Crisis of Faith by Benjamin Medrano (z-lib.org)

by Unknown

  “Ah, much is explained,” Diane murmured, sighing softly as she realized that even with Everium’s new foundation, it couldn’t avoid politics. At least Phynis wasn’t new to the arena, which reassured her. It probably helped that she had a goddess and Sistina backing her up, too.

  “Agreed. Well, we probably should get back to our walk and let you work. May I ask what type of tree that is? I’m surprised you’re planting it when there’s been snow on the ground,” Torkal asked, nodding at the tree.

  “Oh, this? It’s an apple tree! One which I think produces the tastiest apples ever!” Lily explained, her eyes lighting up as she grinned widely. “They have a lovely tartness that perfectly offsets the sweet, and I really, really want to try a cider made from them. Sure, it won’t be ready this year, but next year… anyway, Sistina’s domain will keep it alive, so I can keep working all winter, except if the ground freezes solid. I intend to make this the best garden outside Sistina’s ever! Assuming the gods of destruction don’t decide to visit, anyway.”

  “Ah, I understand. Well, I hope the tree and garden grows well for you,” Torkal replied, smiling as he added, “Good day to you.”

  “And you as well, Your Grace, Your Majesty!” Lily said, trying to curtsey, though when she realized she wasn’t in a dress the young woman blushed brightly, prompting a chuckle from Torkal.

  They stepped away from her, and Diane glanced back to see the gardener breathe out deeply, then turn back to her tree. Diane looked away after a moment, smiling as they continued on their walk through the snowy gardens. Not that there was much snow on the ground, just enough to obscure the grass where it hadn’t melted.

  “You really seem to enjoy talking to Lily, and I sometimes wonder why,” Torkal said, his voice quiet as they lingered near another fireberry bush.

  “She’s… pure, I think,” Diane replied, a surge of affection washing through her as she looked back at him, smiling gently. “Despite everything Lily went through in Kelvanis’s hands, she’s… well, she lacks any deceit. Plus, I think one of my favorite memories was when she told off Wenris. You know that story, of course.”

  Torkal laughed, smiling broadly as he murmured, “Yes, I certainly do! You’ve told me a few times, after all. I just wish…”

  “I know,” Diane agreed, her smile fading as she patted his hand gently. She did know, after all. Her being essentially the possession of a demon lord bothered him, even if Wenris had left her alone for the past several months. Not that Diane had faith that would last much longer.

  They continued walking in silence, and as they did so, Diane’s mind drifted to Wenris, and her former superior, Emonael. She often wondered what they were up to, since neither seemed much like most demons to her. Not that she had any way of really knowing.

  “You aren’t any fun these days,” Wenris said, her wings slightly drooping as she moped over her teacup. “Before, I could do all sorts of things for fun, but now you keep telling me that if I do something for fun, I’m likely to be smote.”

  “Yes, I’m aware. Welcome to the price of not only becoming a fairly powerful demon lord, but also to having roused the ire of Fate,” Emonael answered, her voice an eerie mirror of Wenris’s, though there was something subtly off about the tone of her voice.

  The goddess flicked her fingers through the air effortlessly, drawing sigils of a spell as she spoke, and Wenris watched in envy. No one else she knew could cast spells while speaking to another, even if they used the correct tones to invoke magic. It was just too difficult to carry out a conversation and cast a spell at the same time, as far as Wenris knew. It was almost worse that Emonael was a reflection of Wenris, though with her coloration reversed, dark skin instead of pale, and silver-white hair. It made Wenris wish she could cast magic the way Emonael did, even if it wasn’t possible.

  “You helped me carry out a grand deception over Fate which changed the course of the future, and all without him realizing what was going on. I may not have broken the rules, but that isn’t enough to assuage his ire. No, that will take at least… a century or five more. As such, we must act more demurely,” Emonael continued, a star flickering to life in her hand, one which contained so much mana it made Wenris shiver. The goddess tossed the star upward gently, and it drifted up to join the thousands of others on the ceiling and walls of her observatory. The amount of power in the room always filled Wenris with both awe and fear, since she didn’t know what the replica of the mortal sky was meant for.

