I never made it to the messhall for breakfast. As I stepped outside of the dormitory, two men hastily walked towards me. My time here made me more accustomed to the colors and symbols of the gods. The two approaching me wore the colors of Strolph as well as grave expressions. This whole ‘being approached by a small group of ‘intimidating’ men’ thing was getting old fast. Though I was far more wary of these two then the ones yesterday.

  “Maeori?” One of them asked with a contemptuous look. His buddy stood and glared.

  “Perhaps, depends who’s asking.” I flashed an irritated smile.

  “You’re to face justice for endangering a member of the clergy yesterday.” He reached out a hand to grab my arm, but I pulled back before he could grab it.

  “Endangering?!” I projected my voice, it was still early and quite a few people were making their way around the courtyard. “I have done no such thing, if anything I should be lauded for saving a member of the clergy from miscreants and reprobates seeking to do harm to them and the community.”

  “And who do you think put them in such a situation?” The man retorted, lunging forward to grab my arm. He had an Aura Infused iron grip that painfully began to crush me

  “Clearly not I,” I said with feigned outrage. “I was merely assisting a priestess in the act of spreading divine charity, as sanctioned by the church, when heathens attempted to disrupt our holy mission. Why must I face your ire instead of those who directly did harm to the faithful?”

  I glanced around, a number of people had taken note. Some started to crowd around.

  “Come with us you cunt,” he growled, pulling on my arm. I let my legs go limp falling to the cobblestone. The fall and scrapes hurt, but it was fine. The necklace dangling from his neck told me all I needed to know. It was of a large teardrop, with six smaller teardrops coming from the side. A sword sliced down the middle. It was the symbol of the Knights of the Severance. The faction most responsible for making the church how it was. Well besides myself, but they were the canonical reason.

  “And here I thought Lord Strolph stood for justice and righteousness? Don’t tell me you’re profiting from those thugs!”

  The man holding my arm looked as though he were about to strike at me. Before his buddy put a hand on his shoulder to have him back off. Enough of a crowd had formed to watch the spectacle. Their faces expressed contempt for the two men assailing me. None had quite taken the initiative to step in, but if they kept escalating there was a chance. The two men knew it too. The one that had been standing back whispered something to the man crushing my arm. His grip loosened and they walked away.

  One of the bystanders came by to help me up. She gave me a pitying look. We both knew I was poking a hornet’s nest, or some fantasy magical equivalent. The cathedral was dedicated to Strolph so his followers were clearly the most numerous if not the majority. Though there was still a limit to what they could do. Was it wise to take such an adversarial stance? Likely not, though I was too irritated to care. I had nothing I was satisfied with counting as a win in my time here. Picking a fight with a faction of the church, fuck it. Fionn already told me Sofia’s father was adversarial, stirring up some trouble for him seemed worth it to me.

  The woman that helped me up offered to heal me. I turned her down. I still needed the scrapes and growing bruises on my arm. The show must go on after all.

  This time I made it to the messhall. I was going to have breakfast with Sofia, but plans changed. Seeing I was still scraped up, some people gave me some looks, but I didn’t care. Grabbing some food, I made my way past the section where Corlyn’s faithful sat. Those who knew me or noticed the red and yellow colors I wore gave me some looks. I was breaking the script. The unspoken rule that you broke bread with your own here.

  That wasn’t the only social taboo I would commit. Stultvultan had quite the colorful group of followers. Both in who they were and what they wore. Whereas most of the other sects were primarily represented by humans, dwarves, and the occasional elf, among the followers of Stultvultan there was a menagerie of different races. All the aforementioned races included, but also dragonkin, corvikin (the feathered corvid-like people), and cougkin (furred, cougar-like people). Their uniforms could scarcely be called uniform, having been customized by the individual. All with different color ribbons and patches, all within the sixteen different colors their god represented. Simply saying they were out of place did little to emphasize the extent. They were also noticeably one of the smaller sects along with Orn and Aurenmis.

