《Ode to Fallen Angels》


 Chapter 1: Of an Empty Chair

    The local congregation wasn''t close to many places, and the main roads connected to the chapel grounds through a series of convoluted, wriggling paths through the forest. Really, there was no reason to go and visit the old wooden building, or the many children under its care, unless it was time to pray.


    It was always time to pray on Saturday, the Goodday.


    Everyone packed their meals early in the morning, and ventured the trails from the two villages nearby, all so their families could reach the Chapel.


    While the flock eagerly sat to listen to Father Enrico read the Book of the Saints, everyone worked hard to make it a day worth the trip. The few nuns under Enrico''s guidance prepared hot milk and yerba mate, plus some of their famous "Surprise Bread" for those who didn''t pack food. The surprise was the many bubbles in the sourdough, filled with delicious, nutritious air.


    The girls tidied up the benches, lit the candles, polished the pipe organ, and then they changed from their usual rags to their "Good Day Clothes": beautiful blue togas with shiny golden vines wrapped from the bottom of the skirt and squirmed around their breast. These robes were the single most expensive possession in the chapel... and there would be hell to pay if they dared to even think of wearing them outside of their Saturday duties.


    As the visitors arrived and took their seats on the many wooden benches in front of the chancel, all the chapel girls rushed to sit down on the little pyramid of seats reserved for the choir.


    All but one.


    As the girls neatly took their places, there was one who could not join them. One who was not allowed to enter the chapel when there were others visiting. One who could only observe from far, far away, behind one of the doors leading to the rest of the building.


    Gabrielle was not supposed to be there. She had to clean the chicken pens on Saturday, and usually she was quite good at following orders... but today, she was struck with an odd feeling.


    Yearning.


    She clung to the door and stared as the girls smiled and hummed in unison, swaying in their beautiful clothes as they prepared the first hymn, albeit some more fervently than others. Amid the light shining through the painted glass, they radiated a blessed and peaceful aura... who could have guessed that such a mischievous bunch could blossom into these sweet singing cherubs?


    Gabrielle had never been allowed to don the habit, much less sing in public ¨C she felt much better singing by herself anyways! But that wasn¡¯t what held her attention.


    Her eyes were on the empty seat.


    Among the choir there was a single empty spot, a vacant seat all girls avoided like a plague that morning: the seat belonging to Donnatella, one of the sopranos. No one had seen her since last night, so while her disappearance might have gone unnoticed by the congregation, all of the girls were thinking about it.


    They had all been told that during the night, she had escaped the chapel. Few of them believed it of course, if any. Before mass, they had whispered their theories about what could have happened...


    Did Father Enrico sell her off? Did the nuns chase her away? It was no secret that Donnatella provoked them at every opportunity, and that the sisters took every chance to rap her knuckles in turn.


    But they were all so, so far off from the truth, Gabrielle knew. She had been there that night and had stood right beside Donatella in the basement, the one room no one was allowed to enter unless you were REALLY in trouble.


    Gabrielle had stood with Donatella as she raved and she wept, racked with an emotion the girl still couldn¡¯t understand that morning.


    Gabrielle had bore witness to her Ascension.


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    ¡ª


    It was foolish to try and remember, but Gabrielle tried anyway. The memories of a night of Ascension turned foggy every single time, just like the faces of those around her.


    The frustration made her knuckles ache, white and boney as her fists clenched with the effort. Why was it always like this? She saw those faces, she lived those events. In the moment she had no problem perceiving either of them, but when she tried to recall faces, Gabrielle''s mind could only see botched, gray blurs.


    It happened every time she tried to remember what happened during the failed Ascensions.


    The start was usually the easiest part to recall: it arrived in waves crashing to the back of her skull and a terrible pain behind her right eye. Every time, she would try to open her eyes out of reflex, but there was nothing to see. A rough cloth covered her eyes.


    Her ears still worked, though.


    She would hear the sound of slow steps on a stone floor¡­ that was to be expected. It was the Father, walking from side to side, anxiously waiting for the other girl to wake up. There was always another girl. Every time.


    She would hear something scratching on paper furiously, probably one of the nuns? Gabrielle never heard their voices, but she recognized the way they sighed whenever the Father told them what to do. Sometimes, Gabrielle tried to imagine what it was they were doing¡­taking notes, probably?


    Father never dictated much to them and imagination had never been the redheaded girl¡¯s strong suit, so she always abandoned those efforts.


    Then, there was the rattling: chains shaking violently from side to side. The other girl had awoken ¨C there was only one last night.


    A young voice snarled, high pitched and broken by fear and rage. It was feisty, fast spoken, almost lyrical in its insults¡­


    Donna...?


    Gabrielle couldn¡¯t really put a face to the words, but voices were very easy to tell apart. She tried to call out, but something was quickly wrapped around her mouth. Those cold, callous hands were the Father¡¯s, for sure. The little girl sighed, of course she was forced to quiet down. She wasn''t ever supposed to speak during these.


    There was always something inside of her that wanted to reach out to the other girls and ease their fears. She rarely understood them, but this time she knew what to say! It was fine! Everything was fine. Things would hurt for a moment, but it would be worth it in the end.


    They would be angels in the end.


    With a bit of luck, so would she.


    But each time she had tried to explain the Ascension, the girls seemed to panic even more. Sometimes they told her to go to Hell... maybe that''s why Father wanted her to quiet down.


    Resigned, Gabrielle had closed her eyes once again. Trying to see wasn¡¯t doing her any good here, so she simply relaxed and listened as the night played out like so many others.


    She heard insults and struggles. Father usually tried to stay quiet at this point, but the girls usually bit or kicked him... Donnatella must have bitten somewhere particularly soft, because all of a sudden Father howled like a stuck pig.


    There was a loud smack, and then¡­ silence. They always ended up calming down, and to Gabrielle that was simply fascinating. Father must have known something that she didn''t about calming people down, or how to talk to others in general! After all, everyone wanted to hear what he had to say.


    Then came the part where he rubbed something on her face, a piece of cloth with some spicy, nasty smelling water on it... but he had been doing it less and less each time. Whatever it is that he wanted to scrub off, it was probably gone now.


    ¡°Forgive us, oh Gods. Let your Saints guide our way to your grace¡­¡± Father mumbled a prayer as he moved around.


    Something long, cold and metallic pressed against the back of Gabrielle¡¯s neck, prodding until it pushed into her flesh.


    Once that was done, she felt one more on each of her arms... then, the one she hated the most, pressing into her lower back. That one usually scraped against bone...


    It hurt and itched like ants walking under her dark skin. She used to move a lot at that stage, but Father would sound so frustrated when she did. He had hit her and berated her every time she moved an inch, yet for all that she never ended up Ascending. After so many tries, she simply learned to take it.


    ¡°May your eyes open to lands beyond...¡± whispered the Father, ¡°and may your voice carry the Gods''s Will back to our disgraced land. ¡­ Amen.¡±


    Gabrielle heard the click and felt the prodding irons in her body heat up until her flesh burned. The heat pushed through her whole body in a matter of seconds, attacking her skin with pain she could never truly understand.


    Something would shake her from the very core, forcing her body to jump and tense no matter how hard she tried to stay still. But she could see the light. It shined so brightly that not even the cloth on her eyes protected her from it. Not even squeezing her eyes shut could keep the void of white light away.


    But then everything just... blurred away...

 Chapter 2: Of an Inspiration

    Gabrielle gently shook her head, closing her eyes for a second. Foolish little Gabi, she thought, is there ever a point in questioning things? You don¡¯t have the head for that! Foolish, stupid Gabi. Stop thinking.


    Thinking was something people could do, but Gabi often had to remind herself not to think; Whenever she did, she got it wrong. Usually, someone was there to remind her of her brain''s severe lack of wit, but when she was alone? Gabi had to be the one to stuff down the pesky voice of her own ideas. Otherwise, she could spend entire afternoons¡­


    ¡­What was she doing those afternoons? It was certainly not ¡°thinking¡±! People always chastised her for doing things without thinking, after all! Whether it was following the wrong indications or just pushing things around, it seemed anything she did was without thinking. But if this wasn¡¯t thinking, then what was it?


    Wasn''t hearing her own voice in her mind, dictating words and forming images that were not there even when she could so vividly remember them afterward, ¡°thinking¡±? Maybe she was thinking wrong! Perhaps others used other methods to think, or¨C


    ¨C there she went again! Thinking! Or, well, not thinking, but¡­


    Bah!


    Gabi knocked her head on the door a few times to try and stop the maybe-thinking. Focus, Saints¡¯ sake, focus! Knocking on wood helped her get a better grip on reality, return to the place she was standing prior, and notice the eyes of Father staring at her from the pulpit. She was never sure what that look meant. People either looked at her too much or ignored her completely, but she could never understand what they were trying to tell her either way. Why didn¡¯t they say the things they meant to say?


    But no matter what, even if she couldn¡¯t figure out the grimace on Father¡¯s face, the intensity of his eyes meant Gabrielle had done something wrong; she always had. Gabi looked around, but no one noticed, so she checked her person. Her habit had fallen entirely out of place.


    Her accursed red hair was completely exposed!


    Gabi wasn¡¯t someone with intense feelings, yet she was shaking with terror at that moment. She was quick to cover herself, hands trembling at the idea that anyone might have seen her hideous secret. The mark of the wicked!


    Ashamed, the girl pushed herself away from the door, backing off from the chapel as quickly as her legs could take her. The hymns came to a stop, and there was that synchronized thump that came from everyone in the church sitting at once.


    Father began his sermon. "It is in our best interest to seek the betterment of ourselves, my children, for only by honing our bodies and tempering our determination may we find the path to the Glory of our Mother! We may yet walk in the footprints of the Saints!"


    The little redhead stumbled on her naked feet, finally falling under the shade of one of the trees outside the chapel. Her legs ached, but that pain felt so distant. Gabi¡¯s biggest concern was clinging to her habit and covering up as best she could.


    Gabi wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up anytime soon. Her legs always did that weird, twitchy thing after a failed Ascension. Perhaps they thought they wouldn''t need to walk anymore! Her whole body was aching, nagging, and punishing her.


    Why? Why was she still there? Why did she never get it right? Tears leaked from her eyes, her nose runny and uncomfortable. Gabrielle bit her lower lip, trying not to make much noise.


    She had been so sure this was going to be the night! Gabi had steeled herself harder than ever; she tried not to talk, to cling to her bed with all her strength. With enough effort, after the blinding light, she was sure she would wake up somewhere else; as something new. Something better.


    But once again, she woke up back in her bed, body aching, alone, and drenched in sweat. Once again, the other girls had left without bothering to wake her up. Their actions were as if they all knew of her failure. All of them went, except for one.


    Donatella was flying far, far away with the rest of the angels.


    Gabi''s little fists balled again, the many stigmata on her body burning from the tension, the frustration, and the dirt getting into the still-fresh wounds.


    Sometimes, Gabi thought about giving up. Witches didn''t deserve anything, after all.


    Ascension was a people thing, and Witches weren¡¯t people to begin with!


    Something deep inside of her just... refused. That feeling pushed her to get back up, ignore the burning sensation in her skin, and get back to work as she was still there to do it.


    No point in lying down, grumbling, or crying. No one helped a witch, much less a crying one. If she had the energy to do that, she might as well get back up and work.


    Deep breaths¡­ come on¡­ deeper, hold it good in your belly¡­


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    It wasn¡¯t as easy as telling herself to stop crying. Just because she wanted to get back up, to stop her entire body from shaking, that didn¡¯t mean it would work, that she would be fine at the moment.


    Gabi tried to bite her lower lip a little harder to stop the pathetic whimpers from escaping, yet¡­ nothing. It only made her feel even worse, more inadequate, useless.


    Gabi often felt better when comparing herself to the other girls in the Chapel because she didn¡¯t cry as much. She didn¡¯t complain, and she didn¡¯t bother to argue with others, mainly because she had realized that no matter what she would say or yell about, no one would do a thing to change it. It was pretty much the same for the other girls, but they still cried about it. They were so noisy¡­ It made Gabi feel a little less annoying than them. Still, it never lasted. Even if she cried less than the other girls, once she started breaking down, she couldn''t stop.


    Each breath was loud and full of nasty, wet slurps. It was unpleasant, disgusting¡­ her lower lip felt swollen and warm, painful from her continued chewing.


    Recognizing the pain, Gabi stopped biting her lower lip and took a deep breath. Then, she let it out in a big, shaky sigh.


    What if she never Ascended? What if she always woke up like this? Every. Single. Day. What would she do¡­?


    Some ideas started to form in her head, useless as she thought they were. There was no real way to stop her brain from thinking, voices, ideas, and pain until something popped. A familiar image, one that suddenly felt quite relevant in her life.


    The image of the legendary Saint Martha.


    Slayer of Demons, Tamer of Dragons¡­


    Gabi sniffled and slurped through her nose again, still whimpering but much less than before. Her shaking started to die down as the memory returned.


    For all the trouble she had remembering faces, voices were something Gabi treasured. Words were even more precious, impossible to erase from her mind.


    She could remember so vividly the words of Father when he read to them, in one of those rare occasions the girls were blessed with a bedtime story. This time, she recalled an even rarer occasion when she had been allowed to choose the story herself.


    The Prologue of Saint Martha was her favorite. It was the story of a girl of lowly origins who, following the Inspiration and the Echoes of the Gods ¨C terms she still struggled to understand ¨C had dedicated herself to the good of the people and the perfection of her body.


    Father often emphasized her struggle, how she was punished, again and again, by her hubris, her recklessness, and her lack of respect for religious Law in her youth¡­ but Gabi liked the other parts of that story even better. The bits Gabi loved were the ones with her adventures, where Saint Martha was embroiled in combat! No matter how hard she was struck down, Saint Martha had always found it within herself to get back on her feet.


    Something clicked in Gabi¡¯s brain as she remembered Saint Martha, something that, somehow, had eluded her every time she had told that same story to herself before going to sleep.


    Maybe it was the adrenaline of the moment, the constant pain, the pure frustration, but at this moment, parallels between her story and Saint Martha¡¯s felt much closer than ever before.


    Mngh¡­up¡­ come on¡­ up¡­!


    Saint Martha was just like her! Well, she had been just like her.


    Of course, comparing herself to a Saint was blasphemy. Gabi would usually smack her cheeks to shake that irreverent thought out of her brain, but not that afternoon. Not when she was feeling so unusually keen about the notion.


    Everyone else was inside the Chapel. Martha was long gone. There was no one there who could tell her to stop! Gabi had managed to get back onto her knees without thinking. She used one of her sleeves to wipe snot and dirt off her face and committed to getting back on her feet.


    Good, good¡­ there we go¡­ Perfect!


    There she was, back up again! Just like Saint Martha! Gabi felt a little warmer inside. She often got back up after feeling sickly or in pain, but this was the first time she felt proud of herself for it. Yes! She was on the right path now!


    Besides, did Saint Martha ever Ascend? Not really, not like Father was trying, at least. So maybe Gabi could try and do as Saint Martha had done instead? She clearly had more in common with the Saint than with Father.


    Gabi pumped her fists together with a bit more enthusiasm. Yes! Yes! This had to be the way! If Saint Martha could, everyone could, right? Father always said ¨C ¡°Follow the steps of the Saints and reach Illumination¡±!


    She had no idea what Illumination meant, but it was probably easier than Ascension! Gabi could try to Illuminate while Father tried to Ascend her with those odd nails he poked in her body!


    Gabi nodded to herself, agreeing with her current thoughts. This had to be her best idea¡­ and probably her first one? Only if the others hadn¡¯t counted, of course.


    There was a slight problem, though; during her last battle, and after failing several times, Saint Martha had managed to subdue the powerful Tarrasque¡­ before collapsing and¡­ dying¡­


    ...


    ...but that wasn¡¯t really important! Dragons no longer existed, so there was nothing to fear. She could be like Saint Martha without that dragon part! That would surely get her to Ascend ¨C or Illuminate ¨C eventually!


    But for now, she would need to keep up with her duties. Afterward, she could try and learn more about Saint Martha; maybe she could even ask Father about it so she could help him with the Ascension ritual!


    Gabrielle pumped both fists together. Alright. The plan was ready.


    For now, she just needed to worry about feeding the chickens¡­ she hoped they hadn¡¯t escaped when she¡¯d gone to check the church. Did she close the coop when she left¡­?


    A branch snapped, interrupting her pondering. Something stepping on a dead branch, to be more exact. Like a startled animal, Gabi immediately turned toward the sound. Something had moved in the forest, much too close to where she was standing.


    Animals didn¡¯t come close to the chapel, for the most part; certainly not during the day when anyone could see them. Any that did were smart enough not to make noises like that. Maybe it was an escaped chicken?


    Gabi¡¯s blue eyes peered at the many, many trees. She wasn¡¯t focusing on any of them, just looking in the general direction of the sound as her ears worked. Slowly, she picked up something else: the sound of frightened breathing.


    Before raising her voice to ask who was there or what they wanted, the shadow in the forest seemed to realize it had been spotted and immediately bolted deeper into the woods.


    ¡°Hey! Wait! Come back¨C!¡±


    The girl gave her legs a couple of steadying pats before breaking into a sprint. That sound, that scared breathing, was probably a spooked chicken or a lost child; whether it was one or the other, it was scared of the Witch-girl. Scared of her.


    That¡­ wasn¡¯t normal. People who were afraid of her would generally scream or attack. This one just ran away. Gabi stood there for a few moments, trying, against her better judgment, to think again.


    What would Saint Martha do?

 Chapter 3: Of a Thief

    Saint Martha would have boldly and recklessly thrown herself into danger, for sure! Gabi hadn¡¯t even finished thinking before breaking into a sprint and chasing after that intruder. Was that really the most appropriate response? No, not at all! In fact, the Prologue itself took great lengths to highlight how irresponsible Saint Martha was in that regard, detailing all the ways life had punished her for such lack of foresight.


    Still, to Gabi it really made sense; if she wanted to be like Saint Martha, she had to go through the same struggles and make the same mistakes, right? It was all in the book!


    Even if her legs still felt wobbly and weak, the little girl forced herself to run faster into the forest, her bare feet cracking dry leaves and sticks as she followed the trail that her unknown observer had left behind.


    There were hints all around: from the already crushed leaves to the footprints left on the still-wet mud under the trees¡­ Gabi felt confident, because she knew that finding that person who was leaving those footprints would be quite easy at this pace!


    But¡­ what would she do when she finally got there?


    The girl blinked a few times, her legs slowing down. She didn¡¯t even have a plan! In fact, she didn¡¯t exactly have a reason to chase this person either¡­ She just heard someone in the forest nearby and decided that the right idea was to run them down¡­ but why?


    Her pace slowed even further as she rubbed under her chin. What was she doing now, anyways? Was she treating all this like some sort of game? This was serious business, it was her plan for redemption!


    Stupid little Gabi, when will you learn? This is why people tell you to think before doing things!


    She didn¡¯t even notice as she fully stopped, smacking both of her cheeks at once. Right! She wasn¡¯t supposed to think, was she? Oh, blazing Saints, what was she doing?!


    ¡ª


    Bohllin¡¯s breath was so harsh, he could feel it scraping out of his lungs like sandpaper. His fists trembled from fear and frustration as he ran as fast as his short legs could, going deeper into the woods while doing his best to ignore the footsteps following him.


    He didn¡¯t dare turn around, because he knew exactly what he would find when he did: that strange human, the one who saw him! The one with the odd, scary eyes that pierced straight into his soul.


    The elf tried his best to stop his own curiosity from getting the best of him as he clung to the advice of his beloved nanna¡­ When going out to explore, she had told him to be careful and to never ever let himself be seen by humans.


    ¡°Humans¡±, she had said, ¡°are cruel, hateful creatures. They take pleasure in humiliating our kind, stabbing your heart with cold and mocking lies while throwing stones at your face.¡±


    It had all sounded like prejudiced, stubborn folk tales to Bohllin back in the day. How could humans be that bad? There was a time when the little elf just couldn¡¯t wrap his head on that idea, and he simply dismissed it as hyperbole. Life had proven, time and again, that his nanna¡¯s fears had been justified.


    Any time they had to visit a city on their never-ending journey. It really didn¡¯t matter where or which one; even if they tried to go around without making a fuss, the guards themselves always found some excuse to give them trouble¡­ then the citizens would hear of their presence.


    The mobs were the true horror of any city, because humans were rarely alone. Once one found something to pick on, it would soon gather as many others as it could, like hungry rats. And just like vermin, the humans would surround them; they would throw all sorts of rotten food at them, call them names, spit on their faces¡­


    They demanded the elves leave while making retreat as hard as possible.


    Bohllin still remembered the first time he got beaten by a group of children, when he tried to go and ask for a bit of water for the caravan. He didn¡¯t remember their words, had done his best not to let them sting or linger in his memory¡­ but he still remembered how hard he cried in his nanna¡¯s arms.


    Why, why did they hate him? Why did they hate all of his family? Nanna never answered, she always avoided the topic and told him it was ¡®best not to dwell on their delusion¡¯.


    After all, this was all about to end.


    It was not something unique to Bohllin¡¯s family, but all elves in Jericho had heard the call. Nay, all demihumans seemed to be of a similar mind! They were all packing up more than they had ever packed before, preparing for the longest journey of their lives. The last journey. The caravan trail away from the lands of the Humans, into the safety of the Gods¡¯ lands¡­


    But the Fates had tricked them again. His family¡¯s cart had broken down and they were trapped in this Goddess-forsaken forest, while the rest of the caravan simply continued on, too desperate to wait for one family.


    So here he was, trying to sneak in and steal like the filthy rat those humans already thought he was, chased by an odd gremlin of a human-child with eyes wild as a dead man¡¯s¡­


    Speaking of her¡­ was she still following him?


    Bohllin had been so focused on running and lamenting his fate that he hadn¡¯t noticed when the sounds of the chase stopped. The girl¡­ had she given up? Humans were great runners, but their attention spans were remarkably short. Maybe she just got tired and left!


    With his hope slowly flickering back to life, the young elfling peered around to see only the thick forest.


    His feet continued forward as his eyes stared behind him, oblivious to the mud puddle he was about to step in, one far deeper than one could tell from a mere glance¡­


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    ¡ª


    Gabi had gotten into a heated discussion with herself. Ugh, this always happened when she tried to think! Shaking her head from one side to another, in her mind she could hear two voices yelling at each other. Both were her thoughts but, at the same time, neither of them felt like her¡­ One was angry that the intruder had gotten away thanks to her dumb tendency to try and think, while the other argued that she had only started chasing because of that exact tendency!


    A third, quieter yet still present voice, had manifested to point out that she was quite hungry and she really should go and snatch a bit of leftover bread after the mass was done.


    She was about to slap that third voice quiet when a sudden, loud crash seemed to shake the entire forest¡­ at least as far as Gabi¡¯s nerves were concerned. The sound was actually relatively tame, a mere ¡°bonk!¡± on a tree, but it was loud enough for her to notice and for birds around her to fly away in fear. A loud, foreign curse followed soon after.


    Her intruder!


    Quieting down all voices in her head, Gabi trotted in the sound¡¯s direction until she found the source: some sort of small child. Wearing brightly green rags, he was currently upside down against a big oak¡¯s trunk with his legs dangling above his dazed, pale face. Those pointy ears were the clear mark of a demihuman¡­


    As Gabi took one step closer, the child¡¯s eyes immediately darted to her. With nimble speed he rolled onto his belly, his hand reaching to his belt to hold¡­ nothing? The elf¡¯s face did that thing that faces sometimes do when they¡¯re very scared, getting all pale and tense as he kept looking at her. Even as his hands patted around his belt, like he was searching for something, he still didn¡¯t take his eyes off Gabi.


    Meanwhile, Gabrielle had noticed something glimmering in a puddle of muddy water.


    She casually picked the metallic thing up, thinking it a rock or something, but no! It was a knife! A very thin, shiny knife with a wooden handle, maybe some sort of butter knife or an arming dagger? Gabi did not know much about weapons, but as she examined the blade in the light of the autumn sun, she quickly determined: it was indeed, a very nice looking knife.


    ¡ª


    The elf paled even further. Oh no, she had a weapon now! His weapon! The knife his nanna gave him during his tenth cycle, the symbol of his coming of age! And now, it was also his demise¡­ This was it, it was all over. He would be stabbed, skinned¡­ the kid would probably cut his ears off and then show them around as a sort of hunting trophy or something. Confronted with death at such a young age, Bohllin accepted his defeat almost immediately. He shook with the effort of holding back his tears as he offered one last prayer to the gods.


    ¡°Oh Mother Moon looking after your children, please forgive this one for straying from your path, that he won''t be able to join in your great journey to the promised lands where all your people will finally feel your embrace once more¡­¡±


    Bohllin stopped speaking, squeezed his eyes shut, and braced for the pain¡­ but it never arrived.


    Confused, he opened a single eye. Did the child leave to go get others for her hunt?


    No. She was still there, just¡­ sitting down, her legs crossed, a lost look in her strange eyes, a face devoid of all emotion¡­ the redheaded human was just staring ¨C at him.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Excuse me¡­ were you praying?¡± Gabi spoke up as she noticed she was being looked at.


    The elf blinked twice before answering, ¡°...Yes? I was.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    There was a long moment of silence, wind blowing between the two of them, before Gabi spoke again. ¡°Am I interrupting you?¡±


    The boy¡¯s ears were slowly perking up as he seemed to grow more confused with each word she spoke. ¡°...No¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Good.¡± She nodded twice, before taking the knife on her hands by the blade, and offering it back to him, ¡°Is this yours? You dropped it.¡±


    ¡ª


    Bohllin looked at the knife, and then back at the child¡­ What was her game? Was this some sort of joke? A sick machination to get his guard down, only to then crush his hopes once more? He looked into the girl¡¯s eyes, uncanny as they were¡­ and it took a bit of effort, but he started to find some emotion in them.


    Her expression bore no signs of feeling, but those eyes were surprisingly telling¡­ and he found no malice in them. Only curiosity, the same as he had felt so long ago.


    So, Bohllin chose to take a leap of faith, and slowly reached to take his knife back.


    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± he mumbled, putting the knife back on his belt. It was a bit loose, his nanna had been right. He really should have just put it in his pocket. ¡°Are you¡­ not going to attack me?¡±


    ¡ª


    Was she going to attack him? Not really. Saint Martha did jump right to battle with anyone who wronged her, but this elfling had not done a single thing to her, or anyone that she knew of! He was minding his own business, as far as she had seen.


    Seriously, what was she even doing?


    ¡°No,¡± Gabi decided to make it official and just shake her head, ¡°I just wanted to know who was there.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Oh! Well¡­¡± Bohllin rubbed behind his neck, properly sitting down against the tree. This was odd, a bit uncomfortable, but maybe he could reason with this human ¨C as much of an oxymoron as that might be. ¡°My name is Bohllin, and uh¡­ I just¡­.¡± He couldn¡¯t just admit to his thieving intentions! Quick as lightning, he made up a lie. ¡°...I just wanted to ask for some tools¨C but I got spooked.¡±


    He quickly realized his mistake; he¡¯d just called her scary to her face! Humans were extremely prideful and very easy to insult, and Bohllin stammered on his words to try and correct himself, but Gabrielle just nodded as if it was natural.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t thinking,¡± she admitted, sounding strangely unsure about the statement. ¡°What do you need the tools for?¡±


    More questions, and Bohllin was not ready to answer any of them. He was rapidly realizing that he was simply not a good enough talker to navigate this situation; it was time to run away.


    ¡°Oh no, no, it¡¯s nothing. Do not worry,¡± he said, slowly trying to get up. ¡°I¡¯ll just, uh, go somewhere el¨C ouch!¡±


    As soon as he tried to lean on his left leg to stand up, a searing pain made him wince and sit right back down. Looking down on it, he could see his foot was pointing to the right a bit too much. Actually, it was bent in a completely wrong direction ¨C sprained at least, hopefully not broken.


    He was trapped.


    With a nervous swallow, he looked back at the girl. She didn¡¯t really seem to understand the desperate turn this had taken for him, but she followed where he¡¯d been looking and that bent foot was plenty obvious, even for her.


    ¡°Need a hand?¡±


    Bohllin frowned, trying once more to get up just to make sure he really couldn¡¯t get up on his own. Unluckily for him, he still couldn¡¯t put weight on that ankle. So, with fear in his heart as he slowly resigned himself to his fate, the elf finally muttered his response.


    ¡°...Yes. Please.¡±

 Chapter 4: Of a Broken Caravan

    Adella¡¯s trembling hands could barely contain the waning flame that danced between them. It flickered, a pale, sickly yellow, little more than a wisp of smoke. It would be useless for most things, but as a starter for a fire it was enough¡­ barely.


    The old elf stared into the flame as she slowly kneeled in front of her pile of dried grass and pathetically thin sticks and gently nestled the sputtering light against the pile, watching it slowly grow stronger with every little leaf it consumed. It took some time, but soon a healthy bonfire came to life, a warm reprieve from the cold, inclement wind blowing through the forest.


    The other elders around the pyre, five venerable members of the now extinct Elven Courts, clapped and nodded their approval, celebrating Adella¡¯s humble feat. She really tried to feel the comfort of their words without feeling the sting of the pity behind them.


    No matter how much she tried to rise above such irrational feelings, the old elf¡¯s heart still hurt. She felt mocked, not by her peers, but by the world itself.


    Magic was no longer what it used to be, and neither was she.


    They were the remnants of a bygone era, a mockery of their ancient, proud race, that clung to the colourful, fancy silk robes they had once worn with such elegance. They had thought so little of their beautiful clothes then; greens, reds, and golden details were often disregarded as casualwear. Now, for some of them, those clothes were all they had left.


    It took great effort to tear her eyes away from her decrepit peers, but Adella managed to sit down near the flame and focus on keeping it alive. The others stood close, chatting worriedly about little Bohllin¡¯s fate, begging for his success.


    Of course she, too, hoped for his safe return, but for the moment she couldn¡¯t help focusing on her hands. She stared at the pale, wrinkled skin, with little marks of age tainting what had been a beautiful, perfect figure¡­ her whole body was shriveling down, drying up like a prune under the sun.


    Since the departure of the Gods, and the coming of the Silent Age of Humanity, all magic had slowly but surely disappeared from the world ¨C taking the elves¡¯ eternal youth with it.


    Adella looked at her comrades, all of them shadows of their former beauty: grey hairs, long, crooked noses, shrinking ears and hunching backs¡­ these were the marks of Time, something that had never before cursed their kind. There were many who couldn¡¯t take the humiliation of seeing their regal selves disappear into this mockery, this caricature, more akin to human than elf.


    With a low sigh, the oldest of all the elves present turned around to look at their caravan cart. Their mule lazily rested beside the remains of the three wheels that had chosen the worst time to break after years of heavy use. In the past, a single elf would have been enough to repair all broken parts of the cart with a mere motion of their finger; they wouldn¡¯t have even needed the foul-smelling, stubborn mule to make the wheels turn!


    But now she was the only one among them with enough gumption left in her body to cast the most basic spells. All the others were already too old and weak, and Bohllin had been born in this Age of Silence so they couldn¡¯t even teach him the secrets of his own culture. The magic of his heritage, lost forever¡­


    Now, they just needed to wait and hope for the boy to return with a goddamn hammer and saw. Maybe, with enough luck, this would be their last little bump in the road before they could escape from this wretched world.


    ¡°Someone is approaching!¡±


    The other elves around the pyre got up as quickly as they could, each reaching for their own dagger and trying to straighten their posture. Even with their aged, tired bodies, they were all so desperate, pushed to their limits by the hunger and humiliation of this human world, that they were more than ready to defend themselves with tooth and nail.


    Bushes rustled as someone came closer, and the elves looked at each other with anxiety mounting in their green eyes. Soon they were all looking at Adella: one word from her, and everyone would jump at once. Maybe this person could have something useful on them. Coin, some semblance of a tool, extra food for the caravan ¨C anything would be a blessing.


    One word from Adella, and they would forget all their morals ¨C for just a moment.


    Adella swallowed, trying to calm the irritation in her dry throat. Was this really what they had been reduced to? A pack of thieves? Despair did not give any time for pride, and yet the old elf still clung to the virtues and elegance of her past.


    Oh, she wished she could return to the time before the humans arrived¡­ but it was too late. Too late to cry for the broken times, for the destiny that had been stolen. Now, they could just endure and survive, at least for long enough to return to their goddess¡¯ embrace.


    ¡°Nanna!¡±


    Before she could finish drawing a breath, a voice called out from the bushes. All the elves looked at each other, confused, recognizing Bohllin¡¯s voice. Why was he sneaking around like that? Goddess above, he¡¯d given them such a scare! They would certainly have to chastise the boy as soon as he came out where they could see him.


    They all relaxed, letting out a deep sigh at the same time, as Bohllin¡¯s two little hands pushed out of the bushes in a submissive gesture. Tension returned to their faces as he emerged not on his own, but carried by someone else¡­ a young girl dressed in a filthy robe, with a black habit covering her hair like some tiny nun.


    A human! One whose inexpressive demeanor and wild, intense blue eyes sent a violent shiver down Adella¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Bohllin, what in the Goddess¡¯ name is the meaning of this?¡± the old woman spat in rugged, vulgar elvish. The fear was too strong for her to embellish her words, and she was far too distracted as she looked the pair up and down. The elven child¡¯s leg dangled and twitched slightly as it hung there, visibly aching.


    The boy swallowed, put his hands down, and shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright! It¡¯s alright! She¡¯s, uh, she¡¯s not trying to hurt us!¡± Bohllin still stuttered on his words when speaking the tongue of his ancestors. ¡°She¡¯s good!¡±


    ¡°They all say that, all the time!¡± One of the men, Nidharme, punctuated his words by waving his dagger, his old face tightened in an angry frown. ¡°There¡¯s always some ¡®good soul¡¯ among them who claims to pity us, only to stab us in the back the moment we believe them!¡±


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    ¡°But this one is a child¡­¡± intervened Indemma, standing by the old man¡¯s side and shaking a finger at him, ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t carry anything good anyway! Look at her - just skin and bone!¡±


    ¡°What about ransom?¡± The ever-pragmatic Lissian smirked, rubbing his hands together, ¡°Maybe they would pay to recover their precious child¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s good, she¡¯s good!¡± Bohllin kept repeating, visibly disturbed. ¡°I swear!¡±


    ¡°Oh be quiet, boy. Don¡¯t be so naive.¡± Nidharme walked over to the children, still holding the knife. ¡°It¡¯s in your age to trust others, but it¡¯s time you learn that you can only trust your kin! Now, let me¨C¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    The elves stopped bickering for a moment, their eyes focusing on the little girl with various degrees of indignation.


    ¡°I cannot understand a word of what you¡¯re saying,¡± she stated, her inflection failing to denote any emotion, ¡°but Bohllin¡¯s leg is injured. He is also quite heavy. Can we fix him? Please?¡±


    Once more the old elves looked at each other. Adella approached them, pushing the violent Nidharme aside without even blinking as she looked down on the uppity little girl.


    ¡°Has your father never taught you to keep quiet while the adults talk?¡± she said, now in the dialect of the Dogenbandrian Isle. It was a harsh, throaty language that still hurt the elf¡¯s throat when speaking for too long.


    ¡°No,¡± answered the child.


    ¡°Well, he did a lousy job raising you then!¡± Adella grinned and crossed her arms, lifting the tip of her nose, in smug satisfaction with her barb.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t do a job at all, I never met him.¡± The girl shook her head, ¡°Father did teach me that though. He also taught me that speaking in other languages in front of people is rude.¡±


    The elf lady¡¯s grin disappeared there, who was this sassy child?


    ¡°Alright, first of all, your father is an ignorant pig. Second of all, did you meet him or not?¡±


    ¡°Father is not my father, he¡¯s the Father. And he is not a pig, he¡¯s a human. He is a bit on the chubby side though, but he gets real mad if you call him pig to his face. Sister Arianna always says to never be so shameless, but I remember that other day when Catalina was scribbling on¨C¡±


    ¡°Child! Child, focus!¡± Adella stopped that memory right there, before Gabi could continue her thought, ¡°... What is it that you want? None of your kind help without wanting something in return.¡±


    Gabi rubbed under her chin, as if thinking very carefully on her answer. Was she going to actually ask for something? Adella looked at Bohllin, incredulous, while the boy gave her an apologetic smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s kind of daft,¡± mumbled the little elfling in his awkward rendition of their dialect.


    ¡°I guess I just want to be like Saint Martha, ma¡¯am.¡± The girl finally spoke up again, ¡°Helping people is the right thing to do, she always said. And she ascended. So I want to do that, and ascend too.¡±


    Adella blinked twice. Ascending? Saint Martha? Probably another of those human cult delusions¡­ it really didn¡¯t mean anything to the old elf, but yeah, there was an undeniably selfish drive under this selfless act. The kid was being completely upfront about it, but what shook her most was that choice of words. People. Helping people. You¡¯d have a hard time finding a human who would refer to demihumans as people these days¡­


    The elf could no longer simply scrutinize this girl¡¯s intentions with magic, but something inside of her was telling that this kid was, plainly, too upfront and slow to think of a convincing lie. After staring into the girl¡¯s eyes for a few moments, Adella sighed and turned to look at the others. She spoke in the human¡¯s dialect, perhaps out of some sense of courtesy.


    ¡°Bring out some bandages for poor Bohllin¡¯s leg, it does look bad.¡± Then she turned around, looking the tiny girl in the eye, ¡°...What¡¯s your name, human?¡±


    The girl carefully helped Bohllin to stand, letting him hop over to the arms of another elf, before turning to Adella.


    ¡°Gabrielle. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± Her answer was quick and automated, a practiced speech. Was it really nice to meet this woman? Gabi wasn¡¯t sure, but she knew that was the kind of thing a person should say when meeting others.


    ¡°Well, Gabrielle, my name is Adella Misundr?¡­ my thanks for bringing my child back. If something had happened to him, I would have blamed myself forever.¡±


    Gabi shrugged, peeking behind the elf in front of her to check on Bohllin. The other members of the caravan were taking quick care of his twitching leg, checking on the skin even as they laughed at the boy for being so clumsy.


    ¡°He was trying to get inside the chapel to steal things,¡± Gabi stated matter-of-factly, ¡°That wasn¡¯t very nice of him.¡±


    ¡°We need some supplies to fix our cart and rejoin the caravan¡­¡± Adella really didn¡¯t want to show it, but being reminded of her child¡¯s misdeeds deeply ashamed her. ¡°... Wait, Chapel? Oh Goddess, and today is Cult Day, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s Goodday.¡±


    ¡°Oh Goddess, the place must be full of humans!¡± The woman completely ignored Gabi¡¯s correction, ¡°Did anyone else see Bohllin?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Adella sighed in relief, delicately removing the sweat beading on her brow.


    ¡°But if you try to get close you will be seen, and Father hates demihumans,¡± Gabi stated this, too, as an immutable truth . ¡°You¡¯ll all get in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­ I guess we¡¯ll have to look somewhere else for¨C¡±


    ¡°The Chapel is the only inhabited structure in this forest,¡± the girl immediately interjected, repeating a phrase she heard the nuns saying several times to lost travelers, ¡°There¡¯s a mine on the side of a mountain here, but all the tools have already been looted.¡±


    Adella pressed her palm to her face, sighing as her hand slowly slid down and pulled her wrinkled cheeks.


    ¡°Perfect, brilliant even¡­ oh Goddess, why have you forsaken us¡­?¡± The elven woman lamented under her breath, trying to keep her despair hidden from the rest of the people around the pyre. ¡°And we really can¡¯t lose more time, if the rest of the caravan gets too far from us we will lose our way¡­ urgh¡­ maybe I can try to cast, maybe if I push it enough¡­¡±


    Gabrielle couldn¡¯t really understand what was going through the elven woman¡¯s head. So many different grimaces and little twitches, her and there¡­ Her eyes felt angry, but the girl wasn¡¯t sure if this woman was angry at her, or at something else. She really must have wanted those tools¡­


    Saint Martha always helped those in need.


    ¡°I will get you the tools,¡± Gabi said, nodding twice.


    ¡°Wait¨C really?¡± Adella¡¯s eyes went from the floor to the girl, but she was already walking back into the forest. ¡°Wait! You won''t tell them about us, will you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Gabrielle answered without really turning. ¡°I will get you the tools. Wait here.¡±


    She offered no further explanation, no calming or encouraging words, and in a moment, the little girl was gone.


    Adella sighed, turning back to her family. They were in a better mood now that Bohllin was back, and the problem with the tools had completely escaped their minds for now. Maybe that was for the best.


    She would keep quiet about this, for now. Adella saw no reason to tell them their hopes were now placed in the hands of such a strange little human girl.

 Chapter 5: Of Gossip

    Many questions rose in the mind of the little girl as she advanced through the forest, following the usual trail back to the chapel. What did she need, exactly? How was she supposed to take them all back? Was this actually a good idea? Gabi¡¯s brain was particularly bothersome that day, probably because of this chance to talk to people who didn¡¯t seem afraid of her at all. A rarity these days, especially when the emotions replacing that fear were not malice or anger towards the Witch¡¯s very existence.


    Perhaps they had not seen her hair? Maybe that was it? Gabi checked her habit and made sure she was wearing it properly, concealing every little lock of devilish red hair¨Call seemed to be in its right place. Good. Sighing in relief, she reminded herself to check such important details before talking to people in the future. This time she just got lucky!


    But no matter how much she tried to avoid it, she would forget anyways, and she was aware of that. But this didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t at least try to be responsible about it!


    Just keep trying and eventually things will stick together. Like, uhm¡­ like when you put honey in the middle of two pieces of bread. Those stick nicely together. Actually, it¡¯s sort of inconvenient, isn¡¯t it? You can¡¯t add more stuff to the bread if it is stuck together, and¨C¨C


    ¡­There she was again, thinking! Thinking useless, incorrect thoughts again! As she walked back into the Chapel grounds, Gabi smacked her cheeks a few times for good measure. Focus, girl. Focus! Get to the shed, grab the tools (which tools? ANY tools!) and go back to the demis¡¯ cart.


    The little girl walked from the luscious green of the forest into the cold ground floor of the Chapel¡¯s backyard. There was a little garden with potatoes, carrots and radishes (that she had already watered), a nice pile of lumber neatly standing near the tree trunk they used to cut them on (she had already finished her turn there too), the chicken coop (that was fortunately closed, now that was another lucky break!) and, finally, the shed.


    An old, flimsy little shed it was. Built from the remains of the ill fated barn the nuns had tried to get running some years ago, right after its destruction when both the mule and the cow they had managed to buy escaped and broke the foundations on their panicked run.


    Gabi patted the fragile red wall, and sighed. She didn¡¯t remember who was the one in watching duty that day, but she remembered how that girl had been distracted talking with the others outside, giggling and gossiping about the fisher boy in Gwynedd. She also vividly remembered how those girls pointed at her and shifted the blame on her shoulders¡­ Gabi shook her head, no need to remember that. She was going to get spanked anyways, for some other reason. Probably.


    And the destruction of the barn ended up being a blessing in disguise anyways! Now they had the girls go to Gwynedd every Sunday to buy milk, eggs and such. And the times Gabi got chosen to go, she always was either sent on her own or with Sister Arianna, the sleepy one. Those were pleasant times¡­


    With another heavy sigh, the redhead pushed the door of the old shed and after looking around the dusty shelves, she collected the tools. A hammer, clamps, some nails, a saw and a crowbar. There was no toolbox, but there were some discarded cauldrons to carry it all!


    Pots are always so useful!


    Gabi patted her chosen cauldron with some affection as she filled it up with stuff. Pots, she always tried to have one in hand or at least in sight! Perfect for shoveling, storing things, serving food or even to wear on her head, as a helmet! The girls loved to smack the cauldrons and make them ring like bells, especially when Gabrielle was wearing them.


    Joke¡¯s on them! I like the gonging sound much better than their blahblahblah!


    With her cauldron full of good things, Gabrielle nodded to herself and walked off the shed¨C¨C but not without looking at the huge wooden mallet sitting on the side of the room, completely on its own. Almost as if it had a sort of aura separating it from every other object in there. It had no face, but Gabi could feel it smirking. Mocking. Challenging¡­ Just like the days she was forced to carry it around, barely able to lift it a few inches.


    The many dents on the dirt floor were marks of her futile struggle against the mallet¡¯s mighty weight, and the many times she was chastised for taking way too long with the mashed berries. That mallet was evil, loaded with ill intent, and Gabi knew it very well! So she simply ignored it. Lifting her nose in a disdainful way, she just kept walking while pretending she had never acknowledged its presence in the first place.


    It knows what it did.


    As she walked back out, Gabrielle heard the crowd in the chapel moving and chattering¨C¨C the people were going back home after a long day of praying. And that made Gabi¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkle with excitement: she could enter again! And with some luck, she could grab a loaf of bread for herself!


    Surprise bread! Maybe with some actual filling this time!


    Her body took a sharp turn and trotted right back to the main building, looking for the door on the side and then slowly opening it, just a bit, to peek inside.


    The last members of the congregation were already leaving, the girls had to be outside and properly say goodbye to each of them while Father supervised them. And the nuns, four of them at least, were just sitting on a bench to rest after the service¨C¨C The pile of bread was unattended, drying up and hardening by the sun not too far from the secondary door¡­ Yes, perfect. Gabrielle nodded to herself.


    Target spotted.


    Making sure the things didn¡¯t jingle on her cauldron, Gabi silently approached the bread table and reached for the first one. She looked to the sides, just to make sure she wasn¡¯t seen before actually grabbing a piece. The coast was clear.


    Yum yum, come here little bun¡­!


    Right as Gabrielle pulled a piece of bread, the voice of Sister Tasce made her doubt for a second.


    ¡°That damned wretch..!!¡±


    Gabi¡¯s spine shook from top to bottom before tensing and straightening up, just like it did that night. Fear almost made her jump, and she probably would have if not because of her petrified body. Had she been discovered? So quickly!? How!? Taking a deep breath, the girl slowly turned around¨C¨C but when she looked at the nuns, her fears dissipated slowly. They weren¡¯t looking at her at all! They were just complaining to themselves, bickering in a semicircle.


    They did that a lot, honestly.


    ¡°Lower your voice, damn it. The Father will hear¡­¡± Sister Marina¡¯s voice was the raspy one, Gabi knew that well. She used to smoke a lot in public, but stopped when the other girls kept trying to steal her pipe. ¡°I don¡¯t want any more trouble, we had enough at night already.¡±


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    ¡°More?? After cleaning that mess, I really don¡¯t think we can get into more trouble.¡± Sister Tasce¡¯s voice was so highly pitched it was almost painful to listen to. Gabi really felt thankful for her usual, taciturn attitude. ¡°Seriously, Father can suck it. If he wants to give me trouble for complaining, he can go get another bitch for his troubles.¡±


    Gabi did not know what was the Father supposed to suck, and when did he get a dog, but she quickly understood this conversation was none of her business. With a renewed appreciation for her own stealth, Gabrielle just focused on putting a few more pieces of bread on the cauldron. The demis were hungry after all that work, so maybe they¡¯d like some surprise bread.


    With a cauldron full of rusty tools and hard, bland bread, the girl was ready to leave ¨C when suddenly the voice of Sister Corintia said something that forced her whole body to lock in place once more, as cold as a statue.


    ¡°It was a complete failure that night. Just like all the others¡­ sometimes I wonder why we bother.¡±


    A failure¡­ that night¡­ they were talking about the last attempt to ascend¡­


    If her body was stiff before, now it almost felt like her very flesh was squeezing the bones in place, a sense of guilt poured down her back as Gabi¡¯s eyes widened. They were talking about her, there was no doubt in her mind.


    ¡°When was the last time we got something good? Last month? Last year?¡± Sister Corintia had that sort of voice that made her sound like she was complaining all the time, even if she wasn¡¯t. But she meant it this time, that much was for sure. ¡°If anything it really feels like these attempts are getting worse.¡±


    Worse? Was she really doing that bad? Gabi felt a hole grow on her stomach as she clung tighter to her cauldron. Thoughts were pushing inside of her skull, reminders of her constant bad behavior. Of course she was doing badly, she had been squirming too much, and maybe she screamed too little compared to the others¡­


    She couldn¡¯t really force those things, screaming and crying weren¡¯t impulses that came naturally to her anymore! Not after learning to ignore those needs! Was she wrong in trying to take it all in? Or maybe she had been just thinking too much? They told her not to, and here she was doing it again!


    She wanted to leave so badly, run far away from these words, but simply couldn¡¯t. She needed to hear more! Maybe something among their complaints could make sense out of her situation, explain things. Give her hints on how to improve!


    ¡°Father says he has been having good advances with the others though.¡± Sister Marina tried to pacify the situation. ¡°But we would have to ask Ari for confirmation.¡±


    The others kept ascending while she stayed here, failing time and time again¡­ Gabi had thought of asking about these things to the nuns directly but, the times she had tried to speak of it had always ended in more punishment before she could even explain. She was forbidden to speak about it, to anyone.


    So she was completely alone on this one.


    ¡°Ari¡¯s still sleeping. Seriously, she¡¯s always sleeping lately.¡± Sister Alejandra was always very worried about Sister Arianna¨C¨C Gabi liked her, honestly. Both of them were the youngest nuns, and the only ones who didn¡¯t really push her around.


    Mostly because they were either with each other or sleeping. No real time to get in Gabrielle¡¯s case.


    ¡°Well it doesn¡¯t really matter if those others are working so well, does it now??¡± Sister Corintia whined again. ¡°We¡¯re the ones having to deal with the constant failures, while Enrico can count the good ones on his own!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be disrespectful to Father, Corintia.¡± Sister Marina¡¯s voice grew gelid in an instant. ¡°He knows best and you know it. He¡¯s the one working the most.¡±


    ¡°Objectively incorrect!!¡± Sister Tasce was not satisfied at all. ¡°I swear, I can still smell the blood and the burnt hairs on me. Last night was just disgusting¡­!!¡±


    Gabrielle blinked, raising an arm to sniff on it. Did she really smell that bad? Of all the things people yelled at her, they didn¡¯t usually talk about smells, and she always made sure to stay clean! In a way, being clean and lacking the fish-like stink of the other girls was her greatest pride.


    But she did bleed a lot though, in general. It was kind of a problem to be honest: even if her wounds tended to close fast, she often left a mess¡­ maybe she should try to bleed less? Somehow? With enough pressure she could make her body push less blood, or just have less blood in it? Her breathing grew faster and more nervous, as she tried and failed to think of a way to bleed less¡­


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We threw out all of last night¡¯s refuse.¡± Sister Alejandra sighed. ¡°Thanks to the Saints, for having a river so close¡­¡±


    Father always forbade them from going to the river, the nuns were the ones in charge of getting water and throwing the trash around¨C¨C Gabi narrowed her eyes, thinking that maybe she should start cleaning herself in the river more often, then? She snuck around to do so when people were not looking, anyways. She¡¯d need some more.


    She never knew when new attempts to Ascend would be made though, so she would just need to bathe every day! Even if the water was very cold, she would have to put in the extra effort.


    ¡°Look, all I am saying is that if we keep failing like this, and making so much trouble while we are at it, people will notice.¡± Tasce¡¯s voice trembled for a moment. ¡°And girl, let me tell you, they will start asking questions we are not ready to answer. In fact, even if we were ready, they would not like the answers, and before you know it we¡¯ll all end up excomulgated! Or even worse, burnt by Genesis!!¡±


    Gabi gulped a bit louder, then . Burnt? Genesis? That had to be the first time she heard that word, and she immediately disliked it. The implications were just too heavy and, more importantly, it felt like it was something dangerous not only to her, but to everyone in the chapel.


    She¡¯d need to ask about that to Sister Arianna next time she saw her.


    ¡°Look¡­ don¡¯t worry.¡± Sister Marina¡¯s tone was so cold, it made Gabrielle¡¯s spine tremble again. ¡°Father will be working on the Good Ones, and when he starts getting results¡­ we won''t have to worry about anything else. Alright?¡±


    No one answered¡­ she was probably giving them The Eye. People talked often about that, when Sister Marina¡¯s face grew darker and imposing, the look in her eyes was so terrifying even Gabi could still remember it vividly. And so, she didn¡¯t turn back at them. She simply didn¡¯t dare.


    "We are not failing again. Trust me.¡±


    Gabrielle didn¡¯t need to hear another word: she somehow forced her legs to move once again despite the tension and slowly walked out of the chapel with long, heavy steps; once she was outside, free from the chapel and the bickering old crones, she ran like hell. There was a sudden weight on her shoulders and a pressure on her chest, air simply couldn¡¯t reach her lungs¨C¨C and when it did, it hurt as it pushed so mercilessly into her closed throat.


    Weak sunlight flashed through the trees as Gabi blindly rushed into the forest, for a moment only hearing her own desperate breathing as if the entire world had become distant, confusing and violent. Even the voices in her mind had fallen completely silent, her thoughts now taking the form of a chaotic, colourful mess; one that hurt her mind¡¯s eye when staring into.


    When the exhaustion and the pain peaked in her body, the little girl had to force herself to stop right in the middle of the forest, all to try and calm herself down. Her breathing was shaking everything in her world, her ears were ringing and her hands suddenly started squeezing and scratching her own cheeks as she tried to stop this outburst, not even noticing when she started or why. She couldn¡¯t allow herself to cry again, not two times in a week!!


    Stop, stop stop stop stop stop¡­!!


    But why did it suddenly feel like it was all her fault¡­? All of it. The failures, the frustration of the nuns, the disaster that had been last night, and the incoming fire of Genesis, whatever that last thing was. It was all her fault.


    And that if she didn¡¯t do anything, things would only get worse for everyone involved¡­


    Unable to even reach on to the hope of her new plans for ¡°Illumination¡±, Gabrielle fell down on her knees and clung to the dirt itself, her body now a mess of heat and emotion. She didn¡¯t even notice the habit falling off her head, and honestly she couldn¡¯t care any less even if she did. The red of her hair couldn¡¯t compare to the fire burning her heart down.

 Chapter 6: Of a Reward

    It took Gabi a good long while before she could remember what she was doing. It was the same every time she allowed herself to fall this deep: everything turned into a loud and painful whiteness until suddenly, she was back in her body. And speaking of, her body still felt tense and aching as she tried to get back on her feet from the filthy mud. Sweat drops slid down her forehead, unpleasantly sticky and warm, stinging when they inevitably reached her eyes. Gabrielle let out a little snarl, cleaning her face with a filthy sleeve and taking deep breaths.


    She never understood why this happened, why did her body just refuse to follow her orders all of a sudden. It simply came to her, like a storm covering the entire forest without anything that could stop it. Father and the other nuns usually called it ¡°a tantrum¡±: an explosion of negative emotions coming from a badly mannered, useless child. Gabi was used to harsh words, but for some reason being called ¡°useless¡± stung particularly badly, and it certainly didn¡¯t help at all when she was in the middle of those ¡°tantrums¡±.


    I try my best¡­


    At least no one there could see this time! Gabi was still a bit far from where the demis were encamped, and definitively far enough from the chapel to be caught in the act by a nun (or worse, one of the girls). This brought her a bit of relief, reinforced by the sudden, refreshing sensation of water drizzling on her hair and back. She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment to try and understand it¡­ rain, it was never a good sign, but today Gabi received the falling drops of cold water with open arms and the hint of a smile.


    Until the implications hit her.


    Panic spiked on the girl¡¯s chest when she not only realized that the sunny day had suddenly turned into a grey, stormy sky: in the midst of her ¡°tantrum¡± and who knows for how long, Gabrielle had lost her habit as well. The fear was real, did someone see her? Did someone scream while she couldn¡¯t hear them?


    Usually, these thoughts were enough to send her further down into another tantrum, but today for some reason the panic felt so far away that it was less a spike, and more of an echo in her brain.


    Everything felt distant, really. As Gabrielle looked around herself, and her hands slowly reached to feel the wet locks of red hair on her head, she could notice how the trees themselves felt less and less¡­ there. Nothing really changed on them, no colours or textures, but for some reason they simply became less of a thing, and more of a shade in Gabi¡¯s world.


    ¡°Does that make sense?¡± She asked herself, not really knowing how to deal with it. The other voices in her head were eerily quiet as well¨C¨C they probably screamed so much their throats were sore and tired just like Gabi¡¯s. Their complaints about failure and burnings suddenly felt so weak and unimportant, compared to the relief of the water running down on her little body.


    Gabi twirled and played with her hair for a moment¨C¨C it felt nice. Soft, a bit warm from the sweat, they way it curved on itself and wrapped on her fingers with such ease always felt so nice to her. In these scarce, quiet moments of solitude, Gabrielle could admit to herself that she really did like her hair. It was a sign of evil, a brand of the wicked, and she hated the trouble and shame that it caused when others looked at it; but even with that, she always liked its colour, its feeling. She enjoyed brushing it in secret using an old wooden comb, putting flowers or leaves in it, washing it carefully on the river or just¡­ looking at it in some reflections.


    Normally, admitting this came with a hefty dose of guilt, for she knew that red hairs only grow on wicked, cursed heads¨C¨C but right now, even that felt unreal and secondary. Right now, she just felt so far away from everything that, somehow, she had achieved peace. A sickly, temporary version of Nirvana.


    No feelings to cloud her, no ideas in her head. Just the rain, and her own, raw self.


    Until she remembered the cauldron.


    Emotion returned to her with a cold slap, as Gabrielle rushed to check on the old cauldron she left on the floor: the bread had softened a little bit, and water had started to build up inside of the iron walls, but it was nothing that would ruin the food just yet. With another relieved sigh, Gabi threw the water off the cauldron and lifted a bit, nodding to herself. She had to deliver, after all she had promised those demihumans some help! And Saint Martha always delivered on her promises.


    The girl prepared to walk the rest of the way, slowly walking over to the filthy habit on the muddy floor. Putting down the cauldron for a moment, she picked her cover up and looked at it for a second¡­ She hated that habit. It was itchy, warm and a constant annoyance, as Gabi had to make sure it stayed on her head at all times. But it was also the only thing that allowed her to go outside and actually live like a person.


    She simply couldn¡¯t abandon it.


    With a resigned grumble Gabrielle cleaned the dirt off her habit, squeezing the water out of the cheap cloth before putting it on once again. Quietly she bid goodbye to her red hair, making sure not a single lock would peek outside. Only then, when she was properly dressed again, the girl would pick up her precious cargo and start trotting into the forest.


    She had to be done with this task quickly, for a storm was clearly about to fall upon them.


    ¡ª


    The fact that Gabrielle had returned at all was quite the surprise for the elves. With the time she had been taking and the coming of the rain, the elves had started to seriously doubt the little girl¡¯s intentions and started to make a risky plan B: to await for the veil of night and take a second shot at stealing from the Church. Adella¡¯s relief knew no bounds when she saw the scrappy little kid return with a cauldron in her hands and no other figures following her.


    The fact that she had brought bread with her?? That was even more of a surprise, to the point where they would call it a little miracle. It was soggy, bland bread, but the sustenance itself would be enough to keep them moving for a day or two, and that was the perfect amount of time to get some rations with the rest of the Caravan once they managed to catch up.


    Morale among the elves had turned upside down in a second, and even with the rain falling upon their backs they were more vital and motivated than ever. This sort of good luck had to be a sign from Mother Moon that their fate was to reach her after all.


    Bohllin and Gabrielle sat down under a tree as the rest of the caravan worked on the cart. The young elfling had his leg bandaged and immobilized just as precaution, and should be ready to work once more in a few days. As for Gabrielle¡­ the elves didn¡¯t really dare to push their luck with her, forcing the kid to work after bringing them the tools; and besides, the red and swollen eyes really made it clear that she was in no shape to push herself further.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take it from here, lil¡¯ scamp! You rest your tired arms under the tree.¡± They simply patted her head and ruffled her habit for a moment. ¡°Thank you though, really. You¡¯re a good soul after all, lil¡¯ scamp!¡±


    ¡­ A good soul¡­?


    Gabi obeyed without a word, her face frozen all of a sudden. Walking in a stiff fashion until letting her body flop down on the muddy soil, right under the chosen tree. She looked down on her own hands and tried to wrangle her inner voices back into some calm while she had a chance to rest, but¡­


    Did¡­ did I do good this time?


    It was a mere pat on the head, right? They just patted her, thanked her for being ¡°a good soul¡±, and smiled while going back to work. That was it, that was all, right?


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    They weren¡¯t even human, and Father always said that the words of the demihuman were inherently less worthy than any person¡¯s opinion, and yet¡­ they filled her. They filled an empty space inside of her, one that she didn¡¯t really notice before; no, scratch that, she did notice that void but, only when she was in the deepest of her tantrums.


    These demihumans filled her with hope. Maybe she wasn¡¯t useless after all, maybe following Saint Martha¡¯s steps was a good idea.


    Yeah¡­ yeah! This, this is the right path!


    Did she just give the words of these elves meaning because she wanted to feel good about herself? Was she being that selfish right now? Gabi frowned, complicated questions swirling around her brain with words she had no definitions for and feelings she was not ready to address. She was already feeling another ¡°tantrum¡± pushing up from the depths of her throat when Bohllin¡¯s voice called.


    ¡°Oi, are you okay there, sister? Your eyes are doing that weird thing again.¡±


    Gabrielle gasped, jumping in place and looking at the elfling with a bewildered expression. How long had he been there?! Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down.


    ¡°...What weird thing? I don¡¯t do weird things.¡± Gabi stated, shamelessly lying. The first thing most people called her was weird. ¡°I was just thinking¡­ wait, no, not thinking, I was¨C¡±


    ¡°Yeah you do.¡± Bohllin frowned, crossing his arms. ¡°You were looking right down, with very open eyes, and didn¡¯t even blink! Not once! And I was counting, eh?¡± The girl blinked out of surprise there. ¡°It doesn¡¯t count if you do it now! Cheater! Doesn¡¯t that hurt??¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t what hurt?¡±


    ¡°Not blinking!¡±


    Hurt¡­? She sometimes felt bothered by some sensations, but it was very rare for things to really ¡°hurt¡± her. Really, the only times Gabi could feel the pain in her body were those odd moments when another girl tried to stab her, or during those nights with Father¡¯s Ascension attempts.


    Her eyes had never been an issue.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Well, not think, I mean like, I think but it¡¯s not¡­It¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°What is? The eye thing?¡±


    ¡°No, the thinking thing!¡± The blinking issue was, honestly, not really interesting to the little girl, as she was already fixated on her own verbal twists. ¡°I don¡¯t think that I think, but I don¡¯t know any other word for it? What do you call that?¡±


    Bohllin¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, this girl simply got weirder by the second.


    ¡°I think that I am thinking but I¡¯ve been told I do things without thinking, so what I am doing is not thinking then, it¡¯s something else. Something bad and silly, I guess.¡± Gabrielle sighed, looking down. ¡°Really, I can¡¯t get the hang of that. Like, when you hear your own voice telling you things in your mind.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an expression! They¡¯re calling you dumb, they don¡¯t mean you¡¯re not thinking. Or, well, they are? But not because you are literally not thinking, it¡¯s because you don¡¯t think enough!¡±


    ¡°So I have to think more then?¡±


    ¡°Yes? I think? No? Ugh!¡± The elf was trying his best not to pull his ears in frustration. ¡°The point is: It¡¯s a way of speaking! You are thinking, alright?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I see.¡±


    ¡­And that was the end of that. Gabrielle nodded and looked down on her hands again, now sure that she was, indeed, thinking. Just, not correctly or for long enough.


    Bohllin grumbled, frustration growing even further. ¡°Don¡¯t just take it! They called you dumb! Doesn¡¯t that bother you!?¡±


    ¡°They do that all the time.¡± Gabi stated, matter of factly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter now, does it?¡±


    ¡°Yes it does!¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­¡±


    Now it was the elf kid who blinked in astonishment. He felt there were a lot of things wrong with that idea but, he simply didn¡¯t feel like it was his place to say any of them¡­ so he just sighed, and laid back on the muddy floor. After a good moment to rest his confused mind, he finally asked:


    ¡°What were you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do to be a good person.¡± That answer came almost immediately. ¡°I want to be good. But I can¡¯t. Because I can¡¯t think well, and I can¡¯t do things well.¡±


    Gabrielle thought of even adding the word Witch there, as a sort of confession¨C¨C but her fear of rejection was way too strong. Better to simply ignore the detail that she was ¡°born wicked¡±.


    The elfling sighed, really not sure why did he even bother asking. The issue was already kind of obvious in his eyes and the matter-of-fact answer only made him feel silly for wasting time. But he couldn¡¯t simply give her answers on how to be a good kid! She already seemed good to him, after all¨C¨C but maybe humans have another standard of goodness? Or maybe she just wouldn¡¯t take his word for it if he tried to reassure her!


    ¡°...Wait a moment here.¡±


    Gabrielle merely nodded, not really looking as Bohllin simply ran out to get someone among the elders. He would return soon after, with Adella guiding him by the hand. In the old elf¡¯s eyes was a troubled, concerned look. She was staring at the girl, now once again absorbed in her own thoughts, eyes unblinking, hands trembling in front of her.


    Adella had seen this before, in her many centuries of life before the Age of Silence had covered Jericho with its foul, magicless mist¨C¨C the way this girl simply yearned for purpose and acceptance, the very things every single living creature was entitled to and she had been denied for some contrived human reasoning. The elder looked down to her little proteg¨¦e, and in him she saw her very same apprehensions; he had a natural gift for empathy, the sign of a great Stargazer.


    Too bad he would never become one, now that the stars had abandoned them all and there was no more magic in this life¨C¨C it was a real shame, a waste of potential. But there was no sense in crying more about it at this point.


    The elder carefully kneeled in front of the sitting girl, snapping her fingers a few times so Gabrielle would wake up once more, and look into her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m told that you¡¯re lost.¡± Said Adella, offering her hand to the kid. ¡°And I am already in your debt¡­ so I want to offer you something in return. I wish to offer you my Guidance.¡±


    Gabrielle narrowed her eyes slightly. Guidance? How? Was this woman speaking of witchcraft? Father and everyone else said that those things were mere superstitions, stuff the demis talk about to con gullible minds and make themselves feel more important. So she kept quiet, letting the old lady speak.


    ¡°Magic is not what it used to be, but I can still take good gazes into Fate from time to time. Or at least, the shadows left by the long gone stars. Would you want Fate to give you a word of guidance?¡±


    The kid¡¯s eyes now opened widely. She didn¡¯t even make her usual matter-of-fact comment on how the stars were still there every night, because there was a much more important word for her to focus on.


    Fate.


    The way this lady said it, almost made it sound less like a concept and more like a name, as if addressing some old ghost or an ancient god¨C¨C heresy of the worst kind, for sure. Despite the lack of expression in the little girl¡¯s face, her eyes did reflect the spark of fear going around in her mind¡­ and then, her overwhelming curiosity.


    Saint Martha had dealt with the supernatural in her life. Father always tried to rush through those parts, clarifying that Saint Martha only dwelled in heretical knowledge out of necessity and how they shouldn¡¯t imitate that, never ever. But if she had done it before, maybe Gabi could do it as well? Just a little bit?


    There was a part of herself that wished to stray as far from that sort of thing as possible, but without any support from the other voices, this less adventurous part of Gabi¡¯s mind was soon ignored, and her hand quickly grabbed Adella¡¯s. The elf nodded.


    ¡°Good. Let me peer into your history¡­¡± With a very deep breath of fresh air, as rain continued to fall around them, Adella called upon the little embers of magic that still burnt in her breast. Closing her eyes and merely focusing on the darkness of her inner sanctum, seeing the little greenish sparks fly as her lungs filled.


    The embers of her soul, she could see them laying down in an empty, dark room¡­ slowly forced back to life, with little flames rising in a beautiful, twinkling kind of green. That was the light of magic itself, weak but still alive in her¨C¨C And with a masterful, practiced stroke, she took that light in her mind, and carefully gave it a new form.


    Lines and dots swirled around, until forming a very special Rune, the one she had memorized so long ago with her father, the gift of generations after generations of stargazers. And with that Rune in her mind, and her soul vibrating with emotion, the gates of Fate slowly opened once more. The darkness in her mind was consumed by light¡­


    And Adella saw through the turbulent clouds that cloaked Gabrielle¡¯s future.

 Chapter 7: Of a Prophecy

    Gabrielle opened her eyes and felt the cold wind slowly caress her fingertips. The world once again felt unreal, distant and ethereal around her, but somehow to an even worse degree than before: when she looked around herself, she couldn¡¯t distinguish the shapes of trees or rocks, much less the figures of the elves around her. The forest around her had disappeared completely, leaving a confusing mess of mixing colour and noise. The way she usually perceived everything, now realized completely before her eyes.


    Was she dead? Was she dreaming? She had never truly questioned herself about it, for her dreams were usually dull and devoid of any colour: just scenes of herself walking around town or laying down on the muddy floor, no real ¡°situation¡± or ¡°story¡± to them. Distinguishing dreams from reality was easy like that, but now¡­


    That freezing breeze pushed her onwards, growing impatient with the girl¡¯s hesitation. Gabi apologized under her breath, unsure to whom or why, and simply started to walk; something told her in low whispers that things would make more sense if she moved. And surprisingly, they did! For as soon as she took her first steps, the misshaped pool of colours that swirled around her started to take form. The darker tones of black and blue colours rose to form the skies like bubbles to the surface of a raging sea; meanwhile, the more vibrant colours like greens, purples and yellows sank down to form the lushious earth beneath her toes.


    It was night and there were no stars in the sky, that much was very easy to understand. But the things on the ground still remained as confusing as before: She saw a floor of dirt and grass patches, with oozing colours rising to become something akin to trees, some even going taller and bigger, like the distorted shade of buildings! They were not solid enough to really know what they represented, and for some reason Gabi did not mind this at all. They felt unimportant to her, and to the whispering voice that urged her to focus upwards anyways.


    To look to the skies.


    There were no stars, no Sun nor Moon and yet, the sky felt warm. Gabi raised a single hand towards it for a moment, feeling that if she tried hard enough, maybe she could reach the clouds covering it all and clear the skies. The ether itself felt so close to her fingertips, warmer the more she tried to reach it, to the point where it even started to hurt her skin. It was like trying to put her hand in a crackling fire, but there were no marks on her sickly skin.


    Gabrielle was so close to the eternal sky, her fingers burning more and more until finally, she managed to touch those blazing clouds¡ª and they screamed. All of them screamed at once, agonizing, suffering, trembling! Gabrielle was pushed down on her back as the firmament itself felt a ¡°tantrum¡± coming from deep within. The screams of this miserable sky sounded discordant, confusing and barely able to contain the intensity of its emotion; but its voice was not a voice, for it was not human: it felt more like a noise. Like many, many trumpets¡ªa myriad of trumpets going on at once.


    A voice deep within Gabrielle was interrogating her, asking what was going on¡­ but Gabi never really knew how to describe things, words eluded her all the time. She took a deep breath this time, and simply said the first things that came to mind.


    ¡°Something is giving birth.¡±


    Where did that even come from? Although, now that she said it outloud, this feeling of shaking, overwhelming tension that radiated from the skies, along with the pain and the panic, were similar to when she spied on the girls helping in the town¡¯s farm, when that huge pig was having piglets. Is that what childbirth is like? The spasms felt painful, there was blood everywhere, some of the girls fainted¡­ Was the sky giving birth?


    No. Something in her knew that was not the case, it was certain to the girl that it was not the sky¡¯s child who was being born, and yet the sky itself suffered for it. Did that make sense? That voice in her mind did not know what to say, even if it was being particularly intelligent and meditative at that moment.


    Lines of white and green serpentined among the clouds covering the starless night sky, like cracks in a piece of filthy glass. It was breaking! And for some reason this made Gabrielle feel relieved? Almost happy even, as sparks of white fell from those cracks and washed over her like the warm rain calming her fears. The voice asked if those were tears.


    But Gabi shook her head. As the sky finally quelled its screams, clarity came to the girl¡¯s mind: Those were not tears, they were angels.


    It made no sense and yet Gabrielle was convinced of it. They were angels, each and every spark of white was another angel falling, and they all were as happy as she was. The voice inside of her felt uncharacteristically supportive of this motion though, inviting her to close her eyes for a moment and just feel this moment, cherish it, study it. She had all the time in the world to understand this feeling. And this only made the sensations stronger, pushing from her heart and out of her eyes.


    Tears? She was crying again, but it was different. Her body was not rejecting the emotion, and in fact it actually felt kind of¡­ good! In a terrible sort of way. Her throat was sore and tight, her eyes itched and the tears felt sticky and gross, but something in her felt glad she was crying. It felt right. as if out of all the times in her entire life, this was the time to cry.


    But everything stopped all of a sudden. Her tears, her emotion, the Angels falling from the cracks in the sky? All gone in but an instant, the mixture of warm rain and cold winds disappearing and leaving Gabrielle oddly dry and uncomfortable in its absence. It then evolved into something warmer, then into something hot and painful, burning inside of her flesh. The girl felt her body ache in such a familiar way she immediately knew what was happening, and yet that voice inside asked what was this, as if it was the very first time.


    That pain spread through her in waves that forced her body to shake and spasm, making her joints crack and throb as she tried her best to stop all motion, saliva building up on her mouth, foaming a little on her lips: it was the same as those nights when Father took her, every time before she failed to ascend. And it hurt more than ever before.


    The voice tried to calm her, to get the girl to stop tensing and distance herself from the feeling, but Gabrielle simply couldn¡¯t. She had to endure it, to take it all, to make sure to get it right this time.


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    All voices grew more and more distant, as the skies began to tremble in fear once again, the cracks went from green and white to a darker purple, and the floor cracked under the pressure of mysterious forces. Mustering all her strength, Gabrielle forced her head in place for long enough to see right in front of her eyes: a hole in the shape of a man was opening on the very ground and spreading, wider and wider, threatening to swallow the skies above, the world around it, and even Gabi herself.


    The girl felt fear overpower her pain, the need to survive was suddenly much more important than Ascension, as she forced her still trembling, aching body to crawl away from this hole and the red lights that creeped from deep within. Was it fire? Was it Hell? It did not feel like either of those things to her. It grew with the hole, from the hole, and out of the hole: a red Sun, shapeless yet somehow reminiscent of the head of a snake, or maybe a lion, or both.


    Gabrielle¡¯s thoughts grew erratic, the colours forming the world now desperately mixing back into chaos. She couldn¡¯t put words in phrases anymore, paralysed by the pain and the panic. The voice mumbled something, but she couldn¡¯t understand a thing it said: her senses were being destroyed by the light of this Sun, and its piercing, unholy stench¡­


    Before the Red rose so high that she could see it touch the skies, and all this disgusting light covered her whole, Gabi muttered a single word that she had never heard before.


    ¡°Demiurge.¡±


    ¡ª


    Adella was now staring at the girl who rested on her lap, her hand still holding Gabi¡¯s as firmly as she could. What had started as something relatively light and relaxing had taken a turn that the elf simply didn¡¯t know how to process! The analysis of dreams and visions was, as many other forms of magic were, a lost art by this point, and even if Adella could perfectly recall her old days as a Stargazer, making sense of it all would take much more time than she really had.


    This girl¡¯s vision was charged with references and context unique to human culture: from the concept of Angels to the shapeshifting Red Sun, Adella could not simply identify those kinds of symbols from memory, and honestly she barely even knew what they were by the girl¡¯s very own words.


    Taking a deep breath, the old elf caressed Gabrielle¡¯s hand softly, as she looked towards her broken caravan. By this point, the others had finally managed to fix the wheels and were now packing all back on the carts. She couldn¡¯t simply ask them to wait another day to work through these riddles, no matter how thankful they were to this child.


    She felt guilt stabbing her heart, as her eyes went back to the unconscious Gabrielle. This was supposed to give her answers, to make the way clearer for a confused, fearful little girl¡ª but now it was all much more cloudy and threatening. What was this girl¡¯s path heading towards? Had Adella been predestined to show this to her all along? Did she do the right thing?


    Mother Moon in the skies¡­ is this what we have been running from all along?


    There was something else that particularly worried the elder. Narrowing her eyes, she carefully lifted one of the girl¡¯s arms and gently uncovered it, moving the sleeve out of the way. It still felt stiff, cold and hurting, suffering through a sort of pain that Adella simply could not comprehend. Under the cloth, she saw bruises and rashes among other marks of daily abuse, things that she honestly expected with a girl this quiet and spacey¡­ but she also saw the stigmata.


    Swollen and almost purple in places, the skin around the spot on Gabrielle¡¯s elbow looked burnt and itchy, a wound that probably took quite a bit of time before closing. Had she been stabbed? The mark was so perfectly round it almost felt as if a thick nail had been thrusted into her flesh; and from there, red marks spread on her skin like roots twisting and turning. But there was something even more concerning to the elf.


    The marks were already disappearing, right in front of her eyes, receding towards the healed wound. They probably had been doing so this entire time, impossibly fast by any metric.


    ¡°Sweet Mother Moon, what is this¡­?¡±


    Adella stared at it for so long, that she didn¡¯t even notice when Gabrielle opened her eyes. The girl slowly pulled her arm away from the woman, as if asking for permission to take it back, spooking the elf enough to make her jump. Gabi sat up, looking at her own arm for a moment and then covering it once again, not giving it much thought. She then stared at the elf.


    There was no real indignation in those eyes, just¡­ an odd sense of confusion. Gabrielle was still struggling to understand, to put names to things and get her feet on the ground. The world was back to its more ¡°real¡± self but, at the same time, how could she really tell? Had all those feelings been but a dream? Then why couldn¡¯t she shake them off her memory?


    After understanding the situation a bit better, and feeling the relief of not being in trouble, Adella took the initiative and spoke up.


    ¡°How do you feel? Can you remember your vision?¡±


    Gabi blinked. Adella called it a vision, so it had been a dream after all! She was now back in reality, right in the middle of the forest after helping the demihumans with their tool issue. Memory had returned to its regular sequentiality¡ª and yet, that ¡°vision¡± still felt engraved in her mind.


    So she nodded. Yes, she couldn¡¯t really forget it anymore.


    ¡°Good¡­ I am very sorry, Gabrielle, but I cannot really understand what the Gods tried to tell you.¡± The old elf bowed her head. ¡°I have failed as a guide¡­ but I hope that you can at least try to understand the allegory.¡±


    ¡°I am not good with hard thoughts.¡± Admitted the little girl, barely understanding what an allegory even was. ¡°But I know a person who knows a lot of things. I can always ask her.¡±


    Adella was unsure to say the least, but seeing that the daft little girl at least had some idea of what to do took a lot of weight from her shoulders.


    ¡°Do that, Gabrielle. Whatever this vision means, it is clearly urgent¡­ Tonight, changes will arrive one way or the other. It is wise to prepare for it.¡±


    Gabrielle couldn¡¯t really understand it, or express it, but she felt some strange anxiety mounting once again on her shoulders. That fear from before, fear of a terrifying punishment hanging above them, suddenly felt much more justified.


    Things kept getting more and more complicated, way too fast for her to even try to comprehend¡ª and as the elves in the cart began to call for her and Adella to say their goodbyes, the young redhead couldn¡¯t help but feel more and more inadequate.


    Of all the people in Jericho, she had to be the worst person to entrust with such important information, and she knew it. Had Saint Martha felt this same way? Fearful, inadequate and scared?


    Well, there was someone who understood these sorts of things anyways, someone who usually humored Gabrielle¡¯s questions despite her grumpy demeanor.


    Sister Arianna usually told her to only ask important questions, and this had to be the first time Gabi was sure it would be worthy of the nun¡¯s time.

 Chapter 8: Of Whispers

    ¡°Out of everyone in this beautiful land, you have been chosen. You, and only you, have seen the light beyond the clouds above Jericho! And you, and only you, can guide that light back to it, back to us!¡±


    The old man¡¯s voice sounded as severe and resentful as it always did, the very wind from his words shaking the thin candle on his hands¡ª the only light in that whole dungeon. And this was, of course, by design: the lights would only be lit when needed and not a single moment longer than that, usually during the times He lectured them or when He needed to take notes after yet another attempt.


    He was always like that, pragmatic and spiteful, a tall and cruel shadow that lurked around the dungeon at least once every day just to look for something. None of the children in the cages really knew what he was looking for exactly, some had even fully lost their notion of day and night! Most of them, however, knew that this had also been part of the Demiurge¡¯s design.


    Everything in the room had been deliberately deployed: from their pathetic rations designed to keep them weak and force them to relieve themselves as little as possible, to the porous volcanic rock bricks the dungeon itself had been made with. It swallowed all sound perfectly, which was why some of the children who came from ¡°the building outside¡± never even knew of the dungeon¡¯s existence in the first place. No matter how much they cried and screamed, not a murmur could be heard¡ª again, a sign of that bastard¡¯s genius.


    Just¡­ a bit closer¡­ come on, almost¡­


    The texture did provide some sort of comfort to little Baraqiel, though. With their legs refusing to work for what felt like years, and while the Demiurge refused to stop his inane screaming, the little kid would crawl until they could slide a single hand between the bars of their prison. After humiliating, eternal moments of feeling the skin on their stomach grind against the rusty floor, the child could finally caress the ground outside. To them it was oddly calming, feeling the many holes of the cold rock against the tip of their fingers was one of the few positive sensations they had left.


    Of course, all this had to be done without the Demiurge noticing. That¡¯s what made it so hard.


    ¡°Each of the twelve of you hold a piece of Her Will, an Echo of the magic of yore! A hope for the return of Humanity¡¯s Golden Age! Isn¡¯t it obvious then, that your solemn duty is to hone this gift? To improve yourselves beyond humanity? To exploit this spark and nurture it into a pyre of inspiration!?¡±


    Improve ourselves¡­? How is this improving anything, you¡­ crazy¡­pudgy idiot¡­!


    Aggressive thoughts, that¡¯s all the rebellion they could muster, for Baraqiel did not have enough energy or courage to answer out loud. And really, no one in the dungeon did. There were times when some of the children (usually the new ones) would spit on his face, scream, cry and demand explanations for the madman¡¯s nonsense! But those times were always short lived, for even in the times when the Demiurge allowed himself to entertain a single question, his answers only vexed them further. He spoke of ¡°Realms of Ideas¡± and ¡°Abysses of Oblivion¡±, he spoke of ¡°Inspiration¡± and ¡°Runes¡±. He spoke of ¡°Echoes¡±, ¡°Old Gods¡± and ¡°Will¡±, he spoke of a ¡°long lost Tree¡±. He spoke of many, many things, but there was one constant to his madness: he never provided context to any of them.


    After all, the Demiurge was not talking with them, he was talking at them. He talked towards them, in their general direction, aiming for something that was not them but was somehow inside of them. Something that was so much more important to him than the children themselves, that he didn¡¯t even bother learning the names of the body carrying that ¡°something¡±.


    In fact, the first thing he did upon the arrival of a new child was to utterly destroy that name.


    ¡°So listen to me, O Angels! O bearers of the gift of the Gods! O precious, untapped potential! Together we shall find a way to correct the history of this wretched world, and the Sun shall brightly shine upon the lives in Jericho once more, as we rest under the shadow of the Tree of Origins!¡±


    Angels. He kept calling, yelling, weeping to those Angels, while the children that carried them suffered, cried and rotted in the cages he kept buried in this dungeon. Some children had even forgotten their own names already, caving under the torture of the Demiurge and reluctantly clinging to the titles that insane man had given them. Baraqiel could barely remember what used to be theirs, before the Demiurge bought them on the slave square¡­ it started with an A, that they were sure of


    Angels this, angels that¡­ What even is an angel¡­


    Before their imprisonment, Baraqiel had never heard the word Angel in their entire life, not once! They still remembered the tales a voice with no face used to tell them, tales of Stars looking upon the Planet and heroes following the whims of giggling spirits. They heard of faeries, pixies, elk spirits and chaotic stars, but never of angels.


    They sometimes tried to remember more details, to give a face to that gentle voice who spoke such wondrous tales. Closing their eyes and letting their little body squirm in place, as their fingers traced little circles on the floor outside. Oh Baraqiel, who did you used to be? Did anyone ever tenderly call your name? Not likely, considering how easily it vanished into the aether from whence it came. Were you ever the child of someone¡¯s eyes? Is anyone looking for you outside? The child seriously doubted it, they doubted everything at this point.


    And even if they did have a family outside, they didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the people who let them fall this deep.


    I hope they choke on the money¡­!


    As far as Baraqiel was concerned, if they ever had something akin to a family, it had sold them to the Demiurge and was probably as bad as the Demiurge himself. Sometimes the child wondered if maybe it was for the best to be trapped here, away from such a disgusting household¡ª but no chance. Not when they had to endure the howling man and his theatrical suffering.


    ¡°Then why!? Why, o why must you forsake me!? What pushes you to ignore my plights!? How much more blood must I spill for you, o Angels!? How much longer will I have to suffer this damnation!?¡±


    The man exploded into a fit of anger, as he usually did, unleashing his wrath onto the cages in front of him. His kicks shook them all, making some of the lively children squeal and whimper in fear, while the older ones simply mumbled under their breaths. It was always like this: he begged, screamed, and then lashed out his frustrations over the repeated failure of all of his ambitions.


    In a way it was terrifying, not only because it highlighted how unpredictable the man¡¯s mood was, but it also showed the unholy strength hidden under that wide frame and his ever reddening face.


    My ears! Is his throat as strong as his arm!? How does he keep howling!?¡­Seriously, my ears will pop one of these days!


    A dungeon is not usually big: it was meant to be tight and uncomfortable, easy to observe, and this one was not the exception to any rule: When coming through the reinforced iron door, the entire left side of the room was occupied by the twelve cages, each usually inhabited by a child. Every cage had a shiny, golden label with the name of the Angel they supposedly held inside, but besides that everything else about the cages was rusty and about as badly kept as the children inside.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    In front of the door, right at the other side of the room, sat the Demiurge¡¯s desk: it had some books, a quill and an inkwell, and flasks full of Saint knows what. Also the one candleholder in this entire room, used only when the man finished his work for a night and furiously wrote in his log¡ª he was never happy to do so, it felt like he never had anything good to add.


    After all, he was yet to produce a single ¡°success¡± with his beloved Spire.


    That gods forsaken Spire¡­


    The bulky, monstrous contraption claimed the entire right side of the room. Four stone "thrones" with thick leather straps bolted on its armrests and supports to hold the poor soul who would be sitting upon them; the clawing marks were signs of despair and pain, memories of many failed attempts to escape the Spire¡¯s thunderous embrace. Some children swore upon themselves to not even try to do so, for scratching stone only destroyed their nails, but the light flowing into their bodies was so intense that the very primal need for freedom took over every single time, without exception.


    It steals the breath from your lungs, the feel from your flesh, and the motion from your legs¡­


    Baraqiel sighed. They were still awaiting the return of sensitivity to their lower body, but to no avail: their legs just hung down from their hips, useless and cold.


