Dozens of servants rushed about all around Aaradhya Jr and Sr, and the second elder as they put the finishing touches on some insanely elaborate decorations on the side of the ballroom that had been cut off from the ballroom. A butler stood at the center of this rushing tide of bodies and passed out notecards and slips of paper with the flurried movements of a storm. Somehow, someway, someone passed this head butler a note in his flurry of movement. Wide eyed, the man rushed over and avoided the gaze of all three high status individuals as he passed a sheet of paper written on by Mrs.Lagrange. The paper contained a map of where to go through the servant paths that were carved into the mountain.
"Excuse my interruption but I have just been informed that everyone called and invited to the conclave has been summoned. At least, those who were already on the island or were free to join us on such short notice. The venerated Exorcist is the only honorable guest not in attendance even though he and his colleagues are on the island," the servant addressed the three high ranking members of her faith and cowered under the oppressive gaze that the high priest gave. Aaradhya jotted down the name, "The Exorcist", in his mental notebook. It was a name mentioned in the information that Big G gave to all of the champions before they met with their Deities. It was a name that was introduced in the original book but there was nothing ever done with it as it appeared to be one of the author's loose ends. Hopefully, he thought, there would be more interaction with a figure that could supposedly interact with the spirit world as though it were physical.
"If you would like, please follow me," the second elder walked over to an unassuming wall that the servants came out of and bowed to the high priest and lord as he knew the servant paths that connected to this small corner of the waiting room that was cut off from the main ballroom.
"What's the decision you've come to regarding how I am to be presented to the cult," Aaradhya asked his father after the gentleman decided to follow.
"I am thinking that a grand entrance would make the most impact on the following, it would also substantiate your position and existence quicker than if we were to simply appear before the masses and state your importance," Masih Sr explained.
"Interesting. Let's go with the grand entrance. Everyone's attention will be on us so we can quickly explain what needs to be said," Aaradhya raised an excellent point. As such, let's speed up a bit… The pillars and carvings along the wall were so perfectly designed that unless you stood in this exact position, you wouldn't see the doorway into the servants entrance or the pathways that they could take to circumvent the crowds.
"Immaculate craftsmanship! How many of these entrances are in this mountain," Aaradhya asked his father.
"Countless. The issue is us knowing where they all lead. The blueprints we have at our disposal were passed down by the designer's apprentice but those papers are in a sorry state. As such the servants have charted each path that is currently in use, themselves. That is to say, the passages we do know of, have been invaluable in maintaining the beauty of the peak and the rest of the island," Masih Sr. said out loud. Before Aaradhya could ask his next question the large glass structure that acted as a wall between the small lobby and ballroom clicked and hummed with a great rumble. Gargantuan stone pillars on either side of the room twisted and clanked with a massive rumble that made Aaradhya frown even though he didn't move in the slightest. Masih Sr behaved as a shock absorber.
"Ah, the entire reception hall is built like an elevator. Father, the servants service area, I would like to see the intricate passages even more at some point. I am imagining that the paths move around with the main structure but that would simply be too inconceivable. To create a pulley system vast and intricate enough to allow the movement of an entire mountain peak is just too marvelous," Aaradhya said. The high priest nodded and carried his son through the servants' walkways that surrounded the hall. Servants walked ahead of the group and lit up several torches across a secret passage that hovered over and around the length of the ballroom. Other servants filled in from behind and set up reflective mirrors that brightened up the floating glass wall and floor using electric lamps and natural lighting. From time to time, Aaradhya would get glimpses of the amazed crowd through a series of stained glass murals that behaved as one way mirrors due to their height when compared to the lowering floor.
