At the western border of Ravalind, at a teleportation terminal, Sheila's party arrived shortly.
"Papers, please. I need to see your Portal Pass," the customs officer said wearily.
"We're from the adventurers' guild! And this is an emergency, our companions need a medical emergency from the temples." Sheila points at Natalak, who was piggybacked by Reith.
"Sorry, but rules are rules. I need to see your papers." The customs officer insists.
"Bloody hell! For the love of Shar's grace!" Sheila exclaimed in disbelief, swiftly rummaging her bag. "Where is it!" She continues pulling out all the scrolls and papers from her bag, scattering some of them on the floor.
Amidst her chaos, Sei and Riya swiftly move to collect the scrolls—
"Here it is!" Sheila cried joyfully. "Look!" The mage said, with a hint of irritation in her voice as she posted the document for the customs officer to see.
"Alright-alright, stand back for a second." The customer replied, gesturing for the switch manager to dispel the barrier.
"Tch…" Sheila scoffs after they pass the customs officer.
"To hell with you, adventurers! I'm tired of your everyday annoying complaints and scorns! Why don't you go complain to the person who makes the rules!" Points the customs officer at Sheila's party, who doesn't even bother to look back.
"Ehem!" The switch manager clears his throat and points towards the teleportation terminal.
The man looked to where the manager was pointing and saw another adventure, rummaging through their satchels.
"Ugh… Adventurers." The officer groans. "Papers."
Near the exit, the party searched every corner of the building. They were looking for paladins, clerics, or priests. And through their search, they've found one cleric lady, a follower of Adra, however—
"Forgive me, but it's best to send him to the temple of Aziru or Azarus. My powers are still recovering from our past mission," The cleric said.
"I understand," Sheila said, nodding.
"What terminal did we land at?" Riya asks.
"Probably at the southeast wing. I'll go ask the guards."
Sheila's eyes darted left and right; fortunately, a guard was on patrol.
"Good day, sir." Sheila halts the guards. "Might I ask what terminal we are in?"
"You are at the eastern wing terminal," the guard replied.
"By Shar, I thought this was the south-eastern wing." Sheila clenches her teeth. "I'm not familiar with this place. My companion needs a temple's help. Are there any temples nearby?"
"Well, the closest temple I know is the Radiant Flames. Just head to the main gate leading to the city; you'll see it ahead." The guard points toward the gate.
"Got it, and thank you, mister." Sheila nods, and quickly the group bolts into action.
"Wait! The temple of Radiant Flames is holding prayers at this hour!" Calls the guard, waving his hand, but the adventurers are already out of earshot.
The guard sighs, "Sucks to be an adventurer these days."
Following the guard's words, the group reaches the main gate—
"There!" Riya points her fingers.
A temple made of limestone and chiselled stones; four pillars mounted on the front porch of the temple. Two fire chalice-shaped bows were placed on either side of the entrance. Vines crawl through the walls, giving the temple a distinctive look. It was a medium-sized temple, unlike the temples from the city's inner walls. This, however, was for nothing more than a tavern for priests, clerics, paladins and emergency hospitals.
"Halt!" One of the two guards stationed at the front gate said. "The temple is not to be disturbed from this hour."
The group scrutinised their armour and saw they were merely simple soldiers of Keshoval—not knights or paladins.
"But it's an emergency, our companions need your help."
"I'm sorry, but—" the guard reasoned, but was cut off by the other.
"Wait!" One of the guards raised a hand. "I think one of the priests of Aziru came here for a visit. We didn't see him exit through the door; he might be inside the temple."
The two guards look at each other, and somehow, you can see as if they have understood each other's thoughts.
"I'll be the one to guide them." Said the other guard before opening the door.
"I think… I think I'll stay here," Chifya said.
"Me neither. I don't want to disturb their ongoing prayers," Riya says, following.
"I understand… in that case, could you—" Sheila says, glancing at Sei, who is holding Natalak's belongings.
"You want me to stay?" Sei said.
