[Where we left off- Making an ally.]
Both you and Noctru spin around in shock. Noctru immediately bares his teeth.
Sivris, one of the priestesses, gives you both a smirk. "Your conversation sounds quite interesting! Why so secret? I'd love to hear whatever it is you're talking about," she says, sarcasm dripping from her voice. Noctru scoffs. "I was just, uh, wondering about-" You can tell he's struggling to come up with a lie, so you speak up. You tell Sivris that Noctru was responding to your query about how such a large pride survives in such a harsh canyon. Sivris shakes her head. "Lying doesn't suit either of you. As soon as I heard voices, I came running after you both, and I heard
everything. Vaeros'Kah trusts you, Noctru. By suggesting that you stop the ritual, you effectively state that the pride should no longer be protected. And then, like your little friend said, the canyon is harsh. So many of your own would be lost. Maybe even your dear Fenve would meet an unfortunate fate," she says, scratching at the ground with her claws while she paces around you and Noctru. You meet Noctru's eye, a silent question on your lips- Do we fight? He gives his head a tiny shake and turns to Sivris. "There has to be another way to keep the god's protection. Without the sacrifices, we risk death, yes. But that hardly matters when murderers of our own kind walk free and are revered as religious leaders. There must be another way," he says, his voice growing strained upon the last sentence. "There must be."
Sivris laughs. "Then enlighten me, you two, since you're apparently all-knowing. What is this other way? What other choice do we have?"
You cough and pipe up, wondering aloud why the pride can't just leave. Sivris turns to you and cackles. "Leave? Are you a fool? We are a proud people. We will not leave our home behind. We-" she pauses, seeming like she, too, is mulling over what you said. Noctru turns to you. "Actually, we can't. Well, we
could... But it wouldn't end well. Vaeros'Kah has tried to evacuate the pride before, when he realized what was going on, but as soon as we try to leave, Ademion's blessing disappears. All the horrors and evils that lurk in the shadows of this unassuming canyon will be after our throats. And trust me, there are a lot of things out here that could kill us. The canyon is vast. If we try to leave, we probably wouldn't make it out alive," he says. Sivris nods.
"The fool is right, interloper. This canyon will eat us all alive if we try to leave this place. We have no other choice but to kill. The very ground upon which we walk is evil. It hungers for blood. Ademion is the only thing that can protect us from its ravenous fury. If some must die for the good of many, so be it."
You pause, and take a step closer to Sivris. You ask her what she means- The canyon itself is evil? Noctru nods.
"Ademion didn't tell you? The reason they have protected this place for so long is because it is the canyon's only refuge. All the rest of this place crawls with dark spirits, wraiths and monsters. Everything you feared but dismissed as myth makes its home here. Rumors even tell that at the center of the canyon is a portal to some kind of hell-world, where all evil resides, and where the dark creatures come from." he says quietly. Sivris speaks again, saying, "The souls that Ademion collects- yes, some of them are used to allow our god to keep their sphere of protection up around the pride's territories, but many of them go towards satisfying the bloodlust of the canyon's demons," she says. You pause for a moment, considering everything you've heard. "So tell me again," Sivris snarls, "What is the other way? How else do we keep ourselves safe?"
You pause for a moment, considering.
"We seal the portal."
[Continue the story- Sacred guidance.]
[apologies for the slight change in format and having the main character "you" speak. it was getting hard to do the dialogue and this is just easier for me. if you don't like what i write for "your" dialogue, make up your own, that's the fun of immersive lore like this]