In the meantime, the rumbling came to a gradual stop as the reception hall appeared to enlarge by quite the margin. A singular ornate throne rose out of the ground at the top of a stone staircase in the northern half of the hall where the glass wall used to be. Dozens of servants rushed to polish and clean a throne that had appeared from the lowered floor, to an immaculate gleam that matched the glowing chandelier that used to act as a wall between the northern portion of the dance hall and the larger southern region. Another set of pillars then twisted with a set of rumbles which, to everyone's amazement, moved the giant glass wall without causing it to shatter.
An army of servants escorted the higher up and management elders away from the grinding stone walls and insanely intricate gear work and pillars that effectively moved the inside of an entire mountaintop. Butlers and maids rushed out of who knows where with tables, chairs, and all manner of floral arrangements. Another group set up rope barriers and twisted guardrails all over the dance hall. A squadron of servants rolled out a long carpet and ironed down the immaculate artworks displayed on the fabric. The cult's entire history was woven into the rug with a symbolically blank and undyed addition being added onto the part closest to the throne. Once the set up was over, the maids and butlers guided people to their proper seats based on a seating chart that was made by Mrs. Lagrange.
Those who didn't know what was happening, felt their heads spinning. No, even those who knew about the insane craftsmanship and time that went into altering the island, followed along with their mouths agape in disbelief as it was the very first time that any of these arrangements had ever been used. Only the servants remained unphased, after all, they maintained the island and kept all of its secrets. Seconds later, the music changed, and a choir filed in from a service entrance near the massive throne that appeared to float in midair. An orchestra arranged themselves and played subdued and ancient tones that utilized only the most tribal of instruments. Even more robe wearing people rushed out some of the entrances on either side of the grand hall and hummed and growled with demonically charming voices. They too, played the traditional music of the cult and over time, they added new instruments and languages, showcasing the full depth of their history and the immeasurable growth it took to get to their modern classics.
Mrs. Lagrange personally arranged a table that was closest to the high throne. Shocked gasps resonated throughout the room but no one spoke up in protest since they knew Mrs. Lagrange's position, despite being a servant, was no less than the Elders or the high priest's. In fact, due to her position as the keeper of the island and its importance, many believed that she held a rank even higher than all of the elders combined. Thus, no one complained when dozens of men and women followed her by going around the carpet that held depictions of war, death, and rebirth.
On a more silent or barely noticed note, a few dozen members of Aaradhya's private military spread out with large guns. Each of them guarded one of the servant entrances. On a very noticeable note, some party goers freaked out, others smiled with schadenfreude, and a few simply sat down in their assigned seats with overcast or expectant expressions. The first elder in particular smiled like a cherub but his hand clenched so hard he drew blood. Despite not enjoying the grand display, he had already placed himself on the seat closest to the staircase that led up the throne. This display of power and authority that Mrs. Lagrange held, in the eyes of the upper management as she simply waved a hand and made things happen, left a sour taste in the first elders mouth.
"So this is what he was aiming for," the first elder clenched his teeth even harder as he realized that he could only get a fraction of this respect and that was only after decades of work. His guest on the other hand, sneered and turned away in disgust as he turned away from the now empty throne platform above him. The guest sat beside the spouses or direct descendents of the 12 main elders. There was only one other person at the table that was not graying but it was a little boy who sat there with the expression of a porcelain doll. The boy's eyes locked onto the throne like a hunter would track their mark. Mrs. Lagrange directed some maids and butlers by the throne as giant blocky cameras and microphones were set around the room.
Under everyone's eyes, the second elder walked in from the service doors near the middle of the hall and approached Mrs. Lagrange; He whispered something in her ear. With a clap of her hand, the music changed and the lights in the hall focused on the main entrance. The military raised their weapons and stood at attention as they all received news that the real event would start. Lights focused on the main entrance, the cameras rolled, as for the chandelier, the flat faces of the mysterious crystal lit up with the images the cameras picked up. The music peaked and then cut off right at its crescendo. Two stunning maids with reflective gray eyes opened up the main doors and bowed as the high priest walked in.
