Book 3, Chapter 59 (1/2)
A Horrifying List
“Everything?” Ferlyn’s face changed. This was thirty years of divine grace! She had seen many people with a foot in their coffin move against their loved ones for a mere year or two. At the brink of death, even a single Dewdrop of Life was undoubtedly precious.
“But can I do it? What if there isn’t any such option?” Richard asked with concern. The randomness of the gifts was a standard of the Eternal Dragon.
“Don’t worry, it will be there. I’ve officiated so many ceremonies in my life, I have the authority to allow it.” Ferlyn was evidently elated, ending her sentence with a wink as she seemed to have something up her sleeves.
“Then I’ll be waiting,” Richard said, leaving for the hall where the ritual was slated to take place.
Back in the meditation room, FerIyn conjured a pale gold hourglass. A gentle knock transmitted a soundless wave a far distance away, and after a short while Flowsand entered the room, “You called me?”
“Have a seat. There’s still some time before the ritual begins,” Ferlyn directed Flowsand to the seat that was still warm from Richard. Her joy from the conversation with Richard withered away, replaced by a strict formality, “Flowsand. Quit while you still can.”
“I’ve made my decision,” Flowsand replied calmly.
“Is there any need for that? Your soul already belongs to the old dragon. If you choose to leave the Church this time for Faelor, you will have to give up a large amount of divine grace. Do you even have enough to spare?” The high priestess was stern.
“I can borrow.”
Ferlyn’s brows furrowed as she started radiating a murderous aura, perhaps annoyed by Flowsand’s overly calm tone. “You’re already knee-deep in debt! What more can you offer as collateral? Let me tell you this, if you borrow any more, you won’t be able to repay it for the rest of your lifetime! Do you know how much interest the Dragon charges? It’s nearly thrice the amount you borrow! Didn’t you want to be with Richard? If you keep acting recklessly like this, you two won’t end up happy.”
Flowsand’s expression wavered. Evidently, Ferlyn had exposed her concerns. She sighed lightly, going on to answer, “I know, but… I have this feeling that if I don’t go with him this time, he won’t make it back in one piece. Faelor is a plane with legendary beings…”
Ferlyn conceded silently, gently commenting, “Since you’ve made up your mind, I will give you one last piece of advice. Choose to ignore it, and even if you go to Faelor this time Richard might still lay there forever.”
Flowsand’s heart wavered, and she began to listen intently. Given her position in the Church of the Eternal Dragon, Ferlyn could see into the future. Of course, exercising that power would result in dire consequences.
The high priestess heaved a large sigh, her words now tinted by a holy aura, “Firstly, you need to let Richard make his own decisions. You are not to use your precognition to help him; that will only bring him harm. You must know: the flow of time cannot be changed by one or two changes to one’s actions. Whatever is bound to happen will happen. You need to accept him making his own decisions, this current ceremony being the start.”
Flowsand nodded earnestly, showing her understanding.
Ferlyn continued, “The second is a somewhat trivial matter. You were talking about Richard’s issues with confidence, so I’ve found a solution to that. I haven’t actually seen any lack of confidence from him over our interactions, however…”
Flowsand laughed gently: “His overconfidence is just a front for his lack of confidence!”
“Very well. Once the ritual ends, hand these things over to him.”
Ferlyn passed her three palm-sized crystal plates, every one lustrous. The right side up held the crest of the Eternal Dragon, and the other Ferlyn’s personal sigil. These plates possessed the power of time, manifested as a bunch of grains of golden sand flying around them.
Even Flowsand could not tell the purpose of these plates, so she asked about their powers.
“Magic artefacts. Tell Richard to have them on his person at all times; if he ever faces a problem he cannot solve, he can break one. These plates can save him thrice,” Ferlyn said flatly.
Flowsand’s expression warped into one of disbelief, her eyes unblinking as they focused on Ferlyn. She couldn’t bring herself to believe the woman’s words; how could such a thing even exist in the world? This far surpassed the ability of a mere magic artefact. Even a divine tool couldn’t possibly solve any problem in the world.
Leave alone Ferlyn’s personal collection, even blessings from the Eternal Dragon with such a function were extremely rare. A blessing that could predict the future was harder to find than an extension to one’s life. Besides, even prophetic blessings didn’t have the power that Ferlyn claimed these plates did. They were undoubtedly a miracle.
She tried to hold back as much as she could, but she couldn’t help but subtly ask the high priestess, “Richard has a very inquisitive mind. He’ll definitely break at least two of the plates before we head over to Faelor to test their power.”
“That I know!” Ferlyn replied.