As night turned to day the day came not by itself but with a storm none of the Falconers had expected as it was heavy, hard and unrelenting. Thoe there were many leaks and broken windows the very few standing shelters still took on the burden of the storm keeping its occupants dry and safe from the cold that came with making any sort of travel unbearable. The storm didn’t let up and the days hours began to leak into late afternoon.
“Eh?” Adridge moaned as she once again looked to the skies to see not a single hint of daylight spear through the clouds. “This storm seems too unnatural. Just whose god do you think we’ve offended?”
She was only speaking to the four who were present: Rechon, Lindestic, Oxinum and herself. Floritha and Igneous were in other smaller parts of there only sanctuary no doubt still able to hear however. “You can trust mine is satisfied,” Lindestic said lying himself against the wall with feathers that still blew in the intruding breeze as he was within clear view of the door with a building that sat on the far side of the road made up of nothing more than three nearly broken walls and a roof that he seemed to be keeping a watchful eye on. “I’ve offered up my prayers there's nothing more to be done.”
“I follow no god,” being the only words Rechon said.
“Oxinum?” she asked taking to shelter in a corner.
“Nada.”
“And neither I nor Igneous have one either.” She said to herself.
“Neither Floritha,” Oxinum said. “You can trust that I know.”
“So what is this then? Were about to undertake an important mission for the sake of Noriphmy and here we are forced to take shelter and await a break in the weather.” Adridge stomped her hooves in frustration. “Are none of you the least bit worried?”
“Worrying it counter productive,” Oxinum sighed. “What could I do?” he asked himself as he thought. “I could wish for a fire or beg for some food but that does not mean it will merely appear out of thin air. I’ve got to spend my time to make and gather the ingredients for food or fire if I desired them so.”
“And just what do you think we should do with our time then?” Rechon asked doubtfully. “Manny months just to get there, and I'm hardly prepared, many months back making our journey nearly a year and I intended to at least start making progress this morning. Not waste away in some shed at the whim of some thunderous storm.”
The room fell silent as it continued to pour outside. Truly they all desired what Rechon had said but they knew that sometimes some things were out of there control. The thunder and rain continued on for many more hours and even into the night. Igneous and many of the rest had cycled through the rest of the old house exploring what little there was to explore in an effort to pass the time by.
Only two stayed still for the whole day. One character being of course Oxinum who gave little comment to further conversations that followed and the next being Lindestic who despite the cold still sat by the doorway watching what little of a building lay across the street as it lazily swayed in the breeze always threatening to fall over at every creak and crack that came throughout the night.
Every pony found sleep in spite of stress and morning came but the storm was still ever present leaving the night behind. The cloud still thick the rain still heavy and the wind still strong. It however was still early even for a Falconer as every pony was fast asleep. Every pony that was until the scarce structure collapsed, the very one Lindestic had been watching.
Moments later Adridge found herself awake. Sadly the storm had not let up and she shook her head in disappointment as if she could have done something to prevent it. She stood herself up and shook off any water that found itself on her armor and black cape and looked outside to see the stormy skies still looked as fierce as ever. “Are you sure this isn’t the act of some god?” she asked.
“You're very superstitious for a pony without one,” Lindestic answered as he layed in the corner secluded from most of the wind.
She sat herself down opposite from him and said, “I-I don't align myself with one but it doesn't mean I don't believe they're real.”
“You seem to be afraid of there power,” he said. “It's only natural to fear god's but to think there not remorseful is most times incorrect.”
She pawed the ground shifting some of the mud around as she allowed a moment of silence for the both of them. “What god do you worship,” she asked.
“Me?” he asked. “Hm it's hard to explain really as my god is personal only to me.” When he looked he saw that she was a bit disappointed in his answer as she continued to play stair into the dirt. “You're looking for one aren't you?”
“Say I was?”
“Well each nation has had their share of unique gods and goddesses but they all shared two in particular.” He stood up as he began to explain and Adridge noticed that in his left wind he seemed to be cupping something against his body. He sat down next to her and continued to explain. “One of course were the Hexers as a whole and in particular only to our nation Noriphmy. The hexer who saved us from Aminus the black dragon.”
“And who would the second god be?”
He gulped as he gathered his words, “Aminus himself.” When Adridge didn’t comment he continued, “You see Aminuses destruction of Istudious was not swift. It took months of persistence and in those months word spread of the black dragon who called himself Aminus. Now the thing about gods is we believe that any creature pony or object can be a god if it is worshiped enough. This is how some say Hexers reached there power was because of the divinity offered by others. One popular belief is that the first Hexer was a common warrior or falconer that was praised amongst many and with that praise he grew in power. Not power as in the ability to control the crowds, but granted magical power itself.”
“Who granted him this, ‘magical power?’” She asked.
“Now this I don't know but being of faith for many years one begins to ponder and my personal belief is that it was the world itself that overlooked it’s creatures ponies and objects and would grant them power according to their notoriety. And the world is exactly what I worship.” He pointed at the wall just ahead but not the wall itself but the lands of carridian that laid just beyond the wall. “You see Carridian used to be just the three nations. Infact history has said the nations were very close and not just close metaphorically but one old guardsman journal stated that once three watch towers, one of each nation, were so close that during long days they would erect makeshift flags and targets and take turns shooting bolts and arrows at one another's flags or targets seeing who could score the most hits. And at the end of the day they would fire those same bolts and arrows back just to return them to their owner who lived one nation over.”
“But how could that be when Istudious takes months of travel?”
“This is where my belief stands that it was the world. Not the work of Aminus during his reign of terror or Noriphmy who disappeared soon after but the world itself. If there was a god controlling this storm then you would see him just above the clouds and if there was a god who expanded the valley we would have known of his presence but we don't and we only make assumptions. That is why my god is the world because it is always present no matter where we are or what we're doing, and if we offend our neighbor or wrong any stranger the world, itself, will know.”
“The world can be cruel.”
“I have a feeling we this storm will last one more day,” he said with a tint of worry. “But in its place will be something worse. Its-it's only a feeling but I’ve been wrong before.”
“What will it be?”
“Pray about it.”