Before Hesitant

“Dawnsister… Dawnsister”

“Mmm…”, Scarlet mumbles. ”Not now…”
The kobold warrior sighs impatiently at the priestess lying on her left side on the stone ground sound asleep. He shakes his head at the empty bottle of wine beside her.

The dawnsister had told me she cured herself of her disease

He casts a despair look at his wife, Lulu who is standing outside the temple’s front doors. She shrugs and closes the doors behind her to provide Faisal and Scarlet with privacy.

After he taps Scarlet persistently on the shoulder and shakes her, she awakes from her deep slumber to find the paladin looming over her. The bright intense sunlight reflecting off his armor nearly blinds her and she instinctively turns away from the glaring paladin.
From dawn till dawn, she had spent nearly all her efforts and sacrificed her sleep to consecrate the blade sword that was retrieved from Waliyah, Faisal’s real sister, as this was a necessary step to lifting the fey curse from the ruby pommel.
Once her eyes adjust to the brightness, she glances at the scimitar on the altar surrounded by herbs and blown out scented candles wedged into empty wine bottles. A large ray of sunlight seeping through the stained glass window adjacent to the altar illuminates the sword. Scarlet lets out a yawn and rises with the paladin’s assistance.

“Thank the heavens you are here. What time of day is it?” She asks while rubbing her left temple to ease her
headache.

“Noon.”

“Oh my. Well, I am terrible sorry you had to see me like this. I had quite a hectic time preparing for our journey to the first world as you can see.”

The dawnsister points to the pile of equipment in the alcove leaning against a pedestal holding a miniature sized statue of the Sunlord Thalachos, the goddess’ herald. The pile contains her mithril breastplate partially obstructing the view of the sacred statue along with her usual weapons and other gear.

Faisal frowns at the twenty corked bottles of wine labeled ‘Jus du Gnomes’ and ‘Love Potion No. 9’scattered around the pile.

“You can never be too prepared.” She comments following his gaze.
“Which leave me very little time to complete the ritual”, she continues while rummaging for the remaining pieces of the dawn blade in the pile.

“Yes I can see…” He say with a tone of contempt.
The priestess too distracted by her task ignores his remark.
Shortly after she comments, “I am most grateful for your assistance particularly on such short notice.”

While gathering the dawnblade and the guard and she snickers and says, ”I must say I was quite shocked you came alone. After our visit with Chief Sootscale, your new friends follow you wherever you go. Seems as if they are attached to your hip.”

“Think nothing of it. But you are mistaken Lulu is here waiting outside.” The kobold warrior corrects her.

The priestess overwhelmed with panic freezes. Her eyes transfixed on the statue.

Faisal continues, “And you are well aware that she is more than a friend, she is my w….”

As Scarlet stands she nudges the breastplate with her elbow with all her might. The breastplate leaning against the statue at an angle knocks the statue off the pedestal. As the statue falls to the ground, it shatters a bottle of wine. In addition, the impact causes the nose of the herald to chip off.

Faisal eyes widen while glaring at the damaged blessed figure. He gasps in astonishment.

“Oh dear not again. Silly me I must be accident prone.”

“Not again??? How many times did she knock the statue”, he wonders.

As he rushes to pick up the valuable statue, she interrupts his action with an inpatient sigh and tells him, “Never mind that, I will clean it up later. Let us get on with it shall we.”

He utters a frustrated sigh to defuse his infuriation. “As you proclaim”

She assembles the remaining pieces with the pommel on the altar.
“Your Briar sword, please”, she commands and after he unsheathe his sword, she guides it with her fingers on the pommel.

Scarlet closes her eyes and gestures her hands.

Several minutes of incantation, the Dawnblade glows with a white bright aura.

As the curse is lifted off the sword, a divine presence enters Scarlet’s mind.

“Dawnsister Scarlet, you must act! The Nymph Queen’s ritual is interfering with the wards around Rovagug’s prison. The earthquakes you are feeling are his attempts at breaking free. The Gods have no power over the First World. You must put an end to the Nymph Queen’s plan to acquire the stolen lands before her actions inadvertently allow the Rough Beast to break free!”

The priestess immediately opens her emerald eyes in awe.

The goddess has spoke to me

Scarlet could not recall when the last time she has truly felt Her presence but it seems so long ago.
“Dawnsister, what is the matter?” Faisal asks waking her from her trance.
“Did you not feel Her among us?”

She gives him a mystified look and says,” She spoke to me.”

“What did she say?!!” He asks in anticipation.

“I will tell you on our travels but we must make haste. You must return to the Firenze to prepare. Tell the others that we can not delay our voyage to the First World any longer.”

She yawns. “But I grow weary and need my rest for the journey ahead.”

The priestess hurries the paladin out the front doors and before he could say a word, she thanks him for his assistance and then slams the door in his face.