Citadel of Gadreel

When Will left to visit the Great Eastern Empire, Elizabeth sat down and had tea with the Elven queen.

"Dear Elizabeth, thank you for seeing me. I'm so happy I arrived before you left.

You must prepare yourself, your journey shall be long and treacherous," Queen Sylvania warned her.

"Is there anything you can tell me, how should I prepare?" Elizabeth asked nervously.

"Steady your heart and resolve. I do not know where the quest shall take you or what you shall be faced against. I only know you this shall be a trial of fate!" Queen Sylvania.

"I'll get dressed right away!" Elizabeth said getting up to leave.

"Leave your valuable in your room, you don't want to lose something significant, nor lead a trail back to you or your family," recommended Queen Sylvania.

"Good idea! Micheal tell Kurosawa and Bishop Omar to close the Citadel until further notice," Elizabeth said running upstairs to change.

"Yes, ma'am," Michael bowed sending messengers to both men.

It wasn't long until Elizabeth, Queen Sylvania, and Vaal were in a carriage heading to the citadel.

The Citadel of Gadreel was a large immaculate building. It was the one top cultural attraction, and pilgrimage site for Gaia's worshippers.

The most popular attractions inside were the stained glass windows; and statues. The 20-meter polished marble statue of the Goddess Demeter stood gloriously in the citadel's courtyard. The Statue of Demeter was the one Will obsessively and compulsively sculptured.

The story of Will's excessive and compulsive behavior gave the statue cultic popularity. Some visitors shared stories about the stature glowing or moving. Others said a halo could be seen over the statue during the Harvest Festival.

The Cult of Demeter was semi-popular in Gadreel. The Cult of Demeter was rumored to have a secret meeting place inside the citadel where they offered the first fruits of the harvest season.

In this day and age, almost every god or angel had a cult. But, what made the Cult of Demeter unique was that Will himself made the statue of Demeter.

Even though Will designed the city and built most of the townhouses and shops, he was not known for his artistic proclivities.

Moreover, he was known to value practically or aesthetics. Thus, people wondered how such a man was able to sculpt something so aesthetically beautiful?

Either he didn't sculpt it and falsely claimed he did. Or, as the Cult of Demeter believed, Will sculptured the statue based on divine inspiration after meeting the Goddess Demeter.

Bubba and the City Guards had cleared and blocked off the Citadel when the carriage arrived.

"This is where I must leave. I'll be waiting here when you come no matter how long it takes," Queen Sylvania.

"Thank you, but where do I go inside?" Elizabeth said stepping out of the carriage.

"I do not know. My responsibility was only to bring you here. However, I can feel the presence of someone inside…waiting. Hurry off you go. Better not to keep a Goddess waiting," Queen Sylvania advised.

"Goodbye," Vaal said watching Elizabeth leave. "Mother, shall she be alright?"

"Only the gods know what trial awaits her," said Queen Sylvania.

Elizabeth ignored the painters, instrument players, and singers that gathered outside the church. The street performers enticed tourists to buy self-portraits or portraits of the citadel, or tip musicians and singers.

Elizabeth walked into the beautiful white church that was reminiscent of the gothic architecture. The building was quite large, larger than the size of Notre Dame, with many stained-glass windows, all portraying different images of the gods.

The citadel was empty except for Bishop Omar, which Elizabeth greeted.

"How may I serve you, Lady vont Ballard?" Bishop Omar asked.

"Goddess Gaia spoke to Queen Sylvania. I've come to the citadel to attempt the trail the goddess has prepared for me," Elizabeth said.

Suddenly a violent wind erupted inside the citadel. The lights flicked on and off. The citadel's windows shattered and a golden line shone outside in the courtyard.

Inside the citadel, time speed up so that it almost seemed to stop. Bishop Omar looked like he freeze in place, but in reality, time had slowed down for him and sped up for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth raced to the courtyard, where the 20-meter, white marble statue of Demeter stood...alive.

"I'm happy you came," Demeter said, smiling down at Elizabeth.

"Goddess Demeter!" exclaimed Elizabeth kowtowing to it.

"We do not have much time. Without your help, your husband shall not revive Thaddeus Ming. He'll need a light mage to purify the decay in Thaddeus before the procedure and heal the wound after the procedure. However, the procedure requires a Master ranked Light Mage.

Thaddeus' revival is of grand importance for the war to come. He must be revived our Terra shall be imperiled. You shall embark on a perilous and grand adventure, on where your life and the light of your family shall be determined by your efforts alone.

You are too weak to help your husband. You must gain strength if are to be any service to him in the future," Demeter said.

"Yes, I understand. I'll endeavor to match my husband's rank. No matter what wars come, I'll always stay by his side!" Elizabeth said assuredly.

"Good I'm glad to hear such news. The task I ask of you is difficult. Descend the stairwell to the Necropolis in Tartarus and seek out my daughter Persephone. She has a flower that you must return to me alive. Do not read the contents inside the flower.

Also, watch out for her deceitful husband Hades. He kidnapped and stole her from me. If he, or the Goddess Nyx and her children find you, your life shall be forfeit," Demeter warned.

