“3”
“4”
The gold of bright energy slowly revolving around Eshya contradicted the deep etch between her eyebrows in mood symbolism. She could feel them; her protective blessings dissipating one after the other. Admittedly, it was one of her weakest blessings; it was all she could grant without crossing the line. It should have been enough to withstand the Zeal-leachers' lenient attacks and yet, she didn't expect something would trigger these creatures' ferocious side.
“7”
“10”
The priestess’ heart lurched at the increasing death counts; that was half of the finalists. The severity of the situation shocked her and she automatically began to take her steps forward when an intense flail of crimson energy spread out just beyond the barrier. It swiftly tightened around her neck and torso, trapping her arms in the process.
Eshya stared at the center of the energy in slight confusion. "Show yourself!"
“I was just about to, child.”
An inundation of cries and laughter accompanied the booming and harsh voice that stormed her ears. A mixed sense of fear and reverence coursed through her as a feminine physique of crimson light emerged from the center; the crimson energy appeared like endless strands of hair around her, dancing to her will. “What is the Watcher’s priestess about to do? I would expect she has not forgotten the pact between the valley and the Wisdom temple.”
Eshya could feel herself trembling in the slightest before the 10’0” ft form of the celestial. This was the first time in her years as a priestess she was finding herself in the presence of a god other than the God of Scriptures. The aura radiating from this goddess was nothing like the warm and gentle presence of the supreme watcher; hers carried an overwhelming presence. Taking it in felt like she would suffocate to death and she was simply too petrified to give a reply.
Then the sight of a fading speck of her golden energy caught the periphery of her vision, jolting her off her state of mind.
"By the kiss of the supreme watcher upon my head, I am the Eshya Luan. You will not treat the priestess of the temple of Wisdom without regard!" The dim specks of light burst back in a blinding revitalization and the temperature around her rose to an intense degree, swiftly peeling away layers of crimson tentacles trapping her. With the grip lessened, she forced her way out and took ten airy steps backward.
A minute of silence passed between both sides as they measured up the other and an expression of amusement dawned on the lighter outline of the red feminine figure's face. “You’re quite smart for a nestling.”
Eshya composed herself before giving a slight bow. “Forgive my unresponsiveness, Goddess; I did not expect an interaction with your presence.”
The outlined eyes of the goddess gleamed with an eerie calmness. “Going past the valley’s barrier goes against our pact, Priestess. The Accordance Trial is yet to be over.”
Against her disquietude, Eshya maintained direct eye contact with the celestial. “I am aware, but such large amounts are dead. I don’t wish to lose anymore.”
"That is not your decision to make, neither is it mine. The Zeal-leachers have been aggravated past what was acceptable and now they are acting accordingly.” The crimson figure glanced back at her valley. "Though there is a current disturbance neither of us is responsible for, we still can't interfere." She turned back to the young lady with an outstretched hand. “What I can allow is you watching how destiny enacts herself on your people.”
Eshya stared at the inviting hand with stiff shoulders. “I’m good, Goddess.” She couldn’t bear the thought of watching deaths in ways she had never seen before, and she guessed the goddess was also aware of her emotional state by her expression.
“Truly a wide-eyed nestling.” The goddess simply retracted her hand with a deep chuckle and her head rose with an air of superiority before she deformed and slowly receded into the center of the flailing energy that then dissipated, carrying away with it the sense of suffocation.
With a slightly trembling hand on her chest, Eshya released a long tensed breath and she quickly headed over to settle on the nearest rock. She struggled against staying too deep in the grief that washed through her. “By the light, Thirteen.” A death rate this high during an Accordance Trial hasn't occurred since the time of the 15th Holy Star Symbol. She balled her fists against the transparent material of her outfit, scanning her surroundings to ensure no one saw her in this state of fragility. This priestess cannot afford to be weak in the public eye.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
“What are you doing with your life exactly?”
“You seem hell-bent on being the disgrace that will stain our family’s reputation.”
“Are you really going through with this?”
“Gods! We have given you fifteen years to live that foolish lifestyle; how much of this do we have to keep on bearing?!”
Chad could only stare in gut-dropping guilt at the shadowed faces around his home’s dining table, glaring at him in spite. He was sure he would burn beneath the hate flame seeping through those orifices. “Guys, I told you; this is where I belong. I promise I’m gonna make it. I just ne….”
“What? Need us to believe in you?" The stony face of a middle-aged man appeared at the table head, sending a tight squeeze between Chad's ribcage. "Ma, this is why I told you this boy can't amount to anything. I refuse to have a black sheep for a son. I'd rather he die an honorable death than have him tarnish my family's reputation; the sooner, the better."
