Chapter 6 - Drive and Devotion
A few weeks had passed since Veil's fight with Zahra, and she had been much more aware of each day of that time passing her by than before. Not wanting to repeat the same mistake that led to her first loss, Veil had returned to approaching her training and education sessions much less recklessly, and she was pleased that she no longer felt quite as tired all the time.
Going back to being properly rested again paid off well in her scheduled fights, and she was able to claim some much-needed arena victories for House Tenebri. But each felled opponent only reminded her of her own limits, her own inability to make any progress on her Binding Offer.
The fact that she was seeing the opponent she had to beat to complete her Offer more often also left Veil with mixed feelings. On occasion, Zahra would show up at the Tenebri estate to catch up with Veil, and sometimes even take part in a training session with her. Zahra was always friendly and sociable, and their sparring matches made for good practice, but some days the gap in their skill levels felt like something Veil would never be able to cross.
One day, after a sparring match that left Veil feeling particularly outclassed, she worked up the courage to tell Zahra about it. Her arena rival turned friend gave Veil a knowing smile, and rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, Veil, don't feel too bad about it! I've had years to get this good after all! You're doing much better than you think you are, and I'm sure you'll catch up with me soon enough!"
Veil nodded along vacantly, wishing her mind would let her believe Zahra's words.
"I… Yeah, you're probably right, Zahra. I just… Maybe I should stop practicing for today. I think Mistress Adelin has something to say about her plans for my next match…"
"Veil… I…"
Before Zahra had a chance to say anything else, Veil started heading back to the estate. As she walked, she wrestled with everything in her mind.
Zahra's right, I know, but… Every time I lose, she just gives me a smile and some tips for next time… Ugh, losing to her would be so much easier if she wasn't so nice about it!
Can I… Can I really even hope to beat her? Or is this all part of some trial Serapis wants me to endure?
While she was absorbed in thought, Veil found herself in front of Mistress Adelin's manor house. Without even having to think about it, she made her way in and headed toward the study where her Mistress planned out Veil's arena matches.
The study was a fairly small room lit up by torches along the walls. Between the torches there were niches lined with shelves filled with all kinds of scrolls. A simple wooden desk covered with a number of scrolls, both furled and unfurled, stood in the middle of the room near the back wall.
Mistress Adelin sat behind the desk, poring over one of the scrolls. The moment she noticed that Veil had entered, she looked up and gave her a warm smile.
"Ah, Tenebri Veil. I take it you've finished training for the day?"
Veil nodded and bowed. "I guess so, Mistress."
The Mistress stood up from her desk and walked over to Veil. "You're still feeling down about your Binding Offer, aren't you, dear?"
"Y-yes, Mistress. I'm glad that Zahra's been helping me train, but… Mistress, sometimes it feels like I'll never be able to beat her. Like Serapis put her in front of me to because I don't deserve to-"
"Don't start thinking like that, Veil. You are worth so much more than that."
"Mistress, I…"
"It seems you are in need of something more than simple reassurance. As it turns out, I've been looking into something that I believe could help you."
Veil looked up at her Mistress, her frills rising slightly. "You have?"
"Indeed. I think what you need right now are the words of someone who understands the will of Serapis far better than even I do. I've been planning to arrange a meeting with a member of House Ardeo so that you can speak with such a person."
"Someone who… But Mistress, you're a Daughter of Serapis! How could anyone besides the High Ones understand Her will better than you?"
"Is it so hard to imagine? My caste may place me closer to Her glory, but the devotion shown by members of House Ardeo quite simply puts mine to shame. They live and breathe the teachings of Serapis, to the degree that even the Unseen turn to Her glory at the sound of their words!"
"Oh yeah, House Ardeo's also a Reaper House, isn't it?"
Veil jumped and turned as she heard Zahra's voice just behind her, her halo instinctively flaring up as she anticipated a surprise attack. Behind her, Mistress Adelin did the same, and claws made by her power began to reach out from every shadowy nook in the room.
"Whoa, whoa, both of you, relax! We're not fighting right now!"
Veil took a moment to calm down, her halo fading before she spoke up. "Ah, r-right, sorry Zahra. You really scared me though!"
"Indeed, Walker Zahra," Mistress Adelin said, dispelling her own halo and resisting the urge to sigh, "you took us both off guard with that little stunt. Is it truly necessary for you to abuse your gift from Serapis like that so often, when I explicitly told you not to while on my estate?"
Zahra gave the Mistress a quick bow. "Ah, right, sorry Mistress Tenebri. Couldn't really help myself, it's just sort of second nature!"
