The continuation of the group's journey brought them to the edge of the Frostlands where the blankets of snow gave way to endless stretches of plains. Green hills gently rolled in tandem with one another, creating a picturesque horizon that Tressa decided to commit to memory to the best of her ability. She had a pen in one hand and her journal in the other, jotting down all the details of the journey that she could remember. She didn't have a way of reading the minds of the other members of the party, but Tressa was sure that she had managed to get a fine enough grasp on the situations at hand to write everything she had to.
It had been about an hour and a half since they left Stillsnow behind, and Alfyn had taken to leading the group with the map in hand. Tressa glanced up to see that Alfyn was confidently in front of the rest of the group, though Tressa could tell he was watching the map much more closely than he should have been. She couldn't help chuckling to herself; it seemed as if the apothecary's sense of direction was lacking. He was fully aware of this truth too, and he wasn't bothering to push back against what he knew to be the truth.
Tressa jotted down a few extra details about the landscape before drawing out a small sketch of it. When she was satisfied with her admittedly pathetic artistic interpretation of the horizon, she nodded to herself and tucked both her pen and journal back into their home within her bag. She pressed her hands against the straps of the bag a moment later, letting out a grin as she continued to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other the way all great adventurers did.
The members of the party had been rather quiet since setting out from Stillsnow, Tressa had noticed. Primrose still had a lot on her mind, and Ophilia appeared to fall into much the same category. Therion had been acting off ever since he retrieved money for them from the mansion of Rufus, and while nobody had said anything about it, Tressa knew that they were all grateful. It wasn't as if Rufus was around to spend the gold anymore, and if they were able to put it to good use, then so be it. Therion had left behind more than enough for the people of Stillsnow to work toward the town's restoration as well. Alfyn had told Tressa as much during their breakfast meeting, and Tressa had been left to smile to herself at the thought that perhaps Therion wasn't as prickly as he appeared to be on the surface.
Olberic and H'aanit were just as quiet as always, the latter followed by both Linde and Hägen. They had been great help over the course of the last battle, and Tressa had to admit that she was glad both animals had decided to join them on the quest. Granted, Linde and Hägen went wherever H'aanit did, but Tressa was still happy they were there. It didn't hurt that they were cute, cuddly animals who she could pet whenever she grew stressed.
Cyrus had one hand pressed against his chin, making it clear as could be that he was lost in thought. Alfyn slowed down when he peeked over his shoulder at the other members of the group, his footsteps falling into pace with Cyrus. "Leaf for your thought?" Alfyn questioned with a light smile on his face. Everything about him was personable and friendly, the perfect way to make anyone open up to him.
Cyrus perked up upon being addressed and glanced in Alfyn's direction. After a moment, he allowed his hand to fall to his side. "I was wondering about the shrine of Aelfric we encountered before entering Stillsnow," he began. "I have heard tales of the other gods possessing similar shrines, and I was hoping that perhaps we would run into one of them sooner or later."
"That does sound like it would help us out, huh?" Alfyn agreed with a light nod. "I know that the power Aelfric gave us has already proven to be a big help. If we can get the other gods on our side, then that would only make things easier for us in the long run."
"You two are awfully casual about the idea of getting a god to help us with defeating the enemies we're going to encounter on our respective journeys," Tressa remarked as she sped up before falling into pace with the two men. "I didn't believe that we were going to be able to actually get a blessing from the gods until we were there in the shrine."
"Have you ever prayed to the gods, Tress?" Alfyn questioned, glancing in her direction as he raised one eyebrow in curiosity.
Tressa nodded. "Lots of people in the Coastlands offer prayers to Bifelgan. She's said to offer the people good fortune when she finds them to be favorable, so lots of people hope that they can get her blessing. Of course, I suppose it's a bit hard to know when you have gotten the power of a god on your side. I doubt it's always as obvious as what happened with Aelfric. Suddenly figuring out how to use light magic really does make itself clear, though nothing else is quite so obvious." She let out a small chuckle at her words before shaking her head.
"I've always prayed to the gods. I guess it's a matter of environment, huh? Clearbrook's a pretty religious town. Everyone believes in one of the gods and thinks of them as a patron," Alfyn explained. "H'aanit probably prays to Draefendi. The goddess of the hunt seems to be pretty influential in S'warkii culture based on what we saw while we were in town. Ophilia's obviously religious given that she's going on this journey as part of the Kindling in the first place, but I don't think Therion has much interest in it." Alfyn nudged Cyrus in the side with his elbow. "How about you, Cy? Do you have any thoughts on the gods?"
