AN: If you have any questions you want to be answered in the story please send them my way. I can only think of so much on my lonesome.
No one spoke at first, each assumed another would speak before them. After a few moments of awkward silence, the young man from before broke the quiet. "What are your plans, if you don't mind telling us, my lord?"
His tone was nervous, not exactly unexpected considering the company, more specifically the one the question was directed to. "Well, not everything we plan to do will be laid bare. But aside from acquiring a cult, and establishing its beginnings here, we will also give knowledge and skills to craftsmen. We have already been in contact with a smith in Creteonus."
The small group was a bit surprised he had already been to Creteonus. To the Machine God, it was a quick trip, but the actual speed required to move to and from Dimitis and Creteonus fast enough for it to only take two days was beyond mankind in its current state. And now the lord of all machines claimed to have already gone there and returned.
"That is surprising, did the smith make that for you?" Korban gestured to the shrine, "You returned with it, it's made of metal. And now you say you've been to Creteonus. So I assume you went to the city in search of a person who could make you a shrine?" the old mans' face was one of relative ease.
"No." the words were not sudden, but they stuck out in the air, "We left in search of an apprentice, the shrine was partially produced with his forge. This as well as a few other items were merely an acceleration of one of our future goals."
Their words held for another moment, "Once we had produced our works, we gave the agreed-upon payment to the smith. However soon the smith found himself bargaining with me to learn secrets of metallurgy not yet known to this world."
Korban was concerned upon hearing this, what had the god tempted that poor man into, "What happened next?" the man prayed to Athena, his face did not show his intention. Lest he offends the deity with his doubts in its intent.
"We got leather strips for the four amulets we made alongside our shrines, in exchange for us giving him some guidance." Korban relaxed his posture unconsciously.
"Afterward he commented that he felt a feeling of guilt. That he had not given us an equal exchange. So we gave him one of the shrines we made, as well as one of our amulets. We came to an agreement, which while deeply in his favour, also greatly benefits ourselves with no true loss." they were almost rambling at this point. However, there was a purpose to this.
"But, my lord you said you made four amulets, where are the other three?" the women from earlier spoke up in a confused tone. This had been the natural segway the Machine God had prompted for.
"Ah, an excellent question dear lady. We made three shrines, four amulets, and gave one of each to the smith called Mairus." the group seemed to nod along, Korban placed the name in his memory for later.
"And one shrine sits on the table behind us, within your sight. To answer your question properly. We gifted one of our shrines and the last of our amulets to Jace, Alexandra, and their daughter Cleo." this felt like a small slap to the group.
For a few reasons, one was that a god was already familiar with one of the families in the village, the second was that they knew this entire family by name and called them as such, and finally, the deity gave gifts not the other way around. To the first, it is because of the speed of the event due to their arrival.
The second is tricky, they knew the gods on Olympus were knowledgeable, but none of the people in the village were important enough to be known by name to any god who didn't already know everything that has happened, such as Athena or Nereus the old man of the sea. This was all of course from the villagers' perspective.
The final concern was due to the shock of it. A self-proclaimed, and not believed god was in their midst. And they had already given gifts to a family the group either knew or knew of. The young man was the first to speak, "When did you meet them? Why'd you give them gifts?"
The boy almost blurted out his words, they spoke quickly to stifle any possible fear of offense, "We met them last evening, as we moved over the village we noticed that a little girl had just placed an offering at my old cog in the square. Once we investigated we met and spoke with Cleo and then her parents."
"So, you were repaying their offering? Rather kind of you." Korban spoke with a small bit of happiness in his voice. Kindness and goodness were not rare but it wasn't as common as he would like or wish it to be.
"Yes and no, we had already given them a blessing and small duty. This was a gift to ensure our...ear would always hear them. As the first to show us reverence, they deserve such a small repayment." the people in the small shrine room were quiet. Not dead silent, they made no attempts to silence themselves.
They simply were not talking right then, and as they each moved into more comfortable positions on their stumps they waited. Both parties waited, not just the people. The group was in an almost semi-circle shape. Centered around the deity, they too waited.
"Besides, we had returned their offering. The action was enough, at the moment, we have no need for what they gave. It is one thing to offer prayer or service but, to us without anything to use it on, a sacrifice would simply be a waste." the words sank in for a moment.
The gods were given sacrifices in the form of burnt offerings, drink offerings, and many more ways as often as possible. That is not to say it was every day you killed an animal and made a burnt offering to gods. But giving thanks to one or more gods at the beginning of a meal with some prayer or action was common. Very common, traditional.
