Her heart was heavy with fear and desperation, but her resolve was unshakable. She had a vision that Faelan, her husband, had gone missing during a skirmish with the relentless desert locusts that had plagued the Kitui region for over a year. As she neared Kitui, her senses sharpened, the devastation around her coming into sharper focus.
Naria guided her spirit beast, a majestic white eagle with wings like woven starlight, through the barren skies above Kitui. She flew above the devastation of Kitui on her spirit beast, her gaze drifting over the desolate landscape below. The verdant forests she remembered had been stripped bare, replaced with trampled vegetation and burned trees.
Scattered villages lay in ruin, and as she neared the main settlement, she saw caravans of villagers fleeing, their carts loaded with the injured and weak. Some residents, however, were trying to rebuild, their faces filled with exhaustion and a hollow determination. Naria knew why these villagers were unable to leave—they stayed behind to tend to loved ones too injured to survive the journey.
Naria felt her heart ache for these people. She could sense their suffering, hear their unspoken pleas for help. The cautious side of her urged her to stay hidden, to keep her presence unknown. But as she looked down, watching the desperation unfold, a steely resolve took over. She could not turn her back on them.
Taking a deep breath, she whispered, "They deserve a chance. Doing nothing is the same as condemning them to death. What is the need of being the follower of a deity if I do not represent their beliefs."
With a gesture, she channeled a soothing aura, bathing herself in a warm, golden glow that expanded and descended upon the villagers like a cloud. Healing energy flowed from her fingers, blanketing the townspeople in a soft, luminous mist that gently began to ease their injuries and fill them with strength.
"Lucky for them this world still acknowledges the winged deity as its creator and is willing to lend me its energy. Even though I have access to the world's energy, I can only do so much those missing limbs can not be helped." Naria thought.
She saw the looks of disbelief and awe as the townspeople felt the warmth envelop them, and a few gasps rippled through the crowd. Her face was concealed behind a shimmering golden mask of light, a radiant symbol of the cleric class of the Winged Deity.
All those witnessing the spectacle fell to their knees to thank their benefactor. With their new strength, the wounded left their beds and got to their knees with their lips kissing the ground.
Others stared in disbelief, while some wept openly, clutching loved ones whose wounds began to heal under the radiance. As she continued her work, she could see soldiers on the outskirts, tense and wary. A few of them raised their weapons toward her.
With her other hand, she extended spirit soothing energy that blanketed the town below, a soft glow spreading from her fingers like mist and cascading over the villagers and soldiers below. Injuries began to heal, energy was renewed, and a feeling of hope bloomed as she flew above them. She was healing both their bodies and spirits, those who were unconscious got the will to live allowing their bodies to accept the sudden recovery.
Upon recognizing the symbol of the Winged Deity, the townspeople let out cries of joy and relief. Naria was a cleric, and for them, a cleric was their connection to the lost deity, their only path to reincarnation. The sight of her gave them hope that the souls of the dead, those who had fallen fighting the locusts, might find peace and a chance to join the path of reincarnation. Their faith was visible, a powerful wave of reverence that echoed from every corner.
Deity beings were revered because they were creators of realms and held the power to connect souls to the path of reincarnation. For this reason, the dragon's army began by slaughtering the deity of any realm they captured.
"Messenger of the gods, have mercy on us. The breath you have shared with us will be snuffed out by the desert beasts." the crowd begged.
Below, however, the soldiers were tense and began to encircle her with spears raised. The cleric class was considered a rebellious faction, strictly outlawed by the dragon's regime, and those who openly displayed deity-blessed powers were typically imprisoned or worse.
"Hold there!" one soldier shouted, his spear leveled at her. "Who are you? State your purpose!"
A part of Naria tensed. She knew this was dangerous, but her resolve was unwavering. "And will you arrest me for saving your people, for sparing them from pain?"
The soldiers shifted uneasily, but none lowered their weapons. One of them, a gruff young man with a scar running across his cheek, glared at her. "The cleric class is outlawed. Those who practice deity blessings are to be arrested."
Naria held her ground, meeting their gaze without flinching, though she kept her face concealed behind her golden mask of light. "I am here to help," she answered calmly. "These people have suffered, and I will not stand by while they perish."
The young soldiers hesitated, glancing at the villagers who looked upon her with pleading eyes. The soldiers, bruised and exhausted, hesitated. They knew they needed her aid, and, for now, they wouldn't question her presence. Slowly, they lowered their spears, though their suspicion lingered.
"Bring me the commanding officer," Naria said firmly, her gaze steady. "I wish to speak with him."
The soldiers exchanged glances, still wary, but after a few tense moments, one of them ran off. Naria waited, her attention half-focused on maintaining her healing aura over the village.
As she hovered above, she focused her attention on the camp's command post. The commanding officer emerged, dressed in a dark blue military attire with the insignia of a lieutenant above his heart. He looked wary yet hopeful. She descended from her spirit beast, her golden mask still concealing her identity. The soldiers formed two straight rows each to her side, their unease balanced by their hope for her assistance.
The lieutenant approached cautiously. "So, you're the cleric stirring up a miracle here," he said, his tone guarded but respectful. "Our people have suffered much in the past year."
"I'm Lieutenant Corven, the acting commanding officer. I'll admit we need your help, but I must report your presence. Clerics are not permitted here." he said, his tone a mixture of skepticism and grudging respect.
Naria gave him a measured nod, acknowledging his position. "I understand, Lieutenant. But before you make that report, I would like to know what's been happening here." She gestured to the wreckage around them. "This invasion—these locusts. Why does your unit look so poorly equipped to handle it? Where are your reinforcements?"
Naria nodded, her voice gentle but firm. "Tell me, what happened here? What threat has caused such devastation?"
