Chapter 7: The Stranger of Truth

Subject: Caim Location: Maliscade - Gate District

Alice had been standing for a long time and Caim felt uncomfortable being the only one sitting down, so he joined her on his feet. She was staring at the statues like she was teetering over the edge of a cliff, unsure of whether she should share more about herself.

“I’m going to assume you don’t know much about our faith. I had a difficult time thinking about it like that before because we learn about it when we are young. You are having a hard time adjusting to things here. I also have a hard time thinking of you as an outsider and not just an Initiate Seeker. You really have no idea just how crazy it is that you are here from the outside!”

“It seemed like you were able to get a handle on that pretty well earlier.”

“Yes, but the more I think about it, the more insane the idea is. Wait… how old are you?”

“I’m 27. And you?” Caim answered hesitantly.

“I’m 25. I guess it’s good we are about the same age, but I would have guessed you were a little younger.”

She was casually curious for a moment but didn’t seem to care all that much and quickly moved on.

“This shrine depicts Arbe in her iconic full plate armor. I’ve since learned that depictions of this goddess have varied over the centuries. She is also called ‘The Pillar’. This armor really helped connect with me as a kid. I could look at it and remember that Arbe represents strength and resilience.”

Caim was glad he didn’t ask earlier because Alice’s tone showed how much she respected this Arbe deity. That didn’t explain why such a shrine was hidden away in a side street alley. Even if the shrine and street were both well maintained.

The center statue looked like it was formed from a kind of sparkling purple, semi-translucent material resembling amber. Arbe was featured in heavy plate armor, knees bent in a ready stance. The plate armor looked heavy and protective, but it wasn’t decorated. A smooth visor clamped down over the deity’s face. She was tall and powerful, but featureless.

Attention was drawn to the shield she held before her in her left hand, to the heavy tome clutched close to her body in her right hand, and to her armor. The shield was a peculiar hexagonal shape, with an interior hexagon decorating the outer face.

“She holds the Covenant of Shade close to her,” Alice explained, seeing Caim studying the statue. “Her shield and her armor are symbolic. Resilience comes from her. That is what protects the scripture from the forces that would corrupt it.”

Caim nodded, making the connection that the Covenant of Shade was both the religion and the name of the religion’s holy book. At least, that was now his assumption. He was beginning to realize that there must be other deities representing other Shaden ideals. This was a minor shrine. There must be more like it in the city.

“Is it really alright for me to be here?” He asked quietly, hoping Alice would understand what he was really asking.

“It was perfectly fine to rest here,” Alice answered. “Citizens are encouraged to reflect and show respect while resting during their day. I took you here because people rarely pray at this particular shrine. The major shrines are elsewhere. Arbe isn’t typically worshiped on her own. If someone wants to pray to her, they will generally do it at a shrine to ‘The Remnant’, who basically includes all six of the gods, the ‘Hexaline’, all bunched up together.”

Caim nodded in silence. He somewhat understood what Alice was saying. There was either one god that led the other gods or there was some kind of symbolic concept that represented the faith as a whole. Caim acknowledged that he could be completely wrong about all of this, but he could at least follow along at the moment.

Even so, this is a lot to remember. I should find a way to purchase a holy book and study it so I’m not found out.

“When I was young, I was more traditionally religious. I believed what I was told, especially when I had such a being to look up to. This is an embarrassing thing to share, but I used to pretend that I was her. I know it was narcissistic… but it wasn’t like I thought I could measure up to her,” Alice explained while shaking her head.

Alice stopped. She looked ashamed.

“I’m sorry. This was a bad story to tell. You don’t know me and I don’t know you. I’m dumping this stupid story in your lap when-.” With a frazzled expression, Alice’s voice trailed off and then picked back up again. “Now you know how pathetic I was… or am.” She took another pause, and Caim tried to think of something to say. “This was a bad idea,” Alice concluded, nervously picking at a hole in her shoulder armor.

“No!” Caim shouted back. Though his yell wasn’t very loud, his passionate outburst surprised him. “What I mean is that I would like to hear this story. It sounds important. But if you aren’t willing to share, I definitely won’t force you.”

Alice gave a timid smile that reminded him of the way she had acted after Shimmerden when she was ashamed of that “Mark” concept that Caim still didn’t understand.

“No, I’m willing to share. This is as much for me as it is for you. I’ve only shared this with one other person.”

