Chapter 49: Service

The choir sang in unison, and while it sounded very pretty, Adriana was over it. After a month of running with the Children of Stephanos, she was over a lot of shit. Mostly the pageantry. She stood in the temple, one tier beneath the Hierophant as he stared inscrutably into the temple full of worshipers. The majority of the service was over, and all that remained was the final prayer and blessing.

It was the part Adriana looked forward to most, and dreaded.

A hundred voices, ranging from young children doing their best to old true believers rang out in joy and hope. With just a raise of the Hierophant’s hand, it cut to silence. He met Adriana’s gaze with a frown, and she looked forward again, irritation spiking at the silent admonishment. She still did as he asked, and waited.

“And now,” he intoned, “we give blessings and prayers to the heir, so that she might rise in strength and protect us from the Maw of Chaos. Join me now, with heads bowed and hearts open. Hessius may be dead, but he never abandoned us. Even now, Adriana Belleros carries his love for us, his passion for the world, and his spark of justice. Pray now, together, that his power never fades away.”

Here it came, the weirdest part of her week.

Around the temple, everyone except Adriana bowed low, heads touching the cushions they knelt upon. A cacophony of dissonant voices all prayed, each doing their own prayer. The actual words didn’t matter so much as the intent, and the belief. What started out as a terrible buzzing noise grew louder and more insistent, until she felt it deep inside her.

Whatever part of her housed her Divinity tingled, and then burned with the same heat one felt when stepping into a too-hot bath. The burning in her heart matched the orange glow of sunrise. As the day started, they gave their gratitude for one more day alive and healthy, and as the day ended the temple’s faithful begged for a light in the dark to keep them safe. A time to grow, and a time to reflect.

Adriana shook her head, breathing hard as the prayers swept over her and through her. That day on Jithuda had been eye-opening, but nothing compared to the power of hundreds of people dedicating their devotion to her. As the voices cried out their hopes and needs, something moved inside of her.

Nineteen percent Divinity now. After a month of fighting beside Lucas, Tobias, and Iris (and Eva, if she had to include her), she’d almost risen to the fourth level of ascension through worship alone. Lucas said that if she’d had normal or even just Greater Divinity, she’d probably be a Demigod, but she was on the long, slow path. One day she might even match or exceed Hessius.

If they survived that long.

It only lasted five, maybe ten minutes, but that was more than enough time to stand there awkwardly while people stared at you with hope and grief in their eyes. If it didn’t get her power, Adriana would’ve never lasted more than one service, let alone the nine she’d endured since joining up.

She had no idea how long it would’ve kept going, as some continued when the rest tapered off, but the Hierophant spoke once more.

“Another week has passed, and we are still here. For this next week, we must fight, live, and embrace joy. Go now, and reflect on my words. And may you all bask in the sun’s love and protection.”

Finally, it was over, but Adriana’s part was not. Worshipers got up, paid their respects and tithes to the chest in front of her. She’d wave a hand or nod at them, anything to let them feel the temple’s approval and protection. She was told it was necessary, and so she did it. Lucas owed her.

When the last tithe came in and the only people remaining were there to talk to her, she left out the back, and headed to her least favorite part of the entire complex: the Hierophant’s office.

Griehr waited for her, and attacked when she entered. The Divine Beast launched himself at her. Adriana barely had time to close the door and catch him. She twisted and brought them both to the ground, where the lion rumbled and swatted at her with his claws still in. She heroically wrestled him into a pin before scratching under his chin.

“You must really miss him,” she said, not for the first time. The lion just rumbled and nudged her hand. He may not have been able to speak, but it was clear he understood her just fine, and she understood him well enough.

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“I know he lives in me, or whatever, but it’s not the same. Did he really sit through services once or twice a week like that?”

Griehr rolled his eyes. Adriana hadn’t known cats could do that before him, but if any animal could…

“No, I didn’t think so. He was probably too busy being a real god, fighting and rallying the others on Mount Ouranos.” Adriana stroked his fiery mane. Much like her godmark, it didn’t burn unless he willed it, and he had no reason to wish Adriana harm.

