”Father?” the examiner asks.
”He looks to be truly blessed... what do you see?” the high priest responds.
”The form is certainly correct... and the power seems consistent with what we’ve seen previously...” Brother Faustwick offers. ”Marcus... it’s pronounced Gozreh, not Gozrah, but it does appear that the Wind and Waves has marked you.” Turning his attention to Father Zantus he adds, ”Brother Edrus should be notified.”
”Yes, he should,” Father Zantus answers, ”but I believe Marcus has met enough new people for one night. Why don’t you go inform him and let him know that we’ll introduce him in the morning. As for the rest of you... if I send you to your rooms you won’t get any rest for all the questions, so tonight you’ll stay in the guest suites. Girls, you’ll be down two doors, next to Mother’s room; boys straight across the hall from me here. Clean up and rest, I’ll have food brought to your rooms and in the morning we’ll talk more about your return to the fort.”
Brother Faustwick nods to the high priest, then he turns to Tera and smiles and gives a quick nod to her as well before leaving for his appointed task.
Tera smiles back at Brother Faustwick as he leaves. She's more than happy to leave the talking for tomorrow. She'll have to make it a point to see Elizabeth before she leaves for Thistletop again. Hopefully her voice will have recovered by then.
===
As Tera seems to melt into the steaming water of her tub, she lets out a contented sigh and smiles. The steam chases away the taint of the goblin lair and clears her mind, letting her think clearly for a moment.
She'd told Zache she liked him. Not only that, she'd admitted that she liked Aldern as well. With everything that was going on, her amoratory fancies shouldn't have been the first thing to pop into her mind once it had cleared.
But they had and she had to face that she hadn't a clue what she was doing.
"Kaede. Sal. Can I ask you something about guys and you not laugh at me?" Her voice isn't as rough after having not spoken in an hour and drinking some of Mother Hera's honeyed tea, but it's still weak and strained sounding.
"What should I do if I admitted to someone I like that I like them and someone else," she asks, looking very small indeed as she hunkers down in the water and her long hair floats around her shoulders, looking like the coiling roots of a tree.
The guest suites are the nicest accommodations in the cathedral. They are finished simply but everything in them is well made and with more attention to comfort than even the priests’ chambers. To Marcus, especially, they seem unbelievably nice. Beside their own sitting rooms, each suite has two bedchambers—one with a single large bed and another with two smaller beds—a bathroom with several tubs, and a nook with a table with several chairs. Dinner is brought in about an hour after the meeting with the high priest ends and consists of rice and peas with chicken, rabbit, and rosemary (one of Mother’s specialties, and a very popular dish among the students), along with a plate of freshly baked cookies and a pitcher of mulled wine.
Despite his height, and the fact that a larger bed would surely serve him better, Kaelaah suggests that Marcus - as the true guest - should enjoy the room to himself... and that he and Brother Kovachi would be satisfied with the shared room... and finally, after what has seemed like days on the road, Kaelaah enjoys a refreshing bath - the grime, the dust and the stresses of the trek to Thistletop dissolved away into the steaming waters...
It is a far cleaner Kaelaah who presents himself at dinner - his robes are pristine white and his hair, unsullied by dirt, returned to a shocking red...
"Um, yes," Tera admits before shrinking down in the tub until her nose is just above the water, which does nothing to hide her blush. her eyes look up and over at Sal as it seems that, just for that moment, the young mage might die of terminal embarrassment.
She tries to take in a deep breath to steel her nerves, but only manages to nearly drown herself as her bathwater tries to go up the wrong way and starts her coughing for a moment. Once the fit is over, Tera's arms are folded on the lip of the tub and her head is pillowed on them.
"It happened last night and I was exhausted. Apparently my brain disengages when I'm that tired and my mouth just runs without me thinking," she says down into the tub, though it's still understandable with the echo-y quality it gives her words. "Both of them have been kind to me and I do find them attractive. I just... I like them both, and some part of me doesn't want either of them to stop liking me."
Marcus is blown away by the cathedral and the bath, an avid swimmer all his life, being in warm water seemed very strange. The bath seems to sap what little energy the boy had left, and at dinner, he barely speaks.
