Runebearers usually went to their nearest local Parish to kneel before one of the Gods, and for good reason, because these Rune Paths were established by the Gods themselves.
All Runebearers followed the sa Runes as the Gods they kneeled to, as it saved them from the risk of death with each new Rune absorption.
That might have one think the word ’God’ to be quite... shallow, especially when considering there were as many Gods as the stars in the sky above them, each with Their own Elent...
But still, even if nearly all Gods were considered dead, Their existence itself would forever remain important, lighting a Path for many epochs to co, just like a star would.
So perhaps it was more in line to call them Constellations, but Ignotus wasn’t one to bother with such details.
Ignotus’s Luck Rune didn’t have a preestablished Path. There was no Luck God, or perhaps there was one, but They had been buried by ti. Either way, that may lead so to think that his presence in the Parish would be unnecessary.
But no, Ignotus wanted to explore the place and see just what Rune Paths were available.
After all, that’d give him an idea of what he could do and not do, allowing him to better plan his path forward.
Besides, he needed to be officially considered a Runebearer by the Parish to be accepted in the Academy, and adding further to that consideration, he wasn’t exactly against kneeling to a God.
Kneeling to any of Them, or at least their Divine Murals, would give him sothing of a Blessing.
A Trait that would reshape his very Soul, adding an extra Soul Glyph in his system tab.
It wasn’t as good a Blessing a Runebearer would get later on in the Divine Hierarchy—this realm’s ranking system—but it was a decent passive, greatly helping one’s Root Rune.
A Runebearer of Fire, for example, would kneel before the God of Fire and gain a Fire Resistance Trait to their Elent, or sothing similar, establishing themselves as a Follower of that God’s Rune Path.
Of course, Ignotus wouldn’t do so if it ant that he’d be forever bound to said God, as being bound to Them killed any chance of him actually accomplishing his quest. But thankfully, that too had regressed; his Soul no longer tied to Ti.
So naturally, his contract, or rather his ’kneeling,’ would have a few... conditions etched into it, careful wording that would let him take the Blessing without ever giving Them his ’leash.’
Ignotus already had enough of that.
’I’d rather die than have that happen.’
The road stretched on for hours, the lamps glowing faintly against the thinning night, until finally, the third hill he and Felix walked on curved down and the town ca into full view.
From afar, it looked peaceful: stone walls, tiled roofs, torches burning bright at the gate, and almost no night activity.
Close up, though? The place was alive, its rchants seemingly preparing for the next day as their horses clopped along cobblestones.
Their wagons carried bread, other such foods, and Gods-knew-what from and to various places. At the sa ti, vendors shouted about cheap wine for the drunkards still prowling.
Ignotus slowed at the outskirts, past the guards, smiling like a tourist who didn’t belong here.
It had been so long since he had last seen the Third Stratum that he began to reminisce.
Though this place didn’t seem all that, Ignotus could’ve sold the armor and swords of those guards here, but he knew better than to try, keeping only one for himself.
Besides the fact that hauling it over would’ve been an absolute headache, Plant House armor and weapons had been engraved with their insignia; any blacksmith, rchant, or trade shop would easily spot it.
Ignotus would be basically throwing himself back ho and straight into prison if he were to try his luck.
Unfortunately, the four had no coins on them as well, so he was left with nothing but a sword.
In the town, nobody looked in their direction.
A tall, lanky stranger, following another lanky stranger with a hidden face, wearing all dark and cloaks?
Yeah, interacting with them was a recipe for disaster.
The guards were the first to act as if they weren’t even there, and though drunk, the prowling dumbasses were capable of knowing that much as well.
It was kind of refreshing, honestly; no longer being the center of attention, just facing one sweaty guy who was too scared to call them idiots for standing in the middle of the street.
Ignotus waved the drunkard off and wandered, strolling down the marketplace, caring not for Felix’s obvious struggle with the rucksack.
