FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Chapter 52

"Thank you very much!" Coriza laughed heartily, waving away the group of children that just out of nowhere bombarded them with a gift

"Look!" she squeaked, turning to her companion, strands of hair standing up as if preparing to grant a standing ovation "A plushy!"

Cloudas backed up with a snicker, he wasn't a big fan of presents of any sorts, they might seem nice and empathetic but the invisible strings they attach to you sooner or later will get pulled and drag you down.

Yet despite his hostile feelings, a smile still crept on his lips when he heard Coriza's joyful squeal, he wasn't sure that he was capable of developing any concern for anyone else, but the longer he stayed with her the more he warmed up to the priestess.

Outside of the physical looks, that he already greatly appreciated, was that specific charm that made him almost feel like he was very young again, sitting around a home fire. This sensation had nothing to do with any romantic attraction though, it was more of a family feeling, something he believed that he lost a long time ago.

Or it was at least something he personally felt, he was certain though that every soul had a different comparison whenever he was met by Coriza's brilliant stare.

She had a strange pull, with that groomed hair that fell neatly over her second, special pupil, that vibe of attraction was more potent than any gust of wind he ever felt in his wings.

Hell, she made him smile and still managed to keep him getting annoyed by her presence, that alone should count for something.

"Guess I'm not the only feathered freak you people are obsessed about"

"You're not a freak, you're pretty like this bird!" the cleric presented the toy to her companion "It's a Duskglow!" she laughed, weighting the considerable toy in her paw "Naturally they aren't so big, in reality they are very tiny, so tiny in fact that even long lived dragons might never see one in their entire lifetime, or most likely never being aware of its presence, mistaking the bird for an insect"

She lifted the plushy to the rays of the sun, basking in its presence.

"This is why there is a common belief, in those more reserved to the influence of magic, that spotting a Duskglow is the most palpable sign of an Ancestor's gaze upon you, the bird being as graceful and spiritual as divine grace, impossible to catch"

"And now it's in your paws. What does that mean?" Cloudas noted with a nod

"In my paws?" she repeated after her companion, for a second there surprised that there was something in her draconic palm at all, surprised that for another short second she saw that plushy turned into a real bird

A Duskglow was sitting in her palm.

A spirit of an Ancestor watched over her.

She could swear she saw the bird winking at her.

"It means nothing!" she squeaked, throwing her head back in shock, when she blinked it away object in her paw was a toy again "It means nothing! It's just a toy!"

"And you calling me pretty?" he grinned at her "What does that mean?"

"Whaaaaat?" Coriza breathed heavily as she lifted her eyes at him, the one uncovered as huge as a wing of an adult dragon, the toy in her paw stopped existing for her consciousness

Cloudas tried his best to look as confident as he could, yet the growing flush and her dumbfounded, sweet expression was quickly becoming impossible to deal with. Seriousness was leaving him, replaced by utter joy.

The longer he got to know her the sweeter teasing her became, especially when she had a way of displaying all the strings without even noticing it. He tried his best, but the absolutely cute innocence that painted her snout was simply too much even for his wrecked heart to handle.

He burst out laughing, the explosion of sheer happiness managed to lessen the touch of red on the blue cheeks. She looked stunned by his sudden outburst, not only her to be honest, all the folks around who were passing them by stopped in shock as well, as if they would never hear a wind dragon laughing.

Cloudas forcefully clamped his mouth shut, feeling the unwanted attention of the citizens on him, he quickly reminded himself that making fun of your only protector, even if it was funny, wasn't the smartest thing to do.

"Relax!" he giggled, rising his paws defensively "I was kidding" he leaned in closer, suspiciously eying the people around who were giving him way too much attention for his liking

"Don't let the bad people get me, keep their interest please. I'm sorry, don't leave me" he begged, his voice riddled with enthusiastic humor

Coriza shook her head, giving a supporting scratch against one of the many feathery tufts, his apology hitting her roughly, putting back sense into her head. She couldn't believe she allowed herself to be teased so easily, one might think that she have learned something about spending so much time around Sparx, but as it turns out no matter how determined she might become, naivety will accompany her forever it seems.

She gazed upon the plushy.

Isn't that right little bird?

"I will never learn I suppose" she giggled, turning her head around to look back at the temple, a deep sigh escaping her throat, paw reaching out to the hair covering her face, pulling strand or two more to cover up the eye that had experienced and seen things that it should never have

After the dark events that had befallen Warfang she doubted that things will return to normal and honestly the first signs of the depression polluting the city proved that her worries were correct. There was no turning back from what have happened and the citizens must adapt to the situation and learn how to live with the burden of the past.

