Meaningful Work

The dreadful meeting with Fineth's slovenly father wasn't the end of the ordeal. It was only the beginning in, fact. He was the worst offender, but that was poor consolation. The Magistrate had engaged in similar behavior trying to goad you into disloyal behavior. Others, while less antagonistic, still made it clear that you were unwelcome. The day had been long, with the journey between offices similarly unpleasant.

"Fineth, is all of this really necessary?" You asked as exhaustion started to sink in. "I can't imagine any of this is normal for visitors."

"It's not" He let out a small sigh "Unfortunately that means this is all a ploy. Someone above me, even above my father, is using bureaucracy to make you miserable, get you to go back home."

"Well, whoever they are, they'll have to settle for half. It took too much effort to get me here to give up." You took in a heavy breath "Still, I wish this dreadful, futile exercise was over."

"Well, I've got good news" as he pointed finger down a long avenue through the capital, towards a magnificently opulent building, shouldered on either side by similar extravagance "That's the last stop. The Temple to Varissa."

A complex wave of emotions washed over you at the thought. It was a magnificent building, now seemingly even more beautiful to be dedicated to the Goddess you are dedicated to serve, and who spoke to your Matriarch before you were even born. There was also a great sense of fear and anxiety. You almost felt smaller under it, compressed under the burden.

"You okay Breva?" Fineth asked, as his hand dropped, and he moved between you and the Temple "I know we just met yesterday, but I haven't seen that look on you before. I'd think you'd be excited. Hells, it's the most likely place for you to find a friendly face. Other than yours truly."

You nodded once as you swallowed hard "Maybe. Or they can find me and my people heretics. I wouldn't normally mind but...it's different when it comes from a High Priest than from rabble on the street."

Fineth nodded along "I see that. It hurts when you get looked down at by the people you look up to." You understood precisely what, or rather who, he was getting at, but said nothing. Enough had already been spoken about his father.

"Well," You began "if it's going to happen, standing out here won't change anything about that other than delay the inevitable. Come on." You started moving without waiting for any signal from Fineth, not that it was necessary.

The temple stood out among the other buildings as you approached, even though they were all opulently adorned and well maintained. Where most buildings were constructed in roughly rectangular shapes, conventional to your own home in Hylsa on grander scale, the temple was a large circular base. As it rose from the ground, it took on a spherical shape, and as it approached the top, became a sharp spire up into the sky, for several stories. It was the tallest structure in this area of the capital, and could very well be the tallest in the city. It had been made out of some form of stone, mined or removed from quarry and decorated with precious metals of gold and silver, particularly along the spire. It showed great deal of craftsmanship and precision, to have been able to shape a nearly perfect sphereical shape from stone bricks, sanded and placed just so, without the building toppling in on itself.

The inside was darker than you anticipated, realizing only now that there had been no windows built in. The doorway was left open, providing the majority of the illumination, with candles and lanterns aiding as needed. A temple attendant had been waiting by the door, dressed in a long flowing robe, died in a gray color that with the fabrics high sheen, looked almost silver. Although she had a practiced serene smile about her, seeing each other eye to eye made you suddenly nervous. The thought of being chased out of the temple raced through your mind all of the sudden, despite no outward sign of animosity.

"Good Afternoon, and blessings upon you. How may Varissa aid you this day?" There wasn't even so much as an inkling of a facial expression to indicate she thought anything different or unusual about your presence. While it would be welcome, the stark difference from how everyone else had been treating you, Fineth notwithstanding, put you strangely ill at ease.

"Blessings on you as well" Fineth began with a gentle bow ". If she is available, we need to speak with Dalanna. This is Brenvira of Hylsa, blessed Champion of Varissa, and of the Emperor."

"Yes of course. We had been told to anticipate her arrival. The High Priestess will surely make time. Excuse me" The attendant departed with another bow as she left, leaving an awkward silence in her wake.

"Well, so far so good." Fineth spoke quietly to break the slight tension.

"Nothing's happened yet" You countered "this is a long way off from a victory Fineth."

