14 Idol, Part 3

"Then rise, guardian of Vreyy," the priestess commanded, her green eyes glittering with anticipation as they affixed themselves to Morne's stoic face. "Let Vreyy Herself bear witness as we welcome a new member into the fold."

Morne did as instructed, rising to his full height.

"Hamlen here will show you to your quarters," the priestess said, waving a hand at one of the guards along the walls.

One of them broke off, the others marching to space themselves out evenly along the wall when he did so.

Without a word, the guard strode through the doorway and pivoted on his heel, turning right.

Morne followed after him, having no trouble keeping up with the guard's brisk pace.

He was led down several flights of stairs to a wide room with several doors. The guard stopped in front of one of these doors, a key manifesting in his hand as he opened it.

He handed the key to Morne and left as silently as he was during the trip here, leaving Morne somewhat confused.

Didn't he need training? What was his first assignment?

He shook his head as he entered his new room, only to be shaken out of his thoughts as soon as he shut the door behind him.

"Welcome home, sir," said the woman in his room.

She was dressed from head to toe in the attire of a maid, with a long skirt that stopped less than an inch above the ground. She looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties.

Her black hair was swept up under a mobcap and her green eyes appraised Morne critically.

"What are you doing in my room?" Morne asked with a frown.

"I'm one of the temple maids," she replied frankly. "It's my job to keep your room and your clothes clean. Once I was informed that I had another person to clean up after, I made my way here to greet you."

Morne's frown eased up at that. He had gotten the job ten minutes ago, and it wasn't outlandish that magic would allow the priestess or someone else to sort this out in that time.

Once again, this temple was massive, and such a large structure would have a way to communicate efficiently between floors if such a method existed.

"To be clear, I have no interest in a personal relationship. My job is to keep your room tidy, nothing more. If you attempt anything, you can and will be expelled from the temple. Keep it professional, and we won't have any problems.

"Today is yours to get used to the temple. I suggest you thoroughly familiarize yourself with every nook and cranny. Tomorrow, the captain will be here to assign your post."

Morne nodded. There was his answer to his earlier questions.

"I'll clean your room when you aren't here," the maid continued, pointing at an object in the corner, "as well as any clothes you leave in that hamper over there. Anything you leave on the floor will be deemed trash and disposed of accordingly.

"Well, then, I'll be off." The woman brushed past him and slipped out of the room, leaving Morne alone.

After a cursory glance at his very temporary abode, he left as well.

If it was expected to gather information on the layout of this temple, facilitating his eventual goal in the process, why wouldn't he?

The sun had barely risen to its peak when Morne started his trek through the temple. He took in every detail he could, committing as much of it to memory as possible.

His status as a paid guard allowed him access to nearly every area in the temple, barring personal rooms that were effectively small apartments. He combed through gardens, chancels, naves, an armory, the kitchens, every room he could in search of the Idol of Pernecia.

At the same time, he memorized entryways, routes with extra foot traffic, and potential exits for his eventual flight from the temple.

Every part of the temple, not just the gardens, had abundant plant life running rampant throughout, and many beasts such as wolves and rabbits walked the halls, along with insects such as flies and mosquitos.

All forms of winged and legged life avoided the humans, but not out of caution. It was more a sign of respect. They coexisted together, but they were effectively part of two different ecosystems.

Grass covered every inch of the floors and stairs, something Morne had noticed when he first came here, and vines hung from the walls and ceilings.

There was a tree in almost every major room, the species of which was different for each one, along with the miniature biome within.

Some rooms were cold and full of snow, others were lush jungles, many were simple forests, and there was one that was an arid desert.

Each had the appropriate life within, such as polar bears and penguins in the snow rooms and scorpions and snakes in the desert room.

It was an immensely fascinating experience for Morne, if often uncomfortable.

He had never seen much other than forests, plains, and cities before, so walking among many of these different environments was a brand new experience for him that both stoked his curiosity and fueled his motivations.

If magic could do things like this, what else could it do?

More importantly, what would he be able to do when he was able to utilize this "Mountain Chain" within himself?

When the sun had long since set and his eyes became heavy, Morne begrudgingly returned to his room and plopped down on his bed, having failed to find the Idol.

The wooden frame creaked under the sudden weight, but to its credit, it didn't crack.

Morne stared up at the ceiling overhead, thinking even as sleep's hold tightened around him.

'The Idol wasn't in any of the places I have access to,' Morne thought. 'Meaning it has to be in someone's room.'

Even a dullard could figure that out, along with the obvious holder of the Idol: the priestess.

Morne would have to get closer to her.