Cyrus paused in deliberation before his expression slipped into a light smile. "I would hardly consider myself the most religious person, but the matter most certainly does intrigue me," he responded. "The past of Orsterra hides such a rich history, and the gods were at the center of it for generations. I find it interesting to read into the world they dreamed of and what they left behind for us. I do not pray as most people do, but I do find the subject to be interesting."
"That makes sense. I guess you've got a lot to take into account on the matter of academics. That is kind of your job, after all," Alfyn commented with a small smile. "I don't think Prim's the most religious person out there, but it wouldn't surprise me if Olberic was involved with something like that. He's kinda hard to read, but I can tell that he's got good intentions."
Cyrus nodded his agreement as Tressa looked up to the oldest member of their trio. "Do you think we're going to run into another shrine that could help us to learn more about the gods and their powers?" she asked. "You've been thinking about it for a while, so you probably have the best idea of it."
"I cannot say for sure, but it would make quite a bit of sense if there was a shrine in this area," Cyrus replied. "We can keep our eyes open and see if anything strikes us as being out of the ordinary. Perhaps the Ember will be able to guide us if we draw near to a shrine on our way to Noblecourt."
Tressa nodded and looked out at the rest of the world, a light frown on her face. She hoped that they were able to find another shrine as soon as possible, truth be told; the powers that Aelfric had provided were already proving themselves to be incredible, and if there was a way for that strength to be boosted once again, she was all in for it. She was still getting a hold of her light magic and the healing powers that came with it, but when she tried it out on her own after the battle, she found that it worked rather effectively. Aelfric seemingly helped everyone to understand how to master the skills she had provided as well, cutting out the need for practice before it could even be asked for.
Tressa didn't know what they could be looking forward to in terms of help from the other gods, truth be told. The gods, for all the part they had in influencing the religion of Orsterra, worked in mysterious ways that nobody truly understood. She supposed that was part of the point behind everything since they were meant to be distant figures that guided the people of Orsterra from afar, but she still found herself wondering if she would be able to learn anything else along the way.
Tressa hadn't ever taken that large of an interest in religion before the journey began, but once it entered her head, she couldn't seem to get it out. Her brain was asking her a thousand different questions about what the gods could have been up to in that moment even though it knew that she wouldn't be able to provide any answers. They had been lucky enough to stumble upon Aelfric's shrine as it was, and while Tressa knew realistically that they weren't going to be able to rely on chance like that again, she found herself optimistic regardless, hoping that things worked out one way or another in her favor.
Alfyn began to slow down in his walking at the front of the group, one head turning over his shoulder to look at where Ophilia was standing away from the others in the party. Ophilia, normally all too happy to join discussions about their journey at hand, had distanced herself ever since they set off from Stillsnow. In fact, Tressa had noticed that she had been acting strangely seemingly ever since the afternoon of their last day in the town. Ophilia had set out to do something the same way that everyone else in the group decided to handle their own individual business, and when she came back, she was lost in thought over some subject or another that Tressa couldn't seem to press out of her. She had tried, but Ophilia was resistant to answering her inquiries, instead concentrating on avoiding the question in some way or another. All of Tressa's questions at breakfast had ultimately been glossed over because Ophilia was refusing to take any questions seriously, too unfocused for some reason or another to bother.
The look in Alfyn's eyes made it clear to Tressa that Ophilia wasn't going to be able to hide it for much longer than she already had. "Hey, Phili, what's on your mind?" Alfyn questioned, the map still pressed tightly between his fingers.
Ophilia snapped back to reality as soon as she realized she was being addressed, her eyes wide until she forced herself to become grounded in the face of everything around her. "Huh?" she asked before getting a grip on what was happening a moment later. "Is something the matter, Alfyn?"
"I could ask you the same thing," Alfyn responded simply. "You've been acting kinda odd all day. If there's something on your mind, you know that you can talk to us, right? There's no reason to keep everything bottled up inside as long as there are people here to help you through a tough spot." Everything in his gaze was genuine, and Tressa could tell that Ophilia wasn't going to survive long under the piercing yet concerned stare that Alfyn was giving her.
Sure enough, Ophilia let out a sigh a moment later, one hand drifting to the inside of her bag. Her fingers seemed to close around something, and when she shook her head, everything about her grew tense. "I... There's something I need to tell all of you," Ophilia told him carefully, each word deliberately thought out before it was spoken. She was still uncertain even if she was trying to seem stable and confident. Her show wasn't fooling anyone though, and the concerned eyes on her proved that perfectly.
