Viviana walked towards the glowing temple after she was done plunking up the flowers. She planned to go directly back to the Gleamweaver and have her exchange already.
What she didn't account for was every Chosens we're standing around the same they were before. One chosen, Theodore noticed her and smiled in relief.
"Vee, thank god you're here finally."
She sighed, "Please don't call me that." She turned to the others, "What are you all standing here for?"
"Waiting for you." Edward said, "And a certain…difficult chosen."
"The one who disagreed with him back then!" Camille said.
"Thanks..Camille." He said through gritted teeth.
"I'm getting kind of worried guys." Lilith spoke softly, "It's getting far too late, what if he gets lost?"
Edward groaned, "See? This is exactly why I wanted us to partner up. Whatever, let's just go on without him, he said so himself, he can handle it." Edward took a step forward.
"Wait!"
a sharp twang filled the air, and an arrow embedded itself in the ground inches from his feet. Edward staggered backward, "What the.!"
Suddenly, eight figures appeared, each in dark clothing and masks. Armed to the teeth with swords, axes, and spears.
Katheryn gulped as she forced a trembling smiled at them. "Uh..h-hello there." She waved, "We..um, lost a member of ours, his name is Spencer, small looking guy, have you seen—"
The masked figure swung an axe, narrowly missing her by mere inches. She stumbled aside, colliding with Colin who winced in pain.
Colin gritted his teeth, his ankle seeping blood from a deep gash. Katheryn's eyes widened, "Colin..I—"
"Yeah yeah no fucking time for that, run!"
Katheryn and another chosen helped Colin to his feet, his weight bearing heavily on them as they sprinted away, pursued by the masked assailants raining arrows down upon them.
Ducking and weaving through the dense foliage, the group of 9 dodged arrows as they sprinted deeper into the wood. They pace strained to keep pace with Colin's injured limp. Arrows whizzed past them, slicing through leaves and branches with deadly precision.
The group came to a stop as a shimmering barrier blocked their way.
"No, no, no!" Edward kicked the wall, but it did nothing. Slowly they turned back and saw the figures slowly approaching them.
The enemies, cloaked in darkness and armed to the teeth, drew closer with each passing moment, their sinister intent palpable in the air. The Chosens braced themselves, knowing that they were outnumbered and outmatched.
But just as despair threatened to engulf them, a figure emerged from the shadows. Seraphina, with her majestic wings outstretched, stood before the Chosens like a beacon in the darkness. Without hesitation, she stepped forward, positioning herself between the Chosens and their assailants.
With a graceful sweep of her wings, Seraphina enveloped the Chosens in a protective embrace, shielding them from harm.
In a breathtaking display, Seraphina flapped her wings with incredible speed and force. A gust of wind erupted from her. The wind roared like a mighty beast, tearing through the ranks of the enemy with merciless intensity.
The assailants staggered and stumbled, their weapons useless against the fury of the wind. Some attempted to stand their ground, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer force of Seraphina's power. Others turned and fled, their retreat a desperate attempt to escape the relentless onslaught.
As Seraphina continued to flap her wings, the wind grew stronger and more ferocious, driving the enemy back until they were nothing more than fleeting shadows in the night.
Breathless and shaken, the Chosens watched in awe as Seraphina stood before them, her wings still outstretched.
"Chosens, come with me."
They all have so many questions circling in their head, but as they were trembling and they couldn't help but to rush towards Lady Seraphina, where they were taken into the safety of the temple.
ˏ⸉ˋ‿̩͙‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙ ‿̩̥̩‿̩̩̥͙̽‿̩͙ˊ⸊ˎ
The silence hung heavy in the air, Jamie sipped some calming tea as she glances anywhere and everywhere.
"So.." Jamie fiddled with the cup holder, "I guess no one is speaking then?"
"I'll first," Colin wrenches from his ankle still patched up, "What the actual living fuck was that? Who was that? Why were they attacking us?"
Lilith gasped, "You don't think they took Spencer, did you? He could be.." she covered her mouth.
The mood dampened, "Well Lady Seraphina," Edward crossed his arms, "I think it's about time you answer our questions."
Lady Seraphina sighed, "First may I give you the utmost apologies for all you have been through, believe me so I did not intend for you to ever encounter those…ruffians."
"Yeah and who exactly are those ruffians?" Colin asked, "Specifically the ruffian who slit my ankle!"
"Those people are part of Umbric Circle, a savage and petty organization built on growing power and most importantly..eradicating each and every Chosens spawned in this world."
Each word from Lady Seraphina hung heavy in the air, sinking into their consciousness with a weight that was almost palpable.
Jamie's hands trembled as she clutched her tea, her gaze fixed on the swirling patterns in the liquid. Lilith's eyes brimmed with unshed tears. Edward's jaw clenched tightly.
"And you kept this from us?" Edward rose to his seat, "You let us wander off thinking we'll be fine. You..you—"
"That's not the only thing she kept from us." Viviana spoke up, all heads turned to her, she looked down but continued, "I don't know if anyone you noticed but apparently each chosen has given a special ability, a skill no other people from this world could do." She raised her head to Seraphina, "Isn't that right? Given you are a chosen yourself."
Lady Seraphina stared deep within Viviana before sighing, "You are correct, I am indeed one of you. And, one of the prime targets for the Umbric Circle. But please listen when I say I never meant for any of you to get hurt."
