Nendas often prayed at the statue of Jaha.

He didn't feel anything by it; sometimes, it made no difference. But it was the sort of thing a leader of the Hasafa ought to do. Jaha, unlike some gods, wanted people to commune with her. She cared if the texts were to be believed, and no matter was too small for her.

So, today he was praying within the garden he had never much cared for. The white roses were pretty, but he did not enjoy roses. Of course, he appreciated the servant's efforts but had never seen the appeal.

"Jaha, I..." said Nendas, hands clasped together as one ought to. "I don't usually like praying all that much, even though I should. I should talk to you about what's been happening. Everyone in the Clan has been acting odd.

"Father has been meeting with Uncle and King Samrasa. Sarafi and I are told to stay out of the way, but...

"Samrasa is a great man. He's won many great victories and is recreating Tarasif. Uncle has renewed the alliance with him for a reason. Even so, everyone is tense.

"I don't know why."

Nendas had been about to run out of anything to say. However, he was spared the humiliation when the doors opened. Turning around in irritation, he saw Sarafi come through the door, brown hair tied behind her. "Nendas!"

"What is it, Sarafi? I am at prayer?" said Nendas. "You can't just barge into the prayer chamber like this."

"I just did," said Sarafi, sticking out her tongue. "Why are you always spending all this time in front of statues."

"Jaha is our deity, Sarafi," said Nendas, though he'd disliked spending all this time here. "One ought to pray to her every day.

"Even if they're is very little to talk about."

"Well, fine, whatever you say," said Sarafi. "But I don't bother with it."

She was outspoken, as always. Didn't she care about her duty at all? Then again, people seemed fond of her. "You should."

"Why?" asked Sarafi. "It's not like the Gods have been very talkative lately anyway? And I'm pretty sure they'll be phased out anyway."

"Phased out?" asked Nendas, not understanding what she meant. "What are you talking about?"

"Father always says that Gods are what we draw our authority from," said Sarafi. "So if you have some other source of authority that is better, why not use that? Just use whatever works."

That was a surreal statement. "And what better source of authority are you going to ask for?"

"Well, how about Father?" asked Sarafi.

Nendas decided it best to nip this concept in the bud. Some clans had argued that patriarchy was the only real authority. Usually, to justify switching to a different god. "...As much as I love and respect my uncle, Sarafi, I do not think he ranks the same as a god."

"But we're the ones who make the offerings and make the statues and shrines," said Sarafi. "Jaha's power can't be infused without that. The Gods come to this world on our terms."

"Who has been teaching this nonsense, Sarafi?" asked Nendas, now genuinely disturbed. "The Gods are more than capable of influencing the world without the offerings. Those things are how we commune with them and allow us to bask in their power.

"Through prayer, we receive instructions on what we ought to do.

"Is all this why didn't you accept your position as Jaha's Avatar?"

"I didn't refuse to accept it," said Sarafi. "She said I didn't want it, and I didn't. So she didn't offer it to me. I'm not stupid enough to try and lie to a god. So I didn't."

"Well, why didn't you want it?" asked Nendas, at a loss.

Sarafi shrugged. "Because Father says we're going to look into alternative sources of authority. Why would I want to be the Avatar of Jaha if Jaha is going to get sidelined soon anyway."

"...Are you sure Uncle said that, Sarafi?" asked Nendas. Uncle had always said they should respect the Gods. Though Father and he had quarreled of late. "You might have misinterpreted him."

"Well, he never says anything like that around you," said Sarafi. "You scare him."

"What did Uncle say when you told him why you didn't get chosen as the Avatar of Jaha?" asked Nendas, privately believing it though he ought not to.

"Well... he didn't say anything at the time," said Sarafi. "But I heard him screaming in incoherent rage after I left the room. I think he was counting on me lying to Jaha."

Nendas decided he had had enough of this conversation. "Have you seen my father?"

"Oh yes, that's why I came looking for you. He's about to be sent out on a mission by Father," said Sarafi.

"What mission are you talking about?" asked Nendas, who had heard nothing about this. Such arrangements were usually discussed weeks in advance. Father had many important responsibilities. And all the more as Uncle surrendered more and more of his. Did he expect him to drop them all?

"Uncle Vandias* is supposed to negotiate with the Priests of Barden in Tarasif. It's on behalf of King Samrasa," said Sarafi. "King Samrasa wants them to uh make some... what was it... concessions? Or to move out of the city?

He finally ran out of statues to melt down. Melting down the metal statues of one's predecessor was an old tradition. And it was especially favored among Tarasifian Kings. At one point, they had gone through six Kings in five years. After Samrasa put an end to the bad old days, he had been more restrained about it. But a golden statue was a treasury waiting to happen. And when you fought as many wars as Samrasa, you needed all the money you could get.

