Craig's eyelids fluttered open as he found himself half-reclining on the temple chairs. He massaged his eyes, until they felt gritty and red, and winced in pain as his back, chest and shoulders throbbed and ached.
'Bad sleeping posture? Argh.'
Groggilly, he recalled the events of the previous day : He dressed up as Archpriest Judas with the help of St. Brianna, evaded the guards, and attended the morning prayer, and got to see Yuriel again. The rest of the day had blurred together in a haze of exhaustion.
At night, he fell asleep within moments of having dinner. He had not eaten, slept or showered for many days. The insomnia he was diagnosed with a week before he was displaced from Earth didn't matter the last night, a warm meal was all it took to put him to sleep.
He saw St. Brianna sitting in front of him, she was scribbling something on a notebook. Does she keep a diary? Who knows? Craig walked up to her, "Thank you for yesterday, St. Brianna. You really got out of your way to help me."
St. Brianna kept her pen down, "Oh, you're alive? I thought you died in your sleep, but regardless, a very good morning Craig, even though, it's evening now." She laughed.
Kanito shrugged his shoulders and looked at her with flushed cheeks,
"Its already time for our evening homily." She said as she left her seat and moved to the platform on which the sculpture of Hermes stood.
"That's embarrassing. But atleast I got my sleep." Craig said with a dubious smile, so that he can repair his image in front of her.
"That's okay." St. Brianna adjusted her black hair and said politely.
'Of all moments to sleep, I fell asleep in front of an exquisite beauty like her. Probably drooling like a dog and making wierd noises.'
At this moment, there were so many emotions surging up in Craig's mind. He was deeply grateful for what the saintess did for him, he could never forget the amount of help he recieved. But this help also made him skeptical, can a person really be this kind, especially in a world like this? Craig suspected her because of that, but at the same time, felt terrible for judging a woman like her.
'I also feel terrible for everything St. Brianna had to go through just to save me from the guards. I don't want to trouble her anymore, but if I walk out of the temple now, what will I possibly do next?'
Craig noticed that St. Brianna was also not talking at all, she seemed to have such a vivacious personality when Yuriel was around, but now she just carried a smile on her face and kept on writing.
After pondering various possibilities, Craig chose to break the silence with a declaration, "St. Brianna, I don't want to trouble you any further, so I guess I shall be leaving now. I will forever be grateful to you." He walked towards the exit
St. Brianna stood up with a concerned face and tried to stop him, "Wait, what do you mean?"
Mid-way he stopped he turned to leave, he saw a figure sitting at the last row of the temple, "Priests aren't supposed to leave before homilies." The figure said in a measured voice as he turned a page of a book he was reading.
The man's blond hair hung in stringy locks, framing his wrinkled, elderly face and brown eyes. He wore a grayish, damp tunic and a black chlamys.
Kanito's feet seemed rooted to the spot from a mix of surprise and unease. St. Brianna's voice rang out, loud and clear, "There's nothing to be afraid of, Judas, he is Archpriest Illiad."
Illiad rose from his position, he was taller than it was expected, "Well incase I am mistaken about you being a priest, I am sorry. You are free to leave."
St. Brianna used the opportunity to prevent Craig from going away, "No he is a priest– an archpriest, in fact. He has been sent by the Holy Temple as a replacement for Grollice."
Craig bowed courteously, "My name is Judas. Good evening, sir."
"Oh really? He is a priest?" Illiad walked extremely close to Craig and scanned him minutely with his brown eyes, "I don't see a caduceus pendant around your neck, unlike mine." Illiad agressively pulled out a pendant from his collars, it bore the symbol of the winged staff.
"Also, if you are an archpriest serving Hermes, then you must be a disciple as well, demonstrate your ability then, vanish before my eyes, create a lively illusion of a lion, make your yellow eyes appear green, imitate the sound of a dragon. Come on, do all these." The middle aged priest was either in a very bad mood or this was just his querulous personality.
St. Brianna intervened Illiad's verbal appraisals, she said with agitation, "Ah.. Illiad, it has only been a day since he has arrived, let him have a breath atleast. Also, Judas, don't mind him... he is Illorus Illiad, an archpriest of our temple. He is a kind man but has a bad habit of always talking a mouthful."
'Why are you getting so worked up, grandpa? Trying to get a heart attack or something?"
"It's fine, St. Brianna. People can be in upset moods sometimes. Umm.. Archpriest Illiad, incase no one has told you this.. good evening." Craig smiled politely.
"Huh? What are you trying to imply there?" Illiad said with a grumpy voice.
"Mr. Illiad, you asked me to conjure an illusion of a lion, right? Well... ironically enough, there is an actual caged lion in this room, it is right behind me, but you are not able to see or hear it because of my sermon."
Illiad got extremely scared, "Are.. are you being truthful?"
Craig arched his brows, "Of course I am, Mr. Illiad. Do you think I have the audacity to be mendacious in my Lord's temple? But don't be afraid," Craig leaned in a bit, "the cage is extremely strong."
He then turned and walked towards St. Brianna, "Added to that, my eye colour is actually dull red. I tried to put on a purple colour but I guess I mistakenly turned it yellow. Is it still yellow?"
Illiad stared at Craig with wide eyes, "Y-Yeah, it's still bright yellow." he said as he sweated anxiously.
Craig smiled humbly, then he was suddenly rattled, he assumed a terrified face and dramatically fell back on a seat and pointed a quivering finger at the false lion. With accurate facial expressions and voice, he said, "Mr. Illiad, t-the lion! The lion is trying to pounce on you!" Craig covered his ears and made a nervous face, "It's roaring!"
