[Avardum: Day 044 | Location: Divine Realm | Elina, Janel]

"Marcus is a warrior unlike anything Avardum has ever produced," Elina said, wondering how to put Marcus into perspective, "The place he comes from is so different from the world. You know that to explain the differences would take more hours than we can afford. So suffice it to say that Marcus has my complete trust as my agent, and he should have yours."

Janel paused for a moment, processing those words. "So he is a man? He is not some machinations that you have created to combat the corruption that has permeated your world?"

"He is a man."

"Let's table talk of your Holy Dungeon for a moment, please, my Goddess," Janel said, wanting to know how things had fallen so far so quickly. "But I must have answers. It felt as if we were in a glorious age, thriving in your light, then almost overnight discontent and malice swept the world, the faithful were slain, those of us left live as slaves... I lived as a slave... Why?!"

Elina watched as tears formed in Janel's eyes, and remained stoic, letting her High Priestess work through the emotions on her own. When Janel had wiped her eyes and looked up for an answer, Elina finally spoke. "I have no answer that will satisfy you. By the time that I realized something was wrong, my power had been undermined to such an extent that I could not directly intervene..."

Janel interrupted, "What do you mean! Why could you not save the faithful, not even me, but the children who cried out for your mercy? Why not save them?!"

Elina glowed with light at the outburst, "Remember your place, priestess! I am your god! I..."

Janel froze, expecting to be punished, but the only thing that came from Elina's mouth was a sigh. "Let me show you, Janel, let me show you what happened."

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With a wave of her hand, Elina transported the two of them to a new place, the scenery familiar to them both. The sacred temple stood atop a lush hill, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. The air was heavy with the scent of blooming flowers, and the distant hum of chanting filled the sacred space. High Priestess Janel knelt before the altar, her hands clasped in prayer. The marble floor beneath her seemed to vibrate with the energy of devotion that permeated the temple.

Janel was thrown off, watching herself pray, from where she and Elina stood. "This is the temple in Var-Nush."

Elina nodded. "It is. This was my favorite place that had been built in my honor."

"You should see what Marcus is building. It looks like it will exceed even this in beauty," Janel said, looking around, fond memories filling her mind.

"Marcus comes from a world with a history far longer than Avardum, and is drawing off of his knowledge of his people's history to create the temple I asked of him, but this will still always be my favorite." Elina paused, "Shall we play this out as it would have been?"

"As you wish, my Goddess," Janel said, and suddenly found herself in the place of the other Janel, kneeling before the alter.

As the incense wafted through the air, a shimmering figure materialized beside the altar. Elina, the goddess of light, descended with an ethereal grace. Her eyes glowed with divine wisdom, and her golden hair cascaded like liquid sunlight. Janel looked up, remembering the first time she had lived this experience. This was all roleplay at this point, but the familiarity was comforting.

"Rise, my devoted priestess," Elina's voice echoed through the sacred space, wrapping Janel in warmth and reassurance. Janel stood, her heart pounding with a mixture of reverence and anticipation despite knowing this would answer her questions.

Elina's eyes sparkled with a deep, sadness, breaking the character of the Goddess in her prime, "To be worshipped is to be connected to the very essence of life. The prayers, the offerings, the unwavering belief—they all create a flow of energy that courses through me. It is a river of love, and with each drop of devotion, I am strengthened, my power magnified."

Janel's eyes glistened with admiration as she listened, hanging onto every word spoken by the divine being before her. "And what does it feel like, this power you speak of? Is it a constant surge, or does it ebb and flow like the tides?"

Elina's expression softened, and she gestured for Janel to join her at the altar. Together, they stood before the flickering candles and the sacred artifacts that adorned the holy space. "It is both constant and ever-changing," Elina explained. "Imagine a gentle current that flows beneath the surface, a source of unwavering strength. Yet, like the tides, it responds to the rhythms of the world—rising with fervent prayers and waning when doubt or neglect seeps in."

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Janel nodded, absorbing the divine teachings with reverence. "What happened to this power? Why did you leave us in our time of need?"

A shadow passed over Elina's face, and the air in the temple seemed to chill. "To have one's power torn away is to experience a void, a profound emptiness that echoes through the very core of one's being. It is as if a part of your essence has been severed, leaving behind a wound that refuses to heal. The connection to the worshippers is strained, and the once vibrant river of devotion turns into a dry, desolate bed."

