Unforseen Consequences (4/16)
Apr. 16th, 2007 07:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalThe final chapter!
Complete text here:
Part One
Part Deux
This conundrum you give me, Blessed Maria, is not why I am here, and I am not permitted to linger, Thanatos stated, ignoring Tez’s rant. Evelyn Liriel du Aramis, you have committed violence against one who has received my blessing. Know that in consequence, you will be marked. Thanatos raised her staff once again, and touched it to the Marchioness’ forehead, as the old woman stood stock still in terror. It left a glowing Death’s Head symbol here, which seemed to burn like a hot brand to Maria’s sight. This mark will be visible to all who worship me, and all who serve me. They will look upon it and know you are disfavored by me. No priest will grant the Rites of Final Succor, nor permit you entry into My temples, nor hear any entreaty that you might beg of them. When you attempt to pass from this world to the next, I will not be there to guide you, and you will wander until your final dissipation as a ghost, unseen, and unloved.
“No… no, please! I was only trying to recover my property!” Evelyn cried out, trying to cover the brand with her hands. The mark seemed to burn through her skin, the goddess’ touch beyond any earthly attempt to be hidden. “Alfred, help me!”
“Get away from me!” he shouted. The Death Priest shied away from her, as if fearing Thanato’s curse would spill over to him as well.
I care nothing for earthly concerns. But I protect those who give themselves to me freely, Thanatos said. Farewell, Blessed Maria.
“But… Most Merciful, what about Tez?” she asked.
I do not know. I am blind to him. A puzzle, that. And between one moment and the next, she was gone.
“Yes, what about me you uncaring, supposedly omniscient, metaphor for decay!” Tez still shouted. “Show yourself so I can talk to you face to face!”
“She’s gone, Tez,” Maria told him.
“Gone?! How can she be gone?” he demanded. “She can’t be just gone!!”
“I’m sorry, Tez, but she is.”
All the rage that had filled Tez’s face suddenly dissipated with a near audible whoosh, to be replaced by an uncomprehending blankness. “She can’t be gone,” he repeated softly. “She has to tell me… to tell me why.”
Maria gathered him up in her arms as he began to weep.
* * *
That afternoon Maria found herself reclining on the couch in her manor’s solar, her broken ankle propped up on a down filled pillow. Once her would-be new owner had departed Garvin’s temple, Alfred with her, the old Death Priest had rousted a carriage to transport her and a monosyllabic Tez back to her manor. She had spent the morning and part of the afternoon sleeping on the couch, attended by Garvin, with Tez nowhere to be found, the elf having disappeared upon their return. There were black clouds on the horizon in the mid-afternoon sky, a promise of storms later on.
She pushed herself back on the couch, trying to find a comfortable position to continue with the sketch on the pad in front of her. It was an image of Thanatos as she had appeared in Garvin’s temple, though tan paper and charcoal pencils seemed a poor medium to try and capture her goddess’ image. Poetry might have done it better but she was no poet.
A creak of floorboards by the solar’s door was enough to make her raise her head, to find Tez cautiously poking his head into the room. “Hello, Maria,” he said cautiously. He was dressed properly for once, in the tunic, pants and sandals that she had bought for him some weeks ago. Which was less disconcerting for her than the disturbing and uncharacteristic diffidence that he was showing now.
“Hello, Tez,” she answered, putting her pad and pencils down on the floor. “How are you?”
“Well enough,” he replied. “I… I just wanted to ask you, what should be done with du Aramis’ Beast-Kin we’ve got down in the cell?”
“Oh, Most Merciful, I’d forgotten he was there! We should let him go, to return to his mistress I suppose. Or… maybe not. Should we try emancipate him, do you think?”
“Your choice,” Tez said. “In my opinion that one would not… do very well, I think, on his own. That and it’s a legal fight we don’t need right now.”
“True,” she agreed reluctantly, “though perhaps we can take him in on the basis of abandonment.”