"Why is it always winning and losing with you? I know you grew up surrounded by soldiers, but come on. Just accept the moment." There had been another slight pause as neither you nor him spoke. Poorly timed, Fineth tried to make a point with lighthearted humor "They haven't chased us out yet, that's a good thing, right?"

"Shut up!" You said forcefully but in constrained voice, fearing a louder outburst would be heard through the temple. The thought had already been in your mind, you didn't need his words reinforcing it.

The attendant returned with who could only be assumed to be High Priestess Dalanna. As the two came in normal conversational distance, she immediately departed to afford privacy and likely to conduct other duties. Where the attendants robes were silvery in color, the High Priestess' robe was golden in color, with embossed filigree through the arms, the symbology of which you could only guess at. Dalanna appeared to be nearly as old as Matriarch Khilgana, though time and life had been **** to her body and face.

"Welcome, young lady" Dalanna began "It is good to finally put a face to the Drow I've heard so much about. You've caused a great deal of gossip and rumor already, and you've yet to be here a full day, by my understanding."

"Yes Priestess" You felt unusually unsure of yourself and how to speak to her. Though you worshipped the same Goddess, you stood on very different beliefs, at least for the moment.

"Being around this charming fellow can't be helping the situation much. I've heard that the two of you were already seen together in a daring rescue at the theatre last night."

You immediately felt warm in the face. Although she said nothing directly, that there had already been rumors of precisely what you did last night didn't bode well. Fineth spoke up before you could "High Priestess, I had invited Brenvira, to help her be acquainted with Sylran culture, and relax after a long trip at sea."

"Pay it no mind, I know better than dabble in those conversations. It's the rescue part that I am intrigued by. I was told that you were able to save the life of another, with the divine powers granted to you by the First Sister and Goddess of Elves, Varissa."

"Yes, that is correct." Although you could feel yourself relaxing slightly in that she was not outwardly looking to pry into your private affairs the way that Yrul was looking for any excuse to punish you, you could not become fully comfortable.

"Than I am to take it that the stories told before your arrival are also true. That you believe the tales of your island. That the First Sister spoke to your Matriarch, and now you come on a divine mission to see Varissa's message realized."

It was now, in a point of contest, that you could finally put together complete thoughts before her. "All of that is true. What of it? As you said, I've been blessed with her gifts. That should be proof enough."

Where others may have turned sour, High Priestess Dalanna merely smiled. "You have a taste of the powers of the divine, most assuredly. This does not necessarily mean the rest of it is true. I've heard of the Hylsan refugees for so long, The Absolved, as I've been told you call yourselves. I've always hoped to have the chance to actually speak to one of you. I have so many questions."

"With respect, High Priestess, I have a question of my own first. What difference does it matter?"

"Oh, I don't know that it does" The elderly elf put her hands behind her back and began shifting side to side gently "You're here either way after all, and I wouldn't stand in the way of the Emperor's will. Humor an elderly old woman, won't you? Your mission is to bring our people together; surely I won't be the only elf you encounter that will need some convincing."

"Fine" You said, resisting the urge to cross your arms "What do you have to ask?"

"I'm sure the first question I have is the same question most would have. The question you surely asked yourself at one point, and your Matriarch. Why You? Why did Varissa choose you?"

"Why not choose us?" You asked. Your hope that it would put a pause in the Priestess' steps was in vain.

"It would be more easily believed if she Spoke to an Elf, wouldn't you agree? More easily accepted if it came from a Priestess?"

"Like you?"

"Oh, don't get the wrong idea" She replied, still seemingly enjoying the argument "I'm not volunteering for the role of prophet, but yes."

"It is precisely because it is difficult that Khilgana was chosen. That we were chosen."

"Interesting" A hand rose to her chin "Please elaborate on that."

"The mission of The Absolved is not just to bring our people's together after ages of hatred and war. Varissa is, and has always been the Goddess of Learning, as you well know, as her High Priestess. She believes that your people have as much to learn as we do. Lessons that would have been lost had it come from your own. We must both learn to put aside the past, to forgive, to listen. To give one another the benefit of the doubt, and to accept all of Varissa's children as family."

