will be roaring for you to fight him again. The dark gliders hate losing especially to one unmarked by the gods.”
“Dark glider?” Thad asked as the churning in his stomach settled. The warrior would live, he had not killed needlessly.
“Ah yes , we have been so busy I have not mentioned much about the blessings of the gods. As a mage, I went through the rite, I was only given a blessing that increased my ability to wield the dark element.” Sae-Thae said lifting up the sleeve of his shirt to expose a strange rune that dimly glittered on the mage’s skin. Our god gives one of four blessings. One like I have, or the mark of the priest like your fair Bahia has. There are also two marks for the warrior. The one you fought today, called the dark gliders, it allows the user to hide things he doesn’t want his enemy to see. It works much the same as an illusion. The warrior was not moving fast he simply made you think he was standing still while he was moving closer to you. I don’t know how you figured it out on your own, marvelous indeed, some instinct you have brother. The other is much more sinister in nature, the dark assassins. It allows the user to blend into the shadows and merge with them using any darkness as a portal to move around. They can kill you before you even know they popped out of your own shadow.”
As Sae-Thae spoke he remembered the two warriors he and Crusher had fought when he had been horribly injured. They had to have been dark assassins. Sae-Thae was right they were sinister and deadly beyond compare of a normal warrior.
The two watched a few more bouts in the Warrior’s Hall before Sae-Thae took Thad to the Hall of the Gods where the priest and priestess lived, and where his own rite of blessing would take place in the morning of the following day. It was dark though still kept bright enough to see by low burning black flames. In the center of the room stood a statue of what Thad was sure was a human. Thad studied the statue trying to figure out why it would earn such a place of honor in a temple of the Vathari.
“That is Mantara, our god and lord of the darkness.” Sae-Thae said as he bowed toward the statue.
Thad followed Sae-Thae’s lead and bowed low before the statue of the god. “He looks human?” Thad asked slightly puzzled.
“Laughing lightly Sae-Thae looked at Thad as if he were daft. “Remember what I told you brother. All of the gods were born of human that is why I said that in a way humans are the father of all the other races.”
Sae-Thae was right he had told him the story but part of him didn’t truly believe it. Throughout history many different people claimed to have gods. Today still people in foreign kingdoms claimed that they followed the will of the gods, but Thad, as well as most people from Farlan, believed that the gods were simple platitudes made up by people looking for something to believe in that was bigger than themselves. Thad had never truly believed that gods of any kind ever existed. “Does he truly exist?”
Sae-Thae shook his head sadly. “You will find that out tomorrow.” He simply replied though his voice showed that he pitied Thad for his lack of belief.
“Have you come to warm my bedchamber tonight?” A seductive voice said from behind him.
Turning around, Thad found Bahia standing as if she had just won a battle. “I am simply showing my good friend around. Also we need to make arrangements for his rite of blessing to be tomorrow. His time with us grows short, as he has other places to visit on his long pilgrimage.” Sae-Thae said bluntly to the priestess who looked more than slightly aggravated.
“I will make sure that the high priestess is made aware of this. As you well know master mage this is no place for simple visitors. We are preparing for our evening prayers so I must ask that you and your friend depart.” Bahia said politely , though anyone could see the hate looming in her eyes as she stared at the Vathari
“Dark glider?” Thad asked as the churning in his stomach settled. The warrior would live, he had not killed needlessly.
“Ah yes , we have been so busy I have not mentioned much about the blessings of the gods. As a mage, I went through the rite, I was only given a blessing that increased my ability to wield the dark element.” Sae-Thae said lifting up the sleeve of his shirt to expose a strange rune that dimly glittered on the mage’s skin. Our god gives one of four blessings. One like I have, or the mark of the priest like your fair Bahia has. There are also two marks for the warrior. The one you fought today, called the dark gliders, it allows the user to hide things he doesn’t want his enemy to see. It works much the same as an illusion. The warrior was not moving fast he simply made you think he was standing still while he was moving closer to you. I don’t know how you figured it out on your own, marvelous indeed, some instinct you have brother. The other is much more sinister in nature, the dark assassins. It allows the user to blend into the shadows and merge with them using any darkness as a portal to move around. They can kill you before you even know they popped out of your own shadow.”
As Sae-Thae spoke he remembered the two warriors he and Crusher had fought when he had been horribly injured. They had to have been dark assassins. Sae-Thae was right they were sinister and deadly beyond compare of a normal warrior.
The two watched a few more bouts in the Warrior’s Hall before Sae-Thae took Thad to the Hall of the Gods where the priest and priestess lived, and where his own rite of blessing would take place in the morning of the following day. It was dark though still kept bright enough to see by low burning black flames. In the center of the room stood a statue of what Thad was sure was a human. Thad studied the statue trying to figure out why it would earn such a place of honor in a temple of the Vathari.
“That is Mantara, our god and lord of the darkness.” Sae-Thae said as he bowed toward the statue.
Thad followed Sae-Thae’s lead and bowed low before the statue of the god. “He looks human?” Thad asked slightly puzzled.
“Laughing lightly Sae-Thae looked at Thad as if he were daft. “Remember what I told you brother. All of the gods were born of human that is why I said that in a way humans are the father of all the other races.”
Sae-Thae was right he had told him the story but part of him didn’t truly believe it. Throughout history many different people claimed to have gods. Today still people in foreign kingdoms claimed that they followed the will of the gods, but Thad, as well as most people from Farlan, believed that the gods were simple platitudes made up by people looking for something to believe in that was bigger than themselves. Thad had never truly believed that gods of any kind ever existed. “Does he truly exist?”
Sae-Thae shook his head sadly. “You will find that out tomorrow.” He simply replied though his voice showed that he pitied Thad for his lack of belief.
“Have you come to warm my bedchamber tonight?” A seductive voice said from behind him.
Turning around, Thad found Bahia standing as if she had just won a battle. “I am simply showing my good friend around. Also we need to make arrangements for his rite of blessing to be tomorrow. His time with us grows short, as he has other places to visit on his long pilgrimage.” Sae-Thae said bluntly to the priestess who looked more than slightly aggravated.
“I will make sure that the high priestess is made aware of this. As you well know master mage this is no place for simple visitors. We are preparing for our evening prayers so I must ask that you and your friend depart.” Bahia said politely , though anyone could see the hate looming in her eyes as she stared at the Vathari
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