Enigma (Peregrine x Ragamoofin)

[Peregrine]

Even considering this was likely to be one of the largest temples in Al-Yaazdim—or perhaps even because of its size and presence—the area near the grand structure seemed unnaturally quiet. As she offered a polite smile in the direction of Busia's voice, Linyah kept her ears peeled for activity in the surrounding area. Yet all that greeted her was the faint whistling of the wind as it echoed around distant corners, and the occasional faint sound of metal scraping against metal.

The human silence only served to compound with the silence of the gods that Linyah had noticed as they made their way here. The temples should have been radiating divine presence like heat radiating off the noonday sun, yet it was silent and barren. Where had everyone gone?

"Something seems really strange..." Linyah muttered softly, her words far more for herself than her new stone companion. However, she still obediently stepped out from the folds of Busia's cloak, momentarily releasing her grip on the other woman's arm so they could reposition themselves. "But, yes. I will. Let us proceed."

Strange wasn't unfamiliar territory for Linyah. After all, there was no reason for the sharp-voiced goddess to hurry her here if things were normal. However, she was starting to get an ominous feeling that matters might be far beyond the usual scope of her experiences. Her fingers tangled their way back into Busia's palm as the other woman stepped forward, and Linyah took some reassurance from her solid, strong presence.

At least she seemed to have found a reliable companion, which was far more than she usually had.

The two stepped out together, walking slowly towards what Linyah presumed to be the entrance of the temple in front of them. When her toe bumped against the edge of something solid, she promptly stepped up. One after the next she climbed up the stairs. However, before Linyah could feel the ground once more flatten under her feet, indicating they had reached the foot of the temple, she was once more brought to a halt by Busia's firm grip. Linyah stumbled ever so slightly, her feet trying to step ahead of her torso, before she managed to steady herself. Her head turned slightly to the side as she once more caught the sound of the faint scratching of metal.

"Halt."

It was only then that Linyah realized that there were people in front of them, and understood what the noise she had been hearing was. Armored guards must be blocking the way into the temple. However, far more than his presence, Linyah was taken aback by the guard's words. Or, more accurately, the countless emotions brewing in the depths of that man's voice.

Linyah had always been a sensitive listener. Sound was often the only way she had to judge the people around her. And that was why she could pick up so many subtle hints in the tone of his voice. Frustration, nervousness, confusion, anger. Far too much emotion to normally be contained in a single word. The emotions only grew more pronounced as his brief exchange with Busia continued.

They weren't going to be allowed in the temple. Linyah could guess that even before Busia turned them both around. However, more than frustration, confusion bubbled within her. Who's temple was this? If it didn't belong to the sharp-voiced goddess, why had she brought Linyah here? If it did, then why were her own guards blocking Linyah's admittance? The gods had pronounced her many names to their followers. Saintess, prophet, oracle, speaker. Not once had a god ever set their followers in opposition to Linyah while they still thought she was useful.

No, you can't leave. The goddess' voice was as brusque as ever, but underneath her clipped manner, Linyah was certain she picked up a hint of desperation. You have to reach the alter.

Linyah had so many questions she wanted to ask, but didn't dare mutter to herself too much when Busia was still right next to her. But there was one question that could perhaps work for both her seen and unseen listeners. "What's going on?"

I'll explain when you get inside.

The other answer Linyah received was unexpected. "Another way in?" she repeated, surprised and slightly overwhelmed by Busia's words. "You... intend to go against the orders of the temple guards? For someone you've just met?"

Linyah couldn't say she was suspicious of Busia's motivations. She needed all the help she could get. But the stone woman's utter reliability was almost as foreign to the young woman as the situation in which she now found herself, trapped outside the temple a god told her to enter. "Why are you going so far for me?"

 

[Ragamoofin]

For a long moment, one that left Busia little more than a statue for a time. Her mind backtracked through the days, nights spent learning the city's shape; the swiftest paths were often the most direct, however that might present itself- a narrow street, a poorly hatched door, or-


For obvious purposes of disguise, Linyah had kept her voice level, almost serene to Busia's senses if not often stricken by uncertainty. Compared to her tone not a moment before, Busia felt herself pinned by the demand in the woman's voice, a clear confusion touching Busia's frozen heart. The grit of her lips was an audible grind, her teeth able to cut steel from how she clenched them.


Linyah…how much cruelty had she endured to suspect kindness for a possible deception? The thought alone made a strange coil knot Busia's breath in her throat, a huff like a growl leaving her teeth. Her eyes met the temple, a glare like a clever slicing through the distant figures of the guards; firelight painted their silhouettes high, a flickering pair of giants clinging to the temple's face. Busia's lips twitched, forming a hard line, tension of her jaw releasing with a long sigh.


"Linyah," Busia started, steady rasp a far cry from the flaring temper she'd restrained. "You're...you're going to get in that temple. Those men be damned." Her temper was kept to her chest, and her answer- it all but burst out. "If it's all I can do for you, then it will be."


The sky was deep with the pull of twilight, fast approaching night, worry fracturing her brow; another worry burrowed through her heart, the inn, fuller by the passing hour. The temple came first, then the inn- hoping they had still had vacancy once they were done. On the other hand, the night provided a good cover. The walls circling the temple were as imposing as the building itself. From the front, the guards presented an impasse, as for the back-


Busia rose her nose up at the peak of those walls, and with gentle, yet insisting palm to Linyah's back, she began to walk again. "The swift path…" Busia muttered, a mirror to her thoughts. "Linyah, you wouldn't happen to be...wary of heights?"


