It was the time of..................
Sorry this took so long. I was going to breeze through this part, but it's an important part of the narrative, a moment of RP that should not be lost. The fightin' will start next post.
Merideth shook her head at my pronouncement, "No."
It was my turn to look incredulous, "What do you mean 'no?'"
Here is where I must say something about Merideth, she's always been closer than a sister to me. We talk about boys, pal around at the Olympics staring at boys, killing orcs and being generally as close as a man and a woman could be without marriage. If I liked girls, I'd have asked her to marry me a long time ago, but since we're friends I sometimes forget that she's a girl. At that moment, she looked very vulnerable, her eyes wide and afraid.
"I don't want to talk to Belial," she said in a small, almost imperceptible voice.
I stared at her hard, "Why?"
"When I see him...when I look at him," she stopped. She swallowed and started again, "I can't think when I see him. I look at him all of my thoughts are blown away on a wind of desire. It scares me."
Damn, I thought I had a strong reaction to Belial.
"Merideth," I started, feeling myself slipping from "Greppa of Tartwarter" into "Greppa of Theralis," hero of innumerable battles, ersatz scion of Allas. Here, I could make decisions that made me sick later, but they were decisions that need to be made. Theralis was being squeezed and we needed to take a position now. Allas and Dianas were going to butt heads and we needed to have all the options on the table. "Merideth, don't think, just stay with me. You can do this."
Pensively biting her lip, she nodded and I lit Belial's feather.
Belial appeared, artfully arranged on the bed. He was wearing the loin cloth again with bits of pitted iron adorning his neck and wrists. He was a walking wet dream, I needed him to give me insight into what was becoming a nightmare.
Merideth's hand slipped into mine. She was trembling. "Belial," I began, "Allas is moving to become the patron deity of Theralis. She is offering us military support. Not just blessings, but support by her Host. We are having a council meeting to discuss and we have to know what you and your people have to offer."
Belial stood, detaching himself from the bed with liquid grace. Surprisingly, I found that I still wanted him, but it was an aggressive feeling, unfamiliar and heady. I also found that I could think through this feeling, everything felt sharp edged and I felt the parts of myself that romanticized the potential of a tumble with Belial pushed firmly aside.
He looked at me, smooth assurance absent from his face, "Do not try to deceive us," we will tell you everything we have to bring, but it will be everything. Do not use us to get more from Allas."
Now that was an interesting statement. Merideth and I caught each other's eyes. Her full intelligence shown through. Belial wasn't so attractive when a deadline loomed. While he wasn't frightened, something weighed on him.
I turned back to him, "Well? Who are you representing?"
The Fiend turned, spreading his wings, "Come with me." He enveloped us, cradling with his powerful arms. The room spun away into darkness and then there was light, a thick, warm, red light that caressed as it illuminated. We were on the summit of a mountain. The sky was a smoky red and black clouds seemed to flit and worm about in it. Merideth's eyes were big, but her body was tensed, ready. I looked at my hands. I was glowing with a dull brightness. The touch of Allas showed even here. I turned to Belial expectantly. He shouted a phrase in Infernal. The black clouds roving across the sanguine heavens surged and began to head towards us. With growing trepidation the mass of darkness grew, resolving into a particulate mass of screaming, flapping birds.
The cloud advanced and enveloped us, two-foot long ravens blurring past and through us. Part of the animate mass coalesced into a tall, white skinned celestial. She wore a simple white tunic and her feet were caught in wrapped sandals made of black leather. Her head was converged with a black thatch of hair and her eyes were a void, devoid of white and her shoulders were draped with a floor length cloak of feathers.
"Are these they of which you spoke Belial?" She asked with a strangely clipped hiss.
He nodded, "Yes they are. They wish to see what you bring to the bargaining table."
She nodded and fixed us with a steely void, "Do not seek to betray us," she said.
With uncharacteristic directness, I replied, "No lies are here. We need to know so that our people may make the proper choice. It does not lay with me. I will take it to them and they will decide. I am Greppa."
Merideth did not say anything, she watched the god with wide eyes.
"This is Merideth," I supplied.
The feather cloaked goddess nodded, "I am Corvidae, Goddess of Ravens. I will bring my power to the battlefield, and," she said gesturing to other clouds of darkness flitting through the red sky, "My children."
