The next few weeks were some of the strangest of Callan’s life. During the day he spent most of his time bored out of his skull, watching for the occasional patrol and trying to figure out the layout of the village.
He and Xeph also discussed strategies and possible avenues for attack, considering and then abandoning a dozen plans as their scouting revealed new information about the cult.
Evenings were better. After Kivi returned and the two of them ate an evening meal, they usually napped until midnight. After that, Tervak and the other elders joined them for practice using Shape Stone under Callan’s tutelage—or, more accurately, under Xeph’s, since Callan was still more or less a novice himself.
While all of the newly made priests could manipulate the same amount of stone as Callan from effectively the same distance, by the end of two weeks only Shamain was able to use the ability more than once a day.
Even as Xeph continued to assure him that was to be expected, given both the relative newness of the priests and his own limited power at the moment, Callan still hoped at least one more priest might breach that limit before their attack.
While he still wasn’t entirely sure what they would do with the orison yet, he figured the more power they had at their disposal, the more options they’d have available.
Of their second orison Wurmchain, after the battle with the dvorak there were scant few opportunities for further practice. Tervak promised that they would have another moonless night shortly before the three weeks were over. So, while Callan waited, they practiced Shape Stone, and made what other preparations they could.
----------------------------------------
“Twelve priests,” Callan said, as the others lowered themselves to sit in a circle around him. “That’s what we’re dealing with. Based on my observations, they always send three of their number along to watch over work at the pythian tree, while six remain at the temple and three patrol the village. Anyone disagree with that assessment?”
The lud all shook their head.
“From what we’ve been able to confirm, the priests appear to have three separate abilities. There’s the heated touch that Tervak’s brother experienced firsthand, along with two others I’ve observed them using when they think no one is around. A quick burst of flames, and a wall of heat that appears to be defensive in nature.”
He left unsaid that this ‘defensive’ wall had cooked the ground around it until it was charred black. One problem at a time.
“According to Xeph, this should be their upper limit. Priests can only possess three orisons at a time, and unless Zavastu makes a change to her entire priesthood, we shouldn’t expect that to be any different.”
Don’t forget about the Archon, Xeph reminded him.
“Right.” Callan repeated to the others what the god had told him earlier. “By all accounts, Ligo should be an archon—we don’t know for certain, but let’s assume this to be the case until proven otherwise. I can confirm that I’ve seen him using one additional orison the others don’t appear to possess, a sort of whip made out of pure flames. However, it’s likely he has another I haven’t witnessed yet. Not to mention a manifestation, which is sure to be potent. To put it simply: he’s more than a match for any of us, including me. I think our best option is to simply not engage with him unless absolutely necessary.”
“Is that going to even be possible?” Aldis asked.
“Yes. It appears that despite his position in the cult, Ligo participates in patrols and other activities.” In fact, it had been Ligo whom Callan had seen scorching the home of Kivi’s neighbor that first day he snuck upstairs. Since then, he thought he’d gotten a measure of the man—or forfiliin, or whatever. Ligo had a cruel streak but appeared to treat the other priests as equals. Callan still wasn’t sure if that fact was relevant.
“We should wait until he leaves on patrol and jump him,” Shamain said with a cackle. “Easy as can be. Stick a few sharp objects in him before he realizes what’s going on. All his fancy powers can’t help him then.”
Callan shook his head. “Without knowing what other abilities he possesses, we can’t take him head on. It’s too risky.”
“Then what do you suggest, Avatar?” Tervak frowned at him, his face contemplative. “Would it be better to strike at the temple while Ligo is away? After all, once it falls, he will be as powerless as the rest, yes?”
“That is one option. However, attacking the temple directly comes with its own risks. If we don’t eliminate the patrol first, there is a chance they might overhear and come join in the fight. This village isn’t that large, after all. Six priests are a bad enough fight already. Nine is a guaranteed loss.”
“So we eliminate the patrol first.”
“That’s my thought as well,” Callan said, nodding.
“What of the guards at the pythian?” Kivi asked, eyes flashing. “Can we eliminate them as well?”
