Leyland Adventures

Church Of The Light

With Fayemi and Tysashi at the castle, Zayna approached Solorin Church. Constructed of white bricks, the holy building shot up into the heavens. The arched windows beside the entrance gave anyone a clear peek on the inside. She lifted her head to see a round stained glass image of Solorin, perfectly capturing her flowing golden hair and natural light skin.

She pushed on the wooden double door, drawing in the attention of the churchgoers. As she walked down the red carpet, the ladies of the church smiled at her arrival. The women were dressed in a pure white cloth that covered their entire body, each with a symbol of the sun in the center.

"Sister Zayna!" They cheered, filling the room with applause.

"We're so thankful you're here!"

"You still look as beautiful as ever."

"We were worried you wouldn't arrive."

"Thank the goddess you made it here safely."

"An energetic welcome as always. Thanks for your concern, ladies. Glad this place is still brighter than the sun and the walls are as golden as ever."

She continued to look around as she walked down the columns of benches with a light auburn color. The windows laid across the walls brought in an abundance of sunlight. Though the church was aesthetically pleasing, her eyes had to stay still.

At the altar, a short man standing behind the brown pulpit ran towards her. He wore a white robe made of the softest fabric and a yellow chimere around his neck.

"Zayna!" His eyes widened at her presence, running towards her like a child to their parents.

She gladly caught him between her arms, thrilled to see him as well.

"Happy to see you too, Eleam." She sank her hand into his patch of blonde hair, swimming around in it.

"You were able to get the Phantom Bullets, right?" His eyes were reminiscent of an emerald, dazzling and pure.

"Of course, can't do much without em. And now, I'd like to announce my plan to you all."

"Y- yes. Go ahead please." He took a bow, giving her the floor.

"People of Solorin Church, your dismay with Marqium will finally be put to rest. As you all know, the Ambersap Tree will be active tonight. Most stores close earlier, so Marqium will have a free land to roam in. You guys shut down early, leave me and another woman in the church, and Solorin won't be using her power to guard the place. With the church vulnerable, he won't feel threatened and will use the opportunity to disguise as Eleam, and trick you into giving him Solorin."

The ladies collectively gasped in shock. Eleam could tell they weren't exactly on board with allowing a monster to enter their peaceful sanctuary, and neither was he. Yet, as their leader, he couldn't allow them to sink in anxiety.

"Putting down our strongest defense against him? As much as I dislike the thought of it, I can see how it'd lure him in. But why leave you and another member alone?" He secretly hoped she would give a strong answer to put his followers at ease.

"Simple, he's tryna play it smart. If all of you were still here, he wouldn't attack, even if the church was defenseless. He knows this is the only night he can make his move, and this is the only chance I have at killing him."

"I understand, but please infuse yourself with Solorin if you need to."

"Yes, we wouldn't want you to meet the same fate as your-" She silenced herself before ending her sentence, apologizing profusely as she bowed.

"It's alright, I'm sure you all had that thought in mind. But trust me, you all have nothing to get antsy about. I'll spill his blood all over the dam- er dang place."

"With Sister Zayna's power combined with our goddess, not a single speck of doubt crosses my mind." One woman spoke.

The others agreed, and soon, the room was filled with uplifting statements about her. Which later evolved into a discussion about who would stay with her. The wonderful atmosphere brought a pleasant smile upon Eleam's face. Even his light cheeks expressed themselves, though he quickly took care of that.

"Ahem. Well that settles it. I really can't thank you enough, Zayna. I feel like I'm going to pass out from relief."

"You still have lessons to teach, so don't pass out yet." She played his hair once more before grabbing a seat.

"Oh, you're staying?"

"Yup. Got nothing better to do, and I should learn a little something before tonight."

He smiled, returning to the pulpit to continue the service.