Lumina's Dome, Kingdom of Castile
When they arrived at the Priest's residence, there was a flurry of activity. Tomas vacated his room and transferred to the Cardinal's where a makeshift bed was placed. His room became the temporary quarters of the King and Queen.
The Cardinal then gave him directions to go to Lumina's Dome and ask for help curing the Queen and the unborn child. He told him about the words to utter in front of the oak at the misty base of the mountain to gain access to the healer's realm pocket.
As Tomas set out to do the Cardinal's bidding, he didn't see Damian lurking outside the Priest's quarters. In the months that Tomas failed to check up on his companion, he didn't notice the drastic change in his once-trusted friend. Damian now sports various boils in his body, he walks with a limp and all his teeth fall off.
Despite this, other people still see him as the handsome young companion of the Cardinal's apprentice. Only those whose eyes have been opened to the world's mysteries can see him for who he truly is. His masking and illusion are so strong that he can manipulate the memories of those around him. What he didn't factor in is the old crone living at the base of the mountain and the Cardinal who was a former night.
His taint was cured, his flesh regrown, and he even became more powerful. To Damian and the creature inside him, Tomas now bore the same glow as that of the Cardinal. Although it was a small glow, the warmth emitted from them made it hard for him to approach them.
The cold is even more intolerable and biting when he tried to approach the Cathedral, the Priest's residence, and those two. Not to mention the tearing of his soul that he felt when he tried to go near the crone's realm. But Damian, or rather the creature inside him found a loophole.
Humans are ruled by their emotions. It's what made them vulnerable, their souls easy to taint and devour. The Cardinal's weakness is his friendship with the monarch and his loyalty to those he considers his people. Thus, he found a way to plant the seed in the Cardinal's closest kin.
The Palace, although grand was a haven of negative energy that continuously fed him. Just by staying near, he can have access to the unlimited negative energy stored within its walls and grounds. This made him strong enough to temporarily leave his host's body and plant a taint directly to the Queen and Babe. If his plan is successful, then the babe will become his next host.
Upon seeing Tomas ride a horse down to the old crone's cottage, Damian followed, his body turning into smoke and flitting through the trees matching the speed of the horse and the Priest. "I better find a better and more powerful body soon. I guess I could probably use my power ten more times before this body could be disposed of. Ah, humans have such fragile bodies. I better visit the witch Regina soon and ask her some dark amulet to imbed on my next body." he mused while following Tomas to the misty mountain base.
Tomas, following the marking of his mentor quickly located the ancient oak tree. He knocked on it with a pattern and muttered the prayer under his breath. He took a step back because of surprise when he saw the tree sway and groan. The tree's body twitched and a light sucked him to enter Lumina's Dome.
Damian, upon seeing this tried to rush over and slip into the healer's realm but he was harshly rejected by the invisible energy field surrounding the tree. His body slammed against the opposite tree, breaking his spine. Blood flowed out of Damian's mouth which he quickly wiped with his rotten hands. He then growled something unintelligible under his breath and his broken bones mended themselves.
As a result of him using his power, he saw that the rot spread from his left hand to his right hand. Damian cursed and left the entrance of the healer's realm. He sulked and hunted for another prey to plant one of his soldiers in. "One day, I will have you dragged to hell one day!" He thought angrily.
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"Greetings my friend. I hope you find your first realm travel pleasant." Said an ancient voice playfully in Tomas' mind.
Tomas opened his eyes and what greeted him was a giant tree man with glowing and flowing vines for hair and sturdy-looking branches for hands. His roots went in and out of the soil as he moved. He motioned for Tomas to follow him.
The young Priest absentmindedly followed the creature to a cottage surrounded by nice-smelling flowers and herbs. He walked in a trance and tried to comprehend everything that he saw. Floating orbs of light, giggling high-pitched voices, serene bird calls, and the bubbling of an unseen brook.
"Welcome to Lumina's Dome. She is waiting for you inside her cottage."
Seeing the blankness in Tomas' face, the tree giant lightly pushed him towards the cottage door with a light chuckle. Only then did Tomas shove his shock and remember his mission. He raised his hands to knock on the door, but before his knuckles could make contact with the wood, it swung open on its own and a kind voice told him to enter.
There, he saw a middle-aged woman sitting in front of a glowing round table.
"I know why you came here. The water from the Pishon River never shows falsehood. The Queen is already a shell, possessed by the interloper's soldier. The children in her, one borne by her and her king and the other, a seed planted by the interloper grew inside her belly. If not taken care of, the seed by the interloper will devour the other and grow stronger." Lumina relayed to the young priest.
"What can we do to prevent the Interloper from growing stronger Sister Lumina?" asked Tomas.
"We must make the Castillo Holy again. Right now, the Castillo and its tainted are the ones fueling the interloper's power." Lumina said.
"And how do we do that?" Tomas asked again, wondering what he could do to help.
"I will consult with my sisters. Tell Rodrigo to hold on for 3 days, and I will prepare to shift my Dome to the Castillo. What better way to bring the war to the interloper's doorstep." replied Lumina resolutely.