Chương 103: Chapter 102 - Elliot

"Out! Out!" Atzi felt like garbage after her latest death. She got up and wordlessly trudged to the inn to sleep. I didn't even get to sleep last time, that's just unfair. She grunted to Hemm, and headed up to bed. === She'd slept the entire day away, waking up at night. She stretched, yawning, as she sleepily wondered exactly what she should do first. Well I could go meet Kurgi, or steal- the Star! I need to go find his procession! She quickly got dressed and ran downstairs, out into the street.

She looked for the Star's procession, hoping she wasn't too late. She found it just up the street, barely having passed her. Atzi started elbowing people out the way, and slinking through gaps in the crowd elsewhere, to get close enough for the prophet to hear. The only people she didn't muscle past were the priests and priestesses following the carriage from the back. In front of the carriage was Elliot, her head held high, three stars under her left eye. The prophet of the Star.

"The artifact in the northern ocean! I need to talk to you about something!" Atzi yelled from nearby, just trying to get her attention. Elliot turned, looking at her with wide eyes. She raised a hand, stopping the carriage. The onlooking crowd began murmuring as the prophet approached Atzi. Atzi sighed in relief.

"It worked." Elliot stopped before her.

"What do you know?" she asked. Atzi took a step closer and whispered, "An artifact of the Star fell in the northern ocean, and I really, really need to talk to you about a lot of things including that. In private?" Elliot seemed to consider something. Then she said, "Follow the procession. You are welcome into the temple when we stop." - After they entered the temple, Elliot pointed to one of the many wooden doors that lined the walls of the building.

"Into the confessional," she said. Atzi opened the door, a little confused. It was just a small room with no more than a stool and a wooden window-like feature that seemed to connect to another room. A number of small holes in the wood were the only thing that told her there was another room at all. The prophet of the Star entered through that room's door, closing it firmly behind her. After getting situated, Atzi said, "Okay, shit, where to start?"

She thought it over before saying, "I think that artifact was used on me. Or, well, that was your guess. I've been going back in time. Over and over. To today, every single time. You told me to yell this stuff to get your attention so we could meet earlier." There was a long stretch of silence. Atzi could hear Elliot's breathing on the other side. She worried she'd get another person disbelieving her. Then Elliot said, "I see. That does sound like what I would do. I believe you. Tell me more."

Atzi sighed in relief.

"I tried looking for the artifact and a sea monster ate me. I don't wanna go on that boat again. There's something much bigger too. Several things. Sostra is destroyed in six days, from now. Unless we stop it." Elliot's breath hitched, before going back to normal.

"What is it destroyed by?"

"Undead. Malus opened a gate to the underworld trying to revive the Saintess after she died in Novae. Well, it worked, but it's also going to let a million of those things through. They just keep coming until everyone dies."

"Foolish woman," Elliot said, her voice harsh.

"You can't trust someone like that in charge." That's what I'm saying! Atzi continued, "It's possible to stop it but it needs every god working together. All of them! Not just half of them! So don't piss them off or cause a civil war or it only delays things a week."

"Have I done that before?" Elliot sounded confused. Atzi shook her head, and then felt silly because Elliot couldn't see her.

"No, the Serpent did. She was ruler of Sostra for like ten days before it all fell apart. It wasn't so bad. She made me head of the guard after she killed the last one." She could practically hear Elliot's smile.

"I'm glad you managed to go unharmed from such an unstable goddess. Then again, any god but the Star would hurt you in the end. You were wise to come to me with this." Atzi remembered the fang through her skull.

"I wouldn't say unharmed. It gets worse. I'm the new prophet of the Saintess, and Malus will kill me the second she finds out. She's found some trick to fake it, she has someone dressed up like the Saintess, but it's not really her, but she can fake it well enough she can trick a god." Atzi hissed.

"The Ancestor fell for it and snapped my neck for 'lying', so I'm not working with him again."

"Yes, they can't be trusted at all." A small wooden compartment in the wooden divider snapped up.

"Place your claw through here." Atzi did so.

"You're checking I'm a prophet, yeah?" Elliot held her claw for a few seconds.

"Yes. And, you are." At least the Saintess has enough power that people know I'm a prophet. I'd be in trouble if I didn't have at least that. Atzi withdrew her claw.

"Yeah. So, well, the only time this has ever worked out was when it got announced at the godscouncil. Doing it too early means there's not enough gods around and probably causes a civil war. Which kills everyone."

"I see." The wooden compartment clacked shut.

"Do you happen to know the result of the godscouncil?"

