Jonathan A Countyman
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Chapter Thirty-One Completing the Red Temple
🕑 Added 2020-02-20 20:52:50 +0000 UTC
Arlie felt rather good at the moment. Sure he muscles were sore, and her mana was half used up, but she was finally standing before the door to the tenth-floor boss room. The prospect of finally being done with this trial had filled her with a sense of relief, and tension that she wasn’t even aware she had was gone. This last floor had certainly been tough, but she was thinking of the boss.
She had a feeling it was going to be yet another naked female. A part of her was hoping it would be a small and cute girl. Someone she could enjoy looking at a bit, to make whatever the test was more bearable. She didn’t want another fight, and the last few floors she had been able to pass the tests. Sure a few of them had been difficult, and one had been emotionally difficult. The healing test had required her to heal several people and that little girl had only been the first. Each person had been in worse shape than before, and the last one came as a pair. A mother and daughter that had quite clearly been through a brutal rape. She had seen similar things before, but that scene was very painful to her even now. The last time she had seen something like that was after a Caravan had been attacked by bandits. Luckily for them, a patrol rescued them from the bandits, but not before they had killed every man in the caravan and started raping the girls.
The worst part? Daughters too young to understand were raped in front of their mothers and then forced to watch as their mothers were raped. The patrol that rescued them had taken them to her village as it was closest, and she had done her best to help those poor girls. She couldn’t help them with their trauma though, she wasn’t a mind mage. No those girls had to get over it on their own, and she knew they would never be able to put it behind them entirely.
She pushed the incident out of her mind and approached the door. Idly she was aware of her party keeping an eye on the hall behind her. She also could hear the idle conversation going on behind her. Mostly they were looking forward to finally being able to leave this dungeon. She didn’t blame them as she was just as eager to get out of this dungeon. She even wanted to sleep in a real bed.
The door to the boss room opened easily for her, and her party quickly followed her. As the door closed behind them, she took in the room and the boss. The room felt like the main chamber of a temple. It was round, with the statues of a winged goddess placed evenly around the edge. Instead of an altar there was a lovely silver throne in the center of the room, and settled in the throne was a young woman. She looked a lot like Arlie in terms of general build and appearance. That is if you ignored her decidedly inhuman features She had beautiful wings covered in blue-green scale feathers that extended behind her. Her feet were powerful talons that looked incredibly sharp and deadly. Her smooth legs and arms were coated with fine scales. A trio of scales dotted her cheeks. Her stomach looked bare of scales. A very simple top of light blue fabric covered her large chest. However it did little to actually hide her chest, nor did the matching skirt she was wearing.
Arlie found herself feeling somehow disappointed that she wasn’t naked like the previous boss. The boss gave her a gentle smile, and then patted her thigh. “Come here, my child. We have much to discuss.”
She approached cautiously not sure what to think, and as she got close she asked, “Why do you look like me?”
The boss giggled, and answered, “Well that is the question, isn’t it? Perhaps this would help.” the boss lifted a hand and ball of blue-green flames manifested in her palm. As it did so, Arlie felt a chunk of her mana disappear. Arlie’s eyes widened as realized that her mana pool was linked to this woman’s, and said, “You are me aren’t you?”
She shook her head, and replied, “No, we are one yet we are separate. In a way, I am your guardian. I am the patron of your family, the source of your magic, your blessings and as you see it the family curse. We can only meet because this place is special.”
Arlie froze in her place, as she suddenly understood that she was talking to goddess. One whose name she had cursed on occasion. She suddenly didn’t feel so good about this challenge. When her mind caught back up with reality, she found herself sitting in the goddess’s lap. Her friends were nowhere to be seen. Before she could wonder about where her friends were the goddess told her, “I sent your friends to a waiting room, they will be fine. Also, don’t be so afraid, yes I know you have cursed my name on occasion. I am not insulted though. I know you don’t really mean those things.”
“I never thought I would actually meet the goddess that blessed my family,” said Arlie while she was still trying to process what was going on.
“Well, I am more a projection of her spirt than her physical body. Anyway, I am the last part of this trial. Now really this is the only test where you don’t have to do anything. It is my task to determine if you are ready for the power that comes with passing this trial.”
She frowned her features scrunching cutely, and asked, “Power? What power?”
