The Temple of Soras

Alynthir is a majestic city, as I tilt my head backwards the walls seem to go on and on, reaching over forty feet with ease. That is about as much of the city as I am able to see with the queue at the northern gateway stretching far across the stone brick road. All of the three races are represented in the queue, humans, dwarves, and elves; they were a colourful assortment of garb in styles I had not seen before. Living in Blue-Rock, our clothes were cheap and simple mostly made by Theodora, our local seamstress. Here however, merchants wear rich and colourful garments in an attempt to simulate the nobility, Elven travellers adorned in the elegant attire of their homelands with flowing designs that even the most skilled human could not hope to replicate, soldiers wearing leather armour worn with travel and decorated with a simple crest of whichever noble house they are pledged to. The few peasants in the line are all that remind me of home, dirty and tired looking they seem to have travelled a great distance to reach this metropolis; their practical clothing and even their smell seeming to be the only natural thing in the line. But what truly unsettled me was how many people there were, in the queue alone there had to be more people than in all of Blue-Rock and the nearby villages combined. There was something unsettling about having this many people gathered in one place, and just standing around, usually this many people would be fighting or celebrating, or _something _and not just standing and waiting.

At last our wait is ended and Korin pulls the reins tight to halt the wagon at the hand of a guard held upright in front of us. “Wagon toll” he says in a tired voice, his compatriot chewing on something and spitting a black glob into the ground beside them

“Wagon toll?! What kinda robbery is that?” Korin bellows at the armoured man, the light in the sky shining from his silver pauldrons. Korin’s appearance after weeks of travelling and drinking is unkempt and dishevelled, providing an appearance of one of the wild woodsmen from the stories.

The guard sighs, clearly having had his fair share of disgruntled travellers in his time, “Please sir, it’s only twenty coppers. Let’s not make a scene” he says, his friend apparently liking the idea of trouble smirks and shifts a hand to the blade in his scabbard.

“Make a….” Korin huffs as he looks around and sees Sara and Rayall giving him an unappreciative look, “Seriously?” he says to them, raising his hands in exasperation, “Make a scene? He says. Only twenty coppers” he voices his complaints as he digs around in a purse on his waist and pulls out a few coins, counting them pointedly before dropping them in the palm of the guard. “Daylight robbery is what it is” he spits as the guard waves his hand to let us pass into the city

The smell is what hits me first, wood smoke from the countless hearths and forges burning throughout the city, the sour tang of ale and mead from the taverns on every street coming from the inviting doors that hang open, the foods from bakers and stalls that crowd the street with meats being cooked on small fires and served to people as they walk by; then there’s the refuse, rotting meat and vegetables, the waste from both humans and animals, and various over bodily fluids. All these stenches coalesce in the air to give the city it’s own unique aroma that manages to be simultaneously pleasantly comforting and violently nauseating.

As the wagon finds a quiet spot from the hustle of people and horses flowing through the streets, we stop to gain our bearings and find out where we are and where we’re going. As we stop Rayall and Sara, both unload themselves from the wagon and gather their things. “Thank you so much for getting us here” Sara says to Korin as he looks down at them

“Ah, it was nothing. Anything for a pleasant lass like ya” Korin says as Rayall shakes his hand and thanks him likewise

Sara turns to me and gives me a hug, I let out a breath as I feel her weight lean into me, “And thank you too Aucus, I’ll see you at the test” she says, smiling as we give each other a squeeze

“So, you two have a place to stay until then?” I ask as they check one time that they have collected all of their belongings

Sara nods her head, “Yeah, I have a friend who moved here a few years ago. She’s working in one of the taverns and agreed to let me stay with her, I don’t think she’ll mind if Rayall joins me” she says, Rayall nods his head

“I’m told that I can be very charming. How could she say no” he says matter of fact

Korin chuckles, “well you kids be safe, if this city is anything like our mountain cities then you’ll probably have a few drunken axe fights” he says, giving them a wave farewell as they walkdown the street. I join him and can’t help but glance at Sara’s behind as she walks until they pass a corner and disappear from sight

“Right then, where are ya staying lad?” he asks looking at me in the wagon

“Well, my mother said her friends in the temple of Soras would let me stay with them. I don’t really know where that is from here, but it can’t be that hard to find. Right?” I say, not sure myself how I’m planning on finding it.

