Saintess Summons Skeletons

Sofia’s last statement was met with questioning gazes, it had slipped her mind but the subject of the ranking spire was entirely censored so to everyone else, half her sentence had been completely unintelligible.

“I don’t know what it is you fought, Saintess, but the place Sun wants to send you to… It is so far away that the system does not reach it, and I personally have requested to explore it but was denied because She deemed it too dangerous.”

I see.

“How do I get a refund? I am not so sure I want this quest anymore.”

“You can always just stay in Herzal. Life is good here…” the Oracle answered, avoiding Sofia’s eyes.

So even that level 499 guy is saying no refunds. Just what I needed, another deathtrap.

“Woah, I never expected the Sun, of all gods, to be a scammer.” Alith’s dry words pierced straight through the Oracle, whose forced smile was crumbling by the second.

“It’s not… I’m sure she has a reason to do this. Sun is annoying to deal with but not a malevolent God,” he defended.

“You’re Sun’s Oracle and you still speak about Her like that. Yeah that really paints a great image. I hope you know that we have the means to cause you a lot of trouble too. In fact, it’s only a few names away, if you see what I mean. It’s nothing Deep, really, but the consequences won’t simply be annoyance. So I’d like it if you kept your part of the bargain in making the quests ‘not impossible’, because that is what we agreed to with your God.”

Sofia watched, incredulous, as the humongous beast of an elf was taking a step back as Alith took a step forward.

The Oracle looked like he really wanted to say something back, but after a few seconds of silence, he simply sighed and turned around. “Follow me to your rooms. We will deal with this how we can. I believe you can trust Sun, I will hear Her out. If she fails to make a convincing argument for the quest, I will contact someone to try to have it voided. This is the best I can offer.”

“Much better.”

“Well… Uh, thanks, Alith. I really appreciate it. This…”

“It’s nothing, let’s go, we still have to find the diviner for your sister.”

Sofia and Alith followed the Oracle, leaving Ihuarah behind in the courtyard.

“Merciful Mother... What did I just witness?”

The rooms given to the group were on the third highest level of the city, inside of the pyramid. Three guest rooms next to each other in a corridor lined with two more such rooms. The inside was surprisingly well furnished and decorated following what was probably typical elven interior design, with a lot of green and gold, just like the city itself.

The Oracle excused himself after giving them a few directions to the diviner and other important facilities of the city, as well as giving Sofia and Ihuarah each a specific time and place to meet him alone tomorrow for their respective quests.

As he had said before, Ihuarah quickly left to gather the things he might need, wishing Alith and Sofia good luck and urging them to contact him if they needed help with anything at all. He seemed relatively confident that Sun would not have lied and that the quest should be possible for Sofia. In his experience, Sun’s quests were like this, arduous but demonstrably achievable tasks, with a reward one couldn’t refuse to rope you in. Of course that didn’t mean it never killed anyone, much the opposite. As for why She did this, his personal theory was that She liked to see people suffer, but he wouldn’t repeat that in front of an elf.

Alith and Sofia set out to the lower city to find the diviner. They found the place he was supposed to be, but they were perplexed, because it looked like any other elven house in the surroundings, just a random door inside of the pyramid. The nameplate on the side only said ‘Rahkam’s’.

Sofia knocked on the door.

“Yes, yes, coming.”

The door opened to reveal a graying old elf with a warm smile.

[Mage]

That’s all I get? He’s got to be at a high level…

“I didn’t expect you so soon, come in. Have a seat, do you want a drink?”

“You expected us?” Sofia asked.

The old elf was already walking toward the back of the house, entering what seemed to be a kitchen, he looked over his shoulder, “I am a diviner, Saintess.”

I should be protected against divination by VPPV, is he bluffing?

Not without suspicion, Sofia and Alith entered the home, closed the door, and each took a seat around a small round table. The elf came back from the kitchen, he placed three steaming cups on the table and sat on his own chair, yawning.

“Drink up, it’s just a sweet drink, nothing to fear. Do you know about my prices?”

No presentation, straight to business. Hmmm. “We have been told that it’s expensive without more detail.”

“Ahah, well. It depends on my mood. My son wasn’t too rude, I hope?”

“Your son?” Alith asked, puzzled.

“He’s tall, doesn’t show emotions, black armor,” he described in between sips of his cup.

“Oh, you mean the giant guard.”

Rahkam took a second look at Alith, “You could call him that.”

“Sure can. He was alright. Then what about your prices?”

“Ah, glad he didn’t cause too much trouble. My prices… For you, let us see. I want Sun’s signature.”

Excuse me, “What?”

“You heard me,” the old elf said with a smirk, relaxing in his seat, “Sky won’t get it for me, and Morning Star is much too unreliable. So you girls are my best bet. I help you find who you seek and you help me in return, is that not a good offer?”

It’s not impossible, maybe. We already met Her once. “Wouldn’t Sun know that you are asking for this right now?”

“Oh, She knows. None can hide from the Sun for long. But knowing and doing are far apart. To Her I have no value. Unlike you.”

We have value to Her… She did offer five divine essences to get something done. If I stop looking at it like a trap, that is a big value offering. Which is why I accepted in the first place.

“Then you won’t help us unless we get you a writing from a God is what you’re saying?” Alith reframed the situation.

“I never said that. I’ll help you. But you’ll have to pay later, or at least try to. You don’t have to make it so dramatic, Alith.”

Should I be shocked that he knows her name or think that it’s a good sign for a diviner? Can diviners get names?

Sofia thought about the proposition, it couldn’t hurt to try asking Sun if she ever met Her again. “What if we can’t get it?”

The elf shrugged. “As long as you try, I will consider the debt paid.”

“Then we have a deal. Should I explain what exactly we are here for, then?”

“No need. I have done my research in advance, since I knew you would come.”

Did Mornn tell him about us?

Sofia was still unsure about this whole divination deal. She was holding the steaming cup of beverage that she had yet to try, but her doubts all vanished when the elf opened his mouth again.

“Let us find the traces of Saria Sellar through the threads of the world’s mana.”

Alith looked at Sofia, “Sellar?”

“Old history, this is no longer my name. Nor hers.”

“It is unbecoming to reject one’s roots as much as it is to reject one’s child, but the point stands. Sofia, I can call you that, right? Do you have anything of your sister in your possession? If not, we will have to use your blood.”

“I do.” Sofia said as she took a few strands of blonde hair out of her storage ring. “And you can also use my blood if it helps.”

“We shall see. Place the hair on the table.”

“How will that help?” Alith asked. There were diviners in her world too but she had confessed to Sofia that she thought they were all bad actors.

“It has traces of her mana,” Rahkam explained, “This will help me find her tracks. I did spy her name through the echoes of the world, but that is limited. As for your names, I heard from the sword kid. You were hard to lock onto, the both of you. I only found you when you entered the city.”

“One of my passive skills does that. But Alith shouldn’t have that.”

“Because of your proximity, it’s one and the same. That being said, I am ready, please refrain from using any mana while I work.”

The old elf bent forward and placed his wrinkled hands over the strands of hair.

After he closed his eyes, one by one, complex mana structures formed around the diviner, piling onto each other, endlessly stacking together in complex patterns. The spell structure was complex and layered enough to give Sofia a headache just by looking at it. It grew and grew until the elf recoiled in pain, holding his head, and the structure exploded. The mana collapsed in a wave toward the old elf, he had lost control.

Backlash!

Sofia hurried to activate her ring.

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