The word Harûk came out of Lyric's mouth. Thoughts flooded Aparret with an oneiric feel. He knew something about this god. He had many teaching as a youngling, sod failed us, gods left us, god abandoned us, all for their own needs and wants. he watched in slight horror as his new group just walked right into the first chamber of the temple. Here is this group just trusting new people again. I guess as long as you do not wear a dragon army uniform you must be a trusted friend. He could not trust so easily.
The temple was still flooded from the high tide. Sloshing around in the water he hesitantly followed them into temple making sure to look behind them before entering it. The sea elf moved in to a side chamber to cleanse his face with water from the a small brazier, holding stale sea water. Like worker bees following their queen they went in and did the ceremony, splashing this water upon their faces. Only the priest Eros refused. He must of seen how this connects you to one of the many old dead gods. These gods hold no hold on me, he thought. Harriet buzzed around the room moving from corner to corner, visiting a spot with a hover and moving to another spot. She danced in each spot, marking the locations for the drones. Partially internally and partially a whisper he said, "I wish I knew her thoughts."
They moved deeper into this small water logged temple. The sea elves were amazed at how Lyric seemed as connected to this place as them. She was able to open a side door with a quick prayer, letting her sea peers gleefully move further into the temple. With her elven half, she is connected to Habbakuk, a more ancient connection, a more pure and a grip on her holy symbol. The sea elves wanted something from this connection. They were only here for some boon.
The whole group including the elves clamored up the steps into a room with a well. This was the sacrifice room for the worthy, as the wall came to life with black ooze, screaming threats to the unclean. Aparret and Eros immediately knew they were the unclean. They backed out of them room, down the stairs listening as the walls became at peace once again for the rest of the group. With a fresh feel, they tossed the pearls into the well.
They came out of the room talking about some godly induced mental trip, with singing flowers, and natures call. They walked through the water, as a water spider, gliding as much as steping into the water. The blessing had truly given them gifts.
Aparret okay with decision felt like the gods were just like the hated dwarves of Thorbardin. His people had long been forgotten by both, his mind spitting the name as he thought about them. Harriet buzzed by as if telling him she was pleased as well. Hoping his influenced companions were near finished he splashed his way out of the temple, adding a clomp to each step.
Outside the blessing became even more clear, as the blessed moved like water spiders over the uneasy grounds around the temple. Eros was the first choice in convincing the two of them to take the blessing. Thinking it would never happen as Eros would never take the blessing of some other god, "If you convince Eros to do the cleansing and take the god love, I will too." The smirk washed away as the team worked on Eros's resolve. Within another minute he was going back in to kiss the wet ass of this god.
It was too soon to brake his word to the group and a face washing was in order, with god ass juice and all. He cleaned while Eros tried to clean his mask. The black ooze walls felt it was not clean enough. Eros went to wash his face alone and Aparret stood mostly alone over the well as the walls went back to normal. Harriet buzzed by him and around the room again checking every corner. She moved like she saw or felt something he would never feel, stalling in some spots and zipping past other. He could not think of a good sacrifice for this blessing. It hit him as Harriet flew by, that his most valuable item were his bees. He would never give up her, but a hive could be given up.
She buzzed by in strange panic. He wished again he could understand her. He thought he could tell her dances but that left too much not said between them. She flew off to corner wiggling in a way that seemed like frustration. Without thought as she turned away, he grabbed one of the hives and through it into the well, smashing it, the hive and half the bees in the process. His bee turned in the air as he flung it down into the well.
The room came to life, a roar from bees came from the well. As if now filled with bees, they came shooting out of the well in all directions. Aparret was knocked back against the wall more from shock than the wave of bees coming at him. Within his own head he heard a scream, "Nooooooo!!". The walls became alive with lush flowers in vivid colors that could not be described but only felt. It seemed like a vast swamp could be seem in the distance of the walls. The bees spread out in all directions becoming one with the walls, flowers and beyond. It was now clean that the places Harriet had paused were the locations of these flowers where her kind joined the scene.
A powerful pulse came over him. The blessing of Habbakuk flooded his body. He had done the de rigeur and he should feel good. Everyone else had an euphoric feeling, but anger and depression filled him. His inner voice was even calling him a bastard and murder. "How could you just kill them." These thoughts came over him like a second person within his own head. As terrible as the words and thoughts felt, it was warming and comfortable to understand they were Harriet.
There she was his best friend buzzing in front of his face never to dance for him again. There eyes met, thoughts passing between them. Habbakuk had given him the greatest gift, far greater than the euphoria the others gained. He gained his friends thoughts, even feeling the betrayal within them. Even in her tortured state it was greater than their gifts. He understood her. Shock moved through his entire body. it was good he had been pushed against the wall or the shock would have brought him to his knees. She was angry, hurt and disappointed with him and it was his fault. He knew this would happen again and it torn at him.
Story Continues Harriet Discovers a Whole New world