Alice had regained her composure rather quickly. However, she had much more to share and Caim knew it from her furrowed brow. Eyes wide, she stared up at Arbe’s helmeted face, straightening her posture.

“I didn’t want to be a seeker because of Arbe, but she did inspire life choices that came before that. I would get into fights with others growing up, always trying to stop a bully or right a wrong. It was about the strength of determination to do right. I wasn’t strong or anything, and I’d get beaten up all the time.” Alice paused, looking conflicted.

“Fighting is normal,” Caim offered. “You seem ashamed of it. I understand why violence shouldn’t be encouraged, but you were young.”

“I appreciate you coming to my defense… but that isn’t really it. I am ashamed, though. Yes, I was a young child. But it is that I was starting fights with a rigid code of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.”

Caim almost came to her defense again, but he managed to stop himself. Aside from not wanting to interrupt her again, he didn’t know what laws existed in Shroud, and how morality was required to conform to faith. He didn’t know what values were different.

“Because I was so faithful to Arbe, instructors went easy on me when I explained that I would be forsaking Arbe if I let such as thing as a lack of strength hold me back. I got it into my head that, to be faithful to her, I would need to make up the difference in strength by taking the consequences.” She narrowed her eyes and continued in an emotionless tone. “Justice is achieved through faith. You don’t question the Channeler and His Paragons.”

Alice’s eyes traced a path to the smaller statues surrounding the vigilant Arbe. Unlike the reverence conveyed by the painstakingly-smooth sculpting of the goddess’ statue, these were choppy, jagged, and misshapen humanoid creatures. These gnarled and twisted things barely resembled anything humanoid, but the best association Caim could make was bony imps. He didn’t spend too much trying to put a label on the disparate creatures depicted by the chaotic sculpting.

“I was stupid. I was gullible. I-” Alice shut her mouth and looked at Caim with a panicked expression before calming down and taking a breath. “There is a reason I haven’t shared this with more than one other person. It is also why you can’t share your situation with others.”

If I hadn’t nearly died when I first arrived here, I’d wonder if Vera planned that I’d meet Alice before anyone else. But I did nearly die. It really could have gone either way.

Each statue was distinct in a minor way. One had uneven wings. Another had a left arm that reached the ground, while the right was less than half that length. One thing each of the smaller statues shared was a cream coloring. It was difficult to tell if the differently-colored statues were made from different materials. This was likely because the statues gave off entirely different impressions.

“I started to question some things. The Covenant of Shade, what it means to be a faithful Shaden when humans are each so different.” Alice swallowed hard and shrugged. “But I probably wouldn’t have questioned it nearly enough if the signs hadn’t first appeared. My body started changing.”

“You started going through puberty?” As awkward as Caim’s question was, he needed to ask it because Alice’s tone and expression implied something more sinister. He wanted to get the easy guess out of the way.

“Is that what your people call it? Come to think of it, where on the northern shore are you from?”

Alice looked at Caim for only a few seconds after asking the question before she shook her head.

“Nevermind. I can tell that you don’t want to talk about it, and I can understand that it would probably be a difficult subject. You didn’t mean to come here.”

Caim was lost. He just nodded to keep the conversation flowing. Alice took the hint and moved on.

“What we call it depends on who you ask… but all words relate to these,” she said, gesturing to the surrounding statues. “Metia, the stranger of truth. One of the two twin Strangers who are the enemies of the gods.”

“The Stranger of Truth,” Caim mumbled, mindlessly repeating Alice’s words. “Wait. If they are twins, who does the third statue depict?”

“Huh? Oh, no,” Alice choked out a nervous laugh. “All of those are Metia. As The Stranger of Truth, he tempts the faithful from their path in different ways. He reveals ‘tantalizing, unholy truths’ to corrupt the righteous.”

Alice adopted the “ready stance” of the god in the statue, balling her fists like she was preparing to fend off an attacker. Unlike Arbe in the statue, she didn’t have a shield to raise nor a book to clutch.

And her armor looks inadequate by comparison. Even if it didn’t look so battered...

“Each of The Strangers is responsible for one of the Marks. My defect, the Mark of Blue, is supposedly Metia’s doing. When my Mark manifested and my body started showing signs… my parents knew what it was before I did. They knew what I was.”

