Unmotivated Deity

Lord Losler watched on as his son moved forward with more determination than he had seen from his son in all his years of life. Though he didn’t know what was driving Jien forward he could not remain still as his son was stepping into an unknown situation. Thus, he moved forward to walk up the vine-covered steps, watching his feet to ensure that he would not trip. Mere moments later both he and Jien stood before a wall of leafy vines that appeared to wrap around the entirety of the temple like a weave of deep green serpents. The view into the temple itself was mostly blocked, however, there were slivers that could be seen past.

The foliage covering the temple cast many shadows inside leaving little light to see anything. Jien turned to his father and looked him in the eye. “Please remove these vines so we can enter” he spoke in a calm but determined voice. His fathers’ brows furrowed at this request. This is not what he had expected nor quite what he wanted for this grand occasion. He, however, wanted his son to be able to choose the path he felt was right. He was sure that once Jien saw the empty temple he would decide to move on to a different option.

Lord Losler gathered his mana into his pointer finger. After a moment or two, the tip of his finger began to glow with a bright gray light. He then began drawing several symbols quickly in the air. Wherever his finger passed a streak of light would become visible as if he was drawing a picture with literal light. The symbols themselves looked like words written in a different tongue almost as if they were hieroglyphs but actually a written language. After a half-minute of leisurely drawing the symbols, Lord Lossler snapped his fingers sharply. As the sound resonated the symbols folded into themselves until they became a small sphere. The next moment the sphere thinned out, becoming as long as the space between the column and as thin as a sheet of paper. Without further prodding the blade of mana appeared to suck in the surrounding air, using it to create a sharp edge before firing off towards the top of the dangling vines.

After the air blade cut the vines where they hung from the roof, the deep green foliage cascaded down quickly, revealing the inside of the temple to the two. The white marble tiles were cracked, grass and weeds of various shapes growing through them as if to show that nature could break through all obstacles. Just like all other temples this one too had a statue of the deity that supposedly watched over it. The statue was of a simple throne-like seat without much decorum. In the seat was carved a young-looking man that could not have appeared more than twenty years old. The statue had long hair that appeared to be put in a simple ponytail that drifted down the edge of his throne. His features were thin but healthy-looking and his face was so smooth that it could almost be called feminine. The figure wore what appeared to be simple robes unlike many of the other statues which would show overly intricate armor. He sat across the throne relaxedly, his arm propped up on an armrest and his hand to his cheek. In the other hand appeared to be a simplistic-looking book which the statue appeared to be staring at with a bored expression. The statue itself had survived much better than the temple around them had, only showing a slight crack running along its’ face and another deeper crack where the heart should have been.

Lord Losler still feared that the structure may collapse atop them. The statue itself did not catch his eye as he looked around the rest of the temple to confirm that nobody was there. If there was a lack of a priest or Archon then they could only look at a different temple. However, what he discovered he considered far worse than not finding anyone. Looking behind the statue in the center of the temple he had discovered a skeleton. It looked like it had been untouched for what could have been centuries. No flesh remained on its seemingly bleached bones. Lord Losler was not new to seeing bodies having been a part of many a battle during his military schooling but the fact that it sat here in a temple of the gods of all places spooked him more than a little. He looked back at Jien who was still gazing, almost dazedly at the statue, and called out loud enough to grab his attention back as he walked over. “We are leaving, it appears that this temple has no worshipers to perform the rite!” he spoke at a louder volume than he usually would before moving to pick up his son and carry him away.

It was as the words were spoken that a creaking, and cracking sound rang out throughout the temple. At first Lord, Losler thought the temple was collapsing and was beginning to run for his son and abandon this place in all haste. Though a moment later the cause of the noise was made clear as a voice rang out from the back of the pillar. “God, you think an Archon could get a little rest without people being so noisy." With the sound of bone clacking against stone, a skeleton walked out from behind the statue. Its eyes blazed with black fire and if you peered behind them, you would see many patterns pulsing in a blue light on the inside of the skeleton’s skull.

“Undead” Lord Losler spat with more than a hint of disdain in his voice. “Lich if you wish to be more specific but yes” the lich spoke back calmly. “What is an undead doing in a temple of the gods?” Lord Losler questioned moving in front of his son, pulling his mana to his finger again. “No need to be so uptight” the lich responded and with a wave of his hands the pristine robes of an archon shrouded his skeletal form. “I merely did what I must to keep a dying faith alive, no more no less. Now, what can I do for you.” It was at this point that Jien stepped in, not seeming surprised or particularly upset about the undeads’ existence. Though many hated them as the lowest form of undead created by necromantic magic were brainless war weapons. However, higher undead, though artificially created by many methods were nothing to be looked down upon, in some locations they were even cherished for being able to do dangerous work and work without the need to consume valuable resources.

Jien spoke simply, looking into the black fires of the liches’ eyes. "If you are the archon for this temple then I wish to have my rite completed here. I have turned the age of seven as of yesterday and wish to offer my allegiance to the God of Tomes.” Lord Losler felt stifled that his son would speak so candidly with this undead but hardly did so with his own family, but only sighed in defeat. The lich seemed to smile, though he had no muscles to do so and no lips to show it. “I would be happy to perform the rite for you child” it spoke gently moving forward.

Without hesitation, the lich snapped its’ wrist and a simple silver goblet appeared in its hand. The lich turned to Lord Losler and with a casual tone asked, “Do you have a crystal?” to which Lord Losler nodded pulling from his hand a bright blue crystal the size of an acorn and handing it to the undead, though his eyes did not leave the lich for a moment, fearing that it would cause some trouble for his son.

Without so much as a backward glance, the lich placed the crystal and began speaking deeply in a strange language that did not appear to be common. As the lich spoke several complex sigils began to glow around the surface of the goblet. They had not been carved into but summoned forth from the Liches’ own mana. After a long chant of ten or so minutes, a light appeared to descend from the sky, lighting the crystal that sat within the goblet. Each moment the light grew brighter yet until Jien and Lord Losler were forced to close their eyes. As the light rained down upon the crystal it appeared to waiver, slightly at first and then more and more, vibrating rapidly in the goblet until not long after it appeared to melt into a sapphire-colored liquid.

Once the liquid had formed in the goblet the Archon stepped forward and gently placed the goblet to Jien's lips. “Drink this and your rite will be complete.” He started tipping the goblet slowly so that the viscous liquid would pour into Jien's mouth. Jien himself did not fight this, simply drinking the single mouthful of strangely cool and tasteless liquid. Yet as the liquid moved down his throat it seemed to turn into a gas in part, filling his lungs with a burning heat, then the liquid moved to just below his heart and seemed to settle there, though the heat of it settling was intense and slightly uncomfortable it was not painful.

Jien tried to breathe out to expel the painfully hot air in his lungs but no matter how he wheezed he could not get rid of the sensation. Lord Losler held his son upright as he gasped for breath, knowing that it would take a few moments for his lungs to adjust, and the mana circulatory system was forced open. Mana was not present in the air to absorb but the world did have its’ own energy. The lungs if opened properly could be used as a way to filter the world’s energy into the mana the body needed for magic.

Soon the burning in Jien's lungs had finally calmed and the space just below his heart, his soul core felt heavy with a dense mana. The rite was complete, Jien now should have been able to cast magic and passively rebuild his mana supply like all others that completed their rite. However, something was wrong as Jien stood back up using his own strength. After the rite was performed and complete there would usually be some communication with the deity of the temple, but for Jien there was none.