ARYSARNIA

THYESEUS DAY

THE  OCEAN CLIFFS OF CRYSTALIA

"One more word of supplication, and I will make sure Thyeseus shudders to answer..." she said as she entered the hallowed temple. Genffaine had led her there.

The clerics ignored the voice behind them until a bolt of lightning called by her whispers struck the statue of Thyeseus, shattering the head.

"Ah... the kitten looks in the mirror and sees a lion," the head of the clerics said. "What made you trade innocence for corruption?" they asked unanimously.

"Innocence does not exist, just ignorance," said Alaidalene.

"The counsel of every man's heart is known only to god, mortals only judge by sight. You have lost favour child, by taking your destiny in your own hand and not imploring Thyeseus for his counsel" said the clerics.

"I will not give up my happiness just because it is convenient for you, my life was no longer mine alone" said Alaidalene.

"You were told beforehand you could not have any successor of your own, you were tasked with this sacred duty to save your people from destruction. But you chose your own selfish pleasure" said the high priest.

"I did not choose to be born to this cursed throne" Alaidalene retorted. " Is Thyeseus not the same god who cursed us?" she said and drew to the ruined statue.

"He is just and his justice must be appeased- even though he loves his people, he is also god" said the clerics.

"Curse of the Call of blood. Well,  you called me Thyeseus and I will give you the blood you crave " Alaidalene said.

A shiver went through all of them as the temple started to gyrate slowly as Alaidalene was speaking, causing some pillars to fall. The clerics began to glow in a soft light and the temple was filled with a brighter golden light. The light emanated from the center of the room from a spinning pillar of pure fire which appeared in the room and was almost as dense as gold. The pillar of fire sent out flares of fire that banished Alaidalene from the temple. She flew away from harm to hover above the sea leaving Genffaine behind. Soon Genffaine came flying out  away from the rubble as the temple collapsed and caved in into the side of the cliff.

Alaidalene flew back to the castle enraged and entered the throne room, she told Genffaine to leave her with her Eagles and Genffaine left immediately ensuring that no one was following him. He used a secret passage that took him below the castle, there he found the entrance into the canals. After getting to the secluded parts, he started to chant and the canal started to take another shape as the concrete broke away to remodel. He was glad he had not left with Barsithe, though it brought him the constant threat of execution under the unpleasant service of the Eagles, he still had his elemental magic and the chance to put his carefully laid down plans into action. Now the new vortex of canals had opened up and he made his way into them and began his search for the victims that still survived Alaidalene's hunt before the next one begins.

In the castle, Alaidalene paced in the throne room among his council of Eagles, the creatures beneath her cloak grew hungrier with her worsening mood and began to turn on her, gnawing at her arms and thighs. She screamed from the pain. She flew through the window of the castle over the refuse site to the hidden entrance to the canals and entered. Genffaine was unaware that the Mother Eagle now kept him company in the canals. He had worked to rid this familiar slum of all the children that abounded there before her hunts, but sadly he could not save all of them and a few unfortunate ones fell prey to her hunger. There was a rush of memories of his childhood there as he scoured the sewers and came upon the children he had been able to conceal in the labyrinth where the children took shelter...