ALL NOVEL Advent – Chapter 43: Divine Punishment
Aperio regarded the crowd for a moment longer before she closed the small distance that separated her from the unconscious heap of a man that was Natio. A small wave of her hand righted the bound man and caused him to float just above the ground. The ropes that restrained him had lost a bit of their heat, probably so Natio would not be cooked alive. Not the he doesn't deserve it.
"This is Natio," Aperio said. "Advocate for murder and enslavement of innocents. For his transgressions he has been stripped of his status as a God and awaits judgement by you. Whatever you decide his sentence will be, I will carry out."
The gathered people in front of her gave each other confused glances, seemingly not that comfortable with judging an ex-god. It took a while longer before they started to talk amongst themselves, low murmurs that, while audible, were not understood by Aperio.
What she did understand, however, was the touch of her daughter's magic brushing past the edges of her mind. The slightly bloodied cut in her dress had not gone unnoticed and, while Ferio did not look overly concerned, there was an urgency to her magic that belied her outward appearance.
It was clear that she did not like her mother getting injured, likely fearing a repeat of what had made her disappear in the first place. Aperio could understand the worry, appreciate it even, but in this case it was not warranted. Something told her that getting stabbed – even in the heart – would not be as lethal as it was supposed to be.
Once she had reassured her daughter that she was indeed fine, there came another question. Apparently that her dress was still ripped was weird. Aperio could only tilt her head at the comment. Am I supposed to fix it now? I don't have what I need to sew with me. Aperio pushed the thoughts from her mind; she would deal with her clothing situation after the people present decided on what should happen to Natio.
That was until she remembered that she no longer needed such trivial tools to fix things. Simply willing her dress to be whole again did, sadly, not work. Going through the motions of sewing it back together in her mind, the string replaced with a thin thread of mana, however, did. Her magically conjured fabric blended seamlessly into the dress, leaving no trace that there was ever even the tiniest tear in it. Maybe I should make a whole dress like this.
Or maybe not? The people were still staring at the bound and floating form, only the occasional murmur breaking the silence. Do they want him to go free? ...Or are they scared he will punish them?
"Do you not wish him to answer for what he has done?" Aperio grabbed the man by the throat after her words; if they did not want to deliver a punishment, she would do it herself. "Then I will judge him."
Her action caused Kario to step forwards with head slightly lowered. "How are we supposed to punish a God? He will just kill us once you are gone."
Aperio tilted her head at the question. "Did you not see the notification?"
He gave a hesitant nod in reply, seemingly not quite understanding why it was of importance.
"Then you should know that Natio is no longer a God. He is a normal mortal now." She poked at him with her magic, trying to get a feeling for his strength. After she had removed the seed of the System, the man seemed to have almost no mana anymore. "He is likely weaker than Laelia's child now." The girl had not even flinched after she had ran into Aperio, something the winged Goddess was fairly sure would hurt without some form of magical aid. Only my voice hurt her, visibly at least. I should have really asked Ferio for help with that.
Her answer brought an eerie silence to the onlookers and caused their eyes to wander to the man she still held by the throat. The amount of attention it required to not accidentally squash the man was quite unnerving for Aperio, but ignoring it was not an option in this case. Only once they have made up their minds. Or leave it to me.
Kario obviously wanted to say something, as his mouth continued to open and close, but despite his efforts no sound managed to emerge from his lips. Then, the silver-furred Beastkin put his hand to the man's shoulder, and Aperio perked up. She felt a bit of mana flow from the Beastkin into the nervous Human, and in order to spare the proper amount of mental attention to the phenomenon she let go of Natio, allowing his unconscious form to resume hovering.
The intent of the magic was much like what Ferio had done with Laelia and herself once before. A calming presence, soothing to the troubled mind. Seeing it done by a mortal would normally not have made the Elven Goddess worry too much, but the concerning part was the corresponding pull of the System on her mana.
If someone used this magic to soothe the mind of another, what would stop them from using it to influence people in other ways? That the Gods and Goddesses of the world could do it was bad enough already, but at least with them she now knew for certain she could do something. But should I?
Further thoughts were interrupted as Natio started to wake in his bonds. He strained against the ropes for a moment before he noticed the people watching him and stopped. She felt the little mana he had left struggle to move through his body, trying to follow what he wanted to do. It was obvious that, whatever it was that he was attempting, it was too much for what remained of his power. His eyes widened as he, too, realised that fact.
Aperio could feel how his breathing quickened, how his muscles tensed whenever someone moved or even looked at him. She also felt him freeze up when she stepped next to him, and wince when she addressed the crowd. "What will his punishment be?"
Natio renewed his struggles against the ropes that held him, only for them to ignite again, eliciting a pained hiss from the fallen God. Aperio felt a spark of joy at the man’s pain that deeply unnerved her. She did not want to enjoy it but something within her saw things differently. The struggle between two parts of her mind – between what she felt, and what she wanted – was familiar, and in a rush it brought with it memories she had never wanted to remember.
The smell of iron and rust and dusty mold as the guards took her from her cell. The uncomfortable enjoyment of being able to lie on an actual bed, with a mattress and sheets that, though dirty, were vastly superior to anything else she might have had, before the joy was taken away from her with the bite of the rope that bound her. The way her own body moved of its own accord, forced to pleasure them all. Repeatedly. And the disgust, the nausea at the realization that, on some level, something within her was enjoying it. How her entire being shuddered with pleasure – one that she did not know was genuine or collar-dictated – at the act. Her mind screamed for it to stop, but her mouth only spurred them on in their vile acts.