  I wasn’t strong enough as I was to take a stand on my own. Not against the church and its main sect. I’d need allies willing to stand with me.

  Their crowd was loud and mirthful. Like they knew the god they worshiped was a joke they were laughing along with. Cheering and celebrating that I was coming over to sit with them. Truth be told, I found it rather wearisome and overwhelming. It cast more attention on me than I wanted, but welcoming was certainly better than hostility.

  Regardless of appearance there was still some pecking order. The higher ups within this sect seemingly had a regular competition to wear the most overelaborate attire. I sat across from a blue-scaled dragonkin who looked at me amused, nodding at me to take a seat. He wore a large hat, similar to a bishop’s matre on his head, though decorated with depictions of sixteen different dragons.

  “Haha, welcome!” He bellowed out. “Name’s Yelgris. Who do I owe the honor of dining with?”

  “Maeori,” I said looking over the crowd again. They were yearning for a show, so I’ll do my song and dance for them. An all too familiar mask.

  “Tell me, what’s one from Corlyn’s flock doing here? A big birdy told me,” his eyes glanced at the corvikin down the table with a playful smile, “that two of you came by our altar yesterday. Did that include yourself?”

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  “I’m sure it would be more surprising if that wasn’t me,” I said, with a slight smile. “It seems I found myself in the midst of your god’s schemes.” I feigned indignation. “My companion as well. It could be quite the scandal I must say.”

  “Oh?! And what schemes are these exactly?” He leaned in, getting more interested.

  “Who am I to know the gods will? Though, it would seem that Stultvultan's took an interest in my companion that visited your altar yesterday. She, of course like me, is a part of Corlyn’s sect,” I paused for effect, “but I get the feeling he thinks her potential is being squandered. He did see it fit to bequeath her with two spells yesterday. That is, after my companion tried in vain to solicit Lady Corlyn for advancement.”

  “Quite the scheme indeed, to try and pull a follower from a goddess of the Severance to his camp,” responded amused. “Aside from the spells, has anything else caused you to assume it’s our god’s work? It seems a leap that you two’d pray at his altar without reason.”

  “Well of course he spoke to both of us.” A few murmurs came from those listening in. If Father Yelgris had eyebrows instead of scales he would’ve raised them. “You’re welcome to cast Compel Truth on me if you wish to verify.”

  “Haha! How bold that would be, to come here speaking of divine oracles only to falter when tested.” He looked me dead in the eyes as though looking into my soul before smiling. “No. I see truth in your eyes. Now who’s this companion he’s taken an interest in?”

  “Well, that’s part of the issue.” I lifted the sleeve of my robe to show the developing bruise. Then my other sleeve to show the scars from both the wolves and the thugs. “Stultvulton’s not the only one interested in her and I have my own health and growth to consider as well.”

  “I understand,” Yelgris said, his voice turning serious for the first time in our conversation. “So who’s the darling in the dragon’s eye that needs to be protected and from whom?”

  “Sofia d’Acron,” I respond to another wave of murmurs, but with different intent. “I’ll let you get from who.”

  ***

  I made my way back to the area where Corlyn’s sect ate. I wasn’t sure how long I’d have. Certainly, whomever in Strolph’s sect that wanted to ‘punish’ me wouldn’t be satisfied with how things concluded this morning. Father Yelgris tentatively offered support, yet the smallest sect housed here against the biggest wasn’t exactly a winning bet. However, Sofia and I should have the support of Corlyn’s sect already. Currying favor with other sects would take more time and consideration. I didn’t exactly have the same trump card I could use. We were planning to leave in nine months anyways. So long as I made things better for us until then that would be enough. Maybe I only needed another sect or two and that would be within reach.

