Side Story - Ferio 3: Omens of the Future

AN: This takes place at the same time as 145. Also a small reminder that Book 5: Omen will likely start at the end of this week!

Ferio let out a sigh as she took her eyes off of the floating island that housed her mother's temple. Aperio had finally found the courage to oust the old Pantheon Just a little violently and ominously.

Covering most of Vetus in a black nothing had not been something she had expected, but luckily it had been mostly centred around her mother's temple. Bringing her Void into the mortal realm...  She found herself once again being thankful that it had happened in the middle of the night.

The Goddess of Life and Light was aware of the happenings in the [Court of Heaven] — the "trial" they had put on for Epemirial and the other traitors — but she had never expected it to go this way. "Some things really never change…"

Her mother would undoubtedly kill nearly all of the major deities that had a stake in the [War of Heaven] as well as many more minor ones that supported the efforts of their patrons. The weird part was that Ferio herself did not really feel anything on the matter. She knew what they did — despised it, even — but there was never much she could do herself. What little she was able to accomplish never amounted to much.

"Not that it matters," Ferio mumbled to herself, turning around to head back inside her own temple. What she had done in the past was no longer of consequence. Whatever Aperio ended up doing would bring chaos to all of the old worlds. Except for Ulria and the others that disappeared after Mother left.

The Goddess of Fertility and the Harvest had done something that Ferio herself had never quite understood. Somehow, the worlds she — as well as some of the deities close to her – ruled over had become as inaccessible as the New Worlds. The difference is that no-one really cares about them.

Still, Ferio did not doubt that the deities that had stayed out of the divine affairs while her mother was gone would return. If they notice that this happened, that is. She still was not quite sure how they had even disappeared in the first place, but she had an inkling that her favourite space-borne entity had something to do with it. But can Diskrye hide entire worlds from us?

It was space itself, so the answer was likely yes, but Ferio had never really seen that specific deity do much of anything. All it was really tasked with doing was making sure the New Worlds developed properly before they were assigned to a God or a Pantheon.

"We shall see," the Goddess of Life and Light mumbled to herself as a thought closed the door that led to her office behind her. She might not often use the garden she had just been in, or the office that she now occupied, but it was still nice having them. And Diana makes good use of it when I am gone.

She had taken quite well to her new role, even getting over the hatred she seemed to have for Aperio and beginning to work with the All-Mother's Scion on various projects around the city. Still would like to know where Laelia gets the money from. Ferio was certain that the gold the Human used to pay for the frankly ludicrous number of projects she had started had not been directly created by Aperio. Maybe the Terenyks?

A wave of Ferio's hand caused a rather sizeable tome to appear in her hand. The ledger was perhaps not the first thing people would assume a Goddess would get when wanting to figure out what the Creator of all that exists had done, but it was a very handy tool. Many people would kill to get a genuine version of the Book of Legends, but for Ferio it was mainly a means to see what the largest group of mortals that still — Kinda — worshipped her mother were up to.

"Come in," Ferio said, a thought opening the door for Candrial.

The bronze-skinned Elf bowed slightly as the door closed behind her, the golden chains that adorned her neck and dress filling the room with an almost ethereal chime. "Welcome back, my Lady," Candrial said. "The Ocussuary has been directed as you wished and will assist the Ebenlowe Guard in anything they need.

"There have also been people bearing a symbol I am not acquainted with," she continued, producing a small piece of parchment and offering it to her Goddess. "I assume it belongs to your mother's church."

Ferio looked up from the Book of Legends, taking the piece of parchment. The symbol that greeted her was not the one she recognised as her mother's, but it was to be expected that she would come up with something new. The two intertwined wings certainly fit now; her mother seemed to love her new feathered appendages, after all. Well, she always liked wings.

She could vividly remember the days when Aperio had tried to talk the Celestials into getting wings, the only voice of reason being Marisha. The seamstress of the Court had a special relationship with her mother that she never quite understood. Now that Aperio had lost her memory, that was likely no longer the case.

