Sun [https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczO4MilKiF4RW7ITq2wIWCHg_Vvx2aMOYQ_cl9uIcSzFSLgo9WGQggxAh2ltUHB2V4QQ7jY4w9G57SmNiz7ZnXzZmoBZ-s7LMOj5SzK-KuhA7WYnxwWV1201F1USp1jvrw1C4gf2EbYrD9DN3kFSfuPj=w639-h959-s-no-gm?authuser=0]
Phoenix sat in one of the plush chairs that formed a semi-circle around the floating form of Paul in the new room at the World Tree that had been dedicated for the purpose of exactly what she was doing now: visiting the Lord of House Wayland.
“So then Kara caught me and, of course, gave me a scolding for doing almost exactly what she does with blowing up monsters,” Phoenix said aloud to the Paladin trapped in his regenerative stasis, “Then freaking Destroyer showed up! Turns out, the Soul Mark means I can become a Saint and use the gods’ powers to bless people…”
She glanced over to Orebela, who had been hovering quietly nearby and had encouraged her when she explained what she wanted to try doing, “Speaking of which, how badly did Paul neglect his clergy training or whatever to not know more about what the Soul Mark does or being a Chosen one means?”
There was an odd trilling sound as the Familiar laughed and replied telepathically, “What training? Wayland said, ‘Bless me, and I’ll cleanse the world of the Corrupted,’ and then ran off to hunt the undead.”
“Wow. He’s actually a terrible Paladin, isn’t he?”
“Paladins are the sword of a deity,” Kara replied from behind her, and Phoenix turned to see the golden nine-tailed voxen entering the room, “So, in that regard, he was a very good Paladin until he didn’t raise his sword for the Purifier.”
Phoenix flushed in embarrassment slightly as she admitted, “He never actually got around to telling me about it. We both thought there would be plenty of time later after the blood moon…”
“Well, I won’t go into details. I don’t know all of them, really, anyway, but his story has become quite the tale among religious circles. The Blade of Pure Wrath that defied his god and was shunned by the world, Fallen from grace, only to be redeemed when the god was denounced in turn as the Purifier turned against the world.”
“I’ve heard that much before,” she replied, “I just don’t know why he did it in the first place.”
“According to the story I was told, Purifier commanded him to ‘cleanse’ an entire village of felions, children included.”
Phoenix’s jaw dropped, “What? Why? For what reason? Were they all Corrupted or something?”
“That’s just it,” Kara said, unfolding one of the high-tech barrels she had confiscated to sit upon, “None of them were tainted with Corruption, but the deity said that their very nature was corrupting the world.”
The Sunlight Champion paused, looking thoughtful for a moment, and asked, “How much do you know about felions?”
Phoenix shrugged, “Just that they look like furry humanoid cat-people.”
“Well, it’s a bit of a tangent, but they’re not a species originally birthed on Makera. The very first one was–”
“Born from a Wayfarer?” she guessed, “I heard about how gemites were made.”
Kara chuckled, “No, but also yes? A Wayfarer was a felion originally before arriving here. She managed to recreate her original species with help from the Cultivator and Parent, however. At least, according to their historical texts.”
“So, to tie this back in, is it safe to assume that the Purifier used their supposed foreign origins as a pretense for ‘cleansing’ them?” she asked.
“That’s exactly what he did,” the Paladin confirmed with a nod, turning her gaze to the silently sleeping man before them, “Not only did Paul tell his god ‘no,’ but he protected the village from a fellow disciple of the Purifier.”
Phoenix’s eyes went wide in surprise before saying, “I guess that explains why he didn’t seem to trust people when we first met.”
Kara nodded again, “Hard to trust people once you feel betrayed like that.”
They fell silent as Phoenix thought about that, understanding the feeling only a little herself. She had learned quickly after arriving in this world not to trust random strangers, but she couldn’t fathom how she might feel if she suddenly found herself fighting against her own allies. What if she had to fight her party? Would she feel so betrayed that she never trusted anyone again?
“Even though I didn’t know him,” Kara interjected with a gesture to Paul, “I’m glad he found you and learned to trust again. He’s seen as a hero to many people outside of Tulim as well as all those here who know that he would have given his life for theirs.”
Phoenix wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to the odd sort of praise. It’s not like she did anything special. She and Paul just… clicked together, like kindred spirits who had always understood one another.
As she looked back at the only father she had ever known, she finally understood why she was feeling so melancholic. While their souls had become entwined, she still felt separated from him. Unable to find comfort in each other’s presence and words.
“I didn’t come here just to talk about him, though,” Kara finally said after a few long moments. They both turned to look at each other as the Paladin said, “I came here to say goodbye for now.”
