Mark of the Fool

Chapter 545: The Gestation of Divinity

The chancellor paused, tension lining his face. Why?

Can you answer me first? Alex held firm. You didnt tell me that there are other worlds out therefor reasons I agree withso I wouldnt put it past you to outright lie about the possibility of bringing people back from the dead for the same reasons.

A fair assumption to make: someone else might be cross that you would imply that they are a liar, but it is true that I would indeed alter my telling of a truth, if it served the right purposethat said. He gave Alex a stern look. I would rather know your reasoning for asking me this question before I answer. Forgive me, but I have had students ask me such things in the past. The questions were seemingly innocent. The results? Less so.

Well, its because Alex took a deep breath. It was only for a moment. Just brieflybut I summoned Hannah back from the afterworld.

You what? Baelin stared down at Alex, his eyes blazing. Alex, have you been dabbling in the more wretched aspects of necromancy? Is this some misguided play at lichdom in the future?

What? No, no! Alex shook his head. I performed the ritual she left and she just appeared out of the blue along with this sword!

I beg your pardon? Baelin frowned. Let me see this ritual.

Alex passed the chancellor both the book and the translation device, and watched as Baelin combed through the ritual with the eye of a jeweller examining a suspicious gem.

His body was utterly still, almost stone-like, as he examined the ceremony.

Something is wrong. Baelin looked at Alex incredulously. There is no mechanism here for summoninganything, let alone the dead. What did you do?

Well, heres the thing, Baelin. Before I did the ritual, I was praying to Hannah for guidance and I felt the power in me respond to my prayers

The goat beastman took in a sharp breath.

And after that, her spirit appeared to me.

Baelin took a step back, andfor the first timeAlex saw the chancellor look truly astonished. Alexwhat are you telling me?

My theory? The young wizard took a deep breath. Weand by we, I mean the people of Alricare creating a deity. It seems like the Travellers becoming a goddess.

What? the archwizard hissed. Thatthat is very unlikely.

Why? Alex asked.

Faith is a source of power, and faith can be power in and of itself, Baelin said. It can spawn deities with enough belief in a single concept, religion or philosophy, but the amount of faith needed is astronomical! Otherwise, every single tribal totem would spawn a deity! Unless

Baelin frowned. You said that Hannah Kim was your patron saint?

Yes, for all of Alric, Alex said. We pray to her. Almost every town prays to a saint from the past, except for the youngest and smallest villages. Merzhin will probably have a town that prays to him eventually. Anyway, the Traveller was our patron saint.

And has been for centuries, Baelin mused. But that should nottell me more, Alex.

Well, Hannah said that shes been trying to use her power to leave the afterworld for a long time now, the young wizard explained. So her soul still holds her teleportation power. In life, she used both magic and divinity.

Right, and those who wield divinity in life are more likely to develop their ownbut still, the chances are low. hmmm you said that she was attempting to leave the afterworld by way of using her teleportation power?

Thats right, but it hadnt worked up until I called her in Cretalikon with that ritual. Alex tapped the pommel of the sword on his back. She told me that she felt the connection grow stronger recently and that the ritual was like a beacon.

I see. Baelins frown was deepening. His eyes darted left to right as though he was reading unseen texts scrolling through the air. That means that her power served to create a path between this world and the afterworld.

According to her book, her power used to let her travel anywhere. Alex supplied. Or at least anywhere she tried to go to. She went to lots of different worlds, Baelin, and she used it to travel across planes as easily as I step out of my front door. This power does not mess around.

Right, so let us assume it was strong enough to leave some sort of connection between her and the world of the livingbut there must be something more here The chancellor began to pace back and forth, his hands clasped behind his back. Now, you said that your power responded to your prayers to her, correct?

Yeah, and it kinda felt like something was watching me too, Alex said. As a matter of fact, Hannah said she could hear my prayers in the afterworld.

Oh by all the heavens and hells in the universeits a conduit! Baelin exclaimed, his voice carrying over the mountains.

What? What do you mean? the young wizard asked. Waitwait, I think I get it ! Its a pathway! Teleportation magic creates a bridge across space: which forms a connection over the planes or tremendous distances. So her teleportation powersome of its still in the world of the living. He looked up sharply. As a matter of fact, a massive amount of it is right beside Alric!

The Cave of the Traveller, yes! Baelin was nodding, his pacing growing more excited. A nexus of the Travellers power lies just outside the greatest centre of her faith. This would require experimentation, but I can hypothesise that peoples faith in her was likely channelled through the cave, directly across the planes and into her soul. Shes beendirectly absorbing faith for centuries.

Just drinking up all that good stuff and funnelling it right into her soul, Alex murmured, nodding along. And she has a lot of experience managing bits of power that touch her soul.

Yeeeeessss Baelins eyes were shining. But one thing remains unclearwhy did this ritual work now if she had been trying to forge a connection across the world of the living and that of the dead for centuries. It might have been that she amassed enough divine energy to make the journey, but it seems coincidental.

Ithink I can answer that, the young wizard said slowly, running a hand through his hair. When a phenomenon changes, you look at what surrounding variables might have changed in a correlated manner, right?

