Ophilia stayed there atop the hill for a long time, her face pressed into the black fabric on her gloves. She cried until there were no tears left in her eyes, and she waited even longer for her cheeks to stop stinging from a combination of the bitterly cold air and the tears on her skin. Ophilia was shaky when she pushed herself to her feet, and she was careful to keep from crushing the gentle snow flowers beneath her. Her walk back to the bottom of the hill was slow, and Ophilia took extra care with each passing step to not slip and fall. She didn't think that she would be able to take on any other stress. She was feeling hopeless enough as it was given that she couldn't do anything to help Lianna beyond offer a shoulder to cry on.
If only Ophilia could perform the Kindling in Lianna's place. That way, Lianna would have been able to stay at her father's side through these dark times. Lianna was clearly concerned about something happening to Josef while she was gone, and Ophilia was desperate to do anything in her power to make sure that her family was happy. She didn't think that she was deserving of their care, but she was going to try to help anyways. It was the least that she could do after all of the kindness that they had offered her in the years since her arrival at the cathedral a decade and a half prior.
Ophilia was about halfway down the hill when she stopped walking, and a gasp left her lips. What if she did perform the Kindling? It would have been an affront to the religion itself, to enter the Cave of Origin and gather the Ember of the First Flame without permission from the church, but Ophilia didn't know what else to do. She considered herself the sort of person to follow the rules most of the time, but how could she think about the traditions of the church in their full intricacy when Lianna and Josef were suffering? They had done so much for her over the years, and Ophilia couldn't stand by and watch as Lianna crumbled under her grief. Would she even be in the proper condition to perform the Kindling if she wanted to?
Go to the Cave of Origin.
Ophilia wasn't sure of where the voice had come from, but she began to glance around in confusion. The whisper had originated from the back of her mind, but it didn't sound like any voice that Ophilia had heard before. The voice belonged to a woman, and every word seemed like the apex of strength and power. Ophilia couldn't find anyone present, and when she couldn't name a nearby figure as the culprit, she began to continue her journey down the hill. Somehow, she knew that this was the best option at her disposal. She couldn't leave Lianna to suffer when everything seemed as if it was falling apart. Who cared about sermons or church standards when her family was enduring unimaginable pain? Ophilia had to do this much for them.
By the time that Ophilia had reached the bottom of the hill, she was moving with a new sense of boldness, and each step seemed more confident than the last. She wove between the others in the Flamesgrace town square until she was back at the cathedral. As she entered the chapel itself, Ophilia glanced up at the Sacred Flame at the other end of the hall. The blue and white fire seemed to beckon for her to come closer, and she answered its pleas, her hands coming to her chest to grasp at one another with a silent sense of desperation.
Orsterra needs you. Your family needs you. Do what you must to defend them all.
Ophilia looked up once again when she heard the voice echoing in her mind a second time. Somehow, she felt as if listening to the words that were spoken was the best option for her. She gave the Sacred Flame one final long look before she began to walk as quickly as she could through the cathedral without running into the other clerics. Everything was in chaos because of Josef's sudden sickness, but Ophilia moved with a renewed sense of purpose that she refused to have stolen from her.
As she arrived at her room, Ophilia crouched down and reached under her bed, pulling free a trunk that was hiding beneath the mattress. She undid the latches on either side of the container before pushing the lid open, and Ophilia stuck her hand inside as she pulled out a staff. She had bought the weapon a few years prior after a monster managed to get through the borders of Flamesgrace and hurt the townspeople. Ophilia had hoped that she was never going to need it again, but if the Cave of Origin was truly filled with icy beasts the way that she had heard, she was left with no choice.
As far as combat was concerned, Ophilia knew very little. She could cast a light spell if she focused her energy enough, a skill that she had developed through many hours of intense practice when she was sure that nobody was looking. Ophilia had seen enough of war to last a lifetime, but she was still wise enough to understand that she had to be able to defend herself in case it came to her doorstep. The idea was sickening to her, but Ophilia was glad that she had sharpened her skills for the sake of this moment alone. Perhaps that was what all of this was meant to culminate as. She was going to travel to the Cave of Origin, break the word of the religion, and retrieve the holy fire needed to carry out the Kindling. Even if it wasn't the right thing to do in the eyes of the church, Ophilia cared little for such restrictions as she tested the weight off the staff in her hands.
