23 Divine Contemplation
Amidst the serene chamber, among the divine silence that pervaded the place, there knelt once again a pious servant of 3-Divines before the holy statue. The serpents, the brazen triplet whose gaze would everlastingly look upon, benevolently, the entire human race on Gaia-seven, sat themselves on top of the statue-as they had always done, while their humble priest, Father Esteban, took his seat on the ground, bowing his torso and head alike toward them. Kneeling, Esteban whispered, uttering his quiet prayer, wishing that his words of concern would reach the heavens above the mortal earth.
"By your holy grace, I, one of your humble, devout servants, once more come forth unto your presence, with utmost pain deep inside, with most troubled heart that is due to the recent loss of my flock to the hands of evil."
"My divine lords, for so many years have I witnessed the heavenly miracles bestowed upon us, that I still maintain a firm, unswaying belief in you, that, even now, I am certain you shall eventually save us from the evil endeavoring to devour us all. Yet, patience, o' my holy ones, is required should we ever wish to see the light of hope, miracles of future that you shall work upon us."
Even if he could endure such period of torment, patiently waiting for the helping hands of 3-Divines, alas, what about the Governor, Lord Rothgarr? Would Esteban be ever capable of enduring his reign any further, incompetent and fruitless in its nature? If such would be the case, then, the patience shall bring the demise of all beings upon this dominion; he was sure of it. The beast was still out there, lurking within the shadows of wilderness. However, Esteban could not, despite its significance, possibly rely on the Governor to solve the matter. At present, due to the unknown reason, he was way more lacking of capabilities than before. With his foresights clouded, his wisdom slowly fading, if he were to know anything about the incident, then the situation would only get worse; words shall somehow spread to the central politics, even before the Governor would solve the matter to its root.
Lo, he was alone indeed, drifting all by himself amidst the torrents of seas, relentlessly seeking to engulf him as a whole! Deprived of his beloved ones by the cruel destiny, he was left no one to turn to. Moreover, he was in need of a partner-not another servant of barely a worth-to work with; a confidant, or confidante from whom he could always borrow some helping hand. Friends would betray one another eventually, in the meantime each would find his or her companion resourceful-many hands make light work, for sure. A companion with whom he shall fight against the great tide of politics! While such was true for Esteban, there was still a question left unsolved; whom, his future partner, would it be?
The prayer continued, however without a single word muttered in silence. His mouth was sealed shut. Yet, his eyes were now open, staring straight into the three brass serpents above, while his body pose erect, no longer bent toward the statue. The prayer of mind, that was. He thought, he contemplated, and so did he pray unto 3-Divines.
Amidst the thoughts of Esteban, there were two erect figures standing, each of a man and a woman. They were there in his mind since the moment of Prince Aelthred's arrival, along with his barbarian henchmen, for the first time. Just to think about their sturdiness, muscles, might, unyielding spirits, and even the barbarism they possessed, it always brought awe to his soul. Those were truly the traits of a fearsome warrior, the qualities which had worked together to bring down the terrible fiend of past, Glen-gohr. Albeit uncertain whether they would be his great assets, or rather pose a threat to him, he still could not shrug off such images of mind. They persisted, as if they were the strong impressions left on his very soul, or specters that would relentlessly haunt him.
Out of those two visions, he first looked closely into that of the barbarian prince. 'A figure of might and nobility indeed', so he thought. He bore all the qualities, while being excellent in each and every one of them, that were required of a mighty tech-warrior. He was a ferocious warrior, and yet a cunning strategist, diplomat, negotiator, and a loyal retainer to the king of Geats at the same time. If anyone should ever have him as a trusted ally, then no foe shall live, alas, to stand against such a blessed one.
Unyielding nature, however, was what concerned Esteban greatly. The Prince knew not to yield at all. He was like a forked road, although metaphorically; there lay only a path to victory, or a way leading to an honorable death-no other else shall he ever choose instead. This, as it had been true, was his asset, a treasured personality that people nowadays seldom possessed. Yet, with such trait, Aelthred would prove to be difficult to control. He would hardly bend to his friend's will, especially that of Esteban's. The Cardinal did not wish to subjugate him at all; being his good ally, a partner who could gladly lend Esteban a helping hand when needed, was enough, since he already knew he could not possibly completely manipulate him, no matter in what method he would ever do so.
Supposing it would be difficult to establish a 'partnership' with Aelthred, who else, then, he should be looking for instead? What about his lieutenant, his foremost camp-de-aide? Her name was Gael, for sure, as a plain fact. She also seemed to be as strong and resourceful, both in her might and spirit, as her superior would be. A sturdy, battle-hardened figure she had indeed, just as expected from any of the finest tech-warriors ever born into this planet. Her unbreakable spirit, too, was admirable, for she had shown not a single thread of fear even when faced with Glen-gohr in person. Rather, she had seemed to be enjoying it to her heart's content. Reckless, yes, but yet even more confident and daring than her master. She was truly a rare character, a unique personage, and at the same time an exceptional fighter even among her savage kind.
But her arrogance-just think about it! Knowing the manners-albeit the most basic ones, the Prince was at least a person of courtesy, despite his barbarian heritage. On the contrary, Gael-that arrogant piece of brat, was by far disturbing, and seemed to know nothing of what is called 'politeness'. She was a talented warrior, capable, and skillful in her arts of combat. Nevertheless, she was at the same time prone to make enemies near her. Many retainers in service of Lord Rothgarr-he was pretty sure-might have had a hard time containing their urges to shoot plasma on her face.
Yet, the other thing that had been noticeable within such character, so far, was her greed. Undeniably, she was greedy, way more full of such nature than her master and fellow barbarians alike. She desired almost everything pleasurable-gold, silver, drink, meat, and sex. Whenever he looked into the eyes of Aelthred, he saw a noble soul within, which sought not the earthly pleasure but eternal honor as a warrior. However, inside those of his lieutenant, there glared only a flame of desire, fueled by her own greediness. There was a blasphemy, a longing for ecstasy of senses, and even a scene of adultery within her azure pupils. To Gael, honor and glory were too the glittering objects of her desire, just like gold and silver.
No longer kneeling before the statue, he was circling and wandering inside the chamber. He occasionally grunted, sighed, and even slightly cursed, while pondering upon each of those two characters-Aelthred and Gael. He did not know why, but yet he could not completely erase them from his thoughts. Murmuring, he ceaselessly weighed each one's value to him. Aelthred, a noble prince of Geats, could be his powerful ally, only if he would somehow manage to earn his favor. Gael was a rather savage one, by contrast. A competent, indeed, and yet disrespectful barbarian who only knew to fulfill her own desire. Nevertheless, such be the case, she would rather prove to be a resourceful partner, while much more manageable than her master. He would cater to her needs, and she would likely do him good as well. In the end, both shall benefit from each other.
Still deep inside his thoughts, a comm-link, implanted beneath his left ear, received a call. It was from one of the Governor's retainers, requesting for his immediate presence. 'Governor Rothgarr,' he thought to himself, 'and so we are still on the same boat, aren't we?'. Not a desirable partner, at all, but for a while longer, he would have to suffice having him as his closest ally. The two barbarians shall be taken into his account later on.
He then moved away from the holy statue and headed to the exit, responding the call from Rothgarr's office.
