The air was heavy with trepidation in the feast hall as the elders exchanged furtive glances, each harboring their own doubts and fears.
Engin cleared his throat and spoke first, his voice reasonable and steady. "First, we must discuss the matter of that girl over there who proclaims to be...Ebonheim." Engin pointed towards Ebonheim, sitting quietly inside the wooden cage by the corner. "She claims to be the deity of our village, but we all know that to be impossible.”
“And I asked around to see if she is anyone’s child,” said Thorsten. “No one's claimed her, so she is not from our village.”
“Who or what is she then?” asked Bjorn. “She displayed druidic powers, I can attest to that, and she did help in dealing with the Kungwan, so she doesn’t seem a threat to our village. So why does she claim to be a goddess?”
Engin shook his head and sighed. “I don’t understand either. I’ve already had this conversation with the girl earlier today and nothing conclusive came out of it except that she is clever and has nimble feet.”
Bogdan raised his hand. “Doesn’t the celestial realm smite you for impersonating a god?”
Engin nodded. “Aye, but that’s only true if you speak it within that god or another god’s dominion. Since our deity doesn’t actually exist, nothing would happen.”
“So what are the other possibilities?” asked Sven.
Engin scratched his chin. “I can only think of three possibilities. The first is that she is a human who has druidic powers. If that’s the case, then she belongs to a family outside of our village that we haven’t encountered yet. However, I find that rather unlikely because she has shown to have intimate knowledge about us that no outsider should know about.”
“And the second?”
“The second is that she really is a goddess who just happened upon our village, realized we fabricated our deity, and decided to try and fool us into thinking that she is the very same that we envisioned.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Why would a real god go through the trouble of impersonating a fake god if they knew that we made that god up?” asked Bogdan.
Thorsten shrugged. “I don’t know, maybe because she’s stupid?”
Sven sat straight up in his chair, leaning forward. "What are you talking about? This girl doesn't look or even act like any god or goddess I've ever met. Not that I've met many, directly, but the only unusual traits of hers are her hair and eyes. Alright, and she apparently has druidic powers but so do Hilda and the other druids in her tribe. Besides, I’ve also heard that the powers that girl displayed couldn’t even defeat a Kungwan. You expect us to believe that someone that weak is a goddess?"
Corinna leaned forward as well and whispered something to Ionus. Ionus responded with a nod and a smirk.
“Gods can’t impersonate another,” Ionus stated plainly. “Each god has a name that’s tied to their nature and ego. They can’t pretend to be someone else, they can’t just switch roles like actors in a play. Their name is tied to their very being.”
Engin glanced over at Ebonheim, who stared blankly ahead with unblinking golden eyes. He shrugged. "Then both possibilities seem unlikely. It’s looking more like what I surmised earlier which was the third possibility. She is more likely some other spirit that has taken on a human form and is trying to impersonate a god. I don’t know why a spirit would do that and I haven’t heard of any tales of spirits impersonating gods before. Either way, we can’t progress in this matter until we hear her side of things."
Thorsten grunted in agreement.
Bjorn rose from his seat. "Agreed. If she is neither a human child nor a true deity, but a mischievous spirit, then perhaps she has lived in this region before us, and only now did we encounter her. In which case, we might learn quite a lot from her if she cooperates."
"And if she refuses to cooperate with us?" asked Thorsten.
"Then we can always try force-feeding her answers until she tells us what we need to know," added Levan.
Ionus looked away, embarrassed by his friend's statement.
Thorsten snorted. "Force-feed her? You make it sound like we're interrogating a criminal here. Just because she may or may not be a divine being doesn't excuse our behavior. We have no reason to mistreat her or use violence against her."
Ebonheim coughed in the corner.
Engin gave Thorsten a knowing glance. Thorsten looked between Engin and Ebonheim, covered his face with his palm, then coughed.
Levan shook his head. "I'm not saying we should mistreat her. I'm just saying that if she won't cooperate, we'll have to do something about it."
"Like what?" Ionus asked.