She was experienced in healing magic thanks to her work as a cleric. She had been taught the sacred power from a young age, and Ophilia couldn't imagine not having it at her disposal. She could heal the wounds of both herself and others if she concentrated her energy, and Ophilia knew that it was a skill she was going to need for her upcoming journey. She was going to have to go there alone. If she asked others for protection, they would only try to stop her, and Ophilia refused to drag any outside figures into her plan.
"Aelfric, forgive me," Ophilia whispered as she rose to her feet once again. She was going to need supplies. She could go to the local shop and stock up on healing grapes and inspiriting plums to make sure that she didn't run out of energy. If she took damage from the beasts of the Cave of Origin, the healing grapes would be needed for their innate recovery abilities. Inspiriting plums would prevent her from suffering due to magical drain in case she had to cast a lot of magic. Both would be a good idea to have, and Ophilia wasn't about to take chances when this was such an important event.
Ophilia's first destination was going to have to be elsewhere in the cathedral. She knew where the water basins were kept, and she would have to fill a flask to make sure that she didn't suffer from dehydration during her journey. Nobody would find it suspicious that she needed water, and by the time that anyone realized what she was doing, it would already be too late.
Ophilia seized a bag from the trunk before shutting the lid of the container. She pushed it under her bed soon afterwards and put her staff inside. The weapon barely fit in between the sheets of fabric, but she figured that it was good enough. She didn't want anyone to see that she was carrying a staff and ask what she was doing. Even if it was inconvenient, she knew what she had to do, and it was best to be safe rather than sorry.
The next few minutes were a hazy blur, and Ophilia could feel and hear her heart pounding a thousand times louder than usual. Each step felt like another betrayal, but she shoved the sensation down as far as she could. She knew what she had to do, and not even the church itself would be able to stop her. Lianna had been properly trained for the Kindling, but Ophilia had picked up on more than enough given all that Lianna had told her. She was going to have to travel to the three holy cathedrals across Orsterra. First, her destination would be Saintsbridge. From there, she would travel to Goldshore. Finally, Ophilia would return to Flamesgrace, and after illuminating the Sacred Flames in each location, she would complete the Kindling, and light would have successfully been brought to Orsterra and its people.
After Ophilia had filled her flask, she slipped out of the church. She knew that nobody would be asking her for a sermon given Josef's condition, so she would be able to get away with not concentrating on her daily duties. The people of the church were understanding of Ophilia's plight even if she wasn't like the rest of them as far as place of origin was concerned. She was different, but she was also connected to Josef, and that offered her at least a tiny bit of security in times when it felt like the rest of the world was falling apart. Ophilia wished that she didn't have to take advantage of this blessing, but she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. This was what she had to do. Nothing was going to stop her.
Buying healing grapes and inspiriting plums took out about a quarter of Ophilia's saved-up money, but she decided to not worry herself too much with it. Leaves were hardly an issue in the face of something so dismal and dark. She passed her currency across the counter as she tucked the fruit into her bag, careful to keep them as separated as possible for easy access. Ophilia gave her thanks to the shopkeeper before she began to move in the direction of the Cave of Origin. Her footsteps were heavy and light at the same time, and the world was little more than an afterthought as far as Ophilia was concerned.
The Cave of Origin was located just off the main area of Flamesgrace. The town square was a bustling place, but the road to the Cave of Origin was a stark contrast to the activity of the city itself. Nobody dared to travel down the street because it was said to be forbidden by the church. It went against the teachings of the Flame to enter such a holy site without permission by the religious figures that ran the cathedral. Ophilia had never heard of anyone being given permission to enter the cavern aside from Lianna, and her sister was only allowed because of the Kindling. Ophilia somehow felt as if she wasn't acting against the church quite as much as it would have seemed at a first glance, though she wasn't sure of where the sensation came from. She just wanted to make sure that her family was safe.
A lantern on a hook stood beside the pathway, and Ophilia reached up before pulling it free. She hadn't been able to grab a lantern previously due to the suspicion it would draw to her given that it was the middle of the day, but Ophilia didn't think that anyone would miss a single lantern found in the darkest and most isolated part of town. She was going to need it if the cave was dark, and it was certainly more stable and less draining on her part than casting constant spells of light magic.
