Chapter 43: Religious Order
AN: Beta: Old man of the mountain/Darklord331
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Zvezdnyy rests inside the finest building the village— the Derevnya— had, which wasn't great at all; just a simple church.
Inside the church, Zvezdnyy sat on the frontmost bench. The wooden bench was cold and hard, and the witch was tempted to warp reality to make them softer before the priest, dressed in brown robes, patted the benches with the softest pillow they had: something packed with bundles of chicken feathers.
It was… poor. The pillow looked very dirty, with stains of yellow age all over it. Plus, how many chickens had to die to make this pillow?
Was this seriously their best? Zvezdnyy wondered as she squirmed while sitting on top of the pillow. Her nose picked up the tiniest hint of long-dried sweat.
Admittedly, it was comfortable, at least, enough that the Witch who would save all of humanity didn't have to warp reality to make it even softer.
Looking at her environment, Zvezdnyy found the local church to be very different from the rest of the Derevnya.
It was a structure made mostly from stone, the only building in the whole village that incorporated stone into its frame. Above everything lay a roof fashioned out of wooden planks. There were many benches, all facing this giant wooden cross at the end of the church that stood on a portion of a raised floor.
Why is only the church made from such sturdy material?
Was the church really so important?
The priest's step echoed throughout this empty church. Moments before he closed the door, Zvezdnyy spotted a crowd of people peeking in through the gap, all of them looking at her.
"Our most exquisite fare, m'lady, for the grace of our Savior..." The priest said as he bowed, stretching out his arms to offer up a plate full of honeyed ham, "Our Holiness, our most prized ham, seasoned with salt and honey. The entire village savors this humble dish solely on the Eve of the New Year. But, should the Savior partake in its humble goodness, it would be our utmost joy and honor."
The way the priest talked reminded Zvezdnyy of that woman when she preached about the holiness of Kukulkan, her Polkovodets.
That woman could go on and on and hold speeches for so long that Zvezdnyy would fall asleep before waking up and finding the woman still preaching.
The witch looked sideways at the ham offered and found herself disappointed. Based on how the priest spoke she'd honestly expect something fancier than what's currently being served.
It was just an average chunk of ham. Like one you'd find costing a few dollars at the supermarket.
In her mind, Zvezdnyy was familiar with the idea that certain foods should only be served on certain days, just as how even though she wanted to eat pizza every single day, her caretaker when her Polkovodets wasn't around only ordered pizza on Wednesday nights instead of every single meal.
Was this average ham something special enough to eat only once a year?
Was this really how peasants lived?
Zvezdnyy felt an overwhelming urge to show these poor villagers a taste of proper food. To better their lives as she should.
She is the witch who will save all of humanity, no?
Swiping her right hand above the chunk of ham, Zvezdnyy didn't bother adding any more flair for dramatics into her movement since this was an elementary act. It barely warranted a second thought.
"I wish this was a delicious turkey."
Reality warped as the ham morphed into Zvezdnyy's mental image of a 'delicious turkey'. Golden, crispy skin, a sheen of oil, a salivating aroma, placed upon a bed of steamed vegetables— ugh. Instinctively, those vegetables changed into potato fries.
Seeing this miracle before him, the priest dropped to his knees, careful to ensure the turkey didn't fall to the floor, and shouted, "Praise the Messiah! Praise the Lord!"
"...eh?"
Zvezdnyy stared at the groveling form of the priest.
Seriously? That's all it took? This got more reaction out of the priest than her saving the whole Derevnya from that storm of arrows!
Joy and zealousness radiated off the priest in droves.
Not knowing what to do at this sudden change of behavior, Zvezdnyy resorted to simply asking the priest to share the turkey.
"Spread the tidings to the other denizens of this Derevnya."
That should result in the most good.
The priest raised his upper body to stare intensely into Zvezdnyy's eyes. Those eyes spoke of worship and frenzy.
"Derevnya, your Holiness?"
Never once has it occurred to Zvezdnyy that a village in rural France during the Hundred Years' War may not understand a single bit of Russian.
"It means village. Share it with the rest of the village."
"Are you sure, your Holiness?"
"Of course. In fact, I think it's time that I make life better for all."
With that statement came action. A single thought and reality reshaped itself to fit Zvezdnyy's imagination.
The priest took steps back as he marveled at everything that was occurring. The stone walls that the church was made of faded from existence like the fog that comes from someone breathing on a window during a cold winter morning. In its place, stood a material that the priest had never seen before.
Alabaster white walls ran up to the ceiling. Though slanted like a typical roof, the side of the ceiling facing downward was filled with tiny clumps of similarly white material almost like the bed of a river. A person from modern times would recognize these things as drywalls and popcorn ceilings respectively. The wooden floor of the old church was replaced with a field of lush, red carpets that could only be found inside castles belonging to royalty.