Ophilia let out a cautious breath before she glanced up to the others in the group. "I went back to Aelfric's shrine last night," she began simply.
"You returned without us?" Olberic asked, his eyes going wide. He didn't seem to be offended, but he was most certainly concerned, no doubt because Ophilia had gone into the wilds near Stillsnow by herself when everyone knew just how thick they were with beasts and wildlife.
Ophilia hesitated before nodding. "I just had a few questions for Aelfric, and I wanted to get answers while we were in the area. I went by myself since all of you were occupied with other matters, and... I did get a few of the answers I was looking for," she said. She still seemed to be unsure as to if telling the other members of the group was the best option though, shifting uncomfortably on the spot as her grip tightened on the object in her bag.
"What are you holding onto there?" Primrose questioned, gesturing with one hand to the bag. Primrose had been acting somewhat distant ever since they defeated Rufus, but Tressa knew she was going to come around soon enough. Arguably, Primrose already was starting to come around given the fact that she was expressing such blatant concern for Ophilia's wellbeing.
Ophilia was silent for a long moment, refusing to meet eyes with anyone before she let out another sigh. She didn't say anything as she pulled the object of her attention free of her bag, and the Illumination Staff was left in full view of every member of the group. Tressa thought her eyes were bulging out of her skull in her moment of shock, and all she could do for a long moment was stare. She was just lucky that her legs continued to cooperate in letting her walk closer to their destination.
Even Therion, in all his normal stoic detachment, was left surprised at the sight. "That's..." he whispered, struggling to get out much else.
"Aelfric's staff!" Cyrus finished for him, dashing to Ophilia's side to examine it. Ophilia didn't give it to him, but she did hold it up for him to look at it. Cyrus' gaze traveled over every segment of the weapon, seemingly committing its intricacies to memory. After a long moment of silent observation, he nodded to himself. "Incredible..."
"Aelfric claimed that there's something else out there," Ophilia said next. She swallowed dryly as she continued. "She... She said that we're supposed to be stopping some power of darkness that's threatening all of Orsterra. She was so confident that we were meant to be on this journey together, and she... She made sure that we would all meet. She's been communicating with me through the Ember ever since I took up the position of Flamebearer. All of this was part of her grand plan." Her words were all thought out carefully, but nobody knew how to respond to them. Ophilia bit her lip and stared down at the ground. "She... She saved my life a long time ago. She's the reason I'm here today."
"Wait... What?" Tressa questioned, doing her best to come to terms with everything the cleric was saying. Realistically, she knew that Ophilia had no reason to lie to her or any other member of the group, but she found her mind racing regardless.
Ophilia hesitated before sighing. "Aelfric claims that there's some other dark power on the horizon for Orsterra and that we... We were selected by the gods to fight against it. The Ember would have led me to most of you if we hadn't met by chance. As for Therion and H'aanit... The Ember did lead me to them. The reason that we changed course away from our original plan back in Clearbrook was because the Ember was guiding me in the direction of Therion and H'aanit. Aelfric wanted us all to be together, and she pushed me so that I would make sure we all met," she explained.
"Wow..." Tressa murmured, uncertain as to what else she could even say on the matter. She glanced up to meet Ophilia's gaze a moment later. "Did she happen to say anything about what we're supposed to be fighting against? I think that's pretty important information to keep in mind if this is really our destiny or something like that."
Ophilia shook her head. "Aelfric herself didn't even seem sure of what was happening... But she seemed to think that we could look forward to speaking with the other gods in the future. She gave me the Illumination Staff because she thought it would help me on the journey to come," she explained. "I didn't know how to explain it before now, but... I guess I don't really have much of a way to avoid the subject now. I'm going to be using it in battle from now on... It feels so much more powerful than anything I've ever seen in the past."
"I can only imagine... The weapon of a god has to have a lot of strength behind it," Primrose murmured with a light shake of her head. "As far as I'm concerned though, we shouldn't focus too much on this journey to save the world from an unknown dark force at the moment."
"Huh? Why not?" Alfyn questioned, his eyes going wide. "I would have thought we were meant to take this as a hint to get us started in the right direction, and if that's the case, we had better start looking for clues."
"We don't have any ideas as to what's going on right now. If not even the gods are aware of what's happening, then I would say that we're just going to have to wait it out until some information does present itself," Primrose responded with a shake of her head. "Searching when we don't have any leads won't do us any good. We should keep on with our original missions and see if we can find anything that could lead us to the right path along the way. For now, all we would be doing is running around in circles."
