The one thing I noted about the settlement was that its layout wasn’t terribly organized. The buildings themselves were all made of stone bricks and of high quality, but they seemed to be haphazardly placed. They also had a good amount of distance between them, making the settlement quite spacious. I got the impression that buildings were simply placed wherever people wanted them to be whenever a new one had to be built and that was that.

I wasn’t against the idea or anything, but I had expected everything to be as arranged and structured as their military. It would seem I was wrong in that regard.

There was a road leading to the middle of the city, with a large square at its center, surrounded by several larger buildings. Anything outside of the main square was too messy for me to navigate. It was a good thing I wouldn’t have to. If my assumption was correct, the most important buildings would be at the village’s center. That included the temple.

Vyath and Gwyn took the lead and I followed them closely. Their presence and proximity to me were bound to have a calming effect on the populace. There was no way I would make it inside without causing terror, even if my only goal was to reach the braziers in front of the temple.

Speaking of braziers, I spotted them as soon as we entered the village. It was hard to say exactly when that was, as there were no walls, so I just assumed the village started as soon as we passed the first house.

This late in the day, there were only a few elves outside. The smoke coming from chimneys told me that dinners were being prepared, or already served in some houses. The few people outside took notice of me and… stared. Some opened their mouths, and I was expecting them to scream and run away, but no words were said.

At the same time, I noted an odd sensation coming from the succubus. I normally would not have noticed it but, thanks to my thermal vision, I saw that not only was her body rising in temperature, but so were the air around her. I decided to ask what was going on.

“Gwyn, are you okay?”

“Oh, so you noticed?”

“Uh, I did notice something, but I can’t place what it is,” I said. “You seem to be warmer, is that correct?”

“I’m surprised you can see that,” The succubus said before pausing momentarily. “But yeah, this is one of my abilities. I’m currently keeping the townsfolk’s emotions in check. Can’t have people running in fear now, can we?”

“Thanks,” I said softly.

Up until now, I hadn’t had to deal with this issue, as I’d stayed out of and away from towns, and given the clear indication that I had no intention of entering them. This time, however, my goal was located dead-center of one. If only all temples could be like the one at Edhil…

We walked past several heavily-armored guards on our way. None of them reacted with shock. Rather, there was a hint of curiosity in their eyes. They glanced at me, then looked at the succubus and elf in front of me, and then back at me again. I got the impression that they either knew Vyath, or recognized his profession from the emblem he was wearing, and trusted that he knew what he was doing.

We reached the center of the settlement without any issues, but when the brazier got ever closer, my heart, or rather, hearts, started racing again. I knew it was stupid to worry about all this as I knew Elysa had a great interest in me, but I couldn’t help it. I had never felt special and even now, I still felt undeserving of a goddess’s grace.

Everything was washed away when low, red flames in the braziers flared up and turned blue. A nearby guard got to his knees and held his head down to look at the dirt in front of him. Vyath and Gwyn were also focused on the flames next to them.

The succubus shook her head. “I can’t believe it. I mean, I know you spoke the truth and all that, but still. This is such a rare occurrence, that even though Elysa isn’t my goddess, I still feel… privileged to even see this.”

Vyath said nothing and closed his eyes. His lips moved as if to whisper, but even my sensitive elven ears couldn’t pick up any sound. Was he… praying?

I couldn’t blame him. I did it myself all the time. If things hadn’t turned out the way they had, I would probably recite a silent prayer to the goddess of my own if a sign, such as the fires, was right in front of me.

“Should I wait here, or…?” I asked, unsure what to do.

The large double doors to the temple were closed.

“Just hold on a second,” Gwyn said before dismounting. Vyath finished his prayer and then followed the succubus’s lead. They led their horses to the side of the building and returned. I had to admit I was surprised that they let their mounts stay there without tying them to something.

Vyath had regained his composure by the time they returned and walked up to the massive doors barring the entrance to the temple. After a few quick knocks and some time, two eyes appeared behind a small window in the door. Even from here, I could see their pupils dart between Vyath, me, and the blue flames. After that, it didn’t take long before the doors opened.

Both doors were opened, but the figure that had peeked through the small window had disappeared. If previous experience had told me anything, they were most likely off to notify whoever was the highest-up here.

I waited outside, common courtesy compelled me to do so. Cellestra tapped my back twice and I lowered my body for her to step off. As she did so, she almost tumbled. I smiled at her antics in a somewhat evil way. Apparently, getting carried for so long had a noticeable impact.

Vyath and Gwyn were about to walk inside, but they turned their heads to me and also waited. A few seconds later, a priest with robes that were eerily similar to the priestess from before showed up in the doorway. Shock appeared on his face when he took notice of what was in front of him, but a quick look at the braziers made him shake his head and greet me warmly, nonetheless.

“Welcome,” He said. “It is an honor to meet one of Elysa’s chosen. Who is the exalted one?”

His eyes went between the four of us but rested on me in the end. Deep down, I knew that he already knew the answer to his question. Despite that, I still raised one hand.

“Me.”

A small smile appeared on his lips, but I could tell it wasn’t an honest one. It just seemed… forced. I brushed it off. It would be futile to think I would end up on good terms with every single person. This priest was merely a means to an end.

“Well, then. Please be welcomed to our humble temple. I wouldn’t want to let our goddess wait. Are you familiar with the ritual?”

I nodded. “I am.”

“Have you had one recently?” He asked.

“A few days ago. I’ve been told I should be fine.”

“You should be,” He continued. He then turned around, and without a word, walked through the doors, only making a gesture with his hand for us to follow him.

We did so and I let my eyes explore the inside of this temple. Unlike the one in Edhil, this one did not have stained glass windows. Rather, they were made from normal glass. What this place lacked in that regard, it made up for with a wide collection of silver and golden statues at the sides of the stone altar. I smiled at the sight of the statues that resembled Elysa remarkably well.

Besides the altar, the entire building was just… empty. There were no benches or anything, which gave the place an eerie feeling. There were a few other elven priests that were kneeling, facing the altar. They prayed in silence, even as I walked up to it.

A woven basket with the reagents necessary for the ritual was already placed on top of the altar. I was glad about it, as I’d rather get done here as quickly as possible. Not only was it a bad idea for Cellestra to stay in town longer than was necessary, but I also had to admit, I wasn’t entirely comfortable with being here myself.

Using Gwyn’s abilities to keep people’s emotions in check just felt… wrong. I would rather have a more natural sequence of events occur to achieve the same results.

Gwyn and Vyath made way for me to stand behind the altar, with Cellestra at my side, close enough to move my torso as soon as I fell unconscious from the ritual. I thought about the questions I wanted to ask Elysa. I would only have a short time to ask them in. Having Cellestra there helped keep my nerves in check.

Faragi

Merry Christmas everyone <3