– Era of the Wastes, Cycle 219, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 66 –

"But that's ridiculous…" Terry had trouble accepting the accusation.

She might be the second-most famous elf in all of our realm's history. Second only to the Valkyrie and that is mostly owed to the fact that the Valkyrie's legend was written much more recently.

She was a Faithless Saint. One of the big heroes of our realm. In contrast to the Blasphemer or some others of the Saints, she was unambiguously praised for her character. She was nothing like the First Lich King or other rebels against the False Gods.

By the Wastes, her character was the only reason they even tolerated her research into curse magic. The Veilbinder himself had fought side by side with her without thinking twice about seeing this most dangerous magic wielded in her hands.

They even called her the Ungodly Angel, for mana's sake! The angelic hero that rose against the False Gods!

"Ridiculous… Isn't it?" Terry recalled the dungeon that had protected the portal to this realm. The dungeon that had chosen Terry as his defender against the cursed army.

That dungeon had sent constructs into battle that had been empowered by the Aspiring Soul. A construct-infecting curse invented by the Ungodly Angel herself. Curses were definitely at play and the Ungodly Angel was playing a part.

But that doesn't make any sense! The dungeon constructs with the Aspiring Soul were battling the cursed army!

"They knew that her name was Thuzar." Khaled pointed out. "We're trying to sort through everything, but to Mercedes and most of the researchers, the curse's origin is of low priority. Understanding the curse is more important in order to develop a cure and quash it before it can spread to our realm.

"All I can say is that we're cross-examining the different historical accounts from our developed contacts in the Sun and in the Moon. They don't agree on any of the stories behind their own conflicts with each other, but they both independently tell the story of the curse. Both factions are blaming Thuzar for the curse that infects their mana and that created the Deadlands overrun by funghouls.."

Terry couldn't help but frown. His younger self rebelled against even entertaining the idea that one of their heroes was involved with the vile fate of this realm. His inner Academy student rebelled as well, but only because he found the explanations lacking.

Why would a Faithless Saint most known for her kind heart unleash such a curse on this realm?

How can they dismiss the origin of the curse when trying to understand it?

Not for the first time, Terry's reflection on his thoughts made him pause and wonder if he was biased when looking at the curse.

Terry had grown fond of the shroomans. He didn't want to believe that their existence was responsible for the curse plaguing the realm.

Terry idolized the Veilbinder and the Faithless Saints. He didn't want to believe that the Ungodly Angel would inflict such a vile fate on an entire realm. He didn't want to believe that even the Veilbinder had been deceived by her character.

Terry knew the Veilbinder wasn't flawless. The historical account of the Veilbinder's legend mentioned times when the legendary mage had been betrayed. It was a risk the Veilbinder knowingly accepted when granting a chance to everyone… once.

Before the man had become a legend, there had been many that plotted against him. Even after the mage had gained some renown, there were many that betrayed him for their own purposes and their reasons were manifold.

Greed, of course.

Irreconcilable differences and the natural desire to take out an unavoidable future opponent.

Fear, above all. Fear of standing on the losing side, no matter how legendary their leader.

All the stories could make one believe that the Veilbinder had been naive, but to Terry, one point stood out among all the betrayals.

The Veilbinder had granted few second chances to companions that had severely betrayed his trust, but none of them ever needed to be given a third. To Terry's mind that didn't show a person who was naive, but a person who knew people.

A person that took risks and hoped to be wrong… but only once.

The autonomy and authority that the Ungodly Angel was granted during the Faithless Wars spoke to the trust that the other Saints had held for Thuzar. The Veilbinder might have given chances against his better judgement, but he had never been reckless to such a degree. The risks he had taken with people had always been mostly for himself.

Terry had trouble believing that the Veilbinder would have let Thuzar be if there had been even a single shred of doubt about the curse mage's character.

"I don't know," admitted Khaled. "I'm trying to keep an open mind, but I'm not going to take the locals' word as truth, which is why I'm here alone."

Terry raised an eyebrow.

"William is making a show of locating you at the Moon's stronghold with his bumblebees, and I used the chance to slip out from under their watch with a little help from your friends Tiana and Vess," explained Khaled. "Your parents asked me to watch your back, and I don't think involving everyone in your situation is a good idea right now. Mercedes and the researchers have been cursing you pretty heavily when they heard you interfered with acquiring the candidate material for lifting the curse."

"Shroomling isn't a 'material'," growled Terry.

"See that's exactly why I'm looking forward to your perspective outside the Moon's influence," said Khaled. "I know that your heart is in the right place and, in contrast to the rest of the expedition, you haven't yet been involved with either the Sun or the Moon, which can't be said for anyone else.

"The only reason William played along is that I persuaded Mia we should make contact with you without involving the locals." Khaled cleared his throat. "I believe if it was up to Yorgos and the other Guildheads, they would have dragged you to the Moon immediately, where the researchers would have cheered them on."