    The straps on those thrones had never failed to restrain any child while the Spire itself did its job: some sort of rusty metallic pillar bigger than any of the thrones bowing to it, made out of innumerable metallic cogs, nuts and bolts weaved together in a symphony to sin itself. Staring at it was like looking into the open insides of a still living, still suffering deer, its fuming brass muscles letting out columns of smoke and gasping for air when the Spire sang. Baraqiel still remembered being mesmerized by the intricate network of steel, brass, leather and wood right there, even while the children sitting down screamed and shook.


    I swear I felt them¡­I felt how that heart beated, throbbed inside of my veins¡­!!


    Ah yes, The Heart.


    Baraqiel regained enough energy to shoot a hateful glare to the very center of the mechanism. In the center of the Spire, nestled neatly in a space carved just for it, rested the Heart: a huge piece of yellow, cloudy, polished rock. It needed to rest right in that crevice before the Spire could even start to heat up, somehow extracting the energy hidden within the mineral and pushing it through a million metallic tendrils that sprung from the top of the Spire itself, each ending in a thin, bloody needle. That¡¯s how it connected to a child¡¯s body, piercing elbows, shoulders, legs, back, neck and sometimes even the back of the head of some unfortunate sod, before letting lightning run through it all and boil the very juices inside their bodies¡­


    And all for what¡­?


    No one really knew.


    The Spire was a marvel of technology and probably the closest thing to magic in this Age of Silence that any of those children ever saw; it was the real pride of the Demiurge¡¯s work. The only thing everyone knew for sure is that whatever the Spire was supposed to be doing, it was failing to do so. Catastrophically. And the Demiurge blamed them for it.


    Oh, of course the bunch of rocks and metal scrap he mashed together couldn¡¯t possibly be to blame¡­ it has to be us, we are totally the problem.


    Baraqiel¡¯s anger kept them functioning when the anguish failed to quell its flames. They knew there was a smaller, weaker version of it in the room right outside of this dungeon: a sort of ¡°test¡± that all Angels had to ¡°pass¡± before being put here. Baraqiel still remembered their turn out there ¡ªthe very first time really felt like the end of the world, but after a single session in this Spire, they knew that the one outside was but a mere tickle in comparison.


    But it was like comparing the sting of a sword and the one of a dagger: both of them hurt, and both of them kill.


    The Spire kept taking victims one after the other, and for each Angel that fell, the Demiurge needed to find a replacement outside; and each time it took longer for the cages to refill¡ª even now, after at least a week, Uriel¡¯s cage remained empty, and this had only made the Demiurge¡¯s mood even worse.


    Baraqiel nodded to themselves. Yes, it had to be a week. Their counting was still intact in their mind.


    ¡°You better start shaking your vessels into shape, for I will not tolerate any more failure!¡± He screamed, as he always did. ¡°When I return tonight, I expect a new breakthrough¡­ I mean it!¡±.


    He did not mean it, at this point the children knew it: He needed them alive, and each death was an absolute accident.


    With more empty threats, the man snuffed out that one light shining under his chin, and stomped right off of the dungeon with a loud slam of the iron gate. He kept doing that, speaking of ¡°night¡± and ¡°day¡± as if they meant anything to the children in the cages; it was quite annoying to most of them but it at least allowed them to keep a little grasp on time, as useless as that was.


    Not too long after the Demiurge made his exit, children began to let out soft, nervous little whimpers that soon broke into shaky sobbing. Baraqiel brazed themselves, trying so hard not to join them! But the helplessness pushed so heavily on their shoulders that it somehow squeezed the tears right out of their eyes. Frustration, sadness, anger, it all mixed into nonsense right inside the children¡¯s heads, and that¡¯s not even mentioning the pain.


    Come on¡­ come on, old pal¡­ don¡¯t, just, don¡¯t. Take a deep breath, and just¡­!


    Their bodies were left mutilated by the process, with brown spots on their burnt flesh, and many bleeding wounds marking the points those needles bit into their bodies. They were all too young to really understand pain despite feeling it so vividly, their hearts still holding some semblance of wonder that prevented cynicism from setting in and dull the reality around them even a little.


    Depression without cynicism is a special kind of hell: the feeling of helplessness doesn¡¯t sink into resignation, keeping a never ending yearning for a solution that may never come. When the nihilistic realization finally arrives, the fall was all the more painful: The spirit crashes on the ground like cheap porcelain and Apathy finally rooted into their hearts, leaving an emotionless husk too afraid to cling to hope ever again.


    What¡¯s even the point of crying, now?


    Maybe some of them knew it unconsciously, and feeling their childhood slipping from their grasp, the braver children tried to reassure the others.


    ¡°We¡­ we will get out of here¡­ I am sure we will¡­!¡±


    A nasal voice spoke up. Travis was always like that, heroic to the core. Some children groaned in annoyance, curling a bit tighter to continue crying. ¡°Shut up!¡±, they cried, but others sniffled and slowly contained their tears, to listen better. Baraqiel was not specially hopeful but something inside drove them to pay attention every time the Hero whispered.


    Mostly because they wanted to make sure they all were still on the same page about the plan.


    ¡°If any of us gets out: we run, alright? We run. Don¡¯t try to free the others. Just run, get out, find help and then come back! It can be done, I am sure of it!¡±


    That¡¯s all we can do, right¡­?


    Some voices mumbled a vague approval, others spat in disgust. Baraqiel was among the few quiet ones. That was the plan.


    None of them wanted to end like Sachiel.


    The Sachiel incident was still very fresh in everyone¡¯s minds. A relatively young Angel, one that had spent so little with the Spire that still kept the energy in her body, somehow managed to sneak out of her cage when the Demiurge forgot the lock. If it hadn¡¯t been for that moment of hesitation she had right before the door, when Sachiel turned back and considered opening more cages¡­


    Her cage was not vacant, but it was not the same Sachiel anymore. Saints only know what happened with her after the Demiurge pulled the girl out of the dungeon that night, the only hint they had was a cut ear that the monster had thrown at them the next day as ¡°a lesson¡±.


    A rat took it the other night, I think¡­ no one ever cleans¡­


    Baraqiel winced just from remembering, sighing and hugging their cold, unfeeling legs closer to their face for a moment. How long has it been since he was able to move them? A month and around two weeks. The angel¡¯s obsession with keeping time had become both a torture and a lifeline to sanity these days.


    Without tools, help or hope, Baraqiel could only wait for a miracle. A true angel descending from Heaven to free them all, somehow. Maybe an earthquake, or righteous thunderbolts falling from the skies. Volcanic eruptions, furious winds. Anything really, anything that could destroy this dungeon and break their chains.


    But without that¡­ Baraqiel could only sigh.


    They could only ignore the writing in the walls for so long, and every night that passed it was only clearer: they were alone in a room full of people, and each of the prisoners there was absolutely, completely doomed.


    Someone¡­ please¡­ anyone!


    We¡¯re still here¡­ please¡­


    Save us¡­

 Chapter 9: Of Prayers

    Saint Loretto¡¯s Chapel was a completely different world, isolated from the suffering that brewed in its deepest dungeon and the strife of the demihumans trying to escape the forest surrounding it. If you were to ask any nun or even one of the children going about their day in the Chapel, they¡¯d probably talk about the uneventful life they had.


    And yet, despite how disconnected it was, one of the Sisters could feel each of the screams that died on the walls of the dungeon, echoing loudly in her dreams and shaking her sleep.


    The skies were already darkening in preparation for a coming storm when Arianna opened her eyes and her consciousness returned from a long and unfulfilling nap. Lethargy abandoned her body at its usual slow pace, while the world around her manifested once again: her bed was still on the furthest nook of the nuns¡¯ quarters, comfortably pressed against one of the corners and away from the annoying windows and their glare of morning light. Not like that was a problem right now ¡ªwhen Sister Arianna sat up on her bed, she could clearly see how everyone else had already left long ago, and the growing darkness outside indicated the coming of twilight..


    They were all working already. Either cleaning the chapel, preparing dinner or praying on their own, the life of a nun was not specially relaxed! Anyone else would have been quite stressed to find out they woke up so late in the day, and yet Sister Arianna was free from such concerns.


    They are probably still badmouthing me for it, those rats¡­ ugh, they¡¯re all in the bad list.


    As Father Enrico¡¯s personal scribe, Arianna was allowed some freedom when it came to her sleeping habits. It was all so she could make up for the nights of endless work! Hers was a very important position, in charge of copying the contents of old Saintified Manuscripts and cranking out new editions of the Prologues of the Saints for any humble man or woman who wished to join their flock (in exchange for a little donation to the chapel, of course). But maybe most important of all, she had the sacred duty of recording and translating all notes Father Enrico made in his private investigation.


    Arianna¡¯s already grumpy expression soured even more just by thinking about it, a hand going up from her face to her messy, thick locks of black hair. That damned investigation, an endeavor fitting for an aging, decaying mind and his outrageous, self-aggrandizing ideals. The nun had to physically stop herself from spitting in disgust as she forced her legs back to life, sliding off her warm, comfortable, oh so inviting bed.


    Hooray, another day! With some good luck, that old man¡¯s heart will pop today. Either his or mine if I¡¯m lucky enough¡­


    ¡­I¡¯m never lucky enough.


    With a rude, loud grunt, the woman stretched both arms up and tried to push the laziness away from her body¡ª to no avail. It was as useless as every morning, for she had been born tired and she would probably die just as tired. Sitting in front of one of the few mirrors in the room just confirmed it: two huge bags hanging from her hazelnut eyes, old friends that never went away no matter how much she slept through the day.


    Arianna Blair, you are a disaster.


    The nun sighed, shaking her head slowly before rummaging through her things in the one drawer assigned to her: she was looking for her note book and a quill. Before she could do anything else in the day, Ari wanted to be done with last night as soon as possible.


    Alright. Today ''s task list. First, get done with last night¡¯s log. Secondly, properly wake up. Thirdly, go have food with the others. Fourthly¡­Hmmmn... Ugh. Just. Go do whatever else and then go to sleep.


    Another sigh. Arianna was way too sleepy to make up a list for the day, so she simply tried to focus on the task at hand. The inkwell opened with a soft little pop. Arianna dunked the tip of her quill in the cheap ink and, with a practiced motion, tapped it twice so the excess would drop down before opening the book to quickly summarize.


    ¡°On the Seventh Moon of Abrilum, Demiurge Enrico Agapello performed another test with the recently adjusted Divine Coordinator¡­¡±


    Oh don¡¯t make me laugh!


    She had to stop herself there for a moment. Having to speak in such grandiose terms about a deranged man and his broken toy pushed Ari to gag, so she often needed a break or two to put her moral objections down.


    There¡¯s a duty to fulfill¡­ just a bit longer, just a bit longer. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get him, he¡¯s on the bad list.


    Taking deep breaths and railing her anger down, the nun went back to write


    ¡°Uriel the Sixth has been missing for three months so far, and with negotiations between the Demiurge and our supplier breaking down recently, he has resorted once again to pick a suitable vessel from the Flock.¡±


    Again she needed to pause. To speak of children as if they were livestock, Ari needed to steel her determination a bit more. She simply couldn¡¯t understand how it was so easy for the other Sisters to just go with the flow of the old man¡¯s lunacy, and often she cursed the day she had learned how to read and write. If someone, anyone else knew, they could have been picked for this sort of labor instead of her. But sadly, the surveillance duty had fallen onto her.


    I just HAD to go through with education, didn¡¯t I¡­? I could have just been a relatively smart whore! But no. I had to go study¡­


    She forced herself to go on.


    ¡°Subject 8 was picked due to her combative nature and already high resonance with Uriel¡¯s former vessel. She was put under and prepared to be connected to the Coordinator, alongside the Neutral element.¡±


    Ah yes, the ¡°Neutral¡± element for scale. That poor bastard.


    That little redhead was one of the few reasons Arianna continued on with this charade. Her unusual physical resistance had made her the perfect test subject, despite her absolutely non-existent attunement to the Arcane. The machine never produced a single positive result on her, and yet the process itself did not kill her¡­ Ari would go as further as to say that she grew more and more resistant to it with each instance.


    The idiot has a literal mystery on his hands and he uses her as a testing rat!!


    The nun shook her head, trying to keep herself controlled and yet feeling the emotion overwhelm her. It was both curiosity and concern, for she knew the type of man Enrico was, and if she decided to leave the girl in his hands, Gabrielle would be used until she finally broke down. And she desperately needed to stop it, no matter what it took.


    ¡°Due to the Scribe¡¯s moral objection, the subject was put under with the usage of mandragora syrup. The Neutral remains immune to its effects despite the high concentration of the dosage.¡±


    Arianna sighed, shaking her head. Gabi did not make things easy in the slightest: no matter how high the concentration, using the ¡°sleep sponge¡± method on her did not even shake her! A single sniff was enough to knock out any other girl, and even Ari herself felt dizzy when opening the bottle of syrup, but Gabrielle only fell asleep after being pushed through her pain limits.


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.Why can¡¯t she just fall asleep¡­? During the night the girl doesn¡¯t wake up at all, yet when we need her to sleep she¡¯s unshakeable!


    Sigh.


    ¡°After that, subject and neutral were connected to the Coordinator as per usual procedure. Result: Failure, the subject could not withstand the process and her body ceased all functions after ten minutes. The corpse has been disposed off¨C¡±


    Like a saint¡¯s damned butchered pig, down the damned river!


    The nun cut herself off right there, anger being far too much for the nun to endure any longer. She completely disregarded the writing and passed the pages of her book, until finding a particularly rough, discolored page lost among the many empty yellowish ones. With fury pushing through her veins, Arianna almost stabbed the paper as she scratched and wrote:


    ¡°I CAN¡¯T DO THIS ANYMORE.¡±


    Throwing the quill back into the inkwell, Ari stared as the words sunk deeper into the paper, sucked up by its fabric, until fading completely. Magic in its most controlled form, a trick so simple yet so powerful¡ªIt was ironic, really, that such a frantic and violent search was looking for magic in all the wrong places, while a little Miracle hid right under the nose of the so-called Demiurge.


    Not that an idiot like him could know. If it doesn¡¯t shake the earth beneath his feet, I am sure Enrico wouldn¡¯t accept it as magic.


    Soon enough, new words began to emerge from the pale piece of paper, phrases written in an elegant, flowing handwriting. Western dialect, as it was expected of the Chamber Priest: most high ranking members of the Church of the Saints didn¡¯t really bother with any other sort of language, despite how far and wide the religion had expanded in the last two hundred years.


    ¡°Sister, I understand your concern and I really wish there was another way, but we cannot have you abandon your post when things are already so close.¡±


    Arianna grumbled out loud, rubbing her face with both hands for a moment. Of course she was expecting him to say that, for that¡¯s exactly the same answer she received every time she hit her wits¡¯ end. It had been years since she saw the Chamber Priest, and yet she could perfectly picture the apologetic grimace on the old man¡¯s face. Worst of all is that she couldn¡¯t really blame him.


    He¡¯s still going on the bad list¡­ just, very, very low in it. Maybe the last one before myself.


    So many names had been scribbled in the nun¡¯s imaginary ¡°bad list¡±, and yet she remembered every single one of them. People in desperate need of some retribution going their way, mostly dimwits, cruel tyrants or just some inconvenient sods standing in her way. It was really rare that Arianna did anything about those names in the list, but keeping track of it really did wonders for her anger issues.


    The Chamber Priest¡¯ words faded soon enough from the page, sucked into the paper so Ari could write her own answer.


    ¡°Every year we have allowed this to happen is more children that die and suffer at the hands of this man. His heretical experiments have gone on long enough!!¡±


    It was a blessing that the Miracle paper could resist the aggressive scratches of Arianna¡¯s righteous indignation. A pause¡­ the words sank and faded away before the woman received her answer.


    ¡°I have been trying to call the attention of the rest of the Chamber Council for years now, and you know it. But it is not as easy as simply telling them about this: if I were to spill the beans directly, and cry to the skies about a heretical priest and his experiments, do you know what would happen!?¡±


    Of course.


    Arianna sighed and closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. Yes, she knew what would happen and she did not like to think about it in the slightest. When the Chamber Council of the Genesis Corps learns of a hotspot of Heresy, they don¡¯t usually take things lightly: they are efficient in their quick arrival and thorough cleansing of the spot.


    But they usually didn¡¯t content themselves with just that.


    ¡°...Scorched earth.¡± She wrote.


    ¡°Scorched earth.¡± Answered the Chamber Priest.


    Magic has been forbidden for so long, people had forgotten how dangerous it was back in the day! Arianna herself never lived through it, but during her training in the Genesis she learned of the strife, the pain and the anguish caused by mages without proper education. Reality was a fickle thing, tampered with to such an extent that the very Gods punished and rejected Humanity for their hubris. Of course, Ari didn¡¯t use to feel so negatively about magic when she was younger! It¡¯s in the very nature of a human to feel wonder and hope! But since she had been put in charge of looking over this tiny chapel lost in the east¡­ one could say she understood the Gods¡¯ repulsion much better now.


    But not to the point where Genesis used to push it.


    In a perfect world, Magic would simply be taught and regulated in some way, and that¡¯s what Arianna and other members of her Chamber thought! Their merciful ideals coalesced in Giovanni, their Chamber Priest and representative in the Council. But they were a minority in a cell full of extremists. After all, it was much easier to merely destroy magic when detected, and erase all witnesses to avoid its spread. Magic is an infectious thing, after all¡­


    This sort of ravenous, violent nature, had made the people of Jericho know the Genesis by a far less loving moniker:


    The Brotherhood of Black Pages.


    For all that could be saved from their visits would be charred books.


    A bunch of lunatics and savages¡­


    ¡°I am doing my absolute best to call attention to this situation, enough for it to send some of our people to you and take care of the situation, but not enough for them to freak out and go all out¡­ Please. I know that each life that has been lost is precious, but you¡¯re protecting many more by working with us like this. Just a little longer.¡±


    More words from the priest. Arianna despised his humane attitude, for it made her feel all the more guilty for resenting his slow approach. She couldn¡¯t fault his logic though, not at this point.


    ¡°Fine!! But please keep me updated. May the Will push you on.¡±


    The nun smacked her book, closing it with a loud, angry gesture without even bothering to read the man¡¯s polite goodbyes. She wouldn¡¯t even bother finishing her report either, for the anger had dissolved the thick layer of icey cynicism she worked all day on producing. Between the dull work and the lack of sleep, it was harder to care about things.


    She went through the daily ordeal of trying to tame the beast that was her hair, dress up on her habit, spray some lemon juice on herself and then simply move on to the door¡­ today would be another long day. Enrico would work on his own tonight, so Ari would have the chance to work on more copies to spread the faith or, at least, get some sleep during work hours¡­


    First to go get some food, secondly to go to the relicarium so I can start working on more copies, thirdly to simply sleep until my sleeping schedule matched once again with the other sisters! It¡¯s a nice, short list today.


    But no matter how accommodating the schedule sounded, she could still feel the indignation burn inside her chest. In all honesty, she was mostly concerned about the fate of the few children left in the chapel; if it were in Arianna''s hands, she would let all adults in the church burn down with it.


    So many people on the bad list, so little time¡­ I swear, if the place ends up burning I wouldn''t even bat an eye.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s back from sleepyland!¡±


    The voice of Sister Alejandra called from the other side of the door, as Arianna was just opening it. The taller woman on the other side sported a cocky smile, as she often did when speaking to her smaller ¡°comrade¡± (as Alejandra herself said).


    ¡°Are you feeling alright? Enrico is working you to death lately¡­¡± Alejandra crossed her arms and shook her head a bit, blond braids waving from side to side. ¡°You must be so hungry, comrade! I secured your portion on today¡¯s dinner so, if we move fast you¡¯ll still get some of the good stuff. Are you coming?¡±


    Arianna didn¡¯t even have time to say hello, and this woman had read her mood like an open book. They had joined the chapel as convent nuns at around the same time, and they had connected so quickly that it even scared Ari herself a little bit. Alejandra was not part of Genesis, she was but another regular member of the cloister¡­ but she was the only one Ari felt some semblance of trust.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then, before Tasce starts feeling too good about my absence.¡±


    Alejandra nodded, pulling Arianna by her sleeve and simply guiding her through the hallways¡­ and in the meantime, the smaller nun just smiled a bit to herself. Ah yes, these were the things that reminded her why she took this job. Why she still tried to care.


    Okay, she¡¯s on the good list.

 Chapter 10: Of a Slap

    Gabrielle stood right in front of the Chapel¡¯s front gate, with water still dripping from her everywhere as the light drizzle turned into a true tempest in the blink of an eye, right as she started the long way back home. The demihuman caravan was, with some luck, already far away and back on track towards wherever it is they were going ¡ª as the girl took off her habit and squeezed the water out now that she was covered by the little roof of the gate, she realized that she had no idea where those people were going to.


    ¡°Our Goddess has called us back to her embrace¡±, said Bohlin when she asked. Of course, this answer was of no help! Gabrielle didn¡¯t even know there were Gods and Goddesses at all, so this was all news to her. Sadly, asking for more details only got the young boy flustered and upset. ¡°She just said we have to go, so we¡¯re going! Simple as!¡± he said, shaking his head to stop any more questions. ¡°Wherever is that we¡¯re going, it¡¯s probably going to be better than here¡±


    Better than here¡­ another alien concept.


    When Gabrielle looked up to the skies during her lonely days of nonstop working, she often wondered if this was truly all there was to life: to work, survive, trying not to get in trouble and eventually ascend! If she was to believe the Prologues of the Saints then for sure, this would be everything! And yet she had to repeat this to herself several times a day to make sure no ¡°tantrums¡± overtook her. And now turns out there¡¯s better places to be? What was she doing here, then? Maybe she should go to another place?? Find one where she could¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­What would she do, in a better place anyways?


    There were too many things to reconsider, and little Gabi was already getting dizzy trying to keep up with her own trains of thought. As she squeezed some water off her hair, Gabrielle tried to make a list of things to reconsider ¡ª after all, everything is much easier if you make a list! That¡¯s what Sister Arianna always said.


    Okay. Number one was to think a bit more about where she was, why she was there, and if she should go somewhere else. Better, if she could choose¡­ but that would imply knowing what other places are there, and if they really are better at all. And how to judge if they¡ª


    One thing at a time, damn it.


    Number two would be all that entire thing, then. The whole ¡°what places are there and how to judge them¡± thing.


    Number three? Her habit. She still really resented having to hide her hair all the time, but today she was given little biscuits! Crunchy squared biscuits wrapped in a soft blue silk, a gift from the kind demihumans (No, elves. They don¡¯t like being called demis) after all the help. Why is that relevant to her habit? Well, after a quick thought, Gabi realized that coming back home with a precious treasure like that would immediately make the other girls jealous, so she needed to hide them.


    And the best place to hide them, the place no one would ever find them, was right under her habit. People didn¡¯t like to touch her anyways, especially not her hair, so the delicious treasure would be hidden until she needed it!!


    Gabrielle grinned to herself, patting the bundle of silk nestled on her red mess of a hairdo. Yes, this had to be the best idea she ever had, and honestly, in hindsight, maybe she should have thought of it quite sooner¡­ but she never really had anything worth hiding in the first place.


    So yes. Number three: maybe this habit of hers wasn¡¯t that bad. Maybe she could give it some use.


    Oh hey, I counted to three¡­!


    All intentions to follow Sister Arianna¡¯s method crumbled down almost instantly as the girl noticed that detail. Of course she knew how to count, she was supposed to count up to ten by this point! But every time she was questioned about it by the sisters, the names of the numbers just jumbled in her brain. Why? Why did that always happen when it mattered most!? She probably had to add it to the list.


    Right, the list!


    Number four: the counting thing. She was just dashing through those items! Gabrielle fixed the habit (item number 3) on her head, made sure it looked nice and presentable, and with a renewed sense of confidence she pushed the gates open.


    I can probably ask Sister Arianna about those things too, if I will bother her anyways.


    Her dress was still dripping, so she had to make sure to hug the wall when entering the main hall of the chapel. Everything looked so dark and gloomy when the place was empty, dimly lit only by the ceremonial oil lamps; the benches and old stone statues casted all sorts of deformed shadows on the velvety carpet separating the seats in two rows, leaving the transept in relative obscurity¡­


    Gabrielle didn¡¯t need to get even close to any of that though: the East Door was very close to her right, leading to the dressing room and the hallway beyond it. If she hurried, she could maybe arrive at the table without being noticed! With some luck they would still be praying to bless the meal!


    The perfect plan.


    The East Door was open, as it always was outside of Gooday¡¯s mass. The fancy silk robes the girls wore that very morning were now hanging on their walls, along with many other pieces of clothing the nuns used for service. Gabrielle allowed her hand to slide slowly on the soft, fancy cloth while she walked, her heart warming with the gentle sensation. There was another open door right on the other side of the little dressing room, and beyond that: the East Hallway.


    A long stone hallway that held some rusty pieces of armor, paintings, tiny marble figurines and other things that no one was allowed to touch, but everyone touched anyways when there were no nuns around.


    Gabi shuffled onwards, steeling her determination to not even look, much less pet, the collection of marble dog figurines Father Enrico kept there. There was no time to waste, and she could always give them a little pat on the head another day, so she went straight to the door ¨C only for it to open right before she could touch it. She froze. If it was one of the girls, or saints forbid many of them, they would gleefully take the chance to smack her once or twice, with the excuse of ¡°mistaking her for a thief¡±.


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    It had happened before, and even if they pretended it was a joke, Gabrielle knew very well they really tried to hurt her, to leave a bruise or two at least.


    Trying to prepare for the worst, the little girl covered her face with both arms and closed her eyes, just bracing for impact as the door opened.


    ¡°Gabrielle! You¡¯re late for dinner again!¡±


    That voice. It was too old to be one of the girls, too abrasive to be Sister Arianna¡¯s, and the pitch was way too high to be Father Enrico. When the girl opened her eyes, she saw one of the nuns standing right in front of her, arms crossed, an incomprehensible expression on her wrinkly face. Sister Tasce.


    Gabi stared at her for a moment, feeling the relief wash on her. This was one of the older nuns, her body riddled with little wrinkles despite the vitality of her movements, and her face displaying many tiny freckles around her cheeks. Now it felt so obvious to the girl, Sister Tasce was this ¡°miss freckles¡± the other girls talked about¡­ but she knew it would be but a second before she forgot that face again.


    She was ready to bow her head and apologize to the nun, before the back of Sister Tasce¡¯s hand swiftly smacked the girl¡¯s cheek. The sound was quick, dry, quickly followed by two or three more on each side. Smack, smack, smack! It felt so distant, like stings rather than hits, but for some reason the fact that it was her face being hit just made them feel even harsher. An annoying whistle blew inside her ears while her eyes grew a bit glossy. For a moment she felt like yelping, but she could only gasp.


    ¡°Disrespectful little ingrate!! You made us all worried!!¡± Lied Sister Tasce, more out of obligation than actual concern. ¡°Be thankful that Father decided to keep the gates wide open for you tonight, or else you¡¯d have to sleep right out there with the wolves!! Ohhh, I know that would be fitting for a wicked child like you. But alas, the Saints are merciful! You better go to the dining room right now and quietly eat, Gabrielle.¡±


    The girl felt her cheeks slowly swell and redden, her face so uncomfortably hot. She felt the need to rub them or say something, anything really, but Gabi knew better than to just answer. With time, she had learned that excusing herself only made people angrier, so she just bowed her head in respectful apology and then stared at the Nun, looking into her eyes as she had been instructed to. She would wait to have permission to leave¡­


    ¡ª


    Sister Tasce, on the other hand, had immediately regretted all her choices. She needed a way to vent her frustrations with Father¡¯s constant nagging and demanding, and no one really cared about the Witch, so she could hit it without any repercussions as long as this didn¡¯t make trouble for others or stopped the Witch from working.


    It was satisfying for a second, but then reality hit Tasce back. Because she knew her fit of rage would not mean a thing.


    The kid, it felt no pain.


    She knew this, it knew this, everyone knew this. She could smack the child, spank it, scream at it, whip its back until it bleeds, she could probably even stab it with a knife and only then would she see this Devil wince¡ªand worse was that stare it always gave her afterwards. That intense glare, the way those unblinking eyes looked straight into one¡¯s soul as if aware of her sins, of her shameful attitude¡­


    So not only was it unsatisfying to hit this Witch, for there would be no reaction at all, but now she also had to feel judged for her. These were the moments where Tasce wished she had never ordered it not to complain. Because oh, she knew this was her doing, she and her big mouth had casted this upon everyone, and now she just had to take it and not even dare to complain.


    It had been almost seven years since she yelled at a crying little Gabrielle to be silent and not complain about her just punishment. Tasce couldn¡¯t even remember what the whole deal was about, or how it started, but she remembered grabbing the noisy devil by the ears. Something about its lament simply struck a nerve in the nun, so in a fit of anger she simply screamed.


    ¡°NO MORE CRYING. BE SILENT!!¡±


    And it obeyed without hesitation.


    The kid grew quieter from then on, biting its lips every time a tantrum was about to start, forcing themselves to quiet down as soon as it was told to. A miracle, really! Until it finally stopped crying all together.


    Tasce didn¡¯t realize her mistake until that very moment. She had given the devil a reason to shed some of its normalcy, and now all that remained was this unnerving, taciturn husk in human form. The children kept teasing it, trying to get it to cry or scream, yet nothing worked! No punishment changed that cold, expressionless face! No amount of screaming made it show any sort of emotion or remorse, it would just stand and tremble in fear¡ªbut how could one feel fear without the face betraying some of it!?


    Fake. All semblances of emotion it showed had to be fake, mere imitations of humanity by the Adversary themselves!! Because it was impossible to think a person would be dense enough to pull this silent, judgemental charade for years on end. Oh, to think that having a silent child would feel bad. This was a mockery. Mockery for sure, it had to be. The kid clearly did it on purpose as a challenge, as a way to flaunt the strength the Adversary herself had given it¡­


    Sister Tasce¡¯s fists balled for a moment, so tempted to hit it again. To make it feel the pain, to force the fear of the Saints into its sinful little body until its heart beated no more, and get rid of this pest who had been pestering them for Saints know how long now! Was it ten years?


    But no. She couldn¡¯t. Not only was she already wasting time that she could be using to eat, but Father himself wanted to keep the child alive. It was useful to them that way.


    But the Devil just kept staring.


    The old woman breathed in, this was a test of her temple for sure, and she would not fail again. Not tonight. She simply sighed, snatched the devil¡¯s hand, and hurriedly walked back to the eating hall without a single word.


    Be patient, Tasce¡­ just give time to the Saints and all will fall into its rightful place. By the mercy of Humanity itself.


    Amen.


    ¡ª


    Gabrielle felt confused, but she merely accepted this. There was no use asking why or what, there never was a point to it. She just allowed the woman to pull her like a ragdoll through the door and towards the warm, loud dining room, while adding a new item to her list.


    Did I make too much noise when slapped? Maybe I should be a little quieter next time¡­

 Chapter 11: Of Mockery

    The dining hall was also the kitchen in this little Chapel. The tables themselves had been organized in a big T as it was traditional, aligned with its head pointing to the West and the bottom to the East, just like the main hall itself: the adults ate on the horizontal section, while all children got a spot on its longer vertical side, and this was another source of conflict among them. The Head of the table was much closer to the hearth, making it the most comfortable side at all times, so all children wished to get spots nearby¡ªbut this implied having the vigilant eyes of the nuns permanently on them, so it was usually the favored ones who sat by the warmth of the fireplace.


    And of course, this meant that Gabrielle was pushed to the last spots on the very bottom of the T, right besides the door to the East hallway and the backdoor, both of them old and useless against the blowing, cold winds of a winter storm. It is no exaggeration to say that many children had sickened and even died in the past because of this, and even Gabrielle herself had fallen ill several times¡ªbut every year it was less and less frequent.


    Sister Tasce threw the girl right to her chair, shooting her one last glare before raising her nose and parading back to her own spot. The children, who only now noticed the redhead¡¯s presence, immediately recoiled and moved to the side, putting some space between themselves and the accursed witch child. Gabrielle sighed, as this was just the usual, but the look on her eyes brightened when remembering that today was still Goodday.


    And that meant potato soup!


    Potato soup was great not only because it was flavorful and packed with tasty peels, but also because no one ever bothered to steal Gabi¡¯s plate. They didn¡¯t even mess with it, after realizing that the girl would simply eat it no matter what they tried to add to the concoction.


    Of course, the real reason behind their lack of attention was the fact that everyone else hated potato soup. The bowls were full of a yellowish, oily mix of water and very thin chicken stock, with the peels of all vegetables used during the other days and the thinnest bones the butcher couldn¡¯t get rid of during the rest of the week. Not even adding cilantro or any other herb managed to improve the soup¡¯s popularity, to the point that even the adults dreaded the Goodday Dinner, but alas. Nothing could be done, it was mandated in the Prologues: this night was supposed to be a meal of austere reflection, a time to appreciate the nice meals in the past and eagerly await the ones to come.


    All this sacrifice flew right over ¡°Pig Girl'''' Gabrielle''s head, who happily ate not only her portion, but sometimes other kids gave her their own servings as ¡°a show of Goodday mercy¡±. This empty gesture didn¡¯t fool anyone, not even the slower Gabi, but she gladly played along with their charade if it meant to get seconds.


    But not that evening. Not with the atmosphere of tension and gossip going all around. Father Enrico had strictly forbidden to talk about Martha and her departure, and yet all the girls found ways to whisper and mumble about it. None of them even suspected the possibility of abduction, they mostly wondered where had this girl been sold to, and if the extra money would even mean better food in the chapel. Those closer to Martha would sniffle and frown, trying to come to terms with the empty spot at the table, while the less sensitive and younger would openly wonder who would be the next to go.


    Gabrielle ignored them as usual, her eyes practically glued to the adult table. The nuns rarely talked among themselves when Father Enrico was present at dinner, and lo and behold: he was sitting right there in the center of it all. His figure stood out quite dramatically among the smaller, frail looking sisters around him: Enrico was a tall and wide man with a powerful frame, often compared to a bear sitting at the table (or a pig, if you felt particularly rebellious and unafraid). His left hand was unusually still on the table, still bandaged from Martha¡¯s bite, while the right scooped heavy spoonfuls of soup.


    She didn¡¯t linger much on him though, or the other nuns: her attention locked on Sister Arianna as soon as she found her. The young lady sat at one of the extremes of the adults¡¯ table, on Enrico¡¯s right. Her hair was a paling black, prematurely growing gray due to stress and sleepless nights. One could usually find her sleeping on tables or chairs, her poofy mane going up and down with her breathing as she recovered from the heavy workload on her back¡ªalways protected by the much taller, stronger Sister Alejandra.


    Many compared Alejandra¡¯s face to one of a bulldog: expressive and intimidating, with a bit of a pronounced brow. In terms of muscle, she was the one person in the Chapel who could stand up to the Father himself, although she rarely looked for much trouble. A gentle giant, as they call her: one who wouldn¡¯t dare hurt a fly unless it became a nuisance. She had become Arianna¡¯s official guard, always standing near her and keeping the gossiping sisters off and away¡ªeven now she sat right beside her sleepy companion, gently nudging her with an elbow to keep Ari from going face first into the bowl.


    She¡¯s always sleepy¡­ she must work super hard helping people ascend¡­


    Gabrielle was not supposed to speak about the matter with anyone, and every time she tried to ask for advice she was quickly taken to the Father¡¯s room for a spanking¡ªexcept for the times she approached Arianna. Differently to the rest, Gabi felt a sort of complicity with the younger nun, the only one who showed a bit more of patience despite never really talking in a personal level; this also meant a bit more of leeway with Sister Alejandra, who honestly was rather pleasant overall, just not exactly knowledgeable. When she asked them about the topic, they simply shushed her away and warned of the presence of Father, trying to avoid trouble.


    Certainly, if there was someone there who could help her, it was them.


    ¡°I shall return to my study, so I hope all of you behave properly.¡± Father Enrico¡¯s voice was loud enough to force all the ruckus in the room down. ¡°Tonight I expect you all to sleep early, not a fuss. If I catch anyone sneaking or otherwise trying to cause some mischief, that will be a paddling to you all! Understood!?¡±


    All women in the room answered in unison, the fruits of years of training and routine.


    ¡°Yes, Father¡±.


    With a satisfied huff, Father stood from his seat, left his things abandoned on the table and simply walked away. The room kept silent as he went, all eyes staring at the man until the door to the West hallway closed, and his steps grew more and more distant. The echo of a second door closing, the one leading to the basement¡¯s stairway, was the sign for everyone to collectively sigh in relief, and once again start chattering with each other. Even the nuns relaxed, gossiping to their hearts''s content.


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    Once the Father was gone, dinner time became some sort of ¡°recess¡± for the girls: as long as they didn¡¯t do anything outrageous, the nuns couldn¡¯t care any less for what the children were up to. And of course, this meant that it was the perfect time to get some answers. Gabrielle cleaned up her plate with her tongue, making sure no little droplets were left in there before letting out a sigh, and trying to focus again. What to do, what to ask, she had a list to remember!


    First the whole Genesis thing, whatever that is. Then the fires, what do they mean with fire and burning? The demihumans too, I want to know where they are going, maybe Sister kn¨C


    ¡°Ugh, could you be a bit less icky during dinner, swine witch!? Have some decency!¡±


    Gabi lost her train of thought instantly, distracted by the voice of some kid she didn¡¯t even see. Did she really make that much noise? No no, she was sure to drink her soup carefully these days, not let a drop fall on the table. Whatever could they¨C


    No, no. Focus. Don¡¯t let that distract you, it is not important!


    The girl closed her eyes and tried to focus a bit more intently, only to hear some other child jeering.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask impossible things Kimmy, you know you can¡¯t ask pigs to have manners!¡±


    Cackle. They all cackled. Gabrielle frowned and rubbed her knuckles on her temples, trying her best to not let those words worm their way into her ideas.


    T-The Genesis, the fire¡­ ugh, disgusting, did I really make another mess again? Why do I keep¨C? No, no, no. They¡¯re probably lying. Come on, the Fires, right? The demihumans, the¨C t-the¡­let me, let¡¯s just check. Just in case, check if there¡¯s much stuff on the table.


    With a huff, the little girl started patting around her table, using her sleeves to scrub and clean any possible drops of soup that could have spilled. She felt nothing, because there was nothing to feel. But then what did the girls talk about? Gabrielle got closer to the table, maybe a potato peel had bounced off her plate?


    ¡°Pffft, look at her! Still hungry, piggy?? There¡¯s no more food for you on the table! Try on the floor, come on!¡±


    More jeering, more cackling. Gabrielle looked around herself and tried to explain that no, that was not what she was doing at all. She was trying to clean up her mess! But the words did not come out of her mouth, she merely gasped. Her hands felt colder, her stomach tensing, as she tried to look for the one talking.


    But their faces were nasty gray blurs, they all looked the same to Gabrielle. Blurs with wide, incomprehensible grimaces on them. The laughter drilled into her head, making her very skull tremble and shake, to the point where thinking was impossible. All that she could hear in her head were the voices of the girls.


    ¡°Awww I think she¡¯s getting a stomachache! Had enough soup, piggy?¡±


    ¡°And here I was going to offer her my plate. Don¡¯t you want it, swine witch? Bet you do, bet you do~!¡±


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s getting sick after messing around in the mud so much, she¡¯s soaked! Did you trip on your own feet again, s-s-silly filly?¡±


    That name.


    That name said in such a mocking way, with a voice exaggerating and paroding Gabrielle¡¯s own inflection¡ªthe words themselves were not really anything special, they were words people in town called her when she made a mistake. But the tone, the tone¡­


    Something inside Gabrielle twisted and squeezed right around her heart. Her fists balled and words finally pushed out of her mouth.


    "Shut up!¡±


    ¡°S-S-Shut Uuuup! Someone¡¯s up with the fairies again~!¡±


    Again with the tone. Gabi¡¯s knuckles grew whiter.


    ¡°Shut up, come on!¡±


    "S-Shut up, cooome ooonn~! Calm down silly filly, use your words~! Do you even know where you are? Did you get lost, silly filly~¡±


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡±


    ¡°Awwwww, are you angry now silly filly? Come oooonnn, don¡¯t get angry! Behave, behave!¡±


    The girl¡¯s breathing grew shaky and hot, her hands trembling as her eyes darted from side to side. She couldn¡¯t even find the one speaking, every time she looked they all just laughed, and this was on purpose: Gabrielle¡¯s hard time distinguishing faces was something all of her ¡°sisters¡± had picked up by this point, so abusing it was really easy. They just needed to quiet down when she looked, act in groups, make it harder and harder to pick who owned which voice.


    Even a Witch couldn¡¯t hurt them all if they came all at once. They had grown braver with time and numbers.


    Yet all of them stopped at once when Gabrielle slammed her fists on the table.


    ¡°BE QUIET!¡±


    Sounds grew distant, mere echoes. The girl kept hitting the table, making it shake by force, she couldn¡¯t even see the girls gasping and jumping backwards. Had they pushed too hard? Was she actually snapping this time? They didn¡¯t even know what ¡°snapping¡± would entail for a Witch, but that only made the fear grow even colder on the bottom of their bellies.


    Gabrielle kept hitting, moving by inertia, anger escaping her with such violence she couldn¡¯t even hear what she was yelling¡­ until a hand held her by the shoulder. It was cold. Gabi immediately jerked away from that grab, but the impression was enough to shake her awake from her anger and look up. Sister Arianna looked down at the girl, stern and disappointed, while her hand once again grabbed her by the arm and pulled.


    ¡°Come here. Out, now. Out!¡±


    Children were frozen in place as the nun pulled a very confused, scared Gabrielle out of the room and right into the East hallways, slamming the door behind her back. Then, they looked at the table. It was not really that damaged, if at all! But red marks remained where the girl had hit, little stains of blood.


    They just stood in perfect silence, listening to Gabrielle¡¯s worked up breathing getting more and more distant, until another door was opened, and a fierce slap could be heard from all the way through the hallway.


    Only then the room returned to their chatter, but no one dared to sit near the bloodstains again, not even after the remaining nuns reluctantly got closer to clean them up.

 Chapter 12: Of Trust

    Arianna walked. She kept walking as fast as she could and pulling Gabi''s arm a little too hard, but she knew better than to stop. If she stopped, the nun would definitively turn right around and cuss the hell out of those children, or even worse, the crones that just sat back and watched as a bad situation just kept escalating. And between this, and the whole ordeal with Enrico, Ari was already close enough to just let the accursed chapel burn to the ground.


    There was an image to maintain, she couldn¡¯t be seen defending the so-called ¡°Witch Child¡± or people would start to talk¡ªand most of the other nuns already didn¡¯t like her at all! The last thing she needed was to give them ammunition. So she walked, went right through the hallway without saying a single word. Gabrielle¡¯s breath was panicked, trembling, trying very intensely to stop any sobs from escaping.


    The poor child¡­


    They walked through the entire hallway, ignoring the adorable marble dog collection and finally standing in the sacristy on the other side. And there, right before closing the door, Arianna stopped walking.


    Gabrielle¡¯s eyes opened wide like plates, staring at the taller woman who was now turning to face her. The girl¡¯s mouth opened for an instant, trying to utter an apology, before Arianna raised both of her hands.


    And with a violent motion she slapped them together.


    The sound was more than enough to stun Gabi in place. She gasped, jumping and then looking around herself in fear. Arianna waited for a moment and paid close attention to the sounds from the hallway, just to make sure the eavesdroppers were satisfied. When the ruckus in the dining hall returned, the nun sighed and closed the door to the dressing room.


    She winced for a moment, her palm still ached from that heavy slap.


    ¡°There we go¡­ that should be enough for them all.¡± The sister sighed, kneeling to stand on Gabrielle¡¯s level and look into her eyes. ¡°Shh, shhh. Look at me, Gabi. Look at me¡­ we¡¯re alright. Okay? We¡¯re safe.¡±


    The little girl had a bit of trouble focusing, her eyes darting from side to side in a flurry of emotion before she could do as asked. Gabi stared intently at Arianna as she carefully caressed the girl¡¯s shoulders and started breathing a bit more loudly. Deep in, and then deep out, blowing out like the wind in the storm outside.


    Gabrielle slowly began to imitate her, letting the air go slowly, in and out, rhythmically.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, there you go. You¡¯re doing good¡­¡±


    Those words elicit the briefest hint of a smile on Gabrielle¡¯s parched lips, as she focused more deeply in her own breathing.


    Arianna had never been good with children, or people in general, but she had picked some techniques to calm others down from Alejandra. She never really expected to put them to practice though, much less with the rarely upset Gabrielle! But today Ari was feeling rebellious, simply unable to stand by and watching anymore.


    She was not going to simply abide by people¡¯s suffering for a single extra second, Arianna would start taking action today!


    She probably would stop doing so when cynicism and resignation make their triumphant return in a few days, after the sleep deprivation killed all this determination . But what mattered was the intention, right?


    ¡°There you go¡­ better?¡±


    The little girl closed her eyes and continued to breathe just in the way Arianna told her, air filling her lungs and then escaping her mouth in a slow whistle. The nun just stared and gave Gabi her time, incapable of seeing what was going on in that redhead¡¯s mind¡ªhow did a person this broken see the world around her? Could Ari even begin to understand? Could Gabrielle even try to comprehend what was actually going on around her?


    Does she resent us for what we have done¡­?


    ¡°Better.¡± Gabi finally answered, opening her eyes once again. ¡°You saved me.¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing.¡± Arianna shook her head, her face remaining grumpy as ever. ¡°I am just doing my job, so don¡¯t go around thinking weird thoughts. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Noted. No more thinking.¡±


    ¡°That is not what I meant.¡± The nun facepalmed, taking another deep breath. Patience, girl. Patience. You know how the Witch operates. ¡°Show me your hands.¡±


    Gabrielle¡¯s eyes went down to said hands before looking right back at Arianna.


    ¡°No can¡¯t do.¡±


    Oh my Saints.


    ¡°What do you mean no can¡¯t do?¡± Ari huffed. The nerve of the child always came up in the most unexpected moments. Give them a hand and they take your elbow. ¡°Show them to me!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re filthy. You¡¯ll get dirty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re filthy, I want to help you with that!¡± Arianna tried her best not to raise her voice too much. ¡°Just, show them to me. It¡¯s an order. Now!¡±


    The little girl obeyed instantly and without any more hesitation. Those hands were not really as badly injured as Ari would had expected, only some bleeding rashes from the rough, cheap table, and they were already getting better. Then again, Arianna had seen this girl recover from having needles all around her body every single month, so this didn¡¯t really surprise her that much. But it was still unnerving to see.


    Ari held Gabrielle¡¯s hands in place, taking her handkerchief from her pocket and gently scrubbing the blood away. The little girl winced but didn¡¯t make any sudden moves, staring down and once again falling deep in thought. This was a habit of hers, to just space out for a long while, taken by the fairies of her misshapen ideas¡­ Gabi could spend long periods simply staring at nothing, to the point that it resulted quite unnerving to some. Arianna included.


    What does she even think about¡­


    Fortunately, the girl seemed to reach some sort of conclusion uncharacteristically quickly, raising her gaze back to the nun. There was a determination in those eyes that startled Arianna, the bright light of cognition that so often seemed to elude the little girl, now shining like an accusing ray descending from the heavens.


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    The nun gulped some saliva, just knowing that she was not going to like whatever was about to come out of Gabrielle¡¯s mouth


    ¡°Sister Arianna, can you please tell me what a Genesis is?¡±


    ¡ª


    Gabrielle stared as the nun¡¯s face went through several different expressions. She couldn¡¯t really understand any of them, but the intensity of it all and the way the poor Sister shifted from emotion to emotion made one thing clear: Gabi was not supposed to ask that. A voice inside of the girl was already pushing her to take it all back and simply play it off as a joke, or something unimportant, anything to try and defuse the situation quickly¡ªbut no. She resisted it with all her power, and simply kept looking attentively.


    There was no backing down now, she needed to understand it all if she hoped to make a difference in the calamity that approached.


    Sister Arianna had to run out of facial expressions eventually.


    Indeed, after what looked like intense deliberation, the nun took a deep breath and forced her face back into the usual look of tired resignation she usually donned, and glared down at the curious child. Gabi¡¯s hands were anxiously squeezing each other, ignoring the distant paint of her wounds.


    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± Asked Ari, trying to deflect the topic somewhere more manageable.


    ¡°The Sisters were talking about it very loudly. Said Genesis would come, or something.¡± For Gabrielle there was absolutely no shame in ratting out the other nuns. She didn¡¯t do it out of malice, but deep down she wouldn¡¯t really mind if they got in trouble for it.


    Arianna mumbled something that Gabi could not really make out, but sounded terribly vulgar by the way her lips spat those words. Afterwards, she addressed the little girl again.


    ¡°It is a very old word, older than all of us. It means beginnings.¡± Again, the nun deflected.


    ¡°So the beginning is coming? The beginning of what?¡±


    There was silence. The Sister went deep in meditation, taking slow breaths before slowly putting both of her hands on Gabrielle¡¯s shoulders. The air suddenly felt heavier and colder, sinking all around them among all those hanging coats and capes.


    ¡°Gabrielle. It is a dangerous word to say, especially if you know what it means.¡± Arianna¡¯s eyes grew sharper, staring deep into the girl¡¯s. ¡°I can tell you about it, but are you sure¡­? You won''t be able to tell a soul about this.¡±


    For a moment, Gabrielle thinks of pointing out that she doesn¡¯t really speak to other people anyways, but even the girl understands this is not the time for that sort of technicality. So she simply nodded.


    ¡ª


    Arianna sighed, bracing herself as she deeply considered her position. Disclosing information about the Genesis without explicit permission of a Chamber Priest was beyond forbidden, and honestly, there was no way she could explain this to him. But with all that just happened, her own doubts swirling around in her head, and the rising need for change, Ari was quickly coming to a very solid conclusion.


    Fuck the Chamber Priest.


    ¡°Do you know what a Covenant is, Gabrielle?¡±


    The little girl¡¯s inexpressive eyes looked around for a moment, probably trying to find the answer in the confusing hallways of her own memory, before she simply shook her head no. Arianna expected that answer because, well, she had been there to see the sort of education Enrico gave these children: a purposely incomplete reading of the Prologues, shamelessly parodying the creed and building a narrative much more focused in devotion than Historical Accuracy.


    The worst part was that it wasn¡¯t completely out of line with what the Church of the Saints teached those days anyways.


    ¡°A Covenant is¡­ hmmm¡­ it is sort of a promise. An alliance? A friendship with others, and with the Divine.¡± Ari did her best to summarize it, but she couldn¡¯t really put all the nuances the word implied. It was too complicated to teach to a kid, anyways. ¡°A group of people who promise the same thing, and help each other to keep that promise forevermore.¡±


    Gabrielle nodded twice, but added nothing. She was deeply focused, waiting for more¡ª honestly, having that much attention was only making Arianna nervous.


    This has to be the first time I see this one interested in anything, what in the blazes happened?


    ¡°The Genesis is a Covenant, one that swore on the Saints to keep people from hurting each other for silly reasons.¡± Again Ari was being reductive, but it was for the best. The less times she said the word Magic, the better. ¡°The other nuns are worried they may get in trouble with them, because they are being mean.¡±


    ¡°Is Demiurge a Covenant too?¡±


    Arianna had to cling a bit tighter to Gabrielle¡¯s shoulders there, almost breaking into a coughing fit. Again with the words, how did she even remember that one!? Is it that this girl was conscious and aware during their experiments? They all assumed she was barely awake, reactive but stunned, with how little responses she gave to all stimuli.


    This only made everything worse. It meant Gabi had felt everything during those nights, she had heard everything they said, and even worse¡­ she may have begun to ask herself some questions.


    If Genesis learned of this, the girl¡¯s fate would be terribly uncertain, and let¡¯s not even think of what that daft idiot will do too¡­!!


    Telling her about Genesis was one thing, but revealing the meaning behind Enrico¡¯s crazy ramblings was something different entirely. Any sort of reaction could ruin everything for them, and Arianna was not in a position to protect all the children herself.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that word. Ever.¡± The nun warned. ¡°It is an ugly word, for an ugly person. An insult. Something only dumb people use to call themselves smart.¡± And before the red haired girl could say anything, Ari added. ¡°If someone ever uses that word, just let them be in their ignorance, you hear me? Do not talk about this.¡±


    Again silence. Arianna stared deeply into Gabrielle¡¯s eyes for a very long time, just waiting for an answer, or at least trying to understand what was going on in the other side of that girl¡¯s head.


    If only she could say it all¡­


    ¡ª


    The Sister was lying.


    Gabrielle had never been good at understanding the emotions of the others and yet, she knew this deep in her heart. Sister Arianna was lying to her teeth, and struggling quite a bit to do so, but why? It didn¡¯t feel like a malicious thing, and it wouldn¡¯t make sense for it to be malicious considering the woman had gone out of her way to save Gabi just a few seconds ago.


    Or was that also part of the whole lie?


    No. The girl shook that thought away almost immediately, as she just couldn¡¯t even entertain the idea for a second. It had to be something else entirely. She begged for it to be something else entirely.


    But what was it, then? Something the little girl couldn¡¯t see, for sure. A shadow looming over them, something so big that Gabi was simply too small to even grasp. A secret, a calamity¡­


    The one she felt in her dream¡­?


    Taking a good look around to make sure there were no prying ears in the shadows, the redhead leaned a bit closer to the Sister and whispered.


    ¡°Are you afraid, too?¡±


    The nun took a sharp breath, containing something that rattled deep within herself and then, with a deep sigh, confessed.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The little girl squeezed her hands a bit tighter. For the first time in who knows how long, Gabi felt understood, she felt heard! As if the both of them were thinking of the very same thing but didn¡¯t even need to say it outloud. They lacked the courage to do so. She had no reason to believe it but Gabrielle was convinced that Arianna had seen those visions too, the ones she had dreamed up in the forest.


    Arianna was aware of the shadow and the trumpets, she knew of what was coming their way¡­ and differently to Gabi, she was already doing something about it.


    At least, that¡¯s what Gabrielle wanted to believe.

 Chapter 13: Of Distress

    As she walked through the hallway, Sister Alejandra couldn¡¯t help but feel the air grow colder and colder around her. Both of the Sister¡¯s hands were restlessly rubbing together, trying to prompt some blood back into her freezing fingers, had it always been so cold?? Did the night really steal all warmth from the Chapel? Or was it the inclement wind mercilessly punching the building?


    No. She knew that was not it, this was not merely a physical cold, there was something else turning her blood to ice: anxiety and fear.


    Oh dear Saints, why is today such a hectic day??


    First it was the chaotic morning, with yet another body to be dumped in the nearby river. Another poor, innocent child sacrificed by the Father and the other Sisters. Did Alejandra really understand a thing those people whispered about? Of course not, she was never allowed to even enter the so-called ¡°Sanctum¡± in the basement. As the newest nun in the cloister, Father did not trust her enough to tell her about his ¡°project¡±.


    He didn¡¯t even trust her to tell her about the bodies she had to carry! She learned that detail herself, by accident, and had to spend an entire afternoon demanding answers from the Father before being shown an official Indulgence from the main Church in Buda and being told to not ask questions, and simply do as she was told.


    So she was only called in when they needed to move things around.


    Because of course, as I am the biggest, that means I am the place¡¯s official mule, right!?


    Alejandra resisted the urge to spit. She still hadn¡¯t ridden herself of that bad habit.


    The worst part of it all was how everyone else seemed to know, and Saints above did they talk about it. All the time, whenever they had some time away from the children, one could expect it as one expects the Sun to rise again: talk, talk, talk, complaint after complaint! Father instructed them to keep quiet about it, and yet they all had a lot to say about whatever the hell they were doing.


    They complained about cleaning the room, they complained about staying up and awake, they complained about the noise, they complained about the lack of results!


    Alejandra stopped her walking for a moment to grumble, let her anger stir and bubble inside like boiling water.


    They are not the ones having to carry bodies to the river! What in the Blazes do they need to complain about, even!?


    It had been the same for the five years she had been around. Pick up ¡°refuse¡±, throw away the ¡°refuse¡±, pretend you don¡¯t see a thing, carry heavy weight and listen to the others blabber. Was it the same in all other cloisters, or did she just have the bad luck to end in the single worst chapel in all of Jericho!?


    Whenever they weren¡¯t talking about how bad they had it, they were badmouthing others. Be it the children, each other, the Father or some problematic person at Gwynedd, they always had something bad to say about someone else. Honestly, every day that passed Alejandra felt more and more fed up with all these whining City Folk¡­


    At least I can take it, but what about Ari¡­?


    She wasn¡¯t sure why, but there was something about the smallest nun in the Church that worried her. Maybe it was her sickly complexion, or the constant busywork Father pushed on her back, but Alejandra simply could not stop worrying about the woman. And yes, of course, she knew that this was all part of the duty of a Sister, that it was a ¡°normal, sanctioned procedure¡±, and that Arianna was both an adult and her senior, so she definitely knew how to take care of herself.


    But Saints forbid, she was so worried that this whole ordeal would ruin this girl! Ale could see it clear as day under the sleepy nun¡¯s grumpy demeanor: a candid, caring heart and a stern sense of right and wrong, just waiting to be turned into cynical resentment with the passing of the years.


    I refuse to allow that, no sir. I¡¯ll kick anyone who even tries to let it happen.


    And yet here she was, nervously walking the hallway because she heard a slap.


    Sure, none of the others really cared about a kid being smacked in this church, even Ale had to spank one of those little devils sometimes, but Arianna had never been prone to violence. She was probably the only nun in the chapel who had never once punished the kids, and a lot of people simply assumed it was because of a lack of moral fiber or laziness on the part of the small sister. But no, there was something more there¡­


    Something that Alejandra was very keen on protecting.


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t her? Maybe it was the little devil! Yeah, maybe that girl smacked Ari!


    Ale shook her head with a defeated sigh. No, there was no way Gabrielle attacked someone, she could barely stand up to look at someone in the eye! Sure, the strange girl had tantrums sometimes, hitting walls and tables in fits of emotion, but the few times she actually defended herself it was mostly shoves and screams.


    The tall, strong woman stood right in front of the door to the Sacristy, and took a deep breath. This had to be some sort of misunderstanding, but what if it wasn¡¯t? What could she tell Arianna, then? She was in no place to chide others for hitting children, or disciplining them! Could she just ask her not to do it again? On what grounds!?


    With another loud sigh, Alejandra slowly pulled the door open and closed her eyes tightly.


    ¡°Excuse me! Is everything okay over here!?¡±


    There was silence for a moment. A very long moment. Were they not there at all? Had they already left without Ale noticing? The burly sister finally dared to open one eye.


    Gabrielle and Arianna were right there, staring at Alejandra with confused and startled eyes. The bigger sister was quick to check the situation: Arianna was kneeling, there were no signs of swelling on either of their faces; Gabrielle¡¯s hands were no longer bleeding, no signs of further violence, nothing. The three of them sighed in relief.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stay quiet there! You almost made my heart pop!¡± Now that she felt more confident, Alejandra had enough space to feel a bit annoyed. ¡°Are you okay, you two?¡±


    The redhead nodded softly, while Arianna got right back on her feet and let out a little yawn.


    ¡°Yep. Nothing to worry about, I was just making the girl feel a bit better.¡± Ari shrugged. ¡°Sorry if we made you worry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I just wanted to make sure nothing weird happened.¡± Alejandra let out a soft chuckle, while Gabrielle tilted her head to ask.


    ¡°Weird like what?¡±


    Both nuns looked at her for a moment. After deep consideration, they both quietly decided to ignore the child¡¯s question.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go deliver this little troublemaker to her bed and I¡¯ll be right back at the kitchen.¡± Assured Arianna, before feeling her head being patted by Alejandra¡¯s big hand.


    ¡°Lemme take care of that, comrade. You go finish your food, it¡¯s getting colder.¡± The big nun offered her a smile, trying not to think of the other sisters already looking at Ari¡¯s plate with hungry eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll take Gabrielle to her bed, alright?¡±


    Sleepy Arianna smiled brightly, jumping at the chance almost immediately and bowing her head without saying a thing, quickly running off to the hallway and back to the dining room.


    Huh¡­ she must have been hungry.


    That sleepy nun was still a mystery to Alejandra, but she simply chose to shake her head and look down at Gabrielle. The little girl had been staring for a while now, she often did that! Not even blinking, the creep¡­ all and all, Ale kinda liked the little devil. Reminded her of a calf she used to look after back in her family¡¯s farm.


    She just wished the kid was a bit faster in the head.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s just you and me kid. Let¡¯s go take the longer route back, alright? I don¡¯t want the others picking a fight with you again.¡±


    The confusion in Gabrielle¡¯s eyes seemed to grow, as she carefully held Alejandra¡¯s sleeve and started following her to the other side of the Sacristy, back into the empty Main Hall. They needed to go into the West Hallway, if they wanted to avoid the kitchen all together. For a while, none of them said a thing and simply advanced through the dark, but when Alejandra opened the West Door, she could hear Gabi¡¯s voice mumbling.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Why are you nice to me?¡±


    That was a question the girl asked very often. Every time she didn¡¯t hit the girl, or she simply chose to ignore a mistake of hers, Gabi asked the same question. And normally Ale had enough strength to simply ignore it, but tonight she was already feeling a bit upset.


    Alejandra and Arianna were pretty much the only ones in that church that didn¡¯t follow on the line of abuse the other nuns had been putting Gabrielle through, but that didn¡¯t really mean they were nice to her. Unable to really object to the enforcement of the Church Law, who authorized the punishment to all impure of blood and mind, both nuns usually just turned away or quietly tried to make the girl¡¯s life a little easier.


    She had only been around in this cloister for five years, and there still were some behaviors Alejandra couldn¡¯t fully understand or object to, but this one¡ªthis one was definitely the one where she drew the line. The Saints were all true to themselves, and engaging in cruelty was simply beyond the nun¡¯s heart.


    I am doing the right thing, right? Then why do I feel guilty about it¡­?


    ¡°I am not nice to you, I¡¯m just¡­ I don¡¯t know, I''m lazy.¡± Alejandra shook her head, trying to rationalize it. Of course. If she was truly nice, she would actually do things to protect this child. ¡°Don¡¯t get weird ideas.¡±


    ¡°But you are, though.¡± Gabrielle insisted. ¡°You don¡¯t hit me.¡±


    ¡°I do hit you! The other day I gave you a good spanking for letting those chickens escape¡±


    ¡°You did it softly.¡± Alejandra gulped at that, she had been caught. ¡°And you also didn¡¯t tell anyone about it.¡±


    ¡°...W-Well, I did fix it myself so, why even bother the other sisters?¡± The nun nervously looked up. ¡°It¡¯s basic consideration, honestly. Nothing to go home about.¡±


    ¡°Only you and Sister Arianna show that to me. You always save me.¡±


    ¡°C-Come on, Gabrielle¡­ stop with that.¡±


    I am not saving you from shit. I am just watching it happen¡­


    Alejandra felt each and every word of praise like a cold knife stabbing deeper into her heart. If she didn¡¯t know better, she would totally accuse Gabrielle of being sarcastic there, but she knew that this girl meant every word. And that only made it sting even worse.


    Like watching a little lamb dying off in the rack¡ªyou can¡¯t really do anything but wish it¡¯s painless.


    And yet she felt so guilty she couldn¡¯t do anything for it.


    When they arrived at the door leading to the bedroom, Alejandra took a very slow breath in.


    ¡°Listen, Gabrielle¡­ don¡¯t go around telling others that we¡¯re nice to you, okay? They may get the wrong idea.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I know. People will get angry if they know you¡¯re helping a Witch.¡± The little girl nodded, apparently the thought had already gone through that odd head of hers. ¡°I am sorry I caused you trouble.¡±


    The sting was so harsh that it actually pushed the air right out Alejandra¡¯s lungs.


    ¡°...Look¡­¡± Shakily, Alejandra tried to recover her cool. She failed. ¡°...What we do really is just basic decency. Nothing special. People look after each other and, well, sometimes that means taking a stand for others. Ari and I haven¡¯t taken a stand for you. We¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°Afraid?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡± The woman spilled the beans. ¡°Yes. We¡¯re afraid. Things are odd, and stupid, and people are odd and stupid too. It¡¯s. It''s all very complicated.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the Prologues, that one must shun the wicked¡­ I guess that¡¯s just who I am.¡± Gabrielle¡¯s voice betrayed a hint of defeat with those words. ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°Oh Saints, stop apologizing to me damn it!¡±


    Shaking her head again, and finding some resolve hidden deep within, Alejandra looked down at Gabrielle and stared into her eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re a good kid.¡± The woman said, pushing against the prejudices nested deep in her mind. ¡°You just¡­ were born under a bad star, or something. I don¡¯t know, I am not a theologian!¡± She didn¡¯t know why this kid, or any kid really, deserved to be treated as a walking disaster. ¡°But, you¡¯re a good kid. And even if I can¡¯t like, actually take a stand for you right now¡­ I will do what I can to make things a bit lighter. Okay?¡±


    Gabrielle¡¯s eyes grew glossy, tears starting to well over her cheeks.


    Oh jeez, come on kid, don¡¯t, you¡¯ll make me cry too¡­!


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I am new here, or something. I don¡¯t know, don¡¯t ask me these heavy questions, okay!?¡± The woman dared to pat Gabrielle¡¯s head, rubbing softly, just¡­ a little sign of appreciation.


    Odd, feels like there¡¯s something there¡­


    Alejandra did not dare to question this much. Touching the girl was one thing, taking off the hood to reveal the devilish red hair was another thing entirely! Good intentions or not, that red hair was still unnerving to see.


    So she just ignored it.


    ¡°I am nice to you because, damn it, someone has to. Okay!? Sometimes no one does anything, and stuff gets bad in the world because of it¡­ so. Sometimes you just have to do it yourself. Someone has to do so. Okay!? And let''s leave it at that.¡±


    Gabrielle was crying, quietly as she always did. Clearing the tears from her face she simply nodded.


    Alejandra took another deep breath, trying not to let emotion overtake her as well.


    ¡°Now get in and sleep, okay? Try to rest your head.¡±


    ¡ª


    Rain was pouring down outside. Gabrielle could hear it very clearly from her bed, right beside a window. All the other girls had already come in after a few minutes alone, they had all chattered and gossiped to their hearts content, and then fell deeply asleep without much effort. Always the same thing, really¡­ but Gabi couldn¡¯t join them that night. Her head was an absolute mess.


    Hidden under the blankets, Gabrielle was trying so hard to come to terms with it all. And of course she had failed, for all these sorts of clashing ideas eluded her like running water through a fork. In her restlessness she had even forgotten to take off her habit for the night, but in hindsight that had been a blessing in disguise: Gabi was quick to remember the cookies she had hidden there when feeling up the cloth on her head.


    With a sigh, Gabrielle just picked a piece of crumpled cookie and played with it between her fingers. She had failed in all she had promised herself to do that day: she didn¡¯t get information on what a Demiurge is, she couldn¡¯t tell Sister Arianna about the details of her own vision, she couldn¡¯t even enjoy her soup! At least she now understood a bit about the Genesis thing, but it felt so unimportant at this point¡­


    Sister Arianna really didn¡¯t want to tell me things¡­ not the important ones.


    The little girl nibbled on her cookie at a lazy, defeated pace¡ªonly to then shove the entire thing on her mouth once realizing how good it tasted! So sweet and crumbly, nothing at all like Surprise Bread or stale crackers. Her heart soared for a moment just by tasting it, to the point that she immediately picked up and devoured another.


    Dumb Gabi, getting so happy from eating. Dumb pig, silly filly.


    Gabrielle ignored the voice in her head, simply trying to enjoy her reward¡­ her thoughts went to the caravan, and the many demihumans that were probably joining in at that very moment. All demis would do so, every single one in Jericho, and they would leave ¡°somewhere better¡±. Better¡­ Where could that ¡°better place¡± ever be, anyways?


    I hope they arrive there soon. Bohllin was just so excited¡­!


    Good things happened to good people, so of course they would get to their new home soon. And they had treated her better than anyone before, they all had to be nice people, right? Either that or just saying things to get help. Then again, if her situation was law, and the right thing was to push her away for being a Witch, wouldn¡¯t that mean that they are bad for treating her well?


    They are Elves, demihumans! They don¡¯t have to follow our rules, I think.


    But where did that leave Alejandra and Arianna?


    Were they bad for going against Church Law?


    Sister Alejandra said they were not ¡°doing¡± things, and laws are about what you ¡°do¡±. So if you ¡°don¡¯t¡± do stuff, is that a law thing too? How does that even work!?


    Gabrielle frowned and took another cookie. No thinking, no. She¡¯d never get anywhere by thinking about complicated stuff, so better to just ignore it for now!


    Was it all pity, then? Did she have reasons to lie to her like that? People manipulate each other all the time, the Prologues always warned of those who honey their words.


    No. Again, Gabrielle immediately pushed that notion far, far away. She preferred to believe that this was real, sincere. That someone out there actually cared about her¡ªtwo people, if Sister Arianna felt the same. Maybe three, if Bohlin had been sincere!


    Oh Saints, maybe more, if the people in the Caravan actually meant it too¡­!


    Gabrielle¡¯s cheeks hurt a little bit. She was not used to smiling like this, or at all. Her hands trembled, clinging to the covers and pulling them a bit more. There were people out there, caring for her, people who liked her! Or, well, at least they didn¡¯t actively hate her.


    ¡­ But what if that was just a trick? Not on their part, but on hers.


    What if she had somehow managed to trick them? Make them forget that she was a Witch destined to make everyone¡¯s lives Hell if she didn¡¯t repent or ascend in time? And with the threat of ¡°Genesis¡± getting closer, and whatever a Demiurge was¡­ maybe this whole thing was what her visions were warning her about.


    Maybe she was going to be the problem. Maybe she was going to fail so terribly one of these days, that everything burnt to the ground.


    Gabrielle¡¯s smile very slowly turned back to a frown, her breathing started to pick up and grow ragged, gasping for air.


    N-No, no¡­ come on, breathe slowly¡­ not another tantrum, please¡­!


    Her little body trembled and ached, forcing her to slowly curl into a ball. Her breathing only got worse and worse, to the point where she could only know one thing for sure: she needed to scream. She needed to howl and let it all out, or else she would asphyxiate for sure. But if she did it, the Father would arrive again and punish her for making so much noise. People would yell at her again.


    Remembering this only made her pain get worse.


    Please¡­ Please! Help me¡­!


    Unable to endure it any longer, Gabrielle took the deepest breath she had ever felt, and closed her eyes.


    But she couldn¡¯t hear her own scream. It had been completely swallowed by something else. By light, coming from the window.


    And the roar of a myriad of trumpets, blowing at once.

 Chapter 14: Of the Fall (Part 1)

    Moments felt like entire ages while sitting on one of the Thrones, feeling the Spire¡¯s wails echoing through your body. The screams of the electrical mechanism reverberated through bone, flesh and blood, forcing everything to either uncontrollably shake around as if possessed by an angry spirit, or to stand completely still and petrified in place while the burning sensation pushed through. Baraqiel tried to resist the pain with all of their might, as they did every single time it was their turn to sit at the Spire.


    Don¡¯t give up¡­ don¡¯t play into his game, don¡¯t¡­!


    But it was all to no avail: once all the needles had pushed their way into every little nook and cranny of the Angel¡¯s body, there was no way to stop them from taking over.


    Air burnt through their throat as a scream pushed its way out, but Baraqiel couldn¡¯t even hear it: their ears were ringing loudly, invisible bells singing their discordant song right inside of the Angel¡¯s cranium as the blood in their veins turned into nothing but red steam, and all images in front of their eyes became an incomprehensible mix of sparks and colours.


    ¡­


    Months, years, weeks, moments, Baraqiel didn¡¯t know how long they were gone, until it all suddenly stopped. Just as quickly as it started, the searing heat burning their flesh turned into an uncomfortable cold, the discordant screams broke into quiet, pathetic sobbing, and the all consuming light died to give way for the darkness of the Dungeon to take over once again. This had to be it, the very experience of Death, until Baraqiel heard the echoes of angry stomping coming their way. They were barely able to feel a thick and powerful hand squeezing their neck.


    No thoughts could be conjured in that state, only groans and loud gasps for air. It would take a moment before the Angel¡¯s eyes could finally focus once again.


    Not dead yet¡­


    Indeed, they were not dead yet. Pain would return to their numb body in slow waves, as the cold hues of the dungeon once again painted their depressed reality. It was blurry, but that¡¯s because the Demiurge was, once more, shaking them while screaming. He demanded something, an answer to some questions Baraqiel never really understood, the same ones he always asked them after the torture.


    ¡°Tell me the name of the gods! Describe the sacred runes of Origin! You saw them, didn¡¯t you!?¡±


    Baraqiel didn¡¯t know what a rune of Origin was, to them it was nothing but nonsense spat on their face, but there was no way to make the Demiurge understand that. It felt like every failure only made the man less and less rational in every way possible.


    After shaking the child for long enough to convince himself that, once again, there were no new answers to his questions, Father Enrico let out an enraged snarl and dismissively threw the bodies of each of the four poor fools tied to the Spire back to their cages, so he could begin preparations for a new procedure.


    The world turned upside down for a moment as the Angels'' malnourished bodies flew through the air, right before slamming loudly against the cold iron bars of their prisons. Baraqiel could only muster enough lucidity to take a deep breath before impact, trying to brace for the shock¡­ but then, they felt something new, right as their back hit against the floor. Something cracked very loudly, moving deep inside their back with enough force to elicit another scream from them, and then¡ªpain. Waves and waves of pain, pushing down their back and pulsing through every little wound left by the Spire¡¯s tendrils on their way to the pelvis. And then lower, to their weakened legs.


    Baraqiel held the air in their lungs for another moment, trying not to break into frustrated, aching sobs, until a realization came to them.


    ¡­Hold on just a moment¡­


    Feeling reason returning to their pained mind, suddenly caring less about the pain around them and the feeling of blood flowing from their many stigmata, Baraqiel slowly tried to crawl and stretch their body a bit more comfortably in the cage, while the Demiurge zealously closed and locked each of them again and walked to his desk.


    And as he turned away, the Angel closed their eyes and issued an order to their own body.


    Move.


    Their legs trembled, the feeling of numbness starting to recede as it was replaced by the pains of atrophy. It was uncomfortable at best and searing at worst, but it was there. And that could only mean one thing.


    Move¡­ again!!


    The toes wiggled, twitching once, twice, thrice, each time a bit more pronounced and painful but also easier to do. Pain turned into confusion, and then it all melted into excitement as their knees recovered the ability to flex.


    Something had moved back in place, all the pain Baraqiel had been able to just ignore before was now returning to them all at once, but with it also came mobility¡ªand an opportunity. Ideas started pushing against each other in the Angel¡¯s mind as they kept testing their returning strength, suddenly not caring about the blood or the burning sensations at all.


    If I could move a bit faster, a bit harder! Maybe I can break through!


    Their eyes were now glaring at the cage¡¯s lock, an old piece of rusty metal hanging from one of the corners of their prison, so heavy that even the Demiurge seemed uncomfortable when carrying them around. Maybe with enough strength and determination, they could break the lock? Tackle the cage until it breaks open¡­?


    Doubts started to creep in, and Baraqiel carefully curled into a ball to hug their slowly recovering legs. No, there was no way to muster that much force in so little time! If they couldn¡¯t do it before losing all strength, why would they be able to break out now? Would they even be able to run at all? Or even walk?


    If I try and fail, that will be it. This bastard will break me in half or something¡­!!


    Cynicism still hadn¡¯t rooted in the child¡¯s heart, their mind couldn¡¯t simply shrug off the idea of Death as if it didn¡¯t matter at all. In fact, they could barely understand the concept itself! Staring into the abyss of eternal unconsciousness scared Baraqiel like nothing else. Maybe¡­ maybe it was better to just forget about it, stay down and survive.


    ¡­No¡­ No! I can¡¯t just stay! No more¡­!


    Their leg muscles tugged, practically begging to be used. Who knows for how long they would be able to push them to move, maybe the next time they were pulled into the Spire would rob the strength away from their body again, and forever. Baraqiel took a sharp breath, looking at the Demiurge pacing back and forth while starting another of his long winded monologues. Another test was afoot, four children were pulled out of their cages to sit down and be buckled to the Spire.


    The flickering light of the Demiurge¡¯s torch moved with each little ragged breath his victims let out, trying in vain to stop the much bigger man from tying them up.


    Something sparkled on the floor, glaring back at Baraqiel¡¯s eyes.


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    What even¡­ could it be¡­?!


    The child crawled closer to the edge, careful so the old man couldn¡¯t hear them. The sparkle came from something nestled casually between two bricks on the floor, stuck in the little space: a broken needle. Baraqiel¡¯s eyes widened, recollection coming to them. Yes, it was not unusual for some Angels to violently spasm and jerk around, even after the Demiurge turned off the machine. Maybe a needle broke one of those times? The Spire required constant maintenance so, again, it wasn¡¯t rare to replace them¡ªbut he always took care to get rid of all spare materials.


    A needle, lost so casually and forgotten by the Demiurge, so close that Baraqiel was sure they could reach it if they stretched enough¡­ images of roguish heroes came to the child¡¯s mind, right from old tales they used to think about. Men and women of wits and elegance breaking the rules when they saw it fit, taking what they needed whenever they wanted to, and more importantly, often picking locks and doors with sharp needles and hooks.


    These are too many convenient coincidences¡­ it has to be a sign¡­!!


    Baraqiel didn¡¯t often think of gods or fate, but as any child, they clung to the idea as soon as it suited them. So of course this was a sign from the higher powers, a wink of their favor, a chance for the little kid to worm their way right out of that hell.


    Doubts were pushed right back out of the child¡¯s brain, a very angry, spiteful kind of hope taking its place. Childhood truly is a wonderful, scary thing.


    The experiment will start soon, then it will be around ten hundreds until it finishes¡­


    Time loses all meaning when sitting at the Spire, but when they were left alone in the cages, Baraqiel had a need to keep tabs on the flow of every little moment. They calculated how long they had been imprisoned, they counted the times the Demiurge paced around before taking his notes (around three or four depending on how angry he was), and they counted how long people were actually trapped in the gods'' forsaken mechanism.


    It was enough time for Baraqiel to count to a hundred ten times, consistently.


    That was how long they had to figure out how to actually pick a lock and beg the gods not to be caught while doing so.


    That fat bastard never turns around in the middle of it all. He just stares. It will work perfectly.


    Confidence kept surging as the Angel glared right at the Demiurge¡¯s back, just waiting as he secured the last child in place, and took a moment to breathe. A part deep down in Baraqiel¡¯s mind felt a little bad about using the others as a sort of distraction, but he would have enough time to feel bad about it once they were free.


    Come on, come on, just do it already¡­!


    The Demiurge walked over to the Spire¡¯s heart, held his hand over the lever and recited the usual prayer for success.


    ¡°May you hear the voices of the Gods and deliver us the light to change this rotten world. Amen.¡±


    The lever loudly groaned when pulled down, a million little gears, bolts and nuts began to spin, pump and move in the heretical monolith. Baraqiel could see parts moving around the Spire¡¯s amber heart, odd marks and carvings orbiting the huge rock at increasingly higher speeds, before light started traveling from the gem into the machine.


    And a few moments later, as the light slithered its way through every little line in the Spire like white rattlesnakes, the children tied to its thrones began to tense and breathe sharply. The light went from the body of the Spire into its tendrils, right into the little Angels¡ªand they all began ¡°singing¡±, as the Demiurge liked to call it.


    This must be how the demons sing in Hell¡­


    Four children howled in abject pain, their eyes wide open, their screams harmonizing with the Spire¡¯s strange clockwork wails. The Demiurge was enraptured by it all.


    Now!


    Baraqiel¡¯s arm slid right between the bars of their cage, tapping the floor in front of them and trying to feel the cold metal hidden between the cobblestones. Their shoulders screamed, not used to this much work or to be in that position at all, but the kid ignored them. They simply did not have the time to slow down, and despair was waiting on every little corner, preying upon them.


    To doubt now would mean to stop and not do anything at all. They simply couldn¡¯t allow themselves to stop.


    Come on, where is it? Where is it now¡­??


    There!!


    They winced slightly when the sharp end of the needle poked their finger. The tip was bent backwards? Hooked, probably by the spasms of the kid who broke it in the first place. Baraqiel prayed for it to still work despite that. They let the needle sink a little in their finger just to pull it from the floor, and quickly grasp it with both hands. There it was, their only chance.


    Please work, please work, please work¡­!


    More doubts were trying to break into Baraqiel¡¯s mind, marauders trying to destroy the already fragile doors of their mind. Like bandits sieging a castle, battering ram slamming against its gates with unrelenting force. The child closed their eyes and held the lock in place, begging the Demiurge to keep his attention away, as they pushed the needle deep into the lock¡¯s hole.


    Tick, tick, tick, tick. They felt many odd stumps on their way in before the needle hit the end of the lock. Perplexed, Baraqiel moved the needle around, just, feeling those little pieces. One, two, three¡­ no, more¡­ Eight?? Yes, eight stumps!


    Levers??


    Why was it always levers with these things? Did they need to pull all of them? Only some?? The ramming on the kid¡¯s mind gates grew louder, as it became obvious that they had absolutely no idea what they were doing. But they did not let that deter them in the slightest.


    There¡¯s still time, there¡¯s still time, just be careful.


    One by one, Baraqiel started to tug and pull at those odd stumps, starting with the closest one to the end. They expected a click, a noise, a feeling of any sort¡­ nothing.


    Same with the second one, and the third.


    No no no no¡­!!


    Their motions began to feel more desperate, practically stabbing the lock with that needle over and over again.


    Open, open, open!!


    Pleading had turned into anger, to the point were those stabbing motions became more and more pushy, until.


    Click.


    A nice half of that long metallic needle fell off the kid¡¯s hand. They still had enough, barely, to stab the lock fully¡­ but the sight froze the blood right in Baraqiel¡¯s neck. Nervously they grabbed that needle half and, without thinking much about it, they jammed it into the lock as well.


    It¡¯s good, it¡¯s good! They always use two tools, right?? Maybe it¡¯s for the best, right?


    They weren¡¯t sure, but they couldn¡¯t really question the logic when their composure was on the brink of breaking down under the attack of the highwaymen in their mind.


    Stabbing motions recommenced. Things immediately felt different¡­ click, click, click.


    The levers, they moved! They clicked! Harder, and harder, some of them still refused to give but many did feel like suddenly jumping at the kid¡¯s motions.


    Baraqiel heard how the Spire¡¯s song came to an end, the Demiurge let out a frustrated sigh. Another failure.


    Come on, come on¡­!


    The fifth lever gave up, the sixth made no noise, the seventh was pushy and hard to move.


    Almost¡­!!


    ¡°Why must you make a mockery of all my efforts, angels!? Why must you hate me so!?¡±


    The Demiurge cried, kicking one of the children¡¯s shins. Baraqiel¡¯s motions became harder and faster.


    Open, open, OPEN!!!


    ¡°What is that clicking noise¡­?¡±


    The towering figure turned around right as Baraqiel opened their eyes. This was it, they took too long.


    And then. The lock suddenly jumped in place, the springs inside tenderly pushed just right. Open.


    ¡°Baraqiel, what do you think you are¡ª?!¡±


    They didn¡¯t even know how or why. It all became a mess of emotion when the lock fell heavily on the stone floor, and the cage opened slightly. Baraqiel¡¯s body pounced right out of its prison, their legs gaining a strength they never had before while a desperate roar ragged the child¡¯s throat.


    They were not even trying to escape. They forgot all about the plan.


    They simply jumped at the source of all their pain, hands at the ready, thumbs sinking as deep as they could into the Demiurge¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 15: Of Bravery

    Rain fell down like a punishment from Heaven itself, smiting the barely put together chapel, shaking the very foundations of the building and menacing with bringing it all down to make an example for any other wicked, traitorous houses and churches out there. At least, that¡¯s how Gabrielle felt it, as her tiny bare feet slapped down on the cold ground of the North Hallway, her little body shaking in fear every time lights illuminated the sky outside, announcing the coming of another thunder.


    ¡°Nnngh, what¡¯s with all this noise¡­?¡± Complained the girl, her little hand clinging to the window frame and peering into the pitch black night outside. ¡°Dumb storm, don¡¯t you know this is the Age of Silence? Shut up!!¡±


    The roaring thunder was the only answer she got, the strength of this rude storm was enough to push Gabi right on her behind with all this ruckus. Or well, it was really half the power of the storm, and half the girl¡¯s intense fear of loud noises.


    Gabrielle accepted her punishment with little dignity, whining and getting back up while rubbing her behind a little bit, feeling herself pouting slightly. Yes, this is what she gained for throwing such half-arsed arguments at the sky; she should have thought of something better.


    I don¡¯t have time to think though¡­ there¡¯s someone outside¡­!


    The little girl patted her cheeks a few times, pushing away doubts and unnecessary thoughts. This was no time to think about the Age of Silence, or how the name makes no sense for people now were as loud as they had ever been (as far as Gabi knew), she had other things to focus on!


    The sound, that was the same sound! The same feeling as my vision!


    Gabrielle had felt storms before, she knew them well. Old enemies of her sleep, shaking everything without care for no one seemed to really mind the noise. Sure, after the rain passed everyone cared about the holes in the roof and the flooding of their crops, but the world ending noise and shaking? Not a single damn given.


    Language. Potty mouth.


    She patted herself a third time. Being angry didn¡¯t justify thinking bad words, even if the situation was incredibly frustrating. Because none of them cared, not a bit! They simply disregarded it all, ignored the sound and slept as if nothing was going on. Gabrielle never understood how, the mere rain was already unnerving enough to make sleeping harder. She had come to accept that they were simply better at ignoring some stuff, but that night¡¯s lightning fell with such violence, and no one even lifted a finger¡­


    This is way too much. I have to do something! No one else will if I don¡¯t!


    What was she going to do? Gabrielle had no idea, no plan to follow! After the initial explosion, she just knew she had to walk out of that room and investigate.


    It was either that or staying and listening to the other girls¡¯ mumbling.


    They usually spent the early night talking about the local gossip, the things happening in town, the fishing boy and his oddities, the food that they were going to eat that week (delicious potato soup!), and of course what they were going to ¡°prank¡± Gabrielle with the next day. She didn¡¯t really pay much mind to what they said, beyond some light eavesdropping to at least be partially ¡°in the know¡± of whatever was going on¡­ but that night, when the trumpets blared and the lightning struck, Gabrielle was more than open to hear what they thought.


    ¡°Was that lightning!?¡± Screamed one of them, spooked at first, only to devolve into giggling due to the other girls¡¯ teasing. ¡°Oh shut up, shut uuup! I am not that scared!¡±


    ¡°Afraid of lights now, Tiphany? So sweet, such a silly filly!¡±


    Gabrielle flinched a bit there. That term, they always used it to refer to her, even when talking to others¡­ she wasn¡¯t even sure how that worked exactly, but she could feel it.


