Chapter 154

By the time they returned to the temple, Nick was fairly certain he knew what was going on. It had taken him a surprising amount of time to piece together the puzzle, but once they had cleansed the last field and he heard the final prayer, he knew.“We offer our prayers as ashes to be scattered,

Our hopes as embers to be kindled,

That Thy magnificent light may transform our harvest,

And enrich the barren earth with Thy eternal radiance.

Guide our steps through the fire’s trial,

Expand Thy embrace beyond the horizons of mortal sight—

So that Thy everlasting inferno may shine upon all,

And the cycle of death and rebirth become the sacred testament

To Thy glory, now and forevermore.”

The purification of the ashes was undoubtedly a cleansing ritual. However, if it were just that, it wouldn’t require a Prestige Class to conduct it, nor would it need the direct attention of a goddess.

Now that they were back in the temple, Nick could feel the weight of her attention slowly receding, but there was still a heaviness in the air, something tapping at his brain like an itch he couldn’t scratch.

Where the physical grounds of the temple had once limited it, Nick could now feel it spreading over Floria. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been so surprising, given that Sashara had descended directly, and such things left their presence, but the speed with which a Greater ritual was organized made sense only if he knew that Marthas wanted to crystallize that imprint.

Nick hadn’t spent much time in town since the events. In fact, he’d outright avoided it. Therefore, it made sense that he hadn’t noticed anything different. But now that he walked through the streets, he could feel vestiges of her presence. Worse still, he could sense how the expansion of the domain interacted with them, making them permanent.

Frankly, it was an encroachment of the highest degree on the Captain’s authority. It was an insult from the temple, a conquest hidden beneath a veneer of piety.

Nick had to respect the sheer gall required for something like this. It was too late to stop it now, unfortunately, and even if he could, he didn’t doubt that Marthas was watching for any interference. He might not be back at full power yet, but his ability to hold a greater ritual on his own quelled any notion of rebellion.

Suddenly, many seemingly separate threads began to coalesce into one. Nick had to wonder at how blind he had been. So focused on regaining his power and expanding his arsenal, he hadn’t even noticed when a coup was unfolding right under his nose.

Oh, he didn’t doubt that nominally nothing would change. His father was still the legal authority within Floria, and Marthas would keep to the temple. But in reality, the balance had shifted all at once.

Nick didn’t know, and did not appreciate being in the dark. Marthas had proven to be a multifaceted man, and he wouldn’t put it past him to take advantage of the descent of his goddess to increase his influence. But what would he do with it?

There were simply too many questions, and Nick had no idea what the truth was. He couldn’t even ask his parents, as they were in public, and if this thin veil of peace had to hold, he couldn’t afford to prod at it.

“Captain, we were just thinking of holding a special training session for the rookies. They are all fired up, and it’s better for them to burn their energy in the training grounds,” he heard Darien say, and now Nick couldn’t help but read subtext into it. Was this his father’s second-in-command’s way of getting Eugene out of the temple and somewhere private where they could organize their response?

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Unfortunately, that would remain unknown to him, as Eugene smoothly extricated himself from the crowd and went to join his troops, as if nothing was wrong. His face was placid and relaxed, but Nick thought he could see a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Their eyes met, and Nick lifted an eyebrow in question. The “Should we do something about this?” was implied pretty strongly. Eugene shook his head ever so slightly, his lips tightening.

Soon, Elena was called away too, and she patted him on the cheek. “I know you said you’d leave soon, but at least let us spend one last night together before you take off, will you?”

Given that his mother was usually quite anxious about leaving him in danger, he had to think she didn’t know. Or perhaps she knew but assumed Marthas wouldn’t harm him.

Pulling away from the crowds now that he was alone, Nick tried to get closer to the temple itself. It was possible that someone within would let something slip. Activating , he began to look through every chamber.

Unfortunately, it was nearly empty. The priests had, of course, joined the procession, leaving only a small group to stoke the hearth, and they were busy reciting prayers.

One thing stood out. From the beginning, Nick had noticed the conspicuous absence of the man who would have once been in the thick of it.

Alexander hadn’t participated in the Purification, but that could be excused by saying he was still recovering. What that didn’t explain was why he wasn’t anywhere to be found within the temple itself.

In fact, now that Nick was looking for it, he found the Vicar’s room had been cleaned of any evidence that he might have ever been there.

