I spent an hour with Malery, talking about all the necessary information that she would need in order to fulfill her new role. There were a few bits of information that I didn’t even know but were filled in by our god. Apparently, the dead could see what we were, or more accurately, who we served. They would seek us out, but that could also be a problem. If the person in question is too far gone, then they will simply attack. The feral undead act purely on instinct and a drive to have their desires fulfilled. What greater desire is there for them than being freed from their own body turned prison?
When I got around to the history of our god, that they were betrayed and stripped of their title as humanities patron, Malery seemed to be quite angry. “How can those selfish bastards do that?! They took our god, left us without guidance and doomed us to suffer!”
“Fear is a powerful motivator, and not exactly conducive to rational thought.”
“Fear? It was greed! How many humans now pray to all these other gods without even knowing what they stole?”
I sighed. “Look, I can see that you’re angry, but please don’t go out screaming at the top of your lungs that the other gods are thieves or other such things. That’s a quick way to find yourself suddenly disappearing from polite society. We must be cautious, pick and choose our battles lest we lose the war.” Well, this was a war that I was conscripted into and didn’t have a choice about fighting, but I kept my own grievances to myself.
She took a deep breath to calm herself. “You’re right, sorry. I just can’t help but think of how things might have been different if we still had our god. Would so many of us still be living in such miserable conditions?”
“I don’t know, I don’t think anyone could know. The only thing that I do know is that we have an opportunity to bring back what was lost, maybe give us a few more options in doing so.”
A sigh escaped her. “As much as I would like to take this revelation to everyone else, I guess we must start slow. Do you have a plan?”
I could only shrug. “It’s not so much a plan as it is a course of action. I was going to start looking for more people who might join our numbers while learning all I could from this book.”
“Speaking of that, you haven’t really said what that book is.”
“Oh, mostly spells and rituals concerning various methods of interacting with the dead or creating undead.”
“Why would you create undead? I thought we were supposed to be getting rid of them?”
“Well, I guess there are sometimes things that are left unsaid or unfulfilled, and bringing them back can allow them the opportunity to finish their business in this world or bring peace to the minds of those who they left behind. Without priests and acolytes like us to do so in a controlled manner, the undead then become a problem because they can’t get out of their bodies by themselves.”
Her face scrunched up in a small sneer. “Just another reason why we need our god, and why those other idiot deities up there need to pay.”
I really hope that I haven’t created a fanatic here.
Perhaps that is exactly what we need right now. My pocket god chimed in.
I’d prefer someone who can remain levelheaded and make rational decisions
Those are good qualities, but to do what we are attempting now takes a certain amount of insanity.
They got me there. This wasn’t a task that the sane would undertake, so I didn’t know how many more people like Malery would make themselves known. She was a mild case in my opinion. Beaten down by society, she was always malcontent, but this new knowledge inflamed her anger when it became clear that her situation may have been caused by those past transgressions.
Whatever the case may have been, we would have to find the outliers, the rejects, those who slipped out of the grasp of normal society. I considered teaming up with Malery to achieve this, but when I considered it on a deeper level, that was riskier and less effective.
“What I'm thinking is that we should split up and try to cover more ground. It would allow us to find more people willing to help revive our religion and serve as insurance in the event one of us is found. It’s only fair that I ask your opinion though, considering you’re now a part of this. Do you have any other ideas?”
She took a moment to consider before answering me. “Can’t really think of anything. It’s mostly just trying to find people who are willing to listen at the very least, right?”
“More or less, but we have to be careful that we don’t talk to someone who has been absorbed into the other religions and will rat us out.”
“It’s never easy, is it?”
I scoffed, “you’re telling me. I’m the one with the fallen god constantly in their head.”
“That sounds strange.”
“Yeah, though its mostly inconvenient because I have to watch what I think.”
I’m choosing to ignore that you consider my presence an inconvenience.
I rolled my eyes. “And say evidently. Thank you for proving my point.”
Malery chuckled a little. “I would consider how that looks from an outside perspective if I was you, because you look quite mad.”
Feeling a little embarrassed, I scratched at the back of my head bashfully. “Right, I'll have to keep that in mind.” There was a short pause in the conversation that turned a little awkward after a moment. “So, I guess we’ll have to go our separate ways for a while.”
“I suppose we will. If you need anything from here, you can take it if it will help.”
“Oh, so it’s free only after you’ve charged me for everything I've already bought?”
A playful smile grew on her face. “Can’t revive lost gods on an empty stomach, or is eating rats and garbage part of the scriptures?”
That is a vile insinuation that I would enforce such a rule!
Calm down. Jeez, you really have been locked up for a millennium. Did you forget what sarcasm sounds like?
It... has been a while since I have last heard such a thing.
A brief moment of pity was felt for the former god, but it was pushed aside for more pressing matters. “I don’t think that will be necessary, and thank you, I'll take a few extra things for rituals. While I might not have much, do you need anything from me as well?”
“Actually, I was hoping that it would be alright if I copied a few pages from that book of yours. I think it might help convince people if an acolyte could prove that the god they claim to serve is real by performing one of those rituals.”
“That’s... actually a good idea.” I placed the book on the table, and though I agreed to it, I still felt a little hesitant to let it go. “Just be careful with it please.”
“Of course. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how badly I would be cursed if I did irreparable damage to this book.”
At least she understood the gravity of it. Once I removed my hand from the book, she took it up with a tender grip, transporting it to her desk so she could begin to transcribe some of the pages. While she did that, I took another glance at the selection of items she had available, taking a little more from some of the more commonly needed items in the book.
I finished my task well before she did, in fact it was another two hours before she had finally finished copying the pages that were of interest to her. The sun was starting to set by the time I left her house. With a final farewell and good luck being shared between us, we went our separate ways towards the same goal.
I would have to spend one more night here, and then in the morning, I would check this city's guild for any requests for guards. Might as well get paid if I'm going to be traveling after all. Back at the inn, I spent the last few hours of the day studying the spells again, trying to comprehend how they were supposed to work.
As darkness overtook the world, I closed the book and tucked it away for the night. I was mentally exhausted, and the soft bed was a welcome sensation as I flopped down upon its surface. Just as I was starting to drift off, a new weight pressed itself upon the bed.
When I opened my eyes again, I was greeted by the glowing lupin eyes of Lilith, who apparently decided to materialize for some reason. After I pushed aside the brief bit of panic from her sudden appearance, I questioned her about it. “What is it girl?”
She seemed to ignore the question and instead moved slightly over to the side of the bed and laid down, taking up most of the surface by herself. I suddenly had half of my body snuggled up against the furry beast and shortly after that had a large head resting on my chest. Frankly, I was a little lost as to what I was supposed to do in this situation.
Lilith, for her part, tilted her head a little bit to stare at me. Despite the ghostly nature of her eyes, she gave me a very good puppy dog look. I realized something then as she stared at me. Giving her a very sympathetic look, I scratched a bit behind her ears, which she appreciated immensely if the thumping of her tail on the bed was anything to go by.
“You were alone for a long time, weren’t you girl?” She didn’t react to my words and just enjoyed the attention that I was already giving her. “Okay, you can sleep with me, but if someone knocks or tries to come in you have to disappear again.” The only thing I got in response was a cold tongue licking at the side of my face. Kinda gross, but I allowed it.
There was a little shifting around that had to be done. The chains sticking out of her body weren’t comfortable after all. Once I found a good spot to cuddle with the large dog, I settled in for the night and let sleep come. There was a lot ahead of me that needed to be done, and I could tell that I would need to take advantage of every moment of rest that presented itself. Lilith’s fur did a good job at trapping the heat and keeping me warm, allowing me to fall asleep quickly.
Morning light awoke me the next day, and I had to wiggle out from under Lilith as she had shifted to practically draping over me sometime last night. I gave her head some pets before telling her to ‘heel’. She melted down into that black substance once again before merging completely with my shadow. Yeah, I still have to get used to that.
