Troubles of a False God

His first order of business after arriving back home was a soak. He hadn’t had one in some time, something Iris had noticed before departing to the Children’s hideout. It was unnerving how accurately she had been, all based on how his skin appeared. How she had gained such knowledge was a subject he would never want to hear of, but he did hope to see her again. The doubt she had for the Children’s faith was something he wanted to work on, if only to see her freed from their manipulations.

Slipping under the frigid waters of his bath was a serene bliss, a moment of calm that enveloped him for a moment. With everyone gone and the servants instructed to leave him be, Vor was given a chance to let everything settle. A downside to preferring being around his own people for moments of vulnerability was that he felt very isolated here. While he was sure the others could sympathize, Vor’s beliefs kept him from believing that the others could truly understand how horrible the Children's teachings were. Lady Elizabeth he considered the closest to having an idea, since they sought her peoples annihilation or enslavement, depending on which member you asked. Still, it was a physical threat to her. To him, they sought to tear down what bonded the Araunda to Metira and the world around them, what gave them love for all life and the wonders and sorrows it brought.

The weight of it was enough to nearly spoil the enjoyment of his bath, only by taking deep breaths of the clean water did he preserve a sense of calm. The cult was already being dealt several blows, losing valuable artifacts and having their current affairs disrupted by the others' activities. He could only hope this wouldn’t be at the cost of the Miss Lavigne and Doctor Jackal, though realized it was a possibility. “What wealth the tide brings in, it also takes.” A phrase often said when hardships follow recent good luck, often believed to be Kasta sneaking some slight against her sister.

After some time of such contemplation and he had left the tub in order to continue his work, Vor noticed a pile of papers left on his dresser. A short note explained it as more notes found by Lady Elizabeth, of course in Greek and in need of translation. Remaining free of apparel since he had no intention of leaving his room yet and had missed such freedoms in the stuffy clothes of the Children and his disguise, Vor quickly learned it was a ledger of sorts. One that had quite the wealth of information.