Chapter 21

Snow fell on my sleeves. Not a single snowflake touched the temple. The building stood like a magnificent rough emerald. It was as green as fresh spring moss, so very out of place in such a cold and white winter.

As I came upon the building, I was astonished to discover that the emerald stone of the building was slowly moving. Though it was evening, light was trapped within the stone. Stone that melted like running honey. The architecture kept its shape, not losing a single drop of liquid stone.

I was baffled.

“Welcome to Ghospo’s Temple, young adventurer,” said the old man again. “Please come in, out of the cold. Have you come from Klayvale?”

“Evening sir,” I said. “Yes, I’ve come from Klayvale. I seek the council of Ghospo.”

“Yes young man, she is here. I will guide you in and you will drink from Ghospo’s tea. The tea is important. Then you may seek Ghospo in private. Do you have any items enchanted with poison?”

“I have a couple of cure poison potions and a cure poison rune.”

“Very well, those will be fine. In fact Ghospo will be pleased with that. Please, right this way. I am Graven.”

“Tosin,” I said, following on the heels of my host.

We passed beneath a beautiful green archway. Stone carvers had chiseled twisting wreaths of ivy around the entire threshold. Even the carvings seemed to melt like honey, though not a drop was ever lost.

I was led down a slight ramp, deep into the temple. It was warm, and I realized that no wind entered through the threshold. It was almost like entering a dungeon where the world was left behind.

We went into a corridor that sloped back up and wound around the temple. Graven made small talk with me, asking about the affairs of Klayvale, and I tried to fulfill his curiosity, eventually confessing I was still new to the city.

As we wound around and up the temple, we passed beautifully liquid windows where the glass melted in place like the rest of the temple. The views were extraordinary, and the whole climb granted me breathtaking views from horizon to horizon. Valleys of snow, as far as the eye could see.

Breathing hard from the climb, Graven led me down a wide corridor, then into a small chamber. A private room that was fully furnished.

“You’ll be staying here for the night. We won’t take no for an answer. There have been monster sightings nearby the last few days. Adventurers are out scouting the source of what must be a legendary dungeon as we speak. The goddess and her temple would be remiss to let one such as yourself perish on your journey back to Klayvale in the dark of night. Peril is abound.”

“That’s very kind, and I thank you for the offer. I’d like to get in touch with Ghospo, however she presents herself. I met Boera—she was a blue statue.”

“Ah, I thought I recognized Boera’s banner there. Yes the two divines are in good relations, so I’m sure Ghospo will be pleased to convene with you. As for any other alignments you have, Ghospo will let it be known whether she’ll accept you into her chamber or not. She’s not shy. Anyways, please make yourself comfortable. I’ll bring you some food and tea. Drink the tea. After you’ve fed, I’ll take you to the goddess’s chamber. That’s where you’ll convene with Ghospo.”

After making myself comfortable and at home, I was given a mighty bowl of hearty soup for a meal. The tea I'd been given was absolutely foreign to me and I hadn’t thought to ask what it was. Graven had made it a point several times that I should drink the tea, which I had to admit made me leery of it.

It tasted like strawberries and flowers. I don’t know why but I pictured yellow flowers in my mind. Before I could finish my tea, Graven rapped on my door and asked if I was ready.

Again we made small talk as I was led down a hallway until we came to a large domed room. Graven gave me a huge and genuine smile before leaving me alone in the room with my cup of tea. The room was empty save for two huge cushions on the floor. The cushions were bright red and sat like giant rubies in waves of green. For whatever reason, the melting stone never made me feel queasy.

“That’s because you are being given a temporary boon of resist poison that will last a few days,” said a beautiful and slow angelic disembodied voice. Though the voice was charming, I heard a roughness in the voice. A texture of hardiness the owner must have experienced in their time on Felke. Without a doubt I knew the voice belonged to Ghospo.

“That is me,” Ghospo said. “Welcome to my home. I am pleased to be sought out. How do you find my tea?”

“Uh—very good thank you. Flowery.”

“I sense other powerful entities in your company. Boera. That’s fine. Gryf. Acceptable. Who is Zekaidean? I’ve never heard of this character.”

“To be honest I don’t know much about him. He saved a companion who was lost in a dungeon with an anvil and hammer of healing and light.”

“A mortal then. He is of no consequence to me. Let’s no longer speak of him. I am the divine goddess of cure poison. My rune is in your spellbook.”

My spellbook was hidden in my inventory. How did she know this? It made sense that she could see the items on my flagstaff, but there’s no way she was able to see my spellbook.

“You may speak your mind, young adventurer. Just because you see with your eyes does not mean others cannot see with their heart and blood—or hear with their thoughts.”

I was officially a bit frightened. Though I felt no foreign presence, she was clearly invading my thoughts. The more I tried to stop thinking, the more my thoughts raced.

