Closed [Emberfall] Temple Tour

[Luke]

Spring 2, 125

[Continued from the Ambush thread here]


Kiriko said, "there is no beautiful enough offering for our god and compared to those who serve him, this is only a meager contribution. Your gratitude honors me and goes straight to my heart, I thank you."

He bowed again before raising his eyes to meet Luke's again. He thought him a handsome man, but he chased his thoughts away on this subject. Kiriko was a mystic and could very easily tell that Luke was not ordinary in the slightest.

According to the priestess's quick introduction, he was a wealthy man, but that didn't really influence Luke. The same disease of pride and corruption was found in all classes, from the common people to the highest politicians. In the end, people's origins didn't matter and only faith mattered to people like this. The scar and the blind eye could give him a rogue side, but this Kiriko seemed rather pleasant even before he spoke. The man had a certain charisma, no doubt about it.

"And welcome to you newcomers. Raya and Luke, I hope you will both find homes here and find your faith. Galvatorix is not the most ordinary dragon around, but he has his merits. Raya, you are quite beautiful, and Luke… my god, what is that power within you, boy?"

Luke smiled a little at his welcome, always hiding that little embarrassed feeling he had when he was flattered. It happened often among non-hostile mystics. It could be his humble side or his childhood that pushed him to not believe the slightest compliment. It was a common weapon to manipulate and get what one wanted by stimulating the ego… but often it was simply a way of welcoming it due to his strength. But whatever the reason, it always felt a little strange and he wasn't sure he would get used to it.

"I'm a Fulgari," Luke said, "with an unnaturally high potential. Thank you for your warm welcome. All devotion is important." he noted, trying to play the part of a religious person. He was nothing like these people who had chosen to devote their life completely to their god. So he knew very well that not everyone could do that.

"Would you two have a few moments to share with me or do you have other business to attend to?"

 

[Raya]

Raya did not see anything wrong with speaking with this rich man. Money was something that motivated many people and Raya instinctively knew that. She did not find interest in talking to people that she did not find interesting but she had nothing better to do. She knew she had to learn how to talk to people and be more nice.

"I will speak with you if you wish" She said. Her tendrils slithered around her body. She felt like choking the life out of this overly religious man. Was there nothing more disgusting than someone who spent all their time worrying about what a god might or might not want you to do? Even she had better things to do with her time.

She forced a smile on her face. She had donated a little to show that she could be nice. She already regretted doing so. But it was too late to take it back.

 

[Luke]

Again that particular smile crossed Kiriko's face. Luke and Raya seemed so innocent, far from other newcomers that he was used to being around. However, that did not bother the scarred man, on the contrary, it had something reassuring that such a person had garnered Galvatorix's interest.

Luke glanced to those who accompanied him then shrugged, "I have time… I am lucky to have a flexible schedule, spending time in your company would be enlightening. Might I suggest that we walk a little? It looks like we're causing a disturbance." He motioned to people who were watching them instead of doing their duties. The entryway was perhaps not the best place for a discussion.

"Thank you and you're right, I wouldn't want us to be a distraction..." He didn't want to disturb the followers of course and he feared even more certain followers who could become very insistent for the attention of someone important. "If it is okay with you, let's go to the rampart walk to the west, there are few people and the view of the city is magnificent."

Kiriko motioned for them to come with him before leading the way, away from the entryway and into the cooler air outside. The patrol path, while just as pretty and elaborate as the rest of the temple structures, was ultimately occupied mainly by the guards watching over the surroundings. It was a place where Kiriko liked to escape when he needed a little break from the faithful and the other priests during a day of officiating at the temple itself. He could not be accused of hiding, since he was still accessible, but at least most people understood that they had to leave him alone when he walked around there.

Luke found the view here just as beautiful as anywhere else, the city stretched out in the distance, the fields still seemed fruitful and their sky filled with dragons flying about… a magnificent illusion of peace and serenity.

There was a long silence as they just walked along. Luke awkwardly asked, "so, do you want to tell me about your work? Or perhaps your hobbies or your family? Your desires and dreams? Of course a person is defined by much more than their job, but it is interesting to see what someone prefers to start with. Raya, I'm curious about you as well."

