Hoplite fired the Fortis, the bullet phasing through the figure and impacting one of the statues behind him, blasting a wide hole through it. Hoplite was immediately filled with a horrible sense of wrongness, as if he had done something awful and wouldn’t be forgiven. The Child nearly collapsed, ready to weep for mercy, but The Soldier held fast, and ignored the pointless emotion.

He fired more, each bullet impacting the same statue as they continued to pass through the stranger. This was a waste of ammo, clearly whatever this was, it wasn’t the real man. This was just an apparition, a decoy created with Foundation, similar to what Ferow’s henchman had used back in the Faewood.

He switched on his thermals, confirming that the figure before him bore no body heat. Still, it had to be of some substance, for it did appear on his motion tracker. Besides the party and the stranger though, no other signatures could be seen, at least not on this level. Was the original on the roof then?

Despite seeing Hoplite’s shots fail to impact, Alistair still ran forward, warhammer raised and face nearly crimson with rage. He swung wide, but again the attack failed, passing through and impacting with yet another statue. Alistair’s attack crushed its torso inward, the upper half cracking off and falling forward. It nearly landed on him, but he managed to get out of the way before it could smash him.

The entire squad then descended on the apparition, save for Lance and Theopalu, the former goggling with confusion at the figure while the latter simply glared. Nolvi stared, Twindil and Kid’ka slashed, Elum and Alistair began hurling spells of acid and Golden Flame- but none of it worked as the attacks phased right through the projection. Halm, seeing the torrent of Golden Flame hurtling toward Kazon, took a hasty step back. Foundation would incinerate any Fiend to nothing if even a bit of it touched them, Hoplite had seen this on numerous occasions during his time with Alistair.

“I am not here fools!” Kazon shouted, “This form bears no substance, your attacks are futile.”

“Give her back!” Alistair shouted, “By the Pillars I will crush you and every single crony at your disposal; I’ll raze castle Blackgaze to ash- I’ll-”

“I see you have taken my words to heart!” Kazon yelled in a jovial tone, “Very good, I’d say at this rate you’ll be ready in a matter of weeks.”

“You’ll be dead in a matter of days, devil!” Twindil shouted, “Your time on Ahkoolis draws to a close!”

“You as well then, I assume the rest of you have also followed my advice. Such splendid students.” Kazon said, clasping his silvery hands together firmly, “I have no doubt we’ll meet again soon…” His hood then shifted toward Hoplite, “And who are you? I’ve not taught you anything.”

“You are to be executed for crimes against Eighth Arm personnel.” He replied flatly.

“Ah!” Kazon said, clapping his hands together once more, “You must have been in that hollow steel asteroid then?”

“That was me you bastard!” Michael shouted suddenly, “Who the hell do you think you are!? There were good men in that pod, they saved me, they woulda lived if you’d a minded your own damn business! What did ya have to gain from that!?”

“Private-” Hoplite started before Kazon cut him off.

“I just wanted to see if I could do it.” He replied with a shrug, “I’m happy to say that the test was quite successful!; it even impacted with the Fiendwall and caused a great deal of ruckus. It was quite the sight!”

Michael’s face went pale, his blue eyes seeming to become disconnected with reality at the hooded man’s words. “You just wanted- You wanted to see what would happen?” He asked, his voice quavering, “I’m gonna make sure there ain’t even bones left of ya when I’m done.”Tone turning low and deadly.

“Why are you here?” Hoplite asked curtly, keeping his gun level on the apparition.

“I simply wanted to remind you all of why you’re here, you must stay focused on the goal…” He said, “I’ll be awaiting you all at Castle Blackgaze, by time you arrive…” He paused, his hooded head turning to Twindil, “You should all be ripe”

And just like that, Kazon was gone. There was no puff of smoke, no gradual vanishing or turning translucent. He had instantly vanished from the church, there wasn’t even a sign of him on the motion tracker any more. He could see Elum, clutching his graying arm with a curse, the diseased limb twitching and seeming to cause him great pain. He managed to get the arm to cease its spasms after a few seconds, but the effort had left him covered in sweat.

