The Ascension of the Celestial Priest

22; The Graveyard of Sorrows.

"We have arrived"

Those words became the very release in the tense atmosphere that had filled the Carriage from its beginning to its end. Though Lukas completely enjoyed the ride; the view that graced his eyes from how normal people went about selling their wares in the streets and countless of mages in various colorful robes indicating their awakened elements were seen milling around, haggling over prices and some were even in the company of warriors with their enchanted shields and swords, archers with their glistening bows and sometimes but rarely a few rogues dressed in black whistling silently in the wind.

But before they arrived, the presence of people got less and less and the lively atmosphere that had decorated the streets of the Golden City quickly pattered off giving in to a solemn feeling that spread around the travelling carriage like a slow burn. At first Lukas didn't deign to notice as more people were absent from the road but as time went on it slowly dawned on him that their mission takes place in the Catacombs of the City. Hence absence of nearby citizens might a good sign that they are finally arriving though in retrospect it might be taken as an omen too.

And he immediately got his answer the moment they arrived.

"Is this a Graveyard?" Mira made a face as she looked around. The carriage arrived before the rusted gates that encircled a huge area. The tall gates olden in structure, decorated with various symbols and forms of ancient figures, had huge letters engraved on top of it saying 'The East Graveyard' with some of its characters broken and falling off.

The rest of the group frowned in consternation.

Even in the Continent of Lush, they had their fair share of Ghost Stories and haunted places except the presence of magic made such beings real, with a tangible threat to the living. Of course they could still be vanquished but they were still in their foundational stages (mortal ranked to be precise) which meant they were not be fully equipped to deal with perils of such levels. In addition, of all places they could have imagined, they never expected the entrance to the Catacombs to be in a graveyard. This took them by surprise more than anything.

The representative Malten swiftly stood before them. "Welcome to the East Graveyard." He flourished his hands almost as if he was their designated tour guide. "In here lay the last missive in your Qualifications to be Adventures. So little cadets, Are you ready?" his eyes sparked brightly against the oppressive atmosphere.

The Olden gates came alive, glowing after an incantation Malten uttered under his breath. It creaked slowly, the clinking and clanking contrasting sharply under the heavy silence. For once all of them frowned in agreement. Dungeons placed in graveyard are never a good sign. The remote feeling of dread that Lukas felt slowly increased, creeping up on him before he took a deep breath and steeled his heart. In the future he will be a fully fledged adventurer and he will possibly meet even more challenges and visit even more dreadful places. After all any earthling knows that a fantasy world came in full package, the wonder of magic and its fair share of monsters.

As they got inside Malten being a dutiful tour guide gave a short history. "The East graveyard, mostly known as a Graveyard of Sorrows houses one of the many entrances to the Great catacombs of The Golden City. In this place…" His right hand waved at the countless amounts of tombstones and plaques placed all over the area. "…holds a piece of everyone's memories. From unfortunate young souls to foolhardy adventurers whose bodies weren't even discovered. It's a sad, sad place..."

The somber atmosphere persisted as they silently made their way inside. Lukas saw lavished tombstones, decorated with marbles and dried bouquets of flowers while some of them only had a simple plague and a lump of earth commemorating a person's life. Lukas's stomach dropped. In his old world, he was sure be a tombstone by now. A thought in the back of mind passed asking if he really wanted to return to a world that had already thought him dead. He immediately squashed that idea, sending it back to the deepest recess of his mind, while his ears caught on to what Malten was saying.

"Cultists?" Mira asked a little unsettled.

"According to old rumors, this place used to be a dwelling place for overzealous cultists. In the olden age, many people were still confined to the worship of the old gods with churches, synagogues and cults helmed by countless Templar's , Crusaders and Zealots, who all aimed to ascend to a higher power through rituals and sacrifice. Of course there is the Divine Cathedral who still kept some of the old ways…" his eyes flitting to Lukas again "but depending on the nature of worship, some were bound to kindness and benevolence while some demanded sacrifices and rituals in their veneration, their thoughts filled with darkness and madness as they caused havoc and spread chaos everywhere they touched."

