[God Quest] Fool's Gold

BASTIEN I'm all dressed up and naked I see what's mine and take it Bastien was not often nervous, but as he approached the woodland shrine with the golden stone in his hand he had a definite anxious clutch in his chest. The things that laid before him; the chance to know Safrin truly and to make another deal with a God...it was so much that he never would have imagined for himself. Arriving at the shrine, he knelt before the tree and dipped his head, holding the stone to his heart. "Signora Voice. I have the stone for you that you told me to find. Please, appear to me so I can give it to you." Request made, he glanced up to see if the tree would glow and speak again.

the VOICE In reality's shadow the blind see best To the heart. Yes, that was perfect. The obsidian hollow within the tree would indeed pulse and glow, the light racing out across its branches in brilliant flickers. Where the illumination touched Bastien and, indeed, the stone, the Accepted would feel himself becoming warm, comforted almost, as though a thousand soft fingers traced across his skin. The stone in his hands would grow heated too, and then hot, and if Bastien tried to let it go he would find himself quite unable to do so. It began to thrum and quiver, then with a peal like a bell it shattered, showering him with sparkling shards. He might feel a sharp prick of something against his neck, and should he look later he would find one such golden shard embedded there, flush against the skin in a crescent shape. "You have done incredibly well, pure one." Bastien would hear the Voice inside his head, as if she were murmuring directly into his ear. "Now you shall be able to hear me always, without needing to visit such arbitrary places."

BASTIEN I'm all dressed up and naked I see what's mine and take it The way the light touched him reminded him of Safrin's touch on his shoulders. Bastien leaned up into it, closing his eyes with a smile at the sensation. This, he thought, was why he pursued the divine so much. He stared down at the stone as it shook and grew warm; at first assuming the Voice was trying to take it he attempted to let go, but found that he couldn't. "What is--" He began to ask, when suddenly it exploded into a shower of sparkles around him; Bastien was about to clap for the trick when his hand flew to his neck, feeling a sting there. His fingers caught a small, smooth thing that he couldn't quite identify. "Oh. Well...thank you, Signora. But I was hoping to learn more? Of Safrin, and of you. Of all of it. And what is...this?" He rubbed the side of his neck. "I'm not sure my lady Goddess will be too pleased about it."

the VOICE In reality's shadow the blind see best "Of course, Bastien," the Voice crooned within his mind. "And learn you will. But how better to show you, and to teach you, than to be here?" With a soft laugh, Bastien would see, suddenly, the image of the young goddess in his mind's eye as though she were standing before him. It was like seeing but more; he would feel the warmth of her touch when she brushed her fingers across his cheek and down to the mark on his neck. "This is my gift to you, so that you may learn what you wish to know. Safrin, was it? Your lady Goddess will likely be furious with you, it is true. But then Safrin was always so fickle - it is why she is a lesser deity." Fading from his mind's eye, Bastien would instead now see the sprawl of stars above, regardless of the time of day, the constellations standing out to him as they never would have before. "Your Safrin of the cosmos, your lady of light and of life... is little more than a servant to the bigger picture, my dear one."

BASTIEN I'm all dressed up and naked I see what's mine and take it Seeing the Goddess before him brought a rapturous smile from Bastien, thrilled to see another Goddess. They were always so beautiful - more paintings would be made, of course. He had never been so consistently inspired. "A...lesser...?" He repeated, a little offended. Maybe Safrin served another, but he was devoting his life to her. To him she was higher and always would be, even her apparently low level of divinity far from his grasp. But there was no time to be offended when the stars stretched out before him shining and regal, looking so real and gorgeous he felt able to pluck them from the sky and wear them. The fact that Safrin would be mad didn't trouble him too much in the moment. He had had plenty of people be mad at him for his choices, and he was sure after all the gifts she was fond enough of him to not do anything too drastic. "Then...who does she serve? Who do you serve?"

the VOICE In reality's shadow the blind see best "Oh, dear one. Do not bristle so - I meant it without malice." A lesser deity. She had simply said it because it was true, and she would circle around Bastien in his mind's eye to clasp his shoulders and gaze skywards with him. "Life," she said simply. "She serves life. The natives have a name for it - Vi - but I do not think it worth much. I am beyond those constraints, and I would bring the rest of the world into that light." Her laughter was melodious and it caused the tree to brim with illumination. "I serve nobody, pure one. I answer to no one and I wear no chains, save for those that others would try to force upon me. Are you satisfied?"

BASTIEN I'm all dressed up and naked I see what's mine and take it It seemed that the Gods here could see through his masks easily; Bastien had not even realised he had visibly reacted to the description of Safrin. He tried to easily smile and shrug to show that it didn't bother him too much, made all the more easier by the gentle hands on his shoulders. "Life...? Oh." He could hardly pay attention to the rest of what the Voice was saying, now that he knew there was a deity who embodied life out there. Safrin was beautiful, yes, and would always hold power out of his grasp, but...she seemed small, insignificant suddenly in comparison to this 'Vi'. "...I cannot ever be satisfied when there is so much I do not know, Goddess." He replied, moving to look back at her face. "How do I talk to this...life? Vi? Is there a way?"

the VOICE In reality's shadow the blind see best Bastien would feel a thrum of warmth and pleasure from the Voice as he expressed his need for knowledge - that played very much to her whims and preferences, indeed. That he wanted to know purely to learn more about the Old Gods was of little consequence to her, such were her machinations and plans. "Yes, Bastien. There is a way, but it is not possible from within this barrier," she explained. "We are stuck here, all of us. Your Safrin included. Vi awaits outside, if you could only lift the veil and set us free." Her voice was soft, reverent, and a touch pleading. "I will help you, where I can. But that is the only way."

BASTIEN I'm all dressed up and naked I see what's mine and take it He had not considered that the barrier was able to keep in the Gods as well. Whether that lowered Safrin further in his mind or not he wasn't sure. Bastien had so far been monumentally unbothered about the barrier, considering it a task for the do-gooders and adventurers, but now it all at once became relevant to him. "Is...there a way for me to lift the veil, Goddess? Could you help me do it?" As much as he wasn't personally invested in it, the idea of being the reigning hero of the town after he freed them all was very tempting. "If you could help me achieve such a thing I think you will find me a very useful follower." He smirked, then said without a hint of irony: "And very loyal, Signora."

the VOICE In reality's shadow the blind see best The Voice laughed softly, the sound like honey dripping in Bastien's ear. "I can help you do it," she confirmed. "But first you must rid the Spire of the creature that guards it. It does not know any better, but I regret to say that it will stall our efforts. Do that for me, Bastien, and your loyalty shall be thoroughly and personally rewarded." What that might mean was entirely up to Bastien. Either way, the Voice had said enough, and she withdrew from his mind without further hint or instruction. The way was clear, and she would speak with him again when the time was right.

BASTIEN I'm all dressed up and naked I see what's mine and take it Rid the spire of the monster? Such quests were really not Bastien's forte. But not wanting to disappoint the Voice so early, he nodded along as if he really thought himself capable of such a task. His skills were in the land of aesthetics and good nights, pageantry and not weaponry; he was very good at those things and had never need to branch out into violence. He gasped as he felt the presence leave his mind and stood up slowly, staring at the tree. The Gods here truly were something unique and wonderful, completely removed from his own world. Bastien walked back to his church a little shellshocked, a lot confused and determined to do something with all this new information.