    ¡°I think it fell down on the trapdoor! Do you think Enrico is angry?¡±


    ¡°Ohhh his face must be a cherry right now!!¡±


    More laughter¡­ they soon started focusing more on how dumb Father Enrico must look right now, forgetting the important details. This frustrated Gabrielle, it ruffled something inside of her, made her angrier than ever before and she didn¡¯t even know why!


    Before she knew it, she was already stomping her way out of the sleeping chambers, and now¡­ there she was, trembling with fear from this storm, each step less determined than the last.


    Why was she even doing this? What did she want to achieve?


    As she opened the door from the hallway, and her body once again slid into the Main Hall of the chapel, she simply couldn¡¯t find an answer. She couldn¡¯t find anything really, for the candles in the Hall had died up long ago, leaving the whole place in a darkness somehow scarier than the one outside.


    Maybe I have to do it for the other girls.


    Gabrielle tried to justify her impulses as she walked much slower, rising both arms in front of her to feel her way through. All that could guide her until her eyes grew used to the dark were her hands, and the sounds of both the little dripping leaks on the ceiling and the wind shaking the many doors around.


    Was it for the other girls? Gabi never truly felt hatred towards her abusers, she had never cursed them more than it was acceptable to the eyes of the Sisters, but she wasn¡¯t exactly attached to them either. Even when some of them disappeared, Gabrielle didn¡¯t really feel sadness for their absence, nor relief.


    She felt envious.


    Can you really be worried about people you envy¡­?


    Gabrielle shook her head, no. She couldn¡¯t. She wasn¡¯t really worried, at least, not enough that she could feel it¨C How did that feel, even? To be worried about other¡¯s well-being? Not like this, it certainly couldn¡¯t be like this.


    Then what, about the Sisters?


    The only sisters she felt a bit closer to, as of right now, were Arianna and Alejandra, and even if tonight she felt much more confident in her trust towards them, she couldn¡¯t really say she was worried, could she? They were young and capable, whatever it was that happened outside, they could probably solve it themselves.


    Besides, what of the others?


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    ¡­


    Oddly enough, Gabrielle felt more frustrated towards them than any other person in the chapel. The old crones, just watching, just nodding, punishing at their own leisure. Gabi avoided thinking too much about them, because every time she spent more than two minutes telling herself that things were her fault, there was a very small, annoying part of herself that fervently refused. It snarled and bit inside of her chest, demanding attention that the girl was not going to give it.


    But that was enough for her to know that she definitely didn¡¯t like them.


    Who was left, then? The animals? The people in town? No.


    Father.


    ¡­He is not my father.


    Gabrielle felt bitterness on the back of her throat. Father Enrico gave her food, shelter, he taught them all he could and even tried to give them a chance to redeem themselves and Ascend. By all means, Gabi should feel proud and happy to be in his care, right? She should feel thankful and attached, should she not?


    Then why did it feel so wrong to call him Father at all? Why did his gaze always felt so cold, his presence so distant, his hands so callous and rough on her head the few times he showed affection?


    Gabrielle never knew her father. She barely understood the concept, but she knew that this man was not a Father.


    Or maybe he was, and she was simply as cold and cruel as people accused her of being.


    Maybe I am just not a good daughter.


    Sigh. Gabrielle let her arms hang down in a defeated gesture, walking a few more steps in the dark until her forehead bumped onto the door.


    ¡°Ouch!¡±


    Feeling the swelling in her head and the cold air licking her toes was enough to shake those feelings away from Gabi¡¯s mind, at least for now. Frustrated, she huffed and rubbed her face a little bit, before turning back at the door.


    ¡°Alright, time for a plan. The plan is now¡­¡± Impatiently, Gabrielle hopped from one foot to the other. ¡°This was unnatural, and it was caused by someone¡­ Maybe it was an accident though! Maybe, maybe it was just a.. Hmmm¡­¡±


    Could it be a monster? No. Monsters don¡¯t come near chapels, that was something everyone knew. Monsters were afraid of churches, and if there was a monster here, it was probably just as scared and confused as she was.


    Then what, maybe a Demihuman? She had seen Adella do magic before, but nothing like this. They all looked very, very weak to Gabrielle, so it was definitely not one of the Elves. Perhaps another demihuman, lost in their way to that ¡°better place¡±? If that was the case, Gabrielle had to help them out before someone else noticed!


    What if it was a human?


    Gabrielle froze, her eyes opening a bit more, her hands hovering so close to the door¡¯s handle


    Now that was a scary possibility. If this was the work of a human, then this was definitely not an accident. People always do things on purpose, at least that¡¯s what Gabi had learned all these years. People are also ready for a fight at all times, so¡­


    She would need a weapon. Definitively


    With a deep breath, the girl unlocked the door. It was so easy one could wonder why they even bother closing it in the first place. A soft push was enough to let the rain pour on poor Gabrielle, as she took her first steps into the backyard.


    She waited for a second, letting her eyes grow used to the dark a bit better. Weapons. She needed weapons, not really to ¡°fight¡± per se, but at least to look ready for a fight. Gabrielle had learned that even if people are ready for a fight, they are also cowardly! And if they realized a person was strong and prepared, they would definitively leave them alone.


    That¡¯s how she kept the others from poking fun of her most of the time: by looking angry and ready to punch out a tooth or two.


    So, she needed a weapon that looked strong! And there was only one place to get them at this time of the night.


    Ready¡­? Yes. Ready. Okay, one¡­ two¡­ three! BREAK!


    Pushing herself further into the freezing rain, Gabrielle ran a straight line from the door and right to the shed on the other side of the backyard. Running didn¡¯t give her time to doubt, or to think about the cold, or the fear, or anything at all really! She just rushed in, not even trying to open the shed¡¯s door like a decent person and pushing right in with her shoulder, falling on the muddy floor as soon as she felt safe from the rain.


    The little girl gasped for air, shaking her head and then fixing the habit covering her hair. Good. That was the hard part!


    Alright, now a weapon¡­ a weapon, what could be a weapon?


    Before anything, as Gabrielle got up and cleared some mud from her clothes, the girl grabbed one of the discarded pots still there and made sure it was empty, so she could put it right on her head. A helmet, that was always the first thing to acquire when getting into a fight, and the pot would do! It even had holes on the sides, so she could perfectly see what was around.


    Now she could properly choose her weapon.


    There were plenty of tools in the shed, from rakes and brooms to old, rusty knives. They were all suitable, but the girl didn¡¯t really want something lethal: carrying a knife always felt dangerous and wrong to her. But half of her choices were sharp and dangerous! So, that only left Gabrielle with the obvious choice.


    No¡­ no, come on! There has to be something else that looks strong and heavy, right!?


    But there wasn¡¯t. Sure, there were some big sticks and such, but none of those would deter a hungry thief. So it was either a huge carving knife, or¡­


    Her arch-nemesis.


    ¡°Well, well, well! Look who just ran out of options!¡± The heavy, powerful, oh so disrespectful mallet was still right where Gabrielle had left it: resting behind the door, smugly staring with its non existent eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit late for playing hero, baby girl? Get out of here, get lost! Let¡¯s not waste anyone¡¯s time here.¡±


    I am NOT going to talk to you!


    Gabrielle spat on the floor, angry and rude, rubbing both hands together for a moment as she approached the massive wooden tool.


    Don¡¯t let it intimidate you, Gabi: that thing is an inanimate object, and you are a human being. Teach it some respect!


    Two pale little hands squeezed the Mallet¡¯s handle and let their nails sink and cling to the wood. Gabrielle mentally counted, closing her eyes before taking a deep breath and lifting, now!


    Get up!! GET UP!!!


    The heavy rounded head of that wooden mallet barely abandoned the mud, before slamming right back down with an imaginary cackle.


    ¡°Is that it? Come on, silly filly! Go back to sleep and let some other, stronger girl take care of this!¡± The mallet laughed oh so loudly in Gabrielle¡¯s mind. ¡°I heard Amber can lift things pretty good!¡±


    Something in Gabrielle¡¯s chest bursts into flames right there, anger fueling her strength beyond her limits.


    No! I don¡¯t need her help, she¡¯s not stronger than me! She is not! You will come with me¡­!!


    Gabi snarled, pulling with all her might until the head of the mallet abandoned the ground, resting on her shoulder soon after. Its weight hurt, pushing down her bones, but Gabrielle was more than determined to carry it around: no one would dare to mess with a girl with a huge mallet, after all!


    Now be quiet and cooperate!


    ¡°Ohhh look at the big, scary baby! Put me down before you hurt yourself!¡± The mallet kept teasing. Gabrielle growled, but ignored the inanimate object¡¯s advice while kicking the door right out of her way, taking the first heavy steps back out into the rain.


    The sounds of the drops falling were much more annoying now with that helmet in place, but thunder and lightning had become but a mere nuisance with her partially obscured vision. It was perfect.


    All that was left was the walk to that trapdoor on the side of the chapel: the site of the impact. Gabrielle had to get in, check what happened, and then get out, simple as that. She just needed to make sure things were fine, she just needed to know things were still safe. And it had to be her who checked it.


    Because no one else was going to.

 Chapter 16: Of the Fall (Part 2)

    Baraqiel¡¯s heart pumped so hard, so loudly, that they could feel their entire body shake with each throb. Time had slowed down to a crawl as the Demiurge¡¯s mighty frame fell on its back, his grasp on both the candle and his own situation completely failing him. It was all blurry for the young Angel, their own thumbs sinking so hard into the man¡¯s eyes, something deep inside of the child just yearning to hear them pop¡­ their own little shoulder angel managed to barely steer them away from that.


    Don¡¯t go crazy now! Get up!


    The whole dungeon shook for a second, just another man-made tremor disturbing the night. Baraqiel¡¯s hands retreated for a moment¨C only to immediately go back to scratch the hell out of their captor¡¯s face.


    Get a hold of yourself, damn it!!


    There was no use: months of pent up anger and hatred were fueling them right then and there, so Baraqiel was little more than a puppet to their boiling emotions. Snarling, screaming, they unleashed their anger with such violence that soon blood splattered in little drops out of the open wounds, both on the man¡¯s face and on the child¡¯s body.


    But the surprise of the moment was passing. And with each moment, the Demiurge¡¯s stunned mind was closer to return, his huge hands shaking awake and trembling with newfound anger. Eager to grasp the fragile neck of a disrespectful child and simply snap it in half, like a twig.


    The rest of the children in cages were still completely stupefied, staring at the spectacle with a mix of awe, envy and fear. None dared to even move a finger, until suddenly an upstart figure among them grabbed the bars of their cage, and at the top of their lungs they screamed.


    ¡°The keys, Baraqiel! The keys!!¡±


    All hell broke loose then. It was the little push the rest of the captive children needed to join into screaming, shaking their chains, rattling their cages, trying to make as much noise as they could to push their companion out.


    ¡°Take them and run! Run, run now!!¡±


    The screams reverberated heavily in both Baraqiel and the old man¡¯s brains, echoing time and time again, loud enough to force the escaping angel out of their anger so they could actually look for the precious key. And there it was, hanging right from the Demiurge¡¯s belt. The kid¡¯s hand reached for it, grasping the keyring and pulling slightly, but it was tied to the belt¡¯s leather.


    Come on, pull harder, I¨C


    ¡°That is enough!!¡±


    It all happened faster than Baraqiel could even think. The Demiurge¡¯s anger reached a new level that night, as he violently stood up and pushed the disrespectful, upstart child away from himself.


    ¡°Quiet, all of you!! I will have order, you hear me!?!¡±


    Riiiip.


    Baraqiel could feel how the key on their hand ripped the flimsy piece of rope keeping them together, just as their body flew away and slammed straight against a cold, porous wall. They could also feel how something deep inside of their back moved and cracked loud enough to be heard.


    Not again¡­!


    As their body touched the ground again, they could barely feel the cold on their left leg: it was numbing again. And the Demiurge had his eyes now nailed on them, fire practically sparking out of their shaking irises.


    That numbness spreaded in an instant, going from Baraqiel¡¯s leg and soon taking over their entire body quicker than they could blink. But it wasn¡¯t from the injury, not at all: this time it was fear that was paralyzing them.


    Fear of the hulking man walking menacingly towards them, hands twitching, knuckles cracking.


    The other children fell silent once again, a few gasps escaping from the crew. This was it. Baraqiel tried to shake themselves awake once more, rubbing their legs and squinting their eyes on a useless attempt to close them, look away, do whatever they could to snap out of it. To no avail. The man was soon towering in front of the child, as Baraqiel could barely force themselves to stand.


    ¡°Why is it always you that causes me the most trouble, Baraqiel¡­?¡± The Demiurge¡¯s voice sounded grave, deep and full of resentment. ¡°Is this, what, the fifth vessel? Should I even bother with a sixth?¡±


    A huge hand squeezed Baraqiel¡¯s neck without any effort, wrapping thick and fat fingers all around their frame as if it was nothing at all. He didn¡¯t even put any strength into the hold, and the child could already feel the fear do the rest of the job emptying their lungs. The neck has always been such a tender, delicate and sensitive area of the human body: one of the most vital points in classical physiognomy, so helpless and fragile that the mind itself was wired up to always defend it at all costs. But that fight or flight response was far from perfect, and after being pushed so far¡­


    Baraqiel¡¯s brain simply could not process the sudden, desperate screams of their body blaring every single alarm at once.


    They could only grasp that hand, pathetically clawing at it while the Deminuge lifted them like cattle, chosen for that night¡¯s feast.


    ¡°All trouble and barely no results, maybe this is a sign from the Gods?¡± the man frowned as his hand began to squeeze harder. ¡°That you are simply not worth it.¡±


    Air was no longer reaching Baraqiel¡¯s chest, their body already aching from it all, their legs shaking uselessly above the ground. The despair tainted it all in that barely lit dungeon, and in the middle of it all, the angel could only think of a single phrase. A plea, as if it would do them any good now.


    ¡°Please let me go¡­¡±


    Baraqiel closed their eyes, finally. Their legs dangled immobile, hands letting go slowly of the man¡¯s choke hold, resignation finally washing ashore on the angel¡¯s mind. And as darkness finally took it all¡­


    A pair of little hands suddenly grabbed a hold of the old man¡¯s hair, pulling him closer to the cages to his left. And then, that same trembling, nasal voice from before screamed ever harder than before, to the point where it clearly destroyed their throat in the process.


    ¡°Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!!¡±


    The word extended as much as the child could hold it,the high pitch being enough to force the Demiurge to his knees as both hands now covered his ears. Baraqiel¡¯s feet finally touched the ground once more, and the kid coughed and gasped desperately for precious fresh air. They would even puke at this point if there was anything left in them to puke.


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    ¡°Don¡¯t just stay there, run! Run, Baraqiel!!¡±


    The rest of the children in cages went back to their frenzy of screaming and jumping, shaking, demanding attention. Meanwhile, the escaped angel simply nodded, and taking the chance of that new rush, they turned right around and pushed themselves against the door, jamming the key so hard in its lock that it almost felt like stabbing. The machinery inside groaned and creaked by the force.


    Just as the hulking man was recovering his ground, Baraqiel managed to open the door. They didn¡¯t even try to look back, for the fear was still way too fresh in their mind to even try and tempt fate like that. With speed that they never even knew they had, the child slid right out into the dark before slamming that door shut. And locking the door.


    Only to quickly throw the key into the pitch black room around them.


    ¡°BARAQIEL, OPEN UP THIS INSTANT!!¡±


    The child tried to lay against the closed door for a moment, if only to recover their breath, but the violent shaking and banging literally pushed them off onto the floor. A furious Demiurge was using all of his strength to try and force his own safety door open. The cobblestone on this floor was just like the one inside, and Baraqiel made sure to take a bit of solace in that fact as they listened up to the old man¡¯s desperate screams.


    ¡­ They could barely hear them from outside.


    Gods that¡¯s terrifying.


    To think that they suffered so much and the sound could barely escape was a horrible thought! No wonder no one had ever even tried to come for them, did anyone even know they were in here?


    But where is here exactly?


    Baraqiel had heard the rumors from children who came from this room next door, but they never really imagined seeing it with their own eyes. It smelled¡­ different, from their own little Hell beyond that shaking door.  Much more strange, acidic, a mixture of urine and that spicy liquid the man used to clean after them. As if this place needed even more of it to keep it spotless.


    Or, not actually spotless. As vision returned to the child¡¯s eyes, they could see stains of blood, soot and brown on two wide looking stone slabs. Their version of the Spire had a much smaller mechanism, but it was connected to bigger surfaces¨C the metallic tendrils were the same though, even if there were less of them.


    Looking further away from it all, the Angel saw bookshelves, counters with many bottles, rags and tools, and an even heavier looking metal door. Baraqiel swallowed a bit, there was no way the key they just threw away was the same for that one anyways, so there was no way of opening it.


    Did they escape only to find another trap? A room with no escape at all!? The kid felt their hands balling up, anger and frustration once again pumping so hard that it made their little body shake, and then¨C


    A sound. A gentle whistle.


    Baraqiel opened their eyes, quieting down and ignoring the loud banging of the door, trying to focus on that sound. It was so, so low they could barely perceive it, but it was definitely there, accompanied by the feeling of something caressing the back of their neck. A coldness that they hadn¡¯t felt in so long.


    Wind.


    A hole!?


    Turning right on their heels, the kid could distinguish something different in the darkness. Something that was shaking just like the door they escaped from, but it was a bit too flimsy to make much noise. There was a short stairway, leading straight to a trapdoor! And judging by how it was shaking, the trapdoor was both fragile and connected straight to the surface.


    An exit¡­ I did it. I actually did it¡­!!


    Baraqiel¡¯s heart soared, their legs moving slowly as they approached their ticket home. Had the strength finally abandoned them? Had they gone completely mad? No. They were simply lost in that feeling, that euphoria they hadn¡¯t felt in so long. Glee, excitement, all kinds of positive emotion from such a little opportunity. They were still a kid, after all, away from things such as chronic pessimism.


    There it is, right there! I just need to break through and that¡¯s the end! Never again!! That guy won¡¯t be able to stop me or even touch me ever again! Never, ever again!!


    Despite it all, Baraqiel had never felt as young as they did in that precise instant, while the winds picked up around them, and the world itself felt so small, so unimportant. Not even the echoes of the door behind them mattered at all.


    Not even when the door broke.


    This is it, forever!! He can do whatever he wants, he won''t be able to stop me! Never again!!


    Never again¡­!!


    ¡ª


    The reinforced wooden door finally broke after one last desperate, furious charge. As the splinters flew all around me and the metal joints finally gave up in trying to stop me, I swore to all the Gods listening that I would grab that miserable angel by the wings, and squeeze the life out of them myself.


    ¡°Baraqiel, come back here right this instant!!¡±


    I don¡¯t even know why I bother calling, they will not come back. Not on their own, at least. Ohh, but when I grab them, I will make sure the next Baraqiel has no ways to even move without me noticing. This has gone way too far.


    If only the blood vessels in the legs were not so vital to the whole ordeal, I would break the vessel¡¯s ankles every time we receive a new one.


    My eyes dart from side to side, trying to ignore the poor state of my w orkshop. The sisters were slacking off again, stains here and there were terrible for the process, they contaminated the air and the miasma expelled by them was sure to make our results even worse. I try hard not to think about it, but I will definitely make them hear about this tomorrow morning.


    But that¡¯s not the point now. Right now, Baraqiel was on the loose¡­. There is no way that kid could open the safety gate, not without the key, and they have no idea where we put anything in this room. They couldn¡¯t hide forever, not in such a small room, so that only leaves¨C


    ¡°That blasted trapdoor¡­!!¡±


    When I turned around to pounce upon the kid¡¯s way, something gently pushes me back. Wind? Is the door already open? Zephyrs danced in the air, getting thicker and heavier with a luminous energy, to the point where I can literally see them flowing against my body like a river of light.


    My hands tremble, I start sweating. There is no way the kid activated my Spire on their own, they had no idea of the process OR the specific incantations required. But then, where did this come from?


    The kid. The Angel.


    They were standing right in front of the trap door, fully immobile yet spreading their energies through the entire room. It was growing heavier, stronger, pushing from the depths of their soul and now, once again, free in our reality.


    Magic. The essence of all creation. Finally, within my grasp!


    The vessel was shining brightly, their eyes closed. No doubt about it: they were seeing a Rune, the projection from the Tree of Origins, the legendary voice of the Gods was being heard once more!


    I try to raise my voice above the howling winds, standing my ground right then and there.


    ¡°Baraqiel!! What is that you see!? What is that you feel deep within!?¡± I begged to the Angel. The old scriptures said that by merely witnessing this, the holy Inspiration would come right at me as well¡­ but I felt nothing.


    Something was missing.


    ¡°Tell me, oh great one! What is that you have learned!? Share this gift with the world! Give this gift to me, I command you!¡±


    But the Angel was not answering. Not until I approached more, my hand squeezing the vessel¡¯s body and shaking it to demand its attention.


    ¡°Baraqiel!!¡±


    The Angel then whispers something, something I cannot grasp. I try to shake them harder, to get them closer, but the winds push me back.


    Until finally, they turn around! I see their lips moving, their eyes illuminated! Their Ascended voice speaks and I see¨C


    ¡°Never again.¡±


    A flash of light engulfed it all, right then. Force without comparison, pushing in all directions at once. And the sound of thunder, announcing lightning flying right back at the cruel, raining skies

 Chapter 17: Of the Fall (Part 3)

    By the moment the Demiurge managed to open his eyes, darkness had reclaimed his workshop, and the smell of burnt wood and fresh rain had conquered it all in his decimated room. His first concern was the Spire, where was it!? Had it been hit by the explosion!? And for that matter, what was that blast of light to begin with! And where was he, right now?


    Where did Baraqiel go?


    His body still ached when he forced himself up, patting the now warm stone around him. The furious energies had pushed his bulbous frame all the way back to a corner of the now shaken room, right besides the Spire¡¯s Core. After a quick, frantic examination, Enrico determined that every little cog was still in place, and the Amber Heart had not been damaged in the explosion. The cables were still in one piece, which was also great news, but the stone slabs were broken down¡­


    Well, it was still enough relief to make the man sigh. Stone can be procured, but steel wires were expensive, and pure Amber was rare. Overall, it could be worse, not considering the scrambled notes all around the floor, getting wet by the rain that still drizzled in through the hole that used to be a trap door. The ink would get all messy, the record of the man¡¯s failures was getting even harder to look at by the second


    But that hole, it was a reminder of a much more pressing issue: a vessel had escaped, and not only that, it had somehow stolen a Rune without sharing it with its true owner first. All this work, the first real success in his whole investigation, and it all was slipping right through the man¡¯s fingers.


    He couldn¡¯t allow it. He couldn¡¯t just let Baraqiel roam Jericho now, not only because of anger but also out of responsibility: the vessel was a danger to itself, and to all around it now.


    Once again Enrico forced himself to his feet, rubbing his shoulders gently to try and ease their pain, and then pushing one of the few counters that still remained standing, covering the entrance to the Main Sanctum so no other vessels get ideas from this one upstart.


    ¡°If any of you little bastards even thinks about moving right now, I swear on the gods I will open you like the pigs you are!!!¡±


    The Demiurge kept trying to keep a cold, rational mind above it all, but there was no use: his wrath knew no bounds at this point. Each trotting step he took on the way out of the broken down workshop felt heavier and angrier, as he jumped over pieces of wood and debris and felt the cold water showering him.


    It only made him more furious.


    ¡°Baraqiel! Come back here this instant! Baraqiel!!¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how long he had been unconscious, but it was still dark outside, and there was no way the child had gone too far. As the rain started to die down, the stupid vessel would probably feel confident and slow down¨C that¡¯s when he would get it, right in the neck, before anyone could see.


    The world was not ready for Enrico¡¯s studies, they would never understand. He needed to censor this leak quickly, before it was too late and he had to simply start over again. After all, he was way too old to do this a third time: this was his last chance.


    And as he ran into the forest, he promised to himself that even if it costs his life, this experiment would see the results he had been waiting for oh so long, no matter what. No one could stop him now¡­


    ¡ª


    The rain had been steadily dying out for the last few minutes, and the entire chapel was slowly being engulfed once again by the eerie silence of night. Not a creature dared to break the quiet, knowing too well that this was the time predator loved the most: a moment of apparent safety, perfect to jump upon unsuspecting, hopeful prey.


    It felt like this silence would last forever, until a small, fragile body fell right down from a tree, oh so close to the Chapel¡¯s side. It was quite the big splash, but not big enough for people to take much notice! They probably assumed it was a squirrel or a particularly unskilled bird. Baraqiel let out a deep, shaky breath once their body was back on the ground; the impact was too heavy on their poor back, the muddy water stung hard on their many wounds, and they had been as tense as the sails of a small ship for this entire time.


    They had the chance to simply run straight into the forest, forsake it all, find shelter, but something deep down inside of the Angel¡¯s mind had pulled all strings at once to stop them.


    Think about it, that¡¯s the first damn place he will look! You need a break, now!


    There was no way they could outrun the Demiurge, no matter how long he remained knocked out (Which, honestly, couldn¡¯t be for that long). Even if they tried with all of their might, exhaustion was quickly spreading all over them after¡­ well¡­


    Uh¡­ what exactly did happen¡­?


    Baraqiel stopped thinking about how they had resorted to the same strategies an opossum would use, trying to focus on the explosion of before. The lights brimming from deep within, the wind picking up. The Rune, shining bright in their mind.


    Curiosity tempted them to try and summon that light again, but rational thinking was still strong despite it all.


    If I try it again, it will happen again, but I have no idea how it works or how tiring it will be now¡­


    Whatever it was that they did, it had sucked the energies right out of them, to the point where they couldn¡¯t even move a muscle now. They had barely been able to climb the tree in the first place, and to remain there for long enough to let the old man run past, but now¡­


    This was it. This was as far  as they could reach. It had been a great attempt, but as soon as the fat bastard found them, it would be the end.


    So, with a proverbial sword hanging right above their neck, and no more strength left to move out of its way, Baraqiel decided to simply embrace its fall with as much peace as they could. Enjoying the fresh air, knowing the damage they had done to the Demiurge¡¯s work, and feeling the storm slowly turning into a drizzle was more than enough from life, or at least that¡¯s what they wanted to convince themself of.


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    A more cynical mind would even consider the possibility of just ending it all, escape the claws of their torturer before they returned, and it would be silly to think there weren¡¯t whispers of that idea in the child¡¯s mind, but suicide is not exactly a natural thought in the psyche of a little kid, at least, not this one. The idea was too foreign.


    They simply closed their eyes, and waited for their fate to arrive.


    With the falling rain finally coming to a stop, and cold air brushing against their chest, fear soon started to sublimate and dissipate around the child like their steaming sweat.


    Things will be fine after. I know they will.


    There was an odd certainty in their mind: the worst part had already passed, and despite tragedy, all that is to come will be for the better. Baraqiel had no proof of this, but they didn¡¯t have any doubts either.


    The drizzling rain kept them distracted, deeply relaxed, oddly fine with their incoming demise, and then they heard the steps. Heavy, slow, headed right their way. Fear struck them again, but only for a moment; Baraqiel was quick to smother the flames of panic with a deep breath.


    Lo que ser¨¢, ser¨¢.


    ¡°Whatever it may be, it will be¡±. A little phrase Baraqiel had caught in the ramblings of the Demiurge, something they never thought about again until now of all times¨C it brought them a resignation so heavy, they almost felt pity for the person who came up with it in the first place.


    They wondered if someone would pity them now.


    I just hope it is quick.


    And so, the child waited for the feeling of those huge, callous hands squeezing their neck again. They waited for the cracking of their bones, the lack of air and the pain of their head coming soon after. They waited for it all.


    But none of it came.


    Baraqiel waited for what they considered long enough, even counting up to thirty before losing their patience. The steps had stopped all of a sudden, and the kid could hear him breathe heavily and warily, he was right there!


    Almost feeling offended, the Angel opened their eyes. Only to see a small, pale figure covered in white rags, donning a pot on their head and carrying a mace almost as big as they were, breathing slowly and deeply like an angry bull.


    As thunder crashed and echoed far, far away, Baraqiel rediscovered fear that night.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Give it up already, you dumb baby! How much do you want to hurt your shoulders??¡±


    The teasing, mean mallet never really stopped mocking Gabrielle as she walked, grunted and made her way from the backyard and around the chapel. The trap door was on the kitchen side of it all, it took a bit of a walk to get to, but the girl had never noticed until that very moment, as the wooden shaft crushed her shoulders.


    The earth really did tremble with each step she took, her feet now sinking deeper into the mud with each step she took. If only she had shoes, this would be much faster and it would certainly feel much less disgusting.


    At least the rain was starting to die down, Gabi could feel it in how the raindrops started to hit her ¡°helmet¡± with less and less intensity, the constant drumming on the metal surface finally starting to end as well.


    As much as she wanted to convince herself to not mind it, the echoing rain was getting on her nerves.


    ¡°Perfect chance to put me down and pull me back into the shed, right buddy?¡±


    Gabrielle spat on the floor again.


    Be quiet, you.


    Feeling only more determined than before, Gabrielle¡¯s steps grew longer, more confident and faster. She felt like nothing could really stop her now, and she felt like no matter what fate was in store, she and her mallet would be able to conquer it all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rope me into your dumb ideas, girl!¡±


    The teasing of the mallet soon turned into a nervous, invisible tugging, trying to get Gabi to turn right around as she reached the corner of the chapel. But no, she would not be deterred! She would press on, and deal with the truth no matter what it may be!


    And what was it?


    With a new step, Gabrielle finally could see¡­ charred ground, and a huge hole where the trapdoor used to be.


    Her body froze in place for a second. Ideas were pushing violently against each other, growling and biting like hungry wolves as they tried to be the first one for Gabrielle to process: lightning did struck, or maybe something exploded, was this actually the actions of a human, would the mallet be enough for this one, had she gone to the bathroom before coming here?


    Taking a loud, dry gulp, Gabrielle pressed on, closer and closer to the site of impact. The earth still felt warmer in there, not enough to hurt her feet but hot enough to notice. And it only got hotter the more she approached.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be strong enough for this, girl? Because let me tell you, I am plenty flammable!¡±


    Gabi didn¡¯t remember where she heard that word, surprisingly, but she had a bit of a grasp of what it meant: it meant that if the mallet gets hot enough, it would catch fire like anything else. The idea stressed her even more, as obvious as it could have been before.


    But she refused to stop. There was something else in the vicinity. Someone else.


    Laying down on the floor, right besides a tree. The figure was clearly human but, at the same time, it felt a bit too thin to really be one. And all of those red spots on their skin, burning, bleeding wounds¨C or, well, maybe not wounds. Maybe they were more than that.


    Maybe they were eyes.


    A crater. A creature laying down, wounded, bleeding. The rain had stopped soon after it all¡­


    Connections were made in the girl¡¯s mind at prodigious speeds, her body paralyzed by such brain power, while the angel gave her a sudden look. Had they always known she was there!? Did they hear her, or did they just know?


    Gabrielle¡¯s lips parted, as suddenly it all made sense. This was not the work of a man, it was the work of this being.


    An Angel, breaking things by accident when they fell right from the sky.


    ¡°Bloody blazes¡­¡± Mumbled the girl, swearing now out of any other time, right in front of an angel! And quickly feeling self conscious about it.


    But the Angel didn¡¯t seem to mind. They took a deep breath, eyes darting around in their unknowable face, before they spoke with a gurgling, tired voice.


    ¡°Please¡­ help me.¡±

 Chapter 18: Of an Escape (Part 1)

    The rain had died down, soon turning into the most annoying kind of drizzle: the kind that felt soft on the skin, but was somehow able to soak anyone to the bone in a matter of seconds. Like a sucker punch from the skies, an insidious kind of rain pretending to be innocent and refreshing.


    In this traitorous climate, one was supposed to seek shelter immediately, unless they really had a sort of deathwish. And yet, Gabrielle stood completely still, staring at the creature down in front of her with a mix of awe and fear squeezing her joints in place.


    Baraqiel stared right back at her, first with fear, and then with growing annoyance. Was this girl really going to just look at them and do nothing? In the middle of a storm? With a pursuer still so close to them, the young ¡°angel¡± didn¡¯t have the time to just wait and rest on the muddy floor!


    ¡°Where¡­ where did you come from?¡±


    The girl¡¯s voice finally spoke up, and the words just made Baraqiel¡¯s impatience grow harder to ignore. Asking these sorts of questions!? Now, of all times!? When they were bleeding out in the rain?! What sort of idiot was this girl!? It was just their luck, to find an exit only to have to depend on a girl with air in the head!


    ¡­No, wait. That¡¯s just mean.


    A little sigh escaped the kid¡¯s lips as they closed their eyes for a moment. They needed to reel it back, the fear and exhaustion were getting the best of them, this girl hadn¡¯t done a thing to deserve such thoughts! Baraqiel mentally chastised themselves, thinking¡­


    For a moment I was just like that Demiurge man, wasn¡¯t I?


    They would apologize for that later, though. Kind or not, they didn¡¯t have the time to wait or to explain things¨C but then, how to make this girl understand their urgency!? Looks alone were clearly not working, and yelling at her would be mean, unproductive, and worst of all: it would attract the attention of the Demiurge, right back at them.


    An idea came to Baraqiel, just then. A hunch, something they couldn¡¯t even think about before just doing it: the kid slowly rose a single hand towards this girl, and looked right into her eyes.


    Gabrielle winced, had she made this angel mad? Was she going to be punished for making dumb questions? Maybe it WAS a dumb question, but she really wanted to know! She waited for a flick or a slap¡­ but it never came. Curious, slowly opening her eyes, Gabi would see the hand open and just, waiting instead. The look in the Angel¡¯s eyes, she couldn¡¯t really understand.


    But the way they were holding the hand out, gently inviting her to take it¨C that much Gabrielle knew, it was the same gesture Sister Arianna made to tell her to hold her hand and go out for things in town! Gabi did not let others touch her, at least not if she could avoid it; it always felt uncomfortable, too close, too warm or too cold¡­ but, if they asked for it, for some reason it felt better? Or, at least not as bad.


    She was getting distracted again.


    After staring at the inviting hand for a good while, she finally dared to carefully hold it with her own. And then, she felt it: cold, trembling skin, thin and brittle bones¨C fear, and hunger. It was obvious now, in the way they moved, that this angel was very badly wounded! The bleeding of their eyes was painful¡­ wait, maybe it wasn¡¯t even natural at all!


    It all clicked just then: this angel had been struck down, and now they were not looking for a chat or some mysterious, important quest. They just needed a place to lay down, and rest.


    Gabrielle carefully let go of the child¡¯s hand, before smacking herself on the back of the head-pot.


    ¡°O-Oh, I see now! I am so sorry, your highness! Wait, no, your Principalityness? Your Angelicness¡­¡± How did one even refer to an Angel!? There was nothing about this in the Prologues! Gabrielle¡¯s inner voice chastised her again.


    There¡¯s no time for this!! Help them!!


    ¡°Ah, yes! Yes! Sorry your Angelicness, this will take but a moment!¡±


    The mallet on Gabi¡¯s shoulders suddenly lost all importance and weight! She simply threw it away as if it was light like a twig, ignoring the heavy ¡°plunk!¡± it made as it fell and splashed on the side. Baraqiel stared, eyes wide open, jaw about to fall. Best not to make her angry, they thought.


    ¡°Excuse me, your muddiness!¡±


    ¡°Huh??¡±


    Before they could protest, Baraqiel was suddenly lifted and carried on the girl¡¯s back, almost hitting their head with the pot this Gabi was donning. They grumbled to themselves, maybe the girl had taken his gesture as authorization to treat him like a sack of potatoes!?


    ¡°Your wetness, you are incredibly light! Are you using magic to become easier to carry?! It¡¯s like carrying a chicken¡­¡±


    Gabrielle¡¯s voice betrayed her intense admiration by the fact that the kid weighed much less than she thought, but to Baraqiel (and the world at large, really), the only emotions in this girl could be seen in her eyes: her voice only felt a bit louder now.


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    And something about being compared to a chicken bruised the ¡°angel¡±¡¯s ego in a way they didn¡¯t even think possible. They didn¡¯t even know they had a pride to be hurt at all!


    ¡°...Sure.¡± They finally said, lying to the girl¡¯s teeth.


    ¡°I see!¡±


    Silence. Gabi didn¡¯t have anything to add and simply stood in place for a moment to keep her thoughts in order before starting to walk.


    ¡°Can we hurry¡­?¡± Baraqiel dared to ask.


    ¡°For sure, your featherweight-ness!¡±


    Baraqiel grumbled a bit louder but decided to simply embrace those names for now. No real need to correct this kid until they were safe, they would have plenty of time then, right?


    Well, yes. But they also seemed to have plenty of time right then.


    As the winds blew and the drizzle fell, Gabrielle was doing her best to hurriedly walk around the Chapel. After all, it would take them a bit to get to the main entrance and back into safety! And that meant a long, uncomfortable silence.


    ¡°So, um. What is your name?¡±


    Baraqiel knew this was not the time to talk. But it had been so long since they saw a new face, especially one that still felt this silly and, well, childlike. A child acting like an actual child! The thought alone was refreshing to them, so they couldn¡¯t resist!


    ¡°Gabrielle.¡± The girl answered quickly and dry, adding nothing more to it.


    The ¡°angel¡± sighed, defeated. It was alright, maybe the kid was shy? Or maybe she just didn¡¯t want to speak much to an angel, or something like that. Religious folk were odd like that, and hard to deal with.


    They had lost all hope, when suddenly the girl spoke once again.


    ¡°May I ask for your name as well, your multi-eyed-ness?¡±


    It was an overly long way to say it, this girl had a serious problem with words! But that spark of interest, that hint of curiosity coming from this stoic, pot-headed girl? It gave Baraqiel life.


    ¡°Some call me Baraqiel¡±.


    The ¡°angel¡± was trying their best not to make that odd, made-up name too much of a big deal, but a perfectly timed thunder shook everything in the night for a second, to the point that the girl had to stop her march and take a deep breath.


    There go all hopes of making this a casual conversation, thought the ¡°angel¡±, bitterly.


    ¡°Does¡­¡± Gabrielle swallowed, trying to contain her fear. ¡°Does that mean something?¡±


    Baraqiel took a deep breath to answer, before realizing that they weren¡¯t really sure! For them, that name was only a bunch of jumbled letters kidnapped and pushed together into a word the Demiurge had made up for them, with no context or meaning behind them.


    It was not like they had to pretend they were an ¡°angel¡± anyways, whatever that meant or implied. That was a delusion shared by this girl and the Demiurge, after all!


    But then, what if the girl suddenly lost all interest in saving them after the truth was revealed? It¡¯s not like they could know, they didn¡¯t know this girl at all! She was as unpredictable as they came.


    Then, what? Should they simply make something up on the spot!?


    With a heavy sigh, Baraqiel decided to just try their luck, let it all out and see what happened. After all, if a detail like that was enough to make the girl lose all faith and not want to help them anymore, then she definitely couldn¡¯t be trusted at all.


    ¡°...I have no idea.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Silence. The girl didn¡¯t move at all. Baraqiel closed his eyes and clung a little more to her, before feeling how she turned. And when they finally looked, they saw the girl doing their best to smile at him. It was a bit awkward, the way her lip lifted to the side like a sort of tick, but it was a very honest attempt.


    ¡°It is fine, your absent-mindedness. I do not know what ¡®Gabrielle¡¯ means either!¡±.


    Was this the third or fourth time they sighed in quick succession? Baraqiel was not taking count of that at least. But they did feel the relief of it, knowing that there was some odd sense of empathy coming from this girl.


    It almost felt as if she was trying to comfort him for this fact. All because, unknown to Baraqiel, Gabrielle had been teased endlessly for things that she was ¡°supposed to know¡±, yet seemed to forget. The meaning of her name, her age, unimportant trivia from the Prologues of the Saints that she just couldn¡¯t memorize for some reason?


    She knew what it was like to be ¡°ignorant¡± and ¡°silly¡±, and wanted to reassure the Angel that it was alright. She wouldn¡¯t tease them at all.


    And a bit of this silly empathy was rubbing on Baraqiel as well. They couldn¡¯t help but smile back, nodding slightly. There was this sort of complicity, between two children in the middle of the night, both ignorant of the meaning behind their names.


    This was very silly, of course, so Baraqiel tried not to dwell too much on it now.


    ¡°Did your parents never tell you?¡±


    Despite all they had gone through, Baraqiel still clung to the idea that a child was supposed to have parents to take care of them. I must be just a bad, unfortunate case, they tried to think.


    ¡°No, your dampness. Never really met them. The Nuns didn¡¯t say a thing about it either, much less Father.¡±


    Gabrielle didn¡¯t think much of the question either. People seemed to talk about ¡°parents¡± a lot, even in the books the nuns read to her, so maybe she was the weird one without them, right? If the angel asked, then it was the norm, right??


    But that answer was certainly odd to Baraqiel. ¡°Father¡±? She didn¡¯t mean her parents, because she had made it clear she didn¡¯t meet them; what kind of person was this Father, then? Something religious too? Something from these lands?


    Where were they, anyway!? Questions for later.


    ¡°I think that the name is to honor the Prologue of Saint Gaibrael? An interesting one, really! But not my favorite at all. It was boring, but interesting, but boring. Do you agree, your bleeding-ness?¡±


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ sure, yes.¡±


    No religion talk, this was something Baraqiel soon decided. They didn¡¯t know much of it, and considering the place they had been during the past months, they really didn¡¯t want to get into these sorts of topics now or for a very long while.


    Besides, the risk of offending this girl by offhandedly saying something stupid was way too high, so they needed to deflect, as soon as possible.


    And by thinking of ways to change the topic, Baraqiel casually stumbled upon a crucial question. One they should have asked before.


    ¡°Where are we going anyways, Gabrielle?¡±


    ¡°Into Saint Loretto Chapel, your shivering-ness. You will be safe and sound there, no one ever comes around during weekdays!¡±


    The blood pumping in Baraqiel¡¯s neck suddenly froze solid, their body tensing up, their eyes opening wider and wider. No, it couldn¡¯t be, right?


    But it was.


    This entire time they were not walking away from this wretched building, but right around it. The girl was taking him back in! And once inside, it was a matter of time before the Demiurge snatched him away again¡­


    This was bad. Very bad.

 Chapter 19: Of an Escape (Part 2)

    Time was of the essence. Baraqiel couldn¡¯t waste a single second, but their mind was doing circles on itself! They really should stop Gabrielle, but staying in one place meant that the Demiurge could find them much, much more easily; but following their current route was leading them straight to him! But then, what to do!? As the girl carried them, the ¡°angel¡± decided to try and tug on her for a bit.


    Plan A: Logic.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we go to your house instead? It can¡¯t be that far away!¡± First, trying to appeal to the girl¡¯s logic. She couldn¡¯t be that daft, right!?¡°I live right here in the chapel, your small-ness. Do not be afraid, you will be safe there.¡±


    Strike one!


    Logic wouldn¡¯t save them, because logic was actively working against them now! Baraqiel¡¯s mind drifted loudly, trying to steer the conversation away from ¡°home¡± now, but how!?


    Plan B: Sincerity.


    I could always tell her of that bastard¡­


    The easy choice, but what if this girl was working in tandem with the Demiurge? She did live with him, after all! Well, maybe it was because of fear or endearment, but Baraqiel was really praying that wasn¡¯t the case. Their heart wouldn¡¯t be able to take a betrayal like that, not now. Besides, if she really did know of the experiments, why would she be so determined to help them instead of calling for the Demiurge directly?


    No matter. Things weren¡¯t as easy as taking that leap of faith now, no matter what arguments the child had.


    So, plan C. Bargain!


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s best to go somewhere else? A place with fewer people¡­¡±


    Barracks, a hospice, a gods damned tavern! The child did not care at all, as long as it wasn¡¯t that church abandoned by any sense of love and/or sanity.


    ¡°The closest place like that is Gwynedd. The city doesn¡¯t have lots of people¡­ but it is very far away, your shivering-ness. You will freeze before we get there.¡±


    Strike two!


    Baraqiel felt the need to smack themself in the face. Of course! It made sense in the most disgusting way: why would the Demiurge do his terrible experiments anywhere close to other humans that could intervene? He was insane, but he wasn¡¯t stupid: he knew people would feel disgusted by his tirades.


    That would also explain why no one ever came to check for them¡­


    Alright then, plan D! Fear!


    ¡°Are you sure the Father of this Chapel will like the idea of you bringing someone home¡­?¡±


    Yes, the Demiurge may act and pretend all he wanted, but there were things impossible to hide from others: and that man just exuded aggression. There¡¯s no way his violent, vindictive nature was a secret for this girl, even if she didn¡¯t know of the experiments at all!


    ¡°Father doesn¡¯t like many things.¡± The girl stated, matter-of-factly. ¡°He will probably yell at me, or kick me, but I can take it. As soon as I tell him you¡¯re an angel, you will be fine.¡±


    Strike three! Wanna try again?


    For a second, Baraqiel had to stop and recognize this girl¡¯s spunk. It took a special, endearing kind of dumb to put yourself in the line for a perfect stranger, and the kid wasn¡¯t sure if they should feel happy or devastated by this. At least it was a way to confirm she wasn¡¯t working with the guy.


    But all these positive feelings were flushed away by the realization that they were growing closer to the corner of the chapel, and the entrance was probably there, waiting for them.


    Plan E! Just¡­ uhm¡­ make something up!


    ¡°Gabrielle, wait! I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­ allergic to churches!!!¡±


    The angel yelled a bit louder than they intended, just blurting out the first thing that came to mind. And surprisingly, this did work! The girl stopped all motions for a second, blinking slowly and processing those words.


    Until.


    ¡°...What does ¡°allergic¡± mean, your wordy-ness?¡±


    ¡­Sigh.


    Yeah. That one¡¯s on me.


    With a feeling of defeat over their shoulders, and taking the chance, Baraqiel decided that there was literally no point in making up complicated lies. Gabrielle would either not-understand them or power through them with her well-intentioned determination.


    So. Back to plan B: Spit it, Baraqiel.


    ¡°Gabrielle. I cannot go in there. Please.¡±


    ¡°Why not.¡±


    The girl went straight to the point, and Baraqiel was convinced it was the only way Gabi knew how to talk to others. With a slow, deep breath, they decided to stick to the truth. But, how to break that truth to this girl? Was she innocent enough to be harmed by these images? Couldn¡¯t be the case, if she looked at them in such a sorry state and immediately assumed they were an ¡°angel¡± of sorts.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Have you ever heard screams in your chapel, Gabrielle?¡±


    ¡ª


    The girl narrowed her eyes for a moment there, meditating on her answer carefully. Screams? The other girls were incredibly noisy, running around from side to side while laughing and fighting with each other, and the nuns often yelled at them for it! But that couldn¡¯t be what the Angel meant, right? Then¡­


    Wait¡­ could it be, did they mean her screams¡­?


    Now hold on a second, Gabi. You¡¯re not supposed to speak of the Basement, to anyone. Or the Father will know.


    Doubts started to cloud the girl¡¯s world, like the storm that raged all around them a few moments ago. The Father had been intense in his effort to make one thing clear: talking about the Basement was bad, and it didn¡¯t matter what, when or why, she was not supposed to say a thing! Or else she would be punished.


    Or worse: she would never Ascend like the others.


    While the physical rain had died down so much that one could feel the weakest rays of moonlight, Gabrielle¡¯s brain had its very own thunderbolts and lightning.


    The Angel spoke again.


    ¡°Have you ever been in the room under the Chapel, Gabrielle?¡±


    Gabi¡¯s body tensed even harder, feeling hard as stone. The punishment: a slap, a hit, or a kick. They didn¡¯t hurt, or at least that¡¯s what the girl tried to repeat over and over to herself to not make a sound: they didn¡¯t hurt, no matter how swollen her spots get, no matter how red, black or blue, they didn¡¯t hurt.


    And yet she felt afraid, trembling, her breathing starting to pick up louder, and louder.


    They¡¯re testing you, they really are testing you. If you say a word they will tell on you. But if you don¡¯t, you will be lying to an Angel. This is a test for a wicked girl, for a bad witch!


    ¡ª


    Gabrielle¡¯s facade of neutrality broke down right in front of Baraqiel¡¯s eyes, her lack of emotions pushed aside by overwhelming fear and stress. The breathing, the way she bit her lower lip, her body refusing to budge. The ¡°angel¡± had seen it all before, they had felt it all too. The paralyzing horror of incoming punishment, fear of pain and consequences away from their control.


    This girl was not an accomplice to the Demiurge: she was but another victim, in some more insidious way.


    ¡°Hey¡­ hey, Gabrielle. Listen to me.¡± The Angel spoke softly, almost in a whisper, their hand rubbing the girl¡¯s back. ¡°You are not in trouble¡­ alright? I am not going to tell Him anything. I promise.¡±


    The words took a moment to echo deep enough in the girl¡¯s psyche, the deepest breath flowing out of her lungs. Relief was returning to her, but Baraqiel could tell from a single glimpse into her eyes that this wasn¡¯t enough.


    So they whispered again, uttering words they always wanted to hear.


    ¡°I am on your side, alright? I am with you.¡±


    ¡ª


    On my side.


    Gabrielle¡¯s skin was so tense it hurt, as if someone was pulling from all possible directions, squeezing the girl within. But these words made it stop, slowly, forcing her body to wind down and her thoughts to come to a very sudden stop. On her side, with her. Some kids had tried to tell this lie to her before! Some nuns too, mostly to get her to tell on other girls.


    But this felt different¡­ mostly because of the way Baraqiel spoke. They didn¡¯t yell, they didn¡¯t sting with their words at all, never rushing or hitting her. Maybe it was, again, because she had covered her terrible hair from the Angel¡¯s sight, but this wouldn¡¯t be enough to hide it from them right?


    Maybe¡­ maybe they were actually on her side. And maybe she could trust them.


    With pain abandoning the girl¡¯s limbs, and the rain stopping for good that night, Gabi took a deep breath and spoke, feeling the calm return to her face.


    ¡°Yes, your kindness. I have been in the Basement many times but¡­ I am sorry. I have never been able to properly do it.¡± She confessed. ¡°I cannot ascend no matter what I try.¡±


    ¡°Ascend?¡± Baraqiel blinked softly.


    ¡°Yes, your highness. I always wake up back in my bed after feeling the light in my body.¡±


    Gabrielle could feel a shift in the ¡°angel¡±¡¯s stance, but couldn¡¯t really put a name or reason to it. She simply couldn¡¯t understand, or maybe even see, the frustration and anger flowing into the kid¡¯s balled fists.


    To make it sound so grand and martyr-like. Baraqiel growled under their breath, pieces starting to connect and make much more sense now in their head. That¡¯s how that bastard keeps her quiet.


    After mulling on that feeling for a while, Baraqiel finally spoke up.


    ¡°So you have never been in the second room, then.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a second room?¡± Gabrielle¡¯s eyebrows rose. Clearly, there was a lot more to Ascension than she could ever understand. ¡°Is that where the Ascended go?¡±


    Baraqiel sighed, once again taking their time to talk. There was no way to soften that punch, so they may as well simply say it and be done with it.


    ¡°The ¡®Ascended¡¯ as you call them? They get pulled into that second room and connected to some bigger contraption. And then, they have to do this thing again, over and over, for days¡­¡±


    Bigger Contraption? Gabrielle understood that part easily, the Angel was talking about the Coordinator Spire! The machine Father used to try and attune them to¡­ something. Something that had to do with Ascending, for sure! But, Gabi thought one only had to endure it once or twice before Ascending, right?


    Was this Angel saying that ¡°Ascending¡± meant being connected to the machine again? But for longer, never returning from the machine. The one time Father spoke of this, he said that Ascension was the greatest honor, and it meant a relief that lasted forever more.


    No way it was a lie¡­ all of it!? Not a single truth!? Was it all for naught!?


    A wave of primal anger shook the girl, trying to make her just drop this ¡°angel¡± off her body and denounce their lies! All of these words had to be lies, right!? Because if they weren¡¯t, that meant Father was the liar! And if he was, then¡­ then¡­


    No¡­ No, Baraqiel is not lying. What would an Angel win by lying?


    Anger towards the Angel sublimated into something else, something even worse: disappointment in life itself. A feeling so bitter, so intense, it squeezed Gabi¡¯s heart and lungs at once, making her choke slightly on the pain as her knees gave, touching the muddy floor.


    The Angel carefully patted her shoulder. She felt like jerking away from the motion this time but didn''t have the power to do so. Right then, she didn¡¯t have the power for anything.


    ¡°I am sorry, Gabrielle.¡±


    ¡°Why¡­ Why is he doing this!? Why would he do this to us!?¡±


    Baraqiel gently looked at her through the holes of her helmet, shushing the girl gently. She nodded, of course. They couldn¡¯t wake up the others!


    ¡°Sorry, your quiet-ness.¡±


    Not as hard to talk to as I thought¡­! said the ¡°angel¡± in their own mind. They were starting to see how to get through the girl¡¯s thick skull, in a way much more effective than just shouting.


    ¡°I¡­ do not know,¡± Baraqiel confessed. ¡°I spent so long in there and yet, I have no idea what he is after. All I know is that he was trying to make something happen, and failing. Over, and over.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you were there!?!?¡± The girl had to be shushed once more. She nodded. ¡°Sorry¡­ But, really, you were? Is that where you came from?¡±


    Baraqiel nodded, and as they did, Gabrielle¡¯s mind raced around two possibilities: The first one was that this ¡°angel¡± was just a kid, like her! Someone who had been trapped in there for a very, very long time and now somehow escaped. The other possibility? The machine was making angels! And this Angel was the first one that was produced by it.


    As much as she wanted to believe the second possibility, it was clear even for her that this was all just torture.


    ¡°I was the only one who escaped, the others are still down there¡­¡± Baraqiel kept going. ¡°I will go back for them, but first I need to rest, and hide before that monster grabs us. The Demiurge¡­¡±


    The word.


    The word echoed in Gabrielle¡¯s mind as her body tensed once again. The vision, it was all connected.


    ¡°Please help me Gabrielle, just. I don¡¯t know where, but take me away from this place! I need you¡­!¡±


    Everything came to a sudden stop. The Moon was almost fully visible in the skies above, and Gabrielle felt as if it was a giant eye just, staring at her, waiting. Judging.


    Ohh Saint Martha¡­ what would you do now¡­?

 Chapter 20: Of an Escape (Final)

    She couldn¡¯t simply run away. That much was all Gabrielle knew. Despite her naive nature and all that could imply, Gabrielle did not have a plan and she was aware that running out without any ideas would lead her to die tragically in some desert, or be taken as a slave to a terrible magnate in continental Jericho. At least, that¡¯s as much as she had heard from the Prologues themselves! Tales of dumb, misbehaving children simply trying to run away and dying horribly.


    But if not that, then what should she do!?


    One thing I won¡¯t do is give them back¡­!


    Another thing she knew! Gabi felt terribly excited to find so much engraved in the stone of her mind: she was not going to give this Angel back no matter what. And why?!


    Because¡­! Uh. Because I don¡¯t want them to suffer?


    And why?


    Because that would be¡­ bad¡­?


    Gabi didn¡¯t care much for others, for she had been raised in a household of abandonment and ignorance. And yet, here she was, trying to save this Angel. It clearly wasn¡¯t because of moral implications, for she had been taught that the moral thing was always doing what Father said, so this was as immoral as it came.


    The girl quickly smacked her face again, trying to wake herself up from these useless thoughts. She could analyze her own motives any other day of the year, now she needed to take this child away and¡­ and¡­


    Hide them!


    Yes, that was the solution! She could just hide them for now, and then she would have all the time to think about her own motivations and a way to get the Angel as far away from Father as possible.


    Though, they didn¡¯t call them ¡°Father¡±.


    Demiurge. He¡¯s the Demiurge.


    What does that mean¡­


    ¡°Alright! It doesn¡¯t matter, nothing matters!¡± Gabrielle exclaimed, pushing her body to not give her mind any more time to ruminate. Baraqiel immediately clung to her. ¡°Everything will be fine from now on, I swear on my name! And even if I do not know what it means, I know that swearing on names is the most important kind of swear!¡±


    With newly found strength, Gabi pushed harder onwards, not even looking back at the chapel once she passed the corner. No, her steps were now following the trail that went deep into the forest surrounding it all, her trembling steps now turning into quick trotting upon the muddy floor.


    People could easily get lost in these lands, with all these trees and details that could easily look identical to the inexperienced explorer. Gabrielle was not an expert by any means, but the constant work she had to realize all her life had come with benefits: she had memorized the paths that actually interested her, the scenic routes to go to Town, the spots where she could see the beautiful birds, and more importantly:


    The way to the abandoned mine.


    Hidden deep within the forest, south to the Chapel and east to the main trail, there was a plateau. A little stream flowed from it, but more importantly there was an old encampment where people used to work mining ¡°rocks¡±. Gabrielle never really knew what they mined there, for the place was abandoned far before she was even born, and it had been robbed clean of anything useful. Now, all one could find were rusty tools, some sheds and the spooky tunnel that went deep to the underground.


    Underground is spooky and cold, but there are little pink rocks here and there¡­


    Gabrielle nodded to herself. The Mine was the perfect spot to hide an Angel, probably in one of the sheds! People were afraid of the place because of rumors of wolves and wild Demis hiding in there. All baseless, for Gabi knew very well there were no wolves in that forest.


    There are some bears though, but they are all dumb and groggy right now.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Yes. The Mine was perfect. Before this, Gabi had only used it to sulk by herself and keep her mind quiet after days when life got particularly harsh, but now the place felt so much more important. Everything felt much more important!


    So important that she didn¡¯t even notice the stings of rocks and sticks on her feet. Every step would make her wince in the past, but not tonight. Tonight she had a person to save.


    Her heart beat harder than ever, her body feeling stronger! Powerful! Invincible!


    And then, a twig suddenly cracked in the night.


    ¡°W-What was that?!¡±


    Baraqiel panicked, clinging a bit harder as Gabrielle stopped all movements and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Shhhhh¡­¡±


    Now she was the one keeping her companion calm. Gabi breathed deeply and slowly, as she listened on to the symphony of the forest.


    Without the rain to stop it, she could hear the steps of little animals jumping on trees, and the singing of nocturnal birds flying around. A forest never truly sleeps, there is no such thing as silence if you are paying enough attention, and Gabrielle often pays mind to these sorts of things.


    It was much preferable to the constant noise of the girls back at home.


    ¡°It was a deer.¡± She finally concluded, nodding to herself and restarting the march.


    ¡°W-What, a deer? This late in the night?¡± Baraqiel could not buy it. ¡°How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I have good ears.¡± Gabi explained. ¡°People breathe weird when they hide, so it¡¯s not a people.¡±


    ¡°Person.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. ¡°Big bears don¡¯t stalk this much and it would have been much heavier. And there are no wolves in here. Foxes are not heavy enough, squirrels are not heavy enough, Owls¨C¡±


    ¡°O-Okay, okay. I got your point. So it had to be a deer.¡±


    ¡°Or a stag.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ that. Thank you.¡±


    ¡ª


    Baraqiel had to admit to themself that this more dependable, somehow knowledgeable side of the girl was comforting to have around. Her steps felt decided and, more importantly, they were moving further and further away from the Demiurge with each moment that passed. Hope was, once again, blossoming in the kid¡¯s heart, along with exhaustion and curiosity.


    They closed their eyes, trying to listen on to the forest like Gabrielle did, but only managed to hear her breathing. It was slow, calm, despite her running steps. But it picked up all of a sudden, which made Baraqiel open their eyes in surprise.


    ¡°What, what is it?¡±


    ¡°There it is!¡±


    The trees had been steadily clearing out of their way, revealing the decaying corpse of an old mining camp. Most of the houses built around the gaping maw that was the mine itself had fallen down due to the rotting of their foundations and the theft of all that could hold them up. Only the ripped tents remained, probably because people had no use for cheap cloth, and a few sheds with their doors robbed of their iron knobs.


    ¡°See, your cold-ness? It is right here.¡±


    Again with the names, and again with that uneasy smile. Baraqiel couldn¡¯t help but smile back though, the girl was really doing her best and, really, it was more than they had gotten from anyone before, so there was no need to be picky.


    Suddenly, as they walked, the girl pointed out at the wooden arch that was the mine¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Parliament!¡±


    Baraqiel blinked twice, looking up to where that finger was pointing: a group of chubby-looking birds with regal, curious expressions on their flat faces, staring at them from atop the arch. Owls, the ¡°angel¡± had only seen them on carvings or drawings.


    ¡°No, Gabi. Those are owls.¡±


    ¡°A family of owls is called a Parliament. Sister Arianna said so.¡±


    They blinked again. Was the girl trying to strike a conversation, now of all times¡­ the way she looked at them, the emotions were suddenly so easy to read on her! All you had to do was look at the eyes, not the face: she was clearly aware of their exhaustion, and was trying to make them feel better before resting.


    ¡°Huh¡­ that¡¯s a funny word.¡± Baraqiel was not exactly a genius at talking, but they did want to keep the conversation going. They just didn¡¯t know how. ¡°But why don¡¯t they just call it a ¡°Family of Owls¡± or something?¡±


    Gabrielle stopped, her hand right about to open the door of one of the sheds. Baraqiel stared at her for a moment, suddenly worried, before she simply stated.


    ¡°Adults probably just think it sounds cuter.¡±


    She had absolutely no idea. But Baraqiel didn¡¯t give her a hard time for it, they just smiled along and nodded, accepting it. The girl puffed up her chest, feeling a little smarter.


    ¡ª


    Once they were both inside, Gabrielle carefully put the ¡°angel¡± back down on the floor,  all before letting herself fall on her butt and sigh in relief.


    ¡°There you go, your worried-ness. Safe and sound, no way Father finds you here! Just as I said!¡±


    Probably feeling proud of herself, the girl started checking her feet to take off any little pebbles and splinters that now started to give her Hell. In the meantime, Baraqiel simply looked around the tiny shed, trying to take in what they had at their disposal.


    There were some broken down pots, apparently an obsession of this girl, and pieces of metallic scrap; there was this little lamp with a very small candle, hidden among it all in such a way that it was clear Gabi brought it herself. There were also some leaves of different shapes and a pine twig, all hanging from a wall beside a pile of pine leaves down on the floor.


    She probably gave up trying to nail a single pine leaf there¡­


    Baraqiel couldn¡¯t help but laugh a bit at that, before looking back at Gabrielle.


    ¡°Thank you for helping me out. Really.¡± They rubbed the back of their neck with an embarrassed smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed myself if I had to explain this whole thing for the first time!¡±


    ¡°Oh, it is alright your stinky-ness.¡± Gabrielle smiled a bit brighter. ¡°I couldn¡¯t let you be hurt again, someone had to help you!¡±


    ¡°... Hey, Gabrielle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your muddiness?¡±


    ¡°Please cut it out with the names. It¡¯s just Baraqiel, you can call me that.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. Sorry, your tinyness. I mean, Baraqiel. I¡­ just, stay there, I will find something to dry you up.¡±

 Chapter 21: Of a Name

    Gabrielle didn¡¯t anticipate this sort of encounter, but she did have things ready for a rainy day: from under some of the broken pieces of wood she procured some filthy yet dry cloth rags, a new candle, and the rusty lantern. With this and her little tricks, she was ready! But Baraqiel¡¯s eyes did not go to her preparations¨C they were a bit too busy noticing the abysmal state of the girl¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Saints¡¯ sake, Gabrielle! Are you okay!?¡±


    The kid tried their best to get up and help her out, but their body simply refused to comply. All they could manage were some jerking motions before the pain of their itching wounds came back, and the sensitivity of their legs disappeared once again. They really had pushed it all way beyond their limit, and the body of a child could only take so much abuse.


    Meanwhile, the girl stopped right in her tracks and turned around, looking at Baraqiel with dumbfounded eyes before finally looking down and realizing what the problem was.


    ¡°Ah.¡± She said, immediately disregarding the whole deal. ¡°My legs. Yes, they are filthy, but I am okay.¡±


    She went back to gathering her pieces of cloth in no time, completely ignoring the many pebbles on her feet, not to mention the cuts and filth left by their improvised run around. In Gabi¡¯s mind, that was a great explanation as to why her legs hurt. Baraqiel stared in a mixture of awe and frustration.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt?!¡± they finally asked.


    ¡°It does.¡± Gabrielle still refused to pay any attention to her wounds before sitting down right beside the ¡°Angel¡±, letting out a soft sigh. ¡°But complaining will not do anything at all.¡±


    There was a moment of silence in which Baraqiel simply did not know how to even begin to explain to this girl what was wrong with that line of thought. They tried to imagine ways to approach the topic, be sensitive about it, not pushy or anything¨C but eventually the exhaustion and frustration reached critical mass, and the kid simply snatched one of the improvised towels from Gabi¡¯s hands.


    ¡°H-Hey, wait, I can help you dry your¡ªOuchie!¡±


    They didn¡¯t give the girl any opportunity to complain, before laying down and using that towel to pull out the many pieces of vegetation trapped in Gabrielle¡¯s skin, all while grumbling and looking pissed about it.


    ¡°Oi! Stop that, it hurts!¡± Gabi complained, grumbling and wincing every time the ¡°Angel¡± pulled another pebble off her.


    ¡°You are supposed! To complain! So others can know! If you¡¯re hurt!¡± Baraqiel accentuated every pull with a grumbling nag, throwing the pieces away from Gabi with spiteful yet good intent. ¡°How are others going to help you if they don¡¯t even know you need help at all!?¡±


    The girl quieted down there, narrowing her eyes as she thought. True, one could never really know what others were thinking, and to Gabi it was especially hard to understand what others felt! Vocalizing was their only way to make all that known, but¡­


    ¡°People will not come to help just because you complain.¡± Gabrielle narrowed her eyes, snatching another towel and forcefully starting to rub  Baraqiel¡¯s hair dry.


    And, well, the answer did stun them for a bit. It was either that or Gabi¡¯s forceful rubbing on her head, shaking and pulling from him without much tact at all.


    But they were not just going to accept that sort of thinking, not when they could still fight back. Metaphorically and physically too, for they would still cling to clear the girl¡¯s legs from all those painful pebbles.


    ¡°That is not a reason to stop complaining!! You have to ask for help!!¡± The ¡°Angel¡± had no idea where all this energy came from, but the Anger seemed to have rekindled the fire inside of them. ¡°You can¡¯t just do it all on your own! That¡¯s how you end up dead!!¡±


    If it wasn¡¯t for the other kids in cages, Baraqiel would be more than dead right now, and this was something they were very aware of. They felt a little guilty as well for not giving the others much of a thought before escaping. But they would certainly fix that by getting more help! Soon, they would all run away, not just Baraqiel!


    And that was more than enough reason to internalize the idea even more.


    ¡°What would have happened if I didn¡¯t ask you to help me before, huh?!¡±


    Gabi stopped right there, her hands still pushing down on Baraqiel¡¯s head as she thought. A part of her really wanted to yell back at them! Of course I would have helped you anyway, dummy! You looked like you needed help! But that was a shameless lie. She was simply not that perceptive.


    In retrospect, it felt quite silly to Gabrielle to not see how hurt the kid was before: Now it was as clear as their purple eyes.


    Oh hey! Those are kind of easy to remember.


    Not many people she knew had those kinds of eyes, just sister Arianna and some Demis. Gabrielle internally clung to that, trying to memorize the ¡°Angel¡±¡¯s face so it didn¡¯t elude her next time.


    Their face looked so nitid and easy to memorize at this point! Unlike the ones in the chapel.


    ¡°Well!¡± Gabrielle pulled away from Baraqiel, now that their head was finally dry. ¡°You only say that because you¡¯re an Angel! Of course you are kind like that!¡±


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    The kid pulled down their own cheeks in exasperation. Seriously, they felt like shaking this girl sometimes.


    ¡°I am not an angel! I told you this, I am just a kid who got pulled by the Demiurge! I am not an angel, blazing saints!!¡±


    Really, they didn¡¯t need to get this angry about it, but Baraqiel was absolutely done being called an ¡°Angel¡± over and over by people. They never felt like it, and the implications of the word simply disgusted them. No more ¡°Angel¡± shenanigans.


    ¡°I am a kid, just like you!¡±


    ¡°No you are not.¡± Gabrielle crossed her arms, adamant.


    ¡°Yes I am!! And now it is my turn to help you so, stand still!¡±


    Baraqiel grabbed the pot covering Gabrielle¡¯s head with both hands, pulling it all of the sudden. A damp rag of a habit flew right off with the makeshift helmet.


    ¡°W-Wait, not my helmet!!!¡±


    And then, the kid¡¯s eyes widened. That hair, so red and bright that it jarringly contrasted with the girl¡¯s Brittan skin. It felt a little bit out of place, surprising at best, but besides that Gabrielle was a pale, normal Brittan girl.


    The girl did not like this. Not one bit. With all instincts suddenly kicking in, Gabrielle kneeled down and covered her hair with both of her hands, practically shrieking.


    ¡°I-I can explain, I can explain! This, uhm. This is not¨CI am not!! I am not a witch, I swear! Baraqiel please you have to believe me, I am not a Witch!!¡±


    Baraqiel had opened the proverbial Pandora¡¯s Box, and now they had absolutely no idea how to deal with the consequences. Gabrielle was breathing louder and louder, shaking in place while trying to make herself smaller and smaller, frantically covering her head. The kid tried to reach her, hold her close, but she immediately jerked away from the touch.


    ¡°P-Please!! I am not! I am sorry!!¡± Gabrielle shouted, suddenly afraid of being smacked.


    ¡°O-Okay, okay! Sorry, I¨CUgh, I shouldn¡¯t have grabbed you.¡± Baraqiel took deep breaths, trying to relax¨C as soon as they noticed that, they tried to get Gabrielle¡¯s attention. ¡°Hey, hey. Shhh, shhh¡­ Breathe with me. Come on, this calms people up. Breathe, breathe and say ¡®I am not a witch¡¯.¡±


    The kid would take long, exaggerated and loud breaths, trying to fill their chest as much as they could before letting it all out, repeating the phrase over and over.


    ¡°You¡¯re not a Witch. You¡¯re not a Witch. You¡¯re not a Witch.¡±


    Repetition was a good way to focus, and even Gabrielle knew this. Hearing Baraqiel, she would slowly, shakingly try to imitate them. Deep breaths, sometimes interrupted by a shaky sob, while repeating.


    ¡°I-I am not a Witch¡­ I¡­ I am not¡­ I am not a Witch¡­¡±


    ¡°There you go¡­ you¡¯re not a Witch¡­ you saved me, Gabi! Is that what Witches do?¡±


    ¡°N¡­No¡­?¡±


    None of them had any idea of what a Witch even did to get such a bad reputation, but they both agreed that if they were so bad as people said, there was no way a Witch would come down to help someone. Much less an ¡°Angel¡±.


    And just hearing someone else say it was enough to help Gabrielle¡¯s panic to slowly, gently die down. A few moments after, they were both silent once again, shivering. Uncomfortable¡­


    ¡°...I hate my hair.¡± Finally, Gabi broke the silence. ¡°Everyone hates it too. Because they think I¡¯m a Witch.¡±


    Apparently, all Witches had ¡°weird things¡± like red hair, blue marks on their face, unusual eyes or reptilian features in their bodies. Witches were evil, ate people, made them suffer. To Baraqiel though, it was just another word like Angel: strange, alien, full of heavy implications that they couldn¡¯t even understand, because no one had even bothered to explain a thing.


    A bad word. An evil word.


    Just like Angel.


    ¡°They¡­ never even told you what a Witch is, did they?¡± Baraqiel tried their luck there.


    ¡°No¡­ they don¡¯t talk to me, people don¡¯t talk to Witches even if they are under penitence with the church.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s dumb.¡± The kid frowned, maybe projecting a bit there. ¡°They don¡¯t even tell you how to do better or anything! They just, expect you to be evil??¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. I think that is it.¡± Gabrielle nodded twice.


    ¡°That¡¯s dumb. They are dumb, I bet they don¡¯t even know what a Witch is either!¡±


    Gabi gasped. Now that was something that never crossed her mind until then, the girls never really knew much of anything anyway! But. The Sisters, Father, they certainly knew what it meant, right?


    ¡°What if I am an evil witch¡­?¡±


    ¡°You have helped me here a lot! You are not the evil one, that much I can promise.¡± Baraqiel tried to smile at her, reassuringly. ¡°Besides¡­ what if you are a Witch?¡±


    ¡°Well, people would be mean to me¡­¡±


    ¡°They already are, though! All of them!¡±


    ¡°N-No, not all of them! Sister Alejandra and Sister Arianna are nice.¡±


    ¡°Well, I say it doesn¡¯t matter what the people who are mean think. They never listen to you when you say you are not evil, right?¡±


    The girl gasped, eyes wide open. ¡°Did you read my mind with your angelical powers!?¡±


    ¡°Not an angel!¡±


    ¡°S-Sorry, sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°It is just obvious by the way you move, the way you are so afraid of having others see your hair. They probably just run away as soon as they see it, right?¡±


    ¡°Either that or¡­¡±


    ¡°Or they hit you.¡±


    Gabi nodded slowly, sitting up once again and gripping her dress a bit harder. So many different memories that she really just, didn¡¯t want to relive at all. And yet there they were, so present and nitid in the girl¡¯s thoughts.


    ¡°...I hate my hair.¡±


    ¡°But do you really hate it? I think the color is neat¡­¡± That comment got a bit of a look from Gabrielle. Baraqiel could see the light of curiosity in her eyes, an odd hunger for compliments that the girl probably didn¡¯t even know she had. So, they pressed on a bit. ¡°You keep it short to hide it, right? It still curls in a neat way, it¡¯s very pretty.¡±


    Gabrielle gulped. Embarrassment coloring her face for a moment, she was absolutely not used to positive reinforcement of this kind. Baraqiel grinned a bit, they didn¡¯t even know they could infer so much from someone¡¯s eyes, it was getting easier by the second to her!¡±


    ¡°You just hate it because the people bother you for it. But they bother you for anything anyways, right?¡±


    ¡°I thought hiding it would help me.¡± She finally admitted, reaching for her pot and hugging it close. ¡°But they still find ways to give me a hard time.¡±


    ¡°They just have boring hair, probably. All black all the time, or blonde.¡±


    Gabrielle¡¯s smile curled a bit more. She didn¡¯t like the bad times she got because of her hair, and she definitely didn¡¯t want to be ¡°special¡± or anything; but she did find deep in her heart that, well¡­


    Red was a pretty colour.


    Baraqiel thought that was enough. They simply didn¡¯t know much more to say, and they didn¡¯t want this to get weird or even more embarrassing for either of them. Time to close the topic.


    ¡°You hair is ace. Simple like that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ yes. It is.¡± Gabrielle finally admitted it, and just saying it out loud made her heart pump a bit harder. ¡°It¡¯s ace.¡±


    They both shared a bit of a smile for a moment, until Gabrielle suddenly reminded of her final secret stash. Fishing in the wet cloth, she found the few little biscuits that still remained from the elves¡¯ gift. Water had reached them but not enough to make the dough break down. It was perfect.


    Soon they were both eating, wolfing down piece after piece of the treats like it was the first food either of them had in ages.


    ¡°So!¡± Gabrielle finally spoke up, suckling on her fingers to clean some crumbles off them. ¡°What sort of things should I do then? If I am going to be a Witch, and a good one!¡±


    Baraqiel gulped, cleaning their face a bit with their sleeves. Apparently the girl had gone in a completely opposite direction now, fully embracing the role she had been assigned. And the kid was not sure if this was a good thing? Maybe they did accidentally push a girl into a path of evil?


    For some reason, they didn¡¯t really care that much for the ¡°evil¡± part; they were worried about Gabi¡¯s well-being.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! Witch things?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Then do Gabrielle things instead!¡±


    ¡°What are Gabrielle things though?¡± The girl tilted her head, eyes staring deep down into Baraqiel¡¯s, unblinking. It was kind of unnerving, but at this point Baraqiel didn¡¯t question it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!? How would I know? I am not Gabrielle! What would you want to do!?¡°


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just do what I am told most of the time¡±


    Baraqiel pulled down their cheeks again, taking a deep breath. ¡°Ugh! Okay, okay, uhm. When you helped me, did someone tell you to do it? Or did you do it because you wanted to?¡±


    Once again the girl gasped. So many different eureka moments in a single night!


    ¡°I wanted to help you.¡±


    ¡°Well!¡± Baraqiel clapped once. ¡°There you have it! That¡¯s one thing you want to do.¡±


    ¡°Being nice?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Then I am a ¡°Gabrielle Witch¡±, who does ¡°Gabrielle things¡±, and those things are ¡°Being nice¡±, right?¡±


    Another long, exasperated sigh.


    ¡°Yes? I think!? Look¡­ let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s just try to learn more of these things tomorrow morning, is that okay?


    Gabrielle was about to nod in agreement before a loud sneeze practically shook the entire shed. With a sigh, Baraqiel carefully took one of their improvised towels.


    ¡°Okay, but first¡­ may I dry up your hair?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d¡­ rather do it myself. It¡¯s delicate.¡±


    Baraqiel grumbled, thinking ¡°Yeah, of course! But you can just pull mine around like a sack of potatoes huh!?¡±, before finally giving up.


    ¡°Fine, as long as you take care of yourself.¡±

 Chapter 22: Of a Covenant

    As Gabrielle gently played with her hair, taking her sweet time to dry it all out, Baraqiel simply closed their eyes and rested their back. It felt so different, being able to be quiet but not to avoid the gaze of someone: it was a choice, not a need! Most of this whole deal was a choice, really; and despite their original fear, the kid was feeling more and more like this had been the correct one.


    The girl soon broke the silence though.


    ¡°Before we sleep, there is something that I want to do. I think.¡±


    Baraqiel opened a single eye. Now that had them curious. ¡°Go ahead then, what do you have in mind?¡±


    Gabi picked up the lantern, dramatically setting it between them. Her movements were suddenly theatrical, slow and gentle, as if she wanted to imbue the whole moment with some strange sense of meaning.


    ¡°We will make a Covenant.¡±


    The words floated between them, lingering as Baraqiel really tried to wrap their mind around the whole ordeal. They had no idea what Covenant was, why it sounded so important and why would Gabrielle even want to make one. Was it a religious thing? It most probably was, because it always was!


    So, they just stared deeply as Gabrielle continued to explain, setting the candle inside of the lantern.


    ¡°In the Prologues of the Saints, when heroes had to face impossible odds, they made Covenants. Pacts that aren''t made between the people, but between their souls¡­¡±


    She picked up something else from her little stash of secrets: a piece of quartz she found in a river, and a flint that had been abandoned in the mine. Just like everything else, she twirled them around in the air as she had seen Father do so many times during Goodday.


    ¡°It¡¯s like the pacts people used to make with Angels and Gods, back in the day.¡±


    ¡°Not an Angel!!¡±


    ¡°Be quiet and let me finish.¡±


    Gabrielle¡¯s confidence soared higher than ever when she recited the Prologues; she was very fond of some of them, stories she had memorized and thought of very often, little pieces of knowledge that brought peace to her mind and life.


    ¡°This is not about Gods or Angels anymore. There are no more of those, Father Enrico always says so: they are gone.¡±


    Baraqiel flinched just by hearing that name: they still didn¡¯t forget the look in those deranged eyes, their trembling and powerful hands, the Spire and its infernal song.


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    He always talked about that, the Gods being gone, Angels having to return, magic to be once again in the hands of the mortals, or something.


    Ramblings from a demented Demiurge.


    ¡°Angels are not here anymore.¡± Declared Gabrielle, again. ¡°And people¡­ they are just terrible. You can¡¯t trust them. Dangerous.¡±


    She sighed, taking a good moment before actually continuing.


    ¡°So this is not about them. It¡¯s about us. About trusting each other, knowing we won¡¯t lie to the other. Knowing that we are on the same side of things.¡±


    Baraqiel could notice very easily that this girl was heavily projecting her needs into things, but honestly, some certainty really did sound good for them as well. They felt the weight of Gabrielle¡¯s words, even if she didn¡¯t herself.


    She just felt like this was an important step, a way to make the ¡°not-angel¡± feel her determination. Besides, she had no reference point for friendships or relationships of any kind, so really this was as normal as it could get for her.


    ¡°I feel responsible for this now.¡± Gabi continued. ¡°I took you out of the Chapel so, now if they find us, we will be in big trouble.¡±


    ¡°We will be dead.¡±


    Both children shivered at the possibility, because it was a real one now. Even with their different experiences, both of them know the kind of person the Father was when angry.


    Death was always a possibility, but if they were caught in this? It would be a certainty.


    Of course, Gabrielle could always try to lie about it to save her own skin, but there was something deep in her core that shook its head just at the thought. No. No betrayals, no more lies! It would only make things more complicated anyways.


    But of course, this is what she said now. It was always easy to swear upon one¡¯s death before ever experiencing true danger.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s make a Covenant.¡±


    Let there be Light.


    With a quick, practiced motion, Gabrielle made some sparks with the flint and quartz, igniting the candle and finally giving some warmth to the room. Very, very small warmth, but it was much better than nothing, really.


    ¡°I will help you recover.¡±


    That¡¯s as much as she had thought up, and yet, more words escaped her mouth.


    ¡°And then, we will let the rest of the kids out of the Basement together.¡±


    Why did she even go that way? She was not obligated at all! And yet, once the words were out and the lantern was closed, Gabrielle didn¡¯t feel like stepping back from that at all. It was done now, a part of the promise of their Covenant.


    And she had no option but to persevere and see that promise through.


    Maybe she just wanted to feel like a Hero. A Saint. A Good Witch?


    Or maybe I just don¡¯t know when to shut up.


    Gabrielle rose a hand above the lantern and held it there while her elbow rested on the floor. And she stared at Baraqiel, waiting for their own hand. She couldn''t do this alone. It pained her to admit it, as she always found herself in that situation of powerlessness... but now, she had a chance. An ally she could trust. Maybe.


    ¡°I will cover you, so you will cover me¡­ What do you say?¡±


    You¡¯re completely insane. That¡¯s what Baraqiel¡¯s mind said, but for some reason it wasn¡¯t in any demeaning, cruel way. It almost sounded endearing when thinking it more loudly. The girl was taking things way too lightly and the ¡°not-angel¡± knew it very well, and yet there was something very calming to it.


    It was the fact that they knew, one hundred percent, that Gabrielle meant every little word she said. Childish or not, this was a promise she intended to keep.


    Gabi didn¡¯t have a single clue of what it was to live in that Basement, the cruelty of that man, the insanity of the Demiurge¡­ and yet she was putting her life on the line. That took guts.


    Or incredible stupidity.


    This kid will end up dead if she goes in on her own, thought Baraqiel while meditating on their answer. They couldn¡¯t simply let her get hurt all on her own!


    So, their hand slowly met Gabrielle¡¯s, squeezing as hard as they could. Which admittedly wasn¡¯t very hard¨C Gabi¡¯s hand squeezed a bit too hard in comparison, forcing poor Baraqiel to lose their solemnity for a second before they said.


    ¡°O-Ouch! Alright, I get it! We¡¯re together in this!!¡±


    They remained like that for a moment, looking into each other¡¯s eyes and then nodding firmly, determined, bound by their words now.


    And after that¡­ no more. They simply let go of their hands, and laid down by the sides of that lantern. Exhaustion finally overcame their emotion, their excitement and the adrenaline of the moment, so both children could feel the sleepiness set in.


    The night continued, the weak fire of that candle unable to really warm up the shed, but none of the children were really feeling cold anymore. The cold and the fear were now outside, deep in the forest, all around them. But not in the shed.


    Even if it lacked spectacle, or if it wasn''t official by anybody of the Church... a Covenant was made that night. A pact. A promise of trust. And for the two children, this was the first night in so long that they really, truly felt safe.


    For now, that was more than enough for them to sleep soundly.

 Chapter 23: Of Excitement

    He slipped. He finally slipped, ahahahaha!!


    Everyone else had already fallen asleep, gently snuggled in their beds and snoring up a storm. Even Sister Alejandra, the biggest and strongest of all of them, couldn¡¯t fight off the exhaustion of the day for long enough to really understand the implications of that last roaring thunder¡­ but Arianna could. She could barely sleep at night anyways, so a sound that intense was more than enough to keep her up.


    Especially because she knew for a fact that it wasn¡¯t a natural occurrence.


    How do you like it now, Enrico? Facing the forces you were tempting all this time¡­?


    Clinging to her sheets with a steadily growing smirk on her lips, little sister Arianna had to try her best not to just burst into a fit of laughter when she could hear the distant echoes of that crazy bastard, yelling into the forest. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out what happened: For some odd coincidence or maybe the intervention of a sickly God, one of his barbaric experiments had been a success!


    But of COURSE he wasn¡¯t prepared for it, was he now?


    Again she bit her lips to suffocate any giggles that could even try to escape her. No, she couldn¡¯t wake the others up, it was better if they had no idea what just happened! Arianna just wanted to savor the moment when Enrico had to explain a giant hole in their home¡¯s backyard. Oh, what excuses would he conjure up? Who would be to blame for this one? Of course, it couldn¡¯t be the great and powerful ¡°Demiurge¡±¡¯s fault now, could it? It had to be someone else¡¯s fault!


    But whom, pray tell? Whom else could be to blame for a man¡¯s unchecked ambitions?


    I never expected it out of Baraqiel though¡­ good for them.


    Arianna nodded to herself. It made sense in a poetic way, for the weakest prisoner to suddenly be granted a shard of Inspiration like that! She couldn¡¯t wait to see them herself, guide them¨C


    Hide them.


    The joviality of the moment steadily died down as the woman remembered that this was, indeed, quite terrible. It opened an opportunity to raise her voice and finally put an end to the Hell that was this chapel, but it also could attract the wrong kind of attention in every single direction! From the Genesis to the general public, if word of this incident arrived to the wrong person at the wrong time, it could mean the end not only for Enrico, but for everyone involved in this situation.


    Even the children¡­


    With a deep, heavy breath, the sister rubbed her temples to try and think about it coldly and methodically. Focus, don¡¯t lose sight of the target.


    Make a list.


    Alright, first: Investigate the Awakening Zone.


    Thanks to the Silent Treaty of the Council of Alkairos, all magic was to be hidden and used only by the 107 Archmages registered in its great list. It was never to be taught again, all artifacts were to be destroyed and magic itself should be left alone until it eventually, and inevitably, starved to death. A simple idea that was almost impossible to apply without brute force.


    Magic is infectious, and this was a fact of life.


    Whenever magic was displayed in a fantastical, loud way, any and all witnesses with a mind open to its nature will receive a spark of it, and after this was done, it was a matter of time before new mages Awakened.


    And Awakenings themselves were usually fantastical and loud.


    Arianna had to make sure no other witnesses had gotten accidentally Inspired by this Awakening, and that no objects had gotten accidentally imbued with Baraqiel¡¯s Waking Yawn.


