NOVEL NEXT Chapter 67 - Blind Faith
"A common thing with any other gods, this. True believers never question their faith. That the gods will help them prepare. But the people are the ones who should fulfill their own dreams." ~Lorf, God of Light
"Jump?" Grace asked. She had heard Shallies the first time, but she didn't know why she had to jump off the cliff. It wasn't that high in the first place. With her Agility, Strength, and Focus combined, she could easily take the fall without so much as a scratch.
Shallies pointed downwards while looking at the half-orc. The cliff had extended beyond the shore, into the ocean. Grace could see the same blank ink underneath them.
"Out of all you three, you're the one least affected by what had happened with Tayin," Shallies started. "This isn't to say that you don't care at all. I know you care for them both, but you are essentially the third-wheel in the group. That's why I called you first."
"What's that have to do with jumping?"
"Well…" Shallies smiled, turning away and looking at the black puddle. "You're probably the one, within the group, who understands the most when I say I will do nothing to save your lives. I also think that you're the one who trusts me the most. And I want you to demonstrate that to them by killing this krakling."
"Krakling?" Grace asked. "As in a small kraken?"
Within the black puddle, the half-orc imagined that squid-like creature, lurking underneath with its tentacles ready to strike at a moment's notice. Though she couldn't actually spot the creature, she now understood where the ink was coming from.
"I've lured it with my presence," Shallies explained. "Not exactly smart fellows, these kraklings, showing where they are with their ink puddles."
"But I can't pinpoint exactly where they are," Grace said. "It's a wide puddle."
"And still, you will jump, Grace." Shallies looked at the half-orc, eyes stoic. "Because I'm telling you to do so."
Grace understood what was happening. Though she didn't like being pushed around, she knew that the Godkiller was testing her resolve. She was testing her blind faith. And while the half-orc didn't really mind, for she wished to show gratitude to Shallies after all the help she had provided for them, the thought of jumping to a potential death just to prove a point didn't sit well with her.
"Can I at least ask why?" she asked.
"No," Shallies replied. "Nor will I explain later. I want you to jump in that black puddle, kill the krakling on your own, then drag its corpse back to camp, and then ask Ren to come to me next."
Grace looked at the inky puddle. She felt nervous. She didn't mind jumping into it, but killing the creature hiding inside was another matter entirely. She wouldn't be able to breathe down there. And if the monster caught her, she would be dragged down to the depths.
Shallies didn't say it, but Grace knew that no help would come to save her, in the case that she screwed up. Not Valor'el, nor Ren, nor Tayin. And surely, not the Godkiller herself would come to save her.
The half-orc didn't mind jumping. Really. She just couldn't see herself surviving it.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. Shallies. The Godkiller was smiling.
"I know you can do it, Grace," she began. "I know you're strong enough. You can protect yourself and kill that krakling."
The half-orc half expected the Godkiller to push her off the cliff, but the hand didn't move. Not even an inch.
So Grace was surprised when she found herself already falling.
Ren thought his heart would burst. First, there was Tayin's marriage proposal. He had said yes, but he wished he was the one who asked first.
Next, there was his confusion about Shallies. He didn't feel angry anymore. In the back of his mind, he silently thanked the Godkiller for giving him the push to confront his feelings about Tayin. A morbid and irresponsible thought. He knew he was making excuses to not feel anger towards her.
Then, there was Grace jumping off the cliff straight into the ocean. He briefly saw the half-orc ignite both her Mana-Edges before diving into the waters, causing a huge splash.
Of course, both Ren and Tayin dropped what they were doing and immediately went to save Grace. But something stopped them. It wasn't quite sinister, but its forcefulness was clearly abundant.
Even from afar, they could feel Shallies' stare. Her presence alone stopped them in their tracks. But neither him nor Tayin would abandon their friend just because the Godkiller told them to.
Ren took a step, then found his face on the ground.
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"Ren!" Tayin shouted, before she too was forced down on her knees.
Then it was gone. Or rather, the force took a step back.
There were no words, no verbal threats. Shallies' stare alone warned them not to take another step, or they would be forced back to the ground again.
Ren understood enough not to challenge Shallies, though every fiber of his being was urging him to do so. He saw her smile, despite this. That was when he realized how weak he really was. Here he was, doing his best to defy the one who could end the life of a divine being, and that person simply found him amusing.
The Shield Knight's contemplation was interrupted by movement in the water. Grace. She was dragging a tentacled creature, one with a scaly body. Where the limbs converged, there was a shimmering membrane on top that looked like an eye. It showed no life at all.
"Is that the thing that dragged me underwater?" Tayin asked. Like him, she was unable to move, just standing there as the half-orc dragged the monster with both hands.
The creature was large, far larger than a giantkin like Gar. But Grace had managed to kill it quickly. She didn't look harmed at all, either.
"Hey there," the half-orc said, nodding towards Ren. "You're next, she said. Up the cliff."
"Am I hunting one of those?" Ren asked, no longer feeling Shallies' oppressing presence. He met the half-orc halfway, assisting her with carrying the creature's carcass.
"I think so," Grace said. "She won't explain a thing, but I think she's testing us and our faith in her. And I think she'll test you more, Ren, since you're having doubts."
