My voice trembled with barely concealed excitement.

“Auto, what kind of ritual do they have to undergo to become followers?”

“That is entirely your choice,” the robo-voice responded. “There are only a few restrictions.”

“What are they?”

“The ritual must be virtually impossible to accomplish by mistake. Also, the ritual must be performed by a sanctioned member of your religion. Currently, Ray is the only person who can perform the ritual. Later, the individuals you call as priests, paladins, monks, and templars will also be able to do so. The details of the initiation ritual should be listed as your first tenet.”

I thought back to some of the rituals I was aware of on Earth. The most famous ones where I was from were probably ‘baptism’ and ‘circumcision’.

As for baptism, some churches did it by sprinkling water and saying a prayer while others required full immersion in water in addition to prayer.

Things that didn’t happen by mistake.

Circumcision… well, one can only hope that something like that doesn’t happen by mistake.

Putting baptism aside for its symbolic value, I decided to put a hard pass on circumcision. If I chose something like that, I imagined it would be much harder to find converts.

‘All you have to do to join is get a circumcision!’

‘What’s that?’

‘Well, you see… you just need to get this little surgery…’

Yup, circumcision would not be a religious requirement or initiation here. People could do that if they wanted to, but I would choose something else for my ‘initiation’ ritual.

What kind of criteria did I need to consider?

Acknowledging that my followers would be facilitating or performing this ritual, it should be something that isn’t too difficult or embarrassing. Ideally, it would have some symbolic significance. Finally, it needed to be difficult to do by accident.

The third point could be easily accomplished by adding a ‘prayer’ component. The difficult part would be coming up with something symbolic. Baptism was generally held to be symbolic of ‘rebirth’. It was starting a new life of religious devotion to God. I didn't really want to copy ‘baptism’ from Earth, though, so I needed to come up with something of my own.

What kind of church would I create? Remembering the types of religious people I met back on Earth, I preferred to stay away from crazy people who had enormous zeal and fervor about living a new life. I wasn't trying to revolutionize the way of life of monsters, I just wanted people in this world to treat each other fairly. I wanted all of the various races to get along without persecuting each other.

So maybe adapting the idea of baptism, but changing the contents to symbolize a new concept? Instead of beginning a new life, they would be receiving a new hope and covenanting into a new peace.

I tossed a few ideas around before settling on something that I liked.

Once all the details were ironed out, I called out to Ray.

“Let’s do it!”

***

While she was sitting alone in a grove just outside the camp, Lexi pondered on the fragmented information she had managed to grasp. It seemed like Ray somehow represented a god, likely one of the Overseers.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

The Overseers were the reason her tribe was called monsters. The adventurers who massacred her people were evil, but the gods behind them were the real monsters. They had absolute power and authority and they used it to play with lives and lead people to destruction and sorrow. Even if they changed their mind and repented, she didn’t think she could ever forgive them.

Her ears perked as she heard someone approach and she opened her eyes to see Ray arrive.

“Hey,” Ray muttered as she sat next to her and pulled her knees against her chest.

Lexi examined her savior in silence for a long minute. In all the time she had known her, Ray acted like she was strong, powerful, and in control. There were times when she saw cracks in the facade, but she could always push through.

Now, she just looked tired.

“Busy day,” Lexi observed, breaking the silence.

Ray didn’t respond and the two of them sat in silence for a while longer, enjoying the feeling of the cool, mountain breeze. Though spring was around the corner, it was still chilly in the mountains.

“I have something I want to ask you,” Ray finally said.

Lexi turned and gave her full attention to her friend.

“The new god that I was talking about earlier… he told me that he wants you specifically to be the first person to receive the ritual to become his follower.”

“The new god said that?”

“He says that he heard your prayer - the one asking for strength. He desires to give you peace if you would be willing to give him a chance.”

She closed her eyes, tears welling up in the corners.

A new god. Not one of the evil Overseers, but a new, brilliant, and kind god. One who knew her name and her deepest desires. A god who heard her prayers and wanted to answer them!

Lexi didn’t want to open her eyes. What if this was just a dream? What if she opened her eyes and found out this wasn’t real?

The tears began to spill out through her closed eyelids. She let out a stuttered breath as her chest swelled with emotion. She didn’t know what to say. Never in her wildest dreams did she think someone was listening.

She had prayed out of hope, but she knew in her heart that there were no gods for the beastkin.

Except somebody was there. Somebody was listening.

There was a god who wanted to answer her prayers.

As Lexi tried to sort through her thoughts and feelings, she kept coming back to that one, singular point.

He would answer her prayers.

If it were one of the other Overseers, she wouldn’t even consider it. But if a new, innocent god was making the promise, she would have to be a fool to not give him a chance.