My mind supplied images of huge ravens feasting on orc flesh and I found my self smiling.
"What do you want in exchange?" I asked.
"Worship and a Temple, nothing more," she responded.
I produced a piece of parchment and wrote down what she said.
Merideth finally spoke up, "How does one go about becoming a priest of yours?"
Corvidae smiled, "If we have a bargain, we will discuss it."
Merideth smiled at the goddess, who dispersed into a cloud of black birds and rejoined her children in the sky. Belial enveloped us with his wings and we felt ourselves falling, flying into the blackness at the base of the mountains. We stopped at a cave and Belial led us through the mouth. Spiders of varying sizes lined the walls and a Hellhunter, affixed with the same strange mark as the hunter we found in Hurath's tower, skittered out of the blackness towards us.
"Stop!" Belial commanded.
"Thissss one we know," It said, pointing a foreleg in my direction.
"This is the one who will help secure our release," Belial said.
I kept myself tucked behind the fiend. Merideth, Athan and I had killed a whole lot of spiders (and more than a few hellhunters) early in our careers and these guys seemed to hold a grudge.
"They attacked ussssss," it said.
"Hey!," I piped up," You attacked us when we returned home. We just took back our home."
It started to advance and I tensed then it stopped, "Hsethmah said that we will be allies." Then it added, "For now."
I narrowed my eyes, "If we do this, it will be forever." The Hellhunter did not respond.
Belial smoothed things over with, what I now know, is a priest of Hsethmah. Hsethmah pledged the aid of spiders great and small. He asked for a temple also, he also asked for the dark, deserted, crevices and other places in Theralis and the wilderness around for his children. As long as they didn't alter the environment, it was fine with me.
I scribbled more notes on my parchment.
We took to the air again. The mountains yawned beneath us, jagged teeth of a mouth hungry for something. Our souls maybe? Belial maneuvered deftly between the stone incisors bringing us alight at the entrance of a grand palace of reddish marble. A woman clad in a full, strapless floor length blood red tunic awaited in the doorway.
Corvidae was impressive, this woman was thought rending. Her face was a perfect piece of art, everything sizable enough to make an impression, but not so much to take away from the tableau of the entire picture. Her eyes were a blood black, caught on chalk sclera, her lips were full, supple and inflamed and her black hair was caught up, away from her bare shoulders.
Belial bowed deeply, we followed his lead. His voice throbbed with respect as he said, "This is Luccas. Or I should say an avatar of Luccas."
The avatar smiled at Belial with overwhelming condescension, "Thank you for bringing them." She said to us, "Come with me."
We followed her into the palace noticeably, Belial remained behind. We followed her through the cavernous structure winding up at a throne, upon which sat the more perfect model upon which the avatar was based. We stood before Luccas.
We left her presence shaken. It wasn't a difficult bargaining session, but there were two things she would not bend on: Allas could not be worshiped in Theralis. The second was something far more personal. I had to be her high priest. I had never seen myself as a priest, however if Theralis did not choose Allas, we were going to need a source of sunlight so I said yes. Not to mention, we needed the infernal Host, she had to bring to bear.
"We wish to ascend from the Pit," She said. "By helping you, we will garner the worship, the power, necessary to take back our place in the heavens."
We found Belial waiting for us as the Avatar escorted us out. Some spiteful parting remarks passed between the two and Belial wrapped us in his wings and returned us to...
My summoning chamber in my Tower. "Why are we here?" I asked.
"A servant of Allas is at Phitios' Tower," He said and then he vanished.
"So now they're following us," I muttered.
I didn't know where Akeros was, but I didn't want to start the rest of my little plan without him. However, if Allas was tracking our movements, we couldn't stay in one place, too long.
"Let's go," I said, starting to cast Stoneskin and Earth's strength on each of us. "We need to get to the Temple of Dianas."
It's surprisingly easy to get around Theralis without being followed. The city is the pinnacle of southern architecture. We saw what Aglionis and Tuoma were doing and improved. Not only were there streets but there were walkways above the streets stretching across connective arches above the earth. It was possible to cross the entire city without touching earth. Shrouded in dun brown cloaks, Merideth and I slipped through the air above. We didn't see anyone follow. Merideth couldn't sense anyone. However, the sun was shining brightly. We knew at least someone was keeping an eye out.