Mr. Illiad ran away to the temple's corner, where he was sitting, "Please, please control it." He cried out.
Seeing the old man in such a poor condition, Craig felt ashamed but also smiled at the old man's state.
St. Brianna face-palmed herself, "Illiad, it's fine. I have put the lion to sleep."
Illiad stood with a weak posture and slumped his shoulders, Kanito's courteous smile which persisted made him more uncomfortable, "I.. I feel like I'm forgetting everything, the noble kids will come this evening too. That's why I hate the Pyrs of the week."
He riffled through the pages of the book, quickly glancing over the entire contents.
After that, the main wooden door of the temple opened with a creaking sound, a young man about the same age as Craig entered the temple. He had copper brown hair and green eyes, and was holding a chamberstick which bore three beautiful candles.
"The street lights are so dim today." The boy said as he closed the door. He was wearing a full-sleeved velvet brown robe which had white vine designs, holding the attire was a black leather belt.
Illiad jumped at his position in surprise, "Oh, Zerfaim, you are super early today, where are the others?"
"They have gone to attend the inauguration of the Zionsviel Gallery." He said in a dismissive tone. "My father insisted that it would be improper for me to not go there, but again, I couldn't care less." The blond young man said as he blew the candles slowly.
Illiad cackled at his words, "The way you talk about the chamberlain, I could never!"
'The chamberlain?' Hatred piled up inside Craig's heart. He clenched his fist and controlled himself from creating any kind of scene.
St. Brianna thought that Craig might need some assistance in this situation, she said as she came down from the platform, "Judas, you might not know him, but this is Zerfaim Nephnis, son of Marcus Nephnis, heir to one of Bakerheim's four great noble families."
Zerfaim gaze shifted behind Illiad as he found a young priest who was looking at him with a serene, polite smile. He asked him, "So you are.. Judas."
The serene smiled widened as Craig said, "I am Judas! A humble servant of my Lord."
"He will be with us for a while." St. Brianna gestured for Zerfaim to come and take the first seat.
"Since no one else is coming today, should we start with our homily?" Illiad asked.
"Sure." Zerfaim said as he took out a pen and a piece of paper to take notes from the homily.
St. Brianna sat on a seat on the opposite side of Zerfaim and Craig sat a seat behind her. "Watch him carefully, you will also have to delivery a homily someday." St. Brianna told him in a sincere manner.
'So there is indeed a prospect for me to get over my stage fear.' Craig showed a slow smile, "That's fine." he uttered.
Illiad approached the altar and retrieved a glowing red lantern from its illusory drawers. And with it, whatever illumination was blinking inside the temple, instantly dimmed, Only the red glow remained which transfixed the temple's atmosphere.
The shadow of the scripture fell on the platform behind and soon, that shadow extended and horizontally stood in front of the platform, it hovered like a holographic screen before the temple altar. The shadowy screen soon took on dark, dreary colours, produced thrilling sounds and even gave off pungent, humid scents. All of this tried to create an immersive scene of The Underworld.
'So this is like a magical version of a projector?'
Craig and Zerfaim stared carefully at the screen as a blue veiled woman with blue eyes and a black ponytail emerged on the screen.
She held a lantern in one hand and appeared in front of a giant door, it opened automatically. She entered the nebulous, open roof room which showed a sea-green sky above.. it was dotted with stars, each star represented a life which would inevitably crash down into the Underworld.
She narrated, "I feel like I crossed the Styx an hour ago, by the darkness of this realm, I can tell, I am in Hades' home."
She narrated the scene to the viewers, "Dark figures emerged on all sides of this eerie court room, creatures were slouching and slopping eveywhere, however the throne right in front of me was occupied by a prominent figure covered hapazardly in purple robes. The Helm of Underworld rested on his head like a crown – This was Hades. Two attendants seemed closest to him – Hynos and Thanatos."
"What bringeth you here, living one?" Thanatos questioned her.
"I cometh here to meet the Ruler of the Underworld, Hades."
The woman further narrated, "The darkness on top of the throne contorted into a smile. It sent a horrific shiver down my spine. But before the malicious deity could do anything, a strange event happened. From the centre of the hall, a flight of illusory doves emerged and soared in all directions of the realm."
What the woman narrated truly took place. The light from the doves' silvery wings chased away the darkness of this world, and from this light, came a male voice, profound like fine ivory, "Hark, residents of the dead world, she is St. Phylline of Tunice, a disciple held dear. She cometh here for a simple purpose and means no harm. Stoop not to any mischief, Hades, for Mischief, that wily knave, doth attend her side!"
"Hermes, I hear thee!" Hades shouted angrily light from the doves' wings faded slowly. "What purpose dost thou bear? Saintess of a thief?"
St. Phylline replied bravely, "Restore unto me the moeity of mine soul and the Gospel of Sun, which both were lost erstwhile to the Underworld."
Haded said in a still voice, "Thy soul, thou mayest reclaim, but the Gospel of Sun shall remain beyond thy grasp. For it was gifted to us by the mighty Helios."
"The mortal realm is devastated, Hades. If you don't give it back, it will not be restored." St. Phylline said convincingly.
"The consequences will be far reaching," The voice of Hermes rebounded again.
At this point, The four people inside the temple were completely immersed in the story and would've continued if it wasn't for a loud sound of gathering which broke their immersion.
"Pause the play for a second," St. Brianna commanded gently, she rose up and approached the door, opening it, she found a large number of people gathered around in the street, there were four men, mounted on horseback, one of them was Marcus Nephnis.