Tervak shook his head. “I have already arranged a sufficient distraction. My nephew Andelsus will enact an escape attempt. That should keep the priests there occupied until the temple falls.”
“And then we shall eliminate them?”
“Capture, Kivi, capture,” Callan reminded her. The girl turned to him, her eyes flashing. “Remember, every priest we keep alive is a potential bargaining chip. If we want to have any hope of keeping Zavastu from sending a retribution force and to negotiate the return of the rest of your people, we’ll need her priests alive.”
“Assuming you want master Parias returned to us,” Shamain cackled. “Maybe you’d rather he and that looker of a son of his stayed enslaved up north? Maybe you’ve gotten a taste of having their house all to yourself, eh? Is that it, girl?”
“Shamain, how could you accuse me of such a thing? I want the two of them returned more than anything!”
The old woman snorted. “One of them more than the other, I think.”
“We’ll get nobody back unless we have hostages to offer,” Callan said, trying to steer the conversation back on track. “Tervak, has there been any sign of the caravan yet?”
“Not yet, honored Avatar, but it is certain to be any day now. We must be ready to strike before it arrives, or the priests will be too numerous for us to overwhelm.”
Callan nodded. He flexed his arm under its bandage and found it didn’t hurt any more. “I’m ready.”
“Then we shall strike the next time Archon Ligo is amongst those watching over the pythian tree. My nephew shall sacrifice himself to provide a distraction, and hopefully by the time the archon realizes what is afoot, the temple will have already fallen.”
“What of the patrol?” Aldis asked. “Do we have a plan for eliminating them before assaulting the temple?”
“You leave that to me,” Callan said. “I’ve got something in mind.”
----------------------------------------
When Callan opened his eyes the next morning, he felt Xeph’s presence flood his mind.
At last, you’re awake. Mortal, show me your interface screen.
“Gee, Xeph, could you give a guy a few minutes to clear the wool out of his ears?” Sitting up, Callan let out a wide yawn.
I do not believe your blankets are wool. Likely a combination of rakhair and woven pythian bark. Though it is possible the lud import more exotic fabrics, but—
“It’s an expression, you dork.” Concentrating, Callan pulled up his stat screen.
Name: Xeph-Zul-Karatl (3rd Sphere)
Avatar: Callan Whitlocke (Trueborn Human)
-STATISTICS-
Brawn: 4
Momentum: 1
Fortitude: 4
Concentration: 1
Influence: 1
Piety: 4
-BOUNTIES-
God Bond: Talc – II
Manifestation: Mountainform
Orison slot 1: Shape Stone (Talc - II)
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Orison Slot 2: Wurmchain (Talc - I)
-DOGMA-
Total Followers: 11
Available Faith: 0
Conviction: 3/5
Conviction Rate: 1/week
Temples: 1/1
Domain: 4 yd
APOTHEOSIS: 0/25%
Yes, good... your Conviction has increased again as of this morning. Xeph’s voice was a purr in his ear. Assuming you liked your cat’s purr particularly gravelly, anyway.
“Has it really been three weeks already?” Callan shook his head. The time had felt like it just dragged on, yet looking back now it seemed to have passed in a flash. “You think we’ll be attacking today?”
For some reason, this whole plan to assault the temple didn’t really bother him anymore. They had been working towards this goal for so long now, him and the lud both. Honestly, all he felt at the moment was relief that it might soon be over.
I do not believe we will be assaulting the temple today, no. The archon left with the pythian crew yesterday, and he has never done so two days in a row. Likely he will either be resting at the temple, or out on patrol of the village.
Callan nodded absentmindedly. Hopefully the second one. That would mean another chance to hopefully observe one of his additional powers. While a fight with the archon was best avoided, if it did come to that he’d rather know as much as possible going into it.
Still, I expect the odds of attack on the morrow or the day after are highly likely, Xeph continued. You should fill the rest of your Conviction with memory shards so we are ready to go when the moment comes.