“Well that sounds like an excellent idea, let’s go and find it” the dwarf says as he takes the reins once more and gets the wagon moving.

As he steers us through the narrow streets, crowded from both sides by buildings that seem to be leaning towards them, he finally manages to call down a person that does not flee from the “scary shouting dwarf”. He asks them for directions and eventually takes us to the temple of the goddess Soras.

The building stands tall in its grandeur, the walls soaring upwards, adorned with intricate carvings and statues of legendary adventurers from out of the stories. The stone men and women resting solemnly with their spirits standing loyally at their sides or seated upon their shoulders. The entrance to the temple is a massive, ornate doorway that seems to somehow glow with an otherworldly light.

Korin stops the wagon, having found somewhere to park it that doesn’t seem to be charging the extortionate fees that plague the city. We see a few people dressed in the lightly armoured travelling clothes that is so common amongst adventurers, the occasional few wearing full plate armour or rich clothing. We walk up to the entrance and pass through the grand doors that stand open and welcoming.

As we step inside, the interior is vast and open with adventurers milling about, ordinary citizens passing through to the prayer chambers, and adventurer contracts plastering the walls awaiting someone to accept them. The polished marble floors reflect the sunlight streaming in through the stained-glass windows, casting a kaleidoscope of colours on the walls and floor. The air is thick with the heady scent of incense, a mix of sandalwood and myrrh, flowing in from the prayer rooms. A heavy commotion of the denizens fills the vast chamber as they talk about various subjects, from contracts, to duels, to parties both old and new. Their colourful spirits flowing amongst them, the red flames of fire spirits, the blue of water spirits, the brown of earth, the gust from air spirits, the green of nature and so many more that I hardly knew existed. At the end of the chamber is a towering statue of Soras, carved in such intricate detail that it seems to come to life in the mixture of flickering candlelight, the glow of magical gemstones, and the colourful beams of stained-glass light.

It takes me a moment to catch my breath, lost in the majesty before me. Never in my life had I seen a building so opulent and openly expensive. I had thought that the manor of Lord Beckront was the height of elegance and splendour but compared to this construction it was practically a slum.

Not knowing who Opal and Isabella were, I decide my best option would be to ask for them. Korin lets out a low whistle in appreciation of the building as we go in, our eyes pouring over every facet of the design. I see someone sitting behind a desk, using the nib of a quill to write out contracts as her frosty ice spirit watches over her shoulder. She seems to have a position in the temple, so I approach her with my questions

“Uh, hi” I say as she continues writing on the parchment in her hands, the quill running out of ink before she looks up at me, “Hi” I repeat with a smile, “I was hoping you’d be able to tell me where I can find Opal and Isabella” I ask, trying to give her a twinkle with my eyes as Korin sits himself next to an attractive adventurer, seemingly to her annoyance.

“Child, there are over one thousand adventurers pledged to the temple of Soras alone. I’m going to need more than a name to find someone, do you know their last names? Their spirits? Are you sure they are disciples of Soras?” she asks me as I realise that I know almost nothing about them

I scratch the back of my neck, unsure what could help, “Uh, no. All I know is that they’re called Opal and Isabella” I think for a moment before adding “They used to be in a party with my mother, Sephenia”

Her eyes widen at the mention of my mother’s name, and she puts her quill down as her eyes examine me. “Sephenia? Really? You’re her son?” she asks, a doubtful tone in her voice, “Forgive me but you look nothing like her, or Davrech either” I flinch at the sound of my father’s name.

My face flushes as she mentions that I don’t look like her, something that has always irked me, “Yes I’m her son, she said that they would help me out whilst I’m in the city. My name’s Aucus” she sighs as she gets up from her desk, clearly having been sat for a while and happy to begin moving.

“Okay, I’ll take you to them” she says as her ice spirit vanishes, and she reaches for a wooden crutch to help her walk. “I’m warning you though, they both know her very well. If you’re lying about who you are, they won’t take it well” she says as she leads me through the doorways to another chamber with a marble staircase that takes us to floors that I hadn’t even guessed were there.

