Ria's Adventures
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Godslayer Lysette: Chapter 192
🕑 Added 2024-09-01 17:01:52 +0000 UTCChapter 192: Construction Begins
Lysette stepped out of the jail and took a heavy breath of the cool air filling the town of Ciricu. As she did, she left Nicholas behind at the jail with instructions to alert her if any of the prisoners tried anything.
Outside, there was no rain to speak of, but a couple of gray clouds were interspersed among several other white puffy ones floating overhead. The townsfolk were going about their day, with much of the adult population already gone off to the northern fields to finish the harvest before the first snowfall of the season.
But Lysette was filled with good cheer and even greater excitement, for today was to be the groundbreaking day of the irrigation canal project. She made her way to Lyon’s house, and even before she knocked on the door, he emerged carrying a large, rolled-up sheet of paper.
“Is it finally the day?” he asked, as eager as a young child ready to gorge themselves on cookies.
“Assuming the prisoners behave themselves.”
“Let’s hope they do.”
Lysette wasn’t expecting much, and planned to remain in or just outside of the village as a failsafe against any attempts at a breakout. But there was still plenty of work to do around the village, and plenty of time to complete the overall project. Even with the most ambitious timetable of completing the project by the next planting season, the waterway wouldn’t need to be completed for a bit over four months.
“Well, I’ve brought the designs you’ve requested, Miss Lyse,” Lyon continued, handing the documents over. “I hope they are to your liking.”
Lysette looked them over. In addition to the irrigation canal itself, which would drain into a lake of some size, he’d also put together some preliminary blueprints. One for the waterwheel-millstone apparatus, as well as some sketches of a potential bridge design. The former looked structurally sound at first glance, although Lysette wasn’t certain about some of the details on the latter.
There were also some plans for importing fish into the resulting lake, providing another source of food products and one which would reduce dependence on the rest of Terea. These seemed noticeably less fleshed out, and unlike with crops and foraging, Lysette had far less knowledge regarding that subject. Still, she was pleased.
“Certainly an ambitious project. I’m sure Serrena would be quite pleased.”
Lyon tilted his head.
“Did she not tell you about herself?”
“She and your partner had mentioned being deities much like yourself. But I’m not sure what specifically you mean by that.”
“Serrena is the Demigoddess of Ambition.”
“I see.” Lyon smiled. “Then, it’s a good thing to have her blessing as well. I’ll do everything I can to see this project brought to fruition.”
The pair made their way to the northeast, a short distance outside of the town’s boundaries, near the small clearing where Lysette and Mirae had introduced Theo to Cultivation weeks prior.
As they arrived, Lysette sprouted her wings and took to the air, surveying the landscape from above. To her west were most of the crop fields and grazing pastures. Most of the crops were already harvested and their residuals burned off, though much of the population was hard at work harvesting the few fields still active. In addition to those, Lysette noticed hundreds of massive bales of hay cordoned off to provide supplementary food for the livestock through the oncoming winter.
To the east were more primal woodlands, not yet cultivated by the people of Ciricu. Most notably among the trees and woodland creatures, Lysette noticed a small spring that flowed from south to north, passing through a small valley about three miles east of town. Her eyes lit up at seeing it. Not only did that mean somewhat less work charting out the area than she’d originally expected, but it also meant noticeably less damage to the surrounding ecosystem.
Upon finishing her scouting mission, she dropped back down to the surface, where Lyon greeted her with an exasperated look.
“Seeing you fly around like that, Miss Lyse. I wonder why the gods didn’t give us all such power.”
“Do you want to know?” Lysette said. “I can speculate based on what I’ve learned, but I’m not sure how you would feel if I told you.”
“I– I don’t think I want to know. But I think I should know. I think someone knowing this sort of thing is important for the community. And maybe I am selfish, but I think understanding how this world came to be, and learning more of the history of the world, is important for improving trade and diplomatic relations alike.”
After a final confirmation, Lysette told him about the history of the world. About the Aestori who long-predated humanity. About the War of the Gods which both destroyed their people and reduced Aimarion to a barren wasteland. About Godslayers, the mortal proxies by which the gods exerted their will upon the world. About Divine Essence, the coalescence of mortal faith which empowered and fed the gods. And about Lysette’s ascension and desire to bring that conflict to an end.
