When the gods are searching for you, hiding isn’t some simple thing, even less so when you still have work to do. This thought was clear on the high elf Naloth’s mind as he surveyed his surroundings, looking at the group he had gathered.
Really, when it came to trying to escape the eyes of a force that constantly looked down on the world, was there ever really going to be a perfect place to do it? Being in a big city where churches would abound left the risk of being seen by any god who was taking notice of those who gave them faith, and a large group moving to a small town was sure to draw talk if he’d done that instead. There was of course the option of hiding out in the untamed lands, there were already rumours of some mysterious group connected to the now-dead forbidden gods who had been discovered doing exactly that, but if those rumours were true then it was even more likely that they’d be discovered if they tried that. If the gods had been made fools of once, they wouldn’t want to be quick in making the same mistake.
That led to the choice they’d ultimately made, with half of his group moving to a smaller city that only had a communal church, not any devoted to a single god, while the rest took up residence in the surrounding towns and villages, traveling out for their few pre-arranged meetings at the warehouse they’d purchased.
Now that time was drawing nearer though their meetings were becoming more frequent, with some taking up residence at the city’s different inns to make it seem like they were there for either work or to make time for distant friends and family before the next wave came, all because their project was bearing fruit. The ritual they were designing was almost complete.
He could see the people under him, the same ones who shared his vision, all practicing their parts. Not together for the risk that might come from accidentally activating it too soon, but in pairs or threes to make sure their timing was right. There was a reason ritual magic was considered a lost art after all, it was hard.
Of course, perhaps it would be better to call it a previously lost art given all of the literature coming out on it recently. He thought with a smile as he flipped through the report that had let him cross the final hurdle in bringing his vision to life.
The invention of an enchanter who wished to stay anonymous, even if Naloth already knew their identity, who had revolutionized gate construction not long ago, resulting in the network expanding out like never before with even more gates being built to wait for the inventor's touch.
It was not only a blessing to the world, but one to him in particular with it coming to him at the perfect time. Despite the help he’d already gotten, he’d still been missing pieces needed to turn his vision into reality.
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What he was attempting had been an idea that had sprung from a legend in one particular world’s history that had captivated his mind when he’d been at his lowest, fearing the loss of all he’d known. It had become his guiding light, his hope that the world might get to carry on if his ideas could be pulled off, but even after breaking into the library’s basement at the magic towers and stealing all of the knowledge he could before gathering like-minded individuals to his cause, it hadn’t been enough. It had seemed like his plans were destined to fail.
But then a change. As if fate itself was smiling on him, his now departed friend had found him someone who excelled at the magic he needed, and with his people within the mages’ guild sending him copies of everything that enchanter had created, he felt his stalled progress rushing forward, with its conclusion finally within sight. Before long he would open a gate and seize a level of power for himself that could save his doomed planet.
If I could just do it today- No. I can’t be impatient when I’m so close, my people need a bit more practice. When we’re nearly done, how can I risk all of this work over some impatience?
It was an understandable feeling though. Beyond his group, the rest of his like-minded compatriots who had each been willing to doom themselves to the infinite hells if it meant saving the world had been discovered, with years of work lost.
It wasn’t as if he couldn’t understand the gods. The world couldn’t just win without worrying about the cost, at least from their point of view. How they won would matter.
But that was just the feelings of the divine. Let the history books condemn him for his actions if they wanted to, that would at least mean that someone had survived to write them. Maybe the gods needed to act as the paragons they tried to present themselves as, but he didn’t. Why worry about the dirt on his hands if the alternative was wading through a sea of blood?
It was a feeling that all of those around him understood too, each of the mages lost in their days of practice looking determined to see through the future they so wanted. A future where those they loved would get to live to see another day and one where the demons of the world could never threaten them again. A future where the horrors the world now faced would be nothing but a distant memory.
A future I’ll make with my own two hands. He promised himself as he moved to begin practicing his own part of the spell, one that was going to be more complex than anyone under him would have to deal with. It doesn't matter the reason or morality behind it, if the gods think we can win without having to cross certain lines then they’re nothing but fools. For all the good the system has done it, it alone won’t be enough. We need something greater.
His heart couldn’t help but pound with the knowledge that soon they’d be attempting just that, to finally see if all their work would pay off in the end.