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Abyssal Road Trip - 442 - Tear you down
🕑 Added 2024-08-25 22:02:30 +0000 UTCAmdirlain’s PoV - Mediterranean Sea - Italian peninsula
Amdirlain returned in time to see the first twenty villagers stir; groaning with fatigue, they looked about in confusion. As Dralic moved to reassure them, Klipyl began to revive the next group.
With the group justifiably close to hysterics, Amdirlain stretched her Charisma across them to still the surge of emotions.
“Your killers are dead,” Amdirlain stated reassuringly. “Klipyl is bringing more of your families back to life. Be patient and calm while she restores who she can. You can help by reassuring everyone after the blessings are complete. For now, address your questions to Dralic one at a time.”
With that, Amdirlain walked away rather than risking a commotion by teleporting.
I’ve got no idea what I’m doing here.
She found the others outside the fields, now clear of the slaughtered herds and crop stubble. Kadaklan had set up a small campfire and was methodically sniffing silken tea packets. The other Lizardfolk they’d rescued from the poles sat nearby, his tail lying across his legs.
“Would someone introduce us?”
Sarah motioned to the sandy-scaled Lizardfolk sitting nearby. “This is Dralic’s assistant, Kreslix. Kreslix, this is Am.”
“How are you feeling, Kreslix?”
The smaller Lizardfolk held up a steady hand straight before him. “My limbs are steady. How is it your healing restored me so completely?”
“It’s different from the blessings you’re used to, that’s all,” said Amdirlain. “I’m glad you’ve recovered.”
Kreslix’s tail twitched towards the houses. “The other introduced herself as Klipyl. Is that the correct way to say her name?”
“It is,” confirmed Amdirlain.
“She said she could raise the dead villagers. Why do strangers freely provide such a powerful gift?” asked Kreslix.
“It was Klipyl’s choice. She’s already raised some villagers from the dead,” noted Amdirlain. “There are a lot of folks in need of comfort and guidance.”
“Dralic’s better at speaking to people than I am,” Kreslix blurted. “He’s interested in people and plants.”
“Oh?”
Kreslix’s chin dipped. “If I tried to comfort them, I’d upset them. Dralic says I have a natural talent for provoking anger. Truthfully, I’m not sure why you’re spending this effort. With all the herds slaughtered, we’ll probably starve to death. Why did they do this? We weren’t hurting them.”
Amdirlain frowned. “They’re working through a list of villages they seized in the capture of Kralash. They sought all the priests that follow the old tenets on the peninsula.”
“Is nowhere safe from them?” groaned Kreslix. “You rescued us, but that sounds like they or someone else will return to ensure they finished the task.”
This would be much simpler if I could talk with their Goddess and learn her perspective.
“I’ve killed the group that attacked here, but anywhere known to the officials in Kralash won’t be safe from them,” confirmed Amdirlain. “Can either you or Dralic call up a Lantern Archon?”
“If Dralic gives permission, I can summon a guide,” replied Kreslix. His stomach suddenly gurgled noisily, causing his eyelids to flare wide. “I thought your magic had washed my hunger away, but it seems it was only appeased. I’ll check on the feedstock and meat smokers, though I doubt they left anything edible in the village.”
Kreslix rose and headed towards one of the more significant dome buildings in the village.
‘He didn’t even consider asking if we’d help their food situation,’ projected Sarah.
Amdirlain snorted. ‘We could gather some wild herds.’
‘That’s simple enough and wouldn’t require you to break your rule again.’
‘Yeah, yeah, bite me.’
Sarah’s gaze trailed over her slowly, and Amdirlain fought to restrain the sudden blush.
I’m a freak; a village slaughtered, and Sarah can still have that effect on me. She probably did that to make sure I didn’t get in a black mood; we’ve both become a bit numb to death from all we’ve seen. Although, Klipyl will have them up and around, so there is no need to punish myself.
Amdirlain sat on the slope beside Sarah and tried to relax despite the uncomfortable thoughts nagging at the back of her mind.