    Which brings us to:


    Second: Figure out what Rune did they see.


    Every time a Mage awakens, their mind is ¡°blessed¡± (Arianna had to repress the impulse of spitting) with a mysterious symbol: a ¡°Rune¡± unique to them, representative of their initial Inspiration and the intensity of it. There were huge intricacies to how Runes worked and how to properly contain and reproduce them, but those were details that both didn¡¯t concern and didn¡¯t matter to Arianna right then.


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    She just needed to figure out what that Rune could do, just in case the child decided to go full-on megalomaniac with such powers as it was the usual route many young Mages took.


    And people wonder why Genesis managed to gain so much importance. Arianna rolled her eyes for a moment before taking a deep breath. Third: Check on Enrico.


    There was no way Enrico would be Inspired, and this was something Arianna knew since the first time she laid eyes on the guy. His idea of Magic was way too restrictive and tainted by greed, hungry for recognition and inflated with self-aggrandizing delusions. The man was an exploiter, not a creator.


    ¡­ But it was best to check anyway. Magic was still so whimsical, and between its unpredictable nature and layers upon layers of censorship that Arianna had to go through in her training as a True Sister of the Church, she could never be sure that what she knew was actually the full truth.


    One can never be cautious enough.


    Why in the blazes do they need to make my work even harder!? Arianna bit her covers a bit harder in frustration, before continuing with the list. Fourth: Look for the kid.


    She needed to make sure Baraqiel didn¡¯t do anything stupid. Now that their Magic had been unleashed, it was a race against time until people took notice, so Arianna needed to stave off that moment as much as possible. Find the kid, tell them what you can and beg for them to understand.


    I don¡¯t want them to suffer anymore, but if they want to become a liability then¡­


    Arianna fell silent.


    Baraqiel was, right now, a beacon for trouble. She was confident in her ability to make them understand that this ¡°gift¡± they got was something to NEVER be used until they fully mastered it, but if they refused¡­ if they showed signs of being a problem for the others around them¡­


    Then Arianna would have no choice but to skip right to the last step¡­


    Call Genesis.


    She was, technically, a part of the Genesis Chamber! But her rank was so low she could only just blow the whistle and wait for the actual members to arrive. Sure, she had contact with the Chamber Priest, but not even he could control the group¡¯s thirst for violence and ¡°righteous punishment¡±.


    If she could, Arianna would hide the kid and try to make it so the only one that was ¡°righteously punished¡± was the one to blame for it all! But if they find Baraqiel, that meant that everyone needed to be censored.


    Erased.


    Killed.


    Not even Arianna was sure if she would be safe from that either.


    To be very fucking honest, I am not sure if I care much for that anyways.


    Arianna didn¡¯t have a particularly strong love for life and all of its pleasures, in fact, she always considered each day full of work quite the hassle to get through. If it was up to her, she would spend all of her days either sleeping or painting, but alas! A woman¡¯s gotta eat, and this had been the profession she inherited in this life, so. Her hands were tied.


    In fact. This had to be the very first day (or night, whatever) where she was excited to do her job! This was exactly what she had in mind when choosing to be a Scout for the Church: finding the wicked and pointing a finger at them, so the professionals could take care of the ordeal. But the Church seemed less and less interested in the matter of Magic, and the ¡°professionals¡± were a bunch of rabid, bloodthirsty jackals! So, her determination had been dying down more and more with the years passing.


    But at least now she had the chance to actually do something. No more standing quietly on the sidelines, no more abiding for the suffering of literal children! No. Tonight, she was taking a stand! And it all started with getting her quill.


    Arianna carefully sat right up on her bed. She should wait until next morning for her report, but honestly, she knew she would be sleepy and absolutely burnt out by then, so she preferred to use her sudden energy for something good! It was risky, but the woman was done with all the waiting time: as soon as she felt confident with the other people sleeping, the sister got up from her bed, and carefully started walking.


    She took long, slow and exaggerated steps, careful to use only the tip of her bare feet as she made way for the desk¡­ and once she was there, she lit up the candle and opened her personal book log. Arianna quickly passed the pages, feeling up the texture until finding the Miracles hidden within the regular pieces of papyrus, finally took the quill.


    Now, how to start this one? Ari needed to make sure she¡¯d have the Chamber Priest¡¯s attention! After all, she¡¯d need him to plan this whole escape¡­ She tapped her own cheek with the quill for a bit, before the words suddenly came to her mind. Yes, it was perfect.


    With dextrous and practiced motions, Arianna got to work and started writing:


    ¡°WAKE UP CHAMBER PRIEST, WAKE UP NOW!! THE MOMENT IS HERE!!!¡±


    The nun smiled, nodding to herself while the ink was absorbed by the paper¡­ and then, it was just a matter of waiting. She knew for a fact that old Chamber Priest Giovanni barely slept, after all it was on one of those insomniac nights that they had met each other, so it would only take a few moments for an answer to arrive.


    The moments felt so terribly long though, time had never felt as slow and unbearable as it did that very night.


    Ari was about to send another message when, suddenly, words wrote themselves in the paper once again.


    ¡°Sister Arianna, I hope this really is important. I was having a very nice dream about counting pink sheep in a gentle meadow.¡±


    Again with the pink sheep, he always rambled about those when trying to mock people. The sister rolled her eyes and grumbled as she cracked her knuckles and started composing the answer. She wasn¡¯t going to even acknowledge the old man¡¯s jokes this time.


    ¡°He slipped, Priest. He slipped and fucked up, pardon my Normadian! One of the children he was torturing Woke Up!! I am sure there is a hole in the side of the building now!!¡±


    The words slowly disappeared again, and Arianna could barely contain her excitement. She jumped in place with a bright smile, rubbing both hands together and just waiting for the man¡¯s answer. But then, she felt something on her shoulder: a firm hand patting her, comforting her?


    ¡°Comrade, are you okay? You were all restless tonight!¡±


    Arianna froze, her face didn¡¯t even have enough time to erase that smile before she turned around to see Sister Alejandra standing by her side. The bigger woman was smiling, calm as usual, the good intentions palpable in her eyes: a good friend of hers had trouble sleeping after a particularly strong storm, and she was going to offer an ear and some distraction!


    Why now, Ale!?


    ¡°Ah, you seem to be in a good mood though. Are you writing something interesting?¡±


    ¡°W-Well, you see.¡± Arianna was many things, but good at lying? It was not one of them. Still, she tried to gently scoot between the Sister and her book. ¡°I was just, thinking of a dumb prank to play on the Father, that¡¯s it¡­.¡±


    ¡°Ohohoh! What do you have in mind, then?¡± Alejandra¡¯s mischievous streak had been perfectly hidden from the other sisters until that very night. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking of adding bad milk to his coffee one of these days, that will teach him a thing or two.¡±


    Ari couldn¡¯t help but giggle a bit. The idea WAS good! But then, as she suddenly remembered she was supposed to cover it, the book shook slightly. And words started to be written on its pages.


    ¡°Let me see, then! What are you plan¨C...ing¡­?¡± The bigger sister¡¯s eyes were suddenly stuck on the book,  staring at the ink magically blossoming from the paper.


    ¡°Really? Now?? This is wonderful news, Sister.¡± The words were written in nervous, rushed strokes. ¡°Shall we begin preparations then? Tell me everything, we need to make sure the children are safe before we call the Genesis!¡±


    Arianna took a very deep breath, gulping down some saliva while looking up at Alejandra, who was still trying to comprehend what the hell she just saw. And read. Their eyes locked on each other, Alejandra¡¯s gaze now full of questions and a growing sense of fear as the implications of ¡°Calling Genesis¡± were quite well known by any and all members of the Church, True or not.


    With her mind racing, fearing for everything to fall, Ari had two choices that night: To trust, or to get rid of this woman.


    ¡­Yeah right, as if.


    ¡°Ale, I need you to breathe¨C calm down, and please, come with me outside for a minute okay¡­? I¡­¡± Arianna took a deep breath as well. ¡°... I¡¯ll explain it all. I promise.¡±

 Chapter 24: Of Peace

    When Baraqiel opened their eyes again, everything felt bright. Bright, warm and oddly uncomfortable: their body had ended up sleeping in such a twisted position, covered with a piece of strained cloth and with their head leaning against cold, muddy ground. For a second they thought themself blind, just adding another number to the huge list of disgraces that had fallen upon them, but slowly and steadily their eyes grew used to the morning light.


    Am I still outside¡­?


    Yes. Yes they were. They could hear birds singing outside, the gentle breeze blowing through the trees. As it was usual in the Doggenbandrian regions, rain had left their skies as suddenly as it had arrived, and it was sure to return without any warning just because of the whims of unrestrained weather. Baraqiel knew little of this, for even if they had forgotten a lot, they could still vividly remember the fact that they were NOT from Doggenband, or even the Brittan Isles.


    But their own lands were so far away they could barely see them in memories, lands of beautiful crystalline lakes and cold, high mountains. That¡¯s all they could recollect, before something had taken them into a bag, then into a boat to starve for long days and nights at sea.


    Until ending at the mercy of an insane man and his cult, hidden in the broken islands of Britta.


    Cursed be his name.


    Once their eyes were working again, Baraqiel struggled to sit up. Their body was still hurting from all these months, and last night¡¯s adventure had only made things worse. Both of their legs had come back to their usual state of atrophy, barely moving but at least sensitive to temperatures and touch, so the kid figured they would return to function soon enough.


    Ready to continue the escape! But where to go next?


    Despite the lack of cooperation from their legs, Baraqiel still tried to get up. With their hands clinging to the wall beside them, and their back sending searing screams of pain down every nerve, it took them a bit before actually standing and looking around: They were, indeed, still hiding in the same broken-down shed. Looking through one of the two filthy windows, Baraqiel could see the abandoned mine surrounded by entire lakes of fresh mud.


    Relief, the rain had covered their tracks perfectly.


    But then, where was Gabriellle!?


    The kid would only find the snuffed candle inside of the little lamp, the discarded pot/helmet, and a few crumbs of last night¡¯s ¡°feast¡±, but there were no other signs of the little girl. She had probably gone back to the Church¡­


    This is where many others would have panicked, feared either abandonment or betrayal, and there was a little sting of that thought in the back of Baraqiel¡¯s mind, but for some reason it was weak. Entirely too weak to overpower the certainty of their trust for that girl. After all, they had made a covenant together! And as silly as the whole deal was, Baraqiel could still feel it in their heart:


    That girl would die before betraying them, so for now they just needed to wait for Gabi to come back.


    Baraqiel smiled, looking at their reflection on the ugly glass: a thin child with many red marks across their dark skin, and stains of blood and mud on their ruffled hair. And yet, that smile on their face was full of energy, of confidence¡­ The child smiling back at Baraqiel filled them with a feeling of hope.


    As they forced themself back down, sighing in relief, and then tucked themself back to sleep, Baraqiel knew that things could only go up from that point up.


    ¡ª


    Gabrielle was many things! She was a little prone to distractions, with a tendency to overcomplicate hings without a real need for it; some even say that she was a bit slow on the uptake, and they may be right in some cases! But she was definitely not dumb. She knew for a fact that if she wasn¡¯t back in her bed by sunrise, the girls would start talking and the nuns would take notice, which meant Father would take notice! And connecting the dots between her and Baraqiel would be too easy.


    As the little girl trotted through the dark south hallway, she was still thinking of the poor kid sleeping in a shed. Would they be okay now, all by themself? Gabi had erased her footprints and made sure no one followed them before, so Baraqiel should be fine! But probably cold, and hungry! She would totally be cold and hungry in their position, right?


    Would she?


    Thinking about the kid was forcing her to think about herself, and it only made things much more uncomfortable than they needed to be. Huffing and puffing, the girl carefully opened the door to the sleeping quarters and looked around: all the others were deeply asleep, great! Gabrielle slid back into her bed as quickly and quietly as she could, and with a sigh of relief, she closed her eyes.


    It felt like no time had passed at all when the first morning rays started bothering her, and the Nuns screamed at the top of their lungs.


    ¡°Breakfast time!!¡±


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Was it really breakfast time!? Already!? Gabrielle was not used to complaining, but she really wanted to sleep and properly rest some more. She grumbled and stirred in her bed, while the other girls pretty much did the same.


    So this is why they take so long to wake up¡­


    Epiphanies arrived at the strangest of times, for Gabrielle had never given a single thought to the girls who groaned and wrapped themselves even more when called to eat. She was usually the first one to go to the kitchen!


    ¡­Wait, I am the first to go to the kitchen!!


    Another epiphany forced her to sit up. If she changed her ways that hard, people would definitely notice! With a loud and defeated groan Gabi rolled off the bed, rushing to the Kitchen while she still could. Oh, but the bed had never felt so comfortable, warm and soft! It was simply painful to leave it, venturing back out to the cold and harsh world.


    Have mornings always been this disgusting¡­?


    Back in the kitchen, now that she was sitting at her spot on the very end of the table, Gabrielle noticed something immediately: Breakfast was being made by Sister Corintia, and this was never the case before. They always put Sister Alejandra to it, for she was the one who actually knew how to cook! But there was no sign of her around. In fact, now there were many empty chairs at the Adult Table.


    Sister Alejandra, Sister Arianna and Sister Marina were nowhere to be seen, and more frighteningly, the Father himself was not there either. Gabi was not the only one to notice the strange air in the kitchen, and as some of the girls finally joined, one of them asked:


    ¡°Where¡¯s Father?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s busy and won''t be eating with us today.¡± Sister Corintia barked while serving big, full bowls of soup to each and every person at the table. ¡°Now eat.¡±


    There were groans and moans all around, breakfast was one of the few times when they usually had chewy, hard food to eat. But Gabrielle couldn¡¯t be more excited as she looked in her bowl: Poached eggs! And croutons too?? Her eyes were practically sparkling as they were served soup for breakfast.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want any complaints! Anything you don¡¯t eat will go straight to the pigs, so stop whining!!¡± Sister Corintia had no patience for the kids, at all. Maybe that¡¯s why she never cooked too.


    ¡°Well we better eat it all! I don¡¯t want Gabrielle to get fat now!¡± A child answered, and of course everyone laughed at that¡­ but honestly, Gabrielle couldn¡¯t even feel the sting of those words. She was way too busy being transfixed by her food, taking her sweet time with each tasting. Who cares about what they had to say, there¡¯s soup for breakfast!


    And besides, if they really were going to throw out all the food that they didn¡¯t eat, Gabrielle¡¯s mind had started to slowly machinate a new, interesting idea¡­


    ¡ª


    ¡°Baraqiel is gone. An Angel has escaped our grasp, and now it is our responsibility to bring it back.¡±


    Our grasp? Good one, yeah. For sure.


    Arianna stood firmly and calmly, one of three people allowed to see the broken-down workshop. Arianna, Marina and Alejandra were summoned early that morning, right before the preparations for breakfast started, to assess the situation and make a little proper list of the lost materials and notes. Arianna was quick to note every object Alejandra managed to pull out of the rubble, and after all was done, they would compare that list with Marina¡¯s full inventory.


    As Enrico had feared, the Coordinating Spire had been heavily damaged, several books had burnt to a crisp and many others were too damaged so they needed quick copying and restoration. Some implements and chirurgical tools were destroyed, not to mention the huge hole in the wall.


    All and all, the investigation had been brought to a very sudden halt, and now they would need to spend several weeks repairing everything back into proper shape instead of experimenting on the remaining Angels. And the last moments had been spent in a long-winded, despair-fueled rant about how all of this was not the Demiurge¡¯s fault. At least, not fully.


    Three nuns stood at attention, Sister Marina firm and stern as she accepted her ¡°very deserved drilling¡±, while Sisters Arianna and Alejandra simply exchanged a few confused looks from time to time.


    ¡°Better locks must be purchased, finer materials must be used when we rebuild, nothing of this can ever happen again, you hear me!?¡±


    Alejandra huffed but didn¡¯t dare to speak her mind. What do you mean ¡°finer materials¡±? You¡¯re the one providing us with barely any coin to work with¡­!!


    It was certainly a frustrating situation, and yet Arianna had to try her very best not to smile. The spite, the joy, the sheer ¡°Schadenfreude¡± as some people call it Deutch Duchies, it was all coalescing in a way that she had never experienced before: was this the true satisfaction of a job about to start? Whatever it was, at least it kept her well awake in what would be an otherwise boring affair.


    The best part was about to start, too! The Demiurge took a deep breath before continuing:


    ¡°Now that Baraqiel is missing, we need to do our best and keep an eye on them!! If they reveal the results of our experiments before time is due, who knows what could happen!¡±


    Oh right, when it goes wrong, then it is our experiment. Arianna and Alejandra rolled their eyes, sharing a thought without even knowing.


    ¡°I shall station a Sister in Town, and keep her there just in case the angel is seen. They must be captured before they have time to open their mouth, after all!¡± Enrico stopped, assaulted by the sudden anxiety of a man who can feel the sword of Damocles, hanging right above their neck.


    ¡°How do you know they haven¡¯t arrived at town yet, sir?¡± Arianna spoke, trying as hard as she could to not let a giggle out.


    ¡°I choose to believe in the Will of the Gods, who want me to succeed.¡± Enrico spoke a bit louder than it was needed, clearly to convince himself. ¡°I shall send you, Alejandra! Next time you go buy groceries, simply send the child back and you stay behind!


    Alejandra frowned, her hands a bit restless. ¡°And with that excuse? The townspeople will get all suspicious! Besides, can you really trust those children not to steal the groceries or lose them on the way back?¡±


    Arianna snorted a bit. Oh Ale, please! No need to be so mean to him!!


    ¡°We will have to put our trust in them!! This matter is much more important than any other, you hear me!? We will also keep looking, I will look through the woods myself! No one in this chapel will be allowed any rest until we find this angel!¡±


    ¡°I shall go this instant, Demiurge!¡± Sister Marina took her turn to speak as soon as possible, her eyes ablaze. ¡°Please let me be your eyes in Gwynedd!¡±


    Arianna and Alejandra exchanged another gaze, trying hard not to mock the fervor of the Sister, while Enrico simply nodded and disregarded the woman without a second thought.


    ¡°Then you may go, now! And as for you two, sisters: Begin the search in the forest at once. I do not want to see either of you until lunchtime¡­ in the meantime, I shall do my best to salvage my notes. Dismissed, now!!¡±


    Marina had practically disappeared as soon as she got permission, while the remaining sisters simply nodded and waited for their senior to be as far away as possible to finally make their exit¨C right through the huge hole in the wall, to Enrico¡¯s great dismay. As they walked away, they could hear the man grumble as he had to physically stop himself from ordering the sisters to walk back. There was no time to be prideful, after all!


    ¡°I have never seen Father this distressed before.¡± Commented Alejandra, starting to relax now that they were walking into the forest. ¡°So I guess this does mean what you said is true, Comrade¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you really doubt me?¡± Arianna gasped, playing offended and lifting her nose in disdain. ¡°I had the kindness to tell you the Truth of our Church, and even made you my deputy, and this is how you repay me? I should have erased you when I had the chance!¡±


    ¡°As if you could even touch me with your small, thin noodle arms. Your bones are brittle like eggshells!¡± The bigger sister mocked, letting out a thunderous laugh before suddenly shushing herself up. ¡°Ah, I am sorry Comrade, I am supposed to take this seriously, yes?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no. Don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± Ari smiled at her partner, just feeling the relief of finally having someone to officially rely on. ¡°We should find them before that maniac does, but honestly¡­ I am not in a huge rush.¡±


    ¡°What if Baraqiel is freezing, alone in the woods or something!¡±


    ¡°I want to think they¡¯re a bit smarter than that.¡±


    Did she, really? A part of Arianna¡¯s mind was seriously concerned with the child¡¯s well being but, at this point, the woman had come to a sad conclusion: considering all that had happened, the trials they had been put through and the interrogations that Genesis would start if they grabbed a hold of them, maybe Baraqiel would be much better off dead.


    Saints above that¡¯s terrible¡­ Ari immediately chastised herself, shaking her head and picking up the pace.


    As soon as this is all done with, I will need a long vacation. I¡¯m starting to think like that bastard¡­

 Chapter 25: Of Stories

    The door of the shed creaked slightly when Gabrielle pushed it, letting out some of the morning fresh air into the dark, damp room. Baraqiel was still sleeping, curled into a little ball right under a window, probably to feel the warmth of the Sun as its rays went right through. Gabi couldn¡¯t help but smile, nodding in approval as she walked through slowly, carefully, carrying a small pot full of some of the leftovers she could steal from the pigs.


    They are all big and dumb, they don¡¯t need THAT much food! she thought to herself, carefully sitting down and banging the pot with a wooden spoon.


    ¡°Time to wake up, Bari! Up up now, up up!¡±


    Baraqiel stirred a bit in their sleep, still used to keep an ear out for the smallest motion. It would be a long while before they could truly sleep deep and heavy, even when this had to be the first time they actually rested in so long. But it wasn¡¯t the motion that bothered them, or even the voice of Gabrielle¡­ no, it was that strange name.


    ¡°Hmmm, are you talking to me?¡± Said Bari, who was fully aware this was meant for them and yet tried their best to deflect it.


    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t talk to myself out loud! That¡¯s dangerous.¡± Gabrielle restated, walking to set the pot down in front of the waking kid, and then sitting herself on the other side. ¡°Now wake up, it¡¯s time for breakfast!¡±


    Baraqiel moved carefully to not upset their already sensitive muscles, sitting back up and then feeling the smell of salty, tasty soup hit their nose. Their body returned to life after months of torpor, a hungry stomach roaring in triumphant delight and demanding immediate attention, while their dry mouth had started salivating almost immediately at the idea of eating anything that wasn¡¯t gruel. Gabrielle armed them with a wooden spoon, and they simply waited as her guest debated on what to do.


    ¡°I ¨C You! Don¡¯t just decide on new names for me, that¡¯s just not¨C Ugh, my stomach¡­!¡± There was no use fighting it, Bari¡¯s body practically shook in hunger and pain as their stomach demanded attention, tugging every single nerve to remind Baraqiel who was really in charge. ¡°T-That name will not stick!!¡±


    But it already had stuck. And while Bari started taking the first sips of lukewarm soup and soggy croutons, Gabrielle experienced her second taste of true empathy: She could see, right in Baraqiel¡¯s eyes, that same glimmer she had when enjoying a hearty and delicious meal.


    For Baraqiel, the meal wasn¡¯t really extraordinary. It felt like a blessing from heaven, of course! But that didn¡¯t take away the fact that the croutons were soggy, the soup was cold, and the taste was a little bland. Still, beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers, and even if they couldn¡¯t appreciate the taste, they surely appreciated the nourishment. Sweet nutrients! Energy! Fuel for the soul¡¯s pyre!


    I should take my time with this¡­ my body is not used to eating so much!! Thought Bari, trying their best to remain civilized while already having their head inside of the pot, slurping it all down and ignoring the protest of their poor, unprepared throat. This will come to bite them in the future, for sure! But right now, they were as happy as they could be.


    Gabrielle pouted slightly, maybe because they held the deep and naive hope that the kid wouldn¡¯t be able to drink all of the leftovers, and some would inevitably come to her. Alas! No such luck! She would have to wait for dinner to have her next taste of delicious soup.


    ¡°Gods above that was good!!¡± Baraqiel exclaimed, maybe a bit higher than they meant to, laying back down and rubbing their full belly. It practically bulged on their rags. ¡°Gabrielle, I think you were an angel after all¡­ Where did you even get all that good stuff!?¡±


    The girl felt her heart do a flip in her chest: she had done well again! Ohh, the ecstasy of doing a good deed, of being recognized for it too! Gabi could get used to this high for sure.


    ¡°It¡¯s leftovers. Sister Corintia does not know how to cook, and made too much.¡± She nodded sagely. ¡°She then tried to get rid of the excess before Father could notice she wasted food. This is what I saved from the pigs.¡±


    ¡°You have pigs!?¡±


    ¡°Well. Two pigs now. They are big and fat, annoying animals, and all that¡¯s left from the old barn before it was destroyed. Well, that and the chickens, but the chickens were never meant to live on the farm.¡± Gabi paused for a moment, tapping her chin. ¡°The rest of the animals either escaped or were sold because we don¡¯t have space for them, and Father says we will eat the piggies next Winter, but I think they are too ugly and thin for that. Pigs are supposed to be chubby and perky, right?¡±


    Baraqiel blinked slowly. What had been all that word storm pouring on them just now? Had Gabrielle always talked this much!?


    Whatever it was, they really wanted to see more of it. More words, please!


    ¡°W-Well, I do not know much about pigs.¡± Bari could see a light of disappointment in Gabrielle¡¯s eyes, so they quickly corrected. ¡°But you seem to know a lot about pigs! Do you work with them a lot?¡±


    Prompted and enabled to actually go deeper into the topic, now Gabrielle was a bit shaken. This was usually the point where people told her to shut it.


    ¡°I took care of some piggies back in the day, and in town sometimes we help the Farmer.¡± She started slow, careful and a bit self-conscious. Was she talking too much? Had she talked too much already?? ¡°It¡¯s easy when you get to it.¡±


    Baraqiel put the pot and spoon away, once more getting comfortable on the floor to listen intently.


    ¡°Do you like animals?¡±


    There was a spark in Gabrielle¡¯s eyes, and Baraqiel grinned to themselves. Bullseye.


    ¡°Animals are very nice, they are often just scared or hungry, or just want to be left alone.¡± Gabi nodded a few times. ¡°Pigs like some attention but, when they notice you are meddling too much with them, they immediately get all pouty and snort a lot to spook you. Chickens are dumb, too dumb to be friendly with people! Always nervous and pecking around for food, the ones we have at the Chapel are even worse though, they are always hungry and ready to bite you! Not like the ones in town, those are dumb but at least they let you hold them¡­ Uhm¡­¡±


    Baraqiel gently tilted their head to the side, as Gabrielle¡¯s doubts started creeping into her mind once again. She stopped talking for a good moment, rubbing the back of her neck and looking around before facing the kid once again.


    ¡°I am sorry, am I speaking too much? I feel like one of the girls at the Chapel, always talk, talk, talk.¡±


    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    ¡°You are fine,¡± Bari reassured her with a smile. ¡°I like listening! I don¡¯t know much about animals¡­ Do you know more things?¡±


    Gabrielle gasped, she indeed knew more things! But no one had ever asked many things before, was this really okay? To just, go crazy with this permission and talk until her throat hurt? Why did she even want to talk this much! Gabi was surprised at herself, for she had always considered the others so annoying for never shutting up!


    They just say silly things, but you¡¯re saying important things! This is about animals!! A voice in Gabrielle¡¯s voice yelled, and the rest of the voices seemed to resonate with that idea. Yes, indeed, this was about animals! And animals were quite more important than the fisher boy in Gwynedd!


    Yes! It¡¯s important for Bari to know the animals in here, what if they find a Bear and try to pet it, huh?? What then!?


    ¡°... Alright, yes. I know some things that you have to know too, Bari.¡± Gabrielle felt suddenly determined to teach this child.


    ¡°Why Bari though!?¡± The kid simply couldn¡¯t contain their embarrassment. ¡°Don¡¯t you have other names for me or something!?¡±


    ¡°I thought of calling you Bara but, for some reason, that name just feels wrong to say out loud. So, no. Bari it is.¡±


    Bari sighed in defeat. Yes, Bara sounded odd to call others, so they were simply condemned to a name that sounded so¡­ infantilizing. Alas, poor Bari.


    ¡°Fine, then. Tell me what you wanted to say.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Gabrielle took a very, very deep breath. This would take a while. ¡°First things first: Never pet a bear¡­¡±


    ¡ª


    Following Gabrielle turned out to be the right move. Alejandra really wanted to go and say hi instead, but she was really new to this ¡°spy¡± business so she preferred to abide by Arianna¡¯s choices: And there they were, hiding in some bushes and staring wide-eyed as the little girl carried a big pot into an old, broken down shed¡­ and now they could hear mumblings not only from her, but from another different, raspier voice.


    Both nuns looked at each other for a moment, before getting right up from the bushes and walking a few steps away from the abandoned mine. Alejandra could feel a knot in her heart already, the facts were way too obvious here: Gabi had, somehow, managed to steal and hide the so-called ¡°Angel¡± right under their noses.


    ¡°It¡¯s such an obvious spot, why here? Did she really think no one would think of looking in the one interesting spot in the woods?¡± The bigger nun sighed, rubbing her face as she tried to understand the girl¡¯s thought process. To no avail, it simply made no sense. ¡°She¡¯s way too naive, oh poor Gabi¡­¡±


    Alejandra turned to look at Arianna, only to see her smiling even wider than before. It was a smile full of spite though, no wholesome thoughts would be found in those eyes.


    ¡°This is perfect, Ale, it¡¯s perfect! Two birds in one stone¡­!¡± Arianna was jumping a bit in place, rubbing her hands together while Alejandra seriously wondered if her dear friend had gone insane. ¡°We just have to play our cards correctly!¡±


    ¡°Comrade, I¡¯ll need you to go a bit slower if you please? Right now you are rambling.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you see, Ale? Gabrielle will cooperate with us so easily it¡¯s ridiculous! She surely hates Enrico as much as we do, so convincing her will be quick!¡±


    ¡°But how can we convince her to give herself to the Father then, if she hates him? She also seems rather fond of that Angel!¡±


    ¡°No no no, silly. We are not telling her to give up, and we are not going to tell Father a thing about this! That¡¯s the beauty!¡± Ari smirked, giggling to herself. ¡°We came here to the old mine and found nothing. That¡¯s all. Then, we will go right back here, and tell Gabi to work with us and hide! Always one step ahead!¡±


    Alejandra then remembered, right! They were not working for that man at all! In fact, if you objectively saw things, they were definitively playing against the Father in a huge game of Regicide.


    ¡°I see, I see! So we will keep them safe until your friends come here and take Enrico away, yes?¡± Alejandra started smiling as well, ruffling Arianna¡¯s hair. ¡°You¡¯re so smart Ari! Then we can let them take care of Gabi and Baraqiel too, right?¡±


    Arianna could feel her brain suddenly stopping, her heart doing another flip and her blood freezing right in her neck. Oh. Oh no. All celebrations stopped as the realization came to her: Gabi had been in contact with this kid, so she was most certainly infected already with Magic. The moment the Genesis learned this, they would definitely take her away for questioning and, once she proves useless as an informant, she would be erased to prevent an outbreak.


    ¡°N¡­No¡­¡±


    Before this, the girl could simply hide among the unsuspecting ¡°victims¡± of the dastardly Demiurge, be relocated to a better place or hidden in the True Church, but now that she was a risk¡­ Arianna let out a deep, shaky breath as the facts mounted on her shoulders.


    Gabrielle had doomed herself.


    Alejandra could just see how Arianna became more and more deflated with each second, what happened to all that energy? Frowning, she carefully picked up the girl by her shoulders and shook the concerns away a little bit, trying to get her sister to return to her senses.


    ¡°Oi, oi oi. This isn¡¯t the time for a nap, Comrade!¡± Ale shook her own head a little bit. ¡°What¡¯s wrong! Tell me!¡±


    ¡°M¡­My coworkers¡­¡± Arianna refused to call those savages her friends. ¡°They will hurt them both the moment they learn of their existence¡­ we need to hide them too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. You said Baraqiel has to ¡®disappear¡¯ before they get here¡­ I assume Gabrielle is in trouble too now, huh?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ God, and here I thought things would be easier now.¡± Ari took a deep sigh, closing her eyes. ¡°It never can be that easy, can it? Bloody blazes¡­¡±


    Alejandra shook her friend a little harder there, her frown growing deeper. ¡°No swearing, and no despairing now, Comrade. You said we are closer than ever to finishing this, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°And you said that you¡¯ve been working a very long time on it, yes?¡±


    ¡°Years, Ale. Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well then, no point in feeling disheartened now then! Let¡¯s focus all energy on how to fix this. After that, then we can feel bad about things!¡±


    Arianna gave Alejandra a bit of a stinky look for a moment. Sure, it was easy to say things like that but, really, how to put them in practice? But she couldn¡¯t really be mad with Ale, especially considering she was right. With a loud and defeated sigh, Ari forced herself to smile and agree.


    ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s go back to the church, tell Father that there¡¯s nothing here, and send a message to the Chamber Priest before finally writing a letter to Genesis¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! Let¡¯s get moving, then!¡±


    ¡°You may put me down now, Sister.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like doing it though! You are as light as a chicken!¡±


    ¡°Put me down, saints damn it!¡±


    ¡ª


    The talk about Bears soon turned into a long banter about other animals in the forest: from Owls and Foxes to the occasional demi and a few hunters from Gwynedd. All and all, a very thorough guide to move through the forest without causing much ruckus¡­ but it didn¡¯t stop there either. They then talked about food, they talked about the town itself, they talked about life in the Chapel, and each and every Sister working there.


    Soon enough, they were sharing little stories¡­ and even Baraqiel dared to speak as well, sharing the little that they could remember.


    ¡°The Spire makes you forget many things when you use it. I don¡¯t remember the face of my parents, or their names¡­ but I remember the tales they told me. Tales of a Star in the sky that looks upon us, tales of those with magic in their veins, and tales of people with power in their hands.¡±


    Gabrielle stared in awe, laying beside the talking child and taking in the stories of cold lands where it never rains, but always snows; places where there¡¯s no water to be found, only infinite expanses of dusty red sand; places where there¡¯s water all around, but not a single drop for people to drink.


    She recognized some of these places from some of the Prologues¡­ but it felt different at the same time. New, exciting, adventurous.


    ¡°I am not sure if it was my parents, or someone else completely, but people told me many tales of those lands.¡±


    ¡°Like the Prologues of the Saints??¡± Added Gabrielle with stars in her eyes.


    ¡°I will be honest Gabi, I never even heard of Saints and Angels before being here.¡± Bari apologized immediately, but Gabrielle seemed too shocked to be offended by the revelation. ¡°I am sure that, in the places I tell you, they have never heard of those either.¡±


    ¡°Never heard of Saint Martha!?¡±


    ¡°Not once.¡±


    ¡°Or Saint Airiamis??¡±


    ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°Or Saint Nicodemus?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of a man named Nikodemia but never a Saint like that.¡±


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    There was a moment of silence, as Gabrielle simply stared up to the ceiling in utter confusion. But to Baraqiel, this just put in perspective how sheltered the girl was, or maybe even the whole place was like that. Maybe they had all bubbled themselves with their own little stories¡­


    ¡°...Tell me one of those tales.¡± Finally Gabi succumbed to her curiosity. ¡°I wanna know. I wanna know it all!¡±


    Baraqiel blinked a few times, looking at the girl and rubbing their chin for a bit, trying to think. Which tale to start with, there had to be something that could hook her imagination. There were so many¡­


    ¡°Alright, I think I have a good one.¡± Baraqiel finally decided to start with their favorite, turning a little bit so they could face Gabrielle before clearing their throat. ¡°It¡¯s a long one, do you think you have the time?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gabi nodded energetically, those eyes glowing with eagerness.


    ¡°Alright then. Let me tell you something I am sure my mother told me once, long ago.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you the tale of Mustaf¨¢, the Man of Stone.¡±

 Chapter 26: Of Blasphemy

    Skin dark and glimmery like a piece of polished amber, a voice completely devoid of emotion and two eyes shining with the golden light of the Old Gods¡­ These are the marks of the Man of Stone, the Eternal Wanderer, the only survivor of the Towers¡¯s Falling. He is a mysterious figure who can appear in any place: from the beautiful gardens of Xanadu to the dusty tables of a lost pub in some town forgotten by time. His travels follow no logical sense, no defined route, and whenever he leaves there is no trace to be found, ever.


    But this is not why we remember him, his appearance is of no concern and his elusive nature wouldn¡¯t matter to anyone if not for what he knows. Wonderous medicine, miraculous feats of science and technology! Wherever he appears, he reveals to some unlucky sod secrets that no one is ready to learn or understand¡­ and calamity often follows those who heed his words and try to put them to practice.


    The tales are long and impressive, of supposed ¡°apprentices¡± to Mustaf¨¢¡¯s teachings showing a fraction of his abilities and capitalizing heavily on them, only for their folly to arrive oh so suddenly and having entire villages burned or broken down to pay the price for their disrespect to Magic itself.


    For magic is no longer the property of humans: it belongs to demihumans, spirits and the echoes of the Gods.


    Of course, Mustaf¨¢ does not care: for he is not mortal. People swear they have seen him survive blasts of fire without even flinching, poison has no effect on his body! Blades bend and break when trying to pierce through his skin, hammers shatter to dust when touching his head. He is simply indestructible, a force of nature that humanity cannot stop.


    The last echoes of the Age before the Silence, here to continue to haunt and torture mankind forevermore, never allowing the taint of Magic to ever truly fade from our story.


    Gabrielle¡¯s eyes were wide open, her mouth shut and her hands restlessly playing with the dirt of the floor while Baraqiel spoke. She was trying her absolute best to not interrupt him, but there were simply too many questions pushing each other in her mind, just begging to be answered.


    ¡°What secrets does he know!? How does he do those things!?¡±


    They say that he holds in his hands the power of Immortality, the cures to all sort of diseases and maybe even their causes! With a motion of his hands and a sign of his fingers he commands the elements to his will! Nothing can ever stop his perversion of nature!


    Bookburners, inquisitors and all manner of bounty hunters have tried and failed to give chase to Mustaf¨¢, to capture him and kill him, erase him forever so our world can rest! But Mustaf¨¢ refuses to yield¡­ and there are some who feel inspired by his very nature, by his strive to continue following the path they chose, consequences be damned.


    The girl¡¯s mouth hung open.


    ¡°And he uses those powers for evil!?¡±


    Those powers are evil, Gabrielle. Those powers were not meant to be held by any, magic was forbidden by the Gods because humans abused it in the past, and now¨C


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Father says that the Gods took magic to test humanity¡¯s resolve.¡±


    Well, the Demiurge isn¡¯t exactly the sort of person who tells the truth, right?


    Gabrielle fell silent, the kid had a point.


    Now. Let me tell you more, because after what happened last night I think I understand what the stories were about after all. Because I saw this power, I felt it inside of me! I was cursed with it by the Demiurge and last night¡­ remember that storm?


    The little girl nodded eagerly. Yes, she did remember it vividly.


    I think I may have been the one to call its last thunder strike.


    There was a loud gasp. Gabrielle covered her mouth and shook her head, very softly whispering.


    ¡°No¡­ Are you really sure?¡±


    Our narrator shook their head as well, crossing their arms and letting out a soft huff.


    I am not. I barely remember what happened that night, but I do remember the feeling of light, and warmth. I remember the energy pushing through me as an idea came to my mind, and I could just feel it in my skin. As they narrated, Baraqiel carefully slid a finger on the now drying floor, making several lines and points. They could vividly remember that rune in their mind, and just by trying to draw it they could already see it again: waiting in a warm, sealed side of their heart.


    Three points, connected by lines and then converging into a single path. The last line they drew, the one crossing that path, felt heavy for some reason: capital and final, it was an ultimatum, the closure of a path that would not be walked upon anymore. Never again.


    This is what I saw in my head, what I still can see¡­ maybe this is what Mustaf¨¢ uses, this ¡°Rune¡±, as the Demiurge said. This is also what he wants. And what he must never get. I do not know how it is used or why it came to me when it did, but now that I have it, I will die before giving it to him.


    That much I promise.


    Gabrielle nodded with stern determination, staring and memorizing that strange rune as well. Of course, it was easy to make these sorts of promises without really experiencing the looming threat of certain, sudden death¡­ but Baraqiel¡¯s energy was quite contagious, and Gabi was already more than decided to follow her friend down the path to Hell.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°We will protect the rune together. It¡¯s part of the Covenant¡¯s mission now.¡± Gabrielle declared, tracing her finger over Baraqiel¡¯s rune and nodding to herself. ¡°We cannot use it either, or he will know where you are!¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Bari nodded eagerly, no longer needing to narrate and just relaxing on their spot with a sigh. The girl did get it. ¡°I think I can summon it again if I want to but, I am not sure how to control it, or what it really does¡­ so let¡¯s never use it. Another Covenant Rule.¡±


    ¡°So the list is: One, to rescue your friends!¡±


    Baraqiel wanted to add that they were not really friends but, what good would that do? They kept quiet.


    ¡°Two, to protect the rune! And three, to never use it again.¡±


    Gabrielle offered her hand to Baraqiel with an intense look in her eyes. Once both of them shook hands, the Covenant had officially created its first Three Commandments. Their fate was now fully sealed.


    Until Gabrielle¡¯s mind conjured another question, one that they didn¡¯t think of before.


    ¡°Wait. You only managed to see that thing because of the Coordinator Spire, right?¡±


    The kid fell silent, rubbing the back of their neck. They really wanted to say no, to scream it out loud, because giving any sort of credit to that torture was utterly disgusting, but there is no doubt it had something to do with it. Although¡­


    ¡°...If that was true, then every single person who was put through that hell would have seen the same I did.¡± Bari felt much at ease with that answer. ¡°So no. It was definitively not the Spire.¡±


    Gabi wanted to refute that, but the feeling was sort of comforting to her as well: Maybe it wasn¡¯t her fault that she couldn¡¯t ¡°ascend¡±, if that was still even a thing, maybe the machine itself was not doing its work! Maybe it was all useless! Maybe it was all its fault!


    ¡°...But then, where did it come from? And where did Mustaf¨¢ gain his own powers?¡±


    Baraqiel smiled, closing their eyes to resume their narration.


    That¡¯s a mystery of its own, but some theories are going around. Some say that he somehow struck a bargain with the spirits of darkness themselves, that he stole the power from the blazes of hell or maybe even sacrificed his own family for the sake of immortality and power. Being as old as the ancient Towers, anything could be possible really.


    Gabrielle gasped. The Towers, vestiges of old civilization, were the oldest things in Jericho: the ruins of what once was the cradle of humanity itself, or at least that¡¯s what Father said. So to compare anything to them was usually an over exaggeration, or a very serious and terrifying claim.


    Mustaf¨¢ is very quiet about it, the few people who have talked to him and lived say that he never speaks of the origin of those powers, but maybe that is to stop others from following those steps, and remain forever the only immortal on Jericho!


    ¡°Does that mean you are immortal too now!?¡± Gabrielle gasped even louder there, but Bari was quick to put those hopes down. They shook their head no. ¡°W-Why not? How do you even know?¡±


    I can feel it very deep in my heart that it isn¡¯t the case. I can still feel cold, or pain, and I am very sure that things can still kill me. Mustaf¨¢, on the other hand, feels nothing anymore: be it naked under the burning sun or feeling the painful blizzards against his face, he never twitched. Not even once.


    Gabi¡¯s eyes opened wider, as the image of an invincible man just became so much inspiring to her. Never flinching, never aching, that is something she wanted to be one day! And maybe if she were to talk to this Mustaf¨¢, and learn his secrets? She could become an invincible walker of the world like him! Maintaining the Covenant would be easy as pie then.


    And Baraqiel could tell the girl was getting strange ideas, but they were not fast enough to call attention to it. Gabrielle carefully picked up the used spoon and the empty pot, getting back on her feet and jumping slightly in place.


    ¡°I will get this back home and return later with some milk or tea! Try to stay in here, and don¡¯t make much noise!¡± She said, as if she wasn¡¯t the one making most of the noise back then. ¡°I will see you then!¡±


    ¡°Wait, Gabi!¡±


    But it was too late. The girl was already outside and the door was already closed behind her. With a sigh, Bari simply laid back down, grabbed the cloth they used as covers and closed their eyes. They didn¡¯t have time to worry anyways, they had to focus on recovering properly.


    With some luck, all this food and rest would return some strength to their body, and after that¡­


    Don¡¯t worry, everyone. Just wait a bit longer.


    I will not let you all behind. I swear.


    ¡ª


    Walking through the forest felt weird with all these different thoughts in her mind. Gabrielle could feel how the spoon clanked around in the pot she carried, especially when she had to jump over a fallen tree or some rock in her way. That, the feeling of wet dirt on her feet and the singing of birds in the woods made a strange, natural rhythm: one perfect to get lost into. As she took her sweet time returning home¡­ her brain was working overtime to try and make sense of it all.


    She could feel images cranking around in her memories, the image of valiant Saint Martha facing unimaginably low odds, fighting dragons and evildoers with her bare hands; the image of Mustaf¨¢, the man of stone, being struck by lightning and simply walking through like it was nothing; and then there was herself, breaking down over the words of the other girls.


    Why do they hurt so bad? Why do they hurt me all the time?


    ¡°Silly filly¡± was such a dumb little phrase, one that didn¡¯t really carry any bad meanings, and yet Gabrielle could feel her fists ball just by remembering it being spit on her face by those girls. It wasn¡¯t the words themselves, it was the way they said them.


    Why was she even remembering that now of all times?


    Because Saint Martha wouldn¡¯t be hurt by them. Mustaf¨¢ wouldn¡¯t either! They wouldn''t care, right?


    But she couldn¡¯t simply not care, could she? It hurt, deep in her chest like daggers stabbing straight at her heart. In all honesty, things were much less painful when they simply tried to choke her, punched her and kicked her! At least then she could fight back, she could always punch them and make them go away with a good, nice kick.


    Before they learned the secret to confuse her, she could always grab the one saying things and shake her good until she stopped. Now, they were all working together and she simply couldn¡¯t find the culprit at a time¡­


    Why do they do this¡­?


    Because they thought she was a Witch. That¡¯s what Gabrielle quickly answered to herself: they feared her, and that fear turned into anger by some devilish mechanism in their heads. Witches are to be scorned, attacked and punished for their bad deeds.


    But I haven¡¯t done anything bad! Have I?


    Has she?


    She was, right then, breaking all the rules to keep Baraqiel safe and away from Father, and that was certainly a violation of Church Law. The right thing would be to simply point at Baraqiel and let Father take care of it¡­ but Gabi could FEEL the rejection of that idea in every little fiber of her soul.


    I could never.


    Gabrielle and Baraqiel had made a Covenant, and that was above any laws or rules. That much she knew! Saint Martha had broken rules before too, and she was revered as a great Hero! But why was it suddenly a bad thing to do if she was a Witch?


    As Gabi reached the Chapel she stopped once again in front of the Kitchen door, staring at it for a moment. The others were in there, they would attack her as soon as she got inside¡­ and it would hurt, again.


    Saint Martha would be ready to take it, she would endure it and fight through it all.


    Mustaf¨¢ wouldn¡¯t care, he wouldn¡¯t feel a thing and would move on.


    And a Witch¡­ a Witch would break the rules, and rules say that I shouldn¡¯t do anything. So¡­


    The little girl took a deep breath, frowning and balling her fists once again. She would try her best, she wouldn¡¯t feel a thing! She wasn¡¯t a Witch, right? And it¡¯s not like they were evildoers, right?


    She could just, take it. Take it all, not feel a thing and move on with her day like every other day.


    And yet she felt this intense feeling, stirring deep inside her chest. This anger and frustration boiling loudly like steaming waters, just waiting for a chance to explode.

 Chapter 27: Of a Brawl

    The door to the kitchen opened slightly, but none of the girls working inside noticed. Each of them was heavily focused on their own little tasks: from cleaning the cups and the dishes to peeling potatoes, mopping the floor and bringing the buckets of water from the well outside. The girls seemed to be in a good mood despite it all, chatting with each other about their plans to sneak into town, maybe play a prank or two on each other and such. To the casual observer, they looked like a regular group of girls ages seven to ten.


    But to Gabrielle, who was hiding on the outside of the kitchen, this felt like a turbulent warzone.


    Time was passing slowly, Gabi felt the urgency to walk in and simply do her part, and yet her legs refused. She didn¡¯t usually pay the others much mind, simply enduring the pain from their words and focusing on mechanically performing her duties, but since yesterday her resistance had completely abandoned her. She was afraid, but she wasn¡¯t sure of what exactly.


    Just get in, clean and get out. Be like Mustaf¨¢ and don¡¯t feel a thing. Be like Saint Martha and do what¡¯s best!


    Deep breaths came, in and out, as Gabi rubbed her forehead against the door in front of her. This wasn¡¯t hard, it never had been hard at all! She knew she could do it, she just needed focus.


    Get in, clean, get out. Get in, clean, get out. There¡¯s no one there, you feel nothing! You are a Witch made out of stone!


    With another exaggeratedly deep breath Gabrielle pushed the door and walked through, marching straight towards the kitchen¡¯s sink from the outside access. Of course, everyone immediately turned to look at her, to the point where Gabi could feel eleven pairs of eyes locked on her figure. She winced, but tried to walk a bit faster and ignore it.


    ¡°Ugh, what is that smell!? Who let a pig walk in?¡±


    Again with the smells. Gabrielle was convinced she was the cleanest among them, and yet they always talked about her smelling weird. She couldn¡¯t stop and sniff at herself to check, not this time at least, so she simply focused on walking even faster, practically running with her little legs until reaching the sink.


    The girls currently working there immediately gasped in disgust and moved away.


    ¡°What, did the other pigs get tired of you, Swine Witch??¡±


    ¡°Go away! Don¡¯t stink in the sink now!¡±


    Ignore them, ignore them!


    ¡°Silly filly, the animals shouldn¡¯t eat here in the kitchen! Come on now, shoo, to the pen with you!¡±


    They laughed. That was their favorite joke, just treating her like some sort of idiot.


    Gabi couldn¡¯t see who started that one, but felt the condescending tone sharply stab her heart harder than the other comments. Why? Why did that get her so badly? She managed to ignore them this time, setting the pot and the spoon into the sink and feeling the cold water on her hands.


    Yes, yes, focus on the water. Cold water. That¡¯s all you feel, you¡¯re made out of stone Gabi!


    Bonk!


    Gabrielle winced, feeling how a wooden cup bounced off her head and into the sink. The children celebrated, laughing even louder. ¡°We found a way to deal with the smell!¡± Someone said, and the rest cheered the inventive idea. Bonk! Bonk, bonk! More pieces of woodenware hit and bounced off the little girl¡¯s head as she tried to clean her own pot.


    She barely felt the hits, but the laughter was echoing loudly inside her head.


    And yet, she didn¡¯t move an inch. Gabi kept staring into the water and working, her breath a bit worked up but nothing beyond that¡­ and that, of course, only annoyed the other girls. What was this, now? Was she ignoring them? Was she suddenly too good to play along? Some of the girls stopped working on their own chores to walk closer, encircle Gabrielle.


    ¡°Oi! Can¡¯t you hear us, Witch!? We told you to leave! Get out! Shoo, shoo!¡±


    ¡°Oh, she must be up with the fairies again! Her dumb head is always full of air like that!¡±


    ¡°Get out of here, stinker!! We¡¯re trying to work!¡±


    I¡¯m made out of stone. I am made out of stone. Be like Mustaf¨¢ and feel nothing. Be like Saint Martha and do your duty!!


    The words kept repeating themselves in her head, over and over again, overpowering some of the girls¡¯ jeers as she finished cleaning. With her duty done, Gabi smiled a bit to herself. Yes¡­ this was a victory.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Until something heavier hit her head. It made a loud echo not only inside of her head, but in the whole kitchen. A heavy iron pan clanked against Gabrielle, and then bounced a few times on the floor¡­ that one hurt.


    ¡°Ooops!¡±


    The entire world was shaking for a second, pain spread through Gabi¡¯s cranium like waves as she covered her head for a moment and rubbed the spot to try and ease it. She never felt pain like that, why now!? How heavy was that pan anyways!?


    B-Be, be like Mustaf¨¢, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t feel¡­!


    Gabi¡¯s eyes locked on one of the girls, the one who laughed the loudest. She couldn¡¯t recognize her blotch of a face, but by the posture she had it was obvious she had thrown the pan. The Culprit blinked, suddenly finding herself under Gabrielle¡¯s gaze, and simply looked away and pretended not to notice.


    ¡°Hey piglin, over here!! Dumb, fat oaf!!¡±


    They tried to distract her, but for some reason it didn¡¯t work this time. Children yelled and screamed at Gabrielle and yet her eyes glared at this one girl¡­ and the Culprit noticed. Her smile disappeared, as she became more and more aware that their usual strategy was failing.


    Joy turned to fear in an instant, and that fear sublimated into anger.


    ¡°What are you looking at, pest!? Do you have a problem with me!?¡±


    Be like Saint Martha, just do what you must¡­!!


    Gabrielle was paralyzed, doing her best not to move or say a thing, not to betray emotion; but despite the lack of grimaces on her face, Gabi¡¯s eyes betrayed the anger that she couldn¡¯t even understand herself.


    And the Culprit felt it.


    Feeling singled out, she looked at her friends for support. They immediately stood between the Culprit and Gabrielle, making faces.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it, witch!! Begone with you, begone!!¡±


    Not seeing that girl really did wonders to Gabrielle¡¯s mood. She sighed, taking slow breaths, and simply started to walk back from whence she came. Carefully, calmly, trying to focus once again on her own words.


    Yes, yes! You¡¯re almost there! Don¡¯t feel a thing, do what you must! You¡¯re a rock!


    But as she went, among the jeering and laughing of the children, Gabrielle noticed a void: an odd lack of noise, someone barely holding their breath and moving closer to her. She stopped, wondering if she should turn around¡­ and then felt a hand suddenly pulling from her habit, revealing the hair hidden within.


    ¡°Shun the witch!! Shun the witch!!¡±


    Laughter exploded again, but this time louder than before. Gabrielle felt suddenly naked, ashamed and nauseous. All thoughts stopped. The world itself stopped.


    She couldn¡¯t stop her own body as she turned right around, just to find one of the big girls waving her habit around like a flag.


    Gabrielle knew she shouldn¡¯t let this get to her, she knew she had to keep it down and simply tell the girl to give the habit back. But her body didn¡¯t respond.


    It just moved.


    A fist flew straight into a smiling, laughing face.


    ¡ª


    The items in Arianna¡¯s list were dealt with very nicely that afternoon. Following the tracks of Baraqiel and then covering them was easy, for they just needed to follow the confused Gabrielle through the forest; making a new plan to adapt to that situation also came out naturally! And after that, all they had to do was go straight to Gwynedd, talk to Marina and then buy some groceries before turning back.


    All orderly and nice, couldn¡¯t get any better!


    As they walked the trek back home, Arianna and Alejandra exchanged a few smiles and conversed almost without a care in the world: the bigger nun was clearly excited to be a part of what she considered was the ¡°true righteous path¡± of the Church, and even if Ari didn¡¯t share her positive outlook of the whole deal, truth is that she felt much more at ease with the taller one having her back.


    ¡°I really should have told you this sooner, shouldn¡¯t I? I don¡¯t remember a day when things went this well.¡± Ari looked away in embarrassment. She had considered getting Alejandra into the operation for a few months now, but there was always some excuse to postpone it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Comrade. I am sure you were only trying to protect me from complicated stuff!¡± Alejandra tended to think well of others, never to assume bad intentions unless there was a bad attitude to match such suspicions. ¡°You¡¯re also a bit of a rookie here, aren¡¯t you? It¡¯s normal to be scared of stuff.¡±


    ¡°I-I am not that much of a rookie!¡± Arianna pouted, despite this being her very first mission in the field, and only having a year or two of experience before infiltrating the chapel. ¡°If you¡¯re going to join the Chamber you need to respect your senior officer, understood ma¡¯am??¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Whatever you say, Ari.¡±


    Alejandra couldn¡¯t show much respect for others, not even as a joke. She cackled and ruffled Arianna¡¯s fluffy hair as this one protested and huffed, waving her hands around to stop the taller nun. Blushing up a storm, Ari really didn¡¯t want this woman to see her all flustered and especially during the job!


    But at the same time, it felt so nice to be fully honest with Ale, to no longer have to act behind her back and actually be on the same page about their operation, or anything really! Before working together they got along, but now¡­ now Arianna felt that they could actually get to meet each other.


    After a bit of laughing, both nuns simply fell silent and exchanged another candid smile. For some reason, they could feel themselves being in sync right then and there. There was no need to say much about it, and maybe it was better that way. Arianna blushed up a storm every time she needed to speak about feelings anyways.


    ¡°Well¡­ what will be next then, comrade?¡± Alejandra sighed, she didn¡¯t want to ruin the little moment but there were other things to focus on right then. ¡°We go back at Father, tell them what we have, and then what?¡±


    ¡°After that, we need to go check on Gabi. If we can get her on our side things would be so much easier? But we just need to hope she doesn¡¯t do anything brash.¡±


    Their conversation was interrupted by a distant warcry, the voice of a little girl trying to sound as deep and intimidating as possible, cut very short by what one could only assume had been a very heavy hit. Both nuns looked at each other again, before running what was left of the way to the Chapel.


    The ruckus came straight from the kitchen, and opening the door revealed what could only be described as children beating the ever-living shit out of each other.


    All eleven remaining children had gathered in here for some reason, most of them in a circle around the main attraction: Amber and Kimmy, two of the older girls in the chapel, were both trying to find a way to surround a snarling, furious Gabrielle, who had pinned the much taller Samantha down to the floor and, judging by the blonde¡¯s face, had been biting and slapping her for a while before the other two decided to intervene.


    The nuns had arrived at the exact moment when Amber jumped right on Gabrielle, pulling from her hair to force her away from the confused, crying Samantha. As Kimmy ran right at them, Gabrielle grabbed Amber¡¯s arms and simply threw her right at the running girl, all to be back to slapping the hell out of Samantha¡¯s face.


    ¡°What in the blazes is going on!?¡±


    Everyone stopped at once, taking a loud, sharp breath and turning to see both Sisters staring back at them with furious eyes. Of course, everyone ran the hell away as soon as possible, leaving only Gabrielle and Samantha in the kitchen. Alejandra pulled right from Gabi¡¯s ear, while Arianna helped the crying, taller girl back on her feet.


    ¡°S-She¡¯s mad! Insane! She attacked me for no reason!!¡± Cried Samantha, shaking and clinging to Arianna while trying to make herself look as pitiful as possible.


    ¡°She was laughing at me!¡± Screamed Gabrielle back, maybe louder than necessary.


    ¡°Because you smell!! You smell!!!¡± Not even after the fight did Samantha relent, stomping in place. ¡°You stink all the time!¡±


    ¡°No I don¡¯t!!¡± Gabi didn¡¯t even have time to doubt herself then. ¡°You also threw things at me, and you took my habit!¡±


    Both Sisters looked at Samantha¡¯s hand, still holding the stolen habit¡­ of course the little girl quickly threw it away.


    ¡°Did not! You are crazy!!¡±


    But it was too late, both sisters had already seen it, and getting an idea of what had happened in the kitchen, they looked at each other again.


    ¡°You take Sammy to clean her face, Ale. I will talk to Gabrielle.¡± Arianna was doing her best not to express much emotion, while Alejandra simply nodded and went to take the girl. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, you. What have I told you girls about picking fights huh!?¡± Alejandra grumbled and nagged as she took Samantha right out of the kitchen, closing the door behind her.


    Leaving both Arianna and Gabrielle alone for the heavier talk.

 Chapter 28: Of a Talk

    Once everyone was gone, the whole kitchen fell silent. Arianna¡¯s eyes were staring holes on Gabrielle, but the little girl was shying away from her gaze¡­ the worst part is that Gabi didn¡¯t even know why she was so nervous, suddenly feeling so insecure around one of the two Sisters she had come to really trust. By all means, she should be already blabbering about all that had happened last night! There was so much to say, so much to prepare for!


    And yet here she was, looking away, fearing the moment she¡¯ll have to eventually face Arianna properly.


    What is wrong with me now¡­?


    After waiting a good while for the girl to look at her on her own accord, Sister Arianna rolled her eyes, cleared her throat, and raised her voice.


    ¡°Gabrielle. What exactly happened here?¡±


    The little girl flinched once, looking even further away from the nun. So that¡¯s what it was all about this fight wasn¡¯t it? A little spot in Gabi¡¯s mind was already chastising her for getting in a fight, and yet the overwhelming majority in the girl¡¯s brain was absolutely unapologetic. And so¡­


    ¡°They were mocking me.¡± Gabrielle answered, as matter-of-factly as usual but without her iconic unblinking gaze, arms folded as a form of subconscious defense.


    ¡°They mock you a lot, but you never reacted like this before¡­ did something special happen this time?¡± Arianna¡¯s voice did not sound nagging, at least not yet, and that gave the little girl some hope.


    So she slowly dared to look her in the eye. The nun¡¯s face had become much clearer than the last time they spoke, and that only made the disappointed look in her eyes even harder to bear.


    ¡°They threw things at me¡­ a-and¡­ and¡­¡± The things she could understand, but the fact that one of them actually touched her¨C For some reason, that was far beyond anything Gabrielle could endure. ¡°One of them took my habit.¡±


    The little girl confessed it as if it had been some sort of terrible crime, and yet Arianna did not seem impressed in the slightest. Gabrielle could not read that expression on her face, but to anyone who could see it, they could probably see a ¡°And that¡¯s it?¡± kind of grimace.


    ¡°... Alright, so they attacked you. I guess that was coming.¡± The nun chose to believe they had punched her, or at least shoved her, in the process of taking her habit. ¡°It¡¯s okay to defend yourself when attacked, Gabi.¡±


    See!? I told you it was fine!!, yelled Gabrielle¡¯s brain in celebration of its unexpected victory.


    ¡°But.¡±


    Ah, damn it!, Gabrielle flinched as her brain once again abandoned her. Here it comes, pottymouth.


    ¡°You can¡¯t just start biting and kicking someone on the ground!¡± Arianna said, now full on nagging mode, ¡°That¡¯s no longer defending yourself, that¡¯s outright attacking someone else!¡±


    The little girl frowned slightly, standing a bit more straight and actually confronting Arianna¡¯s gaze, as her heart fueled her with a feeling that brightly burnt for the first time in as long as Gabi could remember: righteous indignation.


    ¡°They attacked me and I attacked back, isn¡¯t that how things work? They do it all the time!¡±


    Now it was Arianna who flinched. She couldn¡¯t simply deny something that she had to see every single day, not to even mention the experiments OR the neglect from the Sisters. How could she be surprised by this now? Of course the girl had so much pent up anger that not even she noticed it.


    Still, it¡¯s not a reason to be a damn savage, thought the nun while rubbing the back of her neck. How to tell that to this girl though?


    ¡°Gabrielle, they call you a Witch because they are scared of you¨C¡±


    ¡°And what if I am a Witch!?¡± There. She said it. Gabrielle was feeling more and more determined by the second. ¡°No one even knows what that means!¡±


    Worst part is that she¡¯s not exactly wrong, mumbled the nun¡¯s brain while she took a little step back, only to stand right up to Gabrielle again. No.  She was NOT going to be lectured by a kid!


    ¡°Do you know what it means to be a Witch then, Gabrielle??¡±


    ¡°No. But I can make it up if I want!¡± The little girl felt like she was on fire right then, and for some reason it wasn¡¯t an unpleasant sensation. ¡°I can be a Good Witch!¡±


    ¡°And a Good Witch beats people up and bites them?¡±


    ¡°...Well¡­¡± Gabi flinched again, feeling the words pour down on her like a bucket of cold water. ¡°Well, maybe not but¨C¡±


    ¡°But nothing. Did the Saints bite and hit people that didn¡¯t attack them first?¡±


    ¡°Saint Martha tamed a dragon!¡±


    ¡°Yes, but the dragon was killing and attacking people first! She didn¡¯t attack unprovoked or caused pain for no reason!!¡±


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    Arianna was growing more and more surprised by the second. Not only was Gabrielle talking back, but she was also pouting now that the tides of the conversation were changing! She had stakes in a conversation! The nun wasn¡¯t sure if she should feel afraid or proud.


    ¡°Gabi¡­ you want them to start accepting you, yes?¡± Arianna continued, waiting for the pouty girl to nod. ¡°Then you must show them that they¡¯ve got nothing to fear in you. Every time you explode like this you only confirm their suspicions that you are dangerous, and evil! Would you like it if someone you like looked at you like that, too?¡±


    All cogs in Gabrielle¡¯s brain stopped at once. That was a fantastic point, what if Baraqiel heard of this? Her one and only friend, looking at her like a sort of dangerous animal and just walking away to ignore her, just like everyone else. The panic pushed its way through the girl¡¯s veins like ice-cold water.


    For a second, Gabrielle was right about to shout ¡°PLEASE DON¡¯T TELL THEM!!¡± before she had to cover her mouth and choke on a little sob. No. She couldn¡¯t tell the Sister about Baraqiel just now, where everyone could listen! Calm down, calm down¡­


    ¡°I¡­ I understand.¡±


    The redheaded girl took a deep breath, carefully picking up her habit and setting it upon her head again. Arianna gave the little Gabi some time, waiting for her to properly fix it and talk out of her own volition; and eventually she did.


    ¡°Then I must endure it all. I have to be a rock, unfeeling.¡± Gabrielle nodded twice. ¡°Like Mustaf¨¢, I will just endure it all and they will stop bothering me.¡±


    Mustaf¨¢. Now that was a new name! Arianna noted it mentally as something she had to ask later.


    The list of things I have to talk to this kid just gets longer!


    ¡°Gabi, no. Just because you won''t jump on them like a rabid animal doesn¡¯t mean that you won''t defend yourself. And stop with the whole ¡®unfeeling¡¯ deal, it is not good for you.¡± As Ari spoke, Gabrielle looked at her own hands. ¡°You need to defend yourself, and you need to make others know how you feel¡­ that¡¯s how you fix things, and that¡¯s how others know you are a person, just like them.¡±


    Arianna raised her hand and very, very carefully placed it upon Gabrielle¡¯s head. The girl flinched first, but relaxed slowly when remembering who owned that warm hand that slowly caressed her head¨C stress seemed to evaporate from her body as Arianna simply patted her a few times.


    ¡°I know it will take some time, but you will learn Gabi. Just, do your best okay? Trust me on this one.¡±


    ¡°...I will try.¡± Gabrielle finally said, feeling little tears starting to flow from her eyes. She was quick to clean them, unsure why they came out to begin with.


    ¡°Good¡­ now, can you come with me? I just, well. I need to talk to you about something more important.¡±


    As Arianna made her way to the kitchen¡¯s exit, Gabrielle whispered.


    ¡°As a matter of fact¡­ I want to talk to you about something too, Sister.¡±


    ¡ª


    Things followed a certain rhythm after a big brawl: people cried, yelled, there were some hurt feelings here and there, and then the Sisters would come in, interrupt it all and force both parties to shake hands and say ¡°I¡¯m Sorry¡±. Were the parties really sorry, though? No one knew! Usually they weren¡¯t, and that afternoon Samantha was certainly not sorry at all!


    But Gabrielle was. One could see it in her crying, begging eyes.


    ¡°I am so sorry¡­ I¡­ I am really sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to. I¡­¡±


    She choked, shivered and sniffled, trying to explain but being unable to. Adults have problems coming to terms with their emotional outbursts, so of course a little girl couldn¡¯t even comprehend the concept itself.


    In Samantha¡¯s blurry face, Gabi saw a couple of eyes looking back at her, and in those eyes she saw Baraqiel as well. What if Baraqiel was hurt too, what if they decided they were weird or evil? She didn¡¯t want to lose her only friend for this¡­


    There was something in that pitiful, swollen face and reddened eyes that shook something in Samantha¡¯s heart. She was not a monster, after all. None of the kids truly were! She couldn¡¯t simply look at a crying person and then pretend nothing was wrong, in fact she even felt like crying a bit too!


    But no. No crying in front of the Witch!


    ¡°Yes. I am sorry too, Gabrielle.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Samantha¡­¡±


    Ah, the pout, the trembling smile¡­


    It was a shame that Gabrielle couldn¡¯t really appreciate the flustered look on Samantha''s face when the redhead thanked her for all the forgiveness, or she couldn¡¯t hear the blond¡¯s mumbles about the ¡°wicked allures of a witch¡±. To Gabi, they simply shook hands, and then she looked as the blonde simply walked away.


    To Samantha, this whole ordeal had struck an interesting cord in her heart, playing a tune that she didn¡¯t expect to hear from a Witch.


    She is not that bad, is she?, wondered Samantha as she disappeared behind the Church¡¯s door. Maybe she¡¯s a little cute¡­


    Afterward, both Sisters took Gabrielle to the shed on the outside. Alejandra looked around with shifty eyes before carefully closing the doors behind her. They couldn¡¯t have prying ears now, after all!


    ¡°We¡¯re safe, comrade.¡± Alejandra nodded.


    ¡°Thanks, comrade.¡± Arianna nodded back before looking back at their charge. ¡°Okay, Gabrielle. I need to talk to you about last night.¡±


    The little girl gasped.¡±The always more sympathetic Alejandra stated as soon as she noticed a glimmer of fear in Gabrielle''s eyes.


    ¡°You are not in trouble! We¡¯re on your side!¡± Gabi sighed in relief at Alejandra¡¯s reassurance. ¡°But we need your help, Gabi. So please be honest with us, okay?¡±


    Ari smiled a little bit, quietly thanking the saints that she had gotten some help here. As well-intentioned as she was, Arianna was not exactly good with kids (or people in general) so the help was truly a gift from the heavens.


    A gift with a bit of a problem knowing when to stop talking.


    ¡°We need your help to get Father Enrico down! To stop his stupid experiments!¡± Alejandra announced, proud of herself, before Arianna had to shove her slightly with her elbow. ¡°Ow! What¡¯s that for!?¡±


    ¡°Alejandra PLEASE, one thing at a time!¡± The one thing they didn¡¯t need right then was for Gabrielle to develop too much content for adults too fast, and Arianna knew that.


    ¡°Then you know what he does.¡± Gabrielle prodded, tentatively. ¡°What he did to Baraqiel, what he is doing to everyone¡­ why is he even doing this? What does he gain with making Angels?¡±


    Both nuns looked at each other for a second. Angels? It was clear that Gabi¡¯s understanding of the whole deal was still more than imperfect, but Arianna felt like this would be far, far preferable. After all, if she was deep in a sort of religious delusion, it was more probable that the Genesis would disregard her instead of taking her away.


    So, she decided to simply grab that little misunderstanding, and make it mostly correct. Arianna kneeled in front of the little girl, and put her hands on Gabi¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Gabrielle¡­ this is very important. He must never get ahold of Baraqiel again, so we must keep him hidden until the Church Inquisitors arrive.¡± Gabrielle seemed like she was about to panic again, so with a sign from Alejandra she added. ¡°They will only take him, everyone else is safe. No burning, no staking, nothing. Those are just baseless legends.¡±


    Lies were so much more comfortable than the barbaric truth, but Arianna was clinging to the possibility of a peaceful resolution despite how unlikely it was.


    ¡°Gabi¡­ Father Enrico is trying to become a Demiurge. Remember when I told you about it? A bad word?¡± Gabrielle nodded gently, and Arianna took a deep breath. ¡°... A Demiurge is a terrible thing, a thief of magic. It¡¯s a name that people who think are Great Mages use to compare themselves to the Creator.¡±


    The three women instinctively marked a T on their foreheads. The Creator, a presence above the Saints, humanity and the whole world, was a concept that could not and should not be spoken about in vain. Its feats were to be admired from a distance, through the actions of its surrogates (like Saints, Angels and the like), for it was said that to even mention the word without care could burn one¡¯s tongue.


    And yet here they were, conspiring, speaking of it. Gabrielle started feeling the weight of the situation.


    ¡°He is absolutely insane. But now, we have proof to stop him before it is too late!¡± Alejandra pumped her fists together. ¡°With Baraqiel as our witness, that man is screwed!¡±


    ¡°Pottymouth.¡± Gabi was quick to point out.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t understand! Magic is not a thing anymore! Adella was a demihuman and it took her a LOT of effort to use it on me!¡± Both nuns looked at Gabrielle and then at each other, concerned. They did, however, let the girl finish her thought. ¡°Magic is a bad thing, right? That¡¯s why The Creator¨C¡±, another pause to sign themselves, ¡°had to take it away from us! Right??¡±


    That last question floated in the air for a good while, in the middle of an awkward silence. Now both Gabrielle and Alejandra were staring at Arianna and she was utterly cornered. There was no avoiding the topic of magic anymore. Or was there a way to postpone it¡­?


    I am NOT explaining this now!!


    ¡°Magic is complicated, and no one really knows why it simply disappeared one day.¡± She admitted, both lying and yet not knowing the full answer herself. This helped her feel a bit less guilty. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter! This changes nothing, we need to stop this man before he kills us all in pursuit of his stupid dream.¡±


    The nun took a moment to try and process her next words properly. It was the important bit, the great reveal and, also, the crime for which this man had been sacrificing so many things and people: the manic wish of all Demiurges. Arianna wasn¡¯t really sure where did Gabrielle end up with the Angel idea, but now that they were there, she was going to use that image as much as she could.


    Honestly, it made explaining things a bit easier.


    ¡°Father Enrico wants to become an ¡®Angel¡¯ himself. And he will sacrifice as many people as he can to achieve it. ¡±

 Chapter 29: Of Doubts

    ¡°So our bodies pave the way to his own transformation?¡±


    Baraqiel¡¯s anger knew no bounds that day, their eyes burning holes on the floor while Gabrielle sat beside them, nervously awaiting for an answer. Her hands restlessly played with each other, looking for answers she really had no way of getting: How did Father even reach these conclusions? She did press the possibility of the old man being deceived by someone else, but both Sisters denied it quickly; Where did Baraqiel and the other children down there come from? They clearly weren¡¯t all from Gwynedd! Everyone in the church (except for Father, of course) were girls, and Baraqiel was¡­


    ¡­ She honestly couldn¡¯t tell, and felt in no position to ask. It wasn¡¯t important anyways.


    There was an uncomfortable silence in the Shed. Two children sat side by side, while the two nuns waited outside with their arms folded. Baraqiel accepted the fact that Gabrielle trusted them, and they were open to receiving help¨C but at the same time there was a part of them that simply couldn¡¯t look at a member of the same church that had abided by their torture and imprisonment; and honestly, neither of the Sisters could really blame them for it.


    ¡°I always wondered what he wanted. Of course, I always knew it was going to be something terribly selfish! But never to this level¡­¡±


    Arianna and Alejandra looked at each other for a second, listening intently to the children in the shed. They heard angered sobbing and frustrated grunts, the rustling that comes with a hug and quiet whispers of comfort. Their little lie had ignited the flames of anger much more intently than they thought it would, and now the guilt was weighing on their backs.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like we are lying.¡± Mouthed Arianna, just feeling Alejandra¡¯s dissatisfaction in those eyes. ¡°The man is absolutely deranged, no matter how ¡®selfless¡¯ he thinks himself to be.¡±


    ¡°This whole ¡®angel¡¯ deal makes no sense.¡± Alejandra shook her head slowly as she turned to face her comrade. She had never been the kind to keep quiet, at least not for too long.


    ¡°Trying to bring magic back to the world at large via child torture doesn¡¯t make much sense either, does it?!¡±


    Silence. Both women took a slow and deep breath to try and temper their indignation, before going back to angrily whispering.


    ¡°Then just tell them that.¡± Alejandra¡¯s frown grew heavier and even more frustrated, to the point where she took a step closer to tower slightly above the much smaller nun. ¡°Why did you have to cling to this whole ordeal?¡±


    ¡°What if they suddenly decide that it is worth it, eh?¡± Arianna refused to back down, even if she had to stare right up at a woman a few heads higher than herself. ¡°What if they decide to help the guy instead of us?!¡±


    ¡°After going through that torture!? There¡¯s no way Baraqiel would do that.¡±


    ¡°But Gabrielle?¡±


    Another moment of silence. That little girl really was a rogue element in the whole ordeal and both sisters were perfectly aware of it, but Alejandra recovered by clinging to her faithful view of things:


    ¡°She¡¯s smarter than you think, Ari! She wouldn¡¯t join Enrico¡¯s doomed cause just because!¡±


    ¡°We do not know that for sure!!¡± Arianna stomped a foot down on the mud.


    ¡°I do!! She¡¯ll help us even if we speak truthfully!¡±


    ¡°Well why don¡¯t YOU tell her, then!?¡±


    ¡°Because we¡¯re together in this, and I am not going to push against you now!!¡±


    Both sisters stared at each other, just feeling the heat of the argument dissipate for a moment as they grew slightly flustered with how close they had gotten in the middle of it all. Arianna took a step back, crossing her arms and looking away with an angry expression in her eyes, while Alejandra simply sighed and turned on her heels. She didn¡¯t want to apologize or back down on anything she said, but her big heart was already aching for reconciliation.


    The shed¡¯s door opened right between them, letting Gabrielle walk right out while helping an irate yet determined Baraqiel. After taking a moment to process the whole situation, one idea had become terribly clear in the child¡¯s mind: their hatred for the Demiurge was way bigger and more important than their growing grudge towards the Church of the Saints.


    ¡°I will help you.¡± They said, letting out a slight sigh and looking back at the two sisters. ¡°Just tell me what I have to do.¡±


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    Things felt a little awkward, at least enough for Baraqiel to notice, but the frustration had grown to such an extent that they simply could not effort to care much for what the nuns could be bickering about; Gabrielle, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to notice much of the strange air between Arianna and Alejandra.


    With a heavy sigh, the bigger nun took the word.


    ¡°Thank you so much Baraqiel, I swear things will only get better from now on.¡± Ale smiled, trying to ignore Arianna¡¯s chastising gaze. She had absolutely no certainty on that! But apparently lying about the future is much more acceptable than preventing a panic.


    However, this did not register as a lie in Alejandra¡¯s eyes: she believed, with every inch of her being, that things would go better one way or the other.


    ¡°The people of Genesis will come in around four days, if what the Chamber Priest said was correct. We just need to keep things calm for that long, and after that, they will ask you some questions about what happened.¡± Arianna stared at Baraqiel¡¯s eyes, setting up the details of her to-do list. ¡°You did something that night, didn¡¯t you? Something¡­ unnatural.¡±


    Baraqiel gulped, turning to Gabrielle for help. The girl nodded slowly, and this gave Bari enough strength to speak again.


    ¡°Yes. I¨C¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Arianna lifted a finger. ¡°No, you did not.¡±


    ¡°... What?¡±


    ¡°Baraqiel, you have to take it to your grave, do not tell a single soul about what you did, or what you saw, understood?¡± Arianna¡¯s eyes grew even more serious. ¡°It¡¯s a secret, and knowing it puts you and anyone else in danger. If you can, forget about it. If not, wait until Genesis is gone and then we can talk about it¡­ but until then, do not tell anyone about it. Understood?¡±


    Baraqiel gulped. It was a little too late for that, wasn¡¯t it? They could see Gabrielle taking a deep breath, ready to spill all the beans! Would this endanger her as well? They had to act quick, no time for doubt! So, before the girl could let it all out, they simply raised their voice.


    ¡°Alright. Not a word to anyone. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Ari nodded slowly, turning around. ¡°Gabi, Ale and I will get you food for Baraqiel so you don¡¯t need to take entire pots anymore. It¡¯s only four days, so hang in there and not a word to anyone, alright?¡±


    Gabrielle nodded slowly, letting the others continue to talk about plans and the importance of silence, while the gears in her own brain were turning at a slow and heavy pace, trying to understand. They were taking care of everything, right? With both Sisters around, Gabrielle wouldn¡¯t need to do a thing anymore! But then, what was she good for in this? She would be useless, a problem to deal with again.


    And they had more than enough trouble with the Demiurge already.


    What is with all this secrecy? Were they truly that afraid of Father? Despite his burly physique and authoritarian voice, Gabi never felt especially afraid of the man.


    Maybe they just don¡¯t know enough about him. Sister Arianna always says that people are afraid of what they don¡¯t know.


    The connections were easy to make, really. If they were afraid because they didn¡¯t know what that man could do, they had to learn more about him! And with everyone so busy either keeping the secret or


    All she needed to do was to find more about the Demiurge¡­


    ¡ª


    ¡°I swear, I saw her¨C I mean, I saw it cry today! Right in front of me, she looked so pitiful when apologizing!!¡±


    While Gabrielle walked out and was being undoubtedly punished for her latest outburst, the rest of the girls in the Chapel had finished their chores and now frolicked around without a care in the world¨C except for four of them, the biggest, tallest and oldest ones, now hanging out together while sitting on the stairs at the Chapel¡¯s entrance.


    Samantha had remained by herself for a bit after her last conversation with the nuns, trying to wrap her mind around a new discovery and the ideas that came with it.


    Gabrielle the Witch had always been, in the eyes of the girls, a sort of abomination of nature: she never cried, she never complained, and she obeyed every little command the nuns gave her like a boot licker. That and the strange, unnerving red hair made her stick out way too much for everyone else in the Chapel to deal with anything she did! Sister Marina always spoke about how she found the kid buried and took her in out of pity, not keeping her out of obligation¡­ a horror story in its own right.


    But today, after a long and hard fight, Samantha had seen the girl cry her eyes out, and legitimately beg for forgiveness like any repentant kid would. And for the first time in who knows how long, it felt like she had interacted with a regular human being.


    ¡°Her eyes were swollen and red, her lips all pouty and rosy!¡± Sam insisted, feeling her cheeks reddening just by remembering the expression on Gabi¡¯s face when she accepted her apologies. ¡°She was¡­ she was almost cute!¡±


    ¡°Samantha you are useless, your words are as reliable as the witch¡¯s.¡± Kimberly, or Kimmy for the friends, crossed her arms and shook her head slowly. ¡°It¡¯s a trick, clearly.¡±


    ¡°Okay, first of all! That¡¯s rude!!¡± The red on Samantha¡¯s face only got worse. ¡°And secondly, you can¡¯t fake crying like that!¡±


    ¡°Yeah you can, if you¡¯re a witch you can do anything.¡±


    Kimberly was the oldest girl in the church, seconded only by the feisty Amber and Gabrielle herself. She was a closed-minded, cantankerous girl with quite the vendetta against the so-called ¡°Swine Witch¡±: her red hair always called the attention of adults and kids alike, and rumor was that the fisher boy in Gwynedd (her little crush) had slipped several times staring at the witch while working.


    Between her inhuman behavior and all the attention she was getting, Kimberly simply couldn¡¯t stand her.


    ¡°Yeah! Besides, remember how she beat your ass!? She bit you and all, like an animal!¡± Amber was quick to jump in as well. ¡°She¡¯s screwed in the brain, I tell you.¡±


    Kimberly and Amber were always together, the latter serving as both the strong arm and the echo of Kimmy¡¯s opinions, a way to keep the Chapel under their influence. In terms of raw power and intellect, Amber was often compared to an ox of sorts. A particularly aggressive, dimwitted ox.


    ¡°Well, yes she did, but we beat each other all the time.¡± Samantha tried to appeal to reason there, rubbing the spot in her arm where the redhead had bitten. ¡°And have you seen her? I know that if she wanted, she could have broken my nose or something!¡±


    A hand patted Samantha¡¯s head. The quiet Francisca nodded slowly, apparently seconding the tall girl¡¯s opinion. Francisca was the smallest out of the four older girls, taciturn and severe in her looks. People often said she already looked like a fifty-year-old spinster despite being only nine.


    ¡°The witch is like an animal, but not all animals are bad.¡± The girl nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve told you not to tease her that much, she¡¯s starting to attack out of fear now.¡±


    Kimberly huffed loudly. ¡°Let her snarl and scream as much as she wants! I can put her back in her place no matter what. Right, Amber?¡±


    ¡°Yes! No problem at all. If she lifts a hand I¡¯ll punch her so hard I¡¯ll leave her seeing stars!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Samantha sighed, crossing her arms. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe we can start giving her an easier time? At least we won¡¯t have to fight her much more if we leave her be.¡±


    ¡°Ohhhh, you already like her don¡¯t you? You like the pig girl! Ewwwwwww!¡±


    Kimmy and Amber were ready to start singing and laughing loudly, but Francisca pulled both of their ears before they could start.


    ¡°Owie!¡±


    ¡°None of that.¡± The small girl shook her head, sighing. ¡°She has a point. Things would be way easier¡­ she¡¯s bigger now, strong enough to lift you and throw you around. Imagine how it will be in a few more years.¡±


    Amber smirked, still confident in her abilities¡­ but Kimberly gulped. That was a good point: Gabrielle did throw them around like empty pots, how strong could she get when she gets older?


    Best to get on her graces¡­ but, how??


    ¡°... I say we give her a test.¡± Kimberly decided. ¡°Just to see if she has really changed into something actually normal, as Sam says.¡±


    ¡°A test?¡± Samantha tilted her head to the side. ¡°A test of what?¡±


    And then, an idea popped into Kimberly¡¯s brain¡­ a way to get rid of the Witch, or at least profit from her stupidity. Father Enrico had many things in her room, among them was a bowl of toffee he kept all to himself without ever letting anyone to even approach. With a smirk slowly starting to curve on her lips, the girl simply announced.


    ¡°A test of skill.¡±

 Chapter 30: Of Frustration

    The feeling of cold wind pushing through the huge hole in my study does little to temper the anger in my chest. I sit alone in the ruins, a pile of burnt and useless notes being my only company as my associates are doing whatever they can with their limited understanding to try and appease me; but there is nothing they could ever dream to do for me. Not now, not when I can feel my heart burn, and the void in my soul becoming bigger and deeper, more present in every little thought.


    Why have I been forsaken this way? Could this be a test from God and his Saints? A trial by fire for my patience and faith?


    I have not been able to sleep a single moment since the Rogue Angel decided to abandon me, taking with them what was mine by right of birth: the first spark of True Magic, the key to the return of God¡¯s Will to our rotting land, and the fruit of years of experimentation and hard work. Why has Baraqiel forsaken me this way? Why do their vessels always end up faulty and useless?


    My hand sinks into the pile of burnt pieces of paper, and I can still feel the ideas they once conveyed. All the notes, every little advance that took me closer and closer to last night, the elongated recounting of my descent into inhumanity and all for the sake of this rotten, ingrate world.


    For I am clear my actions are immoral, using these vessels the way I do is wasteful and maybe a little cruel¨C but what else am I to do, if not using the tools I¡¯ve crafted for a purpose bigger than any of us!?


    I squeeze the burnt pieces of paper between my fingers, feeling the crunch and screak, become nothing but black powder and disappointment. The ring on my bandaged left hand is still shining despite it all, for no matter our actions, True Silver cannot be stained by anything.


    That¡¯s the Motto of the Demiurges: no matter how vile, how bloody our labor becomes, our soul remains spotless and shining bright with the light of curiosity and wisdom. We are the torchbearers of a new era, a new  Age of Magic after centuries of Silence!


    I manage to get back up from the floor, dusting myself from the black powder on my clothes and looking through the hole left by Baraqiel¡¯s escape. So close, I was so close last night¡­


    We just need a spark. MY spark. Once we acquire it, once we let it nestle deep into our souls, it will reproduce and spread at a pace faster than any of our enemies can stop!!