Ophilia turned over her shoulder when she stood at the head of the path, and she saw the the other people of Flamesgrace were all busy with other matters. Besides, it wasn't as if anyone would want to look towards the Cave of Origin given how dangerous it was to travel there. Ophilia had heard that the cavern was overrun with monsters all seeking to defend the First Flame, and while the rumors disconcerted her, she wasn't going to let them stop her from carrying out her duty to her family.
All it took was a single step for Ophilia to start the journey. As soon as her foot left behind the stones of Flamesgrace's road, she knew that this was meant to be. Her shoe crunched with the snow below, and Ophilia started to move forward. Snowflakes blew gently around her, and her hair was rustled along the way. With one final glance in the direction of her home, Ophilia pushed herself onward.
The path to the Cave of Origin wasn't anything out of the ordinary, Ophilia had to confess. In fact, it looked similar to the wilds that surrounded Flamesgrace. Snow fell freely from the heavens, and Ophilia could see gentle rock outcrops scattered around the area. The landscape truly was beautiful, and Ophilia had to confess that this was a place she could see herself enjoying if it was not seen as sacrilege to travel towards the Cave of Origin in the first place. The others who had entered the cave in the past had been treated as traitors, but Ophilia was oddly unconcerned with her crimes.
The Ember awaits you.
There was that voice again. Ophilia knew that she was alone, and she didn't have any ideas as to who could have been trying to talk to her. As far as she was aware, there weren't any types of magic that allowed for communication of this nature. It was strange to her, but she did her best to ignore it. There were more important things for her to concentrate on at that moment. The voice was likely merely a byproduct of her own struggles from throughout the day.
Ophilia focused on the way that the snow cascaded around her as she walked towards the Cave of Origin. She opened her bag as soon as she remembered herself, and she forced her lantern around one wrist before pulling her staff free of the container. It seemed to come to life in her grasp, sensing her magical energies. Staves were known for augmenting the magical skills of those who used them, and even though Ophilia had nothing close to affinity for physical combat, magic was certainly in her grasp. She was going to need it for her journey anyways.
Ophilia had to confess that she didn't know what she was going to do after she retrieved the Ember. She knew that the Kindling was her ultimate goal, but Ophilia didn't know if she was meant to tell her family about her actions before departing or not. Perhaps she could leave a letter behind. That way, they would know where she was, and she would avoid being caught and accused of treachery for retrieving the Ember. It had its own risks, such as if someone else found out and attempted to pursue her, but Ophilia decided to shove such thoughts out of her mind. She had a short-term goal, and that was what she was choosing to focus on for the time being.
Before she could decide on what she was going to do next, Ophilia found herself standing outside the mouth of the Cave of Origin. She could feel a chilled wind blow from the heart of the cavern, and Ophilia swallowed dryly before taking a step forward. There was no going back, but it wasn't as if she wanted to retreat after how far she had come anyways. One way or another, she was going to retrieve the Ember, and then she was going to do what she could to help her family in any way possible.
Ophilia found that she was beyond glad to have brought a lantern as soon as she stepped into the cave. The lighting in the cave was minimal and low, and there was only one true source of illumination found on the far side of the cavern beyond countless icicles. She knew that had to be the First Flame, and Ophilia focused on following the path ahead that she believed would lead her to the flare. Her steps were careful to ensure that she didn't slip on the ice, but she still struggled to keep her footing even after living in such a cold area for the past fifteen years of her life.
Suddenly, Ophilia felt a shiver running up her spine, and she whirled around to see that a wolf was lunging straight for her. She remembered warnings of monsters in the Cave of Origin, and Ophilia raised her staff before slamming it down onto the wolf's head. She was glad to see that it was too dazed to continue attacking her, and Ophilia took a deep breath to center herself before calling upon her magic. "Sacred light, shine forth," Ophilia whispered, clinging to the words like they were a prayer before unleashing an explosion of light in the wolf's direction. It was enough to frighten the beast into retreating, and Ophilia watched as the wolf ran as far away from her as possible.
Ophilia didn't realize that her heart was pounding an unhealthily fast drumbeat in her chest until after she allowed herself to relax. She stared down at her hands and let out a small sigh. She hadn't expected to see a creature like that in the Cave of Origin. Even though she knew there were monsters found in the area, hearing rumors was completely different from being faced with a beast that would have ripped her to shreds if she gave it the chance. Ophilia glanced down at her staff with gratitude in her heart, glad that she had decided to bring it. The weapon had just saved her life.
