Yes, it was. Just... a bit unexpected, in how it turned out. Agni... He acts like an idiot and a bum, but the barrier has never broken while he was there. I didn't really expect to be treated like a queen, though... I never did get used to that part.
Wouldn't you feel awkward, being made to stand in front of the population and smile for 15 minutes every day because the people adore you so much? They think I'm perfect, but none of them even know me.
Maybe. They would listen to anything I said, too... and learning that it wasn't my barrier that was perfect didn't change anything. It was a bit unnerving.
No, of course not. [ she... hopes?? why is atera like this! ] The gods' word comes before mine, always. It's just because they thought my barrier was perfect, and then because I summoned a god without dying in the process... that's all it is, really.
Sounds like that's something special enough to get you, and you specifically recognition. Okay, so if it's not a cult, it sounds like they've made you a figurehead and hang what you want.
...In the simplest terms... yes, I guess you're right. Most people haven't been able to summon a god since the Cataclysm - they usually die trying, so it's... a big thing. Besides myself, only one other has managed to summon a god and keep him in the human realm.
Yes. It takes a lot of vigor and life force for your voice to cross the barrier between the human and god realms. It's too much for most to handle... I'm honestly not certain how I survived casting the spell twice.
Ah... It was just Agni again. There was a while that he stopped answering me altogether, and stopped coming to Atera. I think he was angry with me, because I yelled at him...
[ she. still isn't really sure what it was about, tbh. ]
When the sura attacked Atera, their leader dragged me away from the barrier stone. I tried to fight back, but she's far stronger than I am, even with my magic, and she disarmed me so easily... So when nothing else was working, I tried summoning him again.
I told you, I don't know for sure. The only way to see something like that is through a spell that's illegal, outside of executions. It's been seven years since I summoned him the second time, so... at the most, it's probably just a few years.
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[ he knows about the whole lifespan drain now, but-- ]
Sly move there, Bril. Was it what you wanted?
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That's not being treated as a queen, that's more like being treated like idol.
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No, of course not. [ she... hopes?? why is atera like this! ] The gods' word comes before mine, always. It's just because they thought my barrier was perfect, and then because I summoned a god without dying in the process... that's all it is, really.
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Sounds like that's something special enough to get you, and you specifically recognition. Okay, so if it's not a cult, it sounds like they've made you a figurehead and hang what you want.
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...In the simplest terms... yes, I guess you're right. Most people haven't been able to summon a god since the Cataclysm - they usually die trying, so it's... a big thing. Besides myself, only one other has managed to summon a god and keep him in the human realm.
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You said it takes a lot out of you, literally. But... [ hearing a lot of people died, is. wow. ] It takes that much?
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Yes. It takes a lot of vigor and life force for your voice to cross the barrier between the human and god realms. It's too much for most to handle... I'm honestly not certain how I survived casting the spell twice.
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Twice?
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...Yes.
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What else were you summoning?
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[ she. still isn't really sure what it was about, tbh. ]
When the sura attacked Atera, their leader dragged me away from the barrier stone. I tried to fight back, but she's far stronger than I am, even with my magic, and she disarmed me so easily... So when nothing else was working, I tried summoning him again.
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So he let you burn through more of your life force to summon him again, because, what? He was having a tantrum?
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Both of you sound complicated, I'm not even gonna lie.
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I imagine it's always like that, when gods are involved.
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Probably. I'm starting to think you two are an especially complicated case though.
...
Do you know how much of your life you've lost?
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[ he's right, she just doesn't know that at this point. ]
...No, but I don't know how much I had in the first place. To be honest with you, though, I probably don't have a lot left.
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... Like. Months, or single digit years, or...?
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[ lawd. ]
If it's just a few years, don't you want to... I dunno. See them out? With the situation you're in now?
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