A muffled cry to his immediate left has Chad turning to find a teary-eyed old woman, sending him into a state of urgency. “Gammie, not you too, please!”
Wrinkled hands on her mouth as she looked up at him in disbelief. "I was wrong about you. You don't deserve to be a part of this family. Just the sight of you in this house brings me nothing but pain. You must really want this useless old woman in her grave as soon as possible. You are no grandson of mine"
The stony-faced man banged on the table. "That's it! You've managed to make your grandmother sick at the sight of you." He then pointed to a younger woman with her head turned away from the table. "Not even your mother wants to see your face. Take him away."
Two similarly muscular men leave their seats and begin heading towards him.
“Billy, Chrou, please don’t take me away. Dad, I’ll repent. I swear by the stars, I’ll..” Chad suddenly noticed the hands he had up now had small fingers protruding from chubby palms and he realized with great horror, that he was somehow back in his childhood body. Fear gripped tighter than those of the muscular men on his arms as he was hauled away from the table, trashing in tears while screaming apologies.
Billy looked down at the small boy with contempt. “Shut up, meatless pig, or I’ll make you.”
Chrou gripped his hair in frustration. “Gods, he even screeches like one. Good thing the pig sty isn’t far away.”
Chad’s brain soon picked up on the familiar direction his older brothers were taking him. “Please, not the basement chest.” His fear only rose to an unbearable level the closer they reached their destination. The space beneath the house remained as dark and musty as ever.
The hands dropped him and three harsh slaps to the cheek had him falling to the ground, stunned.
“In this family, boys who cry become society’s trash to do away with.” Billy pointed a warning finger at him and he signaled to Chrou who proceeded to open the chest.
"No, please no." Chad could only whine softly as Chrou lifted him by his clothes and dropped him inside the small wooden container.
He was about to sit up when Billy smacked the chest lid over his head, locking him in. “This is where you deserve to live out the rest of your life.”
Little Chad could hear the receding footsteps and he wrapped desperate arms around himself which gave him little to no consolation as he lay there; his cheek against the chest floor in no awareness of the sting from the slap. "I'm worthless. I'm a disgrace. I don't deserve to be loved. Billy and Chrou must despise my existence. Mother and Father must hate that I'm their child." Then the thought of his most important person struck him. "Gammie, please don't hate me too much." He gripped the skin at his torso, wishing he could simply rip out his chest along with this feeling of hopelessness he found himself sinking into.
“Do you love Gammie?”
“Yes.”
"Good. Even if you didn't, Gammie will make sure you're suffocated with her love until you do."
“Why?”
“Because you deserve love, every single drop you can get. I’ll be your gushing river whenever you’re parched.”
Gold eyes shot open to that priceless moment and his grip loosened. Gammie had made her unconditional love for him clear ever since his parents made their conditioned love known.
"You don't deserve to be a part of this family."
This Gammie….whatever she was, was not the one he grew up with. The only one who never missed any of the one-visit-per-month quota the temple’s military school gave out to their trainees’ families.
"Let me out. This is not real."Chad sent a solid kick to the chest lid, causing the entire thing to rumble. "This is not real!" He delivered another kick, its strength matching his growing confidence as his body seemed to have returned to his teenage years. "I don't belong here!" Another kick is delivered and a splinter begins to spread from the lid to each side of the wooden chest; his vision, though dark, begins to warp. "I am proud to be Chad Bravo!" He's about to deliver another kick when the chest bursts apart. He shielded his eyes on reflex, opening them to find there were no traces he was still in his family house.
Stars, countless clusters of them, spread out far beyond his sight range around him. The background of darkness laid out in infinite depths did well to accentuate the breathtaking web of diverse light these clusters displayed. With the vast yet still growing knowledge of science, he could tell this was a space that carried grandiosity that would never be felt through a technological screen. He felt he was either floating in it or moving somewhere, he wasn't sure. Though, for some reason, he could tell his presence here was with purpose.
“Where am I?” Hearing his own deep voice once again, he looked down at himself to find he was once again an adult and he proceeded to give his biceps solid kisses.
He couldn't help but wonder what he was doing here. Had he passed the trial? His body felt a sudden heaviness and a force pulled him towards a particular cluster straight in his direction, its size stretching in exponentials past his vision range as he got closer. Once in, it felt like he was traveling at light speed. Solar balls of varying sizes flashed by him before his body could even pick up on their heat.
