Sylia, the Dark & Light Saint

November, Two years ago

(Tasha)

Before we return to the devious scheme orchestrated by Grenar Krevoski, let us pause a moment to better explore his family and the circumstances surrounding Sylia's trap.

Officially, it had all begun over fifteen years ago, when Grenar—then a soldier in the service of the Grayn Region's Lord—discovered, alongside several of his relatives, a baby cradled in her mother's arms deep in the Grayn Mountains.

That baby was Masha. It was Grenar's son, Grenek, who had first taken the child into his arms. Both Grenar and his son had promised the dying woman that the child would be kept safe.

But the story didn't end there.

As soon as the pact was spoken, the woman's body had crumpled, as though she had burned through the last of her Magic. Grenar and the others buried the bodies they found nearby—her companions, most likely. Three of them belonged to children. Two boys and one girl, all around eight years old.

That was when things became unclear. Masha's body began to decay rapidly, for no discernible reason. The air thickened, charged with Dark Magic. Crows cried in the distance. Then, several Shadowy Creatures appeared.

Among them stood a figure resembling a dark-haired woman, one Grenek dropped to his knees before without hesitation. That figure, later forgotten by Grenar due to the pacts he had made, was none other than the Queen of the Nights.

Masha's Soul was soon after transferred into the body of another child. Sylia.

At least, that was the version of the story that had been repeated for years. The truth was different.

No one truly remembered what had happened. Great forces had conspired to blur those events, to obscure the reality of that time. Grenar, however, knew the truth. It had not happened fifteen years ago but over seventeen years ago.

Still, he had helped craft the revised version of events for the sake of his Second Wife.

That marriage had been one of convenience. His Second Wife, Tasha Bimal, was in fact the First Wife of his son, Dyren.

Something terrible had taken place in those early years. Whatever it was, it led to the concealment of that entire period.

Over that decade, conflict had spread throughout the country. The Grayn Region—known for its semi-independent status and its connection to the Dark Element and the Queen of the Night—had been merged into one of the nation's poorest and most tightly controlled Provinces, Irdalenvi.

Following the Queen of the Night's fall, the Enclaves and lands belonging to her Flock had begun to destabilize. Some even disappeared entirely. And the residents of those territories who remained behind vanished without a trace.

Many fled to bordering Provinces and neighboring Kingdoms.

However, those who fled to the small Kingdoms of Tarser and Kwendal had been less than inspired in their choice. Both Nations were tied to Fallen Gods, and as their divine patrons weakened, the Kingdoms began to shrink and both almost collapsed entirely.

The Gods had shown mercy where they could, assisting in the relocation of many residents. Not all, however, were granted that chance. Those deemed too corrupt or lacking in faith were abandoned. Many of the Queen of the Night's followers were among them—left behind to be swallowed by the Abyss, as had already happened to several of her Celestials and offspring.

Fear quickly spread across the Dark Empire, whose loyalty to the Queen of the Night had never wavered. Their Empress, after all, was believed to be her creation. Whispers of impending ruin circulated among the people.

In response, the Guardians of the Dark Lord's Crow issued a formal proclamation. The Empire, they reminded all, had existed long before the Queen of the Night had ever risen. She was a falsely elevated deity never fully acknowledged by the true Gods. The Empress, they affirmed, had not been shaped by that Queen, but by the one who came before her. Her existence was secure.

And so the story brings us to nearly two years before the beginning of our tale.

***

Masha had just turned fifteen, but her age had once again been regressed to eleven. Saint Sylia and her Guardians had judged that she still lacked the maturity to reclaim her body.

Tasha Bimal was growing increasingly irritated. The girl showed no signs of growth whatsoever, and their apartment had once again been downgraded—this time to the sixth floor, which meant they had to climb all the way up. Sylia had installed a Mana Lift but it was reserved for favored guests and emergencies. A few of the children had received bracelets to activate it, but whenever Tasha tried to ride with them, she was blocked. That little pest had likely cast a restriction spell on it.

These days, Tasha relied more and more on the children to run errands. She was turning thirty-four that year and no longer had the energy. She seldom worked. Her husband was responsible for making a living. They received alimony and some assistance from several of his sons. He was seventy-one and should have retired long ago, but the debts never stopped piling up. Tasha blamed Dyetro, who had gotten involved in some new shady scheme. The man was relentless.

