The night sky enveloped the land of Eyre, with the moon casting a pale glow over the landscape. In the northeast part of Lmemore, within the Tudor territories, stood the remnants of a once-grand church. This building, older than most who now lived in the city, had served the Sun God for centuries, spreading his word. Now, it lay in ruins, crumbling and abandoned. No one was certain why the church had been deserted; some whispered that the god was displeased with the place, while others spoke of a great evil lurking within, warning children to stay away at night.
Whatever the reason, John found himself approaching the desolate site. He pulled up his hood and walked through the streets, making little noise as he carefully scanned the area. He then turned and entered the dilapidated church.
Inside, the scene was one of decay. Rows of wooden benches were broken beyond repair, and yellowed glass mingled with the moonlight streaming through the shattered windows behind the podium, which was missing its top half. A torn red carpet led from the door to the podium, and the ceiling had collapsed in several places, offering a view of the starlit sky.
Amid the rubble, one wooden bench remained intact, and on it sat a lone figure, waiting for John. He made his presence known by walking with deliberate steps. The hooded figure shifted slightly at the sound of his approach.
John stopped a few feet away from the bench, cautious not to get too close. If anything went wrong, he didn't want to be caught off guard.
"Hello," he said.
"H...hello," a female voice responded, shaky and uncertain. It caught John by surprise, but he quickly took it in stride, realizing that whoever she was meant to meet must be terrifying. He decided to use that fear to his advantage.
"You're not very good at passing messages," he said, his voice firm, making himself seem more imposing. And it's rather true since she could have easily been caught had PLutus been around John.
The hooded figure immediately stood and bowed deeply, startling John.
"I... I'm deeply sorry, sir! I'll do better next time."
John quickly regained his composure. "Where's the other?"
It was a test question, meant to alert the priest and his maid to any potential ambush. Even though divination had indicated there would be only one person, it didn't hurt to double-check. The hooded figure looked unsure of what to answer, she glanced around and finally said her piece.
"I... you haven't introduced me to the cult yet."
As soon as she spoke, a blinding ball of light illuminated the room, temporarily blinding the hooded figure. Three people immediately sprang out from the front of the church trying to corner the hooded figure.
"O Light, please grant us strength," a voice prayed from behind. One of the priests charged in, wielding a faintly glowing mace that cut through the darkness. The mace struck the hooded figure's stomach with incredible force, sending her crashing through the remaining benches.
John was stunned by the priest's strength.
"O Light, please punish the sinner," Plutus intoned, raising his arms high. The glowing ball of light in the air vibrated and transformed into a sword. Another priest, his hands glowing, conjured chains of light that snaked across the church toward the fallen figure. The mace-wielding priest moved in to finish the job.
"Once upon a time, there was a turtle, Yurdle the turtle, ruler of all he could see," a spectral voice echoed from the hooded figure. The dust and debris parted, revealing a small turtle wearing a golden crown. As its gaze swept the room, everything froze. The sword of light halted mid-air, the mace hung in perpetual motion, and the chains of light were suspended.
"There once was a prince who suffered a witch's curse. He was turned into a frog, but he still did everything he could to help the princess," the voice continued. A massive frog materialized from thin air, its green form illuminated by the glowing ball. The frog opened its enormous mouth, swallowed the hooded figure, and then used its tongue to grab John, swallowing him whole.
The frog then leaped through the broken ceiling. As it vanished, everyone else in the room found they could move again.
"Damn it!" Plutus shouted. "O Light, please follow the sinner and reveal their location."
After the prayer, Plutus collapsed, exhausted from using too much mental energy to cast his spells. The massive sword of light transformed into a streak of light, darting through the sky in pursuit of the frog.
"After them!" Plutus ordered. His voice weakens but is firm.
The two priests sprinted out of the church, chasing the bright yellow light. The maid, Hilda, was already one step ahead, her eyes flashing with frustration. She couldn't believe that the frog was powerful enough to freeze even her. A 3rd circle mystic like hers I not easy to encounter.
Not all powers were equal, and while the turtle's power was immense, it must have left the hooded figure with little strength to summon the frog. This means there wasn't much time left for the heretic to escape with the frog.
The frog continued to leap across rooftops, its large body making no sound. Hilda suspected it was a spirit creature, interacting with the real world through the summoner's power. The best way to deal with such beings was to either wait for the summoner's power to run out or force the creature back to the spirit realm.
Hilda reached under her maid's dress and retrieved a knife strapped to her thigh. She removed her glove and sliced her hand with the blade, letting the blood flow. She then quickly delivered the blood-soaked knife to the frog.
The frog, unable to change its direction in midair, was struck by the knife. The blood solidified, forming a thread that bound Hilda to the frog. She then pierced her own arm with another knife.
The pain caused her to flinch, but she held firm. The frog, however, spasmed in the air and fell to the ground. Hilda dashed over to protect her master, but when she arrived, there was nothing there.