With the exceptions of her relation to Zarielle and her demonic powers, Lysette revealed all the information she had gathered on the subject. And throughout it all, Lyon stood transfixed, not moving except for the most subtle of nods until Lysette finished her story. Finally, nearly a minute after she finished speaking, he finally responded.
“So those prayers yesterday…”
“They were, in a very literal and real sense, filling me with power far beyond my normal capabilities. Because of each and every one of you here, I am standing with you, speaking to you now. I and the four others who were trapped with me owe the people of Ciricu our lives.”
“And because of the need for the prayers of mortals, the gods cannot grant divinity to everyone.”
“It is unfair. It is anathema to my Reciprocity. And yet, I cannot hope to change that, to promote a more equitable world for humanity, without advancing in my own capabilities as goddess. I am… selfish in that regard. I can say that I want to change the world, make it better for everyone. Correct the wrongs that have shaped Aimarion for five million years, and stop the upcoming war from ravaging our world a second time.
“But in the end, no matter how much I claim I am doing it for you, for the people of Ciricu, for my friends and my partner, I have to accept. Just like you, I am… selfish. Doing this all for selfish vengeance and self-satisfaction as much as I am doing so for the good of everyone I care about, everyone else who’s been wronged by these gods warring from on high.”
“Maybe it is a little selfish. Guess that’s one way gods and humans are the same.” When Lysette gave a bemused look, Lyon continued. “But I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. In addition to my— maybe somewhat unhealthy— fascination with science and learning, I am still a representative of Ciricu in matters of trade and commerce. And commerce is inherently based around the idea of selfish, self-interested individuals negotiating toward an outcome which leaves all parties better off.
“It is the same here. We might both be selfish, but that doesn’t mean we cannot use our alliance to our mutual benefit.”
“I– Thank you, Lyon.”
Lysette sent a quick mental message to Mirae, informing them that she’d be away, and asked them to keep in touch with Nicholas in her stead. She then sprouted her wings once more and, after a bit of hesitation by Lyon, carried him over to the stream basin a short flight away.
The two took some time to survey the surrounding area, with Lyon jotting numerous notes on his blueprints. Lysette, meanwhile, focused her attention on the surrounding terrain, looking for a good path that would avoid damaging any of the oldest, tallest trees in the area.
As she did, she wondered about a new technique, one she could use to invigorate plant life. Not a technique devoid of applications in combat— plants had brutally efficient ways of deterring predation, after all. From powerful toxins to spines capable of piercing flesh with brutal efficiency to carnivorous plants with digestive capabilities rivaling the fiercest beasts, plants were powerful allies and dangerous enemies alike.
But they also were a valuable source of medicine, food, and other useful supplies, not to mention a way to keep her tied to her former human identity. And, having some sort of plant sentinel, or prison within a massive tree, both seemed like potential ways to address the issue of keeping captive Cultivators incarcerated. At least until she could start the process of creating an avatar for herself to be in multiple places at once.
As she worked with Lyon to make corrections regarding the waterway and lake plans, she allowed one of her secondary consciousnesses to analyze the other possibilities this path might one day provide. She wasn’t yet prepared to abandon and deconstruct her existing techniques of shadow and the numerous benefits they provided. But in the longer term, it seemed like a way to symbolically distance herself from Zarielle and instead forge her own path as a goddess, separate from her patron.
After gathering the Essence she’d stored over the past two days and willing it into her Divine Tree, Lysette felt a new sensation at her fingertips. She placed her hand on a nearby tree and connected her will to the gentle vitality lurking within. Not a forceful push or an attempt to dominate the plant’s lifeforce. Merely a request for assistance, to aid her in her endeavors.
And the tree answered in kind. The ground shook, and Lyon stepped back, shuddering out of habit as a vine-like root erupted out of the nearby dirt. Lysette caressed the tree’s rough and woody bark, easing a bit more of her will into the thick and wizened plant, causing yet more roots to sprout out of the ground. The tree’s massive trunk followed, and at Lysette’s request, it began walking off to the northwest, clearing a bit of the path of the proposed waterway.
“Goddess, right,” Lyon said. “But why? Certainly this is much slower than simply chopping–”
Lysette cut him off. “Slower, perhaps. Less convenient, certainly. But I thought about what you said. About mutually-beneficial relationships being central to commerce and trade. But I think we have to be mindful that our actions affect not just ourselves and our targets, but bystanders as well.”