Her daughter, Magali, was about to turn fifteen. She had recently entered into a Youth Marriage with Yalanvar Haderimo. The young couple had moved into a smaller apartment next door, tastefully arranged, having been constructed by one of Sylia's Summons. That part of the building had stone foundations, not just wood, and was built along the side that looked as though another building had been fused into theirs—perhaps it had. Some of the land had been stretched and reshaped by Divine Power, after a prayer by Sylia the Saint.

Tasha had been against the marriage and still hoped to break it. Yalanvar came from the Outer Outskirts of the Slums which were technically not part of the Slums. He hadn't needed to live there at all. They had done so only for lack of funds, like many others. Soon, however, they planned to move in with Sylvia, Magali's cousin, who was expected to become Yalanvar's Second Wife.

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Sylvia was the daughter of a Gentlewoman from the Lower Commoner Quarters. Officially, she was Magali's niece, as Magali had been adopted by her grandfather, Grenar. Sylvia's father, Grenek Krevoski-Sigmund, served as a Gate Guard and occasional soldier when conflict flared. Like many of his siblings, he had long since left the regular army.

Tasha eyed her pregnant daughter with scorn. Magali had certainly made a mess of things. The marriage had been arranged by her natural father's maternal relatives to give her a way out of the Slums. However, the girl had loftier ambitions and different tastes.

Rather than stay with the fifteen-year-old Yalanvar, she had set her sights on his older brother, Unagi Kadrimo, who was about to begin work in a new shop closer to the Gentry Districts. Magali had pursued him with fervor, particularly after learning that Sylvia was likely to become Yalanvar's First Wife and therefore the Legal Wife under Commoner Law.

Now, Magali was pregnant. Abandoned. Her dreams shattered.

Kadrimo's maternal family had refused to recognize the child. Instead, they had passed the blame to his younger half-brother, and forced responsibility onto him. It wasn't difficult to understand why. Magali's natural father had a disreputable history, and some families like the Kadrimo knew exactly where she came from.

The names Krevoski and Bimal were steeped in scandal and ruin. They were names of families so disgraced they had been brought to the brink of enslavement, ruined not just by earthly authorities but by the Gods themselves. In one of the forgotten dialects, Krevoski quite literally meant "Die, dog."

A fitting name bestowed, it was said, by a Saint who had cursed them long ago, with the benediction of his Gods.

Magali stirred the pot while that oddly shrunken version of Sylia busied herself with preparing a meal. Yalanvar sat at the nearby table, looking entirely at home as if he owned the place. Tasha shot him a glare before turning to her daughter.

"Where is Sylia? Did she shrink Masha again? Grenar and Grenek won't be pleased."

Magali shrugged. "I'm not sure Grenek would be that displeased. That's Gnome Sylia. Masha's been put into a dummy body again and locked in that dark magical closet we're not supposed to go near."

Dubious, Tasha let out a sigh and dropped into a seat. She looked toward the trembling girl cowering in the corner and ordered. "Bring me some Herbs and Weeds Tea."

Tea was expensive in the Country and was accessible only to the Gentry and Nobility. Most Commoners made do with Herbs and Weeds Tea, or just plain Weeds Tea. The girl, Greeta Bimvarin, had been taken in as an apprentice at the request of her maternal relatives, a family once under the protection of the Bimal line. They were primarily Mage-Shifters, with a scattering of herbalists and potion brewers among them. Greeta herself was a Mage-Shifter with minor skills in herbcraft and potion brewing. She had recently begun working in one of the greenhouses Saint Sylia had established throughout the Slums and surrounding Districts to cultivate various herbs and plants. Even some rare fruits and vegetables.

Those greenhouses had been granted God Blessing by Greenfieldia, the new Nature and Fertility Goddess who had replaced the fallen deity of the same Designation, though known by another name.

Greeta glanced at the shrunken Sylia for confirmation, then quickly carried out the task once approval was given by the Saint's servant. Gnome Sylia smiled at her with satisfaction.

Tasha was displeased. Sylia had once again usurped control of her underlings. It was becoming intolerable. Still, at least Greeta brought her tea and sweets. The girl even served her some strange-looking sandwiches and snacks.

