The Phoenix Chronicles: The Curse of Lustria

Chapter Ten: The God With the Microphone

(NARRATED BY LEVI JAMESON)

Given our usual luck, finding the three strings was probably going to be far from easy. An obstacle was bound to present itself at any moment. But the first one being a god?

Not even I was expecting that.

We had teleported to Seldonna's Grand Forum in the Old-Town portion of the city. "So, where do we start?" Cameron wondered aloud.

"Perhaps with that fool over there," Lumina suggested. "He looks like a haughty individual in need of some lashing."

We all turned our attention to the middle of the square, where a large crowd of people had gathered around a stage. Upon it stood a middle-aged man who was giving a speech of sorts. Every one of us stopped to listen.

"All of you, come hear the truth!" he shouted. "The uprising is about to begin! No more shall, the Elemental Deities oppress us!"

Cameron did a double take. "W-What the—?"

Samson addressed him: "Hey, cupcake, would you mind taking over on the invisibility shield? I put it up right when we got here, but I think we'll be needing it for a little longer...."

Nodding, Cameron put his hands up and said, "Done."

"Are you appalled by these words?" the man on stage questioned. "If so, ask yourselves this: What have your gods ever done for you? When the Blessed Nations are in time of need, they send seven innocent children into battle! Not only is that insulting, but irresponsible as well! And though they grant them power, what about the rest of us? How are we supposed to defend ourselves? They gave us the Book of Spells, yet our governments outlawed spellcasting! They ruined the people of the Divine Empires, and then left them to rebuild themselves! What happened to loving your enemies, Lunara? Where is your honor, Solan? What about responsibility, Pyro? Or your wisdom, Galia? Does Aquos not teach good works in the name of free-will? And Fora, what of your tender care?"

Surprisingly, the crowd cheered.

The speaker continued, adding more power to his voice: "The gods have treated their children like royalty, giving them long-lasting life, or even life without end! They have the nerve to force us humans to jump to their aid whenever they are in trouble! But what have the gods ever done for us? Whenever your heart was broken, was Lunara there to heal it?"

"No!" roared the crowd.

"Did Pyro put out the flames that engulfed Averon last summer?"

"No!"

"Did Aquos save his own children from annihilation by the Costorians?"

"No!"

"Did Fora help her people recover after the great quake that rocked the city of Istanel twenty-four years ago?"

"No!"

"Did Solan usher us into this technologically advanced era with his knowledge?"

"No!"

"Then who did all those things?"

"We did!"

"Then what do we need those gods for?"

"Nothing!"

"That is one coordinated audience," I commented. "Did they rehearse this beforehand? Either way, I'm impressed."

"This is bad... really bad," said Lola. "How is he able to sway the crowd so easily? And what are we supposed to do about it?"

Lieutenant Samson blew a bubble. "A dog who chooses to bark at the stray cat loses sight of the burglar. I say we follow those winds and find the strings. There's no need to mess with these folks."