Interlude Five - Divine Might Makes Right

Starstone Cathedral, Absalom.

Jylen stood near the bridge of Iomedae that crossed the bottomless expanse and watched the crowd that mulled around the edge. It was not unusual to see people conducting worship of some kind, either to one of the ascended gods or to the starstone itself. But several people seemed to have taken interest in the large blonde-haired man who was sitting cross-legged near the edge. He had shown up just before sunrise, sat down, closed his eyes, and hadn’t moved.
He was new to the position, but as a temple guardian, it was Jylen’s duty to keep the area safe. Most of the time, that involved keeping spectators from getting too close to the edge of the open expanse that surrounded the cathedral. There was no shortage of the curious who wanted to know if the gap, known as the Leap of Faith, was truly bottomless. As far as Jylen knew, it was. He couldn’t see the bottom, and those who fell over the side never sounded like they hit a bottom. Usually, their screams would fade into an echo, then vanish along with the body.
But sometimes, someone decided they wanted to take the Test of the Starstone. The first step of the test was to cross the expanse without using the bridge. A sixty-five-foot gap that sometimes allows magic but sometimes not. The potential godling preparing to tackle the “Leap of Faith” attracted attention, which led to crowds. Guardians were there for the safety of the spectators. The godling hopeful was on their own.
It was past mid-day, and the big man in the blue robes still hadn’t even so much as opened his eyes. Jylen watched him intently as the crowd began growing around him. One of the fruit vendors who had a booth set up nearby approached the robed man. Jylen couldn’t hear the conversation but suspected the meditating man told the merchant he was doing just that. The small crowd dispersed, and the blonde man was alone again. That wouldn’t last for long.
Jylen quietly approached the man. “Sir?”
No answer. He didn’t appear to be sleeping.
“Are you taking the test?” Jylen asked.
The big man didn’t move, but he did reply. “Every day is a test,” he said, eyes shut. “You’ll have to be more specific.”
Jylen nodded toward the cathedral, then realized the man’s eyes were closed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed at his foolishness. “The Test of the Starstone,” he said. “Are you taking it?”
“The starstone has tested me since I first heard of it years ago,” the big man said. “It has tested my wants, my resolve. My desires.”
Jylen rolled his eyes. “So is that a yes, or….”
“Have you heard of Cayden Cailean? Or Iomedae?”
A couple walked by and looked at the man in the blue robes. They looked at Jylen with a hopeful expressions, but he closed his eyes and shook his head. Disappointed, the couple moved on. “Yeah, I’ve heard of them,” Jylen said. “They took the test, and now they’re gods.”
“Technically demigods. Do you know what else they are?” He did not wait to let Jylen answer. “Cowards. Cowards and cheaters. Iomedae wanted to follow in Aroden’s footsteps. He took the test, so she mindlessly followed suit.”
Jylen squinted. “I don’t think that’s right. I heard that -”
“And Cayden Cailean?” the big man continued. “A drunk who stumbled his way into divinity. What kind of fool takes a test like this seriously?”
Jylen suddenly snapped at the big man. “It’s not a joke! Many great and powerful people have tried the test and never came back! They sacrifice everything to attempt the test! Something you know nothing about!”
The big man turned his head ever so slightly in Jylen’s direction. “Who did you lose, boy?”
Jylen’s voice was cold. “My mother.”
“Selfish woman," the man said, and Jylen's frown grew deeper. "Leaving behind someone who cared so much about her. And for what?”
Jylen stared at the man’s back. His knees were inches away from the edge of the bottomless pit. One kick is all it would take, not even a hard one. People disappeared over the edge all the time. But his job was to prevent such a mishap. “To bring my father back,” Jylen said, stepping to the man’s side. “The red death took him a few years ago as he travelled through Ustalav.”
“Ah.” That single word came out much less patronizing than his previous ones. The big man faced the cathedral once again. “I wanted something similar… to bring back something that had been gone for a long time.”
“But not anymore?”
“Not anymore,” the big man said softly. “What do you know of death?”
Jylen frowned. “I’ve seen my share.”
Alduin turned and looked up at the young man, his violet eyes staring into Jylen’s soul. “Have you now?”
Jylen was startled by the sudden movement and the off-putting eyes that now stared at him. “Y-yeah,” he stuttered but regained his composure. “Yes, I have.”
Alduin uncrossed his legs and stood up. “But do you understand it?”
Jylen took a step back. The two men stood face to face. “I understand it just fine,” Jylen told him.
Alduin continued to study him silently. After several long moments, Jylen shifted from foot to foot, then snapped in annoyance. “Look, guy with weird eyes. Are you taking the test or not?”
“Do you think this is the first day I’ve been here at the cathedral, Jylen?”
“How do you know my name?”
“Just because you take life doesn’t mean you know death.” The azlanti turned his back to the cathedral. “I have already taken the test.”
“What? How?”
“The starstone is a trap. A trap of temptation. The lure of power. The test is wanting to take the shortcut to power. By crossing that chasm, you fail the test regardless of whether you survive.”
Jylen stared into the man's violet eyes. The pieces fell into place. Recognition set in. “Spoken like a true priest of Irori. Your reputation precedes you, Azlanti.”
“Alduin," he said, "and yes, I am a priest of Irori. I have stood before my temptation and can walk away from it. I have accepted what I cannot do and what I can. You should do the same.”
The young man placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. He considered drawing it. He wanted to draw it. The azlanti didn’t move. Jylen let his hand slide away from the blade. “Why are you here?”
“For you.”
“Why me?”
“You have potential but no guidance. I can help you with that.”
Jylen shook his head. “I’m no follower of Irori. I’m not your guy.”
“You don’t need to follow Irori." Alduin began to walk away from the edge. "Just let me help you to point your way. I can give you the understanding you seek.”
Jylen followed beside him. “This feels like a cult thing.”
Alduin almost smiled. Almost. “It is not a cult thing.”
The two men followed the path, passing by a nearby fountain. Jylen stopped. “Wait, if taking the starstone test is cheating, then Aroden cheated when he recovered the starstone. Right?”
“Aroden took no test. The starstone did not give him godhood. He only gained power from the starstone. The gods gave him divinity when he built protections around the starstone to keep others from gaining similar power. The gods knew that very few deserve that kind of power and rewarded him for protecting that power.”
“But you feel that you deserve that power,” Jylen said.
This time, Alduin smiled, disturbing Jylen rather than reassuring him. “I already have that power. Now I must prove myself worthy of it.”
Jylen cocked an eyebrow. “You have what now? I thought you didn’t take the test of the starstone?”
Alduin pulled aside his sash. Embedded in the center of his chest was an ioun stone the size of a small egg. A faint blue glow churned inside the stone. “I didn’t take the test of the starstone. I took the starstone. Or part of it, anyway. Now let’s start you along your path, shall we?”