Divine Apostasy Book 9 - Chapter 3 (Revised)

[Author's Note: I made some critical changes to this chapter so I'm reposting it.]

Chapter 3

Ruwen stepped into an unfamiliar room, the walls, ceiling, and floor made from white stone. The air had a clean scent, like after a thunderstorm, and Hamma stood over the lone bed with her arms outstretched over Sift. On the other side of the bed Madda and Padda sat, both focused intently on Sift. The ceiling provided bright but not blinding light, and completely illuminated the fifteen-by-fifteen-foot room.

Not wanting to startle anyone, Ruwen lightly tapped on the wall he’d emerged from. Everyone looked over except Sift, and Hamma smiled at seeing him, ending her spell. Ruwen returned the smile, moved over to her, and gave her a quick hug. He nodded a greeting to the solemn Addas and they nodded back.

Sift lay on the bed, his eyes closed, and Shelly sat in the middle of his chest, eyes also closed. They both looked like they were sleeping.

“How is he?” Ruwen whispered.

Hamma glanced quickly at the Addas before responding in the same whisper. “I’ve been using Diagnose to check for any pain, injury, or defects but Sift is perfectly healthy. Shelly too from what I can tell. I don’t understand why they’re both unconscious.”

“I have some Spirit again, do you want me to try a heal?”

Hamma put a hand on Ruwen’s shoulder and smiled wryly. “How should I put this? Having experienced your heals, they arrive with the force of a siege bolt and push so much power through a body it actually does damage, which of course it heals.”

“I wondered about that,” Ruwen replied with a wince. “Maybe when we get some time you could show me how to be gentler and more directed.”

“I’d love to.”

“What else have you tried besides heals and Diagnose?”

Hamma looked down at Sift again. “I cast Fortitude to increase all his Resistances by one hundred percent—used Bind to share any damage he’s taking, which he isn’t—and even Seize to alter the patterns of his brain and body to get a response.”

“Wow, great job,” Ruwen responded. He hadn’t realized how sophisticated a true healer could get with care. If he could get even a fraction of Hamma’s skills it would benefit everyone greatly. He gave Hamma’s hand a squeeze before moving to the other side of the bed and kneeling next to the Addas.

“He and Shelly saved an entire planet,” Ruwen whispered. “Millions of lives.”

“We know,” Madda responded.

“It was my idea for them to try,” Ruwen said, not wanting to hide the fact from Sift’s parents.

“We know, son,” Padda replied, patting Ruwen’s back. “We don’t blame you.”

Ruwen nodded in relief. “I know Sift, and nothing will stop him from returning and rubbing this success in my face.”

Madda smiled. “That is probably true.”

“Hamma told us what happened on Grave,” Padda said.

“Is it true?” Madda asked. “Do you have your wings?” she touched Ruwen’s chest. “I sense nothing.”

“I have them, and I’ll explain more later. Now that the other deities know, I expect a massive attack soon.”

The Addas remained quiet for a few seconds before Madda spoke. “Do we have you to thank for Sift’s progress? It’s obvious he broke through to Gem. I don’t understand how that’s possible.”

Ruwen shook his head before nodding at Hamma. “She did it by giving up all her precious wishes.”

The Addas both bowed to Hamma from their seated positions.

Madda spoke quietly. “An immense act of unselfishness.”

Hamma blushed. “The choice was easy.”

Padda turned his attention from Hamma to Ruwen. “We want to support Sift and the choices he’s made. Tell us how we can help.”

Ruwen had feared the Addas would blame him for this situation, but the opposite had happened. They wanted to help, but he couldn’t put them in danger right after what had happened to Sift.

Madda’s stern look returned. “No arguments.”

Ruwen smiled even though he felt frustrated at how easily everyone could read him. “When Sift wakes up, if you could warn the Cultivators west of New Eiru about the imminent attacks, I would appreciate it. I’m not sure when I can get there, but their whole community might be in danger. It would be safer for them to, in the short term, move closer to New Eiru. Maybe just north of the Shattered Sun.”

“We’ll see to it,” Padda said.

“Thank you,” Ruwen responded before returning to Hamma’s side. “Where are we?”

“In one of the Chapel hospitals in the Pyramid,” Hamma responded.

Ruwen glanced around. He hadn’t even known the Pyramid had hospitals. Returning his attention back to Sift, he whispered to Hamma. “I’d like to use Harmony to see if I can sense what’s going on. Do you think that’s okay.”

After a moment she responded. “That’s a good idea.”

Keeping Hamma’s recent comments in mind, he focused on Sift and gently reached out with Harmony to study the state of his friend. He didn’t have any experience yet using Harmony to determine what ailed someone, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to see if anything obvious appeared that might help Hamma.

