The Battle of Liopasto, a pivotal and harrowing confrontation during the Daemon War, witnessed the deployment of extensive sorcerous and magical efforts by the assembled wizards. Despite their formidable abilities, the defenders were ultimately overwhelmed by the sheer numerical superiority of the daemon hordes. Contemporary accounts suggest that the defenders endeavored to attract as many daemons as possible, in the hope that the Crystal Blood might intervene to turn the tide. Tragically, this expectation went unfulfilled, and the defenders were annihilated to the last individual. In the aftermath of the battle, the daemons indulged in acts of defilement upon the ruins of Liopasto. Concurrently, humans succeeded in sealing the world’s natural magic, an act which forestalled any immediate resurgence of magical prowess. Consequently, no new sorcerers arose to restore the erstwhile magical order, marking a significant and enduring shift in the balance of power.– A summary from the entry of the Daemon War in the Encyclopedia Republica
SELENE
Selene forced herself to step through the Amethyst Gate. The blackened fragments were once one of the great landmarks of Lisandra. Now, it was a ruin, like the rest of the Liopasto. As Selene stepped past the jagged, blackened crystal, she felt a painful emptiness. The Goddess of Light was still in her mind, but She felt distant. Even the word didn’t quite convey the depth of the feeling, but it was the only one that came close. There were gasps from the other clerics as they stepped onto the cursed grounds of the Liopasto. Was this was what it was like for those soldiers who went into the Badlands during the War of Reclamation? No, from what Marteen told her, the Badlands were worse. Much worse. Marteen said they couldn’t feel the Goddess at all. Just feeling Her diminished touch was terrifying.
No wonder so many went insane – and why Marteen does not speak of it unless he’s very, very drunk, Selene thought to herself. From the expressions of the younger clerics, they shared her horror.
“We should begin with the old dining hall,” Robar said, stepping up next to Selene. “That should have a large, open space and its roof looks intact.” He pointed at one of the larger buildings near the center of the Liopasto.
“Why not just out here on the grounds?” one of the younger clerics asked, wary of walking further into the blasphemed grounds.
“During the battle there will be dust, smoke, ash, and other things in the air,” Robar explained. “The injured need a roof over their heads to keep contamination out.” His solemn face showed no hint of the terror running through all the other clerics.
“How are you so calm?” Selene hissed under her breath.
“This place isn’t affecting me like the rest of you,” Robar said.
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” Robar said, “And yes, that worries me. But we don’t have time to find out why.”
“Agreed. How do you want to proceed? Since you are the only one of us thinking clearly?”
“All of you stay here. Selene and I will inspect the dining hall to determine how best to cleanse the area.” The other clerics looked relieved as Robar led Selene up the path. Her husband was acting strange. He wasn’t lying to her, but he wasn’t telling her everything. Then there was his change in demeanor since coming to Lisandra. Robar was acting more dominant. First at the Sacellum and now here. It bothered her – and intrigued her. Selene pushed those thoughts away. She needed to concentrate on the task at hand.
Like the other buildings of the Liopasto, the amethyst crystal walls of the dining hall were stained black. Fractures spiraled along the walls like spider webs. Here and there were gouges in the walls and the stone floor. Shards of wood, metal, and pottery littered the floor. Looking closer, Selene realized some of the shards were bone. How did bone get those odd shades and hues? Selene instinctively reached out for the Goddess and felt Her even further away. It was like seeing a picture of the Goddess through a muslin curtain.
“What do you think about doing the purification ritual here?” Robar asked. Selene walked around the dining hall, feeling the wrongness with the old magic of the building. The taint reminded her of the ichor Rin used on Marteen’s wound. The thought made her stop. She focused on one part of the walls. A trickle of Grace came into her, and Selene reached out with the power of the Goddess to one small brick on the west wall. Sweat trickled down her forehead as Selene carefully unraveled the knot of demon taint from the wall’s embedded magic. A small tug and the brick glowed with a brilliant purple light.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING? the Goddess screamed in Selene’s mind. The strength of the Goddess’s voice drove Selene to the ground.
Trying to purify this place of the daemon taint so that we can use it as a hospital, Selene answered. There was a long moment of silence.
YOU CANNOT USE GRACE IN THAT MANNER, the Goddess said in a more reasonable tone, I WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO PROPERLY CLEANSE THESE GROUNDS. Selene’s mind was flooded with a ritual requiring all the clerics who accompanied them to the Liopasto. The ritual didn’t expel the taint as much as suppress it to let the Goddess’s Grace flow through the building.
This is the best way to cleanse this place? Selene asked.
WHAT YOU WERE DOING WOULD LEAD TO DESTRUCTION, the Goddess answered. As the Goddess’s presence left Selene, the cleric realized she was lying on the floor. Robar stood over her with a concerned look.
“What happened?” Robar asked. He helped Selene to a sitting position.
“The Goddess told me how to cleanse the dining hall,” Selene answered.
