A Real Goddess Would Let Nobody Die

"Bicentas!" Suri's mother greeted her Emmoyer counterpart, from her office. "It's always a pleasure. Much as I would love to chat, my secretary says your call seems urgent? Shall we skip the pleasantries?"

Zyriko smirked. People without red magic would probably believe that this really was a call with an old family friend.

"'Are we private, Tyri?'" Sieniel spoke the Emmoyer Matriarch's words.

"It is only me, and my secretary operating the communicator."

There was concern in the Keyic Matriarch's voice, now--feigned, of course--so that Sieniel didn't need to fabricate a more convincing scene to transmit to the non-mage at the other end of the communicator link. Suri and Her mother were so disturbingly believable in these performances that they never failed to give Zyriko chills. Without his red magic, he would wonder whether he might be the one being deceived.

"Sieniel has always been an exemplar for our worshippers, but I could ask my son-in-law to step in, if you prefer?"

That son-in-law covered his mouth to suppress a snort, in order to keep Sieniel's job as easy as possible.

Suri had rejected the Emmoyer Matriarch's grandson. Multiple times. Zyriko's mother-in-law was enjoying herself.

"'No, no, I--It's fine, this way."' Apparently, whoever was simulating a red mage on the other end was not skilled at modifying what they sent through the link, or was letting the Matriarch's nervous awkwardness through on purpose. Perhaps the standing 'divine edict' was that 'the words of the goddess' must be transmitted verbatim?

"I must say, you have me worried, Bicentas. Speak freely. Father would come back to haunt me if I turned away his lifelong friend."

Even if he weren't able to sense her sarcasm, Zyriko would know better. Suri's grandfather had died when She was a girl, and according to Her, one of his chief regrets had been that he would never have the opportunity to attend the Emmoyer Matriarch's funeral.

"He would regret not being here to answer your call himself. I will make sure he can rest easy."

Pffft.

"'Yes...We all do miss him...'" Bicentas hesitated one more time, before finally disclosing the reason for her call. "'It is nothing too important, but it seems that some of our worshippers have...wandered off and gotten lost. We have performed a thorough search, but there is no sign of any of them.'"

"I see. It can be difficult to find only a few people, even with a large search party."

"'...That's...true, but--.'" Sieniel didn't mimic the Emmoyer Matriarch's swallow, but she didn't need to. "'What concerns us is that it is an unusually large number.'"

"Unusually large? Dozens?!" Truly enjoying herself.

"'...A few hundred, it seems.'"

Closer to two thousand, actually, by Zyriko's count, with the first party leaders hearing from the Messenger during pre-dawn prayers. The right people needed only a little reassurance, some help avoiding supervisors, and directions to a safe destination, to enable their escape. Zyriko's ability to split his attention was the primary limitation. He could contact, guide, and watch over only so many parties at a time, and none could be too large, to minimize the risk of discovery. At least the Red Goddess was able to help with some parts.

"A few hundred lost?" The Keyic Matriarch paused to feign careful thought. "They must be in the jungle."

"'Yes, that is what we suspect. And...we wonder if they may have crossed the border...'"

She paused, evidently hoping that Suri's mother would pick up on what she wanted and spare her the shame of asking outright, but the Keyic Matriarch simply waited. Inclinations toward petty torment aside, it was best not to appear too eager, and for the idea to come unambiguously from the Emmoyer side.

"'...We were hoping that you might...search the border region, in the jungle?'"

In a way, this was inconvenient. If the Emmoyer Matriarch's embarrassment continued to cause her to seek help from Keyic privately, instead of making a general plea to all of her neighbors, it would hinder Keyic's plan for establishing plausible deniability, once the revolt began in earnest.

But at the same time, what a helpful invitation...

"I will muster search parties immediately," the Keyic Matriarch pledged. "Shall we also search in the east, in the coastal forest? The jungle is Keyic's home. If not even we can find your missing worshippers, then what chance would your people have? Ah, that reminds me! Do be sure to tell them not to hassle my people if they cross paths, mmm?"

"'Yes, yes! You are welcome to search the east, also, and I will be sure to tell everyone that Keyic personnel have been invited.'"

After some relieved farewells, the Emmoyer Matriarch disconnected.

"I will inform Vavilly that the plan did not survive contact with our enemy's insecurity and incompetence," Suri's mother said, already standing near the door. "Limbot was always going to be the difficult part of this operation, anyway, and on that axis, free movement along Emmoyer's east is too valuable to decline. Can you update Suri?"

"Already started," Zyriko answered.

When he finished, Suri said, <Understood. I will let Yonen know that people from Limbot will arrive sooner than expected, next time he brings someone by. He will be glad.>

Zyriko cycled through the current set of fugitives. These would be the last, since night was coming soon. All were close to their platforms.

When he was done, Suri asked, <How are you holding up?>

Zyriko leaned back in his chair.

On the bench in the garden, he had asked that they speak openly with each other, and in return, Suri had always given perfect, blunt honesty. She had listed this mutual honesty as one of the things She loved about being married to him.

So, <I am exhausted,> Zyriko admitted. <My mana is fine. It's the mental strain: checking that everyone is safe, talking to them one after another, remembering who is who and where they are and what I've already said to them, managing nerves. But, do not worry about me. I have been waiting for this day for years. The people walking a league to escape, in grave danger, entrusting everything they care about to me, are more exhausted than I have ever been. Worry about them.>

Suri did not immediately respond. Zyriko could tell that She had more to say, but as always, She preferred to think it through carefully, first.

His patience had been another item on Suri's list.

While he waited, Zyriko cycled once more through the groups he was currently guiding. A few needed instructions on how to use the platforms.

