The sunlight streamed in through the stained glass windows, casting a kaleidoscope of colors on the unconscious bodies of priests and knights strewn across the church floor. Belmont took a deep breath, steadying his nerves as he clutched the small lodestone in his hand. "We must find those items before they wake up," he whispered, his voice tense with urgency.
"Agreed," Henry said, his eyes scanning their surroundings. "Jansen and I will take the living quarters and offices. Belmont and Eliot will search the prayer rooms and library." The two men nodded, and the four split into pairs, their lodestones drawn and ready to detect any trace of the mysterious energy they sought.
As Belmont and Eliot stealthily made their way through the different prayer rooms, they couldn't help but marvel at the opulence of the new church. Everything seemed so pristine and luxurious – from the gilded altars to the lavish paintings adorning the walls.
"Look at this place," Eliot muttered, his voice laced with disdain. "The amount of gold here could feed an entire village for a lifetime."
"Focus, Eliot," Belmont chided gently, though he shared his friend's disapproval. "Remember why we are here."
"Right," Eliot sighed. They continued their search, their lodestones remaining frustratingly silent. Belmont's heart sank as they entered the library, a vast room filled with thousands of books, each a potential hiding place for the items they sought.
"Where do we even begin?" Eliot asked, running his fingers over the spines of the ancient tomes.
"Let's start with the restricted section," Belmont suggested, pointing towards a locked gate at the back of the library. "There has to be something valuable hidden there."
They made their way to the locked gate, and after a few moments of fumbling with the lock, they slipped inside.
"Remember," Belmont whispered as they scanned the shelves, "we're looking for anything that feels out of place or might be giving off the same energy as the pulse detected in Zandel forest."
"Got it," Eliot replied, his lodestone hovering over the books, searching for any sign of the mysterious energy. Belmont couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease as they moved deeper into the restricted section. He knew time was running out, and the thought of being discovered by the waking priests and knights left him unsettled.
Henry and Jansen tiptoed into the High Priest's bed-chamber, their steps muffled by the plush carpet. The room was adorned with luxurious fabrics, gold trimmings, and fine art, a stark contrast to the modest quarters of the other priests. Jansen let out a low whistle, taking in the luxury.
"Someone's living like a king," he muttered, his eyes narrowing with disdain. Henry nodded in agreement, remembering his humble upbringing and wondering how someone claiming to serve the people could live extravagantly.
The two men searched the room, their lodestones at the ready. As they examined every nook and cranny, the resentment towards the High Priest grew within them. However, they found nothing of significance and eventually regrouped outside the study.
"Let's try in there," Henry suggested, nodding towards the closed door. Eliot and Belmont joined them and entered the High Priest's study together.
"Looks like we've found where all the donations have gone," Eliot joked, earning a chuckle from the others. It felt good to laugh, even if it was only to mask their anger and frustration at the continuous displays of opulence in the temple.
They scoured the study, hoping to find the items they sought or even a hidden compartment in the walls, but their search proved fruitless. Just when they were about to give up, Belmont noticed a locked drawer on the desk.
"Jansen, think you can pick this?" he asked. Jansen smirked, producing a set of lock-picks from his pocket - tools he had mastered as an orphan on the streets of Aeloria.
"Child's play," Jansen whispered as he knelt before the drawer. The lock clicked open within moments, revealing a small wooden box inside. The anticipation in the room was palpable as they carefully lifted the lid, only to find several vials of shimmering purple liquid.
Henry picked up one of the vials and cautiously sniffed its contents. "I don't think it is poison," he admitted, his brow furrowing in confusion at figuring out what it could be. Belmont took the vial from him and tucked it into his pouch.
"Whatever it is, if the High Priest kept it under lock and key, it must be important."
Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching and the muffled voices of waking knights. Eliot's eyes widened with alarm. "We should have considered the holy knights might have some resistance to the sleeping potions."
Quickly, they returned everything to its proper place and slipped out of the study. As they reached the southern gate, a tired voice called out behind them, and they knew they'd been spotted. With no time to lose, they ran, disappearing into the forest.
Once they were a safe distance from the church, Belmont pulled out a parchment covered in arcane symbols. He whispered an ancient word, and the symbols began to glow and expand, enveloping the four men in a blinding light. Seconds later, they found themselves back in the secret chamber beneath the pub, their mission completed - though different from what was planned.
Belmont wasted no time presenting the mysterious vial to Aldric, who carefully uncorked it and poured a tiny amount of the shimmering purple liquid onto his palm. He held it up to the dim light, examining its strange properties. "I've never seen anything quite like this before," he murmured, rubbing the liquid between his fingers.
"Can you figure out what it is?" Belmont asked, concern etched on his face.
Aldric nodded thoughtfully. "I'll do my best, but for now, you should send the remainder to Duke Mikhail."
"Via the raven?" Eliot interjected, smirking.
"Of course," Aldric replied, casting a sidelong glance at the bird.
As they prepared the message, Belmont couldn't help but feel disappointed in not locating the items found in Zandel forest.
Back at the mansion, Mikhail and Theo walked through the grand hallways toward Mikhail's study. As they entered the room, they found the Silverfur growling at the large raven perched on the desk, its dark feathers gleaming under the bright sun.
"Easy," Mikhail cooed, calming the pup. It stopped growling and excitedly followed him, settling at his feet while eyeing the raven warily.
