"Why didn't you get back here sooner!" Jamal could hear Alice roar behind her, as the group was briskly walking as fast as they could towards the sanctuary the prophet stayed at.
"I was pretty busy, thanks for asking. You're welcome that you are now able to travel just about anywhere because of people like me." Sera grumbled back.
"So you were also clearing out those hideouts?" Jamal looked to his side, "I thought you just went back home?"
"I was pretty bored, so I decided to help out. Who knew how desperate these people Youden and those militant forces were really." Sera shook her head in disappointment, "Anyway, the building's only another two blocks away."
Glancing back up, Jamal did notice a temple-shaped structure built on top of one of the city's inner hills, although nearby homes and buildings didn't make it seem as high up due to the incline they were built on. That didn't matter to them, however, as a crowd slowly started to grow along the sidewalks, watching some of the most influential people on the continent march through their streets. Jamal instinctively looked behind him to make sure Laken was doing alright with this many people, only to realize that Ula had taken him with her in the carr that was transporting them to the location.
"At least we got there in the nick of time." Heskins took a sigh of relief, with Jamal focusing back ahead.
There were several guards standing alongside a sole black carr, and Jamal could see Ula holding Laken and a select few of the team on guard surrounding her. At least she had made it safely, as the group stared to stare at the large number of steps they would have to climb up. It was at least a few hundred but could have definitely been worse. Regardless, it was time to see what prophecy or reality was supposed to happen, just as Leon took the first steps up.
Suddenly, a bunch of aggressive yelling from the incoming crowd forced Jamal to look back at what was happening. It appeared that this prophet of sorts was extremely respected because several of them started to pray aloud, with more of the crowd worried about the reasoning behind their saviors being summoned for the occasion. If it wasn't for the rest of the guards preventing anyone from coming through, then who knew how chaotic things could have gotten. Jamal took a quick peek at Ula to see her reaction, only to see the woman was already covering Laken's ear, as the boy seemed a bit traumatized by such a scene. Were these officials not prepared at all?
"Hey, you guys need to move my family to the top." Jamal started looking at chosen guards who were just standing around Ula, "Now!"
Snapping out of their trance, the guards quickly reassured Ula and Laken to keep moving, just as a light started to illuminate the place. Turning back around again, Jamal could see Hops holding tight to Alice's side, just as the woman finished muttering a phrase.
"See you all on the top. Enjoy your fans." Alice gave the rest of the remaining group a quick wave, before she and Hops disappeared in a flash.
Standing for a few more seconds as to what just happened, the group swiftly snapped out of their reoccurring actions, before staring back at the long, white steps going up.
"Come on, Ula's not even here anymore. It won't take us any longer." Sera took a quick breath before beginning the climb to the top.
"Alright, let's see what all this was about because it better be worth it." Brat chimed in, as the rest of them followed behind Sera, not wanting to wait longer with the growing scene from the streets below.
....
Sitting down in a large room, void of nothing except a large table and exactly nine available seats was an elderly woman with wrinkly skin, and thin strands of white hair barely preserving her youth, if you could even call it that. A small crystal-like ball placed on the table gave the room its sole lightning, to which one could see the four robed acolytes convened in each of the room's four corners. As guardians of the sanctuary, they may not have seemed too intimidating, but they could pack a punch if anyone dared disturb the premise. Which hadn't been done for hundreds of years, despite the countless battles that have occurred around and within the city. The prophet did know it all.
"They're here." the elderly woman stared to smile without looking up, "Prepare our guests with a very warm welcome. We have a lot to be thankful for, and so much more to speak about. As you will all find shortly."
"Yes, O' Glorious Prophet!" the acolytes shouted in unison, to which the main door was knocked upon once they literally finished. Everything was now going to be revealed as to what the world was to now would happen.