>>6178174“It should be. The forces of the Stars and your goddess do not play well with each other, but just like I have little control over our abilities, I know very little about what you can achieve, together with your patron. We will have to see. If everything else fails…” she grinds her jaw, “There is always that other thing.”
“We will do the Sanction first,” you agree, taking the first step upstairs. “Soralisa, stay with the other two, please. Asterite, kindly spread your ink forward. Salicera— with me.”
The group starts walking upstairs, following your lead. Willow walks just a few steps behind you, while the rest closes the line. There is a draft coming from upstairs, so there is certainly some opening.
At least — something to look forward to.
Under the golden light of your rod, as soon as you leave behind the molten part of the wall, the carvings and bas-reliefs depicting Saint Bragia’s life come back. They had been etched by some unknown hand, so long ago.
This was the entrance, so probably they depict…
“Ah,” you gasp, your mind taken away from thoughts of running against time, of spears of liquid light searing through stone and metal — depicting the image of a single girl and a taller boy, barely out of childhood.
They stand together before a group of homes, crudely depicted as huts, underneath the endless expanse of the planetary ring, hanging over the sky like a cover.
The Night Lands. You have never been there, but Master told you about them.
“Why did you stop?” Willow asks. You have left the group far enough that if you speak something to her ear, the rest should not hear it.
<span class="mu-r">Discuss Saint Bragia’s childhood, focusing on how she rose from nothing. An outsider, just like Willow… a way to make her feel understood and appreciated. You think she needs it.</span>
<span class="mu-b">Tell her about how you were intrigued by the artistry in the carvings, and the effort spent there. Saint Bragia’s soul may only live in Ansàrra now, but memory carries her actions. Just like Willow can now make new memories for herself.</span>
<span class="mu-g">Shake your head. It’s nothing, just a bout of nostalgia for Master’s teachings.</span>
<span class="mu-s">Add a suggestion or thought.</span>
