Chapter 18 - The Perfection of Divinity
Serapis gazed down dispassionately at the fight going on in the arena. Centuries of hosting the same tournament year after year had dulled her expectations, and as she watched yet another pair of Walkers fight for her entertainment, she was privately relieved that no one could see her disinterested expression from under her mask.
Besides that, there were other things commanding her attention at the moment. Hours earlier, she had felt the sensation of foreign activity in her temple. It was a simple matter to thwart the threat - the entire temple was built so she could seal its passages with little more than a thought, after all - but the nature of the intruder was what kept her mind racing.
Back during the initial slave fights, there was one slave with a wind transformation power that allowed him to end his fight almost as quickly as it began. At first, she paid little attention to him, but the intrusion in the temple happened not too long after his fight had ended.
During the intrusion itself, she felt the sensation of a foreign body in the temple blinking in and out over spans of time, as well as a feeling of wind rushing through the temple's stonework hallways. Given the nature of the slave's power, it was easy enough for Serapis to come to the conclusion that he had been the intruder.
The slave, as she recalled, was a member of House Tenebri. The name was familiar to her only because one of her High Daughters had mentioned it to her in a private meeting. Mitra, the High Daughter in question, believed that a Servant from that House would factor into a prophecy that her power informed her of.
Since that prophecy apparently warned of the return of Void, Serapis had plenty of reason to pay closer attention to the House as a whole during the tournament. But at the moment, the Servant's importance was a secondary concern compared to the other prediction Mitra had told her about.
On the feast day, someone will try to steal something from the temple.
The attempt, having been from one of House Tenebri's slaves, was concerning. Mitra had suggested that the thief would specifically be after a scroll that she had written her notes regarding the prophecy in. The existence of the scroll, as well as the prophecy itself, was known to only a select few people - Serapis herself, Mitra, and…
The Eye serving under her…
Behind her mask, Serapis frowned as she considered the implications. The Eye, Zahra of House Safak, had become close with the members of House Tenebri over the past few months according to Mitra. And just recently, she had finished her own fight. If Zahra had done the unthinkable and turned traitor…
Serapis turned her attention away from her thoughts and focused on the stones that made up her capitol temple. As she felt each one respond to her will, she noticed irregular reverberations among a few of them. In one particular room, she could detect two people, moving as if they were fighting. There was no doubt in her mind that they were Mitra and Zahra.
A dark thought crossed Serapis's mind as she tracked the duo's movements. Without even an ounce of effort, she could collapse the room around the two of them, eliminating both the traitorous Eye and the High Daughter whose mismanagement had no doubt led to her betrayal.
With just a thought, I could end this… but…
Even with Mitra and the traitor dead, there would still be problems to contend with. Mitra had been taking great pains to bring the prophecy to fruition in Serapeum's favor, and Zahra was all but confirmed as one of the people in the prophecy. And traitor or not, her death would likely have far-reaching consequences, especially if Zahra's Servant friend from House Tenebri could also be involved in the prophecy.
And if Void is truly returning, I cannot afford to waste any of my potential pawns…
Still keeping half of her attention on the activity in the temple, Serapis turned her eyes back down to the fight in the arena. For now, I will watch and wait. If either of them truly need to die, I will have plenty of opportunities to end them…
—
"You knew. Of course you knew."
Zahra canceled her power out as she spoke, staring Mitra in the eyes as she did. The High Daughter nodded slowly in response.
"Serapis tells me many things, my child. I knew this would happen well before you even got the idea in your head. But so far, She has neglected to tell me why. So I will ask you again: why are you trying to steal my notes on the Obscured Star prophecy?"
Zahra looked down. "Mistress, I… I think you've been focusing on it too much. There are bigger things-"
"Bigger than the return of Void, Zahra?"
"Ugh, other things we need to worry about, Mistress! That nightmare, Kumarbi, he's still out there! And whatever he's doing, we can't just ignore it just because it's not part of the prophecy!"
"Wasn't it, though? His plans involved an army of nightmares, quite literally the 'nightmarish beasts' mentioned in the prophecy. You were there, Zahra. You saw the threat he posed, and you had a hand in ending it."
"But what about the kidnappings, Mistress? The prophecy didn't say anything about-"
"Or is this actually about Kumarbi's crimes against House Tenebri? Are you truly doing this for my sake, or is this betrayal for the sake of their vengeance?"
