Chapter 69: A prayer, a lament, a foretelling

Chapter 68: A prayer, a lament, a foretelling

Sophia’s fingers rested on the final symbol of the first line, the altar’s pale stone still humming faintly beneath her touch.

The morning sun poured its golden rays across the massive slab, its glow mirroring the shrine’s ancient walls, the frost-dusted flowers at its base trembling in the breeze.

Eldric crouched beside her, his gray wool cloak brushing the ground, his green feather earring swaying as he adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses. His dark eyes, sharp with curiosity, fixed on her as the last echo of her chant, "Zha’kyr velis thoran, shal’mera vyn drae", dissolved into the air.

"What... what does it mean?" he asked, his tone low and urgent, and filled with barely contained curiosity.

Sophia couldn’t blame him. She was curious too. But her own curiosity was fixed on why.

Sophia frowned, pulling her hand back, the quill and parchment slipping to her knee.

The words lingered in her mind, a haunting melody that felt both alien and instinctive. "It’s... like a prayer?" she said hesitantly, her voice uncertain. "I’m not sure, but it sounds like something you’d say to start a prayer, maybe to the Moon Goddess." She paused.

Eldric nodded, his gaze intense as he leaned closer. "A prayer to the Moon Goddess? That could make sense. The altar’s old, older than our records. Keep going, see what else it says."

She took a steadying breath, her curiosity pushing past the unease prickling her skin. The symbols seemed to pulse under her gaze, and she resumed reading aloud, her voice firm as the fictional language flowed.

"Kyr’vyn thalor esh, zha’mera drae sul... Vyn’thor shal’kyr velis, luna’mera drae zha." The sharp clicks, flowing hums, and resonant vowels filled the air, each line drawing her deeper into the altar’s magic.

Her hands moved down the vertical script, tracing the frantic strokes, her breath quickening as the words took shape in her thoughts.

The shrine’s glow brightened, the pale stone reflecting the sunlight in a soft halo, the hum growing louder. Sophia’s heart pounded, her fingers trembling as she reached the next line. "Luna’vyn shal’thor esh, zha’kyr drae sul..." But as she pressed harder, a sharp sting shot through her hand.

She yanked it back, a thin cut blooming red across her fingertip where the slab’s edge had nicked her. A drop of blood glistened on the stone, and she winced, clutching her hand to her chest.

Eldric’s eyes widened, his glasses slipping slightly as he leaned forward. "You’re hurt. It seems that the edge is sharper than it looks. I never thought it would hurt you though. Let me see."

Sophia shook her head, "It’s just a small cut. I’m sure it will heal on its own."

Eldric stared at her then nodded. "If you insist." He told her.

Sophia turned to the altar then to him again, her frown deepening, her voice shaky but resolute. "It’s a prayer, Eldric, but not just that. It feels like it’s foretelling something too. It’s like...it’s like whoever wrote this was praying and lamenting at the same time."

"But what you translated at the library was about a woman?" He asked her with his head tilted to the side. "I was thinking that maybe whatever we saw here even with the errors I made will be similar?" He asked her.

"It is." She told him with a nod. "The words... They’re about a woman. They’re begging her, pleading with her, crying out to her. It’s like the pack, or whoever wrote this, is desperate, mourning something that’s been taken from them and begging her to give it back when she comes? I’m not sure."

Eldric’s expression shifted, his fingers stilling as he processed her words. "A woman..." he paused, then turned with wide eyes. "Could it be the moon goddess? Is that who they are praying to?" He asked her.

"I don’t know and I’m not sure. But I suspect it could be her but then it just doesn’t make sense." She told him, her cut finger throbbing as she wiped the blood on her tunic. "It’s like they’re saying, ’O Luna’mera, keeper of the wolf’s breath, hear our plea. The moon’s light dims, and we kneel, begging her favor. Our people mourn, lamenting the night she shrouds.’ It’s vague, just the beginning, but it feels like they’re praying to this

woman, probably the Moon Goddess, to spare them or bring back what’s lost. There’s fear in it, like they dread her power."

