XVI

Glimmering Angel

The Ambassadors left the tower and marched slowly and shamefully through the town square, processing the heavy weight the negotiation burdened them with. Rosellia in particular couldn't get some unbearably bitter taste out of her mouth.

“I could have told you Genevieve was a snake- even that she'd try to turn us against our own, should the opportunity arise. But I thought better of Heavenfell. Is the sky as cursed with a malignant crown as the sea?”

“Men Za-Hel doesn't deserve that much credit,” said Dez. “That whole nation is rotten- the General is as much a- whistle- product of that as anyone else. He's a puppet. He doesn't have a belief that wasn't fed to him.”

“Don't act like you're better than him, Bookworm,” Roland hissed. “You stood there and watched us sign Arbante away without saying a thing. Maybe you like Heavenfell more than you let on.”

“Are you calling me a spy?” Dez scoffed. “I ran away from home! I was chosen by the other Vagrants!”

“Because they recognize you?” asked Andrés. “...Or your last name? Who's your mother, Dez?”

“...Her name is Nael. She's the Noble responsible for Blüdtak; our ‘gladiator's paradise.’ Men Za-Hel… considers her close.”

“You're nobility, Dez?” asked Rosellia. “But then why are you-... Why live down here- and in the Peak, no less? Surely you'd be happier in Heavenfell.”

Dez shook his head. “I can't stand Heavenfell. Its politics, its dogma, its- click- its viciousness. I- I can't support my home when it- trill- doesn't see its own flaws! I left home because I d-didn't want- fuck- I didn't want to see people keep getting hurt!”

Dez tugged at his head feathers, and focused on his breathing. “I just wanted freedom, at first, but I guess I- click- I- I- want to stop it. I want to stop the hurting.”

“...But why the Peak?” Artemis asked. “Could afford to live in the West, if you're a noble's son. Make more of a difference, even.”

“Heavenfell doesn't treat nobility the same way Lyveria does. It's not a status, it's a job. My mother is powerful, but we were never rich. Not much richer than anyone else, anyway. That's- trill- not how Heavenfell works.”

“I'm regretfully realizing how little I do know of how Heavenfell works.” Rosellia groaned.

“You'll learn,” Alikath sighed. “You'll all learn all about it, in time.”

“I need a drink.” Rosellia sped up, and lead the party to the nearest inn.

When they arrived at the Elder Queen Inn- a considerable step down from Crossroads- there was a fair amount of foot traffic drunkenly stumbling about the vicinity. Two bartenders manned their stations; one actively serving drinks, and the other cleaning the rim of a mug- while listening to the trio drawing in a crowd.

The Elder Queen was an exceptionally faux establishment. Fuzzy red carpet and hanging purple drapes gave an air of luxury at a glance, but a closer inspection would betray how cheap the whole place was. Cheap, heavy chairs ripped holes in the carpet, the drapes smelt of dust and wool, the air coddled clumps of dust welcomed by neglect. The furniture had very little theme, barely anything matched in color or size. It was obvious that whoever furnished this place snatched up the most expensive looking things they could find, and tossed them in a room to be forgotten. But, the people of Servus loved feeling high-class, so by some gross miracle, the inn kept its doors open.

Draped in leather armor and well-trimmed robes of lavender, with compasses painted on their shoulders, a group consisting of two High Elves and an Aquatic were giving a speech in front of an easel. On that easel, a painting of Dyonia, the monotheistic god of the Dyonist faith, and a chart.

The chart consisted of nine squares, lined up three-by-three, with each square containing a small sketch of some adventurer. Each figure was unique to every square.

“And though by notion of your being alive, the Greater and Lesser Forces both stir in your soul,” one Elf preached. “It is inarguable that our souls are not born in equilibrium- and are not born in a state equal to our neighbors.”

“If you look for proof- simply turn to the very flesh on your bones,” Continued the other Elf. “Dyonia is a guiding shepherd; she created us a variety of shapes, that we might know in what ways Good, Evil, Chaos, and Law exist within us.”

About half of the party seemed to recognize this group. Dez and Alikath stopped walking, Dez's feathers standing on end.

“Ohh man, we gotta get out of here.” He droned.

“What?” Asked Andrés. “Why?”

“There's only one group of Dyonists who still preach the Alignment Chart.” Dez looked to Alikath for confirmation.

And Alikath gave it. “It's the Non-Violents Committee.”

“...So they’re pacifists?” Roland shrugged. “Why do we have to leave over a bunch of-”

“No, not ‘violence,’ violents, with a T.” Alikath corrected. “It’s- uh, it’s a caste system. We don’t have to leave, just don’t draw any attention to yourself.”

