Eagle and Sun

[Kaybrie]

There was just silence in the now empty hall, the sun having long since set and Valeria sat alone in her pew, staring up at the ceiling. Her hair a frumpy mess and her face devoid of the paints and blush that highlighted her features. She continued to think and reflect, pushing through the conversation with the Judicator seeking insight, gleaning pieces of useful knowledge.

The topic of Anasath was quickly becoming irrelevant to her, they were two different people regardless of what skewed views others or the temple might have of her. There was no point in attempting to emulate the woman because she was neither a creator nor a destroyer. She would not stand idly by and allow others to suffer nor would she shirk the chance to kill an evil that presented itself and showed any exploitable weakness. She began to muse, her hand brushing down along the length of her dress. 'Why does he have to? Should I succeed, then he benefits anyways. If I fail, then he gets to rub it in my face, or I die.' She cracks a small grin and shakes her head.

'Every moment I spend in this temple is another moment people die, that entire conversation was a waste of time, and I would have been better off never having made the request. Like Esmund and Lianna, he is blind to any tool without a blade or spell.' Her form leans forward and she thinks further back, the vampire from before...

'Evil itself, a creature of arrogant contempt whose purpose is to be destroyed. Nothing more, nothing less, it presents itself as a single target, nor guards or laws to protect it and proclaims its intention. The rule of the strong, those with the muscle to break it or the guile to defeat it, will do so. I bore witness to this as the creature was first dominated, then eviscerated and burned to ash. A soldier for a soldier, this was a battlefield most warriors were familiar with. One that the Judicator is a legend and master upon.'

She taps her fingertips together, staring ahead. 'Exitium is a different creature entirely, one may as well be trying to fight the tide in a dingy. It is not soldier against soldier, the Exarch has no place on that battlefield and would exercise every aspect of his power to keep it that way. The tide turns, the ebb and flow continues, the ocean swallows more land as the man in his boat search for a Kraken that hides beneath the depths. You need a different tool to approach it, you need to draw it out from its lair.'

Her weight shifted a moment and she stood, her hands folded behind her back as she began pacing the marble halls, faint shadows of moonlight cascading through the stained glass windows. 'Sestra cannot be abandoned, my family cannot be abandoned nor can my people, I have a responsibility to them, both as a priestess and nobility. There was perfect balance here, the reasons were all there and clear that the town couldn't be left.'

She paused then, stopping to look at one of the paintings the late master had created before her departure from their world, a blend of vibrant colors, easily distinguishable, thought he image remained unclear. The thought of her beloved mentor being a killer who destroyed without a second thought tore at her heart and soul.

"Why did you obey him, Anasath?"

[Kaybrie]

Another night, another full moon, the light filtered through windows and provided the tiny spark of luminescence that made the familiar shadows of the normally bright temple present. Sitting quiet at the back pew, her normal spot for listening and consideration at this hour, though no words filtered through the air for others, they whirled around her constantly as she considered the past and directed it to the future.

'Dain, you continue to be an enigma to me. A brute regardless, though not without your hidden facets of interesting quirks. Little things, the subtle gestures and piercing eyes came to mind most easily. A guarded man, pushing away and displaying almost cold hatred for everything around you.'

Her eyes shift slightly toward another painting of a fiery bird bursting forth from the ashes of its own corpse. 'Exitium, a welcoming father, sophisticated and secure... Baring a smile with such warmth that it could melt the protective masks we wear to welcome a new, true friend. He welcomed everyone he came across, from his most trusted friends to his hated enemies.'

Thus the paradox, two men who did little to represent the true nature of their religions whom stood at far ends of their spectrum, through their perseverance, skill, and unique attributes each had risen to a place of power that set them apart. It was an interesting comparison that she had enjoyed fondling for some hours till now, though the hour had grown late.

'Meriadoc continues to place emphasis toward my house in hopes of forming a partnership, Avanthyr remains under their control so far as she was aware, and control of a port along the sword coast was a powerful asset indeed. Though Aurelianus' liquid mercantile, its adaptability served it well, and it still existed, if even holding under the tyrants nose. A slew of options, benefits, drawbacks, profits, morality. She had but a vote, though each person's voice counted, we could abandon the people of Sestra, and do damage to the black hand when the Exigo rapes Adeodatus' for his coin when he seeks replacements for his lost infrastructure... to enter into a embargo with Meriadoc, which would strengthen the country. Or we continue to keep a presence in Sestra, where Ilmater could continue to soften the blows of Bane, and keep something to save in the town. With their presence there we can meet with the tyrant and push his word, though ultimately it could prove a waste of time.' Her hand reached up and brushed through her hair and she closed her eyes. 'Every choice, a consequence, I will need to meet with my grandfather soon.'

She stood then and let her eyes drift open, swaying to the back of the room and downstairs to rest, dream and continue to plot.