"I-it's okay, Zahra! I don't really mind! You said it's to test the other fighters' reflexes in House Safak, right?"
"Yeah, heh, and it's got to the point that they usually just laugh it off! Mistress Tenebri's right though, I should probably try harder to avoid doing it here…"
The Mistress let out a short sigh. "I suppose if that's the case, and if Veil's fine with it, I can forgive you for slipping into the habit from time to time. Provided it doesn't interrupt any of House Tenebri's pressing business."
"Oh yeah, of course, Mistress Tenebri. Thanks for giving me a chance."
"Of course. Anyway, getting back on track, what Walker Zahra said is right. House Ardeo specializes in Reaping Unseen from outside of the Goddess's domain, and converting them to be productive slaves and members of Serapean society."
"And that makes them more attuned to Serapis's will?"
"Yeah! The more Unseen they convert, the less evil and suffering there is in the world, right?"
"Indeed, and that exact philosophy is what has driven them to become so adept at studying and understanding the Precepts of Serapis. Even those of House Ardeo's lower castes are on the whole better educated on the Precepts than the average dreamkeeper in the same caste."
"That sounds great! I bet talking to one of them will help get your spirits up in no time, Veil!"
Veil took a quick look at both Mistress Adelin and Zahra. Following a quick nod, she spoke up.
"Well, if you both think it'll do me some good, then let's do it! I'm kind of excited to hear what they'll have to say now!"
"Excellent. I'll begin the preparations right away then. Within a few days, I'm sure they'll have someone ready to speak with you.
Mistress Adelin smiled, and returned to her desk to review the scroll she had been looking at earlier. Veil and Zahra both gave her a quick bow before heading out of the study themselves.
"So, feeling better, Veil?" Zahra asked, giving her a playful nudge.
Veil nodded. "A little, yeah."
"Enough to try another round of sparring?"
"Heh, so you can get right back to beating me down?"
"Hey, don't think of it like that! You really have been getting better, you know! And I swear to Serapis, it's just too much fun fighting with someone I know will come out on top someday!"
"I just have to keep practicing, right? Well, what's one more loss then?"
Veil let out a short laugh, and Zahra flashed her a smile. Together, the two of them returned to House Tenebri's training grounds for another sparring session. All the while, Veil thought about what her meeting with House Ardeo's representative would end up being like.
—
A few days later, just as Mistress Adelin predicted, Veil was approached to return to the estate during one of her training sessions. As soon as she approached the estate grounds, she saw her Mistress speaking with another woman clothed in a fine, white sleeveless robe with holy symbols of Serapis printed all along its length.
The woman was a heron who was about the Mistress's age, and almost her height as well. From the parts of her body not covered by the robe, Veil could see she was covered in white feathers with the slightest hint of red toward their tips. A tattoo in red portraying the outline of a fire, with a circle made of eight chain links in the middle of it adorned the upper part of both of the woman's winged arms.
Veil stood still as she watched the woman speak with Mistress Adelin, every word from her beak coming out with an unmistakably divine energy.
"…From what you've told me so far, Mistress Tenebri, it seems Serapis has taken quite a liking to this slave of yours."
"Indeed, if only she could see it for her-" Mistress Adelin paused as she noticed Veil staring. "Ah, there she is! Tenebri Veil, if you would come over here, I'd like for you to introduce yourself properly."
Veil jumped as she heard her name called. Not wanting to keep either of her superiors waiting, she quickly joined them and bowed to both of them in turn.
"I-it's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am! I'm Tenebri Veil. And you're House Ardeo's representative, right?"
Veil peeked up from her bow to see the woman staring down at her with a bemused smile and a gentle look in her orange eyes.
"Indeed, child. I am, by the grace of Serapis, Hand Ardeo Chanda. It is a pleasure to meet you as well."
The Mistress gave Veil a smile as she rose from her bow. "We were talking about your troubles just before you arrived, and Hand Chanda is prepared to offer you whatever counsel you need."
Chanda nodded. "We all struggle with faith at some point in our lives, and it is part of the role of House Ardeo to bring comfort to those who have doubts regarding Serapis's plan for them."
"I'll let you two use the House's temple to Serapis to have a proper discussion. And when Tenebri Veil is satisfied with your services, we can all rejoin in my study to discuss the rest of our contract."
"Of course, Mistress Tenebri. But for now, let's make our way to the temple."
With a nod, Mistress Adelin led Veil and Chanda through the estate. In a short time, they arrived at the House's temple, a small structure not too far from the estate's massive statue of Serapis. Following a nod from the Mistress, Veil and Chanda entered the building.