Yalanvar, who had been given a similar plate along with black tea, smiled at Tasha. She shrugged in response. She hated the smug bastard. He was probably sleeping with Sylia now. They always grew smug when they were. That was, until they learned the truth and then came the despair. That's when they started to crumble. She had no sympathy for any of them.

Tasha glanced again at the young Sylia with open hatred. Magali caught the look and said quietly, "Mother, that's Gnome Sylia. Don't even bother."

Tasha blinked, recognizing it now—the Spiritus-controlled body that served Sylia. Loyal and oddly powerful, it was operated by a Spiritus of notable strength. They called it Gnome Sylia, a name the Saint herself had given it. That thing was a Darkling Earth Wielder and a strong one at that.

(Gnome Sylia)

Tasha offered a knowing smile. "I see you have black tea today, Yalanvar. Was it Sylia's doing?"

Yalanvar returned the smile. "It was. Sylia brought us some, along with other items, to celebrate our upcoming marriage with Sylvia. She's sponsoring the wedding."

Tasha's smile vanished. She turned to Magali, who had gone pale.

Yalanvar continued, unfazed. "We're moving into a house in Brondak, the new District in the City's South East Sector. We'll still keep the other house, but that one is bigger, since we'll be sharing it with several of my siblings. I'll be working part-time in Brondak, at least for the next five years. That should give me enough time to decide what I want to do next.

He leaned back, satisfied. "The house in Brondak will be held mostly by Sylvia and her brother Kezran who will be living just next door. Sylia arranged all of it. I heard she's even made temporary peace with Sylvia's father for the sake of his children. All negotiations went through Kezran and Sylvia's maternal family. Sylia's been in contact with their mother for a while. I must admit, they fooled me a bit. Tasha, you misled me."

Tasha's expression soured. "What are you trying to say?"

"You know exactly what I mean." He replied. "Sylia's nothing like how you described her."

Tasha glanced nervously at Gnome Sylia but the creature just kept stirring the pot with cheerful abandon.

Magali, however, had begun to panic. That creature was known to hum cheerful tunes even while torturing people.

Tasha snapped at the girl by the wall. "You! Bring my usual snack—the one your godfather sent. Don't tell me you ate it. I don't want this strange food. I want what comes from the wealthy districts."

Yalanvar looked surprised and turned to the trembling young woman.

Gnome Sylia looked up from her pot and said quietly, "That's not Greeta. That's Greetsia. I prayed to the Gods and used Greeta's blood along with a blessed flower to create her. She's currently bonded to a Green Wolf Spiritus who is trembling right now, trying to hold back from devouring you and the Spiritus attached to you. He already got Grenar's Spiritus earlier, with help from some of his Spirit cousins."

Tasha began to shake. Both Magali and Yalanvar stared in shock.

Tasha croaked, "What?"

Gnome Sylia sighed. "Did you think so little of me and of my Patron Spiritus? We come from the Pure Primary Darkling Element, the source of most things. Don't confuse us with the Secondus Darkling Element Users. I dismissed Greeta and sent her home to her parents. Greetsia will be assisting while Magali is pregnant."

Magali glanced at her mother, visibly concerned. Yalanvar now looked anything but reassured.

Smiling, Gnome Sylia added. "I gave her the snacks you love so much. Her godfather said I could after I killed him and stuck him into a new flower-and-herb parcel I made nearby. You can go there and say your prayers to his God. My Guardians likely pinned him there too."

Tasha gave a nervous smile. She knew she was doomed.

Gnome Sylia turned serious. "Tasha, you should relearn how to take care of yourself and stop relying on that Goddess of yours. Also, those particular snacks? You'd do well to avoid them. Eat the ones we gave you. A God sent them to help purge what you've absorbed. You know what I mean. Eat quickly, before I let those Wolf Spirits loose."

Tasha nodded and ate hurriedly but it was too late. Spirits only she could see swarmed her. She collapsed, as her Protection Spiritus and a part of herself were devoured.

Her eyes went vacant. Magali rushed forward, but a hand stopped her. A transparent Celestial Spirit appeared and revived Tasha. Then, two Bunny Spirits placed her gently back on her chair and cast a spell. One of them slapped her magically until she forced a smile.