The half-orc stopped and scratched her head. She noticed too late that her fingers were slimy with the creature's bodily fluids. Her disgust was quickly replaced with embarrassment.
"What's wrong?" Ren asked. He didn't have time to process Grace's words.
"Umm… We saw you two," Grace said, turning to Tayin. Her face was blushing. "Congratulations."
"Oh…" Ren scratched his head, forgetting his hands were also now slimy.
"Oh!" Tayin exclaimed, hiding her face with her hands. Fortunately for her, she hadn't touched the monster yet. "Go up there, Ren. Don't make things awkward with Shallies. I'll help Grace out."
Ren, trying to dodge the awkwardness that was forming, left the camp and quickly cleaned his hands with water. He reached the artificial cliff within seconds.
There, he found Valor'el, waiting patiently at the lowest point.
"I would give you some words of wisdom, Ren," the seraph started. "But I think you should be true to yourself instead. There's no need for me to impart you with warnings. Shallies will understand."
"I'm not about to spout angry nonsense at the Godkiller, Val," Ren said. "I know she did what she did for a reason. But I still hate it."
The seraph said nothing more, simply gesturing for the Shield Knight to proceed with his climb.
Ren didn't find the climb any more challenging than simply walking. He didn't even have to use his hands. Before long, he was right behind Shallies, who was enjoying the scenic view. The sun was on its way to set, but there was still a few hours before it touched the horizon.
"Sit," Shallies began, tapping the side of the cliff that she had purposely left open for him.
"You're going to ask me to jump, right?" Ren asked. "Why not just let me do it now?"
"Because unlike Grace, you are developing some hate for me." Shallies turned, meeting Ren eye to eye. "I would like to rectify that."
"There's nothing you would say that'll change the fact that you didn't save Tayin." Regardless of his words, he still sat beside the Godkiller.
"I don't regret it," Shallies started. "If Tayin had died, then I would've regretted not saving her. Just like the others that have died during their mentorship."
Ren clenched his fist. "If you'll regret their death, why not save them? Is it because it's your blasted Great Sacrifice?"
"It's not my Great Sacrifice." Shallies twirled the ends of her hair, lifting her legs and hugging them. She was smiling.
But rather than irritate Ren further, he saw her eyes starting to tear up. She was holding herself back from crying.
"So why?" Ren repeated. "Why not save them, then?"
"Because they didn't want me to save them," Shallies said simply.
Ren's mouth opened to argue, but no words came. His mind was rushing back. Back to the events of Tayin's drowning. When the halfling became conscious, she was happy. She had been happy the entire time on the way back. She was more confident, even. She was a better version of herself.
And never once did she express any anger towards Shallies.
"I've saved a number of my mentees before," she began. "After that, they stopped being my students. They knew they had failed, and they knew that I wouldn't be bringing them into any Divine Wars anymore. Tayin knew that.
"I understand how you feel, Ren. I know you care deeply for her. I know why you're angry with me. But I will not let your emotions be in the way of my bond with Tayin. I will save you, if you really want me to save you, Ren. But know that if you really don't want me to, even if she begs me just like what you did, I won't budge a single inch, in respect to your determination."
Ren clutched his head. "That's so twisted… I don't know if I can believe that."
"You'll come to understand when it's your life on the line, Ren," Shallies said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Regardless of the reason, I still owe you an apology. I'm sorry for not helping you save Tayin."
Ren found it odd. The apology was sincere, no doubt, but he felt that it was an apology to him specifically, not to Tayin, the one she didn't save.
"Now, if you still feel like following me, Ren, I want you to jump. There's a second krakling in there. Kill it yourself, bring it back to shore, then tell Tayin she's next."
Before he knew it, he had brought out the new sword he had acquired from the Death Sword and Shield monster in one hand, and his trusty Dragonscale Shield of Stature +5 in the other.
Before he even reached the ocean surface, tentacles emerged, flailing at him. He smiled, and did what he had to do.
"You're not going to apologize to me, are you, Shallies?" Tayin asked. She stood behind the Godkiller, with both hands on her waist.
Ren had successfully hunted his tentacle monster, and now it was her turn to approach.
"Do you want me to?" Shallies asked, tapping the open space beside her. "I will if you want."
"Nope." Tayin sat beside the Godkiller, swinging her legs playfully. "So, do I just kill—"
Shallies wrapped her arms around the halfling. Her embrace was warm. Loving. Caring. Like a mother reuniting with her child.
"I'm so glad you pulled through, Tayin," Shallies said. "Be more careful next time, okay?"
"Mmm…" The halfling nodded, feeling relief for some reason. She realized she was shaking. Whatever she was holding back finally reached the breaking point.
Tayin started crying.
"I thought I was done for!" she wailed. "Then… Then I managed to cast Sight Step without speaking the invocations! At least, I think I did. Scutia helped me the entire time!"
"You did good, Tayin," Shallies said, rubbing the halfling's back with a caring hand. "You did good."
Tayin took some time, but she eventually calmed herself. She was smiling again.
"Thank you, Shallies. I feel better now." Tayin stood and manifested her wand. "You need me to hunt that krakling, right?"
"Yep. I'll meet you at the camp."
With a nod, the halfling jumped off the cliff.