Chapter 106: A Matter of Passion

In a single instant, Jeanne's surroundings had changed completely. She was no longer beneath the cathedral's ruined dome, but on a small hill outside Galen, from which she could see the city burning.

It did not take her long to realize that the uniformed figures with sky-blue hair and magenta eyes surrounding her had saved them from certain death.

"Carthos… Rovena… and the Lich King, Kayrus…" Jeanne curled her free hand into a fist and clenched it tightly.

Looking around, she realized Farbound hadn't been the only party extracted from the city. Not far away lay Edran, Bastor, and Yvene, the unconscious members of Hope's Compass.

"Are you… Ilyra's friends? Why are you here? Why did you save us? So many questions…" Jeanne finally relaxed her hands, including the one that had been gripping the hilt of her sword for quite some time. After sheathing the sword, she turned toward the figures surrounding her.

One of them, a woman whose mask and uniform were more ornate than the others', slowly approached her. She appeared to be the captain of that mysterious visiare squad.

"Who we are is irrelevant. The only thing you need to know is that we have a message for you from our lord."

Jeanne tilted her head, intrigued.

"Your lord? The only important person I know who's still alive, at least, is the baron of Tirelia…" Jeanne struck the side of her fist against her open palm as realization dawned. "Now that I think about it, Ilyra has called Nerez her lord before… That wasn't a joke?!"

The masked figure gave a faint smile. Apparently, she had intended all along to let Jeanne know who had saved them.

"Our lord's message is as follows: Even though this is a fantasy world, I wouldn't advise throwing yourself headfirst into the jaws of danger without thinking. Death is only a state, it's true, but there are things worse than it."

"A fantasy world?!" Jeanne felt as though she had been hit by a truck. Why would someone from Eryndea talk about a fantasy world? "What… what does Nerez mean by that?!"

"Lowly beings like us could never hope to comprehend the depths of our lord's mind." The masked figure began walking away with the rest of her group. "But even if you don't understand them now, those words were meant especially for you. Treasure them for the rest of your life."

"For the rest of my life?!"

The masked figure who seemed to be their captain did not answer. She simply smiled, and a moment later, she and all the visiare disappeared.

"Death is only a state… lord of the visiare… a fantasy world…" Jeanne closed her eyes for a few moments, then suddenly opened them and raised both hands toward the sky. "Nerez, you've left me with so many questions! You'd better explain yourself the next time I see you!"

***

"And it was at that very moment that Nereziel blessed me with his presence! He saved me from the nightmare and showed me the path toward eternal peace! Toward an appreciation for life born from respect for death!"

Halfway between two neighboring towns, a preacher with neatly combed hair and small round spectacles perched on the bridge of his perfectly straight nose was delivering a sermon to a sizable crowd.

Recent events in Phatar had contributed greatly to their interest in hearing the man dressed as a priest.

"That's all well and good… but I don't remember ever visiting this guy," Nerez remarked from within the crowd, one hand on his chin.

Of course, amid all the cheers and applause, only his two companions could hear him.

"My lord, I'm sure he's lying to take advantage of people's fear," Ily replied beside him, raising one finger. "As I informed you a few days ago, the Church of the Sun was overthrown. People are desperate to find a new roof to shelter under. And what better one than the winning side's?"

"What he's saying is fine, but claiming Nerez paid him a personal visit is disrespectful," Cerys added, crossing her arms. "I say we teach this mortal some manners."

"I agree with Cerys. Who does that priest think he is?" Ily added, puffing out her cheeks. "He hasn't even come to visit me in my room at night yet!"

"Why would I visit you when you and Cerys sneak into my room every chance you get? If you ask me, that's what's really disrespectful…" Nerez let out a sigh, but then his golden gaze wandered across the crowd still applauding the preacher. "Though I agree we should talk to him after this."

***

They had to wait quite a while, but as the last light of sunset faded, the crowd gathered around the preacher finally began to disperse. No one wanted to spend the night out on the road after all.

The preacher packed the folding stool he had used for his sermon into a small travel case. He did not pick it up, however. Instead, he left it beside the road, rose to his feet, and turned toward Nerez's group, who had been watching him in silence.

"My apologies for keeping you waiting, my lost lambs. I couldn't help noticing how intently you watched me throughout my entire presentation," the man said with a practiced smile. "Please, tell me, how may your humble servant Octifer be of assistance?"

"I'm not a lamb!" Cerys protested. "If anyone here is a lamb, it's Ily, with those long white ears that only get in the way in a fight."

"They are respectable visiare ears, and they don't get in the way at all!" Ily protested in turn.

"Visiare?" Octifer repeated, adjusting his spectacles.

"You two…" Nerez pressed his fingers to his temple. "Anyway… Octifer, or whatever, I wanted to ask. Your words weren't the only thing captivating the crowd, were they?"

"Oh, I see you have a keen eye. Indeed," the preacher replied. "In addition to the pure truth, I make use of a certain charm that helps me spread my message."

"The truth?!" Cerys exclaimed angrily.

"You call that the truth? Claiming Nereziel visits you personally and entrusts you with his plans to save the people of Eryndea?" Ily challenged him, equally irritated.

"I may indulge in a few exaggerations, but it is true that Nereziel dwells in the deepest reaches of my thoughts," Octifer affirmed with a smile. "So, in a sense, he is always with me."