"Yeah well," Colin gestured to the bandaged ankle, "a little too late for that, don't you think?"
"I never intended nor wished for any of this to happen. But I can ensure it won't happen again."
"How?" The chosen asked.
"I'll install an escort for each of you, make sure more guards are placed within their post and most of all I will lend you my guidance in wielding your..special gift."
"Our gift.." Jamie pondered, "I'm still unsure what exactly does that mean?"
"Each of you possesses a special ability, a gift bestowed upon you by the divine forces that govern our world," she began, "For some, this gift may manifest as control over elements of nature, mastery of arcane arts, or heightened intuition. For others, it may be the ability to commune with spirits, manipulate the fabric of reality, or harness the power of dreams."
"So is it something like this?" Edward flicked his wrist and a burst flame burned from his hand.
"Woah!"
"Ooh ho! Nice!"
The others watched in amazement while the others backed away.
"Wait wait," Colin said, "but you could have used your flame powers back then and didn't?"
"Well I—" The size of the frame burst bigger, "Oh shit not again!" He fanned his arms, waving it frantically causing it to grow even bigger.
"Don't just wave it around you—"
In a moment Edward was drenched in water, the frame distinguished, he turned to see Orion with a bucket in hand, "Oh, thanks." He muttered then turned back to Colin, "This is why, and if I did use it the flame would just be caught in the trees."
"And bulzaam! Forest fire." Camille laughed.
Edward nodded, "Exactly."
Colin grimaced as he shifted in his seat, his injured ankle throbbing with pain. He cast a annoyed glance at Katheryn who sheepishly smiled at him.
Colin grimaced as he gingerly inspected the bandage wrapped around his injured ankle. "This blows," he muttered, "I can't believe I got hurt like this."
"I said I'm sorry," Katheryn spoke.
"I know I.." He sighed, "I know it's not your fault, I'm mostly angry about how difficult it would be with this stupid injury."
Lilith looked at his wound worriedly, she immediately stepped forward to examine Colin's injury. Gently, she peeled back the bandage, her brow furrowing in concern as she assessed the wound. "It looks like it's healing, but you should still be careful," she advised before she smiled reassuringly, "And hey, at least you're in good hands. I'll make sure you're back on your feet in no time."
She placed her hands on her ankle, attempting to wrap the bandage again however as her hand made contact with the wound a faint golden glow emanated from her palm. The Chosens watched in astonishment as the glow seemed to infuse the injured flesh, knitting the torn tissues back together with remarkable speed.
Colin gasped in surprise as the pain in his ankle began to subside, the discomfort melting away like ice beneath the morning sun. He looked down at his injury in disbelief, his eyes widening as he realized that the wound was healing right before his very eyes.
"Woah!" Colin held up his leg, his fingers putting pressure on the ankle, "I don't feel a thing! Lilith thank you—" He blinked, "Uh, Lilith? Are you okay?"
Lilith's gaze was distant, her eyes glazed over as if lost in a trance. A faint smile played on her lips, but it seemed oddly disconnected from her surroundings. She didn't respond to Colin's question, her attention seemingly fixated on something but what?
Edward stepped forward, "Lilith? Are you alright?" he asked as he reached out a hand to gently touch her shoulder.
But as his fingers brushed against her arm, Lilith's eyes snapped back into focus, her expression clearing as if waking from a dream. She blinked rapidly, shaking her head slightly, "Huh? Oh, sorry, I… I must have zoned out for a moment there," she murmured, her voice faint and distant.
As Lilith returned to her seat, Jamie couldn't help but whine. "Aw, so Lilith gets cool healing powers and Edward gets fire? When will I get powers?""In due time Jamie." Lady Seraphina reassured, "Now I believe it all has been a hard day, why not you all get some sleep, we will continue this discussion for tomorrow. Please come meet me whenever you'd like, my door is always open."The Chosens nodded, feeling the adrenaline slow odd and the exhaustion kicked in, Camille yawned, "Sound like a plan to me, hey guard guy," She turned to Orion, "where did you say we could rest?"
Orion nodded slightly as he gestured his hand to come follow them. They all did so however Viviana stayed behind and approached Lady Seraphina, "Excuse me Seraphina but I have a few questions myself.""Oh go ahead then Chosen." "My name is Viviana," She said, "I would rather be called my name than what I am."
Lady Seraphina smiled slightly, "Forgive me then Viviana, what is it you want to say?""I would like to think even small town there would at least be a library, if so, can you tell me the directions to it?""So you would like to gain more knowledge, I see, just head down the path to the west, and after passing through the marketplace, you will come upon a large stone building with a blue roof. That is the library. You cannot miss it."
Viviana nodded, "Thank you then Seraphina." she turned to leave but stopped mid step, "And, I have to ask.."
Lady Seraphina hummed as she tilted her head. "What's it like? Being Chosen from an all-knowing deity?"She sighed, but not a tired one, rather more..wistful. "A Chosen can bring about many obstacles as all humans do-""But not everyone has a target for their lives."She chuckled, "Yes yes, that is one of the more challenging parts but..I'm thankful, the goddess Aeloria gave me a second chance, to live, to survive, to heal.""Heal…" She repeated, "What a way to put it." She sighed, "I guess that's your perception."
With a final nod, Viviana turned away, walking back to rejoin the other.