She raised her head and opened her eyes with renewed determination. She met Ray’s questioning gaze and beamed.

“What do I need to do?

“We wait for Mr. Animal-Obsessed Dark Void to finish coming up with the initiation ritual.”

Lexi tilted her head in confusion.

“That’s… an interesting name.”

Ray giggled while Lexi looked on with concern.

They sat together for several more minutes, enjoying the peaceful quiet while they waited. Finally, the god called out to Ray.

“Let’s do it!”

“He’s ready,” Ray informed Lexi. The two of them pushed themselves to their feet, brushing off the snow and mud that clung to their pants. They walked back into the village and Ray called out to Vorg, who was waiting off to the side with another goblin.

She said something to him in a weirdly fluid language. Lexi didn’t know any Goblin, so she watched their body language for clues. She recognized Vorg and Og because of their interactions with Ray, but she hadn’t spoken to any of them yet due to the language barrier. Were they not going to explain anything to her? Was she supposed to just follow blindly and hope for the best?

Og said something back to Ray, and then Vorg asked a question.

Ray abruptly looked over at Lexi.

“You don’t understand Goblin, do you?”

Lexi shook her head ruefully.

“I’m okay at Orcish though,” she replied.

Unfortunately, the only two languages she needed to learn were English and Orcish. It was enough to speak both common tongues.

Ray asked the goblins another question and then shook her head.

“You’ll be able to use Orcish to communicate with Gobbers, but the Glitters refuse to learn anything except Goblin or Ancient.”

Lexi let out a regretful sigh.

“How many of the goblins are ‘Gobbers’?” she asked.

Surprisingly, it was Vorg who answered the question.

“We are small in number,” he answered.

“You speak English?!” Lexi blurted out.

Vorg shook his head.

“I do not ‘speak’ English, I can speech. It is hard language to learn when speakers try kill you.”

His English wasn’t perfect, but it was more than enough to understand.

“Anyways,” Ray interrupted. “If it's alright, I will explain in English so that Lexi can understand, and I will explain it again in Goblin so that the goblins know what they are getting into.”

Lexi nodded gratefully. She had been starting to worry that she would be in the dark through the whole process, but she should have had more faith in Ray.

“Explain,” Vorg agreed.

Ray raised a finger, pausing them as she tilted her head to the side. She scrunched her eyebrows.

“He says that I need to be the one who performs the ritual because I am his prophet and inherently have the authority. After they are initiated, if they accept positions of responsibility, he will grant this authority to others.”

After repeating the same message in their language, the goblins nodded and Vorg asked a question.

“He says that each person must present a weapon to me. I will then say a prayer, split the weapon in half, bury one side in a field of white poppies, and then return the other half to you as a symbol and memento of your promise.”

“White poppies?” Lexi asked. “Do those grow around here?”

“He says the white poppies are optional, but he thought it would enhance the symbolism if we add them whenever possible.”

The two goblins both nodded.

“Seeing as he is asking us to break ‘weapons’ specifically, I suppose there is some sort of meaning in this ritual?”

Ray nodded.

“He is not asking you to forsake your weapons, he is asking you to give one up as a symbol of your promise. Following him is a declaration that you will pursue peace. He understands that fighting is necessary at times, but his ultimate goal is a world where every race can live together in harmony.”

Vorg commented something and nodded. Then he pulled an old, bone dagger out of the sheathe hanging from his belt. He raised it up and asked a question.

“An old weapon is fine. It just can’t already be broken, and it should preferably be yours, or one that you can keep after it is broken.”

Og withdrew one of the daggers strapped to his leg. Ray turned to Lexi and pulled out a dagger. Lexi recognized it as the weapon Jantzen used to stab Ray through the heart. Ray held it out to her and she accepted it.

“Lexi, upon completion of your initiation, our god would like to bestow upon you the privileges and responsibilities of being a priestess. Will you accept this burden?”

“A priestess?”

Lexi’s eyes grew impossibly wider. She knew she had an aptitude for holy magic, but she had long since accepted that she would never be able to use it.

“I will gladly accept!” she replied, her eyes shining.

They moved back out through the gate and into the small grove. Ray stood in the center of the grove and called Lexi forward.

“Leximea Bloodclaw.”

Lexi approached and kneeled before her. She presented the dagger reverently, her head bowed. Ray reached out and took the dagger with her right hand. She raised it up for all to see.

“By the power and authority granted unto me, I accept your vow in the name of the ‘New God’. Henceforth, you shall be a priestess and a guide unto your brothers and sisters. You shall be a light and a strength to those who seek peace. He will watch over you and give you the strength to accomplish your desires. Remember your covenant for as long as you live.”

