Eight Strangers Bound By Destiny

"Does anyone have something I can eat?"

"Well, so far I've had bad luck with things trying to restore me to how I once was. But I'm willing to hear you out." Noelle replies.

"However, I've never hear of these Arcanists before. Please, elaborate for me."

The cleric crossed his fingers together. "The Arcanists practiced a strange form of magic quite different from the sort understood by most scholars. Some would call it occult or even heretical, though having seen it for myself, I don't believe that to be the case." At the very least, it didn't appear connected to Vide or the Night, so Temenos felt it probably wasn't innately wicked... No need to bring that up, though.

"But with that description, I can't but wonder if my own magics would also qualify." She pauses for a moment. "I suppose I should've led with that. I'm not a conventional Scholar, as I'm sure you already knew."

"Does anyone have something I can eat?"

Suddenly Ochette did brought up the important mission they were on! Finding Shrilotto! She let out a gasp as she watched her running and soon she would join as well, not in a sprint but she would do her best to catch up, despite her state.

Alas, Ochette wasn't really wasn't the best-suited to working out the logistics of that. Shirlotto's body was obscured by the debris, but his scent was definitely coming from underneath. "Uh... It seems pretty bad. I don't smell any blood, but I can hear that his heartbeat weaker than normal!"

"Well, so far I've had bad luck with things trying to restore me to how I once was. But I'm willing to hear you out." Noelle replies.

"However, I've never hear of these Arcanists before. Please, elaborate for me."

The cleric crossed his fingers together. "The Arcanists practiced a strange form of magic quite different from the sort understood by most scholars. Some would call it occult or even heretical, though having seen it for myself, I don't believe that to be the case." At the very least, it didn't appear connected to Vide or the Night, so Temenos felt it probably wasn't innately wicked... No need to bring that up, though.

She had crossed blades with ogres, driven back demonic creatures beneath moonless skies, and stood against horrors that lurked in forgotten places beyond the reach of civilization. Yet as the thing burst from beneath the desert, she immediately understood why frightened merchants spoke of it in hushed voices around campfires.

The earth itself seemed to explode.

Sand erupted skyward in a towering plume as the colossal beast emerged from beneath the dunes. Its segmented body stretched impossibly long beneath the shifting sands, while a cavernous maw ringed with jagged teeth opened wide enough to swallow horse and rider alike. The creature's roar rolled across the desert like distant thunder.

Annushka felt the vibration through the soles of her boots. For a fleeting moment, she simply stared. "Sacred Flame preserve us..."The words never left her lips. Instead, years of discipline took hold.

Her hand moved instinctively to the hilt of her greatsword. Steel hissed from its scabbard as she stepped forward, positioning herself between the creature and the rest of the party. Not because she doubted the abilities of Hikari, Rai Mei, or Benkei, far from it,but because that was what a knight did.

She stood where the danger was greatest.

The desert wind tugged at her cloak as blue eyes studied the monster's movements. Not its size. Not its terrifying maw.

Its movements.

Every creature had weaknesses, every creature bled. "That is no ordinary sandworm," she said grimly.

The beast's immense body shifted beneath the dunes, creating waves through the sand as though the desert itself had become an ocean.

Annushka's grip tightened around her sword. "We should assume intelligence until proven otherwise." Her gaze flicked briefly toward Hikari. Even now, she felt remarkably calm.

Perhaps it was because she trusted the warriors beside her. During their journey she had witnessed enough of Rai Mei and Benkei to understand why Hikari valued them so highly. More importantly, she had already crossed blades with the king himself.

If there was anyone she would choose to stand beside against a monster of this magnitude, it would be this company.

A faint smile touched her lips despite the danger.

"Well," she said, rolling her shoulders as the greatsword settled comfortably into her hands, "I suppose this is a far more suitable opportunity to witness your strength than a friendly spar." The smile vanished as quickly as it came.

The worm suddenly lunged forward. Annushka reacted instantly. Driving her sword into the sand for leverage, she raised a gauntleted hand toward the others.

"Spread out!"

Her voice cut through the roar of the beast.

"If it swallows one of us, the rest must be free to strike!"

Without waiting for acknowledgment, she tore her blade free and charged directly toward the approaching monster. Sand exploded beneath her boots as she sprinted forward to meet the creature head-on, intending to draw its attention away from the others and create an opening for Hikari, Rai Mei, and Benkei to exploit.