The door opened, and the Hierophant walked in. He looked down on Adriana wrestling with Griehr, sighed, and sat behind his desk. “What are you at now?”

Adriana picked herself up and sat across from him. Griehr rolled over to lay at her feet, letting out an annoyed growl. He had a tendency to say what she was thinking, and this time was no different.

“I’m at nineteen percent,” said Adriana. “Sixteen percent sun, three percent Huntsman. And I could probably get a lot stronger if I could access a personal collection, or one of the treasures locked away. I don’t know why you even have so much Greater Divinity if you’re not going to use it.”

Pailus pursed his lips. Time had not softened him or made him appreciate Adriana more. Every time they met, he wore a disappointed, annoyed expression. If nothing else, it was mutual.

“As I’ve told you many times by now, they’re for emergencies. And -- “

“With Hessius dead and me still growing, isn’t that an emergency?”

“No,” said Pailus. “We could potentially uplift a couple of people to decent power, but they must be trained and vetted first. It is never a good idea to give power to the unworthy.”

It couldn’t have been her imagination that he stared pointedly at her. “And private collections?” she challenged. “I need more Divinity than most people. I tried taking a one percent Divinity and nothing happened.”

He shook his head. “There are many reasons that won’t work. Chief among them, we cannot have our potential new God going to private individuals to buy Divinity off of them. We have a reputation to maintain. And more than that, the kind of Divinity you take in will matter. With our method, you will rise to Demigod and be almost pure. That will better prepare your body for the equinox.”

One of their great festivals was just weeks away. Winter would turn into spring, and as the days grew longer, so would the power of the sun. It was, they told her, the perfect time to perform a ritual that would greatly empower the subject. They intended on using it to proclaim the next sun god to the world.

“So the goal is to get me to Demigod before the ritual?” Adriana asked. “But after a month, I’ve only gotten three percent. If we go by that logic, then it will take another two months to get me there. Now, I’m not the smartest person around, but even I can tell time. That’s not going to get me there.”

The hierophant nodded as she spoke, clearly anticipating this. “The prayers are preparing your spirit, and once we get you to the fourth level of ascension, we may have a volunteer or two to willingly give their power to you, keeping you as pure as possible.” His eye twitched, and he put on a false smile. “If you’re willing to give up the Huntsman Divinity, I could get you an equal amount from the Sun.”

“Again, no.” While she knew there were people who gave their power away or traded it, the very idea sickened her. She’d grown to love each and every one of her abilities and how they tied together. Except for glowing, which seemed borderline useless outside of dark caves. Maybe she was too attached, but she wasn’t going to change, anymore than Pailus would.

“Fine. Then the slow route it is. You’re doing….much better than expected. In a day or so, you should have another mission.”

Adriana perked up. “What do you have for us?”

“Our oracle has discovered a source of Maw Divinity in a small, isolated village to the east. Most of our defenses have been to the west, where the Maw likes to operate from the Thousand Year Storm. If she’s managed to get some power and presence in the east, then I fear that she could close in on us and overwhelm us in just a couple of years.

“I want you and the rest of the team to investigate, and bring that Divinity back here, where we can keep it under lock and key so that no one may use it. Lucas will give you the details soon, and you can expect to leave in the next day or so. Until then, you may do as you like, just remember…”

“Everything I do reflects upon the temple as a whole,” Adriana recited. The fact that she was expected to do so made her want to fling Smoldersap into his face. As far as she knew, he had no Divinity of his own, and was supposed to be the ordinary mortal liaison to their god. Allowing herself to be bullied by a mere mortal galled her, but she’d promised Lucas.

“Then you may go,” Pailus dismissed her.

Adriana gave Griehr a rough rub on his tummy before she left him. Pailus didn’t deserve the big cat, but he seemed content to stick to the temple and occasionally bless the faithful. There were many things the hierophant didn’t deserve, but it was pointless to think of things like that.

Not when she had an entire day of freedom to look forward to.