Chapter 44: Flame Matron appears
"Your authority is forfeit and your connection to the light is severed."
Duriel slammed the butt of his staff onto the dais. Threads of pure light erupted, snaking around Elian, the Deacon, and the temple guards who had aided him, binding them instantly. A collective gasp went through the bound men as the familiar warmth of their connection to the Church of Light vanished, leaving them feeling hollow and powerless. The glowing sigils on their robes faded to dull grey.
"Lysaria,"
Duriel turned his gaze to the former Vestal, who still knelt, stunned, beside Lila and Sherry.
"Though excommunicated by corrupt authority, your heart remained true to the Light's core tenets: justice and compassion. Rise."
Lysaria rose uncertainly, tears still wet on her cheeks.
"Take these prisoners," Duriel commanded, gesturing to the bound churchmen. "Escort them to Luxia. Ensure that they face the judgment by the Central Council."
Duriel then glanced towards Sherry and Lila, who stood protectively near the now-revived children. A brief, almost imperceptible nod of acknowledgment passed from the Herald – recognition of their courage, perhaps, or their alignment with true justice, regardless of their origins or lack of formal power.
With a final, sweeping gaze over the stunned city, Duriel, Axia, and Thymia ascended, the overwhelming white light gathering around them before vanishing as quickly as it had appeared, leaving behind a clear sky and a profoundly altered reality.
The silence held for a beat, then broke as the revived children, their trauma seemingly washed away by Thymia's blessing, rushed forward with cries of relief, throwing their arms around Lila and Lysaria.
"You came back for us!" Elara sobbed into Lila's cloak. "We were so scared!" Finn added, clinging to Lysaria's leg.