Leif kneeled and laid his palm flat on the warm ancient flagstone. A bigger part of the city was made from this unknown blue stone, a strange color. Even though they scouted everything around the city they couldn’t find the stone anywhere, it’s origin was a mystery. He looked up to gaze upon the city of Shadow. The lava pools nearby gave the cave a red gloom, almost unnatural. That flagstone was warm due to the lava that is running beneath the city, giving the city a pleasant temperature that never changed. The lack of knowledge regarding the city troubled Leif. Everything in the library had withered away a long time ago. The scrolls preserving magic had died out as the worshippers that lived here moved out to the surface. He stood up and brushed the dust of his robe and made his way to the temple. The guards saluted him as he passed beneath the massive tower that protected the south entrance. The age of this city as often discussed amongst the scholars that lived here. Nolita, the High Prophetess of Dennac did not reveal much information regarding the history of this place when she showed Tekstone the location. The guards opened the inner gate for him as he strode past.
The whole main fort was made entirely from the mysterious dark stone. The walls were glistening as if they were sweating, truly astonishing. The inner yard had been made a graveyard by the former inhabitants. They had examined every gravestone but they revealed nothing but names of those who lay buried there, names that probably haven’t been uttered in centuries. The scholars could only agree on that they must have been holding a high status in the now dead civilization. As being buried that close to the holy altar was an honor only given to the worthy. His steps were echoing as he walked through the great main hall. The hall was lit by a diffuse unnatural light leaving no place for shadows. There were fourteen marble pillars in total holding up the roof, seven on each side making a corridor towards the altar. The benches alone let over fifty people sit there but the hall could hold almost two hundred people. That alone said a lot about the worshippers that once lived here. He walked to the end of the wall and stepped up on the raised platform. He touched the smooth surface of the ancient altar, would this be the altar of Dennac he would sense something but now there was…nothing. The ancient inhabitants had made their altar from another unknown material. It was barbaric yet beautiful, dark and rippled with red veins. It held two candles on each side and in the middle was a hole leading down through the altar and out on the front. It told them that the altar was used to sacrifice beings. Leif wondered about the god they worshipped, a god that is long gone he guessed. The thought brought his attention to the current situation in Tekstone. A god only holds power if he is worshipped, a god is nothing without the mortal attention they get. While no one is equal to Dennac, they still need eachother. For no one is strong without the other.
The fact that Dennac had done nothing about the imposters gave strength to his theory. Leif did not feel betrayed, for he knew that Dennac could do nothing about it. Dennac had granted him immense power to cleanse his religion and that was exactly what Leif would do. Everytime he used his tome he could feel the presence of Gaea. Her worshippers had crawled into their nest with help from one of their own, a traitor who is now banished and hated by the true Tekstone. He could also feel his own gods rage. That his sister would dare step into his domain would not be forgotten. The wrath of Dennac would strike hard and true when the opportunity arised. It did not sit well with Dennac that the imposters had proclaimed an uprising but not shown themselves to lead it. Perhaps they already know that they failed. Their actions came without warning but it was only a momentary success, a rush that only succeeded due to the true Tekstone being busy fighting with the enemies of Dennac. The imposters still cling to an illusion, they know Dennac can feel Gaea’s presence and for that they will never come in power. The true Tekstone, the custodians of Shadow will easily squelch the uprising as the imposters leader has done nothing since they entered the religion. The imposters had claimed the loyal followers to be enemies. His name was on the list along with legendary fighters that had been Dennac’s weapons for years. The thought that followers of Gaea would show themselves to fight them was entertaining. The loyalist have kept the pressure on their enemies and slain some of the imposters. All this would prove what Tekstone was capable of, the chaos and destruction that would befall this circle will be devastating.
Leif walked past the ancient altar towards his own. He prayed and let Dennac embrace him and his thoughts. His passion for chaos was shared with his god and he felt pleased. The impending calamity and promise of death brought joy to his laugther. There would be no mercy for the imposters.
His god laughed with him as he said the words out loud:
