Thus on the order of their Lord, and in coordination with the Silver Court, the newly founded Ezerim came down and gave the Prayers to the people of Tev’el; and so they were cleansed thereof from the notions of the Adversary, and became entwined in the duties of Heaven.

  Four Holy Ones flew high above the sands of the Lizard’s Tongue desert; so far above that one among them, named Levi'el, wondered whether the humans below could see them at all, or whether they might appear as small birds. A strange bird he must have seemed, the way he dipped and swayed while the others flew straight and clean.

  He was the youngest of them, only a few decades of age, and though he had first summoned his wings some months ago he was still unsteady with them. He was grateful to be flying over a hot desert; the expanse of sand and cracked earth, soaked day-long in the sun, gave warmth to the wind and in turn a steady and gentle support to his wings. With naught to see but dunes and dry hills for so many miles, it had been a peaceful trip. Now some human villages had begun to appear: clustered sandstone structures appearing like acne on the sandy flesh of the desert, fed by aqueducts which brought water from the mountains further north. He wondered whether they had used any spells to build them, like the ones on Celestaire.

  They flew with great speed, and the winds rushing loudly about them made normal conversation impossible. Thus it was through a mental link his squad-mate Kai’a asked, “Have you ever been to this province?”

  “No, I’ve mostly had missions in Concordia, and one in Paludia,” he replied, referring to other provinces in the Empire of Bastionelle. He looked over to his left to see her coming level with him, gliding along effortlessly. Her white wings and tail-tied blonde hair sparkled in the bright noon sun. She wore the standard outfit for healers in the Ezerim: simple white garments and light chainmail, and over that a white capelet with trimmings in gold. The clean whites and golds further magnified her overall brightness. Levi'el’s outfit was much the same, except that as infantry his capelet was trimmed in red and he wore an assortment of scale-plated armor on top of the chainmail.

  She continued, “The Empire’s influence is weak here. Marching soldiers through this heat is difficult, so there are often roving bandits or fugitives taking refuge in the hills.” She turned to him, her bright gray eyes and cheery smile contesting the Sun itself in radiance, “I rather like it here, though. Plenty of space to fly freely, and the air is warm and dry.”

  Among all he knew, Levi'el thought she was the truest to the meaning of being a solar. She had been his friend for two years back in academy, but had graduated a year before him; she was a talented magus and a skilled volarist - that is, skilled at flying with magic - and she knew the Sunlit Scripture in and out.

  “It’s my first time seeing a desert,” Levi'el replied, “It’s kind of strange - so much empty land.”

  “Most of Tev’el is empty land. In truth it’s cities that are strange when you think about it, the ones upon the moons most of all. Your previous missions were in human cities, no?” She asked, and he gave a mental nod in reply. He had run missions as an Ezer - a Helper - for going on six months now, assisting with various tasks on Tev'el, the world which the Heavens orbited. Usually these involved confiscating magic contraband or simply patrolling for signs of demon activity.

  “I've always had trouble with flying,” he replied, “so I'm often given missions in cities, where maneuvering on foot is more important. Not that I’ve seen much combat. Just petty scuffles with humans.”

  Another member of the squad, Pera'va, flew into view on his other side, moving with about half as much grace as Kai’a did. His uniform, like Levi'el’s, was trimmed in red. Their similarities went no further however; they were about as opposite in appearance as could be. His hair was a pale blonde and cut short and sharp like straw, a stark contrast to Levi'el’s own dark wavy hair, and he had a sharp and impish face.

  As he came near he said through the mental link, “Humans are a bore. If we must fight, I hope to meet an elf or two. Then at least things will be interesting!”

  Eben’el, the captain of the squad who flew ahead of them, chimed in, “There shan’t be any fighting today, Lord willing, but be watchful; devils prowl amidst peaceful yards like lions in tall grass.” Levi'el recognized the line from the Sunlit Scripture and wondered how much of it Eben’el had memorized.

  Levi'el looked ahead at him; he was just a couple decades older than them, a serious looking man with a heavy brow, deep set eyes and not more than a stubble of hair on his head or face aside from his eyebrows. He wore a similar infantry outfit but with heavier armor and the addition of golden tassels on his capelet, indicative of his rank as an archangel.

  “Are elves that much stronger than humans?” Levi'el asked.

  “The average elf can match an untrained solar in strength and speed, and with decent training they can hold their own against the lower ranks,” Eben’el replied, “Do not think you’ll have an easy fight if you cross blades with one.”

  “No worries there,” Kai'a said, “Levi'el was the best sword in his class back in Setia. Can’t say as much for his flying, though.” She flew close to him suddenly and nudged him, laughing as he struggled to keep straight.

  “Hey!” he exclaimed with a laugh, “You’re a bit harsh of a judge. You can fly laps around half of Assiah.”

  “I’m not that good…yet.” Kai’a said with a smug grin. He was glad to have her along; her familiar company and cheery attitude helped steady his nerves.

  “We’re coming up on our drop point,” Eben’el interrupted, “Kai’a, scan.”

