CHAPTER 46: SACRED

Before he could process the severity of danger, he noticed another silhouette, this one that of a building not too far from it.

As he reached closer, trusting his instincts, even still with his guard up, he noticed a temple standing proudly in the middle of the woods.

’Was this always here?’

He was fairly certain this wasn’t here when he had woken up in the light and moved about the area.

Looking closely at it, he noticed something that made his eyes wide open as all worries for the cold left his mind.

The temple was made with white marbles with large columns in front, mounted with triangular arches above.

It very much resembled classical Greek architectural style from his memories.

But it wasn’t the structure that set him off. It was the runes etched upon the columns and the arches.

It resembled an awful lot like the runes that transported him to space with the cursed web bridges and strange sea.

It wasn’t the same in its entirety but it was enough to tell that they followed the same script as that. It wasn’t a language he was familiar with but he knew it held some sort of power.

He wasn’t eager to get near it after seeing it. Even deciding to move away to somewhere further to set his camp.

As Noctis took some steps back, eyes fixated on the temple as losing sight of the temple would itself spell some misfortune, he heard a voice in his head.

[It’s fine. You should go in.]

Noctis halted once more, finally averting his eyes from the temple to look at his side.

And just as the familiarity of the feminine voice registered in his head, he found the majestic silver stag looking at him from a distance.

’Is that not the silhouette that was here earlier too?’

Now that he had looked at the stag, it sure looked like it.

"Are you sure?"

He voiced, rather rhetorically as he was still processing the encounter.

It was only the third time he had met this creature and none of the previous meets followed normalcy.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust it, rather he just felt the need to be cautious after those events.

In response, the stag frowned just a little, as Noctis heard once again,

[Are you doubting me?]

The voice sounded less sacrilegious than before. More humane now. At least to him.

The tone was more perplexed than offended. Like it couldn’t believe even the plausibility of such a development.

It made Noctis quite awkward. It made him feel like he was betraying the olive branch granted so graciously towards him.

Quite understandable perhaps as the stag was the one that had, once directly helped him escape; that the seductress and once indirectly; that is the hounds.

As Noctis realised the misunderstanding, he tried to salvage,

"Oh no, not at all. It was.. uh.. nothing.. really."

And failed miserably.

What could be said to an otherworldly being. Did it understand having to be a slave to one’s instincts? Did it understand conditioning and social cues?

"Also thanks a lot for helping me all this time."

Finally he just bowed a little towards the stag, hoping it would alleviate the offence somewhat.

[I was merely worried you would miss your rewards. Do as you see fit. Hmph~]

Just as the divine voice came to his mind, the stag evaporated into white clouds, leaving Noctis sighing.

’Way to go man. Way to go.’

After lamenting on the situation, Noctis turned towards the temple once again.

He reasoned he could trust the stag. It had only shown care for him so far, it didn’t make sense to try to get him in trouble after helping him out of others.

If it had an intention to harm, he would’ve been dead by the hands of the demonic seductress that he was very much helpless against.

It surely wasn’t to not keep offending the stag, in case it saw him not going in even after sound advice.

Afterall, rewards.

***

Passing the massive intricate columns that stood tall all around the temple, he entered the main hall just past the entrance.

The expansive hall featured a massive marble structure in the middle.

It was a circular structure, composed of successively smaller rings stacked on top of each other with the largest at the bottom that stretched almost 20 meters wide.

It reached the height of double his size and had a rectangular structure at the top.

The rings featured many inscribed murals and reliefs of various animals, from deers, elks to wolves and hawks, as well as humans with bow and arrows, hunting the animals.

The open ceiling allowed moonlight to fall onto them, lighting them beautifully on the white marble.

Despite being in the middle of the forest, the temple and the murals were spotless as if dirt itself feared blaspheming the sacred temple.

’But who made such an impressive piece in the middle of the forest? Is it an illusion?’

Noctis traced his fingers on the murals while simultaneously using his sensing abilities but found no sign of trickery.

It felt as real as anything in the forest.

’It did phase in and out of reality depending on time though.’

In the end he gave up on it and looked up at the rectangular structure on the top of the circular rings.

It was much smaller than the rings. And much more ordinary. Looking at it from every angle, it resembled more of a stump or a slightly larger brick lacking any form of art or meaning.

In the end he reasoned it was merely a platform for the thing or object that the temple defied.

’But why is it empty then?’

It left him even more perplexed. Either the rings itself were the things being edified by the temple or the object, the main feature of the temple was missing.

’How bizarre.’

After mulling over the matter for a little bit, Noctis’ mind diverted to the back of the temple.

His motive for entering after all was some reward. And this was certainly not it.

As he noticed another entrance, indicating a room at the back he moved towards it.