Seraphist of Shattered Yokes

The Church of Invincible Light was founded in 1670 on TerraSol during the two decades known as the Ternary Strife, in which humanity, seraphs, and daemons (collectively referred to as Outsiders) were locked in a war of scale unimaginable. "Feel free to pick any side, it's all bad", the philosopher Satyavati had said. 

For humans alone, the death toll reached trillions, not just because laws of reality on many planets were broken and still rattling around in a state of unresolved dissonance even now, but also because they were forcefully mindmeld with seraphs to become proto seraphists or outright possessed by daemons. At that time, humans had developed their own Seraphists, yet these were very few in number and ordinary mortals were largely irrelevant to the war effort as a spoon in a swordfight.

The Strife would have reduced the human population to zero had the Invincible Light not appeared to the Holy Solongo in a dream and taught him how to transmute and bless silver into luminalite. "Let it shine as proof of my grace, and may all who see it know my dominion," declared the self-proclaimed God.

The Holy Solongo was also assigned with the noble task of passing down the holy tenets for the faithful, later compiled into the Scripture of Light. Among its holy passages held the sacred truth: that this world had been created solely for men, His true heir, and it was high time they took back their birthright from the Outsiders.

Invincible Light, however, gave no explanation for His absence, during the centuries of which humanity had been dominated by seraphs and daemons (presumably, that was His idea of tough love; after all, that much suffering built characters) or why he would not smite the Outsiders off reality by Himself and appear in everyone's dream (probably because of an allergy to accountability). Naturally, any jokes about such matters would invite the heaviest retaliation from the faithful in the future, as with homosexuality or allowing women to become ordained priests.

Regardless, in that era, appetite for religions was small given that people had witnessed Miracles shatter reality daily. A mortal prophet like the Holy Solongo would probably be jailed on suspicion of collaboration with the enemy. It was just as well that he was a wealthy citizen who owned a large smithy.

It almost financially ruined him to produce the one ingot of luminalite, but God did not lie. So long as it basked in light, the luminalite was infused with indestructibility against physical assaults and immunization against most Miracles. No longer were mortal warriors reluctant sufferers before the Outsiders, for they would redeem themselves under the protection of Invincible Light. 

The first set of luminalite armor remained pristine until today, having survived countless battles against proto seraphists and daemonic anchors during the Ternary Strife. It was displayed inside the Sanctum of Victory, located on the holy Zaicaster, along with many artifacts to be venerated by the faithful, among whom was the late Patriarch.

One of his first decisions upon arrival on Jano was to build a replica of the Sanctum. It was pale in comparison to the real thing, as lamented by the man in one dinner with Foidan and Arin, but it reminded him of home. It was also one of the biggest and ostentatiously decorated buildings on the planet, capable of holding one hundred thousand people seated, and where Foidan would have a talk with the Viceroy.

As Foidan approached, Thirants was praying on his knees before the Icon of Invincible Light, formed by three vertical strokes of different lengths floated inside a ring. For an ordinary church, a carving or a painting would suffice, but the Patriarch had gone out his way to have a massive ring of silver forged and suspended the strokes inside using incredibly thin gold threads.

"Are you a believer, governor?" Thirants asked with eyes closed.

"Yes," Foidan replied, "though I never pray. I don't see much use in it. No offense."

The Viceroy stood up and fixed his vestments. One of the attendants waiting nearby handed him his luminalite scepter. Thirants turned to Foidan with a soft smile on his aged face. "Worry not. Your way of thinking is in fashion these days. Viceroy Sasamon held a sermon over it. The Invincible Light has a design in place, and us lesser beings have no right to ask Him for changes. I pray only because it soothes me." He gestured to one of the marble pews facing the Icon. "Have a seat, please."

Foidan sat down, and the Viceroy followed suit. The attendants had quietly gone away, leaving only two of them in the massive hall. The candles that his Overwatch Seraphist put here had been snuffed out as well. 

"I have a purpose here," Thirants said. "Did captain Tamajiang tell you?"

"You want my sons." 

"Among other things, yes. Answer me, as a believer, would you choose the Church over the government?"

"I would, as a believer, but I'm keeping my options open. After all, the Imperator spared my life after my grandmother's coup. There is a debt to be paid, and you should also consider where my wife stands. It might be a 'No' from her, given that she was offended that you didn't invite her to this meeting."

(...though she could not come anyway, too busy negotiating with the government in another building. The clergy's arrival had turned what was simply an exchange of precious gems for scrap metal into a bidding war. It would be travesty if they could not make both sides pay dearly.)

Thirants laughed lightly. "Sorry, I'm used to talking directly with those who hold titles, not their spouse. Please, give her an apology on my behalf. Nevertheless, apart from the ArchSouls, it is also you who I care about, the military genius who managed to defeat a Crying Destroyer without Miracles."

"I got lucky," Foidan deflected with a shrug. "No one had a clue Grissam contained an ancient cache of living poison, and it was pure chance that my friend Holting stumbled on it while scouting for an ambush spot."

Thirants was looking at the Icon. "Luck is one disguise for a divine intervention by God," Thirants turned back to face Foidan. "Maybe the cache was placed there by His design to help a blessed believer one day, so that he could go one to thrive and help his Church fight for its very survival."

There were flaws in that argument and, if the Church was interested in him, they would have reached out long ago. It was all about his sons in the end, but he wanted to see where this would lead to. "Your point being?"