When the boys return to their rooms, he pulls the pillows and blankets from the bed and piles them under a window so that he can see the stars from where he sleeps.
The cold seems not to bother him as he drifts off quickly.
For once, Kaede is completely inattentive to the conversation around her, being fixated on her own thoughts. The conversation with Father Zantus sat poorly with her for some reason, and dwelling on it hasn't helped her understand her distaste. So, after a very fast bath, the Tien priestess retreats to the sitting room, quietly mulling over her thoughts.
Happy for Marcus to take the larger bed, Zache drops his pack under one of the others and immediately heads for the baths, unconcerned by whoever else might want one at the same time. He stays there far longer than necessary, nearly falling asleep three times; after the third such incident, he extricates himself from the delightfully warm water and, seeing Kaelaah looking resplendent in his white robes, dresses himself in blue and violet, letting his short hair dry where it falls and looping his kapenia about his neck for dinner.
"I know, it's just... I don't know what's wrong with me," she says, her voice tight as tries not to cry as the all too familiar feeling of being far, far out of her depth crashes over her.
"He seemed to understand. Said I sounded like I need to think it over. It's not like I've got a chance anyway. He seems to like that redhead from the Hagfish, and I think she likes him, too."
She sighs and pulls herself out of the water, no signs of the wicked wound she'd been given by Orik on her skin. She dries off and wraps herself in a bathrobe, enjoying the warm softness against her skin for a moment.
"I'm sorry, Sal. I'm just a mess right now. I should just accept that I've blown my chance with Zache; if I ever had one against that redheaded beauty that fancies him," she says, though a tinge of bitterness creeps into her voice at the last sentence. "I'm just an idiot whenever it comes to people it seems."
In the morning there are warm sweet rolls and hot black tea already waiting when the marked rise. Enough time is allowed for everyone to perform their morning rituals but it does not take long for them to be summoned back to Father Zantus’ chamber where all six of the other priests are waiting with him. It’s seems as though it’s been a long night... the high priest looks as though he hasn’t slept at all and clutches a large mug of coffee. Sister Callinova’s eyes are red and puffy, and Mother Hera stares out a window so lost in thought that she doesn’t notice the arrival of the marked.
It’s Sister Amet’Ra who rises and graciously says, ”Welcome, thank you for joining us. Please, make yourselves at home.” She fusses over the marked a bit too much as they get situated- the way a bereaved mother might be overly hospitable when people come to pay respects to her child. Once everyone is settled, she continues, ”Father Zantus tells us you mean to return to Thistletop... could you please tell us why? And what you hope to accomplish? Perhaps even ‘how’?”
Marcus is as awed by the feast before him as he is by the Cathedral itself. Having eaten very little during his captivity, he now tries to make up for lost time.
He is so used to blackened fish, the rabbit and breads are more than his young palate can handle. By the time he get to the cookies, he can barely move.
"If this is how Sandpoint treats its guests, I now see why so many people passed through our farm on their way here." he tells Kaelaah and Zache.
His belly now overfull, Marcus has great difficulty keeping his eyes open.
As he lays in bed, he prays.
"All my thanks given over to you, All my fears given over to you."
Marcus rises with the dawn and streaches and massages his leg, belly still uncomfortably full.
He dusts off his dingy, bloodstained clothes and tries not to notice the nice robes that Kaelaah and Zache don.
When they arrive in Father Zantus' chambers, Marcus does his best to remain hidden behind the others, but when returning to Thistletop is mentioned, he finds his voice.
"There are bad things there. I have seen them. They took me when I was alone and vulnerable. I am going back there to try to make sure they can't do that again." looking to the others for support, he continues, "As to 'how', you all may not know it. May not have seen it. But these people are friends, a team, a family. More than just the sum of the parts, when together, they are something more."
He takes a breath to center himself before finishing,
"I have seen the evil that is there. I have seen to much to ignore. And I am going back. I may still be vulnerable, but I am no longer alone."
