Chapter 94: A Quick Assessment - Part 1

Arriving at the edge of the forest oozing dark clouds into the ether like a charcoal fire, Raven and his party noticed a decorated violet tent pitched right near its entrance. Crowned with golden stripes, reflective silver laces, and a collection of oddities like crystal balls, magic circles, and insignia, the tent took their attention away from the forest as they carefully moved closer.

"Before you venture into the darkness, know your limits," reading through the sign hanging at the tent's half-opened curtains, Raven turned to his party members to get their input about the situation. "Should we?"

"I don't sense any monsters..." Erika replied, and the rest reluctantly nodded in agreement.

They all had one way or the other to sense the presence of the monster, but since nothing seemed odd, Raven led the charge inwards. Upon stepping in, his vision split in two. The shimmering light crystals hanging from the low ceiling blurred his vision. However, carrying no fae blood, the others quickly adjusted, while he struggled for a while until his mind adjusted to the dangling lights.

Looking forward, his eyes still squinting from a sudden headache, he noticed the frame of a veiled woman sitting on the other end of a translucent violet curtain. Taking a step forward, he was about to enter her chamber but stopping himself, he decided to look around for a bit more.

'Decorative junk...' Laying everywhere inside the tent, were lamps made of gold, candle stands with silver handles, as well as items too tacky for anything but a circus.

"Come in~" Tired of waiting around, the sweet voice of the woman urged them inside.

Shifting their attention to her sitting behind the veil, they noticed her fingers suggestively beckoning them inside.

"Allow me to read your strengths and weakness, or you can go ahead and plunge yourself to certain death," covering her face with her hands adorned with chained rings, the elven dark lady giggled like a pixie. "The hero's party, I knew you'd eventually be here. Why not let me test your limits so you can actually make a difference before dying?"

Sliding the veil to the side, Raven walked right in and glared into her starry eyes. Like an ocean reflecting the night sky, her eyes were darker than dark and flooded with shimmering spots like stars instead of an iris or a lens.

But before she could voice her concern, the high priestess grabbed Erika's hand. Squeezing it in her palm, she closed her eyes for a spell and as she opened them again, her eyes began to glow with magic circles spiraling out through her gaze.

"A trapper's daughter, a priestess of Aphrodite..." Cackling once more, she smiled at Erika before closing her eyes and letting go of her hands.

"What did you do?!" Feeling a sting in her very soul, the priestess could feel her entire being shivering with an unshakeable cold.

"I looked through your person," Opening her eyes, which were now back to normal, the high priestess shook her head a few times and continued. "Your skills as a trapper are phenomenal, if anyone can survive in that forest it's you, but I don't understand why you went with the priestess as your main class. A hunter, archer, ranger, or even a rogue or a thief would've been perfect for you."

"A priestess telling a priestess not to be priestess, I don't know how much I trust her after that," feeling more and more concerned under the high priestess' presence, Amedith wanted them to leave the tent as soon as possible.

"It's a burden being a man or woman of god, especially when you realize what your idols truly are," the smile on the priestess died instantly. "Do you think I was always this way? A wandering fortune teller? No, but the goddess sucked me of all faith, and now all I am is a servant who knows nothing else, so why don't you be a tad bit more humorous?

Amuse me with your talents, otherwise, leave me to my own company bustling with boredom."

Finally seeing the true nature of the priestess coming out, the distrust in everyone's heart began to melt away. So far her act had been quite telling, but when her faith was challenged, her true self finally came out.

"So? Are you leaving?" Washing the somber look off her face, the priestess leaned forward and teased the party by slightly pulling down her blouse with a finger to reveal more of her cleavage. "I can use some company~"

"Ughh, just read our palms!" Covering Amedith's eyes, Mel offered her free hand to the priestess to read.

"Great," doing the very same thing as she'd done with Erika, the priestess began reading everyone's stats one after the other.