The Blade Of God-Chapter 54: The Forest of Arcane (Slash II)

Jeremiah Maelis Carter stands next to Aliane and a young female nun residing in a newly furnished church. Jeremiah only came to the scene to discuss a few details regarding the church as well as to gather some outsider information to help resolve a puzzle his attention has been lingered on for the last few weeks. If it is up to him, he’d stay in his office, but Clarke told him to spend a few days outside to finally get a break from his duties and to replenish his soul and blah, blah, blah--yet here he is, still committing to some task he forces upon himself.

"The church went through a few repairs," The small nun said, her kind eyes and soft features match her petite voice. "It’s a old church, but since the princess sponsored us, we were able to fix up the church and even build more rooms for the children! What a kind princess, indeed!"

Jeremiah sighs, biting his tongue while Aliane shares a look between Jeremiah and the short nun, reading Jeremiah’s deep scowl passively.

"It appears the princess likes to meddle in one’s affairs more often than not." Jeremiah mutters, low enough for only Aliane to hear, before he clears his throat, meeting eyes with the short nun and offering her a polite nod. "Indeed, she is."

Aliane rolls his eyes as he mutters something low under his breath, but Jeremiah can’t find it within himself to care, too focused on avoiding whatever conversation the small nun attempts to strike up with an unamused Aliane, who only shrugs or answers with less than five words to hurry the conversation to a end until the nun mentions the princess again, and suddenly Aliane’s ears perk up.

Jeremiah only sighs, moving his eyes to the altar at the front of church, his deep green eyes watching as two small children cackle and play amongst themselves, running around the altar as the two boys--one with short blond hair, freckles like stars plastered on his cheeks, and big brown doe eyes sticks his tongue at another boy with short, curly navy hair that hides his eyes and a x-like-scar on his cheeks, who whines and throws his hands up in defeat. They run and play around whom Jeremiah notices is a tall woman, her warm, curly honey blonde hair runs down her back in waves, covering her clothed body dressed in black and golden holy garments that hug her small waist and large hips with ease. She’s wearing a black veil that drapes over her face and to the back of her head, yet as thin the veil she wears is, it’s sturdy enough to hide her face--her expression--something that surprisingly, Jeremiah is interested in seeing.

Jeremiah watches her--the unknown maiden, as she slowly drops to her knees to finish up her prays. This small church itself celebrates the God of Creation, Iris, a God celebrated throughout the kingdom, but mainly in the kingdom of Easia, a kingdom that is on-par in strength, economic growth, and technology advancement with magic in comparison to its rival, Avia.

Yet, Jeremiah cannot pinpoint why he watches the woman with interest, with the way she squeezes her slim fingers tightly as she prays, to the way she looks up with her veil stuck to her face as she softly mutters prayers Jeremiah has heard long ago from children to bide the God in heaven well. Jeremiah continues to follow the woman’s actions as she stands up and dust herself off, as she fixes her long robes and fingerless gloves. Jeremiah watches as the woman turns to watch the children who play around her, jumping and cackling with excitement as they run around her in circles.

"The princess often shares tidings with the churches in Avia, so it isn’t anything new." Aliane said, his eyes moving to Jeremiah, whose eyes are fixated on the woman a foot away. "Wouldn’t you agree, Duke Jeremiah?"

Jeremiah witnesses it--he sees the small child with a missing tooth and freckles whine as he trips over his two feet and wiggle his arms around to grab something to hold onto to help break his fall. He quickly feels for the air until he grabs the thin veil the woman wears and strips it away, grabbing the thin material in his hands as he falls and crashes into the carpeted floor with his small companion following steed.

The boys crash to the ground, moaning in pain as then rub their heads and look up, but the small boys stop, startled in a trance, and Jeremiah is too, eyeing the unveiled woman as she bends down to offer the small boys a helping hand, which they take as soft hues of red cover their cheeks.

