Forging Divinity Read Online Free PDF Page B

knew much of that already, though her estimate of Tae’os worshippers in the city would have been much lower.
    “The few arrests that have been made in the past usually result in the culprit apologizing, promising to never worship the old gods again, and being set free after paying a minor fine. This case cannot be so easily dismissed. The man was carrying a sword that resembles the sacred weapon of the Tae’os religion, realistic enough to appear authentic,” Morella concluded.
    A replica of the Sae’kes Taelien? Lydia’s mind hit several possibilities immediately. A wealthy noble that worshipped the Tae’os Pantheon could have been making a statement, hoping that his trial would reverse the laws against Tae’os worship. This would be an ineffective tactic, but it was plausible. More likely, a noble had bought the replica in another city, thinking it was a beautiful design and not realizing the significance. Even more likely, however, was that the sword-bearer was sent from the city of Velthryn to provoke the people of Orlyn into taking action against him. If Orlyn took an overt action against the man, it might be significant enough to convince Velthryn to declare a holy war.
    Lydia concluded that her colleagues had been discussing the third scenario in her absence. It couldn’t possibly be authentic, could it?
    “We believe it is possible the sword is authentic,” Sethridge declared, leaning back slightly as he spoke.
    Lydia considered her actions carefully. Revealing her level of knowledge about the weapon in question would potentially lead toward unraveling one of her best kept secrets – as such, she decided to keep her inquiries brief and her statements briefer.
    “Why do you believe it may be authentic?” Lydia asked.
    Sethridge unclasped his hands, putting his right on top of the table. “One,” he said, extending his pointer finger. “The man gave no resistance when he was taken in. He claimed confusion and ignorance of the law. I know this may not seem relevant yet, but bear with me.”
    “Two,” he said, extending his middle finger. “He proved extremely reluctant to part with the weapon, far more so than to surrender any other possessions – or to surrender himself into custody.”
    “Three,” he continued, counting with the next finger. “The city watch members who confiscated the weapon were unable to draw the sword from its sheath. They found no bond, latch, or other mechanism to keep the sword in place.”
    “Four,” he said, extending his pinky. “The man had black hair and blue eyes.”
    Lydia knew those traits immediately – they were associated with the mortal appearance of Aendaryn, the leader of the Tae’os Pantheon. She said nothing to give any indication that she understood the significance of this, save perhaps with a blink of her eyes. Neither black hair nor blue eyes were individually uncommon, but they rarely appeared together. Of course, alchemy can be used to dye hair , Lydia considered. And someone with Rethri blood might have exhibit a rare combination of hair and eye colors naturally.
    “Five,” Veruden added, interrupting. “We haven’t been able to get the reshing thing out of the scabbard, either. It’s up in the armory. Maybe you’ll have better luck.”
    Lydia quirked a brow with that. “All of you have tried and failed?”
    “I wouldn’t go near the thing,” Morella explained. “Veruden tried to teleport the sword out of the scabbard. When he touched it to cast the spell, a flare of blue sparks seared his hand.”
    Veruden lifted up his right hand with a grimace, displaying the bandages that Lydia had noticed earlier. She crossed that mystery item off her mental checklist, nodding to him.
    “Has anyone attempted any sort of identification spells on it?” Lydia asked. “It could simply be an ordinary weapon with some sort of protective sorcery on it.”
    “That’s part of why we woke you up,” Sethridge explained. “Veruden and I have no