Chapter 62: Encroaching Darkness (3)

"Rivals!? Who!? When!?" Christina asked. The imminent arrival of competition was completely out of her calculations.

"Keep calm. Although I say soon, you still have some time. One isn't even romantically inclined to him yet, but he has her interest. Unfortunately, the threat she poses pales in comparison to the one on the southern ontinent, seeing as she already has his heart." Tegaia said.

Christina froze. She had heard little about the woman Thadius loved, but the one fact she had counted on was that the woman was long gone.

From Christina's reaction, Tegaia could tell that Thadius had kept her in the dark about his lover. She had already come prepared to even the field. "You know that Travelers come from another world, yes?" Christina nodded. "Well, it's seems that Travelers have two bodies, but only one soul. Now, in his world, Thadius is bedridden, and when he came to this world years ago, he prayed to me. Did he tell you what he prayed for?"

Christina shook her head. "I always thought you came to him first."

"Oh, no. He came to me when I was at my lowest, when I had already given up on regaining my powers. I was in an even worse state than when you had prayed to me." Tegaia sighed heavily. Christina frowned at that, but the Goddess pat her on the knee. "Don't fret, sweetheart. Thadius came soon after, and when he did, what he asked for was forgiveness. He'd rejected his lover so that she could find happiness with another, despite the pain it would inflict on her and himself."

Christina's heart was gripped by chill as the revelation came to her. "So he left for this world, not knowing that she would follow.”

Tegaia nodded. "She followed, and after realizing that Thadius still loved her, she was furious."

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"What!? Why!?" Christina asked in astonishment. Even Yuna, who was stretched out on the altar with a belly full of lemonade, looked up with interest.

Tegaia chuckled as she relived the event. "She felt that Thadius was an idiot for telling her to leave if both of them still held feelings for each other. She ask for forgiveness too, except she wanted to be forgiven in advance for striking Thadius on sight when she sees him again!" Tegaia laughed.

"That's terrible!" Christina protested with a frown.

"Even so, she's determined to do it." Tegaia said as she motioned for Yuna to hand her the wineskin.

The young Goddess sluggishly rolled off the altar and handed over the wineskin before laying down on the pew with her head in Christina’s lap. Her long white hair spread out to reveal strands of voilet, hinting at the coming of spring.

Tegaia chuckled as she watched. "This wineskin is enchanted. Did you truly think you could drink it all?” Yune just sighed in response, prompting another chuckle from the armored deity.

Christina welcomed the oppurtinity to process the startling news, and she began to run her fingers through Yuna’s hair. “What else can you tell me?” she asked.

“Her name is Rosemary, and like you, she's decided become a priestess. So you'll be competing with her in more ways than one." Tegaia replied.

"So the ceremony you missed before-"

"Was hers, yes. More?" Tegaia offered more Nostalgiam. Christina gratefully accepted.

Christina gratefully accepted, staring into her cup as she tried to picture Sister Rosemary, the woman Thadius loved. "What's she like?" she asked quietly.

"She's unlike any priestess you've ever seen, both cunning and ferocious. She poured her blood, sweat, and tears into her preparations. And when she moves on to the next step, that's when you'll need to be worried." Tegaia’s eyes narrowed as she thought back to when she first met Rosemary. The young woman had since completely outrun her expectations.

“What’s the next step?” Christina asked.

Tegaia shrugged. “I can’t be sure, but I assume she’ll start her search. She’s closing in on her goal.”

"Can't you delay her, maybe buy me some more time?" Christina asked desperately. Her heart raced with panic at the thought of Rosemary's imminent arrival.

"Christina...no." Tegaia shook her head and eyed the priestess with eyes full of disappointment. "I only came to warn you and even the playing field. She'd have caught you unawares and taken Thadius with no contest otherwise."

Tegaia’s reply had Christina crestfallen. She wasn't confident that she could sway Thadius if he still held feelings for Rosemary.

The Goddess’s expression softened as she watched her words effect. "Lucky for you, it'd take her four months to get here if she left right now, and that’s not including the time when she return’s to her world. She’s not like Thadius, who has forsaken his world altogether. So you have plenty of time. I, on the other hand, do not." She sighed as she stood up. She had spent far too much time in the mortal world.

"Are you headed back to the Heavens?" Christina asked, handing the goblet back to Tegaia outstretched hand to be refilled.

"Not for some time, I'm afraid. Many Gods that I've called friends are nowhere to be found. I’m going to see the Oracle in order to receive some insight as to where they might be. But if she can't help me..." Tegaia sighed again and shook her head, then she turned back to Christina. "It's nothing you should worry about though. You have quite the task ahead of you as it is. I trust I don't have to tell you what will happen if Thadius finds out that Rosemary is here?"

"He won't hear it from me." Christina said confidently. That was the last thing she wanted Thadius to know.

"Good." Tegaia looked down at Yuna. "Will you keep it a secret too?" she asked.

Yuna frowned. "I still remember what happened the last time you asked me to keep a secret..."

"And I intend to pay that debt in full. However, this will be for Christina, not me. I told Rosemary I wouldn't tell Thadius, but if either of you tell him, then it's out of my hands." Tegaia shrugged.

Yuna sat up and looked at Christina, who was pleading desperately with her eyes, then she looked back at Tegaia. "Okay, but I get to order whatever I want when we go out." Yuna declared.

"Deal!" Christina agreed.

"Well girls, take care. Hopefully we can chat like this again sometime soon." Tegaia said as she disappeared into thin air.