Shaking off the strangeness of that, I got ready to head out. The first stop for the day was the guild hall to check for any jobs that would take me to another city. When I got there, I was slightly awe-struck. I hadn’t gotten to see the guild hall here the last time I was in the city, and suffice it to say, it was like staring at a small castle.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The building itself was a huge square wrapped around a small courtyard in the center. To enter, you had to pass through some rather impressive gates. Once inside, I was greeted by a crowd of people, some adventurers, some the workers who ran the place, and others were just people who seemed to be trying to hire adventurers at the source.
I weaved my way through the crowd and into the main building where the job boards would be. The inside was just as busy as the outside, and I had to wrestle my way through a group just to look at the job board. Papers and postings were crammed onto the surface of the board. Cities like this were apparently a magnet for jobs. People far and wide came here to have their problems solved, so work was plentiful.
Scanning the many papers that were present I managed to find an escort job that was heading out of town and towards the capital. While it was what I was looking for, the capital was also risky. It was the seat of power for the Lord of Light, their main temple being hosted there. It might be a good place to find people due to the sheer size of the population, but I would be walking right into the jaws of the enemy.
I decided to ask my pocket god their opinion. What do you think? Is it worth the risk to travel to the capital?
The brighter the light, the deeper the shadows. We would have to exercise extreme caution, but there would be no better place to find followers.
A calculated risk, but I had to admit that the idea of sowing dissent in the ranks of those holier-than-thou bastards made me grin. To say that I was spiteful towards them would be generously putting it. I pulled the paper down from the board and took it to the main desk for more information.
The client had some manner of wealth apparently. I was told the meeting location was in the upper-class area of the city, at a rather lavish inn. It always felt weird when I traveled through these types of districts. The people always seemed so uptight. No one really talked outside their own little groups, and anyone who attempted to was given a rather cold reception. Every word that was spoken was measured for all its worth, and it just felt exhausting as a concept to live by. I endeavored to pass through here as fast as possible.
When I finally made it to the inn, I found a private enclosed carriage parked out front with a well-dressed attendant standing by. Figuring that this was my employer’s carriage, I went to talk with the attendant. The man was a human, short black hair, probably a few years older than me. He seemed to notice me approaching and turned to greet me with a neutral demeanor.
“Can I help you?”
I pulled out my guild badge and showed him. “I’m responding to the escort request. Am I in the right place?”
“Ahh, yes, we were waiting for you. Please wait here, I'll fetch my lady so we can get underway.” With that, he stepped into the inn, leaving me to simply shuffle my feet for about a minute while I waited.
Silently I hoped that I wouldn’t be dealing with the snobby types. It was a solid day to get to the capital from here by carriage, and if I had to deal with that attitude for the whole duration, then it would be a very long trip indeed. The door to the inn opened again with the attendant exiting first. I looked over to see who my employer was and froze.
I take it back, why couldn’t it have just been a snobby noble? The lady in question was an elf with long blonde hair. Her features were smooth, giving way to gentle curves across her lean face. I had come to terms with living amongst the other races, so it wasn’t what she looked like that was the problem, it was what she was wearing. Her body was shrouded in white robes with golden yellow embroidery. That cursed sun emblazoned upon her chest was like someone spitting in my eye. I could feel myself scowling and had to quickly force my face back to a neutral expression.
Of all the people I could have accepted a job for, why did it have to be a damn follower of light. My luck was terrible, and I would have said I was cursed if it wasn’t for me embodying a literal god. Then again, maybe I was cursed by them, because I wouldn’t have had to worry about any of this if it wasn’t for them.
Control yourself and proceed with caution. Just because it is difficult for us to pick a voice out of the masses, doesn’t mean that they won’t hear if you create a problem.
The warning from my pocket god was noted, but I was having a hard time just controlling my facial features. The attendant moved ahead of the priestess and opened the door to the carriage for her. Okay, I can just sit up front with the driver and not have to interact with her at all. That was the plan anyway, however, before I could even start to climb up into the side seat of the carriage, she called out to me.
“You’re the escort for our journey?”
Stop talking to me. That was my immediate thought, but what came out was thankfully more restrained than that. “Yes ma’am.”
