As they walked further into the Temple, the illumination surrounding them seed to decrease even further, and the chill perating the air grew stronger, as though there was so hidden entity siphoning all warmth.
Despite this, Cain maintained composure. The Sky Ward didn't seem to have a problem with it, so he decided not to show anything.
'How has he been able to hold on for this long? Most people would have passed out by now.' Edward thought to himself, glancing back at Cain.
Thinking about their battle, he couldn't help but sigh to himself.
'That witch was right. This boy is sothing else. Perhaps that is how he and his people managed to survive outside the Do for so long.'
'Still...'
As they arrived at the inner chamber, Cain was finally able to see a change in scenery.
The darkness gave way to a dimly lot hall. Several torches powered by mana hung from the walls. The walls and ceiling were covered I different paintings and murals, although he couldn't make out much of what he was seeing.
However, there was one thing he did make notice of.
Located dead center of the ceiling, was a particular image he wasn't able to get out of his head. The image was rely an extension to the entire mural, but it seed to have more depth than the others.
The mont he saw the image, a thought entered his head.
'A giant golden dragon, with wings that covered the starry sky. One eye as dark as the depths of an abyss. The other eye was like a shining star, but its radiance was slowly being consud by a stark whiteness until there was nothing left but a deathly aura and the paleness of bones. An eye of Death.'
He had no doubts about who the image was portraying. After all, he had seen this exact sa dragon more than a few tis.
However, that was not all. The golden dragon was locked in a fierce battle with a fiendish looking spectre. The specter looked like the embodint of death itself, clad in a flowing black robe, wielding both a scepter and a scythe.
It was impossible to see its eyes beca its face was hidden with a mask. A mask that seed to portray a thousand expressions and faces.
All the other murals told stories, but this one seed to depict just a single battle.
It showed the dragon and the specter were locked in a fierce battle, leading up to the defeat, death, and eventual consumption of the specter.
Cain frowned. According to the mural, Ashur and Balangol had fought a fearso battle to the death which eventually led to Balangol's defeat.
This got him thinking. What exactly was Ashur's goal? Why did he go about killing and devouring all these Celestials?
He had a fued with the Lord of the Heavens, Tian, but sohow, that fued had led to him killing off entire pantheons of gods.
It was a bit... overwhelming.
'Why?'
Why did he hate Tian so much? Had his hatred burned so bright, he desired the death of everything in existence?
Whatever it was, Cain didn't want to think about it. He could already feel his heart beating but faster.
Eventually, they walked past the hall and into a smaller, separated room.
In the room was a single individual, wearing a deep scarlet robe, as well as a matching mask that looked to be the gnarled, twisted root of so burned tree. The Pilgrim's hair was neither short nor long, sitting comfortably at their shoulder.
Seated beside the Pilgrim on the ground was a giant creature that resembled a Tiger greatly. It had giant horns on its head, which told him for a fact, that this beast was not a Tiger.
To top it all off, the mont he stared at the damned beast, it stared right back at him. He could sense its intelligence almost imdiately.
'Creepy bastard!'
"We are here." The Sky Ward said the mont they stepped into the room.
The Pilgrim in the red robe nodded at him, then turned towards Cain, or at least, he thought so. After all, the mask hid all their features, including eyes.
As such, he stared right back. This Pilgrim seed odd.
Although he has seen a bunch of ridiculous masks since coming here, none of them were as strange and remarkable as this one.
This entire situation seed odd as well. He had expected to be surrounded by a bunch of scrawny looking old n waving scepters around the mont he stepped into this place.
'Is this dude... no, wait. Is it a she, perhaps.'
Because of the mask, or the robe, or perhaps it was both, Cain was unable to tell exactly what gender the red robed Pilgrim was.
He was even more unsettled...
Eventually, after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, the Pilgrim spoke,
"You can call the Heart Ward. Your na is Cain, right?"
'A she, huh...'
Suddenly his eyes widened,
'How does she know my na?!'
A frown appeared on his face, "How do you know my na?"
The Heart Ward answered him calmly,
"I'm afraid I can't reveal that. But fear not. I am not a mind reader. I just happen to know more than you would expect."
Her words made Cain pause,
'More than I would expect? What does that an?'
"I'm been told you desire to serve our Lord and offer him your Divinity. Is that true?"
Cain hesitated for a mont before nodding.
The Heart Ward tilted her head,
"I am glad to hear that. But I am a bit curious. What made you consider this decision?"