The temple consisted of one room that was fairly meager on the inside. It was nearly barren of decorations, and had only a few seating arrangements. At the far end of the room, a small silver statue of Serapis was seated on a simple stone stand.
"Oh, oh my," Chanda whispered. "I had heard that House Tenebri was in dire straits, but for this to be the quality of your temple…"
"W-we don't really use the temple very often," Veil said, her frills folding over her face as she did. "Most of our major prayers to Serapis are done in front of the statue outside; the temple's used for more personal prayers. If it's not good enough, we could find somewhere else to talk!"
"Oh, no, this should be fine. I meant no disrespect, though I believe House Tenebri would earn more blessings from Serapis if your temple were more fitting to Her glory. But more on the note of why I'm here, I've been told that you are living proof that Serapis is still giving your House blessings."
"You mean like when she gave me my power?"
"Exactly so. If I may ask, may I see your power for myself? A gift from Serapis tends to show the nature of its bearer, so seeing your power will likely help me understand your troubles."
"O-okay, ma'am…"
Veil nodded and activated her power. As her frills opened, she summoned a few plasma balls and let them orbit her slowly. Chanda stood transfixed as she watched Veil's power in action. Tentatively, she reached out to touch one of the plasma balls, only retracting her taloned hand once she felt the heat it generated.
"Serapis… You really are blessed, child! This power, why it radiates with the light and warmth of Serapis Herself! I… I'm getting inspired just looking at it!"
Chanda reached into her robe, pulled out a small scroll, and unfurled it slightly. With a whirr of energy, her own power activated, and a red-orange halo appeared over her head.
"The radiance that poured forth from the slave girl's power was like gazing upon the very glory of Serapis Herself, each brilliant orb of searing light showing another aspect of Her eternal perfection…"
As Chanda spoke, her halo glowed even brighter. Moments after the first syllable left her beak, a tongue of fire manifested from it and floated down to the scroll in her hands. From there, it started gently licking at the scroll, leaving subtle charred marks on it. In time, the scroll had a whole series of markings on it that Veil took a moment to recognize as writing.
Once she had finished speaking, Chanda's halo faded and she refurled the scroll, blushing as she did.
"Oh, I apologize, child. But seeing such a power, why, it's as if Serapis was speaking directly to me, and I just had to write down every word! I must thank you for that wonderful, if brief, glimpse into the nature of the Divine!"
Veil blinked, canceling her own power out. "It was really that special? I know I have a strong power, but I never really thought there was more to it than that."
"Well, there are echoes of Serapis's glory in every power. Each one is a gift from Her after all. And yours tells me quite a lot more than what I just wrote down."
"What did it say?"
"It says to me that you are a truly impressive young woman. Your power burns hot, the sort of passion that I've seen from many of my own kin in House Ardeo, and particularly in my own power. You are driven, child, and Serapis gave you a gift that reflects that drive. Your Mistress informed me that you recently took on the task of completing a Binding Offer, is that right?"
"Yes, ma'am, I wanted to become a Servant so I made the Offer to her. And… then I pushed myself too hard trying to get it done. Is that my problem? Too much of a drive?"
"There is no shame in being driven, child. It is a part of who you are. But the risk of such a drive is that it can lead to recklessness if not properly tempered. If you have been struggling with your Binding Offer, it may be because you must learn that lesson before Serapis lets you succeed."
"Are you sure, ma'am? It's not because I was born a slave, and I'm reaching for something Serapis doesn't want me to have?"
Chanda smiled. "Child, being born a slave is a trial all its own. Your discomfort with your current caste may well be proof that Serapis is challenging you to earn what you feel in your soul you deserve."
"What I feel…" Veil looked up into Chanda's eyes. "You mentioned your power is like mine, with that drive. Do you feel like that sometimes? That you should be in a higher caste?"
"Well, as it turns out, yes. House Ardeo is a House with a great and noble calling. It's not uncommon for the most pious of us to be promoted to a higher caste. I was born into the Hand caste, but the possibility of reaching higher and becoming a Daughter of Serapis has always felt somewhat tantalizing to me. The thing is, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility."
"It's not? But isn't there only supposed to be one Daughter per House?"
"Indeed, child, but what I said about House Ardeo also applies to the Children of Serapis in charge of it. Our current Daughter has led a long life of great service to Serapis, and there are rumors that she will become a High Daughter soon enough. And when she does…"
"Y-you'll become House Ardeo's Daughter?"