"It seems to fit," the Goddess of Life and Light said as she placed the piece of parchment inside the Book of Legends, right at the beginning of the ever-growing section on Aperio. "Did it come with a name?"

"No," Candrial replied with a small shake of her head. "They all simply wore that symbol and roughly similar-looking black and blue armour, however."

"Definitely Mother's," Ferio replied, turning the book in her hand so Candrial could see the picture inside. It showed sketches of various blue and black armours, all of which featured the logo of the All-Mother. "The [Guides] made this under the title of 'New Church of the All-Mother - Observed Armour Variations'."

"So descriptive," the Elf commented with a small smile. It only lasted for a moment, however, before Candrial schooled her expression. "Should I arrange a meeting with the [Grandmaster]?"

"No," Ferio replied, closing the book. "I'll be going myself." As the Goddess of Life and Light clasped her hands in front of her chest and mumbled an "Okay," the Book of Legends disappeared from her hand.

"If something happens, call for me," Ferio said. "And," she added, giving her priestess a smile, "you don't need to hide your emotions." Aperio does enough of that for all of us.

If her mother was not the All-Mother, that would likely not be a problem. But she was, and her emotions, repressed or not, still influenced the world. It had gotten better recently, but the pain and grief that Ferio could feel flowing from the very world she stood on would undoubtedly have some unwanted consequences.

"I will take it under consideration," Candrial replied, offering another small bow that caused the jewellery that adorned her dress to chime. "My Lady."

"Of course you will." The Goddess of Life and Light shook her head lightly. "I hope you and your husband enjoyed the gift," Ferio said, trying to change the topic as she made her way to her desk. "It was surprisingly hard to get."

"We did," the Elf replied, her hands grasping at the chains at her waist for a brief moment before she clasped them in front of her stomach again. "We just found it a bit surprising that Ediscio sent us something so very fitting to your gift."

The Goddess of Life and Light merely gave her priestess a smile in reply. Candrial had served her well for nearly five centuries now, almost as long as her husband had been serving Ediscio. Neither of them seemed to expect gifts for their anniversary, despite the fact that Ediscio and Ferio had officiated the event and had given them something every year since.

"Now that your children are all away on their own adventures, we felt like you needed a break," she finally said as Candrial made no sign to move. "I had hoped I could have given you a bit more time off, but" — Ferio sighed — "the current situation doesn't allow for that."

"I'm aware," Candrial replied. "I hope your meeting with the [Grandmaster] bears fruit." She bowed once more before turning to leave. "Ferio."

The Goddess of Life and Light gave a nod in reply, a thought opening the door before her priestess could try to do so. "As do I."

As soon as the door closed behind Candrial, a small mental message towards her favourite tree caused Ferio to disappear from her office only to reemerge a second later from a pile of leaves at the base of Roots-Beneath-All, inside the old temple the [Guides] called home.

"Welcome," the tree rumbled. "I hope the transition was not too strenuous?"

"Not at all," Ferio replied, offering Roots a small wave. "Much better than walking."

Its leaves rustled slightly in reply, something Ferio had come to know as contentedness; sometimes even happiness. "I am happy to be of service!" Roots mumbled, its voice slightly higher than usual. "Should I inform Miss Videns of your arrival? I am sure she would make time for you."

"She already knows," Ferio replied, nodding towards the door that led to the [Grandmaster]'s office. She knew that Roots-Beneath-All could see the Dryad wait patiently on the other side just as well as she could.

"I would have been surprised if she did not," Roots replied, "but manners are still important." A branch slithered across the floor and up the door until it wrapped around the handle, pulling it down so that the door opened. It hesitated for a moment, most of its branches lowering slightly. "I hope your meeting can help stop the wilting of this city."

"Since when do you care about mortals or their creations?" Ferio asked with a raised brow. "Did mother's change of heart change you as well?"

"I do not know." Roots gave her its best approximation of a shrug. "I have always felt responsible for those that tend to my form, but now that I had to make a race of my own, I have grown more… attached."

"Ah," Ferio said, her eyes darting to the Dryad — Half-Dryad — that patiently waited by the door. "Right." Roots had been the only one with access to Verenier during Aperio's absence, and its approach to dealing with the overflowing Souls had been… unique.

