Surrounded by a moat that spanned a width of forty metres was a large piece of farmland, covered with lush, golden crops of wheat. Running in quarters between the wheat were small patches of rice, chilly, pepper, groundnut, and a few other spices.
The crops here reached a height thrice a human and bore a harvest of grains ten times what other plants of the same species gave out. It was a land brimming with vitality.
And situated in the centre of such a bountiful land was a palace created using grey marble. It was a seemingly dull building in the field of golden brown, but accompanied by the clear skies, it painted a picturesque scene.
There were no walls to this palace, which didn't seem necessary. The very environment itself acted as its protection.
A structure that spanned an area of 40 acres and reached a height of ninety metres. Designed with engravings of wheat, rice, and other crops. Even the roof of the palace had been shaped to resemble leaves, those that curled up as their tips pointed at the sky.
Garobu City—Palace of the Sickle Deity!
Keyn Garobu crossed the moat and walked through a path of grass wedged between two wheat fields, looking around as he observed the sprawling crops, mentally snorting once. "Guard the entrance, Larru."
"Yes, sir Keyn." Larru stopped at the entrance and watched two Spirits accompany Keyn. The land surrounding the Sickle Deity's Palace was a place that even Priests like her couldn't enter, unless personally summoned by the Deity himself.
Only Spirits and above could freely enter and leave as they please. Other than them, only the Priests exclusively serving the Sickle Deity had the authority to enter and leave the place.
Of course, as Priests personally serving the Deity, the respective Priests never left the Deity's vicinity, living their entire lives in the palace. It was their task to maintain and upkeep the palace's functions.
"Man, it would have been better if we managed to capture Dullip." As the trio walked towards the palace, Vhiny commented in irritation, "Now I have to rack my head more than usual. I don't like this."
She walked a step behind Keyn, accompanying him from the right. In her irritation, she took a longer step than usual as her shadow fully covered Keyn's figure.
Snap!
A sickle flew out and made a long gash on her cheek, stunning her for a moment before she reacted to the pain, "Kyak!"
"The next time you walk before me, it'll be your legs that get severed." Keyn glared in hatred before muttering in exasperation, "If only some of the nutrients in your body went to your head instead. You would have a bit of a brain."
'Stunted bastard!' Vhiny snorted mentally as she applied pressure on her wound, intending to get it treated by a Priest later. Even though they were allied for a common cause, both of them disliked Keyn, for the latter was unnecessarily arrogant with a crappy personality.
Vhiny was almost as tall as Dullip, and hence, every single action of hers triggered Keyn's inferiority complex. She wasn't just tall but had a wide, robust frame, able to do the most daunting of physical tasks without any complaints. In terms of pure physical prowess, even four of Keyn would be no match for her, which further triggered the guy.
"Let's just focus on our task instead of wasting our energy on useless emotions, alright?" Stunra stated with a neutral tone, supporting the actions of neither. "We need to ensure Dullip doesn't retaliate and mess up our plans."
"Hmph! If the two of you didn't mess up the sneak attack, we wouldn't even be having this conversation now." Keyn snorted.
"As if you did anything worthwhile…" Vhiny argued when suddenly, Stunra nudged her from the side, subtly motioning her to shut up. With that, Vhiny clicked her tongue and no longer bothered to speak, 'No wonder everyone hates this shorty.'
Stunra had a lean body and was pretty short, in comparison to the Garobu Family. She barely reached six feet. Of course, she was a head taller than Keyn, which was more than enough reason to receive his ire.
Stunra and Vhiny made eye contact as they followed Keyn, soon arriving at the palace's entrance.
A Laurel Priest stood guard at the entrance, muttering incoherently while inspecting a bag of seeds. Upon staring at the trio, he stated without a change in breath, "Lord isn't free to see others."
'I know that. It's because of me he's incapable of seeing others.' Keyn didn't voice his thoughts aloud as he formally cupped his fists, "I'm only here for an official reason. I have work in the library."
"Of course, I don't have the authority to stop the Apostle." The Laurel Priest bowed a little and allowed Keyn to pass. He then stared at Vhiny and Stunra, his expression overbearing, unlike the placid attitude he took towards Keyn, "Don't interrupt the Deity's meditation session. Do anything beyond your duties, and I'll throw you out of the palace."
"This isn't the first time we're here." Vhiny rolled her eyes as she followed Keyn, walking past the Laurel Priest. For a moment, her hand clenched into a fist but relaxed soon after. She glanced at the Laurel Priest once before no longer bothering with him, 'This old man's just on borrowed days. The poison seems to have circulated through him perfectly.'
"Don't do anything out of the norm," Keyn whispered once they entered the palace and stared at the empty corridor, "Even if everything has fallen under our control, it's best to exercise caution."
'Look at who's talking.' Vhiny mentally retorted and casually nodded at his words.
There was a line of grass growing at the sides of the long corridor, brimming and emanating a gentle hue of sunlight, keeping the place sufficiently bright. A Laurel Priest tended to the grass, inspecting their condition as he went around with his task.
Keyn casually walked to the other end of the corridor and came across a large double door, motioning for the Laurel Priest stationed there to scram, "Father summoned me for an important issue. Ensure no one else approaches this vicinity until the task is done. Even the other Priests are no exception."
"Of course, I'll do as you say, Apostle." Bowing in response, the Laurel Priest walked away, making herself scarce.
Keyn took out a large key and unlocked the double door, opening it slowly as he and the two Spirits entered, locking it behind them.
In the large room built like a dome, with its height reaching sixty metres, despite the lack of windows, the air was fresh, not to mention the surroundings being bright, as if the place was exposed to the sun.
Keyn stared at a wheat stalk growing in the centre of the room, one that reached a height of forty metres, the source of the sunlight and fresh air in the sealed room. His gaze then fell on the figure of a man that seemed to have been stuck within the stem of the wheat stalk, his expression one of desperation to break free but unable to do so.
Keyn smiled a little as he spoke, "How's the accommodation, father?"