"Hear me, brothers and sisters, for the time of the Priestess has come! Bathe in her energy... seek her favor, and the holiest shall empower your path!" She raised her hands with enthusiasm, waving the blessed crotalus through the air. "For it is she who brings good fortune to those who search her understanding! Heed my teachings and turn not away, for her blessings are infinite!"

Her brow hardened as more scornful faces turned away. They continued to defy the holiest... It would not be long before their errors were realized...

...She hoped.

"Fear her power, for the Battle Priestess is a queen amongst the energies of the beyond! Forsake not your-" She was cut off as a raspy voice cut through her speech. "What are you yapping about, little girl?" She lowered her arms to her sides, though it was difficult to relax. Before her stood an atrox. Perhaps to others he might seem small for his breed, though he remained larger to her in comparison. Her voice grew grave and defensive.

"I am the Acolyte Mandarelus-"

"Aco-who?"

The voice cut her off again. A solitus of comparable size approached the atrox's side, crossing his arms. A thin smile tilted his lips. "I've seen this girl," He scoffed. "Preaching about her imaginary friends again." The atrox heaved a hearty laugh. "Oh, one of them religious loonies! I can't get enough of them..." Her lips stiffened.

"I am the Acolyte. I come to spread grave tidings of the future: the Priestess will soon grace the world with her presence, and those in her favor shall ascend to join her forces as the new artificers of this planet! Those without her love shall meet her hand in war-"

"Tell me this..." The atrox again interrupted. "Why isn't she here already?" The solitus beside him snorted as the atrox continued. "I'm not never gonna be of her flavor, so why doesn't she come take care of me now? Tell you what, you let the lady know that I'm not interested in her fairy tales, and unless she's got an especially worthy body, that she can shove her glory energies up her own dark wormhole!" At this, both erupted in foul laughter. The solitus slapped his knee. "On top of that" He added, "Tell her if she wants us dead, she can come do it right now! I'm WAITING." He tapped his foot in mockery and continued to chuckle. The Acolyte's anger was brimming in her chest as she clenched her fist tightly around the crotalus. "Continue your blasphemy, hideous curs... I have been more than gracious to let you live this long..."

By this time, a small crowd had coalesced around the three.

The atrox stepped forward. "Oh? Is your fairy lady gonna come do something about it? I DARE her..."

The Acolyte calmed herself and sat down, clearing her mind.

"She ain't got none to fight with!" He turned to the crowd, raising his arms in mockery. "Witness now the divine lady's glory! How powerful is she, the one who fights to defend her own name!" He and the solitus laughed heartily as the crowd grew uncomfortable. Even they would not have insulted anyone's beliefs as deeply. As the crowd gasped and recoiled, the two turned back to the small girl to find that now she was not alone. A dark sphere had manifested above her, breathing foul breath into their faces. "She says she's busy, and told me to have fun."

Without hesitation, the sphere surged toward the atrox, flattening him to the ground with one swoop. In its rage, it continued to pound and smear him on the pavement until he was nothing but moist pulp. The crowd had now created plenty of space between themselves and her... Leaving the solitus frozen with panic in the middle of the gap. He stuttered to make a sentence and his hands trembled before him. "No need to repent now." She muttered. Her materialized rage slowly hovered toward him as his vision grew dark.

~

It had been some weeks since she had last taken a stroll through Borealis. She stopped and stood upon two familiar smeared stains on the ground. She raised her hands with enthusiasm, waving the blessed crotalus through the air. "Hear me, brothers and sisters, for the time of the Priestess has come..."

No one dared to look.