There was a time, a very bleak one when after everything that happened she sought some manner of peace of mind in the arms of the one who basically raised her moral spirit.

She almost paid the price in the form of her differently colored eye.

And now she was here, standing with the intention to go to the same place that hurt her. She didn't doubt that she would return one day, since she was afraid of Corruption and witnessed the horrible influence it had on her moral father, the day of that homecoming was far, far away.

Or so she thought until she saw and felt the visible & pp&in the population.

She was sensitive to this kind of thing, what she wished though was the ability to be aware of such changes before they happened. She had to admit to herself that she failed in that regard because of her own doing, too much of the attention that was supposed to spread on the people she focused on herself.

Without realizing just how desperate she became in preparing the ground for changing the view on the Ancestors that she missed the signs of someone else rejuvenating the essence of Faith.

And she immediately knew who was responsible.

That brought her here, to the place she escaped from, to the creature that mended and stabbed her heart. Even feral animals avoid hurt and pain.

And yet she was back here.

Learning can be so hard sometimes.

Cloudas propped his head when the paw scratching him stopped its petting for a longer while. An unforgettable stillness he was so familiar chocked the breath out of him, the toy medallion becoming cold, becoming eager to sniff out his soul.

He smelled the same dread on the cleric like the one he felt when everything collapsed around him when it was finally the time to pay his dues, however fair or not they were.

He pushed away from her, unable to bare the terrible touch of memory, he glared upon the temple hatefully, mouth pouting, blowing a small gust of wind, which, according to the eye of his imagination, sliced through one of the towers and toppled the construction down entirely.

He had a strange feeling that despite the supposed catastrophe, this outcome would grant everyone the much needed relief in the end.

"You sure you want go in there?" Cloudas asked cautiously, his eyes looking around the passing by citizens across the path to the temple

Besides the obvious, clear glance here and there, all of these dreamy, happy folks seemed to ignore them completely, far more interested with their own existence than anything else. The sensation of indifference was so strong that it was almost tempting to leave the protection of Coriza's wings and see if the population will still try to mow him down.

Luckily he knows how to avoid repeating the same mistakes. It would be really devastating to see her die.

Coriza shrugged shyly.

"I do not know. Every part of me wants to run away, Danger and I don't see eye to eye very much" her gaze jumped between the toy and the many faithful crossing the street, almost each of them had that shimmer in their eyes again that was so rewarding for a cleric

Shimmer of relief and purpose.

And the scary part about it all was that it was honest, so honest that it scared her, making her feel worried that it all seems just to be too perfect to be true.

And the small Duskglow didn't land in her paw to see her turn away.

Courage was a terrifying companion.

But then again, nobody said she has to do something when she gets there, it might be enough just to peek inside to satisfy her priestly desire and then leave. She can't do great things, but as someone wise once said, she can do small things in a great way.

"But then again my duty as a priest demands that I support my temple" the dragoness swallowed with difficulty.

"Didn't you tell me that the last time you went there things didn't go too well?"

The priestess nodded sadly.

"That is correct, though I am frightened, I cannot ignore the visible change among the people. Can you sense it too? The lack of tension? As if the air would be clearer? Only one creature is capable of helping troubled souls like that and I need to see him" she tenderly ran a claw along her covered up eye "I'm too weak to resist this temptation"

"Approbation is overrated" Cloudas commented with a snarl "It tends to bite you in the tail if you chase it"

"I do not seek approval...I think" her eyes focused on the passing, smiling mouths, they were so strangely familiar and normal "I just need to..." she winced when the hidden eye was hit suddenly by a short stinging touch "...see"

"Fine, it's not like I can stop you anyway, just be careful alright?" he snatched the toy from her paws, she didn't even seem to notice it

So determined. So familiar.

She's not going alone anywhere.

"Remember to think for yourself, dancing to the rhythm of someone's advice can be blinding" he twirled his star shaped medallion in his paws "Even if the voice you hear can be trusted"

Whether she listened to the warning or not was hard to tell, what mattered to the both of them in the end though was that they continued onwards towards the temple. The amount of citizens returning from the halls of the temple was like a small flow on a calm shore, the nods, smiles and friendly words they exchanged made them feel like they were in a pot full of sweets.

