Crisis of Faith

As the attendees began to clean up the camp and prepare to leave, Wilhelm walked up to Camilla amongst the crowd lost in thought.

“Do you see my point now?”

Camilla looked up pensively. “What is Valhol?” Camilla only knew of Valhalla as a place of fiery torment where Syntharans fight and kill each other endlessly in preparation to destroy the four realms on their goddess’ command.

Wilhelm began to walk into the forest, urging Camilla to do the same.

“Valhol, or Valhalla as some would call it, is the final resting place for all who follow the Syntharan faith. It is a great city in the sky where all who reside in it train in preparation for the day when Synthara begins the final war.”

“So that part is true, what happens after you have won and destroyed the other three realms?”

“It is not the realms we will destroy but the three gods that have declared themselves sworn enemies of our kingdom and our goddess. The four realms have been at war for centuries, stuck in an eternal stalemate paid for with millions of lives. Only four centuries ago was peace declared among the four realms. This fragile peace between the four realms is an illusion. A break in order to prepare for the next war. War will return one day, and once it does, we will come out on top.” The two reached the forest.

“We as in the Syntharans?”

“The Qin are a people whose society is maintained by enslaving those around them. The Bolotnyy are barbarians who do nothing but hide in their swamp. I do not need to say anything about the Ultimatum. The Ragna Kingdom under Synthara’s light should be the ones ruling all.”

“Even when your follower’s numbers are diminished?”

“And who is at fault for that?”

“Perhaps the people of Ragna have willingly chosen the Ultimatum over Synthara. If so, then that makes the Syntharans the tyrants for imposing their will upon the majority.”

“A false majority, because you have disenfranchised and murdered those who would not submit to you.”

Camilla walked in front of Wilhelm, raising her voice. “What if it's not? What if your people just realized that they do not want to die for a demon goddess who threatens to destroy all of existence and would rather achieve eternal perfection by becoming one with the Ultimatum?”

Wilhelm glared at Camilla. “Perfection you say? The eternal peace of having your soul consumed by a god who only views you as nourishment? If that is true, that is the highest achievement a mortal can achieve, then why are we alive? Our purpose would be to suffer a god’s cruel morality game where the punishment for failure is so brutal, yet the destination for either victory or defeat is the same, death. Whether your soul is condemned to oblivion or is consumed, it is all the same.”

“Like your god is any better! The Ultimatum loves us, they are here to guide us personally and do everything they can to protect and care for us! Your Synthara callously watches her followers suffer and die in her name and does nothing! Nothing but whisk away their souls to throw them into another war and break the peace our ancestors have fought so hard for! All of you are warmongerers!” Camilla yelled out.

“You are naive, as one who will rule this kingdom one day, I do not desire war for my people. It is a waste of precious lives and resources. I want nothing more than to rule over a peaceful and prosperous kingdom. Yet I cannot ignore any oppression my people face, even if the oppressor is a god.” Wilhelm paused and pointed back at the people disassembling the festival, holding Camilla’s gaze.

“Look into my eyes and tell me that those people have done anything wrong. That they deserved to have their children beaten for playing a game, to be executed over a replica of an antique, to have their lives destroyed by angry neighbors who accuse them of heresy over thin justifications, to be executed for having the audacity to desire reprieve from persecution and pursue their true passions safely. I will know if you lie.”

Camilla stared at the face of the man who can end her life with a twitch of his finger. Even if her life was in his hands, she had a mission to complete. Everything she witnessed tonight was all lies, these people worship a warmonger who aims to conquer and destroy everyone. Even with her doubts, no matter her own personal grievances with her country, she would not allow these heathens to throw the four realms back into war.

“No, but it is the fate of all mortalkind to be judged by the Ultimatum, for they are our creator, as such, they have the right to do with us as they please. I am an extension of the Ultimatum’s will, and it is my duty to purge anyone who would lead the souls of the innocent astray.” Camilla said as she deftly threw down a smoke bomb and disappeared into the trees.

Was Wilhelm’s threat a bluff? Or did he require sight in order to activate the bone inside her? Either way, even if she was ready to die, it was fortuitous that she did not throw her life away and could continue her mission to assassinate Wilhelm. Before she met up with the others at the rendezvous point, she needed to ensure that she was not followed, so she decided to take a roundabout route to the cathedral ruins. Wilhelm needed to die in the name of preserving peace in the world.

So why does her heart ache so much?

Wilhelm waved away the smoke as Rusalka materialized beside him from the shadows, a woman with straight and short dark purple hair who was even shorter than Wilhelm. Rusalka had a slight yet toned frame that was ideal for spying missions.

“Follow and delay her for as long as you can. We have to get to the Cathedral before she does.”

Rusalka nodded and jumped across the trees after Camilla. Wilhelm ran out of the forest back to the clearing to find Titania arriving atop her own horse and Sleipnir beside her.

“Didnt work out huh?”

“It's fine, we need to get to the cathedral before midnight, I suspect that there might be an ambush there, and Camilla might be part of it. While Rusalka distracts her, we need to protect any allies who went ahead of us.” Wilhelm said as he mounted Sleipnir.

“Go!” Wilhelm barked out as he beckoned Sleipnir to start at a trot, then a canter, gradually building up to a full gallop as they darted through the trees to the Cathedral.