“Yes, that might be a possibility. Sinod told me that the Marchioness’ carriage was seen already going down the road, though the Most Merciful Alfred chose to follow on a separate horse, at a considerable distance.”
She smiled slightly. “I’m not surprised. Well, at least that takes care of her case against my Master’s will. No priest of Thanatos will have anything to do with the matter now, no matter how powerful they are.”
“Indeed.” Unbidden, he lay on the edge of the couch beside her. With a bit of wriggling he managed to curl up beside her, head resting on her shoulder. “I don’t understand what’s going on,” he said softly. “I’m not… used to that.”
She stroked his long brown hair gently. “Tez, I’m so sorry. I don’t understand why she didn’t see you.”
“It’s not that she didn’t see me,” he replied, snuggling closer to her. “It’s that… did my mates, my children, all think so little of me, that they chose not to speak my name to her, to say nothing of my plight to her, as they passed from the world?”
“If you’re asking for answers, Tez, you’re talking to the wrong person. I’m only eighteen. You’re much wiser than I can ever hope to me.”
“I’ve never been accused of being wise. Well, I have on occasion, but I’ve always denied it. What experience I have, alternatively, is of no use.”
“Well, this might explain why you’ve never actually met a god,” she said. “If you’re invisible to one, might you not be invisible to all of them? No, wait, that doesn’t work. You’ve gotten holy healing before, certainly.”
Tez shook his head. “That’s a matter of a priest using the gifts granted to him by his god. It’s not quite divine intervention. More like a divine long term favor. No, the answer is something different. But at least I have a clue. The first clue I’ve received in three hundred and fifty thousand years of wandering through this world. I just have to find others, and perhaps, in the end, finally get the answer I’ve been seeking.”
“Which is?” she asked
“Why am I here?”
She smiled. “Isn’t that everyone’s question?”
He nodded. “Truth. Though in my case they owe me an answer. Someone does.”
“I think you’re right.” She held him closer. “Rest assured, when the Most Merciful comes for me, I will be shouting your name to her.”
“Thank you, though I hope the day does not come soon.”
“No sooner than my goddess demands.”
The End
Complete text here:
Part One
Part Deux
This conundrum you give me, Blessed Maria, is not why I am here, and I am not permitted to linger, Thanatos stated, ignoring Tez’s rant. Evelyn Liriel du Aramis, you have committed violence against one who has received my blessing. Know that in consequence, you will be marked. Thanatos raised her staff once again, and touched it to the Marchioness’ forehead, as the old woman stood stock still in terror. It left a glowing Death’s Head symbol here, which seemed to burn like a hot brand to Maria’s sight. This mark will be visible to all who worship me, and all who serve me. They will look upon it and know you are disfavored by me. No priest will grant the Rites of Final Succor, nor permit you entry into My temples, nor hear any entreaty that you might beg of them. When you attempt to pass from this world to the next, I will not be there to guide you, and you will wander until your final dissipation as a ghost, unseen, and unloved.
“No… no, please! I was only trying to recover my property!” Evelyn cried out, trying to cover the brand with her hands. The mark seemed to burn through her skin, the goddess’ touch beyond any earthly attempt to be hidden. “Alfred, help me!”
“Get away from me!” he shouted. The Death Priest shied away from her, as if fearing Thanato’s curse would spill over to him as well.
I care nothing for earthly concerns. But I protect those who give themselves to me freely, Thanatos said. Farewell, Blessed Maria.
“But… Most Merciful, what about Tez?” she asked.
I do not know. I am blind to him. A puzzle, that. And between one moment and the next, she was gone.
“Yes, what about me you uncaring, supposedly omniscient, metaphor for decay!” Tez still shouted. “Show yourself so I can talk to you face to face!”
“She’s gone, Tez,” Maria told him.
“Gone?! How can she be gone?” he demanded. “She can’t be just gone!!”
“I’m sorry, Tez, but she is.”
All the rage that had filled Tez’s face suddenly dissipated with a near audible whoosh, to be replaced by an uncomprehending blankness. “She can’t be gone,” he repeated softly. “She has to tell me… to tell me why.”