He was getting dizzy at the speed his body was being pulled, forcing him to shut his eyes when a sudden stillness washed over him. He carefully opened his eyes to a whirling pool of white clouds. What raised him in awe was the pleasant warmth that attacked him at what he could only guess was his soul. Whatever was going on, he felt welcomed, treasured, and at peace here. It took him a moment of focus to realize the cloud was seeping in through his skin which created an immensely thrilling experience. A brightening reflection on his skin had him looking around to find tens of stars closing into an orb formation around him. A joyous smile spread over his face at the clear implication that started to dawn on him.
“I passed. Haha! I passed!”
“Chad?!”
The distance voice that reached his ears was way too discernible. “Sandra! Heavens, you’re also here!” His eyes searched around as he maneuvered himself in the gravity-lacking space, but he couldn’t catch a glimpse of her. “I can’t see you.”
“Me neither. Where the heck are you? I seem to be in an orb of yellow and white stars.”
Chad began looking about for a comprehendible description of his surroundings when he noticed the stars around him changing to a mixed shade of green and brown. "Well, the one I'm surrounded by just turned green-brown, so."
"Well, mine is red and orange!"
Chad raised his eyebrows at the foreign voice. “Who is that?!”
“Uhm…The name’s Garu Chanti. I’m a finalist from trainee unit WP-4.”
Chad could detect the presence of vibrancy in this male’s voice.
“I’m Cassandra Rayer; Finalist from trainee unit WP-3.”
“Chad Bravo; WP-1.”
There was a brief silence before a nervous cough reached his ears.
“Uh, hi! I….I’m Bava Edward; Finalist from trainee unit WP-7.”
Chad was sure he sounded familiar. “Alright, is there anyone else in this weird space with us?”
They waited in silence for almost a minute and that was all they got, silence. Chad was shocked. How could there be just four Holy Warriors this time around? Throughout recorded history, the least number a Holy Star Symbol had ever had was seven, with the highest number being thirty-five; until now. He struggled to see the clear implication this would show to the temple and the impression it would create on the public. So he attempted to reach out to the only person he knows can give the most accurate answer; except nothing came out of his mouth. He tried again but to no avail. His body suddenly felt sluggish as a gentle voice graced his ears.
“Welcome, my child.”
The green of the stars began glowing brighter and brighter until he was bathed in a blinding light.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Eshya remained staring at the star-filled night sky with weary eyes. The Accordance Trial was still on, even with the thirteenth confirmed dead. The blessing she placed on the remaining seven had dissipated, worn out by the time limit, so she had no idea what had become of them.
“Supreme Watcher, I ask for your aid. I would accept even if it means no warriors come out of this.”
She was well aware how having this many dead finalists would be pitted against her by the temple Pillars that have unsettled differences with her, yet their backhanded confrontation is the least of her worries. The families of the dead trainees might choose to drag their loss in the public eye – where she hadn't given much of a positive impression, or much impression in general.
A large middle-aged man in a black suit walked over to drape a thick cloth around her. "Priestess Eshya, I think we should escort you back to the temple. Your father and some of the other pillars are worried about your safety. Leave the finalists' arrangements to me. Just say the word and I'll have more of my men here to receive them once they're out.
Eshya could only send him a weak smile as she shook her head. “Thank you, Johnson, but I’m where I need to be right now. What kind of a Star Symbol leaves their Warriors while they’re putting their lives on the line just to serve? It’s extremely sad merely waiting is all I can currently do for them.”
Johnson nodded his head with a sigh. "Then I'll head back to keep the perimeter on the lookout." He was five feet away when a gasp from the priestess had him turning back to find her staring at the sky in a cheery daze.
The entire city was also witnessing the phenomenon of good news.
The hundreds of stars in the sky seemed to awaken in brightness and began dancing across the night sky before merging into what later became distinct as five literal megastars pulsing in flares of gold.
Eshya slowly stood up, the cover around her shoulders falling as she stared with great intent and she adorned a smile of satisfaction. “The Scripture God has blessed us with five New-born Holy Warriors.”