"Cerys, I'm going first!"

"Huh? O-okay?"

Even Cerys was taken aback by Ily's sudden fervor as the visiare stepped in front of the priest and pointed a finger at him.

"There are plenty of things you can do, but thinking of Lord Nereziel so intimately isn't one of them! Who do you think you are, mortal?!"

You're a mortal too… and I'm sure that wasn't what this preacher meant, but if there's anyone who does that all the time, and takes it much further, it's you…

"Oh? I see your passion rivals my own."

I think comparing a preacher's passion to hers would be disrespectful…

The preacher opened his robes, revealing four swords strapped to his belt.

"To tell the truth, I don't know what to make of two followers of Nereziel fighting each other… Nevertheless, I will defend my right to love my savior with all my heart," Octifer declared with a lopsided smile.

"Don't say love! And especially not in that velvety voice!" Ily exclaimed, readying her bow. She never drew the string, however. Instead, she immediately pulled the weapon apart at the center, turning it into two swords. "Just so you know, my lord likes girls…! He just hasn't shown it yet!"

Once again, Ily, I think you're getting things mixed up… and don't take your insecurities out on other people…

"En garde!" Ily shouted, lunging toward Octifer.

Still smiling, the preacher drew two of his four swords and moved to intercept the visiare.

!!

But the moment she was directly in front of him, she vanished from his sight.

Clank! Clank!

Two metallic clashes rang out at once. Ily had reappeared behind Octifer and slashed at him with both swords simultaneously, but both strikes were blocked by two of the preacher's swords.

Not by the swords he was holding, but by the other two, now levitating behind him.

Ily sprang backward just as Octifer released the two swords in his hands. Now all four floated around him.

"Octifer…" Ily murmured, tightening her grip on her swords. "It's not a name that comes up very often, so I'd forgotten it… embarrassing as that is, given my position. You're one of the ten vampire progenitors of Phatar!"

"That is correct! The tenth and youngest of them, to be exact!" Octifer burst into laughter. "But I'm surprised. I was using my charm so my name wouldn't ring any bells… I don't know what position you're talking about, but you deserve a pat on the back for recognizing me. As expected of a visiare! Though I still don't know how I managed to anger one… All I've done is express my unwavering loyalty to our lord…"

"Unwavering loyalty, charm, those looks and fashionable glasses, and on top of that he's close to the twins, which gives him a setting with Lord Nereziel…" Ily closed her eyes, trembling. "I have to finish him off before it's too late!"

Something tells me she's really starting to think I like men…

***

Legends say that a floating island drifts peacefully among the clouds that blanket Eryndea's skies.

This is no ordinary island, but the bastion of the Zenith Faction, home of Helux, god of the sun, and his wife Zildia, goddess of the sky. It is where they retreat when they want some distance from the politics and intrigues of the other Empyreans.

But with particular emphasis on "the others," since that is precisely where they plan intrigues of their own.

"Is it just me, or is the wind rather strong today?"

A beautiful woman had stepped out onto one of the balconies of the impressive palace crowning the island. Her hair was sky-blue, similar in shade to that of the visiare, though hers was adorned with flowing white locks. Her eyes, however, were not magenta, but so clear they seemed almost transparent.

"That's Vesca's doing. She came back not long ago," replied an attractive young man with fiery hair and eyes that reflected the sky as he turned to greet her.

Yet, in a sort of metaphor, the one reflected in them at that moment was the goddess of that domain herself.

"Vesca? She's one of the goddesses under me. She should be greeting me first… But then again, I was the one who offered her to you as one of your concubines, so I can't exactly complain now. What news did she bring this time?"

"Very interesting news about the god of death," Helux replied, grinning from ear to ear.

"Nereziel? Are you still hung up on the whole Selene thing? Every century, it's the same… I remember we agreed that we should focus on Lirien first. When it comes to the three absolute gods, Aion… well, no one really knows what he's thinking, while Nereziel is heavily fortified in the Underworld."

Helux walked over to his main wife with his arms spread theatrically wide.

"I was only investigating the unrest in my territory!" the god of the sun exclaimed, placing his hands on Zildia's shoulders. "We suffered a serious blow after all!"

"A serious blow? Then why are you grinning like a clown?"

"Like a clown…" Helux repeated, taking a few steps back, looking somewhat hurt. "Sometimes I wonder why you married me."

"For power and influence, obviously. Well? Are you going to explain what you're talking about already?"

"…Ahem… Nereziel isn't in the Underworld right now!"

Zildia crossed her arms in disbelief.

"He's not? And what caused this disruption to the natural order of the universe?"

"The natural order of the universe… As far as I know, he at least attended his apostle's birthdays… Anyway, everything points to him being connected to the uprising of the undead in Phatar."

"I told you that reducing the worship of death in our territories would eventually cause us problems with the undead… But if what you're saying is true, that's concerning." Zildia turned her gaze toward the clouds drifting peacefully below the island. "It means the reclusive god has decided to start acting against us. And we cannot underestimate one of the three absolute gods."

"On the contrary, my dear wife," Helux countered, embracing Zildia from behind. "This is our opportunity."

"Opportunity? Are you planning to take advantage of his absence and besiege the Underworld?"

Helux leaned close to the goddess of the sky and whispered into her ear.

"I have a better idea."