Harmony wrapped Sift and Shelly and the staggeringly complex symphony that made up their bodies burst into sound and color, saturating Ruwen’s senses. He concentrated on Sift’s head, moving through the harmonic layers, and looking for any kind of discordant notes. Finding nothing, Ruwen slowly moved down Sift’s body, stopping suddenly when he reached the chest.

What felt like weeks ago, but had only been yesterday, Ruwen had heard Sift’s soul, and actually felt its form, a cone with a base, the two sides creating a perfect two-sided geometric shape. It had required Ruwen to focus intently on Sift’s soul to accomplish that.

Now though, Ruwen had barely pushed into Sift’s torso when he heard notes, and they sounded different than yesterday. Cautiously, Ruwen pushed deeper with Harmony, the notes becoming louder, and to his shock, another set appeared, harmonizing perfectly. The melody the combination of notes created stunned him and for a few seconds he just listened, reluctant to change anything and lose the ability to hear the beautiful sound.

Shaking off the hypnotic effect, Ruwen pushed deeper, probing for the source, and quickly found it. Just like he’d suspected, Sift had changed.

Instead of a cone with a base, containing two sides, the structure of Sift’s soul had morphed into a cylinder, the ends both perfectly flat. Stunned, Ruwen pulled back and checked Shelly, finding the tortoise generated its soul notes from the two-surface cone shaped exactly like Sift’s soul had been yesterday.

The obvious conclusion was that Sift and Shelly had somehow both leveled their souls.

Ruwen did his best to keep his face neutral, not wanting to give away Sift’s or Shelly’s secrets. He quickly checked the rest of their bodies but found nothing wrong.

“Nothing,” Ruwen said. “They both seem fine.”

Ruwen accessed his Architect Role and created the chocolate cake Sift loved. A small shelf ran along the wall that contained the door, and he placed the cake there.

“Tell Sift—”

Ruwen stopped as Sift opened his eyes and sat up, catching Shelly before she hit the bed.

“I smell cake,” Sift said, and then immediately held Shelly up to his eyes. “Are you okay?”

Shelly, as if linked to Sift’s state, had awoken as well, her tiny legs moving. He sighed in relief and went still, as if realizing for the first time, everyone around him. He slowly turned to see his parents and then shifted his gaze to Hamma, finally flicking his eyes up to see Ruwen standing by the door.

“Why is everyone staring at me?” Sift asked and then cocked his head and repeated his earlier statement. “I smell cake.”

Ruwen grinned, thankfulness filling him. He stepped up behind Hamma, who had already pushed Sift down into the bed.

“Lay down and rest,” Hamma scolded.

“I’m fine,” Sift replied. “But I could really use a piece of that cake. Better bring a couple, I think Shelly wants one, too.”

“Do you remember what happened?” Ruwen asked.

“Sure, I do. Shelly was awesomely brave and swallowed the entire explosion, and then it was bright, and I got tingly.” Sift narrowed his eyes. “If you made that cake it doesn’t count against what you owe me.”

“Don’t worry,” Ruwen responded. “This one’s on me.”

“Where’s Lylan?” Sift asked.

Hamma stiffened, and Ruwen put a hand on her shoulder.

“First, she’s fine,” Ruwen said. He actually didn’t know that for sure, but he knew she still lived and from the brief movement he’d seen on his map, was moving around. “We got attacked and she ended up teleporting south.”

Sift sat up quickly, moving his legs to the side and standing. He swayed and immediately collapsed. Hamma and Madda both caught him, and laid him back into the bed.

“I’m fine,” Sift said. “Just a little dizzy. We need to go get her.”

“I know,” Ruwen agreed. “And we will. I bargained with Blapy to get her exact position and its updating in real time. She’s fine and if you show up stumbling around because you haven’t recovered from saving a planet, she’ll stab you.”

“That’s true,” Sift admitted.

“I need to talk to someone, and make a short trip,” Ruwen said. “I’ll come back here immediately when I’m done, and we can go fetch Lylan. Deal?”

“How long?”

“A couple of hours tops. And if Hamma says you’re good to go, we’ll set off immediately.”

“Fine,” Sift agreed.

Ruwen nodded at Madda and Padda. “The good news is your parents are really interested in how you transitioned to Gem. The time should fly by with everything you need to discuss.”

Sift smiled weakly at his parents before glaring at Ruwen.

Ruwen pushed down a laugh, winked at Sift, and signed in Shade Speak. No. Good. Deed. Unpunished.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” Ruwen said out loud. He leaned down and whispered to Hamma. “Thanks for taking care of everyone.”

Hamma smiled and Ruwen kissed her cheek. Then he stood, waved at the three Addas, and returned through the still open portal back to the Shattered Sun. The portal disappeared and he touched the wall, “Dungeon Master’s Lair,” he said and stepped through the new opening that appeared.

