The Tower of the Saint, located in the Kingdom of Etruria, was one of the most important places for the Church of Elimine. Said to be where Saint Elimine herself ascended to the heavens, the tower wasn’t just a place of worship, it also housed the items she once held in life. Including one of the Divine Weapons used during the Scouring.
However, recent times had not been kind to the tower. When the Kingdom of Bern began a campaign of conquest across Elibe, the Kingdom of Etruria stood in opposition, creating a delicate balance of power between the two biggest powers of the continent. However, said balance soon came under threat when Etruria found itself in a civil war, with Bern backing the rebelling nobles hoping to depose the King and take control. With the help of the Lycian Alliance, who Etruria had offered its protection against Bern’s aggression, the rebels were defeated, forcing the rebelling nobles to flee to Bern. However, a portion of the Elimine Church had joined the rebels and had taken over the tower. Therefore, Etruria sent the Lycian army to purge the last of the rebels; and so, the tower found itself under siege.
Traversing one of the upper hallways of the tower, was a young lady. She was Elen, cleric of the Elimine Church, and lady-in-waiting for Princess Guinevere of Bern. The Bernese princess had opposed her country’s campaign of conquest; and unable to convince her brother, the King, to change his mind, she had opted to travel to Lycia and seek a solution of her own. Elen had dutifully followed her, and so this is how she found herself as a member of the Lycian army, who were now liberating the Tower of the Saint. Due to the confusion and hectic nature of the battle, Elen had found herself separated from her comrades, alone. So far, she had yet to find enemy soldiers, but she knew she had to remain cautious.
If only I knew my way around the tower, Elen lamented. Despite being a member of the church, she herself had never been inside the tower before. Her clerical duties were confined to her own country. Adding her additional duties to her liege the princess, it restricted further her opportunities to travel outside the country. The situation now being a very rare exception. As she neared the end of the hallway, she was suddenly stopped by a small orb of pink light that was materializing at the very end.
“Oh dear,” Elen knew what that meant.
The tower had one key feature: an apparatus that activated a defense mechanism. Called the Heavenly Arrows, the mechanism consisted of arrow-shaped magical blasts that would strike either from above into the ground on the outside of the tower or fly across the hallways and corridors on the inside. Now, one such magic arrow was going to course through the hallway Elen was in… and she was far from the opposite end to avoid it.
Despite so, Elen still turned and tried. However, she couldn’t get far before the blast of magic struck her on the back. This combined with her attempt to run meant the momentum sent her tumbling onto the floor, her healing staff flying out of the hands and landing nearby.
Elen tried to go back on her feet, wincing slightly, more hurt by the fall than by the magic blast. As she dusted off her robe, she suddenly noticed: the hallway had seemingly enlarged significantly. It had become much wider, and the ceiling now loomed much higher.
What? Elen was confused. Looking around, she then found something even more startling: a giant blue sphere, not far from her. It was attached to a wooden pole, angled in a way she couldn’t quite see for how long it extended. She then gasped, recognizing it as her own staff, now enlarged as well. It was then that she finally realized what had happened. The hallway and staff hadn’t become bigger.
She had shrunk!
B-but how!? The now one-inch tall cleric began to panic. She had never heard this could happen. However, it didn’t take long for her to figure it out.
The Heavenly Arrows! Elen realized. But, since when could they do this!?
Unlike most of the Lycian army who had to be debriefed on them before entering the tower, she already knew what to expect, courtesy of being a member of the church. However, even this was new to her. As best she understood, the arrows were simple magic blasts, not much different from most offensive magic, so the one that hit her should’ve only done that. Could they always do this? Or had the rebels modified them? They had a few traitorous elements from the church, so it was possible.
Regardless, Elen now had to ponder her next action. It was paramount for her to find someone to help her. Perhaps her current condition was reversible with a Restore staff. She had two options. She could remain in place and wait for someone to pass by the hallway. Someone was bound to notice her if she waited close to her staff, as it was bound to be noticed and picked up. It was a gamble, however, since it could as likely be a friend or foe that could traverse the hallway. Not to mention, it was one where the Heavenly Arrows could strike, so it might be avoided altogether.
Her other option was to actively go search for someone. It would be harder to be noticed, which could help in avoiding any enemy she could come across. Traversing the tower at her current size would be dangerous, though; and she’d have to stick to the walls to avoid being stepped on. Even if she did find someone friendly, it would be harder to make herself known.
In any case, she had to do something, fearing she could be stuck like this forever otherwise. So, after some consideration, she finally decided on:  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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