By her will alone, Zvezdnyy took a slice of her old world's modernity and placed it here in the past.
By her will alone, Zvezdnyy manifested a structure utilizing materials that shouldn't have existed for at least 800 years.
By her will alone, Zvezdnyy recreated the church that the woman who worshipped her Polkovodets built.
The giant cross now had a feathered serpent coming up from below and coiling around it, almost like it was choking the cross.
That was the centerpiece of that woman's church. It was the symbol all who followed her carried, which was a noticeable percentage of the total population.
As the priest looked around slowly to fully take in what had just happened, his head snapped to the direction of the cross.
Then the priest dropped the turkey. The plate clattered against the floor, not shattering as the lush carpet cushioned the turkey's fall.
Instead of seeing anything wrong, Zvezdnyy simply thought that it was good. The priest must be so impressed with her that he's become speechless.
Placing a hand above her chest, the witch began, "I shall meta… meta-morph-size… Hmm. I shall change the entire village. A life of luxury awaits you all under mine benevolent rule. Farewell, meager sustenance; welcome delectable feasts such as this. Bid Do Svidaniya to coarse lodgings; embrace sumptuous Dom such as these. The very fabric of existence shall be elevated, for I am the harbinger of unparalleled prosperity. Unto Eternity."
With that, Zvezdnyy's hand that was placed above her chest dramatically fell to the side.
"..." The priest collapsed to his knees as he beheld the changed cross. His eyes dilated, his lips trembled. He clenched his cross necklace hard enough that his hands shook.
"Heretic…" He whispered, then yelled, "SNAKE! THE SNAKE WHO TEMPTED EVE! The snake has manifested!"
Eh? Zvezdnyy tilted her head at what the priest said. 'Snake'? What snake? Who's Eve?
Without elaborating, the priest ran out of the church, slamming the door behind him shut and leaving a stunned Zvezdnyy who stood completely still, unable to comprehend what set the man off.
The loud sound of the slamming door echoed throughout this large empty church devoid of anyone except one girl. One very confused girl.
She really could not understand why the man acted the way he did. It was as though Zvezdnyy went from being seen as the Savior to the lowest scum on Earth.
Still, the 'snake'… Zvezdnyy looked around her. She couldn't find the 'snake' anywhere.
"I wish all snakes stop existing around me."
That should solve everything. Of course, Zvezdnyy is careful enough that this erasure's range affects only a few kilometers around her. Before becoming her Arka Nemezida, he did teach Zvezdnyy the importance of restraint.
As the girl stared at the turkey on the floor, she suddenly found herself a bit hungry. It was a craving for some meat. Some thick, juicy meat.
Stepping over to the turkey, Zvezdnyy reached now and grabbed the leg of a drumstick. There, with her hands wrapped in gloves, she twisted and pulled before finally popping out the delicious meaty stick.
Opening her mouth, Zvezdnyy bit down on it. Then, she pulled her head away from the meat, taking out a large chunk of steaming, oozing white meat.
The meat wasn't dry at all. A very difficult feat since turkeys were so large that by the time the bird's interior was cooked through, the outer edges were so old and dry that they were comparable to a desert.
"Mmmmm… Yummy… Meat…"
Every chew brought out more juice and flavor. Every bite was better than the last. Very quickly, Zvezdnyy finished the turkey drumstick.
As the witch wished away the grease from her hand, her ears picked up movements outside.
Perking up like a dog hearing their owner coming home, Zvezdnyy teleported right up to the door and yanked it open. As Zvezdnyy opened the door, there was a bright smile on her face as she thought the villagers were here to thank her for getting rid of all the snakes in the area.
The large crowd that gathered here in front of the church only served to fuel that assumption… even if they were wielding knives, pitchforks, torches, and had faces that displayed nothing but disdain.
Even in the face of such hostility, Zvezdnyy pushed on, "Ah good. You're all here—"
"Heretic!"
"Snake!"
"Evil witch!"
Evil witch? She is not evil! She is the furthest thing from evil!
"I am not evil! I am good! I am the goodest witch there is!" Zvezdnyy proclaimed earnestly and without her usual form of speech. She is! She is not bad!
However, Zvezdnyy's words only further stoked the crowd's fury.
Once warm and worshipping, the priest yelled with contempt, "She is the Snake manifested in a human body! She tempted Eve and became the source of Mankind's evil. She is the reason why we're cast out of the Garden of Eden! Kill her! Kill the snake!"
"Kill the snake!" Everyone neared, pointing their weapons at her.