Twindil worked hard to steady her breathing and collect herself, her face having turned a bright shade of crimson when Kazon had appeared. Alistair on the other hand, still maintained his rage, head turning this way and that as he presumably tried to find Kazon. Kid’ka simply stared at the spot where he’d vanished, lips drawn to a tight line and hand gripping his sword, his knuckles going white.

The others all looked similarly enraged or horrified to different degrees, but Hoplite himself? He felt… strangely indifferent to Kazon’s appearance. Hoplite wanted to neutralize him of course, but he felt no great wrath or fear at his presence. Theopalu seemed to feel the same, based on how he casually stretched by the wagon. At least, it was casual until the elder elf spotted the statue Alistair had destroyed.

“Oh, that is not good for whoever broke that.” He said with a wince, “Who did it?”

The destroyed statue, which sat in a niche just below Zodd’s. It was an armored figure that had a horned helmet sitting atop a pair of wide shoulders. At least, the helmet was presumably there before. After being crushed by Alistair’s hammer, the shrine had collapsed, with the horned stone head of the thing laying lifeless beside the ruin.

“It was me.” Alistair said, face grim.

Theopalu saw this and groaned, “You are going to have big problems soon, I’d watch my back if I were you.” He said, pointing to Alistair, “That was the shrine of Ankoriss, Pillar-God of Destruction. If you wanna live a long time then I suggest that you pull that statue back together and fall to your knees-”

Alistair then crushed the head of the statue with his warhammer, sneering before spitting on the dust that remained, “I don’t kneel.” Alistair then breathed in sharply before his knees began to wobble, putting a hand to his forehead before backing into a wall.

“Alistair!?” Elum yelled, running over to him.

The others of their group followed after the Ifrit, crowding around Alistair to try and seemingly examine him. Yet, instead of Twindil scattering the party to allow him room as Hoplite had expected, she began whispering to him. Lance, Michael, Halm, and Hoplite all stared, trying to discern what was being said. Lance likely could with her enhanced elven hearing, but Halm and Michael wouldn’t be able too. What were they whispering about over there? He tuned in with his bionic ears, picking up on the hushed conversation.

“It takes an act of arrogance to get stronger,” Alistair rasped, “You know that, I just took the opportunity-”

“It wasn’t worth it Alistair!” Twindil hissed, “You may have grown more powerful from that little stunt, but the consequences will be dire for you.”

“Even if we did fix that stupid statue and cry for forgiveness, do you really think Ankoriss would let that slide?” Alistair asked, “I can feel the power coursing through me now, I-I’m dizzy from it.” He stuttered.

“If you had at least tried to bow and scrape, maybe you would have gotten off with a minor curse, with what you did, he’s gonna send the Fists after us.” Elum said, pinching his brow, “We’re doomed.”

“Pansy.” Alistair commented, tone flat.

An act of arrogance will make Alistair stronger? Was this something that only the Atheyare could benefit from, or was this strange ability tied to the use of Foundation? Considering the fact that they were all whispering about it meant they didn’t want to share this knowledge with anyone outside of their group. Lance too seemed confused by this, moving closer to Hoplite. When she was right beside him, she sighed.

“That had to be the most terrifying moment of this trip thus far.” She said, “The Lord of Hate himself appearing, even as an apparition, nearly made my heart stop…” She said, looking down at her shaking hands, “What do you think it is that they’re talking about over there?”

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Not sure. They don’t want us to know, based on their tones.” He replied.

“An act of arrogance?” Lance asked, Twindil looking back in shock.

Right, she was half-elf, her hearing was perhaps on par with Lance’s or his own. She quickly quieted the others, looking back again with a wide eyed stare. She seemed to be expecting Hoplite to do something, with the way she tensed up. Did she think he was going to go on the offensive? After a moment, she eased herself, moving over to the two of them with a withering glare.

“It is not polite to eavesdrop.” She said, “People your age should know that.”

“Negative. I don’t see how that’s a bad thing.” Hoplite replied in monotone.