Many would consider such atmosphere normal, yet both of them remembered how sad Warfang looked in the past few days. Cloudas couldn't really shake off the shock, people that were chasing him not so long ago now seemed docile, whatever excitement they needed, a wind dragon clearly could no longer provide.

They reached the temple without effort, stopping before the massive door that were opened widely, like arms of an welcoming mother. Both of them took deep breaths, a gust of warm air wafted from the halls of the temple.

Coriza instinctively locked her lips, her mind projecting a taste of honey on them.

"Welcome home sister" a very young dragoness in pristine, white robes stood in the doorway, her sharp, white smile as clear as the clothes she was wearing

Blue scales sticking out from the wonderful robes, making her look like a little, floating cloud on a clear day's sky.

"May Ancestors guide you" Coriza responded with a polite nod, trying her best to not look startled by the words of the youngster, a caretaker she had never seen recognizing her, and most importantly recognizing her internal conflict regarding the temple

She passed on to the toy to the young cleric, feeling it becoming way too heavy for her frail body.

"Welcome Sky Sailor, it's an honor to have you among our humble family, your hopeful presence brings joy to the Ancestors household" the young cleric bowed deeply in gratitude

"Yeah? So you know since I'm a sailor I need room to properly work right?"

The white robed dragoness smiled brilliantly, displaying her perfect teeth freely, a display of natural confidence that made Coriza shy away slightly.

"Respect is a trait this temple was erected on. Your wishes will be heard"

Cloudas shrugged, throwing his guide a sad look.

"That's not the word on the street"

They pressed onwards, Coriza's head kept swaying around the massive hall as if in awe of seeing it for the first time. Many of the pilgrims greeted her with the popular words of blessing, she replied to all of them, yet each new one made her voice weaker and weaker.

"She recognized me Cloudas!" she hissed, stopping so quickly that he fell right into her

She used this moment to snatch his leg with her tail and pull him right next to her.

"She recognized me!" she hissed again, looking around conspicuously

"So what? Folks drool over you all the time"

"I don't know that girl! She must be new! And she knew I betrayed my temple!"

"Betrayed how?"

She cringed, her eyes darting in fear between the draconic statues, she raised one of her wings as if stretching it, but in reality used it to obscure them from the stony eyes all around.

She wasn't even aware that she already lost her balance, the pressure she was applying forced Cloudas to flex his muscles to keep her standing despite her unconscious wishes.

"Me and the Seeker have our differences. I wasn't a very loyal servant, I wasn't in the temple when...when it all began"

"From what I understand you serve your gods, not some dude in a dress"

"But the Seeker said he was the messenger between mortals and the Ancestors"

"Exactly, what he said! Turned out it was the other side of the spectrum in the end"

"Is it really? Just look" she gave him a gentle push "What if he confused the voices, what if all of it was true?"

Cloudas sighed.

"First of all your boss is no Shaper, so whatever power he believes he has is fake, Ancestors are dead and the dead don't speak, no offense. I respect your Faith, but that's it, just faith. Second of all, in my eyes it was you alone who stayed loyal, everyone who remained by this Seeker's side ended up dead or crazy, you alone had enough sense to feel that something is not good here. You alone believed that this is not how it supposed to look like. For whatever it is worth, in my eyes, you were the most loyal servant your Ancestors might have wished for"

He nodded at the unending flow of souls walking by.

"And if this is real or not? Who cares? Those with influence will always have it, break and tear reputation apart, if you will have enough strength to dust yourself off after that then you will find listeners willing to follow you. Habits die hard"

Coriza gulped, this wasn't the most motivating speech, if she would be more sensitive, Cloudas' voiced support might have even hurt her when he offended her faith. Yet she couldn't deny that his intentions were honest, he really wanted to help her, even if his opinion was riddled with that soulless flavor.

"You have a very...specific way of offering comfort"

"Many say I'm rude"

"I say you're honest" she offered him a small smile "It's a very rare trait that not many accept, I'm not one of them" a respectful bow followed after "Thank you for that"

"Don't thank me just yet, my talking usually gets everyone in trouble"

Ancestors please don't let it be so, not when hope feels so real, when she can't smell even the tiniest touch of Corruption. She wouldn't be able to bare again the same corruptive force that seemed to radiate from Cynder in that dark hour.

As before they followed the pilgrims, the temple felt extremely small for Coriza, even though she was certain that the walls remained the same as always, she couldn't help herself but to think that they were still leaning closer, eyeing her every step.

She could only wonder if the Ancestors eye her because they want to protect her, or they are considering her as an enemy.