Levan smirked. "Well..." He paused briefly, looking around the room for support. None of the elders seemed willing to join him in voicing their opinion. "I don't know. Forget about it. I spoke out of line again, didn't I?"
Engin rolled his eyes. "Yes, you did. But let's get back on topic, shall we? Do any of you have anything else to add?"
As the elders continued their deliberations, each with their own doubts and misgivings, it became clear that no consensus would be reached by mere speculation. The torchlight flickered, as though echoing their uncertainty, casting a chiaroscuro of doubt across the gathering.
Engin raised a hand, silencing the growing din of voices. "We are no closer to the truth than when we began," he conceded, his voice resonating with authority. "Let us bring forth the girl and allow her to speak for herself."
Thorsten nodded and walked to the girl. He opened the cage and gestured for her to come outside.
She hesitated, unsure of what to expect. Then she slowly stepped out of the cage and walked over to stand next to Thorsten.
----------------------------------------
All eyes turned to her, curiosity piqued. Silence enveloped the group as they observed her approach. Ebonheim stood still, studying each face with intent, anticipating someone to break the quiet.
"Now, explain yourself. This time, don’t try to run away,” Engin said.
Ebonheim’s shoulders slouched as she sighed. Deja vu. Instead of dealing with just Engin and Thorsten, this time she had to convince all of the elders, somehow. Everyone looked at her with a scrutinizing gaze except for Hilda who was in her own little world, sipping her cup of tea while looking outside a nearby window.
It was only been a couple of hours since the Kungwan were dealt with and now she’s facing a different battlefield. This one was definitely harder. She placed her hands on her hips and looked eye-to-eye at each elder in turn.
“I’m not a human–”
“Then you’re a spirit?” Sven interrupted.
“No, I’m not a spirit. At least, I don’t think I am...unless gods are spirits, then yes?” Ebonheim answered. The thought never really crossed her mind. Every essence of her being, every bit of her newly formed memories since her awakening, and even the Akashic System that she had interacted with reinforced the idea that she was a divine being.
“I am Ebonheim,” she continued. “I don’t know how much more clearly I can explain it. I know who everyone is in this village. Even though this is my first time meeting you, most of you anyways, I know a little bit of who you are.”
“She knew my name, how old I was, and when I was born,” Thorsten said. “No one could have told her all of that beforehand.”
The other elders looked amongst themselves.
“I’ll prove it again, just in case you have doubts,” Ebonheim said.
[Divine Sight (Rank I) activated]
[Essence] 24 -> 19
Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
A gentle radiance emanated from her eye. She looked at each elder once again before speaking.
“Engin, Thorsten, Bjorn, Sven, Bogdan, Ionus, Odette, Corinna, Bertram, Brzenk, Levan, Gunter, Renfred, Aleyn, Franco, and Hilda.”
Bogdan threw his hands up. “Alright, I’m convinced. She’s a goddess.”
“Th–That’s not impressive,” Sven said as he hid behind Bjorn. “Any mage who has learned a few cantrips could do that.”
Ebonheim’s eyes twitched as she glared towards Sven, causing him to slink further back behind Bjorn. Cantrip? Did he just compare her divine sight that could reveal anyone’s secrets to a mere cantrip? Sven! That adorable but balding eejit! She’d remember this slight. If he ever asked for her blessing to grow his hair back, he’ll be in for quite a surprise.
“Can you show anything else?” Engin asked. “The gods that I am accustomed to seeing usually have an aura about them that imposes their will upon others. This may seem a bit frank but you do not exhibit an intimidating presence, and it’s not just because of your appearance.”
An aura? Ebonheim crossed her arms and tapped her foot as she thought. If that was what it took to convince them, then she might as well select it as one of her abilities.
