Book 1: Chapter 8: (2)

Book 1: Chapter 8: (2)

Just moments before.

Tilarna stood still in one of the temples inner chambers a small room left in disrepair following centuries of neglect. She was to be interrogated after Elbajhi and his men finished their inspection of theirgoods, hence the reason she had been temporarily confined to this room.

This had most likely been a resting place for the worshippers coming to the temple all those years ago. Tables and chairs made of the finest Barosha cedar lay scattered across the floor. It was said that furniture crafted of such wood would not rot no matter how much time had passed; they were quite renowned for their durability.

The man clad in red, the one going by the name of Zelada, was their mildita. By the looks of it, he was a practitioner of the Mahzany school of magic. One of the latent characteristics of Mahzany mildi was the accursed manipulation of souls. There was no mistaking it he was the one behind all those killings.

And for whatever reason, Zelada had not told Elbajhi of Tilarnas existence. There may be other factors at play here. Regardless, she would first need to escape from this place and rescue that child before she could get any answers. The fairy was located somewhere within the temples catacombs. She would recognize that nostalgic branii anywhere.

While she was in the process of exploring the range of her movements with her handcuffs, Tilarna noticed that something was off.

Elbajhis lackeys were raising up a ruckus. The smell of something burnt was wafting through the crack in the door. She overheard several words being said. Fire extinguisher.Need water. Blast it away.

A fire.

With her hands bound behind her back, Tilarna stood up. She surveyed her surroundings. The door leading outside was locked up tight. Ramming her petite body against it would be futile.

Dragging the table towards the edge of the door, Tilarna stacked a chair atop it. Still restrained by her handcuffs, she climbed the mountain of furniture with great effort.

Reaching the top, she looked down upon the entranceway.

Her feet were as yet unsteady; it felt as though she could lose her balance at any moment.

Deep breaths. Alright.

Myna bolhe, labna ye Ghizenya

She chanted. It was the incantation for a type of mildi quite appropriate for the current situation. In a blink of an eye, immense power began flowing through the girls petite frame. Her vision dyed red, a blazing energy spread through every corner of her body, all the way to her fingertips.

Before long, the sound of the lock opening could be heard from the other side. Two men, clearly panic-stricken, entered the room. Elbajhis men. Perhaps they had come to finish Tilarna off. Perhaps they were here to take her to a more secure location.

She aint here!

Oi

Charging ahead straight as an arrow, Tilarna swung her makeshift club to and fro. The mans gun flew into the air. Turning around, she drew closer to her enemy, bringing down her wooden block onto him. A hit to the side of the head. As the man staggered to his feet, she delivered an elbow strike to his gut with all her might, sending his body crashing into the wall.

Ugh

SPEAK! WHERE IS THE FAIRY?

Strangling the neck of her dazed opponent, Tilarna demanded.

Most likely the underground catacombs

Where is this fire coming from?

I-I dont know

That was all that she needed to hear. Smashing the mans head against the wall, she rushed on ahead.

Before long, she had arrived at a large hallway. A high ceiling. Pillars as far as the eye could see. The smoke had reached this place as well. Opposite her, men holding machine guns in one hand and fire extinguishers in the other were shouting angrily at one another. Given that this is a Gravany temple, one would usually find the entrance to the underground via.

Hey, you!

Recognizing Tilarna, a man in the group shouted. Paying no heed, she sprinted across the hallway, in the direction directly opposite the altar. The path underground should lie on the other side.

Stop right there!

Naturally, she did not stop. All at once, the men began firing their weapons. Pellets sprayed all over her surroundings. As they hit the countless pillars, bits of stone and dust formed a thick cloud of debris in their vicinity. She could see the entrance to the catacombs. She dashed straight on.

Goddamnit, after her!

Hey, doesnt putting out the fire come first!?

Who cares! Its useless anyway!

As the men argued behind her back, Tilarna descended into the darkness below.

Translators Notes:

The Farbanian word for magician.The Farbanian word for magic.The Farbanian word for scent/odorLit. Arms of a Giant, Blessings of the Goddess of Wa