Chaos and uncertainty remain in the aftermath of the Balisekt War. With the Lands of Order in such a fragile state, the tribal races turn to Tranquility, their holy land, for guidance and stability. However, war has left the Temple more shaken than...
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Viyana had always been an early riser. Ever since she was little, she was frequently out of bed before the first rays of sunshine rested on the rooftops of Meadowgold. She'd always been an eager, ambitious person. Sleep was necessary to rest and recharge; lingering in bed was just being lazy. The herding families had become accustomed to seeing her out and about before dawn as they moved their flocks to the fields. By the time the city was alive with activity, its leader had already accomplished quite a bit. She'd always ensured her early rising by retiring to bed early, but the turmoil of the previous day had made sleep hard to come by.
Much of the night was spent tossing and worrying. Hiding Sunrise had proven difficult enough, but now she had a faerie assassin to keep up with as well. What's worse, her new high priestess turned out to be someone despised by the citizenry, and with her came a friend seeking the very elf she was hiding. None of this was helped by the possible secret order meeting somewhere in the Savage Lands near the city, or the magic-wielding attacker from two days earlier who seemed tied to them. Sparrow had told her about her discovery in the back alley just before the incident on the stage. There was no doubt the secret order was real, but knowing that did nothing to answer her other many questions.
By Viyana's standards, the hour was late when she awoke. The horizon over the treetops was pale blue and only the brightest stars were still visible. Waking this late on any other day would only prove a personal annoyance, but today it would bear heavier consequences. Sunrise and Sparrow were still out in the Savage Lands with Zehlyr. She was supposed to meet them so they could go out in search of the secret order.
She worked quickly to get ready, though she was sure to stay as quiet as possible. Living alone, she never had to worry about the clanking of her armor or the creaking of her feet upon the boards disturbing anyone else. However, she had a guest staying with her now, and she didn't want Ilderra to know she was venturing out. She'd written the note she'd leave the night before. It would tell her that she was away on private business and for her to make herself at home. Viyana strapped her sword to her belt and made for the door out of her room. No time for breakfast this morning, but she wasn't feeling hungry anyway.
Viyana exited her bedroom and beheld a strange sight. The top of the stairs were just down the short hallway, faintly illuminated by the glowing horizon out the window. It was a sight she was used to, but there was an amber light flickering off the ceiling above the stairs. A candle was burning on the lower level. Her eyes shut as she let out a long, frustrated exhale.
Ilderra was already up.
She descended the stairs to find her suspicions confirmed. The young girl sat at the long table with a lone candle illuminating her face. She was already dressed in her high priestess robes, her hair pinned and braided with loving detail. She was eating grapes from a wooden bowl in front of her with a cup of water sitting to her right. She turned when Viyana's footsteps against the top step groaned loudly.