The beautiful, older priestess smiles warmly and gently rubs Marcus’ cheek with the palm of her soft, smooth hand. ”Nobody doubts the abilities, nor the community, of the godmarked. You all have done so very well to...” she replies. When she falters mid-sentence Sister Callinova’s eyes start to well up. ”...you’ve done well to stop the threat against our town. We just meant, how do you mean to find this ‘voice in the darkness’ or to cleanse the vile shrine?”
When Tera starts to get ready, she pauses as she looks over the robes she'd worn to Thistletop. The blue and gold fabric and been muted into slate and black. It is then that it hits her.
I've changed. I'm not just a mage anymore. I'm something else.
What was she now? A guardian? A hunter? A monster? The battle against Nualia still bothered her. The way her emotions had been subsumed. No that wasn't right. Whatever it was hadn't absorbed her burning rage. It had snuffed it. Strangled it out until there was nothing left but the fatigue once whatever it was that had given her that cold purpose. She was already having issues with how her emotions were getting the better of her, how impulsive she was becoming at times, but this did more than worry her, it frightened her. What if she started feeling nothing at all one day? What if she did something she regretted while in that state?
Tera struggled with questions for several minutes before pulling on the robes and finishing her morning rituals. She'd need to talk to Brother Faustwick before she left with the others.
===
Tera is unusually quiet during the meeting. It's obvious a lot is on her mind, but she doesn't say anything beyond the respectful greetings. Instead, it's clear that she's letting the others take the floor.
Even with the night to think about the problem, Kaede makes little progress in dealing with her unease. The only thing that settles her for a moment is going to practice/pray on the roof at dawn, and the realization on how to further refine her blessings from Shelyn. It's not still she sees the head priests and listens to their demands that she realizes what her problem is.
It's like we're children still...,she mentally assumes as the head priests interact with Marcus. Maybe we still are. But no matter, all children need to grow up sometime. Maybe some overtures to maturity will help with that. So, after Sister Amet'Ra asks how they can do this, Kaede speaks up.
"While we defeated the head of the goblins as well as the forces that Nualia had brought to the fort, there is still something sinister there. We didn't find it because we were focused on the more immediate threat, and our supplies ran out. We didn't explore the whole place. There's a shrine to Lamatshu down there that we didn't touch, And we barely stratched the floor that we found Nualia on. We only saw two rooms and a trapped hallway."
"As for how.... I'm fairly sure that I can un-desecrate the shrine with the proper prayers, provided I have the right reagents. The rest of the site, we just need time and supplies to finish clearing the site of it's danger. Maybe after that, we can turn the place to a more noble purpose."
When Kaede mentions Nualia by name Mother Hera sighs and the tears that had welled up in Sister Callinova’s eyes begin to run down her cheeks.
”Can you?” Sister Amet’Ra asks earnestly. Brother Augustino conjures half of a weak smile and a proud nod in Kaede’s direction as the Sarenraean priestess continues, ”You’re all growing in your abilities so quickly... soon there won’t be any help we’ll be able to offer you at all.”
Her praise hangs in the air for a moment before Brother Faustwick interjects, ”For now though...”
”Yes...” Sister Amet’Ra continues, apparently a little miffed at the interruption, ”in this present instance, we may still be able to offer some aid. Consecrating the shrine may not be sufficient to permanently cleanse it, but we have a hallowing scroll left from the completion of the Cathedral... if you’ll allow me, I’d like to accompany you on your return so that I can help with that cleansing?”
Zache can't help chuckling at Marcus' eager over-eating, sliding a glass of the wine across the table. "Slow down, it isn't going to run away!" he teases, able to forget, for a time, about the horrors and unpleasantness that the last few days had been full of. "Not every meal is like this, but there's always something. If you're lucky, you might be able to sneak a couple of extra cookies every now and then." He grins, before finishing his peas and wiping his mouth.
His face suddenly serious, he glances across to Kaelaah, then Marcus. "So, we're going back," he says quietly. "What if there's something worse waiting?"
Noticing Marcus' dirtier, plainer clothes, Zache rummages through his pack, before tossing the boy a linen scarf, softened by wear, in seafoam green. "Here," he grins. "Feel free to keep it. I have more. I find a bit of colour can make everything seem better."
