AFTERLIFE: Artifacts

Ch. 2: A Hero Will Sacrifice You For The World

     The goddess stared up at the sky, watching the wispy clouds drift by. Her thoughts floated along, like the clouds she watched, first to where she was then to a ring of faces. Each one popped out of line for an instant and her heart welled with emotion, different and unique to each one. The first floating head her thoughts trailed over was a human woman with long disheveled brown hair full of twigs, a small snake-like creature wrapped itself around her head as if forming a crown. Dark muddy green splashed behind her eyes as a sick kind of knot formed in her stomach. Blue followed close behind. It changed to purple slowly as red began to overcome the blue. Her heart raced and she threw the feeling away along with the face. The blue returned, darkened, and swirled with muddy green. Her eyes fluttered open. She could guess perhaps, but why? The goddess rolled over on her stomach, staring at the blades of grass swaying in the breeze. I'm the last person she wants to see. Andraste plucked a few blades of grass from the ground and ran them between her fingers. She'll probably try to kill me. The goddess gave a heavy sigh. It seemed there was a growing number of pantheons in which she was labeled, "Shoot on Sight". She kicked up her feet and dangled them up and down absent-mindedly. Such things did not bode well for her. She rested her chin atop her stacked balled up fists.

     Seldarine is out. She smiled darkly to herself. And I can't imagine Lolth would welcome me with open arms. Her smile widened. Not that I'd join anyway... I'd rather die. She bobbed her head against her fists. It's just that I'm running out of ideas. Not that I need them or anything, but... Whatever... it doesn't matter. She rolled onto her back again with a start. I can start my own pantheon. Andraste blinked and stared at the sky. She placed her hands behind her head and settled in. What god did Saelith worship? The face of an elven woman with short purple hair drifted to the foreground amongst the clouds. Did she even worship any? Andraste's heart sank. She closed her eyes and was submerged in a dark blue like the waves on the ocean during a storm. How little I knew about her... the both of them... The disheveled mop-headed face of Petra returned. Muddy green seeped in from the corners, then burnt orange and bright orange and muddy green again. Andraste rolled onto her stomach once more and buried her face in her arms as if trying to push the color from her view. The ominous dark blue returned mixed with gray and a pale blue, the same hue as her robes, and flashes of rose-pink. Her shoulders shook as the tears flowed. A feeling she had become somewhat accustomed to throughout her mortal life as well as in immortality. Yet somehow, it did not feel as dark this time.

     "Fucking Arvandor." She said, wiping her tears across her arm. Andraste continued to cry into the folds of her elbow. She probably didn't, and that's why I didn't see her in the Cresent Grove. This is all my fault. I killed them all. I killed every last single person. I'm a monster. I... She picked up her head. I can go back to Arvandor, can't I? Lay myself at Shevarash's feet? Bright pastel green flashed for a moment. It quickly turned to a dingy pea-soup shade. She dropped her head to her arms again. And then what? I will feel better because I will cease to feel. But it will not make the situation right. I deserve to languish and rot. I deserve to wither and starve; to be punished. But that will not bring them back. It will not make things right. The face of a red Tiefling woman came forward. She had billowing black hair and intense coal eyes. Muddy green returned along with flashes of oranges of various brightness. These gave way to bright reds and pinks, then blues and grays. The face of a young and handsome orc man joined the Tiefling. He also had coal black hair, short and utilitarian. And eyes the color of the earth. The colors grew again, as if swarming in the same patterns of muddy green, orange, red, pink, blue and gray. The saturation of all the swirling colors increased making everything brighter and darker all at once. Her heart burned and her tears flowed faster. I can't believe I did this to them. I was supposed to protect them. And I... I killed them.