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Nero Walker, Book 3 Ch.21 (136)
🕑 Added 2024-03-21 22:30:01 +0000 UTCGeneral Branson scrolled through the latest proposal for updated appropriations standards at the Hunter’s Hall. In the past, the amount of local essence crystal production made the issue relatively simple. For years, the wilds surrounding Dorchester were relatively safe. If and when hunters were sent out for specific quests and contracts, the taxes were handled on a case by case basis. Now, they were saying that system was no longer feasible.
As he scanned through the supporting paperwork, he saw what the Tower of Trade was talking about. It no longer made sense to go through each quest’s after-action report in detail. There just weren’t enough attendants to handle the load. Dorchester was going to have to adopt the more common model of arrival interviews handled by the gate guards. Most larger cities currently do it this way, and hundreds of years ago, Dorchester used to do the same.
He sighed heavily. This meant that he would have to temporarily pull men away from the wilds and aid the city’s garrisons until more guards could be trained. ‘At least we’ll be putting this new income to good use. Now, where is the status report on the wall cannons,’ he wondered, while flicking through the holograms to find what he was looking for.
An alarm went off in his link, an emergency update concerning an eminent threat to the city. His screens tinted red, and a new ping appeared at the top of his incoming messages.
His eyes widened a little, but he didn’t panic. Smoothly closing the files he had been working on, he brought up the emergency alert’s details. Quickly scanning through the situation summary, his jaw dropped open in shock. Kobalds? Seriously?
Shooting up from his desk, he marched toward the door to his office, waving his hand to throw open the doors. After making his way into his outer office, he stared hard at his aides, his loud voice was both calm and full of steel, “Summon all commanders to the situation room. Emergency teleports are authorized. I want them there in 5 minutes. Activate the wall defense protocols, along with the military’s Hub-override. I want the information office sending out updates immediately. Recall any units we have contact with outside the walls. We need them back here as soon as possible.”
The moment the general had started speaking, the aides had started working. As he rattled off orders, they smoothly carried them out without question. The holograms on their desks flickered quickly, chunks of information being sent out to all corners of Dorchester.
Seeing his aides rising to the challenge, unquestioningly following his orders, the general’s heart swelled with pride. ‘We may not be a large city… but we know what we’re about,’ he thought to himself.
“After you finish here, join me in the situation room. From now on, that’s where we’ll be working,” he said, then marched off through the outer office doors into the hallway.
He could see the red lights pulsing in warning along the edges of the ceiling, alerting everyone in central command to the gravity of the situation. As he walked, he read through the reports coming out of the Gate 22 command center. In addition to the three full squads still unaccounted for, there were over 300 confirmed casualties. The commander on-site, Commander Johan Gallegos, was right… they were at war.
This wasn’t a monster swarm, or a beast wave. This was a hostile civilization invading through their blind spot. If their forces weren’t able to hold them back long enough, the fighting could very well spill into the city. If it got bad enough, they could lose all of Gate 22. ‘That will NOT happen,’ he said to himself.
Arriving at the emergency astra-teleportation platform, he nodded to the attending technician. The young woman looked stern and capable, her hands flying over the controls with precision and skill. Voice was calm and steady, she said, “Teleportation coordinates set to the arrival zone outside the War Council chambers in the keep, sir. Let me know when you’re ready.”
Taking his place on the platform, he glanced over at her and replied, “Good to go.”
With a flash of light, the general watched his surroundings change. He appeared in a reinforced room at the base of the keep, the platform he was standing on was just one of many. Alongside him were several other platforms currently filling with his commanders.
Not wasting time, he marched through the doors to the situation room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the tall ornate doors to his left. Through there was the War Council chambers. ‘I won’t let it come to that,’ he promised himself.
Around a giant circular table, several commanders were already working at their screens, coordinating the army’s withdrawal from the wilds and preparing to address this new threat to their city. Taking his place at the table, he leaned over his fists and addressed the men and women charged with defending the people of Dorchester.
His voice carried through the room, subtly infused with essence, “You all read the reports coming out of Gate 22. I want each and every command center to send me a report of what forces you have available to reinforce the mountain gate. Pull them off the road crews if you have to. The refugees from the outer villages and towns will have to wait. We need to solidify a front before we can begin cleaning out these vermin from our ancestral halls. We can worry about who is responsible for letting this happen later, for now… we have a threat to eliminate, and eliminate it we will. Get to work.”
All around him, the commanders nodded in agreement, their faces filled with quiet determination. The room was silent, as most of the communication was being handled through their links. But the ambient essence hummed with their unified purpose. Every one of them was focused like a laser on the task at hand. They may have been preparing for a beast wave, but they were always ready to defend their walls.
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Nero had expected a sermon on the evils of the world, or proselytizing on glories of the Temple of the Sun, but that wasn’t at all what he got. Brian, the cleric, introduced him to this world’s religions as if he were a recruiter at a job fair. Even combat didn’t blunt his enthusiasm for the subject.