Caim noticed Alice’s lip quiver slightly. A brief ripple that was almost imperceptible. She turned and smiled nervously.

“Up to that point, I had been trying to be indomitable. Arbe wouldn’t have been brought down so easily. Her faith does not waver. That is why she is so often seen battling Metia. Metia attempts to sway Arbe, but her truth is all that matters.”

Alice put down her hands and returned to a resting stance. She looked down for a moment, and then over to one of the Metia statues.

I had a truth about myself I didn’t know about, and it kind of… broke me.”

“What did-” Caim stopped, but Alice gently gestured with her hand for him to continue. “What did your parents do?”

“My parents wanted to handle it their way, but my brother had his own plans. They aren’t around anymore. It was only my brother and me, but now he’s in the capital. He’s in the military, so we can’t really keep in contact. I tried to get him to stay, but he made up some lie about a dream in service to Shroud. I saw him speaking with some woman before our parents left and then again before he left. I think he made a promise to her in exchange for me being able to live my life the way I do. I don’t really know and it is hard to talk about...”

“I’m sorry I asked,” Caim apologized, deeply regretting letting his curiosity get the better of him. Alice just shook her head.

“Don’t worry. That’s basically my story. I wanted to be like Arbe, but I found I had more in common with Metia. I was tainted from birth. That is why I know about this place. It isn’t a popular shrine, but I have an attachment to it that goes beyond my faith. It is a good symbol of my identity, I guess.”

Alice hardened her gaze and looked right at Caim.

“I still respect Arbe, because she protects those who suffer setbacks in life. Setbacks like ours. She doesn’t give up when these setbacks happen. My religion tells me I’m marked by Metia, but Arbe protects even the wretched like me.

“Thank you for telling me about yourself. I know I’ve only seen you fight once, but you really did look indomitable. I don’t want to intrude on your past, but I can say you looked unbeatable in Shimmerden.”

Caim anxiously looked for Alice’s reaction to his words and found that she wasn’t looking at him anymore. She had turned toward the statue of Arbe. Caim casually walked over to join her and found her blushing. He looked away, relieved that he could at least flatter the person who saved his life. And it wasn’t like he was lying, either. Alice fought monsters for a living. The concept was hard for him to grasp.

Subject: Caim Location: Maliscade - Arbe's Shrine (Gate District)

“What would you do if you could do anything?” Alice asked without taking her eyes off the statues.

“I don’t know,” Caim quickly replied. “I would like to try to make a world where someone like you doesn’t have to feel the way you do.”

“I don’t know what you mean,” she began.

“Yes you do,” Caim countered, not in the mood to dance around the subject. “Your Mark isn’t something you chose. You shouldn’t have to feel like you are a terrible person just because you have it. Faiths that incorporate beliefs like that are dangerous because people like you internalize-” Caim managed to stop himself, but he had already started getting riled up.

“You don’t understand! Sometimes it can be hard to think when my Mark activates… And some people with Marks can be very dangerous. You also aren’t Shaden, so you can’t understand our faith as we would.”

Alice was debating passionately, but her sparkling green eyes seemed to beg for him to continue wearing her argument down. He never had any intention of stopping there.

“You’re right, I don’t understand. That doesn’t disprove my point. I’m not claiming that society should just ignore the risks, whatever they are. I’m saying that there should be tolerance. I don’t need to be Shaden to critically analyze it as an outsider. If anything, an outside perspective can help point out the flaws in a system.”

Caim was panting from his rapid rant, but he wanted to say one more thing.

“I don’t think The Covenant of Shade is a bad religion. I don’t know enough about it. You asked me what I would do if I could and I answered. Shroud is a nation ruled by The Covenant of Shade, and I would like to change it to make it a more accepting place.”

This is ARC all over again, he thought, remembering the reason he was in this mess. That disaster of a project attracted Vera to him in the first place.

Spellweaving Event Triggered Calibrating Third Spell [ Retrieving Spellweaving Template: Surveillance ] Incubation Complete

[ Second Spell Available ]

[ Retrieving Details ]

Hibernating

Caim began to feel faint, and Alice stepped forward to catch him. He hadn’t fallen over, but he might have if she hadn’t been there.

“Are you alright?” she asked and Caim nodded. “Whatever your reason, you can’t share this with anyone. No one can hear us at this shrine, but even when you are alone with Mille… if a single person overhears you, you’ll get her killed with you.”

