6: A Shift in Perspective
One would easily believe that the Circle Temple is the most beautiful place in the world.
I gaped in awe at the marvelous white arches, the glimmering stained glass, and the tile that reflects as clearly as a mirror. I'm really only just a country boy after all and it's all a bit overwhelming to me. Just in case you're like me and have never been to the temple before I better explain more clearly. When you first pass through the gates into the temple grounds you walk up to the main building. The outside walls are sort of plain, but like the rest of everything they're sort of white. The guards patrol along them and they watch who enters and exits. They look very disciplined and impressive with their blue uniforms. The main building rises up above you as you approach, but instead of looking frightening it's actually sort of welcoming. It's a really old building I think that they just keep fixing up. I was sort of embarrassed to enter the place since everything was so neat and clean and I was a little dirty from the trip to the capital, but the priests who brought me along wouldn't let me stop and get cleaned up. They seem to be in an awfully big hurry. I don't know what the big deal is. It's not like I'm an important person or anything. I'd say that they're just anxious to get back to their home if you ask me.
Wait, I think I'm getting a bit off subject. Anyway, as I was saying...the hall you enter at first immediately branches off to both the left and the right, but we kept going straight down the center. I don't really know what could've been down those two ways that we avoided, but I think the way the whole place is laid out is sort of strange because they weren't straight hallways. They were sort of curved like maybe the whole building is laid out in the shape of a circle. That could be right since so many things there do have a circular sort of shape or influence on them.
The way the priests were acting was so strange I practically wondered if they were going to take me to see Chief Priest Hikusaak or something. That's a pretty scary idea. I don't know what he's like at all and I don't know how you're supposed to talk to him or anything. I probably would've done something really stupid if that was the case and I'd have gotten myself in trouble. I always seem to manage to get myself into trouble. My mom used to say that it was my "biggest talent." I'm not so sure I care for that so much as talents go. Well, as I was saying about the priests, they were speaking that old elaborate form of the language and so I didn't understand what they were talking about. I know for sure that they did it on purpose. They talked big, but whenever we ran into someone they bowed and acted all humble so it was pretty obvious that they aren't really important at all here.
I was admiring the colored light on the tile that came through the stained glass and I bumped into a really pale man with dark hair. The two priests who I was with apologized to him like crazy, but he just smiled and told me something like, "Well you just take care now son." I don't know who he was, but he must've been a big shot the way those two went white as sheets.
After that nothing really big happened until we reached the audience room. I think it must be right in the center of the entire temple, but I couldn't really be sure since I didn't explore the whole place. There were a lot of armored guards there with pole-arms at their sides. I didn't have much time to look at them though because I got led right up to the front where a young cleric was sitting in a chair. The chair looked a bit strange up there because it was wooden and practically everything else in the room was perfectly white.
"This is the one we sent the report in about last month," one of the priests with me told the young man. Now that I think about it, I bet he's not more than a year older than me. Who knew that someone so young could be so important?
The young man coughed and then he answered them, "Yes, I remember that report. I speak for the entire counsel when I say that I am most pleased with your discovery. I will see that you are sufficiently rewarded for this job well done. Now then, you are dismissed." He's obviously very important because he waved his hand and they were nearly running on the way out. They either really respect him or are really afraid of him, or maybe a bit of both.
Then the young cleric brushed a few strands of brown hair out of his face and looked directly at me and asked, "May I be so bold as to inquire what your name might be?"
Sasarai's note: I felt it was of greatest importance that the aforementioned experience was presented in by the boy I became acquainted with on that day because my view of the event was tinged by my annoyance at being forced into more work for the counsel and a short illness I was still recovering from. This occurred exactly a month from the day that I consulted with Nash, Dios, and Nika as to what my next action might be concerning my current dilemma. It proved to be a significant happening as will become clear soon.
I was sort of put off balance by his direct manner and so I stared stupidly for a couple of minutes before I responded to him, "Nikolai." I was very nearly tongue-tied. He smiled almost as pleasantly as the pale man in the hall had.
"Do you know why you were brought to Crystal Valley?" he asked me. His city accent had a nice sound to it. I felt like I wouldn't have minded listening to him talk for a long time.
"Sort of," I replied. I did not actually have the least idea what I was doing here, but I didn't want him to think I was an idiot so I lied. I know I shouldn't have lied, especially to some sort of priest, but I thought he seemed like a nice person and I kind of wanted him to like me.
"Then you understand that you'll more likely than not be spending some amount of time here?" he questioned.
"Well, I think so," I told him in response.
He stood up sort of shakily and stepped towards me, "For the time being at least I have volunteered to take you under my wing Nikolai, so please come with me."
I was really, really confused.