He'd tried to keep some of them. But one invasion after another had seen them disappear off the pedestals. The older man had spoken of it over dinner once with a sad look in his eye. Nendas suspected that he regretted his brother's death and wanted to keep the relics.

Reuniting the old Safaranian Empire was a task generation in the making.* And it was one not one anyone alive would see come to fruition. Even if you were to conquer all the surrounding lands, you would have to conquer Dinis to the west. And that would be a near-impossible task as things stood. Even crossing the Euphus River would be difficult. Samrasa had settled with thwarting a Dinis invasion in his younger years.

Part of the problem was all the mountains to the south, cutting off contact with the seas beyond. Barden had raised them up to defend against the Babarassians. And they stretched to Spirta in the southmost. They were safe from that angle, but Tarasif could not reliably access the Sea of Power. All their trade went through Dinis, who charged tolls. The only other alternatives were the Spirtana warrior women and the Viokins to the north.

No, Kulat and Themious to the east were the real priorities. There was a place where strength could be gathered. The fortifications of Dinis were too strong, the Legion's invincible in fair battle. Only through ambush and harassment had Samrasa defeated them. And it had been a gruesome conflict. The corpses of thousands of legionaries hung rotting on the shores of the Serpent River. A gruesome warning to those who would try again.

Sarafi had studied all this, of course. But she lacked interest in these things, a flaw she inherited from Uncle. Uncle, who had the standard of a Dinisian Legion on his wall. It served as a testament to the triumph of Grandfather. There had been a man of steel will to match the grace of Jaha.

There had been no love between them, but after his death, Samrasa sought the Hasafa Clan's favor. Although the attention, according to Father, had put jealous eyes upon them.

"Well, where is he now?" asked Nendas. "I must speak with him."

"I'll lead you to him," said Sarafi. "Come on."

Sarafi led Nendas from the prayer chamber, and he was careful to close it behind him. Mentally, he reminded himself to make an offering of some kind later when he had a chance. But, for now, they went through the wood-paneled rooms. Nendas noticed the servants looked restless.

Something was happening.

When they found Father, he put on his sword belt and tied his hair back. The sword itself was lying against a rack in pristine condition. The scars on his face had never healed from his time in battle. Vandias Hasafa had served well in the wars, but direct combat was never his specialty.

"Father?" asked Nendas.

"Oh, Nendas, Sarafi, I was hoping to catch you before I left," said Father, ruffling Sarafi's hair.

"You're going so suddenly?" asked Nendas.

"Yes, the Priests of Barden are causing problems," said Father. "They have been preaching that people must return to the worship of certain banned gods. By neglecting their duties to them, they claim, they are endangering the city as a whole."

"Which ones?" asked Sarafi.

"Zigildrazia, Coinfurth, and um... well, no one has dared stop offering to Baltoth yet," said Father. Baltoth was feared greatly in Tarasif, though little loved. His agents had destroyed the Safarian Empire by seizing Safara, after all.

Though the Hasafa had not minded the loss of the Serpent Goddess, Jaha had clashed with her several times. And there had been concern her coils were gripping too tightly around them. Rebellions had broken out almost instantaneously against the snake spirits after she left. Now they had fled into the marshes and woods of the south. There they hunted those foolish enough to seek them.

"You mean the Demonic Archons?" asked Nendas. "Why would anyone want people to return to their worship?" Under Rantasa, Zigildrazians had come to great power. Children had been burned alive within pots of bronze. And after the ceremony, the murderous mothers spoke of it as a liberating experience. Some would even highlight their status as mothers of living children.

Samrasa had begun his use of crucifixion with them.

"Well, the argument is that, like it or not, the demonic archons have a hold within Tarasif," said Father. "And by rooting them out unprovoked, we are risking their wrath. Tarasif's recent victories have made it many enemies.

"If the demonic archons are enraged, they'd side with our enemies. And, according to the Priests of Baltoth, the other gods are none too happy about it. So they might not support us as strongly."

"But aren't the demonic archons their enemies?" asked Nendas.

"Officially, yes," said Father. "But you have to understand, Nendas. Most deities are part of a pantheon. We regard the pantheon with awe, but it is more or less a social circle. It is a social circle of mighty beings, some good, some bad. They also know of several other clubs and sometimes conflict with them.

"Now, each social circle has its idea of how the world should be run. And they fight one another over it. They play factions against one another for their benefit.

"What Samrasa is doing is holding them accountable for their actions. He's rooting out the worst part of them. But the others are now afraid. They don't trust Samrasa and regard him as a rogue.

