A Real Goddess Would Let Nobody Die

"Unit 119 may approach to offer worship," the 'cleric' announced.

There were a thousand people from their camp collected here, but Yonen could only afford to worry about one of them. He looked down at his son. Kovi was scared stiff, for good reason. Even a three-year-old knew that the less you crossed paths with the false gods, the better, but there was no avoiding worship during the harvest festival, now that Kovi was old enough.

It wasn't helping that Kovi could tell that his parents were anxious. Elli was doing an even worse job of hiding it than Yonen.

"It'll be okay," Yonen whispered quickly, to reassure them both. And himself. At least they hadn't been split up yet, thank the Goddess. "Just remember: Only look at the ground, and lay down like we practiced right when they say."

They couldn't afford to dawdle now that their Unit had been called, but Kovi still wasn't moving.

"We can't carry you," Elli whispered, as urgently as Yonen had. "They'll be mad that you didn't come on your own. We need to move."

The elders of Unit 119 had bought the family as much time as they could--there was a limit to how much age could excuse. Yonen nudged his son, and was relieved that he finally started walking, under his own power.

Yonen and Elli nodded quickly in thanks to the three elders who waited to follow them. It was never good to be last. Being last looked too much like being least eager.

A short walk later, and the people of Unit 119 were assembled before the viewing platform, staring always at the dirt, never at the platform.

"You are in the presence of divinity," the 'cleric' intoned. "You may pay your respects."

Yonen delayed just enough to confirm that Kovi had lain flat, nose to the dirt, as they'd practiced. Good. There would be no cause for the false gods to notice them.

"Cleric," the Patriarch said, and Yonen's heart fell. Who had made him take interest? The poor bastard. "That juvenile toward the end, the male one. Bring it here."

Yonen's ears were ringing. What?! Did he mean Kovi?! What had he done?! His form was perfect! Yonen had checked!

What should he do? What could he do? Speaking or moving right now would--No! Elli!

"That is the mother, yes? Restrain it, for now. And is that one the father? At least it has one civilized parent."

Doing anything here, now, was pointless. And, nothing actually bad had happened to Kovi yet. Calm. Patience. Wait.

Yonen couldn't tell what was happening, staring at the ground, but it was not long until he heard the Patriarch's voice again.

"Hmm, yes, as I thought. Weak, of course, but still. Do you see it, grandson?"

"Yes. Blue, right? A new divinity, but tainted by its mundane origins?"

Oh no. No no no no no.

"Right, well spotted! It has been many generations since Limbot has had such a case. Bring his father."

Yonen shuffled forward, eyes to the ground.

"You have the honor of fathering this boy who has manifested fresh divinity. Be proud. Certainly, his deplorable mother deserves none of the credit. We shall take him into our care. Although he himself is tainted, he may father untainted children. We shall see."

There was nothing he could do. Not right now.

"Ah!" The Patriarch clapped his hands. "I nearly forgot! He shall need a name!"

Kovi has a name.

"Papa..." Kovi whimpered.

Yonen definitely wasn't allowed to speak without permission. Was he allowed to look at Kovi? He wasn't sure.

Screw it, he would plead ignorance.

He looked over at his son, smiled, and nodded. 'It will be alright,' he lied with body language.

Or maybe it wouldn't be a lie. There was someone Who might be able to help.

----

For the seventh consecutive night, Yonen prayed as hard as he could. It was risky, and unlikely to work. In his entire life, the True Goddess had only answered him once. But, this was the only thing he could do that had any chance of being more than useless, counterproductive suicide. He had to try.

Hours later, his faith was finally rewarded.

He felt the Goddess' Love just as he had once before, and he could hear Her voice, although it was too muffled and garbled to make out, just like last time, just like it always was for everyone.

Yonen started trying to describe what had happened, mixing images and words, and could tell that She was Listening, since Her voice stopped. No one needed special permission to speak to the True Goddess. When She could hear, She always Listened.