Why are they acting like this? The only difference between now and a few minutes ago was the church—
The church!
Zvezdnyy raised a hand, telling everyone to stop, "Is this because of the church? I can change it back."
Without even listening to the crowd's response, Zvezdnyy changed the modern church that Bethany made and returned it to its previous, much more decrepit state. The alabaster white walls changed back into stone while the cross remained molested by the symbol of a feathered snake.
Someone threw a rock at Zvezdnyy. The thing full of rough edges collided uselessly against her head, not making a single dent.
"She's one of them! Those demons of the Dragon Witch!"
"Oh she a snake indeed! Coming into our village in the guise of a noble wishing to help! Pah!" The villager, an old man, spat on the luxurious clothing of the witch that would save all of mankind.
Zvezdnyy covered her forehead— the area where the rock had hit. While the stone didn't hurt physically, it certainly did emotionally. Looking around at her surroundings, Zvezdnyy found her vision blurred as tears threatened to burst forth.
Why… why are the humans rejecting her? No one rejected her like this before! Except Archer but this is on another level!
"Was I trying to help so unbelievable?"
"I hear the Dragon Witch destroyed Orleans! Thousands died by your cohort's hands!"
"I am not with this 'Dragon Witch'! I am with…" Their name… what was their name?!
In this moment of panic, Zvezdnyy's mind came up blank as she desperately tried to draw up the name of that organization.
"...Caldera. I am with Caldera! Not this Dragon Witch!"
"Oh would someone shut her up?!"
A young man took the initiative. He stepped forward and plunged the pitchfork into Zvezdnyy's chest. Usually, this would've done nothing. But since the young man used all of his force, the tip of the pitchfork pierced through Zvezdnyy's clothing and dug at her skin, causing the same sensation as one might feel when they lay on LEGOs.
At the same time, the force pushed the girl through the doorway back into the church.
*Fump*
Zvezdnyy lay scattered on the wooden floor of the church. Using her arms as support to prop her upper body up, she pleaded, "Please, tell me why? Why did you all turn so suddenly?!"
"Burn her with fire! Burn the witch! Burn the witch!"
The villagers threw their torches in. Like dry kindling, the wooden floor quickly caught on fire. The flames filled the doorway and were steadily spreading outward to the rest of the church like a pool of spilled water.
The fire was engulfing everything. In mere minutes the whole church would be a raging inferno.
Zvezdnyy chewed on her lower lips as she stared at those villagers who resided through the doorway beyond the blazing flames, who looked back hatefully. The flames shone off in their eyes even in the daytime.
Zvezdnyy could not comprehend how all of this happened in merely minutes. How love turned so quickly into hate.
Why?
That was the only thought in her mind. What did she do wrong?
"WHAT DID I DO WRONG?!" Zvezdnyy let out a sob-filled scream.
Fresh, cool air replaced the hot gases emanating from flames and brushed gently against her skin.
Zvezdnyy once again returned to her old spot, feeling like an absolute failure. In a lifeless manner, Zvezdnyy leaned once more against the base of that same tree.
Her hat fell to the ground, completely unnoticed.
Why? She questioned inside her mind. The young reality warper could not understand why the villagers quickly changed their tune from love to raw hatred.
It was utterly baffling. Going through her memories, Zvezdnyy couldn't find a single past instance where a human behaved similarly to those villagers. It was an oddity the witch could not understand.
Did she do something wrong? It clearly wasn't the church since those villagers were still so angry even after the building returned to how it was before.
So where did everything go so wrong? What prompted those villagers to do what they did?
Why?
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why—
"A 'at of such fine material should not be on ze ground, n'est-ce pas?" A feminine voice spoke in a French accent.
Zvezdnyy felt someone place the top hat back on her head.
Gripping the brim of that hat, Zvezdnyy looked up and found the hand to be armored. Then, slowly, as though to fully take in the person who showed this kindness, Zvezdnyy's eyes moved from the hand back to the rest of the person's body.
"Woah."
The armored hand belonged to a blonde-haired woman of wondrous beauty that scarcely felt real. She was truly dressed like a knight with the armor that surrounded her body alongside a trident-like headpiece. Although strangely, the female knight held a flag pole in her hands instead of the sheathed sword.
Zvezdnyy felt like she had been transported into a fairy tale, where a knight rescued a princess.
"Greetings, I am Joan of Arc, Jeanne d'Arc, Ruler-Class Servant. My Revelation led me 'ere, to you instead of the Grail. May I 'ave your name, s'il vous plaît?"
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AN: Yeah, Zvezdnyy really doesn't understand religion at all. She's never prayed once ever in her life. And humans in the Medieval times were really fanatic when it came to religion. See, the Crusades.
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