"Even if Samrasa is purging people who deserve what happens to them, it sets a precedent. It is a precedent that might lead to all of the others. Most are given similar special treatment. So, we have to be very careful. If we're not, we could lose the gods' support."

"And what are you supposed to do about it?" asked Nendas.

"Oh, I'm a well-known moderate," said Father. "My plan is to talk with the various priests, and arrange some give and take. With luck, we can ensure both sides tolerate one another."

"What do you mean by 'give and take,' Uncle?" asked Sarafi. "Why should we give anything to troublemakers?"

"Well... if you want a stable society, you have to have everyone be willing to work for that society," said Father. "If one side gets everything and everyone else gets nothing, then you get war. Both sides polarize and come to hate one another as inhuman and try to exterminate the other.

"If the oppressor wins, they brutalize the oppressed until another rebellion overthrows them. If the rebels win, they turn the tables and brutalize those that used to victimize them. They become the oppressors. It never ends.

"That's why give and take is necessary.

"What needs to happen is that every element of society must recognize they are part of a whole. Everyone must see the flaws in their own faction and see that those who abuse their power are cast out. If both sides prosecute their worst aspects, peace is natural, especially if both respect one another.

"No one wants to make war on a good man. And no one wants to have a monster on their side. The trick is seeing the ones' on both sides for what they are."

"What do you have in mind for giving and taking Father?" asked Nendas. He had always been interested in such philosophy. However, he'd never fully understood it.

"Well, I'd try to convince Samrasa to prosecute some of his soldiers. Some who abused their authority," said Father. "There have been a rising number of those lately. Regardless of whether that authority was done to a staunch atheist or a worshipper, it must be. Justice must be applied to everyone, after all."

"What's an atheist?" asked Sarafi.

"Someone who does not believe gods exist," said Father.

"Atheists?" asked Nendas. "I don't believe they exist. The Gods make themselves known constantly." Though he felt that statement was not wholly his own, Jaha had a part of every Hasafa Clan member.

"There are some philosophical arguments that I read of during my time in Kulat," said Father. "Some men theorized that the gods were hallucinations given physical form. They have power from the inherent power of mortals. And only our collective belief in them gives them any power.

"But, of course, that doesn't hold up if you think about it. Even if our collective belief in them gives them power and allows them to exist, they still do. We do not cease to exist because we must eat and drink.

"And anyway, time itself is an illusion.

"What exists always did exist and always will. We, mortals, are looking upon one page in a great book. Even if we turn the page, the events we experienced are still there."

"But others experience different events," said Nendas. "If two different men read the same book, they shall have different experiences. And if a man rereads the same book years later, he may feel very differently about him."

"But he would have read that book with a given interpretation at one time," noted Father. "And therefore, that experience would still exist. Just in a different form."

"I don't get it," said Sarafi. "You were talking about giving and taking. And now you're going into this philosophical stuff."

"Excellent point," said Father with a laugh. "I must attend to the moment.

"Anyway, we'd demand something in return once we made a concession. Religious groups would have to give up members of their congregation. Those who committed crimes would be yielded to the law. We also suggest that they alter or downplay aspects of their faith. For the most part, elements that could cause social unrest.

"Some of Samrasa's lieutenants are overzealous, however. And some of the religions could be more pleasant. It will be difficult, but in Jaha's name, it shall be done."

"But you mentioned no one went after Baltoth," said Sarafi. "Why not?"

"Baltoth is... not the kind of person to want to offend," said Father. "He made his pantheon from scratch, and even the other gods are terrified of him.

"Also, he is the Lord of Order, even if he is a usurper. So it's best to avoid conflict with him for now. Regimes that go after him tend to come to bad ends. Rantasa raided his temple. Ever afterward, his supply lines fell into utter disarray. Many of his officials became corrupt or more corrupt, and his men became disorderly.

"The whole rebellion fragmented. Hand me my sword, will you, Nendas?"

Nendas nodded and picked the blade up. "Yes, Father."

He brought the blade over to Father and examined it. It was a simple blade, so simple that it was unmarked. There were no symbols or decorations; it was simply practical. A very good sword Father kept with him from the wars.

But as Father took it from Nendas' hand, he looked at it. "...You know, I've never been any good with this." And he handed it back. "You keep it. I'll carry my spare, and you can return it to me when I get back."

Nendas took the blade and made sure not to lose it. "Thank you, Father."

"You know, Uncle, I think you'd make a better Avatar of Jaha than me," said Sarafi.

"Don't be absurd, Sarafi. I'm a man," said Father. "It's not in my nature to be peaceful. And I've never liked tea."