"But why would they fear the moon goddess? She’s a protector. She’s a healer. She’s everything. This goes against everything we’ve read and understood about her." He told her.

"And that’s the issue." Sophia said to him. "I’ve only scratched the surface so it could be more but I don’t know yet. I’ll have to continue reading and digging deeper."

Eldric’s eyes narrowed, his voice steady but thoughtful. "I think you’ve done enough. The sun is glaring already and we should get back. It will take days to even finish reading this. And you are dizzy."

Sophia managed a small smile, but the dizziness crept in, her vision blurring at the edges. "I can keep going," she said, reaching for the altar again, her determination flaring.

But the vertigo hit hard, the shrine’s glow swimming before her eyes, and she swayed, gripping the edge to stay upright.

Eldric’s hand shot out, steadying her arm with a firm grip. "Stop, Sophia. You’re pushing too far, look at you, you’re about to collapse and I don’t want any issues with Lysander when we get back. We’ll come back another day, when you’re steadier." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

She frowned, fighting the dizziness, her voice weak but stubborn. "I’m fine, Eldric. A little rest will be enough." But the wave overwhelmed her, her knees buckling, and she relented with a frustrated sigh.

"The altar isn’t running. We can come back another day." He told her.

Sophia sighed. "Fine." She said to him,

Eldric released her arm, stepping back with a nod. "Smart choice. We’ll bring more supplies next time, parchment, maybe some herbs if this keeps happening. Let’s head back now."

Sophia straightened, her cut finger still stinging, and took the lead as they began their walk back to the compound. The crisp air bit at her skin, the frost-dusted trees lining the path like silent watchers.

She walked ahead, her mind replaying the words, the prayer-lament echoing in her thoughts. Behind her, Eldric followed, his steps measured, a creepy smile curling his lips. His dark eyes glinted behind his glasses, a glare lurking in his expression, unnoticed by Sophia as she pressed forward.

The look was so foreign on Eldric’s face that if she had paused to take a look at him she would have noticed that perhaps he looked different? But she didn’t.

The compound gates loomed ahead, their stone arches etched with protective runes, the compound was filled with various activities since everyone was active and awake now.

Sophia’s boots crunched the frosted ground, each step a reminder of the altar’s pull. The cut on her finger throbbed, a small price for the glimpse she’d uncovered, but the dizziness lingered, a warning she couldn’t ignore.

She glanced back briefly, calling out to Eldric since he was walking slowly. By the time she turned the glare had disappeared and he was back to his normal self.

"Why are you walking slowly?" she asked him.

"Perhaps you are not the only one with a bit of vertigo, I was crouched down for hours." He told her as he closed the little distance between them.

Immediately he did, Sophia heard someone whisper her name and she turned.

"Did you hear that?" She asked Eldric.

"Hear what?" He asked her with a frown.

"Someone called me."

"Are you sure you are not hallucinating? Maybe the dizziness is affecting your sense of hearing?" He asked her.

She gave him a glare. "I know what I heard." She told him.

The voice had sounded like a whisper but it sounded like a warning also. She tried to listen for the voice again but she couldn’t hear anything.

She shrugged then, thinking that perhaps she was hearing things now. She will need to rest.

Sophia paused at her doorstep, turning to Eldric with a tired nod. "Thanks for today. I’ll be ready next time." Her voice carried a mix of resolve and exhaustion.

Eldric nodded back, his expression neutral now, "Rest up. We’ll return another day when you are stronger and better." His tone was calm, but the glint in his eyes hinted at something darker as he watched her disappear into her home.

Eldric moved his hands as if adjusting to the movement. He smiled when his hands twitched then adjusted his glasses. Standing in front of her home will raise suspicion.

The reason why all this happened was because Eldric was a curious soul and he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Eldric will just have to take a nap for now.