The Rise of Adreanna

For a moment, no one moved. A rock could have crashed through the ceiling, but Wilran was too caught up in her careless to notice even the subtle changes going on around her, mentally berate herself. Lost in her thoughts, Wilran didn't even notice the silent exchange of fear between her two hosts until they started to move.

Without a word, Bidant slipped out of the room into a part of the house she couldn't see. Gamma headed toward a cabinet on the far side of her bed. Initially, Wilran thought it a simple wardrobe, but as Gamma flung open its wooden doors, arrows spilled onto the floor. Weapons adorned the walls inside, and Gamma hurriedly stuffed a few daggers into the hem of her belt before grabbing a heavy crossbow from the bottom shelf.

Helpless, Wilran offered a silent prayer as Gamma prepared the weapon.

My love, please, we need you. Even if you find my worth lacking, don't abandon these kind souls.

But the prayer felt futile. The warm comfort that usually enveloped her during daily concessions were absent, leaving her with nothing but despair. The goddess had truly abandoned her.

"I'm sorry," Wilran said, watching Gamma with growing unease.

Gamma looked up but didn't acknowledge her. Once she finished loading the crossbow, she positioned herself by the door and aimed it toward the unseen room. After steadying her stance, she nodded, and Wilran heard another door creak open, accompanied by an unfamiliar voice.

"It's not nice to keep a gal waiting. It's cold enough out here."

Gamma gasped. She dropped the crossbow and fell to her knees in prostration. Though Bidant remained out of sight, his silence suggested he was in a similar position.

The voice continued, "Thank you, Mr. Bidant. I'm sorry to bother you... Ms. Gamma, I've told you before you don't have to greet me like that. Please stand. El's kept me quite busy these days, and even when I had time for formalities, I rarely stood on them. It's best not to waste time when I have matters to discuss with the three of you."

Gamma's cheeks flushed a deep red as she awkwardly got to her feet.

"Forgive me, Madam Prophetess. I... It... has been quite some time."

A small halfling stepped into the room. The youngling couldn't have been more than twelve completions, but the look on Gamma's face and the way Bidant followed her into the room told Wilran the youth was of some importance. As she studied the large blue eyes fixed to a small oval face, she realized where she had seen this halfling before. It was the same halfling that was there the day she was given the task by Prince Elanerios to join Elite Team One. It was the same halfling that was there right before the goblin's attack on Rory outside the fishing town of Pearlview. It was also the same halfling that fought Rory for control of the mask in her dreams.

Elated she would finally get to speak to the one that had dominated so much of her life, Wilran immediately stuck her foot in her mouth. With her one good arm, she pointed and gaped emphatically.

"You!"

The halfling smiled a youngling-like smile as she climbed up on the seat Gamma had knocked over. Gamma looked mortified on Wilran's behalf, while Bidant turned his head away, trying to suppress his amusement.

"Yes, it's me," the halfling said, settling into her position. "Sorry, its taken so long for the two of us to officially meet. You'll have to forgive me for the long wait."

"Wait?" Wilran asked.

"Take as long as you need," said the youth, giggling innocently. The other two smiled as well, but Wilran didn't have the slightest idea what she was talking about. Instead, she reflexively defaulted to an apology. "I'm sorry as well. You seem to have me at a disadvantage."

"I tend to have that effect on people. Anyway, I promise you I mean you no harm. You may call me Delphi."

Wilran turned to Gamma, vaguely recalling her mentioning the halfling's name moments before. Gamma nodded in confirmation, though she seemed to hesitate, as if sensing it might be disrespectful to address Delphi without a title.

"It's nice to meet you ... Madam Delphi, but why are you here? Why do you keep showing up in my life?"

Delphi shook out her long hair and offered a tutting rebuke. "Just Delphi is fine. But as for why I'm here, well, I'm here for three reasons. The first is to deliver a message from Thepa."

"The captain's alive?" Wilran and Gamma spoke simultaneously, surprise flashing across their faces.

"Is Ms. Thepa okay?" Gamma added, her voice laced with concern.

Delphi laughed softly. "Thepa is well and is leading her people. She's still resisting the role she El created her for, but that has always been her stumbling block. Even my gentle prodding couldn't remove that much self-doubt, and she knows I can see the future."

Gamma and Bidant exchanged a knowing look. A small smile creep over both their faces, as one found its place upon her own. Finally, something she understood.

"Yes, yes. We all know what is so oblivious to the young Matriarch, but she has been trying to contact Gamma for quite some time. The atmosphere around your cabin has made it difficult for magical means to reach you."

"Me?" said the shocked Gamma. "Why has she been trying to contact me?"

Wilran watched Delphi reach into her satchel and pull out a scroll sealed with wax.

"When I told her I was on my way to see you, she asked me to give you this."

Gamma reached for the scroll. As she examined its seal, anger flashed across her face. A red hue overtook the human's psyche and for the third time Wilran could see Gamma's emotional scars. Her thoughts were almost confirmed as Gamma's nostrils flared and her cheeks flushed. Wilran thought she might rip the scroll, but before anything drastic happened, the woman bolted from the room.