It had created trees that could house a Soul, preventing them from wandering and turning into more Demons. Roots had forgotten that Souls that had not been cleansed by the river would shape their vessel to fit what they were before. When the Pantheon returned, they were greeted by a new race of sapient trees that could not only change their appearance to a degree but also mate with every other species native to the world.

O'lymni Videns was the result of a Human and a Dryad having a child. She mostly looked like a Human, but if one looked closer, they would see a slight green tint to her skin and hair. One that would change to yellow and brown according to the seasons. And the fact that she is almost a millennia old.

"Well, I am fairly certain that this will blow over like everything else," the Goddess of Life and Light replied, making her way towards the [Grandmaster]. After Ferio had crossed about half the way, she turned around again. "If you manage to reach Mother, please call me immediately."

"Of course," Roots rumbled in reply, one of its branches gently pushing into Ferio's back to move her along. "I will."

The Goddess resisted for a moment before her shoulders slumped slightly and she walked the rest of the way into the [Grandmaster]'s office.

"Welcome," Miss Videns said, offering a deep bow. "What brings your Grace here?"

Ferio waved the other woman off, not wanting her to be formal. She had known O'lymni for centuries already and the formalities only worked so long for her. "I just wanted to inquire about the people my mother's Scion sent. We have nothing on them; not even their insignia."

"Of course," the [Grandmaster] replied. She carefully made her way back to her desk, weaving around the many plants that decorated her office. "Most of them are ex-adventurers, ones that owe Lord Terenyk a favour or still think highly of him or his deceased wife.

"There are also those that joined the church after its resurrection," she continued, producing stack after stack of parchment from a seemingly infinite drawer in her desk. "The slaves from the armies that marched on us, freed by your mother or our own forces, are most prominent. They don't know much about fighting, but most are able-bodied and quite strong after being fed a proper diet."

"They went from being forced to throw their life away to doing it on their own accord?" Ferio asked, taking seat in the lone chair opposite of O'lymni's desk. "I'd thought that her forces were entirely made up from adventurers. Maybe some people that converted from other faiths."

"They are not," O'lymni replied with a smile. "A few of the [Guides] have also taken up arms under her banner."

"You are part of her church in all but name anyway," Ferio said with a wave of her hand. "What I wish to know is—"

Her words were interrupted by a wave of mana she knew all too well and a silent whisper at the back of her mind that only spoke a single word. Death.

There was no System message to tell her what had happened, but neither did she need one. Her mother had passed her judgement on the Repens Nabu — what the Judges found of it, that is. She could already feel the people piling into her various temples across the worlds, asking her for guidance through the trying times that were sure to come.

Ferio doubted Aperio would make an announcement as to what she had done, or even deal with the clean up herself. Not for a few days at least. She had seen what had happened after she killed Vigil and Inanis; what her mother had seen there. It was not a stretch to think that they weren't the only ones that held memories of her past. Something she so desperately wanted. Even if she doesn't want to admit it to herself.

Her mother longed for an understanding of her past but, paradoxically, did not want to know what she did; did not want to become the same person she was before. And she is immune to advice.

The Goddess of Life and Light heaved a sigh. "I guess I was right after all," she said as she stood up. "I am sure you know I transferred the Knights of the Ocussuary to Ebenlowe." The [Grandmaster] gave her a nod, after which Ferio continued. "If you need help keeping the peace, you are welcome to call on them. They are under orders to help the guard."

"But we are not affiliated with the Ebenlowe Guard," O'lymni replied, but her next words were cut off by Ferio's raised hand.

"We both know you have people everywhere. Use them wisely. I will try to find Mother and get her to fix the mess she made."

"Of course," the [Grandmaster] said, standing up from her chair and offering Ferio a deep bow. "I wish you luck on your endeavour. You will need it."

The Goddess of Life and Light rubbed the bridge of her nose and shook her head lightly before giving Miss Videns a nod and disappearing from the mortal realm. Yes, I will…