Chapter 302 - Faith (1/2)

”Hadrien Lightborn is the greatest man to have ever walked this land. A mighty warrior championing the divine armor of the sun itself whose strength was matched only by a faith in the Light that was second to none,” said Mason. He said this more to himself than anyone else.

”And at his deathbed, a foul Beaumont rogue's dagger in his neck and poison coursing through his vein, Helius himself brought down a pillar of light to carry him to Valhul.”

”Hm,” said Asala, a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt forming into the beginnings of a smile around her black lips. ”Indeed, the pillar of light part doth be correct. A pillar of divine judgement as it were, smiting Hadrien's boundless cruelty from this world and taking back treasures tainted by his ambition.”

With some level of amus.e.m.e.nt as well, Li heard that and wondered how awful this Hadrien Lightborn must have been for Helius, the chronically depressed sun god who seemed to care little about almost anything, to actively smite the human down.

”But the Light-,” said Mason. His fingers clutched around his sun necklace. ”It is undeniable that the Light has done good. Where it shines through the south, there is only but peace and prosperity. The famines and wars of the past before the duchess and her new light are gone.

I myself may not be a thorough believer in the light – I do not go to the temple every week nor do I dip my hands in the sunwells to repent of my faults – but I know that all around me, people believe in the Light, and they must do so because of a reason.”

”Thou art far more open minded than much of thy kind,” said Asala. ”Thou believes in the Light for the good it hath wrought, and thus, thou hast no conflict with the faith that the Seer espouses, for it too, in thy eyes, has nurtured good.”

”That is right,” said Mason. ”I know it is naïve, but I know that if something creates good, then it must be good at its heart.”

”A reasonable assumption, that is,” said Asala. She stopped writing on her tablet, putting it by her side now and fully engaging in the conversation.

Li did not intervene as Asala basically geared up to completely break down Mason's world views. Views that had been built up for a lifetime. But then again, Mason's lifetime was what, twenty years? If that? It was better for him to see the truth now rather than later.

”Scholar that I am, I hath read some of the doctrines of the Light and the views that they claim hold true of the north,” said Asala. ”Tell me, Mason, what doth the priests of the Light say of the north in terms of faith? How many gods doth the north believe in?”

”Countless,” said Mason. ”Spirits and minor gods for the littlest of things. A god of doors, even. That is why the faith is spread so thin across the north, preventing divine magic from manifesting.”

”But…I have god magic,” said Sheela as she c.o.c.ked her head in genuine confusion.

”Heretical magic as it were in the Light's eyes,” said Asala. ”But aye, let us take thy magic into account. Magic that calls upon the Old Panther of the Hunt, aspect of the Nightborn, one of the three great gods.

Then there art the Whitefur Lupi that doth worship the Cold Flame, one of six aspects of the Six Armed bull, another of the great gods.

But let us not exclude the sun. There art the Harpi of the northern skyspires that reach so close to the sun that give service to the Phoenix, aspect of the Great Sun that doth encompass that which is known as the Light.

Beyond even aspects of the three great gods, then there art countless more, tis' true. Worship of the forest spirits before their fall.

Worship of the river elementals, elementals of all kinds fire, wind, earth, and so on, spirits not merely forests but also mountains and plains and jungles, spirits old that hath gained much power, high dragons, and so on and so forth.”

”What does all of this have to do with the Light?” asked Mason, his brows creased.

”So many faiths across so many peoples, and yet, doth thee not wonder why there art only but the Light in the South? Whenst there were seven whole disparate kingdoms?”

”It is because the Light united man in the era of the First Light and continues to do so now,” said Mason. ”If there is one thing that distinguishes us from all others that tread this world, it is that.”

”Doth thee not wonder why even among thy vicinity there art priests of what they say art the 'old ways' practicing Druidry?” Asala flitted her tongue out, sensing Mason beginning to think more. She struck to the point.