    Because of course, no matter how noble our cause is, there always will be foolish, ignorant and fearful idiots trying to stop progress. The more conservative Chambers of our Church, the Hounds of the Government, the Heretical Faiths of western Jericho, and the list just grows from there. Yes, my enemies lurk in every little corner, perhaps even closer than I think¡­


    This could be sabotage, maybe there¡¯s a traitor in Gwynedd plotting every step of my demise! Maybe ¡­


    I begin to walk around the ruins, restless and impatient, tapping under my chin with a single finger. Could it be that vessel¡¯s fault? A plan from beyond my grasp, an infiltrate!!


    No. I got that vessel from a slaver in the Ferry Port, there¡¯s no way they somehow hid an infiltrate among the vessels I bought, right? I have been so careful in keeping my inner circle clear of outside interference!!


    As I walk over to the hole in my walls, my head shakes slowly. No. For this to be planned would require someone knowing the functionality of my Coordinator Spires better than I do myself! They would need to perfectly predict what vessel would finally coordinate with its Divine Essence for long enough to produce a Spark and then, with some luck, a Rune. Not even I know how to predict a favorable scenario!!


    Then who is to blame for this failure? My plans have worked perfectly despite our lack of favorable results¡­ so it has to be outside influence¡­


    Could it be the sisters? No. I picked most of them from a very early age, just to avoid spies; Alejandra would be my main suspect but seriously, she¡¯s as sharp as a rock. Marina maybe? No, she has been my most loyal subject all this time¡­


    Tasce and Corinthia are incompetent, good only for grunt work. Arianna is my scribe and seriously, she barely has the will to get up from bed, this is beyond her ability.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡­ The answer hit me when my hands felt the cooling, deformed rock on the wall, along with a memory. What is that the vessel said? Never Again? Never again what¡­?


    Never again shall humanity hold the Sparks of inspiration. Never again shall they ascend! Never again shall Jericho flourish like in its golden age.


    This whole ordeal, this risk, it was the result of a confabulation from the Heavens themselves! The Angel had taken the vessel away to stop this!!!


    And that can only mean that this truly is the moment of truth! The true opportunity, the closest we¡¯ve ever been to magic.


    ¡°So¡­ this truly is our last test, isn¡¯t it¡­?¡±


    The Demiurge¡¯s lips curled into a smile, understanding now filling his eyes as his joy soon blossomed into a burst of loud, elated laughter. Alejandra and Arianna simply stared for a moment, two nuns hiding on the outside of the destroyed basement, terrified by the intensity of the broken man¡¯s emotion.


    Before arriving they had felt so confident in their plans, all the cards firmly grasped between their hands. Sure, they had their differences in how to treat the children, and there was still a tinge of tension between them, but things felt under their control!


    And yet, here he was, smiling, laughing and mocking the very skies as twilight turned into closed night, already celebrating an impossible victory. The same thought passed through both nuns¡¯ minds: this man was either completely insane, or he had discovered something neither of them could know.


    ¡°Come in, now.¡±


    The laughter did die down, only for the man¡¯s voice to order both women to walk through the door already. Arianna hesitated, but Alejandra powered through the fear to advance first.


    The Demiurge was a tall, strong man, with black hair falling on both sides of his round face. Despite a few pounds, he felt incredibly vital and healthy in every motion he did, his hands strong enough to break a tree trunk in half if he put enough force on it. Truly, Enrico was the kind of man who enjoyed overpowering every obstacle to forever remain on top. Of all the people in the chapel, he was the only one to best Alejandra in both size and strength.


    ¡°Tell me the news, although I can already see you were unsuccessful.¡± Said Enrico with a tinge of disdain in his words.


    ¡°We looked through the old mine and there were no signs of the child.¡± Alejandra answered, looking down to disguise her discomfort with lying as mere shame. ¡°Only small animals and other critters.¡±


    ¡°There were some tracks near the river!¡± Arianna added with a sheepish smile. Acting was second nature to her at this point. ¡°We are not sure if they are Baraqiel¡¯s but, they are our best bet so far.¡±


    ¡°The river¡­ that means they are probably aiming for Gwynedd. Foolish vessel, walking right back to my hands without even realizing.¡± The Demiuirge¡¯s mood seemed only to improve, but he still tried to look serious. ¡°I shall send a message to Marina myself, you two return to your quarters¡­ and remember to keep looking out for any signs of suspicion.¡±


    The man¡¯s gaze turned darker and more severe, as he stared down Arianna in particular. He knew she was the main problem when it came to motivation, so one couldn¡¯t stress things enough!


    ¡°Our enemies lurk in every shadow. We must solve this situation as fast as possible, before they take any notice.¡±


    The nun shivered and nodded slowly, doing her best not to laugh at her superior for she knew that ¡°their enemies¡± had taken notice a few hours ago, and it was only a matter of time before they arrived; Enrico smiled, just looking at the nun pitifully shaking like a wet animal, nodding in approval of her fear.


    ¡°Now go away. Dismissed! I will not be present at Dinner tonight so I don¡¯t want anyone to ask or bother.¡±


    With a nod, both women simply turned back around and closed the gates behind them. The Demiurge could still hear them whisper away, their words obscured by the iron-plated door¡­ he gave them no mind, for there were more important things to think about.


    Like those enemies, and how close they could get before Baraqiel was back in the Spire.


    The most obvious people to be afraid of were the Black Pages, always so eager to destroy any and all advances made in the field. To encounter their agents would mean immediate death not only for him, but to all of his vessels and coworkers, and the man simply couldn¡¯t bear the guilt of his work being incomplete for the rest of time, lost due to the flames of ignorance.


    ¡°Maybe it is time to ask for help¡­¡±Enrico looked, once again, at his ring. A perfect True Silver band with the symbols of the Demiurge hidden on its inner face: the head of a lion devouring the sun, a sign that speaks of the passing of stages and the power of the sacred Creator, just waiting to be discovered and replicated. Every Demiurge in the sacred Guild had one, as a way to link all of them in a great, powerful chain.


    There were others out there, people who may not share his own ideas but certainly understood the pressing situation, and the importance of their goals¡­ maybe with the help of at least one of them¡­


    ¡°...No.¡±


    It was far too risky, anyone who comes could easily steal his secrets, his advancements and his work, and then use it for their own experiments. They could even steal the Spark for themselves instead of returning it! The temptation of glory was too powerful for weak souls to endure, and Enrico was unwilling to share anything until his experiments were done properly.


    Besides! Sending a letter to the guild would take days, if not entire weeks! He didn¡¯t have the time to sit down and beg for a charitable soul to arrive, did he?


    But then again, the threat of death was closer and closer, like a sword dangling right on top of his neck¡­


    With a defeated sigh and a tired expression on his face, the man decided to simply leave that idea on stand by, and start the long way to Gwynedd. He would have both eyes very open, and with some luck maybe that tiresome vessel would appear and submit.


    ¡°If that thing doesn¡¯t come back in two days, I am calling them.¡± The man decided, climbing through the hole in his study and dusting himself. ¡°If anything, they can at least help me find a place to restart¡­ again¡­¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the first time Enrico would have to burn down a church and run to pause his experiments, and he couldn¡¯t be sure that it would be his last either. He wasn¡¯t getting any younger at all, for time was absolutely against him.


    But I don¡¯t care how many I must sacrifice, I am reclaiming this Spark in the name of humanity.


    I am reclaiming our long-lost birthright, no matter the cost.

 Chapter 31: Of Promises

    Dinner time came earlier than usual in the Chapel: without the Father to bless their food and give his usual monologue, and without Sister Marina to do her best to imitate it in length and tediousness, Sister Tasce¡¯s quick summary of all the reasons why bad girls go to Hell was done quickly and painlessly! She must have been hungry as well.


    Tonight¡¯s soup felt saltier than usual, which could have thrown some people out of the loop but it was quite appreciated by Gabrielle, who¡¯s mood improved as quickly as she was able to get the first spoonfuls. There were many things to think about, the Demiurge and his secrets, how to help Baraqiel and keep them safe, and why did she feel like things were suddenly so complex and scary¡­


    Not too long ago, Gabi was convinced she understood it all! It had taken quite a long time of her life, but finally the world was making sense: if she kept quiet things would be better, and if she did as she was told no one would hurt her¡ª weren¡¯t those the rules that guided reality?


    Did she spend all these years learning lies?


    And if that was the case, then whatever could she even do about it?


    With a pouty grimace on her face she continued to devour her soup, pushing her head against the issue without managing to move it an inch, until something else caught her attention: Silence. Not absolute silence of course, that would be impossible at Dinner time with so many people chatting and their spoons clanking against the bowls; it was a silence directly aimed at her.


    Don¡¯t get distracted!!


    The girl shook her head quickly, trying to recover and properly address her issues: most specifically the Demiurge. The Sisters said he wanted to become an Angel himself, was that funny shape that Baraqiel showed her really the key to it? Maybe it held secrets, like¡­ liiike¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­ No, but seriously. What is going on.


    No one was teasing her, no one was trying to get on her nerves or even laughing at her enjoyment of soup. The most they did was look at her a bit and then whisper to each other, but no more than that.


    Are they planning something?


    Gabrielle blinked slowly, looking around to try and find an explanation, but every single girl she looked at immediately averted her gaze and pretended not to see the redhead. They usually confronted her without hesitation! Why would they suddenly not even try to hurt her?


    The answer was very easy to divine, so much so that Gabi was able to find it after a few moments: They were afraid, clearly unnerved by her presence once again. They had sublimated fear into hatred long ago, and now that hatred was condensating right back into fear.


    And Gabrielle was not sure if she liked this sensation.


    Sister Arianna had warned her that if she behaved like an angry beast people would definitely change the way they see her, but she didn¡¯t expect it so fast! Now that they feared her, maybe they were planning something even worse.


    I ruined it all again¡­?


    Frustration built up in Gabi¡¯s chest, as she didn¡¯t really miss being the target of harassment at all, but that didn¡¯t make this strange isolation any easier to take. A nervous, dangerous kind of calm, like the silence that precedes the Father¡¯s shouts when he gets angry: you can¡¯t really enjoy it because you know what¡¯s coming next. And maybe that was the worst part: She didn¡¯t even know what they were up to now!


    But she would put all of the power of her small child brain to try and guess it, prepare for whatever they would try now! No matter how long it took!


    ¡ª


    Sister Tasce took a long breath before clearing her throat as loudly as possible, standing up from her seat to get everyone¡¯s attention. This was her chance to be the center of the table after all: without Father Enrico and Sister Marina, she was the next one in command! So, everyone had to listen to her.


    ¡°All right, girls. It¡¯s bedtime, I want to see everyone going straight to the chambers, exceeeept¡­¡±


    It was always like this, at least on the days when Gabrielle was not pulled out of the table before dinner was done: Two or three girls were selected, usually depending on their behavior, to stay behind and clean the dishes before joining the rest in bed.


    Considering all the ruckus of the day, the ones chosen for tonight¡¯s duty weren¡¯t surprising to anyone.


    ¡°Gabrielle and Samantha. You two have work to do today! And we don¡¯t want to hear any fuss about it!!¡±


    Of course the rest of the girls laughed about it as they walked off, but not even that felt as meanspirited as usual. Gabi remained on her seat, quiet and still like a statue, her eyes wide open as her mind¡¯s inner workings spun in who knows what direction. Samantha took a deep breath, rubbing her hands together and hesitatingly approaching Gabrielle.


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    She had no idea what to think, or what the redhead was even meditating on. It was a very well-known fact that this Witch tended to freeze in place all of a sudden, and simply stare into space without moving a muscle. They had seen her do that for almost an entire afternoon! And worst of all was the fact that she didn¡¯t blink, not once, during that whole time.


    But for some reason, since seeing the girl¡¯s less violent and weird side, Sam didn¡¯t feel as repelled by Gabi¡¯s behavior. She even pitied the girl a little, Gabrielle didn¡¯t ask to be like this now, did she? It¡¯s like Sam, who didn¡¯t ask to be that tall at all, and people still bothered her for it! So maybe she should give this Witch a chance?


    Be brave, Sammy. Be brave¡­ she¡¯s not an animal, she¡¯s a person like you¡­


    Chance or not, the memories of a recent attack were way too fresh in Samantha¡¯s mind to casually approach Gabrielle. The tall, blond girl had to repeat this to herself several times, trying her darndest not to avert her gaze from the quiet, unblinking Witch as she approached and then carefully tapped on the table near them. Sam had learned the hard way that touching Gabi was an absolutely terrible idea.


    ¡°Gabrielle? Gabrielle?? Wake up.¡± She tapped insistently. ¡°We¡¯re gonna get in trouble and I am not going to do all the work for you!¡±


    Tap. Tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. Gabi¡¯s eyes blinked and focused once more as the girl returned to the waking world, looking around herself for a second before focusing on Samantha and remaining quiet as a tombstone, staring and waiting for her to say her piece; Sam, of course, couldn¡¯t simply guess that, for she was used to simply be told to speak before actually starting speaking.


    So they stood there, awkwardly staring for much more time than necessary, trapped in a social cage until one of them finally relented: and it was Gabrielle! Maybe it was due to actually having someone to talk to during the last day and a half, but differently to any other time in her life, she actually felt the strange compulsion to fill the silence somehow.


    ¡°You¡¯re late for sleeping.¡± Mentioned the redhead, checking around. ¡°Everyone else is gone, why are you still here.¡±


    ¡°Uhm, we have cleaning duty today.¡± Sam responded, blinking a few times; had this girl somehow missed the order? Impossible, Sister Tasce¡¯s voice could not be ignored, it was that annoying. But then, was this a prank of sorts? ¡°Get up and let¡¯s finish this quickly.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one else here?¡± Gabrielle frowned slightly, looking around herself and under the table.


    Now what is she looking for? Does she think someone will jump her or¡ªoh.


    Understandment came to Samantha while staring at her nervous companion: of course she was looking around, people had attacked her once today already! There was nothing to stop them from doing it again. And being constantly on the lookout for danger was a great way to become jumpy and violent.


    Sam rubbed her arm slightly, the guilt showering her like cold rain.


    ¡°Hey, hey. It¡¯s okay, the others are gone already.¡± Samantha tried to pat the girl on the back, but Gabi retracted herself immediately. Figures. ¡°Sorry¡­ but, really. We are alone this time, no one to mess with you. Promise.¡±


    Gabrielle stared right at her, her face like chiseled in brownstone, but her eyes brightly showing their distrust. Sam sighed, I wouldn¡¯t believe myself either, she needs proof! At least her empathy was perfectly in tune with the nervous Witch, but that didn¡¯t mean she had any idea of how to prove there would be no more pranks that night.


    So instead she decided to copy Gabi¡¯s movements, watching around with her, under the table, and walking over to open the counters in the kitchen.


    ¡°See? Empty!¡± Sam smiled. ¡°If anyone jumps at us, I¡¯ll let you punch me again.¡±


    ¡°Does it still hurt? Gabrielle asked, now reminded of that. ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°Oi, oi! It¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t hurt at all, don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Samantha was lying shamelessly and she didn¡¯t even know why, her face was still feeling a bit swollen from the beat down. But that at least seemed to calm the fear in Gabrielle¡¯s eyes, so it was enough for the time. The redheaded girl would start picking up the dishes and carrying them to the sink, where Samantha would bring buckets of water to fill it.


    As Gabi focused more and more on the new task, Samantha couldn¡¯t help but look at her for a moment, idly scrubbing an iron pan. She always has this expression of being deep in thought, always busy on something that doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ but maybe it makes an odd sort of sense to her?


    Maybe the things she thinks are special, hard to explain? No one can just look out into the distance and not think!


    What are you thinking about, Gabrielle¡­?


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Samantha asked, all of a sudden.


    ¡°Does what hurt?¡± Gabrielle didn¡¯t look away from her dishes as she cleaned.


    ¡°When people touch you. You always avoid letting people touch you, does it hurt?¡±


    The redhead stopped right there, blinking and then staring into her own reflection in the murky waters for a moment. Samantha tried to imagine what the girl could be thinking, she wasn¡¯t sure if Gabi was bothered by an obvious question, or if she was surprised for legitimately never asking herself that before.


    ¡°... It feels wrong. It doesn¡¯t hurt, but it feels wrong.¡±


    ¡°Wrong? Like, slimy and disgusting?¡±


    ¡°No. But yes.¡± Gabrielle frowned for a moment, moving her hands trying to convey the feeling. ¡°It¡¯s not like, filthy. It¡¯s not like that. But it just feels uncomfortable and bad.¡±


    ¡°Is it with everyone?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    Sam stopped herself there, gulping loudly. Why did she ask?


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    The girl looked around for a moment, making sure no one was spying. She had no real way of knowing that, but at least tried to find any curious eyes before speaking again.


    ¡°... I am sorry.¡±


    Gabrielle blinked.


    ¡°For what? For the punches and pulls? Your punches are soft anyways, and you already apologized.¡±


    ¡°They are not that soft!!¡± Samantha grew even more flustered, but tried her best to calm down. ¡°And no, it¡¯s not that! It¡¯s just¡­ everything.¡° Samantha was not the one who bothered Gabrielle the most, but she did do it. Everyone did it¡­ and now, for some reason, her heart was so overwhelmed by the guilt that just pretending things were fine was killing her inside.


    ¡°For everything. I just want to know how to be friends¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­ want to be friends with me?¡± Gabi completely let go of the dishes, turning to face Sam. ¡°But I punched you hard.¡±


    ¡°Yes! But I bothered you bad first, right? Look! It doesn¡¯t matter anymore!!¡± Samantha was trying her best to get overwhelmed by Gabi¡¯s gaze. Her face reddened. ¡°I want to be good to you now, and if that means we are friends then that¡¯s fine! I will see if the others can leave you alone too, okay!?¡±


    Without noticing, Samantha had closed her eyes for a moment there. When she opened them, Gabrielle¡¯s face betrayed a hint of confusion. Fear, excitement, something intense like that. Little tears wanted to escape her.


    ¡°...Are you sure you are not trying to prank me?¡± She asked, in a much lower voice.


    ¡°I pinky swear.¡± Sam offered her pinky, but seeing Gabrielle doubting, she shook her head. ¡°Ah, right, touching¡­ Uhm, well, I¡­ I just swear then!¡±


    Gabi kept quiet for a moment looking down and thinking once more. Was she still doubting? Even if a part of Sam felt offended by it, she understood that it wasn¡¯t a matter of just trusting her after all these years.


    ¡°Tell you what, give me these days to prove to you that we can be friends.¡± Samantha smiled. ¡°Is that better?¡±


    ¡°... Yes.¡± Gabrielle finally answered. ¡°Yes, that is better.¡±


    ¡°Good! You will see, I will be a good friend!¡± Samantha patted her own chest and then, after cleaning the last dishes, she stood up and grabbed a bucket. ¡°And I will start by doing this myself. You can rest!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll throw the water? But it is heavy, and your arms are like noodles.¡±


    Sam flinched there, but pretended not to hear that last part.


    ¡°It¡¯s my way of saying sorry. So, you rest and wait for me. If you go back alone the others will think you did something to me!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­! I didn¡¯t even think of that.¡± Gabrielle¡¯s eyes sparkled there. ¡°You¡¯re smart!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, no, I just know them well.¡± Samantha¡¯s heart jumped a little, not a lot of people called her smart. ¡°Now outta my way, this should only take a moment!!


    ¡ª


    Gabrielle simply stood in place while staring, watching how the much taller yet much scrawnier girl grabbed buckets full of filthy water, and with great effort carried them out to toss them into the fields. Once and again, visibly struggling each time and yet looking at the redheaded girl with determination in her eyes. And for some reason, Gabi felt¡­ moved by this. A little uncomfortable at first, for she did not enjoy talking much about herself, but this little gesture.


    It made her smile.


    It was similar to when she talked to Baraqiel, but at the same time so different. She could perfectly let Baraqiel hug her, or the young Sisters, but Samantha? Not yet, the idea of having her too close made her shake to the core.


    But now, for the first time? She felt that maybe she could try one day. Maybe, if things kept this pace.


    And maybe, if things kept this pace, she could actually be brave enough to call her a friend.

 Chapter 32: Of Preparations

    The way over to the Major Chamber was dimly lit by a few torches on the rock walls. Men of different heights and ethnicities walked through it, the only thing they shared was the similar uniforms in black and white and the golden chains hanging from their necks, each sporting a beautiful T cast in the precious metal. They were servants of the Church of Saints, each a prestigious priest or functionary in their own right, summoned by the call of an emergency meeting issued by the Chamber Priest of the Genesis Corps, one of the many different Chambers of the so-called ¡°True Church¡±.


    Once inside, the Major Chamber was a beautifully ornate and perfectly circular room, caressed by the sunlight filtering through the stained windows decorating all of its walls with images of the Greater Saints. This room was sitting on the west wing of the Great Cathedral of Alkairos: the cradle of the Church of the Saints, and the birthplace of this Age of Silence that has reigned supreme over the East of Jericho for the last thousand years.


    Twenty-eight tables were arranged in a perfect circle around the main area, where Chamber Priest Giovanni patiently waited for the members of the council to take their seats (each table corresponding to four representatives of each of the twenty-eight True Church Chambers). Once a tall man and a starling example of power, Giovanni was now a fatherly, weak figure thanks to the inclement passing of years. His dark skin was now covered with wrinkles and spots, the hair falling from his head was gray and long, thin enough to leave some spots of his head almost completely exposed¡­ and yet, the golden glimmer of his eyes was as lively and intimidating as the first day he walked into the church, who knows how many years ago.


    He was, really, the oldest member of his Chamber and the second elder of the Church at large, only surpassed by the age of the current Wise Great Bishop, the regent leader of the Church of the Saints; curiously enough, this aforementioned Bishop was the only member of the Major Chamber that was missing right then.


    This was a great thing, giving Giovanni a chance to speak uninterruptedly.


    ¡°As we wait for our Great Bishop to dignify our meeting with his presence, I wish to summarize my reasons for this meeting: For those who somehow still don¡¯t know, we have finally gathered enough proof of the presence of a Demiurge in North Britta to justify our attention and immediate action!¡±


    The crowd immediately began speaking among themselves, the outrage was palpable in the air: Demiurges were usually thought to be completely eradicated, until a new one popped right out of the woodwork several years after the incarceration of the ¡°last one¡±. Of course there were those in the Major Chamber that were clearly tired of this constant resurfacing of rogue mages and malcontents. But there was nothing that could be done about it!


    Or, well. There was one thing.


    ¡°I understand that you all must be eager to get rid of this issue as quickly as possible. Please believe me, I am as tired as you all feel! But on this occasion we must be more careful than usual: the culprit this time, a man called Enrico Abalone, has innocent people hostage. Children.¡±


    ¡°That bastard..!!¡±


    The outrage only seemed to grow more intense there. Some of the Chamber Priests were quick to point out the urgency of capturing this Demiurge as quickly as possible, while others insisted on the risk of an operation involving children. And, despite his own anger, the man was starting to feel quite hopeful for the meeting. Looking around he saw most people crossing their arms, their minds already racing to find ways to solve the issue while protecting the hostages.


    Of course, the members of his own chamber did not seem so convinced. Giovanni sat among the zealous, the eager and the wrathful members of the Genesis Chamber after all! Each and every one was picked personally by him, or at least that¡¯s what it said on paper. In reality, the one who called the shots¡­


    ¡°Now now, gentlemen. Please, settle down for a moment and let this old man speak¡­¡±


    ¡­ Was the Wise Great Bishop.


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    A man who looked as powerful as he was ancient, tall and muscular despite the lack of meat on his bones and the many, many wrinkles on his face. His hair was long and black as the night, perfectly dressed in gold rings and plaited in exactly one hundred and three thick braids, each for a successful Witch Hunt Season.


    His long white sotana fell straight down to the floor like a puffy dress, dragging slightly as he made his way into the High Chamber with a placid smile.


    ¡°I know you are all eager to return to your duties, my children, but please! Don¡¯t just start taking decisions without Father present! Now, where are your manners¡­?¡±


    The entire room fell silent, as the eyes of their superior scanned all around until landing on old Giovanni, and the Wise Great Bishop¡¯s smile only widened. They both knew what was going on, and what was about to happen. And no matter how much effort Giovanni put into trying to fan the flames of mercy in every meeting, they were all extinguished immediately by the mere presence of ¡°the Father¡±.


    ¡°Listen, my children¡­ to be human is to be imperfect. We are all aware of this, right?¡± The ancient man waited for signs of approval before continuing. ¡°Our minds are imperfect, our souls are imperfect, and of course our very world is imperfect. We have been abandoned by the Gods for this reason, and the only way to return to their embrace is to destroy the shackles of this imperfection.¡±


    Silence. No one dared to even take a breath loud enough to interrupt the Father¡¯s voice.


    ¡°We have dedicated our entire lives to perfect ourselves with this purpose, to follow on the steps of the Saints, those of us who have managed to obtain but a Spark of the Gods¡¯ Will with their virtuous deeds! Each and every one of them a miracle of his own! And the only way to reach that perfection would be, should be, the one we have honed and designed with the sweat of our brows, and the many sacrifices we¡¯ve done¡­ and now this Demiurge, this heretic, dares to go against all this effort and break the very rules of nature! To jump across all of our efforts, sacrificing anyone on his path!!¡±


    Giovanni swallowed, turning around once more and seeing the indignation in the eyes of his peers turning into growing, burning anger.


    ¡°To spit in our way of life, to pretend that we have been wasting our time, to look down on our efforts!!¡± The Wise Great Bishop¡¯s voice grew thunderous and more powerful with each word; his speech was soon evolving into shouting. ¡°This man and his deranged ambitions must be put to rest before they can spread on the innocent! Each and every effort of his must be erased from History itself, never to make a mockery of our work again!¡±


    The chamber erupted into shouting and cheering, the overwhelming majority of the Chamber Priests already on board with what was clearly a new Witch Hunt. Those who kept to themselves were either too afraid of losing their own position, or too deep in the pockets of the Great Bishop to even dare to talk.


    But then, Giovanni spoke.


    ¡°Father¡­ the man has gathered children around him, the most innocent are being used as a shield for his madness. ¡°


    ¡°No shield shall stop the spear of our church!!¡± A man from the crowd shouted, and people immediately backed him up.


    Giovanni utterly ignored him.


    ¡°Is there truly no other way? We must save those who have been corrupted by his insanity!¡± The old man pleaded with his superior, golden eyes full of anguish. ¡°Please, Father!¡±


    There was a moment of silence, before the Wise Great Bishop gently shook his head.


    ¡°My child, you have always been wise and merciful, my favorite child¡­ but the time for mercy is not the middle of a war.¡± The Bishop shook his head. ¡°It is a shame that we must walk on the corpses of children, but they have been tainted with the ideas of this madman.¡±


    ¡°We do not know for sure!¡± Giovanni added. ¡°Our spy should be evaluating the spread of the Infection as we speak. If we could wait a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°We shall only wait enough to understand the nature of the Spark this Demiurge has stolen, and not a second more!¡± The room trembled under the finality of that statement. ¡°We do not have the time to wait and beg, every second that passes is a risk! A chance for this man to escape! Or worse, to spread his malice even further¡­ do you wish for even more people to be sacrificed, Chamber Priest?¡±


    Silence.


    Giovanni looked around himself, and found only judging eyes¡­ his position was already in danger, people already whispered in the halls about ¡°renegade ways¡± and ¡°disrespect for the Father¡±. He had pushed it as much as he could, and now he was truly alone.


    So with a heavy heart, he bowed his head and acquiesced.


    ¡°No, Father.¡±


    ¡°Good child¡­ You¡¯ve always been my favorite, Giovanni. Please, never change that pure heart.¡± Despite the smile on his lips, those words simply dripped with a very hidden sense of mockery. ¡°Members of the High Chamber! The Genesis shall prepare for a new hunt! And I am hoping that each and every one of you will do your best to aid the efforts of our forsaken children! Our necessary evil! May the Gods forgive their efforts in the end, for we only sully our hands for the good of humanity itself!¡±


    The High Chamber exploded into cheering and clapping, while Giovanni silently sat back down on his chair and looked down at his log book. Once more, he had failed¡­ but this only meant he would need to work harder.


    If the Church wouldn¡¯t embrace mercy, he would only need to put mercy in their way. While the meeting was dismissed, and people started walking out of the chamber itself, Giovanni took his quill and hurriedly wrote.


    ¡°Arianna, the Genesis is about to declare a Hunt¡­ But don¡¯t fear, this always happens anyway. We don¡¯t need them to save these children.¡±


    ¡°We shall do it on our own.¡±

 Chapter 33: Of a Challenge

    The way back to the quarters was full of questions, as Samantha herself did not really expect her heartfelt attempt to actually work! With this unique chance to interview the Witch, Sam was trying to make sure to understand the what¡¯s and how¡¯s of the redheaded girl¡­ but to her disappointment, she would find that Gabrielle herself knew very, very little of her own inner workings.


    ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t hurt when you don¡¯t blink?¡± Asked the blonde, tilting her head to the side.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even notice.¡± Gabrielle shrugged. ¡°Blinking made it easy for people to throw things at me, so I stopped.¡±


    ¡°How did you even stop!?¡±


    ¡°I just¡­ did? What, you can¡¯t do that?¡±


    ¡°No, no I can¡¯t. No one can!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    While Gabrielle felt pretty happy with her own answers, and even more encouraged by the fact that someone was actually asking her things to begin with, Samantha couldn¡¯t help but feel a little bit cheated. No strange powers or mysterious rituals, just a girl reacting to things and not knowing how! A very small part of Samantha¡¯s mind wanted to learn a secret she could apply to herself. After all, it wasn¡¯t a secret that Sammy was one of, if not the weakest girl in the chapel.


    ¡°You¡¯re always carrying the heavy stuff with Amber, but you are like half her size.¡± Sammy exaggerated. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t have a magical power or something?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, how do you even know if you have those?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    The taller girl fell silent. Huh. How did one get to know that. Sammy assumed it would be something obvious, but was it really so? How could she even know? She never had any form of magical abilities either! No one has had them for at least five hundred years! Everything was so confusing when viewed from the eyes of that Witch, and that was something that Sammy was very quickly learning to like: that every time she made a question, it somehow turned into another different, much more confusing but more interesting question.


    ¡°What sort of magical powers are there¡­?¡± Asked the redhead, rubbing the back of her neck as they opened the door to the sleeping quarters.


    ¡°Oh, the Prologues mention a lot of them right? Like Saint Guadalupe¡¯s rose¨C¡±


    ¡°GABRIELLE THE WITCH.¡±


    A third voice suddenly interjected in their conversation, forcing both girls to look back up and see the entire quarters dimly lit by a single candle. All girls had gathered around it, covering themselves with their bed¡¯s cover to wear it as if it was a long cloak. They were all clearly trying to appear as intimidating and mysterious as possible. The voice of Kimberly spoke loudly and with an exaggeratedly charged accent.


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    ¡°WE ARE THE SECRET COUNCIL OF THIS CHAPEL! THE COUNCIL OF AL-LORETA! WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING YOU FOR THIS WHOLE TIME, YOU SMELLY WITCH.¡±


    ¡°I am not smelly.¡± Gabrielle crossed her arms and took a deep breath, huffing slightly.


    ¡°YES YOU ARE.¡±


    ¡°No I am not.¡±


    ¡°ARE TOO.¡±


    ¡°Am not.¡±


    ¡°ARE TOO.¡±


    ¡°Am not..¡±


    ¡°ARE¨C¡±


    ¡°Saints above!!¡± Sam stomped her feet down, now finally remembering what this was about¡­ wasn¡¯t she supposed to distract Gabrielle before coming, anyways? Oh well, talking worked perfectly for that. ¡°Just. Continue with the ritual already!¡±


    ¡°A ritual?¡± Gabrielle turned to look at Samantha with fearful eyes. ¡°Are you working with the D¨C¡±


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± Kimberly demanded, stepping over to loudly bonk Samantha with a rolled up piece of parchment. ¡°GABRIELLE THE WITCH. WE HAVE DECIDED TO PUT YOU TO A TEST, TO DETERMINE IF YOU REALLY ARE AN EVIL WITCH! TONIGHT, YOU SHALL¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, wait, I get it.¡± Gabi suddenly interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s like the Council of Alkairos, but you took Saint Loretta¡¯s name and mixed it all together. That¡¯s clever.¡±


    One of the younger girls in the congregation let out the smallest, happiest exclamation of joy (yay~!), while Kimberly loudly cleared her throat.


    ¡°YOU SHALL CONFESS TO YOUR SINS TONIGHT, AND AFTER THAT YOU SHALL TAKE ON OUR TEST OF VIRTUE! SO ONCE AND FOR ALL, WE SHALL KNOW IF YOU REALLY ARE AN EVIL WITCH! DO YOU ACCEPT THIS?¡±


    ¡°Oh. Uhm¡­¡± Gabrielle looked down for a moment, meditating this very carefully. To be able to prove that she was not evil would mean much less troubles in the daily! A real gain for the girl. But, what if this was a trap¡­?  She turned around to look at Sam in the eye. ¡°Is this a prank?¡±


    ¡°Not that I am aware of.¡± Samantha confessed. ¡°But this is all Kimmy¡¯s idea¡­¡±


    ¡°I helped too!!¡± Yelled Amber, lost among the other cloaked girls. ¡°It was the idea of both!¡±


    ¡°Kimberly and Amber are the worst here though.¡± Gabrielle said, brutally honest to the point both girls flinched. ¡°They are the ones who pick the most on me.¡±


    ¡°LISTEN¨CO-Okay, okay. Enough with the voice.¡± Kimberly grumbled and, with all the pain of the world, took off her cloak to look at Gabrielle in the eye. Kimmy was around Gabi¡¯s size, with many freckles on her dark skin and hair dark and thick falling in heavy dreads. ¡°Sam says you are alright, and I want to make sure you are. I  don¡¯t believe her at all but, if you do this and succeed, we won¡¯t pick on you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Do you promise?¡±


    It was a sin to lie, and Kimmy knew this. She really wishes she could simply say ¡°no¡±, and be done with it¡­ but, for the sake of the other girls and to make things easier in the long run, she decided she would take the burden of risking having to accept the freak, and offered her hand.


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    Gabrielle looked at the hand, confused. Sam, who was already starting to understand how the girl works, whispered to Gabi¡¯s ear ¡°You¡¯re supposed to shake it¡±, before the redhead actually nodded and took the hand for a nice, firm if a bit hasty shake.


    And so, the trials had started that night.


    ¡ª


    It was a well-accepted fact that to confess one¡¯s sins, you must do so in the confessionary! And the chapel had a very beautiful one right on the side of its main hall. Sneaking over there was simple enough, for Sister Marina was still nowhere to be found and she was usually the one patrolling the hallways at night. Apparently, none of the others could be bothered to take on the job now that she was gone.


    And so, the group of little girls was all surrounding the wooden box, as Kimmy took her place on the nun side and Gabrielle entered the side of the penitent. It was all a big ritual, the flock would come and confess their wrongdoings to the nuns, who were then supposed to advise on how to improve their way of life (usually by praying).


    Gabrielle had a very unhealthy amount of ¡°sin¡± on her back, so really this was more a favor to her than an actual trial.


    ¡°Dear Sister, I have sinned.¡± She started as it was the tradition. ¡°Please, help me find my way back to the Saints¡¯ Grace.¡±


    ¡°VERY WELL, MY CHILD.¡± Kimberly followed the traditional way as well, once more putting on her ¡®intimidating voice¡¯. ¡°YOU MAY NOW BARE YOURSELF OF ALL PRETENSES AND CONFESS.¡±


    This first part of Kimberly¡¯s plan was very easy: she counted on Gabrielle being way too dumb to properly lie, and expose any supernatural or evil doings to the rest of the girls. This should be enough to erase any doubts from their minds. She was about to be surprised at how loosely one could interpret the word ¡°Sin¡±.

 Chapter 34: Of a Trial

    ¡°I have always taken a chance of eating a second serving of soup. The others never eat it so I just take what is left from the casserole before cleaning it.¡±


    ¡°AGAIN. THAT IS NOT A SIN.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, Kimmy? I¡¯ve done it a lot of times.¡±


    ¡°YES, I AM SURE. EAT THE DUMB SOUP, NO ONE CARES.¡±


    While Gabrielle celebrated quietly on her side of the confessionary, Kimberly was starting to lose her patience. It had been a long time already! A long and arduous interrogation, and all they had to show for it were a bunch of times the girl had decided to get a second serving of potato water, the time she said she would work the field and instead went looking for berries in the forest, and one time she punched the fisher boy in Gwynedd for looking at her weird.


    Kimberly was quite happy about that last one, to be honest.


    But this was supposed to reveal the secrets of the witch! Was she lying? Was she still hiding things? The more she heard, the more she was convinced that this dumb girl was just that: a boring dumb girl! Honestly, she felt quite offended at the notion! She was promised an evil witch to torment, after all!


    ¡°There are also the times I stay awake at night.¡± Gabrielle continued confessing. ¡°Sleeping is hard when there¡¯s noise and all of you are very noisy at night.¡± The girls giggled, almost as if proud of this fact, while Gabrielle simply huffed. ¡°So sometimes I walk out on my own.¡±


    ¡°HOW DO YOU KEEP SISTER MARINA AT BAY?¡±


    ¡°She always patrols the hallways the same way, avoiding her is easy.¡± Gabi nodded. ¡°Simply waiting for her to go to down the stairs to the basement gives enough time to walk from the room to the kitchen.¡±


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    ¡°...AND THAT¡¯S IT?¡±


    ¡°And sometimes, when I am in the kitchen, I take the chance and check if there¡¯s any soup left for me to get a second serv¨C¡±


    ¡°ENOUGH. I DON¡¯T CARE. I DON¡¯T CARE ABOUT YOUR SERVINGS!!¡± Kimberly simply pushed out of her spot on the confessionary, shaking her head and crossing her arms with a huff. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore! You¡¯re fine, we are done with this part!¡±


    Gabrielle carefully peeked from her own side of the confessionary. ¡°Are you sure? I still had a few left.¡±


    ¡°Whatever they were, those are fine too! I don¡¯t care!¡±


    With a nod, Gabi simply smiled. Her secret weapon had worked once again: repetition. People hated repetition, and this is something she had discovered very, very early in her life. Repeat something enough times and people will get sick of talking, no matter what the subject is¡­ and if they are too bothered to keep talking, they usually just leave things at that.


    That way she didn¡¯t have to talk about Baraqiel and the Rune. It was the perfect plan.


    ¡°Does this mean we are done here?¡± Gabrielle walked out of the confessionary, while Kimmy simply shook her head. ¡°What else, then?¡±


    Kimberly debated for a moment with herself, already clearing her throat to go back to her deep and intimidating voice¡­ but simply decided against it. No, it was too tiresome and honestly, that redhead didn¡¯t deserve so much effort at all.


    ¡°The second part of your Trial is now afoot, so shut up and listen to me!¡± The little girl frowned and shook a finger. ¡°The Father is very busy lately, he almost never goes to his room these nights! And in that room, hidden somewhere, is the big box of toffee he always gets for himself every month!¡±


    ¡°You want me to take the box?¡± Gabi tilted her head for a moment.


    ¡°What!? No, that would be stupid! He would realize immediately! No, you have to get in there and take the candy inside! One for each of us.¡± The other girls giggled a bit harder at that, but Samantha simply kept quiet. This suddenly felt terrible to her. ¡°Do it for us, and we will never pick on you again! That we promise!¡±


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t¡­?¡±


    ¡°Then we will pick on you even more!¡± Kimberly pointed at Gabrielle, poking her nose. ¡°For being a coward poop head!¡±


    Gabi didn¡¯t need any sort of magical powers to know that this whole ordeal was a scam. There was no way they would simply stop because of candy, and it¡¯s not like she could tell the sisters about this at all¡­ but if it bought her at least one day of peace? It would be enough.


    Besides, and this idea just had come to the girl¡¯s mind, if she managed to get in the Demiurge¡¯s room, maybe she could find something interesting. Something that gave her a deeper understanding of the Runes¡­


    ¡°I will do it.¡±


    The girls cheered as quietly as they could, but strongly enough to drown Samantha¡¯s attempts to stop Gabrielle.


    ¡°We will wait for you in the chambers, then! Don¡¯t you dare come back without the candy!¡±


    As the rest of the group left, Samantha simply stared at Gabrielle for a moment. All her enthusiasm about the whole idea had left the building long ago, and she really wished she could just tell Gabi not to, but the deal was sealed now. So, in a low voice, the blonde girl simply said.


    ¡°Please be careful.¡±


    And with that, she left the room as well. Gabrielle was now standing all on her own, taking little breaths and letting her little head race around the idea of entering right into the private chambers of the Demiurge himself¡­

 Chapter 35: Of a Heist (Part I)

    The door to Father Enrico¡¯s room had been left open in a hurry, the commotion enough to even leave the ever paranoid Demiurge completely oblivious to his own inner sanctum. Gabrielle didn¡¯t expect it at all, her brain was already racing to make plans for entry (most of them including the detestable mallet outside) so when the heavy wooden door gave up on her first try,  everything slowed down for the girl. Everything but her heart, pumping harder and faster than ever before as she was confronted with what waited on the other side.


    The first thing that hit her was the smell: it smelled way different than any other room in the Chapel, except maybe the basement? The stink was vaguely acidic, chemical (even if Gabrielle had no idea what this word meant), but there was also the smell of a filthy man. Gabi covered her sensible nose for a moment, grumbling and complaining under her breath without even realizing. She needed a moment to grow used to the smell, closing her eyes and taking very short breaths at a time.


    Meanwhile, from the distance, a curious Samantha observed attentively. She couldn¡¯t simply leave the girl alone to her fate now, could she? The blonde little girl stared from behind one of the many T statues in the chapel, anxiously clinging to it while wondering what in the blazes made Gabi stutter like that. Was she scared? Did the heavy risks of this situation finally hit her?


    No. It definitely wasn¡¯t that. But then why!?


    As soon as the stench no longer made her gag, Gabrielle closed her eyes for a moment and mentally selected targets: She had to grab at least 15 pieces of candy, and find something (anything!) that related to Baraqiel and the Spire¡­ she was happy with these two targets when, suddenly, another realization hit her.


    Wait a moment. I don¡¯t know how to read¡­!


    Gabi smacked her own forehead once, loud enough to make Samantha flinch from her spot. What now!?


    ¡°Okay¡­ calm down.¡± Gabrielle whispered to herself. ¡°There has to be something you can look at in there, I am sure!¡±


    She was absolutely not sure. But she was also out of options, so with a defeated sigh she simply walked into the room. Samantha was so tempted to just follow in, but she knew that more people would just get in the way of each other at this point. So with the pain in her heart, she waited¡­


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    ¡ª


    The Demiurge¡¯s realm was as tidy as they came, at least from Gabrielle¡¯s perspective. No clothes out of place, the bed was neatly made, no signs of rats or anything! Just a boring room with a single bed, no windows, a desk and a closet. A bunch of books was neatly organized on said desk though, Gabrielle counted twenty-five heavy-looking tomes and recognized only one as a copy of the Prologues of the Saints. But then, what were the others?


    Completely ignoring the wooden box with the oh-so-coveted pieces of candy on the side of the bed, Gabi immediately went to mess with the books. Darkness had never been a problem to her, things usually looked as clear as a cloudy, gray day when she focused enough, so the lack of windows wouldn¡¯t be a problem here. She tried to compare them to the Prologues of the Saints, to see if she could recognize any of the words like that. She could read the word ¡°Saints¡± like this in another of the books, but the rest were completely alien.


    The letters in some of them looked completely different! Collections of lines and points with no meaning to the little girl, to the point where she wondered if they were even a language, or maybe she just knew that little about the Brittan word.


    Whatever the case, words had completely failed her!! So, it was time for plan B: to open each book and simply pass by the pages, begging these had images in them.


    And this turned out to be quite a good idea! Because each book she opened had different little pictures on every page! Little snails drawn on the edges, rabbit knights having fun adventures around the words! Gabi recognized these kinds of drawings, for Sister Alejandra had shown the ones drawn on her own copy of the Prologues.


    ¡°The Copyist Monks that write these books spend entire nights working¡±, said the Sister, ¡°Snails live among words, just like worms and rabbits. One can see them if you focus hard enough when copying.¡±


    Gabrielle never saw anything of that sort when looking at the words of a book, but she always assumed it was due to not knowing how to write.


    Sadly, and as cute as the drawings of plants, flowers and little critters were, they really didn¡¯t shed a single clue on to what was going on¡­ in fact, they just made Gabrielle question what was the reason to have all these books at all! Just words and nonsensical drawings! What in the blazes could be hiding in there?


    She was about to leave things as that, setting the books in the order she had found them, when suddenly a sound came to her ears: a soft, gentle meow in a voice she recognized. Samantha? Was she meowing? Why was she¨C


    A loud yawn took Gabrielle by surprise, along with the sound of heavy steps and a hand messing with the doorknob. The girl¡¯s heartbeat exploded once again, her body turning to stone, as the Demiurge returned to his bedroom after a long night of searching.


    Hide, HIDE!


    All voices in Gabrielle¡¯s mind joined into a panicked chorus, as the girl took the few seconds she had to slide right under the man¡¯s bed and simply waited, letting Father get comfortable in his room.


    He looked much more tired than usual, grumbling and taking his steps right towards the bed¡ª but not before taking a piece of candy from the box on his side. That was the only thing in the world that could make him smile, really: looking forward to a tasty treat by the end of a long day of work.


    Gabrielle felt the man¡¯s bulbous frame pressing down over her body on the bed. She was doing her best not to even breathe¡­


    And just like that, she waited without moving an inch, feeling terror running down her spine and squeezing her throat.

 Chapter 36: Of a Heist (Part II)

    Gabrielle¡¯s lungs hurt from holding up her breath, but she felt like she would die if she let go. Every second that passed only made her insides swell, ache and beg for fresh air, as her hands clung tightly to the floorboards. And yet, there was no sign of the man really falling asleep at all: his frame turned from side to side, apparently very busy reading one of his many tomes.


    She waited and waited, repeating to herself that there is no way the man kept awake for much longer considering how tired he looked! No dice. The man simply continued reading, humming to himself while enjoying that sticky piece of toffee.


    It wasn¡¯t long until Gabrielle had completely lost the notion of time. How long had it been already? How much longer would it be?


    Was this the end? No, she couldn¡¯t be discovered now! If the Demiurge trapped her, she would not only get spanked! But she would outright disappear! That¡¯s what happened to Karina a few years ago!


    Moments kept passing and there was no end to the Demiurge¡¯s wake. With each turning page Gabrielle grew more and more impatient, the pain on her chest burning and menacing with popping her little lungs like balloons.


    Images felt so blurry all of a sudden, darker and abstract; Gabrielle¡¯s eyes lacked focus as the world itself stopped making any sense to her. The man turned on his bed, and those motions were the only thing that remained constant in Gabi¡¯s perception of reality.


    There were colorful blotches starting to pop from the floor and floating up to the ceiling, sparkles that remained always just out of Gabrielle¡¯s sight. Shapes and forms twisted into spirals so, so slowly¡ª she could even swear little snails were sliding around her as she contained her breath. Colorful, sparkly, blurry¡­ one of them turned to face her and whispered.


    ¡°Breathe with him, Gabi. Your brain doesn¡¯t have enough neurons as it is.¡±


    The little girl wasn¡¯t even sure what a neuron was, but that was a wonderful idea! Waiting for a second, Gabi would pay special attention to how the man took slow, deep breaths¡ª on one of the times he exhaled, Gabi allowed all the burning air on her lungs to escape in a low, soft blow. Then she had to bite down her lips to stop her own body from breathing desperately, waiting for the Demiurge himself to breathe in¡­


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    That gentle little breath going in did not feel like enough at all to her aching, hungry lungs! Not even slightly! But at least it was enough to make the world a liveable place once more: no dancing snails, no blurry images, just the boring room and a feeling of burning in her chest.


    Eventually, a hand would slowly reach under the bed, leaving something right in front of the hidden little girl: a book, one that Gabrielle hadn¡¯t seen before. Did the Demiurge bring this one with him? She waited for that hand to once more disappear before trying to open the book, only to feel a blinding light pushing through the pages and straight into her eyes. She had to bite her lip down to not let out a pained groan when closing the book.


    Gabi rubbed her eyes with both hands, begging the Saints to force that old man to sleep so she could properly breathe again! But it would be long before she noticed the man¡¯s slumber.


    Finally, after what felt like an entire night and a half, the Demiurge was sleeping deep enough for Gabrielle to let out a sigh of relief. Emboldened by the feeling of oxygen returning to her brain, Gabi opened the lousy book once again¡ª this time with much more care to protect her eyes.


    The letters on the page glowed with their light, maybe not as intensely as Gabrielle had thought before but enough to read them without having to focus at all: more words that she couldn¡¯t understand, written with letters she had never seen before! But these looked much curvy and small than the ones in the other books, without any drawings to decorate the sides of the page.


    At least, no drawings until she found the Tree.


    A giant, beautiful tree adorned two whole pages in the middle of the book, its bark white and sparkly, its leaves hanging purple and beautiful from its spiraling branches¡­ but what interested Gabrielle the most was the trunk itself, covered in strange symbols made out of points and lines, just like the Rune Baraqiel had shown her. Gabi¡¯s eyes widened even more, staring at the tree, seeing how its roots sank deep into the ground and then into drawings of people sleeping placidly under it.


    She had no idea what this drawing could mean, but she tried to save the images deep in her memory before closing the book and staring face to face with the head of a Lion devouring a sun, carved in a golden plate right on the back of the book.


    Again she had to bite her lip down to not simply jump up out of surprise.


    Things kept lining up perfectly with the vision, and for some reason, this didn¡¯t make Gabrielle feel safe in the slightest. With a deep breath, she decided that stealing the book would be way too dangerous, and simply left it there as she slid out from under the bed and stood up once more. Her legs felt cramped and trembling, but she would have to endure that for now.


    Her eyes once again grew used to the dark, everything seemed to be right where she left it. The Demiurge slept placidly with its face turned towards the wall¡­ and the box of toffee right beside his head.


    Gabrielle gulped, opening that box slowly and watching the man stir as she grabbed two handfuls of the sticky brown candy, and then turned right around to the door. She didn¡¯t even dare to raise her hands, Gabrielle simply used her mouth to bite down the knob, open it, and then quickly push from the other side to close the door.

 Chapter 37: Of Restlessness

    Toffee was quite the valuable commodity in Jericho. Making it was a slow process, using the sweet syrup of powerful palm trees and constantly stirring the pot for hours on end, so it was something very few people knew how to properly do and even less people did for free! Candy in general was expensive and hard to come by, so when Gabrielle returned to the sleeping chambers with not one, but two handfuls of sticky, delicious brown gold? The girls were ecstatic.


    Of course there was a bit of hesitation about taking candy from the hands of a Witch, but in this case the reward simply outdid any reservations from the hungry children, each taking a piece and simply letting it melt in their mouths.


    Even Gabi herself managed to snatch a piece for herself, despite some arguments about this being (supposedly) a test of her character and, because of that, she shouldn¡¯t get any sort of prize beyond the ¡°forgiveness of the people¡±. But candy had a tendency to make people giggly and ditzy, so everyone simply forgot about that detail in the celebration.


    Samantha was so happy to just see Gabrielle return on her own! Relieved beyond all measure, because the moment she noticed the old Father returning through the hallways, she really thought it was all lost.


    In fact, she felt quite guilty about not doing much to stop the man, at least not much beyond¡ª


    ¡°Samantha, were you meowing out there? Why?¡±


    Flushing almost instantly and grumbling quite a bit, the blonde simply refused to speak much of the matter, crossing her arms and letting out a loud huff. She didn¡¯t have any other ideas beyond trying to distract the man with loud noises, but apparently Father Enrico didn¡¯t care much for cats!


    After everyone had received their piece of the loot, Samantha took the word once again and stared at Kimberly right in the eye. This, of course, prompted Amber¡¯s protective side, and she was quite ready to deck the disrespectful blonde right in the face, but Kimmy stopped her. There was no need for that.


    ¡°There you go!¡± Said the blonde. ¡°She proved herself already. Can you just take my word? She¡¯s nice!¡±


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    Kimberly closed her eyes and grumbled some more, just hearing the other girls whisper to each other. Of course there were some that still had their doubts, but the vast majority seemed to be convinced by the results¡­ and yet, Kimmy did not feel convinced in the slightest. But what choice did she have, now?


    Well, it¡¯s not like she had to like her.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Kimmy finally said with a sigh. ¡°Girls, no more picking on this Witch¡­ at least for now. But I am warning you, Witch. I have you right in my eye! If you do anything weird, I won¡¯t have mercy!¡±


    ¡°And by that, she means I won''t have any mercy!¡± Amber jumped in with a smug grin, cracking her knuckles. ¡°So yeah, do something weird! I dare you!¡±


    Gabrielle took another deep breath, feeling so light on her shoulders all of a sudden. A part of her felt that this was certainly not enough, another was absolutely unconvinced by Kimmy¡¯s promise, and yet, the rest of her was willing to accept this if it meant some more rest.


    That night, after so many emotions, Gabi went to sleep with a warmth growing on her chest. Between this and her findings, she had so much to tell Baraqiel! She simply couldn¡¯t wait for tomorrow¡­


    ¡ª


    The next morning passed as calmly as it could. The Father was once again present at the table, but he made no comment whatsoever before taking his meal back to his room.


    Gabrielle sat down at the big table and people did not immediately move away, breakfast was gruel and a mug of watered-down tea. No attacks, no pranks, no disgusting comments whatsoever: Gabi was being ¡°politely ignored¡± as some people put it, and despite this being a dream come true to her, the little girl could not enjoy it at all.


    The feeling of something being amiss was¡­ a bit overwhelming, to be honest. She couldn¡¯t even enjoy the ¡°delicious food¡± at all, for the girl was way too busy waiting for something to go wrong. Samantha had reassured her last night, and even now she could see the blond girl flashing her some smiles from time to time, and yet that feeling of being in danger simply did not disappear.


    Why am I still so afraid¡­?


    Gabi stopped eating eventually, leaving her plate half full for the first time in a very long time, and just stared at her reflection on the mug of tea. What was it that bothered her now? And why couldn¡¯t she simply accept that things would be better? That feeling of restlessness soon became a growing nuisance, and then a burning annoyance not towards the girls that now simply let her be, but towards herself.


    There was nothing to fear anymore, at least not for a while! Why was she still shaking and waiting for something bad to happen? To be ready when it does happen, answered a side of Gabrielle¡¯s mind. When they get right back to hurting and insulting you, you must be ready.


    But what if it never happened? What if this lasted longer than they thought?


    It won¡¯t, said that side of herself, peace never lasts and this won''t be different.


    She wanted to yell at herself, to tell that voice to shut up and simply admit that things were going to be fine now¡ª but she had no proof! No way or rebuttal, just a long history of betrayal after betrayal.


    As soon as the Sisters announced the end of breakfast, Gabrielle simply got up and quickly left the room, just needing a moment to put all of her thoughts in order. The other girls stared for a moment, before going back to their own business as usual. Samantha felt so tempted to go after but, something inside was telling her that the redhead just needed a moment on her own.


    Gabi broke into a sprint as soon as she was out of the kitchen, going to the forest in such a hurry! Little did she know, as she exited the Chapel, that a tired pair of eyes had been following her since very early that day¡­

 Chapter 38: Of Discoveries

    It wasn¡¯t usual for Arianna to actually take a break from working. Despite being very sleepy most of the time, just aching for the chance to take a nap at any moment, she rarely made good on those impulses: there was always something to do in the Saint Loretto Chapel. Be it taking care of the rambunctious girls, cleaning around, making copies of Father Enrico¡¯s log; on and on the chores piled up for the young nun! So having a morning to sit down, take a breath and actually enjoy nature was a real luxury.


    With Alejandra being in charge of keeping an eye on the Church, Arianna was simply sitting under the shade of a big elm tree to doze without a care in the world. Of course, the anxieties were still very close to her heart: a message in the middle of the night had warned the Sister of the High Chamber¡¯s decision to face Enrico with full force, a lot of planning was in order and Arianna needed to wait for Giovanni¡¯s insights on the situation before making a proper list of steps for the fateful day the Genesis arrived.


    They¡¯d probably need to find a way to help the children escape, and pray for Genesis to decide not to pursue them.


    Arianna bit her lower lip at the mere thought of that chaotic night. Honestly, she knew that if she wanted to enjoy this rare rest she needed to cleanse her mind of all these thoughts!


    But how!? There¡¯s so much to do and I am expected to just sit down and twiddle my thumbs!?


    This break was rather tortuous, in all honesty. Despite her best efforts to simply doze and relax, the workaholic nun was struggling to even stay put while her anxieties accosted her. For the first time in a long while she felt completely awake.


    Maybe that¡¯s why she could see Gabrielle running right past her, deeper into the forest. Arianna sat up and blinked a few times, looking around herself for a bit to make sure no one was following around.


    Did she get into a fight again? So soon? Ugh, Gabi¡­


    Shaking her head Arianna clung to the chance without even doubting a second, cleaning her habit of dust and old leaves and then trotting after the red-haired girl. She couldn¡¯t rest now anyways, there was much to do! Busy, busy, busy! No time for dozing or waiting while twiddling her thumbs at all.


    Ari simply moved after Gabrielle, waving her hand and trying to quietly call her to stop¡­ to no avail, really. Gabrielle walked like a horse with blinds on her sides, staring straight out without turning around once! Well, at least when she was focusing.


    ¡°Gabi! Gabi, wait up!¡± Called the nun, snapping Gabrielle back to reality and making her stop so suddenly that Arianna almost crashed with her. ¡°Oof!!¡±


    ¡°Hello, sister.¡± The little girl sniffled, turning on her heel to look at her. Some snot was still running down from her nose. ¡°What happened? Do you need something?¡±


    The sister in question sighed, taking a deep breath to try and recover a bit of her composure. ¡°Me? Why are you asking me? You¡¯re the one going out to the forest in the middle of the morning! Are you going to see Bari?¡±


    Gabrielle frowned for a moment, not really sure how to answer. Was she going there? No, it certainly didn¡¯t feel like it.


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    ¡°You were here as well, sister¡±, Gabi started, ¡°And¡­ no, I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°What happened, then?¡±, Arianna frowned, ¡±tell me everything.¡±


    Everything? Gabrielle frowned slightly and cleaned some more snot from her face with a sleeve. How much was everything? Where should she even start?


    ¡°Well, the other girls told me to go into Father¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°Oh sweet Saints please tell me you didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to say it, Sister?¡±


    ¡°Did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes I did.¡±


    ¡°Blazing hell¡­¡±, the sister grumbled while rubbing her temples. ¡°Why did you even do it?¡±


    ¡°They promised to never pick on me again if I managed to get in there¡±, Gabrielle tried to excuse herself but even she knew this wasn¡¯t much of a defense.


    ¡°And you believed them?¡±


    Gabrielle felt those words hit her like a frozen hammer, straight to the head. ¡°Well¡­ they have fulfilled their promise so far.¡±


    Now Arianna was the one shook, she even took a little step back to steady herself from that. ¡°Really? Well, that¡¯s amazing actually! Well done, Gabrielle!¡±


    Despite the sister¡¯s smile, Gabrielle only felt herself sink deeper into that strange feeling of unease that was taking over everything. Even Arianna was happy about it, then why wasn¡¯t her!? Frustration made the little girl pout and look away for a moment. Arianna took this as a sign that Gabrielle was tired of being nagged.


    But she couldn¡¯t simply relent. This was a lesson she had to drill down in Gabi¡¯s mind.


    ¡°You must never enter that room again. In fact, keep away from the Father at all. Things are dangerous enough as they are!¡± Arianna crossed her arms and stomped, trying to give the words some extra weight. ¡°You¡¯d never know what you could find in there!¡±


    ¡°I found a shiny book.¡± Said Gabrielle, suddenly remembering her discovery and the questions pressing her about it. ¡°It was shiny and written in gibberish¡­ But it had pictures!¡±


    Shiny?, Ari asked herself for a moment. It can¡¯t be, could this man really have a Miracle of his own¡­?


    ¡°What do you mean shiny, Gabi? Did the book have shiny golden things on its cover?¡±


    ¡°No, the words were shiny and bright when I opened the book!¡±


    Arianna gulped, her eyes opening a little more upon the realization. Not only did the man have actual magic in his power, but also Gabrielle had found her way into witnessing it. If she fell with the infection, and the people started noticing¡­


    Ari had to deviate from the subject. But the curiosity simply got the best out of her.


    ¡°What pictures did it have?¡±


    Gabrielle frowned and once again rubbed her cheeks, thinking for a second. The images were still fresh and clear in her mind, like paintings on a wall! But she needed to find the proper words to describe them. The tree, the roots, the strange lines drawn on the bark¡­ the runes.


    Okay, not the runes. Those were a secret, she made a promise to Baraqiel!


    ¡°A big tree, the biggest tree I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Gabrielle opened both arms to try and convey the size of that tree. ¡°With so many people under it, like, living in the roots of it. And lines of light coming right out from the base like rivers.¡±


    Arianna took a deep breath. Concerning, incredibly concerning¡­


    ¡°He has a copy of Damaya.¡±, she mumbled, louder than she meant. It had to be it! Of course! Why wouldn¡¯t that insane man have a copy of one of the most heretical tomes in circulation? As if the situation wasn¡¯t pressing enough.


    ¡°What is a Damaya.¡±


    The nun could feel Gabrielle¡¯s intense, knowledge-thirsty gaze. Without a way of running from the questions, she decided to just confess.


    ¡°It¡¯s the name of a book. A forbidden book, that talks of lies and nonsense.¡± Gabrielle was NOT ready for magic. No one was, that was kind of the point to keep it all away from the hands of the populus. ¡°The tree that you saw, it¡¯s an old legend that people used to tell before the Saints arrived. It¡¯s the tale of a magical Tree that gives those who find it the power to become¡­ angels.¡± She had to correct herself there. ¡°A Tree that has all the knowledge of the world on its bark. A place that gave birth to all ideas in the world.¡±


    Gabrielle¡¯s eyes were brimming with emotion by then. ¡°Is it true?¡±


    ¡°No one has ever seen it.¡± Arianna answered, feeling her heartache when feeling Gabrielle¡¯s disappointment. So, against all logic, she added. ¡°But we can feel its influence all around us. It gifts everyone with magic and life¡­ so it must be real.¡±


    ¡°Everyone? Even me?¡±


    Once again, Arianna couldn¡¯t bring herself to lie there.


    ¡°Yes. Even you, Gabi. Everyone is born with the gift of the tree.¡±


    ¡°How is it called?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the place where all ideas are born, the fountain of magic that even now continues to run, hidden from all who want to use it for evil¡­¡±


    The nun took a pause there. This was wrong, she couldn¡¯t simply let all of this lore out for Gabrielle to listen, especially if she was infected! But the hope in the girl¡¯s eyes¡­ she couldn¡¯t simply lie to her. Not about this.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Tree of Origin.¡±

 Chapter 39: Of Lore

    It was still early in the morning, and the Sun was sitting just right in the skies for Arianna to raise both hands, and skillfully play with the shadows on the floor. Gabrielle watched in awe, just letting the nun weave the image with both of her hands, unsure if this was a trick of the light, some discipline of the hand, or outright magic on display. She saw a little man waving back at her, and she enthusiastically waved back as the sister took over the narration.


    Now listen to me, Gabrielle. What I¡¯ll tell you now is a secret, and you must never share this with anyone in the church. Understood?


    ¡°No one? Not even Sister Alejandra?¡± Gabi was aghast, covering her mouth in surprise while Arianna shrugged.


    Okay, you can talk to her about it, for she already knows this story as well¡­ but besides her, no one else. Not a soul in the church must know, understood?


    ¡°What about Baraqiel?¡± Gabrielle added, ¡°can they know this?¡±


    Arianna rolled her eyes.


    Okay, Baraqiel too. But to no one else in the church!! Understood!? Do you even want to hear the story??


    ¡°I do, I do! I am sorry.¡± The little girl sighed, pouting and once more focusing on the angry little shadow man. ¡°Please continue.¡±


    All right, then. All right¡­


    The shapes on the floor rippled and shifted, going from a little man to something bigger and familiar to the girl: a tree rising slowly, growing bigger and bigger as the sister spoke.


    Legends say that somewhere, lost in a huge desert forgotten by men and gods alike, there is a tree that grows as tall as the Heavens, and with roots stretching deeper than Hell itself. It was planted there, but no one knows by whom or when, probably even before humanity itself came down from the Towers¡­


    ¡°Was it the gods?¡± Gabrielle asked, for that was often the answer. The ever elusive Gods, gone for who knows how long, were usually to be credited for everything mysterious and infinite in the world.


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    Arianna doubted herself. Among the members of the Church, she was one of the few odd ones who actually believed in the legend of the Tree of Origin to begin with, and this already put her in an uncomfortable spot with the god-centric beliefs of others. Was it really right to share those beliefs with someone as naive as Gabrielle?


    ¡°¡­It was probably the gods.¡± She finally opted to just lie. ¡°The Gods are whimsical like that.¡±


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Gabi celebrated, nodding to herself and feeling a bit smarter.


    The tree is the spot where all souls are born, flowing into a huge River of light that slithers out of its base and coils around all of Jericho. When a person is born, their soul comes from there, and then the body forms around it. It¡¯s a common origin for every single living creature in this beautiful world!


    The shadows continued to serpentine, little figures rising from under the tree. Arianna was exploiting her rudimentary knowledge of magic for such a frivolous display, and she was aware of this! But she simply couldn¡¯t help but show off a little bit¨C Gabrielle was probably already infected, after all, so a bit more playfulness wouldn¡¯t do more damage, right? As long as she didn¡¯t outright call it magic¡­


    The little girl was more than enchanted by this, observing with big, unblinking eyes.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I remember any of this? Is my soul bad?¡±


    Your soul is all right, Gabi. Everyone¡¯s soul is all right¡­ we just forget about this when we are younger, no one is sure why. Probably to keep the secret safe.


    ¡°Yeah, if people knew where the tree was they''d probably try to make a mallet with it! A magical mallet would be so strong, and probably super heavy!¡±


    Arianna decided to ignore that little blasphemy and continue.


    There is a thing that we can get to remember, under special circumstances: inscribed all over the tree there are strange shapes, marks that hold within themselves a fragment of the power of the tree. Some people call them Angel Scars, others call them the God¡¯s Syllabary, but to make it simple we usually just call them ¡°Runes¡±.


    And these are the secret to turning a person into an Angel.


    ¡°How?¡± Gabrielle¡¯s eyes were as wide as plates right then.


    ¡°...¡± The whimsical narration stopped fully, as Arianna simply didn¡¯t have a clear answer for that. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just a rumor. No one truly knows how, and probably the Father doesn¡¯t even know what he is doing either.¡±


    Gabrielle fell silent again, watching the shadows return to their boring hand form, and then watching Arianna shake the exhaustion off them. A part of her brain wanted to ask about Baraqiel¡¯s very own Rune, but their Covenant was very clear on keeping that secret hidden from everyone. She didn¡¯t want to upset her one friend¡­


    So she decided to try and be sneaky about it.


    ¡°If someone remembered a rune, what would happen with it?¡±


    Arianna frowned slightly. This little girl can¡¯t be more obvious, she thought while shaking her head. For now she would simply play Gabrielle¡¯s game.


    ¡°If a person remembers, they will always remember one rune from the Tree. Once they do, magic will be attracted to them, and problems will always follow. Thinking too hard about the rune could call forth its power by accident, and without proper control or knowledge they can end up hurting themselves.¡±


    Gabrielle gulped loudly, blinking rapidly as the implications hit her.


    Oh no.


    ¡°Thanks for the tale, Sister, but I have to go now. I have to tell Baraqiel something.¡±


    ¡°Be careful, okay Gabi?¡± Ari simply sighed and moved out of the little girl¡¯s way, letting Gabi sprint past and then just shaking her head again. ¡°Oh, that poor little idiot¡­¡±


    She was about to turn right on her heels and walk back to the Chapel, when suddenly something seemed to move in the corner of her eye. The bushes shook, too softly to be an animal yet too violently to just be the wind. Arianna turned right around, facing the bush and staring it down for a moment. It never moved again.


    Huh¡­


    Could it have been just her imagination?


    But if it was, then why did she have such a bad feeling about it¡­?

 Chapter 40: Of Concerns

    Questions started popping into Gabrielle¡¯s mind only after she had already trotted her way into the forest. How did Arianna know this much? Was she also a Demiurge, or maybe she met one in the past? How long had she known this whole thing? And had she ever seen a Rune as well¡­? So many details had escaped her, and they didn¡¯t really make her stop and turn around but they did make Gabi slow down for a second.


    These had to be the days in which she had questioned the most things in all of her life, so maybe it would be a good idea to try and remember those ideas to interrogate the nun after talking to Baraqiel. But she had to do that first: she needed to tell Baraqiel all that she had learned! Gabrielle was eager to be rewarded and praised for all of it!


    Without turning around once she walked into the old Miner Camp and went straight to the decrepit shed, peeking in first to make sure the young not-angel wasn¡¯t sleeping or trying to rest. The young child, luckily, awake and active when Gabi¡¯s head poked through the doorway; in fact, they almost jumped out of surprise when she arrived.


    ¡°Gods! Don¡¯t spook me like that, Gabi!¡± Baraqiel protested, pouting and properly sitting up after their little body had bounced on the ground. Their legs still refused to work properly. ¡°What is going on?¡±


    ¡°Bari, you have to hear this out! I bring news, a lot of news!¡± Gabrielle said right in front of Baraqiel with eager, glimmering eyes. ¡°Are you ready to listen? Do you have time?¡±


    The not-angel frowned for a moment, but feeling Gabrielle¡¯s intensity they just decided to nod and listen intently, as Gabrielle tried to pick the role of narrator with nervous, jerking gestures.


    Okay, so long ago there was this tree! It was¡­ uh¡­ it was somewhere. In a place very far away but, I am not sure what place it was. I think it was a forest? No, no, it was a desert! A big desert, and there is a tree in there okay? The tree is important, it¡¯s huge and massive, and it has big branches and leaves, and the roots go very deep in. I am not sure if it is a sort of tree we know though? It may be a new kind of tree, one that can grow in deserts¡ª Have you heard about deserts before though, Bari? They have no water, and they go on forever! What kind of tree can even grow like that?


    ¡°Gabrielle.¡± Baraqiel interrupted her with a slow, deep breath. Be patient, be patient. ¡°Please focus. There¡¯s a tree, okay. And it is in a desert. Why is this important?¡±


    Okay, so the tree is big, it is huge and it is in a desert, and it has like rivers going out of it! Rivers with souls floating on them¨Cor were the rivers souls themselves? The point is that that¡¯s where all souls come from, yours and mine too! So we are like soul siblings!


    Bari blinked a few times. This babbling did sound familiar to them, but at the same time the explanation wasn¡¯t doing any favors trying to tie this to any stories they may have heard before.


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    At their silence, Gabrielle simply decided to continue rambling.


    Okay, so the important thing is that we all come from it, okay? The river, that is in the tree and comes out of the tree? We come from there. And as we come from there, sometimes we remember the tree! And¡ª oh that¡¯s right! That¡¯s the important part!


    Gabi stopped all of a sudden to turn around herself, as if she could see anyone inside of that shed. Then, she leaned a bit closer to loudly ¡°whisper¡± to Baraqiel.


    ¡°That¡¯s where magic comes from.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? Magic comes from the river?¡± The not angel tilted their head.


    ¡°No!¡± Gabrielle frowned and shook her head twice. ¡°It comes from the tree! Remember the thingy you drew?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to forget.¡± Baraqiel confessed, ¡°So you are saying that I draw the tree?¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± Gabi grumbled, ¡°The tree has things drawn all over it, it has those Runes shining very bright inscribed on its bark and, when you are magic, you remember one of them!¡±


    Bari frowned as information was processed, clicking as they suddenly understood why that madman was working with so many children at once: If what Gabrielle said was true, he was clearly trying to find all of the symbols he could from that tree, using the children to ¡°remember¡± them with that strange machine of sorts¡­


    ¡°What do you do with these though?¡± They asked, more to themselves than to Gabrielle, ¡°Why would he want them all?¡±


    ¡°He wants to become an Angel, that¡¯s what all Demiurges do!¡± Gabrielle answered with a proud smirk and a lifted nose, crossing both arms in front of her chest. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to stop him!¡±


    Baraqiel wasn¡¯t fully convinced, but they were clearly taking their time with these ideas, gently rubbing under their chin for a moment before suddenly realizing quite the important detail.


    ¡°How did you even learn all of this, Gabi? Did that nun tell you these things?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no.¡± Nodded rapidly. ¡°I read it in a shiny book I found in the Demiurge¡¯s room! I got inside there, it was so ace!¡±


    The not-angel could feel a sudden cold feeling on their neck, anger rising at the same time as concern for this girl¡¯s wellbeing. Their expression grew severe, feverish and angry to the point that even Gabrielle could recognize the feeling in that face, flinching and quickly looking down at her hands.


    ¡°...Was that the wrong thing to do?¡±


    For a second the child just wanted to yell at this girl, let out everything in their lungs at once! Their patience for tomfoolery was limited, and there was quite a difference between giving silly names and risking her own keister in the room of the most dangerous person either of them knew.


    But, they took a moment to breathe again. No, it wouldn¡¯t do any good to simply yell at this girl! All that would accomplish is to make her cry, or who knows what else¡­ just like when the damn man yelled at them. Again they were taking after the Demiurge without even noticing¡ª Baraqiel felt their stomach churn in repulsion, they¡¯d rather die than start emulating him¡­


    So, they breathed again, rubbing their temples and shaking their head.


    ¡°Yes, it was Gabi¡­ but, it¡¯s good that you are safe.¡± They tried to look at the good side of it. Gabrielle visibly relaxed. ¡°You can¡¯t just get yourself in harm¡¯s way like that, understood? If the Demiurge caught you, what do you think would have happened?¡±


    ¡°I would probably be dead.¡± Gabrielle said, matter of factly.


    ¡°Exactly¡­ promise me you¡¯ll think twice before doing something that dangerous!¡± Bari demanded with a frown. ¡°Add it to the Covenant, okay? We will take of ourselves, just like we take care of each other.¡±


    The girl doubted, knowing herself a bit better than a few days ago, she was aware that thinking wasn¡¯t exactly her fort¨¦, much less thinking twice before doing things! But, she was confident that with enough training it should be easy to achieve. Gabrielle was about to talk, to finally accept, when suddenly a voice barked from outside the shed, freezing both children in place.


    ¡°BARAQIEL, GET OUT OF THERE THIS INSTANT! YOU TOO, GABRIELLE!!¡±


    A masculine, rugged voice made demands without a hint of mercy in their words.


    It was the voice of the Demiurge.

 Chapter 41: Of Threats

    Black capes flowing with a wind that always seemed to accompany them, no matter where they go; tall horses dressed on thin pieces of shiny armor, blessed with protection against the dangers of witchcraft; and a tall banner beautifully woven in blessed wool, showing a golden bit apple on a black shield. These were the three telltale signs of an end to all witches and sorcerers, heralds to the arrival of the Church of the Saints¡¯ favored children:


    The Genesis Corps.


    A troupe of five horsemen walked through the main entrance of sleepy Gwynedd very early in the morning, and still managed to get a crowd of curious folk surrounding them. Most members of the Holy Purgers did not really mind the attention, at least not the riders, for they knew that their mere presence was supposed to inspire fear in all heretics hiding in a location.


    They were confident in their abilities, despite the many witches that actually managed to escape their grasp.


    But there was a single pair of eyes that, in the middle of that whole crowd, stared with fear at the coming of the Brotherhood of Prosecutors. A spy, a sentinel, the right hand of the Demiurge and the woman who had been waiting for this moment for at least two days by now.


    Sister Marina gulped, walking away from the crowd without a word and quickly fixing her habit in place as she broke into a sprint, rushing out of town. Why? How? Did they really arrive now? It was way too convenient a response to a screw-up that was supposed to be a secret! Could it be that they had been discovered long ago, kept under vigilance for months waiting for the one moment the Demiurge slipped?


    No. The nun shook her head as she ran off the trails and into the forest. The Demiurge could never let something like that escape his grasp, if they had been discovered he would have known somehow! Marina was sure of it!


    But then, how? Was this really just a coincidence? Was it the Will of the Gods really for them to fail?


    Once again, no. They were working with the Will itself, following its whispers, unearthing their secrets! To think that it would guide them so far only to let them fall was ludicrous¡­ As the forests gave way to their Chapel, Sister Marina came to the obvious conclusion:


    ¡°There is a spy among us.¡±


    It has to be like that, no one else could have alerted those savages so quickly.


    But whom? Tasce? Corinthia!? No, it had been way too long, they would have been discovered before. Arianna? The Demiurge trusted her, could he really be deceived so easily? What about the newcomer? It would be so easy to just blame Alejandra, but Marina personally didn¡¯t think much of her. This was way beyond her little brain.


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    But in that case, whom?


    As she was about to get into the chapel, the answer came to Marina¡¯s ears: the creaking sound of the back door being closed a little too hard. Curious, the nun walked closer with her usual quiet steps, expecting to find either Alejandra or Arianna preparing for another round of searching for the elusive Baraqiel.


    But instead, she found the lonely Witch child, accursed and wicked as ever¡­ alone, talking to herself in mumbles as usual. Normally, Marina would just ignore the devil and continue with her day, but at that moment something compelled to pay attention, listen, and follow¡­


    ¡ª


    ¡°I told you that bitch knew too much.¡± Said Marina, arms crossed and fury burning in her eyes as she stared at the Demiurge on his bed. ¡°The way she spoke of you, the heresy she spouted for a child to hear, no less!! Arianna is the spy, no doubt.¡±


    Enrico remained in his bed for a moment longer, slowly digesting her loyal assistant¡¯s words while feeling a hole grow deeper and colder in his stomach. Treason coming from so close, just as he began thinking about letting the younger nun into the deeper details of his plan¡ªhe felt betrayed and, honestly, quite bitter. A part of him seriously wanted to doubt all Marina said and simply blame it on the old crone¡¯s jealousy, but now was not the time for irrational fears.


    Marina had never failed him before, and she probably wasn¡¯t starting now.


    ¡°Well, we will deal with her after things are properly moved¡± After taking a deep breath, the Demiurge turned to his assistant. ¡°Marina, we will have to retreat from this location.¡±


    ¡°Again, and so soon too¡­ it feels like it was just yesterday when we had to abandon a chapel¡­¡±


    Memories flooded them both, images of a nice spot up a hill close to town in Wijdal, close to the east of Britta. It had been home to so many experiments, so much advancement! Until they had to run off and burn it all to avoid detection. This time wouldn¡¯t be too different¡­ a year or two of obscurity before starting the process of building it all from the ground once more.


    This time it would probably take longer, considering the money was starting to run low with the latest modifications to the Coordinator Spires.


    ¡°... I must recover that vessel, Marina. Before we leave, I must Coordinate them with Baraqiel one last time! If not, this whole ordeal would have been for naught!¡±


    ¡°I lost track of the kid when coming back to you, but I know how to find out where that little devil went.¡± Marina smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ now that we know who¡¯s working against us, if we find that Witch we will find Baraqiel for sure.¡±


    After taking a slow breath and getting right back to her feet, Marina simply added:


    ¡°We just need to ask the right person.¡±


    ¡ª


    The right person was not one of the other nuns, for none of them could even answer a simple question.


    ¡°Do you know where Gabrielle goes when we leave her alone?¡±


    Corinthia was as uninterested in it as usual, Tasce was afraid of it and that wasn¡¯t a secret to anyone. With Arianna nowhere to be found and Alejandra being too new in the chapel to really be of use, Marina had to ask the children as they went around the kitchen during chores. She expected them to be eager to help¡­ big was her surprise when finding out that none of the little girls had anything useful to say.


    ¡°Gabi? No idea, she disappears sometimes!¡± Said Samantha with unnatural familiarity with the devil. ¡°I always thought she simply hid from everyone!¡±


    Once again, the world seemed to conspire against them¡­ but then, the Will of the Gods showed them mercy with Kimberly, who came into the room with a huffing, annoyed expression and simply said.


    ¡°The old mine. Do you know the old mine, Sister? She always hides there.¡± The other children gave Kimmy some shocked looks, as she simply lifted her nose and spoke. ¡°She thinks herself so clever, but it is always the same place!¡±


    The old mine¡­ Marina knew exactly what they meant, the failed quartz mine deep in the forest, the one place they had told them not to go! Of course!


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl, thank you Kimmy. The others could really learn a thing or two from you.¡±


    After ruffling the snitch¡¯s hair a little bit, Marina was quick to run off. Kimmy felt quite confident, proud of herself even! For she had no idea what she had just done.


    She had no idea of the lives she had just doomed.

 Chapter 42: Of a Standoff

    Arianna did not expect to find a whole troupe of the Genesis already parked on Gwynedd when she visited. She had been told that they were already running, that they would arrive sooner rather than later, but the little nun had hoped it would take them a day or maybe two, with some luck. And yet, there they were! Spending time in a local tavern, practically waiting for her to come in¡­


    She had no plan and no ideas yet, no time to tell Alejandra to start preparing or to get Gabrielle and Baraqiel safe¡­ she was ready to give up.


    But then, when asked to come to the table the Soldiers of the Church were occupying, the captain among them would lead the conversation with a very clear question:


    ¡°How is the situation? Are we ready to strike?¡±


    The sister took a slow breath, blinking and looking around herself. This was the first time she worked with any of these black-capped people, the first time she had laid eyes on them and the first time she had even called upon the help of the Genesis, and yet she knew they never asked that. Everyone knew they never asked that. Asking about readiness gave a chance to say ¡°no¡±, to make them wait, and the Genesis never waited, they simply acted.


    Her eyes found the Captain¡¯s. Under the black cape she could see a mature man with short, black hair, with many wrinkles around his eyes signifying the age and experience. She saw enough power and determination to know that this Captain needed no confirmation or authorization to do a thing. And yet here he was, asking away.


    Arianna felt kinship coming from this man, a little wink, the faintest smile of confidence¡­ Giovanni had probably already talked to this man. Relief washed over the nun¡¯s mind.


    I guess I owe that old man an apology.


    After sighing, she took a moment to think. She couldn¡¯t simply shoo them away now that the people were ready and eager to act, but she did need time¡­ how much could she get without finding the ire of these maniacs¡­?


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    ¡°Things are almost in place.¡± Arianna was quick to assure, pretending to be on board with the excessive violence that was to come. ¡°Tomorrow, when the sun rises once more, the Demiurge will be right where we need him.¡±


    Using this sort of dramatic timing seemed to ease the eagerness of the soldiers, while the captain nodded approvingly.


    ¡°Thank you, sister. We will be there right with the first rays of the breaking dawn.¡±


    ¡ª


    Arianna was running as fast as she could, cursing her short legs as she dashed through the forest trail and felt her mind racing. A day, that was all she could get from these people! If this Captain truly was on their side, some blood on the Demiurge¡¯s laboratory would be enough to convince him the kids were dead.


    All right, step one is to grab the pig and stain everything with it. Then to grab the kids and run like Hell! There has to be a nice place we can get them, maybe with some help from that old man we can¡ª


    ¡°BARAQIEL, GET OUT OF THERE THIS INSTANT! YOU TOO, GABRIELLE!!¡±


    Arianna froze in place right there, her eyes widening, her lungs burning down. They mentioned Gabrielle, and they were awfully close. Also very, very close to the Mine¡­ had they been discovered!?


    No, no no no!


    Shaking her head, Arianna turned around and changed course. There was no time for lists or doubts.


    Things were about to go down the drain.


    ¡ª


    Three nuns and a towering man were standing right in front of an old, decrepit shed. It was the only one that was fully closed, the only one they could hear breathing from¡­ so it had to be the one they were looking for. Tasce and Corinthia were already walking around it, waiting for an order to walk in, while Enrico and Marina simply stood right in front of the door.


    Tension was in the air, a curious eye peeked from between the cracks in the door and then pushed away. Gabrielle could feel her heart racing, pounding against her chest, as she rushed to pick Baraqiel up again and carry them on her back.


    ¡°They are here.¡± She finally whispered, as if admitting it gave it some finality.


    Baraqiel clung tighter to the girl¡¯s shoulders, trying to steady their panicking breath as Gabi looked around herself, trying to find a different exit or some sort of idea. To no avail, all they had to work with were a few sticks and old, wet pieces of cloth; they were trapped and surrounded from all sides.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see sister Arianna here, or sister Alejandra¡­ we are alone.¡±


    ¡°Put me down, let them take me¡­¡± Baraqiel gave up almost instantly, letting out a deep sigh. ¡°I was a fool to try and run from him.¡±


    ¡°Can you use the Rune?¡± Gabi asked without really acknowledging the kid¡¯s mood.


    ¡°No.¡± The child had a feeling deep in their heart, an exhaustion they simply couldn¡¯t shake, a certainty that the miracle wouldn¡¯t strike again so quickly after last time. ¡°Just let me go, Gabi¡­¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Gabrielle¡¯s eyes were staring at the figure of the Demiurge, tall and strong, approaching slowly and casting a shadow over the shed¡¯s door.


    Almost¡­ almost¡­!


    She waited patiently, letting the man grow more and more anxious and reaching for the door¡¯s broken handle. And only then, just as he was about to open¨C


    ¡°NOW!¡±


    Gabi wasn¡¯t sure of her plan, but she was sure of having no more options than running. With all the power her legs could muster she kicked the door open, letting the wooden planks smack the Demiurge¡¯s face with a loud ¡°thonk!¡± before running straight forward, faster than she ever had run in her life.

 Chapter 43: Of the Fall (Part III)

    Gabrielle couldn¡¯t really see where she was going at first. She felt the clash of her body against Sister Marina, her hands clinging to her habit and pulling it off like the claws of a harpy before the old woman¡¯s frame fell to the side. Used to this sort of exercise, Gabi had lifted her skirt a bit and wrapped it on her hip, so it wouldn¡¯t get in the way as she jumped and dashed as hard as her little body allowed it. The other nuns didn¡¯t have enough experience to ever consider that, and quickly fell into the mud.


    Her body was moving on instinct alone, pushing back towards the Chapel with a very clear idea in mind: getting help.


    ¡°GABRIELLE! COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!¡±


    The Demiurge¡¯s screams shook the whole forest, Gabi could feel her back quiver and her whole body tense as fear tried to take hold, but no. She couldn¡¯t stop. Not now, nor ever!! Even as steps grew closer to her.


    ¡°Gabi! Please, you¡¯ve done enough!¡± Baraqiel yelled, incapable of doing much more than being carried around like a sack of potatoes. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get in trouble again!¡±


    But to the girl, even the voice of that child felt distant, gone in a few seconds as she just kept on running with no regard for what could be on her way. Trees, bushes, rocks, she just climbed up anything she wasn¡¯t strong enough to break through, feeling her lungs burning and her limbs growing colder and colder.


