Once Forgotten 2.0

The Great Celestial Temple stood on the outskirts of Calrin, a mile outside the north gate. It towered over the surrounding countryside, overlooking the city. Spires rose from it's great dome. Statues of winged angels stood guard around it, swords in their hands. Within, relief carvings and mosaics of angels and demons fighting covered the surfaces. Eleven great statues stood about the inner chamber, each one different from the others. A cloaked man. A six winged angel. A giant. A child. A great maladorn. A celestial dragon, its body coiled, its head raised. A woman clothed with clouds. A man leaning upon a great sword. A girl with the wings of a dragon. A centaur. And last a young man with two wings: one was the wing of an angel, and the other the wing of a dragon.

A priest entered the sanctuary. As he walked about his work, he noticed a solitary figure, kneeling in reverence in the very center of the great chamber. He paused and watched. To him, it was as if the figure was listening to each of the Eleven. He frowned. The vast majority always paid respects to the god of their craft. To see one paying respects to all Eleven was very rare indeed, save upon certain annual festivals. At last the figure stood and turned. The priest froze in a mixture of fear and awe. Kadrin approached him slowly. He stood before the priest and bowed in respect, then reached into his cloak and pulled out a large pouch. He presented it to priest. "For your charity for the needy." As Kadrin left, the priest drew the string and glanced in the pouch. He gasped at the amount of coins within. He looked about for Kadrin, but he was gone. Overjoyed at the offering, he ran back to the other priests, telling of their joy.
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Rya sat near one of the great fountains, munching an apple she had bought. She looked about, waiting for Brint. At last, she saw her friend coming and waved. He waved back and ran up to where she was seated. He sat down and reclined against the fountain. "So, what are we up to today?"

Rya took a bite of her apple. "Today, we are going to the theater, then I'm going back to the Library this afternoon. I saw some interesting sections, and I didn't get to see all of it yesterday."

Brint nodded. "Alright. While you're at the Library later, I will be at the Guilds. I am supposed to meet up with some acquaintances there." He was silent a moment, then asked. "What did you think of Careen yesterday?"

Rya's face darkened somewhat. "I think that she is dealing with people and matters she shouldn't be." She took another bite and tossed the core to the birds scattered about. "She always was horrible at acting, but she thought herself good at it. I just never had the heart to tell her that, and apparently, so did the rest of our friends. There was something...Dark about her. A foul presence, like air gone stale. Plus, the air was colder about her."

Brint nodded. "I felt it too. I fear she may be working with our enemy."

Rya sighed. "Why? Why would she...I see no reason why she would betray us. We parted on good terms...I just don't get it."

"It's the same as when I left." Rya frowned in confusion. "I ran into Kadrin, and now look at me. I lead the Freedomists, though not many know it. She most likely fell in with the wrong crowd, or was approached by one of our enemy's many servants."

"And just who is this 'enemy' anyway? I keep hearing all this talk about him or 'our enemy', but..." Brint clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Pipe down, Rya! Don't speak of him lightly. Now, I am not permitted to tell you; that's something you will have to ask Kadrin. The less you speak of him the better. He knows when he is spoken of. That is why we never speak his name. Saying his name will summon him here, and that is a catastrophe we cannot afford right now." Brint said, speaking in her ear. He released her, and she stood staring at him. He surveyed the area around him.

Rya dropped the subject. "Come, let's get to the theater, or all the good seats will be taken." She grabbed her scythe, and they headed off.

Kadrin watched them go from the shadows of one of the various buildings. He turned and watched as another figure darted into an alley, having clearly been watching the two. Kadrin followed slowly, knowing every single inch of the city. The figure was talking with someone, his voice low.

"I don't think we should go through with this. They seem far too wary, more so than Careen said they were. She slipped up; she had to have!"

"Would you shut it! I am sick of you blaming your failures upon others!"

"Does it really mat..." He was cut off as he was slammed against the wall. The other figure joined his fate. Kadrin chuckled and fully entered the alley.

"Since you insist upon meeting in broad daylight, might I suggest you work on your subtly? Really, the way you idiots dress, everyone with the eyes to see could tell who you are with." Kadrin laughed as the two froze with terror. "Come now, relax. I am not here to kill you. Not yet, at any rate. I have a message for your master." He released one of them.

The man collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. "And what would that be?"

"I want you to tell him that the time is approaching much sooner than he thinks. Things have been set in motion that were not seen to happen. Tell him that message. Do you understand?" Kadrin asked, his voice a deadly hiss. The man nodded, trembling at the power rolling off Kadrin. He turned to the other man. "And as for you. Watch, but do not harm them. For if you do, nothing will save you from the fate that I will inflict upon you. Is that clear?" Both of them nodded. "Now, begone from my sight." They were gone in seconds. He sighed and stood at the edge of the alley. Brint and Rya were long gone, off to their destination.
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"Hmm, I don't recognize this performance." Brint said, frowning.

Rya glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"I'm familiar with most of the stories that are behind the performances, but this one, I'm not at all familiar with." Brint said.

Rya shrugged. "Well, sooner or later everyone finds a tale they haven't heard before."

"Not when they've read everything in the Library!" Brint said defensively.

Rya lightly punched his arm. "Will you be quiet? It's starting!"

The crowd fell silent as the narration began. The narrator stood off to the side, his voice echoing loud and clear:

"Long, long ago, in an age now forgotten, the people of our world waged a war, a war unlike any other. Mountains were leveled, while others were raised up. The Eleven Above looked down and watched as the world they cared for was torn apart by men and demons. And so, they watched and waited for the conflict to cease..."

And they were sucked into the story. Rya's eyes widened as she watched the tale Kadrin told her play out in the performance. The actors and actresses made it come to life more vividly than she thought was possible. However, they didn't end with the Sealing, but they continued the story...

"And so, the Eleven Above saw what the mortals had done and thought that it was best. All save one." Everyone sat up straighter at this. "Lord Nadarin, God of Balance, looked down in dismay at what had been done. He fumed with rage at what the mortals had done. The other Gods were content with sustaining the Realm, saying that it was preserved. Nadarin argued otherwise." The actors portrayed what the narrator said, showing the Gods arguing with Nadarin. "And finally, Nadarin lashed out and struck Amari, the Child Goddess. The Gods were outraged. They gathered together and healed her wound, but a terrible scar remained. Nadarin, out of shame and fear at what the other Gods would do to him, cast himself down. Abandoning the majority of his powers, he threw himself down to the Realm below, our world, the world of mortals. And he vanished from all sight...

"And so ends our tale from long ago. There is a lesson to be learned, perhaps, in that were right in Sealing away all power? Our own God of Balance did not think so. But whether or not we were right or wrong, the point remains as thus: we all must learn to live in harmony." The crowd erupted in cheers as the actors took a bow.

Rya and Brint left in silent contemplation.