Posing the question alone had Busia cursing her bluntness. For clarity, she quickly spoke again. "The temple has a wall around it. I know these streets well enough to go around back, and from there…" Busia mouth shut, a glance scanning the street before she ducked into an alleyway. Narrow as ever, she ruefully thought, having to squeeze in at the shoulder to keep her cloak from snagging on rough stone. "I believe...I can make the climb. I doubt we'll see a guard, or better one, have less chance of one seeing us."


Busia emerged from the other end of the long alley, turning briskly onto the street; the opposite side of the temple left the rest of the street basking in a shroud, walls pulled high like a fortress from where Busia stood. Each step did little to shrink it in her eye, the walls seeming to raise as she neared them. She looked over her shoulder; the street was bare, a flicker of torchlight far down the way. Nothing moved but the sand over worn stone, her own crackle of movement and Linyah's breath beneath her cloak.


"We're at the wall, now," Busia announced, pulling the flap of her cloak open, regarding Linyah with slowly lidding eyes. Her gaze shifted to the wall, narrowing further at just how tall they stretched overhead. A drop would be dangerous for Linyah, but the temple was closer than ever. This...could work.


"Linyah, I-" Busia's voice caught, but she soon stilled her nerves. "May I tie you to me?" She feared that was even worse than what she might've said. "The wall is a great height, and I would need both hands to scale it." So, that left the question sitting in her mouth like a stone. "Would you let me?"

 

[Peregrine]

Unconsciously, Linyah felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips, even as she felt the faintest sting of tears pooling in her eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly. "I truly do need to get inside that temple. If you weren't willing to help, I don't know how long I'd have to wait until some other machination of fate allowed me entrance. I'm grateful."

She had met kind people in the world. Her journey had taken her many places, and she'd seen many types. The man who had given her a ride in his wagon to the city being just one of them. None of them would ever have gone so far for someone else as Busia now did. Without questioning. Without suspecting her motives. Just truly and honestly willing to help.

The flood of sweetness also birthed a hint of worry. Not for herself, but for Busia. What had this stone woman experienced in her past, to be so determined to give of herself for others?

A moment later, and Linyah's emotions were back under control, any other thoughts than her current task tucked away. Liyah once more repositioned her grip on Busia's arm, making sure the two were stably connected as they started to walk again.

"Temple walls?" Linyah repeated, shocked, before she giggled slightly. "Are they tall enough that you need to ask if I'm afraid of heights? Those must be mighty walls indeed."

Her moment's humor passed, Linyah focused on answering Busia's question more honestly. "One advantage of being blind, I have no idea how far I have to fall. As far as I'm concerned, the ground would only ever be a foot below my feet."

DON'T do it.

Linyah stumbled slightly as they twisted abruptly to the side. However, she quickly caught her balance using Busia's steadiness, before starting walking once more. Judging by the way their feet echoed, they'd switched from a wide open space to a far narrower one. She focused on that sound instead of the bloody voice that hissed in her ear.

don't TRUST her. don't place your LIFE in her hands.

Focused on Busia's voice, as they reached the wall and she continued to explain the plan.

"If you have confidence in making it over, by all means. But would they not safe-guard the wall against climbers somehow?"

 

[Ragamoofin]

As tight as her chest had gone, there was some relief in knowing Linyah, even-tempered as ever, didn't seem to be overly bothered by Busia's outlandish idea. She'd even laughed.

It bolstered her confidence, as fragile as it'd been, Busia found herself gauging the walls again. They were imposing, though she'd go against mentioning that to Linyah- they were not impossibly tall, and Busia would not let doubt persuade her out of knowing her own strength. She was stronger, now, but Busia had never been much of a climber.

Busia's tongue knocked at the ridge of her teeth, eyes trying to peer through the shadows latching to the peak of the wall. "I wouldn't put such a cruelty past them..." Busia let her eyes fall, drawing over Linyah's frame, then to her own sweeping cloak. A musing rumble shook through Busia, fingers already going to her neck, loosening the knot to pull it free. "It won't bother me, if there are." Dagger and club alike drew no pain from her, both usually broke. "Some benefit to being like...this. Linyah, would you turn around?"

Busia had crouched to her knees, halving the gap in she and Linyah's height. Reaching out to Linyah's shoulder to guide her closer, readjusting Linyah's hand until it fell to her own shoulder; with her back to Linyah, Busia urged her closer. "My cloak has some stretch to it, I believe it'll do for...securing you."

Linyah was slight in comparison to herself, but it was still a long few minutes until the cloak had been banded several ways around Busia's front and Linyah's back. Her steady, unhurried way to tying the final knot spoke to the care she was taking with her company- Busia slowly began to stand, a cautionary whisper under her breath. "Hold on tight."

Not like there was much need. With how Busia's cloak and other wrapping been wound again and again around Linyah, the slighter woman's feet lifted as soon as Busia rose; ample bandage was put as a cushion between Linyah's body and her own, she didn't expect to take long, but it would be inconsiderate to not make the ascent more comfortable for the woman.

Standing tall, Busia was surprised by how little difference Linyah's weight had made- she gave a testing twist of her hips, stepping a around in a tight circle, feeling her knots hold up. Outlandish, Busia rued, but effective. "Is this alright?" She asked quietly, making the final steps to the wall, letting her hands settle over the stone. Her fingertips scraped at it, dust caking up under nails. "I shouldn't be long."

Reaching as far as she could up the wall, Busia's fingers drumned over the stone for a moment, then a fracture split her brow, hand darting out- and lodging solidly into the wall, a spread of cracks branching from her embedded digits. With a single arm, she lifted herself up, free hand swinging up to crash into the stone again, heaving herself upward as she tore her other hand clean off the wall.