At once, the statue moved and a hidden spiral staircase below the statue appeared. Torches hung from the side of the stairwell lighting the path below.

Elizabeth looked down into the abyss. After steadying her nerves she put set her foot on the first step.

She could smell sulfur and brimstone coming from the bottom. Her nerves faltered but for a moment before she resolved her heart. Gathering her fortitude she began to walk down into the twilight.

"Good luck dearest child," Demeter said maternally before covering the stairwell and removing her consciousness. When she left, time returned to normal.

"Lady vont Ballard, how may I help--. Lady vont Ballard? Where are you? Where did you go?" Bishop Omar asked looking around the citadel.

When he saw the broken stained glass windows, he asked out loud, "what happened here?"

Bishop Omar started to run outside before Goddess Gaia whispered in his ear what occurred, and his part to play.

"Mother Gaia spoke to me? All my life, I wanted to hear just a word. To think she spoke to me, this unworthy vessel. Yes, Goddess, your obedient servant shall do as you request," Bishop Omar said humbly.

He quickly began amassing his priest to guard the church. He also sent word that anyone who entered would be designed a heretic and killed immodestly. He also said the other churches were forbidden to set foot on the citadel grounds unless they wanted a war! He also called for an immediate Conference of Bishops meeting.

His edict surprised the entire Kingdom, as priests and bishops of Gaia rushed to guard the citadel.

Without Will, Kurosawa felt almost helpless about what to do. As City Administrator, he couldn't play favorites with churches.

With mounting pressure from the Church of Nyx, Kurosawa announced the city guard would continue to patrol the citadel's perimeter against civilians, as Lady Elizabeth requested. If the Churches and Nyx and Gaia wanted to battle, it was not the city's place to get involved.

While tension mounted above ground, Elizabeth continued to descend the stairwell, the scent of sulfur and brimstone growing stronger.

As Elizabeth descended, she noticed the stairwell looked old and well worn. She wondered if Will, the Cult of Demeter, or Demeter herself build this stairwell.

Elizabeth expected the trip down the stairwell to be short. However, after what felt like a day of walking, she had still yet to reach the bottom.

With her eyes feeling heavy she slouched on a step and fell asleep.

She slept a few hours and again began the march downward. As she walked downward, a mental demon crept into her mind. The further and further she walked the more her headache.

"Why am I doing this? This is pointless! All I'm doing is walking," Elizabeth called out angrily.

Then her memories suddenly flash into her mind. All the unhappiest moments of her life and even that she tried to forget flooded her mind.

"My sisters were always mean to me. All my friends at the academy only hung around me because they wanted something either from my parents or my fiancé.

Everyone saw my honesty and kindness as a weakness. I was ridiculed for being different by everyone.

When I grew up people treated me like I was cursed because I didn't fit in model noble. I didn't want to play the part of an arrogant fool.

Despite my attitude, I gained a lot of attention from everyone due to my exceptional beauty. My background and beauty brought suitors far and wide. They thought I'd be as mindless and self-obsessed as my sisters.

The more suitors I turned away, the more ridicule I received. How many times did my mother remind me to play my part? No one supported me.

That's when I came up with the plan to become an apostle. That way I could hide away from I from these duplicitous nobles and elitist narcissists.

I became the top student in every class and was considered an adept light mage. I was the very definition of beauty with brains, which only made me more of an outcast.

If not for being the daughter of a duke, or being in my family's fraction, most of my friends would have avoided me. Yet, I still became easy fodder for some with hidden motives.

Even at home, my parents treated me special but nothing like how they treated my elder siblings. Over time, the connection between me, and my family started to drift away, and yet I didn't hold any grudge against them.

My life was a waste. No one ever loved me or treated me special," Elizabeth said speaking to herself.

But then a light crept inside her mind.

"Will, he treated me differently. When I rode with him up to Yorkshire he treated me as a person, not as the daughter of a duke.

When I took him to the Rabble Quarter, he didn't ridicule me. Rather he built an orphanage for my friends. He was able to rally people to help support my cause.

Will found my intelligence a benefit, not a burden. He treated me like a person. He's always been open and honest to me. He never shut me out like my parents.

The fun we had on our date, the winter ball, our wedding, and our children.

Yes, Camille and Edward. My precious children.

Yes, yes, I also remember all the good family moments we had together.

My parents love me. They shut me out to protect me. My sisters love me, their contempt was out of jealously. But, we care for each other as only sisters can.

My life is full of joyous meaning. These thoughts of maliciousness and despair are only one side of my life.

Despite the ups and downs, I have enjoyed my life to the fullest!" Elizabeth said casting [purification on herself].

"Argh!" yelled a shriveled worm exiting Elizabeth's ear.

The worm looked like it was being roasted alive. It continued to pitifully scream as it rolled on a step before it disintegrated and turned to dust.

"Well done! Know that there shall be more trials as you descend this path. The hidden stairwell to the Necropolis has many pitfalls and trials," Demeter whispered to her.