    She wasn¡¯t sure how long she had been running, it could have been but a second or an entire day, the notion of time was completely lost to the girl, just as her sense of balance. Her body wobbled on that desperate sprint, and she was sure that if she stopped to correct her posture even for a moment, everything would fall and crash. It was the initial impulse that kept her going, and that¡¯s all she could count on.


    She could only pray that she was faster than the nuns.


    She could only pray that Arianna and Alejandra were waiting back in the Chapel.


    She could only pray that the Demiurge¡¯s hand wasn¡¯t strong enough to yank her to a stop.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Where are we going, Sister?¡± Asked Samantha, while the others formed into a long line outside of the kitchen, ¡°Father said to wait for him at the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Well, we are not waiting for him¡± Answered Alejandra, ¡°I need you all to follow me, okay? Or else we are all going to get into a big, BIG trouble.¡±


    Ale didn¡¯t know for sure what was going on, why did Marina and Enrico rush after Gabrielle so desperately or why they told her to stay put while everyone else moved out, but she could feel in the air that the moment Arianna was warning her about had finally come. To see Ari herself arrive in a desperate haze only confirmed her suspicions.


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    ¡°Comrade!¡± The blonde nun practically jumped to see her friend, checking her up and down. ¡°Are you okay!? Did you see the Fath¨C¡±


    ¡°Run.¡± Arianna said in the middle of a desperate gasp, taking a few seconds before trying to articulate again: ¡°Take the children and run. They know everything Ale, everything!¡±


    ¡°Ari calm down. Who knows what? Is Genesis here?¡±


    ¡°Yes! But never mind them, they¡¯re coming in the morning.¡± The desperate brunette shook her head. ¡°It¡¯sEnrico! He knows everything, he¡¯s after¡ª¡±


    ¡°GABRIELLE! COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!¡±


    The echoes of a wrathful howl shook the entire forest, while birds of all kinds flew away in search of shelter. The day was already darkening, stormy clouds covering it all and menacing with a new storm. The little girls began to whisper to each other, some worried for the mischievous witch while others more concerned with their own safety.


    Most of them looked back at Kimberly, who for the first time in a while started feeling the guilt mounting on her back. Deep down, she knew that this had been because of her.


    Samantha gently tugged on Alejandra¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Is Gabrielle going to be okay?¡± She asked, her heart racing.


    Arianna and Alejandra looked at each other for a moment, and remained silent. They had no way of knowing.


    Before any of them could even try to lie, the little girl ran right into view from the rows of trees around the chapel, hair flowing and flaring red as she desperately gasped for air, clinging to the child on her back. The children panicked, for they had never seen Gabrielle as wild as she looked right then and there. Arianna tried to raise her voice, warn Gabrielle of the man running right behind her, reaching for her.


    But there was nothing they could have done.


    In a blur of motion, a huge hand grabbed Baraqiel by the back of their neck and pulled.


    Gabrielle couldn¡¯t compensate for the pull, her legs failed her and her body continued onwards, rolling painfully on the ground until she finally stopped when hitting the Chapel¡¯s shed.


    From there, everything was blurry to the little girl. Her body was bent in such a way that it hurt to breathe, everything looked upside down, her arms and legs didn¡¯t move despite her orders. She could see, but not understand a word, as the man gesticulated wildly; he was barking orders, pointing around with his free hand before starting to walk towards her. Everyone was shaking, or was it her own world that shook then?


    The man walked closer and closer, but Gabrielle couldn¡¯t move an inch, she could only shake very slowly, carefully forcing her body back to a proper posture. Her bones made a disgusting sound when she finally turned her world back upside up¡­ understanding returned to her ears.


    ¡° ¡ªfied me for the last time.¡± The Demiurge was talking, carrying an unconscious Baraqiel on his back. ¡°Gabrielle, from the very moment we found you, I knew you would be trouble. I forsake the day we decided to keep you around! I forsake the day we decided you deserved redemption! Witches like you only deserve punishment, and death!¡±


    The girl could barely stand up, frozen in fear as this tower of a man came closer and closer, emotion flaring in his eyes. A dangerous emotion, one she couldn¡¯t understand and yet her whole body feared just the same.


    And then, three little girls ran to stand right between her and the powerful man.


    ¡°Wait, Father please!¡±


    Samantha had been the first to run, but Kimberly was not far behind. Amber had been pulled by the arm by her friend, not really that interested¡­ or maybe too scared to show any real emotion.


    ¡°Father please! We were the ones who told her to get into your room!¡± Kimberly admitted, to Amber¡¯s absolute surprise. ¡°It was a joke, we tricked her into it!¡±


    Gabrielle would have gasped in disbelief when hearing that, if she had the energy to do so.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t hit her, it was our fault.¡± Samantha jumped into that wagon as well, tears starting to roll down her eyes. ¡°Please, please! Forgive her!¡±


    He didn¡¯t answer: the Demiurge just continued walking. Samantha moved out of the way, so did Amber; but Kimberly tried to stand up to the man, to call out to him just a bit louder, just a bit longer.


    ¡°Father, please!¡±


    The man wasn¡¯t thinking then. It was all emotion to him, all anger and desperation¡­ So when an obstacle stood in his way, there was only one course of action in his mind.


    He slapped the girl right out of his way, with all the strength he could muster.

 Chapter 44: Of the Fall (Part IV)

    Kimberly fell on her back, her little body twitching slightly from the pain. Amber was the first to react, quickly running to check on her friend as the rest of the world simply observed, dumbfounded¡ª even the Demiurge himself stopped, eyes wide open and mouth agape, completely aghast at what he had done. Was the girl okay? Had he really¡­no, there was no way she could have died from a mere hit, right?


    ¡°She¡¯s not moving¡­!¡± Yelled Amber in a panic, clinging to the girl¡¯s body. ¡°Kimmy! Kimmy please wake up¡­!!¡±


    Enrico had seen children die before, their frail little bodies succumbing to the powerful influence of the Cooordinator Spires, and it had never bothered him a bit. But to feel the responsibility clinging to his back, his very own hands stained with guilt: it shook him as nothing else had in a long while.


    Maybe that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t see a crying, enraged Amber jump at him almost at the same time, little fists sinking into his old visage. They screamed, practically roaring like wild beasts trying to reach Enrico¡¯s neck.


    ¡°What have you done, you bastard! You hurt her! You hurt her!¡± Amber was completely possessed by a rage she had never felt in her life, her fists balled so tightly that her knuckles hurt with each trembling hit that connected to the old man¡¯s chest. Her friend, her best and only friend, she was¡­


    She didn¡¯t even want to think about it, maybe with the hope that the girl would suddenly wake back up at the last moment.


    The Demiurge stumbled a couple steps back, little punches failing to do much more than wake him up.


    ¡°Get off me, wretch!¡±


    Little punches, kicks and bites, both girls may not have a lot of strength but the spite behind everything made every hit sting a little harder. Enrico grabbed Amber by the hair, pulling the girl off and throwing her to the side.


    Gabrielle stared at the body on the floor, her attention fully grabbed by Kimberly¡¯s little neck completely twisted in the wrong way. A new emotion flooded her, her palms grew sweaty and sticky with uncertainty as her eyes tried to find any emotion, any hint of life in her bully¡¯s eyes. But there was none, the skies now had a new angel flying high.


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    ¡°Kimmy¡­¡±


    She had never liked the girl. Out of everyone, Kimberly had to be the one person in the Chapel that made Gabi¡¯s life the hardest, and yet right then her heart was squeezed by grief. Why? Why did she stand up for her now of all moments? Was that part of the trick? Was this a part of the trick as well, trying to make her feel bad? No, she wasn¡¯t naive enough to really blame the girls for that much.


    Anger pushed through her veins, making her blood boil and burn on her hands. She could see the man turning his back on her, once again barking orders to the nuns. Baraqiel was still unconscious, they were probably unable to endure being pulled and swung around like a ragdoll like that.


    ¡°Listen to me, you little brats! You will do what I say when I say it, or else there will be more of you laying on the floor right now!¡± The Demiurge had decided, in his desperation, to simply embrace this sacrifice and exploit it. ¡°I want all of you to go back inside of the Chapel and wait for me, right now! You hear me!?¡±


    Gabrielle¡¯s eyes went from Baraqiel to Kimberly. Could they end up just the same?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a single complaint coming from any of you! We will finish my project right now, so I want you all to be quiet and stay put!¡±


    ¡°Pssst.¡±


    But then, in the middle of the man¡¯s speech, something whispered to Gabrielle¡¯s ear. There was a movement in the corner of her eye. She sneakily turned around, looking back into the shed: the old wooden Mallet demanded her attention. It was enraged, just like her! Indignant by the man¡¯s actions! Thirsty for revenge¡­


    ¡°Let¡¯s teach him a lesson! Quick!¡±


    This had to be the first time that the mallet didn¡¯t intimidate her at all. Her hands practically moved on their own, reaching into the old shed and grasping the handle and squeezing it tight. She looked back at the Demiurge, who continued screaming at the terrified girls. And for the first time in her life, Gabrielle knew for certain what she had to do.


    ¡°None of you can stop the march of my progress, for it is the march of Jericho¡¯s salvation!¡± The man continued to shout, taking a single step toward the girls. Arianna and Alejandra stepped up, trying to shield them from the man¡¯s ire, but they were shaking all the same. ¡°You are nothing but tools for our triumph, you hear me!? Nothing but tools!¡±


    The mallet felt so light, so easy to wield. Its head flew in a single swing, following Gabrielle¡¯s sudden warcry and sinking straight and true into the Demiurge¡¯s side.


    ¡°LEAVE THEM ALONE!¡±


    Hell broke loose then. The girls took that as a chance to run and scatter in all directions, while all nuns but Sister Marina followed them. Enrico fell on his knee for a moment, feeling blood rushing to his mouth in a loud cough, while his beloved assistant rushed to his aid.


    ¡°How dare you!? You little devil, get away from him!¡±


    Gabrielle didn¡¯t hesitate. The moment the elder nun was within her reach, the mallet swung again and hit her like a baseball, pushing her frail body away with a single slam. Marina could feel the bones on her right arm shake and break, a loud scream escaping her lips as she rolled on the floor.


    The girl was growing bolder, panting from exhaustion that she simply couldn¡¯t perceive as her body took a full turn and she tried to give a final coup de grace at the Demiurge¡¯s face.


    But then, the man¡¯s huge hand simply caught the mallet¡¯s whole head at once. Gabrielle gasped, seeing how the man squeezed so tightly that the wood cracked and broke under his fingers, splinters flying around and away. She couldn¡¯t react fast enough to that fist, flying straight to her face in that second.


    In a single moment the whole world turned upside down, and then darkness consumed her consciousness¡­

 Chapter 45: Of Pain

    Gabrielle woke up to the feeling of something growing warmer and warmer on her face. Opening her eyes very slowly, the girl could see a candle burning very, very close to her eyes. By mere instinct she tried to move away, but her body was tied up to something. A chair, a stone chair by the feeling of it.


    ¡°Finally! I have been waiting patiently for both you and your little friend to wake up, Gabrielle.¡±


    The girl blinked slowly, looking around to try and understand what just happened. The room was small, very small! Surrounded by ugly iron cages where small and malnourished children stared at her with saddened eyes. Or, well, not at her: they were all looking at Baraqiel, sitting on another stone chair right beside her, crying quietly¡­


    ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t hurt her.¡± Bari begged in such a low voice. By the sounds of it, they must have been screaming for a long, long while.


    ¡°Sister, if you could please help me with the proper vessel? I wanna deal with the blank myself.¡±


    Enrico nodded to Marina, who slowly walked over to the crying Baraqiel with one arm resting on a cast over her neck. Gabrielle couldn¡¯t see what happened, for the Demiurge demanded her attention by pulling her hair and showing her a single, long metallic needle. Despite looking glossy and shiny, red stains were perfectly visible on its surface.


    ¡°You should feel proud, devil. I have been avoiding putting you in the proper Spire for a long while! I was afraid you¡¯d break it... But I guess it doesn¡¯t matter anymore, does it?¡± The girl winced, as that first nail would go straight through her right elbow and dug deep, deep into her arm. The Demiurge smiled. ¡°That¡¯s it, quiet as ever. Despite it all, I will miss how little of a mess you make, Gabi.¡±


    ¡°Leave Baraqiel alone¡­!¡± Gabrielle finally gathered enough strength to yell. ¡°They are so weak already, leave them be!¡±


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s another vessel lost this way.¡± The Demiurge shrugged, connecting a second needle into the girl¡¯s left elbow. ¡°If you die, you will be dying trying to save the whole of Jericho, so please! Be happy. Be merry! And beg for your ascension.¡±


    ¡°You will never¡­ never be an angel.¡± The girl frowned further, her back growing more and more tense with the insistent sensation of those needles in her flesh. ¡°No matter what you do, you will never see the whole tree! You are a fool!¡±


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    ¡°And you do not even know what you speak about!¡± Enrico spat on the floor, raising his nose proudly. ¡°Someone told you a tale and suddenly you think you know all the truth? Fairy tales, that¡¯s all you know, Gabi. I don¡¯t deal with those, I deal in facts!¡±


    Baraqiel gasped for air and squirmed in place, while Gabrielle simply looked around in confusion, feeling the itch of her body grow more and more painful the more needles sank into her flesh. Two on her legs, one on each shoulder, a few on her back and one right on her nape.


    She could only assume Bari had it the same or even worse.


    ¡°There we go, all ready¡­ this time I expect results.¡± The man walked slowly, letting Gabrielle follow him with her eyes as he arrived at his adored Spire, caressing the amber heart within. ¡°We will even use a brand new stone core, so be happy Gabi. This is your one real chance to Ascend into something useful!¡±


    There was a time when hearing that would have made Gabrielle¡¯s heart soar, but seeing the faces on the cages and the crying eyes of Baraqiel¡­ the lie of ascension now exposed for her to feel firsthand.


    ¡°May your souls finally find solace in the grace of the Gods, and may magic return to our desolate land.¡±


    Gabrielle saw how the man once more caressed the shiny piece of orange stone before tapping it three times with a shiny silver ring in his hand.


    Something would shake her from the very core, forcing her body to tense up and jitter no matter how hard she tried to stay still. She could see a light¡­ It shined so brightly that not even squeezing her eyes shut could keep the void of white away.


    ¡°Amen.¡±


    ¡ª


    Finding everyone in the forests had been much harder work than Alejandra could have ever anticipated. People ran in all directions with no target in mind, all they wanted was to get as far away from the crazed Demiurge as possible. But alas, even if the darkness was starting to set on the skies above them, all people had been safely found and herded to a clearing in the forest. They didn¡¯t really know where they could go from there! But at least they had gotten themselves some time¡­ and they would need it, for work was far from over.


    There were still children in the chapel, not to mention Gabrielle and Baraqiel.


    You know, if they were still alive.


    Alejandra shook her head as she tried to rush herself, running faster through the forest. Of course they would still be alive, there¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t! She just needed to run as fast as she could, praying for their safety.


    The Chapel was very easy to find, luckily: there were plenty of different signs and hints lefts by the children with the years to find their way back, from little marks on the trees to strange piles of rocks and other forms of ugly artistry.


    As the old stone building came to view, Alejandra stopped all of a sudden for a deep, slow breath. She had never liked the Chapel¡¯s appearance, but it had never felt this foreboding to her. Even if it was ugly and badly built, the place had always been a shelter for those looking for a place to pray and rest, or at least it tried to be.


    Now the terrifying experiments had tainted its image so much that the tall nun could barely push herself toward it.


    The sudden screams and howls of pain coming from within certainly did not help her bravery at all.


    ¡°Calm down Ale, calm down. This is not the time for cowardice¡­¡± The blonde woman reprimanded herself, smacking both her cheeks loudly. ¡°They need you, do it for them!¡±


    With doubts still creeping into her thoughts, Alejandra pushed herself even further, and continued trotting towards the wicked Chapel.

 Chapter 46: Of Deliverance

    Light. It flooded everything around Gabrielle for an instant as she could feel that unique pain once again, the waves of suffering pushing through each of her limbs without anything to stop them. For moments that felt eternal, all she could see was that stark white hell around her¡ª but soon, images started to flow right back to her eyes.


    What she saw was just as confusing, though. An ungodly sound, the sounds of screams and howls echoing all around her made the whole world shake and tremble; an orange light escaped from that amber in the spire, pulsating with the same rhythm that shook her body to the core. Baraqiel was screaming, their body spasming out of control while both the Demiurge and Sister Marina observed attentively.


    What were they waiting for¡­?


    The Rune¡­ they want us to find another Rune¡­


    That conclusion could barely be heard in Gabrielle¡¯s mind among the pain, the screams and the shaking of her body. A Rune¡­ soon, she would see it, right? With that pain and suffering it was sure to come, right¡­?


    No¡­


    Something deep inside Gabrielle knew that the machine had nothing to do with it, it was useless. Just a desperate attempt by a man who didn¡¯t want to admit he didn¡¯t know a thing about what he was looking for.


    Everything felt so cold, so distant¡­ her body didn¡¯t even hurt anymore, nothing did. Gabrielle couldn¡¯t even feel her own breathing for a moment¡­


    And then, something connected.


    The rune¡­ she knew it now, she knew the shape! Maybe¡­


    ¡°Marina, bring a quill! The blank is reacting!¡±


    Gabrielle¡¯s hand desperately tapped the chair she was tied to, trying to edge the shape into the cold rock, but her fingers were too soft to even dent it. Curious as to what she was doing, the Sister shoved a quill onto that tapping hand, and then held paper close.


    ¡°Here, Gabi! Right here! You¡¯re trying to tell me something, yes!? What is it!? What is that you see!?¡±


    All my life he ignores me¡­ now he wants to listen!?


    She would never show the rune to him¡­ but, then where to edge that form. She tapped the chair with the quill, but her body moved too erratically  to mark it in the stone.


    Damn this thing! Damn this chair!


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    In a moment of overwhelming anger, Gabrielle pulled her arm upwards while biting down her own teeth. To her surprise, her strength was enough to throw away the flimsy piece of leather keeping the arm down.


    ¡°Oh my saints! Restrain her!¡±


    Sister Marina dared not to touch the girl as electricity ran through her body. She only stared, in awe, as the girl jammed that quill onto her own arm.


    I need to feel the Rune! See it inside of me!


    Understanding things a maybe a bit too literally, the girl itched the first lines onto her own skin, wincing with newfound pain. She didn¡¯t have enough control of her body to be delicate about it.


    The light was so strong, Gabrielle couldn¡¯t even notice her own determination flaring deep inside of her heart. Forms and ideas trying to push their way, inspire her¡­ But no, she could only focus on the shape she already knew, on the rune, on the knowledge Baraqiel had trusted in her.


    Two lines, converging into one¡­ and then being cut in half by a single, determined phrase.


    ¡°...er¡­ag¡­n¡­¡±


    Sparks of a flame would shine in the depths of Gabrielle¡¯s soul. A pyre fighting for its life, trying with all of its energy to blaze anew.


    A single crack appeared on the amber core of the machinery. The Demiurge panicked.


    ¡°Marina, what is she saying!?¡±


    ¡°Nev¡­er¡­ gain¡­!¡±


    Air felt like burning water when she tried to speak, and she was barely able to breathe at any moment, but she felt like there was something to be said. Something she couldn¡¯t stop anymore.


    The pyre in her heart exploded, as the words finally came out:


    ¡°NEVER AGAIN!¡±


    As the amber crystal burst into pieces in an instant, and light once more consumed it all¡­


    The Demiurge stood in the middle of a melting room, feeling the heat burning his skin, his clothes, his whole being. And before it all ended, and darkness took over his entire world for one last time, all he could think was a simple phrase.


    ¡°What have I done.¡±


    ¡ª


    Alejandra could barely find cover when the whole room exploded. She saw it all from the very entrance to it all, watching how white lightning shot straight through the hole in the room¡¯s wall and upwards into the heavens, with such force that it pushed the poor woman right onto the mud and her mind right into darkness.


    When lights returned to the confused nun¡¯s eyes, Alejandra carefully sat right up. It was raining, and the whole world felt unnaturally quiet. For a moment she was a peace, her body free of all tensions and her mind free of all fears, just being one with the strange stillness of Jericho right then¡­ this, of course, was short-lived. Memories of where she was and what she was doing hit her like a cart, forcing Ale to stand up once again and get her bearings in order.


    ¡°Gabi!? Gabrielle!?¡±


    The darkness inside of the chapel once again felt foreboding, like the insides of a wolf¡¯s maw waiting for its next prey. In her rush, Alejandra had completely forgotten about getting a torch, but now it was not the time to worry about such minutia.


    As she walked deeper in, stepping on burnt pieces of wood and stone, Alejandra could feel the stench of a burnt-up body growing stronger and more fetid with each step. She knew this smell well, it was the same smell the poor children had when Enrico got through with them¡­ but this one was different, it felt even stronger. Rancid. The woman had to cover her nose as she ventured into the room with the cages.


    And there, lit by the light of a dying candle, she saw eleven malnourished children clinging to each other in fear, all trying to keep as much distance as they could from what could only be described as a blob of charred meat.


    ¡°Dear Saints¡­¡± Alejandra covered her mouth for a second, before shaking her head and trying to look around. There were no signs of Gabrielle in the room¡­ nor Baraqiel, now that the woman could see it.


    But sadly, she didn¡¯t have time to worry about them. Ale¡¯s first instinct was to carefully lower her voice and keep her hands on sight, as to not scare the children that were there.


    ¡°Are you okay? Oh my gosh, you are trembling¡­¡±


    ¡°Do¡­ do you work with the Demiurge¡­?¡± One of the children dared ask, probably preparing to run at a positive answer.


    ¡°No, no no. Never.¡± Alejandra shook her head emphatically. ¡°Never ever¡­ look, we don¡¯t have much time, we need to get out of here now.¡±


    The woman beckoned the children, waiting for them to come on their own accord before making any motions¡ª she didn¡¯t expect them to trust her immediately, at all. As soon as she gave them a chance, the children practically jumped at her to cling to the woman¡¯s dress, desperate for warmth and a feeling of safety.


    Alejandra felt her heartbreak, just looking at the faces of suffering that the wicked Demiurge had left in his wake.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everything will be all right now¡­ come, follow me. We have to leave before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    And so, twelve figures silently walked out of the smoking, pestilent room, finally leaving behind a life of suffering and abandonment. The future was uncertain for all of them, but in the middle of the dark they chose to cling to a hope: the chance for a better life, as far away from that Chapel as they could.

 Chapter 47: Of the Witch

    The arrival of the Genesis Corps came as sure as the light of a new day, and all they found was a few corpses and a broken down church. They were trembling, each of them with a hand forever guarding the hilt of their swords as they explored the abandoned building looking for a sign, any sign, of their target, any survivors, or a so-called ¡°Monster¡± roaming the area.


    The captain was dumbfounded, scratching the back of his neck once the whole building had been combed and not a single person had been found. He expected some of this, for the Chamber Priest himself had said to not make a big effort to look for any children in the chapel, as to give them a chance to run and be spared from the trials to come, but he expected at LEAST a deranged pseudo-wizard to be hiding, entrenched among books and forbidden artifacts.


    When they eventually DID find the Demiurge¡¯s vault though, they finally understood the reason for his absence.


    The putrid smell of a charred body, evaporated blood in the air, and a corpse mangled by lightning, all waiting to be discovered in a torture chamber taken straight from some horror story.


    Notes were taken, quick drawings were made and objects were carefully listed: tomes on psychology, engineering and even a copy of Damaya were found among the many forbidden books in the chamber. Surgery utensils, torture utensils, clockwork mechanisms, and even fragments of fully charged amber were confiscated and gathered for a pyre, besides the corpses of some unidentified children, and the remains of what they assumed were their Demiurge.


    The victim of the Witch.


    ¡°It all lines up with what she said.¡± The troupe¡¯s second in command approached his captain to talk to his ear, while the others prepared the blessed fire. ¡°That woman, Marina. There are marks of magical energy all over the room, and that body¡­¡±


    ¡°I was praying for her to just be exaggerating, but I cannot ignore these signs.¡± The captain gave a sign to his subordinates, each of whom completed the blessed Rune  inscribed on their torches to see the beautiful white flame rise. ¡°As soon as this is done, I want everyone to prepare for pursuit.¡±


    As flames of pure white rose on the pyre and the disgraced building, the old captain couldn¡¯t help but sigh. What a shame, all of it. He had made a promise to his Priest to uphold mercy above all things today.


    But promises cannot get in the way of his duty.


    ¡°Today, we add a new Witch to the watchlist.¡±


    ¡ª


    Lights were flickering inside of the room I rented, the candles they gave away were simply horrible. To pay for a place as tacky and small was simply criminal, but at least it provided me with enough privacy for a talk with ¡°my guest¡±.


    I had arrived just in time. My intuition never failed: just as the cards had predicted, another incompetent Demiurge had fallen prey to his own creations. And luckily enough, this one had left behind his assistant.


    ¡°Words don¡¯t describe how thankful I am, sir! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had breakfast this good.¡±


    I had to spare the coin for some food for the woman, just to convince her to speak all of the details. As the old lady talked and talked, my eyes continued to pace between her face and the book in her hands. The target, it was so close¡­ but something told me that I needed to wait.


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    ¡°Oh my dearest Enrico! Oh, whatever did he do to deserve this fate! Attacked by the Witch he showed such compassion for!¡±


    She continued her never-ending stream of bullshit without pausing, barely breathing between each of her lies. Now and again my right hand twitched, itching with the right rune for the job¡ª but my curiosity always gets the best of me.


    And something told me she had a pearl of knowledge that could be useful.


    ¡°This has been the worst day of my life, no doubt. I am so lucky to be alive and unscathed! I wish I could say the same of my dearest Enrico¡­¡±


    When I found her, her audience had already left. They probably had told her not to say a word of this story to any more civilians, but those idiots always forget how easy it is to force open a mouth eager to talk.


    ¡°I am so glad that the Church is taking action! I hope that the Witch is captured and burnt as they all deserve! Did you know that we found it buried in an old park!? Buried, alive! If not for its crying, we would have never noticed it was there.¡±


    My eyes opened a bit more. Did they unearth her? A baby buried alive? Did they leave her for dead¡­?


    ¡°I tell you, its parents tried to get rid of it, they tried to save us from this tragedy! But my Enrico, he was too kind for this world. To think that she would grow up to start gathering occult material like that is a tragedy¡­¡±


    I had to work hard not to roll my eyes, her lies were so transparent I was surprised anyone gave her the time of day. But this witch¡­ now she seemed more interesting.


    ¡°At least it is all over¡­ ah, sir! Could I once again ask your name? You boarded me so quickly that I didn¡¯t even think of asking.¡±


    ¡°My true name is not really important, I know that your people are very fond of Demiurgic Pseudonyms and such.¡± The young man finally broke his silence, standing from the other side of the little table with a single hand lifted.


    Marina almost choked on her food. ¡°Demiurgic Pseudonyms¡±, the names a person takes to embark on the journey to the Origin of all Magic; that was not a term that anyone knew and much less spoke so lightly. The old lady put down her fork and knife for a second, staring at the person in front of her.


    ¡°But if you must know, people often call me Mustafa.¡±


    Mustaf¨¢. Marina knew this name, she had heard it in the few reunions of the Guild she was able to attend: a mysterious mage, a lone wolf of sorts, and a filthy vulture that often took the works of fallen comrades.


    The old lady¡¯s hand squeezed the book she was holding, slowly setting it on her thighs.


    ¡°I see that my reputation has reached you.¡± Said the man, right hand up and finger pointed at her, ready to draw at any moment. ¡°Then you know what I want, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Marina¡¯s breath quickened, her left hand leaving the book right there under the table, and slowly grasping the knife.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t waste our time with theatrics.¡± Mustaf¨¢ simply shook his head. ¡°Is this really the hill you wish to die on?¡±


    ¡°I am never giving him to you, his heart is mine, you hear me!?¡± Marina brandished the knife menacingly. ¡°All mine! If anyone will continue his work, it is me!¡±


    ¡°Your career is as good as over.¡± The man got up from his chair, his face maintaining the same bored expression. ¡°If you think that the members of the Church will believe that a child is responsible for your Demiurge¡¯s actions then I guess the mercury infection has really gotten to you.¡±


    ¡°Be quiet! I warn you, I am not going to hesitate!¡±


    ¡°Put down that knife, before you¡ª¡±


    The old lady was not playing: she did not hesitate, not even for a second. The moment Mustaf¨¢ tried to talk anymore, that knife pushed straight into the man¡¯s eye¡­ and remained there. Pressing against an eye that now felt as solid as a wall. Mustaf¨¢ simply stared, letting Marina gasp and try to stab him again. And again. And a third time. But she couldn¡¯t even bruise the alchemist.


    ¡°What¡­ what are you¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess my legend has not fully reached you. A shame.¡±


    The mage¡¯s finger moved quickly, tracing an inscrutable form in the air and then tapping the wooden table. Deep within the heart of the unfeeling alchemist, in a room isolated from it all, a flame of greenish light would burst alive for a calculated second, snuffing itself as quickly as it came to life.


    The table would tremble and deform at the man¡¯s command, a wooden spear forming and violently pushing from its surface and straight into the woman¡¯s neck. Blood spurted through the entire room, a loud gasp was heard¡­ and then the gargles of a broken throat, before the body fell, twitching until life had left Marina¡¯s eyes completely.


    Mustaf¨¢ sighed, kneeling to bloody the knife in the wound as the spear retracted back into the deformed table. A suicide, it would look like, and a very amateurish one at that, needlessly cruel.


    Perfect for a nun, thought the alchemist, shaking his head and recovering the bloody book from the floor. It wasn¡¯t a mere tome, even if the killer treated it with such disdain there was a hint of respect for the pages he held. After all, he knew he had stolen something precious.


    The Heart of a mage


    The book where all thoughts and ideas rested, one of the fountains of any respectable mage¡¯s magic and inspiration! So many private ruminations and secrets now bare for the alchemist to see, even if he wasn¡¯t particularly interested right then. No, what Mustaf¨¢ expected was something a tad more tangible: the Demiurge¡¯s Ring. After all, he knew for a fact that this man had to have one, hidden among its pages maybe?


    ¡°There is always a ring¡­¡± Mumbled the mage, narrowing his eyes. No matter how much he shook the book, there was no ring to be found. ¡°If not here, did this idiot leave it in the body¡­? A shame¡­¡±


    With a disappointed sigh, the magician simply shook his head, and disappeared from the room with the sound of breaking glass. A shame, for his collection would remain forever incomplete.

 Chapter 48: Of an Escape (Part V)

    Gabrielle awakened with her body still resenting the pain from the broken-down spire. Her right arm was still bleeding from the rune she had carved on its skin, but at least it seemed to be healing nicely. As soon as the pain started to subside, the girl pulled from the restraints keeping her in place¡­ with no results whatsoever. Frustrated, she decided to simply pull the needles from her body first, or at least those she could reach.


    Then, using those, she stabbed the leather restraints until they were thin enough to break through.


    ¡°There! Finally free¡­¡± Gabi celebrated under her breath for a moment, getting right up and looking around herself. Everyone had passed out, apparently! Sister Marina lay down on the floor, close to the cages on one side of the room; Baraqiel was quietly sitting on the chair behind her;  the Demiurge had left a lit candle by her side, and a shiny little ring¡­ but there were no signs of the man himself. Only burnt rubbish.


    Small, shiny objects really had a big effect on Gabrielle, she immediately grabbed the little ring before her memory called her attention to a very important detail.


    ¡°...Wait. Baraqiel!¡±


    As if reality had slapped her awake, the girl ran over to the unconscious child¡­ fear started to mount on her, the image of a lifeless Kimberly still very fresh in her mind. But thankfully the child reacted as soon as they were shaken by Gabrielle.


    ¡°U-Urgh¡­ Gabi¡­? What just happened¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh thanks to the Saints you are all right!¡± Gabrielle sighed with relief, before starting to pull the needles from her friend¡¯s body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Bari, don¡¯t worry about anything. I will take you out and away from here, Bari!¡±


    ¡°W-Wait, ouch! Not so strongly!¡± The little kid winced and shivered with each needle pulled.


    ¡°Oh, sorry Bari.¡± Gabi started to pull more carefully from each needle, making sure not to hurt the young child.


    ¡°The others¡­ are they all right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get them out in a second. I just need to find the keys! Those cages need keys, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ yes, they do.¡± Baraqiel¡¯s voice sounded airy and tired, their body clearly clinging to the edge of consciousness. ¡°Just¡­ take it from the nun¡­ she has them¡­¡±


    ¡°On it!¡±


    Once the child was free, Gabrielle immediately carried them on her back. Only once she felt their weight she was confident enough to approach the unconscious nun, checking on her hands to find a rusty key ring.


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    It took some trial and error, but a few moments later the cages were open¡­ none of the children would wake up, however.


    ¡°They are too tired, leave them¡­ they will know what to do when they wake up.¡± Baraqiel wasn¡¯t really sure, but they were also way too tired to give too much thought to their words. ¡°What do we do now¡­?¡±


    ¡°I will take us out of here¡­ you should sleep as well, Bari.¡± The girl turned around to look at her charge, making her best to smile. ¡°This time, next time you wake up, you¡¯ll be safe. I promise.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t just promise me that¡­¡± The not-angel was not really convinced, but they didn¡¯t have the energy to fight. ¡°But all right¡­ I trust you.¡±


    ¡°Just promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°Another thing for the Covenant?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°All right then¡­ what do you want me to promise¡­?¡±


    ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡ª


    Running through the forest was way harder now that rain was falling. Maybe it was all the pain she had gone through, the fading emotions and the growing hunger, she wasn¡¯t sure! All she knew was that her thighs felt like they weighed a million kilos all of a sudden, and even if she was able to sprint at times, the girl always ended up trudging slowly on the mud.


    This gave her time to think.


    To look again at the little ring on her hand¡­ so similar to the Ring of the Church that the Father usually wore. Rings were a symbol of belonging, a way to show everyone your allegiance to a Church, a Club or a Guild. That¡¯s why people wore rings! The design on it was a sun being bit by a massive lion head¡ª the images of that dream of hers immediately pushed back into her mind.


    It was all too fitting, too obvious. If this ring belonged to the Demiurge, that could only mean one thing:


    There¡¯s more than one¡­


    Gabrielle stopped completely at that moment, looking down at the floor and feeling the kid sleeping placidly on her back. Somewhere, in some terrible dungeon or a forgotten building, there could be more children like them, being tortured by another insane Demiurge wanting to become an angel.


    Would there be anyone that could help them¡­?


    ¡°Gabi!¡±


    A voice broke the silence of the night woods. Gabrielle turned around and saw lights approaching, along with the voice beckoning her. She wished it to be one of the Sisters, or maybe one of the other girls, but no: the beckoning lights were little lanterns hanging from the sides of a beautiful wooden cart moving by the power of two lazy-looking donkeys. A caravan she knew too well.


    ¡°Gabiiiii!¡± From the front of the cart, sitting beside the rider, Bohllin the elf smiled and waved enthusiastically. ¡°We came for you Gabi!¡±


    ¡°For me¡­?¡±


    As the donkeys were forced to stop, and the little elf immediately wandered over to her friend, Gabrielle blinked a few times.


    ¡°I thought you were already in a better place.¡±


    ¡°We caught up with the others in no time thanks to you, but they are camping right now! So we took the time to pick you up.¡± Bohllin announced, nodding quickly and patting his own chest. ¡°Get in! We are getting out of Jericho in the next Half Moon!¡±


    Gabrielle felt the spirits returning to her chest.


    ¡°Can we please bring Baraqiel as well? They are a friend of mine too, and they have nowhere to go!¡±


    ¡°For sure, get in! Get in!¡±


    A few more elves came out of the cart and, without warning, picked both children up to get them in the cart. Gabrielle felt a little uneasy at first, but once inside the cart and safe from the rain, the girl would finally lay back and rest. The cart was full of shiny-looking trinkets, but none of the sleepy elves the girl had seen back in the day she helped repair it.


    ¡°They are all waiting at Ma?ra.¡± Bohllin nodded, sitting on the opposite wall as Gabrielle did. ¡°You will love it, they are all very nice, and there¡¯s so many of us! They all said they wanted to meet you after Adella told them what you did for us. And¨C oh, what¡¯s wrong Gabi? Are you okay¡­?¡±


    Gabrielle sighed, shaking her head slowly while putting Baraqiel on the floor and sitting beside them. On her hands, the ring of the Demiurge still shined with an evil glimmer.


    ¡°Nothing¡­ I just need to sleep Bohllin. Can we speak in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The elf¡¯s ears lowered, clearly disappointed, but he nodded. ¡°Sure. I wanted to ask you many things but, sure.¡±


    With a pout, the elf quieted down and looked to the side, trying to sleep¡­ meanwhile, Gabrielle looked back into the ring.


    There are more of them, she thought to herself. More Demiurges here¡­ and also the Sisters¡­ and the other girls! I ¡­


    Is this really correct? For me to just leave¡­?


    As the cart made a u-turn, and Gabrielle started her trip back to oh-so-coveted safety, that uncertainty only continued to grow¡­ just like the burning pain on the rune engraved in her right arm.

 Chapter 49: Of Marches and Payment

    One, two, three, four, the synchronized steps of the poor bastards marching under the rain made an echo on the dark roads. Even with a storm shaking it all, Lucrece could still perfectly distinguish the march of the four guards protecting the cart she was sleeping in. Sure, it was uncomfortable with all twelve people lumped together in the humid, dripping wooden box, but it certainly beats having to walk all the way from Pornic to Caen! And to Lucrece, the luxury of a guard certainly helped to rest her head.


    She had been one of those poor bastards in the past, guarding caravans was a very profitable job and, if you were lucky, you usually had to do very little besides walking and looking big beside the cart. Not that she could look the part very well: at her sixteen years of age, Lucrece remained a dark-skinned, blonde and lanky girl! Her tendency to eat just the very necessary to keep herself walking didn¡¯t help at all¡­ but the scar of her empty left eye socket certainly helped give her a more intimidating poise.


    Honestly, keeping that scar very visible was incredibly useful to keep most folk away and clients interested. It gave her an air of experience, of survivability and professionalism when it came to mercenary work. And since leaving her last company, she needed that more than ever.


    ¡°Hurts like hell in the cold though¡±, she thought, letting out a soft grumble while shifting in place. ¡°Maybe I should consider investing in an eyepatch¡­¡±


    Lucrece gave the idea a nice thought before shaking her head, soon deciding that an eyepatch would be too expensive for what it would be worth; this was her opinion of most things, to be honest. She cut costs in everything that wasn¡¯t crucial, from food to clothes, her most expensive possessions being her trusty halberd and the feathered hat she wore everywhere, sun or not.


    ¡°I spent way too much on it and I am using it until it breaks.¡± She often reminded herself, nodding at a mirror. ¡°It¡¯s not a waste if I use it!¡±


    Coin had a very special spot in Lucrece¡¯s heart, it was the motivator to many if not all her decisions, including this very trip! Caen had one of the few reliable bank services in all of Normadia, and Lucrece only visited when her purse grew too big to carry in the open. The girl smirked, her hand sliding under her brigandine to feel the heavy sack of Empires cozily hidden near her chest, just waiting to be deposited.


    ¡°With this I should be around six hundred.¡± She thought, always keeping good tabs on her savings. ¡°That¡¯s six hundred closer to a state¡­¡±


    The blonde¡¯s smile only grew wider and wider, until suddenly the cart stopped all motion. People were jerked awake by inertia, looking around in bewilderment while they could hear mumbles coming from outside. Someone had seen something, a shadow in the rain? Lucrece immediately took her hand off the sack and pretended to sleep, closing her eye and trying to pay closer attention. She cursed under her breath, already missing her halberd, but it was standard practice to take any weapons carried by the civilians and set them with the luggage.


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    ¡°Bastards better not lose it¡­¡±


    People kept quiet, ears open and ready, listening to how all the guards walked over to a side of the cart, rain clanking softly against their heavy armour. Silence¡­


    Lucrece was already thinking of the quickest way to get to her halberd, meditating on how long would it take for her to climb up the cart and find it among the trash the other passengers had brought. Maybe it would be a great chance to ¡°accidentally¡± find some extra coin here and there! This didn¡¯t have to be so bad, right?


    She needed to keep her mind positive, and think of every crisis as a new opportunity. It didn¡¯t matter if they were attacked or mugged, as long as she could get to her weapon Lucrece was confident she could turn the situation around.


    But what if she couldn¡¯t?


    Doubt crept into her mind, naturally. What if they were too many for her to fend off, what if her halberd was buried under way too much luggage, or worse, already in the hands of an enemy?


    What if the assailants weren¡¯t even human?


    Lucrece gulped. That was always a possibility these days, it wasn¡¯t a secret that bog walkers and other undesirable beasts had been roaming the forest since the disappearance of the Demihumans, and those things were tough. Fear started taking over, negative and catastrophic thoughts pushing their way deeper into Lucrece¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Too many chances, saints damn it¡­¡±


    Maybe it would be best to run, she thought. There was no need to be a hero anyways, and they couldn¡¯t be that far from Caen! Maybe she could just take her things and run as far and fast as she could, reach the city on foot¡­ After all, in this world it was everyone for themselves, no? Why even try to waste time defending the cart if she wasn¡¯t even being paid for it?


    ¡°I can¡¯t get myself killed, not when I am finally getting close¡­!¡±


    A state, it was simple like that. Just getting herself a state, preferably with people to work it with. Once she secured herself economically she wouldn¡¯t need to worry about a thing anymore, everything would finally be fine. No more hard work, no more fighting for survival, no more fear of being backstabbed every night.


    She didn¡¯t need to be opulent or incredibly rich (even though that thought wasn¡¯t objectionable at all), Lucrece simply wanted enough wealth to separate herself forever from the life of a peasant, leaving all that risk behind and never looking back. Just like Father would have wanted¡­


    Of course, all this was harder to achieve if she was dead.


    ¡°I am not falling here, this is probably just paranoia.¡± The girl repeated to herself, hands balled with tension. ¡°The cart will start moving again in no time, Caen can¡¯t be that far away anyways right? How long have I been sitting again?¡±


    Lucrece moved slightly, feeling her body ache from a long period of uncomfortable inactivity. She didn¡¯t remember how long ago she had boarded the cart, or for how long they had been traveling through the woods, but it had to be a long time right!?


    There was a shake, the sounds of horses being whipped, and then relief for every single passenger. Eventually, the cart started moving again. Lucrece sighed, closing her eye again and finally relaxing as the guard returned to their rhythmic marching¡­ Good, good. Nothing to worry about at all, she was simply overreacting! There was nothing to fear, plans were still in motion and the winds of Destiny still blew favorably.


    She just needed to reach Caen and everything would be fine. Nothing could stop her.


    Not even the sudden screams coming from outside¡­

 Chapter 50: Of Horror and Chitin

    A guard screamed and the horses neighed with fear, suddenly and violently refusing to take a single step forward and even trying to escape their binds, as a vision slowly made itself clearer in the fog. It was a figure, a human figure, hunching and slowly dragging its feet on the mud as it advanced. It was right in the middle of the way, the torches on the top of the cart soon illuminating its greyish features: strong, huge claws replaced its hands, like the ones on a swamp crab. Its body was covered in this thick, rough exoskeleton, a carapace made out of muddy-looking chitin going from its hips to the top of its head. But worse was its face.


    Or better said: the lack of one.


    The upper part of the beast¡¯s head looked human enough, even if the skin was pale and greenish and the hair was eternally slimy, one could have mistaken him for a person; but from the nose and down, breaking the jaw into a disfigured open mouth, it all had been completely replaced with a mess of clicking, wriggling appendages: little stabby crab legs permanently reaching into the air and then pushing into a gaping mouth filled with rows upon rows of sharp, needle-like teeth.


    It was a Bog Walker, one of the stalking beasts of this part of Normadia, and they never traveled alone.


    ¡°Bog body!¡± Screamed one of the guards, repeating himself. ¡°Quickly, let¡¯s get out of here!¡±


    The driver of the cart agreed with the idea, but his horses were way too scared to coordinate, pulling and kicking around while the creature approached them. He tried reaching for them, calming the beasts with a soft pat on the back, but the fear of a predator standing right in front of their eyes was too intense, too deeply rooted in their brains. It was then that a brave guard rushed forward, their sword shining with the light of the torches as it swung for the creature¡¯s neck.


    Only to be swiftly caught by its claw, the carapace too thick to be cut by a simple blade.


    ¡°Run!¡± The other guards screamed, but the courageous soldier did not listen. Pulling from their sword with all the strength they could muster, the guard forced the creature to get close enough for their foot to find its belly. The kick was strong enough to lift the beast slightly from the floor before it fell on its knees, the claw releasing the blade for the slightest of moments.


    Enough time for the sword to fly through its neck, cutting through thinner chitin and disgustingly pale flesh. The body jerked in place as blue blood pumped out like a little fountain, falling to the side with a loud thud. A beast, felled.


    The valiant guard slowly turned around to face their companions, who were already cheering and raising their arms in triumph¡­ and that¡¯s when the other beasts started to emerge from the mist to their right. Seven, eight, no nine beasts! Clicking and gasping for air as they trudged their way on.


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    ¡°There¡¯s more of them!¡±


    Lucrece¡¯s head finally peeked out of the cart, mostly annoyed at the lack of advance, until seeing the dead Bog Walker on their way. Now that was some heartening news, unlike the shadows on the side. More was coming, and now that they were agitated the creatures would turn even faster and stronger than before.


    Just as she was thinking that, some of the creatures broke from the trudging pace into a real running start, snarling and raising both thick, heavy claws, already hungry for more violence.


    She could have just stayed in the cart, leave it to the guards and beg the creatures were not smart enough to search inside, but the one-eyed girl had something pushing her outside. A drive, an anger, a deep lust for battle¡­ and the hand of one of the passengers, who was not going to risk being found just because of a curious blonde girl.


    Said girl stumbled, stepping outside and then rapidly jumping to climb up the cart, just as that same valiant guard rushed head first into battle without a second thought, their blade flying angrily at another creature¡¯s head¡­ only to be easily deflected by one of the beast¡¯s claws. The staggered guard stumbled back and tried to regain their footing, but there was no time for it. Metal bent and screeched as a sharp claw sank into the guard¡¯s chest, and then slashed all the way up to their neck.


    ¡°No!¡±


    Lucrece could see firsthand, standing on top of the cart, how red and warm blood sprayed and splattered on the ground, the body falling backward with a violent jerk. The flesh had been carved open all the way from the poor bastard¡¯s ribcage to its collarbone, and blood was already rushing to the now-open canal. All while the creature quickly stuffed that claw in its mouth, suckling the blood, tasting the flesh and iron it had stolen from a fresh body.


    The girl could feel her blood boil, hands instinctively finding her halberd and clinging tightly to it for a second. As the creatures encircled the remaining three guards, Lucrece took the time to breathe deeply, caress her blade and try to find a good target. The vermin with the bloodied claws just so happened to turn its back on her, huge mistake.


    Her battle cry would echo into the rainy forest, the sharp blade of the halberd sung as the blonde girl jumped and readied it, descending pike first into the creature¡¯s back. It didn¡¯t manage to turn in time to see what was coming.


    Cutting through the carapace was very hard, but piercing had turned out to be a very good alternative: the exoskeleton broke so easily under the pressure, body falling straight down under Lucrece¡¯s weight as the girl stabbed once, twice, three more times just to ensure she had gotten the heart.


    ¡°Stay down!¡± She barked, pulling her weapon out and twirling it elegantly to get rid of the blood on her steel, her single eye now focusing on the rest of the pack. ¡°All right boys, stand firm and proud, there¡¯s battle to win today!¡±


    But there was no answer.


    Confused, Lucrece turned to look around herself and found not only the cart far, far away, but also the guards running after it.


    ¡°Blazing saints, come back here!¡±


    Lucrece felt beyond insulted, but there wasn¡¯t much she could do. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise for her: two of the remaining bog walkers, agitated by blood and too hungry to be filled by a lanky girl and an already rotting corpse, decided to chase after the running cart. It was always surprising to see such big, bloated bodies run so fast once they got hungry.


    ¡°Fine! Whatever! I don¡¯t need anyone!¡± The girl lied, clinging to her halberd a bit more tightly. Without the advantage of height or number, this was not looking good. ¡°Let¡¯s dance, you two!¡±


    ¡°...ns¡¯t¡­ finished¡­¡±


    A voice suddenly gurgled. Lucrece¡¯s body tensed, a shiver running down her spine as she dared to turn around and look at the corpse. It was moving¡­ and not only that, it was talking. The wound on its chest was very slowly bubbling, almost as if the blood itself was boiling and solidifying, healing. The helmet fell off its head, revealing a mane of bright red hair filthy with mud and rainwater.


    ¡°A witch¡­!?¡±


    The blonde girl couldn¡¯t move, fear had taken over as she stared at this corpse raising back up, wounds burning and healing back as a pair of bright, unblinking blue eyes glared at the bog walkers.


    With an arm hanging down, and the other firmly holding her sword above her shoulders, Gabrielle repeated herself.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t finished.¡±

 Chapter 51: Of Violence and Confusion

    Lucrece took a good look at the rising witch, trying her best not to freak out. That was a corpse, a corpse walking right towards her¡­ wait, no, those unblinking eyes were not locked on her, they were staring straight at the Bog Walkers. Relief came to the blonde girl before realization hit her.


    Oh, right, she almost forgot about those creatures. There was no time to cower in fear of the angered witch, for her life was still in danger and, for some whim of Destiny, the witch was on her side.


    ¡°Now we¡¯re talking! Bring it on, bog bodies!¡±


    The beasts were incapable of fear, barely understanding their surroundings. To them, the healing witch made no real difference: another fighty prey to subdue and devour. The creatures hissed, violently clicking and clacking their claws while swiping the air around them, their typical intimidation tactic.


    Lucrece narrowed her eye, her hands trembling as the creatures approached them, trying to encircle them once again. How many had stayed? Six. Could she take all of them? If she was fast enough and her halberd was true in her stabs, maybe. Just maybe. Bog bodies were lethal but fragile in the soft, pale spots where their exoskeletons didn¡¯t reach, so if they hit with enough precision¡­


    ¡°All right Witch, just follow my l¡ª¡±


    But Gabrielle was not listening in the slightest. Her eyes were burning with anger and pain, her wound was still healing and yet her feet were already kicking the dirt on her way towards the towering beasts with nothing but a longsword in her hands, her warcry so loud that it could have made the very trees around them shake.


    She was lightning striking, an arrow shot without aim or concern, her blade wasn¡¯t even trying to reach any vital points as it swung, she only aimed to cause pain. And judging by the way pieces of carapace flew with each hit, she was certainly going the right way there. But the creatures didn¡¯t simply stay still and take it: taken aback by such anger, the unlucky ones in the front had no other option but to raise their claws defensively, trying to back off while the rest of the group flanked her.


    The taller woman simply observed as that little savage simply brute-forced her way. She could either leave the wild woman to her own devices, or¡­


    ¡°Bleeding saints, woman! Wait a blazing second!!¡±


    Lucrece hated being in the center of attention, usually trying to be the one flanking around or looking for astute ways to approach a fight. And yet here she was, rushing right after the redheaded witch and spinning her halberd around like a mad woman, the sight of reinforcements being enough to make the abominations hesitate. But not to make them back off, at all.


    ¡°Back to back!¡± She yelled at the smaller girl, quickly turning around on her heel and slicing one of the beasts¡¯ necks with the blade of her polearm, blood hissing as it sprayed in the rain.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Immediately asked Gabrielle, distracted in such a vital moment and feeling how one of the beasts¡¯ claws dug deep into her shoulder. She had to turn around, taking the chance to stab deeply into the creature¡¯s chest and push it away with a kick.


    ¡°What do you mean!?¡± Lucrece could not believe what she was hearing, was ¡°back to back¡± really such a complicated concept to grasp. As the monstrosities fully surrounded them, the blonde girl had to take a second to explain the basics: ¡°Push to my back, I¡¯ll push to yours, and kill everything on your side.¡±


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    Gabrielle was trembling, reaching with her hand to throw the broken shoulder pad off her and sighing in relief, finally free of some of that weighty armour. She was bleeding again, red staining her clothes and leaving a little puddle on the floor. Ready to start again, Gabi clung to her blade and ignored the piercing pain on her right arm, when suddenly the other woman yelled.


    ¡°Stop just swinging around your sword! Go for the joints, the joints!¡±


    ¡°The joints?¡±


    One of the creatures dared to rush to Lucrece, clacking claws ready to taste some more blood, only to feel the pike of that bloody halberd stab deeply into its neck. The beast gargled, blood hissing as it sprayed all around in the rain before the body fell down, immobile.


    ¡°The joints!¡±


    Gabrielle nodded, eyes narrowing as she had now gained a new piece of interesting information. The image of the remaining four creatures became clearer to her view, practically highlighting the armpits, the knees and that juicy, pale neck. She really wanted to just rush again, to try and get those creatures in front of her, but the blond woman had issued an order! And she seemed to know much better than Gabi, so¡­


    Two bog walkers suddenly rushed, arms spread, claws hungry for blood, but Lucrece had seen that sort of maneuver before. Feeling a bit more confident she pushed, forcing Gabrielle and herself to face one of the monstrosities each. It was a blur of motion, steel sweeping through the air, a halberd skewering straight through a beast¡¯s chest while the other creature¡¯s head flew right off its shoulders.


    The two survivors simply stared for a moment, something shifting in their attitude. Their little brains had been turning and turning as they simply saw their companions fall¡­ even a starving beast will eventually realize they are in a losing battle. Both of them turned right around, ready to run.


    ¡°Oh no you wont¡­!¡± Lucrece frowned and turned to Gabrielle. ¡°Give me a boost!¡±


    ¡°A boost?¡± The witch tilted her head.


    ¡°Oh saints above, just throw me upwards!¡±


    The blond girl was getting ready to hop on the smaller woman¡¯s hands, but she could have never expected Gabi to simply grab her by the waist and, without much effort, simply threw her straight into the skies without any warning. And as she flew through the air without any control of her own motions, Lucrece only thought to say one thing.


    ¡°Damn you, you daft knuckleheaded she-witch!!¡±


    At least from that height she could perfectly see the two creatures running away, beasts escaping to live and kill another day, lucky bastards. Lucrece landed back on the muddy floor, managing to somehow keep on her feet while groaning and checking her knees to make sure everything was in place. She looked around and saw nothing. They were finally, blissfully alone.


    The lancer sighed, setting her lance down and taking a very deep breath, trying to clean some of the blood off her brigandine. No dice, the blue stains would stay right where they were until scrubbing them good in a river or something, rainfall was useless.


    ¡°Ah, bleeding saints¡­¡± She mumbled, frowning and just giving up on her clothes for the moment. ¡°Hey, witch. Are you alrig¡ª¡±


    Before the question was even finished, Gabrielle¡¯s body hit the floor like a sack of hammers, splashing all around. Lucrece blinked, staring at the redhead laying facedown on the mud, very tempted to simply poke her with the blunt side of her polearm.


    ¡°Oi¡­ did you die finally¡­?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Gabrielle finally answered, her body very slowly curling on the floor. ¡°I am in pain.¡±


    The blonde girl had to stop herself for a moment to think of that. Who goes around saying ¡°I am in pain¡± in such a calm, monotone voice!? The witch just grew weirder with each moment that passed. Jarred, Lucrece simply couldn¡¯t resist the urge to grab her weapon and slowly tap on the girl¡¯s back.


    How old was this witch? She couldn¡¯t be older than Lucrece herself, at least not by looks. Being so short and stout, trembling under the rain, barely able to understand the most basic of orders¡­ the blonde simply shook her head slowly, this had to be the most pathetic Witch in all of Normadia.


    And yet, she felt bad for this creature. She had come right back from the dead to help in the fight, and after displaying such ferocity now she was looking like a wet calf, too weak to even get up.


    Wait.


    ¡°Can you even get up?¡± Asked Lucrece.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Too weak to get up, then.


    The taller woman was thinking of simply walking away, leaving this witch to her fate and focus on getting to Caen as quickly as possible, but something deep inside stopped her. A memory hidden in the caverns of her mind, the image of a lonely little girl left to her own devices, blood still fresh on her left eye¡­


    She knew she was going to regret it, maybe she was already regretting it even before asking, but finally Lucrece took a deep breath and said:


    ¡°Do you want me to pick you up? There may be somewhere close to hide from the rain.¡±


    After a long moment of silence, the witch slowly looked up and stared deep into Lucrece¡¯s eyes, as if trying to peer deep into her soul. At first she felt unnerved, but the tall girl could see the fear and paranoia in the witch¡¯s eyes¡­ she had been tricked before. She wasn¡¯t sure if to trust someone again, after such bad luck. Now that was something Lucrece could empathize with.


    But finally, after a long meditation, Gabrielle simply said.


    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

 Chapter 52: Of Rainy Nights

    Rain poured right down on both girls as Lucrece finally stopped walking. Going around blindly as a bat turned out to be quite the hard task, especially when carrying the witch on her shoulders. The lancer mentally thanked the gods that the girl had taken off the heavy, broken pieces of armour, because it had certainly made her work easier, but not easy enough to prevent Lucrece from asking herself how did she end up in this situation.


    A couple of trees had grown close enough to each other to form some natural refuge from the elements, their branches weaving a thin but oh-so-appreciated roof to hide under; it was far from perfect, but it was good enough for both tired warriors to finally sit down and just watch the rain pass over them. Lucrece left Gabrielle on the floor first, before shaking some of the water off her own brigandine.


    That blazed cart had taken her cape with them in their escape. The cold would soon set in and after that, sickness. And no one contracted a sickly guard.


    ¡°Bleeding saints¡­¡± Lucrece sighed. ¡°I should have just stayed in the cart, why didn¡¯t I stay in the cart?¡± The girl grabbed her cheeks and shook her head once again, feeling despair starting to grasp her mood. ¡°Now I¡¯ll have to invest in medicine and extra food if I want to recover fast enough! There go all my hard-earned empires! Ugh, perhaps if I find some good enough leeches I can pretend to be healthy for long enough to score an easy job¡­¡±


    While the blonde girl whined to herself, Gabrielle had started to move once again, gathering as many branches as she could find on the floor and piling them up. Her hands went to her pockets¡­


    ¡°Maybe I could grab the money and run? No no, the last thing I need is a bad reputation! Bastards recognize me way too easily these days.¡± Lucrece continued her suffering. ¡°Maybe with a disguise? A different hat, a damn eyepatch¡­¡±


    Flick. Snap.


    Lucrece¡¯s eye had to close for a second from the sudden light, as the smallest bonfire rose to life right in front of the staring Witch. Gabrielle nodded to herself, looking back up to the dumbfounded lancer and showing off her trick: a white piece of quartz with several lines carved into the form of a diamond in its center.


    ¡°Heatstone.¡±


    The blonde girl stared for a bit. Magic. That was beyond impossible and, well, illegal. But after all, this woman was a witch! So why would she be surprised of her having tricks like that under her sleeve? Lucrece was just happy no one could see it though, as convenient as it was: she didn¡¯t want to end up tortured and burnt by the Genesis¡­


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    Gabrielle noticed the stare. She couldn¡¯t really understand the feelings behind it, but she could feel that single eye staring at her, so she could only assume she had done ¡°a bad¡±. With a little sigh sigh she prepared to put off the fire, only for Lucrece to quickly reach and stop her.


    ¡°No no no! It¡¯s good, It¡¯s good I swear.¡± The blonde was not exactly sure if it was good, but it was certainly useful. ¡°Let me, uh, let me get you some more branches¡­ does it matter if they are wet?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Alright, good.¡±


    With an even deeper sigh, the lancer ran back out into the rain to collect branches off the side of the road. Big ones, thick ones, heavy ones, anything that could make a good fire. After getting an armful, she simply came back to their little shelter and stared back at Gabrielle, who instructed her to simply put the branches one by one on top of the flimsy, weak flames.


    Doing so almost drowned the fire for a moment, before heavy vapor spires rose straight from the wood. After that, the flames seemed to come back to life even stronger than before. Lucrece narrowed her eyes, trying to distinguish what was going on¡­ she saw another of those quartz rocks nestled under the wooden sticks.


    Sighing, the woman simply sat down and kept herself close to the flames, feeling the warmth slowly return to her body. Relief washed over her, before being replaced by curiosity.


    ¡°Do you have a lot of tricks like this?¡± Lucrece tilted her head, daring to look at the Witch in the eye. ¡°It¡¯s handy.¡±


    Gabrielle simply stared at her again, unblinking and unfeeling¡­ no, not unfeeling. Lucrece knew better than that, she could see the light in the girl¡¯s eyes, debating if give more details in her answer. It was interesting to see this kind of look in someone else¡¯s eyes, nostalgic even! It reminded her of an old friend¡­


    Back from before everything broke down into pieces and fell straight to Hell.


    ¡°Not many.¡± Finally the Witch answered. ¡°The elves couldn¡¯t teach me much.¡±


    Elves. Demihumans. No one had seen them around Jericho in years and now this witch casually claims to have learned from them. Again, Lucrece wasn¡¯t sure why she was surprised by it! After all, knowledge needs to come from somewhere and magic was something completely not-human, right?


    ¡°So you learned from demis, huh?¡± Lucrece tried to keep the conversation going. ¡°That¡¯s interesting¡­ do you know where they are now?¡±


    ¡°A better place.¡± Gabrielle answered simply and matter-of-factly. ¡°Back home.¡±


    ¡°Do you know where?¡±


    The witch slowly shook her head. Suddenly, the light in her eyes felt colder and more distant, distressed. Wherever they had gone, it was obvious that the witch could not follow, and it wasn¡¯t exactly a nice memory. So, Lucrece quickly backed off the subject.


    ¡°Hey, hey. It¡¯s fine not knowing, I don¡¯t know lots of things.¡± The blonde offered some relief there, smiling invitingly. ¡°... so, uh¡­¡± She stopped. Damn it, out of topics to talk about! Lucrece wasn¡¯t exactly a social genius! How to keep that witch talking? ¡°... What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Gabrielle.¡±


    ¡°No last name?¡±


    ¡°No¡±


    ¡°Good. It only gets in the way.¡± Lucrece covered her mouth, that little ember of resentment had escaped her, but Gabrielle¡¯s eyes looked at her with more interest. She decided to roll with it. ¡°I don¡¯t have one either, not anymore¡­ Call me Lucrece.¡±


    ¡°Luci.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s shorter and easier.¡±


    Lucrece tried to reply but, how could you really go against the woman keeping you warm? The same woman you saw literally returning from the dead and rushing headfirst into a horde of bog walkers? She was not going to get into a fight over names with this witch.


    So, she was Luci now.


    ¡°Well, then I guess I can call you Gabi, no? It is only fair.¡±


    Again she caught the witch wrestling with her emotions, quietly meditating on her answer before reluctantly acquiescing.


    ¡°Fine.¡±

 Chapter 53: Of Purpose

    Gabrielle could still remember it vividly, how light filtered in golden, beautiful rays in Arcadia. Hidden deep within the woods, far away from Doggenband and anything the girl had ever known before; wooden carts of so many colours curled around a huge pyre made to honor the spirit of the departed Mother Moon, first of the Gods and last to abandon Jericho to search for better pastures beyond the stars. As more and more demihumans arrived at their secret gathering point, the place seemed to expand further around the circle of carts, with wooden towers erected for safety and farmlands for food.


    It was beautiful, a little piece of the tranquil heaven that Gabi had always been promised in many stories, but the elves insisted that the little camp did not do any justice to the ancient capital of the same name, and Gabi couldn¡¯t really even imagine the beauty of that fabled city even with the many tales she had to hear every afternoon during the daily feast.


    Or, well, it wasn¡¯t really a feast. It was more of a meager meal. The humble harvest of their tiny farms and whatever they could scavenge in the forest, curated and cooked in such a way that they could squeeze every bit of nutrition from whatever ingredients they could gather.


    The first thing that Gabi had learned from her new friends during the years that she spent with them was how obsessed they were with the past. About their deeds of great glory, of their ancient lost magicks, their cities and, most of all, their seemingly everlasting beauty. The little girl would only nod and listen, memorizing the many tales the elves were so eager to share with her and Baraqiel.


    In dreams she still saw that child, smiling brighter than she had ever seen before, always so eager to participate in more conversations with the elves, to study their lore, to retell it to Gabrielle during the starry nights¡­


    In dreams she could still remember those placid days, when all she had to worry about was working on the farm and waiting for ¡°The Sign¡± those demihumans needed to finally leave for the promised land.


    In dreams¡­ she could still see the scars on Baraqiel¡¯s weakened body, never fully healing. And she could perfectly remember who was to blame for them, for each and every scar, every marking, every stigma on both Baraqiel¡¯s and her own frame.


    As her memories turned to nightmares, and her bliss soon spoiled into rotting, searing pain, Gabrielle could still feel this burning feeling pushing deep within her heart, pumping so hard she could even notice how it hit the walls of her chest, violent and eager. Hungry¡­ but Gabi wasn¡¯t sure what it wanted, really.


    Everything turned to complete, unspeakable darkness, bright green eyes staring from within.


    Gabrielle had to remind herself that it was over, that the man was dead and would never return, and yet something deep within knew the truth. Knew that her work was still not done.


    The Demiurge lived on.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    As the redheaded witch opened her eyes, the fire was still raging in front of her. Gabrielle had expected it to die down by the time the first morning lights broke into the sky, and yet here it was! Still on, with a big rabbit skewered by a stick, spit roasting over its flames.


    Where was she? Why was she so tired?


    The fire, she remembered it well. She remembered rain, and pain all over her weakened body. A caravan, an easy job gone wrong, and then¡­ that blonde girl. Recollection finally hit Gabrielle as she looked around herself: She had fallen asleep sitting, hiding between two crooked trees. There were no signs of Luci.


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    Aching from the uncomfortable position, and ignoring that fact as it was her habit, Gabi got right back up and stretched until her bones popped back into proper posture. Her eyes were now staring intently at that delicious, unseasoned rabbit still charring over the flames. How did the flame keep on? The heatstone had probably broken already, so there was no source of heat for the flimsy sticks to burn¡­


    She was about to kneel and properly check the pyre with her hand when the lancer returned, another worked, skinned rabbit on her hands.


    ¡°Ah, you live! For a second I thought you would just sleep over.¡± Lucrece sat right across the fire, setting her new catch to cook. ¡°Feel free to grab that one, it must be ready for biting by now. Sorry if it is a bit tasteless though? Those bastards on the cart took my spices with them¡­¡±


    Gabrielle blinked and looked between the cooking rabbit and the blonde, a little unsure. She had been offered food before, only to be asked for money or favors soon after, what if this was another trap? But that unseasoned meat was very, very appetizing. It wasn¡¯t potato soup, but it was certainly a good second option!


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any money.¡± The witch immediately said, looking back at Lucrece while this one huffed. This had to be her first act of charity in who knows how long and people still accused her of greed! Outrageous!


    Although, and Lucrece had to admit this, if circumstances had been different, Gabi would be completely correct to assume she¡¯d have to pay for a piece of what Luci hunted.


    ¡°This one''s on me. Consider it my way to say thank you.¡± The blonde lancer shrugged. ¡°Clumsy or not, I¡¯d probably be much worse for wear without you there.¡±


    As soon as she had been given the authorization, Gabrielle grabbed the cooking rabbit and dug her teeth into it, feeling the unevenly cooked meat. It was far from perfect, but she didn¡¯t really mind as long as the meat she bit into wasn¡¯t outright raw. Raw food gets you sick, even Gabi knew so much.


    ¡°Hah, bleeding saints! Someone was eager. Thanks for waiting, I guess?¡± Luci let out a little cackle, stretching her arms and keeping a close eye on her own rabbit. ¡°I¡¯d have left it a bit longer in the fire if I were you but, to each their own.¡±


    Gabrielle kept quiet, biting down on her meal and cleaning the fragile, thin rabbit bones of all the meat she could, sometimes even breaking them down to suckle on the thin layer of marrow inside. Lucrece tried her best not to recoil at that, simply shaking her head and making sure her food was cooking properly.


    ¡°So, Gabi.¡± It still felt a bit off to simply call the girl by her first name, but there weren¡¯t many other options now, were they? ¡°Are you going somewhere now? Or will you just return the way we came..? Honestly, I have no idea where we ended up.¡±


    That was a wonderful question. Gabrielle stopped eating for a second, licking her own lips as her brain raced, for she was suddenly remembered of her target. Shadows were gathering all over Jericho, a vision came back to Gabi¡¯s mind, as vivid as the first time she saw it: flames spreading all over the continent like a sick, burning wind, all coming from tornados standing so tall into the skies that firmament itself looked afraid of breaking into pieces.


    The witch pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper from under her clothes: A map of Jericho, beautifully written in special ink, with several spots marked with exes, most of which had been encircled as well with a piece of coal.


    ¡°I must reach¡­¡± She started, checking her route to the last crossed spot on her list. ¡°... Caen.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. That¡¯s why you got that job, huh?¡±


    Lucrece had to stop for a moment there, and think. She was going to Caen as well, so it would be the natural thing to simply ask if they could venture the rest of the way together. But this witch was nothing but trouble and the lancer could see it from kilometers away! Going the same way would be an invitation for things to go awry, and Luci was someone who deeply appreciated her stability.


    But again, seeing how lost this girl was, how her face refused to show the emotions her eyes flared with¡­ it all was way too similar to an old friend. A little boy Luci used to be tasked with, back in the days before everything went to hell. Oh Pietro. A tiny little creature of black hair and smart eyes, despite his slow demeanor.


    He had been the only other person stupid enough to give a shit about Luci and her father when the raiders attacked.


    Lucrece pushed that memory deep into the suppressed corner of her mind where it belonged, before letting out a deep sigh. Despite her best efforts, she was still a sentimental person.


    ¡°I am aiming for Caen as well.¡± She confessed. ¡°How about we walk there together?¡±


    Gabrielle narrowed her eyes. This person was being way too nice, in a way that reminded her of Baraqiel and the elves¡­ but she could also see the hunger for coin in Luci¡¯s eyes, a trait she had learned to avoid the hard way.


    ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    The blond huffed, the world was giving her a chance to simply disengage and leave things at that, and yet she insisted.


    ¡°Come on. We¡¯ll fare better if we are together, right? And besides¡­ I¡­¡± Here the lancer needed to take a moment to properly word her ideas. ¡°... You stood with me instead of running away or playing dead. I feel like I owe you a little help in return.¡±


    Gabrielle finished her rabbit and slowly stood back up, shaking her head negatively before walking out of their shelter without another word. Lucrece simply stared for a moment, watching as the redhead went away¡­ and sighed.


    Once again, she could simply leave things like that and let the girl go out and get killed by herself. But the memory of Pietro pushed Lucrece back on her feet.


    ¡°Wait!¡± She said, trotting over to the other girl. ¡°Come on¡­ isn¡¯t there a way I can make you reconsider? These trails are dangerous for someone on their own!¡±


    The witch stopped in her tracks, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. So much insistence, why?


    Why did this girl have to make it difficult?

 Chapter 54: Of Understanding

    Everything in the world hurts, at least that is how Gabrielle had learned to perceive reality. Her back hurt, her arms and legs as well. Hits and scratches, wounds and headaches, everything hurt¡­ but it always was a very distant feeling. This didn¡¯t make her immune to the feeling in the slightest, but it made pushing through agony a little bit easier for short periods of time.


    But there were kinds of pain that dug so deeply into her soul that even now, as she walked through the woods a million days later, Gabi still felt the echoes pulsating in her heart. Recollection was a curse for the girl, memories always came to her so vividly as she was forced to relive them.


    Like the time she had been jumped in an alley for speaking too loudly of a Demiurge in Raion.


    The time a group of ¡°adventurers¡± had mugged her when she tried to hire them for another incursion in Sainbel.


    Or the mercenary group that outright abandoned her at the first sign of trouble in Nantes.


    Time and again, depending on others or talking too much had resulted in another bad experience, and with enough repetitions she had grown sick of it all. The pain of abandonment, betrayal and failure¡­ it all just highlighted a different kind of agony in the girl¡¯s heart.


    The aching absence of the few people who had actually accepted her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need help.¡± Gabrielle said a bit louder to the lancer. ¡°Why do you think I do? I told you I have no money.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your money, damn it!¡± Lucrece lied shamelessly, she would gladly take the witch¡¯s money any day of the week, but surprisingly enough today she wasn¡¯t thinking of it. ¡°Next time you get surrounded you may get torn to pieces!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve survived very well on my own.¡±


    ¡°By luck and maybe the saints smiling upon you, I don¡¯t know! You swing your sword like a child playing with a stick!¡±


    Now that was a new kind of pain, one that Gabrielle had not felt in a long while: her pride, besmirched. She looked around, eyes wide open, arms open as she tried to find a way to respond. Something witty, something quick!


    ¡°I do not.¡±


    ¡°You do! You really do. Where did you train!?¡±


    Gabi gulped loudly. She had not trained at all. In fact she never even thought of needing to once she got her hands on her own sword! How hard could it be to wield a blade? Had she really been doing it so badly? She had managed to survive for months on instinct alone!


    Well¡­ that and her little trump card.


    ¡°... I don¡¯t need to tell you things.¡± Gabrielle crossed both arms on her chest, eyes narrowing very slowly. ¡°I can survive on my own. I¡¯ll prove it to you if you don¡¯t leave me alone.¡±


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    ¡°All right, all right. I have an idea.¡±  Lucrece ran to the side of the trail, picking up two long, thick sticks of around the same size and tossing one to the Witch. ¡°Let¡¯s put that to the test, shall we? You¡¯re angry at me, so this can be a good chance to clubber me!¡±


    ¡°Elaborate.¡±


    ¡°Alright, good, you are listening.¡± The lancer walked to stand right in Gabrielle¡¯s way, firmly holding her stick as if it was a longsword. ¡°Come at me with your stick. If you manage to strike me down, I¡¯ll leave you alone.¡±


    ¡°And if I don¡¯t?¡± Gabrielle felt around the weight of her own stick, nodding in approval. It was a good stick.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, you let me come with you, and I will teach you the basics. It¡¯s a win-win, if you ask me.¡±


    The redhead smiled slightly, now that sounded like a great chance to shut this girl up, and let out some steam from the bad memories. Clinging tightly to the base of her stick and taking a deep breath, Gabrielle charged almost immediately to catch Lucrece off-guard. But this is where she would learn her first thing about the lancer: she never relaxed, not even for a bit.


    That first furious hit was easily blocked by Lucrece, who lazily rose her own ¡°sword¡± to her right. Then to the left, then to the right again. Hit after hit just went like this, blocked and deflected without much care by Lucrece, who soon even stopped using the sword at all to block and simply started moving out of the way. She ducked, backstepped and slid to the side, a smirk starting to curl on her lips as Gabrielle only grew more and more frustrated.


    ¡°Like a child with a stick!¡± Lucrece teased, her footwork impeccable as she dodged.


    ¡°Quit moving!¡± Snarled the witch, her own ¡°sword¡± hitting the wind each time, again and again. ¡°How are you even doing that!?¡±


    ¡°Your rhythm is too obvious!¡±


    ¡°Rhythm?¡± The onslaught stopped for a moment, curiosity beating Gabrielle¡¯s frustration as she tilted her head to the side. ¡°What does singing have to do with fighting?¡±


    The lancer¡¯s smirk grew into a warmer smile at that, the girl was open to learning more! To listen more!


    ¡°Let me try and you¡¯ll get it all right?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Gabrielle relaxed a little bit, keeping her sword down and taking the chance to catch her breath. Lucrece immediately shook her head and carefully tapped the girl¡¯s stick, slowly pushing it upwards.


    ¡°First of all, it¡¯s easier if you start like this: the tip of your sword pointing at the neck.¡±


    ¡°Why.¡±


    ¡°If you keep it like this and I try to attack you from the front.¡± Luci took one step, letting the stick touch her own throat. ¡°Blagh! See? I can¡¯t reach you without getting stabbed.¡±


    ¡°...Oh!¡± Gabi¡¯s eyes illuminated at that, of course! It made so much sense now that she saw it.All right, yes. I understand!¡±


    ¡°Good! Also, keep your arms straight and your grasp firm! That way I can¡¯t just beat the sword off your hands!¡±


    ¡°Always firm, got it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl! Now, be ready!¡±


    Lucrece would adopt the same posture, with both hands wielding the wooden stick, before trying to hit Gabrielle¡¯s left side. Toc! The redhead blocked with a swift move.


    ¡°Good. Now, this.¡±


    Toc. Toc. Toc. Toc. Hits came from the right and the left, over and over at a steady pace¡­ and this made something in Gabrielle¡¯s mind click.


    ¡°That¡¯s the rhythm, the way you hit! One-two, one-two, one-two.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Lucrece could hug this girl, just feeling so excited to see her advancing. ¡°Now, what do you think I meant when I said your rhythm was obvious.¡±


    ¡°Predictable¡­ I hit like this?¡±


    ¡°You always go for threes. One-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three!¡± Lucrece added a third blow, trying to be a bit more aggressive. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you change the angle if I can still tell you will hit from a meter away!¡±


    Never in her life had Gabrielle made that connection, but again, now that she had done it, things came so easily! She deflected a hit from Lucrece before starting the attack again, at first starting to hit at her usual pace only to suddenly shift it.


    One, two, three-four!


    Lucrece had to push herself a bit harder to move out of the way of that last one¡­ and yet she felt so proud.


    ¡°Just like that, yes! Now, keep going!¡±


    ¡°...No.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Gabrielle frowned for a moment, taking a deep breath and tossing the stick to the side, crossing both arms on her chest once again.


    ¡°You tricked me into teaching me something, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Lucrece lied.


    ¡°Why do you do this? Why do you care? Are you waiting to stab me in the back? Do you have friends hiding around this forest?¡±


    Ah, the sting of recognition in Lucrece was quite painful, feeling that familiar paranoia now pushing back at her¡­


    ¡°No! I, ugh. Listen, Gabi¡­ I simply want to help. I really feel in debt and I hate feeling in debt with people. It¡¯s simple like that.¡± The lancer was not one to admit her own sentimentality, especially with others in an earshot. ¡°I promise, I fucking swear!¡±


    ¡°Language.¡±


    ¡°A-Ah¡­ sorry?¡±


    ¡°Hmmmn¡­¡± Gabrielle didn¡¯t fully buy it, but she couldn¡¯t deny that she had learned something important today. Who knows how much she could learn if she allowed this girl to stay.


    Besides, if she really got in trouble, Gabi was still confident in her ability to get Lucrece out of her way. That¡¯s what the trump card was for¡­


    ¡°Fine. But only until we reach Caen.¡±


    ¡°Good, excellent. You will not regret it.¡±


    Maybe Gabrielle would not regret it, but Luci was already regretting her choices as soon as she had gotten what she wanted.


    What did she just sign up for?

 Chapter 55: Of Old Debts

    Far, far away from the trails of Normadia, back in the rainy and misty Dogenbandr Isles, there was a small farm. Hastily built in a plot of land abandoned and considered by many as completely useless, it had finally started producing at a nice and reliable pace a few years ago. The many little girls working the fields and selling in the local town were prouder than ever, happy that their efforts had effectively proven everyone wrong.


    It was a small community, the one running the farm. All refugees from a tragedy with echoes still reverberating in the Isles even six years later: the tale of a broken, abandoned church lost near Gwynedd, and the Heartless Witch that burnt half of it to the ground in a single night. The rumors had spread that very same night, whispers too loud to be ignored, stories of a creature of red hairs waging vengeance against an innocent group of nuns.


    Of course, the refugees themselves knew the truth of that night, at least some of them did. Some of them had witnessed the falling lightning, the death of many, the torture that had been going on for oh so long¡­ but none dared to speak up, to clear up the lies or even try to correct details of those malicious rumors, for they knew talking too much and too confidently about these matters could attract even bigger issues.


    They were happy now, away from the dark days of the chapel. None of them wanted to have the Genesis Corps on their trail again.


    But among them there was one who simply could not rest in their new, easier life. A restless soul that, ever since that fateful night six years ago, had been tirelessly consulting her one lifeline with the hopes of finding an old, lost friend.


    Sister Arianna, or just Arianna since voluntarily stepping down from the service, simply could not sleep in peace knowing that Gabrielle could still be out there, facing a world that hated her. How was it possible to simply disappear without leaving a trace in the world? The ex-nun feared the worst had happened, but couldn¡¯t simply accept that possibility without proof.


    Every day, after checking and making annotations on the farm¡¯s accounting books, Ari would open the old tome she used to work on and check on its pages for new messages. After all, she may have walked down from the Church¡¯s ranks, but she still held to that direct line with the Chamber Priest. She would ask again and again about the redhead¡¯s whereabouts, and over and over she would receive the same negative answers.


    Until that very day.


    ¡°SHE LIVES.¡± the book announced, wide open on Arianna¡¯s desk.


    The tired black-haired lady would open her eyes oh so widely, the day feeling so sunny despite the rain pouring outside. Ari could practically jump on one foot, but no. She needed to focus and keep calm, not to make a huge fuss and celebrate before things were even clear enough to do something about it.


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    So she wrote her answer.


    ¡°WHERE. HOW. IS SHE OKAY?¡±


    The ex-nun held her breath, hands already trembling as she waited for more information¡­


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    But the old Chamber Priest was not sure how to really start. Sitting all alone in his study, staring at his own Tome of Communications while caressing his own chin. Giovanni hated lying, and yet he had been withholding information from this poor woman for at least a year now.


    But how to tell Arianna that her dear little girl was now a faith-criminal?


    The Genesis still didn¡¯t have enough pieces of evidence to proclaim her a wanted faith-criminal, but her presence had been acknowledged by them. Every time something went wrong in an operation, every moment another Demiurge popped up somewhere in Normadia, there were sightings of the ¡°red-haired Witch¡± prowling in the vicinity.


    It had happened way too many times to be a mere coincidence.


    And with the upcoming raid closer than ever, knowing what was at stake, the old man had finally realized it was time to speak the truth before things escalated even further.


    ¡­ At least part of the truth.


    ¡°She is okay, she has been seen on the way to Caen. If you move fast, you may be able to catch her trail.¡±


    Giovanni sighed, slowly shaking his head and begging the saints that, indeed, the woman moved fast enough to catch Gabrielle before getting into more trouble than any of them could manage.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The decision was taken as soon as the words appeared in her book. Arianna nodded to herself with determination burning in her eyes, standing from her desk and quickly rushing back from the study to her room. She had to move swiftly, to pack as light as she could, and then run straight out of the barn and to Caen! It was a little far all things considered, she would need to get a ferry ticket and all, but with enough luck Ari would be in Caen within a few days.


    She was so excited about it that she almost trampled people on her way out of the house¡­ only to be stopped by Alejandra¡¯s strong, tall frame. The bigger woman had noticed Arianna¡¯s rush and simply elected to wait right on the exit, arms crossed and eyes narrowed, while the girls quickly hid around the house to get an earful of the gossip.


    ¡°You seem to be in a rush.¡± Said Ale. ¡°Did you need to go somewhere, comrade?¡±


    ¡°They found her, they found Gabi!¡± Arianna answered quickly, moving around to try and find her way by the bigger woman. No dice. ¡°I¡¯ll be gone for a few days, let me through!¡±


    ¡°Ari¡­ you can¡¯t just leave things like this, all of a sudden. What if no one saw you go? How would we know where you went?¡± Alejandra¡¯s frown only grew. ¡°What will you do anyways?¡±


    ¡°I will go for Gabi and bring her back with us.¡±


    There was some whispering going on around the house. Gabi, the witch? Why would they bring that girl back, now that things were finally peaceful? Even if the girls were no longer resentful of the redhead, they had grown very protective of the life they had secured on the farm.


    ¡°Ari¡­ I understand you are worried about her. I am too, trust me!¡± Ale took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. ¡°But you can¡¯t rush things like this. We are barely scraping by as we are, do you think we can take another person?¡±


    ¡°We left her behind Ale, and she had to fend for herself all this time because of it.¡± Ari frowned and crossed both arms. ¡°Now, will you let me go or not?¡±


    Alejandra knew better than to antagonize that tiny and feisty woman for too long. If she didn¡¯t let her go now, Arianna would simply find a chance to escape during the night and, well, that would make things even worse for everyone. So, with a defeated sigh and a shake of her head, the powerful ex-nun simply walked out of the way.


    ¡°Please be careful, that is all I ask for. And come back. Don¡¯t you dare disappear too.¡±


    ¡°I promise I will be fine, don¡¯t worry.¡± Arianna smiled, reaching over to hug the taller woman and sneaking a kiss on her cheek before letting go. ¡°Take care of things while I am gone, I trust you know how to count at least.¡±


    ¡°Saints above, just get out already!¡±


    Alejandra sighed again, rubbing her cheek slightly and just, trying to pray for the first time in six years. Praying to the saints, to the old gods, the Creator, to everyone! Please.


    Keep that idiot safe.

 Chapter 56: Of Guilt

    Lucrece¡¯s special brand of training would begin immediately, for it was the single most glaring mistake she had noticed in Gabrielle¡¯s fighting ¡°style¡±, if she could really call it that: her abysmal footwork.


    ¡°You can¡¯t go through life just rushing your opponent and hoping for the best! That¡¯s how you end up dead or maimed.¡±


    The skies were clearing slowly but steadily, the morning sun finally illuminating the muddy road ahead, and Luci took this chance to teach Gabi the first lesson in the only way she knew: by imitation. The lancer moved swiftly, dodging the many puddles on her way with rhythmic, quick steps around, keeping her left foot always in front as she advanced.


    ¡°I use my left foot because I¡¯m a southpaw.¡± The blonde confessed, turning around to look at Gabrielle. ¡°If you¡¯re a righty, use your right foot.¡±


    ¡°What is a southpaw?¡± Gabi immediately asked, waving from across the road.


    ¡°It¡¯s when you prefer to use your left hand.¡±


    ¡°You mean a leftie?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that, whatever!¡± Out of reflex and embarrassment Luci fixed her hat in place. ¡°This is what I get for trying to sound fancy¡­¡±


    The way during the first hours was slow, even slower than usual due to Lucrece¡¯s insistence on teaching Gabrielle how to properly walk during a fight. She kept a vigilant eye on the redhead, walking right beside her and insistently tapping her legs whenever she made a mistake, took a step too long or too short, or got distracted by something moving in the forest around them; this last one was quite the common occurrence, as Gabi would immediately jump out of posture at the minimal signs of movement.


    At first Luci thought this was but another show of the witch¡¯s natural paranoia, but soon enough she would realize things were much simpler than that. It would happen the moment something did come out of the forest, hopping from one of the bushes: a big, chubby-looking red rabbit, disrespectfully sniffing and wiggling his whiskers around like it owned the place.