One of the first things he saw was bronze jewelry glinting under awnings and barely clothed won underneath, gesturing for them to co in.
’These girls might be braver than the guards.’
Chuckling at that thought, Ignotus walked past them and a drunk bard who was singing off-key about a God’s... sothing.
Yeah, he didn’t bother catching the rest.
A few guards leaned on their spears outside a bathhouse, arguing over who had the worst wife.
The two passed them and beca sowhat absorbed in their conversation, causing Felix to almost trip over a stray goat chewing parchnt.
A holess guy, catching his stutter, laughed. Ignotus laughed as well, and the goat ignored them both.
’Yeah.’
He grinned.
’This is very different... it’s nice.’
By the ti they hit the central plaza, Ignotus was convinced of two things.
One, Felix was surprisingly sturdy.
Two, the people here really liked their temples.
Barely standing stone statues of Gods were nearly in every corner or street, and not far from them was always a structure of the Divine.
Yet, there was one temple that easily dwarfed them all.
The local Parish.
Actually, no, it wasn’t a temple, more like a fortress wearing a temple’s clothes.
White stone columns held up the front, each etched with Arcane that shimred faintly under torchlight, while a massive bronze gate yawned open, the entrance guarded by armored Hierophants with plus in their helts.
These were official officers working under the Parish and the Temple of Gods, in other words, people that were not to be ssed with.
Above, carved into the stone, was the insignia of three interlocking circles of chains.
’...The Three Starta are forever locked in tandem.’
This building didn’t belong in this town; it was too structurally advanced and out of place, sothing that Ignotus quickly noticed.
’It’s much fancier than I rembered.’
Glancing at his dying buddy, he chuckled.
"You can relax in the reception hall. I’ll be going in."
Felix nodded, unable to even speak, as Ignotus entered, ignoring the row of clerks sitting behind polished desks with their scratching quills.
So of them glanced up, frowning at him, but that was it; none of them bothered to warn him. No one with a sane mind would cause trouble in a local Parish.
Yes, no one with a ’sane mind’ would.
"Sir!"
Yet such a thought didn’t seem to pass this newbie, who held Ignotus’s wrist just as he stepped through.
"You cannot enter the Hall of Murals without revealing yourself to the—"
"Alright."
Ignotus shook her off.
"Thanks for the permission."
The clerk froze, sputtering.
"W-W-Wha—you—"
By the ti she tried again, Ignotus was already halfway down the hall.
’...damn.’
The chamber was huge, and murals covered every wall. From floor to ceiling, painted in strokes of beautiful colors.
Each one was alive, shimring faintly with Divinity, depicting Gods in all their glory.
’Alright, who’ve we got... Fire, Earth, Air, Water... Ice, Lightning, Plant, Magma, Steam, Blood, Sound, Ash, Light, Shadow, Life, Gravity, Ti...’
He scanned them all, searching for anything of interest.
’As expected, Luck isn’t here, huh? Well, better for ; I can’t have Runebearers compete on Luck Runes—there’s barely any in the first place.’
That also explained why that Shepherd was more stunned with him than the Sound kid.
Ignotus strolled along, his finger flicking from one painted face to the next.
Most were Gods of Elents that he knew; there were no irregulars here.
It wasn’t much different from the Parishes he was used to, but the lack of certain Gods told him that he was truly back in ti, as those Rune Paths were unlocked by Runebearers in the future, a "hidden path" of sorts.
’Hm?’
But all of a sudden, Ignotus stopped, surprise actually appearing on his face.
What he saw was more shocking than this realm flipping over.
Above a more... chaotic Divine Mural, peeked a Goddess.
An actual GODDESS.
From the wall, he saw Her clearly.
A pale woman, so beautiful with inky black hair, ruby red eyes, and a soft smile, holding an apple etched.
The plaque beneath read:
{Goddess of Calamity}
Yeah...
That was a Goddess...
And She was looking at him.
"What?"
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