And so it went, as rough as her method seemed, it was working; Busia was half-way up the wall in the first minutes of her climb, a crumbling trail in her wake. She didn't tire, her pace steady and unstoppable, glaring up at the sky as she neared the peak of the wall. "Nearly there, now." Busia muttered, voice trailing off when her latest jab at the wall emitted a crunch- twilight made the glass bits glitter under her hand, sundried glue slathering the jagged mess along the wall. Busia's palms ground it to powder, continuing on through the ragged climb.

When Busia's hand reached and went over the ledge of the wall, still brutally decorated with shattered glass, she cut out a sigh. Almost there.

The climb in reverse was as nerve-inducing as the first, though Busia's pace didn't show it, her insides were a coil of worry. Busia glanced over her shoulder, once at Linyah, then at the temple- no guards, as she suspected.

Carefully, Busia's boots set against the ground, fingers unhooking from the wall and brushing her palms together, grinding away what remained of the stone and glass. "I'll have you down in just a moment," Busia assured, crouching down as she began to undo the knots lining her front. While she did, she gave a cautious scan of the area; wide enough to allow for a drove of people, it was strange to see the place swallowed up by shadows and empty as the streets outside the wall. The temple, grand from any angle, stood high and imposing, and for a too-long second, Busia's feeling of apprehension grew deeper.

"Do you think the place is falling behind in repairs?" Busia mused aloud as the first of many knots came loose. "It wouldn't excuse the guards' behavior, but...hm." Busia cut herself short, tending to her unwinding rather than draw attention from listening ears. "Best get you in there and out just as quickly."

 

[Peregrine]

"Hmmm," Linyah murmured in response to Busia's comment, her voice noncommittally agreeable. She could only believe that Busia was correct in saying any counter measures would not harm her. Linyah hadn't known what exactly she'd been thinking when she said 'safe-guard', but this was a city, after all. Would the guards have much reason to make precautions for the non-human?

Best to leave that judgement to a local.

Linyah spun agreeably upon request, doing her best to remain compliant as Busia's hand guided her around. She soon found herself in something like a piggy-back ride, her arms reflexively clinging around Busia's wide, firm neck even as her legs failed to fully wrap around the other woman's waist, her ankles only barely hooking together.

STOP.

In the end, it was tight coils of cloth that ended up holding her legs in place, supporting her weight even as it tightly bound her to Busia's back. In response to Busia's words, Linyah clung on a bit tighter, squeezing her arms and legs until the hard contours of Busia's body began to press into Linyah's own soft flesh. The position was anything but comfortable, as Linyah was doubly forced to acknowledge as Busia began to move around.

DON'T dO tHiS.

It was rare for the bloody god to speak so persistently. Usually it was his wont to spit out a comment, hoping to get a reaction from Linyah, and then get bored again just as quickly. But even if Linyah was ever particularly inclined to listen to his cruel predictions, it simply wasn't something she had the luxury to do now. Not if she intended to follow the sharp-voiced goddess' instructions, and enter this temple.

And if she wasn't going to do that, why had she come all the way here?

"I'm ready," Linyah agreed, her head tilting up as though trying to visualize the height of walls she'd yet to even touch in her mind's eye. "Let's go."

A moment later, and the sound of an unexpected crunch brought Linyah's flight of fancy to a halt. She froze in place, arms squeezing tighter at the unexpected noise, before she felt herself shake slightly, the cloth briefly squeezing her tighter as they swung to the side. They were moving up.

The crunching noise repeated once more, before Linyah caught the sound of falling pebbles bouncing against the ground.

It took several long moments for Linyah to put the noise together with their movement, and finally understand what was going on. There were no handholds on the temple wall. Instead, Busia was making her own handholds by directly carving them out of the wall. Linyah let out a long, slow breath as she once more stabilized herself, devoting all her attention to making sure she was tightly secured to Busia's back.

NO. if she DROPS you, i WON'T be... NO ONE can catch...

The bloody god's near frantic mutterings caused Linyah's heart to tense, even as the rhythmic sound of the wall cracking accompanied their climb upwards. As a blind girl wandering the world nearly alone, Linyah knew full well that her survival was not due only to her good fortune. She heard the voices of the gods, and they observed and affected the world through her. More than once, her survival against unprecedented odds could only be attributed to the mercy of the divine.

...Why could no one catch her if she fell? What did that mean? Linyah never believed her survival guaranteed, but there was a big difference between unwilling and unable.

When Busia's voice reached her again, Linyah could do nothing but let out a faint squeak. It wasn't the best of responses, but it was the best Linyah could manage at the moment. She'd said she wasn't afraid of heights, and she'd really meant it. But apparently she was somewhat afraid of falling, when provoked by a god of catastrophes.

Yet the cloth remained firm, and Busia's pace remained steady. Linyah calmed her breathing and did her best to stabilize her fluttering heart. Her fate right now was out of her hands, and there was nothing Linyah could do but accept that. This wasn't the first time she'd encountered such a situation, after all.

And Busia carried her fate steadily. When Linyah's feet once more touched solid earth, she couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she replied, pleased that her voice was steady enough. "You did really well."

To the alter. Hurry up.

Linyah swallowed back her words of retort as the last of the cloth fell away from around her. If the sharp-voiced goddess was in such a hurry, why didn't she help? A bloody voice seemed to echo in her ears once more ...no one can...

"Something strange is going on," Linyah said, these words spoken with more volume and confidence than her former speculation. She extended her hand in Busia's direction. "Please. Guide me to the main alter."