“Ah yes. Beneath it all, you are burdened with guilt and shame. Others have had expectations that were unbeknownst to you. You failed to meet unspoken expectations and you carry the guilt. Guilt can act as lethally as poison upon the soul and spirit or a mortal. Did you know this?”

I kept silent because I didn’t know what to do.

“Please sit with me. I have these cushions for us,” she continued.

I laid my flagstaff down and swept my cloak aside as I sat on the cushion. The one across from me shifted, and then an imprint filled the center of it as though an invisible person had just sat there cross legged.

“How can we help each other?” Ghospo said. “Please speak freely.”

I felt an odd push in the deepest parts of my brain, like a loving mother encouraging her child to step forward. In the presence of such compassion and some other influence I couldn’t quite identify, I opened up to her, telling her everything I’d been feeling. Everything since I felt as though I let my teammates down a couple weeks ago. Emotions just fountained from my heart. I hated that I had been unprepared. I hated that I had lost a finger. I hated that people were stuck in places of the world of Felke without healing and medicine. I hated that my father had almost died. I hated that I had almost died from that blizzard. I hated that cure poisons were so expensive. I hated that I wasn’t a legendary hero that could build fountains of healing wherever I went! By the end of it all my thoughts manifested into cathartic shouting, buoyed by my breath of flowers.

“AND I HATE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO SUFFER! WHY CANT EVERYONE BE HEALED AND LIVE FOREVER!”

Then it was silent. I had fallen forward and lay my head between my hands, openly weeping upon the green stone floor that rippled like honey.

“Why,” I said between sobs.

“My child,” Ghospo said with supreme compassion. The hood of my cloak was brushed aside and I felt a hand on my back and a second hand pet my hair. Though I did not move, I suddenly felt as though my face were in someone’s lap. I opened my eyes but saw only the emerald green floor slowly melting in place.

“Your soul suffers from the injustice of a world in chaos,” Ghospo said. “Your shame weighs as much as your weapon. Your suffering scars your spirit. But your courage, Tosin, your empathy for those you encounter, is seldom sowed in the world of Felke, in the hearts of women, men, and children, and in the purpose of adventurers.”

“You feel lost sometimes, young healer. When you seek guidance in the books you read, in the failings of Axthose, or in the mystery of Boera, those are the moments when you come to fulfill the beginning of your true adventure.”

I felt a tremendous mix of emotions surge through my very being with a final rush. The temple architecture seemed to make sense just then. The stone moved like honey, pushing and pulling. I could feel the shifting pressure in my very body, as though I were a ship at sea in a violent storm. These things that I was feeling. They were being drawn from me, as though the temple wanted to rid my mind, my body, and my soul of sadness, shame, feelings of failings, and a host of other mixed emotions.

With every liquid morphing of stone around me, I felt everything leave me like long snakes. I must have been there for the rest of winter, all of spring, and then two full summers, before I lifted my head up, my tears long gone. I wondered how long I’d really been there.

“It’s only been a few hours,” Ghospo said. Her form still dented the cushion before me.

“What happened?” I asked. I don’t know why I asked that. I knew what happened. I’d been relieved of self inflicted burdens, and of gathered pains left over from the experiences of my life so far.

“Tosin,” the divine said, her voice respectfully firm. “Align yourself with me. Align yourself with Ghospo. Let us work together to rid Felke of poison. I will grant you the use of an item. A charm. Ghospo’s Braid of Ward Poison. I will lend this item to you in exchange for your alignment and your aid. If you accept, You are forbidden to employ the use of weapons or items enchanted with poison. Additionally, for every poison enchanted item you destroy, I will grant you more boons. More power. What do you say, Tosin?”

“So I can’t use anything that’s enchanted with poison? What if my life depends on it?”

“Then our alignment will have come to an end. We may stay mutually respectful of each other. Depending on the grievance committed by you, we may just as easily become enemies.”

“I don’t want to be your enemy,” I said.

“Sleep on it healer. Return to your accommodation. Enjoy the view. Enjoy the bounty of food we have to offer. Walk through the temple. Go through your thoughts. Seek me in this chamber before you leave. I will respect whatever decision you make.”

I know I returned to my room, but I didn’t recall having left the chamber where I met Ghospo. The next thing I knew, I had simply returned to my room.

Another hearty bowl of soup had been left for me along with a glass pitcher of the same flowery tea. For whatever reason, though I’d just eaten my fill, I was famished all over again. I downed my meal as though I hadn’t eaten in months. The tea was herbaceous and everytime I took a sip, I pictured spring fields of yellow flowers beneath pouring sunshine.

Outside it snowed. It was winter. Inside, though the windows were glass, the cold was abated. There was no hearth or stove, but I was cozy and comfortable all through the night. I slept better than I ever had. I had no worries. I was rooted in an epicenter of radiating peace.

I would accept Ghospo’s item. I would accept the ward poison charm. I would align myself with her. At least for now.