi tapped Kylie on the shoulder. She pointed up along the path of the beam. “Can you see it?”

Kylie peered upwards. A wooden box was descending along the light. Though it presently looked miniscule, it must have been quite large to be seen from this distance.

“That’s the gondola. There’s another enchanted bell inside. Ring it and it will carry you up to Crescentia.” Naomi clenched her hand again. “I- I’m afraid this is where we have to part. If someone saw us arrive in the city, they'll know we travelled together. And if that happens, then…”

Naomi trailed off, searching for words. Kylie responded, “I understand.”

“Thank you for accompanying me all this way. You really didn’t have to, but I’m so grateful you did. I understand that you’ll also need to go into the city, but when I return here with the Light refreshed, I hope I can find you waiting for me. If it’s not too much to ask.”

“Not at all. Though, it may take us some time to get travelling supplies. If you beat us back here, I swear it won’t be because we’ve abandoned you. We’ll just need to catch up.”

Naomi stepped towards Kylie, paused for a moment, then sprang forward and wrapped Kylie in a hug. “Thank you again.”

Asalya rubbed her head against the back of the kids’ legs as they held each other. From her periphery, Kylie saw the gondola lower to the ground. She’d been right about its size; the wooden structure was bigger than her own house. The wood was dark and shined with heavy lacquer, yet the red paint on the gondola’s door trim and many windows was cracked and peeling. It looked sturdy; an antique well-preserved for its function over its beauty. A high-fenced open-air platform, perhaps for livestock, jutted out from the back. This was something made to carry entire journeying caravans, not lone passengers. Yet, Kylie resigned herself, that’s what it would do today.

Naomi stepped away and into the open door of the gondola. She waved goodbye. Kylie waved back. She found the bell dangling on a hook by the door. With a little jingle, she felt herself rise into the air.

She sat next to a window in one of the red padded seats adhered to the gondola’s walls. Outside the window, she saw the mountains, the fields of snow and ice they’d crossed, and two wolves - her only friends through the hardest task she’d ever had. Naomi kept watching them as they turned to mere specks in the distance.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Naomi’s boots sank into the icy slurry coating the dark stones of the city streets. Though she had tried to prepare herself, stepping off the gondola into the crowded city still came as a shock. She hadn’t seen a person other than Kylie in… some time. Yet Crescentia’s streets overflowed with people, in many shapes and sizes, in many different-colored hats and coats. The noise of a thousand people all having different conversations filled her ears. Some people moved holding bags, heading either to or from the market. On one side of her, she saw a table set in the snow beside the road, where an elderly person in a pink coat handed out hot drinks to friends as they played a card game. Beside them, a group of children threw snow at each other, gathering whatever clumps hadn’t turned to mush under the foot traffic. A few steps out of the gondola and she became another part of the crowd.

Most people stood waiting for lifts. Crescentia was a city built on a fair number of different elevations. That necessitated many wooden platforms with many enchanted bells, built into and on the sides of the enormous, black buildings made to house many people. Murals of fae, elementals, sky-folk, farmers, traders, builders, dragons, and mages were etched into every inch of the towers’ hundreds of feet of black stone. The styles of the murals shifted suddenly as one looked from the foot of the tower to the top, the result of new height added to old towers every few generations. The lifts were old but constantly refurbished. The current ones had rails to keep people from falling and chairs for those who needed them, but were still mostly flat planks of wood. Every few seconds Naomi saw another beam of light, another swarm of people coming or going. She didn’t know which of these lifts was hers. Or even if she needed one at all.

She circled to the east, noticing that the market seemed to be to the west and preferring to check there last. She’d had a map of Crescentia when she’d set out, lost with everything else. Though - she clenched her hand again - she’d kept the one thing she absolutely needed. The Light of Laryth was still inside her. She was almost there, her destination. Then she could finally head home.

Her eyes stayed down towards the slurry on the road. She moved past everyone she saw and paid them no mind, just as they did to her. It reminded her of Laryth, on the rare occasions that she actually left the Order’s sanctuary. Crescentia was her home, intensified. It was taller and denser. Scarier, she was willing to admit. How would Kylie feel up here? She’d probably be taken in by the wonder of this place, the casual magic of an ancient city. Naomi wished she could see Kylie’s face as she stepped out of the gondola.

Eventually she saw what she was looking for. The symbol of the Order of Rejuvenance, a simple drawing of rays of light emerging through clouds, was etched in a relief above the wooden door of a building across the street. Naomi took a deep breath in. She closed and opened her hands; she tried to settle the quaking in her stomach. But she couldn't keep delaying. She made her way across the street and opened the door.

Naomi was greeted by the familiar gentle yellow flickering of candlelight. The Order preferred candles over the harsher light of oil or harnessed-lightning lamps, as the relative darkness allowed a cleric to more easily see the area of effect of their healing spells. Candles in glass tubes were set on a small ledge that surrounded the perimeter of the black room, except opposite the front door, where the lift sat. As soon as Naomi opened the door, she saw the local intake proselyte set a book down on the table beside them and begin walking towards her.

