Chapter – 24

The Priestess

 

Airi holding the piece of paper that contained the rough sketch map to the church, the two girls stood baffled in front of a hill.

 

The hill was covered in a beautiful flower garden and at the top of it stood a huge chapel. The building was old and ancient and yet the sunlight that hit its top golden dome scattered light to make the surface walls brightly lit.

 

The building still looks prime and the tremendous amount of maintenance work put over it was obvious from the ambiance maintained around the place.

 

The front gate was an open huge entrance, arch-shaped with a  bell hanging. Yui and Airi walked through the gate seeing that no one was there to guard the place.

 

When they got closer to the building their fancy showered in form of praises for the architecture and build. It was evident that the whole church had actually been carved out from the hill itself.

 

The building was huge and the colored glass plates with illustrative designs made the whole place vibrant. The chirping of birds from the garden and the canopy formed over them from the huge trees that surrounded the place made them feel cool in this hot summer.

 

“Airi I have never seen a place like this.” Yui gasped as she saw high the roof was.

 

“Careful the voice might echo here and we do not want disturbing others. But this place is really something else.” Airi got a little closer to Yui as they whispered to each other.

 

“It's lovely to meet two young beautiful girls early in the morning. So, what brings you here today.”

 

A voice caught Yui and Airi off-guard and when they turned around to look. They found a woman in a nun habit.

 

She had long brown hair as they went past below the white hood band she wore over her head. Her fine white robes covered her body from top to bottom. But the bump at the chest and the trough at the belly could not hide the fact that she had the most perfectly shaped body under those garbs.

 

Also, her voice was so calm and peaceful that the two had forgotten the wariness they felt coming to this unknown place.

 

“I want my friend to be healed. Her back was burnt by flames in an accident and we were told that the church was the best place to go for help.” Airi came forward with the plea.

 

“That is very good. For this is the place where the goddess of Love – Wilona is worshipped and her holy powers shall heal all the wounds for you. Follow me and I will see to it that you get the best treatment.” The priestess smiled elegantly and started walking inside through the front door.

 

Yui and Airi followed her into the hall and the whole place was quiet. They could see some people sitting on chairs reciting hymns softly.

 

And in front was an angelic beauty in stone. A huge statue alone adored the place.

 

“That’s our god we worship goddess Wilona. You are foreigners and I guess this is the first time you are seeing her.”

 

“Words seem to travel fast here. But the goddess looks beautiful and glorious.” Airi exclaimed looking at the statue and at the same time surprised to see how well-informed the priestess was.

 

“This is the last standing church that prays to her in this entire world. I am sure she would accept your wishes and may her blessing always be with you two.” The priestess smiled at us.

 

At first, Airi thought she would prove to be a religious person who would force her god upon the two of them. But on the other hand, she looked rather accepting of everything and she held a strong faith in her own god.

 

“My name is Airi.”

 

“And my name is Yui.” The two girls introduced themselves.

 

“I am the head priestess of this church, Vera. A pleasure to meet you two.”

 

The three then discussed Yui’s injury and Airi made up a story of the cart catching fire from a fallen lantern when they were attacked by monsters.

 

“Okay, I will begin the healing process. Please show me your wounds.” Vera asked as she got hold of her scriptures from her side garb.

 

Yui lifted her top from the back while Airi held her hand making sure that Yui was not scared.

 

Neither of them knew how healing magic actually worked and because they wore otherworlderers there could be some complications because of insufficient knowledge.

 

Vera for a moment noticed the burn marks with surprise as if she had seen such burns for the first time.

 

“Unravel the light, and cast your healing. May all the wounds close and the pain vanish. Holy Heal.” The priestess Vera recited the chant flawlessly.

 

While Airi noticed the healing spell cast formation in the air reflecting from Vera’s eyes and hundreds of words running along like a code.

While her hands were covered in the light they spread throughout Yui’s back.

 

“Wuahhhh!!!” Yui let out an uncomfortable whimper, but holding Airi’s hands tightly she knew it was part of the healing process and no harm would come to her.

 

As the magic formed and Airi was analyzing it in her own rights through her {Eye of the World} skill. Trying to figure out the magic system of this world.

 

“What’s happening?” Vera looked nervous. Unlike her calm disposition, she looked anxious. And the flow was smooth so what actually happened.

 

Suddenly the light distorted and the space cracked. Like shattering glass, the light vanished leaving the three astounded.

 

But the most surprised was Vera.

 

“This does not make sense. The burnt marks should have healed. But this.” Vera looked confused.

 

Even Airi’s {Eye of the World} skill became blanched for that movement to be unable to notice the change. Most probably it was because it’s still a level two skill.

 

“Yui are you alright? What happened?” Airi asked worriedly.

 

“I don’t feel any worse. But the burning pain has gone away for now.” Yui assured Airi.

 

“This is no ordinary burn mark. My highest-level healing magic could only fail if it's not an injury but a very high-level curse.”

 

“A curse?” Yui could not remember how this has happened.

 

While Airi brainstormed only to realize these fire burn marks are from another world where magic did not exist.

 

It was possible for the magic of this world to be ineffective in any other world.

 

“Worry not? I promised to help you two girls. This church has one more facility in such emergency cases.” Vera beckoned the two girls to follow.

 

She took them further inside through a small door into a spacious room. It was covered on all sides with white walls and she closed the gate.

 

“This is the healing sanctum where God’s power is the strongest. Now I am going to activate our Goddess Wilona’s blessing. Pour your magic power into the crystal ball and any wound you would have had would be healed in no time.”

 

Yui and Airi saw a magic crystal ball in front. She looked at Airi and nodded.

 

“Go ahead and touch the crystal.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Slightly nervous, Yui slowly touched the crystal.

 

She starts pouring her magic power into it. She was still new to this but with Airi’s guidance back in the forest she became proficient at controlling it.

 

The next moment, a strong light filled the room making Yui and others squeeze their eyes shut against the brightness.

 

The light passed through Airi’s eyelids, her vampiric instincts awakened her eyes glowing red. She knew something was happening but could not tell what.

 

“Uh... Huh?!” Yui felt a tingling feeling in her body.

 

“Yuiiiii…”Airi cried as she saw Yui’s image fading in front of her eyes.

 

She leaped out and grabbed her hands without thinking and the next moment they knew they were not in the church anymore.

 

***

{ Next Chapter : The Goddess who summoned Us - Click here }