{Atana} Doubt and Faith

Atana tried not to cry as her long braids came away as she ran her fingers through her hair. Her mother had always loved brushing her hair, teaching her to put it into the long twists and plaits that the symbols of her faith and experience were twined through. She had said it was a reminder of the real world, and the mortality tempered with divinity that had brought her into it.

"Never forget you are human as well, girl, and you are beautiful," she always said, "You are a manifestation of the divine in the everyday, and the everyday in the divine. Now smile. You're no more Dao-spawn than I am."

Now the everyday was falling away in the face of her failure before her God, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. At least she hadn't stayed dead... although, perhaps that would be better than facing the Druid's council.

As she crested the hill on the outskirts of Galta, a lone figure approached at a run.

"Atana, Atana!" Acolyte shouted, dropping to all fours to run. "Atana, you're here! They will be pleased! They say the Onyx Order is on the way, Atana! Come and see!"

The Neanderthal girl squeezed a hug from her, and bounded back down the hill, leaving Jobosh, Olaf and Atana to look at each other, confused and apprehensive.

"Atana... isn't the Onyx Order the martial arm of Grumbar's followers?" Asked Jobosh, in a tone that could have been asking about the weather.

"Yes. Yes they are."

"You're afraid."

"Yes. Yes I am."

But nothing could turn her from this, from her home, and so she walked onward, following the trails of her young student.

The reactions from the people of Galta were unexpected. They watched her with wonder on their faces, rather than revoltion at the new, rocky texture of her skin, and the crystalline glitter of her eyes. A couple of the bolder ones darted forward, clasping her hand, touching her arm, clasping their holy symbols so hard their knuckles turned white.

Finally, at the stairs to temple, Hektah and Ruby were waiting for her. They weren't as awed as everyone else, but they, too, moved foward, trying to touch her. That scared her the most, for they were hard, realistic people, not given to ceremony or outward displays of emotion

"All praise the World Hammer, chosen of Grumbar! She who strikes fear into the hearts of our enemies and crush them beneath her step!" Murmured Hektah softly, taking Atana's hand and pulling her up the great stairs.

"Stupor Mundi? Me? Ruby, Hektah, this isn't funny, I failed." She replied, shaking her head, forgetting the sparse praise of the Giant at Grumbar's sacred place.

Ruby snorted, a short, fierce sound, as she guided Atana up the last of the stairs. "If you have failed, World Hammer-" She stepped aside, gesturing to the two elder Elementals that hadn't been there when Atana left- "Then I should dearly like to see your success."

Atana's jaw dropped open as Ruby continued. "They appeared a few days ago. Atana, The Onyx Order has been summoned. Soon we will crush our foes and cleanse this land of them!"

"No one can doubt you now!" Hektah cut in, his already chalky hand whiter still against the muddy colour of her arm.

Atana ran her hand over her now-bald head as a memory surfaced. A short, gritty little figure, somewhere that felt like home, saying "If you hadn't done something right, you wouldn't be here." Faced with such evidence, Atana acknowledged that she had, in fact, died, and gone to the Plane of Earth- where the servants of her Father, Grumbar, had sent her back to do His will.

She sighed, and smiled.

"I guess they can't."

"You'll want to see Teras." Said Ruby, gesturing further in to the temple.

She shook her head.

"No. There's someone else I have to see first.

~*~*~*~

Frieda Stohart had always been relatively simple, all things considered, but where savvy should have been grew a strong bond of love and faith in her God and her daughter. Her eyes lit up as Atana came to the door.

"It's the girl! You look just like your father! You are so beautiful, child, look at you, so strong. What they say is true."

Atana smiled warmly and nodded, handing her mother a small, silk sack.

"Yes, Mama, it's true. So I need you to look after this for me."

Her mother peeked into the bag.

"Darling, it's your hair."

"Yes. Lord Grumbar has plans for me that transcend the everyday. But Mama, I need someone to remember that I'm everyday, too. That I'm human in part, as well. Can you do that for me?"

Frieda smiled, and patted Atana on the stony cheek.

"I can do that, darling. I'll do that for you."