Chapter Forty-Four: A Break at the Capital (Patreon)

Hikari joined Eren and Polca at the palace gate. The three of them had plans to head out and enjoy the town. With everything going on, they’d been rather busy. Hikari realized that they’d not really had much time with just their party in some time. She’d invited Kuon to come along as well, but the girl had elected to train with the palace knights instead. Hikari was still getting used to Kuon being a girl. Not only that, but she had giant blood; apparently, she was a half-demon giantess, which is why she always went around in full plate armor.

From what Hikari understood, it wasn’t due to discrimination or something like that. Kuon was a bit shy, but more importantly, her large size often set people on guard. Supposedly, the armor changed things. Hikari didn’t really think so, and felt Kuon should walk around proudly. Kuon was a striking beauty; not only was she quite tall at over 220 centimeters, but those massive watermelons on her chest could turn heads. Not only were they huge, they had a delightful gravity-defying shape and were quite firm. Factor in her pretty face, pure white hair, and red skin, and it gave her an exotic air. Honestly Kuon had nothing to worry about, but nothing Hikari said seemed to change Kuon’s feelings on the matter. She honestly wanted Kuon along as well.

Arlie was stuck in lessons as she waited for her ship to come in. Yet for Hikari the future was less clear. Their two parties had been working together for the last few months, but it seemed likely that their paths would split soon enough. Idly a hand drifted to her belly. Sometimes it didn’t seem real, she didn’t even show yet, but thanks to Lady Vivian it was becoming more real. Hikari was going to be a mother. A thought she still didn’t quite know how to wrap her mind around. A small part of her wanted to be mad at Polca for this, but she just couldn’t. Especially not after Polca broke down over it. Besides, deep down she knew it wasn’t Polca’s fault. Perhaps it was her fault, yet that didn’t feel right either. They’d both had a part to play. They’d both chosen to drink of that potion. 

Polca had told her of the warning the goddess had given her, but did that really make it her fault? The goddess should have been more direct. She sighed, then again the goddess had been rather generous with the warning already. Before she even realized it, she was speaking aloud. “Say, can we visit the temple?”

Polca smiled, “I thought you might need guidance,” she produced a map of the city with several locations marked. “Already planned a visit.”

Eren commented, “Just don’t put me on the altar this time.”

Sheepishly, Hikari scratched behind her ear, “Sorry about that.”

Eren giggled a bit, then leaned in to look at the marked map, “Ooh! A grand tour of the market!”

Polca nodded, “We are in the capital, we’d be fools not to check out the markets. Some of the best shops in the whole kingdom are here.”

Hikari could get behind that, she thought while asking about the itinerary. All the while Polca led the way to the temple.

____________

Reaching the temple, Hikari’s voice died away mid sentence as she took in the structure. None of the temples she’d seen before did this one justice. Pure white stones polished smooth and gleaming in the sunlight made up the bulk of the structure. They had been paired with stark black stones, polished just as smooth and gleaming like a nightsky, dotted with shimmering stars of their own. They formed arcs and trim, building out into a glorious cathedral that towered over the surroundings. Huge windows sat in the towers that looked over the expansive gardens that surrounded the structure. Cultivated nature sat beside well-cared-for holy icons and fountains. A stone path led straight to a massive set of double doors that towered over her, making her feel absolutely tiny. A pair of winged goddesses, depicted in their full glory and wearing little more than diaphanous dress, hands raised, stood on either side of the doors.

She couldn’t help gawking as they stepped through the doors, joining several worshipers as they passed into the entrance hull. The walls were decorated with striking murals, one depicted creation itself, with a series of panels that showed the Goddess of the Cycle as she carved the land, formed the seas and the sky, laid down the other planes and blessed them all with the gift of life. The next mural was a scene of naked mortals, kneeling faces full of awe as they looked up at the Skylords as they gave them the gift of magic. Another mural showed a battle between the gods, the forces of the abyss, and mortals serving both sides. 

Each scene was so meticulously rendered, so life-like in their detail that Hikari half expected the scenes to burst to life at any moment. It was incredible the level of work the artist had done, even photographs failed to compare to these works of art. Almost like actually being there as the events took place. 

They walked by glowing sconces and two doorways before arriving in the grand sanctum. A priestess stood before the raised altar, but Hikari barely gave her a glance as she took in the three gods carved above the altar and the others evenly spaced to the left and right. She didn’t know all the names but the three on the altar itself were familiar to her. In the center was the Goddess of the Cycle, standing to her left was Feya Goddess of the Light and on the right was Dreyla Goddess of Darkness. Seeing the three standing side by side she couldn’t help thinking they resembled each other, like sisters. 

Glancing at the other statues again, she realized that trend seemed to continue and not a single god or goddess looked older than 20. Strangely they were all around the same age, youthful, full of life and rendered with such attention to detail that if someone told her that the statues would come to life she’d believe them. They looked like they could start walking or talking at the drop of a hat. It was strangely eerie and she couldn’t help feeling like the statues were watching her every move. For all she knew, they were the eyes of the gods and she really was being watched by them. With living breathing gods, she couldn’t be sure.