Reaching into his pocket, Callan drew out the last five of the reddish crystals that he had brought with him. He eyed them with suspicion, as if more might appear at any moment. “Can’t I just wait until we actually assault the temple?”
It would be better if we didn’t have to rely on your insufferable slowness swallowing them down while in the heat of battle.
“Ouch. Harsh but fair.” Callan tossed back the first stone, resisting the urge to try and chew it before swallowing. “How many Conviction does it take to bring down a temple, anyway?”
A basic structure of this size should take no more than ten, Xeph said, far too casually. Callan almost choked.
“Hold on a second. I only have...” He counted the crystals again, then added his total Conviction. "...A total of eight. Is that going to be enough?”
Conviction is canceled out at a one-to-one ratio. Likely we will not even need half of our supply, but I did warn you that this might be a possibility. If the worst happens, then we simply destroy the temple as opposed to corrupting it. The lud will lose their warehouse, but it is better than remaining in servitude.
Callan opened his mouth to say something further—what, he wasn’t entirely certain—but snapped it shut as a loud crash echoed from above. He glanced up at the ceiling.
Loud footsteps rattled the floor in one direction, then the other, like someone hurriedly pacing about. Callan could just make out Kivi shouting something, and another person responding, equally loud.
That doesn’t sound good, he mused. Apparently Xeph agreed with him.
Human, we should find somewhere to seclude ourselves.
“And where, exactly, would we do that?” The only objects in the room beside his bed were the shelves of foods, a half-dozen bags of spirebeans, and the not-insignificant pile of rocks that the priests had brought with them, most warped in one way or another by their lessons in Shape Stone.
Then we should prepare for a fight.
“We don’t even know what’s going on. I’m sure it’s...” Callan trailed off as he approached the ladder, and the voices above became indistinct. He recognized one as Ligo immediately.
“Don’t lie to me, lud. I have reports of villagers coming and going from your house at all hours of the night. If you aren’t hiding at least a few of them somewhere I’ll swallow the Emperor.”
“I’m telling you, there is no one here!” Kivi’s voice was clearly angry, but there was a pleading note to it as well. It sounded as if she was standing directly over the trap door. “I’ve been alone since you took my master and his son. Please, leave me be!”
“If that’s true, then why have your fellow villagers reported seeing someone from your upstairs window?” Ligo chuckled darkly. “Start the search there, you two.”
A pair of footsteps moved further into the house, while Kivi continued to plead with the archon. Callan backed up, suddenly beginning to sweat.
If it came to a fight, this was hardly the ideal location. Ligo would tear him apart down here.
“Okay, I’m coming around to your hiding suggestion, Xeph.”
Good, mortal. Perhaps if we pile those bags against the far wall—
“I have a better idea.” Callan turned to the pile of rocks the priests had been bringing down. It was a sizeable pile, reaching up to his waist now, but even if he managed to burrow inside it would be obvious to anyone who looked.
Luckily, that wasn’t what he was intending.
Raising his hands, he summoned his Shape Stone ability and began molding the pile, smoothing out the sides until they looked like a single uniform lump.
Alert: 4.5% Apotheosis used.
Total Apotheosis is at 4.5%
More crashes echoed above Callan’s head. He stretched the pile out, until it was less high but longer, enough that he could fit inside without having to get too bunched up. That would only improve as he pushed the rocks inside out further.
Alert: 4.5% Apotheosis used.
Total Apotheosis is at 9%
From upstairs came the sound of returning footsteps. Through the trapdoor, Callan could hear the priests talking with their archon. Sweat dripped down his brow.
He moved his sphere of light until it disappeared inside the rock-pile-turned-primitive-art-installation. The pile bulged outward as the inner stone moved outward, making a hollow at its center.
Alert: 4.5% Apotheosis used.
Total Apotheosis is at 13.5%
Callan pushed them further, then began shaping an opening. Once it was large enough, he dropped to his knees and began to clear the space further. Sweat poured off of him as he concentrated on making sure no holes or cracks followed his efforts.
Alert: 4.5% Apotheosis used.