  “I suppose, but it doesn’t necessarily make me happy, you know,” Wenris conceded, taking a sip of her tea, the wonderful flavor barely breaking through her unhappy mood. “I haven’t visited Diane in months! I have every right to, but you said that it wouldn’t be wise!”

  “Because it wouldn’t. She needed the time to re-center herself, so your presence would have been counterproductive,” Emonael said, and glanced over as she smiled, adding, “Note the word needed, if you would? Things have changed.”

  “Oh?” Wenris asked, perking up suddenly, much of her dismay vanishing. “Why do you say that?”

  “Mm… despite Fate focusing his attention on us, we aren’t the only ones who he’s needed to watch. More the fool him. I play the long game, and am very patient,” Emonael said, her voice serene as she looked up at the sky above them, then shook her head. “Others… are shortsighted. Tyria’s re-emergence is like a stone tossed into a still pond, as is Sistina’s existence. Others won’t leave them alone, and their plans are already in motion.

  “As such, those with more freedom than I can interfere as well.” Emonael’s smile widened as she glanced at Wenris, adding wickedly, “Not that they need the help, mind you. Anyone who takes Sistina lightly is liable to lose their hand and arm if they aren’t careful, if not their head. With every week that passes, she regains more of who she was, and more of who she will be. One day… well, I cannot tell you that. Act if you wish to, Wenris, but don’t do too much. You are no longer below the notice of the greater gods.”

  “Yes!” Wenris exclaimed, almost jumping out of her chair in excitement, a grin flashing across her face as she stood. “I was starting to get so bored just managing my domain! Sure, the first couple of months crushing rebellions was a bit amusing, but it gets stale fast.”

  “Welcome to the joy of power. At least when you don’t have a goal for it,” Emonael said, murmuring another spell as she created another glowing star to cast into the sky with a languid gesture, smiling broadly as she added, “It’s your greatest weakness, Wenris, in its own way. I do like that you enjoy the present so much, however. It’s why we’re still allies, however loosely.”

  “Well, at least I’m not your enemy,” Wenris said, her joy faltering for a moment. The idea of being Emonael’s enemy terrified her, with what little she knew about her former Lady’s patient focus. Instead she took a deep breath, then spoke simply, a note of nervousness in her voice. “I promise I won’t try to interfere with Sistina. Now that I know that she was Marin, I know how much you care about her.”

  “You know nothing,” Emonael said simply, looking at Wenris without any reproach, but with a twinkle in her eye as she added, “You may think that you do, but you do not. Harm her, and nothing in this universe will spare you from my wrath. Now, go and play, hm? Just play wisely. I’d hate to have to destroy you.”

  Wenris swallowed hard at the lighthearted warning, her heart almost stopping for a moment, as she knew it wasn’t an idle threat. Instead she bowed deeply, her voice steady despite her worry. “Thank you for your guidance, Queen in Mirrors. Without it, I would not have achieved my current position of power. I’ll bid you a good day, and will keep your words in mind.”

  “You are welcome,” the goddess replied simply, the dismissal in her voice obvious.

  Wenris straightened and walked toward the exit, glancing down through the transparent floor at the lower half of the observatory and the countless motes of light above and below. She did wonder what the lights were for, but Wenris kn
ew better than to ask. She was no longer one of Emonael’s servants, so the chances of her getting an answer were even less than they had been before.

  Instead she turned her attention to seeing Diane again, and her tail began flicking happily behind her. First, Wenris would have to figure out what these other plots were, but then… then she could have some fun.

  Assuming Sistina didn’t kick her out of the city, at least.

  Emonael tossed the artificial soul into the rest of the array, smiling as she did so. No one else understood what she was doing, outside the primal gods, and that was just as it should be. Wenris was on her way, and that was also as it should be. She rather enjoyed thinking about the demon queen’s future, and none of it would be directly Emonael’s fault. If Emonael was being forced to act, everything would have gone wrong. However, she could feel Fate’s watchful gaze on her, and her smile grew a little more.

