Black Ice ✓ | Deathsworn #1

Chapter 23 ∞ Incense

The Temple of the Gods wasn't exactly how I pictured it. I was expecting a pyramid of some sort, the likes of Machu Picchu, to rise from an expanse of a forest. Trees would sway and quiver in worship and reverence around it while the beige earth would strike a contrast against its aged stone walls. My mind had been ingrained with the stereotype of Indiana Jones, so the scenery came as a little surprise to me when we arrived.

The Temple of the Gods was not in the middle of nowhere. Rather, it occupied an area in the city with decent foot traffic. It had a very simple architectural design—square, brick walls with a span of travertine arches puncturing its side. The roofs were flat saved for a row of balustrades fencing the very corners.

Mistress Veronika shifted the wooden box containing the bow to her left hand. She refused to leave it behind in our temporary accommodations because she had trust issues. The item was much too valuable, both the box and what it contained. If it were me, I wouldn't leave it behind either. It was a good thing I had Mistress Veronika with me. She was much more capable of safeguarding it than I was.

Their main gate was an arch that was marked with the name of the place. We made our way through and found ourselves climbing wide and short cobblestone steps that led uphill. The landscape was terraced, each layer bearing different varieties of herb bushes—some plain, some flower-bearing. Some took on such deep green that it bordered black while some were much lighter. I recognized some of the bushes at first glance, having been trained by Mistress Kora. After he kept dragging me to the garden with him to help out, unless I was truly disinterested and an idiot, I wouldn't be familiar with these things.

When we reached the front of the temple, a monk came forward to greet us. He'd shaved his head and was wearing a plain set of dark, orange robes that bordered brown and red.

"Wonderful morning, almsgivers," the monk greeted, a gentle and polite smile gracing his lips. "Are you here to pray?"

"We would like to light some incense," my mistress said.

"If that is so, please proceed this way." He pointed us to, not inside the temple, but to the side. He guided her eyes to a turn on the right. "Please follow the pavement and make a right turn to get to the shrine. Make sure to avoid going too far. That is the direction of the monastery as well. You might get lost."

"Thank you." My mistress gave him a smile. She then took my hand and led me to the directions he gave. I looked up at him from under my hood and caught him looking at me, eyes slowly gravitating to the wooden box that my mistress carried. His gaze didn't linger too long. He lightly tipped himself forward for a bow before going on his way.

"I remember coming here when I was still in Lovarda. This is the first time in a while."

"Why is that, mistress?"

"The monks are very particular about where to build the shrines and temples," she told me. "The place first has to meet the requirements. Otherwise, it'd merely be an empty place of worship." She looked around and took a deep breath. "Come, feel it."

When she pointed it out, I picked up a rise in the concentration of domain energies around us. It seemed this place sat in a location where the blood of nature flowed richly.

"It's a spirit vein," she told me. "They're spots where the domains pool directly before being dispersed. This is the most suitable place to train your abilities as a Conduit and is also the place best to do meditation to tune in to your inner self. Being a Conduit requires a certain level of enlightenment, Evyionne. For you to be able to unravel the secrets of your abilities, you must learn to harmonize with nature itself."

"So you went here to train before?"

"Mm," she said. "Yes, I did. I wanted to do this in the War College, but the temples are more open and accessible to the public."