Touch of Fate 80 Formalities

The agitated goddess was pacing around the circumference of the pool, quietly muttering to herself. "There is something going on there. I know it. Why did all of this have to happen at night, when I can't see it?"

After a few more minutes of complaining, she growled, evidently not finding what she was looking for. "I need to send someone down there to investigate, or the the other gods will get on my case for slacking in my duties, but who to send?"

Wracking her mind, the goddess was running into some difficulties in coming up with options. "Gah! If only the 17 Legions weren't so active right now! I'm really low on personnel I can use for this."

After a few moments, she sighed. "I guess I can just send that dimwit, and hope for the best. At the very least, she can't make the situation any worse."

"Cariel, get in here!" The goddess called.

A mote of light appeared in the room and resolved into the form of a militaristic looking woman that sported a pair of white, feathered wings. She was dressed in gleaming white armor, and bore a sword seemingly made of crystallized fire. Although it was difficult to tell through her open-faced helm, the woman had comely features worthy of a celestial being. Her fiery red eyes were pointed to the floor as she kneeled to her mistress.

"I am here Your Worship! How may I serve?" She spoke in a loud, forthright voice.

Aminatrea jumped slightly, startled by the woman's arrival. She was quick to cover it with a feigned cough, "Hm. Cariel, you are among the most trustworthy of my angels, so it is with absolute confidence that I assign you this mission. I have need of eyes and ears on Ea, so I want you to go down there, assume a mortal form, and do some investigation."

"I understand Your Radiance. You can count on me." The woman replied while slapping a gauntleted fist against her chest plate. She stood and approached closer, the light of determination burning in her eyes.

"Good, good." The goddess answered while taking a half step back. "Now there is a particular person in the city of Wyrport with the Hero's Destiny, I have reason to believe that he or she was deeply involved in the major events that have taken place over the last few days."

The angel released an excited squeal, and spoke rapidly, "Say no more, Your Grace. It will be taken care of. I will find the Hero with all haste, and guide them in their task of saving the world. You will not regret assigning me this task."

In the past, when Aminatrea or one of the other gods bestowed the Hero's destiny on a chosen mortal, it was common to assign a divine servant to act as the Hero's guide and mentor. Typically this was reserved for the most powerful and loyal of the god's followers.

With a sinking sensation in her celestial stomach, the goddess tried to correct the misunderstanding. "Ah? Wait a minute, I-"

"I need to move fast to catch them before they leave the city. Wish me well in my task, Your Benevolence!" With that last exclamation, the angel once again dematerialized and vanished from the chamber.

Watching her go, Aminatrea sighed again, "Oh well, I suppose if she actually manages to find the Hero, I can at least track his or her movements. I just hope she doesn't do anything too embarrassing."

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A patch of the Almiran planes burst into flames as a wash of heat and light flooded the area. A sphere of intense sunlight formed before collapsing leaving a patch of scorched earth in its wake.

A naked, blonde haired woman kneeled at the center of the blackened circle, one fist pressed against the ground.

Cariel straightened up and surveyed her surroundings, already relishing the feeling of being in a mortal body.

She spotted a nearby horse-drawn cart. A bearded man sat open-mouthed and staring behind the reigns of a horse that was calmly chewing on a bit of grass.

She placed her hands flamboyantly on her hips, and addressed the man, "Fear not, human! I come in peace, on a divinely given mission. Could you perchance point me in the direction of the city of Wyrport?"

The man finally broke off his gaze, face reddening. He pointed back the way he came. In the distance, the walls of the city could be seen. A few tendrils of smoke still rose from the ruined sections of the urban center.

Judging that the distance would be a bit too far to walk with her weak, mortal legs, Cariel decided to ask for help.

With a brilliant smile on her face, she announced, "Human! I have need of your land transport. Lend it to me so I might complete my quest!"

The trader Robert's face went flat. He took a quick look around to make sure this wasn't some bizarre form of robbery.

After making sure they were alone in the vast empty plains, he returned his gaze to the front, and snapped the reigns, driving his horse forward without another word. He had enough problems without adding a crazy pyromaniac to the list.