  “Aye sir,” she said, then after a moment of focus, “Clear. I don’t sense anyone near it.”

  Eben’el ordered them onward and they began their approach. They passed to the south of their target, at such a distance that it was only just visible to them; a little cluster of sandstone buildings which once stood as a resting point for imperial supply lines. A small town had grown around it, called Cabil, and though the official imperial route had shifted elsewhere it still hosted some traffic from various travelers. Some weeks ago the town’s lord mayor had disappeared from public sight, and a number of unusual items had been requested by his court, or so the briefing had said. It was suspected the old imperial offices were being used to hide contraband magic.

  The area chosen for their landing was a ways east of the target, just off a road coming west from King's River. There was not much in the way of trees or tall plants to hide them, but there were ebbs in the land where the earth sank slightly, and it was into one of these that they made their descent. Levi'el let out a sigh of relief as his feet hit the ground, happy to finally dispel his wings; he felt his body and mind relax as he ceased the effort of maintaining them, letting them dissolve into a glittering white mist.

  “Remember,” said Eben’el, “our mission is just to scout for information. The town has a priest who we are in contact with. We’ll connect with him, then look for evidence of contraband and determine if a proper raiding party needs to be sent. No magic if you can help it once our disguises are cast, and temper your strength if you have to handle a human. Once in town, leave the talking to me and Kai’a whenever possible. Understood?”

  They said, ‘Aye, sir.”

  “Good. Kai’a, disguises.” He ordered.

  “Aye sir,” She began an incantation from the Sunlit Scripture, reciting, “All things are naked and open in thy sight, Lord; by thy hand all things are illuminated; thou seest all things, and nothing can hide itself from thee.”

  He felt a sensation like a warm wind brushing his face, and in the blink of an eye he watched the others become transformed; their pointed ears were shortened and rounded and their pupils, normally narrow and long, became rounded like a human’s also. Their skin became blemished and their countenances softened. Their clothes, too, had become different, plain and unremarkable. With effort he could overcome the illusion and see past it, their true appearances shifting into sight if he focused, but it took great concentration. For most humans it would be impossible to see their true form.

  Thus altered, they took to the road and made their way to Cabil.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  They soon arrived with no trouble, passing the gates uncontested, but inside the walls they found the town to be strangely stagnant. Few were out on the streets, and even the guards were sparse. It was indeed a small town, much smaller than the towns Levi'el had taken missions in prior, but even so he would have expected some traffic; it was a cool evening on what was typically a market day in other parts of the empire, and this town was purportedly a hub for merchants traveling the desert roads.

  Most of the town could be discerned at a glance, the main faculties being the central fortress, a number of inns and shops, and a solar church, all arranged around a large dug-in plot of land made to be a market square. Beyond these a handful of small insulae were strewn about, two or three story buildings with a dozen or so living quarters each, housing the town’s meager permanent populace.

  They walked on, soon coming to the church. It was a simple affair of old mud bricks, with a Holy Heptagram, the seven-pointed star which represented the Kingdom of Heaven and the Solar Church, carved into it above the main door. The star had one point for each of the Lord’s Holy Names, which only the Seraphim could speak, and a dot in the center for his name among men: Ohri, the Light of the Day, Lord of the Sun.

  Here they entered, and found within a plain room with various colored rugs upon the floor assorted around a rough brass brazier. It was much cooler inside the stone building compared to the streets outside, and though simply adorned the atmosphere was inviting. Moreover it smelled pleasantly of light incense, a welcome reprieve from the smell of dirt and dung that hung over human towns.

  Despite all this, it was completely empty, and seemed to have been so for quite some time. Not one priest nor attendant could be seen on the premises, and the brazier which would normally hold the flame around which prayer was conducted held naught but cold ash, an offense for which a priest could face dismissal or even excommunication. Unease crept into Levi'el like a bug under a bedsheet, and at a glance he could tell the others felt the same. He looked to Eben’el for orders, unsure of what to do, and found him scowling deeply.

  Meeting his eye, Eben’el said, “Let us pray there is a good excuse for this. Stay here and watch the entrance.”

  So Levi'el stood where he was as the others began investigating. Dimly he could hear Kai’a chanting some sort of Prayer under her breath but could not make out the words. A rapid stream of thoughts passed between them through their shared mental link; no signs of struggle but the arrangements seem a little too tidy, perhaps two weeks since the site was last in use, the fire had died out slowly rather than been smothered and put out at once, no life-lights in the-…and then a sudden alert from Kai’a: a life-light* had appeared above in the bell-tower, and another by the front doors, both with a greater presence than a typical human.

  

  The word here in solar is havaohr, meaning ‘brightness of life’; the sense with which one feels magic and the presence of life is called marehava, roughly “life-sight”. Most of the languages of Tev’el have equivalent terms; we will translate them all as life-light and life-sight.

  Levi'el reached to ready his blade, but Eben’el stopped him with an order to stay at ease. Moments later, the church doors flew open and a priest entered hurriedly into the room, shouting, “Help! Mercy, help me, they’ll kill me!”