“You know, Sephenia saved my life once. Sure, I ended up with this little present, but I’ve still got my life” she says as she slaps a hand against her bad leg, “I’d got caught in my sleep by an arachnyl, it was mauling me when she slew it. Thought I was going to die. That was the day that I retired from adventuring and found myself a desk job”

I had never heard that story before, and began to realise that my mother had actually told me very little about her life as an adventurer, ”Oh”, I just say, “She never told me that before” is all I say as she glances back at me

“Oh, I’m sure she had so many stories like it that she was spoiled for choice” she replies with a gentle smile, “Is she coming to the city as well? I’d love to give her a proper thanks”

“Er, there’s some trouble in the village right now but she said that she would come to the city as soon as she sorts it out” I say, almost stunned at how much my mother means to this woman. Is this what adventuring is like. Making such a huge impression on people that you barely remember enough to mention I think to myself

“This is it then” she says as she stops at one of the doors, she glances down at the fiery head of Korin next to me, “I take it he’s with you” she asks

I look at Korin, just now realising that he has invited himself to stay with me, “yeah, I suppose he is. This is Korin, he helped me get here” I say as he tries to give an innocent grin, the women simply rolls her eyes at him.

She knocks on the simple wooden door and opens it slightly, sticking her head through the gap. I hear her voice as she talks to the women in the room, “Hey, I’ve got a boy called Aucus here with his friend. He says he’s Sephenia’s son” she says before opening the door some more to reveal us to the occupants

As the doorway widens, I get my first glimpse of the women inside. They are both my mother’s age and like her appear younger than her years, they are both extremely beautiful and dressed in fine clothing that highlights the arousing curves of their bodies. One of them has flowing golden hair, curled at the ends, with ocean blue eyes, her lips full and painted with a red gloss. Her dress boasting an oval gap at her chest, displaying her large bust to anyone who cares to see. Her friend with long black hair like my mother’s, chestnut brown eyes, and high cheekbones; her skin displays a deep tan, and her bust is similarly large to her friend’s, though with somewhat more modesty with the silk of the dress covering it from prying eyes. As I gaze at them, I can’t help but feel a slight stiffening in my pants, I give them a nervous wave as I’m introduced

The room is decorated more freely than the imperious design of the temple’s grand chamber, with comfortable furniture scattered around, furs and blankets adorning them, a fireplace centred at the base of the room with other modern amenities decorating, a small bar standing at one end with a variety of bottles sporting coloured liquids adorning it to Korin’s delight. The room is bathed in a floral essence and crystals bask it in a colourful glow

“Well, this is Opal” she says gesturing to the blonde woman, “And Bella” she adds as her hand moves towards the dark-haired beauty, “I’ll leave you to it then, let me know if there’s anything else you need help with” she finishes, giving me a smile before limping away down the corridor

“Sephi’s son?” Opal asks as she looks at me with her bright eyes almost glowing, “I’d recognise that hair anywhere. I haven’t seen you since you were a little baby Aucus” she says as she rushes over and wraps me in a hug. I can’t help but feel uncomfortable as the tightness in my pant grows from her impressive chest pressing against mine. I feel unsure where to put my hands, her figure no doubt able to make my embarrassment grow if I lay hands on it. I end up hugging her back, my hands resting on each other behind her.

“It’s been so long, and now you’ve grown into a man” she says as she releases me from her grip, her chest bouncing slightly from the motion as her eyes look me over, “And what a man” she adds in an alluring tone, giving me a wink

I don’t know how to answer her and remain in silence for a moment with, finding it difficult to swallow the lump in my throat. I am finally saved by Bella who seems used to her friend’s overt affection. “Come on Opal, let the poor boy go” she says, her voice using a lilting accent that according to the books comes from the south of the kingdom

I manage to **** the lump down my throat and look at them both, “Sorry, I don’t really remember you” I say, hoping that will explain the blush in my cheeks, “Uh, this is my friend Korin by the way. He’s not just a beggar” I say, pointing to the short dwarf beside me.

Opal gives him a smile but returns her attention quickly back to me as she takes hold of me and leads me to a sofa, sitting me down next to her as Bella comes over to join us. I look at how close Opal is seated to me and then to the extra space besides us. “So Aucus, you need to tell us everything. I have so many questions” she starts to gush, “How’s your mother?”

(I just want to mention that a character sheet for the key characters introduced in part 1 has been finished. It is accessible through chapter 1 for those interested in checking in out)