Cariel watched the man go, a little confused. "I suppose he must have somewhere important to be. Oh, well. As it says in the sacred texts, 'Walk humbly in the blessed light of Aminatrea and earn her favor through thy tribulations.'"

It was one of her favorite sections of the works, coming right after the bit about the goddess disintegrating non-believers in her holy wrath. Truly a literary masterpiece.

The angel-turned woman started walking down the road towards the distant walls of Wyrport.

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Mike yawned sleepily. They were now in the second hour of the speeches, and the parade of bureaucrats never seemed to end. They all wanted to be seen thanking the heroic adventurer's for their contributions to the cities defense.

He was sitting next to Tal and Brenden. The elf had her eyes closed, and Mike wasn't sure if she was still awake or not.

The same could not be said for the beastman, who was snoring slightly. Even worse, he kept slipping in his seat, and resting his head on his neighbors shoulder, a scarred and grim-faced warrior in plate armor.

Mike snickered slightly as the warrior tried to keep a straight face when Brenden started drooling on him.

There was a round of applause as the most recent important figure left the podium. Mike had a vague impression that he was the minister of public works, or something to that effect. When he saw who was next up to speak, he straightened in his seat.

Andromeda, the Crimson Disaster and the Guildmaster of the Wyrport Adventurer's Guild, strode up to the center of the stage, not bothering with the apparatus that projected the speaker's voice. With a hand on one hip, she addressed the crowd of adventurers.

"You all did good! We lost a few here and there, but you fought well and defended your home! Because of your hard work, I was able to put an end to the invader's plans."

The group had met up with the Guildmaster after they had left the cavern. The terrifying woman was still picking worm guts off when they ran into one another. They had decided that it would be better for the Crimson Disaster to receive the acclimation for the act of stopping the Cabal.

Andromeda had felt that placing them in the limelight like that would be more dangerous than helpful, and Mike agreed, knowing that his identity as a Hero might be revealed if they became well-known.

Sera was the only one to voice a complaint, but the promise of a large monetary reward in return for 'valuable assistance in solving the city's crisis,' shut her up.

"Of course I could have done it without your help, but its the thought that counts." She laughed loudly and arrogantly at that.

There was muttering amongst the crowd, and Mike distinctly heard someone say the phrase 'old bat.'

The air seemed to freeze, as a pulsing vein appeared on the Guildmaster's forehead. "WHO SAID THAT?! I'LL STICK MY FOOT SO FAR UP THEIR-"

"MA'AM!," Talin called from the side of the stage. "You still need to address the rewards!"

Brenden snapped awake at that, and looked around blearily.

"Right, right," She said while calming down. "I know none of you are here for the long-winded speeches, so line up over there by rank, and we'll issue you your reward." This elicited the first real cheers to come out of the assembled adventurers

With that she left the stage. Mike, Tal, and Brenden stood and started moving to join the rest of the line, but Talin called them over before they could.

"Follow me, we have to give you your rewards in a different location in order to avoid any undue questions."

Mike shrugged and went after him, and the others followed suit. The guard led them to a small office inside the guild itself. Four large stacks of gold coins rested on a table. "Here is your reward, including one set for the young lady who isn't here." As a non-adventurer, Sera wasn't allowed into the guild.

Each of the stacks contained 300 gold coins engraved with the wren design. After giving them time to collect their money, Talin gestured to Tal and Brenden, "Now if you two don't mind waiting her for a few minutes, an important figure wanted to speak to Mike. Alone."

Starting to get a little suspicious, but not seeing any reason to decline, Mike agreed.

He was once again led into a small, windowless room, except this time there was an occupant.

A thin older man sat in a simple wooden chair in front of a table. It was a bit too dark to get a good look at his features, but he motioned to another chair across from him. "Please, sit."

The voice carried the tone of authority, brooking no refusals. Still feeling a little disturbed by all the theatrics, Mike decided to play along, and sat in the proffered chair.

After a few minutes of silence, the man finally spoke. "Its good to finally meet you, young man. You have been causing quite a stir in my city."

"And who might you be, to claim ownership of Wyrport?" Mike asked.

"I suppose I haven't introduced myself." He leaned forward slightly, eye's shining brightly from the darkness. "I am the head of House Graveston, and ruler of this city."

Chapter end