 

[Ragamoofin]

Under the quiet, but sincere thanks from Linyah, Busia shifted at the waning fear in her voice. "Thank you for courage," she quickly thanked. Her eyes glanced at her path up the wall, momentarily giving it a trace, wondering how long the trip back over would take. But, if she was able to cause a distraction elsewhere-

Busia's budding strategy was overshadowed by Linyah's sudden command from her, no longer asking so much as telling her. Despite the thoughts that swam with the question of what called for such haste, Busia took Linyah's shoulder in a cautious calm, and began to walk her towards the temple's steps; the outside design seemed to be mirrored, a grand flight of stairs, only without the threat of guards at their peak. Busia's eyes crept about the courtyard, resting over the dry fountains and wilted foliage surrounding dusty, crackling stonework.

"It's...very odd to see the temple in such a state, I wonder-" Busia silenced herself as the clatter of blades came from afar- from the wall; Busia's emerald complexion seemed to glint palely as the shout of voices came from the other side. "We should hurry." Busia muttered, her hand slipping past Linyah's shoulder to her slight hips, a gentle heft all that was needed to cradle Linyah along the length of Busia's arm. With the woman secured, Busia's footsteps made a punishing trail along the steps, dust and stone alike flying as she raced beyond the pillars.

Within the temple, Busia wasn't sure if the feeling was real or a figment of her uncertainty, but she swore she felt...weary. On reflex, Busia drew her arm closer to herself, as if she meant to guard Linyah from the eerie sensation- if she felt it at all.

Sparse torches and few candles lit the temple, a vast, hollow thing without the bustle of the public to fill it by the dozen- now, it was a cold, strange place for worship. The firelight along the pillars seeped the walls in flickering black, deep and creeping over the floor, snapping back as the breeze drew a struggle out of candles.

The alter was all but swallowed in darkness as Busia neared it, but the unwelcome feeling nagged at her yet. She was hesitate to release Linyah to the ground under the golden alter's long shadow. "It is before you," Busia whispered, flinching at the loudness of her rasp. "Reach out, and you will feel it."

 

[Peregrine]

Linyah fell into step beside Busia, her steps growing somewhat more hasty now that they were inside the temple grounds. It was almost like she could hear a faint buzzing noise, something high-pitched and unsettling that caused her heartbeat to unconsciously accelerate. Yet it wasn't a real noise, nor was it something in her mind like the voices of the gods. Instead, it was nothingness, unreal, yet undeniably present.

She just wanted to finish whatever task the sharp-voiced goddess had for her, and be out of this space.

It was Busia's heavy, solid hand that helped calm her heart. Trying to rush wouldn't gain her anything. No matter how uncomfortable the world around her, life would only ever move at its own pace.

So she followed alongside Busia, having to take two steps for every one of the much larger woman's. Her ears strained around her, listening for anything that could give her a hint. Why she was here. What was going on. It was all an enigma, one neither the gods nor the people currently seemed inclined to unravel.

Busia's words caused Linyah to nod. Something was unquestionably wrong. If it wasn't, they likely wouldn't have been blocked from entering the temple the way they were. Yet, wheel Linyah heard the shout of the guards, she couldn't help but flinch slightly. They already sounded so close.

Just as Linyah was about to break into a jog, she felt Busia's hand wrap around her waist. An instant later, and her feet left the ground. Linyah reflexively clung to the upper portion of Busia's arm, her fingers tangling as much in the other woman's cloak as around her stone flesh. However, a moment later she could hear the thunder of Busia's feet, and feel the air brushing against her cheeks, causing her swaying hair to fly out behind her along with the silken fabric of the niqab around her face.

They were running.

Linyah swallowed slightly, squeezing her eyes shut. Even though it didn't change her world of darkness, the faint sensation of pressure on her upper cheeks somehow helped her focus.

She could hear the guards.

"Intruders! Something climbed the wall!"

"Where are they? Where did they go?"

She could hear the moment they were swallowed up by the temple's interior, when the crunch of stone was no longer free to roam the sky, but instead trapped in the confines of space. The echo seemed to have swallowed them both up, and Linyah felt it as Busia cradled her closer.

"They're inside the temple!"

"Hurry! If they have anything to do with this…"

"What if it gets worse?"

Linyah's lips part, her faint inhalation covered up by the noise of Busia's passage. Yet she didn't try to restrain the murmur that passed her lips. "I think something really big has gone wrong."

She didn't know whether her words were to herself, Busia, or the goddess that should still be watching their every move, but had fallen unusually silent since the moment the guards had started chasing them. Linyah had gotten no instructions beyond 'reach the altar'. What would she do if they ended up caught instead? What kind of punishment awaited a woman of stone and a blind girl for breaking into a closed church?

"Find the intruders! Now!"

The altar was in front of them. Linyah's feet unconsciously reached for the ground, but nothing but empty air and Busia's strong arm greeted her. Instead, she extended her fingers.

"They're in the prayer hall!" The high pitched shriek of a voice caused Linyah to wince. Someone was in the hall with them. Almost desperately, she flung herself forward reaching desperately forward for the altar that Busia said was before here.

And then her fingers met cold, smooth marble.

For one instant, nothing happened. Fear surged within Linyah.

And then her mind went blank as heat flooded through her body.

Her dark world was overwhelmed by blinding, brilliant gold light.

 

[Ragamoofin]

Written by @Peregrine and @Ragamoofin~​

The moment Linyah's fingers brushed against the table, golden light began to emerge from the point of contact. It was bright and warm, like the light of the sun reflecting off sand in the middle of the day.

A cold hollow emerged in the pit of Busia's stomach as her eyes caught light, brilliant and eerie in the chamber room. As it lanced up Linyah's hand, the glow having already consumed the woman's entire arm before Busia could manage an utterance- but she didn't need to say anything, she just had to get Linyah away from the altar.

Yet already it was reaching up over her shoulder, flowing up her neck and down her chest.