Father left far sooner than Nendas would have liked and found himself alone. Sarafi had gone off to speak with her friends or something. And then, a servant came to him. "Master Nendas?"

"Yes?" asked Nendas.

"Lord Munsuf wishes to speak with you," said the servant.

Nendas nodded. "I'll see you off if I can, Father. And I'll give you back your sword."

Father laughed. "I know you will."

Nendas went through the halls, wondering why Uncle wanted to speak with him now. Coming into his office, he sat down. Munsuf had many books on his shelves, but virtually none of them had ever been touched. Nendas had been here once or twice and almost asked to read one.

However, it would have seemed wrong somehow. The Lord Munsuf had put them there for appearances, and marrying them with use would hurt that. How expensive had those books been, though? The Hasafa Clan employed several spirits capable of transcribing books. But it still took time and was expensive.

"Uncle, you called for me?" asked Nendas.

"Yes, Nendas," said Munsuf. "How would you feel about becoming the first male Avatar of Jaha?"

Nendas stopped short, wondering if this was some attempt at humor. "The Avatar of Jaha?

"How is that even possible?"

"It has never been done before; however, there is no rule in the laws against it," said Munsuf. "I have the assurances of those responsible for reading them."

Nendas privately wondered why he had not checked the laws on such an important matter. But Uncle had always preferred to delegate. "I don't understand why we should seek such an unprecedented move. The Avatar of Jaha is sworn to peace, not to harm anyone. I am training to be a warrior."

"I know, and we understand that," said Uncle. Who was 'we'? "Certainly, your place in the battles to come should not be denied you. However, I fear we are running out of time."

"What do you mean?" asked Nendas.

"Sarafi was meant to become the Avatar of Jaha, Nendas," said Uncle. "Many important plans wrested on it being so. However, Jaha refusing to accept my daughter into her service has put us into a severe dilemma."

"What do you mean by that, Uncle?" asked Nendas. Who was the Lord Munsuf to declare who Jaha was meant to choose? "Are we not stronger than ever before? We have a powerful alliance with Tarasif, and things are going well.

"Can't we wait?"

"Yes, we could wait," said Munsuf, seeming irritated. "But there must always be an Avatar of Jaha. And with the current situation, we need one more than ever. For Jaha is the Goddess of Peace, and with no wars, our task is now one of negotiation and understanding.

"If such a thing is not reached, war will surely break out."

Nendas thought something was wrong here and could not see what it was. "Why did you wait for Father to be gone? I could have consulted him."

"Oh, he knew of the plan," said Uncle a bit too quickly. "I asked him not to speak to you about it on my behalf. I didn't want there to be any misunderstandings."

Was that a lie? Nendas thought it sounded like a lie. But why should he even consider questioning the head of his clan? "What exactly do you want me to do, Uncle? And why me?"

"Well, you are often seen praying to Jaha when other youths your age ignore her," said Uncle. "Go to her on my behalf and ask that she inhabit your form as Avatar. But ask that you be allowed to pursue your duties as a man nonetheless.

"Fighting and securing the kingdom, when necessary."

"Uncle, to do this would lose me my ability to inherit," said Nendas, more for his benefit than his own. Being the heir to the Hasafa Clan had never been important to him. He simply wished to serve in whatever way he was best qualified. "Who will take my place as heir? Do you think Sarafi can run the clan on her own?"

"Well, surely you could marry her eventually, nonetheless," said Munsuf.

Did Uncle truly not know that much? If so, how could Nendas inform him otherwise? He couldn't flat-out call him ignorant. "You test me, Uncle.

"Marriage between the Avatar and the Head of the Clan is between Jaha and the Clan. The purpose is that she should temper their warlike desires. And by doing so, channel them toward true peace.

"Sarafi is a girl and does not have that problem. So the marriage would serve no purpose. It would also be putting Jaha into the position of being a homosexual.

"Such a thing would be an abomination."

Munsuf shifted at Nendas' voice and struggled to meet his gaze. "...That is a matter of some interpretation, Nendas. Perhaps Jaha is a being who exists beyond gender and can be male and female."

"All of our texts say otherwise," noted Nendas, a little annoyed. Did Uncle truly know so little about his own clan? Or rather, did he simply not care? "I imagine Jaha could have clarified the matter."

"Perhaps the texts were mistaken," said Munsuf. He didn't even respond to the idea that Jaha could set a policy of her own.

"Many texts from other lands say the same," said Nendas. "I've read them. Or perhaps I am reading the wrong books." This was ridiculous. Why did Nendas have to lecture a man twenty years his elder while pretending to be lectured? "If I am, please correct me."

