Before moving on to the lower levels, Suni explored the rest of the third level. She passed a large dining area occupied by a stone round table. Seated around it were nine figures dressed in pure white robes tied shut with white sashes. People in black robes tied with black sashes scurried around the room, setting down food served on metal tableware decorated with gold accents. She moved on before being noticed. The mountain city had a distinct lack of doors, instead using open archways. However, each High Priest had their own set of rooms with locked ornate metal gates. These were easily obliterated by Suni. They opened to an office connected to a set of apartments, once again separated by a metal gate. Each oozed with overindulgence, filled with rare wood furniture, decorations made of gold, and plush cushions. She moved on after looking at only two of them.

The third and fourth floors were where the bulk of what would be considered a town square in a regular town built on land. Winding hallways replaced streets and buildings were simple caverns carved into the stone walls, the yawning openings covered with dirty drapes, strips of dry seaweed, or nothing at all. The bright electric lights of the previous floors were replaced by the occasional dim orange glow of whale oil lamps. Luckily, Suni already had poor vision and could easily navigate in the darkness. She ran her hand across the remnants of electrical wiring and broken lights on the walls, frowning. The air here was also noticeably colder, wetter, and thinner. Townspeople walked past her in groups, all making their way to the upper levels. They cast her quick, nervous glances and whispered among themselves but did their best to avoid the strange creature dressed in a priest’s robe but a servant’s sash stalking their home.

“This place is a dump.”

[i]This mountain range was attacked by the Azoras to the north not long ago. It appears they have been unable to recover.[/i] 

Suni rolled her eyes, “‘Not long’ for you usually means ‘actually a very long time, but since I’m an old fart it doesn’t feel like a long time to me.’”

Hessen flicked her with his tail. [i]Only a couple hundred years or so.[/i]

“That’s a long time to be living with so much broken shit.”

The next three floors were full of vertical gardens, bathing under UV lights, though less than half appeared to be functional, with the last floor being completely abandoned. “How come you didn’t defend them when they were attacked? Aren’t these your people? They worship you.”

Hessen snorted. [i]Worship? They perform ridiculous rites and leave me useless “gifts” and call it worship. They use me because they are weak, pitiful creatures. Their priests demand tithes in my name so that they may live in decadence. The common people say prayers in my name looking for forgiveness for their sins and to explain phenomena they don’t understand. I owe them nothing.[/i]

The next five floors were all residential. In comparison to the priests' rooms, these homes had no doors. Each was made of one to three interconnected chambers. The walls were bare and any small amount of furniture they had was made of carved stone. Their beds were thin cloth mats placed on the floor and the pillows were made of woven straw. She paused at the top of what would have been the sixth residential floor and sniffed. “The air past here is dead.” 

[i]They do not have enough working generators to pump air into the rest of the mountain.[/i]

“How far down does it go?”

[i]Even a small mountain would have many hundreds of floors, and this one is an average size.[/i]

Suni leaned back to sit on her tail, legs crossed and arms crossed in front of her. Her eyebrows wrinkled into what Hessen affectionately called her “thinking glare.” He slithered across her shoulders and gently bumped his head to her cheek.

[i]What will you do, little one?[/i]

She jumped up and grinned. Her eyes glinted with excitement. “I will remind these pitiable creatures who the god they worship is.”

The majority of the mountain residents were gathered on the first floor, heads bent in their daily morning prayer when the mountain began shaking. Suni exploded into the room from the floor below at the same time the ocean rushed in from above. It churned around them, herding them into a tight group on the far side of the room. Suni ignored their screams of panic, her face lit up with a smirk as she skated across the surface of the water to the center of the room. The water left as quickly as it appeared, draining down the stairs into the depths below. Before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief though, the room was filled with the sound of cracking stone. They looked up just in time to see the sacred statue of their god collapse. In its place, Hessen loomed over them. At only a fraction of his true size, he still nearly filled the entire room, the statue’s head dwarfed in his enormous claw. The townspeople cowered in fear. One man attempted to crawl away, only to scream in terror when Hessen swung his head towards them, revealing Suni standing on top of it. 

“Lower your heads!” She snarled. “You [i]dare[/i] look upon your god with such filthy eyes?”

As one, her audience scrambled to their knees and prostrated themselves before her. Some of them mouthed silent prayers. Others choked back silent sobs. 

[i]Mind your language, Suni. They will respect you more for it. Use their faith against them.[/i]

“I am Suni Straov. The Great Dragon has long doubted your faith and sent me here as his envoy. I came here hoping to prove him wrong, but what did I find?” She jumped down from Hessen’s head, lithe and catlike and began slowly pacing in front of them. “Priests engorged with their ego and wealth! A city in ruins! A people who don’t know what it is to worship and respect their god!” She stopped in front of the familiar smell of the nine priests she’d come across earlier. “Stand up.”

They shuffled into a line in front of her, fighting to be the first to obey and stand nearest to her. One of them dared a glance upwards. The swing of her spear was so unexpected that the priests didn’t realize what had happened until the offending party’s bun had fallen on the ground. “I said stand up, not look up. Are you deaf?” Though she was only a child, a freakishly tall child but a child nonetheless, she appeared to tower over them. The priest could do nothing but shake their head, the greedy fervor from just a moment ago nowhere to be seen. Suni swung her spear once again, causing all nine of them to flinch. Four of them screamed. Three wet themselves. Their sashes fell to the ground. “Strip.”

They didn’t hesitate to obey,

“As of this moment, you are stripped of your positions. You are to live on the lower floors, among the rest of the citizens. You are no longer allowed to live off of tithes or receive special treatment. Now get in the back and out of my sight.”

The nine former priests did as they were told, wearing nothing but their underclothes. If the situation had been different, they may have been jeered and laughed at. As it were though, they made their walk of shame in silence. Suni held her arm out behind her and Hessen dissolved into water that snaked out towards her, wrapping around her arm and forming back into the miniature version of him.

[i]It would be best to keep my true form separate from this smaller version of me. A god should remain mysterious.[/i]

“Our god has departed. You may all stand and raise your heads.” She waited for them to find their feet before continuing, “Starting today I will serve as your…” She paused for just a moment, attempting to make up a word that would fit. “…Arha.”

Hessen snorted on her shoulder and turned his head away to hide his laughter. Suni ignored him. 

“Together with this messenger the Great White Dragon has left me, I will repair the mistakes you have made and guide you back onto the proper path.” 

The crowd stared back at her in silence. Their entire world had been turned upside down in only a few minutes, and they now had no idea how to react. A lone middle aged man wearing a black robe and sash with dark skin and hair that showed the first traces of gray stepped forward. He placed his right fist high on the left side of his chest and bowed his head. “Arha, please guide us.”

The rest followed suit. Their words echoed across the cavern. “Arha, guide us.”


If you can name the book I stole "Arha" from I will give you a cookie