Sometime later, she began turning the Priest’s blackened symbol over in her fingers.
“Why so contemplative?” asked Sarah.
“I’m considering doing something stupid.”
“That’s an interesting starting point,” noted Sarah. “Given the pendant you’re glaring at, I take it their schism is involved?”
Amdirlain tapped the pendant against her knee. “I could find all the priests favouring disease, but I want to talk to their Goddess first. There is the potential the cultists’ perception has already twisted her too far to appreciate any attempt to help reign them in. Dralic told me they’re now the dominant faction.”
“And do what?”
“Worst case, kill them,” said Amdirlain flatly. “If they’re distorting her teachings but keeping to a perverted version, she likely can’t even act against them. It’s something that Custodian warned Livia about, ensuring her tenets aren’t open to corruption and watching out for those who try.”
Sarah took the pendant from her. “We need to compare this to Dralic’s symbol if he’s still got one hidden around the place. If the energies are different enough, I could enchant an object to identify their locations. The other option is to find all the holy symbols for her. If the priests are worth protecting, we help them. Otherwise, we deal with them.”
“I’d say we should find them all,” said Amdirlain. “That way if anyone is in need, we can help.”
“Going to collect them all?”
Amdirlain huffed. “If I’ve been given trash duty, I might as well do the job properly.”
“You almost sound like a Japanese Light Novel. Let’s do our best!” cheered Sarah, the fake cheer not covering the tightness in her posture.
“Horrible idea, right?”
“Terrible,” Sarah nodded. “Talk to her first. Let’s ensure you’re not taking on something unwelcome. If she disagrees with your play, her people aren’t your problem. Let’s handle this logically and clinically. The plinth’s judgements apply to actions when happiness or anger are the drivers.”
“Not even trying to talk me out of it?”
“You know something distorted from its original nature is essentially disorderly,” noted Sarah.
Amdirlain winked and then theatrically clapped her hands to her face. “How could I have missed that?”
“Brat!” snorted Sarah. “You back Klipyl up, and I’ll find some wild goats.”
Sarah headed off with Jinfeng, and left Kadaklan to keep her company.
Kadaklan held out a cup of green tea.
“You’re not telling me to understand the situation first?”
“I believe you understand what you will not tolerate,” said Kadaklan. “You have more information now than when you first encountered the disease spreader.”
If I hadn’t killed him so quickly, then I would have known of this issue sooner.
Amdirlain groaned. “Then, I only wanted to stop him from killing more people.”
“Now?”
“Now I want to stop the situation before more people die.”
“You once wanted to study to be a healer with me,” said Kadaklan. “Have you considered that worlds require healers that operate beyond one patient at a time?”
Amdirlain had no answer for that.
It was mid-morning when Sarah returned with the first herd of shaggy goats and left them in the pen. She’d departed before the first fatigue-worn villagers came to investigate their bleating. The Lizardfolk’s scales showed signs of places where the Blessing had replaced flesh and scales. They retreated with lighter steps, and their voices lifted with cheer.
Dralic skirted the field as herders worked to round up the goats. Their fatigue gave the wild goats a distinct advantage before the villagers organised themselves and worked together in a line.
“These aren’t our goats and, though they seem wild, you’ve helped improve our chances,” said Dralic. “Kreslix mentioned you asked about summoning a Lantern Archon. What aid did you need from them?”
“Information rather than help. I’ve questions I need your Goddess to answer,” explained Amdirlain. “Your situation is messy, so I want to ensure no misunderstandings.”
“You speak of conversing with the Goddess so casually,” observed Dralic. “You weren’t joking about knowing other gods earlier?”
“I was not. I recently lived in the Domain of a Goddess for almost a year and have spoken with others,” said Amdirlain. “While I could ask one of them to intercede, I thought going through her servants would be more polite.”