He chuckled ever so slightly, hiding his embarrassment at his own words.

 

[Raya]

Raya did not know any answers to his questions. They were not bad questions so she thought about it for a while. She had come into being. Her purpose was to get revenge but every day that passed she thought the idea of resolving the attachments that kept her on Antarok was becoming more impossible. To get to aelheim where the elves lived seemed impossible. She thought it might take a year to get there and if she did what would she accomplish?

"I have some skills that I might find work with. Ensorcelling, artificing, alchemistry. They are useful or so I'm told. You may always call upon me for help because I like to do these things. Hobbies are to be determined. Family is unknown. Desires and dreams are to travel and kill."

She felt like she was scary based on her responses. She did not mind being scary though.

 

[Luke]

"That's… well I guess I could commission you for some work," Luke said, "and you're in a great place to travel and fight."

Kiriko naturally followed to Luke's right to be able to look at him with his good eye. He said, "yes there is always a need for crafters. Merchants and the like have their own class, and it's better than being a serf."

Kiriko thought for a moment. He could not see himself talking about his family, the murder of his father, although distant still left a bitterness in his mouth. Just thinking about it reawakened the pain in his cheek, as if he still felt the blade of the knife that had disfigured him. He could not talk about his dream of seeing Jian without any moonflower scum. Better not scare away someone new with his rhetoric.

"Oh, my work is not interesting, I only keep an eye on the business I inherited. My dreams are simply to see my city prosper… I have many hobbies, reading, art… I like to meet people, like you. I try to work in a humble way to make life better in the city." He paused, omitting how he went about doing this.

"I enjoy swimming, as I suppose most Cor'norai do. I must also confess a weakness for spirits, in moderation of course. And you? You're a fulgari, a fighter by the looks of you. A man like you must be very busy, right? Do you have any free time? Any hobbies?"

It was a lot of information, but in reality Kiriko didn't tell much. These were passions and dreams that were all too common among the wealthy nothing really stood out to Luke at first glance. However, he couldn't be offended, it was something quite normal not to open up too much to a stranger. Kiriko was good at saying nothing. The little detail about alcohol was probably the most useful tidbit.

"Interesting," he said. "My pleasure since childhood is to immerse myself in my training. I was never good enough for my dad so I got raised by my mother who was constantly demanding that I do better so that I might earn my father's favor again. I didn't have time for hobbies. Even now I find it hard to relax and do something enjoyable. My life is a constant search for ways to prove myself and fight. I cannot allow myself to let my mind get bogged down and rest on my laurels. The world evolves every day, I must remain open if I want to be able to become an apotheosi."

Luke yawned and stretched his arms then continued, "I must admit that if I manage to have a little time for myself, I use it to simply relax by listening to music at a tavern."

It was a somewhat superficial discussion for the moment, the participants sparingly giving real information hidden under layers. A mage who spent their time training and fighting, what a surprise.

 

[Raya]

Raya didn't know much about most magic but she found that she knew a lot about fulgar. She knew the kinds of spells they could do. Lightning and fire, explosions and death. She needed to make an ally out of this handsome man. She recalled what it was like to be attracted to someone. She did not care for the jianese look but to see someone from the south~~ it interested her greatly.

She kept silent as they spoke while she thought about how she might be able to interest Luke. He did not seem like he was rich else someone with that kind of power would have found riches. He seemed to only want to find a place here. She could introduce him to the people she had met to help make some friends for him. She would have to spring the idea on him when they were done on this senseless walk.

 

[Luke]

The fulgari was going to continue their little conversation when a commotion was heard as a person rushed towards them, literally throwing himself on his knees to try to grab Kiriko's kimono.

Luke had barely realized the man's appearance when the guard and servant had already sprung into action. The guard, Natago, had pushed the individual to the ground, away from them, keeping him at the end of his sword. The servant herself had thrown herself in front of them, her arms wide open like a sort of far too slender human shield. Other guards nearby also rushed to finish immobilizing the man.

"Get away from Kiriko! " Natago growled fiercely.

