The one that got away (Ilethia)

[Selkiris]

Selkiris stared at the two tombs before him. He knelt down to them, a bundle of flowers lying down inbetween him and the graves. He didn't know what to say. So many years without them. Their lives cut short for no reason. Tears dripped from his eyes, making the hard cold ground soft. "I know I took the path that you never had for me. I let your down. But what choice did I have. Your daughter is gone, taken from us. The gods have abandoned us, but their enemies haven't. I'm sorry. Mother. Father. This is the only way now. Even if I tried to leave I would still see him where ever I went. He is apart of me now, his seal seared into my skin. I am his servant. But I swear to you. His gifts will not turn me. I will be a force of good, even if I do evil things. For the righteous must sometimes do bad things to make things right." He cried. This was the only place where he could show his emotions freely. He missed them so much. Why?! They were devout followers of your pantheon. This is how you reward them? Painful deaths and torturing them by hurting their children?! You think this is what you can do to your servants?!? Well. Even gods deserve judgement. And I will personally deliver it. @ilethiarathos

[Deleted]

She had been making her rounds through the graves checking what sites needed weeding or which grave markers would need repairs. Walking slowly through the rows she kept her eyes moving while between graves to make sure she didn't disrupt those who were paying respects. Normally she kept to herself since most people weren't all that fond of Helena and anyone who worked for her before, after the assault on the city they really viewed her with a lot of suspicion. Honestly if anyone asked her she would have told them very plainly that Helena losing two wings wasn't enough punishment for her actions. She held no actual love for the Goddess she was forced to serve for the better part of the last four decades.

She spotted a cloaked man at a set of grave markers that hadn't been visited in a long time so she slowly approached him and made sure he could hear her coming. It wasn't like he was some grave robber or one of the local kids that liked to vandalize the graves or use the graveyard to party and play games. "I've not seen anyone visit these graves for a long time. Are one of the surviving children or a relative that hasn't been able to visit in a while."

[Selkiris]

Selkiris looked up at the woman before him. His dried tears stained his face as his looked at her. She looked familiar. Oh yes. She was the one who presided over the burial. He was only ten at the time but he remembered the burial vividly. It was the sadest moments of his life. But it was strange. The priestess hadn't aged a day. He imagined some wrinkles on her after twenty two years but no. She was exactly the same. He wondered if she remembered him. "I am....their son. I remember you. You presided over the burial. It was me and my sister. We were only ten. But that....that was twenty three years ago. You look exactly the same as I remember. How is that possible?" Selkiris returned to his emotionless voice as he spoke to her. He remembered that day. He was so afraid, and his sister wouldn't even talk to anyone. He had to be the one to say what she whispered to him.

[Deleted]

She figured that question was coming when he spoke to her, seeing a she literally hadn't physically aged since then. "That is a long story. Will you be tending to their graves or would you like me to keep looking after them?" While she didn't like being Helena's lackey she did have respect for the dead still and their resting places.

She was pretty sure he wouldn't just drop the ageing issue but for now she was going to deal with her duties and if he wanted to talk he could join her. "I remember you and your sister, she was so scared you had to speak for her when she was spoken to. Is she still alive? If you want to know about me then walk with me and we can talk."

[Selkiris]

Selkiris looked back to the graves. It seemed like once he returned to looking at the graves he felt an instant wave of sadness wash over him. "I do not know the first thing about tending to graves. And I don't know if I can keep them to such a state you have for all of these years. I can't thank you enough for that." Selikiris actually gave the priestess a smile. It was rare for him to smile but she had done a great deed for his family. Something he could never do.

Selkiris stood up and wiped his tears away. He looked at the priestess. "My sister....she was kidnapped by bandits five years after the burial. A....friend.....of mine says she is alive. But I learned you can't trust magic too much. It's more as hopeful thinking. But that is probably enough about my problems. Tell me. What have you been doing all these years? I wouldn't believe you have only been looking over the graves. Surely you have a life beyond this place." Selkiris chuckled a little and would walk as she walked. Even with all the bad things Helena has been doing recently, her priestesses seemed to still be good people.

[Deleted]

As he told her what had happened to his sister and his wishes in regards to the tombs she nodded. When he joined her as she started to and check over the other graves she, "I've been doing what I'm doing now, it isn't like I have much for help. Most of the help I had disappeared after the siege that crazy old bat launched. Being her priestess makes me rather unpopular not that anyone really cared to meet with me before that."

As they walked she kept her pace though would slow down if needed, one of the perks of being a lich was that she didn't have to worry about her body getting tired or being out of breath. It helped her not mind the changes in temperature that happened as the seasons changed too. Though she hadn't told anyone about her status as an undead servant of Helena, cursed for being careless when summoning the undead during the end of the Great Dividing War.

[Selkiris]

Selkiris thought about what she had just said. "Yes I have personal reasons to dislike Helena. But you are not a bad person. You do an extremely important job and I respect that. Now....about the goddess, I have a question. After my parents were killed my sister and I spent five years trying to rebuild our life. Then it was shattered when she was taken. After that it has been disaster after disaster. Am I right to assume the gods have abandoned me? I'm sorry to press with such a question but I wanted to know and you are the most likely to know the answer." Selkiris looked at the priestess for an answer. He had guessed the gods have abandoned him for years on end. He guessed he should finally get an answer for this kind of thing.

[Deleted]

Ilethia sighed, "Why does everyone seem to think that the gods talk to us priests and priestesses. They don't, usually we don't even know if they are paying attention to us outside of the boons we can gain from them. Also from what I understand they have a non intervention and non interaction law regarding us mortals. So honestly I have no idea if they forsook you or anyone else on the mortal plane. All I know is that I'm cursed and forced into my job beyond that I have no idea about their agendas and favorites are." She sounded a little annoyed as she spoke but that was because she was tired of people expecting her to have answers she would never have. If people were really that curious there were rituals that would summon a god or goddess by force if done correctly and they could ask their questions providing said god or goddess didn't kill them on the spot for doing so.

[Selkiris]

Selkiris listened to the priestess's little rant on those types of questions silently before chuckling. "Well then I am terribly sorry then for asking that question. I don't know the relationships between the gods and their priest/priestesses so it was worth a shot." Selkiris smiled but his hood hid it, his face only showed darkness. His master was going to give a definitive yes so he didn't bother asking him. The priestess was his only shot but it seemed like that didn't help. "You mentioned a curse? Maybe I could help with that...if you don't mind dark magic."