At the meeting, he shifts awkwardly as Sister Callinova starts crying - again, from the looks of her eyes. "Sister, would you wish to put yourself in such danger?" he asks of the Sarenite. "We don't know what lies down there. Perhaps one of us had best use the scroll instead?"
Brother Edras, whose babyface had been rather downcast since Roakkad's passing, and who has seemed downright melancholic thus far this morning, can't help but let out a single, brief chuckle at the concern for the safety of the priestess. Father Zantus and Brother Augustino both momentarily smile as well before the room quickly falls somber again. "Forgive us," Brother Augustino offers in his rich baritone voice as he looks around the room at the state of his fellow priests, "we all knew Nualia well and news of... what happened to her... has, I fear, hit us all pretty hardly. Don't let that dampen your sense of victory, though- you truly have saved the city. You must also, however, not allow yourselves to become too prideful in your accomplishments either; you abilities have grown tremendously, but our Sister is not without abilities of her own, and remains better able to use the scroll than any of you... and many of us, honestly."
As far as any of the marked are aware, no student has ever dared asked her about it but rumors have circulated for as long as anyone can remember about an incident fifteen or twenty years ago when an unscrupulous band of mercenaries decided to sack the old church for some 'easy' coin. According to the stories, Sister Amet'Ra stood in the doorway as they formed ranks and shouted for the priests to surrender, then she blasted their formation with a fireball that left several of them unconscious and the rest fleeing. Some versions of the story end there but others add that she had the injured brigands brought into the church where she nursed them back to health.
The olive skinned priestess smiles softly at Brother Augustino's words. "I know that I have lived and served in this church for longer than most of you have been alive... god's I feel old saying that aloud... but I have not always been a temple priestess. When I was your age I served as a courier for the Dawnflower's church, transporting messages and relics to various shrines and temples. It was one such delivery that brought me here, actually, but I encountered many dangers in my travels before the Healing Flame lead me to this place. I would not offer to accompany you if I did not think I could be of assistance."
"I will welcome all the help I...we can get." Marcus replies to the offer.
"I am sorry for the loss of this woman that you all knew, If there is anything I can do to make this easier, please tell me."
Kaelaah stands quietly off to one side - whilst Sister Amet'Ra offers to assist in the matter of consecrating the shrine, he wonders whether there was something that he had missed in her teachings, whether there was a reason why he - surely chosen of Sarenrae - could not perform this task... and then, remembering the stories, he looks upon his teacher with the veneration she deserves, and blushes with humility...
He bows slightly at the offer, "We would be honoured to accompany you..."
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"That's why I'm an idiot," Tera states after Sal mentions narrowing things down and how she might hurt someone's feelings. "Honestly, it might not be such a bad thing if both of them wouldn't mind sharing."
Tera could have bit her tongue off as that last sentence slips out, though it's just above a whisper, and is all too happy when Sal notices that her marks is more well defined. She even slips the robe from her shoulders so Sal can get a better look.
Tera nods in agreement, not sure if she trusts her voice given the tension that has been ratcheting in her belly since the meeting began.
Sister Amet’Ra seems relieved to receive some support, and perhaps a bit disappointed that her offer was not met with more enthusiasm. ”When do you wish to set out?” she asks surprisingly deferentially.
”We have provisions on hand that you can bring with you,” offers Brother Faustwick, ”if you want to leave right away. I know that Sheriff Hemlock wants to meet with you briefly before you leave but if we send word he’ll meet you at the gatehouse on your way out.”
Kaede looks at Sal with a thoughtful expression. "What do you think we need, Sal? We did find some coin as well, and I'd rather finish dealing with the problem as quickly as possible."
Tera hears the note of shame and pleading in Sal's voice and turns as she pulls the robe back over her shoulder.
"No Sal, it doesn't," she says as gently as soft autumn breeze. "I doubted too. I wondered if I'd been cursed instead of blessed, especially after I lost my temper and punched Ameiko's father. You're not alone in that."
Tera pulls her friend into a hug, wanting her to not just hear her words, but to feel them.
