Eldritch Exorcist

My duel with Astrid marked the end of the fighting portion of the celebration.

I went back to the table, still breathing heavily from the fight, moving my body robotically as I felt the side effects of using astral projection. I really needed to correct my technique. The sensation of my body not fitting my soul was not a pleasant one. But I still had a contented grin on my face. I had outmaneuvered her without any artifacts or eldritch magic.

Now that was a proper fight. I had fun.

I sat down at the table, waiting for Astrid to come back and tell us the secret behind the hostility. She paused for a bit to talk to some of her friends, who were probably comforting her after the loss. Although judging by the grin on her face, mirroring my own, she didn't seem like she needed any comforting.

I plopped myself into the chair and was immediately met with a wide, shit-eating grin from my broker.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You hesitated there for a second," he said in a very annoying voice. "She got you off-beat there, right at the beginning."

"No, she didn't. I was surprised, that's all. Even I know the political consequences of something like that, if it were true," I explained, while the cat's smile only grew wider.

"Suuuure. You realized the politics of a pagan chick in a leather tank top. You're training to be a negotiator now?" he snickered.

I was about to retort when his expression suddenly changed. Eyebrows scrunched, he lowered his head to look in front of him, then quickly snapped back to me with wide eyes. He looked like he had just solved a world-shattering mystery.

"Oh my god, I got it now," the cat whispered, keeping eye contact with me.

He looked so serious that even I got a bit concerned. Did he figure out the cause of the hostility? Should I prepare for a fight, or to make a run for it?

"What is it?" I asked warily.

"I got it. That's why you hesitated. That's why you got along with Astrid. That's why your family always got along with cats. It all makes sense now," his eyes widened even more, breath quickening. "The dreaded Alhazreds, the Butchers of Atlas, the Merchants of Madness, the Apostles of the Abyss. All those titles, but all along your only weakness was puss—meow!"

The cat hissed as a stray force spell flung him off the table. Who cast it? I had no idea. He landed on all fours, almost falling over from laughter.

"Okay, okay, calm down. I'm joking," he said through tears of laughter as he climbed back onto the table next to me. "But if you need a babysitter, I'm available Mondays and Wednesdays. We can find you an elk for other days."

I just looked at him flatly.

Finally, Astrid returned to her seat on my left, and I had a conversation partner who was less annoying.

"Good fight. What was that thing you did at the end?" she asked the moment she sat down, not missing a beat.

"You lost, and now you want another secret?" I asked with a smile.

"Fine, fine," she sighed and signaled with her head for us to lean in closer. "You see the nine people sitting at that table?" She pointed at the older individuals who had been treated with great respect during the ceremony. "They're going to be sacrificed to the God's messenger tomorrow."

"What?" we both asked, surprised.

"Yes. Normally, when the old priests of our God get close to death, the messenger announces his arrival. The priests then use all their magic to open the path for him. When he arrives, he takes the souls of the old priests to join our God, and in return, blessings are passed on to the new chosen ten. That's how it's always been. We don't have the resources for more than ten anyway, and even those are dwindling," she explained in a half-whisper.

"You sure you can tell us that?" I asked, surprised at the weakness she was revealing.

"Is there a place on Earth that isn't running out of resources?" she raised an eyebrow.

"True." Although that would change soon.

"Anyway, this time it's different. The oracle sent by the God arrived at least fifty years earlier than expected. Moreover, there's a problem with the sacrifices. They were chosen from normal people. This hasn't happened since the war." She took a breath and continued in a hushed tone. "Moreover, only nine were chosen this time, but according to tradition, there must always be ten."

"Okay, I think I see the picture now. The guy who was glaring at me wasn't chosen, and he somehow thinks it's my fault," I said, piecing it together.

"Yes, he was left out. With the nine chosen, and his belief that he should have been the first, not me. He thinks you made some deal with our God, stealing his chance. Or that you're a test, a challenge sent by the god. And that if he defeats you, he'll be rewarded. Even though the oracle hasn't foreseen anything like that." She finished with noticeable disdain.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"So, how do you get chosen?" I asked, curious.

"We all get a dream. We walk through a mighty dark forest, and when we feel a presence behind us, we wake up to find a mark carved into our own body. Some people even keep knives by their bed for a clean cut," she chuckled. If I had to guess, she did too. "Once someone gets the dream, the oracle also has a vision. She comes to you in a trance and marks your forehead with your own blood to confirm the choosing. She also sees the one meant to be sacrificed for you and announces it to the whole village the next morning," she smiled warmly. "It's a great honor to give your life for a new priest. It guarantees a high position in the afterlife."