Ruwen shook his head at the mass of stones, crystals, and gems covering the floor. He didn’t even have furniture in here yet. There’d be time for that later.

Lir, can you ask Uru if we can meet, please.

Of course, one moment. Then a second later, Lir responded. Yes. Shall I open a portal?

Yes, please.

An eight-foot oval appeared in front of Ruwen, and he let out a deep breath. He took a few seconds to organize his thoughts and stepped through.

Ruwen had expected to enter the library hallway in front of his room in Deepwell, but instead, he strode into a larger room with smooth stone walls, obviously created with magic, and covered in gate rune doors. The cool air surprised him, and with a glance at his map he immediately knew where he’d gone: the cultivator camp in the mountains west of New Eiru.

Uru sat on a stone bench that ran beside a long stone table, and she didn’t sit alone. Uru, and three familiar figures looked up at him.

Kaylin, the smallest of them, stood and moved toward Ruwen. A youthful woman not yet a hundred, she had thin features, dark eyes, and high cheekbones. Her stance signaled danger, similar to Lylan’s, and it distracted from her undeniable beauty. Just like in the Spirit Realm, her hair was pulled back into a tight bun.

Mica followed Kaylin. He’d cut his dark shaggy hair and now it bristled, the shortness reminiscent of a brawler. His angular face matched his thin muscular frame, and he stood level with Ruwen, at just over six feet tall.

Una had combined her sandy brown braids into a larger braid down her back. Her oval face looked softer than Kaylin's, but Una’s brown eyes were just as hard.

Kaylin opened her arms and smiled. Ruwen stepped forward into the hug.

“It’s good to see you,” Ruwen said.

Kaylin stepped back and looked Ruwen over. “You feel like granite.”

Ruwen gave a wry smile. “I’ve been working out.”

Mica grabbed Ruwen’s forearm and pulled him into a quick hug. “It’s good to see you again, kid.”

Una slapped Mica on the shoulder. “Quit hogging him.” Mica moved with a grin and Una squeezed Ruwen tightly. “We worried you wouldn’t make it through the war.”

“And now he’s gone and started another,” Kaylin said.

Una let Ruwen go, and he looked at Kaylin. “News travels fast.”

“Who would have thought the gods were a bunch of gossips,” Una said, tilting her head at Uru.

Uru smiled at Ruwen, and he bowed. “Goddess, thank you for seeing me.”

“Everyone sit,” Uru said. “I’m interested in why our youngest Champion has come.”

Kaylin and Mica took up seats on either side of Uru and Ruwen sat next to Una across from them.

“First, an immense thank you,” Ruwen said. “For all you did and the information you provided Uruziel. It likely saved my life.”

“My pleasure,” Uru responded.

“There is so much to discuss,” Ruwen said. “I don’t know where to begin.”

Uru leaned forward. “I do. Did you plan it with Miranda ahead of time?”

That confused Ruwen. “Plan? Plan what?”

“I thought so,” Uru said, leaning back. “Such a clever woman. I admire her ability to twist every situation to her benefit.”

“What did she do?”

Uru smiled. “She dissolved the Pact.”

Ruwen furrowed his brow. “Why?”

“I’m only guessing, but I think Miranda has regretted making the Pact for at least nine thousand years. Less than an hour ago, she used your battle to somehow end the Pact entirely. Then she dropped an even bigger surprise if my contact can be trusted.”

Ruwen wondered what Miranda’s surprises entailed. He doubted it was anything good, and he tensed in anticipation of terrible news.

Uru smiled. “It took Miranda long enough, but the tiny steps she took in our direction these last couple of years have finally resulted in something dramatic.”

Ruwen held his breath, not trusting Uru’s smile meant good news for him.

“Miranda told the Conclave that war had come, and they needed to pick a side. Then she informed them all she had already chosen and that if anyone attacked you or my lands, they would lose their dimensional storage and become her enemy.”

Ruwen’s eyebrows shot up and his mouth dropped open. He had just spoken with Blapy and made a big deal about ignoring the pact and how the Adjudicator had failed. She hadn’t said a thing about supporting him or ending the Pact. In fact, she’d been borderline hostile, although still helpful in the end.

Whether Ruwen spoke with Miranda, Blapy, or the massive wyrm, he knew all three versions of herself listened. Each avatar represented a different component or responsibility, but in the end, talking with one was no different than speaking to them all. Why would she still give him a hard time and make him fight for help when she’d just told forty deities attacking him meant attacking her.

“I just don’t understand her,” Ruwen finally whispered.

Uru laughed. “I stopped trying thousands of years ago. Few think matters through as much, or as far, as I do—but she is one of them. A true titan in so many ways. We are lucky to have her as an ally, and it will certainly buy us some time.”

Ruwen would come to terms with the different versions of Miranda later. He glanced around at the three Champions and Uru. “That’s good, because I need help from all of you.”