Breaking Cat
Scions of Allas
"So can we all do that?" Late that night, Merideth's curiousity had gotten the better of her again.
Greppa shrugged, "I don't know. I prayed to Allas for aid when things seemed worst, and... Allas filled me. I don't think it can happen for me again - I had to sacrifice my ability to access Shadow, and I can only give that up once."
Merideth, eyes wide, "Really? But.. I mean, is that it? You give up shadow spells forever and you get one battle? Aren't your best spells shadow spells?"
At that point, grinning, Athan interjected, "Hethas' bones, no - earth's strenght is much better... you didn't lose that?"
All three laughed, though nervously, and Greppa shook his head, "No, no, I didn't lose that. But yeah... I lost some pretty good spells. I won't be able to weaken the giants anymore, and I've completely lost contact with my shadow servants. But... I don't know. The process gave me some strong insight into tapping Allas' realm. I've got some ideas on how to do spells of light that may improve my capacities in that regard. So it's not all sacrifice.
After a moment, as the others thought on that, he added, "And we're all alive and not captured. That's got to be a plus."
"It is." The voice belonged to Thelanna, the deep-voiced ellini priestess of Allas. Three youths, dressed in similar white silk tunics, flanked her, and were struggling under the burden of the Sun Stone. "I came as swiftly as I could when the sign appeared in the heavens. Greppa of Tartwater, there are vague hints in my dreams that you and your comrades are important to Allas, so I would lend you the Sun Stone for this battle, that you may act as a focus for Allas to smite your foes."
Greppa quirked an eyebrow, "And that means what?"
"You would place your hands upon the stone, and so long as they remained there, daylight would cover all that you can see. And as an arcanist, you are accustomed to channelling extraplanar forces - Allas would send spells through you into the field of battle, searing light to burn away your foes."
Deep down, Greppa trusted Allas. He knew that the gods used mortals, and indeed, had used Greppa to recover the Stone in the first place. And he was reasonably anxious to get his hands wrapped around it, now that he knew what kind of an artifact it was.
But Thelanna wasn't Allas - she was organized religion - and Greppa didn't think her grasp of strategy was all that sound. "Ah, well, I need to talk to Agina. They may need me on sky watch for giants."
Thelanna's freckled face soured, if only slightly, "Of course, but you would turn down an offer of the might of Allas...?"
After the situation was explained to Agina, with Agina carefully observing Greppa as he explained the Sun Stone in glowing terms in front of Thelanna, shook her head, "Greppa will be a lot more useful in the sky, riding herd on the giants and shamans, than firing random bolts of burning light into the orc army. The sunlight sounds damned useful, though - does that require Greppa, or just any priest of Allas?"
Thelanna, mouth open, closed it, then, "Anyone devoted enough can bring the sunlight down."
"Excellent. We could use that. Have your holy artifact ready - the orcs may attack tonight, and we could use some sun on the battle."
After Thelanna had stalked off, Captain Agina grinned and headed back to her tent. According to her scouts and Captain Hypatia's espers, the orc leaders were staying up all night trying to plan... making an attack tonight unlikely. But she trusted Greppa's opinion as an arcanist and soldier, and this would keep Thelanna busy and out of his hair.
In the morning, Greppa and his illusionist companion flew into the sky.
. Plus you and incognito are such fans of her, how can I not at least write up her background a bit! 