"I've been preparing myself for that, but I'm still just one of many candidates. A good number of them are older and far more experienced than me. Because of that, I tend to feel doubt at times. Maybe one of them will be chosen, and all my hard work will have been for nothing. Maybe Serapis… maybe She doesn't want someone like me in such an important position. I admit, chi- Veil, that I have often felt the same feelings that you have been struggling with."
Veil watched as she heard Chanda choke out her words. Sparing a glance over at the idol of Serapis, she activated her power once again.
"Veil, what are-"
"You said you saw something in my power, right? Something that inspired you to write about the glory of Serapis? Maybe if I show you more…"
With a short flash of her halo, Veil sent a volley of tiny plasma balls out into the air above their heads. In a short moment, the glowing orbs dotted the ceiling of the temple, almost making it resemble the night sky.
"Magnificent…"
Almost without realizing it, Chanda activated her own power, and the single word she spoke gave life to a tongue of fire that soared up to the ceiling. The flame arced into the shape of a crescent, forming an artificial moon among the sea of fake stars Veil made.
Veil gave Chanda a smile, then stared up at the newly completed scene. "I don't really know what any of the other Hands in your House are like, but between me seeing your power, and what you saw from mine, I think you've got what it takes to be House Ardeo's Daughter! You've got the drive for it, at least!"
"Veil… You're right. Serapis blessed both of us. We both have that drive… we can both do it, can't we? In time, I'll get to lead House Ardeo, and you will definitely earn your promotion to Servant!"
Veil and Chanda continued looking up at the artificial night sky they created. For that moment, House Tenebri's temple to Serapis seemed to be perfectly suited to Her divinity.
—
After a little more time talking in the temple, Veil and Chanda returned to Mistress Adelin's study. She smiled as the two of them approached her desk.
"Ah, it's good to see you're back. I trust that you two had a good talk?"
Veil nodded and bowed. "Yes, Mistress. I think speaking with Miss Chanda really helped!"
"I think it helped both of us, really. Serapis surely meant for this meeting to happen. I for one am already glad that I answered your request, Mistress Tenebri."
"Excellent. Then with that said, as per our contract it's only fair that House Tenebri returns a favor to House Ardeo. There was something you had in mind, correct?"
Chanda nodded. "Of course. If done right, it's something that I feel will benefit both of our Houses greatly. But I have to admit it's a rather… distasteful thing to ask you to do though…"
Veil gave Chanda a warm look. "Whatever it is, I'm sure I could handle it!"
"So quick to agree, I haven't even said what it is yet! The thing is, well, it's…"
"Well, what is it, Hand Chanda?"
Veil and Mistress Adelin both looked at Chanda expectantly. After a moment, she let out a sigh.
"House Ardeo has had some… trouble with some of our recent Unseen. It's been a few weeks since we Reaped them, and they've rejected Serapis's light every time we've asked them to convert. Some have even resorted to violence. We have a special arena match lined up to deal with the problem, and that's where House Tenebri comes in."
"You, you want us to kill them?"
"No! Um, I mean, hopefully not. This match will also feature a sermon, it will be their last chance at redemption. And with a power like yours, Veil, I think we might be able to convince some of them to convert!"
"But if they don't listen, then Tenebri Veil will have no choice but to kill them."
Chanda nodded. "They may just be Unseen, but taking a life that could have been brought into Serapis's light doesn't rest well with House Ardeo. It's a lot to ask, I know. I wouldn't be offended if you were to decline and someone else-"
"I, I'll do it," Veil said, wavering slightly.
"Are you sure about this, Veil? Someone else could just as easily handle this contract."
"I've had to kill before. For my first fight, in fact. When it came down to it, it… wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. And if I'm going to fight in the arena even more, I'll probably have to do it more anyway, right? If it's against Unseen in this contract, I think I could manage."
"I… I guess you do have a point. Though the whole idea is still to try and convince them to convert. Killing them should only be done as a last resort."
"Ah, right. That should make it easier, right? The fear of death or worshiping Serapis and becoming a slave? I know it can be a rough life, but would anyone really choose death over that?"
Mistress Adelin frowned. "You would sadly be surprised… Many Unseen are quite obstinate about freedom and the idols they choose to worship. There was even a whole war over it some twelve hundred years ago, after all."
"So then I'll just have to try my best to convince these Unseen to accept Serapis! We're not trying to take anything from them, we just want them to be saved!"
Chanda rested a hand on Veil's shoulder. "You won't have to do it alone. I'll prepare a special sermon for the match. One that takes your power and your story into account. When the Unseen hear it, I'm sure they will think twice about rejecting the Goddess's light!"
