Penitent

"You heard his voice," said the old priest behind them as he approached quietly at a steady pace. His expression was still stern, but Michael saw that there was a twinkle of some kind in his eyes.

"Yes," said Michael, rubbing his wrists. "Thank you for untying us." He looked around. "What is all of this? Why the traps? Is it to defend the statue?"

"It's to defend the people that live here first, and the statue second." He gestured with his pipe back up to the room he'd first greeted them in. "Follow me, we shall have tea and I will explain things to you."

Michael nodded, taking one more moment to look at the statue of Bruntus before following the diminutive old man up the steps into his small home. Several pillows and a small table had been placed in the center of the room, and warm tea had already been poured into three small bowls for them.

They all took a few moments to drink. It was pleasant, and oddly hearty for tea, with an earthy taste highlighted by just a few delicate floral notes.

"This is very good," said Pyotr as he took a long sip, nearly draining half the bowl.

"I would go easy on it. There is caffeine in this tea."

Michael raised an eyebrow and took a deeper sip. He wasn't used to caffeine in his new body, but he missed it a bit. Or at least he missed the ritual of brewing a cup first thing in the morning to share with Sara.

"Michael, Pyotr, my name is Absalom. This is the hidden village. A place we have successfully maintained for hundreds of years by being certain, deliberate, and focused."

He took a long sip.

"I have a good idea of what your questions will be. I've often thought about how I would explain things here to outsiders. I've even considered how I would explain them to takers. Please allow me to see if my planning has been successful before you ask any questions."

Michael and Pyotr exchanged a glance, then nodded at Absalom.

"The purpose of this village is to maintain the worship of Bruntus. To keep his name alive as best we can, and to preserve what parts of his story we are able to. It is commonly known that the gods have all merged into the divine, a general force made of their combined divine will. I wish that I knew the exact reasons why, but much knowledge has been lost over the years. It is generally understood by us that the gods became the divine to protect us. Specifically to protect us from the erosion between our world and those which are close to us. The Takers and the rifts are a consequence of this erosion, but the root cause is unknown. Their sacrifice of themselves to become the divine is believed to have coincided with the cataclysm, but we have no way of knowing for sure as so much was lost."

Michael swallowed. From what he understood the occurrence of Rifts were increasing, was the erosion speeding up?

"It is also known to us that worship and veneration are the keys to strengthening the gods and thus, the divine. Bruntus had us seeded here before his self was completely consumed by the divine. Our worship and devotion has kept some shred of him independent and alive. It is not enough to last forever though."

He took a breath and had another sip of tea. Michael considered himself a patient man, but it took serious effort not to ask a dozen questions immediately.

"Unfortunately, you are not the only one who has been drawn here. Monsters, great carapaced beasts, horned men, beings of liquid darkness, and even creatures of great silver wings have searched for remnants of the divine. Over a thousand years they have done everything they can to stomp out any remains of shrines, statues, and houses of worship to the divines. This has led to the loss of their names except in the most isolated and protected communities such as ours. We have attempted at times to sneak out an acolyte into the larger world, but people are uninterested in worship of the divine, and those few success stories are soon wiped out. All of this also affects our ability to remember the divine. Their names, their deeds, what they represent. It all become harder to hold in ones mind the more of them is lost. Like trying to clutch water in ones hand."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Michael remembered the shattered shrine by the rift in Tusinia, and the lack of complete and unbroken statues and temples he'd looked for as well as the overall lack of interest in the divine except as a tool that he'd encountered.

"We believe that some kingdoms may be aware of what is happening, and others may know, but simply not care. Our own isolation has made it difficult to ascertain truths in the wider world, and we have been attacked and lost much of ourselves over the years. We have even lost the names of the other gods. We only have knowledge of Bruntus's opposite brother, the lord of joy." He scoffed a bit. "As if there is no joy in duty and perseverance."

~boring~

Michael waited to be sure that Absalom was done.

"If being the divine is helping to prevent the rifts, isn't individual worship of one of them weakening the divine?"

"Yes, but it is the gods' will. I have not been able to ascertain the exact truth from Bruntus, but I believe that the barrier is already so weak that now they believe that they would be better able to protect us as themselves rather than the ever-weakening divine. I believe… that's why you are here."

~pilgrim~godseeker~worshipper~

Michael nodded. "I think you're right." He took a sip of his own tea, not sure if his heartrate was speeding up from the caffeine or the fresh burden he could feel settling on his shoulders. "I'm assuming I'm one of many. There have to be several on this path."

"No. I believe it is only you. At least, so far."

Michael swallowed a bit as the burden on his shoulders grew heavier.

"Are we certain the gods wouldn't want to select someone younger? Someone of this world? Someone who deserves it?"

"If the gods have chosen you, then you are the one who deserves to be chosen."

"Am I supposed to keep doing what I'm doing? Just finding out the remaining three god's names? Devoting my every act to them?"

"If they were unhappy with your path so far, they would have diverted you from it. Once they believe you are meant to change course, they will tell you. You hear their voices even now, do you not?"

Michael inhaled deeply and exhaled with a small smile. "I suppose I'll just have to have faith."

The man's serious expression in front of them cracked into a small smile.

"You say that you only have the names of three gods to learn so far. Who is it that know already, aside from our lord Bruntus?"

"I have met the Goddess of protection, the lady of Iron, Seras. As well as the Lord of Joy, the trickster Nykas."

The old man smiled a bit wider. "I didn't know that I would learn their names in my lifetime. I had already believed that would be a pleasure only enjoyed by my daughters or even their children. Thank you, for bringing them to me."

"I'm glad it could provide you with joy," said Michael, though he was too focused on his own anxiety to really be gladdened by it.

"What happens if the divine fails completely?" asked Michael. "Is it Armageddon? The end of the world?"

"There are gods beyond the divine, gods of tree, gods of scale, those that do not worry themselves about the boundaries between worlds. There are also humans of all kinds beyond us here, in distant lands. No, the world will not end, but there will be death. There will be misery and chaos and disorder as the Humelands and many places beyond it are torn down by whatever hungry being is existing behind each rift. Worlds are durable, they create new status quo's eventually. People though… people will suffer greatly."

The old man nodded and finished his tea, placing the bowl back down gently.

"I know the charge that the divine has laid upon you is great, especially for one like you who is not from this world. You will likely be hated and ridiculed, probably even attacked for what you are and what you will be trying to do. That is not to mention the other powers that will be working against you, those monsters from the rifts that will seek you out and attempt to destroy you."

Pyotr frowned. "This is not much of a pep talk."

Absalom smiled. "I will give you the one most timeless prayer that has been granted to us by our lord of diligence. One which can see a man through any trials or challenge."

Michael looked at him expectantly.

"Whether a path is easy or hard. Whether beasts or friends lie in wait upon it. The journey to the end of that path will always start the same way."

He smiled widely.

"With one step."