Kiriko frowned as he recognized the pitiful form before him. A mass of overpriced fabrics, tasteless jewelry, an excessive display of wealth to make people believe that the man was much more important than he really was... Ah, it was a typical so-called "faithful" with problems. A small annoyed sigh escaped him despite the agitated situation with the guards trying to control the man.

"I beg you, I implore you listen to me! I beg you forgive me!" The man squealed, managing to escape the guards enough to kneel on the ground, his forehead pressed against the floor.

"Kiriko was quite merciful to you once! Begone!" the servant snapped like an angry sparrow.

Kiriko gently pushed the woman away. Honestly, she was adorable, but she had such a small body that a gust of wind could knock her over. She made a poor human shield… and he wouldn't let her do such a thing. Once his little thwarted and the woman was safely behind him, he to pay attention to the man kneeling before him. It was a pitiful sight, almost crying in panic as he tried to gain his pity. A truly excessive and slightly disgusting attitude.

"Y…you are so merciful and generous, have pity on a poor man! I implore you to make me a priest! I would give all my money to the temple…"

Luke's frown deepened and his nose wrinkled, a subtle sign of the disgust he immediately felt. This man was either stupid or crazy to make such demands.

"I am not the one you should be talking to and you know it, your faults are known and you cannot change the past despite all your hypocrisy…" Kiriko stated almost coldly, quite annoyed that a pleasant conversation was being stopped for something that should have already been settled elsewhere.

"But if I don't become a priest they'll send me to war!" The man squeaked again as the guards picked him up without ceremony.

Luke narrowed his eyes in suspicion. So, people around here were sent off to war and those too scared to fight sought the protections offered by being a holy man? Although Luke had already met many hysterical people, this man took the cake. His gaze fell unsubtly to the wrists covered in rich fabrics, immediately causing the man to fidget again in an attempt to hide his arms as he was held down by the guards.

A priest had finally run up to meet up with them. "Sorry, he ran past us. We couldn't stop him in time." He breathed heavily then he put on the stern look of a preacher. His voice became firm and uncompromising.

 

[Raya]

Raya did not like the one who ran up to them. Her tendrils slithered about and wrapped around him to help restrain him.

"You should learn something about personal space" She told him. One of her tendrils beat him on the head to keep him in submission.

She did not know why but she did not enjoy this pathetic human. He looked rich and proper but his attitude was throwing her off.

"Can I kill this one?" She asked Kiriko.

"No don't do that. It would not be a good look. He will be better served on the battlefield."

"But I really want to kill him" She said. She squeezed him more tightly. He would not be able to breathe if she kept squeezing.

"I can see that, but I do request you spare him."

"Okay~~"

 

[Luke]

Luke was impressed by Raya's abilities. Apparation could be quite the formidable weapon. She shared his desire to stomp this nuisance into the ground so he couldn't bother anyone again.

Kiriko continued, "true faith is constant and sincere, not just when you want to clear your conscience. You yourself have shattered your life, your relationships and all the work of a formerly respected lineage. You have acted without any piety.... Your money will not buy any pardon and you will have to respect your punishment. Offerings made with disdain and hypocrisy are the greatest insult to our god. Do you really believe that our Lord cannot see the truth? War calls and you are not brave enough to answer it? You should be ashamed."

"You beg for mercy, so here it is. Return here with the heads and katana of ten moonflower swordsmen, then you will be forgiven."

With a gesture of his hand he stopped the man's pleas and addressed the guards.

"Take him away. Until he returns with ten of each, he is forbidden to return."

Of course Kiriko also liked fine clothes, but he would never do anything like this. His kimono of the day was, yes, of precious fabric, but extremely simple. Only a thin golden border underlined its edge. His gaze also fell on his covered wrists and he understood. Or at least thought he understood what had caused this man's woes. With a hard look, he watched the man being forcefully escorted out of the temple.

Luke watched in silence as the guards mercilessly dragged the unfortunate man away, clearly losing patience with his cries and pleas. Once all the commotion had gone far enough, he sighed… it was a scene far too awkward for his taste.