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STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER SIX: THE UNCO MEMBER (1)
Chad instantly recognized the short curls of a titanium-colored-haired male walking slower. “It’s you, Ricky’s Sad boy.”“I’m sure he meant Bava.” Cassandra wasted no time delivering a harsh slap to the gold-eyed man’s chest, ignoring his annoyed expression as she smiled at the familiar young man.The Amber-skin-toned man waved a hand with a gentle smile and his large pair of Alice-colored eyes behind thick lashes refused to spare Chad a glance. "I didn't introduce myself properly the last time. I'm Bava Edwards; Holy Warrior star-touched towards Water."“And I’m Chanti.” The other man, slightly teenage-looking, pointed a thumb to his chest with a goofy grin. “Garu Chanti. Please, just call me Garu.” He struck a dramatic bow and rose back up to questioning stares. “What?”Cassandra hesitantly sized up the rose-skinned man with a skinny build, then held his Dusk-colored eyes in a heated challenge, one the male with the radiating smile didn't back down in the slightest from, creating so
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“Damn it!”It was all Chad could let out as the group of four slowly succumbed to the barrage of attacks. Garu could only endure with sharp and loud grunts as he endured broken limbs and ribs beneath the endless pounding he received along with the rest.The Zeal-leachers reveled in the sight of pooling red blood for a change as they began pounding their fists over the crumbling bodies for better results.Garu, Bava, Cassandra, and Chad simply hid their heads beneath broken arms as they lay there, beneath the beatings they were certain wouldn't end long after they were dead. They should have known better than to assume they could face these creatures that lived only for the celestial of retribution. Who could deal a more deadly hand of revenge than these monsters with the sole purpose of enacting just that?Lengthy cries of sharp cracks whipped through the air around them and the four found the weight of impact bashing against their body was dropping rapidly until they were sure no Zea
STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER EIGHT: YEARNING FOR HER LIGHT (1)
“Praised be the supreme watcher!” The four warriors spotted a smile of relief on the priestess’ face as she laid bright eyes on them, and it sent threads of warmth into their hearts. Her ceremonious dress from the previous day stood clear she had never left the Valley’s entrance. "Priestess….." A groan left Cassandra's lips and she dropped to the ground, pain crushing at every bone and muscle before she could pay proper respect to the holy star symbol. She cursed under her breath as she realized her body was naturally responding to the full sensation of the Zeal-leachers' last barrage of palm attacks. “Priestess, what’s wrong with them?” Eshya winced at the sight of the three young men in similar conditions as the black-haired woman, regarding her head security with little mind. “A parting gift from the goddess’ children, no doubt.” She spread her joined palms skyward while whispering in seconds of hushes. Four specks of light orbs flickered into existence and widened at a steady
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Eshya watched in horror as her guards, five men, and three women, dropped to the ground as the lightning strike turned them into charred crisp corpses. Even those hidden behind large rocks and trees weren't safe as the element of destruction struck indiscriminately.The young priestess couldn't simply take anyone else dying today, not when she could do something about it this time.She began whispering in a foreign tongue as she rammed both fists at the side, separating them to reveal a thin chain of bright golden light stretching between the spaces. She opened a palm to a golden hook in the shape of an arrowhead at the end of the chain.“Let the light shower the darkness!”She then threw the divine chain with her right hand, the chain length unending as it stretched from her raised left palm; a mysterious display of her divine capabilities.The arrowhead flashed across the distance in seconds and dug into the crazy man's back, causing him to turn around in fury. Before any further a
STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER TEN: MESSAGE FOR THE THIRD PILLAR
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STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER ELEVEN: THROES OF TORTURE
“……..ing through the northwest lane post. I believe we have been granted authorization for unchecked passa….”“…..straight for the North wing….”Drowned ears struggled to catch those conversations that seemed to hold over a time-lapse; one accompanied by what he could only identify with the sound of an engine and dim white light overhead, and the other through bustling movement.“Sun-blessed this late noon to you, Third Pillar.”“Where is she?”“Being attended to by the doctors. They’ve been on her for about five minutes now.”“Diagnosis?”“I checked seconds ago; she’s exhausted and requires recuperation.”“Do you have the reports?”“It will take a while.”There was a lengthy silence that left the atmosphere in brisk tension.“The finalist?”“Both the dead and injured are receiving due care.”Etanai's eyelids have never felt as heavy as they currently do. Though the muddled voices traveled back and forth with calmness, it didn't stop his racing heart from wondering what was going on.
STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US CHAPTER TWELVE: HER LIGHT TO MY DARKNESS
“Who are you?”“Good.” The voice replied. “You should be able to open your eyes now.”Etanai took a breath in as he slowly lifted the still-heavy eyelids to a dim-lit room. His eyes trailed from the white ceiling to the white walls and the bed he was lying on in a grey patient gown. He turned to find a middle-aged woman, along with a much younger male and female behind her, staring at him. "Who are you people? Why am I being kidnapped?""Okay, kidnap sounds kinda extreme for a place like the great temple of Wisdom, don't you think?" The ebony-skinned man spoke up first with a displeased crease between his brows.The woman beside him gave him a disapproving stare. "Shut up, Mathew. He's strapped to the bed."The man tilted his head of Afro hair. “What? Oh, come on, Bumia. It’s clearly the doctors responding with a cautionary step. Am I the only one offended by what he said?”“Though, he’s right. He was brought here against his will.” The older woman’s hoarse voice cut through the argum
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CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: RECTIFICATION
The two holy warriors shared a cushion, their backs initially turned to one another until Bava gently grabbed him by his bare shoulders to turn him around, and the pair of gold-colored eyes met the Alice-colored ones. “Why are you protecting Ricky? I know this has to be more than what you led on.” The amount of openness conveyed in Bava’s words warmed Chad’s heart. “Ricky…was the first person to ever treat me like I mattered. The confidence in me today was first ignited when I met him.” Bava couldn’t help raising an eyebrow to relay his skepticism. “Are we talking about the same Ricky?” "I know it's hard to believe but he saw me for who I was. That bastard saw how broken I was and yet, he chose to have me in his life." Chad's eyes were welling up at this point. "So of course I fell for him, and he…well he tolerated me." “Stop!” There was a trace of defiance on Bava’s face. “See, that’s the problem. You should never give your heart to someone who merely tolerates you.” Chad scoffe
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CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: TAKING CHARGE
“Hello, I’m Etanai.”“I’m Bava.”“Hi, I’m Cassandra.”“Call me Garu.”“…Chad.”The five holy warriors sat around the living area in awkward silence after that greeting. Head Instructor Gambit didn’t even spend one minute before he left Etanai to these four faces he wouldn’t dare call friends.He cleared his throat. “So I’m twenty-three years old. What about you guys?” Though he maintained a relaxed smile, he was deeply cringing inward. What kind of a conversation starter was that?The four glanced at each other with lost eyes for a few seconds before they gathered themselves."Well, I'm twenty-four years old." Bava sent Etanai a calm smile. He then turned to give Cassandra a gentle nudge. “Your turn.”“Oh, um. I’m a year older than him.”"Well, I'm much younger than these guys." Garu smiled widely. "I'm nineteen."Etanai was much calmer once he saw these guys were genuinely accommodating him. He was worried for nothing, or so he thought.Everyone turned to look at Chad.Then golden-ey
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CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: THE DOMINANT DISPLAY
“That bitch! She stole my arms. Look at me now! Who does she think she is?!” Meadow floated back and forth in the air as she was fuming. She had two worm-size appendages, wiggling where her arms should have been. The lanky shadow sat on a rock as he stared at his sister with worried eyes. “Meadow, you need to calm down. Fretting won’t solve anything at the moment.” "Shut up, you stupid twig!" Meadow turned her fury on her brother. "You are good for nothing. You just floated there while that little brat did this to me." A sadistic smirk spread across her chubby face. "I should tear you apart right now and keep those arms of yours for myself. It's the least compensation you could give me. You hardly use them anyway. You're a useless waste as a sentient shadow." She lunged forward and quickly wrapped her mouth around one of Shall’s hands and she began munching on it. “Ow! Meadow, stop it! You’re acting crazy!” Shall let out a whine as he backed away to no avail; his sister refused to l
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CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: HONORING THE STATUS
“Why did you guys call me over at such an early hour?” Eshya walked into her father’s living area with puffy eyes. She found him and Gambit seated as they consumed their breakfast.“Join us.”Eshya looked at her dad with skeptical eyes before walking over. “I can’t remember the last time you invited me over just to have a meal with you.” She saw the guilty look on the middle-aged man’s face. “And I’m guessing today’s not that day either.”Gambit stifled a laugh, which earned him a pissed glare from the third pillar so he pretended he had choked on his tea. "That's my cue."Eshya saw the head instructor getting up. “Where are you going?”“Oh, I’m not part of this conversation. That’s between you father and daughter.” He began heading for the door. “I have a lightning warrior to train.” He turned his head back at Eshya. “Is the boy up?”Eshya nodded her head. “He should be. The temple servants say he tends to wake up very early.”Gambit ‘mmhed’ in understanding and he left.Eshya turned
