Steem Monsters Common Card Fantasy Story Contest! // Week 9

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This is my entry for the Steem Monsters Common Card Fantasy Story Contest! // Week 9

The Air Between Us by @simgirl

Folks often ask me how old I am, but to tell the truth, I’ve lost count of the years. I’ve been called by many names and held many titles throughout the centuries, but now I am simply known as the Divine Healer. I was one of the last children presented by the Goddess of Light, Khymia before the meteor swarms known as, “The Cleansing”, and I was part of, “the legacy” generation.

My parents worked for the village of Krones, which I am told was a small mining village. Once the meteor swarms began, my family, like most of the others in the village, fled to the cliffs of the Quartz Obsidian mountains to hide. We stayed there for most of my childhood. I was raised in the ruins of the land and taught to grow herbs.

Not long after the meteor swarms, the land of Khymias faced a time of starvation. The few crops our people managed to cultivate were burned by the Ferexia during a revolting invasion. The Ferexia believed the Khymian people were responsible for the meteor swarms and left the land in ashes. The Goddess of Light Khymia granted her people provision trees, but still my parents did not survive.

As a young boy I was entrusted to the care of the priests in the Order of the Silver Shield Priesthood and there I was named “the ward”. The priests were planning to build a new city in the middle of the land and needed more workers. It would be a shining city of light they would name Shimmerwatch. Soon the very first Earth Temple was erected in the center of the city as a replica of the floating temple where the living Goddess of Light Khymia resides.

I worked in the Earth Temple day and night. I listened to the prayers of the Khymians, counseled them, and healed the sick. I was becoming more experienced in my priest skills, and soon I was entitled, “the Counselor” by the Order. After the construction of the University of Illumination, I learned the priest skill of levitation and was the very first priest to forego the five-mile stone staircase known as “The Stairway of Solace” and levitate to the university.

It was during my first few years studying at the Noble University that I learned more about the Kavyata. The Kavyata, also known as the “Books of Wisdom”, revealed many secrets the Khymians had forgotten. One of these secrets was the power to astral project to the floating temple of Khymia. Priests were able to petition the requests of the Khymians to the Goddess of Light, Khymia and hear her voice. For years before the world became splintered, the Khymian priests used this power of astral projection to visit the Goddess of Light, Khymia in the floating temple.

Astral projection was a new concept, and many of the priests studying in the university were trying as I was to gain a grasp on the idea. We could picture the path our minds would need to take to get to the floating temple, but none of us knew for sure what the inside of the temple looked like, let alone the Goddess herself. This made it very hard to imagine clear enough to project the vision.

I was becoming frustrated by the entire lesson the day I was approached by the Order of the Silver Shield’s city planner, Palo outside the university’s main hall.

“Counselor, we need your help. The progression of the new city’s development depends on you.” Palo said as serious as a knight could be.

“I am always happy to help the Silver Shield Palo. How is it I can be of service?” I said.

“There seems to be an upset in Crystal Peak. The air elementals are unwilling to leave the area and are making a mess of things by causing high winds. They are knocking down scaffolds, and the workers. I had to send one of our guys to a healer this morning. Their leader, Agustdust demands he speak with a highly appointed priest to hear his demands.”

“His demands?” I asked.

“That is correct Counselor. I was told to speak with you by the Priesthood. It is the decision of the elders that the wisest priest at the university be assigned this special task.”

“Very well. I will make my way to Crystal Peak and listen to Agustdust.”

“Thank you, Counselor.” Palo said, and then saluted me with respect before stomping away and out of sight.

The stone road leading from the guarded city of Cloudguard to the high altitude of Crystal Peak was still under construction. I levitated above the rocky terrain and gathered my thoughts as to what Agustdust could want from the Priesthood. I knew very little about air elementals and had only manifested a few elementals in my university life.

Agustdust was the most powerful of the air elementals, and I was told would not be tamed by any of the Priesthood’s summoners. His disobedience to the Silver Shield could disrupt any plans for the new city and the Library of Enlightenment. The Peace of Light Monastery was built to house the highest priests in Crystal Peak, and I was very much looking forward to living there myself. I had to do all I could to talk Agustdust into a peaceful agreement.

I found Agustdust at the highest mountain peak. His body swirled in a mad gust of wind as he overlooked the vast expanse, slowing only when he caught my figure from the corner of his eye.

“Who do we have here?” Agustdust asked, finally turning to face me.

“I’m am the Counselor. I represent the Order of the Silver Shield Priesthood and I am here to make a peaceful agreement. You see that the construction of Crystal Peak is almost complete. Why is it that you are commanding the other air elementals to revolt?”

“You never asked the air elementals’ permission to construct your city on our mountain.” Agustdust spat.

I stood straight and looked that air elemental right in his shifting eyes.

With confidence in my conviction I replied, “This is the land of the Goddess of Light, Khymia, and as Khymians we are given authority over every creature of this land. This includes all of the elementals.”

Agustdust laughed an eerie chuckle and spat again, “Your Goddess doesn’t speak to you anymore. She has fell silent. Until I see you wield her power, I will not be summoned to do your bidding, and none of the other air elementals will either. You cannot have our mountain.”

“How can I prove to you that the Khymians wield the power of the Goddess of Light, Khymia?” I asked, now questioning my own abilities to prove anything.

“Pray to the Goddess of Light, Khymia. Petition to her on our behalf. I request the air elemental have more power than the wind. I want the power of light… in the form of lightning. When the air elementals can use this power, then I shall retreat, and you will have the peace you so desire.”