"No." A gasp slipped from Busia's clenched lips as Linyah, despite her hold made steady but gentle, was all but wrenched away from her. She rose onto the points of her boots, Linyah rising higher with every ebb of that strange, golden light. "Linyah!"

A moment later, she was torn out of Busia's arms.

Hanging suspended in the middle of the air, the golden light fully enveloped Linyah. The niqab that surrounded her face was blown away, fluttering silently down to the ground. For the first time, Busia caught full glimpse of Linyah's face. The golden light flowing from her body only seemed to highlight her thinness, her cheeks slightly sunken, small nose and narrow, pointed chin. Coase skin worn from unknown hardships.

Linyah's faun brown hair lifted around her in a wild halo, transforming into bright, honey blonde locks. Behind her back, the light connected into interlocking wheels, all of them spinning in time with each other. A giant, two handed sword of light appeared behind her back.

From the moment Linyah had slipped from her grasp, Busia had not taken her eyes off the woman, and as the cascade of light transformed her, Busia could not find it in herself to look away. She stared into the woman's radiance, unblinking as Linyah was seemingly remade by the power she now commanded.

Waves of light radiated from her, filling the entire worship hall with their pulsing energy. Linayh's mouth opened, and words emerged from between her motionless lips.

"Bow before me."

The guards that had been rushing in through the entrance to the Altar Room were forced to a halt by the combined impact of the words and light that surrounded Linyah. Many of them faltered, unconsciously dropping to one knee, their glaives dropping noisily onto the floor as their fingers lost strength.

To one side of the room, the high pitched voice that had revealed Linyah and Busia's intrusion screamed in some mixture of shock and ecstasy, before a woman dressed in golden priest's robes raced into the room immediately dropping into a kneeling pose of worship, her hands clasped reverently.

"This humble servant greets Zuara, the Goddess of Swords, Sand, and Destiny."

Among the guards and lone priestess throwing themselves to the floor in either terror or worship, Busia stood as a frozen figure in the light radiating from…was it was truly still Linyah? In her shock, she'd begun to feel her senses fuzz; the clatter of blades and the title bestowed upon the woman was all but lost to her.

Regaining motion at last, Busia took a single step towards Linyah- or whatever had possessed her, and lifted a hand to the empty air between them. "What have I done?"

Beyond her guilt, Busia's mind quickly recalled the danger that surrounded them; disarmed for now, the guards looked too afraid to move- it could mean all the difference when they moved to escape.

But…Linyah- this Zuara that had overcome the girl she'd met, Busia couldn't fathom how they'd get out and not alert the city to their presence.

No one in the hall had spare attention to notice Busia's sacrilege. The priest's eyes glowed with the light reflected from Linyah's form, her eyes positively glistening with gold. A single, bright bead spilled over the edge and rolled down her cheek.

"My… my lady," she stuttered out. "You-you've been silent for so long. Have we.. have we done wrong? Please tell us, I will correct it immediately!"

She flung herself forward, a faint, audible thump echoing through the chamber as her head struck against the stone floor.

"This city has been filled with the taint of corruption."

A faint, desperate sound came from the woman on the floor, her entire body shaking. Yet, she did not dare lift her head.

"It has creeped through the shadows. By the time we noticed its existence, it had spread too far. Now… even we dare not touch it."

"What… What kind of corruption could thwart even the gods?"

"Corruption of divine origin. That is why I have brought this holy-blessed child to my city."

As the assumed goddess spoke through Linyah, Busia found herself becoming more convinced of the overshadowing of Linyah's own spirit. The thought wound a coil of uncertainty into Busia's chest, every word from Linyah's mouth making it tighten.

The pit of Busia's stomach felt more hollow than ever as the goddess warned of corruption- one that was divine? The thought came with no clear meaning in Busia's mind…although…

Memory brought back the expressions of the guards, nervous aggression- now, she could only see it as a ploy to disguise fear of hiding something. Their frantic cries as she and Linyah made their way inside the temple…

The ridge of her teeth had been on edge since Linyah was transformed, but it was harder than ever to hold back her frustration. By the Gods, what did it all mean?

"What do you expect of her?!" The words broke free of Busia's clenched jaw at last. "Against an evil even you can't touch? It's a death sentence!"

"Different tasks to different means."

The divine voice seemed to contain utter disregard for Busia's accusation. She might as well have been responding to a simple question of 'why her'?

"Besides. Were you not instrumental to bringing her here yourself?"

Try as she might, Busia found it difficult to keep her teeth in a grimace when Linyah - although possessed - was the one staring back at her. The unfazed tone of voice she got back was more than enough to keep her temper as sharp as it was; yet, Busia couldn't fight the snare of guilt around her heart. She had taken Linyah here, to do what, she still had no idea. Linyah hadn't truly known herself, and that alone set Busia to fury.

"I-I hadn't known it would mean this…" It made her sick to think about, but it was true. If only she'd kept Linyah away from the temple, taken her to the inn while she had the chance. She had to do something for her, now.

"What…what can I do to help her?"

"You can start by silencing your dissent. The time I can spend manifest is limited."

Somewhere during their short exchange, the priestess had lifted her head. She cast a glare at Busia that made it seem as though she was wishing a thousand curses upon the stone woman. However, the moment Linyah's head turned once more, she lowered her gaze once more, the picture of perfect obedience.

"Please give us your wisdom, My Lady. The temple will do whatever is necessary to help the blessed child clear this corruption from our city."

"While the source of this corruption is uncertain, its results are much more evident. It lurks inside people, and steals our power whenever we touch it."