Not surprisingly, we arrived at the temple of Dianas and the Councilor Menelaos was present, personally supervising a donation of fine wines from his vineyards in Tartwater. We prevailed upon him to gain us immediate access to the high priest.
He smiled with placid familiarity, "Such a rush?" He asked calmly, "It's only the afternoon."
I spoke directly, "I don't think we have much time." Merideth kept her eyes on our surroundings. Akeros wasn't here as far as we were aware, so it was up to us to make sure I stayed alive. I didn't want to die, but I wanted to be sure that Theralis made the right decision, gods didn't matter. The freedom and endurance of our people mattered. I explained to him what Allas wanted, and then I told him the possibilities offered by the Gods of the Pit. Luccas was clear about one thing, if Allas was worshiped in Theralis, she would not help. However with Corvidae, Hsethmah, Luccas and Dianas, it seemed that we had a better chance against Xeras and her Bukenahk.
I had hoped to get a list of what Dianas would provide. Allas would have to match everything in order to gain the worship of Theralis. If we were going to choose our gods, we'd choose he gods what will give us the most.
The high priest of was a small man, with small beady black eyes half sitting up on his couch. His hair was sparse and his tunic spotted with wine. He was also sopping drunk and dozing fitfully. Menelaos gestured for us to sit while the priest roused himself. "Oh, it you," he said disappointedly. "Finally."
Puzzled, I asked, "What do you mean 'finally?'"
He fixed me with those rapidly sobering beady eyes and I remembered. Dianas was a goddess of prophecy. "How much do you know?"
"Everything," he replied with sage sadness.
My heart swelled, "So?"
The priest reclined onto the couch, "It doesn't matter who the people of Theralis chooses, Dianas will be neutral."
"What?" I exclaimed, "But, but, Theralis is Dianas' city. How can she be neutral?"
He fixed me with those beady, sober eyes,"This is something you can never tell. Even to our priests, this knowledge is a great Mystery known to few." He paused and took a deep breath. "Dianas is an old God. Older than Allas, older than the first war of the Gods. Dianas is old but she is not strong. Allas, when she was but a child, hurled a spear through the thigh of her mother Luccas. Not for a real reason, Allas was only throwing a tantrum. Luccas seized her by the head and hurled her from the highest tower of her home and buried her beneath the paving stones of the courtyard. Allas was buried for years and when she arose and with the aid of the younger gods, made war against Luccas and the other old gods. It was she who pierced the heart of her mother and bound her to the pit and took her power. Dianas removed herself from the conflict, allying in name with Allas and the younger gods and eventually relinquishing her eminence to the younger generation. If Allas were to tell Dianas to depart Theralis, she would." He stopped while the statements settled in.
"There's a council meeting tomorrow," I started.
"Yes," The priest responded,"The general of Allas' celestial army is here. He will address the Council in the morning. If you are going to do something, you should do it now."
I was speechless. Allas was a step before me. I had to take time to think. Time, though wasn't a luxury we had, wasn't a luxury I had. I turned to Menelaos, "Councilor, can you direct me to the house of Balthas?"
He looked thoughtful for several moments,"I'll escort you...after the wine has been delivered."
***
Balthas' home was located outside of the city. Menelaos escorted us through the streets with irritating casualness. Didn't we explain it clear enough? Someone is going to kill me. Allas wants to take over Theralis. Xeras and the Bukenahk want to take over everything. Three fallen gods want to join with us against everybody. Who knew what the other gods were up to, we needed to hurry before something takes it out of our hands.
Menelaos was a council member, one of the City-State's leaders. I was just a soldier, a citizen doing his duty. Merideth and I followed along in his wake, and a crowd began to form around us. He was a popular councilmember and very visible. He often stopped to chat with merchants wine while we walked. It took me a while to realize it, but I finally had time to think.
