[h2][center][b][color=ed1c24]Novak[/color][/b][/center][/h2] The battle ended almost as abruptly as it had begun. The technique he had copied from Nobunaga had once again proved useful, allowing him to letally skewer the bird. A second bird was fatally cut by Narkissa, and the remaining two retreated after being knocked around. Novak wasn't entirely sure what Leannah did to those birds, having been too focused on what he was doing to catch a glimpse of it, but it must've been pretty impressive, the way they went flying away. [color=ed1c24][i]Whatever she did, she must be a pretty capable unarmed fighter.[/i][/color] Perhaps her techniques might be worth using his ability on, although Novak would need to properly observe her to assess the usefulness of what she's capable of. Lazhira remained as unflappable as ever, cheerfully thanking Leannah and remarking on the edibility of the birds that moments before had tried to kill her. She did not seem to have taken part in the skirmish, having been pulled to safety by the cat-girl. Judging by how two of the birds lunged at her, however, it seemed clear that Lazhira was not off-limits to the dangerous beasts that inhabited these woods. These observations further piqued Novak's curiosity as to how this seemingly harmless girl was able to safely navigate these woods. As they made their way into the temple, Novak noted how the symbol on the door resembled the strange tattoo on Lazhira. [color=ed1c24][i]Let's see...if I remember correctly, this is the temple of the god of knowledge, whom according to Lazhira, village was compelled to abandon the worship of as part of their covenant with the Kyrinth. But why would Lazhira be marked with the symbol associated with the temple of a god that they were supposed to have stopped worshiping?[/i][/color] The interior of the temple was quite a sight to behold. From what Novak could discern from the illumination cast by his three companions, the walls were adorned with images detailing two processions of people, likely illustrating an important tale in the god's faith. If he had to guess, the old man holding the light was either the god of knowledge or a prophet or herald acting on his behalf. The other procession, the one with the woman, had a more sinister feel to it. Perhaps she was an adversary, tempting away the Illuminator's congregation. The shelves were lined with clutter such as books, stone tablets, and what looked like ceremonial garb. It was a shame that Misaki hadn't come with them, because if she could understand the village's books, perhaps she could make sense of these as well. Novak considered taking some of the more intact-looking items. They might learn a lot if they brought one of the books back to Misaki, and one of those ropes might be a handy emergency tool in case things go sideways. Lastly, he couldn't help but wonder how much one of those ceremonial masks might be worth to a collector. The feature that stood out the most was a strange statue or idol. Embedded in the statue was an equally strange stone. On the wall behind the statue, Novak noticed what appeared to be an empty indentation in the wall roughly the same size. It looked like it might be a socket or receptacle for a stone like the one in the statue. But why was it empty? Could the missing stone have anything to do with the troubles that the village was having? [color=ed1c24]"Lazhira, you seem to know a lot about this place, and about this god,"[/color] Novak spoke up, still staring at the empty indentation. [color=ed1c24]"What do you make of this statue, this stone, and this empty socket in the wall?"[/color] [@Crusader Lord][@Rune_Alchemist][@Click This]