Wholly Undead

"And everything up to there I have seen personally." Lucius finished narrating his experience with The Holy Witch King absolving the Ladies of Jade and his experienced with Jordan Lightborn. Lucius had not volunteered any of his personal views so far, and only spoke exactly what happened.

After a few minutes of silence among the Archbishops, as the absorbed this story, Archbishop Ava was the first to speak, "Is his Grace a Divine Being now, or was he always?"

The sloven Archbishop Lukas asked, "If he was before, I believe he would of already started absolving the ma.s.ses... So I believe he only became so after his awakening. How he became such... I don"t know."

A discussion broke among the Archbishops before it was interrupted by Lucius, "These are the three Tomes I have borrowed from Jordan Lightborn. I ask everyone to read them quickly. This may answer a lot of your questions."

Lucius left his seat, and sat up three podiums, each with a single tome. He had already read all three tomes, and so he spoke, "Read the first tome on the left and then continue to the next on the right and so on."

The Archbishops, as a whole, mentally frowned, but they left their seats to gather around the books, as Lucius returned to his seat, and sat up another censor of burnt offerings. This was the second he had burned this session.

Lucius has already told Leslie and Verruca that this session would take three week"s time, and in fact it did, simply for the time it took to read each tome. These Archbishops read each book at various speeds. Archbishop Javon and Archbishop Ava finished reading the first tome in twenty five hours. The remaining completed in about thirty hours. This was the same for the second tome and the last book took only twenty hours for the speed reading Javon and Ava, though it was still a shorter tome than the previous two, and the others completed it in twenty two hours.

Lucius had supplied the mostly zombie Archbishops with tea, and for everyone he replaced the burnt offerings around the room on the regular. It wasn"t unheard of for the council to have month long sessions, but this was the first in many many years.

Once each Archbishop finished all three tomes, they stiffly walked back to their seats and sat. Finally when Archbishop Lukas finished, he walked wearily back to his seat.

No one said anything in this quite reading environment, as was expected, but now that everyone finished, no one spoke up.

After an unknown amount of time pa.s.sed, finally did Archbishop Javon speak, shaking his head, "Times are, indeed, changing."

The others looked at Javon. He had said the same thing, three and a half months ago...

"This... This is a lot to take in." Archbishop Edward spoke, in an almost overwhelmed voice.

"I don"t see the problem. I believe every word written." Archbishop Ava spoke, with a bit of joy.

"Every word?" Archbishop Murphy spoke out.

"Yes! It"s the only explanation. The Holy Witch King is in fact our G.o.d-King. How else to you explain his ability to absolve others?"

"But..." Murphy wanted to counter, but fell short, thankfully Archbishop Edward came with back up, "I don"t think that"s exactly the problem. This goes against the Faith of Deagoth"s Orthodoxy. We worship the Light, not a G.o.d."

This time the ever silent member of the Archbishops spoke, Archbishop Taylor, "I believe it was clearly stated that The Holy Witch King is the G.o.d-King of the Undead, the Undead G.o.d of Light. He is the Light, and the Light is him. So We are not going against the Faith of Deagoth."

The Archbishops gasped... Archbishop Taylor spoke! The last time anyone heard him speak was over a thousand years ago, when he took oath to become an Archbishop, not long afterward due to an incident within the church that cost the lives of several faithful during a raid from the minor barbarian tribes from the western peninsula, he had vowed a penance of silence. After he had completed his time, he still refused to speak. He now spoke today!

Because of the speaker, everyone mulled over his words. If Archbishop Taylor broke his silence, then it could only show just how much he believed in these tomes and their word.

"Grand Minister... We haven"t heard your thoughts." Archbishop Melinda spoke to Lucius, as the others surfaced from their thoughts. They looked to Lucius with expectations.

"I"ve told you all the facts, and I"ve let you read the tomes provided, without adding any of my thoughts, or any rumors I have heard." Lucius paused before he continued, "I"m sure everyone is aware of the news that Princess Amba.s.sador Emily is now the second Consort of his Grace, The Holy Witch King."

The Archbishops looked to each other, wondering what this had to do with their discussion, but all nodded in affirmation.

"I had the pleasure to speak with Consort Emily at length when I gave her appropriate accommodations for a Consort here, within the Holy Palace. " Lucius went on.

The Archbishops were hungry for more information, and wished to hurry up the Grand Minister in his explanation, but dared not to speak out.