"That's fascinating." I was genuinely intrigued. I looked toward the main table, now observing the oracle with renewed interest. "So when someone is marked as a priest, the oracle goes into a trance, stiffens, starts murmuring..."

"Yes," Astrid confirmed, surprised at my knowledge.

"And then she points toward the chosen one and starts sleepwalking?" I asked in a know-it-all voice.

"Yes... Does your god have oracles as well? How did you know?" she asked, tilting her head, looking a bit like a curious animal.

I just pointed my finger to the right, where a scene exactly like the one I described was unfolding. Slowly, others began noticing the oracle, who was now sleepwalking from behind her table.

Astrid and I exchanged looks. I turned to look at the cat, who appeared just as curious as we were.

Everyone was watching the oracle walk. She approached the now-conscious chief's son. I could see the joy on his face, only for it to crumble as she passed him and walked into the forest.

"So... do we follow her?" I asked.

Astrid looked confused, furrowing her brows as her eyes followed the old woman. "I don't know. Usually, she performs the ceremony by herself, but this has never happened. She's never walked into the forest or gone into a trance this close to the descent."

People started looking around, checking what others were doing. Then all eyes turned to the village chief, who rose from his seat, apparently arriving at a decision.

"We shall follow the oracle. We cannot let anything happen to her," he announced and stepped out from behind the table.

We all got up and followed in a strange procession. Some people carried torches, making the whole march look quite impressive.

Q'Shar jumped onto my shoulders and whispered into my ear, "This is strange. The elders look just as confused as the rest."

"Yep. I wonder what this is all about," I replied as we walked. I was wondering, would this be a choosing of the tenth priest, or something else? Judging by the overarching confusion, I would guess something different.

Finally, after around half an hour of slowly walking behind the oracle, we saw something rather unusual. considering where we were. A small wooden hut. But with people inside, judging by the flashlights and muffled shouts, normal people from the mortal world.

There was surprise on everyone's faces. Their expressions were those of complete and utter shock.

I sent a questioning glance to Astrid, who turned to me and started explaining, "There wasn't supposed to be anyone in the forest during the ceremony. No one should be able to get past the altars without our knowledge unless the God's power lets them through."

So no one knew how they made it past the barriers. Interesting.

Someone opened a window and vomited through it, only to finally notice our procession and shout to the others inside.

More and more heads popped out from the windows until one particular person leaned out. She was a young woman, a bit younger than me by the looks of it. She had raven-black hair, pale skin, and a mix of exhaustion, confusion, and fear on her face.

But I could sense something from her, a sensation similar to mana. Her aura was colored with something sacred, though different from the power I felt from followers of Taipo. If I had to guess, she'd just been visited by something divine.

She locked eyes with me for a second, then looked over the rest of the crowd.

As I was watching her, the oracle made her way toward the hut's door. Quickly, the chief, his wife, and a couple of warriors flanked her. I slipped in behind them, next to Astrid, to watch the whole thing.

Some people, students, by the look of them, came to ask for help, but the chief pushed them aside to make way for the oracle. Now that I could see the raven-haired woman's whole body, I noticed her shirt was soaked in blood.

She tried to crawl back, but the chief's wife arrived behind her and held her down.

She tried to plead with the oracle, but the old woman simply touched her finger to the blood on the girl's chest and drew a mark between her eyes. After that, the oracle stiffened and began to turn around, seemingly unaware of where she was.

The chief laid his hand on her shoulder and started explaining the situation to the old oracle.

"P-please help us. We were lost in the forest. If we defiled some sacred place, we're very sorry. I'm their teacher, and I'll take responsibility. Just please don't hurt us." A more mature woman tried to plead, but no one paid attention.

The chief's eyes were glued to the mark on the younger woman's forehead.

He finally turned around to the warriors and barked a short command. "Take them."

He then walked out with the oracle leaning on him as the warriors moved to gather everyone into a group. Those who knew English barked quick commands.

"C-come on, I-I can pay. I can pay whatever you want. Just get me home, and you'll be set for life!" someone tried to bargain, only to bolt for the door a second later, earning a solid whack to the back of the head. He slumped to the floor.

That calmed some of them down.

The woman with the mark was placed to the side, guarded by two warriors.

I approached Astrid, wanting to confirm something.

"Hey, can you show me the mark you received to become a priestess?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you coming on to me? Because that's a lame pickup line."

"My intentions are purely scientific," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Sure, I've heard that one before," she chuckled, but lowered her tank top a bit, revealing a wound.

It was shaped like a rune made of two letters: an upside-down 'A' with a capital 'T' growing from where the legs of the 'A' met. I had only glimpsed the mark the woman had carved into her chest, but I was pretty sure it wasn't the same. Hers was much wider and shorter.

Why did she have the mark of a different god?