"I believe that Primrose is right on this matter," Cyrus interjected. "In any situation, the gathering of information is crucial, and yet, we hardly have the options to do such a thing at this time. Our time would be best spent focusing on our current goals. We can see if there is anything unfortunate on the horizon for us when the time comes that clues present themselves to us."
"I guess we're all in agreement then," Olberic said simply. He was looking up at the horizon solemnly, seemingly believing the story Ophilia told without any need for further proof. Tressa supposed that made it clear where he stood on the matter of religion. He must have believed at least a bit in the gods if he was allowing himself to be drawn into such a tale. Then again, it wasn't as if they had a choice to begin with, right? If what Aelfric said was to be believed (and Tressa saw no reason for them to ignore her claims), then they were bound to be pulled into the grand adventure of saving the world sooner or later. That was simply how life was meant to turn out for all of them.
"Might I asken... How did the goddess saven thy life?" H'aanit questioned, speaking up for the first time since the conversation had begun. Her gaze was curious yet shaded, and Tressa could tell that every member of the group was taking this information in their own ways. Therion, for example, was choosing to stay silent and simply stare at his feet, no doubt because he was afraid of what he might find if he opened himself up to believing what was happening around him.
Ophilia hesitated before she glanced down to the staff once again. "I... I was born in a town within the Riverlands known as Creek. Long ago, it was destroyed in a bloody war between Quarrycrest and Saintsbridge. My entire village was destroyed, and I... I was left as the sole survivor of the attack. I always thought that it was simply a matter of my luck. Later on, I began to think that the gods had a part in it when I grew into religion, and... Speaking with Aelfric proved as much. By that point, she had already decided that I was set to be the next Flamebringer, and she made sure that I was able to survive long enough to carry out such a duty," she explained. "She didn't know what was going to happen, just that Lianna wouldn't be able to do it. Instead... I was brought to the mission, and now... Here I am."
"The gods seem to have been watching over our activities for quite some time then..." Cyrus murmured as he continued to examine the extravagant staff pressed between Ophilia's fingers. "I wonder just how great a role they have played in our stories up to this point..."
"I don't think that's a question that has an easy answer," Primrose frowned as she glanced up to the horizon ahead of them. "None of this has a simple solution, but for the time being, our best option is to keep moving and see what we can find at the heart of our current issues. Noblecourt is waiting for us, and I think it would be for the best that we eliminated our problems there as quickly as possible so that we can seek our next destination."
"Seconded," Therion said, his voice somewhat rougher than usual. Tressa turned her head over one shoulder to look at him and see if he was willing to show any signs of what he was thinking about. As was to be expected, he refused to offer her any information, instead remaining just as detached and stoic as always. There was something in his tone that had changed since Ophilia told her story though, and Tressa wondered if she would be able to press the information out of him later on when the shock wasn't quite so fresh in his mind. She doubted it given the way he had behaved up to that point, but she supposed it was worth an attempt if she was given the chance.
Ophilia opened her mouth to respond when a gasp left her lips. She glanced down at the Ember that was hanging from her belt and pulled it free before raising it to eye level. The Ember was starting to pulse brightly, and Ophilia glanced to the other members of the group in shock. They all knew exactly what this had to mean.
They were getting close to another shrine.
"Well, it looks like it's time for us to beat the living snot out of a god again. Good to know that we'll have experienced that at least two times before we die," Therion cut in, his every word dripping with sarcastic. He started to walk in the direction that the Ember seemed to be pointing them in, Ophilia taking the lead with the Ember and Lanthorn outstretched in front of her. The others weren't far behind.
Tressa couldn't stop smiling at the idea. "I can't believe that we're going to find another shrine around here!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together in glee. "I wonder which one it's going to be this time... I suppose only time will be able to tell."
"There has to be some way for us to gauge where these shrines are located," Primrose pointed out. "If there's a way for us to get answers behind that, then we'll be able to plan our route much better. That way, we won't have to count on luck and the Ember to take us where we need to be."
"I don't think Aelfric is going to let us pass by a shrine without saying something to make sure we're on the right path, but I do agree that it would be nice to be able to prepare for what's coming next," Ophilia said with a firm nod. "Perhaps we can look around in Noblecourt when we arrive... I seem to recall Noblecourt having quite the academic presence on the continental map. Surely there will be a few interesting documents for us to look through that might be able to lead us to the truth on the matter..."
