That evening, after lessons ended and she was finally separated from all the people that might interfere, Ray bolted for the gate with Mort gliding smoothly through the air behind her. She ran over the rooftops to avoid the annoying task of weaving around people. As she jumped from roof to roof, she couldn't help but remember the previous time she had left town this way. Back then, she had just become aware, and she was confused. She wasn’t acting rationally.

This time, Ray knew exactly where she was going and why. She had a purpose. Though she wasn’t fully aware of the details, something was happening in the goblin camp. On top of that, the adventurers knew where the camp was and were preparing to raid it. She needed to warn them.

She kicked off the final building and launched herself toward the gate. The guard waved as he recognized her flying form. It was Jerrick, someone that she hadn’t seen in a while. Ray waved back as she sailed over his head and into the tunnel. She rushed out of the gate and into the farmland. At her pace, she would reach the goblin camp before it got too dark outside.

Ray cried out as something caught her leg and she tumbled forward, crashing face-first into the cold, hard ground. There was a sharp pain in the area around her nose as she stood up, and she grimaced as her nose straightened itself back out. She ignored the blood dribbling down her chin and searched for the cause of her tumble.

“Where do you think you are going?” a cold voice whispered from the shadows.

The voice seemed to be coming from all around her.

“Who are you?” she coughed out.

Her voice sounded reminiscent of a human who had a cold. Her nose twitched uncomfortably as it reformed and Ray took a deep breath as she reached up, pinching the bridge of her nose. She snorted mightily and launched the congealed blood out.

A figure appeared before her, stepping out of the shadows. Ray blinked in surprise when she recognized Max, a person she hadn’t seen since he helped her through the gate.

“Max? What are you doing here?”

“I’m making sure you don’t do anything foolish. Go back to the temple.”

Ray’s eyes narrowed at the strange order.

“Why do you think I’m doing something foolish?”

“You’re going to warn the goblins, correct? That is foolish. You must remain in Cairel for the next few days while this situation resolves itself.”

“Why?”

Lord Mortimer descended and alighted himself on Ray’s arm that she extended as a perch.

“My Lady, allow me to terminate this depraved creature who dared to harm your beautiful face.”

Ray smirked.

“Max, if you don’t give me a suitable explanation, I’m going.”

Max ran a hand through his short-cropped hair, mumbling inaudibly to himself. Ray thought she heard something about ‘three more days’, but she wasn’t quite sure.

“The Lady asked you a question!” Mort shouted, spreading his wings wide in a regal manner. “Answer or suffer the consequences!”

Max focused his attention on the bird. His eyes narrowed.

“Quincy did mention that you had a talking bird. It’s quite annoying.”

“A talking bird?!” Mort spluttered, outraged. “I am not merely a ‘talking bird’, I am Lord Mortimer Perseus Raventon the Dark, the Lord of Ravens and faithful servant of Lady Ray!”

“Yes, yes,” Ray stroked the back of his head. “You are great and mighty.”

Mort calmed down as he received the attention of his master. He began to preen his feathers, keeping an eye on the rude man who spoke like an ill-bred savage. If the brute tried anything, he would curse the man’s luck so thoroughly that he would die before he realized how unlucky he was. Ray wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but Max was close to Eileen so she didn’t want to risk something bad happening to him.

Max returned his attention to Ray.

“Miss, as worried as you may be about the situation, it is best to leave it to resolve itself naturally. Humans and monsters fight. That’s just how it is. The gods have ordained it and until someone takes their place, that is how it will be.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“Of course I’m not okay with it! Why do you think I’ve…? Ah…” Max cut himself off.

He glared at her warily.

“Why are you so flustered?” Ray pressed.

Max closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself. When he reopened his eyes, he observed the young lady with a more relaxed expression.

“I apologize. I let my emotions control me. Please strike it from your mind.”

“Is something wrong?” Ray asked, taking on a softer tone. “Is there something that you need my help with?”

Max shook his head.

“My worries are my own. If you truly desire to help me, then please… stay in Cairel for three more days. You need to be inside the town during the attack on the goblin village.”

Ray frowned.

“I don’t understand. Why do you care so much?”

Max ground his teeth in frustration.

“Stop asking me ‘why’! If I were going to tell you, I would have answered the first time!"

“If it’s so important that you remain in Cairel, ask him why he reported the location of the goblin village.”

Ray repeated the question. Max’s eyes widened.

“Why do you think that?”