"Go with the blessings of the Ancestors!" a thumbing echo resounded throughout the temple, a sound that Coriza recognized immediately, a sermon has just ended

And just when people began to turn around, creating a crowd of swishing clothes and wings where it would be hard to spot anyone, somehow the gaze of the head priest located the recently arrived duo without issue.

"Come closer my dear!" the head cleric, who was a mole in his middle age, waved Coriza over enthusiastically

The blue dragoness stopped in her tracks, mouth moving automatically in response to the many blessings coming from the throats of the shuffling by her bodies, yet her eyes were meeting that of the mole, who despite his natural blindness, seemed to see her just fine among all these pilgrims.

With uncertain, shaking paw Coriza pointed at herself to make sure that she was seeing things correctly.

The mole nodded with a smile.

"Yes, you!" he chuckled "Even for a creature like me a pair of big feathered, white wings are hard to miss. The temple specifically is vulnerable to the sight of a wind dragon and his companions, no one followed in the pawsteps of a feathered winged image of an Ancestor in a very long time. This is the marking of a new beginning"

The mole waved them closer still and despite the initial hesitation both dragons politely obeyed the silent command.

The cleric smiled warmly, looking down on them from his pedestal, radiating a warm, inviting aura, he looked like a proud parent gazing down on his grown children.

"A new beginning indeed"

Coriza instinctively tugged at her hair, keeping it still on top of her differently colored eye. She escaped the cleric's specific, intense attention, she blushed, feeling embarrassment, hearing the rather palpable intent of designation in the recently spoken words.

She instantly felt ashamed, remembering about the dark shade she was wearing around her eyes, her claws even if clean of any paint curled in this specific fear as well, just in case, as if afraid they will change hue on their own.

Cloudas couldn't remain idle either, while he didn't feel any unease due to shame, a spark of discomfort touched him as well. He could hear clear judgment in the priest's words and judgment was a thing that changed his life forever.

A similar moment of culmination he felt right now, a moment of change, pointing down a familiar path yet to a different goal. Just like stars on the sky showing the way, always leading somewhere else even though the direction might be the same.

They may be small compared to the force of the stars and the Shapers, but change was always welcome. Even if his last streak wasn't the most favorable one lately.

His eyes shifted on Coriza, sizing up the priestess with an appreciative glance. She was so damn cute when she was embarrassed.

Sucky streak or not, not everything was THAT bad though.

The mole bowed, opening his palm to the side, fingers pointing towards the nearby staircase.

Coriza's heart made a flip, she recognized these stairs well, it is up there where the crisis began, up there she started to see the world differently.

"The Seeker awaits you in his chambers. The Seeker is sorry that he couldn't attend the sermon, it was a busy day and he got tired, past didn't show mercy to any of us, yet I was instructed to invite you nevertheless. The Seeker assured that he is never too tired for you"

"How nice" Cloudas hissed mockingly "What about eye scratching and aggression? Is the Seeker too tired for that as well?"

The mole priest balked in shock.

"Cloudas, please" Coriza whimpered pleadingly

"The Taint forced every single one of us to trek through our individual difficulties. It was a challenging time for the City and the Ancestors, we cannot allow the manipulations of evil dictate our lives. Chaos and mistrust is what Taint seeks to sow, we must be vigilant and fight it back" the cleric spread his arms wide "Just think about all these souls you passed, have you seen their eyes? Felt their energy? They were blessed, they came back to the Ancestors, infused with hope and purpose, the darkness that polluted their souls either gone completely or silenced enough that it has no hold over them any longer. Warfang is returning under the grace of the Ancestors, a voice that will never fail us, we simply need to believe" the mole bowed "The Seeker will explain it better than me, just visit him and see for yourself. There is no Taint here anymore, but Hope, hope for the better tomorrow. A new beginning"

The wind dragon rolled his eyes, he was neither interested in the priest's counsel nor the so called Ancestors and their blessings, all of it was foolish to him. These guys can't comprehend that no matter how much they try to cling to some importance in their lives, cling to things they believe they can alter, or vice versa, that all of it is worthless.

If a Shaper decides it will be differently then it will be so. You pitiful fools are in no position to decide what or what is not a new beginning.

Maybe one day Coriza will see it too, for now though he has to bare through this nonsense together with her.