Janel's eyes widened in concern. "But who could wield such power, to challenge even a goddess like you?"

Elina's gaze turned distant as if searching the vast expanse of the cosmos for an answer. "There are forces beyond even my understanding, ancient energies that defy the natural order. It is a threat that transcends the mortal realm, a darkness that hungers for the light. I have felt its tendrils reaching into the sanctuaries of worship, attempting to extinguish the flames of belief."

Janel shivered, feeling a sense of dread creeping into the sacred space. "What can we do, Elina? How can we protect the connection between you and your worshippers from this malevolent force?"

The goddess placed a comforting hand on Janel's shoulder. "My devoted priestess, the strength lies in the purity of faith. We must bolster the foundations of belief and fortify the hearts of those who worship. Together, we can create a shield, a barrier that repels the encroaching darkness. But it requires unwavering devotion, a collective effort to uphold the sanctity of the divine connection."

Janel nodded solemnly, her determination shining through her eyes. "We shall not let this darkness prevail. With your guidance, dear Elina, and the unyielding faith of your followers, we will stand strong against the encroaching shadows."

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Suddenly, Janel found herself back on a couch, across from Elina. The Goddess smiles at her. "I accept your resolution, and had I been as candid with you in the past when I began losing power, we might have been able to prevent much of what happened. But I was scared. I had never had a challenger for the faith of my children."

"I still don't know who or what could have pulled people away," Janel said.

Elina shrugged. "Neither do I. That is actually what caused me to reach out to the other gods, specifically, the gods of Earth."

"Earth?" Janel asked, confused.

"Earth is Marcus's home, and is a bit of a rarity among gods, as it is a world that has hundreds of practiced religions, with multiple pantheons, and divine power struggles happen all the time." Elina said, "When I first reached out, it was roughly twenty years ago. Marcus had been fighting for nearly three hundred years at that point, and he, and the troops he commanded, had single-handedly brought two gods, Mars and Bellona, to new heights of power."

"How did he do that?" Janel said, curious about what kind of paladin Marcus had been.

"He killed in the name of his gods, slayed the enemy with a single-minded focus the likes of which most mortals could not even begin to fathom, let alone put into effect. Marcus has killed hundreds of billions of beings in the name of his gods." Elina said.

The air felt cool once more, and Janel stood in shock. "Billions? Hundreds of Billions? How is that even possible?"

Elina chuckled, "I know, as I said, his world is different in ways that I would have difficulty even describing to you."

"Fair enough," Janel said. She knew that some of her questions had been ignored, but she did at least feel as if her Goddess was present now.

"Let us relax for a moment, then I shall send you back," Elina said, pouring tea for herself and Janel.

"Thank you," Janel said, taking the tea and sinking into the comforting couch she sat upon.

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[Avardum: Day 044 | Location: Howling Plains | Marcus]

Marcus had lost himself in the labor of building. A life spent as a soldier, an entity purely focused on killing and destruction, made a task as simple as creating and laying bricks incredibly cathartic. He took a break and focused on everything he had accomplished. The temple was to be the center of the city, with a grand courtyard in front of it with roads leading into each of the four cardinal directions. As his sphere of influence was increasing every moment of every day, as long as he paced himself, he would not run into the issue of needing to wait for the influence to expand.

The city would be a little sterile, but he expected people, if they ever came to live here, to change things and add color to the streets. Marcus looked at the section of road he had just laid, and felt a sense of accomplishment. "I haven't done anything non-combat related in decades."

Marcus was mumbling to himself, and Aurora chose that moment to interject. "Marcus, I think I have finished the basics for how we will be routing null mana into the statue. You were right when you compared the Mana Purifier to a gravity forge. Once the mana density reaches critical mass, it should self-sustain and produce quantities of Mana that are, a little unreasonable."

"Good," Marcus said, focusing his attention on the statue that would become a Mana Purifier several orders of magnitude more efficient than just the Mana Barriers. It did rely on the Mana Barriers to remove particulates from the air. From there, it got convoluted and relyed heavily on some assumptions that Marcus and Aurora had made regarding Nullmana, such as once cleansed into Mana, it was harder to convert the Mana back to Nullmana.

"Shall we put the final touches on it?" Aurora asked.

"I think we should. The more mana we can produce, the quicker we can expand and achieve everything we were set out to do."

Marcus suddenly felt as if eyes were on him. He changed his focus to the outdoors and found no one. Another shiver made the feeling increase.