He did not know if She would be able to do anything, but he did know that the Patriarch was afraid of the idea of Her. No one else could do anything, that was for sure. He hoped Elli was still alive.

When he finished, the Goddess spoke again, and to Yonen's surprise, he could make out one of Her words.

<...help...>

After one last surge of Her Love, Her presence left him.

Aside from being grateful that the True Goddess not only Listened to him, but cared, even cared enough to speak his own language, Yonen didn't know what to make of it. Was She going to be able to help?! Was She saying that She couldn't help?! Was She sending help?! What had the rest been?!

It was dangerous to hope for anything at all, Yonen knew, but he found himself hoping that maybe She might even be able to help both Kovi and Elli. He strangled that feeling quickly. Not only might it cause disappointment, but walking around looking like he still had hope would be suspicious. The supervisors knew what had happened.

Yonen sat agonizing over everything for some time, until out of nowhere, Her voice rang out in his head, as clear as if the Goddess were in the room!

<Hello. I serve the Red Goddess as Her Messenger. She has sent me to you, because She believes that we can help you.>

Yonen couldn't help sobbing, but tried to keep it as quiet as possible. The Messenger waited. Yonen was frustrated with himself, at how much time he was wasting.

After he was able to get himself under control, he asked, <You are not Her? Are You also a Goddess?>

<No,> the Messenger replied. <I was born on this world, the same as you were. She made me into Her Messenger.>

Now that was a real honor, to be chosen by the True Goddess and given Her powers. Being 'chosen' by one of the fakes was a curse.

<She wants you to know that She has not forgotten you, and will never forget,> the voice continued. <She never forgets anyone or anything. But, there are many who wish to speak to Her, and She can Listen to only a few at a time.>

That made sense. Yonen was well aware that he was far from the only person who needed Her.

There was no more time to waste. <What should I do?>

<First, tell me exactly what happened. The Red Goddess understood that your family has been taken from you, and suspects that it is because your son has divine power, but that is all She was able to learn.>

Yonen told her everything.

<I understand the situation,> the Messenger replied, when he finished. <I cannot promise that we will be able to keep your family together, but I can promise that we will try. There is a chance. It will take some time, perhaps a week or more. Do not lose hope, and do not do anything rash in the meantime. You have done well, so far. There is hope for your family, because you have kept your head.>

That there was any hope at all was a miracle.

<Who do you mean by 'we'? Who are you?>

<'We' are those who serve the True Goddesses, on our world. I am sorry that I cannot tell you more about us, or our plan. It is not that I do not trust you. The problem is that it would not be possible for you to keep secrets, if you were questioned seriously. I can tell you about the True Goddesses, Their Creed, and the Prophesy of Twilight. Would you like to hear?>

So, there were multiple Goddesses.

<Yes, I would.>

----

Normally, being specifically called by a supervisor, by name, would be a very, very bad omen, but Yonen had been waiting for something like this to happen for five days. He shuffled over, trying to look as worried as he would normally be. It wasn't difficult.

"You Yonen?"

"Yes." One word answers, to the point.

"You have the honor of being called by the Patriarch himself. Come with us."

Yonen was nervous, but it was normal to be nervous when this kind of thing happened. Yonen's nervousness was of a different kind than usual, but he hoped it would pass.

After an hour, they reached the false gods' palace. Experience was screaming at him to get away, but Yonen swallowed his fear. Bad things would not happen here today. The True Goddesses were on his side. His family's side.

"Wait here," the leader of the supervisors said, before entering the palace.

Soon, Elli was dragged over, from the opposite direction. It was now clear that this really was the beginning of whatever the Messenger had planned, and Yonen would have been thrilled, except for the state that Elli was in. The only good news was that she was still alive.

'Don't mess it up now,' he thought to himself, loosening his fists. 'You haven't been given permission to speak, and asking how she is won't make things better, anyway. Patience.'

Some time later, an attendant dressed in full black livery brought Kovi out of the palace, followed soon after by the Patriarch.