The longer Busia dwelled on the idea of a godborn corruption in the city, the more obscene her thoughts became; every city came with its slums, but just how long had the beggars been as sickly as they were? Could it spread? Had it already begun?

Questions arose without end as she drew to a halt, feeling all too exposed under Zuara's light.

"Inside of us? My Lady, how can we protect ourselves from this taint?"

"How can we aid the ones already suffering?"

Busia's voice cut in like a rough whisper, not quite finding her previous tone with the goddess.

"You cannot."

The firm voice of the Goddess of Swords seemed to echo around the prayer hall like the ringing descent of an executioner's blade, sharp and deadly.

"You cannot ward off divine power if you come into contact with it, nor can you remove it when any touch of it absorbs strength. That is why you must find its source, and destroy it. Otherwise the city, and everyone within it, will be lost."

The Goddess' answer struck Busia like a solid blow, the woman of stone even taking a slow, step backwards, head shaking in disbelief. "Then- then how can it be done?" Busia was but a frail whisper, her hollow voice sounding distant.

"A-and what of this one, my Goddess?!" The priestess' acid tone took Busia from staring into the light and snapping her gaze onto the woman aiming her finger like a dagger at her. "You intruder! You are not fit- you are unworthy to be in her audience!"

"I go where she goes! As long as she needs me." Busia's sharped glare flew back towards the ceiling, face shifting into grimace at Linyah's cold eyes. "Please, Goddess, release her. Release her and-" Busia hesitated, teeth clenching against her tongue. "I will drive out this corruption."

For once, Linyah's static eyes turned, directed towards Busia. But the golden light in their depth made it clear it wasn't the blind girl who was directing them, but rather the Goddess of Destiny. A trace of emotion appeared in their depths, but it was impossible for Busia to guess what it could be. Pity? Or perhaps it was closer to schadenfreude.

"You understand little of the child you brought here. Do you think she came unwillingly or unknowingly? She is secretive, as she should be, but she should be more open with your questions after this."

Linyah's golden eyes turned away once more, the Goddess' interest in Busia's proclamation waning.

"If you go where she goes, you will help regardless. Now, quiet your complaints and focus on the real problem."

The goddess made it sound all too easy; for every word from the deity possessing Linyah, Busia could feel her unease growing. She herself had made the act of finding the corruption sound simple, while in actuality, she hadn't the first clue how to go about it.

She needed Linyah, the true Linyah, if she was going to have a chance at navigating what she'd involved herself in.

Yet, Busia found herself questioning Linyah herself- the goddess had set the seed of worry in her mind, but it was her own paranoia that made it grow into a snare. Busia couldn't shake the feeling as she took in Linyah's golden eyes, cold and distant with the goddess in control.

They had to speak later, if there was another time to talk; Busia had not forgotten the idle threat of the guards, nor the priestess.

"Where do we even begin?" The city was vast, there was no way they were expected to search the entirety of Al-Yaazdim before the evil rotted through.

Linyah's head bobbed slightly, although that slight gesture of approval seemed to do little to appease the Priestess. The woman, still kneeling on the cold stone floor of Zuara's temple, seemed as though she was facing a curse of fire and swords with every word Busia spoke to the goddess.

"Find its trace, and then follow it backwards. This corruption was brought to the city from outside. It has not always been here. Find the thread, find the clues, find the source, and destroy it."

The golden glow around Linyah flickered, the sword and wheels behind her back beginning to turn faintly illusory. Slowly, ever so slowly, Linyah's body began to lower back towards the ground.

"Even now, being here drains on me. I will not manifest in this city again until the corruption is clear. But I will be watching, through the child. Succeed."

Busia was oblivious to all except the glowing visage of her friend, apt on heeding the goddess's every word; if she was so obliging now, Busia had a growing fear her influence wouldn't last.

"It was brought here?" Busia's voice went tight and gravelly with fright. Was it a plague? Disease had no hold on her, however Linyah would not be so lucky. She had to be kept away from it, no matter what.

A gasp was stolen from Busia's lips when she noticed the sun-like light of Linyah's conjured swords began to wane, becoming ghostly figments before her eyes. On instinct, her arms stuck out, preparing to catch Linyah as the goddess's hold seemed to slip. It was no small comfort when Linyah did finally lower into her arms, though a bitter voice in her mind reminded Busia it was far from comfortable for her new friend.

"I will," came Busia's weary voice, kept low enough so only Linyah in her unwaking state would hear her. "I must." That was said as a harsh whisper.

At once, Busia's arms took a more secure hold of Linyah, gently rearranging her as she stood tall, eyes already mere slits as she gazed over the room. They were still in immense danger, Linyah even more than her; that vile priestess who seemed to burn at the revelation of the plague and at Linyah herself, she seemed to command the room, and worse, the blades of the guardsmen. Busia bristled for a moment, a rattling breath taken to try and soothe herself.

"I ask that you let us leave," Busia said towards the priestess, teeth on edge as she did. "I would not perfer a violent exit in this place."

A shudder seemed to pass through the priestess, rocking her body slightly. Emotions twisted their way across her face, briefly contorting her smooth skin. But the fire that burned in her eyes slowly reduced to a smolder and was suppressed into inky stillness as she looked at Linyah's limp form. She took a slow, shaky breath, before gesturing the guards away.

"You may leave," she said, the words short and clipped. "But it will do the Divine Envoy no boon. Do you know how to care for someone dealing with the aftereffects of possession?" The derision was back in her voice, and the distaste. There was little doubt that the priestess would give anything to have Busia forcibly removed, and only her dedication to her creed kept her still.

"Stay. There are rooms in the temple for her to rest. Our healers will ensure our health, and our medicine will speed her recovery. Once she awakens, we can begin the search for this corruption."

