The Fall of the Light

A Crisis of Faith

 

Cadmael couldn’t believe it. For years he’d been dedicated to Melora, and now he was supposed to just turn his back on it, because this glowing bastard had said she was bad? Even with Paramar ravaging the land he couldn’t think of Pelor as bad, just Paramar as misguided followers. 

For Melora to be a bad influence would mean not just everything he’d been focusing on for years was misguided, but that Verisiel had been misguided too. That she’d been taken for the cause, when it wasn’t even the right one. 

His first thought was to throw the Aspect stone in the fire. He knew it wasn’t rational, he knew it wasn’t right, but instinct just took over. He also knew it wouldn’t change anything. How could he follow these aspects, when they’d just told him everything he’d based his life on was a lie? That what had turned his life around was wrong? He sat heavily on a trunk. He was fairly sure there was still conversation going on, but he wasn’t hearing it. 

If nothing else, Cadmael was obligated to two competing causes. Had he have known in that cave he might have walked away before committing himself, but it was too late now. And to his goddess, an oath taken all those years before. 

The time he’d spent fighting Paramar was for the greater glory of Melora, was that all a waste too? 

To hear what the Aspects were saying, it didn’t matter his choice now, anyway. All he’d done was set the will of Melora, and the other gods, against him. While it explained the actions of the Raven Queen, it still shook him to his core. 

Had he already forsaken his first oath, without even knowing it? 

All Cadmael knew was that the path forward was pitch black.