“I agree.” I said. “But you must grant me one request. I must use the sanctuary in the Monastery to reach the height of contemplation needed to travel to the Floating Temple of Khymia. You can not disturb my meditation.”

Agustdust nodded and then turned his back.

I returned to the Library of Enlightenment and asked the Priesthood scribes for help. I wanted to be sure I didn’t miss one prayer or forget one offering. This prayer request would need to be flawless, so I started from the beginning. The scribes directed me to every prayer, ceremony, and petition request, and then gave me the key I needed- the description of the inside of the temple.

“Why is it that we don’t have these scrolls at the university?” I asked one of the scribes.

“I’m sorry, Counselor. We only recently found these scrolls. It’s been hard to organize with the air elementals blowing the papers around.”

“I understand. Thank you for your help. Please tell the others to evacuate Crystal Peak, until I finish this.”

Once the city became quiet I started the prayers. I lit candles and incense in the exact order I was instructed in the ancient scrolls. I gave offerings of the freshest herbs in the land of Khymias, the most exotic oils, and the finest stones. When I completed the ceremony, I sat before the alter and quieted my mind for what I hoped would be a successful astral projection to the Goddess of Light, Khymia.

Once I emptied my mind of all thoughts and all color, it was transcended into a viewing screen. I imagined my body lifting off the floor and floating above me. I could feel my spirit being carried away. I floated higher and higher until I was outside of the sanctuary. High above, I could see the construction of the outside buildings and the trees being planted by the brook.

I gazed up and could see the floating Temple of Khymia. I gracefully lifted myself high above the clouds until I could see the entrance to the temple. The glass doors opened with just the thought and inside I could see everything that was described to me in the scrolls. A long, wide, white carpet lined the floor and on each side of it stood crystal statues of angels standing guard.

The air was perfumed with the scent of the fresh, white roses that bloomed along the outer edges of the room. As I walked the carpet, I could hear doves cooing and flapping their wings as they flew over my head. I was at total peace as I floated toward what appeared to be the Silver Alter of Forgiveness.

A glowing figure stood behind the alter. I knew instantly that it was the Goddess of Light Khymia. Her skin was so pale it glowed, and her silver hair blew around her as if a constant breeze were blowing. She smiled the most gracious smile I’d ever seen, and I felt tears well up in my eyes.

“Don’t be afraid.” She said. “I am glad you are here Counselor.”

I couldn’t speak. I could only think that I would wake at any moment and still be in my bed. I couldn’t shake the thought that this was just a dream.

The Goddess of Light, Khymia laughed. “You’re not dreaming. You are the very first priest in many moons to use their power correctly. From now on, you will be assigned to teaching the others to get here too.”

I fell to my knees, still weeping. “My Goddess Khymia. I am here on behalf of the Khymians. We have built our city Crystal Peak upon this mountain to be closer to you. The air elementals are causing trouble and have requested the power of lightning to prove you are here among us. I have no choice but to petition on their behalf. Please grant them these powers so that we may worship you in peace.”

When I looked up expecting to see her disapproval or surprise, I found only the face of an understanding Goddess. “I will be happy to grant the air elemental this special power. It is my greatest wish that the Khymians have all my gifts. Behold, the Khymians shall be free from worry and Crystal Peak shall be peaceful for days to come.”

“Thank you, Goddess.” I said.

“You are welcome Counselor, and for your faith I shall reward you as well. You will be blessed with an additional skill of healing, and from now on you will be granted the title, the Divine Healer. Go back now, and tell the others that I am here, and show them the way.”

When I opened my eyes, I was light-headed from the journey, but I knew that the vision was real. I had successfully astral projected to the floating Temple of Khymia and I had heard her voice. When I traveled again to the top of the mountain I saw lightning coming from a new hillside I’d never seen before. There was no path to this new land, so I levitated over and found Agustdust at the highest peak.

This time Agustdust showed a gleaming smile on his windy face. “How’s that new lightning working out for you?” I asked.

“I’ll tell you Counselor, I really didn’t think you could do it.”

“I’m the Divine Healer now.” I corrected him curtly.

“Excuse me, Divine Healer. Congratulations on your promotion. I guess you can really give me all of the credit, seeing as I was the one who insisted that you challenge your priest skills.”

“You are not getting a thank you Agustdust. Just tell me that you won’t return to Crystal Peak to cause trouble anymore.” I said.

“You have my word. I am content with this new power, and the land the Goddess of Light, Khymia has granted for our new home. We will do the Khymians' bidding when summoned and we will do it with honor.”

Agustdust kept his word, and the construction of Crystal Peak was completed later that year. I have spent the last two hundred years as the Divine Healer of Khymias, one of the longest offices held to date. I often wonder if the special healing skill the Goddess gave me was immortality. The other Khymians seem to believe this is true.

Over the ages numerous priests have rose with new skills and abilities, but after many years, unfortunately Goddess of Light, Khymia relieves them of service. While they are here they strive to hold my elevated position as the highest priest in the Order of the Silver Shield Priesthood and so they believe the power of immortality is their life goal.

I can’t say why I have been blessed so abundantly by the Goddess, or why I have been able to achieve success in this life, but I can say the land of Khymias is my home, and one I will continue to serve, teach, and protect. For I am the last one living from the legacy generation, and the only Divine Healer.

The End

Thanks for reading!