Her eyes lit up a little. “How very interesting. You look quite young, but also very worldly at the same time. I haven’t had the pleasure of traveling all that often until very recently. Perhaps you might be so kind as to share some tales of your travels with me while we ride?”
Hell no. “I apologize, but as I am hired to protect you, it would be better for me to sit up front where I can be more aware and better able to react to situations that may arise.”
“Oh, come now, the main roads to the capital are often patrolled and the danger is minimum. Really it was my father’s decision to hire you as he is simply overprotective. Please, sit with me and let us talk.”
“Ma’am, I-”
“I insist.” She cut me off before I could continue to protest.
Shiiiiiit. I heavily considered just backing out of the job despite all the penalties and problems that came with doing such a thing. Would it be weird if I did? How would I even play that off? I still need to get to the capital.
There wasn’t much time to think, none, actually, and in a moment of indecisive panic, I responded thoughtlessly. “Fine, I guess.”
“Wonderful! Please, come in.”
What, no! Damnit! I was too slow and was paying the price now. With a grimace that I hid behind her back, I reluctantly entered the carriage.
The seats inside were upholstered, small curtains were pulled back to let in the light from outside through the windows in the doors. I awkwardly found a seat that created the most distance between us as was possible in the confined space. The door closed once we were both seated, and the attendant climbed up into the driver's seat. With a crack of the reins the carriage started moving, beginning what would certainly be an agonizingly long trip.
I had hoped that she would at least let some time pass before she started up a conversation, but the moment we passed the gates of the city and out into the wild, she began to talk with me.
“So, how long have you been an adventurer?” Her cheerful disposition would probably be disarming to most people, but it came off as aggravating to me. I wanted her to be rude or demeaning so I could justify hating her.
“About a year.” I answered curtly.
“Has it been dangerous? I heard that sometimes adventurers fight hordes of beasts.”
“Sometimes.”
“That sounds thrilling. I’ve not had any experiences like that, but I imagine they can create quite the collection of stories.”
“It’s just a job.”
Her expression faltered slightly while a pause hung in the air. She must have realized my replies weren’t exactly all that engaged. In fact, I wasn’t even really making direct eye contact, instead just staring straight ahead or looking outside under the guise of keeping an eye out for trouble.
“You take your job seriously, don’t you?”
“Should I not?”
“Oh, no, of course it’s admirable of you, but you could relax a little right? We’re barely even out of the city, surely, it’s safe for a little while.”
“You never know.”
That sort of killed the conversation for a while as silence overtook us. I was thankful that she allowed the silence to persist for a while as we traveled, even though she appeared to be rather disappointed. I might have felt a little bad about treating her this way, but then I would look at that symbol on her robes again, and my anger would push away any of those sympathetic feelings.
The quiet lasted about an hour before she broke it with a question. “Sir, did I do something to offend you? Was it rude of me to insist on you sitting with me? I apologize if that is the case.”
Damnit, stop being so nice. It really was hard to remain angry at her. I just ended up sighing. “You, personally, did not do anything.”
She looked a little confused for a moment before something seemed to click for her. She looked down at her robes and then back to me. “You have a problem with the order? The Lord of Light? Why?”
I knew I shouldn’t answer that, but a dark compulsion started to push me forward. “Let’s just say I've had a troubled past with them”
The look on her face was that of genuine confusion. “I don’t understand. The followers of light are devoted to the well-being of all. We wish for all to live their lives to the greatest extent possible under the warmth and protection of our lord. There’s even a whole chapter of the church devoted solely to researching and developing cures for diseases. How can you have a problem with that?”
A slight sneer made its way onto my face. “Your ‘warmth’ and ‘protection’ aren’t as ubiquitous as you think they are.”
“That’s impossible! We are taught to cherish and protect all!” She started showing signs of annoyance and disbelief.
My half-lidded gaze seemed to only agitate her more. “Tell me, how old are you?”
She was caught off guard by the sudden and seemingly random question before composing herself again. “I am one-hundred and twenty-seven years old.”