The crackling tension between Busia's shoulders failed to lessen at all, even when the priestess' words seem to imply she'd help them; for the cynic in the forefront of Busia's mind, she could already feel the snare of the trap around them.

And yet, with the limp weight of Linyah in her arms, Busia's still heart felt heavier. Would she wake if they were to escape on their own? There was no telling the truth from deceit, but Busia couldn't take that chance.

She had promised to take Linyah to safety. She would not break that vow.

With a tight jaw, Busia let her shoulders fall, silently relieved a gentler path had revealed itself. "Then, please, lead us there."

 

[Peregrine]

Linyah swam towards consciousness slowly, vaguely. The touch of soft fabric against her skin. A muttering wave of voices that came and left. The pungent smell of burning herbs. Bitter liquid in her mouth. A touch of cold stone that nonetheless felt safe and comforting.

Wake up.

When she finally, fully became aware, Linyah did so with the knowledge that she wasn't entirely well.

Under normal circumstances, Linyah was a light, cautious sleeper. She had spent the night in far too many places that required her to be ready to move, ready to react, at a moment's notice. Even the faintest sound was normally enough to jolt her from her sleep.

The only times she woke so slow and blurry was when something was wrong.

Had sickness caught her? Or was it something else that left her so weak?

Gradually, her thoughts cleared enough for Linyah to begin evaluating her surroundings. It was quiet. Peaceful. She couldn't hear anything but the faint chirp of distant birds and the faint sound of wind, all of it muffled. The surface under her back was soft, offering the curve of her spine full support instead of sharp resistance. The fabric draped across her chest and legs slid smoothly across her skin, soft and silky.

Her lips parted, a faint, heavy breath escaping her mouth.

These weren't dangerous circumstances.

With the promise of more time, Linyah's thoughts gradually came into order. She'd made it to Al-Yaazdim, though the city, into the temple, and in front of the altar. And, from there, nothing.

And yet, that memory was enough for her to piece together the gap within her memory. The aching soreness of her limbs suddenly became familiar.

After all, this was not Linyah's first divine possession. If anything, the most remarkable part of it was that she felt as well as she did. Had she been sleeping for so long that the ache of divine overload had faded from her flesh?

Had Busia brought her to an inn?

"Busia?"

The name was spoken softly, filled with the uncertainty that had flooded Linyah's heart. Was the stone woman still here? It was impossible for the possessed to remember the results of divine possession, but it wasn't as though Linyah had given her any warning, and who knew what had transpired after that flash of brilliance.

Perhaps Busia had considered her help rendered, what with Linyah's arrival to her destination.

Yet, against her better judgement, she found herself hoping that was not the case.

"Are you there?"

 

[Ragamoofin]

The oil lanterns filling every corner of the healers' den cast harsh shadows; the faint howl of a strong wind against silken curtains, then the gritty roll of stone on stone. Busia emerged from the steeper dark, footfalls settling at Linyah's bedside. Mindfully, she let her voice rise above the wind's call.

"Yes, Linyah," slowly, Busia let her hand graze Linyah's hand; fresh, soft bandages swaddled each of Busia's digits, her touch much gentler against Linyah's flesh. At least, that was the idea.

"I am here." Her duty to see Linyah to safety had not, could not end with the woman well within the clutches of the temple. Although she was grateful for the healers, she was not so naive to believe the temple could be trusted with Linyah.

She sounded well, it was a comfort to hear Linyah's own voice from her mouth again. Busia quietly hoped it would stay that way. Curiosity twisted with concern in her chest, and with hardly thinking, she asked the most pressing question.

"What do you remember once you reached the alter?" Busia had heard of possession, the arcane type; wishful mages in training alongside her in her youth, she could vaguely remember a rumor of one such mage invoking a greater demon and going mad. Busia had little knowledge of the arcane, much less the divine, but how much was myth and what was true?

"The...goddess spoke through you, I thought I could reach you-" Busia's hand fell away from Linyah's thin arm, fingers clenching into a fist once she brought her hand away from Linyah's bed. Slowly, she relaxed, remembering her bandages. "Zuara...the priestess knew her, I thought they were going to attack us at first, but..."

Busia's hand came to rest on her jaw, a hollow sigh leaving her. "A godly plague has infected the city, Linyah. Have you ever heard of gods losing strength? Their power in a place? It's the strangest thing...she said they- the gods- couldn't touch it, not once it has entered someone."

The healers' den lacked any chairs that could support her, so Busia crossed her legs to sit at Linyah's bedside, mulling over what she'd been told, trying to voice as much as she could remember from the spectacle. "It sounds like people are getting sick with this plague, but I'm to believe the gods are the greatest concern?"

Her duty remained the same: ensure Linyah's mission was completed safely, that simply included this godplague now. Blinking into the flickering light, Busia's head spun to Linyah, realizing just how much she'd been talking, rambling, really. "Forgive me, Linyah, I can imagine this is a lot when you've only just woke." Her hands scraped across her knees, pausing for a moment before asking: "How are you feeling?"

 

[Peregrine]

The sound of Busia's unmistakable voice caused Linyah's fluttering heart to immediately settle. Even if Busia had been gone, Linyah wouldn't have allowed her determination to waver. Her tasks were laid before her, and there was nothing for her to do but render them complete. But Busia's stable presence had become such a source of strength to Linyah, even in the short time they had been together. It made the unknown task that stood before her somehow feel less daunting.

Linyah's fingers unconsciously coiled around the fabric that touched her, reflex born from curiosity. What greeted her under the wrapping was firm, thin cylinders. She squeezed them unconsciously, her palm somehow already familiar with the shape of Busia's fingers.

