43 Arc 2.17 Planting a Seed of Doubt

"I do not think that those are words from Lady Elvina. I think the demon elf that was sealed with the evil spawn behind you has been whispering words into your ears."

His words set off murmurings around the hall as the priests and priestess whispered to each other as disbelief clouded their gazes.

Shen Jiyu faced the priest called May and inquired, "Are you saying that I am lying?"

"The spawn behind you was the one who found you in the forest, wasn't he? Surely you can't blame us for being sceptical when the news of your proximity with him has spread throughout Elvina?"

Shen Jiyu's face did not twitch as he replied in a matter-of-fact tone that was laced with a slight mocking, "Your behaviour and doubts have proved to me why Lady Elvina said that you have hardened your hearts against her words and her whispers in your mind. A group of faithless sinners."

"Haldir!" Vana was the first to stand up and shout. They were consecrated to the Lady Elvina since they were young, to call them faithless sinners was the worst insult that they could possibly imagine and it filled them with anger.

"Let us go" Shen Jiyu said to Basil who shook his head. He looked at the group of thirteen priests and priestesses, and briefly recalled how he had happily killed them in his past lives and how many of them had thrown away the grandeur and price they all carried, crawling on their feet as they begged for their lives. Except for the Chief Priest and the priest May, Vana had committed suicide and as for May, he could swear he had never seen this person before and yet the malice that oozed out from the man when he stared at him was evidence of his cold hatred of him. Was he reborn?

Basil lowered his head and his voice made it seem like he was holding back tears, "Your Holinesses, I would never dare to do such a thing. I…I know my place and I know that we deserve to be punished for our crimes. I did not believe what he said…I did not dare to. Who are we for the Lady herself to notice us." He wrung his hands together looking particularly disturbed, "But Haldir said that he had been having the same dream every day and every minute he closed his eyes, that is why he sticks to me. He said that the Lady seemed to be getting more angry with each vision. I don't understand why she would be getting angry so I told him to come to your Holinesses, that you would know more. Please forgive him, he had not had a good sleep in a long time."

His words restored the calm and even May did not know what to say in response and sat down. Basil was a dark elf, years of discrimination had already conditioned them that it was impossible for them to lie to a light elf, and they feared Lady Elvina even more, they would not dare lie to their face.

Vana sat upright, looking at every inch the head of the union as she waved them away, "We have heard, we would deliberate on it. You can go."

Shen Jiyu turned, however, Basil bowed incredibly low, his face every bit of piety and respect mixed with awe before he left. The moment they left the room and shut the door behind them, Shen Jiyu opened his mouth to talk but Basil raised a finger against his lips and gestured to the room behind them.

They are still listening. He mounted and Shen Jiyu nodded, making way for the window, he flapped his wings and they flew away.

The moment they reached Shen Jiyu's house, Shen Jiyu closed the door and turned to face Basal who was looking everywhere but him.

"Little liar." He teased. When he was in a good mood, his voice was a little lower and every word was clear and powerful. It gently reverberated in the ear.

Basil felt his breathing become shaky and he closed his eyes for a second before he took a deep breath and opened them. He quipped back, "You're the one that started lying first."

Shen Jiyu held his chest in mock affront, " A whole me, how can I descend so low, you must have been imagining that."

His action made Basil burst out laughing. "Sorry, sorry." Basil apologized while laughing, his eyes narrowed to two crescent moons as he explained himself, "It was just too fake."

Haldir did not reply for a while and Basil looked at him, Shen Jiyu was staring at him quietly.

Seeing Basil look at him, he ruffled his head and chuckled softly. It was even softer than the warm light that flooded the room.

"Your laugh is truly music to the ear. You should laugh more often, I could listen to it all day."

Basil felt his ears heating up and he raised his hands to cover them, his heart seemed to be thundering in his chest so fast, it made him a little dizzy.

"But the lying part was one part, the next part would be harder." Shen Jiyu said, heading to the table to sit down. He took out a book and began to write different herb wheels drawing each one near the writing.

"Which part?" Basil said as he calmed his heart enough to go to the table and peer over Shen Jiyu's writing. The drawing was nicely done, Basil could recognize some of the herbs although the words near those herbs were not always correct.

"Making the lie a truth. We have to let them believe it."

Basil shook his head, "They are so stubborn and they have lived their lives believing that the dark elves deserve to be oppressed and punished. It would not be easy to overthrow their belief. Our words might have planted a seed of doubt in their heart but we still need irrefutable evidence to bloom it. If only we can create one."

Shen Jiyu smiled at him, "You are really good at this. This whole lying stuff."

Basil stiffened and he turned Shen Jiyu to face him. His argent eyes were pious and sincere as he articulated clearly, "I would never lie or deceive you."

Shen Jiyu exhaled sharply, his words sank into his soul, filling cracks that had been wrecked before. He should not believe it but he could not help it.

"We are making Fade Blossom, it is a concoction that is used to numb the part of the soul that controls spiritual energy in children so they can get used to it."

Basil was a little confused, "Spiritual energy, I don't understand."

Shen Jiyu blinked, ah, he had made a mistake. He glared at Basil, if not for his words would he be so foolish to forget he was a lower realm?

"It would make elves not be able to use their power of the wood."