The goddess giggled, saying “You took this trial without knowing? Oh, I see Aurora forgot to tell you. As the Bykuru Kinsara, you are my conduit. My highest priestess and capable of channeling my power. Each temple trial you pass allows you to draw more of my power and passing them all would allow you to manifest me in this world.”
Hearing that she recalled that prophecy and made a connection, “You are the Last First Lord aren’t you?”
She nodded, and said, “That is a name I have been called before. We aren’t here to discuss me, however.”
She looked away from the goddess, and said, “I know you need to determine if I am ready for your power. Ask away, I seem to have plenty of time.”
The goddess laughed, “It seems you misunderstood. You will only gain a fraction of my power, and I have already made the determination. I just want to spend a little time with you, and maybe talk a bit. Oh, yes remember that awkward young man that you met in Arcs?”
Arlie spent a couple of moments thinking, and then exclaimed, “Failed Hero! You are talking about him aren’t you?”
The goddess began stroking her hair in a manner that felt pleasurable, and replied, “Yes, I am. He made a deal with me a few days ago, and I set him on a new path. Well, actually I put two paths in front of him. One that would grant him his desires, and a second that would bring happiness to the young elven woman he had with him. Both would grant him a little measure of happiness, but it seems he has chosen the second path.”
Arlie leaned into her hand, and said, “Well he seemed like a good man, just a little confused. I hope he finds happiness with his choice.”
“Well that remains to be seen, but I did set him a task that should help you out. I know you will try to take the other temple trials. You won’t need his help for the next one, but he will prove useful to you in reaching the third trial. Also, while Xaros doesn’t yet know, I expect he will soon notice what you are doing. He won’t move himself, but he will send his agents. Also, be careful with the dragon clans. Especially, those that worship Malcartha. They are the most zealous in their anti-magic rhetoric, and that makes them dangerous.”
“I will keep that in mind. I take it with these warnings that I must have passed your test?”
The goddess gave her a pleased look, and said, “I’m glad that you are so sharp. Yes, I believe you are ready for this extra power. I have already unlocked it for you, and you should grow into it over the next few days. Oh, and here take this. Its nothing special, but it does cover basic defensive spells in your top three elements. Try to master at least one of those spells.”
The goddess handed her an old looking tome, and she opened it. She skimmed the first few pages and was able to glean that she was right. There was nothing special about this book. All it covered was the basics of creating a simple ward, shield or mage armor depending on which chapter you were reading. She could have found a book like this one in any decent library. Honestly, it felt like a rather disappointing gift coming from a goddess.
“I know, rather underwhelming gift, but one you need,” said the goddess after seeing the look on her face, “but if it makes you feel better. Now that your connection with me has strengthed you can take on a part of my aspect. When you next see Aurora, ask her to teach you how to use your breath. It may prove useful to you. I would teach you myself, but we don’t have the time.”
“Breath?” asked Arlie scratching her cheek.
Her posture shifted and she replied, “Dragons and Skylords both possess an innate breath ability. This ability is a powerful natural weapon that employs elemental magic. There are differences between the breath of a Skylord, and that of a Dragon. Now yours won’t be as impressive as a true Skylord’s or Dragon’s, but it should still be fairly powerful. You have three major elements, but I recommend you start with fire the other two can be a bit tricky to work with.”
After that, the conversation shifted to the mundane. She tried to ask the goddess more questions, but she either didn’t answer or gave a cryptic reply. Then at some point the goddess, let her go, and she found herself back at the entrance of the red temple with her friends. Her familiar wasn’t there, but somehow she knew that the Alra was back home in her garden. The goddess had done her a favor and sent it home for her. She even helped her with placing the mark so that she could summon it whenever she needed to.
Her friends were right there with her and were a bit concerned about her. She quickly assured them that she was fine, and then noted that they were all wearing their own clothes. Their things had clearly been returned to them, and that was something she was glad about. The guardian wasn’t around, but since she had passed the tests, and earned the goddess approval she didn’t think there was a reason to stay. Just before she had left the goddess had handed her something else in addition to the earlier book. She found it sitting in her travel bag. The item was a small case with space for five small objects. A small gem embedded in a metal frame rested in the first slot. She surreptitiously studied it and then put it away. It felt and looked like a magical key to her, and ruby red gem made her think that she had just been given the key to the temple. Somehow she had the feeling it was more than just a simple temple key, but she didn’t really know what to do with it so she decided to keep it safe.
As a group, they left the temple and found to their surprise a massive head watching them from nearby.