"I'm sorry you had to witness this. I thought we'd be in peace, but it seems fate had other plans. Despite being told multiple times that he was in the wrong, he was strutting around the temple a short while ago bringing large offerings. I realized early on that he was far too prideful. It was sickening." He sighed before shaking his head. "But here he is with his back to the wall, begging me and yet he has not shown any signs of genuine regret for his actions. Only empty pleas, as if my good will had that kind of power."

"Surprisingly, few truly understand my duties. I don't know why some think I have any influence on the will of the gods, it's terribly presumptuous. I like to believe that everyone has the power to act to change their fate, but I can recognize someone whose heart is closed. Such weak faith brings only torment to our society. It is unfortunate, but his fate must be accepted and he must take his punishment with dignity."

Kiriko turned to the guard and Raya, "I want to thank you for your quick reaction." He lowered his head to show his sincerity, before his gaze turned back to Luke.

"No need to thank me, your life is much more precious than mine and then finally I did not risk much."

Kiriko rubbed his eyes and said, "I don't even remember what we were talking about. I think you mentioned you like listening to music, I think? What was I saying? Oh yes… I am one of the patrons of a rather talented troupe. If you like, and if your schedule allows it, I can invite you to a performance."

"I'd be delighted," Luke replied. He had absolutely no interest in theater but it might be a good way to blow off some steam.

They finally reached the scenic outlook and they stopped talking to take in the beauty. They stood there for at least ten minutes before someone else came up to talk to them. They whispered in Kiriko's ears and he nodded.

"Luke, Raya I apologize but I must get going. It was nice meeting you and I hope to see more of you soon."

Luke nodded as well. "I have a feeling we will be seeing each other again."

 

[Raya]

Raya decided not to kill the man even though she really wanted to. She let him go so the guards could take him away. She held onto Luke's arm and said to him "We should leave. This place creeps me out."

She would pull him with her so that they could go back around the very long path to the temple. Along the way she saw something moving. Something was climbing up the side of the hill trying to get onto the path. It was the same man as before. He had escaped already and was desperately evading the guards to get back to Kiriko.

"Lovely I finally get my chance," She said as she walked over to him to meet him on the path. She held out her finger with malice and touched him in the chest. She wished him dead and she imparted the power she had in her to his chest. She did not know that it would kill him but it would as sure as the sun would rise in the morning.

Then she saw Luke in the corner of her eye. She didn't want him to see her tear him apart so she spared him a quick death by tendril.

"Let us keep going."

She would spend the night in Galvatorix's lair and in the morning she would overhear someone talking to the dragon about how the man had died in a very mysterious way. That was when she knew that she had been the cause of the death.

 

[Luke]

Luke was eager to get some rest but fate had other plans for him and Raya. She held onto him and his cheeks reddened for a moment. Was this how all onryo were? He had never met one before. Her touch gave him an excuse to stand closer to her and he would never regret being closer to someone pretty. So he let himself laugh and enjoy the walk back.

He couldn't help but wonder if it was so obvious that he was enjoying himself. Things were going great until the same man from before was seen clambering up the side of the path to have another go at begging for whatever it was he wanted from Kiriko.

Luke had half a mind to blast him off the cliff, but he had to remind himself to have some tact. There was no point to give the dragon a reason to change his mind about taking him in. For a moment Luke though that Raya would do the job for him, and though he knew she shouldn't kill the man he didn't have the guts to stop her. He wanted to see that sorry excuse of a man die.

But Raya didn't kill him. She just sort of… touched him. Luke held onto him until guards came and took him away again. The trip back was uneventful but it had been ruined. He was now thinking about how he probably should have done more and made sure that he didn't escape again. Or maybe he really should have incinerated him to save everyone the effort. Doing things the right way always seemed to be much more complicated than they needed to be.

The next morning he was woken up by a conversation Galvatorix was having with one of the priests who had come up to deliver strange news. The man Raya had touched… he'd died. Supposedly he had rapidly aged and passed away. His gut told him that it must have been something Raya had done, but nobody else seemed to have that suspicion. Hell, nobody except Luke had even seen what she'd done.