Dalanna was strangely quiet. Her face showed a prideful joy in her as she looked at you "My child" she began "In all my days, I have never had my preconceptions so successfully challenged in such a way, and I've never been happier for it." She rushed in and gave you a hug with a surprising strength, one that you were cautious to reciprocate.

As she broke the hug and returned to her previous position "It all makes sense now, and I feel such a fool for doubting! Everything we do is learned. How we speak, how we think of one another. By choosing your Matriarch and your people, she is making all of us learn to become better people, to help heal the wounds of the last Age! Oh thank you, my child, for opening my eyes, and thank you, my handsome gentleman, for aiding her. She will surely need you by her side. I fear most of the Empire will not understand as easily as I."

"I wouldn't dare leave it" Fineth responded gently. You saw a glimmer in the Priestess' eye for a second, suggesting she may have read more into his statement than intended. "As it is, High Priestess, there is a technical matter. Specifically, the orders of Emperor Caluthrin is that although she is here to fulfill her mission, she is to be under your employment, for as long as she might be here and be of use, as due to compensate for the lodging and sustenance the Empire provides her."

This was news to you, though perhaps not entirely surprising in hindsight. Had Dalanna not embraced you so warmly and seemingly become an immediate convert to the cause, you would have scoffed and reject the notion entirely. You still begrudge the notion that you do not have full agency to do as you please, but you could clearly have far worse taskmasters than her. Dalanna's face likewise recoiled at Fineth's words. As it returned to her previous joyful smile, she cupped her hands together in front of her.

"I feel that I am scarcely fit for such a task my boy. Brenvira already has her instructions, from two authorities greater than I. It would be an insult to her faith and to her loyalty to her people to have her cloistered in my temple like some disfigured wretch seeking sanctuary. Still, we are all subjects of the Empire, are we not? We must follow our mortal masters as well as our divine ones, and rare is the path that leads us to both at once."

"Priestess?" You ask, unsure of where her thought was going.

"The people of the Sylran Empire turn to my Priestesses for problems they cannot solve on their own, and frankly, that we cannot ourselves. You cannot survive here much longer if every Imperial citizen sees you as a threat. We can work to solve one problem with another. Therefore, as High Priestess to Varissa and your master for the time being, you are hereby ordered to ingratiate yourself to the people."

"You're telling me to go out and make people like me?" You asked, feeling slightly incredulous.

"That's a little reductive, but if that's how you choose to understand it, than let that be your guidance as you depart. I am trying to give you broad lattitude, young lady. You are a Champion of Varissa. Let people see it, let them hear about it, so that their perceptions of you and your people may change for the better. Preferably without more buildings burning."

There was a slight laughter from all three of you.

"Now, if that concludes the business of the Empire, I must take my leave of you two. I am needed elsewhere, as I'm sure are both of you." She came close and cupped your cheek in her hand. The gesture was surprising, but you kept yourself from pulling back.

"Meeting you has been a great blessing, Brenvira of Hylsa. You are always welcome in my temple, should you need help. I will pray for success in your holy mission, as we may all benefit from the rewards."

"Thank you High Priestess" with mutual bows, you departed the temple. With some distance from the door, you turned to Fineth.

"Well, that was fully unexpected." He began. "I don't know what I thought was going to happen when we went in there, but that conversation definitely wasn't it."

"In more ways than one." You nodded along. "After everything in the past day, I truly did not expect to find a sympathetic ear." You had a small, singular chuckle "It's almost as if I have my first convert"

"Two converts you mean" Fineth teased with a smile. "I'm your first, remember?"

"In more ways than one" You jokingly repeated yourself, causing a heady laugh in him

"Well taken. Lucky for you, I think I know how we can honor Dalanna's task, and your mission."

"How?" You ask "Seems to be a pretty tall order"

"And one you're up to the task for. We don't start from the top down, we work from the bottom up. You'll understand when we get there"