Chapter 1118 — The Threat at the Margins
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
Berantia gazed fixedly at the deity before her — at this holy figure who, until three thousand years ago, had sheltered the vast forests and fertile river valleys of the silver elves, and whom the druids held to be the supreme being. Never had she imagined that one day she would stand before Him like this, meeting His gaze openly, eye to eye — that she, a druid priestess who had already forsaken the faith, should come closer to the God of Nature than any devout priest.
And at this distance, what she could see far exceeded what the pious faithful could see — exceeded even what those ancient hierophants who had lived three thousand years and more could see.
It was rather ironic: those who did not believe in Him saw Him; those who were not devout understood Him.
It reminded her suddenly of many years ago, of what her father had said when he abdicated and handed over to her the authority of the Ruling Seat and the title of Supreme Druid Priestess:
"You are the first sovereign of the empire whose eyes were never blinded by piety. Your eyes may see a little farther than all of ours."
"I understand," Berantia lowered her head and said solemnly to Amorn. "I will carry out your will — and of course, no one will know that you still live in this world."
Amorn gave a murmur of assent, and then came a moment of silence. At last His gaze fell upon Berantia once more, and within that holy radiance the look carried a trace of expectation: "Go and do what you must do, Silver Empress."
Berantia bowed respectfully, then stepped back to Gao Yang's side, and Gao Yang nodded to the two former gods present: "Then I'll take her back first. We can talk more when there is time."
The visitor departed, and the courtyard shrouded in dim chaos returned to calm. The two former gods each seemed to have their own cares, and for several minutes they stood in silent wordlessness. At last Yunmilmina was the first to break the silence: "I thought you would bring up that 'empress's' grandmother — she was your last chief priestess when you departed three thousand years ago. It is rare to meet a descendant of an old acquaintance; should one not speak of old times?"
"At first I did think of learning how Costina Morningstar spent her final years, but after hearing how the silver elves live now, I realized the past is past," Amorn said, his voice low and slow. "And even without asking, I can guess what Costina went through... She was my devout priestess, and one of the mortals closest to me, yet she laid the groundwork for the secularization of the Elven Court, restrained the activities of the fundamentalists, and let Berantia's father grow up untouched by fundamentalist thought... For a devout hierophant, every decision she made in her later years was agony.
"So there is no need, and no right, for me to pry into her final years through her descendants — some things do not bear repeating."
"Ah, sometimes you seem rather slow, and other times your thinking cuts straight to the bone," Mirmena sighed. "But it is just as well — good for you, and good for those elves."
As she spoke, the Goddess of Magic turned her gaze to the Weave terminal not far off; the projection crystal above the device brightened, and a crisp hologram appeared above it. "What would you like to watch? I will not fight you for it today."
"Find the 'Voice of the Forest' channel. I have not heard the elves' singing in a long while."
……
Gao Yang and Berantia walked side by side through the corridors of the upper levels of the Fortress of Defiance. In this region, drawing closer to the surface, the air blowing from the ventilation shafts seemed fresher and drier, while the bright, constant light of the mana-crystal sconces along both walls gave off a warmth that gradually settled Berantia's still-troubled thoughts.
"You look heavy-hearted," Gao Yang's voice came suddenly from beside her, breaking into her reverie. "What are you thinking about?"