I wasn’t exactly sure how that equated in terms of age compared to humans, but I assumed that made her a young woman. “Now, in all that time, have you ever once stepped off the main road of whatever city you happened to be in? Have you ever ventured out of the noble district, seen the darker parts of the world that your supposed all-encompassing light fails to reach?”
She flinched a little at the question, eyes darting around, seemingly searching for some memory that she could use to refute me. I gave her a minute to think, and when she didn’t come back with an answer, I continued talking.
“That’s why I have a problem with all of you. You’re all too busy being blinded by that bright fucking light to even see the child crying alone in the dark. Then, when that child tries to pick up the shattered remains of his life and put it back together into something that even remotely resembles happiness, you show up, and burn it all to the ground in a display of self-righteous authority!” My voice steadily climbed over the course of my little rant until I was bordering on yelling. My pent-up anger at them was leaking out more and more during the course of this conversation.
I had to take a deep breath while working to unclench my fists. My boiling rage was threatening to burst out, and even my pocket god could feel it.
You’re saying far too much, stop giving in to your base emotions.
I knew that already, but I was just so angry. I’d never had the opportunity to properly vent before, and she simply provided a target of circumstance. She did appear to be ignorant of the world as it really was, silver spoon and all that. Perhaps it was a little unfair to lump her in with those who were directly responsible, but something about just letting her continue with her rosy view of the world didn’t sit well with me.
Whatever the case, I now made the rest of this trip infinitely more awkward. The atmosphere used to be tense in only one direction, now the both of us together made the journey almost suffocating. I just challenged her beliefs, and she couldn’t come up with a retort. Must have been grating on her.
My outburst ensured that the rest of the ride was conducted in absolute silence. It gave me time to simmer down, and my anger eventually faded away and left me feeling very empty. I think I needed that, but at the same time it was dangerous, and I felt slightly foolish for indulging in something so petty.
It felt like a year had passed before we finally arrived at the capital. The city, built upon a softly sloping hill, practically glowed in the fading orange light of the afternoon. Tall spires jutted out from the center castle with buildings slowly decreasing in height as they got further from the middle. This wasn’t just for aesthetics, but for defense as well. If the city was attacked, then those nearest the center would always have the high ground advantage.
While the city itself wasn’t as impressive visually as Raven’s peak, it was larger, had a wider variety of buildings, and it was host to a mostly even divide of races living within its walls. We passed under the portcullis of the gate, apparently free to enter unmolested by the guards. Privileges of the rich I suppose.
We progressed down the main street, higher up into the upper echelons of society. Once we arrived at the front of a very lovely inn that looked more like a mansion, the driver brought us to a stop, jumped down from his seat, and opened the door for his lady. She stood and exited the carriage, and I gave her a moment to fully step down before I followed.
I honestly didn’t expect to be paid after everything that happened, and I was okay with that so long as I could put this whole situation behind me. The priestess stood before me, a look of deep contemplation on her face. Her eyes locked onto mine, and then she began to talk.
“Sir, I may have only become a full-fledged priestess recently, but I still cannot agree with your view of us. However, that’s not to infer that I am saying that your experiences are not valid, and while I may not know exactly what you have seen, it has revealed a shortcoming of my own. It was perhaps ignorant of me to assume that all have prospered equally under the guidance of my lord, but I will not look upon this revelation as a negative. I now have a mission, a goal with which to direct my service, to raise those who wallow in black despair into the light once more.”
She reached into the folds of her robes, removing a jingling pouch from which she extracted several coins. I numbly accepted them from her when she offered them to me along with a few more parting words. “Perhaps my meeting you was divine providence, in which case I would like to thank you, sir. My name is Liliana, and I hope that one day I will stand before you again as more than I am now. May your future be brighter than your past.”
I could do nothing but stand there and watch as she went inside. The attendant climbed back into the driver's seat and drove the carriage around the back of the building for safe keeping, leaving me alone on the street in the fading light. Looking down at the coins in my hand, I closed my fist around them and let out a slow and long sigh before going to find some place to stay for the night.
Why couldn’t you just be rude?