“You’re leaving already?” Phoenix asked in surprise.
“Yeah,” the Sunlight Champion said and gave a tiny smirk, “Other people out there still need a champion, and my duty here is done. The Obsidian threats are gone, and you have capable guardians here still. Like that Royal Knight who’s staying in the capital and the rebellious kit that was dumb enough to make Paul an Oathbond to watch over you.”
“Wait, what?” Phoenix asked in surprise, “Everin did that? When?”
“No idea,” Kara replied with a shrug, “I just noticed the mark on his wrist and asked him which Wayland he was bound to. He’s not as good at hiding it as you are,” she added with a gesture towards one of the cuff bracelets she wore at the moment.
“Paul said it was dangerous for people to find out,” she explained, “Like my Talent.”
“He’s right about that, at least,” the Obsidian Caster said, then abruptly stood and called out behind her, “You can come in now, kit!”
Rainbow hair and fox ears appeared in the doorway as Phoenix turned to look again and see the newcomer. “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Everin said, seeming oddly subdued more than he usually was in the presence of the other voxen.
“I was just about to leave, which I know you heard,” Kara said, then patted Phoenix’s head as the woman added with a vulpine grin, “Look me up when you hit Obsidian Caste, Princess. You and I should spar and see who can make the bigger explosion.”
Phoenix laughed, “Is that a nice way of saying ‘I don’t want to see you for at least a century’?”
The golden voxen shook her head, the long wavy hair swaying behind her beautifully, as she said, “Eventually you’ll understand, but what’s a mere century to immortals like us?”
“Still an annoyingly long time,” she grumbled.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The Obsidian Caster chuckled, “Yet a century from now, you’ll wonder where all the time went,” then Kara looked towards Everin and said, “Try to keep her out of too much trouble.”
“I refuse to make that promise,” he replied with a small grin.
Kara laughed and then began to move towards the door when Phoenix suddenly remembered something important she needed to tell the Paladin, “Hey, Kara?”
“Yes, Phoenix?”
“Thank you for being my champion and saving the city. I’ll never forget everything you did for me.”
Kara smiled brightly and gave a respectful bow as the Sunlight Champion replied, “It is as my goddess commands, Saint Wayland,” then she was gone in a streak of golden light.
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“I’m actually glad you’re here,” Phoenix said to Everin as he moved to sit atop the barrel Kara had left behind. He had no doubt that the obsessive woman had another to take with her to wherever she was headed next. Everin liked barrels just as much as the next voxen, but Kara’s fixation was on a whole other level, in his opinion.
“Oh?” Everin asked in response, “Presley merely let me know when you arrived. I wanted to check on you since you were asleep last time I had the chance.”
“Yeah, the battle was enough to get me to Sapphire, and I think the whole Saint thing made me extra-exhausted,” she paused for a moment before giving him a curious look and hesitantly said, “I wanted to ask… Did you know I could bless people like that? Before Destroyer said so, that is. I know you kind of explained that the gods didn’t want to unknowingly risk my life, but did you know becoming a Saint was even possible?”
He hesitated, unsure if this was a trick question somehow, but said honestly, “I didn’t know that the Chosen could become Saints. Every Saint I had ever heard of before was an Obsidian Caster. Most people are aware of Saints if they paid attention to their religious studies, but it seems they don’t teach about the Chosen who might have tried early and died for it –likely so we don’t try pushing them into risking their lives like that ourselves. As Dazien briefly mentioned before, most people see the Chosen as favored individuals who simply spread a deity’s concept metaphorically through their actions. Even as an Anointed Disciple, I didn’t realize being Chosen was a prerequisite to becoming a Saint.”
“Anointed Disciple?” she asked him curiously, thankfully not seeming angered by his answer and ignorance.
“Paladins, Clerics, Monks, and Avatars are all considered Anointed Disciples,” the rainbow voxen explained, “We were granted Blessings, usually in the form of Natural Talent cultivations, and gained a Title from it. Sometimes, the Blessing is a divinely crafted Aspect or Spirit Gem instead, but the Title is universal. It’s an invisible mark upon our soul.”
“Am I one of these Anointed then?”
“No, but not because you or other Chosen aren’t blessed the same way. It’s because you’re not a Disciple. You haven’t dedicated yourself to any deity and made your vow to allow for the whispers they give in response to our prayers.”
“Kara mentioned Paladins are the ‘swords of a deity.’ What are the others?”
Everin raised a brow at the question and asked one of his own in turn, “Are you asking out of simple curiosity or because you have a deity in mind to dedicate to?”
