The Warlord and The Priestess

[Morigan]

Melia took the hands from the Oracle and bowed her head, praying over them for a moment as the crowd fell silent.


She slowly turned to face the assembled people. "Today we have be blessed," she began loudly. "A Blasphemer sought to desecrate the temple here in your beautiful city. But under the guidance of the the gods, our Warlord retrieved the sacred hands from the belly of a basilisk!" She paused, allowing a moment for the gasps to die out from the crowd. "And now we are here, to return the hands to their rightful place, and make our prayers in the holy temple once again!" She walked to the statue, climbing onto the small stool that had been provided near the base to help her reach the slots where the hands were to be reattached. Carefully she returned them to their rightful place and moved to face the crowd again. "Let this show us that we will always prevail against those who wish us evil. Blessings upon you all this day!" She moved to leave the crowded temple once more, her prayers complete and the statue whole once more.

 

[4Chiri]

People murmured, and applauded as Ithet followed closely behind, and the crowd continued with their recovered statue.


"Milady, should we tell Moganthe that we are ready to leave? Should I write a letter to Mother Dyona to let her know how we're doing?" Ithet asked. The knights following close behind.

 

[Morigan]

Yes, write to Mother Dyona," Melia said as they left the Temple. "But let us make sure Warlord Moganthe is recovered enough to leave." Melia returned to her rooms and summoned an Oracle.


"Please check on the condition of Warlord Moganthe, and report back to me," she told the young woman, who scurried off to do what she was asked immediately.

 

[4Chiri]

Ithet started on the letter to Mother Dyona to report their process so far. Making sure to write in all necessary details. When she was finished she quickly sealed the letter and found a messenger to send it off.


The oracle returned quickly.


"I'm sorry milady, but the warlord is sleeping in his room. The doctor said he's still resting."

 

[Morigan]

"Very well," Melia nodded and dismissed the Oracle.


"I suppose we will wait here another day before moving on," she said to Ithet. "If the healers say he needs rest we must not disturb him."

 

[4Chiri]

"of course." Ithet sighed and sat down on the bed.


"if you're certain, we have a schedule to keep you know." she frowned

 

[Morigan]

"I know, but if the Warlord becomes ill from lack of rest- that will slow us down further. Besides, he did kill a basilisk today on his own, surely he can have a night of rest." Melia turned to sit in her small chair by the window.


"Where do you think I'll end up, after the pilgrimage is complete? I hope a small town, with a simple Basilica..."

 

[4Chiri]

"who knows..." she shrugged. "maybe you'll be placed on the coast. I'd love to be near the ocean. as a matter of fact the temple of Iroth'an is in Linlyn Port."

 

[Morigan]

"The coast would be nice," Melia said thoughtfully. "But I suppose we will just have to wait and see what happens."


Melia looked out her window again for a few moments before turning back. "Well, since we are here for another day, you may do as you wish. I will be resting here, I think." She said to Ithet.

 

[4Chiri]

She stared for a moment, her mind drifting in thought. she twiddled with her fingers...


"....Priestess...how would you feel if Moganthe and I started a relationship?"

 

[Morigan]

Melia was caught off guard by the sudden change of topic. "Well...if that is something you both wish, then I would...support you," Melia said, she didn't want to lie, so she could not say she'd be happy. But she'd do her best to be supportive.

 

[4Chiri]

Ithet frowned, but before she spoke, there was a hurried knock.


"milady! There's trouble!" called a guardsman from the door.


Just then Ithet stood up in a hurry; seemingly on cue, sounds came from outside the window. In town a large group of raiders poured suddenly through the gates, guards fought but were outnumbered.


Ithet panicked, "what do we do!?" she opened the door.


The guard hurried, "come! I'll take you to the servants escape in the kitchen, it will take you through the sewer!" he said, "follow me, hurry!"

 

[Morigan]

"Quickly," Melia motioned to Ithet as she followed the guard out of her room towards the servant's escape. "What do they want?" She asked the soldier in a whisper.

 

[4Chiri]

"apparently the count has borrowed money from unsavory persons...they want their money back and are here to kill him." he said and led them down to the kitchens.