Alikath sat down at the bar, intending to follow his own advice. But as his friends sat down beside him, the Aquatic noticed him, and gestured the audience in his direction.

“Here comes one such example now. A previous life fermented in evil and chaos; reincarnation bade them a form that signals to the rest of us their malignant nature, that we may help them turn anew. Ponder not- one must actively expel the Greater Forces from your soul to reincarnate into the man sitting there now.”

Artemis glanced a second time at that chart. In the bottom right square, bathing in fire and brimstone- sure enough, the painting was of a Tiefling.

The small crowd glared from a safe distance at Alikath, who awkwardly stared at the bartender. He begged with his eyes for her to just take his order and give him an excuse not to acknowledge what was happening.

“Efinitum is far for this one, but never impossible. Through vigorous embrace of Good and Law, he too can escape the cycle, and join Dyonia in eternity. Remember, none living are pure. Not one.”

“Are you just going to let them talk to you like that?” Rosellia scoffed.

“Just let them ramble,” Alikath palmed his face.

“Ha- absolutely not!”

Rosellia stepped out from the bar, and raised her voice.

“Excuse me-” She began, as Alikath thunked his head on the table. “Who do you think you are!? You speak of this city’s leader, peasant.”

“And the Aquatic: an impressionable neutral, evidently swayed to darkness,” The Elf responded, looking just above her head. “Solevi is full of evil leaders, woman. Authority means nothing in the eye of Dyonia.”

“Be that as it may, It takes a whit of a god to degrade a life down to a face. But who are you, Elf?”

“I am a teacher. A knight. A defender. But above that, a Non-Violent.” The Elf gestured to the chart, and the Middle-Top square depicting an Elf frolicking in nature. “My closeness to our God radiates from my very blood. You have- what, you have an impression? You are no God, Aquatic.”

“But you-” He pointed to Dez. “You are close. Why do you travel with pox, Aarakocra?”

“I’m not engaging with this,” Dez shook his head and held up both hands. “You’re the reason we stopped giving sermons outside Heavenfell.”

“Is our word not taken from the same book? Do your ears not ring with your eyes’ memory? You know as well as I how dangerous your associate is- how in his presence, your soul tithers away from Efinitum.”

“I think yer the one who doesn’t appreciate danger, ah?” Amira joined Rosellia, rolling her shoulders. “Reckon I’m on your little drawing too?”

“Absent in both Greater and Lesser morality, but shredded by Chaos,” The Aquatic nodded. “No blood is meaningless, child.”

“Oh, we understand fully well the value of our blood-” Rosellia approached the Non-Violents with a raised fist, before Andrés stepped in front of her.

“Ha-a-ang on, let’s not blow this all over for a difference in faith! Look, I think we’re all better off just admitting our differences. You believe that Alikath looks the way he looks because he’s evil, and we… don’t. But it’s clear these guys got here before us, so-”

“Yeah, we should just go,” Alikath stood up, finally giving up on getting the bartender to acknowledge him. “You were right, Dez, sorry.”

“You taut a belief system no more complex than an infant’s superstitions!” Rosellia spouted from over Andrés’ shoulder. “I will leave you well enough alone when you admit you know nothing about Alikath!”

“Reincarnation is the shower of all truths- in particular, growth. If your friend is who you say he is, it will show in his next life.”

“Rosa, come on,” Andrés pleaded.

“Delusional! Venomous worm!” She hissed.

“Why are you so angry at us, child?” The Aquatic asked. “We are showing you virtue, guiding you toward God’s truth- we are saving you, should you listen!”

“That pox is the reason yer city in’t dissolving in a river, moron!”

“If you are so intent on denying blatant truths, then all we can ask is that you leave this place, and stop wasting the time of those willing to be helped. We will defend our faith, come what may try poisoning it.”

Alikath finally turned around and looked at the Non-Violents. “Are you threatening me?”

“Haha, wow- that’s crazy, because we were just leaving!” Andrés waved his friends away. But Rosellia wasn’t moving. And Amira was moving in the wrong direction.

“Amira, wait-” He stuttered, as the Non-Violents readied their weapons at her approach. “Please don’t-”

But she did. She reeled her arm back, and punched the second Elf square in the nose. She tried to hold up her morning-star to block Amira's blow, but all that earned her was a morning-star to the forehead.

The crowd dispersed. Those who could make it to the door ran off, and those who couldn’t cowered in a group by the corner nearest the stage. The Aquatic grabbed their hammer and clocked Amira in the shoulder, while the first Elf clenched their fists and dashed to Rosellia. Rosellia gripped her own hammer’s handle, and sidestepped a few of the Elf’s swings, sending the stone head into their jaw in resturn.