"Papa!" Kovi called, then noticed his mother. Yonen saw no more, because as much as he wanted to go to his son, the Patriarch was right there. He needed to get on the ground, hope Elli would be willing and able to do the same, and hope Kovi wouldn't be too upset about his mother's state.

"Good," the Patriarch said. "You have learned respect. I am glad. It would not do for Razkorel to have only one parent who abides by basic etiquette."

It was good that Elli had apparently managed to satisfy the Patriarch, but as relieved as Yonen was that hearing their son's fake name hadn't triggered her to do anything stupid, he worried that it might be because her spirit had broken. Or her body.

He hoped it was because she could tell that something was odd.

Thankfully, it seemed that Kovi either knew better than to speak--maybe he had been warned by the attendant?--or was shocked into silence.

"Now," the Patriarch paced in front of Yonen and Elli as he spoke, "a divine lineage of the most illustrious rank--" He sighed dramatically. "That means 'very high.'" Yonen knew what it meant. It was one of the false gods' favorite words. "A very high-ranked lineage has expressed interest in Razkorel. To establish good relations with such a distinguished lineage is a precious opportunity." A half-beat later, the Patriarch added, "For Razkorel."

He turned, and kept pacing.

"In order to confirm that Razkorel is of respectable origins, they have asked to see his mundane parents."

The Patriarch stopped his pacing, turned toward Yonen and Elli, and made a threat.

"You will not waste this opportunity. You will behave yourselves. It is in Razkorel's best interests that this meeting goes well."

He inspected Yonen and Elli, still lying facedown on the ground, and eventually was satisfied.

"Good," he said, mimicking his idea of a kindly grandfather, "admit them."

Yonen couldn't see what was happening, only able to stare at the ground, but he could tell that an enchanted vehicle or two had driven near to the entrance, and that a large group of people was approaching.

"I am Immur," a man's voice said, "husband to Tyri, Matriarch Keyic. I wish to enter the domain of the Limbot divine lineage, in order to discuss the future of Razkorel, born of that illustrious lineage's worshippers."

'Have faith in the Goddesses and Their Messenger,' Yonen told himself. 'This will turn out fine.'

"You are welcome, Immur of Keyic," the Patriarch responded. "Let us discuss the future of Razkorel." He turned toward Yonen and Elli. "As you requested, the boy's parents are here. The father is well-bred. The mother had an unfortunate breach of etiquette recently, but as you can see, she has learned not to be disrespectful."

"Yes, I can see what your methods have achieved," Immur said, nearby now. "They know just how divine you truly are. Most impressive. Now, let's have a look at the boy."

There was a shuffling, as Kovi was brought over.

"Hmm. Your assessment was astute. He is weak, but he will do. We can't be choosy, with such humble origins."

"I did wonder about your daughter's marriage." The Patriarch was breathlessly giddy from greed and flattery. "The Zyzz Heir is power-marked, sure, but mixing colors? Imagine, Keyic of all lineages potentially having no blue heirs! No, it is unimaginable! How clever of you, wise, to prepare a backup. Razkorel will be old enough, if necessary, just in time."

Yonen had never hated anyone as much as he hated the Patriarch, right now. He would hate this Immur, too, but he had a feeling...

"Indeed. We are certain that this arrangement is important to ensuring that Keyic remains the preeminent blue lineage for eternity. Say, I see that the boy's parents are so well-behaved, and I've had an idea. He is so young--surely he would adjust better if they came along? I brought the item we agreed upon, but what do you think about modifying the deal, and adding the boy's parents? You better than anyone know that we have many other exquisite pieces. Let us know what would make a suitable offering, and we'll send it over? What do you say?"

The Messenger's mark was all over this. Yonen struggled to stay calm.

"Oh? What would be available? You wouldn't try to dump something empty on me so I need to pay you to charge it, would you? Hahaha!"

The fake god's fake laugh made Yonen's skin crawl.

