2. The Ceremony
The usual gloomy grey skies, flashed with lightning, and a thunder rocked the ground. A lonely figure walked to the gates of deserted church, cautiously. He held the door just a bit open, and slipped inside through the slit.
'It is the right place, I hope' David thought, as his eyes wondered around, into every corner, looking for someone.
Yes I remember that's what John said.
"Hestia will meet you, in Forbidden Holly Grounds in the church. Be nice to her, you don't wanna get on her bad side. She's a hacker" words echoed in his mind.
Unsure, he made few steps forward, moving to the center of the hall. High ceiling with many window-sills, made him an easy target. A glimpse of a figure, jumping off one of window-sills, was enough for David to react, he rolled to the side dodging, whoever it was. As he stood up, He looked at the invader.
"Boo," a girl with long navy colored hair, was the one who attacked him. Her long skirt had two big cuts, which came almost to her waist, and her top just covered what was needed to be covered. Dark blue coloring of her clothing , made her look like a shadow. Her hands were crossed in front of her breasts each holding a blade, and a big smirk showed up on her face.
"What a delightful surprise," She said standing in one place waiting, for David to attack, but he didn't. After few seconds, just as David blink, she was close up , with one step David was to the right of the girl, as she slashed empty air with her twin blades. David concentrated and made a precise blow with his sword across her back. Blood poured through the wound. A little strip on her back was cut. She lost her balance, falling to her knee, but she caught herself half way on her foot, standing up and turning around. David noticed her back was red, and brood dripping from her wound.
"You're David right?" she asked him.
"What do you need bitch?" David stood in readiness for another attack.
"Name- Hestia." oh so she's the one. " Follow me, if you wanna know where "The Secret Sun" is located after all, and I'm not a bitch." she said angrily, while getting healing potion, and quickly drinking it.
So she is a Player Killers. David looked at her in surprise. He never saw her before.
"Why in the world did you had to put on that drama?"
"Just having a bit of fun," Smirk "What are you waiting for? let's go."
She sat off, running, through the hallways, and David followed her. He almost lost her, when she made a turn. Half way where was a portal she stopped, waiting for David to catch up. Then carefully, walked up stair, to see another hallway, with a few portals (if you touch a portal it'll turn into a monster). After about five meters walk, she stopped. With a look of repeat after me, Hestia touched the wall with her hand, waiting for David to do the same. As he did so, his hand went through the wall. David tried to step a back, but it was too late, the wall swallow him inside.
On the other side it was completely dark. "Do you know why we call it The Secret Sun?" Hestia's soft voice asked, there was silence for a while, but David didn't reply, so she continued, "There is a key, to light this place, so bright that it'll be like a sunny day, here. This is a Sacred place-our hide out." There was a short pause, "Whatever you do, never give it out to anyone who isn't one of us. Never give out one of us, or you'll suffer." Her words faded into darkness. But something lighted her face, Hestia held in her hands a small star, it soared upward. Like a star of dreams and hopes, it's light comforted him. Suddenly it halted, and the place became as bright as day. It was a jewel, shining with red, in the mouth of a statue of the dragon.
The place wasn't big, but the ceiling was very high. There was plenty of room for a small party. Tail of the statue of dragon circled room a few times along the walls.
A gathering of 14 people was there, who happily shouted, "Happy David's Day!!!"
And just as if it was absolutely normal, John came by him, "Whosoever day it is, has to wear a pink dress." John told him, distracting him while James slipped the dress on him. People around laughed. The only thing David saw was a flash of pink, and a feeling of great discomfort.
"It's gay, and what is going on???" The events happened so fast that David still didn't take them in.
"It's your "ceremony" dude, chill out. The day when is your ceremony, is your day, which is celebrated with a party, each month." John answered. Meanwhile someone turned on the music, and took out a box of beer.
"And you'll gonna get used to the pink dress, I did," grinned James.
All members came to David and introduced themselves.
"Want some?" a girl, who called herself Sisilia, offered David a bottle.
"No thanks I'm underage," but still he took one. Just after one mouthful, he felt something worm, which made him feel good. It eased his mind, but how can it be, how could he feel anything, it was just a game.
"Do you like this place?" Hestia's soft voice asked him from behind.
"Yeah."
"Everything here, I was the one who programmed."
"Mm, that's very impressing,"
"Had difficult time cracking the programming code for this game, but I did alright" She said proudly, smiling. For the first time he noticed, that Hestia was very pretty, especially when she smiled.
"Would you like to go to a dungeon after this?"
"Sure," David said, wondering if anyone gonna recognize him, out there.
Over the music and talking Hestia shouted "Who wants to go the dungeon?" The room echoes with cheers.
"Mushroom Fields??"
"We've been there already way too often," someone in the crowd said.
"What about Forgotten field,"
The gathering of people finally approved the place and the party resumed. David, James, John and Taylor backed into the corner, talking about having a contest of who going to get the most victims....