Roland and Artemis stepped away as Fletch, Dez, and Andrés snaked into the fight. Amira kicked the other Elf back toward the bar, sending her stumbling right into Alikath. The Elf blindly swung her weapon, narrowly missing Alikath’s eyes as she spun around. Alikath leaned back and grinned as he locked eyes with the furious Elf.

“Well, if we’re doing this,” he shrugged, grabbing the Elf’s arm and sending an upward palm into her elbow, almost snapping it in one smooth motion. The Elf yelped, and dropped their morning-star.

“You’re an absolute disgrace of a cleric!” The first Elf growled as he dueled with Rosellia, trained fists of steel meeting her stone hammer. “To assault one on a holy mission- is this what your false idol bids you do?”

“A lady never leaves injustice and zealous idiocy where it could go corrected,” She lectured, swatting away his fists. “My scripture has no qualm with yours- I’m just cleaning your common filth from my noble ears.”

“You guys could learn a thing or two from the church of Peisus-” Andrés teased, tapping the Elf on the shoulder to distract him. “At least, learn who to dress up as clerics and monks. Being as gorgeous as she is has made Rosellia a lot easier to listen to- believe me.”

The Elf swung at Andrés, knocking him in the cheek. He stepped back, snapping his fingers and punching his palm.

“Hey- I just told you! She’s the one worth staring at! What’re you looking at me for?”

The Elf reeled to punch Andrés again, but his vision blurred with a strange, silvery glare. As he squinted and tried to clear his vision, he was knocked to his knees by the swift thunk of Rosellia’s hammer.

Rosellia smirked, and gave Andrés a condescending stare.

“Gorgeous, hm? Care to elaborate, call boy?”

“I dunno, how vulgar am I allowed to get about a woman of the cloth?”

Amira glared at the Aquatic as they tried again and again to bruise her stone skin, their hammer feeling like little more than a child’s fist. She relished this part- relished watching her enemy put in so much effort, powerless to do a thing to her. The frustrated Aquatic swung so wildly they knocked a bottle off of the table they were nearest, which an attentive Dez caught midway down. Dez fluttered over to another table, and put it down safely.

Done letting the Aquatic have their fun, Amira kneed them in the gut, dropping them to their hands and knees. Feeling herself up, she flexed her arms for the audience to see, and grabbed a chair by the back, lifting it above her head.

“The Ambassadors send their well wishes,” she chuckled. “Watch yer fuckin’ TONGUE!”

She smashed the chair over the Aquatic’s back, shattering it, and likely the Aquatic’s spine. Dez, standing nearby, turned his back to Amira and stretched out his wings, so the splinters and wood chips wouldn’t shower the helpless crowd.

Alikath goaded the second Elf’s attacks, stepping a little further back each time and leading them around the bar like a dance. It was fun; he had to play with such a juvenile opponent, to keep from getting bored. The Non-Violents Committee relied on having strength in numbers, they were much less reliable when their victims weren’t cornered, or tied up.

“We’ve done nothing to you, pox!” The Elf hissed. “You hate the few people who offer you real help! You, who needs it most! All you give is your ear, and we give you salvation!”

“Oh, fuck your salvation!” Alikath rolled his eyes, readying a spell. “Beating the hell out of you is the only heaven I need in this life- thanks!”

Alikath stopped leading the Elf away, and cast his spell- a small blizzard culminated in his palm. He shoved that palm in the Elf’s face, making them jump back in fear of some projectile. But in reality, the spell manifested behind her.

Fletch, who was scurrying around the bar, taking occasional cheap shots and trying to throw open pepper shakers into his enemies’ eyes, ducked behind the Elf’s feet, and tripped them. As they tumbled back, Alikath grabbed them by the collar, and kept them from falling right onto the large stalagmite of ice pointing diagonally, straight at her back.

The Elf got a quick glimpse of what she was being held over, and desperately grabbed Alikath’s wrist. Alikath watched her anger disappear, and her eyes dilate- and a giddy smile broke through his lips.

“Stop-” The Elf pleaded. “L-let me go, you win-”

“Let you go?” Asked Alikath, with a playing-dumb frown.

“Bad choice of words!” Fletch called from below.

Alikath loosened his grip, letting the tip of the icicle poke the Elf’s back. She dug her nails into his wrist, trying desperately to plant her feet on the ground, but Fletch wouldn’t get out of the way.

“Look at that. Appealing to my good nature, just like that? You must have some hope I’m not what you say I am, then?”

