NoGift

WHEN the white light that turned into a white pillar appeared where the Holy Temple was standing, everyone in the plaza and the nearby area was startled.  No, they were completely shocked.  Before they could even react, the ground suddenly trembled.  It shook so fiercely that it almost felt like it would split at any second.

Even without anyone telling them, they knew this pillar of white light was extremely dangerous.  As evidence of the high temperature it was giving out.  The people near it felt that if they just took one step near it, they would immediately melt.

The sudden appearance of the white pillar felt like it lasted for a long time but in truth, it only lasted for about five seconds.  When it disappeared, the shock of the people completely turned into deep fear.  Because in front of them, the Holy Temple vanished and what was only left was a deep pit the size of the original temple.

They didn't even have time to react to what they were seeing when countless debris fell down from the sky.  When the first debris fell, that's when the people realized that what's happening right now was real.  That white light destroyed the Holy Temple to the point that only a pit was left.  After the realization, came the panic.

"Ahhh!!!  The Temple vanished!"

"Someone attacked the Temple!"

"Maybe we'll be next!"

"Let's leave!  Let's leave!"

The crowd moved at the same time.  No doubt, soon it would cause a stampede.  Among the knights tasked to guard the area, most of them was too surprised by what happened that they didn't know what their next action should be.  This undecisiveness made it too late for them to control the crowd.   

A pair of mother and child was pushed by the people behind them.  The both fell.  Then the mother saw a big debris falling to where they were.  She immediately wanted to stand up and carry her son out of there.  But when she was just planning to do that, someone stepped on her right foot.  She stumbled again and could only grunt in pain.

"M-Mother..." her son sobbed.

"I-it's okay, it's okay.  Mother is alright.  Mother will take you out of here."

But when she tried to stand up again, all she could feel was the pain from her foot.  She thought of just letting her son walked out of here on his own.  But when she saw the panicked crowd, she's afraid that her son hadn't made a single step yet, he's already trampled to death by these people.  She looked up and saw that the debris was falling closer and closer.  Hopelessness suddenly filled her eyes.  All she could do was to hug her son tightly, making sure that she could at least protect him.

Tears fell down his eyes.  Who could save them?

 When she thought that soon that debris would fall on them, she hugged her son tighter, covering his whole body.  The imagined pain she thought would follow didn't come.  She tentatively raised her head and saw a young man standing in front of them.  His back was on them.  All she could see was icy his blue hair. 

The debris that was supposed to fall on them now became a block ice.  It was not only that debris, all the falling debris turned into a block of ice.  With the snap of the finger of the young man, those iced debris exploded into tiny pieces.  Those tiny pieces of iced debris now looked like falling snow.  This move inadvertently attract the attention of the people and made them unable to move, temporarily stopping their panicked action.

The young man turned around and bent over the mother and son pair.  "Stay put here.  Try not to move around."

"Y-yes.  Thank you," the mother said.  She's not stupid.  She knew it was this young man who saved them.  If he told her to jump, she would not hesitate to do so.

Then the young man jumped to the stage, looking at the crowd.  His appearance was outstanding, with icy blue hair and a pair of blue eyes.  With his temperament, anyone could see that his identity was not simple.

"All of you, calm down."  He didn't shout but his voice was full of power that it easily filled the silent environment.  "If you continue to move in this kind of panic state, it would only lead to unnecessary death.  There's already a lot of people who's hurt.  Please, calm yourselves."

When he finished speaking, all the people started to look around.  And just like the young man said, there were indeed a lot of people hurt.  They were now being protected by people wearing similar clothes, like a set of uniforms.

Aurum who's watching all these almost aplauded.  She didn't think that popsicle was actually capable of suppressing quite a number of people by just his voice.  Maybe he should replace his father as soon as possible.

"Who is that young man?" one asked near Aurum.

Of course Aurum didn't waste this chance to tell them who was the one standing on the stage.  "I think that's the second of prince of Albion.  Those uniformed people are probably his guards.  How admirable, taking charge like this even though he doesn't have any obligation to do so.  It shows that he really cares for the people," she said, not forgetting to sing praises for popsicle.

"The second prince of Albion?"

"The young lady is right, this prince is really admirable."

Soon, Winter's identity was spread through the crowd.

