Alright, so this goddess wasn’t reacting the way Elyna had hoped. No problem: the soldier was nothing if not persistent and when she put her mind to something, she usually succeeded in the end. It might require a lot of blood and sweat—well, back when she’d been subjected to such—and tears, along with everything else she had in her, but she would do it. Or she would die trying.
Utility, huh? So same old, same old basically. Different types of power, from a different source, same shitty systems. No one had value unless they could do something for others. Well, at least the goddess was being honest about it, which was better than most; while Elyna could respect the being for that, that didn’t mean the soldier was going to give the goddess any points. No, Elyna hadn’t seen anything here but a deity out of touch with reality who had a dumb mask-like face who probably just liked to push people around. As someone who refused to be a victim, that made Elyna angrier than she’d been in a long time.
Finally, she managed to provoke a reaction in the being: as the goddess’ eyes blazed and then she mocked the warrior woman, Elyna felt a fierce satisfaction course through her. Seemed she’d struck a nerve. Time to see what happened when she kept hitting it. There was no surer sign that the warrior was getting somewhere than annoyance in those around her. It was reckless (maybe fatally so) but it was better than that lack of expression that had been there before.
So when Elyna next spoke, it was with an even more defiant tone. ”Fresh eyes see clearest. And what mine tell me is that this place was unused for a long time before we came here.” The fact that this temple had been all but abandoned when the Northaveners had stumbled upon it wasn't something the goddess could deny. While Elyna hadn’t participated in the clean up effort herself, she’d seen the state of the temple when they came to unlock the infirmary. It had been in a sorry state—and still was, in a lot of ways, since they had only just started to rebuild—which told her that this place of worship had lost its luster to the people who’d been in this bubble.
Before Elyna could respond to the being’s next statement, she was nearly blinded by a sudden light. At the same time, an unforgettable sensation struck her. When the sun’s rays—though how that could be, given they were in an enclosed space and the sun wasn’t anywhere near here—flooded into the room Elyna predictably staggered. Indeed, she almost fell like the last time she’d been foolish enough to expose herself to the sun. Just because she didn’t immediately burst into flames anymore didn’t mean it was a pleasant experience. Indeed, with each passing moment, the light further sapped her strength and she visibly sagged.
But while her physical strength waned, her willpower remained unbroken. Gritting her teeth, she glared up at the deity defiantly. She might bow when forced to before a superior force, it was true, but she’d never break. So, when she managed to grit out a few words, though her voice was strained, it was still strong. ”I could tell you, but I’d rather show you how valuable I can be.” Slowly, at a glacial pace, she straightened up from her hunched over position, standing as tall and firm as she could manage under the circumstances. It wasn’t great, but it was something. Indeed, she probably couldn’t maintain this for more than a few moments before she collapsed fully. That meant they were crucial. ”And the best way for me to do that, to prove that I’m useful to you, is for you to give me a challenge to prove my worth. And if I succeed, maybe I can tell people about you. If I fail, you were right all along.” People were always saying show don’t tell. And while Elyna wasn’t smart, she did possess a certain base cunning. Plus, this goddess really was a bully. Elyna didn’t back away from bullies, or from a fight, no matter how hopeless.
That didn’t mean she didn’t have at least some self-preservation instincts. ”But if you strike me down in a fit of pique, none of that will happen and you'll be forgotten again.” There wasn’t anything the soldier could do (yet) to combat the goddess. That meant she had to convince, which she had never been particularly good at. Maybe she’d get lucky though. One thing was clear: this wasn’t the Goddess Elyna was looking for, not by a long shot.
elyna
Improving upon perfection
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