Before he could try to make sense of the sudden absence, however, he felt several presences converge on him. Surprisingly, it wasn’t angry priests, as he might have thought, but beastmen.

Nick looked up, and his eyes met those of someone he hadn’t spoken to in a while. Wulla was as maternal and warm as ever, but today, her smile was slightly tighter, and her eyes seemed a little more predatory.

She nodded before silently gesturing towards the path that wound out of the temple grounds and led to the beastmen quarter.

Nick seriously considered ignoring her. He could have easily gotten away with it, given the still considerable number of people nearby, and with Marthas around, he doubted any of them would dare make threatening moves.

Despite his violent thoughts, he didn’t make any move to attack. Instead, he subtly nodded and began walking away, maintaining a distance of a hundred feet ahead of the group.

It wouldn’t be strange for him to take this path, as it would also lead him to Ogden’s shop, a place he was known to frequent, but he couldn’t help but keep an eye on every priest within his range, taking note of what they said and how long their eyes lingered on him.

The sudden expansion made him paranoid. He didn’t know how much of it had been a violent takeover and how much was simply misguided faith. However, given how brilliant Marthas was, he doubted that he didn't know exactly what he was doing.

Relief didn’t come when they left the temple grounds, as the itch of the domain still lingered. The beastmen appeared to relax after their departure, but Nick wasn’t so naive. He continued silently, nearly reaching the edge of the beastmen quarter, when the feeling finally faded.

“I thought he’d decided to skip on us,” one of the wolf beastmen muttered, and Nick didn’t bother replying, instead giving his attention to the one calling the shots.

“Hello, Nicholas. It’s been a while. Have you been well?” Wulla asked warmly, and Nick had to fight to keep from relaxing at her tone.

“I am much better now that I’ve recovered from the raid, thank you for asking,” he replied, paying keen attention to how she reacted to the mention of the dungeon.

If anything, her face grew even calmer. “I must thank you for your efforts. I’ve been told you were instrumental to Floria’s victory.”

“I did what I had to do,” he said, not exactly meaning it as a dig but enjoying the way the other beastmen tensed. “Is there something I can do for you?” He eventually asked.

A beat of silence passed, and Nick found himself pinned by a predator’s gaze. In an instant, Wulla transformed from a docile mother to a dangerous hunter, and he felt his hackles rise despite himself. Mana churned through his channels as he prepared to defend himself.

“I am here to cash in on the favor you owe me,” she eventually said. “I know my foolish daughter has decided to go through the Trials, and I need someone there to watch out for her. Unfortunately, you are the only one she’d consider an equal, and so you are the one who must accompany her.”

“What?” Nick asked incredulously.

“She must have told you,” Wulla continued, still as intense, “that she decided to risk her life for a chance. All because she believes the world can be forced to become just, if one is just stubborn enough.”

This was definitely not what Nick had expected, but in a twisted way, it made sense. Wulla still loved her daughter. She wanted to retain control of the beastmen, sure, but she also didn’t want Elia to die. “If it’s so foolish, why are you allowing her to leave?” He asked after a moment, deciding he wouldn’t say anything about his agreement with Elia. If Wulla wanted to waste her favor on something he would already do, that was fine with him.

“The elders have voted to allow her, and…” Her gaze drifted far away for a moment, and she lost that violent intensity, becoming a concerned mother again, “And I want to believe in her, even if I don’t believe in fairness. My daughter has the potential to be great.”

In one day, Nick’s entire understanding of the political situation in Floria had changed, and it seemed he wasn’t done being surprised yet.

“So, will you do it?” She asked again.

Nick took a moment to make it look suitably dramatic before nodding. “Elia is my friend. If she needs my help, I will be there.” With that, he felt the vow he’d sworn all those weeks ago tighten.

“Good. I hope to see you again, Nicholas.” Wulla murmured, pleased. With that, she turned around and left, taking her posse with her. They also seemed surprised at what had transpired, but no one questioned her.

It took Nick a moment to gather himself, but eventually, he started on the path again.

Looking around at the ash-covered fields, he shook his head. A lot could change all at once, and it seemed that despite the power he’d accrued, he was still just as much a bystander as he’d always been.

By the time he arrived at Ogden’s, he could sense the first farmers beginning to move through the fields, sowing new seeds. Life, as always, went on.

“Finally,” an impatient voice grumbled, and Nick looked up to see Rhea standing from the seat she’d taken on the shop’s steps. “Come on, we need to plan the journey. We’re leaving tomorrow!”