  Before Levi'el could move an arrow flew in after him, but Kai’a was quick to ward him with a Prayer. The arrow veered away to the side as if pushed by a strong wind and landed harmlessly with a clatter onto the stone floor. The presence beyond the door and the one above both quickly vanished. The priest fell before the brazier and clasped his hands.

  “Forgive me, Holy Ones,” he said, “for my failures in keeping the flame, and for my shortcoming in my service to you. Please, hear my report, and then let my life be in your hands, and you may take it of me if our Lord wills it so.” He was an older man, his black wiry hair and beard peppered with gray and his dark skin beginning to wrinkle. He wore a simple white garment, now yellowed with dust and grime, and two sashes of red and gold were tied around his waist, indicating his rank as metropalitar - the chief priest of the city. He wore a necklace with a simple tin emblem of the Holy Heptagram.

  “Peace. Be on your feet.” Eben’el commanded, switching from Celestial to the common tongue of the Empire. The priest rose shakily and bowed to him. He continued, “Speak; what ails this town?”

  “Lord Mayor Lammond has become ill of mind.” said the priest, speaking frantically, “One month prior, his son was beset by a consumption of the lungs, and soon left us. The Lord Mayor refused cremation of the body, as is the sacred way; as I felt for his grief, I thought to let him some time ‘fore exerting my authority on him, but he soon became strange and hid away from his people except for some among his guard. Some days thereafter a group came into town, among them what seemed elves, which his men claimed he had called upon. They were odd folk and harsh, but they came with papers from the capital, so nothing could be done against them. They came and went some times, but then one day went into the castle and therein remained. That is when I sent prayers to the Powers to inform them, fearing what they might do to sir Lammond. The next day guards came and took me and my brothers and sisters away to imprison us, leaving none to tend the flame. Now I tell you, those that seemed elves were Lunars of a kind, for in the castle I saw them undisguised, eyes red like blood. There is evil work being done, and they are nigh done of it; already some ritual has begun. When they sensed your arrival, they came out with me in hopes I would speak to send you away, but when I felt your warmth within…”

  As the priest spoke Levi'el could feel the whirlwind of the others’ emotions through his mental link mirroring his own, a virulent concoction of anxieties and angers. In the blink of an eye this had become an altogether different mission. If Lunars were indeed present, and multiple of them, they would need reinforcements. Yet if the priest was to be believed, they needed to act urgently.

  “The life-lights that arrived with him, would that be them?” Levi'el asked the others.

  “So it would seem,” said Eben’el, “though their presence is weaker than Lunars I have met before. It is rare for weaker ones to make it out of Gehinnom.”

  “Could they be half-blooded? Drow or Moonling?” asked Pera’va. “Or weakening their presence with magic?”

  “All the more reason to be cautious,” said Kai’a, “They must be fairly confident to approach us in this way.”

  “Let’s hope they’re just foolish.” said Pera’va.

  “What will we do now?” asked Kai’a, “It would take another team a few hours to get here. Even a proper consultation would take some time. There’s no telling what this ritual could be. If a Lunar from the Inner Kingdoms is summoned…”

  “The Dominions will make quick work of this whole town,” said Pera’va with a sigh. “And the paper-work will never end after that. Let us go, Eben’el. Send for reinforcements, but if we wait for them to come-”

  “Aye,” said Eben’el, “We have no choice but to march in. Kai’a, remove our disguises. Cheap tricks like these won’t fool Lunars.”

  “Hey! Who’s magic are you calling cheap, now?” said Kai’a, dispelling them with a huff. The priest let out a noise like an excited pup and stared wide-eyed at their revealed forms.

  “Thank you, Kai’a.” said Eben’el. To the priest he turned and said, “You have been a light to our darkness today. What is your name?”

  The priest beamed ear to ear at the praise, seeming on the verge of tears. “I am Torren, Your Brightness.” he said.

  “Put no such titles to me, Torren. I am a mere servant of Heaven. You may call me Eben’el. These are Kai’a, Pera’va, and Levi'el.”

  The priest bowed again. “I am honored. How might I give you further aid?”

  “Bring fuel to the brazier.”

  The priest bowed once more and rushed off, and soon returned with a sackcloth. After cleaning the old ash out of the brazier he filled it with fresh coals. As he left to retrieve a flint, Kai’a gestured to the brazier and said (in the celestial tongue), “Lord, thy light.” and so it was lit with a gentle fire. The priest was practically giddy to see this and fell to his knees before the flame. Levi'el smiled, amused at his vigor. It must be quite a sight for him to see Solars up close, he thought.

  Without hesitation the priest began to recite from the Scripture, saying, “Blessed are the Mother and Father that brought all things forth from the primordial; blessed is their spirit which lives on in the Lord of the Day; blessed is the Lord of the Day which presides over us with warmth and grants us light; blessed are we to receive his love…”

  The fire roared in response, and the waft of warmth from it caressed Levi'el’s cheeks and eased his anxieties. Whatever was ahead, he would face it with the sun at his back.