“No she’s right…” Lance said ashamedly, “It isn’t a good thing to do, it violates privacy.”

Hoplite still couldn’t understand why privacy was so important to civilians. He had no privacy in his own life and it hadn’t bothered him. Then again, it could be considered losing classified intel, so perhaps that was what Twindil felt.

“We won’t pry.” Lance said, “Sorry again, you’re right.”

Twindil sighed, looking over to the other statue that Hoplite had destroyed. It had been a tall woman, with long flowing hair and a face of serene calm, despite the holes blasted in its chest. A long robe covering it from neck to her sandaled feet had been carved into it, something that may have been ornate, had it not been ruined by the Fortis. He had a feeling he knew who that Pillar-God was. Perhaps Twindil’s glare hadn’t just been because of his eavesdropping.

“You ruined my ladies likeness, here in this sacred place.” She said, pinching the bridge of her nose, “I will try and pray for you, Hoplite. There may not be anything to worry about, Afina is not vain like Ankoriss and wrathful vengeance is not tranquil. Leaving something like this unanswered though would stain her honor.”

This might prove that Ahkoolian ‘gods’ were not all seeing and all knowing. Afina would have known and understood that it was an accident, and thus shouldn’t be prone to anger from it. It may have been her shrine, but Afina was supposed to be the goddess of tranquility and peace. If Afina thought he had done it on purpose, then the Pillar-God's view must be limited somehow. Then again, there was a chance that Afina knew this fact, but was still petty enough to seek retribution for this anyway, considering what Twindil had just said. Could Afina truly be classified as a god then, overreacting to a scenario that she had full context to? Hmm… maybe he should ask Twindil for confirmation.

“It was an accident.” Hoplite said, “If she can’t realize that, then is she really a god?” He asked sincerely.

Twindil’s jaw dropped, “Hoplite!” She shouted in exasperation.

“Oh no…” Lance whispered solemnly, hands fiddling with her chains with a nervous energy, “Hoplite, you can’t say things like that…”

“Well… uh…” Michael began before whatever he was about to say died out in his throat.

The others hadn’t heard apparently, with most everyone still crowded around Alistair. Well, everyone save for Theopalu, who stared at Hoplite wide-eyed. Why did this question seem to offend them? That frustration began to bubble up within him, forcing his eyes into a glare beneath his helmet. Why did some of his questions provoke these reactions? It was aggravating beyond belief, he had not been trying to offend, it had been an honest question.

Then it hit him. Questioning a deity’s godhood would be akin to questioning an admiral’s rank. If he had gone up to a commander like that and had asked ‘Are you sure sir? You seem more like a private.’ This same thing might happen, if not worse. How could he mitigate the damage his question had caused? Apparently the Pillar-Gods were capable of bestowing curses, and Hoplite would not allow himself to become crippled for this mission.

“I apologize, Afina, Pillar-Goddess of Tranquility.” Hoplite said, cringing internally at the words.

Twindil and Lance both goggled at him, now both of their jaws agape. Again he had offended them! What could he say that wouldn’t provoke anger from those around him!? Perhaps it would be better to simply not speak unless necessary, if his words hurt so much. Yet, as he had the thought, his mouth had begun to open, seemingly against his will, ready to launch into an angered tirade. Thankfully, Twindil spoke before he could.

“I apologize as well, Hoplite.” She said quickly, “I misjudged you, your question was surely innocent.” She then bowed deeply, “It wasn’t from a place of arrogance, just genuine curiosity.”

“...Affirmative.” Hoplite said, regaining control of his emotions, “I don’t know the limits of her abilities and simply wanted to ask.”

She stood back up then, tucking her hair back behind her ears, “She would certainly know about this situation, I guarantee that Afina knew it wasn’t on purpose… but think about it, if someone came into your home and broke a vase you own, wouldn’t it be expected that the guest apologize for it?”

That did… make a surprising amount of sense actually. If that were the case, then he’d take care of his previous offense now. He couldn’t risk becoming cursed, the mission would be potentially doomed.