All too soon they had arrived before the altar. The priestess smiled and greeted them. Hikari took in their attire. The woman was pretty and looked to be in her mid twenties, red, silver and white scales ran up her arms and legs, dotted her visible cleavage and face. A long scale covered tail coiled behind her, a pair of silver horns parted the long hair that cascaded down her back. Hair that was fiery, colored like living flames with ever changing hues hidden within. Her form was wrapped in a gossamer gown with silver trim. Centered across her chess etched in silver and purple was a large emblem featuring large gentle wings cradling a young girl holding a radiant sphere.

 She regarded them with shimmering grey-blue eyes. “Morning supplicants, I’m Priestess Ithica Emberscale, I can’t say I recall your faces. Travellers perhaps?”

Hikari blinked, “This is a fairly large temple, surely you...”

Ithica smiled, “I’m quite proud of my memory. I can recall all the usual faces.”

Polca interjected, “That’s quite interesting and you are right we are newly arrived in the city and seeking guidance. Recent events have cast somewhat of a shadow on our lives.”

“Ah, I see, not the first such story I have heard. But I don’t think the news is that dire in your case. Something positive perhaps?”

Polca smiled wryly, “You could say that...”

Hikari flushed, Eren checked out the altar, her face twitching. Ithica looked between them, “Oh, oh! I see. Your first, I take it?”

Was it that obvious? She thought. Polca squirmed a little.

Ithica nodded, “Sure was. Anyway I remember the anxiety and uncertainty I felt when expecting my first child. I wasn’t sure I was ready, or worthy to be a mother, but then my daughter was born, such a lovely thing and those worries just melted away. Can’t say there weren’t any challenges, she certainly tried my patience at times, but it was worth it.”

Hikari frowned, “You have a daughter!?”

“Sure do!” she beamed.

“But you’re a priestess!?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” inquired the priestess. The others looked at her.

“You’re a priestess?”

The looks deepened, confusion beneath them. Hikari squirmed under them. A sneaking feeling growing in the back of her mind. Taking a breath she spoke up and everyone started laughing. It was like she’d told them the funniest joke ever. Hikari didn’t get it, but that growing feeling was transitioning into certainty. What they said next confirmed it.

Polca, still giggling a bit, said, “Hikari’s a summoned hero, so she sometimes says strange things.”

“I see, that would explain it,” said Ithica in a calming tone. Then she focused on Hikari, “No such oaths are taken in the temple. We are more inclined towards the opposite, engaging in the fertility rites used to bless young couples seeking children often leaves one with an itch that can only be scratched in bed.” Then she shifted, “Anyway you were seeking guidance. Please approach the altar, and offer your prayers. If you are lucky, the gods may deem to enlighten you. If not, I will be available to provide any counsel you may require.”

Hikari drew near the altar, and knelt. The divine energy in her core seemed to resonate and she gasped as the world dissolved in a radiant swirl of ever shifting hues. In moments it settled and she found herself, elsewhere, the familiar form of the goddess smiling.

She opened her mouth, but the goddess spoke first. “Welcome my daughter. No need to tell me why you are here, I am more than aware of your turn of fate. Now you come seeking guidance on your future. I cannot tell you what to do. But I can shed some light on the path before you. Before we get to that, I also want to teach you something that might help to assuage your worries over losing access to your destruction form.”

Hikari blinked, “Teach me something? Also why can’t I shift while pregnant?”

The goddess sat down beside her. “Beyond the obvious? The divine magic used to shift your form by necessity has to alter your insides, it’s quick and painless for you but imagine what that does to the child? You can’t simply shift and then shift back without consequence for your child. That’s why I don’t allow it. Such harm isn’t so easily reversed.”

“I, um, see,” she frowned, “and what did you want to teach?”

“Arlie and Polca have done a wonderful job giving you a foundation and helping with your faith. Your divine core is on the verge of an expansion and when we are done you will feel it expand. As for what I am going to teach you, it’s a spell that partially draws on your divine core, but it will also use your mana. One day you may even be able to cast it without ever using any divine mana, but that won’t be any time soon. Few are the mages that can cast Zeta class magics. As of this moment there are currently five living mages under the sky of Valierre that can do so, I presume the name Ria Contrey would be familiar to you.”

“Arlie’s aunt!?”

“Yes, she is blessed with great talent. But we aren’t here to talk about her, and only have so much time.”

“I see,” Hikari shifted, “So, um, what spell are you going to teach me?”

“Blue Lightning. It’s quite destructive actually and given your background you’ll likely figure out why.” The goddess took a breath, and started with the spell formula. After that were a few hours of guidance on the choices available to her, but when she returned to the temple only a few minutes had passed. Yet she had a new spell in hand, a better outlook on the path ahead and her spiritual connection to the goddess had grown. Now she could cast Sun’s healing light five times instead of a mere three.