"I… That's…"
Mitra activated her power and stared down at Zahra. "Let it go, my child. Whatever these plans of his are, whatever motivations you might have, we must focus on the prophecy now. And besides that-"
Before Mitra could finish speaking, Zahra activated her power. Without even sparing another moment, she reached for the scroll once more-
A large golden needle struck the shelf holding the scroll mere inches away from Zahra's hand. She turned to look at Mitra again and paled as she saw her holding a set of similar needles in her talons.
"I did not want it to come to this, my child. We should be focusing on ending the threat the nightmares pose, not fighting amongst ourselves. But if you are unwilling to listen to reason…"
Zahra sprung from the shelves, aiming herself at her Mistress. Mitra moved slightly to her left, causing the attempted lunge to pass her by. With a quick motion, she turned and drove one of her needles into Zahra's back.
Zahra stifled a cry of pain as the gilded weapon made its way between her ribs. Breathing heavily, she canceled her power out again.
"H…how did you…"
"My power does not merely tell me of events in the far future, my child. Even as you attempt to use yours, I can see where you will attack in the short term, and move accordingly."
"Then… that means…"
"I am more than capable of fighting you, Zahra. With or without your power hiding your presence from me."
Zahra grit her teeth as she slowly rose to her feet. Before Mitra could even react, she began activating and canceling her power in rapid succession. As she did, she ran back to the shelf, pulling the needle out from her back as she did.
The whistling sound of another needle caused Zahra to drop to the floor before it could hit her. As the thrown weapon clattered to the ground, she grabbed it, now holding it and the bloody needle in both hands.
"Guess I'll just have to fight my way out of this, then…" she said, panting as she moved in for an attack with the needles.
Mitra sighed and held a needle of her own firmly in her hand. With a slight movement, she parried a thrust that Zahra had been certain she could have only half seen coming.
"Really, my child? I was the one who suggested you use your power like that. And I know well enough how to see through it."
As she spoke, the High Daughter continued to block and parry Zahra's attempted strikes.
"This isn't a fight you can win, my child."
Mitra grabbed Zahra's arm as she reached out.
"Serapis gifted me with a much greater power than yours."
With a swift motion, she drove another needle into where she knew Zahra's left shoulder would be.
"A-aagh!" Zahra cried out as she lost sensation in her left arm.
"Please, my child. Stop with this foolishness. I am prepared to forgive you-"
Zahra, still flickering her power, grabbed Mitra's leg with her right hand and sank her teeth into the High Daughter's thigh.
"Urgh… Honestly… Biting me now, Zahra?"
Mitra kicked with the leg that had been bitten, wincing as the wound bled. Zahra fell onto the table in the middle of the room, panting as she felt the pain of her Mistress's attacks.
~ Zahra! Are you okay? ~
Zahra blinked weakly as she heard a voice in her mind. V-Veil?
~ We're feeling a little of what's going on in there… You're hurt… Are you and Mistress Mitra fighting? ~
Y…yeah. She's… I don't think I can…
Running purely on adrenaline, Zahra rolled off of the table as Mitra drove a needle into it.
~ But… you're one of the best fighters I know! How is she… ~
Mistress Mitra… I said it before, she knows me too well… And besides that, she's got Serapis's blessing… I can't hope to take her on in a straight fight…
As she kept moving to avoid Mitra's attacks, Arc's voice began to echo in Zahra's mind. ~ Then… how are we gonna get that scroll…? ~
~ Wait… A straight fight… and Serapis's blessing… Nuha, wasn't there something that… ~
As Veil trailed off, Zahra grimaced. You… you don't mean… that…?
~ That was… I know we read about it once… You mean Fatewielding, right Veil? ~
~ Yeah, that's it! I think you could convince your Mistress that way, Zahra! ~
~ Fatewielding… I think I read about that once, but I can't really remember the details… ~
Zahra jumped out of the way of an incoming needle. Fatewielding… It's a martial art that pits two powers directly against each other. Much less deadly than what we're doing right now, that's for sure. But… Can I even manage to win something like that? Against a High Daughter?
~ It's worth a try, right? ~
~ Yeah, and if Serapis really wants you to have that scroll, then that might be what it takes to convince your Mistress! ~
O…okay. You're right. It's worth a shot. Better that than this, anyway…
With her friends giving her cheers of support from the psychic connection, Zahra canceled her power out but kept her halo active.
Mitra blinked, pausing before she could throw another needle. "Zahra, my child. Have you finally come to your senses?"
"In a way? Yeah. I can't fight you, Mistress. Not like this. But I'm not ready to give up."
"Then, what are you getting at, my child? Do you think you can somehow convince me to just give you the scroll?"
Zahra shook her head slowly. "I don't think I can, but I know Serapis could. If you think She wants you to keep that scroll, I know how we can find out for sure. Fatewielding."