Hikari nodded to his retainers, who nodded in understanding. Rai Mei and Benkei spread out as Anuushka suggested, but they moved in a flanking pattern. The creature may indeed be larger than its kin, but it was still a Sandworm at its core. As such, slashing attacks were more effective against its hide than piercing. The spear-wielders would await their time to strike, while those with blades would whittle away the adversary's defenses...

The Lord of the Sands noticed Annushka's approach and responded by spitting sand from its maw. This was, of course, meant to blind and disorient the knight to leave her vulnerable. As the monster had no eyes, it could sense its prey even in the cloud of dust that covered her.

Hikari raced past the cloud of dust, drawing his sword and lunging at the beast. He delivered a flurry of quick slashed to draw the monster's attention and keep it from lunging. The Lord of the Sands howled in anger and pain, shifting its body to try and bat Hikari aside.

Slowly she offers a nod. "I understand." There was no disappointment in her voice, she understood the fine lines between his words. "A warrior who cannot distinguish between a duel and a battle is a danger to everyone around them." a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Besides, if I wished to see your full strength, I suspect I would need to become something far more troublesome than a sparring partner." that mere thought was oddly amusing to her. She offered him a respectful inclination of her head before turning toward the camp.

"Rest well, King Hikari. I look forward to our next meeting of blades." With that, the Sacred Guard knight departed into the night.

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The following days passed swiftly.

A new dawn became many.

The work awaiting them proved relentless. Villages required aid. Roads required securing. Trade disputes, monster sightings, escorts, patrols each task seemed to birth three more in its place. Though their paths crossed from time to time, opportunities for another duel never quite materialized.

During those times, there were rumors spreading about. At first they were dismissed as little more than frightened gossip. Merchant caravans vanishing without a trace. Entire stretches of desert road rendered impassable overnight. Travelers speaking of dunes that moved against the wind. And always the same name whispered around campfires.

The Lord of the Sands.

There were various claims about it some said it was a powerful monsters, others said a God awakened from ancient age. Whatever the truth, the reports became impossible to ignore.

So finally the King and the Knight had a chance to venture into another battle once more.

The desert sun beat mercilessly overhead. Heat shimmered across an endless sea of golden dunes as Annushka adjusted the cloth around her neck and scanned the horizon from atop a rocky outcropping. Days had passed since she and Hikari had followed the trail into the wastelands. Most leads had ended in half-buried ruins, abandoned campsites, and frightened witnesses.

Until this day.....

The knight crouched beside a massive groove carved through the sand. It was wider than a wagon....much too wider. Her gauntleted fingers brushed the edge of the trench. It felt freshly dug, almost recently. The sand beneath her boots trembled faintly, Annushka slowly rose to her feet.

"...Hikari." For perhaps the first time since entering the desert, her voice carried genuine concern. Blue eyes followed the trench as it vanished over the next dune. "I believe we have found it."

However, amidst the reports about these churches' construction came a swirl of rumors. Rumors soon turned into reports of something much more dangerous stalking the desert: the Lord of the Sands. Hikari knew of this monster. He had seen it once before, though if the stories were to be believed, it was even larger and more fearsome, and far more active... Could it be the same one, matured even further, or another, stronger member of its kind?

That hardly mattered. It seemed clear this could not be ignored, and so, Hikari wasted little time preparing to set out in search of the beast. Most might assume the king would bring an army, but Hikari knew better. He would not waste the lives of soldiers who were ill-equipped to face such a monstrosity. No, Hikari would assemble an elite team to journey with him. These included General Rai Mei, his personal retainer Benkei... And Knight of the Sacred Guard Anuushka.

The search took longer than expected, but after several days, the party found something. Hikari dismounted, as did Benkei and Rai Mei. They knelt to examine the clue Anuushka pointed out. Hikari nodded. "Indeed, it seems we are close."

"Wait." Rai Mei suddenly chimed in. "Something in coming!" She readied her enchanted spear, while Benkei prepared a battle stance. Moments later, a massive beast erupted from the ground, letting out a cry of primal fury.

Because in the end to judge a persons character, one has to see how they behave when given an immense power. In her eyes, Ochette was truly a splendid individual!

"I see...Sacred Flame is part of this too " she would rub her chin thoughtfully, while never directly interacting with the order, she was aware of their vast influence on the people.

Before anything else could be said, though, Mahina hooed again. Ochette's eyes shot wide. "Oh, right! We still haven't found Shirlotto!" Ochette looked around and began sniffing the air. "Hang on... I think I smell something! Over here!"

