Immune: Triloka Part I (Triloka Series Book 1) by Avery Hendrex

Author:Avery Hendrex [Hendrex, Avery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-09-02T22:00:00+00:00

13. Sweet Waters

Concordia Military Academy held a formal, mandatory liturgy once a month. Today would be their first official mass, and Micah couldn’t imagine better timing.

His team hadn’t slept well the past several nights, still haunted by their mission and comrade’s gruesome death. News of the incident had traveled quickly across the academy, and gossip had raged.

He knew the others had trouble dealing with Wayde’s absence and functioning under hostile scrutiny.

The liturgy would soothe their troubles for at least an hour or two.

Micah wasn’t so fortunate.

He wasn’t religious but would have to submit to a god during this morning’s service. Fortunately, it would be a short service, as only the first-year cadets attended to receive blessings from their respective gods.

“Considering you’re a child of Varuna and Agni, who will you pledge yourself to?” Keegan whispered as they stood in line with the other first-year cadets. “You have never seemed interested in Agni. Will you worship Varuna?”

From how he gawked, Keegan seemed especially interested in Micah’s answer. This palpable curiosity was not uncommon to see from Keegan these past several weeks, yet he still hadn’t asked about Micah’s parentage or his mixed race despite said curiosity.

Evidently, he was waiting for Micah to broach the topic.

“Neither one sounds remotely appealing,” Micah responded distantly.

Keegan looked at him irritably. “Maybe religion will do you some good, Micah.” He studied the group of cadets in front of them. “I find praying to Agni comforting. Though he doesn’t always answer my prayers, he has blessed me with a good life.”

Micah pursed his lips, displeased. “Perhaps your good fortune is due to the hard work of you and your parents, not the work of an unsympathetic god.”

“Micah,” Keegan said in a controlled voice, “don’t take religion away from me.”

The boy then turned his shoulder dismissively.

Micah inclined his head, acknowledging and understanding Keegan’s frustration.

As the line inched closer to the altar where the vicar performed the blessings on the new cadets, Micah examined the large sculpture of Varuna.

According to legend, the Water God was tranquil and serene. He was easy to please, and he loved his people. Contrarily, Agni was short-tempered, and his rage was wicked. Unlike Varuna, Agni was hard to please, but his loyalty was fierce and enduring.

Ember told him that he’d been baptized and blessed under Agni and Varuna as an infant, and while he liked the idea of shaking things up by submitting to two gods, or no god at all, he decided the act was too bold.

At least for now.

As Micah watched the vicar trickle water down Kai Edlen’s forehead, he assessed the rest of the chapel. Unsurprisingly, the capital splurged on their churches, chapels, and temples to appease their deities, yet it all seemed excessive to Micah.

Hundreds of pews had to be inside the chapel, certainly far more than needed for the academy. Everything about the chapel reeked of gold and exhausted resources, just like the academy itself.

As his eyes took in the grandiose altar, he paused on the sculptures of the two gods before gazing straight above his head.

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