Delphi let her go, giving a short nod in Bidant's direction, who followed after her, closing the door behind him.

Once the door was shut, Delphi continued, "Poor Gamma. Much like the two of you, I am at the service of my God. He is quite generous with my gift, but I'm afraid I can only act on the information He gives me. Sometimes, especially if I try, I can see all kinds of futures; some stronger than others. But like all of us down here on the material plane, I am only Saintian. Perhaps, if I were better, I could have prevented what happened to her."

"What did the captain do?" she asked, her heart racing as worry seeped into her thoughts.

Delphi shook her head and said, "There was nothing she could do, but this isn't about Thepa. She's just the messenger here. As for what happened, for now you'll have to wait. That's not my story to tell."

Wilran nodded, her gaze drifting towards the door.

A kind soul like Gamma would not have developed those scars easily. The letter and the scars must be related. No wonder Gamma was angry. The wound was being aggravated.

Delphi crossed her legs, adopting a meditative posture while shifting the topic of conversation. "Let's move on to the second reason I'm here. Tell me, how much do you know about the Gods?"

Wilran shifted uncomfortably. Her knowledge of the pantheon that shaped her world was frustratingly sparse. The Teacher had shared only fragments of wisdom, mostly about Lilith, and even that had been clouded in ambiguity.

"Very little, I'm afraid," she admitted, her voice laced with embarrassment.

Delphi smiled, a glimmer of understanding in her eyes. "No doubt your instructor saw it as irrelevant. I will try to keep it brief, but a lot of what is happening now hinges on understanding who the Gods are and how they ascended into divinity."

Wilran sat up straighter, her curiosity piqued. "I will do my best to follow."

"Great!" Delphi exclaimed, waving her hand through the air. A small orb of light flickered into existence above them, no bigger than a fingernail. In the dim room, it resembled a distant star in the night sky, its glow faint but warm. As the prophetess spoke, the orb brightened, illuminating their surroundings.

"At the dawn of creation, there was El. Who he was and where he came from has always been a great mystery. Some say he is a traveler from other planes of existence, slipping between realms. Others, who believe our universe is the only one, insist he was always here, shaping the very fabric of reality."

Suddenly, the light erupted, transforming the dark expanse above them into a spectacular display of stars, each one twinkling as if mocking the vastness of the night sky. From the point of origin, a more solid shape began to take form—Wilran could see a world emerging, her world: the world of Sainta.

Awe washed over her as she stared, captivated by the spectacle. Delphi continued, her voice melodic. "Both ideas hold merit, but fundamentally, both ideas agree that everything we are and everything we see exists because El wills it. In either sense, El embodies transcendence itself."

Wilran's mind raced with understanding. "That makes sense. For a creator to create, he must be far above and beyond our own experiences and expectations."

"Correct," Delphi affirmed, her expression earnest. She waved her hand again, and the vision of the world intensified, moving forward like a fast-played dream. Wilran watched in amazement as waters parted, land took shape, and vibrant vegetation sprang forth. "However, life is delicate. Left on its own, it would wither and die like a flower with no water. For life to thrive, it needs nurturing—it needed El's immanence."

Wilran took her eyes off the world and focused on Delphi. She had never really felt Lilith had been close. Even when she prayed, the distance felt staggering.

"Immanence?" she echoed, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Delphi continued to shape the vision of the world, her smile warm. "I would have thought a cleric would grasp the concept more readily. After all, how else would you channel your magic if not for the spark of the divine that resides within you?"

Heat rushed to Wilran's cheeks as she averted her gaze, the weight of her inadequacy momentarily suffocating.

"Yes, just because we can't see the Gods doesn't mean they aren't with us," Delphi continued. "They might not always take an active role in our daily lives, but they are ever-present, weaving their grand designs behind the scenes."

On the rolling grasslands and plains, she saw the many races across Sainta grow and cultivate the land at speeds faster than physically possible. A small structure materialized in an instant, and by the time the vision began to slow, it appeared weathered and worn, as if completions had passed in mere moments.

"El, in his infinite wisdom, understood that the world would require more than just his presence. It needed cultivation and care. Thus, he created the races of Sainta in his own image, appointing them as stewards of his creation. He loved them deeply, as any creator loves a newborn. But the day the broken family emerged upon those plains, everything changed."

Delphi shifted the image to focus on the structure, drawing Wilran's attention to four figures emerging from the building. They stood at the doorsteps, a close-knit group. As Delphi played with the magic, the image sharpened, settling on the eldest of the group. She was an elf, a Youngling of the Stars, much like Wilran herself. The dirt smudging her face and the wear of her pale blue smock hinted at shared experiences that went beyond mere appearance. Her white hair danced in the wind, but what captivated Wilran most were her striking green eyes—eyes that seemed to pierce through the illusion and examine her very soul.

"Chandeidra," Wilran breathed.

Delphi shifted the image to the right, and a sense of dread crept in as another elf came into view. This one was slightly shorter, with violet eyes and high cheekbones. Purple hair cascaded down her back, contrasting sharply with the black smock she wore. As Wilran focused on her determined expression, she felt an unsettling familiarity. It was a face she recognized immediately; it could have been the spitting image of Adreanna.