"Are you sure you want to go up there?" he leaned in closer, even though he was a lousy fighter considering his draconic heritage, he still stepped in between his female friend and the mole, giving the latter a suspicious glance

"If you change your mind I'll give you some nice perfumes. I have nothing to trade, but I'm sure I'll be able to get a few flasks if I beg with my feathers properly"

Coriza giggled quietly, trying to muffle the sound by a pretended cough.

She giggled.

His mouth stretched into a smile as well, it couldn't be helped, she was always so reserved and serious, there was some sweet feeling enveloping him when faced with her spontaneous reactions.

It even felt somewhat perverse, like peeking behind the curtain to someone's bedroom, in that very moment spotting things for what they truly were.

"Tempting my friend" she whispered shyly "But we must postpone it for later. Let us...see what the Seeker has to say. It is impolite to decline an invitation" she spoke out loudly, confidently even, however one glance of her eyes was enough to tell that it all was just for show.

It was that deeply inherited duty of a cleric that made her look strong, like many times before when she was offering support to those in need.

Deep down in her soul though, she was absolutely terrified.

They climbed the staircase that back before the crisis was a forbidden zone, a refuge for the most senior of caretakers and the head of the temple himself. Now there was a clear sign of traffic visible on the steps, faint claw scratches and strands of fur dotted the staircase that was far too aplenty to belong only to the temple's servants.

Coriza yipped quietly when her paw suddenly landed on a soft, velvety material. Her startled eyes immediately gazed down the long, familiar corridor, for a second she again saw the same whirling, bloodthirsty portal at the end, spitting out blood, blood that flowed down the hall, making it feel soft and velvety.

By the Ancestors, she was standing in the blood again.

World sinned around, solid images becoming textures of ruined and unstable colors, almost instantly she lost connection with her limbs, surroundings turned upside down.

She was falling.

"Shit!" Cloudas grunted, pressing his weight against his companion's body to keep it steady "How can you trip over such a thick carpet?!" he growled in effort

Carpet? What carpet?

The spinning ceased it's torture, vanishing as if it was never there, sense immediately returned to her confused mind, the dragoness jerked her head back to look at the ground once more.

A thick, velvety carpet was stretched across the floor.

Cloudas gave her body a gentle push when she relaxed, her entire frame leaning forward until eventually landed on the soft material.

It was really a carpet.

Her heart skipped a beat.

And it was not even crimson but sky blue.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" she whimpered

Cloudas gulped, the whine sounded as if she was on the brink of crying, he wasn't so afraid in a very long time.

You dumb cretin.

"Don't cry, I was just kidding! I'm not mad, it was a joke, seriously!"

Coriza rubbed her forehead, she suddenly felt ten times older.

"What am I doing Cloudas? What am I expecting? I can't do this, I can't do great things, for the love of the Ancestors, I faint at the sight of blood and I'm a dragon!"

"So what? It's normal for someone like us to be afraid, that's why the Shapers rule the world and not we. That doesn't mean though that we shouldn't try doing something for ourselves, if it is pointless or not" he shrugged "In the end I see that nobody cares anyway"

"Listen, you want to know a secret? I'm a dragon too"

Coriza giggled.

Cloudas rolled his eyes, speaking was never his strongest of suits.

"What I mean is that for us is natural to fly right? Especially for dragons like me and yet I still far more enjoy having my paws on the ground than in the air. As a kid I was terrified of my wings, our big, feathery membranes deal with wind differently, you speed up really fast, even when you don't know what you're doing and I personally hate the feeling of the wind lashing against my scales. Our kind always says that's true freedom you feel when in the air, but for me it was always torture, the pressure is so high at speeds like that that I always close my eyes, afraid that they will pop. I can't fly without my goggles or I'll crash into a nearby mountain, this is the only way for me to see where I am going. A trauma that I never dealt with and never will to be honest. That didn't prevent me from learning how to do it however, you will learn too, despite the fear"

"Aaaaaand" he sighed deeply in defeat "As much as I'd like for us to turn around I know that you would regret it all later. Besides I don't want to go down now, this is quite a long staircase"

"You are a treasure" Coriza complimented her companion, feeling the carpet under her paws, despite her initial scare she had to admit the material felt extremely pleasant

It became quite clear that the temple tried its best to make people feel at home, but then again how would the rest of the population be aware of the ugliness that had corrupted this very corridor when she was the only one from the temple that knew what was going on besides the Seeker.

A strange, bad thought crossed her mind.

What if the carpet was spread just for her?

Before she could answer her own doubts a sound came from ahead, a door opened and another caretaker appeared before them. An elderly mole, he smiled at them and without any word waved invitingly across the sky blue carpet, silently showing that they should follow it.

