Mark of the Fool Chapter 635: A Parent

rzhins despair had quietened.

The choir was silent.

Stillness hung heavy in the dead gods throne room as hardly a breath was heard.

More secrets? the Saint suddenly cried, shattering the silence. More hidden truths! More lies! Were you ever planning to share this information with ?Were you?

Oi, bloody use your damned noggin, rzhin. Cedric shot him a fierce look. What dya think we coulda done? Bloody walked up tya, an said, Oi. rzhin, we just talked tAenflynn an e went on wid so weird shite about a chair an the end o the world or sothin, so we guess Uldars dead? That dont make no sense!

II suppose youre rightbut the Saint backed down, his shoulders sagging as he looked at Uldars corpse.

Silence.

And then

Socan I eat that? Grimloch asked.

No! Everyone yelled.

Fine. No need to shout, the sharkman growled, licking his lips while staring at the dead god.

Carey looked at him for a long mont, before her image flickered. Ughthe pull is getting stronger.

Then wed better start looking around. Thundar nodded toward the left of the throne room. Look, theres a doorway over there. We might wanna check this place out.

No, not yet. Carey floated toward the doorway. Listen, theres a chance thatwhatever She threw an uncomfortable look at the throne. ...killed Uldar is still in here. Let have a look around. You all stay here until I tell you its safe. Understand?

The look she gave them was that of a stern school teacher. And no rushing in this ti like all your good sense is gone, alright?

Sheepish looks passed between everyone there.

Alright, Alex said. Be safe.

Im already dead, Alex, she said, throwing another glance at Uldars corpse. A bitter look crossed her face. I dont have much more to worry about. Let do this.

Bebe careful, rzhin said slowly.

I will, ca her soft reply.

Then she was gone, floating across the throne room and through the doorway.

The light emanating from her spirit faded down the passage.

Silence returned to the chamber.

An uncomfortable silence.

Once again, all eyes fell on Uldars corpse.

Should weexamine it? Isolde asked. I do not know what to do.

I say we wait for Baelin, Watcher Hill said, her eyes darting around. Miss London is right: if whatever killed a god is still around here, then wed be better off having the chancellor here to help us.

We cannot leave this place unguarded, Prince Khalik reminded her. If this hidden church cos to reclaim it, then suppose they find sothing they shouldnt?

Maybe finding this place and Uldar will break their backs, Thundar suggested. Take the fight out of em: finding out your gods dead is a hell of a thing. I didnt even worship him and my knees get kinda shaky every ti I look at that thing. He nodded to Uldars body.

Excuse , but that thing, rzhin said, with heat. Is my god. He is the god of Thaland!

He was the god of Thaland, Drestra corrected him.

There was a surge of magic, and the dragon began to shrink. Scales faded, turning to flesh. Her snout contracted,and her horns vanished beneath a mop of dark hair.

Soon, she was back to her human form, draconic eyes still fixed on the throne. Hes just a body now. Nothing more.

Do not say that, rzhin pleaded.

Shes right, Hart rumbled, his large eyes tracing the path of ichor. Look, whether or not Uldar wanted to help or harm usis kinda pointless now. Hes dead. Gone. Hes not going to attack us, but hes not going to make our lives easier either. He was the god of Thaland, rzhin. But now?

The Champion grimaced. Were on our ownor maybe not. Maybe the Travellers going to help us.

You dont need a god to help you, Watcher Hill said. Through magic, study and force of arms, Generasi has kept itself free and independent.

Aye, but this aint Generasi, Cedric said. We aint got no endless army o wizards an fancy magics tfend off He looked at Uldars remains. ...any god killers. A bloody god would be nice. Right about now. An if the Travellers gettin tbe a goddess? Then we should give er som help gettin there. We need sothin. Anythin.

The Chosen eased his body onto the floor, groaning as though he was five tis his age. My heads spinnin wit so many bloody thoughts I cant even hear mself think right now.

Hearthats it, hear! rzhin suddenly cried, looking around excitedly. In Uldars na: we heard his voice! We all heard it! Perhaps his spirit is still in these halls! Maybe we can reach him with enough faith ororso trick of wizardry! Perhaps he can still hear us!

As Alex watched rzhin, pity stabbed at his core.

The young waiflikeman looked so lost. So confused. Like a child whod lost his parents, his anchor. In so ways, he reminded Alex of that little boy whose parents had been guiding his life, then suddenly and tragically gone, leaving him without his anchor.

He swallowed, looking at Uldars throne.

In a way, all of Thaland was now like him and Selina; children whod lost their anchor. Thankfully, for him, he and Selina had Mr. and Mrs. Lu to turn to, their kindness had ant they could thrive until Alex was old enough, and strong enough to face the world on his own.

It was just another way Thaland was like his little sister and himself; people of the realm also had a Mr. and Mrs. Lu in the form of: Hannah Kim, the Traveller. If she was given enough power, then she could protect the land that she loved until the Thaish were strong enough to stand on their own.

And they would need her.

Alex rembered sothing hed been worried about a while ago: back when he and his companions were first considering that Uldar could be behind the Ravener, hed wondered if a truth with such great significance could ever be revealed to the citizens of Thaland. After all, the church was thebackbone of the realm.

It was herguardian.

Her teachers.

Scholars.

In many ways, her warriors.

People from the church tended to folk in tis of sickness, they healed the injured and fed the hungry. Their monasteries and convents received the orphaned. Their preachers counselled the uncertain.

Alex couldntin all honestysay that the church hadnt greatly benefited Thaland; if it werent for them, he and nearly everyone else would probably be illiterate, and have no knowledge of the world beyond a days ride from Alric.

