Champion

Chapter 33

"You are not perfect acolyte," Astinus said, his tone cooling. "Have you never questioned why you have failed two tests for priestess? Or why you were sent from the Great Temple on the eve of your third, and final, testing? I have been away from Sanctuary Port for many years, but during my time as a teacher there I never heard of an acolyte leaving, for any reason. You know full well that all acolytes are taught the only way to leave is as a full priest or priestess, or as a faithful that can no longer serve in the clergy."

Laurena lowered her head in shame. She knew this was true. She had volunteered for the assignment to Calavius only after her mentor had told her that she was not ready to pass her next, and final, testing. Priestess Aurelia had called in a large number of favors to give the acolyte this unheard of opportunity, and she had instructed her pupil to use the time wisely. Laurena was to pay close attention to how other priests and priestesses along her route spread the love of Eros, and determine what was preventing her from doing the same.

"I am not sure Priest Astinus. I have studied all the teachings, and attended every service. I have worked harder than any other acolyte at the Great Temple to master the Blessings of Eros, and I have been very successful at that. I do not know why my magic remains so weak," she mumbled.

"It is not difficult to understand young woman," the priest said. "You lack the boon of Eros, the magic he grants to his faithful."

Shocked at this statement, she began to argue with him, "That cannot be. I have done everything demanded of the faithful. I have attended worship, every man and woman that I Blessed has seen their magic grow after joining with me."

"And yet, your magic remains weak," Astinus countered. "Did you not think it odd that after every service those who were Blessed by you left stronger of faith, and stronger of magic; while you continued to have the same power that you have always had?"

"I am just not that powerful," she countered. "There are many in our lands that are naturally weak of magic; and given how much beauty Eros has blessed me with, is it not fair that he has chosen to take some of my magic to preserve the balance?"

"Ah hah," the priest responded, "and that is your failure. You love yourself too much, and others not at all. You see the other faithful as a means of gratifying your physical needs, or of confirming the power of your beauty. You do not see the value and fullness they add to life, separate from their interactions with you. And until you can, you cannot truly love them as Eros commands; which means you will never share of Eros' power."

Laurena was shocked at his words. How could he say such things? This old priest barely knew her, and he thought he could make such wild claims. And yet, she had begun to suspect this for a while. Not his reason for why she lacked Eros' boon, which just couldn't be right; but that she did not have any magic beyond her own. She just assumed that Eros' granted power was the reason for her beauty, but if that was not the case, then why didn't she have the power of his love?

"You still have time to change, Laurena," Astinus told her. "Take this time with David and Sapphire to learn the nature of love. Learn to love them first if you must, and then you may eventually learn how to love all of our god's faithful."

***

Astinus stood in the doorway of his temple, and watched the trio depart. None of the three looked back at him, and only Laurena had spoken words of parting to him, done very formally. He sighed. His actions with those three were very risky, and could easily backfire, but he had to try something.

Shortly after he finished talking with Laurena, David had walked into the kitchen wearing his strange armor and carrying his equipment.

"We leave in an hour," he had said tersely to the acolyte, not even waiting for a response before exiting.

Astinus had found a horse for him. It was a large male draft horse, more suitable for pulling a plow than riding. Yet with all his heavy baggage, anything smaller would have been unsuitable for David's needs. The priest had used a bit of his magic to craft a saddle for the large animal, and also a bit to repair Laurena's favorite robes. She was wearing them as they left.

Sapphire had joined the pair just before they departed. David was a bit surprised to discover that the bluish tint of her skin had not been from the moons' light the night before, but had been her natural skin tone. Laurena was not surprised, now aware of the other woman's ancestry.

It had hurt the priest deeply when the young trader refused to speak to him, or even meet his gaze. He had been very close with her father, and had come to care deeply for his deceased friend's only child. But her anger was great, and she resented this act of penance he had saddled her with, which she had only agreed to reluctantly.

As a traveling trader, she knew every section of the road between Lexia and Calavius. She was the perfect choice to see that they reached Eros at the Field of Woe. She also still had much rage in her, and he hoped that she and David could share their pain, and conquer it together. The young man had far too much experience living with the pain of loss, and of doing dark deeds, but maybe some good could come from that familiarity.

Astinus knew David's penance was extreme, and possibly unjustified. Just as he knew the penance he had chosen for Sapphire was far too lenient. But the Champion needed her help to reach the Field of Woe in time, and she needed his help to return from the darkness. He had feared his plan was a failure when the soldier initially refused, and he still feared it might not work. But the Champion was stubborn, and he had to find some way to force the man to take both of the women with him. David needed their help in this world, just as much as they needed his.

Would the soldier teach the young trader how to live with her demons? Would the two of them be capable of teaching Laurena to love more than just herself? Would the women teach the man the value of all life? Would any of them be strong enough to face what a Champion and his followers must?

"Were we?" he asked himself the last question out loud.

My beloved Ophelia, I have missed you every day since your fall, he thought to himself.

And an old priest, standing in the doorway of a small temple, began to weep as he remembered his one true love. The most beautiful, wonderful, and compassionate woman he had ever known, lying dead upon a blood soaked battlefield; watched over by the god whose realm she had died defending.