"Then I suppose the matter is settled. On the day of this arena match, Tenebri Veil will be there to help you, Hand Chanda."
"Thank you, Mistress Tenebri. And you too, Veil." Chanda punctuated her gratitude with a bow to Mistress Adelin, and a handshake with Veil. "With House Tenebri's help, I'm sure we will be able to resolve this with minimal bloodshed."
After an exchange of smiles, the three women started talking about the details of the upcoming match. In time, the plan was settled, and all that remained was for the day of the match to arrive.
—
When the day of House Ardeo's match finally arrived, Veil found herself once more in the arena in Serapeum's capital. On the other side of the arena, the Unseen were being led into the pit by members of House Ardeo, many of whom had their powers active and ready in case their captives tried anything.
There were ten Unseen in the pit with Veil once they had all been corralled in. Each had a wildly different appearance, though they all wore ragged outfits in the same strange, outlander fashion. Their clothes seemed much more restrictive to movement than what Veil was used to seeing, and among some of them, extra holes had to be cut to accommodate their bodies.
A few of the Unseen were scowling at their captors and the arena's patrons. A good portion of the crowd returned sneers of their own, and Veil winced as she heard both parties slinging some rather colorful slurs and insults at each other.
Some of the captives looked much more terrified. They were avoiding the gaze of the arena goers, and were looking around quickly in the hopes of finding some way out of their predicament. One of them, a male Unseen who looked like a silver-feathered roadrunner caught Veil's attention. She swore she could see the faintest trace of a silver halo beginning to appear over his head.
Right, Miss Chanda mentioned that. Some of these Unseen have powers. Maybe Serapis hasn't completely given up on them…
The voice of the mistress of ceremonies brought Veil's attention back to the crowd of Unseen, and she focused on them as the match was announced.
"Good people of Serapeum! Today we have a special match for you all! More of a sermon, really, for these Unseen heathens you see before you now! Today's their last chance to accept the worship of Serapis and get promoted into the slave caste!
"And if the heathens aren't willing to listen, we have someone from the caste they refuse to join to put them down! Some of you may remember her from her… unfortunate first appearance in our lovely arena. But now she's back again, this time to do the good work of Serapis! Let's hear it for Slave Tenebri Veil!"
Some cheering followed, causing Veil to smile faintly. A number of the voices in the crowd urged her to "make those Unseen bastards burn," and she tried her best to drown those voices out.
"Now, I know some of you want to see these heathens bleed," the mistress of ceremonies continued, earning a hearty cheer in response, "but this is still supposed to be a chance for them to convert! And Serapis knows I'm no priestess, so I'll leave the sermonizing to someone who is!
"My good people, I'd like to introduce our main speaker for today, the one whose House Reaped these Unseen, and organized this very event! Let's give a warm welcome to Hand Ardeo Chanda, everyone!"
The mistress of ceremonies stepped down from her podium, and the audience cheered as Chanda quickly took her place. With her halo burning brightly over her head, she began to speak, and flames erupted from her beak, circling the walls of the arena pit and carrying her voice as she spoke.
"Thank you, children of Serapis one and all! The light of the Goddess shines brightly on this day, for it is a day of redemption! No longer shall these poor lost souls fear the flames of Serapis's womb, for today they shall be reborn not in fire, but in faith! The Goddess-"
"Aw, would you shut the fuck up about your damn Goddess already!?"
One of the Unseen, a bulky gold-furred tiger man, shouted loudly enough that Chanda paused her oration. Above his head, a brilliant gold halo glowed.
"I don't need this Serapis bitch to tell me how to live my life! I got enough of that back in Anduruna before this thing got me kicked out!"
He turned and started glaring at Veil, who instinctively activated her own power in response.
"No more! Today, we're breaking out of this spiritsdamned city! Anyone who stands in our way is gonna be torn to bits! And this little slave bitch who thinks she's better than us is gonna be first!"
The Unseen's halo flared, and a spectral ball and chain appeared in his hands. As he started swinging his newly manifested weapon over his head, Veil narrowed her eyes and summoned plasma balls to surround herself.
Already? He's rejecting Serapis even though She gave him a power?
I guess I should have expected this… Well, if he wants to insult the Goddess with Her own gift, he's going to have to get past me first!
I only hope I can get him to stop before I have to kill him… Or… before he has a chance to kill me…
With a primal roar, the Unseen started charging at Veil. Letting out an instinctual hiss of her own, she locked eyes with her opponent and prepared to defend herself.