Luke was content with playing the fool. If Raya could make people do that then he was going to be sure not to get on her bad side. Plus there was always the chance that he was wrong. Maybe there was something else that was wrong with him and that was why he was so desperate? It was all very confusing and he didn't know if he had enough energy left in him to deal with it.

Galvatorix seemed curious but when the messenger left he told Luke that it was probably just some kind of disease or misunderstanding. Troubling, but probably nothing to worry about. He then invited Luke to go out for a ride. They hand to get fitted for a new saddle and start training together if they were going to go to war together.

Luke was eager to take the chance to get some fresh air and put some distance between himself and Raya while he processed what she might be capable of. Yes, things would be better when he started training.

 

[Vicissitude]

༺༉⛦ Raya's Actions Have Been Noticed ⛥༉༻​

The desperate nobleman had been shackled and jailed by Emberfall's law enforcement after his second intrusion upon the temple pending his transfer to his new post as a soldier. He was given a meal in the evening and then left to his own devices in a cell with other petty criminals. Throughout the evening, he noticed subtle changes and even tried to complain that something was wrong; he was, however, ignored. When the guard approached the cell in the morning to escort the prisoners to the cafeteria for breakfast, the man did not rise from his bed.

"Hey! Wake up! Don't test my patience," the guard raised his voice loud enough to echo through the entire room.

Sensing his anger, another prisoner that was a bit slow to move detoured to go and shake him awake only to discover that he was dead. Not only dead, but as if he'd aged the rest of his life and died naturally. That poor soul jumped back in fear and scrambled away, panicked that the deceased had some type of transferable disease.

"H…he…he's dead!" He stammered to the guard whose stony features looked none too pleased at the inconvenience

"Moving right along then," the guard responded gesturing towards the door, for this did not concern the other prisoners any longer.

As the guard exited into the hall, he whispered something into the ear of another he passed: "...corpse in group cell 1."

"Trauma?" Asked the other.

"None apparent; likely Arcana," replied the first.

The second guard nodded before making his way over to the cell to collect the corpse. He, too, noted that the prisoner appeared to have died from old age and when he compared the man's ID tag to his file, he found himself perplexed at his listed age– 38.

He sighed. "...oh well, coroner's problem…" he mumbled to himself before gingerly draping the frail body over his broad shoulders in a bid not to cause any posthumous injury.

Arriving in the morgue, the coroner's nose scrunched. "How many times do I have to tell you people to use stretchers?" She'd ask, clearly annoyed.

The guard did not answer this question. "Which one's empty?" He'd ask, pointing to the body storage bays.

The woman sighed and pointed at bay 4, at which point the guard would wordlessly deposit the corpse along with a copy he'd made of the man's prisoner file.

Later, when she had the time, she immediately caught on to something off about the cadaver the second she bothered to actually focus on it. The mortician was an Illuminary, an Alíthean Mystic, to be precise, and a potent one at that, always channeling her Divination as many of the cadavers she looked over were slain by Arcana. This one was no different in that respect, except it appeared as if it had been soaked in Absentia. She looked puzzled. None of the local Alítheans had been given the go-ahead to kill this man, nor did he have any signs associated with a Devorari or Rusalka having used him to feed.

She frowned– what Blight was even capable of aging somebody like this? To her knowledge, no such thing was possible…and her knowledge was vast. Her confusion was then overtaken with anger; who'd usurped her authority!? She was to be given a dossier of every Alítheian that set foot in Emberfall and the fact that she couldn't recall any personnel with such an ability meant that somebody had crossed into Taigama and broken Tenet III, Hospitality or potentially IV, Proliferation– the latter being a greater sin than the former.

She would get to the bottom of this, whether by her hands or that of those loyal to her.

 

[Vicissitude]

Thread Title: Temple Tour

Thread Summary: Luke and Raya visit a local temple and go on a scenic tour. They talk to a wealthy donor/priest who tells them about himself. They get accosted by a desperate man and Raya ultimately kills him with her special ability.

Raya's Actions Have Been Noticed.

Expected Rewards: Luke: 30xp
Raya: 8xp
Vicissitude: 6xp

Thread Link: https://antarok.net/threads/emberfall-temple-tour.577/
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