“Kh-...”

Alikath held eye contact. Refusing to break from hers- demanding she didn’t break from his.

“Betting I’m better than you gave me credit for?”

Alikath lowered his arm an inch. The ice punctured the Elf’s uniform, and nestled neatly into her skin- right between two of her vertebrae.

“Aww… maybe not.”

The Elf screamed as Alikath slid them deeper into the pillar of ice. Even he wasn't sure how far he’d let this go. Fletch looked up and scurried out of the way, wanting to get a better look at what was happening; not disapproving, but curious. 

Alikath only stopped when he took a moment to look up, and examine the chaos that had been made so quickly of the bar. He saw Amira holding the Aquatic up with both hands, and Rosellia teasing the other Elf with one foot on his back. His eyes caught on Dez, looking over his shoulder back at him, his outstretched wingspan still protecting the frightened bargoers.

He sighed, and pulled the Elf back up to safety, leaving a little blood on the tip of his artificial icicle. The Elf sighed in relief, their head spinning from the pain.

“Fletch,” He jerked his head toward the exit. “Get the door.”

“Yes sir!” Fletch chirped, rushing over and swinging the door open. Alikath marched toward it, still carrying the Elf by the collar. Rosellia and Amira followed his lead.

“So long, Non-Violent.” Alikath teased, pulling his arm back as the sunlight touched his skin. “May God be with you on the way out!”

He tossed the helpless Elf out into the street, backing out of the way as Amira took her turn. She used both arms to throw the Aquatic as far as she could, competing with Alikath for distance.

As Amira stepped back, Rosellia spun around with the final Non-Violent, wrapping both arms around his back in a bear hug.

“You are dubbed feeble in body, filthy in mind- and wretched in soul!”

 When her foot met the door-frame, she stopped twirling, and swung her whole body backwards, arching the Elf headfirst over her, and suplexing him onto the cobblestone path outside. Amira and Alikath covered their mouths in shock as they heard the BAM of his skull hitting the floor. Rosellia stood up straight, fixed her hair, and slammed her heel on the doorframe.

“-SO SAYETH LADY ROSELLE!”

The three of them laughed together and moved to a table, while Fletch slammed the door shut. The audience whispered amongst themselves, and nervously spread about the bar once Dez lowered his wings to signal it was safe, all of them keeping a respectful distance from the Ambassadors. Fletch pulled up a chair, and Dez perched on one nearby.

“Hahaha, ohh man…” Alikath rubbed his temple. “We are never gonna sleep safely in this city again.”

“Why not? We’re clearly stronger than they are,” said Fletch.

“Damn right we are!” Amira belted. “The hell were ye so afraid of them fer, anyway?”

“The Committee is everywhere, for one-” he explained. “And they’re the closest thing to an organized police force we’ve got. We’ve tried really- really hard to keep our good graces with them in the past. But that’s definitely out the window now.”

“Oh, wow- I never would have picked up that Alikath wanted to avoid a fight for a reason.” Andrés glared at Rosellia and Amira, neither of whom showed even a hint of shame.

“And you two!” Andrés pointed at Roland and Artemis, sitting together at another table. “A little help would have been appreciated, assholes!”

“I don’t need to save you from picking your own fights,” Roland sneered. “Use your head if you want to keep it.”

“...What he said,” Artemis nodded.

“Oh yeah, ‘cuz gods forbid we pick fights with folks fer calling us subhuman. Ye ain’t got a problem with that, Roland?”

“Maybe I don’t,” He crossed his arms.

“Seriously?” Fletch scoffed. “You believe that garbage? Is that why you don’t want to associate with us?”

“He’s sitting with the snake,” Andrés pointed out.

“I believe your leader is subhuman. You all might be dense enough to be blind to it. But growing up with horns, I can tell the difference between bone and brimstone.”

“So you think I’m a monster, Roland?” asked Alikath. “You should have helped the Non-Violents then. I hear they don’t mind Satyr.”

“Half-elves are bad luck,” Dez made fake Elf ears with his fingers. “Not evil, but chaotic. That’s a common belief everywhere.”

“Watch yourself, Tiefling," Roland glared. "I owe you- that’s why I’m here, and why I won’t dissolve you. But don’t push your luck.”

Alikath rolled his eyes, but did a double take when he noticed something. Roland’s polearm wasn’t in its holster- it was laying on the table in front of him.

“Have the Ambassadors ever been led by a Tiefling before?” asked Dez.

“No. Not that I know of, anyway.”

“Then I imagine they would have found a reason to antagonize you one way or another,” Dez concluded. “It was a matter of time.”

