The Cast Die

Medea was on her way to Eleusis along with Vac, ostensibly for a religious visit, though the true reason was to look into the apparent treachery of what was supposed to be a “neutral haven for the worshipers of Ceres”.

‘What nonsense. Those bastards use the holy site of Ceres for their own profit and now this!’

She sighed as she thought back to her conversation with Pyrrhus.

“The captured bandits confirmed your suspicion. They are indeed being supported by Eleusis in secret. So daughter, tell me, how do you think we should deal with this?”

She considered it for a moment, and with a shake of her head said, “As much as I'd like to crush them, they are still widely respected by the populace and are still the religious center of Ceres, regardless of how much they've perverted her holy site. We can't do much openly right now.”

Pyrrhus smiled with satisfaction and nodded.

“Indeed. Instead we must steadily lower their reputation in the eyes of the people, through the use of spies, misinformation, and other such shady means. As talented as you are, that is not your strength I'm afraid, so leave that part to me. Instead I have a different, simpler task for you.”

“Go to Eleusis and provoke the enemy, huh. Easier said than done,” Medea muttered.

Vac leaned over and asked, “Huh, what was that Medea?”

She put on a smile and said, “Oh nothing much, we're almost there that's all.”

‘I don't want him to know about the true reason right now. He should experience the holy site of Ceres, my favorite place, without such distractions. I'll tell him after that.’

As they descended, the city of Eleusis became clearer. True to its nickname of “The Pure City”, it was a city of white, with most buildings made of marble and sandstone. Even the citizens wore traditional white garments.

They landed at the private stables they'd built for her after she became a regular visitor. She dropped her dragons off there, even as they whined sadly and called out to her. She understood their feelings. The sun dragons were linked to Ceres after all, and this city carried her energy throughout. And now she and Vac were headed to the source.

They entered the temple, or rather the gateway to the holy site. There were long lines of people, all with their own offerings. There were priests walking along each line, taking those with more generous offerings further ahead. She noticed Vac frowning as they were given a pass through, and she did understand why he didn't like it.

She hated the idea of people having to wait in lines outside despite the fact that the site had enough space for far more people. She hated that they had to give offerings to fill the pockets of greedy “priests” who didn't care at all for the faith.

But as she was the princess of Sicily, they were given a free pass straight through. And so they entered and saw the holy place of Ceres, a massive oak tree that towered far above, as though reaching for the sky, that was wider than the royal palace she lived in, with branches the width of a human being and leaves large enough to sleep on.

It had been hidden by a special illusion cast by Ceres herself, and so only after passing through the gateway could it be seen. Illusions were the second advanced magic of Ceres, and was one of the most complicated ones if not the most complex one. Even Medea herself couldn't use it properly. They were based around the manipulation of light, and required perfect control and focus. Even a slight error could give it away easily.

She watched with a smile as marveled at the glorious sight, and with a deep breath took it in herself. She visited several times a year already, and yet it never got old. The ethereal atmosphere around it, the feeling of tranquility as though she was alone in a perfectly natural environment despite the hustle-bustle of the crowd around her.

And then suddenly Vac took out his die and began walking towards the tree, reaching out his hand. Medea placed a palm on his shoulder and called out to him. He simply looked at her with a confused expression on her face, shook her off and continued to walk.

It wasn't against the law to touch the tree, but it was frowned upon. Medea tried to stop him, but lost him as he went into a crowd of people near the tree, since she couldn't do much in the open.

He pressed his palm against the tree, and it seemed like only a moment had passed when he pulled his palm away and stumbled back towards her. She caught him, and sighed with relief when Vac opened his eyes, somewhat dazed but still clearly present.

Vac didn't know what exactly happened right before he started walking towards the tree as though in a trance. He felt the pull of the die and on instinct took it out, and the next thing he knew he was walking towards the tree. The moment he touched the tree, the world faded away in a flurry of leaves.

The next thing he knew, a stern yet gentle looking elderly woman stood before him in a field of crops, surrounded by large stone mountains. If not for the atmosphere, he'd have thought she was a normal old woman. If being near the tree felt like the tranquil feeling of nature, being here felt like being choked by it.

He walked towards her. Given his experience last time, it wasn't too hard to venture a guess.

“Lady Ceres, is that you?”

She turned to him and smiled as she said, “Indeed. Well met, Vacuus Venti. I am indeed pleased to meet you, the wielder of that artifact, her legacy. Now then, let's have a chat.”

He bowed down with his head low and said, “What about, my lady?”

She hummed to herself for a moment and said, “Oh nothing in particular. First, that die of yours. You've made some impressive progress with it, I'll admit, but you have much to learn. That die comes with a heavy destiny for its wielder to bear, so I urge you to stay strong and steady like rock, even as the world tries to wear you down. Now, for you to learn the power of Vesta, I suggest you seek out the Balancer, the Lady of the Flame, currently in the City of Nine Dragons. You can ask Medea where that city is. And speaking of Medea, there is something I have to say on her, who embodies my faith and guides my people. Protect that stalwart child, come what may.”

‘The first half seemed more like advice, but that last part that was about Medea felt more like an order. I would've done that regardless, but…’

“Is Medea going to be in danger?”

She chuckled and said, “Her, in danger? What an interesting thought. That's not for you to know now. You've stayed here long enough, it's time to return.”

When he came to, he stumbled back and fell on his ass. His body felt sore, with a slight smoky scent. His whole body felt hot. The very next second, Medea ran over and lifted him up. She studied him intently, her eyes curled in worry.

“What in the world happened? One moment you walked towards the tree and touched it in a daze, and the next you were stumbling back. And why does your body smell and feel like it was burning?”

Vac sighed and asked, “I had a… vision from Ceres, I guess. Medea, where is the city of nine dragons? You never told me anything about that?”

‘I’ll stay quiet about the last part of what Lady Ceres said for now, I'm still confused about that. What did she mean?”

Medea averted her eyes and chuckled awkwardly.

“I suppose I forgot to mention that. Or rather… Well, I'll explain it to you when we head back. Now we need to meet the priests of Eleusis, get ready. There's something you need to know."