Without thinking, Caim reached into his pocket and retrieved the black card. He stepped away from Alice and watched the constellation of black orbs spread before him. Within the center triangle, another orb had changed shape, revealing a new symbol nestled within.

Alice and Caim both stared at the constellation from different angles. She was also looking at him but he was barely aware of her presence, focused almost entirely on the anticipation he felt.

The second spell is there. But I didn’t do anything.

Something was different this time. He reached out to touch Scion’s symbol in the constellation. His mind was flooded with images and information about the spell. While this occurred, the borders of his vision closed in and the world around him was replaced by a murky grey void. Interpreting this experience was extremely difficult, but he felt as if he were able to interact with the information, retrieving more if he so desired simply by willing it.

Scion Description: [ This flying conjured entity will fire weak projectiles at a target until that target is destroyed or Scion is dismissed. ] Recovery: [ 6 Minutes ] Tactical Control System: [ Advanced tactical systems unavailable. ]

He repeated this process for the new spell. Now, he could understand a little about it without needing to call upon the magic.

Catalyst Description: [ Catalyst changes the target(s), depending on the variant activated. Behavior is largely dependant upon the variant. ] Flourish Catalyst: Description: [ Greatly accelerates natural healing and invigorates target(s). ] Tactical Control System: [ Advanced tactical systems unavailable. ]

“Wait, Caim! You need to stop!” Alice cautioned.

She had yelled quietly so that her voice didn’t carry beyond the shrine. He heard her voice at full volume, and the vision of his surroundings returned to normal. The constellation receded back into the hardened form of the card. He returned it to his pocket.

“I was using magic?” he asked, still coming out of his trance.

“I don’t know what it was you were doing. I have never seen any mage use magic like you do, but unregistered magic is forbidden inside the walls!” she explained, stealing a glance at an innocuous silver pole stationed just beyond the shrine. “The city has ways of detecting if magic is used and where it was used. I warned you not to use it in the city, didn’t I?”

I do remember her saying something like that on the walk here, but I didn’t really mean to use magic.

Alice looked at Caim and just kept shaking her head in disbelief. Then, she suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him close, sliding his sleeve up to reveal glowing purple veins on his skin. The sight sent him into a panic.

“Your body has accumulated the blightseed’s power,” she announced. “Did you feel different or something? Is that why you did that? It has been so long for me, but I do remember my first time being pretty wild.”

Caim was silent for a long time. He just kept staring at the marks on his arms. When he was finally ready to speak, he remembered what he had intended to say before.

“I’m sorry for reacting like that to your story. I won’t tell Mille anything that will get her in trouble. I don’t want to cause you problems, even if I have problems with the way Shroud operates. I didn’t… I didn’t come here to do any of that. I just want peace.”

If I started “that” again, I’d be making the same mistakes all over again. I’d also be playing right into Vera’s hand.

Alice stared at him for a while. She looked relieved, but also a little disappointed.

Subject: Caim Location: Maliscade - Arbe's Shrine (Gate District)

“You were respectful to my faron comrade. I appreciate that. faron aren’t generally treated bad, but some people...” Alice trailed off.

Caim wanted to know more, but he was restricted by the fear that he would lower Alice’s opinion of him and possibly draw unwanted attention. He decided that it was an acceptable risk since she already knew this much. But he needed to be careful.

“That was my first time seeing a faron. I had never seen anyone who wasn’t human before,” he admitted sheepishly.

“From one of those academies, are you? Faron have just as much right to a happy life as any other sentient species. That isn’t going to be a problem, is it? Do you hold any prejudices against other species?”

Alice’s intentions could have been phrased more kindly, but her tone was not overly accusative. She was cutting to the chase and trying to decide if he was someone that might not be deserving of her support. He quickly shook his head side-to-side.

“Not at all. I’m ignorant, but that is the extent of the issue. I wasn’t taught anything about species other than humans. None of my books described faron.”

Caim expected Alice to be more surprised that he had only interacted with humans, but it seemed his supposed “academically cloistered” life made this easier to accept.

“What do you think?” She asked this hesitantly, watching his eyes.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what to think.”

“Fair enough. Having no assumptions is probably better. As long as you don’t think they are inferior to humans or anything. In Shroud, we are taught that humans are the chosen species. Other species need to serve them to remain pure.”