She remained silent, waiting for his explanation. The High Templar sighed, seeing that she wasn’t going to answer.

“I reported it because I need you to be in Cairel three days from now. At the time, I thought that it would be necessary to send a group of adventurers to bring you back. I didn’t expect you to waltz back into town a day later.”

Ray chewed on his words for a moment.

“What do you think I should do?” she asked in her mind.

“Leave Lexi, Vorg, and the others to me. You can’t get there in time to help them anyways. Send Mort ahead to deliver the message that adventurers are coming. We’ll set up plans after that.”

Ray clenched her fists, deciding to trust the ever-present voice in her head. She turned and looked at the large bird perched on her arm.

“Mort, I have a mission for you.”

The raven lord perked up.

“Finally! I mean, how may I serve?”

“Fly to the goblin village hidden near the base of the second peak in those mountains over there. Find a catkin named Leximea Bloodclaw and deliver a warning that adventurers will be attacking in three days. I trust that you have been paying attention and will be able to answer any questions that she might have.”

The raven lord raised a wing and saluted.

“Thy will be done!” he declared, stepping off of her arm and gliding up into the sky before turning toward the Voskeg Mountains.

“I will accomplish this task without fail!”

Ray flinched when the raven lord’s voice spoke directly to her mind even though he was already a dark speck in the sky.

“I didn’t know he could speak in my mind…” she muttered.

She returned her attention to Max who was staring off into the distance where the raven had disappeared.

“I’ll be heading back!” she announced, startling him.

A relieved smile slowly spread across the man’s face and Ray felt a seed of unease sprouting within her. She had no idea why he was so insistent that she stay in Cairel, but she wondered if it was related to why Eileen was refusing to meet with her.

Ray turned and allowed Lord Maxwell to escort her back into the town.

***

As azure moonlight peaked over the edge of the mountain peaks and illuminated the camp, Lexi’s ears twitched, and her tail stiffened. She heard a faint scuffle outside the door to their prison. She nodded toward Og and Jug and the two of them stepped back into the shadows, prepared to ambush whoever came through the entrance.

The stone door began to tremble as it slowly sank into the ground. Moonlight peaked over the widening gap, hiding the identity of the intruder behind a dark shadow. The small figure slid through the gap once it was large enough, drawing out a small, two-handed mace. Several more goblins began pouring in behind him. Without any words, they drew their weapons and charged.

The goblins inside the prison began to shout as they pulled out whatever hidden weapons they had managed to sneak into the prison with them. Some of them cowered, rushing toward the back while others stood firm, ready to defend their lives. The dark tide rushing toward them faltered as several of the invading goblins in the lead keeled over, bleeding from gashes in their throats.

The goblin in the lead swung his hammer toward an empty space and a loud clang resounded as it was parried by something invisible to the naked eye. Lexi sniffed carefully and she could barely detect Og’s scent coming from that space.

The rest of the invading goblins set upon the defenders and began to slaughter them in silence. The defenders cried out desperately as they fought back. The fight wasn’t entirely one-sided as some of the defenders managed to repel their attackers, but the ones who lacked weapons found it difficult to deal a killing blow while avoiding the flailing knives.

Lexi flinched as a goblin rushed toward her, his face distorted with an angry sneer. She took a step back into a stance. As he neared her, she stepped forward, firmly planting her foot on the ground as she took advantage of her superior range of motion. She spun and hooked her heel into the goblin’s neck.

The goblin’s head snapped to the side with a sickening crunch and the creature fell, his momentum carrying him forward for a few more steps until he crashed to the ground at her feet. Lexi reached down and picked up the bone knife he was holding. She rushed back to a weaponless female goblin hiding near the back of the room and passed her the weapon.

“Take this and use it to defend yourself,” she urged.

The goblin accepted the weapon gingerly, looking up at the beastkin who was helping her. She didn’t understand her words, but she could see the priestess’ unwavering eyes. The goblin clenched her claws around the hilt and directed her fury toward their assailants. She charged out with the dagger and stabbed a goblin who was attacking one of her brethren. Her dagger took him in the back, and he keeled over, releasing his blade.

The female goblin leaned over to grab the new dagger when a mace spun out of the darkness and smashed her in the head, caving in her skull.

“Pog!” the goblin she had just saved shouted out.

Trog was launched out of the shadows by a kick and Og followed him out, striking furiously with his daggers. The two assassins clashed over the corpse of Pog while the goblin that she saved snatched the two daggers and crawled away from the scene, looking for another goblin ally to arm.