"She happened to inform me of an eight hundred year old prophecy of Neolith, and her purpose." Lucius then pulled out a paper from his robes, and read aloud the prophecy.

Many of the Archbishops mouthed the words spoken in the poem-like prophecy, with realization dawning on each the meaning behind the cryptic words, that became not so cryptic.

"Consort Emily"s entire existence was for this prophecy. She was conceived, nurtured, and taught to be the wife of the G.o.d of the Undead. The G.o.d-King. She now happens to be the Consort of his Grace. I believe everyone can see that Neolith believes that his Grace is that G.o.d-King."

The Archbishops nodded again, as they looked to each other.

"I would like to integrate these teachings into the Orthodoxy, and I hope that each of you agrees. I don"t wish to see the church divided."

"I"m in favor." Archbishop Ava was the most vocal in her belief, "I believe in his Grace, The G.o.d-King."

One by one, each of the Archbishops gave their consent, until only Archbishop Edward and Archbishop Murphy were left.

The others looked to the two left, "What says you Archbishop Edward?" Lucius asked

"I find this hard to believe. A supposedly eight hundred year old poem, and a mad man believe that his Grace is a G.o.d... And We just buy it?" Edward voiced his concerns.

"I have to agree with Archbishop Edward. This seems too odd for my taste." Murphy spoke to support the two Archbishops.

Before Lucius could speak, it again was Archbishop Taylor that spoke, "I understand your hesitation, but it only seems to me that there is more weight to be held in The Tomes of Lexos Divinus, than a poem from Neolith. While I believe Neolith has made the right choice to follow the G.o.d-King, these tomes speak of many concepts that only we of the upper echelons know in the faith. I can"t help but believe that this self proclaimed Lightborn is, in fact, a prophet for the Faith of Deagoth."

Edward and Murphy fell into silence, and the others left them to it, as the chamber descended into the collective hushed atmosphere.

After another length of time, Archbishop Murphy spoke, "I believe I can accept his Grace as a G.o.d-King."

Edward was slightly shocked, as he looked to Murphy. Seeing his only ally be swayed, he could only feel he had to conform to the group, "Then I will not be the undecided. I will also give my full support."

"Excellent! We need to abridge the Lexos Divinus and get the scribes to make ten copies for each of you." Lucius clapped his hands, as a dull bone sound issued, as he looked at the undead Chronometer on the wall, "If we can act fast enough, then We can have each of you back in your cities with the copies to spread the word in a month!"

Archbishop Ava spoke again, "I volunteer myself, and my priests to help the scribes to right the new version. I believe that the ma.s.ses need to know about this the sooner the better. It would be best if We have this information known by every corner of Deagoth before the G.o.d-King leaves his study."

Ava had become a fanatic without realizing it, and even unknowingly changed the way she spoke about The Holy Witch King.

The other Archbishops followed suit, as they did not wish to seem as if they were not as pious as the next Archbishop.

Lucius inwardly smiled, [A church undivided, and a religion with a G.o.d. The Church of Three G.o.ds and even the followers of the Spider G.o.ddess have no choice but to take us serious.]

While Borda had mostly fallen to the Faith of Deagoth, they had a strong resistance, as the Faith of Deagoth did not preach of a G.o.d or G.o.ds. This turned off many undead that had come from faiths with such figures. This would word even better with the Heretic tribes that littered the Ruined Continent.

Lucius did not feel guilty using these tomes or his words to sway his Archbishops to accept The Holy Witch King as the G.o.d-King, because Lucius truly believed that Jack was the G.o.d-King of the Undead, or at least he would become such.

"I would also like to make Jordan Lightborn recognized as an Official Prophet of the Faith of Deagoth, and get his help to make an abridged version of the Lexos Divinus, as he was the one that wrote it."

The Archbishops quickly agreed to both. Jordan Lightborn was contacted, with his Disciple, and they and the Archbishops crafted the Lexos Divinus Sanctus. Jordan gave insights from the whispers of the Light, and the Archbishops left all of the cultivation methods within the original Lexos Divinus, that they now called Lexos Divinus Fidelis.

It was seen that with the combined efforts and around the clock work of all the visiting priests with the Archbishops of the Faith of Deagoth, and the residing priests of Saigunrai were able to scribe eighty copies of the Lexos Divinus Sanctus in three weeks following the conclusion of the Faithful"s Council. The Archbishops quickly bid each other fair well, as they hurried off back to their cities bringing with them the new cannon of the Faith of Deagoth.