Words swelled gradually in her throat, a strange mixture of gratitude and joy, but her lips didn't know how to shape them. Pausing for a second, Linyah ran her tongue across the dry skin. And then the moment was gone, Busia's words drawing her attention away.

"I don't remember anything after I touched the alter. It's unfortunate, but it is the nature of divine possession."

Eyelashes resting gently against her cheek, Linyah listened to Busia's strained words, offering her companion occasional reassurance through a squeeze of the hand. Only when Busia was done speaking did Linyah answer in turn. Her words were slow, giving her time to slowly mull over the information.

"I'm doing well," she agreed softly. "Normally I'd be in much more... feeling a lot more aches after waking up. Thank you for the information. It's what I needed to know."

A plague. A divine plague that targeted the gods, drained their power. Yet, what was even more scary was the power of the gods was still based in the energy of mortals. No one would be immune to such a plague, yet worse, it would target the strongest first. And when the strong perished, who would be left to protect the weak?

Then... the weak would have to take action. Linyah was starting to feel like she understood why she was brought here. Not that it made her task any less daunting.

You are awake.

Linyah bobbed her head slightly.

I've given a revelation to my most loyal priestess. Tell her whatever you need. You must find the source of this corruption, and destroy it. You must.

"People rely on the gods," Linyah continued, her mind tracing back to Busia's description. "If the gods of the entire city have fallen silent, people will come to their own conclusions. Most likely the wrong conclusions. Have... have you ever witnessed a religious purge, Busia?" Linyah fell silent for a second, chewing on the inside of her lip, before shaking fragments of memories out of her head.

"If there really is a plague here that can target gods as well as mortals... we're going to need all the help we can get. Is... is the priestess still here? How long have I been asleep?"

 

[Ragamoofin]

As quiet slowly began to fill with the sound of Linyah's voice, Busia swore she could feel layers of tension peeling away; it'd been a long few hours of watching over Linyah, hoping to no God in particular that she was at least, truly, resting.

The worries she'd made up her head...the strangleholds on her heart finally loosened when Linyah had woke.

Busia was quick to notice the featherlight touch along her hand, the firm hold Linyah held her digit in was enough to put a smile on the woman's lips. It dipped as Linyah explained the typical discomforts of that kind of grand display. "I was hoping it would make more sense to you, this is...far from my normal, Linyah."

There had been few interruptions to the scene Busia guarded over, save the entrance and swift exit of the priestess and her saber-wielding entourage, the healers were next to follow, and they took were met with the unblinking stare of Busia until their departure.

Busia's head shook at Linyah's question; she had her fill of seeing the aftermath of blind violence, she would not be a bystander to any more carnage.

"I doubt she's gone far, I would even wager we're being listened in on, perhaps watched. You've been asleep a few hours past our entrance to the temple, dawn is not far off."

 

[Peregrine]

"A few hours..." Linyah repeated softly, unconsciously flexing her fingers and rolling her shoulders. The faint numbness mixed with soreness was nothing compared to the sharp pains she normally woke with, and that was after half a day's unconsciousness. That is what made this moment abnormal. Perhaps it was the benefit of falling unconscious in a proper temple, instead of falling in the depths of the wilderness.

She would have to wait and see.

"I think... things are going to become a little dangerous, Busia. If this is truly a plague that feeds on divine power..." Linyah fell silent for a moment, before gently tapping on Busia's hand. "Isn't that what keeps you moving? I don't want you to suffer if... if you have somewhere else to go."

Linyah kept that surging feeling of sadness bottled up inside, locked in her chest before it could even reach her throat. Goodbye's were a familiar thing to her. In the end, the people she met were always devoted to their place, to their god. And she was a transient. A welcome presence, but one that came and then left when things were better. It was a sad truth, but it was her reality. This would just be one more goodbye.

"I need to find the source of this plague. I'm likely the only one who can, or I wouldn't have been brought here. But with the help of this Church, I'm sure I won't be working alone." Her heart was calm again. Her mind focused on the task in front of her. A path was slowly forming before her. With the descent of the goddess, the church would support her. She'd use their power to rally the forces of this city, lock down its gates, halt its people. And then, with records of who had come and gone, what trades had been conducted, what taxes collected, she'd surely be able to find a trace of whatever had brought this plague into the city.

 

[Ragamoofin]

Busia was content with the small quiet that followed, it made her wonder what Linyah thought of it all, she could hardly believe it all herself. Never would she had imagined the stranger she was helping along would be instrumental to such a unworldly plot. But...it had given her a chance to meet Linyah, a woman who she found herself growing quite fond of, so Busia briefly wondered on her own role in such a design. The tap to her hand and the question set a new curiosity about her restless thoughts; what would happen to her if the plague got to her?

"Hm, nothing pleasant, I'd imagine." Busia firmly tried not to imagine whatever fates could occur if such a thing happened, however, she rebuked the very idea. "I would not fret over it, but you have my promise that I will try my best to avoid it." Busia had a duty, and she was not one to abandon those she'd gave her word. "I will remain at your side, Linyah. Together, I believe...I believe we can end this plague."

Busia's hand came down as a gentle weight against Linyah's thin arm, Busia casting her gaze to the window, conviction making her hard brow grate together. "Where...should we start? I have seen usual sick, but I'm unsure if I could look past one infected with this plague...maybe, that's the problem?" Busia mused aloud, mulling over the thought for a while longer. "Such ill people would make the market a sorry sight for the merchants, they'd chase them away if they came begging, even if it was simply for help..." Busia's teeth ground in her skull, the noise a clatter of jewels before she caught herself. "Assumptions, baseless ones. I'm wary to call them one, but the church is our best ally without anymore Gods to help us. They must know something."