  “I’m not going to act myself, you can see that as well as I can,” Emonael said, glancing up to meet his gaze, which she knew would unnerve the other deity. She smiled, adding calmly, “I have no need to do so. I don’t care about Tyria, after all.”

  Fate didn’t reply, not that she expected him to. Instead he retracted his gaze, and Emonael laughed softly to herself, her smile widening as she murmured, “He does amuse me. Even if he holds grudges.”

  Chapter 11

  “Gods damn it,” Erin said, her tone baleful as she gripped her dagger hilt, and Alexander watched her warily. The woman had a hell of a temper, and she looked riled up to him. Fortunately, Umira seemed to think the same thing, and she spoke up instead.

  “Calm down, Erin. We all knew that Feldan’s attack wasn’t guaranteed to work out how we wanted it to,” the elf said calmly, her brown eyes flickering with irritation. “I’d hoped that he’d either have opened his mouth by this point or had the truth pried out of him, but we can’t have everything.”

  “No, but I can curse when everything goes wrong, can’t I?” Erin shot back, but her hand came off the dagger hilt. “I’m just angry at how this is going. Nothing’s gone according to plan so far!”

  “Then we’ll just have to change plans,” Alexander told her, leaning his chair backward until it was propped against the wall. He wasn’t as calm as he sounded, but he didn’t want to set Erin off again. While she wasn’t really a threat to him, he didn’t enjoy pain, either. “We’d hoped to set Elissa and Nadis against each other, and it could still happen, even with a goddess keeping an eye on them. We need more information to judge, really.”

  “True,” Bane said, glancing at Erin as he asked, “How’ve your attempts to get included into the staff of the houses go?”

  “That’s part of why I’m so angry,” Erin snapped, her eyes flashing with frustration. “The attack caused the lady in charge of everything to clamp down hard on who she chooses to take care of the guests. It was bad enough with how she gives former slaves preference, but it only got harder. Now they’re bringing all their food from those damnable underground farms, and checking them for poisons before feeding the priests. We’re not getting at them that way.”

  “Hell, I thought poisoning was at least an option, but if that’s out, it’s out,” Alexander murmured, his mood souring slightly. He’d rather have started with the poisoning, but had been overruled. He considered, then looked at Bane. “What about the library? That’s where you said that Nadis and her assistants went, right?”

  “Yeah, it is, and its security is almost as heavy as the palace’s,” Bane said unhappily, shaking his head as he frowned. “I asked why it was so heavy, since I’m supposed to be a newcomer, and one of the servants explained that since so much knowledge was lost in the Godsrage, the tomes inside are priceless. That being the case, they’re guarding it heavily while the books are copied. It’ll only take, oh, a century or two… damned elves.”

  “I resemble that remark,” Umira told him, her eyes narrowing slightly as she pointedly brushed a lock of black hair behind an ear.

  “I know,” Bane replied unrepentantly.

  Alexander rubbed his eyes as he suppressed the urge to sigh, wishing he hadn’t been assigned to be in charge of the group. After a moment he asked, “So, is there anything we do know that we didn’t before?”

  “Elissa is a potent mind mage, and apparently immune to fire. Possibly cold as well, but I’m not sure on that,” Bane said promptly, frowning more heavily. “That makes me uneasy, honestly, but there isn’t much we can do about her. Mind magic… it means we have to take more precautions.”

  “As if we weren’t already,” Erin retorted, crossing her arms and adding unhappily, “We also know they aren’t going to jump to conclusions, which makes them harder to deceive.”

  “I don’t know about that. Elissa put herself in harm’s way for others, so I think that if we go for a sufficiently enticing trap, they might just walk into it,” Umira disagreed, shaking her head. “No, I think we need to focus on drawing them out of Beacon. It’s just too dangerous to act directly here, with Tyria and the dungeon involved. You’ve seen the golems, too, and those are worse. I can’t mentally control them, and the guards here have tough mental shields, for some reason.”

  “It’s almost as though the neighbors had been using magical slavery for years,” Bane muttered, earning another glare from the elf, and Alexander couldn’t help a sigh this time.