The lieutenant led Naria to his command post before he began to answer.
Corven straightened and recounted their struggle. "The locusts," he began, "have been attacking in waves, coming through a dimensional rift located about forty kilometers west. They've been relentless, appearing more frequently in the past year and a half. Commander Faelan—" he paused, measuring her reaction, "he led our defense against them. A few days ago, during an ambush, he was... taken. Dragged into the rift. Ever since, the locusts have withdrawn."
Naria's heart clenched at the mention of Faelan. She kept her voice steady, nodding as though her interest were purely professional. "So, they came through the rift and then... stopped after your commander was taken?"
The lieutenant nodded. "Yes, cleric. We haven't seen them in weeks, but the damage they left behind has been hard to repair." He glanced at her mask, his eyes curious. ""Why do you honor us with your presence at this moment? Are you... here to help us?"
"Yes," Naria replied, ignoring the first question and letting her aura of calm reassurance flow outward.
Corven nodded, his expression focused. "It's not surprising that a cleric would come to investigate his disappearance." He glanced at her with a faintly knowing look. "Commander Faelan was an ally to the cleric class, I believe."
Naria narrowed her eyes behind her mask, catching the subtle implication in his words. "Are you suggesting that this whole situation might have been... orchestrated?"
Naria was an intelligence elite working for the cleric sanctuary, she had her suspicions about the matter. Faelan had publicly sided with the cleric class on several occasions, the only reason he was still alive was because of his noble standing or so she thought.
"Live bait catches larger prey," Corven answered.
A trap. She had suspected it, but to hear it confirmed struck her to the core. But if it was indeed a trap, she wouldn't back down.
"Faelan is lucky to have trustworthy people by his side," Naria replied, she spoke this words as a wife.
"Commander Faelan is a honourable man and a genius tactician, anyone of us would give our lives to save his. I would have led the march to the rift but I have orders to uphold. And … I am afraid to lead my men into early graves." Corven said.
"I'll be careful. But I will not leave without finding him," Naria added, the words laced with gratitude. "Thank you for your honesty, Lieutenant."
Corven nodded, his face grim. "Then I hope the Winged Deity protects you, Cleric. The rift is dangerous, and the locusts… they're unlike anything we've seen before. If you can make it back... the people here will remember what you've done."
Naria didn't respond, her resolve already set. She turned, calling her spirit beast with a swift gesture, and in a flash of light, it swooped down from the sky, its wings outstretched as she mounted it once more. With a nod to Corven, she urged her spirit beast skyward and headed west.
As she flew toward the rift, she focused her spirit sense on Faelan, reaching out with every ounce of her strength. When she got close, she extended her senses, searching for his faint life force, but all she could detect were faint traces, residual energy that led her to one undeniable fact: Faelan was alive, though his exact location remained unclear.
The barren landscape stretched beneath her as she neared the dimensional rift. The once-forested lands of Kitui gave way to desolation, withering under the locusts' touch. The land bore the marks of the locust invasion, the soil dry and cracked, the vegetation scorched. The trees that remained had withered, and the air felt oppressive, tinged with the acrid scent of decay. This was where the locusts had crossed over from their realm to hers.
At last, she saw it: the rift, a jagged wound in the air, suspended like a dark mirror reflecting an alien world.
Ahead, the rift loomed, a swirling tear in the fabric of reality, hanging a hundred meters in the air like a dark wound in the sky. It radiated an eerie light that seemed to warp the space around it. The rift pulsed, its energy contrasting sharply with the bright blue sky. She could see glimpses of a rocky, mountainous landscape beyond it, an otherworldly realm that she instinctively knew was dangerous.
"Why does it always have to be a creepy place? Can't monsters come from picturesque beaches?" Naria asked out loud. Receiving an empty look from her spirit mount.
With a deep breath, Naria guided her spirit beast through the rift, feeling the shift as she crossed into another realm. The air grew dry and dusty, the light harsher and more intense. The sky was a burnt orange, the sun glaring down like an unyielding eye. The ground beneath her was rough and rocky, the terrain dominated by craggy mountains and barren plains.
The sky shifted from clear blue to a burnt orange, and the sun blazed like an unforgiving furnace. Rocky mountains jutted out of the ground like ancient teeth, casting long shadows over the deserted plains below. The air was dry, and dust clung to her as she moved through this strange, hostile realm.
Naria guided her spirit beast higher, searching the land for any trace of Faelan. She scanned the region, her senses on high alert. It didn't take long for her to spot movement. In the distance, she spotted movement near a mountain ridge: locusts, large as carriages, flying in and out of caves embedded into the mountainside. With each passing moment, the foreboding hum of their wings grew louder.
The locusts, enormous creatures with sharp exoskeletons and buzzing wings, flitted in and out of caves nestled high in the mountainsides. These caves were their nests, and they filled the air with a persistent, ominous hum.
Steeling herself, Naria extended her spirit sense, searching for any trace of Faelan's presence. She felt it faintly, a pulse of familiar energy, deep within the mountain ranges. He was alive.
Channeling her spirit beast's agility, Naria maneuvered through the mountains, her eyes scanning the rocky cliffs as she drew closer to the source of Faelan's energy. The path was treacherous, and the oppressive heat made her progress slow, but she pressed on, unwavering.
'I need to survey the region before doing anything in this foreign world. I can feel the world energy here does not bow to the call of the winged deity.' Naria thought as she lead her mount higher up a mountain to get a better view.
She closed her eyes, focusing her senses and extending her spirit. As she concentrated on Faelan's spirit scent, her heart leaped as she felt a familiar presence. It was faint but unmistakable—Faelan's life force, pulsing faintly from within the heart of the mountain, deep in the locust nest.