"An excellent fight leader, you managed to beat all of us." Quill congratulated Calliope.
The team stood on the side as the twin healers used their magic on them. The wounds they had sustained were starting to disappear.
Myo stood alongside them, having simply stood by as the rest fought.
While they groaned in pain, Marcus laughed for a moment.
"What's so funny?" Celestine asked.
"Well, guess fighting a royal guard wasn't so easy." Marcus continued to laugh as his wounds healed.
Soon the man approached them again.
"Around this time of midday, most should be heading down to the other rooms for prayer. Among other tasks. Best for you to follow." Sensing another opportunity to effortlessly go through the cathedral, Calliope quickly agreed while the rest were still busy having their wounds healed.
Out of all of them, Marcus was injured the most with Celestine suffering the least wounds.
The room quickly returned to its normal state as the group dispersed, quickly returning to their sparring and healers waiting in the back of the spars to deal with any injury.
Once their wounds were fully healed, Callippe motioned for them to move.
The group soon made their way past the many sparring matches occurring near them, staying behind the same hooded man. Headed for a door on the other side of the room.
Through the door, they started descending a stairway. The descent was longer than before, and the smell of calming herbs was stronger.
Once they reached the very bottom, the man opened the door.
They found themselves in a large hallway, populated by more hooded worshippers, chatting or standing around while the group moved through.
The hallway was short and only had a single large door on the side. Groups of worshippers stood around it, carrying long scrolls and reading from them.
"Ah, the scripture room. Well reading hours are still later, but i do need to complete them already." The man stepped forward and pushed the large door open.
A warm breeze rushed through as the doors were opened.
The room was large, and eerily silent. Lit up by a few chandeliers that hung above. The air was filled with the calming scent of herbs that burned in small pots, tied to ropes and hung up with the other chandeliers.
On the walls were massive smooth stones filled with texts etched onto them. Reaching almost to the ceiling.
In front of each one was a small barrier that separated the stone from the worshippers.
With the barriers were tables carrying stacks of scrolls, mostly copies of what was placed onto the stone.
Curtains were seen dangling on both sides of each stone. The walls were heavily decorated in beautiful blue and white colors, giving a sense of wealth to the room.
Although Colton and the others still couldn't read what was on it, they still stared in shock at the sight of such large structures deep underground.
Calliope and the twins though were far more interested in them. They stared at each tablet, reading off from them.
Oliver's face changed to one of interest as they walked on.
The man in front of them stopped at one in particular. He grabbed a scroll and began reading from it.
"Go on, get your own scrolls. All worshippers must know the words of Foren." The man quickly spoke, sensing Callippe and the twins' curiosity.
Oliver and Clarissa both grabbed a scroll and began reading from them. Their eyes lit up upon seeing what was on them, as if they had seen it time and time again in the past.
"Keep it if you wish, we always make new ones. Hope you all finish your tasks for today. I need to head off now for a few more duties of my own." The man explained, with a small nod towards the group after he spoke, he left them and headed for another door in the room.
The team was visibly bored while Callippe and the twins were heavily interested in what the scrolls contained, whispering to one another.
But with the scent of the room and the overall peaceful silence, the team preferred to stay inside. Even if it meant doing nothing.
Quill started twirling one her arrows with her hand while Celestine and Marcus inspected their weapons, cleaning or brushing off whatever was on it. Colton though took in the air smell of the burning herbs.
Myo simply tossed up his blade and catched it repeatedly until they were done.
"Apologies for the delay, these scrolls were more of interest to us. Let us keep moving." Calliope soon led the team towards the door the man entered.
The door was smaller, and with a single push, it creaked open.
The scent of herbs was soon replaced by the smell of paper and books. The group entered into a library.
The library was similar in size to the scripture room, or even slightly bigger. Small to large wooden shelves covered the walls and main area. All filled to the brim with different colored books.
Like the room before, the library held a single chandelier above to give light throughout the large room.
Just from where they stood, they could see a second floor to the place with a stairwell heading to it on both sides.
A large number of worshippers were already present, reading off of the books.
While the group made their way through the place, the three started plucking a few and briefly reading what was inside them before putting it back, trying to gain more information on what the cathedral contained.
As they went further, the shelves in the center were soon replaced by long tables with worshippers already sitting on them. The look of it all reminded Colton of the library they used to call home before.
"So, what's the plan? We just rob this place and take everything we can?" Marcus jokingly asked.
"That would be a plan, though we may only take a few amounts. Perhaps we may take the rest on a later date if possible." Calliope replied.
As time went on, the three began taking a few more books on the shelves they deem useful enough. Walking around and even upstairs to collect more without alerting anyone.
After minutes of quietly walking around as the three filled their hands with books, they mamaged to collect enough.
With enough knowledge books, Calliope sent them to her storage.
Myo read a few of the books on his own before heading back to the group.
"We cannot take all of these as of now with little suspicion. Thus we only need the most important. Let us keep moving." Without delay, they walked past the shelves and tables, before arriving to another door.
Upon opening it, a stairway down awaited them.
"How deep does this place even go?" Marcus questioned. With no reply, they walked down the stairs, leaving the silent and almost calm rooms.
With the push on the door at the bottom, they reached tue next floor underground.
They stepped into a hall that only headed forward. The place had less people than above, loudly talking with one another.
There were 2 heavily reinforced doors on the sides with a single wooden door on the other end of the room.
The reinforced doors were guarded by a pair of guards, wearing thin metal armor beneath their worshipper robes.
"What's the plan?" Marcus asked again.
"I suggest we stay silent, especially you. To not cause suspicion until we finish the mission." Quill replied.
"What is wrong with you?" Marcus quietly asked, but she refused to respond.
"Quill is indeed correct. Though our main focus right now is to collect enough books that may benefit us and kingdom. Again, we may simply return here to investigate what is left. Let us move." With a response, everyone began walking through the hall.
But as they passed by, one of the guards spoke.
"You, stop moving." His helmet looked at Oliver and Clarissa, staring at their staffs.
"You are both healers correct?" The two quickly nodded.
"I see that neither of you seem to be carrying weapons. Why is that?" While Oliver stayed silent, Clarissa replied.
"We do not have it on us, we lost it somewhere." The guard let out a brief sigh. The lie seemed to have worked.
"As healers, you require at least some protection. Given your weakened physical capabilities compared to your peers after the healer creation process." The guard turned around and began twisting a key to open the locked door.
"I suggest you to not be so careless with your weapons, you may take a replacement. Perhaps a shortsword." The door opened to a small room filled with racks of weapons of different types. From longswords and spears to daggers.
Marcus opened his mouth in surprise as the group entered into the room.
"Grab a short weapon you two. Similar to what the guard said, you need decent protection. Since you are not frontline fighters, take a smaller weapon." Calliope ordered.
After a minute of selecting a weapon, the two returned with a weapon. Oliver held a decorated shortsword while Clarissa took a serrated dagger.
"Both are mental blessed." Calliope commented, looking at their chosen weapons.
While they hung around inside. The crowd outside suddenly began running.
As they looked out, the guard stepped inside and prepared to speak.
"It is best you all leave. The time now is for selection process in the altar room beneath us."