Munsuf put up the appearance of being very pleased by his questions. "You've learned your lessons well. But, it is all a matter of interpretation.

"In any case, if you cannot marry Sarafi, alternatives may be found. I cannot force you to do this, nor would I. But please go to Jaha on my behalf and present this possibility to her.

"Now, please."

And there was another oversight. Uncle was telling Nendas to go present this plan to Jaha on his behalf. But by all accounts, Munsuf was the one who ought to commune with Jaha. He'd married one of her avatars.

"But..." said Nendas. "Uncle, surely you could commune with Jaha about this yourself. I mean only to say that for me to make such a proposition would seem... unbefitting of my place."

"I believe it would be better if you spoke to her," said Munsuf. "And you speak with her on my authority. But, for various reasons, I would prefer to avoid speaking with her."

Nendas nodded at the order. "Yes, Uncle."

Standing up, Nendas walked out.

As he did, half his mind thought Uncle was an absolute fool who could not feign understanding. The conversation had confirmed a suspicion that had been growing for years. Father ought to be in command of the clan all along. The prosperity they had experienced was owed to Munsuf foisting the job on others.

What made it worse, however, was the knowledge that Munsuf believed Jaha to be his property. A Goddess who transcended his existence by an infinite number of years was being treated as an asset. A kind of position that could be handed over to anyone and altered to fit his personal whims. Sarafi had not wanted the position, and Munsuf didn't want it to remain unfilled. So he simply thought he could change the rules.

As if the holy texts were mere ink on a page to be altered at will? Who was Lord Munsuf to declare the holy canon of Jaha to be null and void? He was trying to rewrite the central belief system of the Hasafa Clan to fit some private political whim. In a few years, if nothing was done, he'd move on to something else to ruin out of spite.

If he'd had any respect for his Uncle, it would have been gone. Then again, there was no way Uncle would be brave enough to try this on his own. Why all this so suddenly?

Was this the work of King Samrasa? They had been meeting together a great deal lately.

Still, it was of no real relevance whether Nendas respected Munsuf. The patriarch of his clan had given Nendas an order, and he had to obey it. And so he walked to stand before the prayer room once again. As he kneeled, Nendas felt he was doing something he couldn't back away from.

So he must at least present the idea to Queen Jaha.

Perhaps he could simply pretend to pray and come back to say the request had been rejected. The request was completely ridiculous; anyone, Jaha ought not to be bothered by it. But, no, that seemed like something Uncle would do. Nendas considered that he might lose his position as heir. Then he considered that Uncle stood nothing to gain by not having Nendas as an heir. And the laws of the clan meant nothing to him.

So it might happen anyway.

And in any case, Nendas had been given a particular place in the world. It was his duty to fulfill that place. All creatures were given a task to perform, and whether they did it well or poorly was how they were judged. So he must make the best argument he could on behalf of Uncle's position and accept the result. So he prayed.

"Queen Jaha..." said Nendas. "I'm here from my Uncle with a message. He and King Samsara are concerned about the future. Although they've won many great victories, they are afraid that... well, they believe an Avatar of Jaha is needed to help stave off a war.

"And... Sarafi wasn't worthy of the position."

Silence and Nendas had the feeling it wasn't about Sarafi being unworthy. "Yes, I mean, she did not want the position, but...

"My Uncle has asked me to... offer myself in her place. He believes that as your Avatar, I will... will be able to do your will. However, I would also have to continue fighting on my clan's behalf and people's behalf. I would need to fulfill my obligations, such as they are.

"If this arrangement is not your liking, we expect nothing, however...

"If it is your will, I am your vessel."

Silence.

Nendas felt drained for a moment. Then, suddenly, the light from the statue emanated, and Nendas felt what might have been an embrace. And everything went white.

*I should note that Vandias might be a mistranslation. Rusara assures me that Navrion was the name of Nendas' Father. She has studied older texts before their destruction. However, Rusara may be operating on outdated linguistics.

While divine power does bless one with the ability to understand any language, it has limits. While you understand the language, you do not learn it. Merely understand the intent of the speaker. Thus you gain comprehension of their words by proxy. You also cannot understand any language contrary to your own nature.

Tanith was always better with languages, and Tarasif was far off. So I have simply adapted her writing of it and made this note.

*Much of the historical data in this chapter was outside the original translated texts. However, I felt it necessary context, and Nendas would surely have known most of it. Thus I have integrated the information where necessary and convenient for the text.

If nothing else, it should give the reader a greater understanding of the land of Tarasif. Assuming that any of this is even remotely accurate, there is such a thing as propaganda.