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Was it truly happening? Had the fight come to an end, and the possibility of leaving the forsaken underground nesting place becoming a reality? The group made their way back from where they began, and thankfully nothing more remained in their way. The rats most likely fled after the fall of the larger, [i]supernaturally charged[/i] leader. Evil was something never to be trifled with, and Vah’lux could feel it all around her, even as they made it back up the incline to the surface. 

“I do hope that this instance is not a reflection of the rest of this land.” The Goliath commented while following the troupe down the dirt road on their return trip to the temple. “As I’m sure I echo the rest of your thoughts, I for one would be satisfied never to see another rat again.” Vah’lux allowed a slight low chuckle to follow the comment, surveying the area during the long walk.

Her eyes looked toward the darkening sky as sunset quickly approached, but was happy to be able to witness such magnificence once again. The gods seemed pleased, or perhaps it was only her [i]hope[/i] they were, as the Goliath felt it a daily challenge to appease their deities in any way that was deemed acceptable in their eyes. She did hope that Kavaki and Manethak, specifically, would be quite happy with her actions over the course of many years, the trials she’s had to face, the near-death experiences endured, and the freedom she so wishes to taste once again. 

[i]Freedom.[/i] What does that really mean in this new world?

The temple was a sight for sore eyes indeed, and the priest himself was likened to a friend you never knew at all, but was glad to come back to in the end. Perhaps it was his good-natured mannerisms -whether they be out of obligation or otherwise- but the Goliath had much respect for the human and his unfulfilling task of keeping the spiritual order of things. The healing he was able to bestow upon the group was quite miraculous, if one could call it that, and Vah’lux not only felt better physically, but her sense of morale felt as though it had been raised just enough to make it over the dark wall which seemed to blind her at the worst of times. 

“Once again priest, your time and hospitality is most welcomed.” She nodded in his direction, while sitting against the back wall, and rubbing her forearm where the wound from the dire rat had once been. A small scar -barely noticeable- remained, but a small price to pay to be healthy once again.

The Goliath stood to her feet; light from the candles and torches along the wall would cast a large growing shadow across the floor, as the pseudo-giant stretched her limbs and rubbed the tension from her shoulders and neck. There were few places where humans and the like dwelled, in which a Goliath could feel they had enough room to move about without knocking anything over in the process. And the temple in which they took shelter had been one of those. Of course anything was better than where they had come from.

The water from the large clay pitcher given to her by the priest felt refreshing as Vah’lux stripped away the thick linen under-wraps from her chest and pelvic area and did her best to wash the blood and muck from her slate-toned skin. Nudity was something that was never seen as anything but a natural occurrence to many species within the world, especially the Goliath, who thought nothing of it. But, part of her also knew the customs of many human cultures were not of her own, and once she cleaned as much as she could with a pale of water and an old rag, the Goliath draped the blanket around her shoulders, as the rest of the warm fabric fell just about to the middle of her muscular thighs. There was no shame felt for herself, but she glanced at the priest and nodded all the same, feeling as though she should at least respect his domain.

Feeling better all around, Vah’lux took a seat on a nearby stone bench and leaned her head back against the cool wall, as her eyes blankly stared at the ceiling, watching the shadows cast from the various light sources dancing around.