“Yeah, I guess so. No point in doubting that train of thought now, anyway.”

“So, what’s with them, Dez?” asked Rosellia. “They follow your faith, do they not?”

“Dyonism. Yes, they do.” Dez groaned. “I forget sometimes that Rhajaat is more popular in the lower districts. So- the idea is that we all used to be part of eternity with God. We weren’t ourselves, we were this ocean made of the ‘Four Forces,’ Good, Law, Evil, and Chaos. They used to exist in perfect balance, but God didn’t like that.

"She didn’t accept that we couldn’t have positivity without negativity, so she- click- she created life, time, and space. We’re all made out of the four forces- but through our actions, we can convert the Lesser Forces of Chaos and Evil into the Greater Forces of Good and Law.

“That- trill- that lens explains everything.” He continued. “It’s why we experience pleasure during sex- a loving act that also keeps reincarnation going. It’s why we die faster when we don’t work together and create law. When our souls have become entirely made of Greater Forces, we’ll stop reincarnating when we die. We’ll return to Eternity and become one with God: Efinitum.”

Amira leaned back in her chair, interested but apprehensive. “...And race fits in…?”

“There is, technically, a passage organizing all known races into a chart, explaining to what extent each force exists within them. Or, more specifically, existed within them the moment they died in their previous life. B-but teaching it on its own takes it out of the greater context of the scripture. It isn’t supposed to imply any one race is better than the other, it’s supposed to teach us what we should focus on when trying to improve ourselves!”

“No one is ready for Efinitum,” Fletch rolled a salt shaker around in a circle. “If we were, we wouldn’t be here.”

“You subscribe to this, Fletch?” Asked Rosellia.

Fletch nodded. “I’m a Kenku. My f-father was from Heavenfell.”

“We should probably leave the city tomorrow morning,” said Alikath. “Which- fine, we’ve got jobs to do anyway. We need to talk to The Rembrandt about Taerrhod Hold… and we need to break the news to Arbante.”

“...I’ll talk to the Rembrandt,” Artemis volunteered.

“Artemis, you’re coming with me to Arbante, and explaining why they’re about to get pulled into the sky.”

“Damn.”

“I want you with me, Fletch. Roland, you too.”

“Fine,” said Roland.

"Uh- Alikath," Amira played with the top half a broken bottle, rolling it around the table. "Can I come with ye ta Arbante? I want... to see it."

"No, sorry," said Alikath. "I want the group split up somewhat evenly, you're better off in Conscriptus."

"But I- I can switch spots with someone else, ah?"

"I'll switch with her," Artemis raised their hand.

"Shut up," Alikath shot Artemis a quick glare. "I'm sorry Amira, the answer's no. The rest of you will mingle with Murtagh. I want to be clear in saying that I’m not comfortable with that thought. She isn’t to be trusted, do you understand me?”

“Hmph. Seems ye feel that way about a lot of our brothers n’ arms.” Amira frowned.

“Welcome to the Land District,” Alikath scratched his neck. “But the fact doesn’t change. Try to work something out with her, but don’t let her take advantage. If it comes down to it, we’ll take Taerrhod Hold from her.”

“You’re really considering waging war on Conscriptus?” Fletch stopped paying attention to the salt shaker.

“If that’s what it comes to. We can’t-... we can’t pass up this deal with Genevieve. That’s more important to us than Murtagh. Not that you can let her know that. Just… use your best judgment, okay? I’m sending you all there because I trust your wits.”

Rosellia chuckled. “You certainly can do that, Alikath. My judgment won’t fail- nor will my anything else.”

Alikath smiled at Rosellia, and took a quick peek at the Non-Violents' race chart. “You were pretty quick to come to my defense, Rosellia.”

“Pretty aggressive, too.” Andrés laughed.

“Why?" Asked Alikath. "Why the confidence?”

Rosellia brushed him off. “Oh, don’t strain yourself overthinking it. I don’t waste my time associating with evil, Alikath. That I consider you worth my company is proof enough you aren’t what they said you were. Had they known a thing about me, they’d have known that much.”

“So that boiling pride of yours spills over on me too, then?”

Rosellia flipped her hair, and gave a radiantly proud smile.

“And why the hells should it not!? I am Lady Rosellia de Lusitania, the greatest noble mind our paltry history books have ever known! A slight on my companions is a slight on greater decency- one I will not leave unchecked!”

Alikath laughed at the show she put on. “Cheers to that! Actually-”

Alikath turned around, and snapped at the bartender who avoided him minutes before.

“Hey- you! You work here?”

The bartender nodded, nervously.

“Then get me a fucking drink!”