An Arrival, A Surprise Encounter

Tiernan was not one for crowds, nor was he particularly knowledgable in the traditions of the Vespiri, especially when it came to the Guiding Lights traditions in this larger city. It was almost foreign to the Ortusi, who was much more at home amongst the quiet of the smaller village that he was from. But there were some family members coming by who he had not seen in many months, and it was at least a change of pace from his normal training, so it seemed like a waste to let this oppurtunity slip by. But he had managed to arrive early, and instead of standing around, he had made the decision to at least explore some. So now he was attempting to weave his taller form in and out of the crowd, feeling extremely out of place and trying his hardest not to bump into anyone while taking in the surroundings. It was grand, he would give them that. But it was also imposing in a way. Tiernan did not understand why there had to be so many bones, though.

After roughly an hour of browsing the market and telling himself that he really did not need to buy any of the slightly -  well, morbid for lack of a better term - trinkets for the time being, he decided it would be best to take a few minutes to get his bearings and find somewhere away from the crowds to rest for a moment. A nearby garden on the edge of the city furthest away from the ocean's edge offered just that. A few other Enivi were nearby, but all were engrossed in their own casual conversations as the evening grew late. A wooden arbor stood on the far side of the small garden plot, and this seemed an ideal place to just stand and recover for a moment. He stood between the structure and the edge of the thin woods that bordered this part of the city, leaning his head against the wooden side and idly observing how the vines wove in and out of the wooden beams. But as he stared, he could swear that he saw the faintest blue, unnatural light showing through the openings of the arbor in his peripheral vision. He lifted his head and looked in that direction, but saw nothing.

"Must have been a trick of the light," he muttered to himself, settling back against the arbor to try to relax again. Not a minute later, he could swear he saw it again, this time floating past the arbor and into the nearby bushes. He was sure that he saw it now. Begrudgingly, but also cautiously, he stepped closer to where the light went. And to his surprise, he saw a floating blue orb rise up from among the foliage, slowly drifting in his direction. Unsure what to do, he stood stock still while the entity seemed to hover in front of him, and it was only then that he realized what this was: a soul that had passed on. He had heard that they wandered among the living at these celebrations, but had not yet seen one since entering the city earlier that day. And now he was staring one down.

However, he did not have much time to ponder this new experience, as the soul then began to wander away from him, seeming to be going back about its own business. Tiernan watched it curiously as it danced among the plants, then began to move in the direction of the woods. The Ortusi's expression became one of alarm as he realized what was happening. Were the wandering souls allowed to go there? Shouldn't they remain in the city? He had heard something about the temple keepers bringing the souls back to—

The temple! That was it! He needed to find one of the keepers at the temple quickly before the soul wandered off too far. He had no idea how to guide a soul back, but surely they could. With a sudden burst of energy, Tiernan dashed back through the garden the way that he came, coming back to the crowded streets of the city. This time, as he dodged in and out of the other Enivi enjoying the festivities, he had a much more specific goal in mind. Thankfully, the temple was not hard to find, and the few times he did get turned around, there was someone who would gladly tell him where to go. But without much delay, he was standing in front of the doors of the Temple of Vesper.

He stepped through the open doorway, breathing deep in relief as he did so. The air in this place felt different from the celebrations outside. It was quieter, calmer, and almost somber. Stepping inside felt as though stepping through a portal to a different place entirely, and the activity of the outside world felt distant the moment he was inside. The shift was enough to freeze him in place again, but he soon caught his breath and began to approach one of the Vespiri who appeared to be one of the temple tenders. But before he could get their attention, Tiernan noticed the broken clay pots and the frantic movement of this young tender. Another Enivi came by with a freshly lit lantern, also seeming to be in a hurry. In fact, the temple was buzzing with its own kind of activity, but with a much more nervous atmosphere than the one outside. And though he was not familiar with the temple customs, he doubted this sort of rallying was normal. In fact, Tiernan got the feeling that this single soul that he saw may not have been the only one that had wandered off this evening. And it would not take long for his suspicions to be confirmed.

Tiernan volunteered to accompany a small group of temple tenders who were to be sent out looking for the stray souls, not only to show them where he found the one he saw, but to also act as an extra set of eyes. Besides, he was trained as a warrior. The least he could do was offer a protective presence, as the dark was always unpredictable, regardless of where you were.