"Fatewielding…? My child, do you truly believe…?"
"I know you trust Serapis's will, Mistress. So do I. But if She wants me to take that scroll from you…"
Mitra paused, taking a brief look around at the mess her chambers had become. Her eyes rested on an overturned idol of Serapis, which she stared at before responding.
"I see. If it is indeed Serapis's will, then I have nothing to fear. I only worry for your sake, my child. Your injuries so far are not beyond a healer's abilities to fix. But with Fatewielding, there is a strong chance that…"
"I know the risks, Mistress. My power… it's brought me this far, and risking being able to use it here could be… But I trust Serapis's will, too. Whatever happens because of this, it'll be what She wants from us."
"Zahra… Very well. I accept your challenge. May Serapis smile on whichever of us is successful."
Zahra walked up to Mitra and lifted her right arm up. Mitra nodded slowly and took hold of Zahra's right hand in her left, kneeling to bring her head to her eye level as she did.
With a final nod to each other, the two of them focused on their powers, and their respective halos flared over their heads. Zahra's halo glowed with an energy that paradoxically seemed to suck the light out of her side of the room, while Mitra's halo bathed her half of the room in a radiant rainbow glow.
The moment the two womens' halos met, sparks of light began to fly from them. Zahra groaned as she pushed her power to its utmost, and Mitra had a pained look on her face as she did the same.
A supernatural wind began to rise from the clashing halos, scattering the loose pieces of parchment around the room. As Zahra panted from the raw exhaustion she felt, she turned her attention back to Mitra and focused her mind on the task at hand.
I can't lose this… Mistress Mitra… If I can just push a little harder…
I'll show you… Serapis wants me to do this for you…
—
Serapis paused as she noticed the activity in her temple came to a stop. A couple of minutes later, she began to sense something else happening in Mitra's chambers.
Are they… they couldn't be…
As her mind wandered, Serapis turned her attention back to the arena. The Hand matches would be starting soon, and to close out the Walker matches, another member of House Tenebri was making his first appearance in the arena.
As the mistress of ceremonies announced the combatants' names, Serapis realized the true nature of the activity in her temple.
They're Fatewielding…
Serapis had come up with the idea of Fatewielding long ago. Its effective function was to allow disputes to be settled with her authority, even in her personal absence. As such, the outcomes of Fatewielding duels were considered to be equivalent to her personal say in a dispute. In most cases, it was an elegant and effective solution to problems she had no interest in resolving, and as such it had saved her a considerable amount of headaches over the centuries.
But between a traitor and a High Daughter… if the traitor happens to win…
Once again, Serapis considered collapsing the room around the two and saving herself the trouble their duel would inevitably cause her. And once again, she restrained herself.
No… there are better ways to handle this… If Mitra wins, I have nothing to fear. The traitor Zahra will be put in her place, and whatever compulsion she had to turn against me will be revealed… through her own admission, or torture if the need should arise…
But if Zahra wins…
Serapis turned her attention back to the fight in the arena, hesitant to think about the worst case scenario. The fight itself was nothing she hadn't seen before, but it served as a suitable distraction. The Walker from House Tenebri, Kamal if she heard correctly, had made use of the waterfall installations in the arena, fashioning a crude ice mace out of the water using his cold manipulation power.
With a primal roar, the bulky Walker brought his new weapon down on the head of his opponent, and the audience cheered at the cracking sound the frozen bludgeon produced.
Far from the first time I've seen something like that, but I can appreciate how effective it is at rousing the crowd…
As Kamal followed his brutal strike with a blast of cold from his power, his opponent activated his own power and brought the approaching storm to a halt before reversing it. But just as she was beginning to get invested in the fight, Serapis paused yet again. Once producing a steady reverberating sensation, the Fatewielding duel in the temple had lowered in intensity as the fight went on. Eventually, Serapis's senses were left detecting nothing more than two unconscious bodies in Mitra's chambers.
It's over… but which one of them…
—
Zahra strained as her halo began to flicker. The raw intensity of her clash with Mitra had made it so she could hardly keep her eyes open, but she had no intention of giving up.
Mitra, on the other hand, seemed to be having little trouble. The High Daughter hadn't taken much punishment from the previous fight, and the current duel had so far only brought her to panting as she channeled her power.
"Zahra… my child…" she said in between breaths, "there is still… time for you to stop this…"
"I… I can't, Mistress… If I stop, I won't… be able to help you…"
"Help me…? My child, you have always… been of help to me…"
"T-then, why… aren't you listening to me, Mistress…? The prophecy… you're obsessing over it…"
"It bears obsession, Zahra… Void… we can't let his return be the end of us…"
"Then… Why keep it a secret…? It's something that affects all of us…"
"B-because… the truth would cause… panic if the people knew…"
"But… even the other High Ones…?"