Of course, it helps generate hypotheses, even if they are later proven incorrect.

Wellafter we found out that Uldar likely knew whats been going on with the dungeon cores, Alex sighed. This is a bit private, but I stopped praying to him. And honestly, my prayers to him had been waning for a while.

As they should, Baelin scoffed. You are growing into quite a Proper Wizard. You are a man with power. Your faith is not something that parasitic deities deserve.

Heat rose in Alexs chest. Id agree with you for certain gods, like Oreca and Uldarbecause theyre bastards

Something deep within Alexsomething that had been nurtured by eighteen years of education from the churchcurdled at speaking of Uldarwith such open disrespect. Another part of him relished it. but I think other deities deserve worship. Like the Traveller: Hannah really went to hell and back for my kingdom, and her power has helped me personally.

...I see. Baelins eyes narrowed. So you mean to say that you stopped praying to Uldar and began praying to her directly?

Yeah and Theresa has too.

And you have a great mass of her power focusingyour faith as it is channeled to her soul, though it resides in the afterworld. Alex, I believe your prayers and faith are helping to feed her on her ascension to divinity. You areeffectivelygestating a new god.

Yeah, I was thinking that too, but it sounds pretty damn stunning when it's said out loud. Anyway, thats why I wanted to know if its possible to bring people back from the dead, properly: I was wondering if this was something unique.

I see Baelin nodded. I apologise for thinking that the question might have been nefarious. But I have been down this path with students before, unfortunately. To answer your question, I will tell you the truth of it: to my knowledge and understanding, it is indeed impossible to bring back individuals from the dead properly. That saidas this conversation has made clearI do not know all possibilities within the universe. And this? This was unforeseen. So, now what will you do?

Hm? What do you mean?

Understand that if you continue channeling your faith into Hannahs soul, she will continue her transformation into divinity. Will you support that? I would warn youno, I will not warn you against it. Ive made no secret of my feelings toward deities and my own biases speak for themselves, so I should not push them upon you, if you are aware of what you are doing. And besides, I personally know of certain demigods that arenot kind, but friendly to me.

Thanks for that, Baelin. And honestly? Im going to see what I can do to help her get out of the afterworld. She deserves it for all she did for me, for Thameland, and if half of the things in that journal of hers is true, for all of that too. Alex rose to his full height. But, now that weve got all that established, let me tell you what she told me.

Alex relayed the conversation with Hannah, telling Baelin about Keldas attempts to get rid of the Fools Mark, about the secret church, and everything else that he remembered.

The chancellors frown seemed to deepen with every word. In a way, its a shame that she did not know the exact location of Keldas lair, nor where this secret arm of the church hides. Perhaps the Heroes might know something of the latter.

I hope so, Alex said. Im going to ask Cedric and the others if they know anything as soon as I see them: Im also going to tell them about Hannah. She deserves for others to know that someone wasand isactually trying to look out for us and that she can hear us.

Perhaps that might create more worshippers for her, Baelin pointed out.

If thats the case? All the better, Alex said. Im not thinking about going around shoving her down peoples throats, but shes done a lot for me. Just like youve done a lot for me, Baelin. I sing your praises, so why wouldnt I sing hers? And if my singing your praises results in more wizards going to Generasi? Great. If my singing her praises results in her growing stronger and people getting divine protection from a goddess, that honestly seems pretty damn cool? Yeah, thats alright too.

As I said, it is your own affair, Baelin said. And speaking of your affairs, investigation must be done into both Keldas lair and this churchbut unfortunately, I likely will not be able to get too involved with this. I owe my cabal members a favour, and that repayment will take up much of my time for a good period in the near future. Which leaves me with little room for activities outside of the expedition and my duties as chancellor. The timing is poor, sadly, but I will enjoy seeing them more. We hardly get together these days, and almost never for anything truly as much fun as that battle in Jaretha.

He sighed wistfully. Treasure this time you have with your friends, Alex, for as you grow older, you will see them less. Cherish what you have now.

Alex wondered how causing an apocalypse was truly fun, but decided not to mention it. Perhaps wisely.

So, while I am occupied, what will you do? Investigate the church? Baelin asked.

No. Alex tapped his chest. Not quite yet. The Traveller granted me more of her power, and judging from her journal, if I learn to master it, Ill be able to teleport like she and Kelda did: completely without spellcraft. Ill also need to power up my staff and learn some new spells to protect myself. Once I get Hannahs power figured out, Ill be able to travel between Thameland, Generasi and anywhere else I need to be in an instant.

A fair plan.

I uh Alex scratched the side of his head. I also need to put more time into my businesses. The trip to Cretalikon was, uh, expensive.

Hah! Baelin laughed. Then you must rebuild your coffers.

Yeah, and besides Alex smirked. McHarris built himself a little castle from abusing his employees. Im going to be a very good boss instead. And with that? Ill build an empire.

You will never let go of that bakers abuse, will you?

Of course not, I plan on rubbing my success in his face one day. Hes gonna know that I beat him at his own game without being shitty, like him.

Spoken like a Proper Wizard.

Or a Proper Baker.

Why not both?

Hehe, I guess theres nothing stopping one from being the other.

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