Chapter 8-240: A Lesson in Scale (1/2)
It took a second for the audience to realize what was going on, and then smirks broke out all around at the fate of the intruders. The kneeling Cleric was still trying to talk, and nothing was coming out.
Master Fred walked past me, gesturing to the Aruan Templars who were trying to keep smiles off their faces. He bent down, threw two limp armored forms over his shoulders, and grabbed two more by their armor and dragged them after him as if they weighed nothing.
The doors closed softly behind him as the two guards impolitely dragged the last two other Imprusar back out the door. The Priest left behind could only flush whitely.
I turned my eye back on him, and his jaw clamped shut. “Well, it does seem that an uninvited member of the Imprusar has managed to join us. This is an auspicious time. Master Dorrian, please take note of his presence for the remainder of this meeting.”
The half-blooded Shaman inclined his head slightly, his dark eyes cold and unmoved. The Imprusar was very much his opposite number, and they were not friends in the slightest. The Aborigines and Druids were scorning the political structure of the colonial powers, having their own government meetings out in the desert somewhere, and there was precious little that the colonists could do about it.
“Now is the time to be talking about true geopolitics. No, I do not mean politics between nations. I mean politics between Humanity... and The Land.”
I flicked up a Holo of Australia as I remembered it, zoomed in on the area we were in, with the black sphere of the Sydney Shroudzone sitting over yonder.
“A more relevant description might be between The Land and the mites living upon its skin, because that is the relevant size scale we are talking about. Indeed, it seems that the Religions of this place seem to have some difficulty grasping the fact of who and what they work for, and their obligations.” I raked my eyes over them all, coming to rest on Priest Brevington kneeling there. “Let us start with Imprus.” For some reason, he was not reassured by my eyes.
“Imprus is a deity of rulership, empire, civilization, and conquest. His mandate declares that He will rule over all, and His Church is the vehicle of that mandate.
“There is no secular rulership in the eyes of Imprus or His Church. Such things are merely stepping stones to be removed so He can take His proper place of power. Things like Parliaments and elections and politicking are, in the end, mere amusements to be swept away in the end by everyone taking their proper places in service to the Imperial God.”
He wanted to protest this, as everyone there sucked in a breath. Having that Doctrine laid out so bluntly was naturally extremely offensive to many.
“TRUTH.”
The power of the Word blasted across the ears of everyone present, and the Priest there rocked back, stunned and horrified at the power, and the knowledge that I was Absolutely Right; any objection he could offer was less than dust.
“Imprus is not a Human deity.” Eyes widened again at the statement. “Imprus is not the Patron of the Powered. Imprus is The Emperor. He values those who serve Him, and those with greater Talents He appreciates the most. If He could Cast His eye down from Axiom and see me here, He would instantly give me His entire Church upon this world if I would be His High Priestess here.”
The echoes of Truth made that Priest shudder as he stared at me, all his denials sticking in his throat.
“Your Church has twisted the Word of Imprus to serve its growth and the power of its Leaders. Imprus’ goal is to rule ALL; no more, no less. The humanist racism, the pandering to the Powered, the catering to the wealthy and elite... all of these are transient things to Imprus, for in the end, rulership is the goal.
“Oh, the tactics you have used are indeed used by Imprus. He sows discord among His Divine opponents, He is ruthless when He attacks, and to those who defy Him and refuse to bend the knee, He knows little of mercy, weighing only the costs and benefits of leaving his opponents alive. Your message is wrong, your Creed is twisted, but your methods... I cannot say that they are wrong, in the view of the Imperial God.”
He kind of blinked at me, wondering at what I was getting at.
“Unfortunately for you, He is not aware of you, cannot see you to correct your misinterpretations of doctrine, and will not be able to save you when the local situation explodes in your face. Please take note.”
My eyes lifted from him, and turned to Master Dorrian, who also flushed despite himself. “The Motherland of Australia who empowers the Druidic powers and Landbound sworn to Her is not actually a Her, but that will suffice. She is an aspect of the greater World of Terra, a Continent poking out above the great oceans of this globe, atop of which some manner of what we like to call organic mortal life, has managed to grow.
“Some of these tiny little things developed sapience, venerated Her, and by multiversal paradigms put into place, so Druids and Landbound have come about.” I clasped my hands behind my back as I faced the Druidic representative.
“Now, I am not surprised by your inaccurate and self-serving regard for Australia, given She can’t truly hear you, is mostly unaware of what goes on atop Her, and really, individual humans are so small as to be barely perceptible unless She uses the equivalent of a microscope to narrow down Her awareness. Just as the Imprusar can’t Commune with Him and find out they are going off-message, you are unable to Commune with Nature and realize just how small and insignificant you really are.”
The Druidic representative swallowed, and spoke up defiantly, “And what do you know of veneration of the Land? You are a Wizardess!”
I reached out a finger, and tap, tapped.
He convulsed in shock in front of everyone, his eyes nearly popping out as his Matrix shuddered at the Pulse I’d just let out. Every Caster in the room could feel something reverberate in the manafield, but only those with Druidic magic could tell I’d just pulled on it.
At Twenty-Five.