The woman stands back up, smiling kindly down at the boys before she suddenly stops in her tracks, as if she feels Jeremiah’s heavy stare upon her, and she fully turns her head, her honey blonde hair and wide hips twist as she turns, and her heterochromia eyes--one a shimmering, soft gold, and the other a eye mixed with blues and grays and greens, meet eyes with Jeremiah, whose whole world stops, his breath leaves him, his muscled arms and big hands freeze and quiver, and the chains that always adorn his large wrist begin to tremble. He stares at the beautiful woman with his attention fully on her, and he hears his heart hammer like punches in his chest as he feels himself sweat and he hears his breath heave heavily out of his nose.

Jeremiah doesn’t know this feeling, but he cannot look away, nor does he want to, from the beautiful entity--the beautiful Goddess with golden hair, before him.

...

Jeremiah Maelis Carter gasp, springing himself forward as he lifts his muscled form from a crystal clear lake.

Jeremiah looks down, realizing that he’s been sleeping with his head above water for who knows how long, drenching his hair and clothing under his armor as he hears the swish of the water underneath his heavy movements. He scoops a cup of water in his hands, watching as the crystal liquid runs through his fingers and drips back into the water, creating small rings in the water below.

Jeremiah shakily sighs, gulping as he runs a hand through his jet-black hair as he turns his head but he stops, his wide green eyes planted on Zayn, who’s also submerged in the lake’s water as she’s sound-asleep; her helmeted head resting on the back of a tree as her hands lifelessly submerge themselves in the soft currents. The cloak she wears is drenched at its tips by the crystal liquid, and Jeremiah notices Zayn’s slight tremor of her body and the flush of her caramel skin, realizing that under the little armor she wears, Zayn must be fiercely cold, sitting in a pool of cold water such as this.

Jeremiah gulps, but makes up his mind, slowly reaching a hand out to pat Zayn’s metal cheek as he slowly tries to move her other shoulder with his other hand.

"Holy Knight Zayn." Jeremiah calls as he pats her shoulder, attempting to motion her awake with his gentle touch. "Holy Knight-Zayn, Zayn. You’re shivering. You mustn’t sleep here."

Zayn flinches, letting out a soft moan before she slowly turns her head, her helmeted face turned towards Jeremiah’s.

"C-Captain...?" Zayn asked, slowly looking around her as she starts to sit up, yet she suddenly flinches as her and Jeremiah’s eyes meet. "I-I--I had s-such a weird dream hahaha hopefully Captain had a very normal one in comparison-? O-Oh wow, I talk far too much-anyway, where even are we, Captain?"

"From what the map showcased." Jeremiah said, letting out a sigh as he runs a hand through his wet hair. "We are currently at the tips of the Gods realm leading up to the tower. Which means we are in the Forest of Arcane."

"Oh...right uh-great? Not so great? How should I feel?" Zayn asked, nervously letting out a soft laugh. "Hopefully not on the negative feeling-mig-jiggy side?"

"Well, based off the way the forest is structured," Jeremiah said, taking a fist-full of his hair and squeezing the water out of his thick strands, "the forest is a bit tricky to navigate, especially without a map and not to mention 1. it appears as if our horses are gone and 2. it appears as we two are alone, and we have been separated from the other party members."

"O-oh no..." Zayn said, hanging her head. "That’s not good-not good at all!"

Jeremiah shrugs, running another hand through his hair as he looks forward.

"We luckily gave everyone a copy of the map in case of anything, so at least people will have direction." Jeremiah said. "We will all probably find each other at the end of the forest once we’re able to venture out. In the meantime, we’ll try to solve a way out of this maze."

"M-maze?! Forest?! Directions?!" Zayn exclaims, standing up on shaky legs. "Oh boy, I’m lucky I’m with Captain! I’d be squat doomed! Capish! Probably a goner, if we’re being honest."

Jeremiah snorts, shaking his head with a small smile on his lips as he beckons Zayn to follow him forward.