And then just like that he went back into the same room he just left, clearing the way.

"Don't take it the wrong way but they really treat you like royalty, guess there goes the theory about betrayal" Cloudas noted bluntly

"But why?" Coriza sighed breathlessly

"I think you know why" he gently nudged her forward "Go. I'll keep you away from tripping"

She did go, not that she liked the idea of going this way, yet the carpet was so soft that it reminded her of a cloud. Despite the stress, her walk was effortless, as if she wouldn't be walking, but the carpet itself would carry her above the ground.

Sounds were coming from the rooms, too loud to belong to caretakers alone, there were some citizens here and judging by the whispers and voices of encouragement they were having some sort of classes.

In the past there was an idea to open the temple for private counseling to ease the trouble of the mind, to heal scars too deep for prayer alone to reach. It seems that finally that idea took fruition and the temple opened its private, most sacred level to the population.

Adding that next layer to show its welcoming spirit, something that was greatly needed after the tragic times of struggle.

With the past dark events still alive in her thoughts, it all seemed just to be too good to be true.

They reached the end of the corridor, her step strong, not even once Cloudas had to intervene. She stopped in front of the door, noticing that they were opened, a small crack was letting the light of the room outside, making them stand in a familiar, gold glow.

Just like the one that purged the Corruption.

The handle glistened invitingly, just waiting to be grabbed and the door to which it was attached eagerly awaiting the tug that would open them.

It all seemed so nice that in her shocked fright a terrifying image flashed before her eyes, she could swear that she saw a glimmer of the dark crystal shimmering in the door's crack. It was a trap, that evil thing was coaxing her in, part of it had to survive. She-

"Come in child" her fervent mind was calmed instantly by the deep, strained voice coming from behind the door, even though it rattled with age, the tone of it was strong and respectful

Like that of a father.

"It is safe"

Before she could even process all the spoken words her paw was already in the air, pressing against the handle. The door flung open with impeccable ease.

A single glance was enough to tell that there was no dark crystal here, this place, even though it was in the same room like the Taint from the past, was something she didn't recognize in the slightest.

It was beautifully lit, the rays of the sun, that were giving that golden hue were being invited by massive windows that dotted the walls and ceiling, windows that weren't just mere glass, but prisms that morphed the light into the golden, heavenly illumination that fueled this room.

An architectural trick that gave this room an otherworldly feeling.

Among that stood small statues of the Ancestors, their heads aimed at the door, greeting everyone who came in. The carved expressions vivid, almost alive under the pretty light, so vivid that Coriza expected the statues to speak soon, like the corpses and bones among the shadows of the tainted crystal .

Despite her fears the statues remained completely dormant.

It's not like they had to be alive to make this room feel out of this world, even the standard furniture, like the drape or double bed seemed otherworldly under this glowing light, not to mention the many robes, holy symbols and engravings embroidering the chamber of the Seeker.

The room made quite the impression, it truly felt that whoever wielded the mantle of the Seeker was the chosen of the Ancestors. The feeling so much stronger for someone like her especially, a soul that never had the chance to be here.

All of it looked magical and she most likely would admire the interior in more greater detail if not for a single, wondrous, mechanical chair placed near one of the windows where the rays from the prisms seemed to especially concentrate. Especially if not for the figure that sat on the said chair

Brill was looking straight at them, his bony hands were gripping the armrests, skin on the hands so thin that every crack on the old bones was visible, making her quiver automatically, in fear of seeing them shatter at any moment now.

By the sight of hands alone one might say that the creature holding the chair is ancient and long past its lifespan.

Yet the moment her eyes rose towards the face, the initial fear of looking at a withered corpse faded away automatically. The face looking at her, while clearly old, under this light looked extremely wise and venerable, the most physical manifestation of elderly wisdom. It seemed like the age that tormented the body did not reach the head just yet.

Or perhaps it tried to but the reason why it couldn't lay in the eyes. There was something extraordinary about the eyes.

Brill was looking at her without his typical glasses, a detail that would make a mole as old like him completely blind and yet Coriza could swear that his pupils were shrinking instead of dilating as if adjusting themselves to the light instead of darkness that would embrace every other mole in such age.

He could see her, she was sure of it.

Those were not Brill's she got used to. There wasn't such energy in them even when he could walk, his soul was young in those eyes, not only young, but under this light his pupils looked almost divine as if something else would be looking through them.

