Arrival (Pennywise x OC)

Chapter 14

Mass started promptly after breakfast, and Ana took her usual place behind her father on the altar. She never cared for having to be on display in front of everyone, especially because she found the chants and readings to be rather monotonous and had a hard time looking like she was invested in what was going on. Even as an adult she had been chided by the elders time and time again for letting her eyes wander about the room, and they took every opportunity to remind her that being Temple Master's Seaghda's daughter, she would someday serve as one of the spiritual leader's for their clan. Before going to Earth, she had taken these scoldings to heart, trying over and over to please her father and appear to be enthusiastic in their time of worship. But that had been quite some time ago, and praying to the new tortoise guardian named Muir that had taken Maturin's place was the furthest thing from her mind.

Within minutes of starting the mass, Ana's eyes were drifting across the room, and when they landed on the large statue of Maturin, she felt a curious mix of emotions run through her. She had been forcefully taken from Dulcis, and she had been in front of that statue, something that angered her and made her feel thankful at the same time. At that moment, she wondered how far she had strayed from her primary values. Here she was, in the presence of her father, her fiance, and the citizens that adored her without pause, and she could only think about the evil entity that was a universe away. But even in weighing her morals as the fairies around her knelt and raised their arms towards the sky, she loathed her former self for her ignorance and desperation to please everyone around her.

The assembled supplicants that faced the altar started to sing, and Ana scanned their many faces as some closed their eyes, even shed tears in their worship. She caught herself scrunching up her nose in revulsion, and quickly relaxed her face when she was aware of how she must look to anyone that had been watching her. She turned her head, locking eyes with Valdis, who was on the opposite side of the altar behind her father. His emerald eyes were wide with astonishment, and in response, she raised an eyebrow, as if to dare him to do anything about it.

When the session was done and the temple started to empty, Ana once again turned her attention towards Maturin's statue. Three male fairies, all of them dressed in the same common white robes, all of them sporting their wings, were approaching it. As Ana's father came up to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, she noticed one kneeling, but not as if to pray. It was almost as if he were studying it.

"Father, what are they doing?" she asked, placing her hand over his to acknowledge his gesture.

"They are researching the pathway," he replied serenely, and she turned to face him.

"Why?"

"They are the ones that discovered a way to open it. Now that it is, they want to ensure that they can open it again once it is closed. It took a lot of time and effort to do it initially, or we would have come to you sooner."

"But you wouldn't have come to me at all if it hadn't been for Lamia," Ana replied, aiming to learn more about the deal they had made with the blonde entity.

"My precious daughter, that is true. I am forever indebted to her for the information she provided."

Ana felt her blood begin to boil as she heard her father speak of Lamia so fondly. "No, you aren't. The last thing she deserves is your praise and appreciation."

Seagdha looked bewildered at Ana's words. "Of course she does. Without her involvement, you would still be in the clutches of the Incubus."

Ana looked away from him then, biting her tongue as she fought the urge to chastise her father, tell him how wrong he was, scream that all she wanted was to get back to the very being that their people had been taught to fear. But she couldn't, she had to make sure no one was suspecting her intentions to go back as soon as she found an opportunity.