Unlikely Goddess
Chapter Two:
The High
Priestess of Yin!
"Where am I..?" Marium struggled to sit up and take in
her surroundings. The room spun for a few moments, then rested
easily into focus. Surprise and horror filled her expression.
She was in a temple, an old one, by the looks of it. And there
was a thick, frightening fog that enveloped the sacred enclosure.
To her right, Kimberly was looking around with a terrified
expression, and to her left, Sarah was gazing at the fog with
interest, but the same feeling of horror was emanating from her
as well.
"Oh, Marium! You're awake! Thank you! I was getting worried
about you." Kimberly exclaimed, huddling next to the short
haired girl. Sarah nodded.
"We took a nasty fall and landed on this hard floor. I was
afraid you might've gotten really hurt." she admitted,
placing a reassuring hand on Marium's. Marium rubbed her own head
and stood up, wobbling.
The room was in ruins, fresh carcasses were scattered across the
floor, surrounded by dark, wet puddles of crimson liquid. Marium
knew in an instant what the liquid was. "Omigod
"
Kimberly and Sarah gasped and doubled over at the brutality of
the scene. The people had been murdered by something evil
truly evil
"The renegade Jinjus... did this." a weary voice spoke
from the shadows. The girls screamed and whirled around to face a
young man that was covered in dirt and blood. He stood tall, even
with all his wounds, and didn't even limp as he walked toward the
three. "We
should have- seen them coming
Priestess Yin... please.. please save our world of magic. It's
the only one left.. I beg you."
He collapsed just as he reached Marium. She cried out and caught
him before he could hit the ground. Her knees buckled under the
weight and she quickly set him down. "I'm not your
priestess! I can't do anything! This must be a dream."
The man coughed and a trickle of blood spilled from his lips.
Kimberly and Sarah turned away and vomited as the stench and
display finally got to them. Marium's lips trembled as she
realized this wasn't a dream. "Priestess
? Yes, the
look in your eyes
You are the High Priestess of Yin. The
Jinjus are still here. You must run. Escape to the Forest of
Magic, you'll find comrades there
and the rest will come.
In time. Priestess, place your blessing on me before I
leave."
Marium gazed at the man helplessly, then placed her hands on his
forehead. "May your god smile down on you and take you to
the eternal place where all men must go. Rest peacefully and
without shame."
Kimberly suddenly let out a high pitched cry and Marium looked
up. Sarah was in the grip of a terrifying, dark creature. It's
fangs dripped with blood and its long, razor-sharp claws were
caked with filth. The thing's body was rotting with decay, and
Marium knew this was a "Jinju".
"Sarah!!!" Kimberly leapt at the monster, and suddenly,
she was in the claws of another one, equally as ugly.
"Marium! Run, don't get caught for us! Only you can change
this! I can feel it! Go!"
"KIMBERLY! SARAH!!! NO!" Tears were streaming down
Marium's cheeks as she watched the two monsters all but devour
her best friends. And there she was. Helpless. So she did as
Kimberly commanded. She turned on her heel and ran.
She sprinted long and fast. Her spirit wished to be free of this
evil, to be clear and clean again. But she'd let her two friends
be killed. There was nothing she could do
Marium reached the Forest of Magic and didn't stop there. She ran
deep into the woods until her legs and lungs couldn't hold out
any longer. Her vision blurred and her legs gave way. A young man
wearing a heavy cloak was standing in the forest, almost right
next to her. Why hadn't she noticed him before?
She gave in to the blackness that was threatening her sight, and
felt two arms support her. The last thing she could remember was
the sensation of being carried off.