"We're not alone... I promise."
"Yeah, but I'd rather be prepared and well supplied than have to come back because we forgot something in haste. Besides, we don't have a way to heal our wounds beyond what our gods bless us with since the wand got used up. I'd like to see if we could buy one or two to replace it," Tera says, finally speaking up. "I was also hoping to talk to Brother Faustwick about something before we went out again." she adds a little more softly.
Used to traveling with everything he owns, Marcus is unsure about what they might need, but at the mention of the wand he pipes up.
"Oh yes, that wand is amazing, if there is another like it, we should try to get it!" But then he seems to remember his current situation, "I'm afraid I don't have any money, But I can barter my services in the future for assistance you could lend us now. I am true to my word." he adds at the end, chin up and trying to look older.
As to their tasks after the meeting, "I would love to see the big ships up close. I wont take long, I know we are in a hurry." he pleads, as they talk about time tables.
”We don’t have another wand we can spare,” Brother Faustwick states. For the first time in this conversation, his stoic expression cracks momentarily into a concerned glance. ”Securing some provisions before you go may be a wise choice, though; the ritual to hallow the shrine takes 24 hours, so you will have to spend another night there. Headmaster Gandethus, at Turandarok’s, might have one, if you can convince him to part with it. And the Academy is near to the docks.”
”You may wish to prepare yourselves,” Sister Amet’Ra gently cautions the marked, ”before you go out—or wear disguises—the townsfolk are... excited to see you all and hear about what happened.”
Father Zantus lifts his slumping head and drooping eyelids and blurts out, ”we haven’t told them it was Nualia.”
Sisters Callinova and Amet’Ra wince at the outburst and the Osiriani Sarenite explains, ”Nobody will protest if you decide to tell people... we—the seven of us, plus Belor—decided not to name her but merely describe her as a demonic cultist... which clearly she had become. We didn’t want to drag up old hurts and fears. But if you think it better to tell the whole story, we will stand by your choice.”
"You've always been a good person, and I'm lucky to have you, Kaede, and Lizzy as friends." A grin spreads over Tera's face as she gets an idea in her head. "You know, I wonder if Kaede is ticklish. I bet she could use a laugh as much as we could."
"Oh," Tera says as she learns that the...deference is likely to be even worse now and that the townsfolk have no idea that Nualia was behind the attacks. Her mind went over the complex energies of a spell that might help her, though that would do her friends little good.
"It might be better to keep that a secret. I don't want to imagine what would happen if everyone learned who was really behind the attacks. I think I might have a way to disguise myself. That should let me move around easily enough to get whatever we need."
Zache's face flushes with embarassment, and he hangs his head. "F-forgive my presumptuousness, brother," he manages through his shame. "It was not my intent. Sister Amet-Ra is more experienced than any of us, and accompanying her would be an honour." Too ashamed to speak further, he remains silent through most of the conversation that follows.
It's only when the conversation turns to Nualia that he sighs, running a hand through his hair. "As a storyteller, it makes for a magnificent tale, and I've never heard a story I haven't wanted to tell. But as a resident of this town... I don't know. Perhaps we should let things settle."
Kaede nods in agreement. "We can just say it was a Lamashtan cultist. That's not a problem, and is the truth anyway. Since the most immediate threat is dealt with, we can take a little time to better prepare, I suppose. Still, some of the things that we collected will likely require a trip to Magnimar to ... offload, as you put it. Maybe we can see what we can find in town first beforehand though?"
”Brother Kovachi, you needn’t apologize for caring about my wellbeing,” Sister Amet’Ra answers warmly. ”I have some preparations to make as well... when would you all like to leave?”
Marcus seems none too thrilled by the prospect of spending another night at Thistletop, but he is glad that this older, confident woman is accompanying them.
As to the statement released to the public, "I have little say in this decision. If asked, I will say I did not know the cult leader, and that is all."
While disappointed that there seems to not be another wand available, he knows that his own power has grown since his captivity.
I will do my best to meet what need there is.