Ophilia found herself walking faster than before, taking each step as quickly as she could without needing to worry about tripping or sliding on the ice. She wanted to get the Ember and get out of the cave as soon as possible, and she thought that the fewer monsters she had to fight against, the better.
When Ophilia's shoe made contact with a particularly noisy piece of ice, she cringed, knowing already that this was going to draw her far more attention than she wanted. Her suspicions were confirmed when a bat let out a fierce shriek before diving towards her. Ophilia once again raised her staff and slammed it into the bat's wing, knocking the creature to the ground. A second light spell was all that it took to frighten the bat into retreating the same way that the wolf had, and she closed her eyes for a moment. Ophilia was starting to understand why she hadn't ever involved herself in combat before it was absolutely necessary. She was already starting to feel terribly guilty over attacking the wolf and bat even if she knew that she had no choice but to fight back. They were going to hurt her if she didn't force them to leave her alone, and Ophilia didn't think that she would be able to handle that on top of the arduous task that had already been placed before her.
Ophilia saw something shifting out of the corner of her eye, and she looked over her shoulder to see that the shadows themselves seemed to be churning. She knew that she wouldn't be able to reach the creature through speech since no other humans dared to journey into the Cave of Origin, so she simply stared and waited for the monster to show itself. Adrenaline was suddenly her closest companion, and Ophilia doubted that it would be leaving her system anytime soon. She needed all the help she could get in order to scrape by without getting hurt.
A wisp made of dark magic appeared soon afterwards, and Ophilia closed her eyes, summoning her magic once again. She somehow doubted that something made of pure magical energy would be susceptible to physical weapons. If she tried to strike it with her staff, chances were high that the weapon would simply pass through the gaps in the vapor-like creature. She focused on bringing light to the dark cavern, and a few moments later, a bright column of illumination exploded in front of her once again.
The shadowy wisp seemed to halfway fall apart with Ophilia's attack, and she attempted to ground herself once again. Her magical energy was running low, and she wasn't going to be able to cast any other spells if she allowed her spiritual power to completely deplete. She sent out one final attack towards the wisp with all of the power that she could muster before releasing her breath as a heavy sigh. Her fingers moved towards the bag at her hip, and she pulled free a plum as soon as she was able to find one. She practically threw the fruit into her mouth, and she welcomed the flood of energy that entered her body. It felt as if something inside of her had suddenly slipped into place, and she was able to focus more than before. Ophilia was going to have to practice more to make sure that she didn't run out of magic so quickly, but if all went well, she would have experience after passing through the cave to keep herself from crumbling so quickly.
Ophilia was about halfway through the cave when she allowed herself the chance to stand and lean against an icy wall found within the cavern. "I've seen monsters before, but they're nothing like the creatures in this cave," she whispered to herself. "Mayhap they protect the Flame..."
Ophilia fell silent, and she glanced around the nearby space. Another shiver ran up her spine, and she was positive that there was another monster about to launch itself out of the shadows towards her. When nothing came, Ophilia let out a sigh, but the feeling never quite went away. In fact, she was sure that it had been there ever since she first entered the Cave of Origin. Her relief at surviving previous attacks had distracted her from noticing, but it was something that had most certainly been present for a while. "Come to think of it, why do I feel like someone, or something, is watching my every move?" Ophilia questioned of herself even though she knew that she wouldn't be able to answer her own inquiries.
It was only after Ophilia had placed a healing grape in her mouth that she felt safe to push on forward. She continued to walk quickly yet carefully through the rest of the Cave of Origin, doing her best to ignore the sensation that something was constantly staring at her. There were only monsters in the cave, so it couldn't have been anything other than a beast, but what type of monster would take so much care to stare at her with every passing second? The mere idea made Ophilia feel sick to her stomach, so she did her best to not think about it.
Ophilia could tell that she was getting close when she saw a pair of bats swooping down towards her, and she slammed her staff into the wing of the first. The other managed to get in a bite on her shoulder, and she let out a small gasp at the pain that quickly flooded her body. She unleashed another staff strike before pulling together her magic to summon something stronger than before. This time, two columns of light appeared to beat the bats as far away as possible, and Ophilia found herself gasping at her own strength. She hadn't known that she was capable of targeting multiple foes at once, but she was happy to have that power given the situation. It seemed to sap her power more than the single attack though, so she was going to have to keep that in mind from then on in case such as skill was ever needed once more.