“And you practiced on that brick?” Robar asked. The brick’s brilliant glow lit up the surrounding darkness.
“No,” Selene answered. “I did that on my own, but the Goddess said that way was dangerous. She showed me the proper means.” Much to Selene’s surprise, Robar looked skeptical. He always believed her before about speaking directly with the Goddess. Robar helped Selene to her feet and then walked over to the glowing brick. He gazed at it for a long moment, almost as if basking in its purple light.
“How can that be wrong? It’s so beautiful, Selene,” Robar breathed as he continued to stare at the glowing brick. Selene’s insides fluttered as she saw the affection in Robar’s eyes. After all these years, Selene’s feelings were changing towards Robar, but she couldn’t let that happen. Not now. She needed to release Robar before she dragged him down with her in Expulsion.
“Robar, we need to talk,” Selene said. He heard something in her voice because his face went into the familiar pleasant neutral ecclesiasts used when dealing with unpleasant things. Selene took a deep breath and forced out the sentence.
“I am Expelled.”
“I know,” Robar said, simply, as if Selene had just told him that the eaves of their cottage needed dusting. He started walking back to the door.
“Wait,” Selene said sharply. Robar paused and looked back at Selene expectantly. “Expulsion is considered grounds for divorce under the Sacellum laws. I want you–”
“No,” Robar said. There was no anger in his voice, just a strong firmness.
“Robar, there’s no reason for you to continue this charade with me,” Selene said. “I saw how Etan looked at you. She would take you back.” Robar’s face tightened.
“I left that long ago,” Robar said, carefully enunciating his words. He did that when he was trying to keep his anger out of his words.
“I know you love me, but we both know I haven’t loved you like a wife should,” Selene said. That was true. Sort of. She pushed down her inner turmoil. “You should try and find that with someone.”
“Enough!” Robar snapped. A new fire burned in his eyes. Selene took a step back in surprise. In all the time they’d been married, Selene had never seen him this angry. She backed away as he did the ecclesiastical breathing exercises. After a moment, Robar’s normal countenance returned.
“Please stay here while I get the others. We need to get this hall cleansed if we’re going to set up the hospital in time.” Robar stormed out of the dining hall.
“That didn’t go well,” Selene muttered. She wasn’t good at handling people. It was one of the reasons why she became a scholar instead of an ecclesiast. She needed a stronger argument so Robar would see it was time for them to end their marriage. Didn’t she? Did she want to end their marriage?
“You can’t use a logical argument against an emotional problem,” a deep voice said from behind her. Startled, Selene spun towards the speaker. A man stood some ten feet from her. He was short for an elf at just under six feet tall. He was dressed in unfamiliar robes bound by a wide belt. Long pale blond hair spilled down past his shoulders. Bright green eyes sparkled in a face made up of sharp angles. He wasn’t handsome but rather striking in appearance.
“My apologies, paladin. I didn’t mean to startle you,” the man said.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Selene asked, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. Her first thought was the man was a Purist spy, but she quickly discarded the idea. Purists wouldn’t come on to Liopasto grounds. The man raised his hands in surrender.
“I’m a ghost,” he answered, “I had a name, but I can no longer remember it. Perhaps you would like to give me one?” Selene studied the man. Ghosts were rare, but not unheard of in the Empire. Those who knew they were ghosts were extremely rare. She read about encounters between clerics and ghosts, but there weren’t any accounts of ghosts since the Daemon War in the Sacellum archives.
“What is your purpose here?” Selene asked. If she remembered correctly, ghosts could be sent to the Goddess once their final purpose in life was accomplished.
“To bring back the magic,” the ghost answered. Selene’s eyes went wide. There were tantalizing hints on the return of natural magic in the prophecies she studied.
“Do you know how?” Selene asked the ghost, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice.
“No,” the ghost answered.
“Then why are you talking to me?”
“You can learn how.”
“How?”
“There are books to study. Books that will tell you how to bring back the magic.”
“What? Where?” Selene asked.
“Follow me,” the ghost answered and walked deeper into the Liopasto. Selene hesitated for a moment, but the temptation was just too strong. She could finally find out what the prophecies were talking about. There might even be something that would help them defeat the Purists. Selene followed the ghost through the dark and twisting corridors of the Liopasto for a few minutes before coming to a heavy wood door.
“What is this?” Selene asked.
“The Library of the Liopasto,” the ghost answered. “The repository of the collected knowledge of the Liopasto.” Sweet Goddess, the library was thought destroyed during the battle with the daemons. Her mind raced with the answers she could find on the other side of the door. Selene reached out to push the door open. A spark of purple energy and pain flashed up her arm.
“What was that?” Selene asked the ghost angrily.
“A spell,” the ghost answered, “The sorcerers of the Liopasto sealed the library before they fell.” He looked at the door, longing for what was behind the heavy wood and magic. He turned back to Selene with evident grief in his eyes.