Do I need to kill them, or can I break their twisted beliefs? I’ve never intentionally used Seed Doubts, but Sarah told me about her use of it. They know about the cells involved in diseases, but what if I blow their minds with the whole DNA helix and some creative uses of Life Affinity spells?
“I’ll summon something higher in the Celestial ranks so that it might provide clearer answers. I’ve found some lantern archons to be—vague,” offered Dralic.
With the tip of his tail, Dralic drew a simple circle with no runes of restraint, merely those that aided the summoning process. The liquid sound of the Blessing’s intonations flowed rapidly from his lips, melting instantly from their conscious thoughts like snowflakes under a desert sun.
A seam split the middle of the circle and the air rippled like a shadow passed before the sun, leaving a strange figure behind. An orb formed of rapidly shifting feathers with eyes peeking out from between them; hundreds of eyes studied Amdirlain as more examined their surroundings.
Dralic stiffened in surprise and hurried to break the circle before bowing deeply.
“You have done well calling me, Darlic,” intoned the Celestial before turning its full attention to Amdirlain. “My Lady is aware of why you wish to speak to someone higher ranked, but I’m the strongest Dralic could manage. She felt the call to restore the faithful here to life and spoke to the Goddess whom your Celestial companion serves.”
The words resounded oddly, emerging as they did from the muffling feathers.
“What might I call you?”
“Do you truly need a name for a brief conversation?”
Amdirlain shrugged. “Are you sure you know why I wish to speak? The conversation could last longer than you expect.”
“You wish to speak about the killings among her faithful?”
“That’s only one piece of the puzzle. We’ve got a lot more to discuss than what happened in just this village,” said Amdirlain. “Depending on your Lady’s preferences, my future decisions could benefit or harm her goals, and I prefer to keep things civil where possible.”
The feathers rippled and folded over, spiralling through a prism of colours. “You might refer to me as Ryinsh. Are you an Elf?”
“I’m not an Elf. Why has your Lady allowed her faith to be twisted, Ryinsh?”
“It is not by choice, but mortals control life’s direction. The changes among her faithful have already shifted her Domain from the heavens to the Outlands, and the shadows beneath the trees have grown thicker this last year. My Lady finds the changes uncomfortable,” replied Ryinsh softly.
“If her Domain has shifted, what impact has that had on her servants?” asked Amdirlain.
“There has been a departure of celestials which has escalated lately, and those staying with her have grown few. Other beings have begun offering to serve her and, while she is wary of them, there are so many roles that remain unfilled,” admitted Ryinsh.
“What about those emerging from the wellspring?”
“How do you know about that?” Ryinsh demanded in shock.
Power flared in Amdirlain’s gaze, and Ryinsh froze. “I used to be a Goddess. Tell me how bad the problem is so I can help your Lady.”
Amdirlain pulled her power back in, and Ryinsh’s feathers snapped against the air. “None have been celestials this last decade.”
“Is your lady familiar with pruning back a tree when a limb starts to rot?”
“Who would you cut away?”
Amdirlain grimaced. “All the priests that are in the sect of disease.”
The feathers drooped to shield Ryinsh’s gaze. “That would leave my Lady with few priests to carry out her work. Once, many priests refined their faith through debates over the tenets’ true meaning.”
“Is that still the case?”
“It is not.” Ryinsh’s voice was soft and carried a weight of sadness. “A sick perception has taken solid root. Now they seek what provides them power, and that sways my Lady’s focus.”
“Does she believe she can convince them to change their ways?”
“My Lady has tried many ways to encourage them to see things differently, but they’ve ignored her guidance while keeping to their interpretation of her tenets. This has made it impossible to punish those straying since they’ve not acted directly against the wording.”
“Even killing other worshippers? Or spreading diseases? This isn’t against her tenets?”
“Diseases occur naturally, and the survivors develop resistance to them, helping their survival against stronger diseases,” countered Ryinsh. “Living things compete for resources and survival. The sects have been fighting each other, demonstrating that principle at a societal level.”