Such warmth emanated from his look that she felt hear mellow.

Not only the light made his pupils a cage for all the life his frail body could no longer support, she could also swear that his eyes changed color, from a dark hue they shifted into a more brighter tone.

A very much brighter tone.

Coriza swallowed deeply.

They were gold.

Just like hers.

"I apologize for everything my children. I'm an old fool" Brill's voice did not match his body at all, while it was raspy, the melody between the rumbles was as young as it could be

This was clarity of mind, perhaps the mole's flesh is frail, but his mind was as sharp as ever.

"If it only could be so easy" Cloudas grumbled

Coriza poked him with her tail, giving him a pleading, indignant glare.

"What? It's the truth, sorry won't make up for all the screws ups, believe me, I know"

"You don't need to-"

"It is fine my daughter" the Seeker rose one of his tired hands, managing to lift it just for a brief second before it crashed back onto the armrest "We lived in a lie I spread for too long. Honesty is a welcoming change my son"

"Glad to be of service" white eyes narrowed on the mole suspiciously "Dad"

"Please stop" Coriza whined quietly, her plea full of pain

The sound of it made Cloudas' feathers stand on end, he visibly shrunk, feeling a painful zipper running across his mouth, a feeling of certainty flashed across his mind, telling him that it was the last time today where he made a rude comment.

Usually he could deal with folks getting upset easily, people don't like honesty so if they can't handle it it's their problem. It was different with Coriza though, he didn't want to cause her any discomfort, maybe put of gratitude, maybe because of something else. All he knew for sure that whenever he heard pain in his voice he felt as if his own heart was bleeding crimson tears of remorse.

Brill undoubtedly heard everything, his face, even if young compared to the hands, was unable to project much emotion. A disadvantage that was made up by the eyes, something changed them for a moment, the light must have changed its angle because his gold pupils were glowing more brighter than ever.

As if they were smiling.

"I'm dying Coriza"

The dragonesses visible eye widened, after their last meeting it became quite clear to her that the corruption took a huge toll on Brill's health. What she didn't expect was the cheerful way in which he announced it.

"I'm sorry" she whispered genuinely

"This is not how I expected the end of my life to look like" the eyes that shone brightly just a moment ago visibly dimmed "I've made so many mistakes and I don't have time to rectify them anymore"

"We are all mortal Seeker, what matters is that you're trying your best. Ancestors must see the things we did, you've made so many people happy, all these pilgrims, their souls are so light, devoid of fear and blame, relaxed"

"They are my biggest mistake"

Coriza'a still moving jaw dropped down so deeply that the tongue popped out of her mouth.

The old chest heaved.

"I've seen things differently when I was blinded by the Taint my child, I believed that the only way to cleanse our city is to purge Corruption from it. It was so simple to find supporters for such an idea, we all suffered from the Shadow's and the Dark Master claws after all. Using the charm of my position I led Warfang into a trap that I'm afraid is too deep for the more sensitive to conquer. We must save those that still can be saved, until there is still time"

Sharp eyes turned to Cloudas.

"You already began your journey"

"I...I don't understand Seeker" Coriza shook her head in confusion

"In my devotion I became an anchor, a general for those that fueled by pain followed me. That wicked spark was stripped away from me, but not from my flock, it is unable to cope with its problems on its own. When I perish many of those that believed in me will lose their way, they need another anchor, a more purer one than me, one that will be able to recognize what is good or bad and save as many as possible"

Her heart started to race, her mind was still lost, but her soul already knew where this was going.

"You can't be speaking about me" her mouth moved practically on its own, voice more guttural than usually as if her own soul would be speaking

The gold eyes glimmered with supporting, warm light.

"Have you never noticed that I treated you differently? You are the only cleric that lives outside the temple, the only cleric who isn't called back to the temple to fulfill her duties, the only one who resisted my vile temptation. The only one the damned me didn't know how to manipulate, I couldn't do that because you are Hollow my dear"

Coriza felt as if the ground underneath her paws would collapse.

"What did you say my Seeker?"

"Look at me Coriza"

"I am looking at you"

"The other eye. I know you want to"

How?

Even if this was the first question that came to her mind she had never voiced it, she doubted she would understand the answer. The heavenly light enveloping Brill had all the answers and questions, she somehow knew that all that was left was to believe.

Might be a mirage, might be naivety, whatever it was didn't matter, all that mattered was to have Faith and in this very moment the Seeker was as closest to the Ancestors as possible.

As a cleric it's her duty to obey.

