The Valley of the Beast Part V

"You came to right place lassie," Brother Gorin said taking Kiera's hand and pulled her into a seat near his desk.  The desk was littered with scrolls and papers concerning the various deities of the region and known world. "Let's have a look ya."

Brother Gorin opened her robes and began to inspect her.  Occasionally there was a 'hmm' or an 'ah hah'.  Kiera looked over to Sir Pierre who simply shrugged.

"Does reading the tattoo help?  I would have thought one of your order would be familiar with Tesha."

"What tattoo?"  Brother Gorin looked up and grinned. Kiera let out a laugh and ruffled the rotund dwarf's head.

"Well played Brother Gorin," she said to his broad grin.  "Now if we can continue with the curse."

"My pleasure m'lady,"  He sat on a stool and smiled as if he knew more than he was letting on.  "You're Askari the Winds Wings."

"Yes, as I announced myself when I first came.  That is the name of my phoenix." 

Kiera spoke of the tradition of the priests and priestess of Tesha who upon acceptance into the order were sent into the woods naked.  After seven days if Tesha showed them favor they were branded with a spirit animal.  As they grew in power and knowledge of the ways of Tesha and the Seven they would be able to call upon their animal during times of need.  As they progressed in the order they would tattoo the beast onto their body.  Most agreed you did not truly begin your training as one of the order until you finished the tattoo, which took years.

"There have been rumblings of a curse against Askari in both the Heavens and the Hells."  Brother Gorin said as he took out a scroll and unrolled it.  The light seemed to dim as the image on the paper became clear.  On the scroll was a demon that looked almost like a man, but far too large for any mortal.  A mixture of jet black and blood red skin painted his body and mimicked the gladiator style armor that he wore.  He was said to be handsome for a demon lord, but the malice in his eyes destroyed any illusions of love or kindness.  In one arm was a sword that was razor sharp on one edge and jagged as if broken on the other.  It was almost as large as Asarix himself, wildly disproportionate but his skill with the blade was legendary even in the outer planes.  His other had held a staff made from the skulls of his kills.  Heroes of Light, Avatars of Gods, dragon kings, angels, devils, and his most prized skull was a long forgotten demon lord who once held the throne of his current kingdom.  "For whatever reason your spirit animal seems to have caught the ire of Asarix, the Defiled One."

"Asarix..." Kiera cursed under her breath and clenched her fists.  She felt her tattoo twitch, eager to unleash a holy fury upon the demon lord.

"The one and same."  Brother Gronin said rolling the scroll up of Asarix's image.

"Wasn't there a temple of Asarix deep in the Hero's Forest centuries ago?"

"Yes," Brother Gronin said smiling and tapping the scroll to his head.  He was at that same conclusion before these two had even arrived.  "I've already asked Lord Sven the Just to give us permission to head into the woods."

"If I know him he'll never let us go without him."  Sir Pierre smiled at Brother Gronin.

"You'd be right in that,"  a voice said from the doorway.  All turned to see Lord Sven the Just stride in with Paxil the elven mage in tow behind him.  Lord Sven wore scorched black plate, burned in the fires of a powerful dragon and bound with magic to make it impervious to fire.  He had sandy brown hair that matched his eyes yet there was wisdom beyond his years in his gaze.  Only a few of the senior knights and occasionally Sir Pierre could defeat him in a match of arms.  None were so blessed the blade he was given.  The Leviathan was his family's sacred sword, passed down for generations that began with a distant grandfather who had killed two devil kings who had broken into the mortal planes.  The Lords of Light blessed the blade greatly and ever since it's list of great deeds has grown.  Lord Sven is eager to add deeds of his own to Leviathan's legendary lineage.

"Priestess Kiera, it is an honor to meet you."  Lord Sven bowed and kissed her hand formally.  "It seems we have to continue further west with you on your journey."

"I guess it would be prudent to have a healer on hand for the journey," Kiera smiled.

"Two actually," Brother Gronin said and hopped off his stool. Kiera smiled at the group of strong knights around her as Brother Gronin and Lord Sven nodded at each other.  Sir Pierre caught the look but said nothing and told himself to ask about it later.

"Then let us go give our enemies a reason to have healers of their own," Paxil said as he let lightning surge around one of his hands and cast an eerie light across the room.