~The First Step~ a Hermitcraft AU

Chapter 54

wc: 2044

The candlelight flickered and danced, casting long shadows across the lettering of the book Grian was hunched over. He leaned in closer to the endless lines of galactic, squinting, as if there were secret messages between the lines.

Whatever had happened earlier had definitely not been normal, and Grian had half a mind to think that it had been otherworldly. Although, he mused, none of this is exactly worldly. But if what had happened was true, then maybe... maybe, the Listeners could get some help.

He'd had almost nothing to go off of besides the stinging brightness of shining gold and the melodic, echoing voice of an angel, but you never knew until you tried. And try he did, if the dwindling piles of books meant anything.

Distantly, Grian remembered Stress, and the little knowledge she'd been willing to share. The Goddess of Sun. Grian had already scoured the pages, dissecting every subtitle and every word, but he'd unearthed nothing like godly visions, although maybe the golden sheen the book had described kind of matched with what he'd seen.

Gods have never interacted directly with any living being, priest, or the like, one book had gone as far to say. While they have appeared in lesser forms, it is always to a general audience. Grian tossed it to the side, groaning in frustration.

"What's the matter, hon?" someone said, and Grian whirled, eyes widening.

"Stress!" Grian exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "You're exactly who I wanted to see."

She leaned backwards a bit in a show of surprise, brown curls bobbing gently around her face. "Me? Well, I'm honored! How may I be of service?"

Grian couldn't help but smile; Stress' warmth was contagious. "Do you mind telling me a bit more about your, uh, beliefs?"

Stress blinked for a moment. "You mean... our patron goddess? The stuff I told you about earlier?" She dragged up a chair, settling into it and crossing her legs elegantly. "Well, I probably shouldn't say too much, but what would you like to know about?"

Grian bit his lip, fiddling with the cover of the book currently open. "Would you happen to know anything about gods talking to humans one on one, perchance?"

A pause. "Oh, gods, no, at most we only see sihlouettes during ceremonies, and-" Her large eyes narrowed. "You- did something happen?"

"No, no, don't worry about it," Grian sighed, shutting the book and dropping his head into his hands. "I just had a weird dream, and- whatever." The god thing was a lost cause, then. And here he was, thinking he could enlist the help of some powerful deity in this war. It was just an idea, he told himself gruffly, ignoring the pangs of shame that he'd actually had slight hope. As if a freaking god would help-

Grian spared a glanced up and saw Stress' gaze trained on him, as if waiting for an answer. "...What?" he said intelligently.

Stress laughed. "I said, do you want to talk about it?" Her voice tapered into something softer and kind, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "It sounds like quite the dream, if you're worrying this much over it."

"Oh, no," Grian said automatically, shaking his head. "I was just curious, is all."

Stress hummed. "I doubt that anyone who actually talked to a god, face to face, would survive." She shuddered, eyes seeing off to somewhere else. "She talked, during those ceremonies, to the priests, but I couldn't... understand what she was saying? Like, it was weird." She paused, eyes focusing back in and slightly curious. "But... beautiful. Like an angel."

Grian's heart lurched. "Melodic?" he murmured automatically. "And bright."

"Yes, exac-" Stress stopped short. "Grian?"

"Thanks for the help, Stress," Grian said, shooting her a smile and turning back to his books. It was a bit of a dismissal, but he needed time to think.