While maintaining his charming smile, Brian launched glowing rays of light that struck their companions, surrounding them with a subtle white glow. With a happy undercurrent to his voice, he said, “You see Lord Walker, this is one of the many abilities granted through the connection to our goddess. She is always there for us, supporting our efforts, healing our wounds, and watching over her adherents.”
Nero stood near the back of the party, well away from the combat, awkwardly listening to the cleric while Nick stood on his other side calmly observing the fight. The rest of the party was currently dealing with a group of over-sized boar-type monsters that were mutated and had spiky protrusions sticking up out of their spines. It was strange to see 8 foot tall bulging bundles of muscle with snouts resembling a pig crossed with a crocodile. He didn’t know if he should be horrified, disgusted, or amused.
Sergeant Wesker and the hunter party’s front-line fighters had corralled three large monsters into a group, forcing them all into one area so the ranged party members could finish them off. Cathleen was launching spears that she kept pulling out of her personal space, while Rose and the other archers launched arrows with pin-point accuracy. The hunter party archers were imbuing spells or abilities into their arrows, and the effects were varied, but powerful.
Nero watched as one of the archers fired an arrow which emitted a yellow mist, slightly glowing with contained power. It slammed into one of the monster's sides, exploding a chunk of meat with a loud ‘pop’, disgustingly sounding like pop-corn going off.
At the same time, nimble fighters danced around the edges of the fight, slashing with glowing swords and daggers, hamstringing the freakish things and limiting their movements.
Even the hunter party’s mage joined in, occasionally lobbing balls of what looked like summoned mud onto the back’s of the monsters, clinging to the protrusions and dripping down over the large bodies. Nero had no idea what it was supposed to be doing, but he doubted it was just for show.
Meanwhile, Nick had told Nero to just hang back and watch how professionals fought. So, he was stuck there listening to Brian narrate the fight, while extolling the virtues of being a follower of the goddess Serine.
“By connecting to the light of Serine, we are able to channel her power for the aid of humanity. The light can do many things. It can heal, enhance attributes, even protect us from harm. Look there, you see how Marsha is moving? She’s not that fast… it’s the goddess that is helping her move like that,” the cleric said, absently gesturing with his glowing staff at one of the dagger wielding rogues who was currently glowing with one of his buffs.
Nero figured it was like divine channeling in any number of stories, so he wasn’t too impressed. Rather than say that, he smiled lightly and nodded, pretending to be impressed. “So, is it just a matter of faith? Or did you sell your… I mean, dedicate your soul to her cause or something? How do you make this connection?”
Either not catching Nero’s slip, or just not caring, Brian replied, “Well, in order to borrow the goddesses power, one must join the Temple of the Sun. Through a ritual we are allowed to glimpse her fields in the upper planes. Once there, if she finds you worthy, she will allow you to connect your center to her light. With that connection, you will find a well-spring of power at your finger-tips. You will be able to cast for hours, with no barely any strain on your reserves.”
Skeptical, Nero wanted to ask, ‘What’s the catch?’. However, he managed to hold himself back.
Luckily Nick chimed in, seemingly interested in the subject. “It’s actually a fascinating phenomenon. There has been some interesting work done in the Eastern cities concerning planar channeling. By connecting to the various planes, essence streams are pulled through the ether within the caster’s soul. Although the uses are limited, it is still a powerful technique. Albeit one with a quite a few drawbacks,” he said.
While they were chatting amiably, the rest of the party was still pounding the monsters into submission. Glancing at the battle, Nero could see one of the boar’s faces was ruined, half its head replaced by a smoking crater. It toppled over, clearly dead, leaving the remaining two to rage at the sight of their fallen comrade. ‘Maybe these are pack animals or something?’ he wondered, the idle thought fleeting across his mind.
Brain’s voice stole back Nero’s attention. “While it’s true that diving channeling doesn’t promote level stress at the same rate as magic training, it makes up for it with much larger power reserves. And there is nothing wrong with being a specialized caster,” he said, almost like he was used to having this argument with mages.
Seizing the opportunity, Nero asked, “So that’s the only drawback? What do the ‘adherents’ give up to gain this power?”
Brian didn’t seem offended, and answered easily, “Well, you ARE tying your soul to that plane of existence. When you die, you are shepherded into the afterlife through that conduit. So, in a way, you are entrusting your soul to whatever deity you choose to align yourself with. Therefore, you must find one that aligns with your principles, otherwise your afterlife may not be all that enjoyable.”
Nero’s face twisted in confusion. His mouth moving faster than his caution could handle, he asked, “So you guys actually get to choose your afterlife like your looking at a take-out menu? That’s crazy. What made you choose the goddess Serine? And how do you know that your actually going to get what she’s promised? Also, what does she get out of this arrangement?”