Reaching up with her left hand, Ray firmly grabbed the blade and snapped it off at the hilt. She returned the hilt to Lexi, who accepted it with shaking hands. Kneeling, Ray dug her hand into the ground with a smooth motion. She shifted the frozen mud out of the way and placed the blade of the dagger into the small hole before replacing the mud.

Lexi shuddered as she felt an overwhelming, warm sensation encompass her body. Peace and joy filled her soul and warm tears streamed from her eyes.

Ray reached out and hugged her.

“Now that you are a priest, he says we need to set a precedent. I need you to initiate me as well,” Ray whispered.

Lexi nodded weakly. Ray pulled out Peter’s dagger and applied pressure at the hilt, bending the blade until there was a visible crack near the hilt. She kneeled and held the blade out for Lexi.

The new priestess accepted the dagger with shaking hands.

“Call out her name,” a masculine voice spoke in her head.

Lexi yelped and took a step back in shock.

“Call out her name,” the voice repeated.

“R..Ray!” Lexi called out.

“Now repeat after me. By the power…”

“By the power and authority granted unto me, I accept your vow in the name of the New God. Henceforth and forever, you shall be a prophet and a guide unto your brothers and sisters. You shall be the light in the darkness and the living symbol of Him. You will become great and mighty as you raise up your brothers and sisters. He will always be watching over you. This is the covenant between Him and you that should always be remembered.”

Lexi grabbed the blade at the bend and applied as much force as she could. The blade slowly bent further. After several seconds of applying pressure, it snapped. Lexi returned the hilt to Ray and kneeled, digging her hands into the dirt. She buried the blade of the dagger next to hers while smiling.

Ray rose to her feet and turned to the watching goblins who had uncertain expressions. Lexi mirrored her moment and flushed as she thought about what just happened. To those experiencing the ritual, it felt holy and sacred. To those watching it, she imagined that it looked incredibly awkward and silly.

Still, she had to do her part, no matter how embarrassing it was. She waited for Ray to call out a name. She would baptize the other goblin.

“Vorg,” Ray motioned for the Gobber Goblin to approach her.

“Og,” Lexi called out, waving him over to her.

Since they were not being initiated into the priesthood, both of their prayers were identical.

“By the power and authority granted unto me, I accept your vow in the name of the New God. Remember this covenant for as long as you live.”

After both of their weapons were broken, with the hilts returned and the blades buried, the two of them rose.

Vorg said something and Og nodded in agreement

“That is the sensation you will feel whenever the New God has answered your prayers,” Ray explained, once in each language. “Since you are not a Tether, you will not likely hear his voice directly. If you ask him for advice and learn to interpret that feeling, he can do his best to help you make decisions.”

Vorg whistled in appreciation and started chattering with Og.

Lexi raised her hand hesitantly.

“That voice that spoke in my head… was that him?”

“Voice?”

Ray paused for a moment, then shook her head.

“That was sort of him, but also not him at the same time. It was his voice, but he could only speak fixed phrases that he determined beforehand. The prayer I used for you will be used for all who are ordained to the priesthood. If another prophet is chosen in the future, the prayer you used for me is the same one that will be used at that time.”

“I see,” Lexi replied, disappointed.

She wanted to talk directly with him, but it seemed to be impossible for now. She would have to make do with praying and interpreting the warm feeling that she received when he responded.

Og and Vorg exchanged glances.

“What we do now?” Vorg asked, looking at Ray.

Ray tilted her head, listening to the voice.

“He says that I need to return to Cairel tomorrow to avoid raising suspicion amongst the humans. He will prepare a basic set of teachings and next time I am able to visit, we will deliver them.”

Vorg nodded in acceptance.

“Is there anything he needs us to do in the meantime?” Lexi asked.

“See if you can convince other goblins to give him a chance. Since Lexi is studying magic under Shaman, he suggests that she should stay here and study while I return. She will be able to initiate any goblins who decide to join.”

Lexi, Og, and Vorg all bowed their heads.

“We do our best,” Vorg promised. “I hope god is good.”

The two goblins turned to walk back into the town when Ray seemed to realize something. She called out to stop them and said something. Og started to laugh, while Vorg smiled and waved.

Ray turned back, the smile dropping off her face as she sauntered back over to the tree to sit down.

“By the gods, it’s finally over…!” she groaned.

“What did you say at the end there?” Lexi asked while following her.

Her new prophet let out a tired sigh.

“‘Even though you can respawn now, do your best not to die until we figure out the whole ‘temple’ situation. It would be a little difficult if goblins started respawning inside of Cairel,’” she recited.

“That’s an oddly specific problem to think of right now,” Lexi pointed out.

“I know,” Ray muttered softly in reply.

Her eyelids fluttered as she let out a yawn.

“Is it a warning from God? Like a prophecy?”

Ray shook her head and leaned back until she was resting comfortably.

