I waited for more of an explanation, but one didn't come. An unsettled feeling sat in my chest— a heavy weight churning my gut. "Why is that?"
"Can't say." He pulled down the collar of his trench coat, revealing a small golden tattoo at the base of his neck. "If you want to ask her about it, just be prepared to get one of these yourself."
I nodded slowly, sworn to secrecy? "My mom told me to never get a tattoo. Would make getting jobs harder." I prepared myself for the sorrow that came along with the thought of her, but was once again surprised to feel only an inkling of that chest-tightening sensation.
"She was right." Johnny smiled as we stepped through the big door and into a prayer hall. The breath was momentarily sucked from my lungs as I took in the sheer grandeur of the gargantuan room.
Opposite the door was a raised semi-circular outcrop adorned with towering yellow stained-glass windows. The golden light that seeped through painted a towering statue of a once again naked Ah-Legoria in a holy radiance. His arms were raised in supplication, as if praising the sun. At his feet was a small marble dais, which was currently empty. Hundreds of pews stretched out before the god, some filled, but mostly empty. Their quiet prayers bounced off the vaulted, arched ceilings that towered overhead.
Johnny led me down the middle of the aisle and toward a large symbol of the church inlaid in gold on the floor. He leaned down, placing the coin in the very center, where it promptly sunk into the ground and out of sight.
"Get nauseous often?" He glanced at me as a series of soft clicks and whirs slowly grew in volume, filling the air.
I shook my head, watching as tiny spikes extended from the symbol, creating a slightly raised lip around the edges. Then, the whirring stabilized in volume, and a beam of golden light enveloped us. The floor contracted slightly, then pushed us upward. To my shock, we didn't stay attached, nor did we come back down, instead, we slowly drifted upward.
"No way…" I muttered, watching the ground below us slowly drift away as we approached the ceiling.
I glanced at Johnny, who was trailing smoke like a rocket as he ascended. He moved the cigarette from his mouth to say, "I told you, materialistic."
A distant sense of childlike glee welled up inside me. It felt as if I was a god, rising above the mortal plane and ascending to my divine kingdom. Seeing the massive hall stretch beneath me was… surreal. Before long, we reached the ceiling, which silently opened into a circular hatch. The beam of soft light dispersed as it closed behind us, leaving us nicely on our feet and in a vast chamber that smelled of honeysuckle.
Large white steps led up to a raised portion of the room, where an ornate and imposing marble desk stood. Behind it was a gargantuan window, formed in the shape of the Brilliance's symbol. Resplendent golden weave adorned huge draping curtains that shrouded a four-poster bed behind us. Scaled-up versions of the exquisite cloths hung from the ceiling, bunched and tied. Below the huge shades, a ring of glowing golden liquid ran along the edges of the circular chamber, softly gurgling from beautifully carved statues. They cast a warm glow about the room, painting the walls in their luminescence.
"Johnny," a soft, soothing voice filled the air, and a figure stepped back from the window, fluffy black hair fluttering behind her.
"Lady Venerated." He took a drag of his cigarette, the smoke staining the pristine atmosphere.
Vivianne stepped out of the harsh light in a flowing white hybrid between a robe and dress with golden trim and embroidery. Her steps were languid yet purposeful as she circled around the desk, light flickering off the simple jewelry adorning her body— spraying yellow radiance in all directions. Her eyes were a deep, crystalline lake blue, framed with sparkling eyeliner of the same color as all her other highlights. Her face was beautiful and supple, emanating the same warmth I had seen from the people below, with a smile knowing and sly. She held her back straight, walking with impeccable posture.
Enamored, my words came out in a jumble. "You— I like—Hello." I felt my face heat in embarrassment. Johnny shot me a glance but said nothing, and my shame only deepened.
Vivianne's laugh echoed throughout the large room, filled with lively humor. "And who might you be little one?" She brushed her bangs to the side slightly, coming to a stop at the top of the staircase.
"Donovan, Lady Venerated."
"Please, any friend of James's may call me Vivianne." She smiled warmly.
James? Does she mean Johnny? I forced the manners I'd learned to come through. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise." As she spoke, Johnny took another puff of his cigarette, and Vivianne let out an annoyed sigh. "I never could convince James to abscond from that sickening vice, now all his Incorporated's fall prey."
So… not Johnny?
With a shimmer of light like flecks of resplendent dust, a thick tome bound in white leather with golden fixtures and the symbol of the Brilliance formed out of nothing. It hovered above her hand, flipping through its shimmering pages on its own. An Externalized Icon! My body grew tense, taking Johnny's previous warning and demonstration into account.
White light began to emanate outward as words began to float into the air from the open pages. Vivianne's voice took on an ethereal yet weighty quality, resonating as if she were speaking into my very mind, "To desecrate the temple of one's body in the temple of the Lord is disrespectful to his very existence. Violators shall face judgement." The words she spoke solidified behind her in shimmering white text.
His cigarette extinguished immediately, and he took it from his mouth, looking at the unlit end in disdain. He shot me a look, which I assumed meant, "See?" Then, he put it back in the pocket of his trench coat— not before knocking out the ashes onto the ground though. "Vivianne, all we need is to speak with someone in the Legion, then we'll be out of your way."
She smiled down at us, "I'm aware, but honestly, I could not bear to let one of James's men be treated so coldly." She started down the stairs, muttering something as she went. It was as if the air grew heavier for a moment, every hair in my body standing on end as my blood ran cold. Something in the distance far beyond the window flashed, and suddenly, just like her tome, she began floating toward us.
Johnny's face twitched slightly as he retrieved the cigarette, playing with it in his hand again. "We're investigating a—"
"Shh, shh, sh." She placed a finger to her soft pink lips, giving him a sidelong glance. Vivianne was now before me, floating in a flowing mass of cloth and hair. "Have you begun Incorporation yet, Donovan?"
My face felt warm as I scrambled to remember what that was, something to do with sharing power? Her proximity made me hesitate as I averted my eyes. "Y-yes." I lied instinctively, instantly regretting it.
She clicked her tongue. "What stage of Synchronization are you on? Six?"
Johnny opened his mouth to interrupt, but before he could, I answered. "Yeah." I forced as much confidence as I could into that word, meeting her gaze with all the determination I could muster.
Vivianne stared at me blankly, stunned. Then, she erupted into laughter, pitching backward in the air slightly. "There is no stage six." Then, her words carried more weight as she once again read from the book. "Before a messenger of the divine, all truths are laid bare and all thoughts articulated."
"Blinded by Brilliance…" Johnny muttered from my side.
Vivianne shot him an annoyed look, but slowly it warped into an eerie smile as she studied me for a moment. "Johnny Marlowe, have you been manipulating his emotions?"
My stomach dropped. What?