"Easier… to trust… just you… and Serapis…"
"You trust… but… there's so many more… my friends, for one…"
"My child… you trust them… that much? As much as I trust Serapis…?"
"As much… as I trust Her, Mistress…"
"Zahra…"
Zahra breathed heavily, and she felt it hard to lift her eyelids. But as she pushed herself to stay strong, she felt something change around her right hand.
Mitra's grip, once matching hers in intensity, was starting to weaken.
With some effort, Zahra forced herself to open her eyes. Despite what she had expected, Mitra actually seemed to be running purely on fumes. Above her head, her halo was flickering even more than Zahra's was. Seeing this, Zahra reached into herself for whatever energy she could still muster.
"Mistress… I think… if you gave them a chance… other people could really help us… with the prophecy, and with everything else…"
"Zahra… I…"
Mitra's halo flickered one last time and faded away. As she slumped onto the floor, she gave Zahra a glance before allowing her eyes to shut.
"My child… Serapis has… found you worthy…"
"M-Mistress…"
"Take the scroll… You've… you've given me a lot to think about…"
With tears beginning to well up in her eyes, Zahra smiled faintly and nodded before her own legs gave out and she collapsed by her Mistress's side.
"I will, Mistress… Just… need to rest…"
"Rest then… my child… I will not stop you… when you awaken…"
With the last of her strength, Zahra pulled herself closer to Mitra. Wrapping her arm around the High Daughter, she gave her one last smile before letting her fatigue take her to sleep.
"Thank you… Mistress Mitra…"
—
Several hours later, Serapis watched as a pair of her lesser Children fought in the arena. The results of the Fatewielding duel had been weighing on her mind the entire time, and her head was filled with thoughts of what she would have to do given one result or the other. Eventually, she paused as she noticed movement in Mitra's chamber once more.
That… no… it can't be…
The one that was moving in the room slowly headed to the back wall. Minutes later, the entity began to make her way out of the temple.
The traitor… She won…?
Serapis looked back on her inaction from hours earlier and cursed herself for it. She knew that Mitra was loyal to her, to the point of a fault. If she truly lost in a Fatewielding duel, she would honor the results as if Serapis herself had been the one to decree them.
Even if the results allowed a traitor to walk free.
I can't just contradict the results of that duel… There would be too many questions, too many chances for doubt to grow… And I can't very well kill either of them now… They're both still useful, and the death of one would cause questions to arise in the other. And the deaths of both at once would only raise more questions. And from there…
Once again, Serapis took solace in the serene facade of her mask. Its unmoving, expressionless visage hid the anguish on her face from any who would be compelled to look upon her. The illusion of her perfection could be maintained, at least for the moment.
But as for what will happen now that Zahra has that scroll…
The Obscured Star prophecy had been a lingering element in Serapis's mind ever since Mitra had described it to her. Nabonidus, and even more notably, Void, were two beings she had hoped to never have to deal with again. To that end, Mitra had been given free reign to do whatever she deemed necessary for the prophecy to come to fruition.
For several years, Mitra's plans had been carefully laid out. With everything she had put into place, Serapeum would be shaken to its core, but it would ultimately survive. At least until the time would come for Serapis to face the greatest of the nightmares once more.
But now, one renegade Eye threatened to undo all of those plans. If the wrong mortals were to find out what was planned for them…
Serapis forced herself to take slow, methodical breaths. As the basic mortal mechanic brought the goddess some small measure of calm, she closed her eyes and considered her options. There was surely still a way to salvage the situation. She would find that way, and bring everything back under her control.
First, she recalled Mitra's comments about the Servant who could likely factor into the prophecy. A potential Obscured Star, a friend of the traitor, and surely a useful pawn.
That girl… I believe Tenebri Veil was her name… I saw her fight earlier… Perhaps…
With a smile slowly growing behind her mask, Serapis recalled her own words from earlier in the day. She had promised to have a private audience with each of the most accomplished of the tournament's fighters. The promise had largely been for show, a platitude that she waved in front of the crowd to fuel their hopes and ignite the fires of competition in their hearts.
In truth, the few fighters who had "earned" an audience with her had already been discovered and vetted by her network of trustworthy Eyes. But Serapis was the final voice of authority in her city. If she wanted an audience with a particular dreamkeeper for whatever reason, she would have it.
