Priestess of Eilistraee
Excerpt
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“Wait, you said your god was Corellon. Then why do you now worship Eilistraee, the goddess of the drow?”
Ember fell silent, glancing at the man standing next to her and wondering whether she should tell him anything. But then decided that it would at least be honest, considering that he had trusted her with his story.
“It’s all rather complicated to explain… There is a belief that one of my ancestors was a traveler who once brought back a wife from the north — from places where days and nights are measured in months. She had very dark skin, white hair, and dark purple eyes. She said almost nothing about her homeland, citing poor memory, and she didn’t live very long. My grandfather told me various stories about her when I was a child and once mentioned that her people were called the Aevendrow. I never heard anything more about them. But part of her blood flows in me too.”
“Why did he tell me? Maybe he wanted me to feel like I wasn’t an outsider. I was born looking different from my parents, and from everyone else in our family that I knew. My skin is quite dark — this hair, these eyes… Like a foundling. But there are no dark stories here. This happens to elves. And my brother is almost the same as me.”
She nodded toward Mel, who was crouching at the edge of the cliff, intently examining the expanse of the lower cave.
“The whims of blood. Or maybe it’s a trace of that strange woman from the north…”
Ember paused for a moment, then continued.
“Such children are considered special — ‘marked’. Besides, when I was born, some old hag blurted out that she had seen a vision: that my life would be connected to a god who would reveal himself at the most difficult moment of my life. But she didn’t say which one. Several years passed, and one day, when I was still a child, I caught a very bad cold. The priestesses of the local temple nursed me back to health. They decided that it was the god who had intervened, and that this was the ‘prophecy’,” she raised her thumb meaningfully, “and this temple was the temple of Corellon Larethian… But this whole story ended… not very well. I am no longer his priestess.”
The elf smiled unkindly.
“Maybe for all these reasons. There were others too…”
“Or maybe because our views on life are very similar. Eilistraee is always merciful to the weak and merciless to evil. She wants to give her worshippers not only salvation, but also freedom from dogma and prohibitions. The ability to think, to seek joy and happiness — your own dance, your own path in this life, even if you have to fight for it. Her light is not only a beacon in the darkness; it is a guide to faith. But not faith in her. Faith in oneself.”
“And you — did you find your path?”
“No. Most likely, I’m lost.”
She thought for a moment, her gaze fixed on some invisible point.
“But the drow… They’ve been waging a thousand-year war against your people. How can you worship a goddess who protects… them?”
Ember turned her head sharply, as if struck, but immediately softened and replied calmly.
“Have you ever thought about how many drow have been killed by elves? How many families have lost their loved ones, their children orphaned? Who will put an end to this monstrous war — and when — if no one even tries?”
She looked him straight in the eye, harshly and piercingly, so that a chill ran down Gale’s spine. It was as if the goddess herself had turned her gaze upon him.
“But she is trying. Trying to take from Lolth at least those who dare to escape. To reconcile those whose hearts still have room for forgiveness and love. To show how destructive and senseless this fratricidal war truly is. And, to be honest, I am ready to follow her path.”
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I don't mind reposts. On the contrary, thank you for doing so, and I'm very happy that you like my art 🤍 But please don't write “Tav” in the tags (#gale x tav). She has a name. Tav is a complete depersonalization of characters, like a mannequin.
Also, if you think I'm responding sharply to something, remember that I'm not a native English speaker. I have to translate everything. But translations aren't perfect, and some words or concepts simply don't exist in English. I have no intention of being rude to anyone.
💕
