Read Online A Mage's Power (Journey to Chaos) by Brian Wilkerson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brian Wilkerson
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above the roof of the temple with smaller pillars in
between them and all covered in the writing of countless languages. There were
so many of them that Eric wondered if some were doodles. Then he reminded
himself that his own language might look like doodles to the users of those
languages. Aio lurched to a stop at the foot of the stairs and let go of Eric's
wrist.
“Go up those stairs, find a priest, and ask for a blessing.”
He backed away from the temple.
“Where are you going?” Aio walked backwards; still moving
away from the temple.
“Oh you know; things to do, places to go. I'll see you back
at the room.”
Eric sighed and climbed the writing-covered steps leading to
the writing-covered entrance. Two brutes in writing-covered robes and bearing
sickles shaped like question marks blocked his path.
“Halt!” they bellowed. “No earthbound mortal may cross this
temple's threshold!” Eric glanced at their gleaming weapons and decided to
obey. Then it hit him.
“If no earthbound mortal can, then I'll jump. I won't be
earthbound then, at least for a while.”
The guards smiled and opened the door. “Not many get it on
the first try.”
It was rare that Eric received a compliment . . .even Emily
scarcely complimented him. In fact, now that he thought about it, he couldn't
remember a time she did . . .
“Are you going in?” Now blushing out of embarrassment, Eric
jumped across the open doorway.
Inside the temple was writing and not much else. There was
writing on the ground, the walls, the ceiling, and every piece of furniture. It
looked like his apartment when Tasio pulled out his “resume.” After seeing
him in an apron, I wouldn't be surprised if Zaticana is Tasio in drag.
“Welcome!” a voice called. Eric blinked and saw a woman in a
character-covered robe. “Welcome to the Temple of Zaticana,” she said with the
universally acknowledged sign for peace. “I'm Vestal and I hang with her,
what's up?”
“I . . .I'm here for Zaticana's blessing.”
“Sure. Follow me.”
The priestess led Eric deeper into the temple, through one
hallway and then another. They passed many chambers and it wasn't clergy who
dwelled in them, but lay people studying the writing on the walls.
“They're language students,” his guide said, “By this time
next year, they'll know three languages by skill instead of grace.”
“What about the clergy? Are you the only one here?”
“Yep. Language is for communicating. Those who serve
Zaticana bring her blessing to the community. They're at local schools
preparing for a 'summer reading' thingy.”
She pushed open the doors to the Inner Sanctum.
It was a single room with only glowing stones for light. At
the center was a large black stone on a raised pedestal. Like the rest of the
temple, this stone had writing on it, but this was different; there was power
in these characters. Eric could feel the energy radiating from it. It must
be a sacred object, maybe their holy text.
“Zaticana, daughter of Chaos and Goddess of Language, I got
this new being here and he needs your blessing. Do you mind coming over here?”
The stone flashed and wind arose from nowhere. A red blur
spun from the characters on the stone. It grew larger and faster and took
shape. The goddess had the same golden-brown hair as Tasio and pointy ears like
Tasio, but was most definitively not Tasio. She was curvier for one and tied
her hair in pigtails for another. She wore a midriff-baring dress and thigh-length
leg warmers for a third.
She stared at her priestess with her hands on her hips. “Vesta,
I've told you a gazillion times. You don't need an invocation. All you need to
do is say the magic word.”
“Got it.”
A goddess . . .a real live goddess . . . I'm in
the same room as a goddess! He thought the “blessing of Zaticana” was some
ritual involving the holy-looking stone; not the invocation of a deity! She
locked eyes with him and smiled seductively.
“See something you
between them and all covered in the writing of countless languages. There were
so many of them that Eric wondered if some were doodles. Then he reminded
himself that his own language might look like doodles to the users of those
languages. Aio lurched to a stop at the foot of the stairs and let go of Eric's
wrist.
“Go up those stairs, find a priest, and ask for a blessing.”
He backed away from the temple.
“Where are you going?” Aio walked backwards; still moving
away from the temple.
“Oh you know; things to do, places to go. I'll see you back
at the room.”
Eric sighed and climbed the writing-covered steps leading to
the writing-covered entrance. Two brutes in writing-covered robes and bearing
sickles shaped like question marks blocked his path.
“Halt!” they bellowed. “No earthbound mortal may cross this
temple's threshold!” Eric glanced at their gleaming weapons and decided to
obey. Then it hit him.
“If no earthbound mortal can, then I'll jump. I won't be
earthbound then, at least for a while.”
The guards smiled and opened the door. “Not many get it on
the first try.”
It was rare that Eric received a compliment . . .even Emily
scarcely complimented him. In fact, now that he thought about it, he couldn't
remember a time she did . . .
“Are you going in?” Now blushing out of embarrassment, Eric
jumped across the open doorway.
Inside the temple was writing and not much else. There was
writing on the ground, the walls, the ceiling, and every piece of furniture. It
looked like his apartment when Tasio pulled out his “resume.” After seeing
him in an apron, I wouldn't be surprised if Zaticana is Tasio in drag.
“Welcome!” a voice called. Eric blinked and saw a woman in a
character-covered robe. “Welcome to the Temple of Zaticana,” she said with the
universally acknowledged sign for peace. “I'm Vestal and I hang with her,
what's up?”
“I . . .I'm here for Zaticana's blessing.”
“Sure. Follow me.”
The priestess led Eric deeper into the temple, through one
hallway and then another. They passed many chambers and it wasn't clergy who
dwelled in them, but lay people studying the writing on the walls.
“They're language students,” his guide said, “By this time
next year, they'll know three languages by skill instead of grace.”
“What about the clergy? Are you the only one here?”
“Yep. Language is for communicating. Those who serve
Zaticana bring her blessing to the community. They're at local schools
preparing for a 'summer reading' thingy.”
She pushed open the doors to the Inner Sanctum.
It was a single room with only glowing stones for light. At
the center was a large black stone on a raised pedestal. Like the rest of the
temple, this stone had writing on it, but this was different; there was power
in these characters. Eric could feel the energy radiating from it. It must
be a sacred object, maybe their holy text.
“Zaticana, daughter of Chaos and Goddess of Language, I got
this new being here and he needs your blessing. Do you mind coming over here?”
The stone flashed and wind arose from nowhere. A red blur
spun from the characters on the stone. It grew larger and faster and took
shape. The goddess had the same golden-brown hair as Tasio and pointy ears like
Tasio, but was most definitively not Tasio. She was curvier for one and tied
her hair in pigtails for another. She wore a midriff-baring dress and thigh-length
leg warmers for a third.
She stared at her priestess with her hands on her hips. “Vesta,
I've told you a gazillion times. You don't need an invocation. All you need to
do is say the magic word.”
“Got it.”
A goddess . . .a real live goddess . . . I'm in
the same room as a goddess! He thought the “blessing of Zaticana” was some
ritual involving the holy-looking stone; not the invocation of a deity! She
locked eyes with him and smiled seductively.
“See something you
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