  I took a seat across from Sofia, who notably didn’t leave this time. She was still in high spirits which was nice to see. It was for a moment; a single meal that I dared to believe I could start to clean up one of the messes I made in this world. Not a big change mind you, but at the very least to lessen the burden of one person my world had hurt. That was until our meal was interrupted, a summons for me to report to Fionn.

  Entering Fionn’s study, the two followers of Strolph from this morning were in there as well. Fionn looked at me with mixed feelings, sorrow, annoyance, maybe something else. The other two looked at me with wide malicious smiles, as though they convinced themselves they already won.

  “I’ve received reports that you’ve engaged in disorderly conduct and endangering members of the clergy,” Fionn said flatly, looking in my direction but not making eye contact. “These two are to administer the gods’ justice.”

  “What justice is there in punishing someone who protected a member of the faithful?” I asked for no immediate response.

  Instead Fionn got up. Walking towards me and the door. “I’ll heal you when they’re done,” she whispered, stopping as she passed me. “It’s easier to let Brother Steven have his way. It would have been better for you if you went along with them this morning.” She subtly gestured to the one who confronted me this morning.

  I glared at the worthless woman as she left. I grit my teeth and let my attention move back to the two. The one whose name I didn’t know traced Fionn’s path to get behind me. “Kneel,” Steven commanded. His buddy kicked out my legs when I didn’t comply. Steven produced a scourge. He wore a grotesque smile that I knew meant he’d be enjoying this. It was a smile I’d seen before on a different face.

  Who can say how many hours the torture thinly veiled as ‘discipline’ had lasted. Or if it had even lasted a full hour. My attempts at overpowering them was a fool's errand. They had Aura Infused strength while my Aura and mana had barely recovered from yesterday. Defiance and resistance was met with beatings followed by further lashes. My hand was crushed underfoot when I refused to kiss Steven’s boot.

  Red filled my vision and it wasn’t just from my blood that was splattered in the study. I couldn’t move by the time they left. Sick laughter echoing in their wake. What was it for? Because I dared to defy them? Because I helped Sofia? I’ll see them rot.

  Fionn returned after they finished and began to chant a healing spell over me. I could feel a bone snap back in place and repair itself. She offered a hand to help me get up. I glared at her and took it. I didn’t let go when I got up to my feet. I thought I had stable footing, that she’d help us. Instead she stabbed me in the back.

  I kept her hand clinched in mine, before delivering a punch to her face. I had enough mana for one untiered spell and used it to make the punch faster. My fist stung as it connected to her cheek. Fionn started to stumble backwards, but my grip wouldn’t let her.

  Instead she began to chant a spell. Radiant Burst, the same spell Sofia liked to use to attack with. Unfortunately for Fionn, I could hear her prayer. She was aiming it at my waist. Before the spell finished I yanked her arm and spun around her. As the light erupted she became my shield taking the brunt of her own attack.

  “What did you say?” I said, whispering in her ear while she was recovering. “‘It would have been better for you if you went along with it?’” I shoved Fionn away. She stumbled, but didn’t fall. “But that only applies to those under you now doesn’t it?”

  “It’s better for all of us not to fight it,” She responded defiantly. “They’ll only make it worse. You don’t understand yet because you’re new here. Revelation or not. I’ll give you that hit, but do so again I’ll bring them back.” Of course she’d give me a freebie that did nothing to her because of her Aura.

  “Is that so? You know I thought you were being self-deprecating when you said you failed Sofia. But I never expected you to be so compliant in her suffering.”

  “I haven’t been compliant. I’ve done what’s best for her!”

  “Tell yourself whatever lies you need to justify it. I get it. You’re weak and spineless. You better hope Corlyn’s more forgiving than I’d be. Because I’d see to your damnation.”

  I didn’t listen to her response as I left. Fine, whatever. That’s what I get for thinking others would help. They never do. I’ll keep my head low for now. I wasn’t strong enough yet to deal with this mess on my own. I accidentally made a hell and I’ll see myself and Sofia through it. Not only for her sake, but if for no other reason than to spite them.