The architecture inside the cathedral was even more amazing, with high ceilings and intricate stained glass windows depicting... Images? I suppose.
Although I was inclined on not understanding most of what I saw, it was amazing, and I love every inch of them.
After a period of time, if I had to assume, it likely would have been a day, the archbishop halted his steps, and like a blind person who saw light for the first time, I bump onto his back.
A little flustered, I shifted my gaze upon what stood before us.
It turns out that we have finally arrived at a pair of massive, ornate doors.
The archbishop, perhaps bemused by my actions leading upto that point gazes at me silently.
"You will meet the saintess and the pope... and," He appears to be disturbed slightly as he scratches his bony cheeks, "I would like to apologize in advance."
"Umm... Pardon?"
"They have been eagerly awaiting your arrival in particular, so I ask for your patience."
"Explain yourself proper—"
Before I could inquire him further, the doors creaked open, revealing a grand hall bathed in the soft glow of candlelight.
Perhaps it was natural, but for me it was not, as I had not been very close to any kind of churches in my previous life, and the scene that lays in front of my eyes left me in awe.
Unlike what I would have expect from myself, I push open the heavy wooden doors further and follow the Archbishop as he move forward.
The air was cool, and, as if intending to refresh my mind which had gone haywire, it greets me cooly, with it carrying a faint scent of incense.
The space inside was vast and open, with high arched ceilings that seem to stretch endlessly above, though, regrettably, or was it a blessing? For it was unable to escape its belly from being painted.
The magnificent, high ceilling were supported by a stone pillars, standing in rows attentively, solid and steadfast, guiding your gaze toward the altar at the far end.
There, light streams through the colorful stained glass windows, painting the stone floor with bright patches of color, although the light from outside was now becoming dimmer.
The sound of my footsteps echoes lightly, it was such a delicately peaceful rythm that I would have asked to eat that noise, if, at all it was possible.
I continued to cast my gaze around, eventually settling on the wooden pews that lined the aisle, their surfaces were smooth and polished, likely due to the touch of countless hands over the years.
At the far end, a regal figure in white, intricate, but overall plain robes stood.
The figure has a tall and slender physique, and, if you trace his face, more than likely you would come to the conclusion that he was around 25, or even younger.
The cloths, as mentioned, were not embroidered or decorated in any kind of jewellery, just plainly simple, though there was some grey pattern here and there over the edges.
His eyes, of a remarkably deep, penetrating brown, sparkled with an intensity of its own frequency, mirroring the rich hue of his hair that framed his face with an air of quiet confidence.
However, beside him stood a young woman whose presence seemed to outshine the man in his entirety, radiating a serene, almost otherworldly calm.
In the soft glow filtering through the cathedral windows, the girl stood, having almost some otherworldly presence.
The hairs that she allowed framed her face gently, cascadimg down in a silky, snowy white, its length was just enough to grace her shoulders.
Against her pale complexion, her eyes stood out so vividly, like tiny embers glowing in the twilight.
They hold the quiet depth of a serene evening sky, where the last whispers of daylight fade into a star kissed night.
The gentle gradient in her gaze is both enchanting and mysterious, like a hidden story waiting to unfold, holding their own unique, calming quality.
To compliment her rather enchanting gaze she wore a long, flowing robe, dark as the midnight sky, adorned with subtle gold embroidery that caught the light with her every subtle movement.
Its design was rather intricate, in a way it was difficult for the tongue of mortals to paint it vividly.
Around her neck hung a delicate symbol of Candle, adding a touch of solemnity to her serene appearance.
Her skin was porcelain smooth, almost translucent under the soft light, giving her an ethereal quality.
She stood with her hands clasped lightly in front of her, exuding a calm and gentle grace.
In this serene setting, she looked like a timeless figure, a blend of innocence and quiet strength, perfectly at home in the sacred space around her.
As we moved forward, the pope turned to scrutinize me, his eyes kind, but piercing nonetheless.
The saintess, her delicate features framed by a halo of silver hair, offered a gentle smile that seemed to ease some of my tension.
"Welcome, Candidate," the pope intoned, as he judged we were close enough. His voice resonating with a husky and calming tone.
"We have much to discu—" As he was, I assumed, Intending to grandly declared his intention.
Someone overlapped the man, moving forward, or downward? From her elevated position serenely.
"That can wait, he appears to be too tired for that." It was the charming voice of the saintess.
She approached us, her eyes meeting mine with a warmth that felt almost like a physical embrace.
"Keeping aside the important stuff for now. Well, what he was about to say was basically."
She closes her eyes and mimick someone's voice, with an adorable finger gesture, jingling the handmade bracelet on her left.
"Just... 'We are here to guide you, and to ensure that the path you walk is one of light and hope...' Or stuff?"
She open her eyes and look back, "Well, I don't really understa—"
"Shit!" She almost failed her steps, and that jerked me, as I unconsciously attempt to move, but stop myself, because...
"...?" Everybody beside me, that is, the archbishop, and the pope just gazes her way blankly.
And, like she did not almost trip herself just now, as natural and humanely possible I'd argue, she steadied her walking, and still continues her speech.
"—nd how I'm supposed to do that... But... anyway... that's that."
I shot a sidelong glance to the man beside me, the archbishop, but his demeanor was like that of a doting grandfather witnessing his grandchild doing something incredibly and particularly adorable.
The dissonance between his warm expression and his cold, deadpan eyes creep me out a little, so I moved away from him discreetly.
"Oh... Um," said she, "sorry, Uncle Armand," the saintess addressed the archbishop.
"We'll take it from here. Could you please assist the sisters and help settle this guy's friend?"
"Of course," he replied, nodding slightly before making his exit purposefully.
She silently watched the retreating figure of the Archbishop, "as I thought, It's somehow nostalgic." She mumbled to herself.
And, suddenly, "—Anyway!" She exclaimed.
Women! you scared the Shit out of me. I jerked back due to my suprise, my heart beating very loudly and erratically.
With hand on my chest, I look at the pope who also walk toward us, I could make up his lips, to something like, "her attention span..." or something similar, I could however, not make sure due to his exasperrated expression and the fact that it was all silent.
Lowering her voice, as if she realize what she did wrong "Well, follow me, little brother," the saintess tapped onto my back gently and said.
The pope, with a mix expression of exasperation and concern, sigh and interjected, "Huiii-haaam... Please be more prudent, Jenica. I fear you might slip up in public."
"Huh? Why?"
The pope rolled his eye,"Why. Why?"
"Yes, why do I? Do people really expect me to act forma—, that way, all the time?" she questioned, her brow furrowed.
He mumbled something in his breaths along the line of, "I'm not even asking you to be formal, just act normal."
I wonder why he did not say that aloud?
"It's not just about formality." He finally spoke, "you need to maintain a public perso—"
"Aaaannnyyyywayyy!" The saintess interjected again, with a dramatic flair, covering her ears grandly. "Let's. Show. Him. To. His. Cabin. Now. La la La la La la..."
As she led the way, without even acting like she listened, the pope sighed heavily. "Hero candidate," he sends a side eye, "she's just like that."
"Yeah, I don't mind," I replied, a small smile creeping onto my face.
Seeing them in the game and real life feels really different.