<You receive a smaller share of the credit than you deserve,> Suri declared. <It bothers Me. Everyone is grateful, but the problem is that you're not down here with Me, and that you are anonymous. Once they see Me, the people you help forget that you're the one doing all the real work, and they have no way to understand how hard you are working.>

<You're cleaning diapers, right now.>

<What of it? All I have to do is be close to them. The smell doesn't even reach My nose!> Suri insisted. <So, because no one sees you, you become secondary, and gratitude for what you did ends up mostly transferred to Me. None of it is anyone's fault, but still, it bothers Me. Unfairness bothers Me.>

Said the literal Goddess of Fairness.

<You want to show me off?> Zyriko joked.

<Yes! I want to...drag you down here and...I want everyone to see. I want them to know that it's a real person who's helping them, not just 'the Messenger,' some disembodied voice from the sky. It's not fair!>

Suri and Her principles...

<I have no complaints about how my life is going.> None. At. All. <Besides, it's for the best. The Messenger makes first contact, on behalf of the Red Goddess. I need to establish that connection, for people to trust me. So, the Messenger needs to be completely anonymous, and the more of an afterthought she is, the better, to suppress rumors. You being 'the Sky Goddess' can be explained away, but not me being the Red Goddess' Messenger.>

<I know!> Suri growled. <That's why I've kept letting it happen. It still bothers Me!>

Zyriko just sent love through the link in reply.

<Love you too,> She grumped.

He smiled. <Amazing! All of a sudden, I'm a little less tired!>

<Love. You. Too. Make sure you, at least, never forget how much credit you deserve,> Suri ordered.

There was something else bothering Her, and this time, Zyriko could tell exactly what it was. He prepared his reply while Suri Suri'd. The last two groups were both at the point of finding the exact positions of their hidden platforms. They would be safe.

<I am worshipped,> Suri said, at last. <Completely sincerely. Total devotion. Full religious adoration. It's as intense as anything in the Dome.>

Zyriko was well aware. What had been happening in Her Armory was not subtle, to red magic.

<I know what the Goddesses say,> She continued. <It helps to keep people from feeling like they only take and never give. It's what happens when a Goddess does a good job. I understand and accept all of that; it's all true. And, I do want to be Who these people need Me to be. I want to provide those feelings of hope, and security, empower the oppressed and remind them that they are valuable. I want to serve as an 'address for prayers,' like the White Goddess says. Every speck of blue in this place, every item, is here because I have always wanted to be a real Goddess. I accepted the Goddesses' invitation, fully aware of what I was accepting, the enormity of it, and I'm glad I did. I knew this would happen. I would do it all the same way again.>

<And none of what You just said makes such heavy expectations lighter. You are now the single most important shield against despair, for everyone who has placed their faith in You today, and they are only the first wave. You are surrounded by people perceiving You as goodness personified, and as their sole source of protection from evil. You must, forever, avoid even a single poorly considered word, a single irritable or dismissive moment, any indication of weakness or vulnerability or uncertainty or fallibility. You are the Blue Goddess and have accepted that, but the Blue Goddess is currently 'just' a twenty-six year old immortal with magic powers, and even Goddesses can feel a little weird and pressured in the face of sincere worship. Even the Violet Goddess had to push through embarrassment at first.>

<I really, truly, deeply love that you can do that,> Suri said.

Yeah...Zyriko could feel that. Oof. Push through the blue haze...

<For thousands of years, the Goddesses never selected a single blue mage to join Them,> he reminded Her. <They know how challenging it is, to walk the line that You need to walk, and be Who You need to be. They know how utterly profound this level of responsibility is. They know better than anyone that people with the right combination of confidence, humility, commitment, and talent to be infallibly conscientious and compassionate, every moment of every day for eternity, are vanishingly rare. It is not possible to simulate that strength of character; it needs to be innate and authentic. Fully aware of all of this, fully aware of what They were doing, They showed You the Radiant Mantle, and called You Sister.>

He paused briefly to let Her think that over.

<Have You been acting today?> he asked, when She was ready. <Done or said anything except what came naturally to You? Faked Your powers? Did You steal anything, and present it as Yours? Tell anyone that You are something You are not? Have You deceived anyone in any way?>

<...No,> Suri answered. <All Me. All Mine. All genuine.>

<And behold the results! Do what You can do, be Yourself, and You will be fine: that person is universally perceived to be the infallibly compassionate, benevolent Goddess of Prosperity, because She is. Someone Who can be counted on to answer prayers whenever and wherever She can, because She does.>

Zyriko hoped that the Black Goddess wouldn't consider this to be plagiarism.

<...Thank you, Zyriko. I'm sorry to add to your strain,> Suri said. <Now, let Me remind you of something. When the Goddesses showed Me the Radiant Mantle, They told Me to make two copies.>

Zyriko smiled. <You won't always need to carry the weight of those expectations alone.>

Encouraged by his answer, Suri made a proposal.

<I've been thinking today, it would be a practical help, like with fatigue and memory, if you wore a copy. You could run operations like this one for days at a time, without suffering much. That could save lives. Maybe you should put one on a bit sooner than planned? You could take it off and age when you don't need the effect, if you wanted.>

Zyriko thought it over. It did make sense, but, <Making it would cost a month of Your time, and You will have things to do in the aftermath.>

<Yes, I just mean as soon as possible, not immediately.>

Hmmm...Still, he was reluctant to slow his aging even a little, since--

<You're not too young for Me, certainly not by the time I finish it.>

Zyriko blinked a few times. Suri had some ulterior motives for this idea of Hers, didn't She?