Everyone who could see Aaradhya's soul found themselves slack jawed and blinded. Those that saw his physical state only, saw the healthy glow of his skin, the thickness of his unnatural snow white hair, and those glowing golden eyes that pierced into their very being. Oh, the instant silence only lasted a moment, a single moment as something instinctual flooded their brains with joy and emotion they simply couldn't contain. Decades, centuries, generation after generation of blind faith culminated into this moment. The entire mountain vibrated almost dangerously as the crowd broke into echoed cheers. Everyone, maybe except for one or two people on the island, cried for their lord as the news was streamed directly into the homes of the followers that didn't meet the minimum requirement of being an elder or in some managerial position. Elder, council member, or just a person of the flock, none of it mattered as they all laid eyes upon the lord that they worshipped. They all yelled for the most part but they all soon remembered the customs ingrained into their very bones. One by one, they all stopped cheering and bowed their heads to the floor for Aaradhya as the high priest held his hand up. A pin could drop and everyone would be able to hear it because of the silence.
" ...Father. Allow me to bring up another point. Though I am flattered by their expression of faith. It is something that makes me highly uncomfortable. Ah, it's also too loud and it hurts my ears when everyone prays so fervently so when you have the chance, please find a way to abolish this whole prostrating, hyper zealous, mindless follower stuff," rightfully, Aaradhya held his ears at the initial outburst and blushed with embarrassment but more than that, he frowned. His head tilted over to the two maids who held the doors open. They simply maintained their bow but Aaradhya couldn't help but feel like their behavior was off since they didn't join the show of faith by praying. One smirked and looked around absentmindedly and the other tried to get her silly companion to pay attention by snapping her fingers and pointing.
"And fill me in on those two maids later. I feel extremely uneasy around people I haven't personally vetted," Aaradhya turned to the stage and focused on what the people had to say. Though it was silent, he could hear the whispers that started to kick up. That's when he realized something that left him with a raised eyebrow. The followers screamed their faiths prayers with their very souls and he could hear that since they were all so loud. As such, he chalked the maddening whispering off to something he couldn't ignore until he learned how to control soul senses. The high priest nodded to his son then snapped his fingers. The choir hummed the song that had been established for Aaradhya through the generations. Masih Sr placed his son up on his throne and picked up a mic, which signaled the choir to hum a lullaby in whispered tones.
"For generations, we've all been told to keep the faith. For countless centuries our ancestors believed and passed down their teachings. Today, we have gathered the council to reveal this piece of news. Our lord... Is with us!", Masih Sr covered his heart and smiled as he pointed to his son. The crowd exploded with joy and laughter. The chandelier shook with a threatening creak under the sound wave the crowd made. The choir roared as the orchestra let loose a wave of emotion reminiscent of free flow jazz. They sang and played from their hearts which further inflamed the emotions of the crowd. For more than a few moments, the people nearly lost their minds.
"These people are actually ridiculous," Aaradhya kept these thoughts from his father, but he fully understood what Death cultivated for him with these people. Their absolute insanity... and the level of brainwashing... the generational conditioning...
"What a horrible sight... Father. Enough pandering. Do as you must," Aaradhya slouched in his seat and closed his eyes to focus on something else. He opened up Don Marimo's autobiography and tried to glean something from its spiritual pages. Aaradhya's breathing changed oh so subtly, so minutely that not even he noticed it. The emerald fog of the world swirled toward him and agitated the golden haze surrounding his person.
"Okay everyone. Today is not only for our lord. It's a day to discuss what our lord wants us to do from this day forward...", Masih Sr grabbed a controller that one of the technicians left for him.
"I'm sure you've all heard rumors of what happened at our temple. Some of you from the branch locations have probably even met a former resident of our sacred main temple...", A video played under the High priest's direction on the crystal chandelier.