Inside past a large shelf of fried goods was a small doorway leading downward.


Ithet shivered as the man brushed away the cobwebs.


Down the hall was a small iron gate, and then a manhole. he lifted the iron grate from the floor, revealing an iron ladder leading down into the sewer system. it smelled a bit dank and the moist air flowed into the room.


The sounds of fighting came nearer.


Ithet hesitated.


"I'm not going down there!" she squealed.

 

[Morigan]

"Ithet, we must! We are not trained to fight!" Melia eyed the passage. The sewer did not look appealing, but the thought of being captured or killed was less so. "We have no choice." She turned to the guard, "Where does this lead?"

 

[4Chiri]

"I...." she folded her hands nervously.


The guard unsheathed his blade in preparation for a fight.


"it leads out to Hurnathus," he started. "the bottom of the catacombs, from there you can follow the torch light and it will lead you outside the city."


The fight sounded as if it were just outside the halls, "go now! I'll lock the gate behind you!"

 

[Morigan]

Melia descended into the passage, turning to try to grab Ithet's hand. "Come! We must go now!" SHe headed into the darkness, the damp smell assaulting her nose when she was fully inside.


She hurried as quickly as she could, trying not to stumble in her long robes. They were really not meant for running. She looked over her shoulder to see how close Ithet was behind her.

 

[4Chiri]

Ithet was chasing after her, the light from above was slowly shut away as the guard locked them in. dim lights led them down a long, murky ravine, dark cold water at their ankles.


a few rats scurried away from them..Ithet's squeals echoed...and now they could no longer hear the sounds of the fight.

 

[Morigan]

The traveled along in silence for awhile, broken only by the odd squeal from Ithet here and there, whenever she encountered a rat. Eventually the water began soaking through Melia's robes, becoming heavier dragging them down. She grabbed a fistful, and held them up out of the way as she picked up her pace.


Eventually faint torchlight glowed at the far end of the passage. "I think we must be near the catacombs," she said quietly.

 

[4Chiri]

"O-oh..but the monster Moganthe killed...what if there's more?" she shivered.


"no one knows where we are!"


Eventually they ascended the stairs an were somewhere deep in the catacombs.


"where are we!?" she panicked

 

[Morigan]

"Well, we just have to pray they're aren't." Melia said, her voice unsteady as well. The thought of dealing with more basilisks themselves was terrifying.


She looked around, and a faint flickering glow caught her eye quite a ways off. "That guard said follow the torchlight...I'm guessing we head towards that light," she pointed, and began to move in the direction of the glow, still carrying her wet skirts to avoid tripping.

 

[4Chiri]

another torchlight led to a chamber with a few different directions, but only one hall had torches.


Ithet stopped to catch her breath, just as soon as she did, there was a low gurgle in the distance, and the sound of cracking stone.


Her eyes went wide and she froze as glowing eyes opened in the darkness, the another pair...and two more...growling and hissing large beings shrouded in the dark.


The voices nearly raged in the priestess head as a sudden oversized monste crept towards the petrified Ithet.


it stood nearly 9 feet tall, skin resembling stone and razor teeth, hard spines and deadly claws for cutting stone.

 

[Morigan]

"Architect preserve us," Melia whispered fearfully. She turned and grabbed Ithet's wrist and took off sprinting through the torch-lit tunnel. "We can't fight them, we have to outrun them!" She said between gasps.

 

[4Chiri]

Ithet ran for her life, yelping occasionally looking back in complete horror, the things galloping and snapping their enormous jaws at their heels.


Just as one opened it's mouth to nip at Melia, an arrow whirred past and went down it's throat. It squawked and shuddered. A few yards ahead was an exit, and standing in the doorway, was Moganthé with a bow and arrows.


Ithet suddenly felt completely safe.


He shot another arrow; another beast trembling through it's legs and collapsing.


The others, turned and ran.

 

[Morigan]

The arrow whizzed past them, striking the attacking creature. Melia saw Moganthe silhouetted against the exit and with a final burst of energy she pushed Ithet out of the tunnel into the light, stumbling behind her out of the darkness.


"How did you find us?" Melia asked breathlessly, still moving away from the tunnels, though slowly.