"Oh, the Star won."

"As it should be."

"That's why we got talking. Well, that and you were working with the Serpent," Atzi noted.

"I've talked to her a bunch of times since she actually believes me when I explain it."

"Well, you won't need to do that anymore," Elliot assured her. Atzi nodded.

"It's nice to talk to someone who believes me. So many people don't."

"Besides matters you have spoken of that you should not know, I can tell you are an" - Elliot paused - "honest person. Though many of your claims are fantastical, I have little doubt when it comes to someone as open as you." Then her voice took a curious tilt.

"Do you know if there is time for the scheduled vote before the undead attack?" Atzi tried to remember.

"I dunno, we sealed it in time when I announced everything at the start. But the Star won after everyone found out the Saintess wasn't around. She's, well, I dunno where she is except I can talk to her." This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"Then it is possible," Elliot asked, "if Malus is not exposed, that the Saintess might win?" I didn't think of that! Why's this looping stuff gotta be so complicated.

"I think they might just vote for her normally if they don't know what Malus did. I can tell you where the gate is, though, so you can prove it before it breaks open. Although, wait, shit." Atzi slapped her leg.

"I shoulda said nothing. I could have been in charge." Elliot's voice took on a kind tone, "That can be arranged."

"R-really?" The Star's so nice.

"Wow. The only time things ever worked out, Malus was still around, so things got arranged where I wouldn't publically get declared the new prophet or anything." Elliot continued, "Were you to recover the artifact, the Star would agree to allow you to rule." Damn. Atzi sighed.

"Oh. I can look for it again, but there's other problems, too. Mediolanum is gonna get invaded, too. Hasen starts a war with us and you guys are the closest."

"You were wise to tell me. I will send out a notice to our military at once. They will crush them before they land."

"That's the funny thing, see, they think we start it." That seemed to throw Elliot off again, as she coughed.

"Why?"

"You ever heard of Pangaea?"

"I am aware of the beast people Hasen deals with." Atzi made a happy hum. That makes explaining things easier.

"They're pretty sick of what Hasen does to them and they just want them gone no matter what. So they reckon, well, we're way bigger, we'd probably crush them."

"Espionage, then. Do you know anything more detailed?" Atzi adjusted herself on the stool, uncomfortable.

"I haven't been to Hasen yet, so I dunno exactly how it happens. I was planning to do that, uh, sometime. It's kinda hard to get there since the road to Mediolanum's so dangerous."

"You are speaking of the demon, yes?" She adjusted herself again. Usually it was chairs she had a problem with, but the stool was just too small to sit comfortably on for a long time.

"She's already shown up then? I didn't know if it had happened yet. Yeah, big problem. I got by her once and it was dicey." Elliot's voice became sad.

"We encountered her on the road and she shrugged off my attempts to banish her. Thus we had to sacrifice some guards to get away."

"Really?" You're a prophet, aren't you supposed to be good at this kind of stuff?

"The Pangaean priests managed to banish her."

"How?" Elliot asked, her voice finally having an edge to it, as if she could hear Atzi's unspoken thought. Atzi was worried she might have accidentally burned the bridge she'd just built.

"They used a blood gem." Elliot's voice was clipped.

"Then that is how - I am not a blood mage. I know no magic but that of my god's holiness."

"That'd do it." Atzi tried to laugh off her mistake.

"I only know magic when I get my claws on enough gems to eat." Elliot was silent for a moment. Atzi hoped she wasn't still upset. Then the prophet asked, "What about your own priestly magic?" It doesn't work because I'm not just the most suffering being alive, but the most scammed, too.

"It doesn't work properly. The Saintess is really badly hurt, I guess."

"It does not- work properly?" Elliot sounded utterly confused, no longer able to maintain her composure. I was wondering how much of this stuff she'd just accept.

"I can't even bless people. I tried. And the weirder thing is, other gods can make me a priest and it works. I've been a priestess of the Serpent before." Atzi could hear Elliot's stool move.

"Can you also be blessed by other gods?" she asked, sounding closer.

"Yeah, I can. You can't?"

"No, normally priests can only receive the blessings of their own god. Unlike ordinary people who can receive any." The compartment shot up once more.

"Stick your claw through again, I need to verify this. I wish to bless you."

"Alright." Atzi did so. She heard chanting, and then- It was the strangest feeling of being blessed she'd felt yet. Usually she had easy words for it. In this case, she just had a sudden feeling that things were, somehow, going to work out for her.

"Works, see?" Atzi said.