As soon as she was gone, Yuna vanished as well, leaving Christina to tell the High Priest that the ceremony could continue immediately.

When she reached the door and opened it, she found Esaa and Teta being scolded by Nigel, or at least it appeared so. Esaa couldn't stand still, her tail swishing frantically and her eyes were alight with excitement.

Teta at least looked like she was being scolded, standing properly at attention. But as Christina walked out, her attention was entirely on the door. "She's out!" she cried out, louder than anyone had ever heard her speak.

Esaa was the first to move. "Christina!" she screamed, bolting past Nigel in a great feat of feline dexterity and nearly tackling the startled priestess. "We saw her! We actually saw a real live Goddess! I mean, we didn't know who she was, but she was so cool! She came out of nowhere in all that shiny armor! Didn't she Teta!?"

"So cool..." Terra replied, pumping her fist.

"Calm down! I was just as surprised as you!" Christina laughed as she hugged friends to calm them, then she looked to the High Priest. "She’s gone now. The ceremony can continue at your word, holiness."

Nigel cleared his throat, having two initiates ignore him in the middle of a lecture was something he'd just have to let go today, in light of the divine guest. "Very well, we will continue immediately." He turned to the initiates lined up against the wall and chatting amongst themselves excitedly. "Alright now, the excitement has passed. Take your positions in front of the altar and we will continue."

The initiates and newly fledged priests and priestess hurried back into the church while glancing at Christina in wonder and awe.

After the last member of the ceremony passed through the doors, Nigel asked Christina. "Will you be returning to the ceremony? Seeing as your Goddess herself has already told you what she expects of you, I don’t think my ramblings will do you much good." he said.

"Won't there be a purity ritual? I’ve...been thinking about it, and I was hoping to take the rite as well." Christina said quietly as her cheeks flushed. Years ago, she would have taken the rite immediately, but with Thadius the picture, she was no longer certain she would be able to honor it for long.

Nigel shook his head. "We no longer perform the rite here. Young priestesses such as yourself would just become targets." he said solemnly.

"Targets? I don't understand...were they killed?" She asked.

The High Priest looked at Esaa and Teta for a few moments before looked Christina squarely in the eye. "The young women who took the rite became targets of men hoping to take the chastity of a priestess. Once we knew why they were targeted we stopped the rite altogether." He said with the stern gaze he was known for.

"Oh...I should have guessed-I'm sorry." Christina said, bowing her head.

Nigel sighed heavily, and removed his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. "No, I am sorry. Were I able to trust someone with running this church in my absence, I could be out there like The Red Hand, bringing the culprits to justice."

"Oh! I heard about her!" Esaa declared.

"Who's that?" Christina asked, looking from Nigel to Esaa, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"They say she can kill demons with a single punch! And they say that she wears bandages on her hand soaked in their blood! Hiya!" Esaa put up her hands and tapped Teta on the shoulder. And Teta, the foul demon, feel to the ground.

The smallest of smiles appeared on Nigel’s face as he replaced his glasses. "The tales behind the name are fanciful indeed. Her real name is Sister Rosemary, and word has it, that she is single handedly bringing to justice the men who would harm her fellow priestesses. In fact, the gossip among our sister churches is that she will be High Priestess soon." He said.

"Yes!" Esaa shouted, pumping her fist and throwing her head back. Teta mimicked her as best as she could from her spot in the floor.

Christina fell silent, and her stomach sank as the name of her dreaded rival was once again spoken in praise. Nigel didn't miss the change.

"Is everything alright?" He asked.

Christina suppressed the dread that threatened to drag her to the floor. "No...no, I just recognize the name, that's all. The Goddess told me that she was the only other priestess to have pledged to follow her." she said, trying to smile.

“It that so? Well, I suppose the priestesses of the Goddess of War ought to be somewhat aggressive...” Nigel nodded to himself, but the wide eyed Christina made him smile. “Did you think I didn’t know about the Goddess? As the High Priest, I make it my business to know about every God known, especially the ones we’re told to forget.” he said.

“O-of course!” Christina said. So far, the High Priest had surprised her on every encounter.

“Well, then I must attend the ceremony. Will you be returning as well?” Nigel asked again as he turned for the temple doors.

“No, I was actually thinking about taking my friends out to celebrate...if that’s okay.” Christina said, casting a nervous glance at Esaa and Teta.

“I don’t see a problem, but you’ll need this to show to the guards in case you’re stopped.” Nigel searched his robe and pulled out a slip of paper from his chest pocket and handed it to Christina. ”This is an official statement saying you are a priestess of Todos. Don’t lose it…” he warned.

“Yes, sir. I won’t.” Christina watched as the High Priest reached for the door, then a thought came to her. “Ah! High Priest!” she called out.

Nigel turned around, eyebrows raised. “Yes? What is it?”

Christina made an uncomfortable face. “Well...the Goddess swapped out the holy water with something the Gods call ‘Nostalgiam’. I just thought you should know. The Gods don’t think it’s important, but I thought you might.” she said quietly, but as the words came out she couldn’t help but feel like a tattle-tale.

“Well then, I have to take a sip myself once the ceremony is over. It’ll be interesting to see what the Gods drink.” Nigel nodded once to Christina before heading inside the church.

Christina blew out her breath. Today had been filled with more excitement than she could handle. She turned to her friends, expecting to see how excited they were to get a chance to go out. But when she turned, Esaa’s eyes were popping out of their sockets and her tail was standing on end. Teta was beside her, petting her in an attempt to calm her.

“Esaa!? What’s the matter!?” Christina asked in concern as she put her hands on her friend’s shoulders.