Chapter 35: Chapter 35- Temple (Part 2)
Chapter 35- Temple (Part 2)
The entire building was carved out of emerald, giving it an ethereal look unmatched by any other structure. Standing before this giant temple was a large statue of what seemed to be a woman, holding in her hand a shiny orb that she lifted above her head as if she was giving it to the sky.
The details on this statue were enough to make anyone’s jaw drop and knowing that it was carved out of emerald made that feat even more impressive than it already is. This entire place didn’t feel real at all, and instead, it gave Zen and Cipha this ethereal sensation as if they were truly standing before a deity and not a mere building.
"..." Zen didn’t move for several seconds, completely entranced by the temple. It was as if the moment he laid eyes on it, a part of him was completely drawn to it, telling him to walk in.
However, he quickly shook that thought away and looked down at the group of Wood Folks who stopped at the base of the temple, and then, they lined up before it. After that, they all leaned down in a prostrating position before they started saying words he never understood.
"Are they praying?" Cipha muttered as she leaned against Zen to try to see better.
"Seems like it... If I have to guess, it’s some sort of religious ceremony they conduct to their goddess."
"The chief is standing ahead of everyone else."
"And that’s Garn there if I’m not mistaken. So, I guess these are the important people of the village who do this. Interesting." Zen muttered as he watched the scene with curiosity in his eyes. ’I wonder if something is actually happening within the temple or if it’s simply a prayer they give to the goddess.’
As that thought settled within his head, something changed. The Emerald Temple suddenly started shining with a faint green light that spread across the entire structure. It quickly grew from the base to the very top, and the moment it reached the peak, it suddenly blasted into the sky, creating a massive, bright pillar that made the two kids step back from the sheer energy it exuded.
"Holy..." Zen blurted out as he watched with wide eyes. "The fuck..."
His eyes followed the pillar as it pierced the sky and went through the atmosphere. The sight was enough to make someone’s jaw drop to the floor.
"The temple is reacting to the prayers..." Cipha muttered in disbelief. "What is it doing?"
"That amount of energy is being exuded out of it. It has to be the rune within the temple doing it. It is impressive... Beyond impressive..."
Zen could estimate that the temple was generating enough Essence every second to equal the combined essence of dozens of people. It was a ridiculous amount, enough to crush them with ease. It was something far beyond anything they could understand.
For minutes, the light continued piercing the sky. The Wood Folks didn’t move a single inch the entire time as they prostrated and prayed in unison. Zen and Cipha watched silently, making sure they didn’t disturb this magnificent show.
A while later, the light started fading slowly as if the ceremony was coming to an end. At the same time, the chief stood up and stared at the temple silently. The rest didn’t stand up and remained in their position.
Then, the chief’s eyes turned around and stared into the nothingness. However, Cipha and Zen could tell from his look that he had sensed something.
"Come out. I know you are there." He said coldly, his voice reverberating through the forest. The two immediately flinched.
’Did we get busted?’ They thought at the same time as they tried to hide their presence.
’Dammit, I thought we were far enough to remain under the radar.’ Zen clenched his teeth as he peeked through the leaves. ’He shouldn’t be able to sense our presence. Unless...’
Just as that idea formed in his head, he suddenly heard some rustling coming from a few hundred meters away. His eyes shot there, just as several silhouettes emerged from the darkness. They were far smaller than the Wood Folks... Almost as big as...
’Humans!’ The two thought at the same time when they saw them. A dozen or so people emerged into the open area, staring directly at the chief.
"Hm..." The chief turned around and signaled for his people to stop. They all immediately stood up, and the light of the temple faded completely. The tension instantly rose between the two groups. "Humans." The chief said coldly.
"Well, excuse our intrusion." One of the humans stepped forward. He was an older man, in his 40s, clad in armor with a sword stuck to his hips. The sigil on his chest was instantly recognizable.
"Is that..." Zen frowned as he looked at it. "That’s..."
"The clan of the divine fire: Nar." Cipha finished his thought with a dark expression on her face. The hatred lit up within her eyes as her aura became even more hostile and violent. However, she remained calm and simply watched.
"We might’ve come at a very bad moment." The man said with a smile on his face. "Excuse us, chief."
"You are not welcome in these parts of the forest. Leave." The chief said.
"Oh my, please wait a second, chief. We are here to simply talk. You are a very smart and rational man. I’m sure you would spare us a few minutes." The man said, unthreatened by the chief’s blatant hostility.
"I’m a delegate, sent by the Nar clan. We have received information about your village and this beautiful temple behind you. We believe that there is a particularly special rune hidden within this temple that your people have been guarding for a very long time. However, it seems you do not wish to let people obtain it, am I correct?"
"You filthy humans cannot lay your hands on the rune. You are not worthy of it, nor will it ever choose your race." The chief said coldly. "I have beheaded countless of you who dared to try."
"Hahaha, that is very brutal." The man laughed. "It does sound very important. But we are ready to negotiate with you and grant you anything you wish for in return for that rune."
"Leave." The chief said coldly. "I won’t repeat myself. I do not know how you found this temple, nor do I wish to know. If you don’t leave within the next 10 breaths, you could only blame yourself for what will happen."
The tension instantly rose to a whole new level as both sides readied themselves for a battle.
"This is getting interesting very quickly..." Zen muttered. "I don’t know how the Nar clan found this place, but they sure are quick."
"The divine fire," Cipha replied. "It has the ability to foretell things and give them guidance. They possibly used that to find the temple and the village."
’Hm, so she knows about the divine fire. Cipha definitely did her homework about every clan.’ Zen thought to himself. ’But, I don’t know if this is going to end well.’
Just watching as the two sides unleashed their aura... Zen knew that a fight was inevitable.
