A/N: Laguna's deity's name might come as a weird shock, but the name
wasn't planned. We just needed to call his god something, and that was
something we could remember. Enjoy the read, hope you don't laugh too
hard, and please review!!! ^.~ /"
1 Chapter Five
The next day dawned bright and clear and the two traveled onward. A little after midday they reached a city.
Inside the city, the group sought rooms at an inn, The Yellow Necromancer. After getting the rooms for the night, Laguna turned to Jea. "I need to go to my church and pray. I will see you later for dinner?" he asked.
She nodded. "About five-ish?"
"Yeah. See ya later!"
Laguna went back out into the streets. After spending a good 45 minutes asking directions, he finally found the church of Goku.
It was a large white stone building with statues of the god in his various guises out front. Inside, there was a small anteroom adjacent to the main prayer room. The prayer room was a large, empty room for people to pray, meditate, and think.
Laguna settled himself to pray. It had been a while since he'd been in a temple to his god. After 20 minutes of prayer and meditation, he stood to deposit some money in the tithe box. A lone priest of Goku was sweeping the floor. He looked up at Laguna and a smile quirked across his features.
"Excuse me, Sir Knight?"
"Yes?"
"Are you busy?"
He was confused. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"
The little old man apologized. "Forgive me. I was inquiring on whether or not you are on any quests at the moment."
Laguna laughed. "Oh! No, Father, I am not. Why? Do you need my help?"
The priest looked overjoyed. "Please, Sir Knight! The Head Priest will want to see you! Please follow me."
He led Laguna down a maze of corridors to the Head Priest's office/quarters. Once there, he knocked respectfully on the door.
"Yes? Come in," came a querulous old voice.
"Holy Father," the priest said, "I have found a paladin of our church willing to help us." He pushed the door open and ushered Laguna in.
Laguna got his first look at the Head Priest. It was a nasty shock. The man's age was indeterminable—he looked like he'd been around for over an aeon. He was gaunt to the point of being emaciated, and his white gray skin was stretched over his bones, like paper over wood. He was almost bald, a few wisps of white hair sticking out all over the place. Most of his teeth were rotten or missing, and his eyes protruded from his sockets like some kind of bug.
Laguna didn't know whether to want to laugh, cry, or scream. However, he managed to keep hold of his self-control. "My name is Laguna Kimsteed, Father. You are in need of my help?"
The Head Priest looked at him gravely. "My son," he said in a rasping voice, "the task is one of utmost danger. Since you are willing, I will explain it to you.
"About 300 years ago, in the Forest of Phostwood, to the north, there was a holy monastery to Goku. A holy relic—a necklace of jade prayer beads—was enshrined there. However, about 200 years ago, contact with the monastery ceased. It was as if it was wiped from the face of all existence.
"The relic," he croaked, "also vanished, and though many searchers were sent, none ever returned. And so, it was assumed that the relic was destroyed too. However, I believe it is still there. I have been trying to recover it since I became a priest. Will you help me?"
Laguna was thinking,—Since he became a priest? Another words, since it went missing?— He replied, "Of course, Holy Father. I will help you."
The old man was very nearly overcome with joy. He spent the next ten minutes babbling his thanks to Laguna—going even so far as to hug him fiercely. The other priest finally managed to lead the paladin out, apologizing for the Head Priest's reaction.
Laguna was relieved by the time he got to the street. Looking at the sun(set), he realized he had about half an hour before he was supposed to meet Jea at the inn. Hoping it wouldn't take him as long, he set out, hurrying back to The Yellow Necromancer.
1 Chapter Five
The next day dawned bright and clear and the two traveled onward. A little after midday they reached a city.
Inside the city, the group sought rooms at an inn, The Yellow Necromancer. After getting the rooms for the night, Laguna turned to Jea. "I need to go to my church and pray. I will see you later for dinner?" he asked.
She nodded. "About five-ish?"
"Yeah. See ya later!"
Laguna went back out into the streets. After spending a good 45 minutes asking directions, he finally found the church of Goku.
It was a large white stone building with statues of the god in his various guises out front. Inside, there was a small anteroom adjacent to the main prayer room. The prayer room was a large, empty room for people to pray, meditate, and think.
Laguna settled himself to pray. It had been a while since he'd been in a temple to his god. After 20 minutes of prayer and meditation, he stood to deposit some money in the tithe box. A lone priest of Goku was sweeping the floor. He looked up at Laguna and a smile quirked across his features.
"Excuse me, Sir Knight?"
"Yes?"
"Are you busy?"
He was confused. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"
The little old man apologized. "Forgive me. I was inquiring on whether or not you are on any quests at the moment."
Laguna laughed. "Oh! No, Father, I am not. Why? Do you need my help?"
The priest looked overjoyed. "Please, Sir Knight! The Head Priest will want to see you! Please follow me."
He led Laguna down a maze of corridors to the Head Priest's office/quarters. Once there, he knocked respectfully on the door.
"Yes? Come in," came a querulous old voice.
"Holy Father," the priest said, "I have found a paladin of our church willing to help us." He pushed the door open and ushered Laguna in.
Laguna got his first look at the Head Priest. It was a nasty shock. The man's age was indeterminable—he looked like he'd been around for over an aeon. He was gaunt to the point of being emaciated, and his white gray skin was stretched over his bones, like paper over wood. He was almost bald, a few wisps of white hair sticking out all over the place. Most of his teeth were rotten or missing, and his eyes protruded from his sockets like some kind of bug.
Laguna didn't know whether to want to laugh, cry, or scream. However, he managed to keep hold of his self-control. "My name is Laguna Kimsteed, Father. You are in need of my help?"
The Head Priest looked at him gravely. "My son," he said in a rasping voice, "the task is one of utmost danger. Since you are willing, I will explain it to you.
"About 300 years ago, in the Forest of Phostwood, to the north, there was a holy monastery to Goku. A holy relic—a necklace of jade prayer beads—was enshrined there. However, about 200 years ago, contact with the monastery ceased. It was as if it was wiped from the face of all existence.
"The relic," he croaked, "also vanished, and though many searchers were sent, none ever returned. And so, it was assumed that the relic was destroyed too. However, I believe it is still there. I have been trying to recover it since I became a priest. Will you help me?"
Laguna was thinking,—Since he became a priest? Another words, since it went missing?— He replied, "Of course, Holy Father. I will help you."
The old man was very nearly overcome with joy. He spent the next ten minutes babbling his thanks to Laguna—going even so far as to hug him fiercely. The other priest finally managed to lead the paladin out, apologizing for the Head Priest's reaction.
Laguna was relieved by the time he got to the street. Looking at the sun(set), he realized he had about half an hour before he was supposed to meet Jea at the inn. Hoping it wouldn't take him as long, he set out, hurrying back to The Yellow Necromancer.