Total Apotheosis is at 18%
“Hey, what is this?” The shout was loud enough that the words reached Callan clearly enough. Kivi’s response was muffled, and cut off just as quickly. “She’s hiding something! You, move that table!”
Callan’s chest seized as he heard a scraping noise above.
It’s now or never. With a mighty shove of his powers, he pushed the last of the rock in the back out, quickly smoothing the whole thing over. It looked... not like a natural rock, but certainly not the sort of place one might hide a stowaway, either.
Alert: 4.5% Apotheosis used.
Total Apotheosis is at 22.5%
Well, that was the limit of his power. He began wriggling in, even as some sort of scuffle erupted above. As his head slipped under the crevice, he heard the trapdoor crack open.
“Avina, get down there and see how many more of her kind are trying to avoid an honest day’s work. Filthy creatures. For each one you’ve hidden, I’ll take a strip of your hide, I promise you!”
The ladder creaked as someone began descending.
Callan! Xeph’s cry rang in his ears. Your hole! Close it!
With a start, Callan realized the god was right. He hadn’t even thought to seal up the rock behind him. Anyone who bent down for a look would see him hiding underneath.
But I’m maxed out on Apotheosis, he thought despairingly. Xeph had warned him not to go above the 25% threshold, though he had implied it wouldn’t be nearly as bad as going all the way to 100%. Surely he could afford one more use of the ability, couldn’t he?
Xeph must have come to the same conclusion. Use your orison, mortal. Better to seal away my power for a time than end us both forever.
Activating the ability, Callan pulled down a curtain of stone even as the priest reached the bottom of the ladder. Footsteps crunched across the basement floor.
Alert: 4.5% Apotheosis used.
Total Apotheosis is at 27%
Apotheosis has exceeded current threshold. Five minutes until quarantine protocols engaged.
Callan stopped shaping the stone just shy of the floor itself, leaving a finger-wide space for air to flow through. Also, voices.
“There’s nothing down here, Archon! Just a few shelves and bags of foodstuffs.”
“Damn Lud!” Even from upstairs, Ligo’s words were clear through the open trapdoor. “What, were you afraid we might steal your precious beans? I have half a mind to see you whipped for causing such a fuss!”
“Hold on, I might have found something.” The priest stopped next to Callan’s rock, and his breath caught in his throat as fingers slipped through the hole at the bottom. There was a grunt, and the fingers retreated. “Never mind. Just a weird rock.”
The footsteps retreated. Callan found he could breathe again.
“Well, seems you were telling the truth after all, lud.” Ligo’s voice sounded disappointed at that fact.
“That’s what I’ve been saying! Now please, leave me be, I have much still to do before work begins for the day.”
“Oh, don’t worry about your precious housework, lud. You won’t be doing any more of that. At least, not for this house.”
“What are you—Stop! Put me down!”
There was a sharp laugh. “If you’re all that’s left, I guess you’ll be this home’s tribute for the next caravan. Come on, we’ll have you wait with the others back at the temple. Might as well enjoy what rest you can. Going to be a busy day tomorrow.”
Callan’s heart started thudding in his chest as the sound of Kivi’s cries retreated. Caravan? But I thought—Tervak said—I can’t let them take her! I need out of here!
His fingers scabbled against the edge of the rock in vain. Well, whatever. He had already passed the threshold for using his powers once, what did it matter if he did it again to get free? After that, he was going to put these cultists in their place and—
Quarantine protocols deployed.
Time until quarantine lifted = 02:00:00
“Hey, Xeph, what exactly are these quarantine protocols?” Callan asked impatiently. When the god didn’t answer, he frowned and tapped the side of his skull. “Xeph? Helloooooooo. Kind of in a hurry here...”
Nothing. Only silence greeted Callan inside his head. Frowning, he tried to activate Shape Stone again. When that didn’t work, he tried Wurmchain. Then Mountainform.
None of them responded to his will. How was that possible? Xeph had said that crossing the threshold meant restricted access to his powers, but it wasn’t like that at all. He wasn’t restricted, his powers were just... gone.
And Xeph along with them.