April Flowers Prompt #18, Three Times Cazaril Prayed to the Daughter

[mrstater]

Title: Three Times Cazaril Prayed to the Gods
Author: mrstater
Rating & Warnings: rated PG-13 for references to slavery and torture
Characters/ Pairing: Cazaril
Prompt: No one laughs at God in a hospital / No one laughs at God in a war / No one's laughing at God / When they've lost all they've got and they don't know what for / No one laughs at God / On

Comments

[gilpin25]

It's really thought-provoking reading this - also an excellent take on the prompt. Did you have this in mind when you picked it? - because obviously we know exactly how much the gods will ask of Cazaril in the future, and that he is quite prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice, again, for others.

I like the opening to this and the 'foxhole believers', who only want help in times of trouble or whose belief is accompanied by handy get out clauses attached. Caz's progression through this, with the black humour of his first prayer to the utter humiliation of the second and broken despair of the last is very well done. I very much liked your ending as well, leaving him poised to have his question answered in wholly unexpected ways. :)

[mrstater]

It's really thought-provoking reading this - also an excellent take on the prompt. Did you have this in mind when you picked it?

No, actually! This has been a favorite song for a while now, and it reminds me of Caz (and Remus, in another verse that talks about being "starving and freezing and so very poor"). And even when I sat down to write for this prompt I didn't really have much of a plan, so I'm very pleased you think it turned out to be thought-provoking and fitting for Caz! Thanks very much for your lovely words about it. :)

[shimotsuki]

This is really heartbreaking, as we watch Cazaril pushed continually beyond what he thinks he can take. The ending is the most powerful of all, because now he's supposed to be safe, but his doubts appear to be stronger than ever.

The expression "foxhole Quintarian" is a fun choice, because on the one hand it makes an impact as a surprise (did we have foxholes in the fifteenth century?), but on the other hand it immediately started the reader (well, me, anyway) comparing the religions in the Chalion 'verse with those in our own world.

Strictly speaking, I don't think Cazaril knew he had any particular connection to the Daughter until sometime after the gold coin incident -- maybe not really until after the death miracle and his talk with Umegat. But this is such a powerful piece that says so much about the changes in his character, that it really fits perfectly into canon.

[mrstater]

I don't think Cazaril knew he had any particular connection to the Daughter until sometime after the gold coin incident

Was he not in the Order of the Daughter with Palli? I thought that was why she was the particular god he connected with. Have I completely made things up and/or misunderstood? Likely... LOL

The expression "foxhole Quintarian" is a fun choice, because on the one hand it makes an impact as a surprise (did we have foxholes in the fifteenth century?), but on the other hand it immediately started the reader (well, me, anyway) comparing the religions in the Chalion 'verse with those in our own world.Hee! Glad you liked that, though I hope it didn't pull you out of the story too much. It was one of those ideas where I was tempted to try and come up with some kind of alternate version to suit the period/world, but in the end I decided it would only be confusing so I just stuck with the familiar phrase, tweaked. I did look up foxhole to see if it had a specific definition relating to WWI and didn't find one, so thought

[shimotsuki]

As I remember it, Caz dedicated himself to the Son as a boy, because most boys do, but during the siege of Gotorget he had that moment where he threw off his amulet and announced that he was through with the Son and any god who wanted him could have him. That must have been when the Daughter sort of picked him up. But I don't think he was a soldier of the Daughter's Order or anything official, and I don't think he realized what must have happened there until much later (for a while he seems to have thought that encountering those soldiers of the Daughter's Order on the road to Valenda was the start of it all).

I never thought about the Fox with 'foxhole'! Neat connection.

[mrstater]

Thank you for the refresher course, LOL. Geeze, why am I trying to do this challenge with only one read, three years ago?! I suppose there's nothing particularly significant to the Daughter in this, though, so I could probably easily tweak to fit the canon details!

[bookish_brownie]

Oh, poor Caz! This is a really poignant look at all he has suffered, but there's also a slight hopeful quality in that he has his faith to see him through the bleakest moments. Nicely done.

[mrstater]

Thank you very much! I was trying to show how Caz had the foundation to eventually have the kind of faith he has by the end of things, so I'm very glad to know that hopefulness came across.