Annie nodded again before turning to leave the white-lit augur chapel.
The winding path leading down towards the Elysium Cathedral proper was one of her favorite places. Rather than the cobblestone and fenced roads, the path walked her through a small wooded area full of trees and wildflowers.
Sadly, the path ended all too soon.
Elysium Grand Cathedral towered over Annie. There wasn’t much that it
Annie paid the cathedral no mind as she passed by. A few monks, priests, and nuns had gathered outside on the steps. As expected; it was a nice day out. Some nodded to her as she walked on, and Anne returned the nods in passing.
Nowhere was it more important to play the part of a proper augur and nun than in public.
Beyond the far edge of the cathedral lay the lecture hall. Prospective recruits, trainees, and even experienced nuns wishing to revisit the basics all attended lessons provided by passing prioresses.
Annie almost faltered in her graceful movement across the yard. The students today had gone out to the training yard; however, they were not training. One prioress stood in the center of a small group of students, giving an outdoor lecture.
Vanishing the frown that had appeared on her lips, Annie approached until she could hear the voices.
“…be facing them. However, the source has had ample opportunity to refine its knowledge on demons as of late. You will not be facing a complete unknown so long as you are connected.”
The frown reappeared on her face in full force.
The Elysium Order was not meant to fight demons. Sister Cross and Sister Stirling had riled up half the order over their problems. The priests should have kept a closer eye on the personal interests of the chapter leader.
“While our spells are capable of severely injuring most species, demons might be our worst enemy. Unlike necromantic constructs such as skeletons, they are not held together by spells and magic. Unlike most living creatures, they do not require spells or magic to heal–rather they rely on a natural process of their bodies. As such, banishment will generally be the best means of removing the fiends.
“Banishment can be performed by anyone, even if they are unable to cast magic on their own. So long as they recite the proper words, the demons can be vanquished. You need not memorize countless litanies for the source will feed you the proper words.
“The length of the litany can vary depending on the demon and if the source was able to properly identify the creature. The source will tell you the demon as well as its two primary heritages. These will align with the seven deadly sins. A demon identifying with Sathanus of Wrath may be intensely violent while Belphegor of Sloth might lie down and take a nap while you are chanting.
“These are not the be all and end all. Keep vigilant. The demon heritage has been diluted to the point where not many demons will acknowledge their own antecedents. Even a demon of sloth might..”
Annie turned and walked away. If they wanted to waste their time on something they would never come across, they should do it after school hours.
Biting down a sigh, Annie changed directions for the sleeping quarters. The day was too nice to waste on that drivel.
Sketching beneath the old oak tree sounded far more pleasant.
Marionette
Juliana walked through the streets of Brakket city. Despite being late September, the temperature was through the roof. Part of the problem might be the several pounds of metal she wore. She made air holes at strategic points to let it breathe a little; it didn’t help all that much.
That wouldn’t do. She was on a time limit and had already delayed to the point where things could get dangerous.
Juliana took a quick glance around her. No one in sight. She sprinted around the back of her abandoned house–the same one she had used for summoning demons the first few times. It didn’t take long for Juliana to decide on a more hidden location.
A Juliana-sized hole in the ground opened before her with a flick of her wand, her other hand turned on a small flashlight. After jumping in, she reformed the ground.
The small room she found herself within was neither elegant nor clean. Dirt walls, dirt floor, dirt ceiling. None of it had been smoothed over or polished up.
