"Ashlynn," Loman whispered, staring at her in utter disbelief at the notion that she would strip the people of their faith. "You can't forbid worship, no matter how strong your armies are! You, you'd be denying them a chance to reach the Heavenly Shores," he stammered as a thousand different reasons that her 'unreasonable and necessary' compromise couldn't be allowed.
"The light that shines from within a man's heart was placed there by the Holy Lord of Light," Loman recited from memory. "And no cruel oppressor or worldly tyrant can extinguish that light, or take it away from a man."
"Only the man himself can turn away from the light," Ashlynn said, continuing the verse after Loman stopped reciting. "For the Light can illuminate a path, but only the man may walk it. And if a man is forced to struggle against his will, then no matter how far he walks, he will never reach the light," she added, tacking on a portion from later on in the same passage in order to make her point.