"Lilith," Delphi confirmed, answering her upspoken thought.

The scene shifted again, and Delphi's magic focused on a halfling whose youthful face bore an uncanny resemblance to her own. This halfling could have been her twin, but with rounder features and a flower wreath adorning her curled brown hair.

"Edlyn," Wilran said.

"Correct," Delphi acknowledged, a hint of pride in her tone.

Finally, the image morphed one last time to reveal a human youngling. His features were grotesque, one arm shriveled and twisted, yet the similarities to other human children were undeniable. Who was this boy? Why did he hold significance? Despite her training, Wilran recalled nothing about a fifth god, even as Delphi spoke his name.

"Typhon."

Wilran hesitated, shaking her head. "I've never heard of a Typhon."

"I would have been surprised if you had," Delphi replied, her hands falling away as the magic in the air began to fade. "He's largely lost to history. For now, it's not important. What is important is they were family. Not in the conventional sense, but family nonetheless. Their bond drew El to them. Their love was pure and untainted by worldly desires, a love that caught the attention of the great God. For that, he rewarded them."

"How?" Wilran asked, though she already had an inkling. The answer had haunted her dreams, its raw power echoing in her mind.

"With a mask. A mask that granted them powers. El knew that their love would lead them to use those powers for good—or at least, that was how it began. Chandeidra used her gifts to weave magic and medicine into the fabric of the world, founding the first order of clerics. While they admired her love and devotion to El, they came to cherish her as well. She taught them kindness, goodness, and above all, hope. It was through her guidance that Wildehaven established its orphanage, something they've long forgotten.

"The other three followed in her footsteps. Despite his appearance, the boy had known nothing but the love of his three sisters. They treated him as normal and sheltered him from the cruel nature of the world as best as they could. But they couldn't protect him forever. All who laid eyes on Typhon's appearance rebuffed him, even while wearing the mask. Eventually, he fell away never to be seen again."

"How awful," Wilran murmured.

"Agreed," nodded Delphi solemnly. "Saintians can be quite cruel, even when they don't mean to be."

The words rang in Wilran's ears as she thought back to Gamma's rebuff.

Perhaps, my host didn't mean to get upset. I should give her more credit.

"Edlyn initially used her mask for a selfish purpose. Though she loved her adopted family deeply, she was driven to understand why she was so different from her older sisters. Like Typhon, she feared she was disfigured. Eventually, she used the power of the mask to guided her to the halfling people, leading her to discover her true heritage. Her parents had belonged to a nomadic tribe that fell victim to wild beasts. They didn't survive, but the halflings helped her find a biologic sister, a few completions younger than her."

Wilran noticed Delphi pause, her gaze drifting upwards as if recalling distant memories.

"From that day forward, the two were inseparable. They won the hearts of the halfling people. When Edlyn eventually ascended to divinity through the power of the mask, her sister—imbued with some of her magic—dedicated her life to serving the people and upholding El's teachings. A commitment she continues to this day."

A sudden cry of gut wrenching sobs erupted from the other room, catching Wilran off guard. If Delphi noticed, she remained unfazed, continuing her tale as if nothing had interrupted the moment.

"Lilith followed Chandeidra, her admiration for her older sister as vast as the sky. Yet, like many younger siblings, she often felt overshadowed by Chandeidra's brilliance. If Chandeidra accomplished something, Lilith had to be better. The tension between the two of them started to exacerbate the growing gap between them and it all came to a head when Lilith fell in love with an elf that was in love with her sister."

Wilran nearly choked. "She what?"

"It's true," Delphi replied, her expression serious. "Chandeidra did not return that love, but the revelation that she possessed something Lilith did not was the final straw for your Goddess. An argument erupted, and in her anger, Lilith left the mainland. Legend has it that she summoned an island using her magic, where she built a grand palace for herself, her lover, and her devoted followers. That was the last time the sisters saw each other before their ascensions, and since then, their followers have been locked in a bitter rivalry. However, I believe it's time for that to change."

Wilran furrowed her brow. "What does this have to do with what's happening now? Rory? Adreanna? Me? Are we part of the gods' plan?"

Delphi uncrossed her legs and hopped down from her seat. "Power is shifting. Lilith and Typhon are plotting, Sainta is on the brink of collapse, and El finds himself torn between the love of chosen family and the needs of his creation. If we don't act soon, the cosmic glue that binds us together will weaken, and the very fabric of the universe could fracture. Hopefully, with everything that's happened, we might be able to prevent that."

"But how?" Wilran asked, stifling a yawn as exhaustion began to creep in.

"Enough for now," Delphi said, her tone firm. "This next part involves the other two, and they will need a moment. For now, rest. We can finish our conversation in the morning."

Before Wilran could voice her objections, the halfling slipped out of the room, closing the door softly behind her. For the first time that day, Wilran was left alone in the stillness.

Moonlight flooded the room, casting soft shadows that danced across the walls. As she lay down on the bed, she noticed the way the colors of the window—blue, green, and purple—intermingled with the moon's rays, transforming them into a deep, rich green. For the second time that night, she felt as if someone had pierced her skin, examining her heart. Oddly enough, she found it comforting.