Lexi cast her eyes over the chaos. The frequent clanging of weapons and the cries of pain and anguish filled the air. She closed her eyes and began to pray.

“Please help us!”

She felt a warm sensation as if she were being embraced and a sense of peace washed over her.

Then all hell broke loose.

The ground began to rumble. All the goblins stumbled away from each other, pausing combat as they felt the world-shaking. A loud crack resounded, and Lexi craned her neck to see a large, dark tear in the ceiling. The gap slowly widened, allowing moonlight to enter and light up her surroundings. In front of the large, azure moon, she saw dark clouds gathering.

A drop of rain struck her face and she flinched, her nose twitching. The goblins rushed toward the opening of the prison as rocks began to crash down from the crumbling ceiling. Many of them tripped and fell as they failed to maintain their balance on the flowing surface. Lexi stared at the scene in a daze.

Was this the answer to her prayers?

A sudden downpour descended from the sky, instantly soaking Lexi and every goblin. Lightning crackled in the clouds and the beastkin priestess sensed what was coming. She dived toward the corner of the prison as a flash of light illuminated the world behind her, followed by roaring thunder.

Cries of fear filled the night. Another flash and then the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. The earthquake eased and the building stabilized. Lexi huddled down, covering her ears as the deafening roar of a raging dragon shook the world once more.

A flash struck a building near the other side of the camp, melting through the structure like butter and frying the goblin within.

Lexi quivered in her hiding place, occasionally glancing at the sky fearfully. She flinched at each flash of light and peel of thunder.

Truly, her prayer had been answered. Normally she would feel thankful, but in the moment, Lexi could only feel fear.

Amidst the raging storm, a large, black raven descended into the building and alighted himself on a piece of rubble lying near her. Lexi sensed the presence and turned her terrified gaze toward it.

The raven opened its mouth, and, to Lexi’s surprise, it spoke in English.

“Quivering feline, this magnanimous and glorious Lord of Ravens brings a message from his master, Lady Ray!”

Lexi’s eyes widened.

“From Ray…?” she whispered.

Her fear temporarily settled as she focused her attention on the bird in front of her, ignoring the screams of terror and violent flashes of lightning in the background.

“The adventurers are coming to attack in three days!”

Her heart sank.

“Wonderful…” she droned sarcastically.

With a sigh, she pushed herself to her feet and wobbled into the rain.

She stepped past the corpses of goblins she had baptized. She scoffed at the charred remains of their assailants and kicked them aside. She hadn’t realized it while she was overcome with fear, but the lightning discriminated. It only struck those who had attacked the prison and it sought them out ruthlessly.

“Great One! Please stay your wrath,” Lexi prayed.

Immediately, the rain ceased, and the dark clouds faded away as if some unseen being was wiping it away with an eraser. The goblins who were hiding near her and overheard her prayer stared at her in awe. They didn’t understand the words that she spoke, but they understood the most important point.

Her prayer calmed the storm. She spared their lives.

Lexi ignored them as she strode toward the tent where she knew Shaman dwelled.

Og appeared beside her, his expression blank. His knees were shaking, and his gait was unsteady.

She continued forward and he followed behind her. Lexi observed the camp as she walked. As expected, every goblin was now awake. Many of them were on their knees, praying to the Fae Mother while others were staring at the night sky with dazed eyes. The few goblins remaining from the group that had attacked her cowered under her sharp gaze, crawling away from her path.

Other than the prison and the one building on the other side of the camp, none of the structures were harmed. Lexi figured this was some other miracle performed by the powerful god who was watching over her. She shivered as the cold, winter chill settled over the camp once more, reminding her that she was still soaked.

As they approached the old goblin’s tent, they found her waiting outside. Her tired eyes focused on them and noted the large, black raven following behind Lexi.

Shaman sighed and motioned for them to enter.

“It seems that we have much to talk about.”

Lexi entered the tent and shuddered with delight as the warm air rushed over her. She shook off the droplets of water clinging to her body and she moved closer to the fire. Shaman shuffled over to her rocking throne and plopped down.

After a long, drawn-out silence, Shaman closed her eyes and clenched her teeth before spitting out her question.

“Please inform me as to why an angry god is smiting my people?”

“It is because we were attacked within the prison by assailants during the night,” she answered. “I prayed for salvation and he delivered us.”