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CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: BEAUTIFUL EYES AND PLUMP LIPS
“You two did it, right?” Elder Rowan stared at the fifth and eleventh pillars sitting across from her with reserved emotion on her face.There was a smirk on Elder Change’s face. “That was the plan, wasn’t it? We successfully got the priestess looking quite incompetent in that hall.”Elder Kissani chuckled with delight as he took a sip of his wine. “Let’s see if she dares to show off before us ever again. She forgets her status would be nothing in the eyes of the people without us there to lift her up.”“Enough of this for now,” Elder Rowan interjected with a lazy wave of her hand. “Talking about that spoilt brat would only sour my mood.”Elder Change raised an eyebrow. “What’s the matter? Still pissed she spoke to you that way?”Elder Rowan gave no reaction to that. “Let’s talk about something else.”The next hour was spent chatting away at random happenings they had recently encountered. After this, the fifth and eleventh pillars bid their farewells and left the fourth pillar’s qua
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CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: THE SEIZED SHADOW’S PART
“There’s a great imminent incident that might befall the temple. Then we have the temple’s military properties that have been hijacked by the Scripture Rejecters. It seems they getting bolder.” Eshya’s looked to the third pillar. “A troop of our military men and women lost their lives and five truck-loads of Aster-Firearms to them and a….crocodile.”Elder Tobias held a finger over his mouth as he laid back in his seat. "That's everything so far."“Know that we do not want you thinking too much about this, Priestess. That is our job as the twelve pillars of the temple.” Elder Niola placed a comforting hand on Eshya’s hand. “You just need to focus on consolidating your powers and bonding with your warriors. You will need these if you’re to enter a Soul-Bond of Constellations with them.” She looked up to find Eshya with slightly wide eyes and her body suddenly went stiff. “Priestess, what’s wrong?”“It’s Etanai, he needs me!”The third and second pillars shared a glance before the forme
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CHAPTER THIRTY: DELE, VITA, AND ODETTE
Etanai felt his stiff body loosening up as he conjured enough strength to open his heavy eyelids. A groan escaped his lips as he found he had passed out on the ground.“You’re finally awake.” Etanai jerked up into a sitting position to find it was Gambit, occupying his one-seat sofa. “Get up, boy. You should go freshen up; you look a mess. By the way, weren’t you taught the habit of maintaining your space?”Etanai followed his gaze while getting up on his feet. To the walls, he found the existing proof of what had happened before he passed out. His body shook slightly. “Those shadows! Head Instructor, there were….”Gambit halted his words with a raised palm. “I know, my boy. I saw everything. That’s why I’m here” His hand then gestured to his left. “Go shower first.”Etanai gently nodded before walking away to do as he was told. A quarter of an hour later, he returned much-refreshed in a new outfit. The temple had provided him with a full set during his stay in his cell, courtesy of
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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: DECIPHERING THE PERSISTENT VISION
“What did you see?” Elder Tobias picked up the cup of tea before him with shaky hands and he took a sip while his eyes darted between the expecting faces of Elder Niola and Gambit. "It's the same vision as last time; those figures on the ground, screaming in agony. They still lay helpless before me." He put down the cup as the warmth from the herbal concoction seeped through his body. "An insistent vision becomes an imminent one." “It’s seems that way.” Elder Niola glanced out the large windows. “The issue now is deciphering the vision right and properly preparing as much as we can for it.” Gambit had his head down in deep thought for a while before looking back up. "Could it have something to do with the stolen cargo we were discussing?" He found the pillars' gazes on him. "I'm aware Pillars sometimes have visions that are triggered by a conversation. What if the incident at Kalion forest is tied to this?" “In what way would that be though?” Elder Niola’s gaze returned to the room
- STAR-TRAIL BETWEEN US
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: THE SAME VISION
The Temple of Wisdom’s Intelligence Unit is one of Comet Tower’s most important departments. They are responsible for gathering all classes of information concerning the temple from around the world.“Rubbish! This is slander!” The eleventh pillar couldn’t help the bitter expression on his face. It was hard to convincingly deny such a report made by their very own intelligence unit.“Elder Change, calm yourself.” Elder Kissani sent a discreet look before turning back to Eshya. “Priestess, may we see this report?”Eshya handed over the file to Elder Kissani who began going through it with Elder Change. Meanwhile, Elder Rowan’s posture remained straight and her eyes didn’t shift away from the holy star symbol in the slightest; this, however, was a staring challenge Eshya was willing to put up with. The priestess wasn’t going to cower before this woman at a time like this.“Aren’t you also gonna check for a possible sign of fraudulence?” With folded arms, Eshya nodded at the woman with