Book 2 Chapter 50

Torvus yawned loudly, drawing looks of annoyance from some of the priests and priestesses nearby. He gave them a friendly wave, before glancing over the huge cavern they found themselves in once more.

It was eerily similar to another place he thought to himself, one he wished he didn’t know. With a domed ceiling and wide-open area surrounded by walls that gave off a sense of times long past. In the center was a large crystalline Obelisk, its colors shifting between different shades of blue. Sometimes deep and rich, others bright and cheerful... It sat at the center of a pool of water that covered most of the cavern’s floor.

The water sparkled, glowing almost from the shining light that the strange monument gave off. It moved with a constant, if slow, current, draining away at the sides and refilling from water that gently poured from the Shard. Torvus had heard that the current was the secret to why the water stayed so pure, though he was in no hurry to try it himself

Torrvus stood along the outer ring of the cavern, on what was the only dry floor there. He kept himself distanced somewhat from the water priests that had joined them for the ceremony. He could see at a glance the distrust and skepticism on their faces. He couldn’t blame them for that though, not after learning what the confederation had done… And that he had been a part of it.… he yawned again, turning towards the Shard.

There in front of it stood the child-god… Tirr seemed to watch the Shard in front of him carefully, hesitating as he reached these final steps. As he watched, Torvus couldn’t help but think back to the scene from the battlefield only a week ago.

The angelic apparition had put a stop to the fighting, and maybe the war, for good. The Holy Priestess, Nerida, took the chance to expose the machinations of the Confederation and the traitorous water priests. She brought out more evidence than even Torvus had expected and even released the information to the public.

King Agir was happy to have his son back but was still eager for revenge for his wife. Nerida was able to talk him out of launching an immediate attack on the merchant state, but convinced him to give her total authority over the military to chase down the villains.

She and her followers tore through the city and the water temple itself, arresting or executing anyone they could find with even the slightest link to the Confederation. Torvus had been dragged along as well, first being questioned for hours before being forced to lead the way through the various safehouses and hideouts. He shivered again, smiling as he thought of the extreme pleasure Nerida seemed to take as she and her Father managed to firmly grasp the water temple within the palms of their hands.

From there, things went rather easily. Even if someone had wanted to, it was impossible to stop the stories of returning soldiers. Of the young god who summoned an angel to put a stop to the war. Rumors and gossip spread like lightning through the city, connecting to stories of healers and heroes that had already circulated, no doubt the work of Nerida as well. And all of it came to a head when Nerida officially announced Tirr’s identity, naming him the Father of the Water Spirit and the true god of the world.

There had been a few who had resisted, and even now you may hear some grumbling in the streets… But many people were eager for the change, tired of the water temples greedy ways and encouraged by the reforms Nerida promised to bring. Tirr had turned into a household name overnight and already people were singing his praises within the hallowed pools of the Water Temple. Torvus yawned again watching as the god finally started to approach the shard.

Tirr took a deep breath as he approached the pulsing blue shard. It seemed excited as he drew closer, its color changing rapidly from dark royals blues to light sky blues… And on and on through more blues than Tirr knew how to name.

He had hesitated, though he knew he shouldn’t, remembering the pain he felt remembering Bren. He pushed forward though, wanting to know the people that he had forgotten. He took the last few steps, his legs sloshing through the crystal clear water. He steeled himself, raising a hand and placing it against the blue crystal.

Instantly he was swarmed by feelings that didn’t belong to himself. Once again a mix of emotions so tightly wound together that Tirr’s body shook slight with their force. Anger, jealousy, resignation… All of them flooded his head and his heart, leaving him with deep aching pain. The emotion that stood out the most though, was an intense sense of loneliness…

Tirr felt the Shard reach into him, craving his presence after waiting for so long. Blue veins crawled up his arm towards his body, leaving him feeling chilled. As he focused on absorbing the shard's power, tears formed unbidden in his eyes… Only to freeze when they trailed down his cheeks as he felt the temperature drop around him. Ice spread over the surface of the large pool, radiating out from where Tirr stood next to the shard.

Finally, there was a crack and the Shard shattered. The blue crystal seemed to melt as it fell, splashing into the pool beneath it, revealing what Tirr had been waiting for. There where the blue obelisk once stood, was a sarcophagus. One that reminded him too strongly of the one he found Bren in. Tirr approached it slowly, looking down at the face he found within.

It was a startlingly beautiful woman, her skin a pale white, tinged with blue as if she had just come in from the cold. Her hair was a long golden blonde, lying gently around her body and the familiar blue robes she wore. The most startling thing to him though. was the warm smile that even now persisted on her face. As he watched, her body seemed to melt, dissolving away and leaving only a flickering blue light. He calmed himself, settling the turbulent emotions that surged within him as he reached out towards the shimmering spark. As his hand touched it he felt hiss vision grow dark…