When Matthias' vision returned, Anya was staring at him awe-struck. She stepped slowly forward and crouched beside him. "What was that?" she asked, breathless with awe and now-receding fear.
"The name of my god," said Matthias simply.
"The presence of your god," said Thanos, breathlessly but not without his usual sharpness.
"If you can do that, we need never fear the darkness again!"
"The name of a god is not lightly invoked, nor often. If the sheer power of Aranaus' presence does not kill you outright, the name on your lips will grow meaningless and your god will ignore your cries of real desperation."
She looked deflated. "That can... kill you?"
Thanos rolled his eyes. "Look at him. He can barely stand after a single utterance; what state would he be in after ten, or fifty?"
Combat to scolding in less than a minute, thought Matthias wry. He gave a glance of pity to Anya, who averted her eyes from Thanos' and sat quietly on a tree-root.
Looking up, he saw Valdis propped against a nearby tree, clutching his arm to his side. Anat was standing over him, a worried look on his face.
Matthias stood unsteadily and walked across to the two. "Brother Valdis?" he asked. "Are you injured?"
Valdis nodded. He was trying hard to hide the pain, but the marks of it were clear. "A bad swing," he said, nodding to his mace, which lay on the ground a little way away.
Matthias walked over and picked up the mace. The light that the Hymn had brought forth from it had faded, but the heavy silvered bulb was still warm to the touch. He walked back to Valdis' side and offered the mace deferentially, but the Purgator shook his head.
"Keep it," he said, fumbling with his unhurt hand to undo the leather strap that usually held the mace at his side. "Oh, don't look at me that way, Thanos. It's useless to me with my arm like this, and I think the boy has more than proven himself. Most Purgatori defeat their first shadow half a decade after their initiation, and he has defeated half a dozen before it."
Matthias would have sworn he could feel the Justicar's eyes boring into the back of his head. He froze, unwilling to accept the mace if it would incur the old man's ire, but also unwilling to turn down Valdis' offer. It was more than a simple matter of practicality, whatever he said to pacify Thanos. Giving Matthias his weapon was a twofold token of trust; first, he was all but declaring Matthias worthy of being a full Purgator, and second, he was trusting him to defend him with his own weapon.
After a moment, Matthias heard Thanos grunt. "As you wish."
Valdis handed him the strap, smiled, and winked. It probably didn't hurt that giving him the mace annoyed Thanos, thought Matthias.
He stood, tied the strap to his waist, and then looked up at Valdis. "Brother, there is no altar, no font."
Valdis shrugged. "The gods can hear you perfectly well without one." Behind Matthias, Thanos cleared his throat loudly, but Valdis took a waterskin from his satchel, tossed it to Matthias, and continued. "Needs must. That will do for water."
Matthias frowned, and winced at the look he knew must be on Thanos' face, but opened the waterskin as reverently as he could. Pouring the water over the mace, he recited the Purification.
"Blessed Aranaus of the Silver Crown, Guardian and Warrior, Shadow's Bane, purify this weapon that it my strike down darkness wherever it may rise." He genuflected, holding the mace above his head, resting atop the palms of his hands. "Blessed Aranaus of the Silver Crown, Guardian and Warrior, Shadow's Bane, bless this weapon to my hands that I may do your work with it."
Matthias felt something wash over him, and he suddenly became keenly aware of every aspect of the weapon he held in his hands. He opened his eyes and saw the mace glowing softly, washing him in gentle white light. He stood and fastened the mace to his side. The light slowly faded, but he felt a bond with the weapon he could not describe, something he had never encountered before.
"There," said Valdis, smiling. "Let us pay due respect to the gods when we are able," he said with a polite nod towards Thanos, "but there is no sense in going weaponless when there are weapons to be had, and well does the Warrior know it."
Matthias knew Thanos would be scowling, but the knowledge did not in the slightest diminish the sense of pride washing over him. He smiled to himself for a moment, and then knelt to help Anat secure Valdis' wounded arm.
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