Great. When did I become the bad guy?

I know, I know. When I defended the shroomans from the elves. Defended the curse-carriers from the cursed. I know how it looks, damn it.

Alleged curse-carriers… Although if Mercedes and the other researchers believe it…?

"Do you think it's true?" asked Terry worriedly. "That the shroomans are spreading the curse?"

"Trying to keep an open mind," stressed Khaled again, and sighed. "But if you ask what I find most likely with the information at hand, then my gut says yes, they're related, even though it's not clear yet how, which is why I need to hear from you to get a better idea of what we're dealing with. The way you talked, and, well, given what I'm seeing right now, I figure these shroomans are a proper folk. The locals failed to mention that."

Of course, they did.

Khaled frowned while rubbing his chin. "We should start moving. This will be a longer conversation, and I don't want to hold your little friends up. It's probably a good idea for them to get moving."

Khaled took a deep breath. "Maybe, you can start from the beginning? And then I'll tell you everything from our side."

***

Terry observed the shroomans create another Shroomville from scratch. He still didn't understand how they were doing that.

After they had torn down their last camp, the shroomans had scattered into all directions, with many disappearing deep below the earth. At the edge of Terry's perceptive range, he could sense some of them… flatten? Disperse?

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

It was weird.

It was even weirder in soulsight.

The shroomans somehow even dispersed their souls among the earth, which caused Terry to pay close attention in soulsight after their strange dance invited another magic rain shower that caused another flock of shroomans to sprout and grow their village.

Their souls literally assembled from the earth of the realm when the rain soaked the forest floor.

Terry had seen weird souls before. The souls of soul spiritualists like Siling showed little spots in which tiny other souls were visible if he paid close attention.

Siyu was a physical manifestation of her soul, which in soul sight appeared like an eerie halo around her entire body.

Matteo's soul constantly flickered with sharp points fizzling out, with many connections leading to… nowhere visible, but it was clear that it somehow connected to the elementals contesting his mind.

Matteo's fiendish katana Soul Fury was another strange soul sight. It was hazy, but whenever Terry had concentrated and forced himself to not avert his eyes, he could swear that the blade turned into the vertical pupil of a draconic eye.

Many of the martialists showed all sorts of weird manifestations when examined in soul sight.

The Tainted Duchess and her soul spread over the different worms were… a haunting sight in both soul and regular sight. A sight Terry preferred not to remember.

None of what Terry had seen came close to what he was seeing when Shroomville took shape and shroomans literally sprouted from the earth of the realm.

[Are you okay?] Bugsby asked. Sincere concern was transmitted with the intent of the finger runes. He was carrying Shroomling, who was asleep in his arms. The little shrooman was apparently exhausted.

Even though it was me that carried her here.

[I don't know, but thanks for asking.] Terry shrugged. [I have to think…]

On the bright side, Terry's friends were safe… or at least as safe as they could be in a foreign realm that was hostile to a Faithless Saint of their own.

Well… most of them.

Terry didn't know how he should feel about the fact that Rafael had decided to leave camp and look for him the moment they had connected the two different camps and realized that Terry wasn't among them.

On the one hand, it showed that Rafael truly valued him as a friend. As Terry's definition of a friend. A real friend. A person that cared about him and whose intentions and actions reflected that.

On the other hand, it also showed that his friend was still, at heart, a martialist. As Terry well knew, a martialist friend could be a real headache, even if they had good intentions.

Case in point, Rafael had apparently been to the sun elves what Terry had been to the moon elves, which was to say a person that escalated their animosity and messed with the original goal of the expedition.

Then again, no one forced the sun elves to try and stop Rafael from leaving. Of course, he wouldn't just back down and let himself be imprisoned, especially not while his friend was missing.

Screw them.

They can scram.

A corner of Terry's mind pointed out that having a sizable group of strangers pop up in their territory would understandably invite some desire to control the situation. Doubly so if the group arrived from a realm entrance associated with the creator of a rampaging mana curse.

Terry told that corner of his mind to shut it. Even if Rafael could be a knucklehead, he was still his friend. The fact that the sun elves had violently obstructed his friend's attempt lowered Terry's opinion of that faction already.

Anyway, Rafael had forced his way through and left for who knows where. Khaled had assured Terry that they were keeping track of the felan's location and would help them get in touch with each other.

While Rafael had set out on his own, the rest of their camp had tried to smoothe over relations with the sun elves. From Terry's group, Jorg and Patricia had landed in that camp near the sun elves together with Mia as their dimensional mage.

Tiana and Vess had landed in the camp within moon elf territory under the travel care of Yorgos.

Terry was relieved that Tiana and Jorg had shown a more level-headed reaction than Rafael.

Perhaps they're getting desensitized to me disappearing? Definitely not.

Maybe they're trusting me more? Trust that I'll come back safely? Or at least safe-ish. Trust that I'll survive…? Maybe?