    ¡°Ough, look at that¡­¡± Gabi immediately lowered her voice. ¡°It¡¯s a bunny.¡±


    ¡°It looks like a big one too, delicious.¡± Luci rubbed her hands together, reaching for a knife on her belt before Gabrielle bapped her hand away. ¡°O-Oi, what¡¯s the big idea?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t kill it, it¡¯s way too early to eat anyways. It would be wasteful.¡±


    ¡°Wasteful!? I am hungry! I swear I would not waste a thing!¡±


    ¡°Animals should only die when it is necessary.¡±


    Lucrece simply stared at the witch, just letting her carefully approach the sniffing rabbit. The creature did not run immediately, instead choosing to sniff the witch¡¯s hand softly for a moment. It was only when Gabrielle tried to pet it that the critter felt enough danger to bolt right out of sight.


    ¡°Awww¡­¡±


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    ¡°I could have snatched that thing in an instant, and gotten a great lunch. Damned witch.¡± The lancer sighed and pulled down her cheeks for a moment.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t! You were trying to pet it for some reason.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for not killing it.¡± The witch smiled for the first time in the whole trip.


    Not having expected that Luci simply gulped and fell silent for a moment. What was wrong with this woman?! Did she simply go around making people feel like arseholes or was this not on purpose? The lancer didn¡¯t have enough energy to get angry at Gabrielle over her own conjectures, so she simply sighed.


    ¡°Get back here and keep going. We have a long way to Caen and you still haven¡¯t gotten through the exercise.¡± Lucrece shook her head. ¡°And next creature we see, we eat! Understood? No matter how cute it is, lunchtime will be upon us soon.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Hours passed, and the day turned sunny and hot before any of the travelers could even realize. Eventually both of them decided it was time for a break, stopping their walk and looking for shelter under the shade of an old elm. Lucrece sighed, they hadn¡¯t made much progress in either the training or the trip itself, but at least they still had plenty of time.


    She checked on her belongings, the few things that she could save from that runaway cart: her sack of gold, a few knives she had smuggled, her compass and a few dried-up berry bars for emergencies. Now this was an emergency, and the sun was way too intense to really waste energy going around hunting, but the girl didn¡¯t have that many of those bars: four bars left!


    What if there was an even worse emergency and she needed them? Maybe she should simply save them? Or eat them when Gabrielle wasn¡¯t looking?


    The witch herself was quietly sitting on the wet grass, eyes closed, simply enjoying the cold wind that sometimes blew through the woods. Her stomach gurgled loudly, but the woman refused to make any comments about it¡­. Was she saving her food for emergencies too?


    Truth is, Gabrielle had no food whatsoever! But there was no way she would comment on it.


    Doubting and hungering, Lucrece was still staring at those oh-so-good-looking fruit bars, feeling herself salivate slightly. Until reaching her breaking point: oh, to Hell with it! If the witch wanted, she could get her own bars or something, right!? Luci simply grabbed one of the bars and began snacking quickly, loudly, trying to devour it as soon as possible before the guilt could catch her.


    But it was too late. She already felt like a bag of manure the moment she took the first bite.


    All because, in the quietly meditating Gabrielle, the blonde girl still could see the figure of a much smaller, much weaker little boy. An innocent boy, a slow-thinking but still very intelligent boy¡­ oh Pietro¡­ people simply talked and acted like he couldn¡¯t understand but the kid was very, very aware of the things they said about him, the ways they regarded him.


    Was this girl like him in that regard too? Did she realize the way Lucrece looked at her¡­?


    She had ignored people a million times before, after all the lancer was used to living her own life without caring for others. ¡°Everyone for themselves¡±, she used to think. ¡°When push comes to shove, no one will give a damn about you. Why bother?¡±. But then, why was it so hard to simply leave this girl hungry?


    With a loud, annoyed grumble, Lucrece finally gave up to her thoughts and offered a second bar to the witch, gently tapping her cheek with it. Gabrielle opened her eyes and almost jumped out of surprise, hands already going to reach for her sword before she could understand what was going on.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Argh! Sorry, sorry.¡± Memories came to Lucrece: Pietro didn¡¯t like being touched either. ¡°I forget¡­¡±


    ¡°You forget? Forget what?¡± Gabi tilted her head to the side, legitimately confused.


    ¡°...Do you want a bite? You¡¯re hungry.¡±


    Gabrielle would keep inquiring but, she was pretty hungry. Without another word the girl grabbed the bar of dried fruits squeezed together and sniffed over it, making sure there weren¡¯t any suspicious things hidden inside before giving it a bite. Soon followed by another, and then another. In a few seconds the girl had already wolfed down the bar.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    There it was again. Lucrece flinched when the dagger of those words pierced straight through her heart, the guilt coming from all that hesitation and bad faith. The lancer sighed, shaking her head quickly


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ but hey, now that we are actually talking, I wanted to ask something.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Gabrielle narrowed her eyes.


    ¡°Why do you need to go to Caen? Are you gonna get a ferry? Maybe making a deposit at the bank¡­?¡±


    The witch closed her eyes and fell silent. How to avoid that conversation? Every time she spoke of it, things only got more complicated with people either disregarding her completely or trying to take the chance and exploit her.


    ¡°...I¡¯ll tell you on one condition.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What is that?¡± Now Luci tilted her head.


    ¡°Tell me who took your eye.¡±


    Lucrece flinched. The choice of words could not have been more cutting, and appropriate. Memories flooded her, the pain of ropes squeezing her arms, the shadows of the innocent and the guilty, the feeling of fire eating up her skin¡­


    ¡°... all right then. Keep your secrets, eesh.¡± The lancer crossed her arms. ¡°You could have just said no.¡±


    ¡°If I said no, you would have insisted.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Ugh, arsehole¡­¡±


    ¡°We have a long way to go, best to keep going.¡±


    Without another word, Gabrielle simply got up and cleaned herself of dirt and grass blades, looking down on Lucrece. She was still deeply shaken by the question and the audacity of the witch! With a bit of a hurt expression on her face, the lancer took a deep breath and slowly got on her feet.


    ¡°Yeah, sure. Let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 57: Of Roadblocks

    The first sign were the faint, pathetic howls echoing through the forest; weak neighs and gargling gasps that refused to die down after what had probably been hours of begging for help. Gabrielle and Lucrece exchanged a single look before each took their own weapon and a deep, shaky breath. The trail was full of footprints, marks of wheels and horseshoes, signs of struggle and a fight that ensued.


    ¡°There are more of them now.¡± The lancer commented, narrowing her eyes and kneeling by a set of prints. ¡°Look at this¡­ there are at least ten now.¡±


    ¡°How can you be sure?¡± Gabi looked down at the floor, trying to follow the blonde girl¡¯s reasoning.


    ¡°The number of prints, some of them are joining in from the woods. No doubt about it: this was an ambush.¡±


    ¡°They are getting smarter.¡±


    ¡°Scary thought¡­ come, double time.¡±


    Tiny pieces of wood and iron were scattered around the dirt trail, blades torn to pieces and thrown around¡­ and then¡­ the entire cart was laying on the side of the road, the doors wide open to show the carnage inside.


    Bone gave and broke easily under the powerful claws of a bog walker. With slow, powerful clicks they worked through chunks of the meat of a victim, pinching and cutting pieces to then stuff them in their wriggling, hungering mouths and quickly masticate them into a bloody paste. Lucrece and Gabrielle fell completely silent when seeing the hulking beast on their way picking apart a horse, completely entranced by the feeling of throbbing live meat and blood flowing in its carapace.


    One of the horses pulling the cart was now a grim memory splattered all over the road, clotty red blood mixing with the puddles of rainwater. The legs were nothing but broken pieces of bone now, but the torso would take much longer to clean. They were thorough with each victim, which usually meant it was easy to avoid them once they started eating: usually all they left were the pieces of bone they couldn¡¯t shove into their mouths, and the stains of blood and other fluids they didn¡¯t care to lick off the floor.


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    It didn¡¯t matter how many times Lucrece had seen these scenes, it never got easier. Her whole body was completely paralyzed, shivering slightly from the sheer horror of the sight, the implications¡­ Gabrielle silently counted the creatures in front of them: five, three inside of the cart and two outside, picking at the horse¡¯s still-twitching body.


    ¡°Do you¡­¡± She tried to ask, whispering as quietly as she could. ¡°Do you think there are any survivors¡­?¡±


    ¡°If there are, they must be far away from here.¡± Lucrece took another shaky breath. ¡°The rest of the bog bodies are probably chasing the people who got out. I don¡¯t see armor here.¡±


    ¡°What do we do¡­?¡±


    Luci¡¯s eye darted from side to side, just trying to make sure she was correct. She saw the horse being devoured, she heard the bodies being mangled inside of the cart but didn¡¯t dare to look deeper into it. Nothing here was left alive. A pragmatic part of her wondered if she could risk it and steal some of the luggage but¡ªno. She knew it would be too much risk for too small a reward.


    The witch clung harder to her sword, prepared to fight, but Lucrece simply shook her head and put down her weapon, trying to recover her calm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. They won''t attack while they are eating unless we get too close to them. Just keep walking.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± Gabrielle had to cover her mouth for a second there to not outright yell at Lucrece. ¡°But these people¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are dead.¡± The lancer turned to stare at Gabi in the eye. ¡°That¡¯s it. There¡¯s nothing we can do about that, fighting would just get us killed eventually too.¡±


    ¡°But what if we let them go and they attack another person. Wouldn¡¯t you feel guilty?¡±


    ¡°Saints above.¡± Lucrece pinched the bridge of her nose. ¡°Gabi, these people would not do the same for you. They wouldn¡¯t even hesitate like you are now. When push comes to shove, none of them would move a finger for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a reason to not do it yourself.¡± The witch answered almost immediately, for she had this conversation before. She had talked about the lack of virtue of people, about their cruel and selfish nature; she had denounced it all to Baraqiel not too long ago. And his words still echoed in her mind. ¡°I am a good witch. Even if people are selfish, I don¡¯t need to be. If I can do something to prevent tragedy, I will.¡±


    The lancer was at a loss for words, eye wide open and staring at the girl. Where did all this naivety come from? What happened to the girl of little words from before? Was she always this selfless?


    ¡°Someone has to do it, and if no one else will, then I shall.¡± Gabrielle put her foot down and raised her sword once again. ¡°If you are going, go. I will catch up later.¡±


    For a third time Lucrece had a chance to simply let go of her responsibilities and walk away, probably even safer than before having a meatshield causing a ruckus and calling attention to herself. Saying ¡°sure¡± and hitting the trail would be so easy, so justified now! But then that image came back to her mind: Pietro. He would have done the same thing if he was in her shoes. He did the same thing when the world pushed them all so far. Lucrece knew how that tale ended¡­


    With a long, frustrated groan, the lancer once again twirled her halberd and got in position, her eye getting that focused look.


    ¡°If we move fast enough we can get these  two at the same time. After that, we go back-to-back, understood?¡±


    A smile curled on Gabrielle¡¯s lips once again as she nodded.


    ¡°Thank you, Luci.¡±


    ¡°Bleeding saints, be quiet! Less thanking and more preparing!¡±

 Chapter 58: Of Pragmatism

    Blades fell down like lightning punishing the ground, and blood sprayed all around the two bog walkers that had been beheaded pretty much at the same time, adding blue to the cacophony of red and brown on the ground. The creatures only managed to let out a pained gargle before their bodies fell onto the finally still corpse of the horse. The abominations still remaining inside the cart would run right out with a hungry roar, rushing towards Gabrielle with their claws ready.


    The witch and the lancer quickly stuck to the plan: back to back, sweeping their weapons together to force the monsters to come to a violent stop or be shredded. Moving quickly, the crab-like creatures would push each other and start circling around both girls, clacking and screaming.


    ¡°They always try to surround their prey, that¡¯s why they get so dangerous with numbers.¡± Lucrece explained. ¡°Remember what I taught you!¡±


    Gabi nodded firmly, suddenly setting her feet separated and proper, her blade¡¯s tip aiming straight at the hungry devil¡¯s throat. She pivoted in place, taking her good, sweet time to stare the beasts down. They kept moving to the side, clacking, panting, a fleshy tongue sometimes poking from their hanging mouths and salivating all around them. It was never wise to interrupt an animal while it eats.


    ¡°Let it come at you first!¡±


    The orders were clear and easy to follow, Gabrielle nodded and allowed the creature the first move. But of course, it¡¯s not like they would just come one by one: two of the aberrations would reach for the redhead at the same time with a furious swipe each. Gabi flinched but decided to focus just on one, hoping to be able to tank the second hit!


    ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t cut anything clean, I should be fine!¡± She used to repeat to herself before any fight, trying to push back the instinctual fear of pain.


    With a violent push Gabrielle deflected a hit, taking the chance to commit and cut the limb itself, all while closing her eyes and bracing for the second slash¡­ but it would never come. When the witch opened her eyes she saw the critter in front of her taking steps back, screaming and shaking in searing pain, and the other?


    The other was spinning on its feet, pushed back by Lucrece¡¯s pole.


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    ¡°Be more careful!¡± She nagged, huffing and puffing, unaware of the creature hulking right behind her.


    Gabrielle rushed herself, taking a heavy stomp and then thrusting her sword at centimeters of Luci¡¯s face, skewering right through the rows and rows of teeth  of the creature¡¯s hanging mouth, then slashing to cut that head right in two halves.


    ¡°Yikes!¡± The lancer exclaimed, needing a moment to get back into position.


    ¡°Be careful.¡± Gabrielle answered, a little smile curling on her lips.


    ¡°Oh you are just getting sassy now.¡±


    Lucrece found herself smiling back at the girl, and she deeply hated it. She was about to smack herself in the face, when her eye noticed the remaining aberration turning tail. Her first instinct was to turn to Gabrielle.


    ¡°Give me a boost!¡±


    ¡°You want me to throw you up again?¡±


    Recollection hit the lancer and she sighed, shaking her head and taking a good running start towards the fleeing monster, rising her halberd high and then slamming it down on the bog walker¡¯s back, feeling the blade sink deep in the soft flesh beneath¡­ only to see the creature still limping away. Luci sighed, shaking her head and setting her polearm down on the ground again.


    ¡°Are we all right letting that thing go?¡± Asked Gabi, smart enough not to follow the beast into its own territory.


    ¡°Bog bodies are not vengeful, in fact they eat their sick and wounded. Disgusting creatures¡­¡± The lancer took a moment to wallow in her hatred for those beasts, before turning to Gabrielle. ¡°Welp. Cut those things¡¯ claws and let¡¯s get going. I will check if there was anything useful left in the cart.¡±


    The witch was about to comment on the irony of that statement, but decided against it, just slowly shaking her head and going over to the bog bodies lying dead on the ground. Ignoring the disemboweled horse had become much harder now that the adrenaline of the fight was dying down, so she tried to be quick when pulling out the claws from those beasts. They weren¡¯t exactly a delicatessen, but the white meat on those claws was a great source of protein if  you could stomach where it came from, almost like a regular prawn. Gabi was never one to scoff and reject food, but even she hesitated a little bit with how similar these creatures could look to people.


    Carrying her bag and wearing her green cloak, Lucrece would finally return to meet the witch and offer her a red cape.


    ¡°This is stealing.¡± Gabrielle said, putting on the cape anyways.


    ¡°Yes. But if we leave things here someone else will take them. Either that or they just rot and get ruined without anyone using them at all.¡± Luci could only take so much naivety. ¡°Now let¡¯s move, the smell of fresh meat will only attract more of these things¡­¡±


    ¡°All right. But I do not condone this at all.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. Will never do it again after this, I promise.¡±


    Gabi didn¡¯t need to be able to comprehend Luci¡¯s expression to know that she was lying, and probably kidding considering all things, but she decided not to press on the issue there either. No need to get into an uncomfortable conversation now. She simply followed, leaving behind the scene of the carnage and internally begging the Saints for the safety of those who managed to escape.


    It was in the middle of the way that Gabrielle finally thought to ask.:


    ¡°Why are you like this? Why don¡¯t you care for people?¡±


    Lucrece frowned her one eye, talking without turning around:


    ¡°If I tell you that, will you tell me why you need to go to Caen?¡±


    ¡°All right then, keep your secrets.¡± Gabrielle immediately responded.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡±

 Chapter 59: Of Close Calls

    While time continued to pass around the murky roads of Normadia, there were other places where it had come to a complete stop. Dark, hidden and forbidden places, nested so far away from the action packed lands of the north and yet, so strangely relevant to it all. The figures hiding in the shadows were convinced of it: they were relevant to many, many things in the world, much to the dismay of the church. They were the torchbearers of a new era, a new Age of Magic that would soon arrive to Jericho.


    Or they would be, if these meetings stopped being necessary.


    Twenty cloaked figures stood near a round table, on a hexagonal room dimly lit only by the effort of a few blue candles. Their faces were completely concealed, covered with veils, all so their only recognizable features were their right hands, or more specifically the beautiful silver rings in the hands of some of their hands, each showing a different pattern of black dots surrounding the likeness of a burning torch. A symbol of the order of the Demiurge.


    There were, however, seven hands without a ring. Two of them didn¡¯t even have a finger! They had to identify themselves with a signed scroll now hanging from their hands, a most shameful display but one necessary to keep the safety of their guild in place.


    ¡°She follows wherever we reach!¡± Said one of the fingerless cloaks. ¡°I¡¯ve tried everything but the Champion of the church is ruthless, ruthless I tell you! It is best if we leave our things and go back into hiding.¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind!? I have made some interesting advances with my studies and I will not stop now that I am so close to a breakthrough.¡± One of the ringed hands shook. ¡°Not everyone has been cast with a worthless rune.¡±


    ¡°You better take that back!¡±


    ¡°We must take this threat seriously, I agree to that.¡± A ringless hand tried to play it safe. ¡°But we can¡¯t be hasty, maybe these are just unlucky days. My study has been hindered by some redheaded snot, and you don¡¯t see me panicking.¡±


    ¡°You as well!?¡± Another finger with no ring shook. ¡°That¡¯s the third time a witch comes into play, what is going on with that?¡±


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    ¡°We do not know.¡± A ringed hand with a deeper voice imposed itself in the conversation. ¡°But we have reasons to believe it¡¯s the same one who put an end to Enrico, six years ago.¡±


    There was a moment of silence in the room, out of respect for a well-regarded, if a little insane comrade.


    ¡°He got runedrunk, trying to systematize the work like that!¡± A bold fingerless hand shook. ¡°His methods should have killed him long before the Witch.¡±


    ¡°We are not talking about Enrico or his research anymore. We are still trying to recover what we can from that whole debacle.¡± The strongly voiced ringed hand tried to establish order again. ¡°Seven rings have been lost, then, two of them  completely destroyed.¡±


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t activate that spell I would have died!¡± A fingerless hand demanded some empathy.


    ¡°You are not being condemned for it. It is much preferable for the rings to be destroyed than to leave them in the hands of the church.¡±


    ¡°Now what is that supposed to mean!?¡± A ringless hand slammed the table. ¡°I don¡¯t know what circumstances the others were in, but my ring is presumably in the hands of a profane woman. She will probably sell it in some fish market and there it will be much easier to track.¡±


    ¡°I tossed mine in the river after using the Flash rune. Better lost that way than anything.¡± Another naked hand added.


    ¡°Enough. I am not here to listen to your excuses!¡± The strong voice shook the whole room with its angry shouts. ¡°This meeting is only to see which ones of  you are in position to participate in the Great Work.¡±


    Two of the thirteen-ringed hands rose in agreement and then, there was a moment of silence. The ashamed, humiliated ones remained silent, nervously tapping the table or fidgeting with their hands.


    ¡°We need Three volunteers.¡±


    Tradition and general decency demanded that one of the disgraced ones joined the Great Work, mostly to try and revindicate the others, but none wanted the responsibility. Until one of the fingerless finally rose up.


    Someone in the meeting sighed in relief.


    ¡°Good. Then you are set to meet in Caen¡¯s Cathedral, and I will be there as well to direct your activities. This will be our riskiest operation yet, but if we are to recover the trust of our Founder, then it must be done.¡±


    The mention of the elusive Founder elicited some more nervous fidgeting from various members of the congregation. The man who had started it all, the first Demiurge to inspire the rest: the man of Stone himself.


    ¡°He has refused our calls for long enough, this time he will see that we are still deserving of his wisdom and guidance!¡±


    ¡°Amen.¡± Chanted the room.


    ¡°May the Will of the Gods guide all of your efforts, brothers. The return of the great Golden Age is nigh, and only fools and blind men can¡¯t see it!¡±


    ¡°They shall all open their eyes soon.¡± Chanted the room.


    ¡°No matter how nefarious our acts become, it is all in the name of the great Return of Magic!¡±


    ¡°There will be reconciliation for our efforts.¡± Chanted the room.


    ¡°May the Will of the Gods imbue us all with purpose and determination, and may the light of our discoveries shed away this wretched Age of Silence!¡±


    The lights in the room were snuffed all at once, and time returned to its usual pace. The world once again spun, put to motion by the room¡¯s last parting words:


    ¡°Amen¡±.

 Chapter 60: Of Starry Nights

    Reuniting wood for tonight¡¯s fire had been much easier without the skies pouring down. After a good few moments they had a healthy pile of sticks and even some actual, thicker pieces of lumber! All that was left was starting the pyre good and proper, and for that Gabrielle had her special trick. Lucrece made sure to observe this time, eye wide open to catch every little moment of the magic unfolding.


    It was disappointingly simple: Gabi pulled out the strange fragment of quartz, stared at it for a good while, and then shoved it into the pile of lumber with a hand, keeping it there for a long moment before suddenly the flames burst from the newly born bonfire. She needed to feel the fire, the flames burning her skin, the pain searing and marking the rune in her soul once more.


    ¡°Your hand!¡± Lucrece reached out, but Gabrielle pulled the hand off the pyre on her own. ¡°Ugh, do you have to burn yourself to make fire come out?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The witch nodded. ¡°I need to feel it for the heatstone to work.¡±


    ¡°Good thing you heal fast¡­ is that magic too?¡±


    ¡°I am not sure.¡± Gabi shrugged. ¡°But it is very useful, so best not to think much of it.¡±


    But the lancer would think plenty about it. She didn¡¯t know any creatures that healed fast, no monster nor demis could regenerate the way this witch could. So it was either a real mystery to Gabrielle herself, or she was lying. And considering that she had told Luci outright when she didn¡¯t want to speak of a topic¡­ this was probably just as confusing to the redhead as it was to the blonde girl, so she decided to leave it for now.


    As night started to close upon them, and the giant crab claws were roasting on the open fire, Gabi dared to sit beside the lancer and let out a little sigh, simply waiting for the right moment to speak.


    The right moment was right that instant.


    ¡°How do you know so much?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Know so much about what?¡± Luci tilted her head. ¡°Also, sit on my other side.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the side with my eye.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± Gabrielle got back up, awkwardly shimmying to sit on Lucrece¡¯s right. ¡°Better?¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Lucrece nodded. ¡°So. Know so much about what?¡±


    ¡°About fighting, and tracking, and stuff!¡±


    Lucrece closed her eye for a moment, simply letting the old memories wash over. Right after all had gone to Hell and when life was at its most confusing, there was a figure offering a new path. A butch, tall and powerful figure, a real life amazon charging through the world and daring it to stop her.


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    Even after the passing of years and so many new experiences, Luci¡¯s heart skipped a beat just by remembering her Captain.


    ¡°I used to be in a mercenary company, believe it or not.¡± The lancer¡¯s chest puffed up with pride. ¡°My Captain taught me all I know. Prepared me for the disasters to come.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little young to be a mercenary?¡± Gabrielle narrowed her eyes, not fully buying it. ¡°You must be like twelve or something.¡±


    ¡°First of all, fuck you. I am sixteen.¡±


    ¡°Language.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Lucrece apologized by mere instinct, cursing under her breath after it was too late. ¡°And! Secondly? Yes I may be a bit young, but sometimes life is like that, you know?¡±


    ¡°Hard and unpredictable?¡±


    ¡°A bitch.¡± Luci grumbled and slowly checked on one of the cooking claws, sniffing it before opening the carapace with a knife. ¡°Soldier life is something that happens. If you are unlucky, that¡¯s it. Gotta survive somehow.¡±


    The redhead could somehow relate to that sentiment, but at the same time something in her head didn¡¯t feel satisfied, there was much more to that statement than what meets the eye. She imitated Lucrece and grabbed a claw for herself, breaking the carapace open and taking a mouthful of rich, nicely cooked white meat. If one closed their eyes and imagined hard enough, they could really think they were just eating a particularly big prawn.


    Sadly, Gabrielle¡¯s imagination wasn¡¯t exactly her strong suit, or at least she didn¡¯t think so.


    ¡°Blegh.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, I¡¯ve had to eat worse.¡± Luci shook her head. ¡°Spoiled food is no joke, but sometimes you just need to put something in your mouth.¡±


    ¡°I miss potato soup.¡±


    ¡°Honestly? Same.¡± The blonde smiled a little bit. ¡°Tell you what. When we get to Caen let¡¯s get some, I bet they make good soup being so close to the sea.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ well.¡±


    Now that was an enticing offer. Gabrielle had come to learn that food tastes much better when in the company of nice people, and this woman didn¡¯t seem as scary as she looked at first; besides, the redhead really missed the warm taste of salty, delicious potato soup. But then again, would she really have time for that when reaching Caen?


    She quickly decided that, well, maybe she would! She did need to eat to function! What were the chances that the Demiurge escaped her if she stopped for lunch?


    Rather high, really. But she decided to take the risk.


    ¡°Sounds good.¡±


    ¡°Good! You treat us both then.¡± The blonde girl smirked, cackling at her own joke.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°...Wait, really?¡± Now that shook her. ¡°I was joking, woman. Don¡¯t just treat me to stuff.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because! What happened to not having money?¡±


    ¡°I lied.¡±


    Lucrece¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°You can do that!?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Gabrielle tilted her head, munching on a bit of giant prawn. ¡°Everyone can. You didn¡¯t know that?¡±


    ¡°Of course I knew that! But I didn¡¯t think you were the kind to lie. Sneaky bitch.¡± Luci felt a little more at ease with that knowledge: this woman was just as bad as everyone else, and that was a huge relief. ¡°I guess I don¡¯t know much about you¡­ where do you come from, Witch?¡±


    ¡°Before I answer that, I have a question of my own.¡± The swordmaiden turned to face Lucrece, eye to eye. ¡°Why do you keep calling me a witch?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what you are, aren¡¯t you? You heal fast, you make fire come out of nowhere, you have red hair¡­ ah shite is that insulting?¡±


    Gabi narrowed her eyes for a moment, was it insulting? A little bit. But it didn¡¯t feel so when the lancer said so. All for a very simple reason.


    ¡°Language. And also, are you not afraid of me?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Luci rolled her eye. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t fight you face to face, if that¡¯s what you are asking.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Well then, uhm. You are a good witch, right? You said it yourself, and you stayed with me when stuff got ugly¡­ we fight together. So nah, I ain¡¯t scared of you.¡±


    ¡°Even with the red hair?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of ace if you ask me, the hair. Do you clean it often?¡±


    Gabrielle shook, gulping loudly. She didn¡¯t understand why, but she felt like crying a little bit at that moment. She wasn¡¯t going to just do it, of course, but the need was present in the back of her mind.


    ¡°I do¡­ and I come from Gwynedd.¡± Her answer came after a long, meditative silence. It almost made Lucrece spit her food.


    ¡°Gwynedd!? That¡¯s like, on the other side of the Isles right!?¡±


    ¡°You know the place? That¡¯s to the point of surprising¡­¡±


    ¡°I have seen a map, woman.¡± Lucrece was very quick to cover her education with an excuse, almost ashamed of it. ¡°Bleeding saints, what are you even doing here in Normadia?¡±


    Gabi took a slow, deep sigh, turning around for a second to look right behind her. Sometimes, when she was alone or simply in her downtime, she could still feel Their presence sitting close nearby, smiling and nodding, quietly pushing her forward.


    ¡°A favor. To my friend.¡±

 Chapter 61: Of a Vow

    She could still remember the day they all left.


    The sun was starting to set, and with it the time to leave grew closer and closer. The circle of caravan carts had turned into a single line, waiting in front of the sacred circle of runes that all the elders had carefully drawn on fertile grass with lines of sap and honey. As people loaded their wagons with provisions for the final part of their journey, Gabrielle simply sat on a nearby hill, watching over the elves. Nothing could go wrong that night, not when they were so close to finally being free.


    And yet they knew that shadows were looming all around them¡­


    Baraqiel walked slowly, carefully, leaning on their old cane to help themself climb up the hill. Of course, as soon as she notice them, Gabi would rush over to give them a hand.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be walking now, Barri!¡± The redhead nagged, frowning as she carefully helped the kid sit down.


    ¡°Oh shush, don¡¯t treat me like an old man!¡±


    It had been six years since their escape from the chapel, and while Gabrielle was almost as short as she was back in the day, she still looked much more mature than the frail Baraqiel: their ever-aching marks and stigmata almost seemed to hold them frozen in that youthful, weak stage forever.


    ¡°Are you sure of what you are doing, now¡­?¡± The child sighed, already knowing the answer.


    ¡°You told me that people deserve mercy, right? Then I have to stay.¡± Gabi nodded sagely. ¡°I can leave them alone now.¡±


    ¡°But Gabi¡­¡± Baraqiel took a deeper breath. ¡°You may not get another chance. Do you realize that? After the gates close, they may never open again¡­¡±


    To be honest, the fear of never seeing Baraqiel or Bohllin again was a real concern on the redhead¡¯s mind. But she was the one getting visions and strange dreams, she was the one who had bested the Demiurge back in the chapel. And, more importantly, she was the one still holding the rune on her left arm, carved painfully into her skin and never really healing, forever visible. Burnt by lightning.


    So, taking a page out of her idols once again, she decided to be as valiant as Saint Martha, and as unfeeling as Mustaf¨¢, and pushed those fears aside when looking back into Baraqiel¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°It must be done.¡±


    The kid sighed, closing their eyes tightly. They were both kids, really! Barely had any time to understand the world or grow into it, and Barri was keenly aware of that fact¡­ why did it have to be Gabi of all people? Why couldn¡¯t anyone else simply take her place? Emotions rushed to Barri¡¯s eyes, dripping down as they pushed and hugged the girl as tightly as their weak arms could allow.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t die.¡± They begged, whispering in Gabrielle¡¯s ear. ¡°And don¡¯t let this happen. Never, ever again!¡±


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    Gabi never really got used to these sorts of displays, but she always did her best to reciprocate them, squeezing the kid gently in her arms and taking a deep breath. She couldn¡¯t help but cry a little bit as well, her hands starting to tremble. The fear, the uncertainty, the heavy task to go for.


    She was just a child. And she still is.


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    As Gabrielle narrated, Lucrece simply nodded along and tried to imagine the scene, the greenery, the tranquility that could reign in a demihuman settlement like that. Goodbyes were always painful and the lancer knew it very well. But some questions came to mind, several really.


    ¡°So you promised this friend of yours, Barri you called them?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Gabrielle had done a great job not crying once again while rememorating the moment, simply closing her eyes and taking deep breaths instead.


    ¡°That you wouldn¡¯t let ¡°it¡± happen ever again¡­ what is ¡°it¡±? And what are these dreams and visions that you mentioned? Is that regular among witches?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve never met any.¡± The redhead confessed while shrugging. ¡°But what ¡°it¡± is, well¡­¡±


    Gabrielle hesitated for a moment, thinking of just pulling off the same ridiculous request as before to dodge the question and leave it at that, but after all that had happened she felt like trying to be a bit more sincere. No, she needed to be. It was a way to reciprocate the kindness the lancer had been giving her, and it was also a necessity the swordmaiden had been ignoring all this time: to tell her tale, to ask for help, to actually be open about her feelings.


    Maybe she could try, just one more time.


    ¡°Come closer, I want to show you something.¡±


    With a bit of a cautious nod, Lucrece shimmied a bit closer to Gabi as she produced things from her belt: a rolled-up piece of scroll, and three beautiful black rings. The lancer¡¯s eye almost immediately illuminated with greed, those rings looked very well crafted and possibly expensive!


    ¡°These are the marks of the Demiurge.¡± Gabi whispered, as if wanting to keep it secret from the woods themselves. ¡°Terrible people, insane witches who wish to become angels by sacrificing others¡­ I have seen it with my own eyes, and I can swear it on my life they exist, so please don¡¯t doubt me so quickly.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Luci did, but only a little bit. She couldn¡¯t really deny the fact that magic was a very real thing after hanging out some time with a witch, but this was starting to sound like a conspiracy theory of sorts. ¡°I will do my best.¡±


    ¡°Good¡­ I have been pursuing these people for months now, almost a year. ¡° Gabrielle opened her map once again, showing the highlighted locations. ¡°The ones with circles are places I have already been to¡­ and the crosses are places where my visions have told me they could be.¡±


    ¡°This is a good map.¡± Lucrece nodded, appreciating the craftsmanship. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had a knack for artistry, Gabi.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, this was made by the elves based on what the visions told me.¡± The witch sighed, for she did wish she could make those kinds of things herself. ¡°So far, they haven¡¯t failed me¡­ although my hunt hasn¡¯t been the most successful.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got three of them, right? That sounds successful to me!¡±


    ¡°Only after several attempts and mostly by accident: turns out these people keep very dangerous equipment by themselves every time, and¡­ well, making it explode is easy.¡±


    ¡°Bah, methods be dammed, what matters is that you got them.¡± The blonde reassured her with a smirk. ¡°So you¡¯ve caught them, and then what? Killed them yourself?¡±


    ¡°... I haven¡¯t been able to kill a single one yet¡­¡± Gabrielle recognized a pained heart. ¡°They always escape after leaving behind the ring in a flash of light. But at least I manage to destroy their studies and artifacts.¡±


    ¡°A bit of a shame though, all that knowledge lost¡­ Hey!¡± Luci rose both hands defensively. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I am not saying they are doing a good thing, I¡¯m just curious. Have you read what they discovered?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to read. Do you?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah. My fath¡ªLook! That¡¯s not the point.¡± The lancer crossed her arms. ¡°I just wonder why they do what they do.¡±


    ¡°To become angels, to ascend and take control of magic in the world. Or something¡­ I don¡¯t understand it fully.¡± Gabrielle was quick to recognize her own ignorance. ¡°But whatever it is, it¡¯s not worth the suffering of others.¡±


    Lucrece was smart enough to recognize when the girl was passionate about something, so of course she would stop pushing the subject. Then again, that didn¡¯t mean she was satisfied with that answer. Now some questions were rolling around in her head.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s another one in Caen?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And this time there is no way I let them get away¡­¡± Gabi sighed, clenching her fist and then storing her things back in the pouches hanging from her belt. ¡°That is why I must reach Caen soon.¡±


    ¡°Well damn, now I feel bad. I just want to get there to go to the bank!¡± Lucrece cackled out loud.


    ¡°Luci, what is a bank¡­?¡±


    ¡°Oh my, let me tell you about this nasty business. First, let¡¯s talk about money¡­¡±

 Chapter 62: Of Sharing

    ¡°...And so, for depositing in their bank, I get around a three percent interest rate so, well, I win money for going along!¡± Lucrece continued with her passionate explanation, as the night continued.


    ¡°What is a percent?¡± Gabrielle¡¯s eyes were shining with curiosity, tilting her head from side to side as she struggled to understand the concept of economy.


    ¡°It means a part of a hundred, ¡¯Per cent¡¯. Imagine that my whole money is the hundred, then I get two parts of that every month!¡±


    ¡°Oh! And you can do that with anything? Or just money?¡±


    ¡°What, the percentage thing? Anything can be measured like that!¡±


    ¡°Then my whole crab claw is a hundred percent.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    ¡°Then how much percentage is this?¡± Gabrielle asked, pulling a handful of juicy white meat.


    ¡°Gabi, sweetheart, I can¡¯t just see percentages. You have to calculate them using mathematics.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°So, yeah! It¡¯s actually not very good though, because the bank charges me three percent for using their services.¡± Luci sighed, shaking her head. ¡°Rat bastards.¡±


    ¡°Language. So they take what you earn and you end up in the same place?¡± The redhead blinked and shook her head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound very good.¡±


    ¡°Well, I actually get a positive margin of zero point five percent a month.¡±


    ¡°What do the words that you just said mean.¡±


    ¡°Look, the point is that it¡¯s not very good, Gabi. But we don¡¯t really have many other options. If I just go around with all my money, I will get mugged.¡±


    Gabrielle laid back on the ground, folding her cape into a makeshift cushion for her head and then looking up into the beautiful, starry sky. There were many things she simply couldn¡¯t understand in life, complicated matters that no one explained to her before¡­ but it felt nice to have someone actually take the time to at least try to teach her. It didn¡¯t make things any easier at all but, for some reason the mere attempt was enough to make Gabi feel smarter.


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    ¡°Sounds like a scam to me.¡± The redhead confessed, rubbing her belly slowly.


    ¡°Ugh, it kind of is to be honest. No matter how good they try to make it sound, they still get rich out of it.¡± Lucrece followed suit and laid back beside the witch, looking up to the sky. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter though¡­ one day I will be richer than all of them combined.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to be so rich, Luci?¡±


    Now that was a question people didn¡¯t usually ask. Money was the name of the game in life, so of course everyone would want to have more money! Others simply assumed things worked this way¡­. But again the Witch hit the nail right on the head.


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t laugh at me.¡± Luci closed her eye and felt the blood rush to her cheeks. ¡°But one day¡­ I want to have my very own state.¡±


    ¡°A state? You mean a country?¡±


    ¡°Nah, that would be way too much. I just want a little patch of land to work with. If I can handle it on my own, that would be great! But if not, I would want some little people to work it with me¡­. Imagine a nice farm, some silly animals here and there, a good business selling food and leather.¡± The lancer smiled. ¡°Never having to lift my halberd again, just making money steadily and living life like it¡¯s supposed to be lived!¡±


    ¡°And how is that?¡± Gabrielle asked with legitimate curiosity.


    ¡°We are not supposed to just survive, Gabi. To take in abuse, to be laughed at or to go around afraid of being backstabbed for some inane reason¡­¡± Luci took a little breath. ¡°We were born to live happily, to enjoy stuff! To eat good food, to have good experiences. It¡¯s our birthright, damn it, I don¡¯t care what the Church or other people say.¡±


    Born to enjoy life¡­ Gabi fell silent and ruminated on the idea for a moment, rubbing under her chin. Her whole existence had been plagued with strife and problems, with people that looked down on her or wanted to take what little she had. She certainly didn¡¯t feel the same way as the lancer.


    ¡°What about me?¡± She finally asked. ¡°Was I born to enjoy life too?¡±


    ¡°Of fucki¨C Of course!¡± Luci corrected herself as quickly as she could. ¡°I bet you¡¯ve been treated terribly because of that sorta stuff, right?¡±


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well, I say I don¡¯t care about it, and neither should you. I know it¡¯s easy for me to say it but, to Hell with it.¡± These last words sounded quite final, echoing into the woods. ¡°Gabi, you deserve to be happy too. Everyone does. Fuck the church! Ah, shite, sorry! Ah, fuck!¡±


    A smile slowly curled on Gabrielle¡¯s lips, soon turning into a soft giggle. Lucrece blinked in surprise and turned away, feeling her face growing red again. Damn Witch and her strange mannerisms had gotten the best of the poor lancer.


    ¡°Thank you, Luci.¡±


    ¡°Bah, shut up!¡± With a grumble, Luci quickly tried to change the subject. ¡°What about you? What do you want to do after finishing with the whole Demiurge deal?¡±


    The swordmaiden closed her eyes again. She had never come to think of it, her mind usually worked on immediate terms and nothing more, having learned to not expect anything from life but troubles to be endured and/or solved. And yet here she was now, trying to figure out a dream to chase!


    ¡°Well¡­ your idea sounded pretty good. I may do that too.¡±


    ¡°Having a state for yourself? Do you think you could administer that sort of thing?¡±


    ¡°Maybe working in one. I don¡¯t know.¡± Gabrielle shrugged. ¡°But not having to fight anymore sounds good. Maybe living with animals, they are very cute¡­¡±


    ¡°You really like your animals, huh Gabi?¡±


    ¡°They are not mean like people can be. Animals only do what they have to and can be very kind if you feed them¡­Except for bears and wolves. They are just afraid.¡±


    ¡°Afraid? Of what, people? But they eat people!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they are not afraid of them. We eat these bog bodies and that doesn¡¯t mean we are not scared of them, right?¡±


    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡±


    ¡°Animals do what they have to do, so it¡¯s easy to guess with them. You can just leave them alone¡­ but you never know what people may be thinking. They are way scarier than animals.¡±


    ¡°Well I guess you do have a point there¡­¡±


    ¡°You are very afraid of people too, right Luci?¡±


    The lancer could had simply told her to fuck off and not answer, keep her feelings to herself. But at this point, after so much, she simply let out a defeated sigh.


    ¡°Like you have no idea, Gabi¡­¡±


    There was a moment of silence, of deep hesitation. She could just quiet down there and not add anything but¡­ she wanted to share it. To let someone else in. Maybe it was a little rushed? But at the same time, a part of Lucrece¡¯s mind was just eager to feel the closeness of confidence.


    ¡°Can you keep a secret, Gabi?¡±


    ¡°I can.¡±


    ¡°...Let me tell you the tale then. Of my eye.¡±


    ¡°Of your eye?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ and the person who took it from me.¡±

 Chapter 63: Of Separation

    The Sun shines beautifully over Normadia during the summer, and especially so over the Monet state. Light filtered through the the vineyards without a single cloud to get in the way, and even if this made work a little more exhausting, it was also so gratifying for Monsieur Laurent. The young foreman of the vineyard was walking through the fields with a satisfied smile on his face, for his intuition had told him that it would be a great harvest that day! And he was rarely wrong.


    Today he was, once again, correct! But in more ways than he could realize¡­


    Father had told me so many times that things would be fine in life. That we merely had to endure and persevere¡­


    Lucrece worked hard in the field that day, making sure the grapes grew fat and ripe for the Vendimia in a few months. With her beloved hat on her head and her beloved brother by her side, they simply wandered the vineyard to check each little leaf for signs of pests or thieves.


    ¡°There¡¯s a nibble here.¡± Pietro pointed out.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably from a bird.¡± Luci nodded, looking around the yard. ¡°Best to be on our guard for crows or stuff like that, eh?¡±


    ¡°They fly in groups.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! I think it¡¯s best if we get a broom or something, just in case¡­¡±


    ¡°Sister, what is that?¡±


    The taller girl would turn around at her brother¡¯s inquiry, and in the distance she could see a huge dust cloud rising, approaching a little too fast for comfort. Even in her innocent years, Luci knew this could only be bad news.


    ¡°Get back into the house, Pietro.¡±


    ¡°But Sist¡ª¡±


    ¡°Go back into the house!¡±


    They were upon us before we could run.


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    Roaming bands of raiders were a big problem back then, and still are. Entire clans worth of men and women of the worst type, hungry and desperate for more money to keep their nomadic style of life afloat. Of course they had their own reasons for it, but to the victims these were worth very, very little.


    Twenty horses had trampled their way through the vineyard, surrounding both children in an instant. Of course they called the attention of the workers all around the vineyard, who stared in fear of the band as they raised their torches and scattered across the whole state. Well, all except one.


    ¡°Well, what do we have here?¡± A huge man reached over to grab Lucrece by the hair, pulling her up and staring with a disgustingly satisfied look in his eyes. ¡°Seems like I got the lucky prize today, guys!¡±


    ¡°Let go of her!¡±


    Before Lucrece could even say something, little Pietro would rush straight to the man, punching him right in the shins. Of course, it wasn¡¯t even close to strong enough to cause any real pain on a seasoned raider.


    ¡°Get lost, pest!¡±


    With a swift kick, the poor kid would fly away and fall flat on the ground, body twitching out of the pain. Luci cried out, wriggling and scratching at the man¡¯s hand to try to get free.


    ¡°Pietro! Pietro, no! Let me go, you bastard!¡±


    ¡°Feisty and with a filthy mouth!? Wow, I really got myself something special today, hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Help!¡±


    Lucrece looked around herself, screaming and already starting to cry. But people around were either busy trying to extinguish the fires caused by these raiders, or too scared to move a muscle to save her.


    When push comes to shove, no one will move a finger for you.


    She had been sacrificed, abandoned by all, and even at her young age she could realize that people didn¡¯t have any intentions of running to help her. Well, all except for one person.


    ¡°Luci! Let go of my Luci, shitheads¡­!¡±


    Monsieur Laurent needed three people to restrain him, shaking his fists and trying to wield a rusty saw to reach for his daughter. In his desperation he had managed to wound several of the people trying to put him down. But there¡¯s only so much a single man can do against a full band.


    The one holding Lucrece prisoner, who seemed to also be the captain of the whole operation, walked over to stare the rambunctious man in the eye with a mocking grin on his face.


    ¡°People will pay very, very good for her, after I get some use of course.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! Let go of her!¡±


    Seeing the anger, the indignation, so many emotions mixing and clashing with each other on the man¡¯s face was probably a delight for the captain, who slowly grabbed his blade with a free hand and, without missing a beat, sliced Laurent¡¯s neck on the spot. The others let go of him then.


    ¡°Come on, try to save her now, hahahahaha!¡±


    Confident, seeing the man coughing, gargling and struggling, he had no way of predicting how Laurent would suddenly jump and, with his last strength, sink his teeth into the man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Argh! What is wrong with you!? Miserable old man!¡±


    The pain was enough to make the captain let go of Lucrece as he tried to push away the bleeding, crazy man biting off his thumb. Luci screamed, her first instinct was going to try and hug her dying father¡­ but the man pushed her off as soon as she was free.


    Their eyes met¡­ and Lucrece understood it was her only chance. So she ran. She forgot everyone and simply tried to run away¡­ only to be quickly chased by one of the horse-riding men and, with a swift hit on the back of her head, all lights in the girl¡¯s world extinguished at once.


    I don¡¯t know how long I was unconscious¡­


    Her eyes slowly opened, and things felt different already. She was sitting on a wooden cart, her arms and legs firmly tied up, her mouth just as well. The forest around her looked unfamiliar, different from anything she had seen. She looked around, seeing the same raiders as before laughing and celebrating a successful harvest.


    The blood of her father was now dry on her clothes.

 Chapter 64: Of Survival

    The raider encampment was quite far from the estate, taking over an entire hill on a clearing much deeper in the woods than people usually dared to go by themselves. They had many tents of different colours and sizes, the biggest of them belonging to the captain and sitting right in the center of it all. Lucrece expected to be immediately brought there, her whole body trembling at the idea of what would become of her, but luckily for the little girl people seemed to have other ideas in mind: she was tossed into a flimsy wooden barn with all the respect befitting a hunting trophy, landing in the mud and feeling how famelic, squalid pigs immediately went closer to sniff.


    ¡°You stay here, princess! Tonight we have plans for you¡­¡±


    The doors closed, and the pigs slowly lost all interest in the girl when realizing she wasn¡¯t, in fact, more food for them.


    They weren¡¯t hungry enough. If they were, they would had eaten me anyways.


    Groaning, sniffling and trying her best not to break into tears again, Lucrece got herself back together and looked around the room. There were pigs and cows in that barn, the whole place smelled of mud and manure, and the only visible exit was the same door she was thrown through. Her arms, her legs and her mouth were all tightly tied up with thick hempen rope¡­ it was all hopeless, really.


    But I refused.


    Her sadness was overwhelming, the memory of her father and her brother already haunting her, the look in the eyes of all who simply stood aside and let the tragedy take place to save their own keisters. She didn¡¯t have time to process so many emotions swirling at once, so instead of that, the little girl simply decided to cling to the second strongest emotion in her heart.


    Anger.


    Feeling her fists balling harder, fueled by rancorous rage, Luci wiggled harder and harder in place, struggling against her binds. For a second she even thought herself strong enough to break through them! But no. She was still a little girl with no real strength in her frail little body, and that¡¯s something that couldn¡¯t change in a single day.


    She huffed, stopping her futile efforts and feeling tears building up under her eyes again, snot running down her nose. Lucrece cried, louder and for longer than she would dare to admit in the future, begging for all this to be but a silly nightmare and nothing more. But it didn¡¯t matter how much she begged, how much she wished to finally wake up in her comfortable little bed, the girl remained tied up and trapped in that smelly barn.


    A big, fat looking swine casually walked by her, probably attracted by the salty smell of the girl¡¯s tears¡­ and then brilliance came to Luci¡¯s mind, an idea. Without stopping for a second to think how dangerous this was, she violently shoved her hands into the pig¡¯s mouth, snarling as loudly as she could while gagged.


    The poor creature, scared and hungry, immediately bit the girl¡¯s hand out of reflex, weakening the rope again, and again, until finally tearing through it with a desperate bite. Lucrece immediately got her hands out of the sow¡¯s mouth, feeling the teeth hurting her delicate skin. She didn¡¯t have enough time to stop and worry about her wounds now, anyways. The pig decided to run away, nibbling on the pieces of rope still on its mouth, while Luci used her now free hands to desperately scratch the rope on her mouth.


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    After that failed, she tried to undo the knot keeping it all together instead.


    ¡°Blagh!¡±


    She was free. Her hands had bitemarks, her legs felt woobly and numb and her teeth hurt, but she was free! Pushed by desperation, she immediately rushed to check on the door and look through some holes on the wooden planks. She saw the raiders gathered around a big pile of wood, probably preparing for a feast with all the food they had stolen. No one was watching the door¡­


    That was her moment, her ticket to escape! Lucrece could simply run off into the woods and beg for the best! But then she saw the man.


    The Captain of the raiders, easily recognizable for a thick black beard covering his pale face, and the bandages over his left hand, now sporting one finger less. He looked tired, simply waving dismissively at the others while walking over to his tent. A nap? Before the feast? An idea conjured itself in the little girl¡¯s mind. One that should never cross a child¡¯s thoughts, ever.


    I shouldn¡¯t had done it. I should had just walked out and sought shelter¡­ but I couldn¡¯t.


    Lucrece did abandon the barn with all the stealth she could muster, keeping her breath down and her motions very slow. But she didn¡¯t escape that day. Instead, she took a rusty pike lying around one of the tents and, while everyone simply celebrated and prepared, Luci sneaked into the Captain¡¯s quarters.


    He had to pay for what he had done.


    The weapon was far heavier than Luci could had thought, she could barely move with it on her hands, but she didn¡¯t give up. Not when she was so close.


    The Captain¡¯s quarters were comfortable and warm, illuminated by the flame of several torches. They were full of beautiful animal pelts, locked chests and trophies the man had probably stolen from other farms. He laid alone on a king sized bed, enjoying silk covers and wooly mantles. The opulence made Lucrece feel sick as she tumbled her way over to the man, and holding the polearm by the very base she raised it as high as she could.


    ¡°Die, pig¡­ Die!¡±


    Lucrece slammed down with all her strength, the sharp end of that pike aiming for the man¡¯s head¡­ but his hand caught it before she could even touch him with it.


    ¡°Well, look at this! If it isn¡¯t the feisty princess!¡± The man licked his own lips. ¡°I really like that attitude of yours, girl. But you caught me in a baaad mood¡­¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t know where the idea came from, she simply moved by instinct: while the man held that pike from the pole, so close to his face, Luci suddenly pushed. The pole slid right on the man¡¯s naked hand, sliding straight into his right eye with enough force to see it pop¡­ and of course this was enough to get the man to scream.


    ¡°ARGH! You little bitch!¡±


    She didn¡¯t have enough strength to push through the man¡¯s skull, or to wrestle her weapon back to her hands; the Captain violently pushed and threw the pike away, covering his lost eye with one hand while trying to suppress the pain. Before she could even move away, the hulking man¡¯s boot had already sent her flying backwards and rolling onto the floor, her lungs completely deflated and aching from a stomach kick.


    ¡°Do you feel brave today, bitch!? Is that it!?¡±


    For a moment he thought of grabbing a knife, but then something better came to the Captain¡¯s mind: he grabbed one of the torches, walking over and sitting right on top of the girl¡¯s legs.


    ¡°L-Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Gods I hate that look on your face! Let¡¯s make you prettier, shall we!?¡±


    The pain¡­


    Flames devoured the skin and popped the eye in an instant, as the sadistic man simply pushed the tip of his torch on Lucrece¡¯s left eye, pressing it hard and long as the girl squirmed, shook and screamed. She felt her throat burning as well, hands swiping and instinctively trying to reach for the wound, to feel her now blinded eye. The captain removed the torch and threw it away, cracking his knuckles and licking his lips.


    ¡°Good girl, now you look presentable¡­ but let¡¯s give you a proper look now, shall we?¡±


    He was so close she could smell him, his breath stank, his hands were cold and disgusting. Luci felt herself about to break down and cry, when suddenly¡­ her hand felt something. Something cold and metallic on the man¡¯s hip. A knife.


    Voices screamed from the outside of the tent.


    ¡°We¡¯re under attack! Everyone to arms!¡±


    ¡°What in the blazes¡­?¡± The captain made his final mistake and looked away from his prey for a mere instant.


    Lucrece¡¯s hand squeezed that knife with all the strength she had left. And pulled.

 Chapter 65: Of New Chances

    The knife sunk deeper than she could have hoped into the man¡¯s neck, piercing straight through his throat. It was sharp, ready to work, so terribly effective¡­ the Captain gasped for air almost immediately, nervously trying to reach for the wound before Lucrece pushed and stabbed again. And again. And once more.


    I don¡¯t know what came to me back then¡­ I guess it was fear, or anger, or both.


    Still trembling from the pain, crying and screaming, Lucrece continued stabbing over and over again, until hitting the bone¡­ the man couldn¡¯t move anymore, his eyes staring into space with no more light to their iris, his arms resting cold and lifeless on the sides¡­. The girl sat back, letting go of the knife and then simply hugging herself, looking for the comfort anywhere she could find it.


    ¡°What in the blazes happened here, now¡­?¡±


    A voice called from the tent entrance. Lucrece turned around to see a new group of people¡­ raiders, probably?


    No. Mercenaries¡­ it¡¯s marginally better, really.


    The woman leading them was a tall, sunscorched figure covered in steel armor and a fur cape. An amazonian figure of black hairs, staring at Lucrece with a sly smile.


    ¡°Seems like we got here too late, someone already took our mark!¡±


    The men behind her laughed, as the woman walked over to check on the little girl.


    ¡°Are you okay? Did he manage to¡­?¡±


    ¡°N-No.¡± Luci immediately answered, not even wanting to entertain the idea. ¡°He tried¡­ but¡­¡±


    ¡°Good. The pig certainly deserved it¡­ does it bother you if I take the head?¡± The Mercenary Captain was never that polite, and would never be again. ¡°We came all the way here for it.¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s yours¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good girl, willing to share!¡± With a smile, the captain reached over to hug Lucrece closer, rubbing her back. ¡°There¡­ you are safe now, girl. Breathe¡­ let it all out.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to¡­ but she couldn¡¯t help it. Not anymore. Luci thought she had already cried her fill but she wasn¡¯t even close to enough. So clinging to this complete stranger, trembling and feeling everything breaking inside, Lucrece cried like she never did before.


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    And that¡¯s how the lancer met her Captain.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    ¡°After that.¡± Lucrece continued, taking another bite of her last giant claw. ¡°They offered to take me back home. But I didn¡¯t feel like going back, I still don¡¯t. With Father and Pietro gone, and those bastards still alive¡­There¡¯s nothing tying me there anymore.¡±


    ¡°But then, what happened with the mercenaries, then? Did you stay with them?¡± Gabrielle had stopped eating a while ago, listening intently to the story with both hands close to the fire.


    ¡°For several years. I wouldn¡¯t be here without them.¡± The lancer smiled and felt the nostalgia wash over her. Clearly, those had been some good years.


    ¡°And then what happened? Why are you on your own now?¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a story for another day, Gabi. You owe me another story for making me talk so much!¡± Luci naggingly shook a finger at the girl. ¡°For now, it¡¯s time to sleep¡­ is it alright if you take the first guarding turn? I am pooped.¡±


    ¡°I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Good girl, yeah¡­ be thinking of what you¡¯ll tell me next, okay? I expect something exciting!¡±


    Lucrece smiled widely for a moment there, all the pain and agony of the tale had mostly numbed, and taking it less seriously certainly did wonders to keep Luci from feeling the full hit of its emotions. She simply turned around, covering herself with a long wooly mantle and closing her eye. The lancer was incredibly relieved to finally have her things back.


    Meanwhile, Gabrielle simply stared into space for a while, keeping a stoic guard of their fireplace with her blade forever close to her hands¡­ but soon it was obvious that the night wouldn¡¯t bring any dangers that time. When Lucrece started snoring, Gabi knew that she was really, completely alone.


    Her mind began to wonder on its own, the whispers of her thoughts felt conflicted with so much that had happened before.


    ¡°How many people are suffering now¡­?¡±


    Pain. It was something Gabrielle lived with every day, practically permeating her every step. Her scars hurt, her body as a whole hurt, her life always found new things to hurt, to the point where she had grown used to it. It was background noise, something to be ignored while existence passed by.


    But apparently it wasn¡¯t like that for everyone else? People cried, people suffered, and they had gone through way more things than what Gabi could imagine. For all she had suffered, Gabrielle had never felt the pain of losing an eye, or watching a parental figure die in front of her eyes.


    There was Samantha though¡­


    Her death still vexed Gabrielle, pushed and squeezed her heart in ways she couldn¡¯t comprehend. Why had the girl stood up for Gabi? What did she expect to win?


    A voice smacked Gabrielle over the head. What did she have to complain and meditate about? Lucrece had clearly gone through so much more than her! Things had been easy for Gabi after finding her way out of the chapel.


    Another voice complained, refusing to accept it. It wasn¡¯t a competition, anyways! She wasn¡¯t complaining about her life anyways, right? It hurt terribly, but she could just live through it without any trouble, right?


    There was silence in Gabi¡¯s mind for a moment there.


    ¡°Everyone has their own battles to fight. Yours was really tough too, Gabi.¡±


    The swordmaiden sighed in relief, closing her eyes for a moment when hearing, deep down in her mind, Baraqiel¡¯s voice. The child always chimed in when she needed them the most.


    ¡°You should let others help you more often though. But this is a good start, talking about it.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t see them, but she could feel their presence sitting right behind her, holding a hand on her back and pushing her on through everything.


    ¡°You will be fine, right?¡±


    Gabrielle swallowed. She was never sure of what to say when Baraqiel asked, could she really promise that she would? Or even keep the promise she already had made? Life was unpredictable like that, always finding ways to somehow get worse¡­ but Gabi simply sighed all those details away.


    For the first time in a very long time, the girl felt confident enough to answer.


    ¡°I will. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

 Chapter 66: Of a Hero

    The flames devoured all in their path in the old city of Lilac. Once beautiful homes and businesses now groaned and broke under their own weight, their strength stolen by the raging fire. It was too much, too intense to be fought against, too hot to even try and walk towards! People picked up what they could, either possessions or their own families, and ran for their lives as far away as possible¡­ at least, most of them did.


    There was a single cloaked figure standing in the middle of it all, just staring at the flames with a mix of fascination and horror in his look. He felt powerful, and yet so helpless; his laboratory had broken down and now burned in front of his very eyes; all he had fought for, all he had studied and learned now lost, destroyed by his own hand in a fit of panic.


    He trembled with anger, with frustration. He could feel how close he had been to a breakthrough, to finally find a Rune of his very own, and then¡­ the fear, the pressure, the news of a Genesis regiment growing closer and closer to him; it was simply overwhelming.


    Several steps came from behind the cloaked man, his fate finally catching up. The Demiurge didn¡¯t dare to look behind himself, hands still trembling with frustration, for even at the edge of a precipice the man refused to give up. He needed to think of something, anything! Perhaps the flash spell on his ring¡­


    ¡°Do you repent?¡±


    A voice spoke to him, young, feminine, and yet full of such authority that the Demiurge could feel his heart tremble and rush for an answer. But no, he couldn¡¯t answer to that question, for it was a very well-known Rite of the Inquisition: they always gave you a chance to repent before execution, so your soul could ¡°return to the cycle¡± after death.


    To speak now would basically be authorizing them to kill him.


    ¡°Your world burns, Demiurge. Your selfish and misguided steps have once again brought pain to everyone around you¡­ I¡¯ll ask you again. Do you repent?¡±


    ¡°You call me selfish and misguided¡­?¡± The man couldn¡¯t hold his tongue. ¡°When I make a mistake my flames consume a city, but when you Inquisitors obsess over falsehoods, you doom an entire world.¡±


    There was silence again, only interrupted by falling debris and the roar of flame.


    ¡°So you choose not to apologize even after it all, Demiurge¡­?¡±


    With a deep breath, the man slowly turned around and faced the crowd behind him. Black uniforms on black horses, at least five of them staring at him with lances ready to strike: the armed hand of the Church, the Genesis Corps¡­ But there was someone else with them, leading them. A young woman probably reaching her twenties, protected from the fire by a shining silver armor contrasting so beautifully with her dark skin and her pitch black hair, falling free on her shoulders.


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    He recognized this woman, she had made herself famous among Demiurges and other ¡°enemies of the church¡± for her zeal and tenacity: the woman who had hunted so many of his companions, the Living Saint of the Church.


    Esperanza of Argon.


    The tall, gallant dame sat firmly on her horse, holding an ornate silver pike in her hands while waiting for the mage¡¯s answer with a placid, almost gentle look in her eyes. She wasn¡¯t judging him, not yet.


    But the fact that she was here, in person, meant that the Church was finally getting fed up with the Demiurge¡¯s activities.


    ¡°No. I will not apologize and I will not repent for my quest.¡± The man finally answered, frowning and raising a hand to show the ring on his finger. This would hurt a lot, but it would ensure an escape. ¡°I will never apologize, and will never stop trying to find the truth that your people so zealously deny!¡±


    The Saint sighed, slowly shaking her head and narrowing her gaze upon the heretic. Those eyes, the Demiurge couldn¡¯t stand the pity in them.


    ¡°What is your name, Demiurge.¡±


    ¡°Timotheos.¡±


    ¡°Well, Timotheos the Demiurge¡­ I will pray for your soul tonight, may you finally find peace in the next life.¡±


    With a mocking grin the Demiurge closed his eyes, a hand squeezing the ring on the other. He could feel the hidden spike pierce his blood, the spark of pain being all he needed to activate the rune within.


    ¡°No need to waste breath in me, Dog of the Church. Beg for yourself instead!¡±


    Blinding light would suddenly burst from the man¡¯s hand, as the finger with his ring burnt to a crisp under the sudden heat. The pain was overwhelming, but the Demiurge couldn¡¯t faint now even as his digit shriveled in the devouring embrace of magic. He only had a few minutes to escape, leaving behind the shining ring and running as fast as his legs could take him.


    But something followed him.


    A beautiful, ornate spear flew through the air and the blinding light, passing straight through the man¡¯s left arm and then landing right on his way. Timotheos¡¯ eyes widened, especially when something else followed it: he saw the body of the Living Saint fly straight through the air, getting a hold of her weapon and flourishing it quickly as she landed in front of the Demiurge. Before he could even realize he would feel the bite of its steel, cutting straight through his throat and forcing his body to a violent stop, kneeling and trying to cover the open, bleeding wound.


    His eyes could see it clear as the day, shining brightly both on the lance and on the woman¡¯s right gauntlet: a Rune had been cast on the steel of both, its strength fading as the girl walked over to her prey.


    ¡°So it is true¡­¡± He coughed, barely able to speak as his eyes glared up at Esperanza. ¡°You Saints¡­ are no better than us at all¡­¡±


    ¡°The gift of my Mother guides my spear, Demiurge. It was given to me¡­ you stole it from the Grace of the Saints instead.¡± Her eyes now burned with disgust as she pushed the man to the floor with the tip of her pole. ¡°There is no comparison between us.¡±


    ¡°No.. hah, hahahah, you are just like us.¡± As the light slowly abandoned his eyes, the dying man smiled. ¡°A fraud¡­ clinging to the pieces of broken Gods¡ª¡±


    She didn¡¯t let him finish the sentence. Her lance could find the man¡¯s heart before he could. With a slow, deep sigh, Esperanza would kneel in front of the body and offer it one last prayer, begging for the man¡¯s safe return to the Grace of the Saints. As she did, the rest of her squadron would finally catch up, after having calmed their horses.


    ¡°Your excellency, are you okay¡­?¡± One of the men enquired while pulling the Saint¡¯s own ride.


    ¡°Yes, yes. This pathetic man didn¡¯t have anything in him to hurt me.¡± The girl lied, pushing her wounded pride aside as she climbed back up on her mount. ¡°Let¡¯s search for survivors and start working on extinguishing the fires. I don¡¯t want idle hands, there may be innocents still trapped in the flames!¡±


    The inquisitors looked at each other for a moment. That was certainly not their job, but the Saint had issued an order!


    ¡°Your excellency, if I may¡­ we must go to Caen with all haste, do you truly believe it is wise to stop by every town that requires aid?¡±


    ¡°It is our negligence that brought about this calamity.¡± Esperanza spoke without pause or hesitation. ¡°Caen can and will wait for us. This is the will of the Saints..¡±


    Of course, the men had their doubts, but they had never disobeyed the Dame and wouldn¡¯t start doing so now. So begrudgingly they nodded, and immediately dispersed through the city to start the search.

 Chapter 67: Of the Long Road

    The travel would resume after a much-needed rest. Gabrielle and Lucrece figured out a nice system on which one of them would keep guard while the other rested her head for a good few moments. That way, when the light of the breaking dawn finally came upon them, both girls were ready to continue being equally tired!


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have a proper bed.¡± Luci would be the first to complain as they stretched, feeling their bones and joints popping back into proper position. ¡°If I never have to sleep on the floor again, it will be too early.¡±


    ¡°I am glad you stole covers from the wagon.¡± The redhead admitted with a congratulatory smile. ¡°It was a good idea, despite how morally reprehensible it is.¡±


    ¡°All right, first of all? I didn¡¯t steal them, I took them. You can¡¯t steal things if no one owns them.¡±


    ¡°The people in the cart probably owned them.¡±


    ¡°And secondly, of course it was a good idea. You have to trust me a little more, you know?¡±


    The lancer huffed but then, she just smiled, looking at Gabrielle for a moment. The witch WAS a strange being, but despite the relatively stiff face one could really see the emotions hidden in there. She knew that to Gabi those emotions were probably obvious, and a little overwhelming¡­ Gabi was, in a lot of ways, just like Pietro, but at the same time she felt so completely different from the passive and demure boy. She was her own person, after all, and Luci was starting to see that.


    Gabrielle, on the other hand, could still not fully understand this woman. Lucrece felt so selfish and yet, at the same time, she had gone through all the troubles just to explain some things to Gabi, and this wasn¡¯t something everyone did.


    At first, Luci¡¯s face looked like a complete blur to Gabrielle, with the detail of the burnt mark of a lost eye on the left side only being obvious in hindsight, but now¡­ she was starting to catch up to the details, at least a bit.


    ¡°Welp, we have a little less than a day of journey left, we should be getting to Caen soon!¡± The lancer announced with a proud smile. ¡°So today, our practice will be a very simple concept.¡±


    ¡°And that is¡­?¡±


    ¡°When I say ¡°Give me a boost, Gabrielle¡±, you don¡¯t throw me up like a sack of potatoes!¡±


    Gabi blinked a few times. Again, this woman confused her to no end.


    ¡°But you said I should do that.¡±


    ¡°I know what I said but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d take it literally.¡±


    ¡°What does ¡°literally¡± mean? Is it about books?¡±


    ¡°It means¡­ uhm¡­ oh, saints above¡­¡± Luci rubbed her cheeks roughly for a moment, summoning all her patience.


    That day would be another long one, and the lancer already knew it. Starting breakfast with complicated concepts had proven to be a terrible idea! But still, she pushed through the frustration as well as one possibly could, guiding Gabrielle through the process by walking over to the girl and taking her sword.


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    ¡°Okay, you hold it like this, okay? Like a big board, on the side, with both hands.¡±


    ¡°You would cut yourself if you do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes but you are wearing gauntlets. Now, when I say ¡°Give me a boost¡±, you do this, and I jump on your sword.¡±


    ¡°Why.¡±


    ¡°So you push me up and I can jump very, very high.¡±


    Once again, now that the concept was explained to her, Gabrielle understood immediately.


    ¡°So you can control your movement and then go down on someone, like when you jumped at that bog body.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Luci could have clapped then. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to just run at them?¡±


    ¡°... Look, don¡¯t worry too much about it. It¡¯s effective, I promise.¡±


    Gabi had her doubts about it but she decided to abide by the lancer for the moment, peppering her with a few questions as they went around to hunt for breakfast and lunch. They had grown very, very tired of giant prawn, so the few berries they could find around in the forest were a true blessing for everyone! Although Gabrielle seemed less than enthused.


    ¡°We mostly got bad ones.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by ¡°bad ones¡±? They look great.¡± Lucrece rose her nose, pridefully, while holding several red berries in her hand.


    ¡°They will make you shite like crazy if you eat them, Luci.¡± The redhead shook her head slowly. ¡°The red ones have little white dots on the base, which means they are too fermented.¡±


    ¡°How do you even know that?¡±


    ¡°The Elves taught me to find good things in the forest¡­ we will have to find something else to eat, these are only good to make wine.¡±


    ¡°Fuck yes! I mean. Sorry.¡± Luci preemptively apologized. ¡°Wine is good! Wait¡­ would that imply we would have to ferment them for months?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a magical barrel with you?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ did not even know those were a thing.¡±


    ¡°Then yes. We would have to wait.¡±


    ¡°Damn berries¡­!¡±


    Gabrielle would, luckily, set an alternative to the berries: roots. She would knock on some specific trees they passed by and, with a knife, would carefully dig until finding thick woody roots on their base, pulling out meaty-looking red bulbs from them. Lucrece would simply stare, baffled and trying her best not to compare Gabi to a truffle pig when she arrived with several of those bulbs, offering them to her. Each of those things was big enough to fill a hand.


    ¡°They are good.¡±


    ¡°I sincerely doubt it.¡± The lancer narrowed her eyes but was also too hungry to reject any kind of food, so she acquiesced. ¡°So, do I bite this directly?¡±


    ¡°Peel the woody outside first.¡±


    Doing so with a knife, Lucrece took a bite of the moist root hiding inside the meaty wooden peel, and¡­ well, it was chewy, and very juicy, a little disgusting to bite into, but the taste was like lightly sweetened water with a hint of spice on the side. Not bad at all, especially with an empty stomach.


    ¡°What in the blazes is this¡­¡±


    ¡°Dragonroot.¡± Gabi took a bite of her bulb, exterior and all. ¡°The elves use it to make juice or just chew on them when they are hungry. It keeps you going for a while.¡±


    ¡°Well this ain¡¯t a full Normadian Breakfast but it will certainly do for now¡­ well done, Gabi!¡±


    Luci could have sworn that she saw Gabrielle blush at the compliment, but she had her doubts about it. They continued their way on without really confirming or denying that possibility anyways, advancing through the branching roads only guided by Gabrielle¡¯s map and Lucrece¡¯s newly acquired compass.


    All until reaching the recently rebuilt city of Rennos.


    ¡°There it is, Rennos, the nature capital of Normadia.¡± As the trail descended from a nearby hill and towards the city walls, Lucrece felt like flexing a bit of her education. ¡°There are so many parks kept there by the Royal Family, you know? When the Golden Empire was still a thing, they brought flowers from all around Jericho to decorate them! And there¡¯s also a huge Library with¡ªWhat are you doing?¡±


    Lucrece couldn¡¯t help but notice that her companion had suddenly slowed down, checking on herself and starting to breathe noticeably louder, deeper and faster.


    ¡°I lost it.¡±


    ¡°What did you lose? Oh god did you lose the map?!¡±


    ¡°I lost my helmet. I completely forgot about it.¡± Emotion was warping Gabrielle¡¯s voice, no matter how hard she tried to keep it neutral. ¡°I. I forgot about it. Now they will all see my hair. I can¡¯t have it out in a big city, Luci. I can¡¯t. It¡¯s too dangerous, Luci. They will stone me.¡±


    The lancer smacked herself in the face slightly, of course. How could she forget? People still held those sorts of superstitions very seriously.


    ¡°Alright, calm down, I have an idea.¡± Lucrece would take out some bandages and quickly would start wrapping the girl¡¯s head with them. ¡°Stay still!¡±


    ¡°They will see it Luci, I will get stoned Luci, we don¡¯t have time to be stoned Luci.¡± The redhead was in a full mental lockdown, shivering in place and repeating phrases without control.


    ¡°You are not going to be stoned okay?¡± Lucrece forced herself close, looking at Gabrielle dead in the eye. ¡°Look at me.¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°No buts, look at me.¡±


    There was silence between them as they looked at each other in the eye.


    ¡°Good. Breathe with me, okay? Breathe¡­ slowly, with your nose.¡± Lucrece guided the girl as Gabrielle took slow, deep breaths¡­ ¡°That¡¯s a good girl¡­ You will not get stoned, okay? I will cover your hair with these bandages, and if they mess with you, I will help you, okay?¡±


    ¡°Do you promise?¡±


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    It hadn¡¯t been that long since the two of them met, but for some reason Gabi felt like she could trust her blonde friend. After staring at her in the eye for a bit, the redhead finally nodded and stood still for long enough, and Luci quickly wrapped her hair with bandages.


    ¡°All right, we can change capes too if you want, mine has a cloak.¡±


    Gabrielle smiled slightly. For the first time, she could really recognize the features on Lucrece¡¯s face. And they irradiated a sense of confidence that was quite contagious.


    ¡°...Yes, please.¡±

 Chapter 68: Of Rumors

    Gabrielle was as stiff as a plank when walking through the gates of Rennos. She had learned many things in the bad way, and one of them was to avoid cities and settlements at all costs with her hair uncovered. People didn¡¯t usually run her out of town (although this had happened before), but the tension and the loud whispers of people around were very hard to ignore. Even with her precious helmet Gabi didn¡¯t feel completely safe, often having to turn around and check her surroundings, jumpy and afraid of being approached with ill intentions¡­


    This time, however, felt pretty different! For she was no longer alone when facing the crowds. This couldn¡¯t get rid of her fears entirely but it at least helped her actually follow Lucrece into the beautiful marble of civilization that was Rennos.


    Contrasting so jarringly with the quaint constructions of wood and mud outside of its walls, the city of Rennos was built on beautiful red brick and stone, each home a piece of a greater, magnificent puzzle built around a bifurcating river. Everything in the city felt like it was set with care, keeping a harmonious order crowned by a huge stone castle resting on the north side of it all, almost as if watching over the city and its inhabitants with a smug, satisfied grin.


    ¡°In a perfect world, there would be more cities like this¡­¡± Commented Lucrece, intent on keeping Gabrielle distracted. ¡°Do you have these kinds of places in Doggerband?¡±


    ¡°I never visited the other isles so, I am not sure¡­¡± Gabi¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity, her fears slowly fading away as they were pushed away by awe. ¡°But I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°Hah, me neither.¡± The lancer grinned satisfied, having found her regional pride after so many years of not really caring for Normadia in the slightest. ¡°Let¡¯s try to find a tavern, there have to be at least two or three in a city this big.¡±


    The witch nodded, but her mind was still far away from it all, focused on the beauty of the city. The few places she had visited before had never looked very ¡°coordinated¡±, as people seemed to just build wherever they pleased without care for others. Even in Arcadia, the most beautiful settlement she could remember, the elves favoured practicality over form when setting up camp.


    ¡°In a perfect world, there would be more cities like this¡±, Gabrielle repeated under her breath, really taking in the implications. Could there really be other places as beautiful? Or maybe even more beautiful in the world? Places she just didn¡¯t visit before out of fear¡­


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    Maybe, after all was done and the Demiurges were finally dead, she could visit some of those beautiful places herself.


    As they walked down the streets, and Gabrielle ruminated about her future, Lucrece kept her eye very open and aware of their surroundings. She was so relieved to see the redhead finally calming down, but at the same time couldn¡¯t help but notice the looks the people were giving them. A cloaked figure and a woman with a single eye caused quite the impression in cities like these, and sometimes that wasn¡¯t a good thing. While Gabi daydreamed, Luci was rushing their steps towards the closest tavern she could find, and fortunately it came to them faster than she would need it.


    A white brick and wooden two-story building parked right at the main street of the city, with an old and sunbleached sign hanging from its facade that read ¡°The Steady Mare¡±. Lucrece sighed in relief, pulling Gabrielle over and begging for the place to not be packed.


    It was.


    Travelers from all around Jericho dined in that place, the smell of salty meat and bubbly ale filled the air as people laughed, yelled and ate in the most belligerent way possible. The crowd was so loud that Lucrece feared for Gabrielle and her poor ears, but the redhead seemed to do just fine in the thunderous room. ¡°Huh, I guess they can¡¯t be always that similar¡±, thought the blond as she walked over to the bar.


    ¡°Luci.¡± The redhead suddenly asked. ¡°Do you not like traveling all the time?¡±


    ¡°No. Who does?¡± Lucrece turned around for a moment to face the girl. ¡°It¡¯s a big hassle having to sleep on the floor and all that!¡±


    ¡°But if you didn¡¯t have to sleep on the floor, would you like traveling?¡±


    ¡°Good morrow to you, kind people!¡± The local bard would interrupt their conversation with a loud exclamation, her voice cutting through the chatter without an issue. She was clearly used to it. ¡°Please, my intention is not to bother! But let me tell you a tale of the most terrible urgency, to every folk living on the road! The terrible horde!¡±


    Most people fell silent there. The horde. Now those were words one shouldn¡¯t even whisper without care. Ever since the disappearance of the Demihumans, beasts of monstrous size and ferocity had been starting to appear in the uncharted forests, deserts and swamps of the world. The shadows had turned much more dangerous and terrifying than ever before, because now there was a very real possibility of something prowling in there.


    But there was more: during the last years, the creatures seemed to have been gathering in places, moving in almost a military fashion and attacking settlements and travelers equally. This is what people called ¡°The Horde¡±.


    As the bard, a young lady dressed with many colours in her extravagant and jingly outfit, started playing the flute to tell the tale of the Hordes and their slow but violent advances through Jericho, Luci pulled Gabrielle to take a seat by the tavern bar and quickly called the attention of the waiter.


    ¡°Oi, bartender! Two mugs of ale and two plates of soup! Be a darling and leave us some of the bones too, all right?¡±


    Lucrece knew she was being a little bold with her petitions, but showing a golden Empire coin to the man was more than enough to improve his mood.


    Meanwhile, Gabrielle was focusing completely on the song of the bard, and the foreboding messages she sang about. The coming of the horde to Sainmal¨®, the many beasts that one could see during the terrible attack, how valiantly the soldiers fought and died to defend the innocent people within the city walls¡­


    The situation was getting worse, and Gabi couldn¡¯t help but feel a little responsible for it.


    After all, if her dreams and visions were to be believed, this would only be the start of something even worse that was to come, and that could only be stopped with the blood of the Demiurges that upset the world¡¯s order¡­

 Chapter 69: Of Deviations

    Honestly, it was a bit of a pain to spend the empires on food like this, but to Lucrece it felt quite appropriate considering it all: They had survived their trek through the woods and reached civilization without any missing limbs! It was more than enough reason to let go of the pragmatism for a moment and celebrate life¡­ or at least the blonde tried her best to convince herself of it. In reality, she would have been more than happy eating leftovers or living off stolen game if it would save her the coin.


    Sure, the plates full to the brim with hearty beef and potatoes smelled like life itself returning to her tired body, but Lucrece knew she would regret these choices in the future, way after the fact, claiming that she could have perfectly survived without drink and food, even if she deep down knew this wasn¡¯t true.


    Gabrielle, in the meantime, had much less trouble devouring her food, letting out deep sighs and happy little noises with each spoonful she took. She was never as expressive as when she was eating, loudly clanking her spoon against the wooden plate and suckling the marrow off from the few bones the cook actually threw at them.


    ¡°Har! Someone was really starving here, it seems!¡± The bartender couldn¡¯t help but laugh, watching the witch slurping down her food with no manners or shame. ¡°Now this is a sight to behold! Have you been too hard at work lately, sellsword?¡±


    Gabi looked up from her plate, blinking softly.


    ¡°How did you know I was a sellsword, sir?¡±


    ¡°Har har har! It¡¯s in your face, girly! That and the sword on your back! You don¡¯t look like a soldier and I don¡¯t recognize your face from the guard, so it was either that or a new reclute. I tried my luck!¡±


    ¡°You are very perceptive, sir.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I guess so! One has to develop an eye for these things when doing what I do, you know missy?¡± Ah, praise! The man lived for it. ¡°So, do you two come together? You are new, are you looking for jobs around here?¡±


    ¡°We are actually just passing by, I wanted to show Gabrielle this beauty of a city.¡± Lucrece was not a stranger to buttering people up, and she could see in the many family shields in the tavern that the man was quite a proud citizen. ¡°One can¡¯t go without visiting Rennos or its parks.¡±


    ¡°A lady of culture I see. It¡¯s rare to see an educated one wielding a sword, most cling to cushy jobs with the church.¡± The bartender may have been at least somewhat aware of the girl playing with him, but he simply enjoyed friendly banter a bit too much to let it pass. ¡°Are you, by any chance, looking for a place to stay during the night? We have rooms here.¡±


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    ¡°That sounds nic¡ª¡± Gabrielle tried to say before being quickly shut down by Lucrece.


    ¡°Oh we probably won¡¯t be staying that long! Besides, we wouldn¡¯t want to underpay quality service¡±


    ¡°If money is your issue, I may have a good alternative for two sellswords, if you would accept payment in service.¡±


    Lucrece meditated on it carefully, rubbing under her chin. She heavily disliked being paid in service, for people tended to use that as an excuse to heavily underpay for hard tasks, but the temptation of finally sleeping on a cushy bed was quite strong. Ahhh, she simply couldn¡¯t decide! Fortunately, Gabrielle decided for her on this occasion.


    ¡°What needs to be done?¡± Gabi asked, naively asking for more details.


    ¡°You see, don¡¯t tell this to anyone¡±, the tavern owner leaned a bit closer to whisper,  ¡°but there is a bit of a rat problem going on in the city. Gigantic buggers have started to roam the night and I hear them trying to enter our warehouse.¡±


    ¡°So you need us to hunt the rats?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! They will eventually break in and we don¡¯t have the money to fix walls anytime soon!¡±


    ¡°But you just got paid a lot of money by the customers, can¡¯t you use that?¡±


    ¡°Oh sweet child..¡± The man¡¯s eyes filled with pity, as he shook his head slowly. Poor child has no idea about capitalism and profit. ¡°It is not as easy as that¡­ but, nonetheless, I need a guard tonight to make sure nothing enters my warehouse. Could I count on you for just a night?¡±


    Lucrece let out a deep sigh. At this point of the conversation, rejecting the work offer would certainly get them a bad rep with the man. They were locked into the job already, even if Gabrielle didn¡¯t even realize that yet.


    ¡°Sure.¡± The redhead answered. ¡°We will kill rats.¡±


    ¡°Oh excellent! You are welcome to go and do your sightseeing though, I only require your services at night!¡±


    ¡°Bloody saints¡­¡± Luci grumbled under her breath, but then just shook her head. It wasn¡¯t a terrible deal, even though she was sure they had been scammed. ¡°Oh well, I guess that includes the payment for this meal, right sir?¡±


    ¡°Ahahahaha, oh my girl! You push a hard bargain!¡±


    There was more laughter, but there was no confirmation. So Lucrece simply paid the two silver empires she owed the man, and cursed a bit more under her breath. Bloody scum.


    After their meal was done with, and Gabrielle had sent her compliments to the lady in the kitchen, Luci would take the girl by the arm and pull her out of the increasingly loud tavern, just as the bard had decided to start singing about lost love and stolen princesses. People really eat up those sorts of stories, so at least the woman was going to eat well that night.


    ¡°Ugh, I should had been a bard, Gabi.¡± The blonde girl complained as they went back to walk on the busy streets. ¡°They really know how to live the easy life. Just playing them lutes, empires raining on them¡­¡±


    ¡°Why weren¡¯t you a bard then, Luci?¡± Gabi tilted her head softly to the side.


    ¡°Because I sing about as well as a pig giving birth!¡± The lancer cackled. ¡°Besides, people expect bards to be all handsome and such, no way I¡¯d make it with only one eye.¡±


    ¡°Singing is easy, and you could always cover your eye.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea how costly eyepatches are!?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking more of a mask. Something dramatic.¡±


    Lucrece stopped walking for a second. Now that was an interesting idea, something to work her brand! A mask! Maybe something only covering her eye? Oh, but the materials would be so expensive.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take you as an artist, Gabi. That¡¯s quite creative of you.¡±


    ¡°Saint Khemorath was a jester, and everyone loved his mask. It¡¯s everyone¡¯s favorite drawing in the Book of Prologues.¡±


    ¡°What, really?¡± Luci had never been a religious girl, so of course this came as a double surprise. ¡°Huh. I didn¡¯t know jesters could be saints.¡±


    ¡°Anyone can be a Saint, Luci. They just need to follow the road, the way of the Church.¡±


    The lancer couldn¡¯t suppress a chortle at that. ¡°Oh, sure. The way of the Church. I bet that is easy for some, right?¡±


    ¡°No. It is always terribly hard and harrowing.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Lucrece blinked. ¡°...You really have no hairs on your tongue, huh?¡±


    ¡°I have none. That would be disgusting. Do you have them?¡±


    ¡°What? No! It¡¯s just an expressi¡ª oh, forget it¡­¡±


    Luci finally sighed, slowly shaking her head. No matter how much she tried, sometimes she couldn¡¯t read Gabrielle at all.

 Chapter 70: Of Vistas and Vermin

    Gabrielle couldn¡¯t have imagined the number of flowers in the parks they visited that day. Daisies, roses, lilacs and more, petals of all colours and shapes, every single one raised with the utmost care and now presented in wide fields for people to see, smell and even touch if they were quick enough to avoid the guards¡¯ gaze. She probably didn¡¯t even know there were that many colours and scents in the world!


    It was a little overwhelming, but in a good way! The enjoyable, mystifying way. Gabi would constantly pull on Lucrece¡¯s arm to trot around each flower field, trying to see every little detail.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen these many flowers in one place¡­!¡± The redhead would stop her restless movement for a moment to smell the lavenders. ¡°Gwynedd felt so colourless compared to this¡­ Has the world always been this colourful?¡±


    Lucrece would simply smile and nod, a bit amused to see the witch so hyperstimulated and curious. She really felt like a sort of puppy sometimes, with that naive and energetic attitude the girl had when she decided to show a little personality.