But perhaps… a more subtle approach will be necessary… The last thing I want is for this to become a true threat to the peoples' faith in me, after all…
As the tournament continued and Zahra made her way out of the temple, a plan began to form in Serapis's mind. She would have her audience with Tenebri Veil. She would return Zahra to her place as an enforcer of her will. She would ensure the Obscured Star prophecy would come to pass on her terms, with Serapeum's faith in her remaining unshaken as ever.
And she would continue to rule as their One True God, as she had for nearly two thousand years.
—
As nightfall began to approach, the High Priestess concluded her rounds of the Faithful's home and began the return to her abode. With the return of Lord Kumarbi, she noticed every step on the way up to her dwelling felt lighter, and she couldn't completely extinguish the pleasant feeling growing inside of her as she eventually reached the structure's entrance.
Putting her struggles with the Great Temptation aside, the High Priestess started planning out the rest of her night. A quick meal would give her all the energy she needed, and from there, she would be able to focus on reading through her god's teachings with minimal interruption.
With her plans for the night figured out, she made her way into her abode and paused. Inside, Lord Kumarbi was busying himself in the Scrivener's corner. He whispered to the minuscule nightmare, which dutifully scribbled each word from his mouth onto a piece of parchment underneath it.
"Lord Kumarbi," she began, bowing before her god, "I hadn't expected you to be here. Didn't you plan to oversee the Harrowing?"
Lord Kumarbi looked up from the Scrivener and gave the High Priestess a glance. "I did, my prize… Though what I found when I arrived was… less than I had expected."
"I must apologize, my Lord. When I said I was having trouble with the Faithless, I didn't-"
"You do not need to explain yourself, my prize. I am certain you did the best you could for them… What they did in our absence was their own choice… But at the very least, they can still serve me even in death…"
The High Priestess spared a brief glance at Lord Kumarbi's wings. Sure enough, the flesh and bones of other dreamkeepers were floating within them, slowly burning away to become a greater part of her god's might.
"I'm sorry, my Lord. I was certain that they would have been excellent subjects, if only they could have let go of their temptations…"
"Perhaps… But it is of little consequence now. Regardless of the path they took, we will be needing more to replenish their ranks…"
The High Priestess nodded. "Of course, my Lord. But… does this mean…"
"No… I have left this place for far too long… I will remain here to help you guide the Faithful… But I believe now would be the perfect chance for some of them to prove themselves… I trust that you know of some who would be worthy of this task?"
"You… want some of the Faithful to go to Serapeum, my Lord?"
"And to bring the downtrodden of Serapis back to us… Ones close to the caste you once belonged to… Ones who could become truly sublime prizes among the Faithful, just as you did…"
"I see, my Lord. Then, tomorrow, I will make the arrangements. I know there are a few among our numbers who would… appreciate the opportunity to bring more into our flock."
Lord Kumarbi nodded. "Excellent, my prize… But for now, did you have any plans for tonight…?"
"Yes, my Lord. I was planning to read through your teachings, after a meal of course."
"I see… But perhaps, you would prefer to learn directly from me, then?"
The High Priestess's heart skipped a beat. "I… Y-you would… I mean, I would be honored, my Lord."
"Good. Then, to start, throughout the day, I have noticed you trying to suppress your emotions… This is good of you, but considering recent events, I fear it may hurt you in the long run."
"Wh-what do you mean, my Lord?"
"I mean, it is commendable to defy the Great Temptation… But if you risk losing yourself to the struggle when it truly matters, it may bring you greater suffering. I am concerned because not too long ago, I let my emotions get the better of me after months of suppressing them. That failure nearly cost me my life. If I had spent even one more moment indulging my rage back then…"
"My Lord… was that…"
"There will be plenty of time for me to tell you tonight, my prize… But for now, you ought to feed yourself. Go, get some sustenance, and when you return, I will tell you everything."
The High Priestess gave Lord Kumarbi one final bow before turning to follow his orders. "Yes, my Lord. And… Thank you."
As she walked over to the storage area to gather a meal for herself, the High Priestess took her god's advice and allowed a smile to form on her face.
Lord Kumarbi… you've been struggling with the Great Temptation too… That's why I… I love you, my Lord… you've always been honest with me and the other Faithful, about everything…
You let your Faithful see your flaws as well as your strengths… Unlike Serapis, you let us see you for what you truly are… Those things… They make you the only god worth worshipping…
And soon enough… your Faithful will bring you more potential followers…
More of the dreamkeepers who have been blinded by Serapis's false perfection…
We will save them, and they will surely see you in all of your imperfect glory…