Her Sin Was Pride

XIX

"A blessing upon those who devote their lives to you."

Naliyen wasn't pleased to see that Amdusias and Valefor were also now members of the Garden but thankfully, it seemed the grudge she held against Barbatos was confined to that worm rather than just anyone related to him. She eyed them with open distrust and shooed Tynamar away from them but otherwise seemed content to mingle with the others . Eve thinks it helped that both former loyalists seemed ashamed to be seeing her and gave her as much space as she could want. The black sheep elected to focus on repairing and constructing leaf-beds before moving to the cooking fire to begin using all of the berries she'd collected on her trip.

Lumor approached her with glee, dragging her excitedly over to the farm-plot for her to see the all of the effort put in. She'd been gone a lot longer than she usually was for a quest - a full week rather than just a few days - and the followers had taken the initiative to further spread the plot of land. Fina raised a palm in a friendly manner, waving happily as she watered the the dirt mounds.

Well done, she signed watching the stag immediately straighten up with pride. I see you've roped off the other side.

"Yes!" the stag agreed, fumbling with his hooves as he attempted to sign the words he knew. "We planned to make two sections to make sure we have enough to for everyone to eat and still have extra."

Interesting - I didn't teach some of those words. Ratau must be picking up the slack in sign-education while I'm gone.

Clever, she signed instead. Please continue to do so - and if you have the time, would you mind showing them around?

She gestured to Naliyen and her daughter.

"I have plenty of time to welcome someone new to our Garden o blessed lamb," he said reverently, clearly pleased to be trusted with this new task.

Eve nodded, leaving him to it and made her way toward the shrine of herself with its palms raised toward the sky. It seemed they had already begun to work on a second version of the shrine, one made of stone instead of wood. They were making decent progress too she'd admit, it was already beginning to resemble her, though she had a feeling they'd been waiting for their return to finish it off. More importantly were the many swirling, twinkling tails she now associated with devotion orbiting around the statue's unfinished head.

Our followers grow more devout by the day, the Crimson Eye noted appreciatively. Constructing a shrine far more fitting for my glory.

She felt the same gentle tingle she'd initially felt when the Red Crown had replenished the temple and obediently raised her palms to the half-constructed shrine. The power in her veins flared and she watched the flash of red begin eating away at the solid spaces of stone, gouging holes to make the wide, dark sockets that which blackened water poured to fill the widening pond at the foot of the statue. She took a breath and gave the magic a twist, lowering the height of the belled=collar dangling from the statue's neck to be more accurate to how low she carried her own and with a thought, added the faint outline of scarring across the figure's throat.

"Hah," she groaned, drawing a hoof up to the long sealed gash on her throat. How dare it still have the audacity to sting and burn like this when it was no longer a fresh wound.

...apologies borrower of power, I did not think of the strain such divinity would have on your mortal form.

Don't fret, I'll be fine.

"Oh blessed lamb, we are honored by your efforts," said Valefor eagerly.

Ah, he must have been one of the followers to begin work on the advanced shrine. She reached out with a pleased smile, taking the worm's hands and pressing them together in an imitation of prayer. She was going to mouth the words 'thank you' but she felt... something.

It was a strange feeling, different from the burning fiery sensation that they had begun to associate with the power of the Red Crown. It was... cold but also warm. Dwarfed by the storm of power that the Red Crown emitted but still warm, still reassuring. Without thinking too hard about it, she channeled the power and allowed the gently chill to transfer into the worm. It was practically instinctual, the way she pushed her feelings of satisfaction and gratitude into the stream while the worm shivered in her hold.

Only when the gentle energy faded away, seeming to dissipate into her skin did she let go and quickly draw a hoof to mouth.

Thank you, she signed once more.

She moved to begin fixing meals for the followers, the strange arcane energy dancing through her mind.