"Well, they are the one who possessed me...and they claimed to be the one to take it....once we found them with some help. Alas, they only held one fragment of it."

She clears her throat. "As for deities...there are many, small and large. According to the angels, there is a Creator, but the same creator was said to have left the realm, leaving behind the angels, ruins and relics, which are collectively known as 'the legacy'. Otherwise, there are other godlike figures that hold command over different things. I know of some faiths, like The Silent Church, but the ones I'm most familiar with are tied to the Path of Suns...each sun having it's own sphere of influence, a guardian that commands great authority over who may enter their part of the realm...and a shadow-side, where a similar entity for each is said to dwell. Alas, I've not dealt much with the left-hand path...err...the shadow side and their respective guardians."

So, needless to say, the deities of another world entirely were quite beyond the scope of Temenos's knowledge and understanding. What wasn't beyond him, however, was his ability to think critically and piece together information. Temenos closed his eyes and entered a deep state of thought as he mulled over everything.

So then, Noelle had been temporarily possessed by an angel, awoke a month later with no memory and without the ability to make sound, with only the faintest evidence and recollections of ever having been able to do so. She currently used a 'false voice' to communicate, but longed to regain her natural one. All quite esoteric concepts to wrestle with, but...

"It was a pleasant activity." She replied, placing the missing comb and book on his desk. Seems the last two were still missing, but tomorrow is another day.

"Now then, you claim that your curse of silence was cast upon you by an angel. According to our scripture, angels are messengers of the divine; one of many such avatars used by the Flamebringer and his kin... However, that is all they are, if our texts are to be believed. Messengers. They are neither arbiters of holy retribution nor guardians."

Temenos leaned back in his seat a bit. "However, scripture is not always the most... Accurate source of information. Certainly, it is possible that the being you encountered very-much was an angel of sorts. The exact nature of this being matters less than the methods they used, however."

"They are an angel. Of that I am certain." Noelle replied. She wasn't lying, so, at the very least, SHE believed it.

"But...angels from my home might be...different to the ones you know." She admits. "My home is populated by all sorts of people, including devils and angels, who live as normal citizens."

"When...I was younger...I was enamored with the angels. I found them beautiful and fascinating, and studied them. One approached me stating they had a Calling."

She pauses. "Umm...a 'Calling' is...essentially a mission from their creator...or something like that. It's something they're unable to refuse, and dedicate themselves to fulfilling, even casting aside their former lives, if they have to."

"For many angels, it seems to be an hour to be chosen for such a thing...part of a grander plan in the world, right? When I'd heard that, I was delighted to be a small part of that. I wanted to help them."

She swallows the lump in her throat. "They...told me they needed my body. I agreed without setting terms; the naive fool that I was. They possessed my body. I don't know what they did with it."

"I 'woke up' about a month later, and returned to my life as normal. But I didn't have the elation I'd hoped. The angel was gone, and I felt...odd."

"I was utterly silent, including my voice....but to me, at the time, that's how it always seemed. My memories were changed to have me never making sound at all. I would have believed it, too, except for some...incongruities."

"I remembered playing musical instruments, despite them not making noise...but it didn't seem to phase me when I was young. But after that moment, when I touched them and they made no sound...I felt this...unbearably longing. Something FELT like it was missing, down to my core. I didn't remember having trouble communicating prior to that incident, either. I went through the motions of talking, but despite saying nothing...I was understood."

"I...thought I'd been great at body language, but at the academy...no one could hear me or understand without aid. It was confusing...demeaning."

"Hm. I see." He crooked a finger under chin, entering a state of deep thought. Temenos began to speak, but it was less like he was speaking to Noelle, and more just talking to himself. "It appears that there are a number of gaps to be filled in; most notably, what happened during that month. If the details of that time frame are a mystery, it may be presumptuous to say that the angel is actually the one responsible for the curse..."

"It was a pleasant activity." She replied, placing the missing comb and book on his desk. Seems the last two were still missing, but tomorrow is another day.

"Now then, you claim that your curse of silence was cast upon you by an angel. According to our scripture, angels are messengers of the divine; one of many such avatars used by the Flamebringer and his kin... However, that is all they are, if our texts are to be believed. Messengers. They are neither arbiters of holy retribution nor guardians."

Temenos leaned back in his seat a bit. "However, scripture is not always the most... Accurate source of information. Certainly, it is possible that the being you encountered very-much was an angel of sorts. The exact nature of this being matters less than the methods they used, however."