“Do you know how to remove the spell?” Selene asked. The eagerness in the ghost’s smile frightened her, but she couldn’t leave that much knowledge. She had to recover it.
“I could remove it, but I would need magic,” the ghost said. His entire body blurred for a moment. “Apologies, it’s harder to hold myself together this far from the magic.”
“So, we need to get back to the dining hall to revitalize you?” Selene asked.
“That would take too long,” the ghost answered, “I need my soul.” He looked up at Selene with a fierce intensity. “Could I borrow a part of yours? If I had a shard of your soul, I could break the spell for you.” Selene was confused. A part of her soul? She didn’t remember any accounts where a ghost asked for a part of someone’s soul. How would her soul help the ghost? She wasn’t even sure how she could do that. She thought hard for a long moment. There was something tickling in the back of her mind. Something she read during her research on the prophecies surrounding Princess Illana’s disappearance.
“Let me borrow a shard of your soul,” the ghost repeated, more insistently. Before Selene could answer, Robar ran into the corridor.
“Selene! Get away from that creature!” Robar shouted, falling into a fighting stance. Two globes of purple light swirled and pulsed around his hands. How was Robar doing that? Selene turned back to the ghost and fell back in horror. Where the ghost stood just an instant before there was now an eight-foot monster of twisting blacks and grays. Her eyes hurt looking at it. Out of instinct, she drew her sword and slid back to the wall.
“Interloper! You have made a foolish mistake,” the thing that had been the ghost rasped, “I will make you suffer for millennia before I grant your death.” Selene closed her eyes and prayed to the Goddess. She could barely feel the Goddess’s Grace, but Selene pushed through as hard as she could.
Please Goddess, help me defeat this monster. The Goddess answered. Selene’s sword burst with brilliant white light. The monster swiveled back to her. Selene felt its presence beating down on her mind. Selene slid across the floor and lunged with her glowing sword. She didn’t see the monster move. One instant she was attacking, the next she was slammed into the wall gasping for breath. The darkness in the walls pulsed sympathetically. As Selene worked to get her breath back, Robar appeared between the monster and her.
“I am going to destroy you,” Robar said in a cool voice.
“Youngling, you have no idea how to use that bit of power you’re holding,” the monster taunted. “I have less to fear from you than I do your bitch deity.” The monster’s words sent a chill down Selene’s spine. Was the Goddess’s Grace useless against this monster?
Robar said nothing. He just held up his hands. His face contorted into a rictus of concentration. The monster laughed and moved closer. Selene was blinded by a brilliant purple light before being deafened by a roar. It took several moments before she could see and hear a little. As her vision cleared, she saw Robar on the ground. The monster was several yards down the hall, but it was striding towards them. Selene stumbled to her feet and stood over her husband. Fear ran through her as the monster took a step towards her. Her sword thrummed as the Goddess fed more Grace through Selene’s prayer. The monster stopped as the blade grew brighter. Pain and fear fell away as the Goddess’s Grace filled her.
DESTROY IT NOW! The Goddess’s voice rang inside her head. Selene charged the monster. It looked confused, as if it couldn’t understand why Selene was attacking. It didn’t even move as she brought her blade down. The monster screamed and flailed as the blade bit into it. Selene fell into the sword dance Marteen taught her years ago. The rhythm of the dance movements took over as she slid past the monster’s attacks to its flank. Selene felt the Grace surrounding the blade change subtly. There was no time to try and understand what was happening. Selene saw the opening, and she plunged the glowing blade into the monster’s side. The monster changed. Its body darkened.
“What did you do?” the monster screamed, “How did you anchor me to this world?” Selene didn’t understand what the monster was talking about, so she stayed silent. The Grace on the blade changed again, and Selene closed for the kill. The monster punched Selene. Her ribs groaned with the strike, but she rolled off the punch just like Marteen taught her. Seeing an opening, she sliced up. Bright white light glowed from the monster’s crotch to its shoulder where Selene’s blade cut its body. The monster paused an instant before it slumped to the ground. Selene’s eyes grew wide in shock as the body dissolved. In a few seconds, nothing was left. What under the Goddess was that thing? Her thoughts stopped as she heard a groan from Robar.
“Robar? Are you hurt?” Selene asked, crouching next to her husband.
“The book was right,” Robar murmured. “I never believed it would happen in my time.”
“What? What book? What are you talking about?” Selene asked, shaking Robar. He grunted and finally looked at her.
“Nothing. Don’t worry,” Robar said. “I’m fine. That just took more out of me than I expected. I should be back to normal in a few minutes.” Selene’s concern turned to anger in an instant.
“What under the Light just happened, Robar? What did you do?” Selene demanded.
“Magic,” he answered, “Natural magic.” Before she could question him further, the other clerics flooded the corridor. A pleading look from Robar silenced the question on Selene’s tongue. She followed the group back to the dining hall for the cleansing ritual. Selene would have a long talk with her husband once the Purists were dealt with.
Chapter Nineteen