“Do you believe your Lady would have once seen things in such a light?”
“No,” murmured Ryinsh. “She would have wanted people to focus on a healthy life, not living in fear of rampant disease in their communities.”
Amdirlain nodded. “I’d like to know about your Lady’s tenets so that I can find a course of action that doesn’t involve killing them. Yet, if the worst comes to pass, what would happen if all the disease-focused sect died? Does she have other priests to support her endeavours?”
“There are a few cities across the sea where she is revered only for life and not through the lens of disease,” clarified Ryinsh, his feathers lying back to expose more eyes. “My Lady wants to speak with you directly,” said Ryinsh. “Given you travel with a Celestial strong enough to bring over a hundred back from the dead, she believes you can travel to the Outlands. Is that correct?”
A Fallen stepping into a Goddess’s Domain, pendant or not, she’d know me.
“I think she’ll learn less than she hopes, and I don’t want to come and go between the planes. Does she know Anna Perenna, the Human Goddess of Life?”
“She is familiar with that one.”
“Anna knows how to contact me. Your Lady should speak to her and decide if she’d be upset at me dealing with this schism she’s enduring,” said Amdirlain. “While she’s doing that, I need you to tell me about her tenets and Blessing paths. I might also need to call upon you or other celestials to help convince key individuals.”
When Ryinsh finally vanished, Kadaklan finally spoke up.
“That was a strange conversation you had with that Celestial. What do you intend to do?” asked Kadaklan.
“I’ve got a Power called Seed Doubts, quite fitting given the situation,” said Amdirlain. “I’ve got some planning to do with how I can entwine it with my other capabilities.”
“You’re going to push them from their path?”
“I’m going to see if they can comprehend the dead end they’re on and help them understand the full scope of life,” corrected Amdirlain. “I’ve got some planning and study to do, as I might need more spells to pull this off without True Song.”
“At the least, the villagers here are doing well,” offered Kadaklan, nodding to those in a nearby field.
Amdirlain turned her attention to the nearby Lizardfolk, who’d been busy dealing with the wild goats.
A female with grey-yellow scales and two fatigue-worn children by her side limped alongside the fence line, and Amdirlain went forward to help.
“Are you alright?” asked Amdirlain.
The female nodded and patted her dragging leg. “My leg was injured many winters ago, and it has always been painful when I’m tired.”
Amdirlain nodded in understanding. “And being revived has left you exhausted. Might I treat your leg?”
“It is whole,” protested the female. The children’s tired gazes flared in surprise when they finally registered her approach and stepped behind their mother.
“I’m not asking for anything. Two small children can be difficult to keep up with when one’s at their best,” said Amdirlain. “You can call me Am.”
She tapped her chest and issued a low mutter. “Rakar. Your name is short.”
“Indeed it is,” Amdirlain crouched and let Ki waft through her skin; the warm glow received an astonished hiss from Rakar and curious chirps from her children, who peeked around at their mother’s cry.
Rakar shuffled forward, and Amdirlain held her hand just above the scales and let the energy soak into flesh. The damage from the old injury was soon healed, and the rough remodelling that caused the lingering pain smoothed out.
“I feel better than ever,” breathed Rakar, shifting her weight from side to side. “And my exhaustion is gone. Could you help others? We’re all so tired.”
“You are weaker than before, so it is better to recover gradually, but you were in pain,” said Amdirlain. “It can be difficult convincing children to rest instead of play when recovering from sickness.”
“Yes,” murmured Rakar. Her gaze flickered to the herders, drunk with fatigue and still trying to manage the goats.
“Exactly. They need to spend time recovering and learning their reduced limits. Instead, they’re checking goats that could just be eating the stubble. Though your fatigue is gone, you still need time to adjust, so don’t push yourself.”
Rakar nodded, repeatedly bobbing her head, and Amdirlain left her to it, returning to where Kadaklan was.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Overnight, Sarah prepared an enchanted compass that projected images of shrines dedicated to disease. Amdirlain provided Klipyl with the locations of other villages the group had attacked, and she returned with a stream of villagers who were still recovering from the strain of being raised from the dead.