  “Enough. If we have to change plans, we change plans,” Alexander said, considering for a moment before adding, “I think Westgate is our best bet. From what I’ve heard, they can use a node here to teleport to Westgate, but not the reverse. That means that if we can draw them to Westgate, they won’t have an easy line of retreat. Thoughts?”

  “Um, perhaps? There is the old temple of Medaea that was dedicated to Tyria there… if we had a priest or two killed, or maybe kidnapped some of them, using the same strategy as before… but like Bane, I don’t like the idea of moving too directly,” Erin said, tugging at her upper lip.

  “Perhaps not, but we do have other people who we can use, and maybe even embroil another country in the process,” Alexander said, smiling a little more as he added, “It seems that the new ruler of Kelvanis has put a bit of a crimp in the style of some of our allies.”

  “Oh?” Bane asked, sitting up suddenly as his eyes lit up.

  “Yes, a certain assassin’s guild has been rather put out by the new regulations, and they have some… interesting allies,” Alexander confirmed, glancing around the room as he raised an eyebrow and asked, “What do you think? Shall we see if we can’t get someone else to do the dirty work for us?”

  “That seems like an excellent idea to me,” Umira said, slowly smiling, as he’d known she would. The woman never liked putting herself in danger, and both of the others nodded in agreement.

  “In that case, I’ll send a letter to our superiors, and they’ll let Kevin know,” Alexander said, relaxing even more as he did so.

  The plans might have changed, but he wasn’t one to get stuck on a single approach. That was a good way to get killed, after all.

  Chapter 12

  “This is… could it be a trick, Archpriestess?” Felicia asked, her voice trembling. The priestess was obviously holding onto the threadbare hope that Tyria was trying to deceive them, which Nadis understood.

  “I’m afraid not… unless this isn’t the original copy of Medaea’s Illuminations?” Nadis said, looking over at the librarian hovering nearby, prompting a sniff from Zarenya, and the dusk elf gave her an annoyed look.

  “That tome was here when the city was unearthed and even before,” the head librarian replied, her voice a bit testy. “We went through the index to ensure that it was accurate, then looked at all the tomes which might have held information on breaking the slave brands. A cursory overview of that tome revealed no applicable information, so we set it aside. Tyria didn’t touch it, I’ll have you know.”

  Zarenya had been a wonderful help, Nadis admitted privately. She’d thought that she knew h
ow to read ancient elven script, but the tomes had been written in an even more archaic form than she was used to, and they’d needed Zarenya’s help to translate several words here and there, as well as making sense of some idioms.

  That was why the other priestesses were so numb, Nadis knew. They’d expected at least a few untruths among what Tyria had said about Medaea, but if anything she’d been understating things. The tales of who Medaea had been… it was shocking in the extreme, and it shook the foundations of Nadis’s faith.

  No, not the foundations, Nadis corrected herself firmly as she shook her head. It changed some of the details of who Medaea had been, but it didn’t truly contradict most of the oldest tales about her. If anything, the information added additional context to her faith, but under the circumstances it was shocking.

  “I didn’t mean to cast doubt on your management of the library, Madam. I simply wished to be certain, as what we’ve learned here is… troubling,” Nadis said, gently nodding at Zarenya as she conceded the point. After a moment she let out a soft sigh, shaking her head as she murmured, “This will cause difficulties back home.”

  “Perhaps, Your Holiness, but if I may… perhaps it would be best to send the copy we were given home and begin spreading its contents?” Miriselle suggested, raising the copy of the book which Tyria had given them. She looked a little nervous, swallowing as she admitted, “As much as I hate to admit it, I think… I think this is real, and that Tyria is being honest with us. If we’re going to have to change… well, if the faithful find out that we found an original copy of Medaea’s holy texts, and that we’d diverged from what our ancestors believed…”

  “You’re saying that it might convince them to accept some degree of changes in another direction,” Nadis concluded, sighing again as she sat back. For a minute she sat there, then chuckled darkly. “Ah, how I wish that we weren’t in this situation… but we can only work with what we have. I don’t want a schism in the church, but no matter what we do, we’re going to lose some of the faithful.”