"Yes, better yet, you three should go home without the two of us. We'll soon follow. It would be rude to enter a temple in the midst of their prayers." Sheila suggests.
Entering through the first room of the temple, there was a flat fire chalice fixed in the centre of the room. It's a fire dance in many colours, glamorous to the sight.
Moving past the flames of many colours, they enter a corridor; Sheila notices rooms with no doors, where she sees clerics and novice priests in their seminars. Filling the atmosphere with their hums of prayers, invoking an angelic-like voice.
"Wait here." The guards whispered and quickly went looking around the inside of the temple.
Seconds turned to minutes. And before Sheila's patience ran out, the guard appeared and gestured for them to follow him. As they followed, they saw an old man dressed in a white robe waiting for them. Beside him stood two assistants, likely student priests.
No bed, and not a board to place Natalak, Reith quickly lay his body on a cold, rough stone. The old priest of Aziru inspects Natalak's body. His neck was full of bite marks, his thick leather pants were slashed, and deep claw wounds ravaged his flesh. There were even nails of either a wolf or a werewolf buried in his legs. The smell he gave was putrid to the nose, so that even using your mouth to breathe, you can taste the rotten flesh smeared on the man.
"Remove his armour if you could." The priest commands.
Quickly then, Reith and Sheila strip away his armour, revealing his veins turning black. The priest, prying open his eyelids, saw ink-like blood gushing from his eyes.
"Is there a small, empty, large basin, or an empty pond that I can use?" The priest implores the guards.
"There's one that I know."
"Take me to that place then."
The guard nods and quickly leads them to a three-foot-deep, with a two-meter-radius fountain.
Aquatic life lingers in the pond, enough to make them hesitate to use it.
"This will do." The priest spoke, dipping his hands in the water.
Gently swirling his hand on the edge of the water's surface, and for a third rotation, the water glows in hue. Sparkling, as captivating to the eyes, that even his two apprentices were amazed. Once the radiant simmers down, the priest orders Natalak to be submerged.
No hesitation, they softly and swiftly submerge Natalak in the pond. As soon as his body entered the water, the rotten blood was quickly dissolved. The tainted blood of Natalak would ooze from his nose, eyes and his mouth before it too was dissolved. Interestingly, the living aquatic life weren't bothered by the contamination, even if they went around his body. There wasn't even a hint of drowning, even when Natalak was fully submerged.
"This could take a while," the old priest said.
"Is he going to live?" Sheila asked.
"Very much, he's as stubborn as his body. He might have overdosed himself with those alchemist things. And I presume, you were dealing with not just monsters?" the priest said.
"Yes, it's more of a corruption in the Sylvian Realm. Though we did manage to seal it before it could escape, we gave our reports to the guild. It is up to the higher-ranked adventurers to finish the job."
"Ah, I see... It's good that you brought him here as quickly as you could. If you had waited another hour or three, he would be in a much more serious state. But I cannot remain in this temple for long. I'll ask my old friend from the Radiant Flames to tend to his deep wounds. And don't worry about money—saving another soul, unlike in the past, fills me with joy."
"Thank you, father," Sheila said, bowing.
"Now-now, I think we should excuse ourselves from this place." The priest gestures for silence. "Don't worry, I'll leave one of my apprentices to watch over your friend. It would be best to leave your friend's armour in the water; corruption is a contagious plague that should not go unchecked."
Satisfied and relieved, Sheila and Reith can now go home without any worries. Though when they arrived at the exit, Chifya was sitting on a stone, patiently waiting for them. Hands placed on her lap, and a sweet, humming voice that makes the soul enter in tranquillity.
"Lady Chifya, I thought you went home with Sei and Riya," Sheila calls.
"Ah," Chifya was rather startled, and quickly suspended her droning. "Um, I was waiting for someone I could talk to."
After Chifya gave her words, there was a pause. The sky was still too early to be called dusk.
Sheila huffs, giving Reith a small pouch of coins. "I think a small feast is in order. Why don't you go to the market without me? We'll soon catch up with you."
"Understood, Captain, but what should I cook for tonight?"
"Meat would be great."