Shaman opened her eyes and stared at Lexi accusingly.

“You called down the wrath of your god on my tribe? Even if their choice was wrong, those goblins who were smitten won’t respawn like those who accepted your god. It was too much to continue smiting them long after they lost the will to fight.”

Lexi shook her head.

“He stopped because I asked him to. Under normal circumstances, I would have waited until all of the attackers were dead, but there will soon be a need for every goblin in this camp.”

“What do you mean?” Shaman asked, her eyes narrowing.

Lexi motioned toward the raven lord who had followed her into the tent and was now perched on a pole near the roof.

“Accursed, clawed menaces and the fallen race…! The company my lady keeps is unbecoming of her illustrious self,” the bird murmured.

“Ahem,” Lexi cleared her throat.

The bird focused its beady eyes on the priestess and the old goblin.

“Greetings, I am Lord Mortimer Perseus Raventon the Dark, loyal servant and familiar to the great Lady Ray.”

Shaman nodded in greeting.

“It is nice to meet you once more, Lord of Ravens. I did not expect to see you again.”

The raven lord cocked his head as he examined Shaman more closely.

“Ah…!“ he sighed, ruffling his feathers uncomfortably. “I did not expect to meet you again either.”

Shaman grimaced.

“It is a bad omen if you have reentered this world. You claim to have come as a familiar to young Ray?”

Lord Mortimer raised his wing.

“I do not merely claim so, for it is a fact that I have come in the aforementioned capacity.”

The old goblin closed her eyes, leaning her head forward into her staff. She seemed to age a decade in a moment as she pondered.

Finally, she opened her eyes, focusing on the ground below as she asked the question that she knew she didn’t want to know the answer to.

“And to what, pray tell, do we owe the pleasure of your visit?”

Lord Mortimer descended from his perch and hovered above the fire, keeping himself aloft through some unknown method. As the smoke curled around his dark feathers, he raised his wings dramatically and declared in the most regal voice that he could muster.

“The adventurers are coming!”

***

Keeping an ear on the ground as Lexi, Mort, and Shaman discussed the impending attack, I thought about the actions I had just taken. My holy power bar was nearly empty now. It had taken almost everything I had stockpiled to channel that localized earthquake and summon a thunderstorm. Once the storm was already present, each lightning bolt only took a small amount of power but summoning the storm itself consumed almost half.

Considering that I had thirty-one followers, that wasn’t too bad. If I had over a million, I could probably summon as many lightning storms as I wanted, assuming that I was willing to forgo other miracles that might cost even more.

I knew that Flynn was going to act in some manner.

I knew that it was possible that some of my followers could die.

However, there was a difference between knowing it was possible and seeing it happen. I taught my followers to be peaceful and to seek harmony. They followed my will, and they were slaughtered.

What was the meaning of harmony then?

Clearly, pacifism was not harmony. While I was busy trying to play god, I nearly forgot some of the lessons that I already learned in my past life. Sometimes, peace could only be won with the sword. Striving too hard to avoid conflict would often result in the peace-seekers receiving violence and persecution.

I looked over the destruction below me, the scorch marks on the ground, the crumbled prison, and the blood mixed with pooling rainwater.

This was the result of avoiding open conflict.

If I wanted to move forward and bring true peace and harmony, then I had to learn from this experience. If I wanted to help the people of either world, then I couldn’t shy away from fighting. I already knew this, but I had forgotten it.

I opened my tenets tab and selected the 'domain' button. Then I adjusted the draft that had been waiting for my final decision - the one that would determine my direction and focus for as long as I ruled on this world.

God of Harmony. God of Freedom.

These were the two domains I had settled on thus far. Selecting the space in front of God of Harmony, I pushed it down to second place.

If I wasn’t going to shy away from conflict, then I needed to embrace and control it. My people would need to fight on my terms. My teachings would reflect it. They would know that sometimes peace could only be obtained through fighting.

Carefully, as if writing the lines of destiny, I typed in the first and final of my three domains.

God of War.

I hit submit before I could second guess my decision and my three domains locked in.

God of War, God of Harmony, God of Freedom.

These three concepts would define me. They would define my religion and my church. These concepts would lie at the center of my teachings and would outline the form and the core of the afterlife that I would design.

Now that I had a direction, followers, and a prophet who was willing to cooperate with me, it was time to move on. It was time to stop ‘playing god’.

It was time to become the real thing.