The intake proselyte wore the standard white robes, but their guard mask hung loosely around their neck. This was a rookie mistake. The guard mask was a sheet of fabric that covered the face, colored deep blue for the proselytes but also coming in other colors that indicated the cleric’s rank. It was meant to prevent potentially infectious materials from entering the mouth, as well as shielding the cleric’s eyes from damage caused by the bright light of their own healing magic. Clerics, at least the ones in Laryth, were expected to wear one at all times when on duty, to protect themselves from anything unforeseen. Naomi supposed she should not have been surprised - intake proselytes were often the least experienced in the sanctuary, their sole role being to do quick evaluations before alerting a specialist. In fact, the proselyte in front of her seemed to be her senior by only a couple years. The cleric caught Naomi’s gaze. They raised their guard mask as they approached.

“May I help you?” Their tone seemed more confused than anything. 

Naomi stood straight, summoning every ounce of authority she could. She stood a few inches taller than them. Though the proselyte in front of her was technically her superior, Naomi’s position was more exceptional. “I am Naomi Birch, Lightbringer of Laryth.”

They removed their guard mask again, and looked Naomi up and down. Naomi suddenly became self-conscious of her ill-fitting red dress and black leggings, a far cry from the white robes she was expected to arrive in. 

Still, the proselyte closed their hands together and said, “I will alert the Grand Cleric.”

They chanted for a moment, activating a simple communication spell. When the spell broke, they turned towards the lift, saying, “Follow me, Young Miss Birch.”

Her brow furrowed. Though she tried not to care about status, Naomi had always hated the title “Young Miss” - given to all assigned-female-at-birth Healing Acolytes. It felt diminutive, and felt more so coming from the mouth of an in-training cleric who the Order would have never asked to undertake a task like the one she had. She at least deserved to be called “Lightbringer.” Still, she followed them to the lift. That title was just something to add to the list of things she’d advocate to change once she became a Grand Cleric.

The proselyte rang the lift’s bell twelve times, and they drifted up to the twelfth floor. They walked together down a long, black, candle-lit hallway and passed several small rooms. Naomi wasn’t sure if these were patient rooms or cleric residences. They stopped at the door at the end of the hall. The proselyte lifted their arm to knock, but a deep voice boomed through the door, “You may enter.”

The proselyte held open the door and allowed Naomi to pass through. The man Naomi knew to be Grand Cleric Arket, head of Crescentia’s branch of the Order, sat at a desk, facing away from her. He held a large feathered quill, and wrote a few words in a book that covered nearly half the desk. A simple, white-blanketed bed sat across from the desk, beside the door. It belonged to the Grand Cleric, but also ostensibly to anyone sick, injured, or cursed enough to require the Grand Cleric’s direct oversight. In practice that offer was virtually never taken, being mostly symbolic of how tirelessly the Grand Cleric would work to heal those in need. Arket directed Naomi to sit on that bed now.

The room was darker than most, with fewer candles that were kept far away from the tall bookcases and many tomes. Naomi’s own Grand Cleric had a similar office - it held all the books she wasn’t permitted to read without Grand Cleric Jeiflet’s written consent. She’d always been interested in those books the most; she’d read most of the others in the main library. Arket’s room was smaller than Jeiflet’s but the shelves were no more sparse, which made sense as all five Grand Clerics were said to share copies of the same tomes. The knowledge contained therein must have been great.

Arket spun his chair to face Naomi, not that she could tell when he was looking at her. The Grand Cleric, by tradition, wore his deep red and gold-trimmed guard mask at all times, excepting showering and eating. It symbolized the readiness of an expert healer to be willing to save someone at all times, though typically a Grand Cleric spent most of their actual day with medical and magical research, training other clerics, and general sanctuary management.

“I sense the Light of Laryth within you, so I suppose you are truthfully Young Miss Birch. We were expecting you some time ago. The Grand Cleric Counsel has already conveyed about what action to take, should it be determined that your absence was permanent. I am pleased it was not.” The Grand Cleric’s head swayed as his heavy voice weighed on Naomi.

Naomi stood rigid, her hands folded tight together, held in front of her stomach. “Please forgive my absence, Grand Cleric Arket. A beast attacked me and chased me from my path outside of Cerflyn. My navigational supplies were lost as well. The beast continued its pursuit for many days, and it took me a long time to find my way here.”

Arket pointed at Naomi, his finger waving up and down. “And I suppose your robes were lost in the attack as well?”

Her chest tightened. She did not want to have to lie to the Grand Cleric, so decided to keep her story as close to the truth as possible. “After a few days, I fell unconscious from exhaustion. I was found by a shepherd's daughter from the town of Nighthills, who brought me back to health. She provided me with new clothes after my robes were reduced to tatters.”

“I’ve never heard of this Nighthills.”

Naomi winced internally. Why was she being interrogated so much? Was it not enough that she’d made it here with the Light intact? “Forgive me, I must have confused that name with the village Rodehills. I spent only about one waking hour in the village. I hadn’t meant to accept outside aid, and sought my hardest to do so minimally. I navigated here by way of the Whitestone Mountain Range.”