Allas said she would offer us military support. However, that support had not been quantified and up until now her support has consisted of sunlight on the battlefield. We found the sunstone. We powered the sunstone with our strength. She sends us visions, we set out to make it happen. She wants to be the sole god in Theralis. Xeras has the Bukenahk and backing by the Bukenahk's ancestors. We could have the full resources of three gods. They may not be as powerful as they were, but they will do whatever it takes for us and them to win. Even if Dianas doesn't fight for us, she will still be the patron of Theralis. If she doesn't leave, we'll have her blessings. Four gods versus one god. The figures, I thought, were basic.
I shook my head. I wanted to give the lists of what they were willing to commit to Balthas I even scribbled out a quick copy while Menelaos was bemoaning the affairs of northern wine country. Merideth just looked bored, so I brought her into my thinking. I expected some push-back from her regarding where Allas figured. She however, was in complete agreement.
Her eyes narrowed when I asked her to explain, "It's just, it's just that I'm tired of being used."
And that's what it came down to. Will the people of Theralis choose their destiny or will a fickle goddess with a penchant for matricide guide us?
I looked up from my thoughts and we were there. Balthas' home was less a house, and more a compound with buildings and even a small vineyard. It was bustling with servants and functionaries. One particularly obnoxious fellow, showering Menelaos with obsequious greetings, took us in hand. When he heard that we wanted to speak with Balthas, he began babbling about protocol and that we weren't presentable. A lot of talking and negotiating later, Merideth and I were escorted into a windowless interior room.
We walked slowly, this was the perfect spot for us to be filled with crossbow bolts.
Merideth slipped a callused hand into mine and whispered, "Stay close to me. If anything happens, stay close to me."
I looked at her, her dark eyes were fierce and she let me feel her certainty and support. I felt another part of me fall off. It wasn't exactly the right time, but I finally realized that our innocence was gone. If we lived, we'd be wading in death for the foreseeable future. I felt the part of me that was Greppa of Tartwater go into a place where kids put things when they grew up and Greppa of Theralis stood in the gap. I held Merideth's hand. It was a rope over Akeros and hopefully it would always be there.
The room was as comfortable looking as the chamber in Phitios' tower but there weren't any elite guards circling the walls. The Grand General of Theralis, Balthas, was alone, sitting calmly in a chair. "Come in," She said in a strong basso-alto. "We have much to discuss."
We started with smalltalk, but it quickly swelled into a discussion of the war between the gods. Allas had been very busy.
"Shortly after you left for the Bukenahk, Allas sent the general of her Celestial army to us and we have been in council with Thelanna ever since. Then we got your letter." She paused, "What do you think?"
I started from what she knew and spoke of what Corvidae, Luccas, and Hsethmah had to offer.
She nodded and repeated, "What do you think?"
I felt myself turn inward, Allas was making moves even as we were seeking the truth. Why didn't she tell us this before? Because of her, we've lost what were supposed to be the finest years of our lives. We lost Athan. We lost neighbors, friends and family. And now She wants us to trust our future on a nebulous pledge of military support when there has been no sign of such support. She is just one god. The final shreds of sanity fell away. Taking its place was fanatical resolution.
"Theralis should plot its own course. The gods have not been forthright with us and we are paying with blood and have not had any return on the investment. If we are going to plot our own future, we need the best for Theralis." I said.
"So you believe Allas is not the best for Theralis?" She asked.
I found my self nodding in vigorous agreement, "Allas has been using us. Unless she is willing to match what Luccas, Corvidae and Hsethmah are bringing to the table, we should abandon her. I have reached my limit. Since we are being forced to fight, we fight for Theralis."
Balthas was still, statuelike, "Merideth?" she said, "Do you feel you feel the same way?"
She squeezed my hand reassuringly and nodded briefly, "Yes!"
The Grand General rose and embraced us. The room started growing perceptibly brighter. We turned as one towards the source of the swelling brightness. Balthas removed herself from the room as the, luminescence expanded to blazing brightness and then contracted into a glowing corporeal form.
Merideth hissed and crushed my hand in a fearful grip.
My skin tightened and my suddenly dry mouth weakly gasped, "Athan."
"God, God, GODS!" My thoughts wailed. "NO!"
. He's also modelled on a lot of self-sacrificing, underestimated gods in various mythologies - the unsung hero archetype. He has a bizarre portfolio of powers (wrapping his arms around himself to shrink? uses the legs of six gods to run? wtf? 
), performs a dirty job no one wants, and is almost never seen directly.
.
