As someone whose first introduction to religion back home was being told to sit in a Russian Orthodox Church and wait for a baptism she didn't understand the purpose of, and first introduction here was rites of the Divine, well. It hardly took a cynic's heart to feel as skeptical as Natalia did when Matt showed up, and declared himself the herald of a god.
Of course, she'd seen magic-- that was hardly a matter of choice. But so far as she was concerned there was nothing to indicate the presence of a god in either Matt's speech, nor his actions.
As for what she felt...
Her heart froze, suddenly and hard, a hint of rime appearing at her feet. Neither at peace, nor dread, but a third thing.
That she felt, even briefly, connection to those who would be left behind, that she had a duty yet to fulfill, had replaced the dread, briefly, with shock.
Even then. Even then, she doubted. Surely, anyone could vibrate Ether to produce sensations that could invoke fear? These are chemical reactions, not dictates of a king. "What imbalances are you asking us to correct?"
no subject
Of course, she'd seen magic-- that was hardly a matter of choice. But so far as she was concerned there was nothing to indicate the presence of a god in either Matt's speech, nor his actions.
As for what she felt...
Her heart froze, suddenly and hard, a hint of rime appearing at her feet. Neither at peace, nor dread, but a third thing.
That she felt, even briefly, connection to those who would be left behind, that she had a duty yet to fulfill, had replaced the dread, briefly, with shock.
Even then. Even then, she doubted. Surely, anyone could vibrate Ether to produce sensations that could invoke fear? These are chemical reactions, not dictates of a king. "What imbalances are you asking us to correct?"