Legion picked her way over the rocks between sheer cliff walls. The Valley of Snakes was more narrow canyon than valley and surprisingly snake free up until this point. However, there were plenty of crevices in the rocks for snakes to hide in, so Legion kept her eyes open and her footsteps light against the possibility of their existence. Death from the bite of a desert viper or 100-pacer was not how she planned to end her journey.
Legion was not sure why her pilgrimage had led her to this valley. But when she had learned that the Temple of Adomos was rumored to be located at the back of this valley from a nearby village she had instantly felt a irresistible pull. She was meant for greater and more important things than what life had given her so far. She knew in her bones that this temple was a step towards the purpose she was destined for.
As Legion squeezed through another narrow gap in the rock faces, she came into an open space full of dazzling sunlight. Her hand against her forehead to shade against sun, Legion let the world come into focus as her eyes adjusted to the light. The narrow canyon had expanded into a wide semicircular area of sand between the valley walls. In front of her was the Temple of Adomos. Two guardians carved in stone into the shape of ogres held their left hands out against the passage of evil and rested their right hands on wicked curved swords. Hesitantly, senses on high alert, Legion stepped out onto the sand and towards the temple.
Immediately Legion felt something amiss. The sand beneath her feet began to move and twist. As she struggled to keep her footing, the sands fell away to reveal a writhing mass of brown scales and undulating curves. A Black Viper of tremendous size. Legion pulled her bow from her back and readied an arrow as she stared down the massive snake. The snake lashed at Legion with its tail and snapped its black tinged jaws. Diving and dodging between the snakes strikes, Legion tried to find a moments rest to fire her arrow. As the snake struck again with its jaws, Legion rolled below its head and in the breath of a moment, shot an arrow up through the fleshy skin of its jaw and throat. As the arrow pierced the Black Viper’s brain from below it reared backwards in apparent agony and fell to the sands.
Aware of the Black Viper’s tendency to bite foes even after death, Legion quickly backed away from the snake’s body. She turned towards the massive guardian ogres and stepped through the gates of the Temple of Adomos. As Legion passed between the guardians, she entered a dark passageway. The cool darkness was refreshing after the bright sun. There was a sense of purity in the air as Legion walked forward. Oddly the passageway was clean, free of sand or dirt, as if it had just been swept by some unseen keeper of the grounds. Still wary, Legion scanned each crevice and shadow. Ahead of her in the passageway she could see a pure white light that seemed to pulse, as if to the beat of her own heart. She made her way into the light.
She entered into what could only be described as a throne room of the gods. The walls she could see were made of quartz decorated with gold inlays in the shape of thousands of bees. Hundreds of columns radiated outward into the unseen depths of the room. All this was illuminated by pulsing white light emanating from an apparent throne on a dais in the center of the room. Legion felt herself pulled forward as a moth to flame.
As she approached the throne, she gasped in surprise. The throne was comprised of a pair of upturned hands made of pure radiant diamond. Each facet of the diamond reflecting light and shapes and scenes. The scenes flashed by so quickly she could not understand their meaning or context. So she simply stared wordlessly in reverence at the base of the dais.
Come Child. Your Destiny Awaits.
Legion snapped out of her stupor at the voice. The chair had spoken to her.
Come. Sit Child. Your pilgrimage is at an end.
Was her pilgrimage at an end? Legion stepped forward tentatively onto dais. Her heart filled with hope and longing. She ran her hand over the fingers of diamond as she stepped around the throne. She heard a faint buzzing and noticed a bee flying above her and the diamond throne. For some reason this seemed to comfort her.
As she sat on the throne she felt knowledge and clarity pore into her. The path before her, which before had been cloudy and full of doubt became clear and sure. Her weaknesses cleansed in fire. Her strengths crystalized. Her mouth opened and a single word escaped.
…Range…
Where the legion sat was now empty. Nothing left to indicate that anyone or anything had been in this room of gold, quartz, and diamond hands. The bee which had been buzzing about the room landed on the now open seat previously occupied by Legion. The light of the throne slowly faded as the room turned to black.
Note: This story was first published as a bridgeworld piece at https://docs.bridgeworld.treasure.lol/lore/bridgeworld/pilgrimage/a-legions-pilgrimage-vol-1