Amdirlain invested time checking the catalogue of spell lists she’d brought along and considered options based on the summaries before she set to learning. While she was studying, Sarah and Jinfeng brought in more wild goats to replenish the herds and help the village tame them.
Early evening on the second day, Amdirlain was near the village centre, watching over some playing children. A sudden shift in the light occurred when a Lantern Archon appeared nearby and drifted towards her. Their outer shell was an elaborate framework of wire scales and the five-flail symbol of the Goddess Jithlo.
“Hello, Archon. What can I do for you?”
The Archon chimed. “As much as it sorrows her, Lady Jithlo would like to accept your help.”
“She’s satisfied herself of my good intentions?”
The Lantern Archon bobbed.
“Let her know I’m hoping my idea means I don’t have to kill anyone, but I’ll need to call on her servants. Would you watch over the children?”
The Lantern Archon gave a chiming protest. “I’ve no hands.”
“Their parents are just handling some chores in that house,” Amdirlain gestured to their dome and provided the Lantern Archon with their names.
“What will you do?”
Amdirlain stood. “We’ve already identified all the settlements that have priests of disease, so it’s time to talk to them. Plant seeds of doubt and get them to atone. Were you given the names of celestials I can call when I need someone to speak with them?”
The Lantern Archon paused and then moved forward to hover close to Amdirlain’s ear and whispered a string of names.
With that, Amdirlain turned invisible and teleported to a central temple using an image that Dralic had provided.
The engraving that covered the temple entryway depicted Lizardfolk suffering from a catalogue of hideous-looking diseases. The clink of metal echoed loudly in the archway as a robust Lizardfolk dropped a full pouch into an offering box and hurried on his way, leaving a smug Priest behind. He wore the typical Lizardfolk apparel comprising harnesses and segmented armour, but his scales were set with decorative patterns of Lady Jithlo’s symbol in darkened metal.
Amdirlain slipped by him unnoticed and walked along the central aisle past worshippers praying to appease the Goddess. In the middle of the four columns supporting the dome was a wide altar covered in blood and remnants of offerings that crawled with flies. The rank stench was a trifle compared to places she’d visited within the Abyss, but Amdirlain didn’t want to consider the health hazard it represented.
I want to avoid any distractions from the message I have for them, but I also want to be distinct. That way, they’ll have a better chance of matching up when the tales spread.
Amdirlain shifted into a Lizardfolk form but went with jet-black scales she hadn’t seen on any of them.
Positioned before the filth-covered altar, Amdirlain shed her invisibility.
“That altar is only for the High Priest’s use,” roared a nearby Priest. “Get down.”
Amdirlain completely unfurled her Charisma for the first time since leaving Qil Tris and, for three kilometres beyond the temple proper, Lizardfolk staggered and dropped to their knees. The pressure of her presence made even the fiercest warriors hiss pitifully, newborns seeking their mothers.
“I have a message for all,” Amdirlain said softly, yet her words carried to thousands like a gentle whisper in their ears. “Disease is not the limit of Lady Jithlo’s influence. You stunt yourself and her by focusing on it. Today, I will reveal to you the true seed of life that makes up not only diseases but also your scales, teeth, blood, and everything in your bodies and food. It needs proper care, not just what you would limit yourself to. It is not pitiful to care for what you do not understand.”
A glimmering DNA helix first spun above the altar, followed closely by other locations throughout the city.
“All your strength and ferocity comes from the gift of life Lady Jithlo represents.”
Dominion expanded, carrying Muse’s Insight as Amdirlain spoke and put on her show. More Illusions bloomed to life inside and around the temple’s dome, ensnaring onlookers’ attention as more came into her sermon’s range. Lay believers were the first to have their faith shattered but, by the time she was done, the temple’s High Priest knelt before the altar, praying for atonement. Amdirlain destroyed his limbs, dropping him mewling to the floor, and as life poured out of him, she remade them. Spells recreated limbs by sending out spurs of bone first and then wrapping them in tendons, ligaments, and muscles. When his scales regrew, she altered their hue to stain them a deep red.