".... I, I don't know if this is my last moment, but I can see them now. I didn't truly believe it at first but now... They are killing us... we've incurred our lord's wrath... this is divine punishment....", the details of a taped recording were clearly visible on all of the faces of the crystal. All of a sudden, a loud crash rang out and the tape recorder that was being used dropped. It rolled for a bit before it showed a graphically horrifying scene. Some people curled up on the floor in a puddle of sweat and blood as blue and green light flashed from and around their bodies. Similar to what happened with the mustachioed guest of the first elder, these people lit up with dull or bright energy depending on the quality of their spiritual awakening. Tall shadows surrounded each of them like a plague of locusts.
Other people ran around like headless chickens as they attacked the air around their bodies, warm colored light or energy spurted out of their limbs and torsos as if something tore into them. A few followers dropped to the floor and spasmed as if something ripped into their intestines or ground their bones to dust. What made people gasp wasn't any of that. What attracted eyes was more than a handful of people who floated in the air as if something massive grasped their bodies and treated them like clay dolls. Blood poured from their mouths and eyes as dark red and black specters manipulated their bodies. One of these people fell headfirst into the floor as nothing more than a dried out husk. An elder of the middle echelons of the cult, a man in his fifties who wore a suit of traditional and purely ceremonial plate mail armor, screamed then let out a wheezing gasp in the video. A giant's handprints crushed the man's legs and upper body before it squeezed the metal armor and ripped him apart. It was only after he died that his body parts twitched and spasmed. It was as if thousands of rats and carrion insects fed upon the corpse, leaving nothing but dust and bones as his body dried out. An eyeball slowly rolled into frame and stared at the viewers through the cameras. Masih Sr. paused the video. Many people gagged and threw up in their hotel rooms or out in a plaza where a projector showed the video. Some smiled at their lord's divine punishment. Those in the know, looked away with tears and complex emotion.
"This footage was recovered by our previous Ninth elder and the guard after I gave the order to abandon our temple to secure our lord's safety. In union with our second elder's armaments, we were able to survey the grounds and rescue any who were still trapped and willing to leave but...", Masih Sr played the video once more.
The same military grade professionals Aaradhya would have recognized, wore gear from different military factions around the world since they were the best guards collected from every branch of the cult. These ragtag soldiers wielded ancient blunt swords, cracked cudgels, splintered bows, and even slings as they charged at invisible enemies. Though they went in blind; they weren't without their resources. At the center of each rushing formation was a follower with glowing eyes or a body surrounded by talismans and relics of eras bygone.
"...as you can all see...", Masih Sr picked out his words carefully, playing key video clips at the right moments to hit the heartstrings of the masses. The guards attacked and every time they did, the camera picked up a flicker of white fog around misshapen beasts and deformed humans. Each flicker was pulled and placed inside small screens beside the main video. Each of these photos was paid for with the life of another soldier. Many of the soldiers, like those at the start of the video, found themselves knocked out of the formation by something that could touch their armor and weaponry. Physically, these men and women felt the impact of something beyond their understanding. Some of these people found themselves impaled on a stone or splattered against a wall. A few of the soldiers, understanding that the relics were two way connections, took off their equipment and ran away out of fear.
The best option in Aaradhya's personal opinion. He ignored the video because it would be his second time forcing himself to watch it, he simply couldn't do it a second time. The first time was in the meeting with the 12 main heads of the church's faith. Even now, he silently hyperventilated with just the sound of crushed bones and tearing flesh. Besides, his soul sense wouldn't activate at the moment so there was no point in watching something horrible if he wasn't going to be getting new information.
"Fuck. Fuck. Wilfred, you absolutely ruined me. I managed to actually rein in my thanatophobia but here you come, messing with my progress even after I purged you from my body and soul," Aaradhya turned away from the cameras to hide his scared and pale face.