[Searching for relevant ability…]
[Divine Ability: Divine Aura (Rank I)]
[Effect] Manifests an aura around you. The aura acts as a barrier with 300 Health, 25 Arcane Defense, 25 Divine Defense, 25 Physical Defense, 10 Damage Reduction (All). The aura imposes penalties to any hostile beings without a divine rank: -5 Attack (All), -5 Defense (All), -5% Hit Chance, -5% Block Chance, -5% Dodge Chance. All allies gain +5 Attack (All), +5 Defense (All), and +5% Hit Chance when within 50 meters of you.
[Duration] Until destroyed or canceled
[Cost] 30 Essence
[Requirement] Lesser God - Ascendant Stage
[Restriction] If destroyed or canceled, it cannot be activated again for 1 day
Ebonheim blinked. Last time she checked, the system said she was at the Dawn stage. She needed to get more quintessence before ranking up to Ascendant stage.
Ebonheim twiddled her thumbs together and looked up at Engin meekly. “Well, I’m not quite powerful enough to have an aura. But hear me out, I was just born earlier today. You can’t hold that against me, can you?”
Engin looked at the others and shrugged. “Seems like we’re still at an impasse. I’m not sure what else to do about this. Does anyone have any other ideas?”
The other elders whispered amongst themselves, their expressions reflecting their skepticism.
“What say you, Hilda?” Bjorn asked.
Hilda set her cup down and raised her cane slightly. It gave her an aura of authority that caused the other elders to fall silent.
“She is a goddess, that I have no doubt,” Hilda stated plainly.
“How can you be so sure?” Engin asked.
“We druids, as you may well know by now, are intrinsically attuned to nature and the spirits within the world. Gods are, in essence, a type of spiritual being, albeit a divine one. That essence has its own color, its own form, and its own signature that makes it distinct from other spirits. In my eyes, this girl bears the same divine essence.”
Ebonheim watched the other elders’ solemn expressions, their eyes darting back and forth to perhaps consider Hilda’s revelation.
“Why didn’t you say something earlier?” Engin asked.
“I felt it important for you to voice your concerns and ideas first.”
Gently pushing her way through the group of elders, Hilda approached Ebonheim and reached out to pat her head. “The only question remains, is if she really is the goddess we envisioned. I’m sure there is one task she can perform that would solidify her claim. Wouldn’t you say so, Ionus?”
Ionus raised an eyebrow then rubbed the bridge of his nose in contemplation. “Gods who have been accepted by the people have authority over certain aspects of that domain. The god of my old hometown had power over the wheat that grew in our fields. If this girl really is Ebonheim, then the one aspect of our village that she has authority over is–”
“The Ebon trees,” Engin interrupted.
The other elders murmured their assent.
“Daylight is waning and there is quite the crowd waiting in anticipation outside,” Hilda said as she turned to face the others. “Let us not waste too much time with further debate.”
Engin nodded. “Very well. Everyone, let us head to the nearest Ebon tree. Thorsten, escort the girl.”
Thorsten looked down at Ebonheim.
She raised her hands. “I promise I won’t run off again. This means much more to me than you realize. Let’s go.”
----------------------------------------
Ebonheim and the elders left the feast hall. Outside, it seemed like the entire village of seven hundred people waited in silence. Engin was the first to approach and explained what transpired inside.
“We’re off to that Ebon tree over there.” He pointed behind the crowd towards the eastern edge of the commons where the dark, weathered form of an Ebon tree towered over the oaks and pines.
The crowd parted as the elders escorted Ebonheim to the tree. She saw many curious and skeptical gazes were thrown her way, causing her heart to race even more compared to before. This was her biggest, and perhaps only chance to earn her welcome.
The group stopped beneath the Ebon tree, its tall and slender trunk stretching upwards the sky like a pitch-black spear. The branches of the Ebon tree were long and slender, reaching outwards like skeletal fingers, each one tipped with sharp, needle-like leaves that glinted darkly in the sunlight.
Engin placed a hand against the tree and looked over at Ebonheim.
“Our goddess and village bear the name of Ebonheim, born from these ancient trees that dot this valley. It is the Ebon tree’s resilience that inspired us to choose such a name. Unlike its kin that falters and succumbs to fire and steel, the Ebon tree stands tall and impervious. If you are whom you claim, then show us the secrets of this tree.”