He paused before he continued "At least that's how the rumors are told. You should never completely believe them. For such an age has fallen under the sands of time, with only a few scholars and men of knowledge debating whether gods even exist anymore."

Lukas thought of the Godly Statue in his Soul Altar and endlessly wondered if he was brought into this world by such a cosmic being. But if that's true, he had seen no miraculous signs around him (except for that moment when he and his sister both fainted), no demands of worships or even request of sacrifices and rituals. But then only time would tell. He wouldn't admit to himself how much that thought unsettled him, the prospect of having a god in his soul.

In a short while, they arrived in front of 10 feet tall stone doors placed directly in the middle of the graveyard. During the short talk of old gods and crazy cultists, they had a passed through a cobbled pathway with filled with statues, tombstones and patches of dry ground. The Old adage that rich and the poor will always meet in death rang in Lukas's mind while he was busy admiring, morbidly fascinated by the various sculptures that decorated the lonely landscape. They were various statues of ancient beasts and winged figures but the one that drew his attention the most was placed directly above the stone doors they were directly facing.

It was a large bust of a bare-chested man; covered by flowing robes with feathered wings on his back, and on his beautifully crafted mane an orb floated. He had his hands cupped to the heavens and at first Lukas assumed it was in prayer until he saw the dark stains that littered its face making it seem as if the statue was crying tears of blood.

It spooked the rest of the group to their bones.

Renesme spoke for the first time, ever since she had introduced herself. "Won't it be regarded as a sacrilege to enter such haunting grounds?" her voice flowing like a musical lyre in their ears.

"It won't be …" Representative Malten reassured them "After all, what we are doing can also be regarded as a sanctimonious service. As to whether The Catacombs were held as a shrine to the Olden Gods or not, this missive is aimed at keeping all the wild beasts and pests inside under control."

He said before he placed his hands on the doors. "The Catacombs of the City are mostly a network of underground rooms, halls and secret chambers that span quite a distance. And it doesn't help that they are remotely connected to the city's sewers. So all you little apprentices need to do is to just follow the map and clean up the pests that dwell on your assigned path." He turned to face them as he continued.

"This is a routine, meaning all of the old traps and curses have long since been resolved. But that also means there won't be any treasures in case some amongst you happen to be greedy..." his eyes flitted to Rexsi this time, causing him to snort in response "and many of the paths underneath are yet to mapped, meaning taking them you all risk losing yourselves to the dreadful maze. Once noticed, you will immediately be disqualified, if we ever find you alive in the first place." He smirked.

Rexsi sneered while Mira had a very distressed face. With her status as a noble, it meant being sent to such a place almost seemed to be an affront to her prestige but she had the presence of mind to stay silent. If she couldn't even handle a single stinky dungeon then she didn't deserve to bear the Name of Fyre as her Family's name.

Finished with his explanation Malten waved his hand in certain configuration and the once dead stone doors lit up, almost awakening from their slumber. A few runes seemed to flicker and before they got even a chance to ask further questions the doors opened in a shower of dust and rubble.

"The entrance will be left open for a total count of a day. After that it will naturally seal itself again so you have only have 24 hours. Try your best and be mindful of time. And also remember no matter you have finished clearing your respective floor or not, make sure you return before the appointed time lest you get sealed in these catacombs forever."

All of their expressions changed as Malten guffawed in laughter before he waved his hands and then sauntered away leaving them to their own devices. They all looked at each other and then to the dungeon.

Lukas nervously made a quick recollection of his surroundings before a deep breath calmed his excited nerves .Well whatever happens, he had prepared to the best of his abilities and all he had to make sure off was to survive the next hours. Bracing his Starlight Staff, together with others they silently made way to the gloomy entrance that seemingly welcomed them in full arms before closing its stony maws behind them.