Mikhail reached out and touched the sigil on the raven's head, listening to the message from Belmont. His brow furrowed as he received the vial, disappointment evident in his eyes as he listened to the rest of the message. He handed the vial to Theo, "Start figuring out what this is, and have you found out how the church knew to be in Zandel Forest that day."
Theo hesitated before admitting, "I still haven't been able to uncover that information, my lord."
Mikhail raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Well, keep digging," he urged, his voice firm.
"Of course, Your Grace." Theo bowed before leaving the room, cradling the vial like a precious gem.
As Mikhail watched Theo go, he couldn't help but feel a gnawing anxiety deep within him. He ran a hand through his hair, lost in thought, knowing that uncovering the truth now held even greater importance.
For a moment, he thought of Celeste, the saintess whose presence had both intrigued and unnerved him. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was the reason behind the Church entering Zandel Forest and that there was more to her joining the High Priest on his visit. Pushing the thoughts aside, Mikhail steeled himself for the challenges ahead, determined to protect his people - and perhaps his own heart - from whatever darkness loomed on the horizon.
Mikhail entered the library, his eyes drawn to Celeste hunched over a hefty tome on Elysarra and Elirius. Curiosity washed over him as he noticed her furrowed brows in deep concentration.
"Find anything interesting, Saintess Celeste?" Mikhail asked, a playful lilt in his voice.
Celeste looked up, startled by his sudden presence, her pink eyes wide with surprise. "Oh, Duke Aster! These texts are fascinating. I've noticed that some details about Elysarra and Elirius differ from what the church has made public."
"Indeed," Mikhail agreed, leaning against a nearby bookshelf, his arms crossed. "The church tends to favor Elysarra, as she's the goddess of the Empire. However, my ancestors have passed down a different version of Elirius that contradicts the official narrative."
"Curious," Celeste murmured, her fingers tracing the spines of the ancient books. "Do you believe those accounts?"
"I wouldn't dare go against the church's teachings. That would be an act of sacrilege, now wouldn't it?"
Celeste smiled coyly, trying to engage him further with her charm. "Well, perhaps some secrets are worth uncovering, even at the risk of sacrilege."
But Mikhail remained unfazed by her flirtatious demeanor, a seasoned veteran at avoiding leading on women. Just then, Silas, who had been spying on them, approached them.
"Saintess Celeste, we must take our leave. We've already imposed on the Duke's hospitality for too long," Silas said, his tone firm yet courteous.
"Of course," Celeste replied, reluctantly closing the tome before her. She turned to Mikhail, a sudden determination in her eyes. "Before we go, I'd like to offer you my blessing, Mikhail."
Mikhail involuntarily shuddered at the drop in formality, "That's not necessary, Saintess."
"Please," she insisted, her voice soft but persistent. "It would be my honor."
Reluctantly, he agreed and knelt before her. Celeste placed her hand on his head, and a radiant golden light enveloped her, extending towards Mikhail. The room was filled with the awe-struck gazes of those present, but none noticed the dark tendrils that spread from Celeste's pupils, swirling around her pink irises.
As the golden light continued to bathe him, Mikhail suddenly felt an excruciating pain in his head, as if it were splitting in two. The pain extended down his left arm, and his forearm felt as if it were burning. In front of him, Celeste wavered; she pulled her hand away suddenly and struggled to remain standing, clearly dizzy from the effort.
The abrupt end to the blessing left an uneasy tension in the air as Mikhail and Celeste struggled to regain their bearings. Silas stepped forward, his stern expression betraying a hint of concern.
"Saintess Celeste must have overexerted herself," he said, glancing at Mikhail with thinly veiled suspicion. "She's been blessing the knights and priests daily."
Mikhail nodded, still reeling from the pain that had seared through his skull. "I must still need time to recover from my illness," he added, trying to sound unconcerned. "I appreciate your understanding."
With farewells exchanged and formalities observed, Silas assisted Celeste into their carriage. As it pulled away from the Aster estate, the scenery outside the window blurred into a mix of greens and browns, but Celeste's mind was elsewhere, replaying the events in the library.
A smirk tugged at the corners of Silas's mouth. "You must have forgotten about the protection spell," he sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. "Whatever you tried to do on the Duke didn't work."
Celeste clenched her fists, frustration simmering beneath her calm exterior. She knew she needed to devise a new plan to get closer to Mikhail without stepping on the Aster estate again.
Meanwhile, back in Verdantvale, Samara found herself overwhelmed by a sudden pain that shot up from her left arm and caused a wave of vertigo. Her vision swam, and she swayed precariously on her feet, drawing the immediate attention of Adelia and Cyril.
"Mara!" Cyril exclaimed, his protective instincts kicking in.
But before either of them could react, Jean's strong arms encircled Samara, steadying her. "Are you alright?" he asked, genuine concern coloring his voice.
"I... I'm feeling better now," she stammered, her cheeks flushed with surprise and embarrassment.
I can't believe I was going to faint again. I may need some electrolytes.
A stunned silence fell over the group as the words left her lips. Their wide eyes and gaping mouths conveyed their shock, but it took Samara a moment to understand why.
"Wait... I understood what you said!" she exclaimed, realization dawning on her.
Adelia hesitated, eyes searching Samara's face for any sign of deception. "You can understand us? Truly?"
Samara nodded, still reeling from the sudden linguistic shift. She couldn't help but wonder how this strange phenomenon had come to be and what it might mean for her future in Verdantvale.
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