"Aha, no! You know, I can't be bothered to put another list together. Do me a favor and pick another from the list we offered for the boy? You know they are all one-of-a-kind! You can surely find something else suitable."

"Perfect, perfect! I already know what I'd like." Of course he did. "I had a hard time turning down that shield generator. It's really an impressive piece."

"Aha, you do have good taste! A fine choice! Done!" Immur turned toward Yonen and Elli. "Now, you two rise and join our attendants. They will get you cleaned up enough to ride in the transport. She is your responsibility. Make sure you stay with her. I will bring your son over."

Perhaps Yonen was reading too much into it, but he appreciated that Immur had used his son's fake name as little as possible, and his 'commands' seemed more like giving Yonen excuses.

"Do you have possessions that you need to retrieve, or can we leave immediately?" Immur asked. "It would be best if we can leave now, so that the Patriarch gets his shield generator as soon as possible! And, so we can get you all to your new home."

"Yes, yes, that's true!" the Patriarch said before Yonen could reply. "Rest assured, they have nothing important. I'm sorry to see you turn around so soon, but it is for the best to get Razkorel to his new home as soon as possible, isn't it?"

For once, Yonen agreed with the Patriarch. In fact, he had never more strongly agreed with anything than that it was time to leave now. He collected Elli, who had no idea what was going on but knew better than to complain, and walked toward the attendants wearing blue uniforms.

----

There Yonen was, sitting in an enchanted transport for the first time in his life, his son on his lap, and his half-dead wife receiving healing, and not from some second-rate item, either. This was the kind of miracle that only True Goddesses could achieve. He had no idea where they were heading, but it couldn't be any worse than where they were leaving. He had a hunch that it was a whole lot better.

After they had been on the road for a few minutes, the Messenger's voice rang out once more, in Yonen's head.

<Hello again,> the Messenger said. <To minimize suspicion, you will not hear from me again, but I want to assure you that everything has gone according to plan. You are safe now, heading to a safe place, and will never be separated. Your companions are all trustworthy, including Immur.>

Yonen shook his head. How was he going to explain this to Elli? 'The Goddess sent a Messenger who worked a miracle, just go with it.'

Before he could say anything, Elli spoke quietly.

"She spoke to me, Yonen." Of course She did. "She was just like you said. I could feel Her Love."

<Thank you,> he told the Messenger. She would surely pass it along.

----

Zyriko leaned back in his chair and continued watching Suri work. It was starting to look like a tunic, now.

<It went well?> she asked.

<Flawlessly. We got the whole family, even the mother. Your father must have done well.>

They couldn't save every family like this--it would be suspicious to buy up random families for no apparent reason but to keep them from being split up, and there was no way they could liberate the entire population by buying everyone--but there was a plausible explanation for why the Keyics might have wanted this one.

Imitating the Red Goddess' voice felt more than a little blasphemous, but She had insisted that it was the best way to minimize suspicion if anyone he spoke to as Her Messenger were ever caught. Who would ever connect a woman who sounded like she might be the Red Goddess' daughter with Zyriko of Keyic?

Soon, it would be time to find someone else who wanted to hear the Goddesses' Message. He just had to pace himself and pick his spots for now, so that no one connected Zyriko moving into a new home with a sudden burst of activity by a mysterious Messenger, limited to the same continent.

<So, Limbot is phase one?>

Zyriko smiled. If he didn't know better, he'd think his wife was an imperialist warmonger.

<Such unfortunate geography, to find oneself on the shortest path between Zyzz and Keyic. What choice do power-hungry tyrants have? How can we be expected to tolerate the indignity of asking their permission every time we need to travel between our domains? Especially if we need to put down a revolt for them?>

Suri nodded as she worked, and Zyriko felt her ambition flare.

<Plus, we need to get our precious items back,> Zyriko added. <They're one-of-a-kind.>

The best part of Suri's giggle was the pride that flowed through the link alongside it.