Arialla glanced at her companion, surprised to hear of the woman's experience with Ludo, though a moment later she wondered why she was even surprised. "Well ..."
For a moment Arialla hesitated, unsure if she should confide her anti-Voice plans to a stranger. But if Ludo liked this woman, then presumably she wasn't a follower of the Voice. "I told Safrin I was interested in fighting the Voice, and she said Ludo would be a better god to speak to about that. And ... she told me that the Voice takes the souls of the Ascended."
Was that supposed to be a secret? Arialla didn't think it should be -- better to have the information out there as a warning to anyone who might wish to become Ascended. "I want to help stop her."
A smile crossed Arialla's face at the next question, her thoughts turning warm with memories of her priesthood and Apollo's blessing. "Praise. The god like my hymns and prayers enough to bless me -- that was what qualified me for the priesthood. I kept the altar, sang the hymns, performed rites and sacrifices ..."
please don't take my sunshine away