“He says he’s just being cautious. ‘Death is sudden, and you never know it's coming for you until it's too late.’”

Lexi felt chills roll down her spine at the ominous words. At the same time, she agreed one hundred percent. She never expected her whole tribe to be destroyed in a handful of days. In this world of humans, one could never predict when their life would end.

As Ray drifted off to sleep, Lexi stared up at the endless expanse of the heavens. Something was a little different this time. Despite the cold mountain breeze, the sky looked warm and inviting. The endless darkness beyond the horizon seemed filled with light. It only took her a few seconds to figure out what the difference was.

Somewhere out there, her god was watching over her.

***

As each person was initiated, it felt like a light turned on inside my head. I felt a connection form between me and the individual. If I focused on that connection, I could read their thoughts and emotions. I knew that gods obtained information about their followers, but this was far more than I expected from anybody other than Ray.

Focusing on Lexi, I could keenly feel how pleased she was to be chosen by me as my first follower and as a priestess. That was also how I found out about her learning to become an illusionist from Shaman.

Ray’s initiation was technically a formality, but it was still important. I wanted to suppress disagreements that would inevitably appear down the line when people started debating technicalities in the details of the teachings. Because Ray, the first prophet, ‘had’ to be initiated, all followers must be initiated. The precedent was important, even if the details were fudged a little bit.

When Vorg and Og were each initiated, I peeked into their minds, curious about their motivations. Vorg had given good reasons for his decision beforehand but Og had chosen to keep quiet.

Vorg was feeling… apprehensive. He had a bit of anxiety. Peeking into his thoughts revealed that he was desperate. He was clinging onto his last lifeline. He had chosen to embrace this chance because he genuinely believed that it was the only hope of the goblin race. But he was also scared. I was an unknown entity and even after being initiated, I still didn’t reveal what my ‘teachings’ were. He was nervous that the teachings of the New God would be harmful.

A very sensical mindset, albeit tending towards the pessimistic side.

Og, on the other hand, had a remarkably simple motivation.

He worshipped Evelyn Raymond. He knew that Ray was a different person, but he believed that by following Ray and staying by her side he would one day meet the real Evelyn Raymond again.

I couldn’t say whether that was true or not, but I had to tip my nonexistent hat off at his optimism.

Ray would return to Cairel in the morning. Before we returned here again, I needed to create at least some basic teachings and tenets that would define my religion.

I already found my end goal. I wanted to create a world where all the races could live together in harmony without persecution. I knew that this was not very practical. However, I recently started to realize that religion was never about being at the ideal it strives for. Religions were always about the process of reaching for that ideal. If the purpose that a religion strived for were easy to reach, then there would be no point in building a religion to focus on it.

Harmony. Like each of the other Overseers, I decided to pick three domains and harmony would be my first.

I started shooting some ideas back and forth with myself, playing with the phrasing and trying to anticipate possible loopholes and misunderstandings.

I would try my damnedest to make my teachings well-thought-out and inspiring. I knew that no matter what, people would find a way to poke holes in them, but as long as I tried my best, Ray could just smack those people with a hammer if push came to shove.

After fiddling with some words and phrasing for a while, I leaned back and took a moment to rest my mind. I couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

When I answered the question ‘where do you see yourself in ten years’, I said I would be married with a stable income. I missed the margin a little bit, though. I did get married, but then I died, became a god, and started my own cult.

There was bound to be backlash, and it would likely come sooner than we could ever expect. I just needed to keep my end goal in sight and deal with the problems as they came up.

Today was only the first step, after all. There was still a long, long road ahead of us.

***

“Could you repeat that?” Eileen asked, narrowing her eyes.

“The girl, Ray, was ambushed by goblins and led away to their camp. I was unable to attempt a rescue operation before she reached the camp due to the strength of one of the goblins,” Max reiterated.

Eileen tapped the edge of the couch restlessly as she scowled.

“There was a goblin strong enough to make you, a High Templar, wary? And he kidnapped our little scapegoat?”

Max nodded wordlessly.

Eileen sighed.

“You know what this means, right? We need her back before we find the core. There are only two weeks left until spring. I’m going to have to devote my whole attention to helping Phineas find it, you need to resolve this side of things on your own.”

“Understood,” Max replied, pushing himself to his feet tiredly.

He had rushed back as soon as he discovered the goblin camp and hadn’t rested or eaten the entire way.

Eileen noticed his fatigue and smirked.

“And take better care of yourself. You still need food, water, and sleep for the time being.”

Max nodded, smiling faintly.

“Yes, only until then. I will resolve this problem and ensure that Ray is usable in two weeks. You can devote yourself to finding the core without worry.”

Eileen accepted his promise with a smile.

“I will do just that. Thank you.”