Ebonheim approached the tree and looked at it carefully. In the short time that she’d existed, she always felt a strong affinity towards this type of tree compared to the others.
She placed her hands on the tree as Engin stepped back to join the other elders in watching her.
[Domain Administration (Passive Ability) Rank I]
[Bound object detected]
[Ebon tree] Special Qualities: 30 Arcane Defense, 25 Divine Defense, 40 Physical Defense, 20 Damage Reduction (All)
[Harvestability] None
Her eyes widened. Engin wasn’t exaggerating. This was one tough tree. She wondered how the other types of trees compared. At least now she knew what her other ability was for. It seemed to present her specific information about things like this Ebon tree compared to general knowledge about things that her Domain Knowledge granted her. She wasn’t really sure how this information would help her though.
She stared at the word ‘Harvestability’. Were all trees supposed to be harvestable?
[Edit mode…]
[Select the Harvestability for the bound object ‘Ebon Tree’]
[Options] None, Limited, All
[None] Object will not change to type(resource) after being felled
[Limited] Object will be changed to type(resource) after being felled by denizens under your domain
[All] Object will be changed to type(resource) after being felled by any force
[Object will temporarily lose its enhanced defensive properties when being harvested if Limited or All is selected]
“Eh? Is that really how it works?” Ebonheim asked. She willed the change to happen.
[Limited option is selected]
[Domain Administration (Passive Ability) Rank I]
[Bound object detected]
[Ebon tree] Special Qualities: 30 Arcane Defense, 25 Divine Defense, 40 Physical Defense, 15 Damage Reduction (All)
[Harvestability] Limited
Ebonheim looked back at the elders and the large crowd of people behind them.
“So…I’m not sure about showing you its secrets, but I am allowing you to be able to harvest these trees. Is that good enough to convince you that I am Ebonheim?”
----------------------------------------
Murmurs resounded throughout the crowd.
Bjorn and Thorsten approached the Ebon tree with trepidation, their axes ready. They had tried to chop it down before, numerous times throughout the years, but it seemed impossible. Its dark, almost black bark was tougher than any they had ever seen. They looked at Ebonheim who stood behind them. She nodded her head as if bidding them to start.
They swung their axes with all their might, determined to make a dent. Each blow reverberated throughout the forest. Both of them expected to see no sign of damage, but this time, the bark cracked slightly. Bjorn and Thorsten looked at each other in surprise, unsure of what was happening.
As they continued to strike the tree, the tree seemed to shudder and quake, as though in response to their efforts. With each blow from the axes, the bark gave way, revealing the dark wood underneath. The crowd watched in amazement as the two burly warriors continued to hack away, their muscles straining with the effort.
As the tree started to sway, they stepped back, watching in awe as the massive trunk fell to the ground with a resounding thud. Bjorn and Thorsten whooped in triumph, their faces flushed with exertion and excitement.
Engin’s mouth dropped in awe. Though what just transpired was a miraculous event, he could only stare at the girl smiling brightly as she patted the two men on their backs in congratulations and danced around them in joy. He heard the cheers from the crowd behind him, with many people rushing past to gather around the girl.
His doubts seemed to fade with every passing breath. Engin felt Hilda’s presence beside him. He turned to see her looking at the girl with a gentle gaze.
“I’ve never heard of gods being born from the collective beliefs of people,” Engin said. “There have been no records of this happening in all of history.”
“Then perhaps we are the first to witness this miracle,” Hilda said. “This girl…Ebonheim, we are all responsible for her existence. You especially.”
“Me?”
Hilda chuckled. “It was your idea in the first place, if you recall. Now that the idea has become reality, you’d best not get cold feet. That would be unbecoming of a man of your conviction.”
Engin rubbed his neck and sighed as he watched Ebonheim laugh merrily with the others, the entire crowd gathered closely around them. A warm smile crept upon his lips.
“You speak no truer words. Though, I suspect there will be less peaceful times ahead.”