Folk across the realm, from sea to sea, had been blessed by the churchs efforts. At the ti, hed thought long and hard about the fate of his people if the church was to fall. It looked bleak.

And that was when he was only thinking that Uldars biggest cri was acting like sothing of a bastard to everyone who worshipped him.

But now, he knew different.

Now he knew that things were far worse than his worst nightmare.

Now he knew that the god wasnt just ignoring them, or just being evil, now he knewhe could see it with his own two eyesthat he was actually dead.

What was going to happen when the realmand every priest within itlearned that theyd spent untold years praying to a dead god?

Therell be chaos, Alex thought. Despair. Infighting. Revolution. The royal family rules by divine right: a line of kings and queens empowered to rule by laws that Uldar dictated. With him dead, is there anything stopping a random duchess from claiming that she has more rit to rule? Hells, she could even be rightbut the amount of blood that would be shed

The cold hand of fear gripped Alexs spine as the full gravity of Uldars death hit him. rzhin was just the beginning; how many more would beco lost, just like him?

Would the land collapse as the church crumbled?

Those dire possibilities ant Alex and his companions had a major decision to make.

Do we tell anyone? he wondered. Do we keep this information to ourselves? Allow things to continue as they are foreverwe cant, butdo we tell folk eventually? Give them ti? Is this even our secret to keep? Maybe Thaland would be fine without the churchor with a new one.

As indecision tore at him, rzhin continued calling out for Uldar.

Andwith a deep sighhe knew he had to share what he was thinking. First, he opened his mana senses: whenever theyd heard Uldars voice, hed felt a surge of mana.

He suspected that

Ah.

Alex spotted a large glyph carved into the ceiling.

There it was; his confirmation.

Uhmrzhin he said slowly. I think when we heard Uldars voice, we were only hearing a recording. I think his voice was infused into a magical device. He pointed to the ceiling. See that? Thats a glyph for sound projection. Claygons voice box uses very similar magic.

As the young Thaish wizard cast flight magic on himself, the Saint fell silent. A pleading look in his eyes.

Sound projection? he murmured, sounding as though he was partially dreaming.

Yeah. Alex floated to the glyph.

Yes. Claygons tal face turned to the ceiling. It feelsfamiliar. Itfeels like.

It does, Alex said, pressing his hand to the ceiling.

Careful! Watcher Hill called out.

Ill be alright, he assured her, passing his mana into the glyph. Yeah, its what I thought, sound projection magi

His voice trailed off.

Alex! Theresa cried. Are you alright?

Yeah, its just he whistled. If Uldar made this, he must have been one incredible alchemist. The inner workings in this thingare so beautifully crafted, its actually like a work of art. Its rare for an alchemist to see magical items as gracefully made as this, I think itd even impress Professor Jules, or even Toraka Shale. This glyphs quite the masterpiece! Anyway, sorry, Im losing the point.

He passed his mana into the wondrous inner workings of the glyph. As he felt through its magic, he found the section that would activate sound projectionbut there was sothing else.

Sothing deeper.

Much deeper.

Sharpening his mana senses so thoroughly over ti had helped him notice subtlety in the device. He could examine that in detail later.

For now

He activated the glyph.

Mana surged again, and

Welco, children, a kindly voice called from the glyph. You must have many things to ask of . Your guidance awaits. Co, see .

It was the sa voice that had beckoned them into the throne room.

rzhin winced as though soone had physically struck him. Thatit cant bethats it? All my life I have served Uldar dutifully. With everything Ive ever had. All the lessons Ive learned. Everything Ive tried to embodyand it all leads to this?

He pointed at the glyph and the corpse of Uldar. A recorded voice in a magic trick and a dead body? Thats all?

He whimpered, hugging himself, his fingers digging into his arms. Everything for nothing. Everything for nothing. Everything for nothing. The young man began to sob, shaking like a leaf. Everythingfor nothing

Cedric looked up at Alex, sothing passed between them.

The Fool nodded.

And the Chosen turned to the Saint.

Look, Cedric said gently, moving toward rzhin. I know this is hard fer ya

You know? the Saint looked at him in horror. Holy ChCedric. You do not understand. My whole life was a lie. All the tis Ive wondered why Uldar has not given guidancewas because he was dead! What have I been doing?

Salright, Cedric sighed. Slike yhad the rug pulled ou

No. Cedric, its not alright. It is not. I followed Eldin into this valley because I thought it was Uldars will, rzhins voice wavered. I followed him because I thought it was what Uldar wished! I let him take Carey because I thought it was in Uldars plan! And for what? Cedric, I let Carey die because I was following the whim of a corpseor of nothing! I might as well have killed her myself!

His sobs grew louder. In one dayI lost my god and what might be my only friend. I

Suddenly, Cedric hugged him. Its okay. Its okay. Let er out.

Whatre you doing? rzhin shook, heartbroken.

Grandda used tdo this for when I was a lad, an I was tearin up. Let it out. Therere days when you gots tbe hard. But right now? No.

Y-youre treating like a child, the Saint whimpered.

Aye, Cedric said. Today, were all wee. An we just lost our da. Dont matter who e was, its still gonna put us in our feelins. Let the tears flow while ycan. We wont have ti fer em later.

And rzhinafter a long montdid let them flow. He hugged the Chosen back, continuing to cry like a heartsick child. What do we do? he whispered. What do we do?

You need to explore this place, Careys soul floated from the doorway.

Her image was fading, delicate like gossar. Her voice, faint. Her form flickering.

Theres no danger here, from what I could tellbut I cant go with you any further, she said. As much as I would like to give more, and see what you seefor now, I have to go.