Maria gathered him up in her arms as he began to weep.
* * *
That afternoon Maria found herself reclining on the couch in her manor’s solar, her broken ankle propped up on a down filled pillow. Once her would-be new owner had departed Garvin’s temple, Alfred with her, the old Death Priest had rousted a carriage to transport her and a monosyllabic Tez back to her manor. She had spent the morning and part of the afternoon sleeping on the couch, attended by Garvin, with Tez nowhere to be found, the elf having disappeared upon their return. There were black clouds on the horizon in the mid-afternoon sky, a promise of storms later on.
She pushed herself back on the couch, trying to find a comfortable position to continue with the sketch on the pad in front of her. It was an image of Thanatos as she had appeared in Garvin’s temple, though tan paper and charcoal pencils seemed a poor medium to try and capture her goddess’ image. Poetry might have done it better but she was no poet.
A creak of floorboards by the solar’s door was enough to make her raise her head, to find Tez cautiously poking his head into the room. “Hello, Maria,” he said cautiously. He was dressed properly for once, in the tunic, pants and sandals that she had bought for him some weeks ago. Which was less disconcerting for her than the disturbing and uncharacteristic diffidence that he was showing now.
“Hello, Tez,” she answered, putting her pad and pencils down on the floor. “How are you?”
“Well enough,” he replied. “I… I just wanted to ask you, what should be done with du Aramis’ Beast-Kin we’ve got down in the cell?”
“Oh, Most Merciful, I’d forgotten he was there! We should let him go, to return to his mistress I suppose. Or… maybe not. Should we try emancipate him, do you think?”
“Your choice,” Tez said. “In my opinion that one would not… do very well, I think, on his own. That and it’s a legal fight we don’t need right now.”
“True,” she agreed reluctantly, “though perhaps we can take him in on the basis of abandonment.”
“Yes, that might be a possibility. Sinod told me that the Marchioness’ carriage was seen already going down the road, though the Most Merciful Alfred chose to follow on a separate horse, at a considerable distance.”
She smiled slightly. “I’m not surprised. Well, at least that takes care of her case against my Master’s will. No priest of Thanatos will have anything to do with the matter now, no matter how powerful they are.”
“Indeed.” Unbidden, he lay on the edge of the couch beside her. With a bit of wriggling he managed to curl up beside her, head resting on her shoulder. “I don’t understand what’s going on,” he said softly. “I’m not… used to that.”
She stroked his long brown hair gently. “Tez, I’m so sorry. I don’t understand why she didn’t see you.”
“It’s not that she didn’t see me,” he replied, snuggling closer to her. “It’s that… did my mates, my children, all think so little of me, that they chose not to speak my name to her, to say nothing of my plight to her, as they passed from the world?”
“If you’re asking for answers, Tez, you’re talking to the wrong person. I’m only eighteen. You’re much wiser than I can ever hope to me.”
“I’ve never been accused of being wise. Well, I have on occasion, but I’ve always denied it. What experience I have, alternatively, is of no use.”
“Well, this might explain why you’ve never actually met a god,” she said. “If you’re invisible to one, might you not be invisible to all of them? No, wait, that doesn’t work. You’ve gotten holy healing before, certainly.”
Tez shook his head. “That’s a matter of a priest using the gifts granted to him by his god. It’s not quite divine intervention. More like a divine long term favor. No, the answer is something different. But at least I have a clue. The first clue I’ve received in three hundred and fifty thousand years of wandering through this world. I just have to find others, and perhaps, in the end, finally get the answer I’ve been seeking.”
“Which is?” she asked
“Why am I here?”
She smiled. “Isn’t that everyone’s question?”
He nodded. “Truth. Though in my case they owe me an answer. Someone does.”
“I think you’re right.” She held him closer. “Rest assured, when the Most Merciful comes for me, I will be shouting your name to her.”
“Thank you, though I hope the day does not come soon.”
“No sooner than my goddess demands.”
The End