Reith nods and quickly leaves the two to their bidding.
"Your uncle… Should we first take a visit?"
Chifya smiled, slightly nudging her head. "That won't be a problem. A bird came to me. Uncle Rick sent me a message that he had already recovered. He also said that a powerful emissary of the temples and adventurers is returning to that corrupted tree."
"You mean, you don't have to go back?"
"Yes." Chifya nods, followed by a minute of silence.
Finding a more secluded place, quite far from the busy road. They rest on a grassy plain, watching the road filled with many lives with their own stories. Caravans, rushing their goods, adventurers of many emotions, some are sorrowful of loss, others to their joy of another successful assignment, and a few are giving a routine expression, perhaps they might be veterans.
The sound of hooves pressing the damp soil, the creaking of an axle wheel carrying heavy merchandise. The loudness of some passersby was enough to give the atmosphere a full sense of life.
"May I ask, Lady Chifya?"
"Just call me by my name," Chifya suggest.
Sheila nods, "Well, I was wondering, sister Chifya. How do you like joining the adventurer's guild?"
Chifya paused, her eyes assessing the bustling road. And through a thoughtful mind—
"I would love to, but the elders wouldn't allow it."
"Elders?"
"Yes, I'm part of the druid's grove there at Northor, just the southern part of Ma' Kathal. I'm one of Hackrash's chosen candidates, Hackrash's priestess for short."
"Oh, then how long will you stay here?"
"Hmm, I think a couple of months. But it might be longer, since Uncle Rick says he will try convincing the elders."
"Well, that's good news, then why don't you stay at my place for a while. There's one empty room that is suitable for you."
"I only have five silver coins on me. Is that good enough for a month?"
Sheila shakes her head, "That won't be necessary. Why don't we go shopping for a while? There's still time before dusk arrives." The mage stood, stretching her body for another walk.
Sheila looks at Chifya and sees a hesitant expression on her face.
"What's wrong, you don't like to go shopping?"
"No, it's just I'm part dark elf."
"Dark elf? But I thought you were a moon elf?"
"Well, I'm also a part moon elf."
"But you look human to me? Are you—"
Chifya nods, "I'm actually a mixed-blood, so to say. My mother is a mix of blood between a moon elf and a dark elf, and my father is just a simple human, an alchemist."
"Ah, so that's why. But you don't have to worry about those kinds of things. Ravalind holds many different races in its kingdom." Sheila then offers her hand. "So, what do you say—why don't we go shopping for some clothes?"
"Fine then, lead the way, Captain Sheila." Chifya smiled quickly, accepting her hand.
Two hours passed, and they were inside the temple of the Radiant Flames. The followers of Azarus were now concluded, as dusk begins to arrive. To where Natalak was, an old female cleric of Azarus came to visit.
"What seems to be the trouble, young man?" The woman spoke.
Dressed in fire-like robes, she was quite tall for an old lady, presumably above average. She has long, silky, white hair that goes below her waist.
"Ah, Father Ezebor left; he asks that you tend to this man's wounds in his absence." The apprentice respectfully replied.
"That's typical of him." The old cleric smiled, commanding two of her servants to withdraw Natalak from the pond.
Moving where the torch is, the old cleric simply pokes her fingers in the fire, and like a matchstick, the red flames slowly turn green.
"Forgive me, but I'm quite old now." The cleric chuckles.
Slowly, the fire from her fingers expanded until her palm was now burning in emerald flames. And with a single brush of her flaming palms to Natalak's wounds, it quickly heals his flesh instantly, so much so that not even a single scar was left.
It took minutes for her to finally fix Natalak's torn flesh.
"It is done, and give this to Father Ezebor." The woman implied, extending a letter towards the followers of Aziru. "Don't worry about him, we'll move him to the main temple where he can regain his strength. We'll notify his companions when they come to check on him." She continues, commanding the servants to transfer Natalak to a better service.
The followers of Aziru nod before he goes to deliver the letter to his master.
The old cleric looks back at Natalak and smiles, "A life of a traveller I see." She whispers.