When he entered the village, the sight of the horrified but living inhabitants reassured him, none of them seemed ready to swallow the contents of the vial, preferring to wait for the next step. Heaving a sigh of relief, he walked to the main square where he found Alyn worried with tears in her eyes:
"What's going on?"
"I... I managed to convince most of the people not to take the poison but... Father Maurias locked himself in the temple with those who wanted to obey him despite my warnings..."
Tolir rushed to the temple escorted by his four goblin fighters then entered the temple breaking down the door with a deafening racket. But it was too late. Facing him on the altar was the lifeless body of the priest, an empty vial in his hand. All around him were people of all ages in the same state.
Shocked by the sight, Tolir fell to his knees. He thought no one would be foolish enough to obey such a command... But no, the vision of horror reminded him of the harsh reality of this world. A gagging heart shook him, forcing him to retreat from the scene. When he turned around, Alyn was watching the scene, shaking with all his body.
He tried to seize her to bring her outside but she pushed his hand away, murmuring:
"They are dead... Because of us... No, because of you... If you had not wanted to take over the village, they would be alive..."
"That's not true... I just... He replied without conviction."
Not even waiting for the end of his sentence, Alyn ran off, ignoring any of his excuses. Tolir sighed, bewildered by the situation. Finally, he convinced himself that he had to pursue the girl. As he left to follow her, he found himself in a huge stone-walled hall. In front of him stood a woman of timeless age who greeted him with a smile:
"Congratulations Tolir for the success of your mission! You have exceeded all my expectations!"
This one, surprised to find himself summoned by Zali in such a situation, took a few seconds before understanding what was going on. He answers in an aggressive tone:
"At what price? These people died because of me!"
"And? What did you think? That your mission would be done without any sacrifice?"
He opened his eyes, not believing his ears. She only considered them as sacrifices? He retorted:
"What is the purpose of my mission if not to improve the lives of these people? I am not here to make them suffer and sacrifice them as you say! What kind of mission is this then?"
"Of course, your mission will lead them to a better life," she answered calmly, "however, no task of this magnitude can be achieved without losses... Believe me I am the first to regret it. What matters is the rightness of your cause! Do not look away when you commit such an act, on the contrary, look at it and remember that your cause is beyond them."
"What cause could be beyond the death of innocent people? he replied."
"The one that seeks to destroy a religion that claims to serve the common good and at the same time drives its followers to suicide at the first sign of defeat. Unless this is not enough for you. Young Tolir, I offer you a choice: either you accept to work for my purpose with the consequences that it implies or you renounce it, living a peaceful life in the world of your choice, without the powers that I have granted you and where the Cult will protect you. What do you desire?"
He refrained from answering knowing that he was beaten by the goddess' speech. With a pathetic voice, he ended up whispering:
"I accept the mission that you devolved to me... I will accomplish it whatever the price is..."
"Perfect. However, I want you to know that I regret this tragic turn of events... It's partly my fault, I was hoping that you would find two outcasts who respect the ancient deities and who could have helped you but, alas, they disappeared shortly before your arrival."
"You mean Alyn's parents?"
"Them. However, rather than talking about the past, I have summoned you to talk about the future. Now that you've taken over the world of Lafin, it's only a matter of time before the Cult realizes what's going on. If at first, they will underestimate you, soon they will realize the threat you pose to them. Thus, you must already concentrate on your next objective: bringing down the Kingdom of Riurge by taking over the next world, Taril."
Some of Tolir's doubts vanished, convinced by Zali's argument. However, he could not help but feel regret for this dramatic conclusion. He knelt before the deity to accept her quest.
"Well, young Tolir, I will send you back to the world of Lafin in this case. There, in the temple, lies the stone of faith, do not forget to destroy it."
"Wait, what about the people of the village, what should I do?"
"Let them live their lives and choose their own destiny. It won't be easy for them, but isn't that what freedom is? I am not a deity who indulges in contrived ceremonies."
With these last words, she released him. The palace disappeared to make way for the more modest setting of the village. The villagers had gathered around the temple to retrieve the bodies from the temple while the goblins pushed them back with their spears. So far, the situation was under control with no one wanting to confront the creatures, but the tone was rising.
Realizing that the control of the village could escape him if he did not act, he shouted:
"People of Lafin! For those who do not know me, I am Tolir. For a few days I have enjoyed your hospitality. This stay has reinforced my belief that the yoke of the Cult on your village must end. I had hoped for a smooth takeover of the village, which failed and I regret it. However, in the face of this macabre scene, you understand my resolution to free you! No organization should force someone to commit suicide against their will! For the time being, the temple is off limits to you, but as soon as I inspect it, I will let you honor your dead."
His speech calmed the crowd and he even saw a few people who approved of his words. Turning around, he breathed a relieved sigh. He wanted above all to avoid further unnecessary bloodshed. In the temple, along with the countless corpses, he made his way to the altar, where behind the body of the priest was the stone Zali had mentioned. He avoided staring at the victims, concentrating on his objectives.
He grabbed the stone, with its rough shape that without the runes engraved on it would look like a silly rock. He threw it to the ground, breaking it into several pieces. At that moment, several luminous lines escaped from its remains and scattered in all directions before disappearing. This vision sent a shiver down Tolir's spine before he rolled up his sleeves.
He searched the entire building for information. Judging from the mess in the priest's office and the ashes in the fireplace, he had already burned the most important documents. Only two piles were displayed on his desk. The first one explained the procedure in case the village was taken by forces hostile to the cult, which required the killing of the inhabitants.
With his heart turned by the reading of this infamous document, he looked at the second one, made up of several letters. It was a correspondence between Father Maurias and his superior, given the tone used.
"Brother Maurias, following the deliberations of the hierophantic council, the purge of the outcasts must be carried out in all the worlds of the kingdom without exception. I expect your full cooperation and I am ready to reinforce your forces if necessary. Let me know how the situation develops."
"Brother Jarmo, with some doubts about the necessity of this task I have accomplished it. However, you should know that a child has escaped and is back on the right path so, in consideration for her efforts to reintegrate into society, I ask that she be spared. Of course, it goes without saying that she is unaware of the existence of your order."
"Brother Maurias, I defer to your judgment, however be aware that if her actions come to be judged contrary to those of the Cult, you will be considered an accomplice. Thus, live up to your claims."
The exchange stopped abruptly. Tolir reread the contents of the letter several times to make sure that he had understood it correctly. When he was sure, he held his head in his hands, wondering what he should do. Should he tell Alyn so she would know the truth? But in this case, what was the point of tormenting her with these memories? Unable to decide one way or the other, he hesitated to leave the letter in place before deciding to take it. Then he left the temple to let the villagers pay a last tribute to their dead.