"A blessed believer deserves a higher purpose than serving as a government's pawn. He deserves to be made a full instrument of divine will. Tell me, Foidan Sylvektor, will you come to Zaicaster with me and take the Oath to become a luminalite-cladded Redeemer?"

"So, how did your talk go?" Arin asked, hours later. She and Foidan were taking a walk in the botanical garden. Their twins were being taken care of by the servants while being watched over by the Purifiers. 

"I came in expecting bronze and was offered gold," he replied. "The Church is ready to make me a Redeemer as long as I bring with me our sons. They'll also match whatever wealth TerraSol provides. How about yours?"

"A double of our benefits, and they'll accelerate both of us into being members of a Logic Committee. The governorship is still off the table; Amenemopet is very adamant about that. To make up for it, once our sons receive their Circuits, she'll help you get into the Assembly. All in all, both sides will give us the same, don't you think?"

"No." Foidan did not fall for her trap. "If we side with the Church, we won't be equal any longer. The Oath came with a celibacy vow. Our marriage will probably be annulled. And, as a woman, you won't have any real authority, unless you wanted to join a Sisterhood, which I know you never would. I did push the Viceroy for more but he only has so much to offer." He hesitated. Still…" 

"Finish your sentence," Arin said, her face looking ahead.

"We are talking about me being cladded in luminalite here. Absolute protection against being possessed or mindmeld. Mortal made divine. For that power, Arin, I must admit I am prepared to betray you." 

They stopped at their favorite sport. It had a full view of the lake and the dense foliage around brought them privacy. Arin bent down and picked up a rock. "Best of three?" she said.

"Skipping or skimming?"

"Skipping." 

It was the first game they played together, back when they were teenagers. Her father was trying to sell to his father a painting made by an artist that lived before humanity spread across the stars. The haggling bored her, until she found this blue-eyed boy silently placing himself next to her. He suggested it, and they slipped out of the great hall to the river outside.

Just like that time, Arin went first. She flicked her wrist, sending the rock skimming across the lake, the ripples on which faded after six perfect bounces. "It's not merely about the benefits," she said, looking for the next rock. "It's about what side will emerge intact in the end. Our family needs to survive."

Foidan threw his next, also scoring a six, though it traveled farther. "I don't know. The government has more experience fighting with Miracles, but the Church has been building up their military without the distractions of sporadic conflicts. The fact that both sides are ready to sit down and talk with people like us probably means they're also not sure themselves." 

"Then we cannot place our bet on merely one side. It is a Miracle that we have two sons." She scored a seven next. "Your turn."

It was another six for Foidan. He believed he could have given it more bounces, had he not realized what his wife just suggested midway. "A divorce. That's ridiculous." 

"Whether TerraSol or Zaicaster wins the war, Foidan, there will always be a person remaining to protect the other. And, no, a divorce is not convincing enough." At the last throw, her rock bounced off the lake eight times. "A fight." 

"Arin, that is still ridiculous."

"Then refuse the Oath."

Foidan was torn and Arin saw it clearly on his face. Deep down, they both hated being ordinary. Foidan could no longer settle down as a mortal knowing a suit of luminalite armor had been offered to him, while Arin could not bear living without influence and burying her ambition in a grave to honor trivial stuff like love or family. It would be a betrayal to their potential, and therefore the greatest failure of all. 

"Let's make it easier for you," she said. "Throw your rock."

He followed. His rock traveled a longer distance but only achieved a five. If they had been keeping score by skimming instead of skipping, he would have won. "Fine," he said. "Please be gentle."

"I will, my love. But first, this is a nice day. Let's enjoy our last time together in what would be a very long time." 

That night, Foidan moved his belongings to a different bedchamber and invited Thirants over. 

"Light above, governor." The Viceroy frowned. "What happened to your face?"

A new head physician (the previous one had been sacked for cowardice) was tending to the bloody nose and scratches on his cheeks. Arin was nothing but thorough.

"Unfortunately,–" Foidan took a sip from a glass of wine "–my wife has a very strong opinion about serving Invincible Light. She won't be joining us on the trip to Zaicaster, and neither will my son Manziholet. Drink?"

"Are you saying that you only have one ArchSoul, your other son? And no, thanks. I only drink on special occasions."

"Exactly." 

"That will change my offer very significantly."

"No, it won't. The only thing stopping me from making up with Arin is the final offer that you and I discussed on, unmodified. Unless you want to come back empty-handed, we should seal the deal right now."

Arin rarely cried, but she had been taught to do so at will. She was wiping away her tears when Tamajiang and his High Scribe arrived in her chamber. 

"What's wrong, my lady?" the captain asked. Despite his glowing Form and face hidden behind the sunsteel helmet, he seemed uncomfortable at the scene. "The servant said you wanted to see us immediately."

"My husband has made his choice. He will become a Redeemer." Arin pretended to compose herself. "Foidan will take Gothlow with him to Zaicaster, and I'll take Manziholet to TerraSol. We are no longer husband and wife."

"With all due respect, that–" Tamajiang caught eyes with Amenemopet, who reluctantly nodded "–is acceptable. We would need to go over the deal again, though. The government expected two ArchSouls."

"No." Arin shook her head. "No more tweaks or back-and-forth, please. The only thing stopping me from making up with Foidan is the final offer that you and I discussed on, unmodified. I want us to seal the deal right now."