“Both Dazien and Destroyer said I probably shouldn’t do that,” Phoenix admitted, then glanced over to the Ruby Caster still hovering quietly in the air, “I think I just want to understand Paul a bit better. He did dedicate himself… twice. I guess I’m just curious about what his options were and why he might have picked what he did.”
“Paul was a Striker through and through,” he said with a chuckle, “I saw him fight monsters up close, and that massive sword he wields is not just for show.”
Phoenix chuckled, “I know; he almost stabbed me with it back in Tulisuda against the Emerald Priestess, remember?”
He did remember that vaguely, mainly because he had been busy trying to get everyone’s attention in the camp to not witness the suicidal attempt to help. It was only Rebel’s whispered orders that kept too many people from asking very pointed questions and potentially learning about Phoenix’s ability to resurrect herself.
Then Phoenix clarified, “But if Paladins are the sword, then is there a shield equivalent?”
“That would be the Monks,” he answered, expounding a bit more for the sake of her curiosity, “They usually stay within temples or other sacred places and guard them while cultivating both their martial skills and any Aspect abilities they might have. Not all clergy or Anointed Disciples are Casters, after all.”
“And I remember you were a Cleric before becoming an Avatar,” Phoenix continued thoughtfully, “Are those the healers?”
He chuckled, “Not strictly speaking. Paul could have become a Cleric instead despite not having any healing capabilities. Clerics are the teachers. Many of us travel and proselytize to the masses, promoting our deity’s concept.”
“Wait, you were a mission-worker?”
“I’m not sure that word is translating properly,” Everin said with a frown, “Adventurers get ‘missions’ while the clergy get ‘quests’ normally, but Clerics don’t usually get a quest to proselytize; that’s simply a day-to-day thing we’re expected to do.”
Phoenix started to shake her head and say, “That’s not what I meant, I–” when she suddenly froze again, then conjured her [Guide Book] and stared at it for a long moment before turning to stare wide-eyed at him and ask, “Everin… does– do the gods– does everywhere in the world call missions from the gods ‘quests’?”
“Uh oh,” Scholar whispered in his mind.
He couldn’t help but reply incredulously, “What does that supposed to mean?!”
“Um… laugh it off?”
“What?!”
“Everin!” Phoenix interjected his mild panic with a fixed stare as she leaned towards him, suddenly very intense, “Are the gods the ones giving me my quests?!”
He hesitated, unsure of how to answer among his own confusion, “I– I don’t know?”
“Why did you say that like a question?!”
“Well, I don’t know how every ability works!” he retorted, “I’m only forty-seven, okay! It’s not like I have a ton of experience with Wayfarers with weird floaty books that give them random pieces of information and loot that definitely needs to come from somewhere!”
“Oh. My. Gods. I can’t believe I didn’t figure that out earlier!” Phoenix exclaimed, dropping her face into her palms in exasperation. She groaned, “I mean, I suspected something odd was going on with it, but I can’t believe they’ve basically been using me as a tool this whole time.”
Everin snorted a laugh, earning a glare for it, and pointed out, “At least they don’t literally take over your body like a doll to play with.”
Phoenix seemed to relax slightly at that comparison, and he continued, “Now, I’m obviously not one to simply go along unquestioningly with an order. I don’t think you are either,” he tapped the spot on her chest where her dress covered her Soul Mark, “Rebel wouldn’t have been able to mark you otherwise.”
He gestured to Paul, the blackened scar of the Purifier’s Sigil easily seen, “He definitely didn’t either. Just because the gods whisper advice or give a quest doesn’t mean any of us have to obey it. Do you regret any of those quests you accepted?”
She fell silent and looked thoughtful for a long time –he assumed replaying the memories of every quest she might have gone through with. Then she said very slowly, “I don’t think so… but it makes me wonder if there were other options– other paths I could have chosen if I had known more. What if I did something because I thought it was the only option?”
“What if you didn’t do something because you were afraid of some ulterior motive of the god who might have been behind it?” he gestured to the Paladin before them and answered for her, “Paul would be ashes right now. Tulim would be ashes.”
“You’d be ashes?”
“Pft,” he scoffed and smirked as he gave her a half-truth to lighten the mood, “If you hadn’t landed in this world and accepted Rebel’s quest, I’d be lounging on a beach right now riding out the blood moon under the protection of some Ruby Casters.”
It had the desired effect of causing her to laugh, “Sorry, I ruined your vacation.”
“It’s fine,” he reassured, “I know you’ll make it up to me when we go back to that beach someday.”
“We?”
“Of course,” he replied and finally revealed his other connection to her, “You have a divine quest from Hero and Rebel to save it, after all.”