"As you can see, our efforts to reclaim the temple were met with defeat," the high priest sighed into the microphone. Many could see how the soldiers crumbled. The invisible enemies jumped towards those with the gift of sight or awakened spiritual bodies. These people had their eyes ripped out of their skulls and if they didn't die from that, they were directly ripped to shreds by the creatures only they could see or hear or feel. Some of the people leading units weren't even that lucky as they could only smell the lost souls that tore into their groups, with bloody and electric being how they would describe the spirits.
"Is that the high priest too," one voice spoke up and sent a ripple through the audience within the converted ballroom. Surrounded by four guards, the high priest directed a retreat as he avoided some invisible enemy and issued a counter with a dull and rusted knife. A charred object was in his arms, wrapped in a slightly burned silken blanket. Another person asked.
"What's that in the high priest's arms," someone said. Many of the soldiers and even the high priest's personal guard broke their armor and weaponry in their retreat. The invisible enemies almost seemed to chase their lord as they stopped killing to capture Aaradhya. The antique battle gear simply couldn't withstand the test of time as the guards and soldiers were knocked aside one by one. Left with no way to interact with the spirit world, they could only calmly walk around and leave with the few followers they could save.
"No way. What is the old ninth doing there," another voice rang out from the crowd. The previous ninth elder, as old as she was with a full head of grey and white hair, stabbed something from behind and crashed into the floor beside the high priest. She yelled something then immediately charged to where the high priest pointed. The camera, just before it died, picked up a beautiful sight. The old woman pulled a cracked bracelet off of her wrist and slammed it into a lost soul. Green light exploded out of the old woman's hand and illuminated every single lost soul with a green aura. That was the last image before the camera died. Masih Sr. replayed the bloody and horrifying scene a few more times. Everyone could then stare at the frozen image of their high priest roaring up toward a tidal wave of monsters and beasts that had been outlined by the broken bracelet.
"No way. Are you telling me that those demons will come after me now that I can see them," the first elder's personal guest shot up. He wore his shirt unbuttoned and constantly wiped sweat off his face. Unlike the other guests, he could see the true appearance of those fog creatures from start to finish. In fact, even now, he could clearly make out the floating Verdant waves of the environment. Sadly, he couldn't see any deeper than the dense atmosphere and the fog creatures after his awakening came to a grinding halt.
"How did something like that even happen? Your temple was overrun with evil spirits? All of a sudden? You can't possibly make us think that something didn't change," the guest exclaimed. The high priest calmly addressed the first elders guest and changed the images on the screens.
"Something did change. Some of us here today are from the lord's high temple. We can tell you what happened in the weeks leading up to and after our lord's birth," Masih Sr spoke with such calmness and coldness that many thought the first elders' guest would drop dead.
"Would anyone like to speak up and inform our brothers, sisters, and this… guest," the high priest leaned back and watched as the few members who followed him from the temple spoke up. Even Aaradhya paid attention. What he caught from his father's translations left him with more questions than answers…
"So, a stranger showed up with a foreboding prophecy, shadows flitted about the temple in the weeks leading up to my birth, voices echoed through the halls in the days preceding, and a few hours beforehand the previous twelfth elder went insane and harmed himself so they locked him up for the ceremony. The minute that I was born many followers ended up getting horribly sick and going through some process that killed 2 out of the five people experiencing it," Aaradhya summarized.
"Then the twelfth elder somehow got loose and burned the inner sanctum down a month after I was born, when the occult sightings and awakenings reached their peak. I happened to have been placed in the inner sanctum for my protection. Rumors are that I was killed in the fire. Hm, and that's when the followers started to see and interact with the shadows and souls that became attracted to our temple, which led to an all out war. The mysterious stranger came back and helped at the last second? Who is the stranger, why did they help? Why did the twelfth elder go insane? And fire? I was that bundle father held in the video, according to him. Which is poetic since Wilfred was burned by... hmm... best not to follow that thread. Lets just assume the others wouldn't accept those types of
Objectives:
1) Cleanse the Temple that the Shepherds of the Golden Horn have used for millenia.
REWARD: To be determined based on contribution.