Clay who was standing beside Aurum couldn't help but be amused by her little action.  But truthfully, if he wasn't in cahoots with the twins, he would also feel a little bit afraid because of what just happened.  He glanced at the now empty plot of land where the Holy Temple used to be.  What a terrifying weapon.  To disintegrate a building the size of the Holy Temple and to do it so accurately without damaging anything outside of its designated target.  And the disappearance of the temple was still not the end of it.

He shivered a little.  It's truly a good thing that Argent was not his enemy.

Because of Winter's action, the knights finally came back to their senses.  The only one presiding over the talent presentation was a few priests.  The Pope and Bishop Ernst would only go back later in the evening.  So the knights took the initiative to control the crowds.

But before they could even move, another light came down again.  The light was so dazzling that they could only close their eyes for fear that it would burn their vision.  When it slowly subsided and the people opened their eyes, all of them almost had a heart attack.

Over the pit made by the disappearance of the temple, a huge floating figure as tall as 20 meters could be seen.  It was a woman wearing a long white dress.  Her ash brown hair was long and flowing and reached up to her ankle.  Her big eyes the color of a shining blue jewel looked sad and disappointed.  But that didn't lessen her beauty at all.  In fact, it added a touch of melancholy to it.  She looked so otherwordly that she didn't seem real at all.

"It's the goddess!" shouted Clay in a horrified voice.  Because it was so silent, everyone heard it.  Aurum glanced at Clay who only shrugged.  "I also need to earn my keep," he said in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

Aurum could only chuckle.

The panic and fear the people felt earlier came back tenfold when they heard that the woman floating in front of them was the goddess.

"Is it really the goddess?"

"No, why would the goddess suddenly appear here?  Maybe it's an illusion made by someone's Gift?"

"It shouldn't be.  I couldn't feel the same Mana made by a Gift emanating from her."

When the last sentence was said, they realized that the person was indeed right.  Which only made them more afraid.  Because if so, then was this really their goddess?

Before anyone could think more, big fat tears suddenly fell from the goddess' eyes.

"My children, how could you dissappoint me so?" 

Her voice was so melodious that anyone who heard it wouldn't believe that it came from a mortal being.  Making their assumption that she was really the goddess stronger.

Then suddenly, the sky darkened, lightning flashed and the wind howled.  As if any moment, heavy rain would pour down on them.  After that, the image of the goddess scattered in a million particles of light.

This time, Aurum was the one who shouted, using a slightly different voice than her normal tone.  "It's the goddess!  The goddess is angry at the Temple that's why she destroyed the Holy Temple and appeared before us!"

Of course, Clay had to follow it up.  "It's a sign!  The Temple is probably doing something bad behind all our backs that's why the goddess was forced to descend to give us all a warning!"

"We should not believe the Temple!" Aurum added.

"It's all the Temple's fault!" Clay also added.

With their two-man show, doubts were planted in the hearts of the people.  Was it really the Temple of Gaia's fault?  During a situation like this, most people would believe the first explanation given to them.  No matter how absurd.  It didn't hurt that it really looked like the goddess was dissappointed at the Temple.  After all, it's a fact that the Holy Temple - a symbol of power of the Temple of Gaia - was indeed destroyed.  And it was not just a simple destruction.  It vanished like it didn't exist there in the first place.  Something that probably only a god could do.

"Ahhh!!!  The goddess is angry!  We're doomed!"

"No!  How could this be?  How could we appease the goddess anger?"

"It's all the Temple's fault!  You have to do something before the goddess punish us all!"

The people once again became manic.  It didn't help that the rain suddenly fell in that moment.  So the people tried to besiege the three priests sitting on the stage.  But Winter stood between them.

"Stop!" he shouted in a powerful voice, everyone heard it despite the heavy rain.  "The goddess won't punish us.  Haven't you seen clearly?  Only the Holy Temple was destroyed and none of the people were hurt by that white light.  It means that the goddess' anger was not directed at us.  The goddess is a benevolent and compassionate being.  She would not hurt her children who love her.  She would only punish those who committed a terrible sin.  Are we sinners?"

The crowd was clearly aroused by this speech and answered almost simultaneously, "No!"

"Then don't be scared!  Let us all pray now to the goddess so we could appease her anger even just a little bit."

After he said that, Winter really knelt down and started praying.  With his initiative, the people also started kneeling down and prayed.

Aurum couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up in her heart.  Good job, popsicle!