Assassin's Chronicle

The inside of the temple was plain but beautiful. Like the elves, the temple was decorated with mostly natural decorations. There was hardly any silver or gold in the temple. The two candleholders in the middle of the temple and the elemental lamps along the walls were carved from white jade, and the ground was paved with small, blue stones. There was a table to the left with plates and bowls on it. The table was shaped strangely, like a large, flat tree root that formed a curve in the air before disappearing into the ground again. The curved part was the table. There were a few chairs around the table.

The high ceiling was green and covered in vines. Different colored gemstones were set into the ceiling and sparkled like stars under the light of the lamps.

In the middle of the temple was the statue of a reclining woman. The statue was covered with moss, making it much harder to see the woman’s face and clothing. There was a leaf on the chest of the statue. The statue was clearly sculpted to fit the golden ratio, making it very pleasing to the eye.

Christian, Niya, and Suzanna followed Anfey into the temple. Niya glanced around and exclaimed, "How beautiful."

"You see that?" Christian said, pointing to statue. "That’s what Heart of Nature is based on."

"What?" Anfey asked absentmindedly, looking around the temple. He felt strange, and his feeling was confirmed when he passed the statue. He narrowed his eyes, trying to look at the leaf on the statue more clearly. Up close, he could tell that the statue was half naked.

Next to him, Suzanna and Niya snickered. He had been trying to unlock the secret to Heart of Nature, but it felt strange learning that the leaf was part of the Goddess of Nature’s outfit.

A ball of vapor suddenly appeared in front of the statue. A curtain of water appeared, then it separated to make way for a woman in a white robe.

Anfey frowned. He did not feel any magic surges, and it seemed like the woman had been there all along but was able to escape everyone’s eyes by using the water curtain.

"Sorry to disturb you," Christian said. "We are tourists. From Violet City." In order to attract more believers, temples tended to be open to everyone. They would not be in trouble.

The woman looked at them, and her eyes finally fell on Anfey. She had bright eyes and a tall nose, and it was hard to tell her age. Her long hair had three different shades, going from black to silver.

Anfey stared at the woman. He knew that no one could tell what he was thinking as long as he wanted to. He wanted to create an illusion of curiosity when he was thinking about something else.

The branches to his left rustled, and a pair of large paws pushed through the vines. A large bear then appeared. It was tall and imposing, the temple appeared small in comparison to the beast.

Suzanna reached for her sword, and the bear, which was only walking, roared after spotting her movement. Its green eyes suddenly turned red, and it charged towards Suzanna.

"Be at ease, my guardian," the woman said. The bear and Suzanna both stopped and looked at her. Suzanna’s sword was already half drawn. The bear looked at Suzanna and roared, but retreated.

"Tell me, where did you come from?" the woman asked, looking at Anfey.

"We came from Violet City."

"What about before that?

"We were in Country of Mercenaries before that."

"Before that?"

"Don’t you think that is a bit too personal?" Anfey asked.

The woman smiled but did not press on. "I am an oracle." she said. "It is only natural that I am curious." Anfey frowned at the woman’s comment.

The bear suddenly roared and charged towards Anfey. It had tried to attack Suzanna, and even though the woman ordered it to stop, it was still much closer. It was already close to Anfey when everyone realized what was happening. The woman hurriedly try to use a spell to stop the bear. A row of vines appeared between Anfey and the bear.

Anfey took a few steps back, but momentum caused the bear to crash into the vines. The vines suddenly changed shape and enveloped the bear, lifting it off of the ground in a cocoon. The woman frowned at the sight.

The bear struggled against the cocoon, its large claws slashing at the vines. With each broken vine, however, a dozen more appear and wrap themselves more tightly around the bear.

"Let him down," the woman said hurriedly.

"Are you talking to me?" Anfey asked, frowning.

"Who else?" the woman snapped.

Anfey looked at the bear, its brown fur already completely obscured by the green vines. The only part of the bear still visible was its hind legs, which were dangling in the air. The bear’s struggle was growing weaker, and its roars were dying down. The vines were too thick and growing too fast for it to do much.

Anfey shrugged and held up his hands. He was not sure why the vines were attacking the bear, but he was sure it had nothing to do with him. He didn’t know why the vines were acting the way they were acting, much less how to stop it.

The vines suddenly stopped, then threw the bear like a large cannonball. The bear crashed into the far wall and fell to the ground. The wall of the temple, surprisingly, did not collapse.

The bear was on the ground and trying to stand up. It could not even lift its head, however, because of its severe injuries.

The woman cried and hurried towards the bear. She knelt down next to the beast and inspected its injuries. Then she lifted her head and glared at Anfey.

"I don’t know what happened!" Anfey said, raising his head. Right now, the last thing he needed was to have a conflict with a religious person like this woman.

Instead of disappearing, the vines all gathered around Anfey. Some pooled under his feet, and some coiled around his body. Some danced around him and enveloped him, pushing Christian, Suzanna, and Niya away. Compared to before, the vines appeared more gentle and calm.

"I really didn’t do it," Anfey repeated sincerely. The vines danced, and one even climbed onto his shoulder like an animal around its master. The vines’ actions made Anfey’s explanation seemed fake and insincere.

"My guardian might have been rude, but we had no malicious intentions. How can you be so murderous?" the woman shouted angrily.

"You have to trust me, I did not do that!" Anfey said. One of the vines climbed onto his face slowly. Anfey frowned and ripped the vine away from his body. "Go away," he spat as he slammed the vine onto the ground.

As if they had just received an order, the vines began to shrivel and quickly disappeared into the ground. It was as if what had just happened was only an illusion.

Anfey frowned. The vines were very obedient, which made his explanation appeared even more like a lie.