The smile that spread across Cyrus' lips couldn't be understated, and Tressa glanced up to him knowingly, already fully aware that he was going to volunteer. "Upon our arrival, I shall do what I can to collect the information we need," he announced. "I do agree that there could very easily be something of note there. We won't ever know unless we choose to investigate, and while Therion is concentrating on the dragonstone, other members of our party can concentrate on the search."
"I don't know how well that's going to work out," Therion muttered with a frown. His face was obscured beneath his scarf, but Tressa could tell that he wasn't sure about Cyrus' suggestion. "As far as I can tell, we're going to have to deal with some pretty territorial people if we want to get the dragonstone back. Splitting up could be a bad idea."
"I can't believe you of all people is suggesting that we should stick together," Primrose commented, a light smirk playing at her lips as she glanced up to Therion. He simply rolled his eyes, and Primrose snickered from behind a raised hand. There was still some doubt and uncertainty behind her eyes from their time in Stillsnow, but she was taking steps in the right direction to improve after all that had taken place. As far as Tressa could tell, that was worth more than she could ever hope to articulate.
Therion sighed and shook his head. "I'm just saying that if we split up, we might not be able to find the next shrine. We have no idea what's waiting for us in Noblecourt. That place does a better job of hiding it, but it's just as dangerous to be there as it is to be in Stillsnow. Just because it looks appealing on the surface doesn't mean it is. We're going to have to be careful while we're there to make sure it doesn't somehow screw up our plans," he declared.
"I'm inclined to agree with Therion on this matter," Olberic interjected. "It would be for the best if we conquered one issue at a time to ensure that we are not overwhelmed. For the time being, we should focus on the shrine and getting to Noblecourt. We can come up with a concrete plan for our actions in town once we have arrived."
"Speaking of the shrine," Ophilia declared as she glanced back to the rest of the group. "I would say that we're here."
The Ember was pulsing brightly by this point, and Tressa agreed that it was safe enough to assume that they had arrived at their destination. Her eyes were wide as she took a step closer to the hill the shrine was carved into. She could feel something ancient beneath the surface, and she knew that this had to be the right place. Tressa was hardly the best when it came to magic (especially when compared to the likes of Ophilia and Cyrus), but she could still sense the energy sparking around in the hillside. No normal hill felt like it was alight with power, and that meant that they had definitely found the right place.
Just to prove that they were in the correct location, the hillside began to groan with an ancient sense of exhaustion. The ground opened up on the side of the hill, and from there, the entrance to yet another shrine could be seen. It looked much like the shrine that had come into view inside the snowy hillside near Stillsnow, and Tressa found herself smiling quietly. Her adventurous spirit was only spreading, and she knew that this was going to lead to something great.
Ophilia turned to the other members of the group, seemingly waiting for someone to offer the suggestion to go inside. H'aanit didn't wait for anyone to speak up though, instead choosing to walk in without a beat of hesitation. The shadows of the shrine closed in around her from there, but Tressa knew that there had to be firelight on the walls inside. The same had been true when it came to the previous shrine, and given how similar they were, it seemed like a given. The only unanswered question Tressa could think of prominently was to wonder which god was going to be meeting them at the end of the shrine's path, though she supposed that only time would be able to tell that much.
The others had no doubt come to the same conclusion by this point. Ophilia nodded, letting out a stabilizing breath before she entered soon afterward, the Ember starting to flicker with even greater life as she did so. The others in the group followed suit with Tressa taking up the rear, a bright smile on her face. She didn't know what was going to be waiting for them inside, which god they were going to encounter, but she knew it was bound to be amazing.
When they got to Noblecourt, she was going to have quite a bit to write in her journal. She could just sense it.
Transition chapter! Woohoo!
I thought it would be a bit clunky to start off at the end of the Stillsnow segment and then jump right into the shrine, so we get a bit of unofficial travel banter to pad things out until then. More group interactions are always good, and listen, if the medium is letting me play that up in a way the game was unable to, I have to take advantage of it. That's all there is to it.
This chapter generally does speak for itself though with the character interactions, and there's going to be more of these in the near future as I'm sure you can imagine. Things start to branch off a bit more in the Noblecourt segment coming up, so you can expect a few more of these character discussions in the future along with the search for more information about the gods. Fun times.
That's all there really is to say about this chapter though, so I won't drag things out. Next time, we're going to get into the second shrine, this time for Alephan. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital