through the eyes of man

Seren

It was a hope she could neither bolster or reveal as illusion. "At the very least, we can counted on to follow our nature, I think" she mused. "I, for one, hope that what my mother expects from me is something I can live up to." Seren had it easy; unlike her father and so many of the others, she had the luxury of being raised in accordance to that purpose. Groomed from the start to be nothing but what she was now; and if she rebelled, it would only be in the way a child rebels against her parent. Something that could be anticipated, healed and mended, with the right words. Safrin was very good at raising children.

"Gideon," she repeated, with a faint smile. "That's a nice name. What does the scripture say? I don't actually know much about how people see the gods here. I never had much reason to pray or do rituals..." And Safrin's way was not the same as the other gods and heralds, surely. Would Frey or Ludo appreciate tight hugs, painted sunsets or self-made songs about starwhales?

I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces
Reaching the starlight and silver fields

Gideon nodded; he was sure Safrin had a plan for all these Demi Gods she'd been putting into the world. He'd never actually met the Goddess, but he knew her to be calculating and wise; he doubted she would enact a plan without an end. "I am sure she knows what she is doing and that you'll find somewhere to fit. We all will - we have to, to defeat what we have against us." He added grimly, thinking of all he'd seen in the last year as the Ascended threat had grown.

Heading up the last few steps now, perhaps a little out of breath, he turned back to look at her as he took the keys to the Temple from his pocket, intending to lock the door behind them so no more surprise guests would appear for the time being. "Thank you. The scripture says a lot of things - you'd have to be more specific. In terms of our current situation, we know that the Gods will always triumph over any new threats; especially ones that claim Godhood blasphemously."

GIDEON

You claim to be virtuous, but you're a liar
And you'll feel the heat of the flames

Seren

The locked door was given a quick glance, her brows rising in mild surprise. But Seren supposed she didn't have anything else planned; she could likely talk to Gideon until his ears bled. Umbra had no desire to leave the sky for stone walls, and remained outside. To harrow birds and maybe beg treats from whoever might be walking by, no doubt.

"Mh, well... what does it say about each God, and their Heralds? I know what I've been taught, but... what do the children learn here, while growing up?" Hands clasped behind her back, Seren took to strolling further into the grand building, her gaze trailed high into the arching rafters. The faint echo of her footsteps was muffled whenever a rug replaced cold stone tiles; if every there was a place where she wanted to whoop and sing loudly, it was here. Just to hear the echo bounce back.

How upset would Gideon be, if she tried? Seren watched him surreptitiously, biding her time. Maybe she could make him jump.

I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces
Reaching the starlight and silver fields

Gideon raised his eyebrows at her question, surprised that she didn't know. He supposed she had said she'd grown up quickly, and he'd heard of how Demi-Gods could rise from babes to adults in a matter of months, but had Safrin not thought to give her daughter a basic education in the heralds? Maybe it was the same, though. He wondered how their curriculums might differ.

"Well, we start simple for children." A sanitised, listed version of the truth, easy to digest; more came as they got older. "We tell them of Ludo, Frey and Safrin - Vi and Mort and Caido, Rae all when they're a little older. We begin with the heralds because they are the ones most likely to be seen by the average person." The most relevant to their lives, unless they were to be truly blessed.

Not noticing the echoing of their footsteps, very used to the Temple's noises by now, he continued: "Ludo we introduce along with the Festival of Lights, Frey with the Longheat - which is our current lesson - and Safrin we teach by taking them outside for a night and watching the stars."

GIDEON

You claim to be virtuous, but you're a liar
And you'll feel the heat of the flames

Seren

Slipping in between pews to take a seat, Seren leaned back and listened to the explanation. A small smile played on her lips as Gideon explained the gradual introduction of religion to the young, and there was something wistful about it.
"It sounds lovely," she said. "I think my education was a little more straight forward than that, but Mother also has the advantage of knowing just how much I can comprehend before pressing further." It had been fun; stories told and books shared for answering the inevitable questions, all supervised by unwavering patience and attention to details. And if nothing else worked, Safrin could always show her daughter what she meant.

"What do you tell them about the Voice? And the Abandoned?" There was a separation between the questions that made clear Seren did not think of one as belonging to the other. Leaning forward, she gazed expectantly at Gideon now, keen on hearing what he had to say.

I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces
Reaching the starlight and silver fields

"I'm sure. Besides, you wouldn't have to learn about the Gods when you could just...meet them." He didn't show it, but Gideon was actually quite jealous of Seren in that moment as he considered her life in proximity to the Gods, how she could ask her mother any theological question in her mind and be much likely to receive an answer than anyone else. Was the child even aware of how lucky she was? "Have you learnt all there is to learn, now, do you think?"

Sitting down as well, her next question made him pause; Gideon leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, hands clasped. "Well...we tell them that the Voice, no matter what they might hear, is not a real Goddess. Just someone claiming she is. That she, and her followers the 'Ascended', are very dangerous. That the Gods will one day make them pay." The basics; more in depth details on their evils and plans came as the children grew older and more chance of them leaving Stormbreak's walls and meeting an Ascended appeared.

"As for the Abandoned..." He sighed, pushing a hand up through his hair; this was the part of the sermons he was the least sure of. "We tell them that the Gods have abandoned these people. That we may not know why, but that we have to respect the decision, and so they are not allowed in Stormbreak."

GIDEON

You claim to be virtuous, but you're a liar
And you'll feel the heat of the flames

Seren

Cocking her head aside, the young demi-goddess pursed her lips and looked not at all divine where she sat. Only a girl, tousle-haired and irreverantly barefoot where she lounged in the pew. Like it was only a slightly uncomfortable bench, and not a seat upon which to receive the words of a god's chosen messenger.  
"Well, I could, I suppose, but why would I bother them? Mother gives me everything I need. I think taking the time to learn a bit about the others is just the polite thing to do." It was not as if she could just march up to Ludo's shrine, or Frey's, and expect them to answer all of her questions. They were busy, after all.

The notion that she would know everything made the girl laugh, bright and cheerful. "Oh, hardly! I barely know anything at all. I mean, if you ask me about how stars are born and what the difference is between universe and a dimension I could probably answer, but that sort of knowledge is not really relevant here. Right? I bet you know a lot more about what it is to be human than I do, for example. What is love really, and why do people hurt each other even when they claim it's the last thing they would ever do?" Seren held out her hands, her smile helpless and nonplussed; it was a question she had yet to see answered. One of many.

Leaning back to listen properly as Gideon explained the teachings of the city, Seren's expression sobered, and she nodded. "What do you explain that they should pay for?" she asked; it would be nice to know that everyone was on the same page there.

"You know... I have met quite a few Abandoned. It always makes me feel ashamed, to tell them they can't come visit me here." Frowning softly down at her bare toes, she wiggled them thoughtfully. "It's not like it's their fault that they were born with magic. No more than it's my fault for having blue eyes." Looking up, there was a troubled look to the girl's gaze as she sought to meet Gideon's.

"Gideon... what happens to the children, here in Stormbreak? The ones who are born Abandoned?"

I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces
Reaching the starlight and silver fields

"Mm, I suppose - I thought the Gods might be perhaps happy to see a Demi God, a child of one of their fellow deities...but you would know better." He shrugged; he was aware that it was hardly all happy families among the Gods, but Gideon found it hard to believe that Seren would be turned away from most shrines. It was charming to see her admit her ignorance in some areas, especially with the questions she asked, many of which sounded just like other queries he'd heard from children and teenagers.

He smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Do you actually want answers? Love is when you prioritise someone in your life above everything else and people are often hypocrites." Gideon shrugged. "Personally, I'll tell you openly: I will hurt anyone that stands in the way of the God's victory."

Now they were getting into the nitty gritty, the dark and often difficult answers. Gideon leaned forward, elbows on his knees and fingers pressing on the tips. "The Voice dared to try and elevate herself to the level of Gods, to challenge them - that enough would be a crime worth a life. But now she uses her Ascended to destroy the natural world the Gods provided with, that we are meant to care for. Her acts destroy nature, destroy the way of things; corrupt the very hearts she claims to take in." He shook his head. "We have to stop it before our world is too changed."

He could understand the conflict about Abandoned; he felt it himself. Gideon had seen it sometimes that the Abandoned could get themselves sanctified, raised by the Gods...but it wasn't common. "That...is a dark answer. Are you sure you want to know? I will tell you that they do not survive."

GIDEON

You claim to be virtuous, but you're a liar
And you'll feel the heat of the flames

Seren

Seren did not, actually. The notion that being the demi-god of a fellow Old deity was enough to be received had never occurred to her, but the thoughtful smile certainly suggested she enjoyed the idea.
"Maybe I should take some time to visit them, then," she mused. "If only to make their acquaintance. It would be very interesting."

Gideon's take on love was interesting, to say the least. It sounded a little blind to her, but at the same time Seren could not really claim to be any different. There was very little she would not do for her mother, or father... and the number of friends for whom she would risk everything was steadily growing. That this devotion was setting her on a collision course with the Voice and her Ascended... was impossible to ignore.
"Would you say that the Ascended are as guilty of this crime as the Voice? If there was a way to save them from her... would you try to find it?" While the questions may be pointed, there was no heat or tension in the girl. Only a troubled frown born of concern - one that only deepened when the subject turned to the Abandoned.

"I... yes. I don't want to be ignorant. Will you please tell me?" That he confirmed her suspicion so readily made Seren feel nauseous. Was this the Order's doing? Or the Gods? Was the murder of children something her mother sanctioned..? She did not want to believe it. But she had to know.

I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces
Reaching the starlight and silver fields

Gideon nodded, a little baffled that she apparently hadn't taken the opportunity before, but he supposed she was probably less awed by the idea of Gods than he was. Like with Amalia, he felt in that moment a burning jealousy, a sense that he could do better in the Gods' favours...but he swallowed it down. That was not their plan, and he had to be content with his place in the plan.

Seren certainly had the tough questions. Dipping into his experience as a teacher and Priest of many years, Gideon stiffened up a little, sitting straighter and raising his head as he stared forward at the altar and spoke. "If there was a way to pull them from her and have them returned whole, yes. However, as far as I know, none exists. As it stands, they are servants of the Voice that act out her will and they are no longer human. The Voice implants things in them. Machines, fake blood...I would not be surprised to find she changes their minds. We cannot think of them as free willed people." He could go even farther, but Gideon knew when to step back from going too extreme.

As for Abandoned children...that one did make him take a breath and a pause first. "We have ways to know before the child is born if it is Abandoned. They are born dead and the bodies are disposed of outside of the city walls." Gideon's voice was monotone, flat, no emotion showing either way about this fact.

GIDEON

You claim to be virtuous, but you're a liar
And you'll feel the heat of the flames

Seren

Seren stilled where she sat, as the conversation turned towards darker and more serious topics. Her expression remained calm, but there was no hiding the subtle pain his answers caused her. The idea of giving up on anyone, for whatever reason, was abhorrent to her. That the Ascended were beyond saving was so very hard to accept...

... and the notion of not even trying to find a place for those once Abandoned filled her with a quiet, simmering anger. Horror and disgust twisted  her mouth into a deep frown, and Seren actually shrank back from Gideon.
"... you murder children. For no reason." Quiet and intense, the demi-goddess refused to look at the Priest. There was no question in her words, only cold judgement. "... and would you say that this too is the will of the gods? Or the will of men?"

The very idea that her mother would condone such a practice... it made her ears ring, and set the stomach to roiling, more nauseating than any storm-wrecked sea voyage.

I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces
Reaching the starlight and silver fields

Seren's horror did not take long to make itself known and Gideon's confusion followed similarly; he knew the truth was dark, but he did not see it as such a tragedy. The Abandoned were judged by the Gods before birth and deemed unworthy, so their lives being unlived was a net positive for the world. It seemed that Seren, despite her Godly heritage, still had things to learn.

"It is the will of the Gods. Ask your mother and she will confirm that." He kept his voice cool, but his eyes burnt with an intense strictness. "The Gods call these souls Abandoned. Think about that word. Bereft of the Gods, empty. What worth have they? Surely you know better than most the importance of the Gods in our lives and those without that guidance have too much of a risk of acting against them." Gideon left his explanation there, waiting to see if she understood.

GIDEON

You claim to be virtuous, but you're a liar
And you'll feel the heat of the flames

Seren

If she had been pale before, the girl's face turned stark white at this. Would her mother and goddess - the Herald of Life really condone the ending of such before it could even begin? She did not believe it. Could not accept it, even should it be true.

"What worth do they have? Only the same as you, and your family, and your friends. They have the same worth as the birds in the sky and the starwhales in the night, and every other living being that is breathed into existence by Vi. You are a priest. Is it not your job to provide that guidance, so that even the most lost and damaged souls might find their way back to the light? Instead you condemn them without even offering a chance to choose their own path. I never thought I would hear something so bigoted and cruel spoken by a servant of the Gods."

Stiff and unable to move, Seren felt trapped within her own numbed body. The hands that pressed flat against her thighs prickled and stung with icy dread, shock and revulsion still reeling within. They were killing children. They allowed them to die over something they had no choice or control over - a spark of something within that was neither good nor evil, only different.

"Believe me, I will speak to my mother about this. And to Ludo, and Frey, and to Vi, Mort and Rae themselves if I have to. I don't care what brought this practice on, but it is cruel and needless and long since due for change. I thought we were bringing the Voice down to put an end to madness - not perpetuate it further into whatever new future we are meant to shape."

The effort it took for her to simply move and rise from her seat nearly had the woman sobbing. The mingled horror and determination that blazed in the gaze she leveled on Gideon could only be called empassioned... but though she could not make herself break the stiff mask of disbelief on her face, she still managed a stiff little bow of respect. For his rank, if nothing else - she had no respect to offer the kind of man who would stand by and let children die out of simple fear.

"Thank you for speaking to me today. I would like to leave now. Please be so kind as to unlock the door."

I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces
Reaching the starlight and silver fields

The only sign that Gideon was at all affected by Seren's speech was the rise of his eyebrows further and further up his forehead as she continued on her righteous crusade. Clearly, the young woman had been shielded away from the more grisly aspects of life for the Old Gods; Safrin had not told her what was necessary, what was approved within the city. He did not relish in the act himself, spoke to Abandoned he met outside the walls as equally as he could, but within Stormbreak he followed the God's rules.

It was clear she didn't want to hear it though. Best she got the information from her mother, he thought.

The bow was unexpected, as was her last request. With a quiet laugh, he gestured towards the main large entrance to the Temple. "The door isn't locked. Feel free; go home and ask Safrin about all of this. You'll be surprised what you hear."

{FIN}

GIDEON

You claim to be virtuous, but you're a liar
And you'll feel the heat of the flames