“You have shed the blood of the faithful and committed crimes against the true tenets of Jithlo,” declared Amdirlain. “Now I’ve marked you by that blood until your life returns to Lady Jithlo. Twist her tenets again at your peril. You will properly dedicate this place to her true nature, not the perversion you sought.”
The filthy altar crumbled, and all the grotesque carvings covering the dome were shorn away.
After calling Ryinsh to assign them tasks to atone, Amdirlain vanished to the next stop of her tour.
Though not all places received the same overwhelming force, they all received the same message. Thousands of priests had their convictions shattered and would need to rebuild their ability to cast blessings.
Between seizing the right opportunities and the time required for even the briefest sermons, it took three weeks for Amdirlain to shatter the conviction of the disease priests and their congregations.
When she sat on Sarah’s lap after the last stop, a notification arrived. The results were startling, and Amdirlain stiffened.
[Achievement: Faith Cleanser
Details: You have caused a significant sect of a deity to seek atonement with only minimal deaths.
Reward: 5,000,000 experience
New Class options unlocked:
- Herald of Life
- Faith Breaker
- Inquisitor
Empress Malfex Levelled Up! x25
Muse’s Insight [S] (200) -> [G] (1)]
Sarah made a questioning noise in the back of her throat. “Problem?”
“A rush of levels. I should get around to allocating my spare attribute points,” murmured Amdirlain.
“An achievement?”
Amdirlain waved northwards towards her last stop. “My restructure of Jithlo’s church seems to have been effective, and the achievement’s experience reward shot me up twenty-five levels.”
“The benefit of a clean slate, and you didn’t need to use a single song?”
“Just that one to heal the ground when I activated Enervating Aura for the first time,” said Amdirlain.
Sarah nodded. “Have you tested it out with Phoenix’s Rapture?”
“It feels wrong, and since they’re so oppositional in energy, I doubt they’d combine,” advised Amdirlain. “My attempts with Analysis get me bugger all. I don’t feel like walking through the places I’ve hopped around these last few weeks. Let’s jump to the west coast somewhere in the region where Portugal would sit and, after winter, we’ll head north.”
“Unless something has mauled the countryside, there are many beautiful spots to enjoy while we relax. Have you decided on plans for the winter?”
“Spending time with you and making Jinfeng’s life miserable.”
Sarah’s dry laugh lit her gaze, and she drew Amdirlain close. “If you’re pressing Jinfeng with blade work, she will be ecstatic, not miserable.”
“I’m going to teach her to dance properly,” clarified Amdirlain. “Help her understand and push her body’s limits.”
“You stepped past your previous limits with Charisma,” noted Sarah. ”You kept the dead to a minimum?”
Amdirlain nodded in relief. “I only killed two priests and thirty-seven believers. Unsurprisingly, I’ve gained a hundred twenty-nine levels in Seed Doubts.”
“A Power you once thought you’d never use intentionally. Life can be surprising,” said Sarah. “Hopefully, their Goddess makes them pay for their crimes against their communities.”
“I’m not meddling in that,” dismissed Amdirlain. “I’ll probably have enough repercussions coming my way. I let my fear of controlling others' minds restrict how I handled Demeter. Those priests probably deserved worse, but they’re not a thousand years out of time, and others can judge their deeds.”
Sarah squeezed Amdirlain comfortingly.
Comments
CringeWorthyStudios
Very well done Amdirlain! Good to see her finally get over some of her hang ups around more or less beneficial mental manipulation. I personally hate mental manipulation type abilities, but this still falls under ‘suggestion’ rather than ‘compulsion’ so I rather liked it. Thanks for the chapter!
James Skinner
TFTC!