Nick chuckled, and Brian threw his head back in a hearty laugh. “Bah, it’s good to be young and naive. Our goddess gains power by tying our identities to her plane. As more followers join her in the Plains of Eternity, the plane itself becomes more robust. Eventually, it might even become material. Goddess Serine is young, only a few millennia old, so her plain is still developing. Of course, we can look into how she treats her followers and we know what awaits us when we get there. She is not a demon who offers power for false promises, or a devil who tricks the overly-ambitious with lies wrapped in truth,” he said, finishing his speech with some casual hatred thrown in toward what Nero thought were mythical creatures.
Nero’s eyebrows shot up, but he didn’t say anything. After all, it kinda made sense that devils and demons existed here. He’d heard Nick and Jennings talk about the lower planes, and people seemed to swear by using phrases like, ‘hells be damned!’ or ‘what in all the hells?’ and other such nonsense.
The sounds of battle stopped, and Nero looked over at the party. No one even seemed out of breath. Cathleen walked over and casually collected her spears while keeping an eye on her surroundings. Rose was exchanging words with the archers, probably getting tips on her chosen profession. Even Sergeant Wesker was casually pulling out his essence collection rod. The entire scene was just too weird. There was no ‘tension’ in the air, and the lack of excitement made Nero feel a little uncomfortable.
Nero’s thoughts were interrupted by Nick. The old man said, “There are a lot of churches throughout Oglivarch. Normally when a child reaches the age of awakening, they choose which belief most closely aligns with their personal principles. There are a few classes at the center which cover the local religions, they’re usually sponsored by the religious district. The Temple of the Sun is currently the most popular choice among residents of Dorchester, or at least it was the last time I checked.”
Brian cheerfully added, “Yes it is! We are also the most prolific in our outreach programs. There are classes on channeling and personal development, plus combat instruction in the ways of the light, and sponsorship opportunities for new business’s willing to partner with the temple.”
Nero wasn’t really understanding how the whole religion thing worked. It seemed more like a club than a religion. There must be something he was missing.
Looking up at the cheerful cleric, he asked, “So what do the different religions believe in? Is there a holy scripture or something that you’re required to follow? Or some great evil that you are dedicated to fighting? Like, what’s your biggest moral outrage at the moment?”
Brian looked down at Nero, a little confused at the question. Not knowing what to say, he looked over at Nick, silently asking for a translation.
Nick chuckled and said, “Nero’s asking about your doctrine of faith.”
Brain’s smile returned, and he said, “Oh! I see. Well, every church is different, but we at the Temple of the Sun are primarily dedicated to agricultural development and the growth of civilization. But, like all legally validated faiths, we are dedicated to removing the influence of the lower planes from our society. Wherever there is the stink of corruption, we will be there to stamp it out. Our kingdom’s roots will not be strangled by the evils of the hells be damned nightmares that stalk our plane from below.”
Yup, that’s the kind of hatred Nero was expecting from a religious nut-job. However, he had to admit that it didn’t sound so crazy when there was actual scientific evidence of what the hells actually looked like. This wasn’t the first time his preconceptions were challenged by his new reality, so he handled it well enough.
Coughing lightly to clear his throat, Nero decided to refocus the conversation on what he thought was more important. “So, you guys don’t have any particular issue with alcohol, or same-sex marriage, or any of that kind of thing?”
Brian stared at Nero with utter confusion for a good five seconds. “Um… I’m not exactly sure what you’re asking. The faithful of Serine are dedicated to farming and growth. If that’s not for you, I guess you could look into some of the other faiths. There is the Temple of Victory, that might be more what you’re looking for. They host monthly revels that I hear get pretty wild.”
Nero’s eyes widened, realizing that his question had been seriously misinterpreted. He could practically feel Nick staring down at him from the other side. Turning his head, he expected to see Nick’s amusement or judgment, but all he saw was the old man giving him a look of confusion.
Meeting Nero’s eyes, Nick asked with all seriousness, “If you’re interested in males, then why are you always staring at Rose in the showers?”
Nero felt the heat rising in his cheeks, the embarrassment hitting him hard. ‘So this is what those damn anime characters are always feeling. It must be an underlying rule of the omniverse to have to put up with crap like this,’ he thought with some anger, pissed that such a cliché actually happened to him.
Refusing to continue with this subject, Nero gestured to the rest of the party gathering back into formation. “We should get moving. We don’t want the sergeant to get any grumpier.”
As Nero stomped off, Brian and Nick shared a look of confusion. Nick shrugged to the cleric, indicating that he had no idea what that was all about, then followed after his young friend. Brian watched them walk off, then jogged to catch up, calling out, “That’s not to say that the Temple of the Sun doesn’t know how to hold a party. You know, we host monthly mixers where the newly joined members can get to know each other…”
As the cleric continued extorting the virtues of his faith, Nero did his best to ignore him. Like everything else in this world, the religions here were just ‘off’.
Comments
Skyra
It was mentioned that grandfather of the king ascended. Whether he moved one plane higher or became a god and created his own plane is unclear.
Ocean Breeze
That's actually really interesting. Serine is only a few thousand years old, so how did she become a goddess? Did she just reach a high enough level? It sounds like this info might be commonly known.