This place seems more dangerous the more I learn about it. The Shaden are fanatics!

“I can safely say I don’t think anything like that. Even if you told me you thought they were, I’d avoid such a generalization.”

“Good! Good.” Alice jumped closer as she yelled, slowly backing away while toning down her enthusiasm.

Caim didn’t react. He was too busy trying to get a read on Alice’s personality. Even if he didn’t see the events preceding his arrival, Alice had demonstrated that she was fully committed to her job, even if he didn’t exactly know what a seeker was. She was willing to help him, a stranger, adjust to life in a foreign land he illegally entered. Alice was putting herself at risk, even if she too had things to hide.

“That friend I mentioned… Mille… she is faron. I just wanted to be sure you wouldn’t treat her poorly. She is the best,” Alice declared with a bright smile. Her eyes were wide, staring at Caim to emphasize how highly she regarded her friend. “You seem to be doing better. Let’s get you to Mille. She will help you.”

“Can she really?” Caim asked. “I don’t want to be a burden.”

Caim didn’t want to be a burden, but the fact was that he was one in every sense of the word. What little he knew had been lost upon being transported to Shroud. Much of the knowledge no longer applied, and his skills weren’t very useful without access to the technology he was used to.

“It wouldn’t just be as a favor to me,” Alice added, nodding vigorously to emphasize her words. “You see… she is a kind person. She even knows about my… condition.”

Alice’s voice grew quieter when she mentioned her Mark again. She was obviously very ashamed and self-conscious. Her story had made that much clear.

“She doesn’t treat me any different. Part of it might be because she isn’t human. She is used to others treating her differently just because she’s faron. Humans are the chosen species after all” Alice grumbled these last words with a glare.

Chosen people. Chosen species. That is bound to perpetuate all kinds of biases. It is fortunate that I’m human, though…

“Faron, cartemi, and all the others I haven’t met before. They just have to accept this. I’m a faithful Shaden, but I would make everyone equal if I could.”

Caim’s interest was piqued. Sentient species besides humans were out there, and Alice would be leaving him with one.

“Even if I don’t believe any of those things, I want to be respectful. I don’t want to offend your friend,” Caim explained.

“Fortunately for you, you can treat Mille just like anyone else and you’ll be fine. You do fine with me, which leads me to believe you won’t offend her.”

Alice nodded emphatically while she spoke. Her exuberant confidence was gradually returning with the more time that passed since sharing her past.

“Just try not to stare at her conduits, the parts that glow, like you are studying some lesser animal,” Alice advised.

“Glowing parts?” Caim asked, overflowing curiosity while he remembered the silver spots on the other seeker’s eyes.

Alice easily picked up on his curiosity. She seemed to relax, deciding that he probably wouldn’t be a problem for her friend Mille.

“Faron have several bioluminescent nodes on parts of their bodies,” Alice explained. “The backs of their hands, above and below each eye, and on their shoulder blades.”

She pointed to each part of her body while she listed it off. Caim listened attentively, trying to imagine what this anatomy might look like. The Faron Seeker was wearing armor that covered most of his conduits, but Caim did get a glimpse of them glowing during the conversation, though he had been focusing on trying his best to keep the stranger’s attention off of him at the time.

“From what Mille has told me, their biology allows for the ‘manipulation of magic through the space around these nodes, extending the reach of magical influence’,” Alice explained this in a rigid way that made it obvious she was repeating what she had been told. “These areas are like limbs used only for magic.”

He nodded along with the explanation, but it was a lot to take in. This “magic manipulation” characteristic piqued Caim’s interest more than how different the faron looked from a human.

“She will understand if you stare a little, but please don’t be rude.”

“I won’t, I promise,” he answered earnestly.

“Good. It seems you are feeling much better now. I am happy. Let’s go introduce you to Mille.”

Caim was anxious to be introduced to another person. More so, because Alice would not be staying. It was difficult to talk to Alice, but being alone would be worse. However, Alice’s brief description of Mille’s personality was comforting. And It wasn’t like Caim had any others lining up to offer him their support.

In the back of his mind, Caim felt an urge to use his magic again. He wanted to use it soon, to quickly see how it would develop over time as Vera promised him it would. The urge had been building for some time, and he almost wanted to look for a situation where he would need to use it.

If I live long enough to see my magic flourish, I don’t think I’ll be able to resist the temptation to use it that way.