“The plants?”
“Among others. We gods depend on mortals for sustenance just the same as humans rely on the sustenance of the crops you grow, the medicines you forage, and the animals you raise for meat, milk, eggs, leather, and strength. That much is immutable, beyond my ability to change.
“But we must be respectful of the lives caught in the crossfire. For too long, gods have warred without regard for human casualties. Some have even gone so far as to go out to kill humans with the purpose to strengthen themselves and weaken other deities. At times, my darker impulses urge me to do the same, which is why I must be ever more vigilant to ensure that I do not slip down that slope.
“I lost my human family as a result of the warring gods bringing their war to my former hometown. And so, it is my wish, my responsibility, to do better. I wish to do so by example, to demonstrate that working in harmony with humanity and with all life on Aimarion is not weakness.” Lysette felt her connection to her Domain strengthen further as she guided the tree to its new resting place and helped it bury its roots through the grassy soil. “This is my Reciprocity, and I wish to extend it to all who wish to live under my protection.”
Chapter 191: https://www.patreon.com/posts/111216637
Table of Contents: https://www.patreon.com/posts/table-of-101896170
Chapter 193: https://www.patreon.com/posts/111216648
Comments
Ria Corvidiva
I mean, Lysette is certainly going to try to make that a reality. Maybe not *all* the plants, of course. She recognizes that they need wood for housing, grains and fruits and vegetables for eating, grasses for the livestock to graze, and so on. But she's definitely of a mind not to unnecessarily harm plant life out of minor inconvenience. And maybe she can extend that sentiment to include not harming *people* out of minor inconvenience as well.
Dave T
I describe myself as a selfish person - all my actions are based on getting something for myself. However experience has taught me that in the long run I'm probably going to get more by doing what I can to help others. I also recognise that at some point I'm going to need help and that helping others in the meantime greatly increases the chances of that help being offered as and when I need it. I'd also like to say I think Lyse has made a seriously smart move with that tree. Imagine if all the forests and wild plants start following her, suddenly attacks on the village etc are going to face even stiffer opposition.
Bielna
I would agree to disagree, if you are fine with it. Because I do believe this enforcement you mention needs to exist, in some form chosen and organized by the community, to prevent abuse. I do not believe a system that supports inequality can work for the respect of individuals, because no matter how much you teach understanding and cooperation, there will always be those who refuse it who will emerge ; particularly among those who have tasted the power to force their decisions upon others. You can't trust me to work in our common interest. You can't even trust me to work in my personal interest, in fact. If nothing prevents me from doing it, I will hurt someone, or eventually pass my position to someone who will. This is what I believe of people, and why systems creating inequality, giving some unchecked powers over others (economic, divine or otherwise) cannot sustainably provide mutual benefits. I recognize the merits of your approach, but I believe its risks and drawbacks would win out, in the end.
Jessica
But I can't enforce those agreements and bindings. So whether or not we make these agreements explicit my life still depends on your understanding of their reason. Otherwise there would have to be a warrior culture forcing everybody into a monolithic inequality in an arms race between the need for individual strength to allow for greater freedom in the society and the societies need to match that strength to defend against it, or there would have to be a police force exchanging that protection for servitude to them. So it is an increase of understanding that will lead to peaceful liberty not an increase in enforced equality and that understanding requires diversity if not inequality because the root of our struggle is seeing our neighbor having something and coveting it.
Bielna
Yes, but then I have a choice of whether I value your life of your muffins more, and you have no recourse if you don't like my decision. And sure, in the short term, maybe I'll prefer the muffins. But eventually, there will be a situation where that will change (out of utilitarianism or cruelty), if not between us, then between those who will come after us and inherit the system we left behind. Equality does not have to equate identity, though. I might have worked on my strength while you worked on your baking, but then we should have rules and bindings ensuring I can't use that strength unduly against you. That way, though our abilities wouldn't be the same, our power upon each other would be equal.
