She had a powerful geas placed on her to prevent her from telling others about the location of the temple so she would have to go this one alone. The guards of the temple were dangerous as they were usually some of the most powerful servants, not the cannon fodder of hunt mad freaks that were often encountered. Some would have magic that would rival her own, skills and power that would challenge her abilities to the limits of what she had.
Marina didn’t like the fear she felt as she gathered her equipment for the journey but it would be needed to allow her to be aware enough to survive. She had been hunted by the order before and come out on top and what scared her most was the head priest who had placed the spell upon her so many years ago because he had invited her to come back, to attempt to destroy the temple because he would like to hunt her again when she was even more powerful to honor his dark god.
It would be a pleasure to hunt them down and end their dark pleasures forever. She wasn’t deluded enough to think destroying the temple would end the cult but it would certainly hamper their efforts. Marina hoped the priest was long dead by now but something in her told her that he was still presiding over the hunts even though more than a decade had passed. She told herself that she could just sneak into the temple and collect what she would need and vanish before she would be noticed but the rage she felt against the man might demand revenge against him.
Being forced into the form of an animal had made her focus on the art of transformation magic with a passion she had never had before, Marina would never be trapped in another shape again. They had hunted her over the course of three nights before her victory and she was changed back. The priest had laughed at her threats and welcomed her return, she hoped she would be able to make him eat those words.
It didn’t take long for civilization to vanish from view, even her tower vanished from view after a few hills. She liked the seclusion normally but it made her feel very alone at this moment against a sea of troubles. The cult of Basta had many followers in rural areas far from the protections of the civilized world. Basta provided protection to those left to the cruelties of fate by the nobles who were supposed to protect them.
Nobles were quick to demand the taxes they felt were owed to them but slow to provide the protection that was needed to produce the money and goods that would pay those taxes. Monsters and bandits ruled the land around here so anyone who would help was welcomed no matter what they offered in return. The hunters of Basta provided protection and only required a few sacrifices which the villagers were willing to give. Travelers in small towns needed to be very careful they weren’t offered up as those sacrifices.
As she drew closer to the temple she knew the numbers of the followers would be growing, the eyes of the cult would be everywhere. Marina had worn a heavy cloak to hide identity as a magic user but it might not be enough to prevent her discovery as a magic user. She looked at the woods and debated if she should try to sneak through as an animal but that also had dangers all its own.
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