Apostles of Doom

Well, a grown woman popping out of a brain tumor after surgery is difficult to believe, but I’m not an expert on gods, Ruiden replied, and then, somehow sounding rather morose, he added, I’m no longer much of an expert on demons either. I thought I knew what they were, and now I don’t.

Talarius shook his head. I don’t care about that ridiculous story. Hephaestus admitted that you can’t necessarily take a god’s origin story at face value. No, what I can’t accept is that Tiernon and our Church has always taught us that demons are demonstrably evil. And now I find out that a demon — the demon I tried to permanently kill — is not only a recycled demon prince, but if I believe that mirroring and Hephaestus, is the stepbrother of my god?

Well, I for one was relieved to find out Tom is actually a god. Makes me feel like less of a failure as a demon-slaying sword, Ruiden said. Talarius wasn’t sure if it was serious or joking. It expressed very little emotion as a golem when speaking, and its thoughts were only marginally more expressive.

I mean, I can maybe accept that demons and D’Orcs, and even saints are mortals who are converted by magic into immortals, Talarius said.I don’t like it, but I have enough evidence, and a lot of corroborating independent testimony, that I cannot really deny it. But the fact that Orcus, the villain of Church legend, slain by Sentir Fallon, is the stepbrother of my god?

So when you say your mind is not still enough, do you really mean that you simply do not want to pray to Tiernon and ask him if he had his stepbrother murdered? Ruiden asked.

Talarius put his face in his hands, groaning. Something like that. It’s simply too insane to believe. But so much of all of this is too much to believe! Where do I draw the line? Are there even lines anymore?

Ruiden was silent.

Talarius shook his head and got to his feet. I really hope we are going to the Citadel to battle the Storm Lords, he said. At least I know that the Citadel will bring me no more questions; that we will simply fight against the darkness. Good versus evil. Things will be much simpler there and in the glory of combat, I will not have to think.

He sighed. “Tiernon! I really need to stop thinking,” the knight said out loud. “No more questions; no more confusing and contradictory information that I can’t deal with!”

Citadel of Light, Battlements: Early Fourth Period

Teragdor was once more on the battlements after a short rest. Unfortunately, slaying the lich and its dragon had only seemed to antagonize the enemy. The Sky Wardens were now fully engaged in trying to stop incursions over the wall. Several zombie dragons had already tried to deliver wagons of zombies to the tops of the walls. The Sky Wardens could beat them back, but in many cases they were able to unload their zombie passengers.

That meant the soldiers on top of the wall were now fully in battle and the battle priests engaged. Teragdor had never heard of battle priests until he’d met Karis, but they did seem to be a good idea. They were priest combatants who waded into battle and fought the Unlife directly, giving regular soldiers an edge in combat both with protection rituals and blessings as well as quick healing.