“Afina, Pillar-Goddess of Tranquility, I apologize for destroying your shrine.” Hoplite said in his monotone.

Strangely, that awful feeling he had seemed to vanish, instead being replaced by an odd warmth that spread from his shoulders and down to the small of his back. It felt… pleasant.

“Thank you for your humility in this, Hoplite.” Twindil said with a smile, “Afina is forgiving, unlike Ankoriss, her opposite.”

“...You’re welcome.” Hoplite said, relishing the warmth spreading through his back.

It felt so… good. He found himself desiring to feel this way forever. The Child welcomed this sensation with gusto, while The Soldier tried to shake free of this alien intrusion. Then, just as suddenly as it came, it left. The Child wept for its absence, while the Soldier was grateful to be back to normal. Lance moved closer to him, standing on her tippy toes to stare deeply into his helmet.

“What?” Hoplite asked her, remaining motionless.

“I’m inspecting you.” She said casually, “Just making sure that you aren’t a homunculus that took my friend’s place when I wasn’t looking.”

“I’m not.” He replied, taking a step back, “Everyone, come here!” Hoplite yelled. When the entire squad finally gathered around, Hoplite continued, “We need to leave this location.” Hoplite said, “It's not safe here, my gunshots may have alerted a nearby horde, and Kazon knows we’re here.”

“Not trying to dispute this decision, for I agree, but Kazon has likely known we were here ever since we stepped foot into Akan-Var, maybe even before that.” Twindil said, crossing her arms, “The noise may have reached a horde though, so perhaps it would be best if we left quickly.”

“The shot was inside the Pillar-Church,” Kid’ka remarked, “It probably don’tn’t- didn’t reach that far. I don’t think we have to retreat.”

“Is that a risk we can afford to make?” Twindil asked, “It may have been muffled but by no means do I believe it was fully contained.”

“We can’t afford another trip outside right now.” Lance said, indicating the massive sealed stone doors, “No Fiend is getting through those, and who’s to say they would know we were in this particular building? As long as we stay quiet from now on, the horde might pass us by.”

“Remember those jumpers?” Alistair asked, “The roof is wide open and those ones are smart, they’d search inside any building they could to find a potential victim.”

“I can stay out on the rooftop and bar the door with… well, myself.” Halm said, flexing his massive arms, “No Fiend would bother trying to get past me, both because I’m all but impossible to move, but also because seeing one of their fellow’s idle would show that there was no one around.”

“Negative,” Hoplite replied, “That would secure the roof, but the doors could still be breached by a Fiend your size.”

Halm then narrowed his eyes, smirking and jutting out his jaw before sucking in his cheeks to accentuate his cheekbones, “There are no Fiends that are my size, believe me.”

Hoplite then looked to Lance, who was staring into Halm’s eyes, “There’s nothing there but absolute and utter confidence, if you’re all wondering.”

“I don’t think you need Dok-Ah to see that.” Elum remarked, “But he does have a point, there likely isn’t any Fiends near strong enough to move that gate, and if Halm blocks the upper level, jumpers can’t get in. I say we stay.” He finished, rubbing at his eyes, “I don’t think I can take another jaunt out there right now.”

Hoplite found himself agreeing with Elum. With roof access blocked off and the gates being too heavy to move, the best option would be to rest here for the night. There were no windows after all, and like Lance had mentioned just a moment ago, there was no way the Fiends would know which building they were actually holed up in.

“What do you think, sir?” Michael asked, “Think it's good? Know I could use some shut-eye myself.”

“Affirmative, we’ll camp here and continue in the morning.” Hoplite said, “Me and Halm will clear the streets before we leave, if a horde is present.”

“Sounds good to me.” Halm said, “Now, if you’ll all excuse me, I gotta go be a door.”

With that, he left awkwardly crawling through the doorway before presumably scrambling up the stairs as Hoplite had to earlier. With that done, everyone continued to make camp, still somewhat shaken up by Kazon’s appearance, if Hoplite was reading their grim expressions right. Hopefully a good night's rest would bring their moods back up, if they even could sleep after this experience.