“Interesting. I’m surprised no villagers insisted on accompanying you.”

“The shepherd’s daughter did, but I rejected the notion in accordance with the will of the Order. I left under the cover of night, and did so quickly, for I soon found myself being pursued through the forest by wolves.”

“Well, then. My sincerest congratulations on making it here safely, Young Miss.” The Grand Cleric folded his hands and gave a small bow, a gesture Naomi repeated. “Though I must voice concern, what manner of beast caused you all this trouble?”

“It was a massive being of liquid shadow, with claws and red eyes. I believe it’s known as an Absentia.”

The Grand Cleric’s masked head cocked to the side. “Where, may I ask, did you learn of the beast’s name?”

Now she’d done it - thrown away her whole future on one mistake. Her face felt hot. Her stomach felt sick. But there was no way she could tell him of the dragon. “Another traveller on the road by Cerflyn shouted that name as it attacked. I assumed it referred to the creature.”

“What an oddly well-read traveller.” Arket stood up and walked to a bookcase beside the desk. He pulled a large, light tan tome from the shelf and sat back down.

“Sir?” Naomi stood frozen.

“Absentia are darkness elementals.” He said, flipping through the book’s pages. “They don’t sync well with this plane where the sun always rises in the morning. Presumably, it has been summoned here. These beasts are exceedingly dangerous but equally rare. Young Miss, you have learned the name of a powerful dark magic.” 

“Perhaps then, that was no traveller at all, but the witch who summoned it?” She’d crossed a line. The only solution was to lie, to keep lying desperately in the hopes that maybe everything would go back, and she wouldn’t lose it all. “They could have played the victim to turn away suspicion.”

“Perhaps.” Arket snapped his book shut. His fierce gaze could be felt stabbing through his mask. Then his posture slowly relaxed. “Young Miss Birch, you have certainly been through a terrible ordeal. On behalf of the Order, my humblest apologies. We have limited time to complete the Ritual of Rejuvenation, and we should do so immediately. Afterwards, I would like you to remain here for at least a few days.”

Naomi’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t keep Kylie waiting that long. “Forgive me, is the Light not needed urgently back in Laryth?”

“It is, but the Grand Counsel has already considered appointing a new Lightbringer to perform the ritual. I will need some time to contact them and inform them of your arrival, as well as tell them your tale. Quite frankly, Young Miss Birch, I’m not sure you are fit to travel after this ordeal, especially not if a witch has targeted you. My recommendation would be to keep you here under my tutelage and protection until assigning you to a village branch, and appoint a new Lightbringer to take the Light back to our city.”

That was the worst option of all. Being trapped in this city, away from her home, never again to see her new friends. Her position and her hope to create change within the Order granted to someone new. As much as the idea of going back into the wilderness terrified Naomi, she had support there now. She could do this.

“With all due respect, Grand Cleric Arket, I feel I should insist on making the journey. I know I am very late, but I worked as hard as I could to come here to perform this ritual because there are sick people at home who need the Light. Any moment it remains here is a moment that someone could be suffering. I have a duty to bring it home to Laryth, and waiting for the word of the counsel and another Lightbringer could waste precious time.”

“Your concern is noted and well-founded, Young Miss,” Arket hissed back. “However, the counsel must decide whether your involvement will halt or increase further delays. I am aware people are sick, and I too have no wish to waste any more time. Come now. We will go to perform the ritual, after which you are ordered to stay put in your room. Am I clear?”

Naomi hung her head solemnly. “Yes, sir.” 

“Good.” Arket stood up and began walking toward the door. Naomi stood to follow. “Proselyte Gez, go and inform the Master Clerics that their aid is needed to prepare the ritual. Young Miss Birch, follow me.”

Arket walked towards the lift with his hands behind his back. Naomi followed, her head low. In some ways, she’d succeeded. She’d brought the Light. One way or another, the people of Laryth would have their healing. But still, she felt failure like hands around her neck. At the very least, she wished they could be glad she was safe. But, of course, she was a healer. The duty to heal others came before her happiness, just as the responsibility of the Order outweighed how much they could show concern for their members. She’d always known that. This was nothing new.

The Ritual of Rejuvenation passed by almost in a daze. She sat on her knees in front of the Grand Cleric as a dozen healers in different-colored masks buzzed around her. Some drew lines of chalk on the floor. Others burned candles, many chanted. A yellow-masked Master Cleric crushed catalytic ingredients and painted the resulting pale orange paste in patterns across her arms. Soon she felt her hair rise into the air. Followed by her legs. Even with her eyes closed, she saw the Light beam from within her heart. It grew brighter and brighter. She felt warm, uncomfortably so. Then, in time, her knees lowered back to the ground, and the Light - now magnitudes brighter than before - was contained within her once again. 

The clerics all resumed their normal duties. She washed off her arms and found her small, dark, candle-lit room. There were a few books in there. She picked one off the shelf at random and started reading it. Her eyes scanned over the pages, not really picking anything up, until she lost track of time.