Chapter 8: Feast Night at the Temple

Just before the sun disappeared completely into the ocean of neon colors painting the western sky, a pair of acolytes came to escort the trio of adventurers down to the temple’s grand hall to attend the feast being held in their honor. The hall itself was an enormous marble chamber, whose domed ceiling was held up by titanically proportioned pillars, each thicker across than any tree Lexi had laid eyes on. Lit both from a huge ornate chandelier hanging from the dome’s center as well as intricately wrought golden candelabras on each table, the white marble and gilded ornamentation throughout gleamed as if the chamber itself were filled with sunlight.

At the chamber’s back, opposite the large double doors leading into it, three broad steps led to a wide pedestal upon which sat a long table arranged so that those seated all faced out towards the rest of the room. The rest of the tables filling the space’s interior were arranged in neat rows on opposite sides of an baroquely ornamented carpet which ran the entire length of the room, all the way from the doors to the top of the platform. The chamber was filled with nearly a hundred clerics and acolytes, with their placement appearing to be determined hierarchically.

As Lexi and her companions entered the room, she noted that those closed to the doors wore the simplest togas, with no adornments. However, the closer they got to the pedestal, the more ornate and embellished their garments became. Although the population of clerics largely consisted of human women, Lexi keenly noted both the presence of men among them, with all of the other goodly races being represented in some smaller proportions — with the sole exception being that she saw no beastkin within the chamber.

“Hail!”

The clear voice of Anya echoed through the marble hall with all the authority of her station as high priestess of Xoth. “Hail the heroines who, against all odds, retrieved Xoth’s holiest relic from the clutched of the vile greenskins! Thanks to their efforts, and the supreme sacrifice of one of their number, the Starseed is once again in its rightful place, here in Xoth’s temple. Hail the heroines!”

“Hail the heroines!” came the chorus of voices from all sides, filling the marble chamber with the rich warmth of a hundred women and men all cheering the three adventurers.

The high priestess gestured to the three vacant seats to her right, the places of honor set aside for the companions. More than a bit self-conscious at the fact that literally every cleric in the room as staring at her and her friends, Lexi did her best to keep her eyes straight ahead and locked on Anya, mentally creating blinders to eliminate everything else in the room. This task became exponentially more difficult when the smiling older woman began to applaud the adventurers, a gesture which was joined by the entirety of the room in short order.

After what seemed like an endless trek through miles of cheering and clapping priestesses and priests, Lexi and her companions finally reached the dais, and moved into their appointed positions beside Anya — Lexi taking the seat directly beside the high priestess, with Samantha and Danica occupying the following two places. With a single imperious gesture from Anya, the cheering and applause died down, and everyone took their seats. Mercifully, it did not appear that Anya had any further speeches planned — at least not yet — because Lexi saw legions of young acolytes file out from the very last tables, only to return almost immediately bearing large trays of food and drink.

As the legion of young acolytes began to fill the tables — stating with the table on the dais where Lexi’s party sat with the high priestess and her highest ranking underlings — Anya turned to the the adventurers, a warm smile spread across the mature woman’s lined but beautiful face.

“Given how chaotic and sudden things have been for you,” she said to the group. “I’ve taken the liberty of coordinating with the Adventurer’s Guild to have both this quest as well as the prior one you’ve all just completed on our behalf officially logged.”

“Shit,” Lexi said running a hand through her honey blonde bangs. “I’ve been so gung-ho for the past few days that it completely slipped my mind that we’d want to be doing that. Thanks so much for being so considerate, Anya.”

“It’s nothing compared to what you three have done for us, or for the sacrifice paid by your fourth companion,” the high priestess said somberly. “The guild paid out quite a hefty reward for your recovery of the Starseed, but I fear that fails to even begin to strike a balance with what you have lost today.”

“Quite,” Samantha replied in her usually clipped speech.

“Still,” Anya continued. “I have faith that you will succeed in this new quest that the goddess has ordained for you. I’ve taken the liberty of securing the chest of gold coins here for you in the temple’s vaults, so everything will be safe and secure for when you return as a quartet.”

“Heh, yeah I guess it’s not like we’ll be buying anything in the underworld dungeons, right?” Lexi chuckled darkly.

“Indeed not,” Anya said with an indulgent smile. “However, we have prepared supplies and provisions for your journey.” The high priestess raised one hand in another imperious gesture, immediately stirring a previously unseen acolyte to motion. The green haired young elven woman scurried over to a side table which Lexi then saw was laden not only with four packs bulging with what must be supplies and foodstuffs. However, it was not the bulky packs which the elf retrieved, but a pair of small wooden boxes. The elven acolyte placed one before Lexi and the other in front of Samantha, bowed deeply and then retreated back to her original position.

“What gives?” Danica interjected indignantly. “How come they get a little box and I don’t?”

“Calm, young one,” Anya smiled, her lined eyes twinkling with mirth. “If you’ll open the boxes, you will see that these are the two Starsight Gems which birthed by the Starseed itself. One of my priestesses who is a skilled silversmith has mounted these for your human companions, my little elf, so that they might see in the dark depths with as much clarity as all of your noble race can do without the need of any magical aid.”