Chapter 7: Simple Riddle
The High Priest paused as if expecting some great response, yet Charon only looked at him blankly.
Shifting uncomfortably with the silence, the teenager coughed into his hand.
"That sounds... good?"
The shadows around them quivered slightly, slowly intensifying before shaking violently. Charon looked around with wide eyes, growing fearful before the High Priest began laughing uproariously.
It came from all directions, filling the room with nothing but unrestrained cackling. Charon covered his ears to block the noise, mostly failing as his hands created new shadows that started parroting.
Seconds passed before the man calmed down.
"It has been many years since I have been so surprised by the ignorance of youth, please forgive me. So many meetings have come and gone, always with the straightforwardness of those who have dedicated their lives to our craft. If I had made a similar declaration to many of the other students here, they could have fainted from the shock, but not you."
Charon smiled sheepishly, unsure whether to interpret his words as a compliment or an insult.
"Thank you, sir."
"I am not a sir, Charon. You may address me as Your Holiness, or if that proves too difficult, then High Priest does just as well. Calling me otherwise outside these walls can garner you many enemies. The Church of Death is not as strict as other churches, but beware the fundamentalists."
Warring between thankful for the warning, and annoyed by the useless demand for titles, Charon simply nodded before speaking, hoping to shift the topic back to something useful.
"Why is my element important anyway? You came here for a reason, your... holiness..."