Dire Destiny of Ours by John Corwin

Thala said, her friendly tone fading.
    "How does one atone for the sins of the betrayers?" I asked.
    Uoriss regarded me with a level stare. "Blood."
    "The Brightlings betrayed the creator." Thala's smiled reappeared. "They must repent or die."
    These people are crazy! "What if I told you there was another way to find penance?" I dug deep in my memory for the few times I'd gone to church with friends since my parents had never taken me.
    "Who are you to know such things?" Uoriss said. "Do you claim to be a prophet?"
    "No." The last thing I wanted was to be labeled a religious icon. These seras were nothing if not zealots, judging from my brief interactions with them. I had to keep this as cold and logical as possible while still coming across as non-threatening to their beliefs. "I'm simply a person who's interested in helping your people by ridding them of an ancient enemy."
    Uoriss pursed her lips. "Explain."
    I looked at Cephus for guidance in case I was about to enter dangerous waters.
    He smiled and motioned toward the table. "Perhaps we should sit down."
    "May I first have permission to send Tibbs and Pross to help my friend?" I asked.
    Thala paused in the middle of sitting down. "You have friend who requires a healer?"
    "Yes." I doubted going into detail was for the best, so I didn't elaborate.
    "Pross already has the required information," Cephus said.
    "I see no harm in the request," Thala said. "Proceed."
    I gave Nightliss a meaningful look. "Please go with Pross. Return when you can."
    Worry flashed across her face, but she nodded. "I will see you soon."
    The pair stepped into the levitator. Nightliss's troubled face dropped from view.
    "Now, back to your claims about other ways to atone for our sins," Uoriss said.
    I felt like an English teacher who'd just been told to lead a math class. The only thing I had at my disposal was the truth. Judging from the reactions so far, these two seras didn't want to deal with the truth. I decided to stall for time, primarily to give Nightliss and Pross plenty of time to reach the skyway to the arch. That way if Uoriss and Thala decided I was a threat, they wouldn't have time to send soldiers after them.
    "What do you know of Daelissa?" I asked.
    Uoriss and Thala exchanged a look. "She misused the gift of the Primogenitor and traveled to Eden. Her sister, Nightliss, tried to seize control of the government. While some think she did so to free our people from Brightling rule, others believe she simply wished to rule in her sister's place."
    I felt sick about the way history had been twisted here. "Is that what you two believe?"
    Thala shrugged. "It is up for debate. The Atharis denomination believes Nightliss wished to do good, but gave up and betrayed the creator."
    "This is where the Catharis disagree," Uoriss interjected. "We believe she was always in league with her sister."
    "There are even sects which contend that Nightliss gave her life to kill her sister and ascended to be with the Primogenitor," Cephus said.
    Uoriss scowled. "They are nothing but cults with dangerous beliefs."
    I sensed an opportunity for further delay. Anytime I'd witnessed a religious argument at school, it had revolved around denominational quibbles. "Which denomination is the largest?"
    "Immaterial," Uoriss said.
    Thala spoke at almost the same time. "Atharis has slightly more members."
    I scrambled for another question. "Do either of you think dancing is evil?"
    Thala's forehead scrunched. "There is nothing forbidden about dancing."
    "Only fools would ban such a thing," Uoriss added.
    My hopes of driving a wedge between them fizzled as they turned scrutinizing gazes on me. "Interesting." I desperately tried to think of some other way to waste time.
    "Are you truly so ignorant of this realm, or is this an act?" Thala asked. She turned to Cephus. "I'm hesitant to believe his claims about Eden. Either he is a liar, or he has discovered some devious way to activate a Sacred Arch."
    "I wish to know how he