Cain ntally let out a deep breath of air,
'This is it.'
He could choose to lie, but he had other things in mind,
"I want you to let my friends go."
The Heart Ward fell silent for a mont,
"I see... Is that all?"
Cain nodded. Well, that was all he was willing to reveal at least.
"Very well. Then, we can initiate the ceremony."
Cain raised a brow, "There is a ceremony? Don't I just have to co in contact with the God Remnant?"
The Heart Ward nodded, "Indeed, that is so. However, in this Temple, things are done differently."
She stretched both her hands, "This is all that is left of the Remnants of Balangol."
Cain was confused, "What do you an?"
The Heard Ward put her hands down,
"You will understand in a mont. Co with ."
With that, she turned around and walked out of the room. Cain turned to stare at the Sky Ward, but he said nothing. Eventually, he let out a sigh and followed after her.
The Sky Ward remained in the room on the other hand.
'Looks like this is where we part ways, huh...'
Although he didn't miss the gloomy, always silent half-bird, Cain wasn't bothered by his presence.
This Pilgrim on the other hand, deeply unsettled him.
For a woman, she was incredibly tall, standing over six feet. She was almost as tall as he was.
Because of how large the robe was, he was unable to detect any bumps and curves that would indicate she was a woman as well, which greatly threw him off in the beginning.
'I wonder what they all look like under the mask.'
Both Cain and the Heart Ward traveled down the sa path he had co through before stopping in the hall with the murals of Ashur and Balangol.
The Heart Ward looked up,
"A battle against a being who personified death, and another who consud it."
She turned to Cain. Sohow, Cain felt deeply unsettled by the fact that she was staring at him despite him not seeing her eyes,
"Balangol, is a false God. A fake, if you will. All Celestials are fakes. A Dead God of Death..."
Cain scratched his head nervously,
"This... Are you sure it's okay to say that here?"
The female Pilgrim shrugged,
"Don't worry. He isn't eavesdropping on this conversation. His influence only goes so far."
"I see..." Cain could only accept.
The Heart Ward turned to stare at the murals,
"A war that brought down so many powerful beings. It was unlike anything the universe had ever seen before. A true Catastrophe."
She bent to touch the ground,
"This Temple... It was created using the last remnants of Balangol. As such, it is his final relic on this world. It serves as both a temple, as well as an altar. It is also the dium in which your Divinity can be transferred to him."
Cain finally understood, "So this is what you ant. Then... How do we get things started."
The Heart Ward tilted her head, "What do you an?"
Cain raised a brow, "When does this this ceremony begin?"
The next words that ca from the Pilgrim were a bit muddled. However, he was able to hear everything,
"The Ceremony has already begun. In fact, it began the mont you stepped into this place."
Cain's eyes widened. To his shock, he watched everything around him collapsed into a giant cascade of sand.
In the blink of an eye, everything was consud by darkness.
A few seconds later, Cain forced his eyelids open.
The Heart Ward was still standing there calmly, staring at him.
However, their environnt has changed completely.
They were currently in a desert filled with sand. In the sky, there were three suns in the west, and seven moons in the east.
The loose golden sand was all that could be seen for miles on end. Even in the distance, there were structures as huge as mountains, consisting of nothing but this sand.
Cain felt dizzy, and a bit nauseous. When had it happened? He hadn't even noticed a thing.
He forced his gaze back to the Heart Ward who seed unaffected by all that had just gone on.
Suddenly, she spoke,
"To think I would et a human that has so a connection to the Bastard son of the Heavens in my lifeti."
Cain's expression darkened, "What have away?"
The Heart Ward shook her head, "Nothing. However, as I told you before, I know more than you think."
'This woman...'
Cain had no idea how it had happened, but the cat was out of the bag.
He stared at the strange sky,
"So where is Balangol? I thought he would have arrived by now to consu my Divinity, and probably my body and soul as well..."
The Heard Ward was silent for a mont before speaking. This ti, Cain could sense a hint of amusent in her voice,
"I lied to you earlier, Cain. Although, it seems you have already figure it out."
Cain pursed his lips and nodded. He had in fact, figured out, that this place, was not infact the place where Balangol would take his Divinity. In fact, there was no hint or sign of the Celestial anywhere."
Cain was more that suspicious now. He was extrely curious.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" Cain asked.
The Heard Ward's hand moved to her face, and she took off her mask to reveal a stunningly beautiful, yet oddly familiar face. A small smile hung from her lips,
"I just want to talk, Cain."
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