"So many monsters," Ophilia whispered to herself as she glanced over at her shoulder. She was happy to see that the attack hadn't pierced the fabric of her cape, and there was no blood to be found either. Still, she took another healing grape just to be on the safe side. She gripped the lantern just a little bit tighter for the sake of letting out her excess stress. It had to go somewhere, and Ophilia doubted that she would be fully free of it until after she had left the Cave of Origin behind entirely.
After a few more minutes of walking carefully through the cave, Ophilia found herself in front of something peculiar. The path that she had been treading before had been long and winding, clearly not made deliberately by any person. It was dangerous, meant to keep out anyone who didn't fall under the category of Flamebearer.
However, there was a stark contrast between what Ophilia had grown used to and what stood in front of her. There was a large stairway with railings made of ice on either side, and something about it seemed perfect and refined in a way that Ophilia could only describe as holy. A statue of an angel nursing a flame stood on either side of the pathway, and Ophilia knew that she had arrived at the right place.
As she climbed the stairs, she caught sight of a large, open area that gave way to a podium at the back of the cave. The entire arena was surrounded by railings that matched the stairway, and columns spiraled up to the ceiling. If that wasn't proof of outside influence, Ophilia didn't know what was. Rocks were also scattered around the area, though they were far less ceremonious than the rest of the surrounding space.
The true beauty of the area was the podium itself though. It was a wide stand that stretched sideways across the back of the open space, and a blue flame tinted with white flickered brightly atop the stand. Ophilia knew what it was before anyone could explain it to her, not that she knew of who she would ask even if she did need verbal answers. She was spellbound as she walked closer, taking in the full splendor of the one and only First Flame.
Ophilia had barely arrived at the arena's front end when she stopped. The feeling of being watched only intensified, and every part of her body screamed to alert her that she was far from being alone. It was more than the monsters just as she had suspected before. Something much larger and much more terrifying was waiting in the wings, and it was about to lunge towards her at a moment's notice.
A voice echoed in Ophilia's head, and she held her staff and lantern tighter. If her knuckles were visible, she was sure that they would have been white from tension despite the cold of the air around her. Ophilia's jaw dropped, and she allowed the whisper of the divine to press itself into her mind as a cloud of fog appeared in front of her lips.
Of thee who does treaden in these halls, I aske. Art thou fit to lighten the flames and showen the path to all of humanity?
Ophilia glanced around, her lips pressed tightly together all of a sudden. "This voice..." she whispered. It was different from the feminine one that she had heard before. The words were deep and rumbling, and something deep inside Ophilia told her that the voice belonged to something that could scarcely be considered human. The ground began to tremble as the words continued to ring in her head.
I am the Guardian of the First Flame. If thou wouldst callen thyself the Flamebearer... Thou must prove thyself worthy!
The ground began to shake once again, and the rocks resting across the arena began to shift. Before Ophilia knew what was happening, the stones were moving towards one another, and they began to construct something that towered high above her. The rocks were a deep gray color, a hue rarely found in the Frostlands, and that somehow made the beast even more terrifying to her. Her jaw dropped as her eyes went wide.
As soon as the rocks had fully come together, blue light began to manifest at the heart of the creature, creating veins of illumination that pulsed through the rocks in a rhythmic fashion. One arm was fashioned as a large shield while another grasped tightly to a stone sword. The Guardian of the First Flame was heavily hunched over, and its body was far from being normal by any means. Its arms were long and hung low while its legs were thin and barely seemed to be able to hold up its torso. The center of its body was small, but it quickly grew larger higher up on its torso. It had no face, but Ophilia knew that this was the being that had been watching her throughout her journey into the Cave of Origin.
Ophilia carefully set her lantern down on the top stair leading to the arena and took another step forward. The Guardian of the First Flame was watching her with intent curiosity despite its lack of eyes, and Ophilia returned the favor. If this was what it took to help Lianna and Josef, then she would do what she had to in order to follow through. She raised her staff in preparation for the battle ahead and launched herself forward into the battle ahead.
If this is what I must do to become the Flamebearer, then so be it!
New update! Woohoo!
I really don't have much to say about this one, but since there's not much dialogue here, we get to focus on miniature fight scenes. Next time, we'll get into the intense stuff with the battle against the Guardian of the First Flame, but for now, this is where things end off. I hope you enjoyed!
-Digital