Beliefs

[Zerrif]

"How much do you want this power?"

Gerik looked around-- only able to see what looked like a slight glint in the darkness. He reached out for it, not being able to discern how far it is, or if he was even reaching the right way. Something just drew him towards some direction in the darkness, and he felt a need to reach out.

"Who...?"

"If you really believe you want this power, then accept it."

"A...Accept it? How?"

"I can bestow the power you seek on you. The only condition is that you have to allow me control of your body."

Gerik felt his hand drop. Control of his body? How would he be sure that what he wanted would be done? Was this some sort of trick by a demon?

"Trick? Nono, rest assured young Gerik this is no trick. Do you not trust me after all that I've done?"

"... Can it be-- ?!"

Gerik gasped in surprise, and reached out again.

"Just stay with me. You'll be safe."

---

"Oh! He's waking up! Give him room!"

A crowd of people that had converged upon the unconscious Acolyte soon shuffled back as he sat up. Gerik let out a small mumble-- having been dragged out of the fray by Konkon earlier. He looked over at the unfamiliar faces and stood on his feet. He didn't even shake, and his body felt renewed.

"Careful! Slowly now you're--" Someone called, but soon after Gerik's whole body began to tingle. A powerful burst surged forth from him, sending those on the innermost ring of people sprawling. "What in the world--?"

Gerik felt his mind race and his breath began to grow heavy. Something was glowing-- and upon further inspection, it was him. His whole body had taken on a blue shine and when he looked down, he thought he had been drugged. While he could see his normal outline, there was a faint image of something-- no, someone else, around him. Instead of Acolyte robes, the image mirrored something of a Priest-- a rather highly accomplished Priest at that.

He stared out, making the circle of awestruck people stare out as well. Bascht, Muarim, Ren, and Konkon were still fighting-- aided by a few other adventurers who had come to see the event. The Lava Golem had spawned multiple blazers at this point, and the fight seemed to go more from trying to defeat the beast, to controlling the Blazers so that the town wouldn't burn down.

Gerik felt himself take a step forward, and he stared down again. There was that transparent image of robes again, before his vision focused on his Acolyte's garments. But that step wasn't his. Someone else was driving him. It was like he could only watch as someone began to tug at his strings.

"Feel. Focus all your energy and power into your hands. I will do the rest."

Gerik found himself running now towards the fray, and all he could muster up to do was to let out a loud battle cry.

"FOCUS! Do as I say, or all this will be for naught!"

His battle cry broke Bascht's incantation, making the Mage turn to look over his shoulder.

Behind the mask, Bascht's eyes widened. Gerik? It looked like him but at the same time... that image! It couldn't be--

"More! More! Focus all your might-- focus on how much you want to save your friends, and these people!"

Gerik let out another loud cry, zooming past the Mage who had been standing near the back of the group. "Holy Light! Holy Light!" He found himself shouting-- in a voice not wholly his own. His arms pulsed as energy raced through them, firing off more magical force than he knew he could. As he dashed in, great glittering crosses of white exploded on the Blazers-- in turn making them explode into nothing but ash.

"Holy--!" Ren shouted, as the Acolyte darted past him. He lowered his bow as Gerik ran, continuing to fire off his barrage of seemingly powered up Holy Lights. Each one struck with a fierce accuracy, dispatching a Blazer with only a single cast.

"Gerik! Are you okay?" Muarim shouted-- his eyes never leaving the beast in front of him. The Lava Golem let out a roar and the Merchant rolled out of the way of a crashing arm, looking over. "Gerik?"

"Begone, foul beast-- you shall not defile this land any longer!" Gerik shouted, almost threateningly. The Lava Golem stared directly at him, and raised an arm above him.

"Gerik watch--!"

Another surge of energy flowed out from the priest as his robes began to buffet in some wind centered around him. Everyone fighting the beast stopped to stare-- and even the Lava Golem itself seemed to be unmoving. Gerik began to chant loudly, and his voice had a ghastly echo as it carried over the streets.

"Say it with me. You know the prayer."

"O, salutaris hostia, voca me cum benedictis, confutatis maledictis, gere curam mei finis!"1 Gerik's hands clasped together in prayer, then he he assumed a different stance. One palm raised to the sky and the other pointed straight at the Lava Golem, Gerik shouted the chant over and over. "O! Salutaris hostia, voca me cum benedictis..."

The Lava Golem reared back for what appeared to be one of it's mightiest strikes, and everyone snapped back into action. But before they could even take a step forward, there was another gale.

Then, a light shone down straight on Gerik, causing even the clouds from above to part. "HOLY LIGHT!"

The light flowed from his upward palm straight into his other arm, the light flowing out almost like a beam. It hit the Lava Golem straight on, and then pierced right through it easily-- but upon hitting a building behind it, it dissipated like normal light.

"Ho...ly..." Muarim said, his axe dropping and clamouring down to the ground at his side. He sank to his knees in awe, and his arms fell limply to his sides. While he was never one to believe in God, or any sort of holy act, the scene before began to elicit tears from his eyes.

Ren let out an amazed gasp as the light began to tear through the Lava Golem-- doing more damage than any of their previous assaults seemed to combined. "Hey B... do you see that?" Bascht remained silent, crossing his arms. This had to be impossible. And that Priestly image that seemed to come off of Gerik-- "B?" He just nodded his approval, and stared.

"Salvum fac populum tuum!"2 Gerik shouted, as the light grew, strengthening the magic that was flowing through him. The monster let out one final roar as he noticed it begin to dissipate into the air, steam and smoke rising off of its body. The Acolyte let out a final cry as the beam of light from above died off, the final bursts of energy sending him flying back along the ground.

Instinctively, his friends ran up to him, as the blue light around him faded away. The transparent image of the Priest also left him, leaving the Acolyte seemingly as unconscious as he had been before.

Except this time, he had a smile on his face.

"How many times is this now...?"

"Where what happens?"

"Where you have saved my life?"

---

"... He's interfering. Again."

"Master?" There was a scraping of a chair, and angered, dull footsteps. "... Where are you going, Master?"

"This is enough. If he chooses to interfere, I will not accept this."

"But..."

"Continue as planned. You are the leader now, do as you see fit. I will go and seek out my Lord."

"... I understand, sir. I will not fail you."

"See to it that you don't."

---

1 The chant that Gerik says is latin, and is translated as such. "O saviour, saving victim, call me with the blessed, when the damned shall be cast down, help me in my final hour." I stole it from choir XD.

2 Translation: "Save Your people"

Cookie points to whoever knows which Disney movie / musical it's also from.