Probably just realizing that the expedition as a whole is better equipped to locate me than them setting out on their own.

In any case, Terry was glad that they had demonstrated more measured reactions, because it was probably not a good idea to antagonize the locals even further.

Unless it's really necessary?

Terry's mind pointed out the apparent contradiction between his actions and his thoughts regarding his friends.

Terry had certainly no smaller part in antagonizing the locals than Rafael.

Yes, but— Terry's face cramped up when he realized he was about to justify himself and how he inevitably resorted to invoking his good intentions. He couldn't help but compare his own position to how he had thought about his friendship with Rafael before.

Oh mana, am I the friend giving everyone else a headache? Am I like another martialist for my other friends?

"No no no…" Terry muttered to himself, only to discover Bugsby's curious eyes on himself.

Great. Good to know that, even in another realm, and in front of the only beetlefolk around, I manage to make myself look like a weirdo.

Terry rubbed his eyes and tried to get his mind back to the important part.

Necessary?

Terry honestly didn't know what he should do. Khaled made it seem as if Mercedes and the researchers were convinced that the shroomans had a connection with the curse and that Shroomling was the best candidate to develop a cure for some reason.

But they also weren't aware that the shroomans are a sapient folk. They haven't seen them either. I just can't believe these peaceful little people would knowingly spread a mana curse. They don't even have any capabilities to fight for mana's sake.

Surely they wouldn't consider killing Shroomling for a cure if they knew that she was sapient?

Terry would like to believe it, but his mind always brought back the memory of the Lich Kingdoms. Memories of the monster. "Anand certainly would. In a heartbeat."

As If he had a heart.

Sure, Mercedes and the researchers came from Arcana, but when weighing the fate of an entire realm against a single life? Even the life of a sapient folk? No matter how innocent?

Probably doesn't help that the life looks so different and communicates more by scent than anything else. An ostensibly mute little mushroom with limbs and eyes.

Terry couldn't feel confident that his reservations would be shared, especially not considering the recent history of the dimensional mages they were working with. Terry wasn't clear about the details, but he knew for certain that both Mia and Yorgos had been part of the wrathful avengers led by Weran. A vengeance that had certainly not shied away from spilling innocent blood.

Terry shook his head and forced the thoughts out of his mind. He couldn't decide for others and he didn't want to base his own decision on how others might act.

This wasn't about them.

This was about Terry himself.

This was about the person he wanted to become.

What would that person do?

How would I know if I don't even know what's the true story here?

Terry found it difficult to reconcile the claim that Thuzar the Ungodly Angel had cursed this whole realm with what he believed to be true.

Thuzar was hailed as one of the kindest people among the Faithless Saints.

Thuzar was trusted by the Veilbinder to a degree that he never opposed her for her curse magic.

And yet, the locals knew about Thuzar and blamed her for a mana curse, which, speaking purely of ability, she would have been able to create.

Ability maybe, but what about her character?

Everything Terry knew – or believed – about Thuzar's character stood against such an act. He wasn't sure what to make of it. He knew, of course, that legends – even the historical accounts – might distort the truth, but in this particular case, he just found it hard to believe that this was the entire explanation.

This wasn't just some random legend. This was the legend. Terry hadn't just read a children's fictionalized version. Among others, he had read the first edition of the Path of a Mage. The very version written by Saint Petra herself. An edition full of notes, interviews, and additional anecdotes.

Even granting that a written account could be distorted. One fact remained independent of the narrative involved. The Veilbinder had never acted against the Ungodly Angel, because that would have left its mark in history.

So even if all other accounts of Thuzar's character were sanitized or just a twisted exaggeration towards benevolence… The Veilbinder never opposed her despite her wielding curse magic.

That's saying something.

Then there was the fact that the dungeon constructs undeniably opposed the cursed army.

Why would the Ungodly Angel create two curses battling each other?

Terry found it difficult to take the locals at their word. Even after reflection, he couldn't just assign it to his own bias in wanting to protect his newfolk friends or defend the heroes of his realm.

He had heard the Preacher use truths to convey lies in Tiv.

He had learned how the Warlord used words as weapons in Thanatos.

He had seen the masks that martialists wore like others would wear clothes.

Terry had met the monster that was worse than all of them. Anand had acted like Ying's savior. Like the guardian of Syn City. Even though, in truth, the monster had been their most vicious enemy.

Terry had reasons to distrust words and appearances. Reasons beyond his biases.

He had heard a story about a trial in a pocket realm. A story repeated by everyone that knew about it. Only to then discover that the truth was something entirely different. He had learned that a truth twisted by time might become unrecognizable.

Terry did what he always did when he didn't know what to think. He retrieved his notebook and began scribbling to sort out his thoughts. To separate what he knew from what he merely believed. Even if the full truth eluded his grasp, he might still be able to catch something he could cling to and make up his mind.

***

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