It never failed that after a major Aether expenditure, Iskierka would feel weak and tired. She had never before spoken in tongues, though. The testimony of her companions last night played back in her head. Slurring her words. Speaking another language?
Iskierka's mask was off, and even though nobody was around she was trying not to be seen. She wasn't sure why. Most of the people here didn't seem all that put off by her face when they had seen it. Her face no longer felt like her own anymore. Of course it wasn't. It belonged to the one who marred it. The mask was her face now. Without her mask she felt invisible, or she wanted to be anyway. She ate quickly, hunched over her food like an animal and hoping nobody would walk up on her. With the food done, she put the dishes aside.
Iskierka took her cards from last night and shuffled them. She placed three cards down from left to right. The Self, The Obstacle, The Resolution. The turned over the first. The Magician. The second, The Devil. The third, The Devil.
Iskierka paused. She picked up the two identical cards and inspected them. They seemed real enough. The counted the cards, and all were there. She shuffled the cards back in, and inspected each one. There was only one Devil card in the deck.
She hurriedly put her cards away, and then gathered her dishes to wash them. She set to the task as fast as possible and made her way quickly to the Arcanist guild. On the way, something overcame her. A phrase came into her head in a language she didn't know, but she knew the meaning.
Malpirg de izizop.
Burn the vessel.
Iskierka's mask was off, and even though nobody was around she was trying not to be seen. She wasn't sure why. Most of the people here didn't seem all that put off by her face when they had seen it. Her face no longer felt like her own anymore. Of course it wasn't. It belonged to the one who marred it. The mask was her face now. Without her mask she felt invisible, or she wanted to be anyway. She ate quickly, hunched over her food like an animal and hoping nobody would walk up on her. With the food done, she put the dishes aside.
Iskierka took her cards from last night and shuffled them. She placed three cards down from left to right. The Self, The Obstacle, The Resolution. The turned over the first. The Magician. The second, The Devil. The third, The Devil.
Iskierka paused. She picked up the two identical cards and inspected them. They seemed real enough. The counted the cards, and all were there. She shuffled the cards back in, and inspected each one. There was only one Devil card in the deck.
She hurriedly put her cards away, and then gathered her dishes to wash them. She set to the task as fast as possible and made her way quickly to the Arcanist guild. On the way, something overcame her. A phrase came into her head in a language she didn't know, but she knew the meaning.
Malpirg de izizop.
Burn the vessel.
![[Image: BZneHYK.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/BZneHYK.jpg)
No Gods and Precious Few Heroes