Jessica
"mutual benefit can never come from a system that increases the gap between people" And I don't think that is the case. There is strength in diversity not in equality. As such there is diverse inequality or monolithic inequality. The former is mutually beneficial while the latter is not. Imagine you are an ambitious cultivator ever increasing your strength while I just chill in my cottage. As long as you know and value that you can always drop by for tea and muffins after a fight and I know you'll keep me safe for that, we can live mutually beneficial even though there is an increasing gap between us. It's just when you decide to use your strength to force me into your war effort that I lose my life and you your muffins.
Ria Corvidiva
Which, I think is the difference between the platonic ideal of commerce between two relative equals, both truly free to trade or not based on selfish benefit, and between two disparate parties, where the more powerful one can lock the weaker one in to onerous 'terms and conditions', or when dealing with goods such as food, medicine, and shelter that people cannot live without. Lyon is used to thinking about trade as being trade among near-equals, and hasn't quite grasped that it's less 'two cities allying' and more 'a nation-state is imposing its military will upon a 'protectorate' Lysette at least acknowledges that she's not completely free of fault, but is trying to navigate matters as best she can (including with the limited knowledge she has)
Bielna
I do agree that someone can help themselves by helping the community, but what Lyon doesn't understand is that mutual benefit can never come from a system that increases the gap between people. Not in the long term, at least, only in short term. That's true for trading, and that's true for divinity. His statement, while well-intended, is naive. The divine powers that not just the current pantheon, but even Lysette, Serrena and Mirae hold are tools for dominance and oppression, because the system is inherently made to increase the gap between mortals and deities. Even if they try to use their divinity responsibly, as long as their purpose remain to gain power (actively or accepted as a matter of fact and nature) while mortals are bounded far below them, the contradiction between desiring equality and accepting inequality as the order of the world will eventually tear their intentions apart, or be perverted by others. That's what Asterion is all about. Belief that as a god, he is inherently superior, that power makes right and that hierarchy is how things should be, that his own power and superiority serves the world. Which we know from seeing the point of view of mortals, is wrong. Yet, he could also make the point that his selfish actions are a net benefit for everyone, and might even be right, except he doesn't acknowledge that said benefit is very, very skewed. And while he's an asshole, the way divinity works favors his approach by giving deities the power to dominate mortals and Aimarion. And at the same time, it is something inherently hostile particularly to Reciprocity (inequality between mortals and deities means inequality of treatment) and somewhat to Ambition (special powers given to select people that others can't hope to match or achieve). That's also a core difference that comes out from their speech. Lyon states that selfishness is fine as a general rule based on his trading experience, leads to mutual benefit, despite numerous examples of how gaps between people are harmful. Lysette acknowledges that selfishness is necessary in the short-term, to take down Asterion and change the world, but she doesn't state that furthering such inequality is how the world should actually work, when striving for something better ; quite the opposite, she states that deities being allowed to act without concern for mortals is a root of evil.
Jessica
There's a difference between the good kind of selfishness that Lyon proposes and the bad kind that Lysette fears. Instead of getting a bigger piece of cake you can work to make the cake itself bigger and in the latter case you might end up with more cake for yourself than in the former. The difference is whether you work towards your own comfort or towards having more than everybody around you regardless of how little that is. The former is what would actually be selfish while the latter is what we usually call selfish even though it would be better described as antagonistic. The problem with capitalism and economics is that they defend the former but implement the latter.
Ria Corvidiva
There's a very, very thin line that separates 'accruing power within the system' and 'succumbing to the power of the system'. And since learning about being a demon and exactly what that entails, Lysette knows she's especially vulnerable to falling into the abyss. And she very much does not want that at all!
Bielna
Let's be honest, Lyon, that comparison doesn't work as well as you think it does. It's nice to be optimistic but there is no way a system in which deities are free to be selfish, growing more powerful being able to impose their will upon mortals, while the gap in power means mortals have zero recourse against deities acting with unfairness or cruelty, can be described as "mutually beneficial". It can only lead to injustice and the powerful gaining much more than they deserve in the long run, even if on short-term someone might "act nice" despite having more power than others, usually for their own benefit. Much like how trading can benefit to all parties, as in your example, but an economic system designed to increase the gap between the rich and the poor is profoundly flawed ; so is too the unbridgeable gap between deities and mortals. Lysette knows that the power gap is shitty and should not exist, and though she can't give up that power now while the gods threaten Aimarion, she does not take that selfishness as a granted right ; on that aspect, she certainly displays far more wisdom and experience than Lyon.