And now, she recalled everything. Every detail shone with more clarity than it ever had before. The tiny voice that had asked how she had been able to stay sane during an entire lifetime as a slave was suddenly drowned out in a deluge of unwanted images and sensations, all of which were as real to her as the moment in which she had lived them.
There was something in her that took pleasure in the pain of others. It was something she did not want – even if the other might potentially deserve it. Upon recognizing it, she wholeheartedly rejected the feeling, shoving it deep down within her where it would remain unacted upon. Unfelt. Where it belonged. She had recently begun to trust her newfound instincts a little more, but she would have to seriously reevaluate that notion now.
The touch of a hand on her shoulder ripped Aperio from her thoughts and caused her to turn her head. Ferio was standing next to her, eyes full of what Aperio could guess was concern. Instead of speaking, she sent a questioning magical nudge. The form of communication conveyed more feelings of worry than mere words ever could. Aperio tried her best to dissuade her daughter's worries, trying to tell her that it was just a bad memory.
The mention of her past had been the wrong decision.
Aperio could feel the heat rising around Ferio, could see the hands of her daughter quiver with barely constrained rage. It only lasted for a moment, however. Ferio released a heavy breath that briefly heated the immediate area enough to make Natio release a pained growl.
"We will need to have another talk, mother," Ferio said quietly.
Aperio simply nodded in reply; she, too, still had some questions. The people in front of them had distanced themselves a bit from Ferio, but otherwise did not seem to mind the rather ungodly exchange very much at all. Or they think that they will get punished if they do something despite me having asked? But, they don't look particularly scared.
As silence still reigned, Aperio chose to direct the attention back to the topic at hand: What to do with Natio. "If you do not want to decide his sentence, I could bring him before one of your [Judicators]. Or deliver a punishment that I see fit."
"I not think we be of much help," Laelia said. "What right we have to judge actions of a God?"
Aperio had to pause at the question. In her mind they had every right to judge what a God was doing, but actually doing so had probably gotten people killed in the past. So if I start punishing other Gods, they will get even more scared of me, won't they? ...Is that why Vigil and Inanis tried to kill me? Because I did something that could not go unpunished?
She shook off the memories of the past with a twitch of her head. "You have every right to judge someone for doing wrong. No matter if they are a God, Goddess or something else."
Laelia seemed hesitant, wanting to ask something, which she only did after Aperio gestured for her to continue. "Even you?"
"Yes? Why would I be the exception?"
The eyes of her paladin slowly alternated from the very silent form of Natio back to Aperio. "Because you just stripped a God of his might as if it was nothing?"
Aperio wanted to object. That it was not nothing, she had been stabbed after all. But that only happened because I did not know what I should do. Because I was hesitant. In truth, stripping Natio's godhood had been easy, disgustingly so. But that was because it came from the System. Not all deities depend on that, right?
A quick, almost panicked, magically aided question to her daughter got her an answer. No, not every God or Goddess depends on the System, but a significant number do. Then can I also just make someone a God? The thought was pushed down again very quickly. She did not trust herself enough to start making Gods and Goddesses. Or did I already? Laelia's blessing was far greater in its scope than what Vigil had given her and Aperio herself still did not understand how any of it worked. I might have.
"If I do something you find objectionable, I expect you to inform me," Aperio replied. "But now, what should happen to Natio?"
The man stiffened at the mention of his name. Maybe he had hoped that they would somehow forget about him while they talked about Aperio's rather simple philosophy. The rest of the people had also remained quiet, almost suspiciously so, but now they were again quietly talking amongst themselves. Despite the length of time in which they had to deliberate, none of them had as yet dared to address Aperio's question. The lack of input from the people that Natio had wanted to kill started to get on her nerves, something she knew should not happen so easily.
It was Joref that eventually stepped forward to voice his opinion. "We could always use more hands around the house. He would not be allowed near the residents, but cleaning is still important."
The suggestion gave Aperio pause. She had expected them to ask for his death, or his torture. To ask for vengeance. She had thought that their reluctance to ask for such a thing was the reason for their continued silence. "You want the man that ordered his knights to kill the people under your care to clean as recompense for his actions?"
"Yes," Joref replied. The people behind him also began to slowly nod their assent at his suggestion.
"Not what you expected, mother?" Ferio asked.
Aperio just gave a slight shake of her head as reply. It was most definitely not what she had expected. "I expected them to want him dead."
"This is a house of healing. They take care of anyone that comes; you won't find people that cry for blood here."
"I guess not," the winged Goddess said in a quiet voice. "But if it is what they want, then so be it. Laelia." The mention of her name caused the paladin to turn away from the child that peeked out behind her legs. "I wish for you to remain here and keep watch over Natio. If he does anything out of line, do what you deem necessary. If you need anything of me, pray. I will come."
"Yes, my Goddess!" The words were delivered with a conviction that Aperio herself found rather startling. She had certainly had a great impact on Laelia's life in the short time they had known each other, but she did not believe it would result in such reverence.
"Ferio, I believe we have more to discuss," Aperio said, holding out her hand to her daughter.
"Yes, mother," Ferio replied, taking the offered hand. A thought later, they were back in homely embrace of Aperio's Void.