A man who had yet to speak yet spoke in a question, "What do you mean you consider a sacrifice a waste?" the words were a bit offended, not personally offended, but something else. As if it was an unconscious action from growing up the way he, and many others did.
"Simple, if we've no use for what is given to us then it would be better the sacrifice is kept or put to some other use. Another difference we suppose we have with the Olympians. They may gain something from the type of sacrifices you are used to, but we don't know if that is the case. Nor does it apply to us." the robe shifted silently as to not remain completely still and possibly bring unease.
Unhuman like appearances and actions were disturbing to the mind of humans when performed by a humanoid being. Korban spoke again, "So you don't gain anything from burnt sacrifices or offering?"
"Not unless the objects provide their use in being burnt as wood does. Or the offering can be used by ourselves." a pause in the question gave them a small doubt. What exactly they could not say. Once again, they found themselves amongst a great crowd of people. All of them singing in High Gothic, the incense was thick in the air, an-
The lord of all machines' robes seemed to shudder, this was a sign of them becoming comfortable using the robes as a sort of body considering it was an involuntary shiver. The people noticed this and a few leaned forward at the movements, "Ahh." their voice betrayed nothing, nothing noticeable, "Actually there is one thing I would appreciate."
"Do any of you perhaps remember what I said about my worshippers and my temples?" the group seemed to think back, each desperately trying to remember what had been said during the previous day.
"Umm," the women from before spoke, it seemed with each time one of them spoke they gained the confidence to speak again, "You said your temples rivaled mountains and your worshippers were beyond counting?" each was a slight bit hesitant as if not sure of the content on which she spoke.
'So they don't remember that one detail. Or haven't mentioned it, it matters not. No difference shall be made to our purpose either way. After all, we remember it as our past, but it is the future.' The robes inclined their hood, "Indeed. In those temples, our worshippers burnt incense, prayed, sang, and listened to sermons. Though instead of temples, they were called churches, and the largest were called cathedrals."
That last sentence was said in an almost rambling tone as if it was an afterthought. "Incense is… precious in our eyes. We suppose it is the exception to our feelings on sacrifices." they were spurred by this to another thought, "Question."
They seemed to tilt their head, the group was confused, "Where does incense grow, do you know?" while a general question, it was mostly intended for Korban. After all, they knew he had some. And therefore had obtained it, and therefore knew of ways to get it. Which could lead to a source.
"All of our incense comes from far away lands. Only traders' sources would know where it is grown." as expected Korban had an answer, "Is it important?"
"Not yet, but thank you nonetheless." a direct source of incense was sure to be crucial once the time was right. But that was counting their machines before they were manufactured. It would be important, but first things first. "Were there any more questions?"
A hand moved and another of the group spoke, "Why are you being so open with us?" This prompted the group to look at the till now silent women and then back at the Machine God. As if the people had wondered this themselves.
'Ah, there it is.' Their voice was soft and warm, it was almost shocking, considering the neutral tone that most of the people there were used to at that point, "Trust. How can we expect worship and loyalty without at least some semblance of trust?"
"It would be one thing if we had not appeared before you all. If you had heard of us from others and trusted your faith to us despite us not meeting one another." the group listened more attentively than before.
"But we put fear into your village, we appeared in smoke and fire. Therefore to put out that image from your minds we must attempt to show and tell the truth to the best extent we can show." the deity began to think to themselves after going silent.
'It is quite simply impressions, besides even if we had gone about establishing ourselves in more subtle ways, we would still need to give explanations.' the robes moved to the window to their right and seemed to look out of it.
'The only difference is that here it is direct instead of through priests. Not that we could even have a priest to spread our will without revealing myself to them in some way. Besides this is faster and less likely to have... setbacks... given our direct influence.' these thoughts were what filled their mind.
"Any more questions?" the silence before and after the question was almost the same. "Very well then. We have things to attend to. You are all more than welcome to visit our shrine but we will not always be here. Of course, I best leave you all to your day's tasks for now. Farewell." the robes' hood gave a small bow in time with their voice.
The deity of mars left the small church of wood, it was not perfect but it would suffice for now. 'We have established ourselves for future growth. It is time to… do some investigating.' With that, the robes flew above the trees and then folded into a ball. They began to move fast through the air.
Northward of Crete did they begin to go, 'This land needs to be seen, understood. Though, it is not just the land we should explore. A mystery, filled in, still must be explained.'
AN: Twelve is sacred to the Cult Mechanicus and as such we shall all say our prayers. Share your prayers in the reviews. Remember Deus Machina protegit.