[Complete] the Mana-Wilds (A Golarionite Odyssey) #2: Dreams of Water

Chapter 9

A burning holy light beat its angered heart upon the desecrated Temple of the Sun's Grace. The desecrated murals and stained brass linings shine anew with renewed vigor. A searing flame, not of indiscriminate tongues that leaves ashes but of a purificatory bellow of a power once thought lost now emerging to retake its rightful place. A fire that wards off those it considers its charges, but an infernal lash to those of its enemies.

"There shall be no forgivess!" Tutoria chastised all wickedness in her path. Ferally possessed by her faith as she tossed and turned everyone and anything on her path.

The young Paladin saw the holy siteof her Goddess be turned into a hideous parody of its mecca. The Temple was aspired to be a sanctuary that granted succor to all folks who seeked its compassion. From those of weakened faith, of those wayward pilgrims seeking inspiration and of those curious courts of gentiles, the Temple of the Sun's Grace was opened to them all. To bear witness of Demons who sloughed themselves in its now polluted embrace whilst cruelly cracking the wills of those Mortal Souls, souls of Juvenile Spirits, the very epitome of snuffing away innocence away? The Paladin could only unleash her disgust.

"Stop her! S-S-top her!" Bogros the Satrap of Spoilation ordered his peons from his palanquin, a repurposed pulpit enchanted to carry his languid size.

Tutoria leaped into the fray, burning away the filth the Xoveronic Demons had proliferated upon their superfluous occupation with vengeful skill with the slash of her flaming blades.

"Whoever kills the birdie lady gets triple the Rations!" a Gargoyle tossed a pile of crude weapons and scraps of defiled food upon several of the Marauder's many puerile thralls much to his frustration as the children froze fearfully after witnessing such a dazzling display of martial prowess from Tutoria.

"Fine! Maybe I if kill one of you... the rest of your snots will obey me!" the Gargoyle grabbed hold of one of the fearful children and held his cruel claws up high as the children cries raptured the monster for the readying atrocity...

The swift slash of Tutoria's blade however, stopped the Gargoyle from laying another finger. It mewled to the ground before the Paladin just as quickly finished the monster off, sending it back whatever Hell's it came from.

The children huddled together fearfully shaking upon the sight of Tutoria's emblazoned form. Their dirtied bodies weakened through years of scavenging and abuse from the world around them. They looked at her... nay at the filthy food that was tossed so callously aside that she stood between them from.

Just as her Faith was Fire, so was Sarenrae's Compassion. A soft smile loomed from the Aasimar's lips kneeling to grab the spoiled food. It reeked of refuse, mold and flies upon the touch of her mailed gloves. Fighting back the guts of her tested fortitude, Tutoria retrieved her newly acquired Anointed Waterskin. Tilting the container gently on the rancid foodstuff with its holy water, the demonic taint dissipated. Now behold upon her now miracle-borne hands a fluffy piece of Flatbread, freshly baked from a sunny oven.

"Here." Tutoria held out the piece of bread. Slowly inching herself towards the feral children who hesitantly looked at her. Such a Generosity, such Compassion was virtually inconceivable to their erring souls.

Then the one child that the Paladin had saved from being turned into a cruel example stepped forth. He took the piece of bread from her hands and lightly nibbled his yellowed teeth upon the bread. As his tongue met the bread's leavened flesh and swallowed down into his throat. A ray of delight emerged from his eyes. He happily chowed down upon the bread with ingenuous haste. Being born upon the cruel life of the cold-dark world. It was if the very gates of Heaven descended upon his poor body to grant him what his weathered soul had been denied for all his life: Succor.