She uncovered her eye obediently, even if her paw was shaking wildly.

The mole looked straight into the beige, mysteriously beautiful eye.

"What do you feel?"

There was nothing. Brill's body was as solid as rock, he was a normal mole, there was nothing special about him, he had no aura.

"Disgust" she said almost instantly

Only after a while she realized what she said, with a startled yelp she slammed a paw against her mouth.

"I'm sorry!" she muffled through her toes "I don't know why I said that"

"But I do" with great difficulty Brill rose his skeletal hand to touch his eyelid "What was in me is now in you, but is is unable to reach deeper so its trapped right there" he tapped his eyelid several times

Coriza felt as if she was about to faint, she immediately covered up her eye.

"Am I Corrupted?"

Cloudas shifted uneasily, feeling as a kid again when he unearthed secrets that should never have been touched.

"No and you won't be my dear. What you said was just an echo of the dark appetite, it will pass the moment you silence the temptation"

"What dark appetite? What does it mean that I'm Hollow? How do you know all of this?" questions rained down upon the mole from the startled blue mouth

The gold eyes smiled at her apologetically.

"I do not possess the answers to the questions tormenting the universe, I'm sorry my child. What I know for certain is that every soul in this world possesses a certain...pull that stirs craving I cannot truly explain. When I was corrupted I've killed people my child, on this level of the temple, I fed on their essence and each one I consumed only made me more hungrier. Not only that, but it also made more angrier, more desperate, more...bored, I believe this is why I managed to retain some civility, allowed my Faith to guide me in those moments. It was a very scary time"

Brill sighed deeply.

"And from all the souls in this world you were the only one who didn't smell the same. The same fruit, the same essence I saw in everyone was not present within you. When I saw you I was certain of two things, that you were Hollowborn and that I must not allow you to succumb like all the rest"

The gold eyes flickered, as if sighing.

"The Taint imprinted this knowledge on my soul when it took it, I have to live with the scraps of chaotic information for the rest of my life. It is maddening, especially when I don't know if my will to keep you away from sharing the same fate was motivated by goodness, but unfortunately, I fear it was not. Something else is at play here that sadly I don't fully understand"

"This is too much" Coriza's voice shook with fear

A tear rolled down the old face.

"I know and what hurts me the most is that I know you will have to make sense out of it on your own, because I'm certain that if we won't do anything, the appetite, it will consume us all. And it's still not everything my daughter" Brill looked at the window, gazing upon the stretching city below longingly

"I'm fading my daughter. This world needs a Seeker, a genuine one"

Coriza's lips pulsed to the rhythm of her racing heart. Her mind finally catching up with her soul.

"Me? A Seeker? But...but...I hardly walk without tripping! I'm scared of everything! I-I-"

"You're here"

She chocked on her own saliva.

"You don't need to be graceful to be a Seeker, look at me, I'm old, I no longer have control of my own limbs and yet I still wield the mantle"

"People won't listen to me! I'm weak!"

"Strength doesn't come from raw power. Your potential lies elsewhere, I do not know how to name it, but it certainly catches attention" gold eyes turned to the wind dragon

"Is it not so my boy?"

All that Cloudas could do was to nod numbly. So he wasn't imagining things after all, his will to follow her far exceeded sole gratitude and physical attraction. Whatever is responsible for that specific charm surely knows its potential, he couldn't see it before, but after listening to the mole he became quite certain that she was a star, one of a kind.

Whether she will glow in the sky forever or fall wasn't as important as the perspective of fallowing her. She is a guide, she won't change the world, that's reserved for the Shapers, but she will surely make it more interesting.

He thought he became too tired and old to be excited by the guidance of the stars, it didn't end nicely last time after all. It seemed though that he was wrong, there was this childish curiosity still sparkling somewhere within him.

And he really did like her so there was also that playing a role here.

Coriza looked at him as if he would betray her.

"You have come far my dear, just look in the mirror and you will see"

"But Seeker" she shook her head, desperate, repetitive excuses tossing about in her head "I'm not meant for responsibility, I can't fight, I'm fragile and clumsy, I'm terrified of my own shadow, I'm...I'm...many things a dragon shouldn't be, let alone a Seeker"

Brill looked at the window again, embracing the city with his sight.

"If my fears are correct than you shouldn't be afraid of those who desperately want to fight you"

The people down below, all of them were so normal, so empty, the dark part of him wanted to hold all of them close still.

"You should be afraid of those desperately trying to protect you"