"If you can get me a list of what to get, I can handle it even if I need to borrow some help to carry it all. If all fo you head to the docks, I should be done by the time you get back." Tera looks around to see if anyone has anything else to add, or wanted her to come with them. If the townspeople turned out to be as awe-filled as she feared, the rest of the morning might well be taken up by just getting to the docks.
She just hoped she would not have to go. She wasn't sure she could handle that on top of everything else she needed to deal with.
===
Once the meeting is adjourned, Tera seeks out Brother Faustwick, hoping to catch him in his office, or somewhere there weren't a lot of ears to listen in. She doesn't want to contemplate the ruckus that might result if one of the Godmarked was overheard telling someone that they feared the power that their god had given them. She imagined this conversation would be hard enough as it is.
She finds him not too far from Father Zantus' door. Having just left the meeting himself. She'd almost expected him to be off doing his normal chores.
"Brother Faustwick, do you have a few moments," she asks, trying to maintain an illusion of confidence, but her hesitation when she speaks and the way her shoulders were hunched made it clear that she was far from it.
===
Tera spends some time studying her spellbook after her conversation with Brother Faustwick. Her normal studying time had been occupied writing the two new spells. After about twenty minutes or so, she comes and gets a list from everyone of what to sell and what to buy if she can.
Once she's finished writing out what supplies to get, she steps into her room and finds it empty. Tera hopes that she would be able to see Elizabeth again, but it was looking more and more unlikely. Maybe she'd have time to write a note, or she might be able to sneak away for a few minutes to talk to her before they left again. While it would have been nice to talk to her best friend, she has other things to focus on.
She mutters the words and moves her arms and hands and fingers in the precise gestures needed to cast the spell. Like water washing paint from a canvas, a new person appears where Tera stands.
Where Tera had been, a new girl now stands. She shares Tera's build and height, and her features were similar. Her nose was a little longer, more like that of the Varisians than the snub-nose dusted with freckles that was Tera's. Her features were more angular, though given the softness of Tera's cheeks and jaw, that is not saying much. The ears, eyes, hair, and skin are very different, however. Wavy, raven-black locks replace Tera's straight, brown ones. Her skin is darker, an olive tone rather than the near snow-white dusted with freckles on nose and cheeks. Her ears are long and pointed now, a half-elf's ears with slightly rounded tips. Her eyes, though, are the most striking change. Where they'd been warm and brown before, they are now a brilliant blue that sparkles like a gemstone in sunlight. Her clothes were almost the same, though the colors were now greens and browns and the cut was a little different.
The young woman looks in the mirror and studies herself for several long moments. It is had to reconcile that this stranger was her. The experience is mildly disturbing and before she starts having second thoughts, she looks away.
I guess I should name myself. Aria should work. Aria and Tera. Earth and Sky
She chuckles, making the sound a little deeper than her normal voice, as she walks out into the hallway.
Kaelaah is ready to go straight to the docks, this whole thing feels slightly duplicitous to him... but it is still the right thing to do...
"Very well," Sister Amet'Ra agrees with Salomae, "why don't we all take the morning to prepare and we can meet in the courtyard as soon as we've all taken lunch?"
Marcus is lead down to the stable by a strapping boy who looks to be about his age with a mop of curly brown hair. The acolyte yokes a donkey to a small cart and helps load it with all the items to be taken to market. Then he helps Marcus into the single seat on the front of the cart as an unfamiliar half-elven woman approaches. The half-elf, it is soon revealed, is Tera in a magical disguise. Guiding the donkey quickly through the streets by the bridle, she is able to sell most of their goods, make a short stop at the docks for Marcus, and get back to the Cathedral just before her spell wears out.
Marcus tries to hide his excitement as he and 'Aria' make their way to the docks. The lack of impressive ships does not phase him at all. He stares at the ships, studying the builds and pointing at different styles and hulls.
When Aria tells him they need to move on, he is disappointed, but not ready to be here by himself.
He is surprised by the friendliness of the townsfolk, none of them greet the pair with the same suspicion he would encounter in the wild.
"This place is not what I thought it would be." is all he says as they move about the town on their errands (though he repeats the phrase several times).