"Incredible." Elliot trailed off.

"Does the Star know anything about how this might be possible?" Atzi asked.

"The Saintess lost her memory completely, she only knows what she's learned from me."

"Allow me to commune directly for a moment," Elliot said, and went silent. After about a minute, she said, "The Saintess, she experiences the repeating of time alongside you?" Atzi stood up, no longer willing to sit on the uncomfortable stool.

"Yeah, she does."

"Perhaps her lack of memories are due to this," Elliot offered.

"I cannot promise it, but it is possible she may regain them when you are both freed from the artifact's influence."

"Huh. I guess that makes sense." Internally, Atzi began to realize that Elliot might just be telling her anything to prompt her to go find the artifact. But she couldn't tell for sure. It was too hard to read Elliot without being able to see her.

"So, with the Godscouncil, how do we handle it?"

"I will deal with this matter. You will be" - Elliot paused - "unmentioned. Should this not work, please inform me the next time you see me." Atzi felt annoyed. People never tell me anything and then they fuck up!

"You could at least say what your plan is. You know how hard it is to figure stuff like that out working backwards from things going wrong? Not that I don't trust you, but a lot of pretty competent people have screwed up around Malus in my experience. Because she's completely insane." Elliot sounded smug, "I assure you, the Star and I are not the same as the fools you've dealt with before. I will simply wait until all the gods are gathered and announce the truth of the Saintess's death, prompting investigation."

"Huh. Yeah, that should probably work. Oh! And the gate, it's-" Atzi relayed the path through the secret door, and through the old sewage system, to arrive at it.

"Thank you." Elliot sounded genuine.

"Where are you staying, in case I need to contact you?"

"The One Eye Open, an inn near the southern gate of town. But can you do me a favor?" Atzi tried to angle for a little more help. Elliot said, enthusiastically, "Of course. You are benefiting the Star, so the Star would see fit to benefit you in turn."

"Okay. So I know how to get a hundred gold and some training in magic from the sage of Sostra. Problem is, it gets counter intelligence looking at me and asking questions. Either I need to explain to the guy that I'm the prophet of the Saintess and all the stuff about the gate, or, if you're willing to help out, can I just say it's secret and related to the Star and you'll vouch for me?" Elliot hummed, seemingly pondering Atzi's request.

Atzi continued, "He was kinda my backup plan if you wouldn't listen, but I don't wanna get tied up with them for the next week."

"It should not be a problem so long as you are not performing illegal activities. The Star's influence only goes so far prior to the council meeting."

"It's not illegal! I just know where the Sage's lost spellbook is, and I go rescue it. I'm returning lost property, that's like the opposite of a crime." Elliot took a breath.

"Then do so. And should you be questioned, you may rely on the Star's name. I am happy to help."

"Perfect. Thanks!"

"Was there anything else? I will be very busy in the coming days, so it may be difficult to meet with me. Of course, if anything urgent comes up, you are immediately welcome. It wouldn't do to have you rely on someone who would stab you in the back." Atzi tried to think.

"There's a minor demon attack that doesn't really go anywhere on the thirteenth at night, and that's about it I think. Oh, shit, right. The frost giants also declare war on us. I have no idea why."

"When do they do so?"

"Day after- wait, no, got confused. Day of the Godscouncil was when we got the news, same time as the Hasen stuff." Elliot's voice took a playful tone.

"It is a shame you cannot take a paper and quill through time."

"I wish! That coulda saved me a headache before. I can't even stay a mage, it's like I just completely reset or something," Atzi said, remembering the time she'd managed to eat ten fire gems and hadn't kept the power.

"At least it means nothing's permanent."

"Thank you once again. The Star will see this all fixed. So I swear on His name." There was a sense of finality to her words.

"If you need a safe place to stay during this, the temple will be open to you. Farewell."

"See you around, then." Atzi headed out of the small room. She was too late to catch Kurgi at the party, so she decided to head back to the inn. It would be morning by the time she arrived, and she could still sleep more. She felt like she should probably figure out why some loops made her so tired, but had no idea where to start. A problem for another day, or another life. She was happy the conversation had gone so well. The Star was pretty helpful!

Of course, she was reserving her true judgement for when she saw how it all worked out. She still didn't know if Elliot could pull it all off, but at least she seemed to be able to confide in her safely. With that dealt with, Atzi had an entire loop open to her. She planned to steal the gems from the guard house and return the sage's book, of course, but there was another thing she was really interested in. This would be the loop she finally succeeded in robbing Branek Bank.