The Avaritia Anthology

by SerPounce

Boreas Be Saved

As the Griffons all entered the great Cathedral Of Boreas, the sight was intoxicating: the stained glass windows, of the marvelous spires and arches, of the gold-plated chandeliers and intricately-built statues, three hundred years of work to complete this marvel of Griffinnity. The light of the sun entered from all sides, coalescing into a spectacular light show that amazed any churchgoer. This was created for their one true god, Boreas. An offering to him that, even in his most greedy of phases, he would accept as a great deed.

Yet the Prelate did not seem happy. As hundreds of Griffons entered and seated themselves at the benches, there seemed to be a weight upon him that cast his gaze down upon his flock. His eyes closed, his body solemn upon the podium, the knights surrounding him bearing the crests of the great church in their gold speckled armor, he waited. The Church was a glowing sensation of gold, artifacts and Griffon beauty.

Yet as the Prelate did not stirr, the griffons of the crowd began to look at each other with concern. Finally: Movement. The Prelate squirmed and rose his gaze upwards, smoothening the creases on his great uniform of the finest fabrics. Weaved in Ponaidhean, it had golden embroideries sown in it, with images of great stories from the holy books. His eyes filled with a sparkle of piety, his whole body speaking to the true path of religion, he began to speak:

“I am saddened to say this, but Boreas is disappointed in his people... disappointed in his children! For he has given you the gift of this world, the gift of life, the gift of fertile fields to grow your crops in! He has given you the church you sit in and the air you breathe! He has given you all that you have and all you can ever ask for yet you do not change your ways!!”

He stopped for a moment, letting the silence hang in the air as the atmosphere fell to an anxious wordlessness. The crowd did not even breathe in fear of offending their great god, as if Boreas himself was in the room and they could feel his disappointment looming over them. That sadness of not having made a mistake but of having disappointed someone else lingered in their minds.

“He gives you these gifts yet you still commit sin. You get drunk in the pubs and drink yourselves to spiritual destruction. You break your holy vows with your soulmates, breaking your holy oaths for a one night fling. You destroy his creation in pursuit of unpious national expansion. War itself is antithetical to the message of Boreas! Boreas does not want his flock to destroy itself in warfare so that the scarred living may stand atop the bodies of the fallen!”

The strike hits swiftly: a spear at the hearts of the crowd. Some begin to cry - some, silent and with pious dignity; but some begin to wail and weep loudly, ashamed of themselves for all the ways they insulted their mighty, all seeing god.

“He gives you the flame of life and you spend yours extinguishing others, he tells us to be kind and have good lives yet we spend our lives greedily sopping up bits and spending them on hedonistic pleasures of the flesh and greed. Do you not feel sick? Do you not feel anything? You do all this yet come here on the day of prayer as if to mock Boreas himself!“

“Do you not think he can see, do you not think he knows! He knows all that you have done and sees it! He sees your lies sins and the misery you inflict upon others in his omniscient grace! Yet you continue! Continue to sin and ruin all that you touch, your heart filled with so much sin that the merchant would ask you to pay every bit in the world for mercy!”

Contagious weeping infected everyone in the cathedral: Young and old, rich and poor, all of them struck with the burden of their sins and the might of their crimes against their own god. It was as if he gave them a gift and they spat in his face asking for another.

“You will not find salvation on this path and only eternal damnation, your souls are forfeit and your lives will be over. You must repent, repent!” The last word hung as an echo around the cathedral. Hammering them with the call to holy mercy as the knights struck their shields with their blades.

“Repent! Repent! Repent!” It was insufferable: The Hammer of Boreas falling upon the people lashed to the anvil of their sins.

“But, there is a path to salvation even for you sinners.” The Prelate said, the sadness suddenly paused, the weeping abruptly ended. All looked upwards, seeing the great Prelate speaking from his high podium, like an angel from the heavens themselves.

“To forgive your sins you must cast away your greed, cast them away and… Pay for your sins. The only way for Boreas to forgive you all is for you to pay him back for all that he has given you.” Two new knights carried in a large, beautiful gold-encrusted chest laying it at the open center of the cathedral.

As they opened it, all the griffons crowded around it. A storm of bits flew into the awaiting coffer, everyone rushing to chime in for holy forgiveness. The chest filled to the brim with coins, and once they all had exhausted their wallets, the chest finally closed and locked, taken away to the back as the Prelate smiled widely at his flock.

“Your salvation is here, for Boreas forgives you of your grave sins. Feel free my children, for your souls are wiped clean and you may begin anew. Go on, enjoy your lives of sinless happiness.” And so the Griffons thanked the Prelate loudly for saving their souls and began to stream out.

As the knights prepared to leave their posts as well, they heard the Prelate speak to himself: “I wonder where I'll put the golden spires…”

But there was something they couldn't see. Neither them, nor the mighty Prelate. Waiting in the shadows, watching and remembering. The only being allowed to trade forgiveness for gold. In the darkness, the Merchant sees all.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

The word I is always capitalized. Please respond to this comment.

[SerPounce]

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English is a garbage language and sometimes i forget that!