    ¡°It¡¯s easy to forget but, yeah. There are places like these in the world, hidden far between each other.¡± The lancer shrugged. ¡°Again, if the world was any fair, every town would be like this.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they though? Why can¡¯t every place have gardens and stuff?¡± Gabi¡¯s eyes glimmered with a bit of sadness. ¡°People would be happier if they had gardens to spend time in!¡±


    ¡°Economic inevitability.¡± Luci explained with her eye closed. ¡° For some families to have a lot of money, a lot of people have to have very little money. That¡¯s just how stuff works.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound fair at all!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because it isn¡¯t. But don¡¯t start saying that out loud or people will think you are a rebel or something.¡± Lucrece looked around for a moment, making sure no guards were eavesdropping. ¡°Nobles don¡¯t like when people complain.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because of angry mobs and stuff. When people complain they get mad, and they start breaking things.¡±


    Now that Gabi was familiar with, she remembered seeing people in Gwynedd rioting and complaining about the nobles¡¯ lack of care for the city. At the time she couldn¡¯t understand why, they were all alive and eating after all, but now that she saw how people actually got to live in other places? The idea was starting to form in her mind¡­


    She was starting to understand the concept of disparity.


    And with the idea of disparity, another sudden question came to the girl¡¯s mind, particularly staring at the lancer¡¯s head.


    ¡°Luci. When I needed to cover myself, you bandaged me. I appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Where did this come from?¡± Lucrece smiled. ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t help but wonder¡­ why didn¡¯t you offer me your hat? It would had been easier.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy! This hat is mine, silly!¡± Luci¡¯s smile didn¡¯t falter for a single second. ¡°I don¡¯t just lend it to people, you know? It¡¯s my lucky feather!¡±


    That sounded completely logical to Gabrielle, and yet this new line of questioning had brought a strange need, a sudden craving for that fancy leather hat. It looked great on Lucrece after all, so Gabrielle wanted to see how it would suit her.


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    ¡°Lend me your hat.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    The response was categorical and immediate. Gabrielle pouted.


    ¡°Please?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Because it is my hat, end of discussion!¡± Now Lucrece pouted as well, crossing her arms. ¡°You just want it because you can¡¯t have it.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    ¡°Well, ain¡¯t that sad for you, pal!¡± The lancer smirked, mockingly. ¡°Tell you what! If you behave and train well on our way to Caen, I¡¯ll let you wear it for a bit, how does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Gabi didn¡¯t plan on slacking about anyways, so this only felt like a win to her.


    ¡°Perfect, then! Until then, leave my hat alone.¡±


    That much the girl couldn¡¯t promise, Gabrielle still gave the hat a few glances as they made their way back from the beautiful parks and back to the streets of Rennos. After all, the Sun was already setting and soon it would be time to fulfill their promise to the tavern owner. But even with duty so close to them, the redhead would not forget their promise.


    She promised to herself that she would wear that hat eventually, one way or the other.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The tavern¡¯s warehouse was right behind the main building, a wooden shack made specifically to keep barrels, boxes and kegs away from prying hands and curious eyes. It was separated from the tavern itself by a small backyard where clothes and covers were hanged to dry, and it showed obvious signs of abuse in each of its walls: scratches and bites a bit too big to belong to mere vermin.


    The side that looked worse was the one facing the streets, so clearly there was a problem coming from there, and the barman wanted it dealt with as soon as possible. As he locked the doors like every other day, he explained the task to the two girls.


    ¡°Well ladies, the deal is quite simple really. Would do it myself if I still had the strength to lift my sword, but the years have taken a toll on me really.¡± The man was very quick to excuse himself from the matter. ¡°In the middle of the night, those little bastards will come again to try and enter my warehouse. I usually come out to shoo them out with a broom but, Saints above those buggers are violent.¡±


    Lucrece crossed her arms.


    ¡°So you want us to wait here for them to come, and then dispose of them. Right?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Very sharp, ma¡¯am.¡± With a smile, the barman continued. ¡°I want them all dead and then thrown down the sewers, to send the rest of those bastards a message. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Not hard to understand at all.¡± Gabrielle shrugged. ¡°We will do it quickly.¡±


    ¡°I knew I could count on you two girlies~! You are welcome to come back inside the tavern to sleep when the work is done. I trust you.¡±


    Lucrece narrowed her eye as the man simply left them to their own devices, for this level of confidence was a little strange for this kind of work. Was the man truly expecting them to return inside the tavern and not try to take anything while he slept? There had to be a trap to that statement¡­


    Night was slowly setting on Rennos, and as the first stars showed their bright faces on the dark sky, activity finally started to die down. Of course, there were some places where one could spend the whole night partying like crazy, but the Steady Mare was not one of them. Clocks still were not a luxury available to most people, so the tavern closed as soon as the Sun set.


    Perched on either side of the warehouse¡¯s door, both girls were now easy prey for boredom and sleepiness.


    ¡°How long do you think they will take to appear¡­?¡± Gabi asked while covering her mouth, yawning loudly.


    ¡°Bah, with our luck? Probably a looong while.¡± Luci was still quite unhappy with the job. ¡°Seriously, I know it¡¯s an easy job. But we are not exterminators you know, Gabi?¡±


    ¡°Experience is good for training.¡±


    ¡°You ain¡¯t gonna learn much from killing rats, woman. I just hope we don¡¯t get worse at stuff for doing this.¡±


    Time passed very slowly, until darkness was all around them and only the Moon provided solace from the pitch-blackness of it all. Everything was still and quiet¡­ except for two ladies, still forced to keep themselves awake and vigilant, staring into the distance.


    ¡°How did you learn so much?¡± Gabrielle asked, all of a sudden.


    ¡°Hmmm? What do you mean?¡± Lucrece woke up from her stupor and shook her head, trying to keep awake.


    ¡°You knew what this city was, you know a lot about money, you just¡­ know things.¡±


    ¡°Bah, I don¡¯t know much more than other people!¡±


    ¡°You even know how to read.¡±


    ¡°...Okay, fine. Before all went to shite, my father had me studying with the boys at the local church.¡± Lucrece admitted begrudgingly. ¡°He wanted me to know how to do things, and the nobles owed him a favor, and it wasn¡¯t nice.¡±


    ¡°What? Why not? I wish I knew how to read!¡±


    ¡°Women don¡¯t study, Gabi. The boys liked to pick on me for it, those daft bastards¡­¡±


    ¡°People picked on me for being dumb, and they picked on you for being smart¡­ I feel people are just mean.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t pick on me for that exactly, but¡­ yeah there are assholes everywhere.¡±


    Both women sighed, feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders for a moment, when suddenly something moved in the corner of Gabrielle¡¯s eyes. She immediately turned, chasing that shadow in the night around the warehouse until her sword could reach it. It was a very small animal, a fat yet otherwise completely normal vermin. It squeaked, screeched and ran just the same as any other rat, and it died just the same when Gabi sliced its back with her blade.


    ¡°Got one!¡± She celebrated, stopping when the critter¡¯s body laid dead and festering right in the middle of the street. ¡°I wonder if that was¡­ oh¡­.¡±


    Her eyes opened even wider, her hands trembled until she squeezed the blade on her hand. In front of her, crawling from one of the manholes on the street, she saw the biggest vermin she had ever laid eyes upon. The beast was at least the size of a dog, fat and covered in thin and disgusting gray hair.


    Its beady red eyes were locked on Gabrielle¡­ and it looked hungry.

 Chapter 71: Of Hunters and Prey

    A small rat was something easy to deal with, a bigger rat would be a little concerning. But these giant critters were a completely different issue, specially when Gabrielle discovered there were more than just one. The beasts would push the manhole¡¯s cover right out of their way as the first ten climbed their way out, pushing one against the other in a desperate fit and running towards the redhead with primal hunger burning in their eyes.


    Gabrielle¡¯s first impulse was, of course, to stand her ground and cut through the stampede with her sword, but she had underestimated how thick these creature¡¯s bones were exactly. A single swing was enough to get her blade stuck on the neck on a squirming, screaming rat, while the others swarmed her. They pushed her away with their bodies and immediately tried to pin her down, biting so hard that she could feel the metal on her armoured pants denting.


    ¡°Lucrece!¡±


    The lancer arrived quickly, surprised that Gabrielle would call for something as simple as rats. She couldn¡¯t believe her eye when seeing the girl punching and struggling to keep the monsters away from her body, throwing away the creatures that managed to climb up her back before they could sink their teeth on her neck.


    With their sheer numbers these vermin had easily turned the street into a sea of fur, disease and blood, flowing from the sewers into the city.


    ¡°Gabi!¡±


    Stepping on some of the swirling, stampeding wretches, Luci would make her way to the girl and help her hit, skewer and stab away the monstrosities, creating a very small perimeter to breathe. A little oasis in a desert of shaking, biting sands. She would lay down a hand to help Gabi stand right back up, pushing the rats biting at her armour and bandages. Some red hairs could be seen, pulled right from between the linen.


    ¡°Where did all of these rats come from!?¡± Even after feeling the bite of these creatures and their flesh trembling on her halberd, Lucrece still couldn¡¯t believe what was happening. She panted, pushing a critter away. ¡°I thought it was a ¡®small problem¡¯. This isn¡¯t a ¡®small problem¡¯!¡±


    ¡°They come were there¡¯s food and refuse to live off, it only makes sense a city this big has this many rats.¡± Gabrielle had no other option but to punch the rats that got too close to Lucrece. To her it was only logical to find such opposition. After all, she had no frame of reference. ¡°I need to recover my sword.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I would agree if they were regular rats!¡± The lancer would take a moment to spike one of the running beasts right between the eyes, only for its body to be covered by three more. ¡°Bloody saints there¡¯s no end to them!¡±


    The sword maiden would look around herself, so calm for someone literally fighting for her life. She was focused on her sword¡­ where did that rat with the cut neck go? It couldn¡¯t had gone very far!


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The bartender observed it all from behind a set of curtains, standing in his bedroom while his wife simply looked at him from the bed. ¡°Those poor fools¡±, he thought, ¡°there¡¯s no end to that horde.¡±. And indeed, it didn¡¯t seem like it at all. Many newcomers and other fortune seeking fellows had tried and failed to contain it before, to the point where there was quite a sizable reward for the hero who managed to rid the city of such pestilence.


    He should had told them that, instead of trying to push them into danger and then plan to profit on their effort. But it was not very likely that they would have survived anyways.


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    ¡°This is why people don¡¯t talk to you anymore, honey.¡± The bartender¡¯s wife sighed in disappointment, slowly shaking her head. ¡°Was this necessary, really?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, Hanna. If they die, nothing would have changed. If they survive, we will be rat-free for a few days and all for a room¡¯s worth! And if they fail, we simply shoo them away. It is perfect planning, woman!¡±


    ¡°I am just saying, it would had been much more profitable to just invest in sponsoring them to solve the problem to make sure they succeed, and get a portion of the reward.¡±


    ¡°That would require money and I am not spending a dime, we are already behind schedule this month!¡±


    ¡°You need to learn about investments, Oleg.¡±


    ¡°And you need to learn to shut up about economics already, woman!¡±


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Cutting through the beasts was a futile exercise, for they just kept coming from the depths of the sewers. Rats on a warpath, jumping and trying to latch onto the girls¡¯ faces, furiously biting on armour to try and reach the delicious flesh within. It had been but a few moments and the girls already had piled up several corpses around themselves, blood falling from the bite marks on their faces and shoulders. Every unarmored limb as at risk here.


    And what was even worse: Gabrielle still couldn¡¯t find her sword among the many critters swarming them, no matter how much she looked. Until the creature peeked its wounded head from one of the corners on the street. The bastard still had the blade stuck on the wound, probably keeping it from getting even worse.


    ¡°There¡¯s no end to them! At this pace we¡¯ll end up buried!¡± Lucrece would hate to admit it outloud, but her legs were starting to fail her. She was now trying to retreat, staking her way across the river of rats towards the Tavern. ¡°Retreat, retreat!¡±


    ¡°I need my sword!¡± Gabrielle demanded, still punching each rat that tried to enter her space. ¡°I can¡¯t let them take it!¡±


    ¡°Gabi I will get you a new sword, retreat!¡±


    ¡°No! You are going to use that money!¡±


    ¡°This is NOT  the moment to get stubborn, you daft¡ª¡±


    Lucrece flinched, her legs finally slipping and her body hitting the stone road with all her weight. She could feel a myriad little clawed paws scratching and pulling at her brigandine, teeth sinking on her shoulders with enough force to make the girl scream.


    ¡°Luci!¡±


    The redhead would immediately rush to her friend¡¯s rescue, pushing everything in her way aside and covering the lancer¡¯s body with her own, trying to keep the rats from biting any more. But there was no end to the horde, and the swarm soon covered both girls¡­


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    ¡°It¡¯s the end.¡± The bartender said, letting out a soft sigh and closing the curtains. ¡°Poor girls, so young¡­ this is what happens when you try to get into a world made for men.¡±


    ¡°Was that last part of the comment necessary?¡± Hannah asked with a frown, the much taller and stronger woman crossed her arms.


    ¡°W-Well, I am just saying that sellswords are usually men, and that¡¯s for a good reason.¡± Oleg the taverner tried to defend his ¡®sound logic¡¯. ¡°Men are better with pain, stronger, just made for violence, you know?¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. You never took a sword in your life and you are a man, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Listen! I¡¯ve had this issue with my back that kept me from joining the army, that¡¯s not something you should mock and¡ª!¡±


    A roaring thunder would suddenly shake the whole building, the falling of lightning illuminated the city for a whole moment¡­ and then, it passed.


    ¡°What, a storm!? But if it was perfectly starry!¡± Oleg blinked.


    ¡°Do you hear rain?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything.¡±


    Hanna blinked, and soon after the taverner would catch on as well. Nothing. No rain, no skittering, no squeaking. Just the silence of the night¡­


    Pulling the curtains open again, Oleg looked out the window and saw a street littered with black blotches, burnt remains and nothing more. His eyes widened, and even more when he heard the door being loudly banged. Both owners of the tavern looked at each other for a moment, before walking down together to open the door.


    A short girl carried a much taller, unconscious one in her arms, both of them full of bites and scratch marks bleeding down on the floor. Her wide, unblinking eyes sparkled blue like the Moon rising behind her. Oleg and Hanna stared, dumbfounded, as the wind blew and brushed away what remained of Gabrielle¡¯s bandages, exposing that bright, wicked red hair.


    ¡°It is done.¡± She said, just asking for permission to walk in.


    The bartender was more than ready to slam the door on that witch¡¯s face, but Hanna stopped him. She knew an opportunity when she saw it.


    ¡°Of course, come here.¡± The woman offered with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s see those wounds of yours.¡±

 Chapter 72: Of Great Chances

    ¡°Luci my dear, why are you angry now¡­?¡±


    It was another day in the state, the sun was shining brightly outside and people were working hard. Everyone was doing their best¡­ except for the little Lucrece. The little girl pouted and kept herself inside of the house, shaking her head and trying her best not to cry out of frustration.


    ¡°Why do I have to study, daddy¡­?¡± She would glare at his father through watery, narrowed eyes. ¡°In the end I will end up just toiling away in the fields like everyone else! Why do I have to waste time reading?¡±


    ¡°Oh sweetheart¡­¡±


    Monsieur Laurent was a very tall and strong man, built by the long and merciless hours of work under the direction of his lord, so to speak on Luci¡¯s level he had to kneel on the ground and even slouch a little more. He looked into his girl¡¯s eyes, rubbing her head as he did and trying to smile at her.


    ¡°You are way too smart to just waste away in the fields¡­ you were born with a gift, just like your mother did.¡± He sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want this future for you, working here? That¡¯s only temporary for someone like you! You are bound to greater things, I just know it!¡±


    ¡°But daddy¡­!¡±


    ¡°Fortune smiles on the people who work hard to get things, you know?¡± Monsieur Laurent always said that. ¡°It is a long life, full of sacrifices, but when you grow up and direct a state of your own, never having to spend another day under the Sun? I know you will see the truth in my words.¡±


    Lucrece pouted a bit more. She didn¡¯t want to have to both study and work in the fields, the girl would rather do either one or the other! Preferably just help in the fields or the kitchen, away from the boys who tormented her in the church.


    What was that her father saw? She could never really understand what ¡°gift¡± he talked about all the time.


    ¡°But if I leave Pietro alone people will pick on him, can¡¯t I work with him instead?¡±


    ¡°Pietro has to learn to fend for himself, Luci. You can¡¯t just be always watching over his shoulder. The day will come when neither you nor me will be there for him, and what will he do then, huh? If he never learns?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t fair¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh sweetheart, I know you are mad at me for making you do this, but please. Trust your old papa a little, okay?¡±


    Luci sighed, giving up on the matter and looking down on the floor, while her father took her mother¡¯s hat and pushed it on her head. It was still a little too big for the girl to properly wear, but just feeling it was enough to lift her spirits a little bit. Soon. She just needed to grow a little more.


    ¡°You are destined for great things, sweetie.¡± Lucrece could still remember her father¡¯s proud smile, curling under his mustache. ¡°Soon, you will see¡­¡±


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    But she would never see it. No matter how much time had passed, life would only become crueler and more complicated in the eye of the lancer. Hard work was always exploited by someone else, people hiding while everyone else bled on the ground only to return when it was time to take the spoils. Where was this bright future her father had promised?


    As Lucrece¡¯s mind slowly returned from unconsciousness, she could still not find any truth to the old man¡¯s words¡­ and this disappointment would squeeze her heart like no other grief could.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Her eye opened again soon. She felt comfortable, despite the pain on her shoulders stinging every time she tried to move. Looking around herself, Lucrece would find herself in a cushy bed with her shoulders and chest firmly bandaged, her brigandine hanged laying on a tiny table on her left.


    A window covered with elegant looking curtains rested on her right, the door to her left beside the tiny wooden table and some equally tiny wooden chairs. It had to be the promised room in the Tavern, but how? Had they somehow made it last night?


    But how?


    The answer was sleeping close to the bed, sitting on one of those damn small chairs. Gabrielle kept her arms crossed while sleeping, her neck and shoulders bandaged and her armour nowhere to be seen. That girl¡­ she had clearly done something last night to get them out of the situation the bartender had thrown them in.


    This damn rat-infested city¡­


    Luci only then realized that the girl¡¯s hair was all uncovered, ready to be seen. Had they been discovered somehow!? And the bartender still allowed them to stay? Too many lucky coincidences¡­


    The lancer could already feel that they had somehow gotten trapped into an even tighter situation now, ugh. But at least she could consider herself lucky to have survived. She owed it to the redhead, again! But fortunately, it was the redhead¡¯s idea to get into that whole mess so it all canceled out, right?


    Right?


    Gabrielle looked so peaceful while sleeping, deep and comfortable in some far corner of dreamland. Luci smiled, not daring to wake her up, and slowly got up from her bed to explore. Things were a bit too quiet for a tavern, even if the sun was just starting its sleepy rise over the horizon.


    With quiet steps and little painful winces from time to time, she abandoned the room and walked down the hallway on the second floor, keeping her ears really open. It wasn¡¯t long until she heard two voices whispering a bit too loudly on the first floor: The tavern owner and the lady cook were discussing while putting all tables in their place.


    ¡°If you do not want to do this, I will do it myself.¡± The lady spoke in a hushed but very angry tone. ¡°I am done with your bad choices, Oleg.¡±


    ¡°You brought a witch into our house and you say I take bad decisions!?¡± Oleg, the bartender, looked far more indignant than angry. ¡°I don¡¯t want any trouble, Hanna. I just want to keep us safe.¡±


    ¡°Safe and poor! Just hugging and hoarding our money without investing like a damn dragon!¡± Hanna grumbled. ¡°Just trust me on this one and let me talk. I know how we can get them to work along.¡±


    ¡°And if they refuse!?¡±


    ¡°Well, we can just tell them we¡¯ll sic the Church on them. They can¡¯t really refuse us, can they?¡±


    Lucrece could feel her teeth clenching and her fists balling, itching to hit some faces. The woman was right, they wasn¡¯t in a position to say no to whatever they wanted to ask, but¡­ what did they want from two random travelers? She decided it wouldn¡¯t make sense to just wait in place and pretend she didn¡¯t hear a thing.


    Swallowing her fears, the lancer would step down the stairs without hesitation, trying to calm herself down.


    ¡°Lovely chat to have at this time of the morning, huh?¡± She said, crossing her arms over her chest. ¡°What is it exactly that we couldn¡¯t refuse, ma¡¯am?¡±


    Oleg tried to speak up, his face going pale and cold, but Hanna hushed him quickly, standing and smiling at their ¡°guest¡±. She was confident, cunning, a true business lady.


    ¡°Well, missy. We actually wanted to make a little deal. There is a task to be done, perfect for both you and your friend.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess: another simple ¡®rat problem¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Please forgive my husband, he may have misjudged the difficulty of the situation a little bit.¡±


    ¡°A bit!?¡± Lucrece was ready to punch her, but some semblance of self-control was still present in the lancer¡¯s mind. That and her body still hurt too much to do anything drastic.


    ¡°Now now, no need to hold grudges. If you are willing to see this issue to its end, we could all find ourselves richer¡­ How do two hundred golden empires sound?¡±


    She was ready to reject anything, but wasn¡¯t ready to hear that amount. Two hundred¡­ could she really sell her own safety and Gabrielle¡¯s for two hundred golden empires¡­?


    Yes. Yes, she could.

 Chapter 73: Of Adventure Calling

    By the moment Lucrece came back into her room, she would find Gabrielle still sleeping on her chair, snoring slightly because of the bad position. The lancer could feel a pit growing bigger and deeper in her stomach as she approached to try and wake the girl up. Now, how to approach this sort of conversation.


    She didn¡¯t get much time to think: just trying to touch the redhead was enough to make her immediately jerk awake, her eyes bewildered and scared for a second before tranquility and neutrality returned to her visage.


    ¡°Luci. You are awake.¡± There was relief in the swordmaiden¡¯s voice, the smallest hint of a smile curling on her lips. ¡°Have you rested well? Are your wounds okay?¡±


    The legitimate concern in Gabi¡¯s voice was enough to throw all of Lucrece¡¯s plans down the drain, her heart feeling the stabs of guilt almost immediately, how did this girl keep doing that!? She was quick to shake her head and wave her hands dismissively, trying to take away some of the importance from her wounds¡­ only to wince once more for all that sudden motion.


    ¡°Ouch¡­ I-I am fine, woman. Calm down, it takes more than a bunch of rats to take me down.¡± A cocky grin cracked on Lucrece¡¯s face. ¡°You weren¡¯t that worried, right? Do you have that little faith in me?¡±


    ¡°I did worry for you, your wounds were bleeding a lot.¡± The way Gabrielle said it sounded almost like an admission of guilt. ¡°I apologize, I should have acted faster.¡±


    ¡°What exactly happened, anyway?¡± Memories of that night were still fuzzy in Luci¡¯s battered head. ¡°I remember falling down after one of those bastards bit my ankle.¡±


    ¡°They tried to eat you after that.¡±


    ¡°Oh shite.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Gabrielle sighed, there was no way to get Lucrece to stop cussing. ¡°I killed what was left and took you back to the tavern.¡±


    ¡°Really!? Damn impressive, woman. But how did you even do that? We couldn¡¯t even get the horde to slow down when we were together!¡±


    Silence. Gabrielle looked down and her red hairs covered her eyes for a moment, as she stared holes into her right arm. Now that was¡­ something complicated to explain for way too many reasons. Lucrece simply waited in silence, giving the girl space and time to think what to say, or how to say it. She was already assuming that magic had something to do with the matter, so! It was best to let the ¡°expert¡± explain.


    But Gabi was no expert, no great thaumaturge or scholar. She was but a young girl.


    She could still hear Baraqiel¡¯s voice and what they said the day they left, the last piece of advice from her only friend: ¡°Don¡¯t tell them. Don¡¯t tell anyone about the Rune.¡±, and in normal situations she wouldn¡¯t even doubt their wisdom, but Lucrece was different. The woman had already seen her use a Rune, although she didn¡¯t have to explain it to her.


    Maybe¡­ maybe it would be good as long as she didn¡¯t give any details? But would that be really fair to someone she is traveling with? What difference did that make anyways?


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    Finally, seeing the distress in Gabrielle¡¯s eyes, Lucrece would sigh. Looking at her companion through a lid eye, she said:


    ¡°Magic, right? You did your magic thing.¡±


    Gabrielle nodded.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t know if you can tell me that sort of thing, because of some weird magical reason, right?¡± The redhead would open her eyes wide, rubbing the back of her neck nervously as she scrambled for a retort, but Luci stopped her. ¡°I can¡¯t read your mind, don¡¯t worry. I was just guessing¡­ look, if you can¡¯t tell me it¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t pry.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why not?¡± Gabrielle was stunned.


    ¡°Because you saved my ass. Really, I should be thanking you instead of interrogating you about stuff.¡±


    ¡°Oh. It was nothing, I saw you fall and couldn¡¯t simply let you there.¡±


    ¡°You could and you should had, really. I am a bigger problem than I¡¯m worth.¡± Lucrece said with a loud cackle, only interrupted by another wince. It hurt to laugh. ¡°But really¡­ thank you, Gabi.¡±


    There it was again, that hint of rosy pink on the witch¡¯s brown cheeks. Why did this always happen? Was Gabrielle really that shy? Lucrece could believe it really, that¡¯s what a sheltered life would do to you.


    ¡°So¡­¡± With a little grin, the redhead ventured, ¡°Does this mean I can wear your hat?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck.¡±


    There was a moment of silence before they shared a hearty, loud laugh. People would probably wake up due to the two rambunctious women letting out the tensions like this, but they didn¡¯t care at all at that moment. They were just happy to be alive.


    They were just glad to have each other.


    ¡°Ah, right, I need to ask you something Gabi.¡± With a bit more confidence, the lancer started speaking. ¡°Do you feel like hunting more rats, or do you feel like you had your fill already?¡±


    ¡°I can keep going as long as you can.¡±


    Lucrece practically deflated with a deep sigh of relief, shaking her head quickly and trying to regain her posture. She had promised herself in the middle of it all that if Gabrielle said no, the deal would be over and they would just have to find a way to run from Rennos before the church started mobilizing¡­ but she was certainly dreading that possibility, not only for the loss of that juicy reward, but also for the stress of having to run from a city and then live in the wild for probably a month.


    She wasn¡¯t sure which one of those factors she dreaded more though.


    ¡°Good, good. Let me give you the details of the job then, because oh Saints let me tell you! It¡¯s a tricky one.¡± Luci would clear her throat before starting to speak again:


    ¡°The whole city has an issue with Rats. They started appearing a few months ago and now they push around every damn night. They always come from the sewers, and every time they do there is no number to their swarm.¡± The lancer shook her head slowly. ¡°They have tried to exterminate them but the guard has been overwhelmed so many times that they refuse to continue humiliating themselves against them. The city council has been thinking of exploding or even flooding the sewers to get rid of them but, nothing yet¡­ they need someone to go into the sewers, deep in the innards of this damn city, and find the nest to burn it to the ground.¡±


    ¡°So we would be exterminators.¡± Gabrielle lifted a single eyebrow. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to be an exterminator.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but they are paying one hundred golden empires to each person who manages to get rid of the rats for good!¡± Now Lucrece could barely contain her excitement. ¡°One hundred golden empires, Gabi! Do you have any idea how much that is?¡±


    ¡°I do not.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Right.¡± Luci hit herself on the forehead, she kept forgetting how sheltered this girl was. ¡°With that amount of money we could buy good weaponry, food for a month and maybe even a horse! And still have enough left to throw around if we want!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°Right!?¡± Lucrece¡¯s smile could upset the sun with how radiant it was. ¡°Come on Gabi, we can do this together! It will be so good! I swear! You¡¯ll get all the soup you want, until you are sick!¡±


    ¡°I hate being sick.¡±


    ¡°Alright then don¡¯t get sick! Come on, please¡­?¡±


    ¡°Alright, fine. But we will be more careful this time.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Lucrece would jump right off her chair, ignoring the pain on her wounds and raising a thumb up. ¡°This time we¡¯ll be prepared, I promise.¡±


    Gabrielle was aware that this deviation was taking far more time than she was comfortable with, but seeing the lancer so pumped made it clear that she was happy. And honestly, making the other girl happy didn¡¯t feel bad at all¡­ ¡°So, let this adventure come!¡±, she thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s the worst that could happen?¡±

 Chapter 74: Of Adventure Preparation (Part I)

    Rennos¡¯ Market was a very busy place, a whole area of the city protected by a huge dome and filled to the brim with many stalls showing from juicy and freshly harvested fruit, to tools and weaponry ready for immediate use. One could easily get lost among the crowds of people, for navigating the market was a skill only honed by the most powerful of merchants and housewives. Fortunately for Gabi and Luci, Hanna was a very knowledgeable woman herself, having learned about the best routes to take since she was a young girl.


    ¡°I doubt you will be gone for very long considering you are only exploring the sewers, but you will need proper equipment!¡± The cook nodded sagely,  casually moving through the multitude without bumping someone even once. ¡°A visit to the alchemist should be good. I know a good blacksmith too, if you want to get better armour this time.¡±


    ¡°My brigandine will do for now.¡± Lucrece limped through the crowd, wincing and grumbling as she was barely able to keep up with Hanna¡¯s pace. ¡°Although getting my halberd checked and oiled¡­ What about you Gabi? Your armor got wrecked by those bog bodies before, what about a new set?¡±


    Gabrielle could only nod, her motions had turned stiff and nervous since she had been forced to enter the market with the rest. She detested crowded spaces, especially while having only a cloak to cover her red hair! As a consequence of this, the girl had fully retreated into herself, leaving behind a slow moving automaton with a face eternally contorted into a pained and confused grimace. Luci felt terribly bad for the girl, but they couldn¡¯t simply leave her behind!


    The words of her father came to her mind, ¡°he will never learn if you keep coddling him¡±. She could be sure no one had ever coddled Gabi in her life, so why didn¡¯t she ever learn to deal with people? Could it be that the harshness of life had made things even worse rather than better?


    ¡°After this we can spend some time in the parks, I promise.¡± Luci whispered to the still panicked Gabrielle, but she could only nod in response. Sigh.


    Their first stop would be the Alchemist¡¯s Laboratory. One of the few house-like structures inside the dome, built entirely out of red brick and sporting a long chimney constantly fuming towards the outside world. People only visited either when running out of options or when solutions required a bit of an experimental, explosive solution. After all, Alchemists threaded in the line that divided Science from Superstition, forever fearing the whispers accusing them of witchcraft.


    All alchemists required (at least when working in the realms of the Church of the Saints) an official license given by the Inquisition that specified and proved that what these people were doing was not, in fact, heretical magicks. These Alchemy Permits were not exactly cheap, but to have one hanging from your doorframe was the greatest legitimacy a man of the craft could have.


    ¡°So they are not witches?¡± Gabrielle dared to ask, relieved to walk the less threaded ways of the market.


    ¡°Of course not! That would be illegal.¡± Hanna dismissed the idea with a shrug. ¡°Alchemists being witches would be a disaster!¡±


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    ¡°What about the Man of Stone though?¡±


    ¡°Shhh! I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, and I am not interested in hearing that sort of thing. Shhh.¡± Knowing much better than to speak heretical tales in the middle of the market, Hanna quickly shut down the curious redhead. ¡°Now be quiet. We are entering.¡±


    Once inside of the alchemist¡¯s de everything n was lit by the sunrays filtering through a huge, wide window on the back of the instance. Small, quaint, with some coloured bottles of tonic decorating its curved walls, the room wasn¡¯t exactly interesting and mysterious as Gabi would have expected it to be. It didn¡¯t even have shelves to be admired and manipulated, no: all business had to be made at the wide wooden counter waiting at the end of the chamber.


    The old man waiting on the other side of the counter awakened as soon as the little chimes on his door jingled. Dressed in a colourful red, white and gold uniform partially covered by an abundant white beard falling on his chest, the alchemist gave an exaggerated bow to his visitors.


    ¡°Welcome, blessed visitors. How may I help you on this fine day?¡±


    ¡°Greetings!¡± Lucrece took the word before Hanna could. ¡°We are looking for a few bags of serpentine, linen filters, corvid masks and a flask of laudanum.¡±


    ¡°Now hold on just a second!¡± The cook quickly reached to pull Lucrece by the ear, whispering loudly to her. ¡°What in the blazes do you think you are doing, you little wretch!? Do you think we are made of money here!?¡±


    ¡°Well I just thought that, considering we are risking our neck for a hundred empires, you would invest a little on us!¡±


    ¡°A little, yes. This is too much!¡±


    ¡°Fine, ugh.¡± The lancer would take a deep breath and then look back at the alchemist. ¡°Forget the laudanum, and make it two pouches of serpentine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s better.¡±


    ¡°Coming up, my blessed costumers.¡±  The alchemist would rush right out of sight through a door to his left.


    Gabrielle, meanwhile, would curiously look at every little mark on the few bottles being showcased: she recognized the curvy forms and elegant, ¡°exotic¡± artistry: these bottles were surely souvenirs from the Lands of the Star, a conglomerate of ¡°heretical¡± realms on the west of Jericho that refused to follow the teachings of the Saints and instead read different interpretations of many pagan scriptures¡­ or at least that¡¯s what Gabrielle had been taught. There were very little common threads uniting the many cultures in the West of Jericho besides the fact that they didn¡¯t follow the Saints'' followings.


    Sadly, those kinds of details were lost in favor of the exotic, mysterious and dangerous image that the Church tried to spoonfed its citizens since the fall of the Golden Empire.


    ¡°This man follows the Chaotic Star¡­¡± Gabrielle whispered to Lucrece¡¯s ear. ¡°He must have traveled a lot.¡±


    ¡°Bah, don¡¯t fall for it Gabi. Most Alchemists claim to come from the Starlands just to look more mystical.¡± Luci shook her head, refusing to fall for more tricks in her life. ¡°Most of them have never left the Church Domains.¡±


    Both girls would quickly fall silent when the old alchemist returned, setting the objects on the counter: two huge wooden masks that imitated the visage of a bird, ten little disks of linen that just reeked of alcohol, and two pouches of serpentine powder; the man would pull a pinch of the black powder and snap his fingers in front of his clients, causing an small warm explosion in his hand. It was the usual way of ensuring the powder was real.


    ¡°Here it is, ten linen filters, two corvid masks and two pouches of serpentine powder.¡± With a wide smile, the alchemist would begin counting with his fingers. ¡°It will be sixty five silver empires, please.¡±


    Hanna would begrudgingly pay with a single golden empire: the most valuable currency in circulation, a golden coin showing the images of the Great Throne of Byzantia and the visage of Emperor Legatus Caesar XIV, the last emperor the Golden Empire of Byzantia had before its Great Calamity.


    Of course, to Gabrielle all these names and words meant little more than a little historical anecdote learned after years of repetition. She would simply stare at that coin as money changed hands, and both Hanna and Lucrece conversed with the Alchemist about the evergrowing value of Serpentine in an attempt to haggle.


    Really, there were many things she didn¡¯t know¡­ and she wondered if she would ever learn them before growing old.

 Chapter 75: Of Adventure Preparation (Part II)

    The local blacksmith had his forge not too far away from the alchemist¡¯s lab, probably for convenience of exchange between the two! Smithies always needed salts and oils of many different grades and purities, while an alchemist always would require new tools and flasks! It was a match made in heaven, some would say¡­ if they ignored the huge hazard that it was having two very flammable businesses so close to each other.


    At least Gabrielle was appreciative of not having to return to the thick of the crowd.


    When entering the humble stone building, the first thing the three ladies could see were the many different pieces of weaponry available for purchase: from the humble shortsword to lances and pikes of different complexity, all hanging from wooden counters and just waiting to be bought and taken into new adventures.


    Lucrece wasn¡¯t really that interested; as a very responsible owner, she took religious care of her halberd precisely to avoid having to replace it! After all, every little piece of steelwork was quite expensive, sometimes to an outrageous margin! But she knew better than to question the prices of a blacksmith, specially when surrounded by his pieces.


    Never forget: Blacksmiths tend to be proficient with every piece of work they produce, and they are not afraid to show it if angered.


    ¡°Be careful not to touch a thing, Gabi¡­ Gabi?¡±


    The lancer turned around only to find a distressed Hanna pointing onwards. Gabrielle had taken the initiative here of all places, already standing by the forge¡¯s master: a short man around Gabi¡¯s own size, of strong complexion and a fuzzy, abundant black beard that certainly made up for his head¡¯s own lack of hair.


    She spoke in a hurried yet hushed tone, trying not to disrupt the man too much as the smith studied her blade with a disgruntled look in his eyes.


    ¡°... and that¡¯s when the blade got stuck in one of those bastards, they must be very thick blooded!¡± Gabrielle said, crossing her arms and shooting an angry glance to the side. ¡°The steel is ruined now, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been oiling this sword, at all.¡± The man commented. ¡°No matter how thin blooded a creature is, this thing will get stuck on anything. But it is not ruined.¡±


    ¡°Can you fix it, sir Smithy?¡±


    ¡°I can certainly do. But only if you promise to take a better care of it from now on¡­¡±


    ¡°Teach me and I shall do so, sir!¡±


    ¡°Har! I ain¡¯t got no time to teach, but I guess I can spare a few minutes¡­¡±


    Hanna and Lucrece simply stared as the woman casually spoke to the hulking man, this had to be the most talkative Gabrielle had been in a while. She even paid for her own work with her own money.


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    ¡°Oi!¡± Luci finally stepped on, growling slightly. ¡°What happened to the whole ¡®I have no money¡¯ deal? Did you lie to me, you scoundrel?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± Gabi showed no remorse. Honestly, the bluntness of it all made the lancer feel more proud than angry. ¡°I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°No no, it¡¯s fine. You keep your money hidden¡­ but we are being sponsored today, remember?¡±


    Hanna grumbled. She was perfectly fine letting Gabrielle solve her own costs, but she didn¡¯t want to build a reputation as a lousy quest giver, so with a pain in her heart she returned the money to the redhead. Gabi wasn¡¯t really sure what ¡°being sponsored¡± really entailed, but she was happy to get her money back, quickly hiding it in a pouch hanging from her neck. Once again, Lucrece nodded in approval.


    ¡°The sword will be ready in the afternoon.¡± The gruff man gave Lucrece a curious look. Probably staring at that missing eye. ¡°What else do you need, ladies?¡±


    ¡°Ah, right. I need my halberd sharpened, and my brigandine mended. Now that I think about it, my partner here needs one of her own, too.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I get steel armour?¡± Gabi tilted her head to the side, but the gruff smithy shook his head. ¡°No? You don¡¯t make them, sir?¡±


    ¡°I do make them. But you don¡¯t want that for killing giant rats.¡± He shook his head once again. ¡°For beasts it is better to keep your armor light and resistant to cuts. Or else you will be battered and then opened like a can of spam.¡±


    ¡°I thought steel armor was the best!¡± Gabrielle¡¯s eyes were opened once again to new possibilities.


    ¡°It¡¯s the most sturdy, but it is also cumbersome, hard to maintain, expensive and such. Only buy steel when you have the money to spare.¡± Luci intervened in the conversation, nodding sagely along with the blacksmith.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Hanna had to loudly clear her throat to get the three to stop musing on armour and its usage. The man would grumpily get up from his stool and take Gabrielle¡¯s measurements, noting them down on a piece of paper hanging from his belt. With all in place and all works paid in advance, the old smithy shoo¡¯d all of them out of his workshop to get started. Things would be ready to be taken by sunset, he said! So for now, they could just trust the man¡¯s word and wait.


    ¡°Well then, that should be all when it comes to sponsorship.¡± Hanna crossed her arms, she wouldn¡¯t accept anything else on that matter. ¡°I have to go fetch things for the tavern so, if you excuse me! We expect you two to come fully equipped and ready by sunset.¡±


    ¡°Or else¡±, the three of them thought at the same time. As the bigger lady left them behind, Luci couldn¡¯t help but feel the weight of the chains hanging from both her and Gabrielle¡¯s neck right then and there: if they did anything to upset that woman, she would report them to the Church and get them interrogated for possible witchcraft, and considering the times they were on, that would certainly mean torture¡­


    If not death.


    ¡°Welp! There¡¯s one place I need to visit before we get going to the parks Gabi, if you wouldn¡¯t mind?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to buy more things?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly¡­ I need to visit the Church¡¯s healer.¡±


    ¡°They have a healer here!?¡± Gabrielle¡¯s eyes once again opened like big plates.


    ¡°Most churches have at least one healer on duty, Gabi¡­¡±


    That was true to the bigger churches, but Gabrielle had never even dared to step into a big city before that time, much less a church. Their steps soon abandoned the Great Market and after a little walking through the city¡¯s main square, they would find the beautiful Church: a T shaped building as it was tradition with its head pointed straight to the East, right towards AlKairos. It was built with peach coloured brickwork and beautiful, white woodwork on its many windows. The Golden T, a symbol of the Saints, crowned each of the three towers on its points.


    ¡°There it is, ain¡¯t she a beaut, Gabi?¡±


    ¡°It is certainly beautiful¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright. Ready to get in?¡±


    Before the redhead could say anything, Lucrece took off her hat and firmly planted it on the girl¡¯s head, making sure to cover as much hair as possible. It was a big hat, so it was easy to leave most of it obscured.


    ¡°There. Perfect. Just for today, you hear me?¡± The lancer turned right around and ran into the church, all while Gabrielle simply stared into space for a moment, hat on her head.  She walked over to look at her own reflection in a nearby fountain.


    She was smiling.

 Chapter 76: Of Adventure Preparation (Part III)

    Walking into the church was like taking steps into a new, different world. The air felt lighter, the sounds of the busy streets outside were almost perfectly muffled by the expertly built walls and arcs of the sanctuary. It was a peaceful new land, lit by the beautiful light that filtered through many painted glass windows on the sides of the main chamber. As soon as they entered a nun hurriedly walked towards them, her tiny steps making little tapping echoes in the whole building.


    ¡°Welcome, my sisters. Please, rest at ease, for you are safe in the embrace of the Saints.¡± She greeted them both in the most sanctimonious way possible, as it was tradition, even bowing to them for a moment. ¡°Do you seek an audience with the Father? Or are you perhaps looking for our healing hand?¡±


    ¡°A-Ah, you are correct ma¡¯am!¡± Lucrece took the word and cleared her throat lightly. ¡°We wish to submit ourselves to the mercy of the Saints and receive their healing gift, if it is possible.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Please follow me.¡±


    Gabrielle observed in awe, comparing every little detail of that magnificent building to the humble, shabby little chapel she had grown in all of her life. The scale was simply beyond anything the redhead had ever seen before, with very nice smelling incense, gigantic stained glass pictures of the most popular Saints, and even wooden sculptures that glimmered as if they had just been waxed! This level of opulence felt excessive to the girl, uncomfortable even if she thought about it too much.


    But, she restrained herself, and instead decided to ask:


    ¡°Do you have images of Saint Martha in this sanctuary, Sister?¡±


    ¡°Oh my dear child, I am afraid we don¡¯t. There aren¡¯t many soldiers or dragon slayers that follow her creed in Rennos.¡± The nun tried not to giggle when saying this. ¡°You will have better luck in towns with a bigger militia, my child.¡±


    Their steps took them to a smaller room on the side of the church: the clinic. There were many beds with people quietly resting, sleeping, sometimes groaning as they moved in the uncomfortable covers. Churches doubled as places of healing when the situation allowed it, and this at least earned them a nod of approval from the stoic Gabi, who thought to herself: ¡°At least they are not neglecting their duties.¡±


    Gabrielle would have loved to learn the ways of a Healer in her chapel, but sadly their building was too small to accommodate that sort of service, and besides, none of the Sisters seemed gifted enough to bless the waters¡­


    Holy Water, the Gift, the Saints¡¯ Dew. Its preparation was a secret jealously guarded by nuns and Fathers all around Jericho, a miracle of the Age of Silence that could heal any physical wounds as long as it was applied in time¡­ and of course, within reason.


    Applying holy water to a cut hand would only heal the stump, there would be no way to regenerate entire chunks of meat like that.


    Or at least, that¡¯s what Lucrece was thinking about as she sat on one of the beds and uncovered herself, exposing the many wounds those rats have left as memories from last night. Regenerating was not possible even with a sanctioned, fully-acknowledged-by-the-church miracle, and yet that scrappy redhead had gotten right up after being opened like a can of spam.


    Just what was this Witch?


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    ¡°This may sting, my child. Please do not move, each drop of the Saints¡¯s Dew is precious.¡± The nun waited for Lucrece to be fully ready before raising a beautiful flask of pristine Holy Water, making sure the light of the window sparkled on its surface. ¡°May the mercy of the Saints heal your wounds and reinvigorate your spirit!¡±


    ¡°Amen.¡± Gabrielle bowed her head in respect for the healer, which certainly did help inflate the nun¡¯s ego as she softly sparkled and rubbed the liquid on Luci¡¯s skin.


    The effect would be instant, as little lines of vapor escaped the wounds as they healed, scar tissue growing quickly and sealing up. The lancer sighed, relieved, and stretched her arms slowly just to feel how her tendons tugged and moved into place. Everything was right back where it belonged, and Luci couldn¡¯t be happier about it.


    ¡°Ah, thank you Sister.¡± She turned to look at the nun while putting her clothes back on. ¡°How could I ever repay you?¡±


    ¡°Our fee is a golden empire per usage of our dew.¡±


    Both Gabrielle and Lucrece choked for a second there, their eyes darted to the smiling nun who refused to elaborate any further. It was clearly not a joke, was it? None of them were laughing at all. Indignation grew on Gabrielle¡¯s heart, while Lucrece furrowed her brow and, with a growing pain in her chest, gave away the shiny coin from the pouch on her neck.


    ¡°Thank you for your patronage. The Saints smile upon you, no doubt.¡±


    ¡°This is outrageous¡­¡± Gabrielle whispered, her fists balling.


    ¡°Thank you for your kind service.¡± Luci was quick to get right on her feet and begin pushing Gabi out of the room. ¡°May the Will push you onwards!¡±


    ¡°And to you as well.¡± The nun continued smiling, unaware or simply uncaring of the girls¡¯ aggravation.


    Both girls moved quickly out of the beautiful building, Lucrece made sure to push Gabrielle as far away as possible, until they reached a fountain in the plaza. They quickly grabbed some water to clean the impression off and away of their faces, and it really was a relief for both of them. Gabi was about to implode in her own anger¡­ and honestly, she still was on the fence about turning right around and yelling a few truths to that nun.


    ¡°Saint Kristina said that virtue comes in frugality, this is an insult to everything so many Saints stood for¡­!¡±


    ¡°I guess they need to eat or something! But, a whole golden empire!?¡± Luci soon abandoned all attempts to justify that woman. ¡°She scammed us, she scammed us and we couldn¡¯t do a thing!¡±


    ¡°I am going back there and beating that nun up this instant.¡±


    ¡°What!? No, no, no beating up nuns! They are off limits!¡± The lancer was quite desperate to de-escalate, moving her hands quickly in front of Gabrielle as she explained. ¡°We are trying to avoid trouble with the Church, remember? There¡¯s nothing uglier than hitting a nun!¡±


    ¡°Yes there are uglier things, like scamming someone in the house of the Saints.¡± Despite her usual lack of expression, the anger was such that one could easily see it in the witch¡¯s face. ¡°She deserves it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s, let¡¯s go to the park! That will be good right? Let¡¯s go to the park and relax for the few hours we have before descending  into the sewers!¡±


    Gabrielle agreed but only begrudgingly, grumbling as she was pulled by the arm and walked further away from the church. This whole experience had not only made her grumpy but also quite¡­ nostalgic. She often wondered what had been of all the girls she had left behind in the chapel, but now she couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    What happened with Sister Arianna?


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The boat moved from side to side, slowly, as it tried to navigate through the stormy canal that separated Doggenbandr from the rest of Jericho. The ferry was expensive, unreliable and uncomfortable, but the young nun had taken it anyway for it was the only way to travel anywhere in the main continent.


    Arianna kept herself away from the rest of the passengers in the main room of the ferry, sitting on a corner and keeping her eyes closed as she deeply meditated about her next moves.


    The list was clear in her mind: get to Caen, look for clues about Gabrielle going around, find her trail and catch up to her. It was a very vague list with many, many openings, and the woman hated herself for jumping straight into action without a better plan in mind.


    She had simply jumped right into the fray, begging for things to go her way, what was she thinking!?


    Well, she knew exactly what she was thinking: that little girl, alone and scared in a world she couldn¡¯t possibly comprehend, all because of Ari¡¯s own irresponsibility. She blamed herself for everything that happened that night, from the death of so many children to the loss of Gabrielle herself. She would never forget herself for that.


    But she could still make up for her failures.


    ¡°To hell with it all, this list will do¡­¡± The woman whispered under her breath. ¡°I will find her, no matter how long it takes me this time¡­ Gabi. I will take you home.¡±

 Chapter 77: Of Descents

    The Sun was already setting, sleepily resting on the mountains in the west as people began to return to their homes. All activity was starting to die down in Rennos when Gabrielle and Lucrece walked over to the main sewer entrance: a huge manhole carefully sealed in the City¡¯s east side. They were not alone: Oleg and Hanna were accompanying them both to make sure their investment did not simply run off to the hills at the first opportunity, and with them also came a hunching, whispering man carrying the keys to the manhole¡¯s lock.


    The royal keyholder, they called him as a joke, for the lurching man was little more than a glorified janitor when it came to his functions. He sighed, bothered to no end by the tavern owner¡¯s insistence to once again open the sewers and send another pair of idiots to their untimely death¡­ but he was paid for this kind of responsibility, so he couldn¡¯t really refuse.


    Both girls had equipped themselves with the ¡°corvid masks¡± on their faces, each with a filter already set inside their beak. It wasn¡¯t perfect and it smelled heavily like bad booze, but it kept the stench and miasma of the sewers away from their lungs and, ergo, kept them protected from any sicknesses living in the air. Gabrielle had never felt so healthy and protected than when using the mask, but Lucrece told her it was too expensive to buy enough filters to use them on a regular basis.


    ¡°Once the antiseptic smell disappears you have to change the filter¡±, Luci explained, ¡°A bad filter is no good at all.¡±


    With a satisfying click, each of the four locks on the main manhole opened. The royal keyholder sighed and prepared himself before pulling the heavy cast iron out of their way and revealing the pestilent, dark tunnel descending into the innards of the world. Everyone looked at each other for a second, and then back into the hole. None of them could be paid to jump in there, at least none except for Lucrece who dreaded every second getting her closer to the job.


    ¡°We will wait for you, but if you don¡¯t return in three days we will consider you dead.¡± Oleg said with his arms crossed. He wasn¡¯t exactly patient. ¡°Don¡¯t toss away your lives in there: if you are overwhelmed, run.¡±


    ¡°But only then!¡± Hanna would rather see them die than her investment fully lost. ¡°Remember the reward at stake!¡±


    ¡°And the service to the city¡­¡± Mumbled the keyholder. ¡°This could be vital to the city¡¯s livelihood and good image¡­ but whatever¡­what do I know about things¡­?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. Sorry, sir.¡± Hanna quickly corrected herself, a little flustered. ¡°Remember you are doing this for the city, you two. So do not fail.¡±


    They all nodded in agreement once again, and without another word Gabrielle ventured onwards into the manhole, her new leather gloves clinging tightly to the metal ladder as she descended. Lucrece needed a few moments to actually psych herself up, and follow the redhead into the depths of Jericho¡¯s soil. She trembled a little when the keyholder sealed up the manhole once again, leaving them in absolute darkness.


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    ¡°Do it for the money¡­¡± She whispered to herself, trying to go down the ladder as quickly as possible. ¡°Do it for the money¡­!¡±


    As soon as her feet touched solid ground, Luci grabbed and lit her torch, illuminating the passage they had been thrust into. A tunnel of dark stone bricks, with very small sections on the sides that allowed people to walk beside the flow of refuse without sinking your feet in it. There were no signs of scratchings or bite marks on the walls, so they were certainly away from the nest. Lucrece sighed, she had been hoping this would be an easy and quick job.


    ¡°All right, then. Time to find some rats!¡± Luci turned to look at the witch. ¡°With some luck, most of them are probably out and about in the city, so sucks to be them.¡±


    Gabrielle was enraptured, staring at her sword shining under the light of Lucrece¡¯s torch. The surface was so beautifully polished, perfectly oiled and sharp enough to cut a hair in twain. The redhead nodded to herself in satisfaction, yes.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t this beautiful even when I got it for the first time.¡± Gabi admitted, sheathing it slowly. ¡°What a shame.¡±


    ¡°A shame?¡± The lancer tilted her head.


    ¡°It will be ruined in a second with rat guts.¡±


    Both adventurers shared a confident grin before starting the way deeper into the tunnels.


    Each step echoed into the darkness around them, their only company was the constant dripping of moisture from the ceiling and the lazy, slow flow of refuse going right beside them. Lucrece was doing her absolute best to keep her eye away from the river of shit, once again cursing every single living being in Rennos, while Gabrielle found herself staring at it with an odd fascination.


    After all, it¡¯s not often that you see other people¡¯s shit in the street anymore.


    ¡°I never thought people relieved themselves that often, Luci. It¡¯s almost fascinating.¡±


    ¡°It is very much not.¡±


    They would continue on for what felt like hours, walking down through increasingly narrow tunnels of stone brick¡­ until suddenly, the smell of refuse and rotting matter seemed to die down. Gabrielle looked down at the river of shit, marveled when seeing how the disgusting waters had turned clearer and clearer with the passing of time. Confused, she then turned to Lucrece, who just waved a hand dismissively.


    ¡°These places sometimes use rivers to push the water around. Don¡¯t take your mask off, there¡¯s still miasma in the air.¡±


    The redhead sighed, a little disappointed with such a rational answer, while Lucrece kept checking the walls on their way. Marks of gnawing and scratching had finally started appearing on the brick walls.


    ¡°What is this, now¡­?¡±


    Bricks were broken down in a section of the wall, revealing the naked rock of the earth beneath¡­ and a huge crack on it all, wide enough for a person to slide in. Listening in, both girls could hear the disgusting squeaking and gnawing deep within the darkness of that tiny cave. They both nodded, already knowing what had to be done.


    ¡°This is what I got Serpentine for.¡± Luci smirked, showing off one of the little sacks hanging from her belt. ¡°We go as far into this crack as we can, we set these on fire and throw them in, and then run like Hell. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Lucrece walked in first, guiding the way through that crack in the wall with her trusty torch and expecting it to become tighter and tighter just like the sewers outside. But instead, the cave only seemed to expand wider and wider. Confused, the blonde started taking slower, more careful steps into the dark, making sure to feel up the floor in front of her.


    Until they reached the Pit.


    ¡°What in the blazes¡­?¡±


    An almost perfectly circular pit had been carved on the ground in front of them, a real nest where hundreds (if not thousands) of rats of different sizes writhed, shaked and bit each other in a frenzy¡­ all around the biggest creature either of the adventurers had ever seen before: a rat so fat and massive it couldn¡¯t even be called an animal anymore, it was a monster. A beast of disgustingly black hair with many bald patches here and there around its round, bloaty self¡­ a mysterious purple light emanated from its belly, probably the cause of its great size, or maybe just a symptom of it.


    ¡°Do you think the Serpentine will be enough for this¡­?¡± Gabrielle asked, gulping loudly.


    ¡°No.¡± The lancer let out a deep sigh, taking her halberd and closing her eyes for a moment. ¡°Get ready. I will throw the explosive sacks first and then, at my sign, we jump in.¡±

 Chapter 78: Of Discussions

    The High Chamber had their discussion of the day without major incidents, as it  was customary and had been for the last years. The Wise Great Bishop sat calm and proud in his own position, high above every other chair in the chamber, as he watched people abandon the room and return to their own cushy positions in their respective sections of the True Church. All except for one¡­


    Giovanni, the High Priest of the Genesis Chamber, once again seemed troubled by the decisions taken by consensus. Sitting by himself while waiting for the other members of his chamber to return to work, the old man was trying hard not to look concerned. The Wise Great Bishop frowned slightly, caressing the braids of his beard as he thought for a second. How to appease this rambunctious child now?


    Once the High Chamber had been vacated of all others, Giovanni took a deep breath and slowly began to climb the stairs towards the Main Throne. It was quite the way up, purposely built so private conversation with the current Wise Great Bishop was as inconvenient and exhausting as possible.


    Giovanni knew that well, but he was determined to resist that fact to have an actual conversation with the old man.


    ¡°Ah, Giovanni, my favorite child. I see that you are restless once again.¡± The ancient priest shook his head slowly. ¡°What is that worries you today?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry if my concerns have grown exhausting, Wise Great One. But this last decision to storm Caen¡­¡± Once he was standing besides the Bishop, Giovanni let out a tired sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is a little rushed?¡±


    ¡°Rushed, my child? Didn¡¯t you agree to it when we recounted the votes today?¡±


    While technically true, both priests knew this was only because of the inner pressure of the Genesis Chamber, always eager to rush and push into new hunts. Being their leader, opposing the opinion of the chamber at large would certainly endanger his position and throw away what little caution Giovanni was able to instill in them.


    The Chamber Priest¡¯s hands were tied.


    ¡°I have been meditating on it.¡± Giovanni decided to ignore the Bishop¡¯s goading. ¡°The moving of our troops could leave other sectors of our territory open for the influence of the Church of the Star.¡±


    ¡°Do not refer to that bunch of heretics as a Church, my child. Never forget that we are the one and only Church in Jericho.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Bishop. I apologize.¡± Giovanni had to bite his lower lip to not call his superior on such demagogy. ¡°But what I say remains, are you sure this is the right moment¡­?¡±


    ¡°My child, I know that you are afraid of the consequences of our actions, and that your intentions have always been pure and kind¡­ but our decision has been taken already, and there is no pulling it back.¡± The Great Wise Bishop took a deep breath as he got up from his throne. ¡°Esperanza will visit Caen. She will see that the heretical forces swirling and gathering in that city are brought to justice. You will understand with time, my child, that this is the right move.¡±


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    As the Great Leader simply walked away through his private exit of the chamber, Giovanni stood in the room for a few more moments, simply staring at his hands. He had promised to keep the CHurch in the path of virtue when he joined, and for the last sixty years he had been fighting against all odds to avoid unnecessary bloodshed to tarnish their history.


    But even he could see the signs in the skies, and hear the whispers in the wind. Destiny itself had its eyes on Caen, something huge was about to happen and the Church couldn¡¯t simply look away and pretend it didn¡¯t know. The interrogation of captured Demiurges in the last six years pointed at it, the disaster in Gwynedd had been a sign of ill winds coming their way too.


    He was simply incapable of stopping the wheel of fate itself, and could only pray. Pray for the incoming disaster to be fast and forgiving to them all.


    Pray for Esperanza and her judgement to be as lenient as possible.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    It had took an entire day and a half, after extinguishing an entire town and tending to the wounded, the Dame and her squadron had returned to their long journey towards Caen. Six riders threaded the paths of Normadia, five soldiers of the Genesis Chamber and the Holy Dame, lady Esperanza de Argon¡­ but no matter how much progress they made towards their destination, trouble always seemed to find a way to stop them right on their tracks.


    That Demiurge had been the last of a long line of inconveniences and accidents that the squadron had to solve by the Dame¡¯s insistence: there was always a caravan that needed aid, a city under attack or a young child who wished to ride on their horses¡­ and for sure, the soldiers could forgive some of those incidents as eccentric orders from a young leader, but¡ª


    ¡°My lady, you have to admit that some of these requests of yours are not precisely vital.¡± Ignatius, the squadron¡¯s second in command, spoke in a soft yet determined tone as he rode his horse closer to the dame. ¡°I mean, it is adorable to incense the dreams and illusions of a young child but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Tell me, Ignatius, wouldn¡¯t you had wished to receive divine inspiration directly when you were younger?¡± Esperanza smiled.


    ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Think of it very simply, Ignatius. If we inspire the masses, they will be much more sympathetic to our cause! It¡¯s very logical.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, it is my Lady! But we simply do not have the time to deal with these many peasants begging for help!¡±


    Of course, Esperanza had this very clear in her mind. Their time was precious and their mission more important than anything else, but as a girl of humble origins, she also knew what it was like to beg to the skies for help that never arrived.


    ¡°If we have the capability of aiding someone, then we must. It is our duty, and I will not be hearing anything against it.¡±


    Ignatius let out a deep sigh, slowly shaking his head. Esperanza was still young after all, her heart pure and noble, not yet tarnished by the cruel reality of life and reality. Had he been a crueler man, he would have certainly demanded the girl to focus on their mission and nothing else, but as the girl¡¯s caretaker and second in command, he simply couldn¡¯t bear the idea of opposing her like that.


    He knew, deep down, that he was just stalling until life itself taught the girl the importance of a hint of cruelty in one¡¯s character, but he couldn¡¯t do it himself. He could just pray for life¡¯s eventual lesson to be as forgiving as he was.


    ¡°But look, I understand your urgency and I do not want you to feel like I do not hear you, Ignatius.¡± The black haired girl looked at him with legitimate concern. ¡°I will do my best to keep our hasty step this time. I promise, no more detours unless it is completely necessary.¡±


    The old man sighed, nodding slowly. He knew these kinds of promises were flimsy at best, but it was the thought that mattered in the end.


    Besides, maybe this was all just an exaggeration from the High Chamber¡¯s part! Whatever could be happening in Caen that needed such urgent movement from troops all around Jericho?

 Chapter 79: Of Desperate Stands

    ¡°Die, damn it, die!¡±


    Lights had been the first thing to abandon them, with the fires of their torches soon being extinguished by the overwhelming presence of the terrible vermin.


    There was nothing adventurous about killing rats, especially ones as ravenous as aggressive as the ones under Rennos. The beasts jumped, clawed and bit at the two girls as they desperately cleaved through as many of them as they could, two inexhaustible human blenders pushing, cutting and skewering.


    But again, there was no number to them. No matter how many creatures they cut, pierced or even exploded through, there were always more rats to take their place. And differently to the girls, these creatures were full of energy! They wouldn¡¯t stop attacking any time soon.


    ¡°I HATE RATS¡±, Gabrielle eloquently said while cutting through another neck, feeling the blood splattering all over her. ¡°Maybe this is why so many people have died!?¡±


    ¡°Gabi, now¡ª¡± Luci only had so much patience to spare in a situation like this, stomping and skewering through monstrosities while trying not to think of her life being on the edge. ¡°It is not the time!¡±


    The redhead was paying close attention to her companion: healed or not, she had been the first to fall last time they fought these creatures, and she was getting dangerously close to how winded she was that night. Letting out a deep breath, Gabi pushed away the rat currently trying to eat her face and tried to focus. To ¡°Find her center¡±, as the elves had told her so many times.


    She needed to focus on her deepest core, feel the spark of magic that lived within her heart¡­ and then, remember The Rune. She had to trace it, draw it in her mind, feel it carved on her very flesh.


    Lucrece had a double duty then: hitting the creatures trying to overwhelm her and swinging around to keep a distance between the rats and Gabrielle. It was stressful, to say the least, and against her better judgement the lancer was very tempted to outright yell at the girl to keep up¡­ but then she saw the sparks.


    Blue sparks, flying from Gabrielle¡¯s left arm and soon illuminating her entire body.


    The lancer¡¯s eyes widened, the rats instinctively stopped their offensive and began to recoil towards their gigantic queen, trying to shield her with their bodies. They were smart creatures, and some of the survivors from last night¡¯s offensive had seen what that girl was capable of when shining that way.


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    ¡°Just¡­ a bit¡­ more¡­¡±


    Pain coursed through her body like rivers shaking her entire being, Gabi needed to steel herself to stop those sensations from punching and pushing her body in uncomfortable, uncontrollable ways. She just needed to let it all build up like that one night¡­


    But her body, suddenly, refused. Even for Gabrielle, who constantly neglected and ignored the signs, there was a limit to how much pain she could take. So before she could even realize what was happening, the light left her body in a sudden burst of crackling electricity, pushing  several rats and even Lucrece herself away from the girl. All before she unceremoniously fell to the ground.


    ¡°Oh fuck¡­¡±


    Now free to swear and all alone in a cave full of rats, Lucrece needed to think quickly. The beasts were already abandoning their defensive positions and running towards the unconscious redhead, leaving that bloated, screaming rat all by itself¡­ the magical purple light coming from its belly, it had to be the key.


    It was either that or just continuing to uselessly kill the rats one by one.


    ¡°Saints better be fucking watching¡­!¡±


    The lancer swore once more before pulling the unconscious Gabi onto her back, taking deep breaths through her mask and rushing through the horde of biting, pulling rats to approach the one gigantic vermin that seemed to command them all. She screamed, for a moment her whole body felt weightless as she swung her lance, the adrenaline making every second pass like a whole minute, not even  perceiving Gabrielle¡¯s weight on her shoulders.


    The whole world was disappearing, and all that remained was the gurgling creature and herself.


    With a roaring warcry and the last of her strength, Lucrece stabbed deep in the belly of the creature. Everything in the room came to a sudden stop, the rats shaking in a sudden burst of pain crossing their entire being, while the bloated one let out a screech of agony. The girl took a step back, pulling her halberd out and noticing a shiny addition to its tip: a silvery ring harvested straight from the creature¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°What in the blazes¡­?¡± Luci was absolutely confused, looking between the ring on her blade and the creature writing in pain in front of her. There was a clear connection here, but not one she could make without context. The only obvious solution came to her mind. ¡°Stupid thing!¡±


    Riding the high of that discovery, Lucrece violently slammed her weapon on the floor, repeatedly stabbing until the ring finally broke on its blade. Purple lights shone in the cave, blinding the blonde for moments that felt eternal¡­ and when sight returned to the girl¡¯s eyes, she was standing in the middle of a pit of corpses. Every single abomination laid on its side, twitching and suffering in place until finally stopping all motion.


    The lancer fell flat on her bum, panting and gasping for air, her whole body feeling so weak and feeble from the effort. She fishes her torch from the floor, picking up flint and iron from the many pouches on her belt to ignite it, and then simply looks at the desolation around her. The stench of all these corpses will be unholy, and she knew that¡­ she was already dreading it.


    But her thoughts soon abandon those meager issues, focusing on the broken ring on the floor. The apparent cause for the entire disaster¡­ she wouldn¡¯t dare to even touch it again with her halberd, afraid of what that thing could do. What was more terrifying was the fact that Gabrielle was also carrying some supposedly magical rings with her, were they the same? Where did she grab them from again?


    And what was stopping them from exploding or doing something nasty to them now?


    Too many questions, none of them she could answer without waking up the unconscious redhead. With a frustrated sigh, and gathering as much energy as she could muster, Lucrece picked up Gabrielle and once again started limping through the pit. It had been way too much adventure for a day and maybe more.


    ¡°Alright big girl¡­ let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

 Chapter 80: Of a Slow Return

    Gabrielle¡¯s eyes slowly opened up as she felt the world around her move. Darkness still surrounded her, and yet the sewers felt perfectly clear to the girl¡¯s view. Her whole body ached, still trembling with the echoes of a pain too intense for her to even understand, her legs were not even touching the floor at all! And yet, everything was moving very slowly around her. Why?


    Because, of course, she was being carried. Lucrece grumbled and panted, barely able to hold herself up and yet somehow pushing through her own weight and Gabi¡¯s. The redhead blinked a few times, she really couldn¡¯t understand why this girl kept going through such lengths for her, but she did appreciate it deep down. Still, it was clear that the blonde was tired beyond belief, so out of a newfound sense of responsibility Gabrielle spoke up.


    ¡°You can stop carrying me now.¡±


    ¡°Ah shite!¡± Luci almost jumped out of surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t spook me like that, woman. My heart almost jumped straight out of my throat!¡±


    ¡°That would be gruesome, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a manner of speaking¡­ don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    The lancer sighed, shaking her head slowly as she put Gabrielle back on the floor and helped her stand by herself. Her legs felt wobbly at first, but after smacking them a few times Gabi felt confident in her ability to walk again.


    ¡°Your turn now.¡±


    ¡°You are not carrying me, I can walk just fine.¡± Lucrece grinned to herself. ¡°But thank you, I guess.¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re sure¡­¡±


    The march back to the surface had started, they needed to find either a way back to the main access or a secondary manhole to exit the sewers. Neither of the girls had any intentions to camp there, so there would be no rest until they reached some fresh air. They walked in silence for what felt like hours, without making much progress in the dark, until Luci finally gave in to her curiosity.


    ¡°So¡­ that was what you did last night, eh? Getting all glowy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s lightning.¡± Gabrielle answered shortly.


    ¡°Right, lightning! You can shoot lightning like arrows, then?¡±


    ¡°It hurts. But sometimes I can.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I noticed. Do you always fall down like a sack of bricks afterwards?¡±


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    Gabi looked down, feeling the guilt and the shame of such a display pushing down her shoulders. How could she be this weak? She could swear things had gotten easier to endure with the years! Her hands balled into fists, trembling with pumping frustration as she tried to find answers in her own mind. She was stronger now, wasn¡¯t she? And she had managed last night without letting the pain get the best of her. So why now?


    Lucrece seemed to catch at least a bit of what Gabrielle was thinking.


    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t you think you are pushing yourself a bit too much?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± The swordmaiden tilted her head to the side. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, you clearly work all day. You eat less than me and that¡¯s saying something, you barely sleep and now it turns out your weird ¡®magicks¡¯ hurt you almost as much as they hurt your enemies!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®yes¡¯ me! That¡¯s not good, Gabi. Your body is sending you messages now.¡±


    ¡°Messages from my body? It can do that?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean lit¡ª wait, you know what? Yeah let¡¯s go with that. Yes, it can.¡±


    Another new world of possibilities opened for Gabrielle when taking that into consideration. So her body was talking to her, huh? And it was asking for something, but what? Well, that much was obvious even to the redhead: her body was demanding a break, another long rest.


    ¡°Do you know what it is saying?¡± Luci pushed her advantage a little more.


    ¡°It says that I need to rest.¡±


    ¡°Bingo!¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t have the time to rest. We are still bound for Caen and after that, I have to find more Demiurges. Resting is for people, not Witches I guess.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s bullshit!¡± Lucrece frowned, this time refusing to apologize for her potty mouth. ¡°If you don¡¯t take breaks you are going to die, easy as that. How will you continue with your quest if you are dead, girl?¡±


    Gabrielle hated to admit it, but the lancer was presenting a very good point. She couldn¡¯t go to Caen if she was dead, and she certainly couldn¡¯t do anything to stop the Demiurges if she kept fainting when using her trump card. After all, this wasn¡¯t even the first time that it happened¡­ and last time it costed her a Demiurge!


    ¡°So what you are saying is that I should not go to Caen?¡±


    Lucrece narrowed her eye, was that really what she was saying? A part of her agreed, yeah! Caen was certainly a big event for this girl, and that would come with incredible stress if the last days had been something to go by. But could she really convince Gabrielle to leave it for another month or so? No, impossible.


    So she needed to go for a better option.


    ¡°Nah, we are still going to Caen. But we will try to avoid fighting this time¡­¡±  With a growing pain in her stingy, frugal heart, the lancer added: ¡°We will take a wagon to Caen. That way we can rest our legs and let the beasts do all the job.¡±


    ¡°Horses get tired too, you know?¡± Gabi said with a melancholic look in her eyes. ¡°Poor horses¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t focus on the horses damn it, focus on what I said! We are taking the wagon to Caen so we can get there faster!¡±


    ¡°What about the training?¡±


    Luci winced. Right, she did promise that part! There would be no way to stop for lessons when going in a wagon full of people, either. Lucrece¡¯s heart soared, for now she had a reason to save the money from the wagon ticket.


    ¡°All right, fine. We will go by foot, but we will go slower. And we will get some decent rations for the way with our rat money. How does that sound?¡±


    ¡°Funny, mostly because rat money is a funny phrase.¡±


    ¡°Yes or no, Gabrielle. Answer or I will push you into the shit water.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. But only if you rest as well. You have been pushing yourself as well.¡±


    That Lucrece couldn¡¯t deny, her body was also demanding a good break from all this adventuring. Even the relief of finally finding a ladder going up didn¡¯t make the pain in her muscles go away at all.


    ¡°Alright, I can accept that¡­¡± The lancer sighed, taking the first steps upwards. She was so tired, so done with everything already¡­ but it would all be worth it when she received her pay.


    Or at least she begged it to be so.

 Chapter 81: Of Resolutions

    A hundred golden empires, fair and square. Lucrece¡¯s eyes were sparkling with glee when staring at the pile of beautiful, shiny coins piled up on the bar. Hanna shared the excitement as well, even more when dividing the pile in sixty-forty as they had agreed: Sixty for the adventurers, and forty for the sponsor. Even if that pile of sixty soon turned into two even smaller piles of thirty coins each, Luci seemed more than satisfied with the result. This had to be her most successful contract yet.


    ¡°How about you celebrate and use some of those newfound riches here, eh?¡± The tavern owner suggested with a sly grin. ¡°I¡¯ll get some of the good beer just for our heroes!¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Gabrielle once again agreed before Lucrece could even say anything. ¡°Put us two tall mugs and two plates of stew, my treat!¡±


    ¡°Gabi, no! I can¡¯t possibly accept.¡± Luci tried to play hard to get. ¡°We earned this money together, you should let me pay with you.¡±


    ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll divide the bill.¡±


    The blond smacked her face. Damn this daft woman and her inability to catch playful hints! But alas, the lancer knew this one had been on her and her alone, so she simply surrendered and agreed to pay half of the bill for the food and the beds. It wasn¡¯t worth it to argue with the redhead when it came to pleasantries! And besides, she really wanted to just lay back and enjoy herself for a good moment.


    They both needed a rest, after all.


    Drinks, food and song! What a beautiful combination. The late hours of the day would pass by among heavy celebration. A single gold coin was enough to pay for several rounds, food, bed and even to enjoy the services of the local bard with some money to spare! Gabrielle had not felt so full in ages, both in her belly and in her heart.


    And while the party continued in the tavern, Lucy needed a moment to reflect¡­ so, while Gabrielle was twirled around by the bard in the middle of her performance, the normadian lancer simply slipped outside, and sighed.


    The skies were growing dark, the cold air of night already setting in Rennos. Luci looked around in the empty streets, leaning against the tavern¡¯s wall and slowly rubbing her temples. It was too early to feel hungover, too soon for monthly pains, so then what was this feeling she had? This unease squeezing her throat to the point where she simply couldn¡¯t swallow?


    She wondered out loud, despite having a sneaking suspicion of where it all came from: this situation, such relief and happiness, the feeling of camaraderie¡­ It had been a while since the last time Lucrece had felt such things. Back in the days she followed her Captain¡¯s company around.


    All this rowdy ruckus, the sound of people cheering, the drinks being passed around¡­ she had missed it dearly, but now that she had it again, it only felt worse! And she perfectly knew why.


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    The time with the mercenaries hadn¡¯t been all perfect. Most of them were rude and brutish, she constantly butted heads with some! They were far from a happy family¡­ but as much as she sometimes hated those bastards, she kinda liked them as well. The long journeys through Normadia, the nights spent together gazing on the stars.


    She missed those bastards.


    She missed her Captain.


    But then, she also remembered that one conversation by the campfire. Late in the night, while everyone else slept¡­


    ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    ¡°I want you out of the company.¡±


    That¡¯s what the Captain had said. At that moment, Luci had thought it was about the heinous wound she had sustained during the last bounty the company had pursued. Her hands clung to the bandages over her stomach, still feeling echoes of the pain, the strange way air feels on one¡¯s innards¡­


    The captain was never a serious person, at least not outside of battle. She laughed things off, preferred to sleep and party than to discuss deep personal issues¡­ and yet, that very night there she was! Staring at Lucrece with determination in her eyes, the light of the bonfire reflected in her irises. The lancer, of course, refused vehemently.


    ¡°I was careless and got what I deserved, but it won''t happen again! I promise!¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t promise me that.¡± The Captain shook her head slowly, locks of hair softly dancing in the air.


    ¡°Of course I can! I won''t let anyone strike me down like that again!¡± Luci had to visibly restrain herself to not cry at that moment. ¡°Please, give me a chance!¡±


    ¡°This is not about chances. Or anything like that¡­ Lucrece, you are gonna be sixteen this year.¡± The stone cold visage of the Captain turned slightly warmer. ¡°Do you really want this life? You are educated, know how to read and count well. Do you think the battlefield is the place for someone like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Lucrece faltered in her words for a second, eye looking into the fire before turning back at her Captain. ¡°It¡¯s part of my plan. To get enough money to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes. Your own state and all that. I know. But do you really think you will survive long enough to reach that goal? What is the point of hoarding all that money if you will just waste your life away like this!?¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°I want you to get out of here, and look for something better. Get a job as an apprentice or something, get married, live a good life¡­ so. I am sorry¡­ but I want you out of my company.¡±


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Lucrece left that night, tears rolling out of her eye.


    She still wasn¡¯t sure why she was stubbornly sticking to the path her Captain had practically ordered to abandon. Was the anger inside of her really that great that she simply had no other way to deal with it than with violence? Or was she just trying to prove her Captain wrong?


    She missed her. She missed her dearly¡­ but she did learn something from that moment. No matter how much one clings to a person, life always conspires to isolate people one way or another¡­


    The lancer turned around, spying into the tavern. She saw Gabrielle resting by the bar, drinking down another tankard of ale. That fool was going to have a terrible hangover the next morning.


    ¡°...Don¡¯t get attached.¡± Luci repeated to herself, shaking her head once more and then looking to the skies. ¡°It¡¯s really for the best.¡±


    This would only last until reaching Caen. She needed to remember that. To Caen, and from there who knows where life was going to push her. All Luci knew was that she was going to take that next step of her life alone.


    That very next morning, they would take the last stretch of their trip. Gabrielle could feel something was different about her companion, but she could not really understand what. There was a sadness between them now. One too deep to really understand¡­

 Chapter 82: Of a Kick in the Hornets Nest

    Nine. Nine people were supposed to be meeting that day in the depths of Caen¡¯s sewers. But only eight showed up, eight pairs of hands, only five of which still held their rings in place. Eight people, seven men and one woman, stood in the dark while staring at the flames of a bonfire while nervously fiddling with their thumbs, waiting. Silently begging for their last companion to arrive.


    There was no real bond among the Demiurges, no connection beyond their shared love for knowledge and the hatred they amassed for the Church of the Saints and its repressive ways, so their anxiety didn¡¯t really come from a place of concern for their lost comrade.


    No. Their only fear was the plan.


    The bonfire was burning, the cauldron was waiting for its flaming embrace. Each member of the guild brought ingredients to burn: mementos, relics, stolen pieces of sentimental value loaded with enough emotion for their ritual¡­ but that wouldn¡¯t be enough on its own. Magic, after all, is composed of three things: Emotion, a Rune, and blood. One member less in the ritual meant more blood would be necessary from the rest of the group. None of the Demiurges wanted to bleed more than necessary. So they begged to the skies, prayed to their personal gods, silently cried for the missing man to come trotting with an embarrassed smile under his cloak.


    But he would not arrive. Timotheos was long dead, and they were all that was left.


    ¡°... We¡¯ll start without him.¡± Said one of the robed figures, finally running out of patience. The others looked at him, begging for someone to be brave enough to refuse and postpone the ritual, but none of them did.


    So the ritual carried on.


    Each member of the Guild had their own theory about magic itself, a different way to return magic to the cold, mundane lands of Jericho. Be it through alchemical, physical or psychological experimentation, they all tried to follow the steps left to them by their beloved Founder¡­ but none of them had managed to get even closer to obtaining a Rune of their own. All they had were the rings the Founder had made for them, a list of cities, and the spell that allowed them to meet from a distance in a safe, sealed room.


    None of them had managed to innovate even a bit¡­ but that was about to change. Their plan was going to ensure that. Years of planning, gathering and deciding had led them to that very moment, burning the many fruits of their experimentation in the cauldron. Some of them wept in silence, frustrated, peer-pressured into wasting years of their life just for this one chance. But deep down, they all felt the same: they all knew this would be worth it.


    ¡°Let emotion overflow, brethren. Offer your blood to the cauldron!¡±


    This all was a bit too ¡°culty¡± for the taste of the most orthodox of those figures, but desperation had pushed them this far. Each one raised a single arm towards the cauldron, making a soft incision in their palms and letting the blood drip down. The flames turned to a weak green.


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    ¡°It¡¯s working!¡±


    ¡°It really is!¡±


    ¡°Now, hold hands!¡±


    They had been designing this ritual for a while, but they had no real guarantees that it would work. Holding hands in a circle around a burning cauldron, letting the fumes of magic fill their lungs¡­


    ¡°Envision the Tree! Look past reality and find the rune hidden in this city!¡±


    Green flames surge  from the cauldron, as the combined wills of eight people tried to steer the winds of time into a new direction, to peek into the secrets of the world once again.


    To cultivate the gift of magic is to defy Fate itself, but sometimes Fate finds ways to fight right back¡­


    ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The beautiful walls of the portuary city of Caen were very well guarded, and so tall that they could be easily seen from afar. A bastion built to last a long time after the fall of the Great Golden Empire, and it truly showed.


    The way leading up to the gates of the city was very busy, with long lines of caravans in the morning dodging all the dangers of the forest for a chance to do business in the active metropolis. This was a great chance for the city to get its due, so the guards were instructed to stop each and every wagon and demand a little compensation for the honor of doing business in one of the busiest cities in Normadia.


    ¡°One at a time, one at a time!¡± Called the guard in charge of the toll. ¡°Everyone will get in, so keep it civilized or you will be kicked out of the line!¡±


    The day seemed to be starting like any other, with the carts moving lazily through the gates one after the other¡­ when a scream broke the tranquility of it all. A desperate plea coming from the surrounding forests.


    ¡°Sanctuary! Please! Help!¡±


    From within the woods came a figure dressed in ragged clothes, his face was a visage of absolute hysteria. With marks of blood and mud all over him, his appearance was so violent that the guards almost immediately took aim for this crazed person, but he was so far gone into fear that he couldn¡¯t even stop at the threat.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming this way! The horde!¡±


    The caravaneers immediately started to push around, trying to force the guard to let them in as soon as possible, and of course the guards faced two choices in this conundrum: either let them in out of human decency or enforce the law coldly. They looked at each other for a moment, then gave a look to their General¡­ and the seasoned old soldier, gruff and grumpy as he was, seemed to hold mercy above money for once in his life.


    ¡°What are you bastards waiting for!? Let them in, now! I don¡¯t want to see a single idiot outside of these gates by the moment I close them!¡±


    This would mean trouble with the Mayor, but the General decided to shake those concerns away for now. He would immediately make his way outside of the gates, to hold the madman by the shoulders and shake him in person.


    ¡°Snap out of it, cur!  What in the blazes are you talking about now!? The Horde!?¡±


    ¡°They¡ª they are coming! They devoured everyone in my caravan! I managed to escape but the others¡ª¡±


    There was a moment of silence, interrupted by another terrible scream coming from the woods¡­ this one closer to a howl, or a primitive warcry. The General gulped, cold sweat rolling down his neck.


    ¡°Get inside, now! And no more screaming!¡± He pushed the madman to the side, now facing the forest while narrowing both eyes. And just as he feared, he started seeing the shadows creeping through the trees. ¡°Dear Saints Above¡­¡±


    There was no time to waste in the slightest, and the man knew it very well. He signaled his guard to immediately send scouts and make sure the city was not being besieged from several sides, calling soldiers to form lines around the main gate¡­ and he prayed.


    He prayed like he had never done before.

 Chapter 83: Of Objectives

    Horses took careful, short steps in the misty plains of Normadia. Trotting through fields of ancient mounds and tombstones, the Genesis¡¯ First Battalion  was finally within reach of their final destination: the port city of Caen. It had been a very long way, made even longer thanks to their leader¡¯s insistence on deviating from their trail on every opportunity to provide aid to those in need.


    Ignatius de la Mancha, the oldest and arguably the wisest soldier among them, kept himself close to their leader to ensure that now that they were less of a day away from their destination, there would be no surprise expeditions at the behest of some unfortunate random peasant who audibly expressed his suffering within Esperanza¡¯s hearing range.


    ¡°My lady, the Saints really have favored you this time. If your latest exploits didn¡¯t result in action for our soldiers, I fear they could have started to rebel against your orders.¡± Ignatius had seen many a mutiny spark due to boredom and knew that the possibility of losing an entire army to their eagerness to stain their blades with blood was a very real one. ¡°You must not push your luck with mercenary corps. As faithful to our cause as they say to be, you must always keep a seedling of doubt within your heart.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense Ignatius.¡± The black haired Saint smiled. ¡°I believe they have proven themselves both capable and loyal enough to us! After all, there is no duty as virtuous and honorable than ours! And you think some idle time will be enough to break their faith?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The years have made you weary, Ignatius. But this is a good thing! I am glad to have your vigilant eyes always looking at the shadows around us¡­ I just wish you could rest and bask in the light more often.¡±


    The gruffed old man sighed, rubbing his temples slowly. Oh how he wished to relax as well! But he knew way too much to even close his eyes without thinking of knives slicing his neck. Some may call him ¡°paranoid¡±, and with very good reason! For he was as restless as folk come! But there was still that spark of rationality behind his words that had awarded him a position besides the Holy Dame.


    ¡°Let¡¯s restate our objectives now that we are reaching our destination, then.¡± The battle priest sighed, changing the subject to something more manageable. ¡°You do remember what we are to do once we arrive at Caen, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Esperanza nodded, her smile fading as she focused. ¡°We must find the congregation of Demiurges that the rumors said would gather in Caen and bring them to justice.¡±


    ¡°Correct, very good. I am glad you remembered the exact wording because that last part is very important, my Lady.¡± The old man narrowed his eyes. ¡°We must ¡®bring them to justice¡¯.¡±


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    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡±


    ¡°My lady. I cannot stress this enough: we must capture at least one of them ¡®alive¡¯!¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± Esperanza couldn¡¯t help but pout. ¡°Do you really doubt me that much, Ignatius?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I doubt you, but your fervor when hunting witches down is¡­¡±


    The old priest fell silent, shaking his head slowly. He couldn¡¯t blame Esperanza for her hatred, even if she mistook it for religious zeal. Despite her immaculate facade when she wore her armour, many knew of the horrendous scars that covered her back, marks left from a childhood of torment under the hands of a Demiurge. It had been Ignatius himself who lead the expedition that found Esperanza, cuddled on a pit of corpses while clinging to the husk of her departed mother.


    The word ¡°trauma¡± was still not adopted by the common folk, but Ignatius and Esperanza understood its meaning very well.


    ¡°...Just try to stay your hand this time. You may execute them once the High Chamber finishes with their interrogation of the Demiurges.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡±


    There was an uncomfortable silence between the young girl and her mentor for a moment there. Ignatius sighed, before deciding to use his secret weapon for this very case.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. There¡¯s also the Redheaded Witch.¡±


    All gloom in Esperanza abandoned her at once, her eyes opening with curiosity as she turned to look at Ignatius with such force that she almost spooked her horse.¡±


    ¡°Has she been located yet?¡±


    ¡°We have very good reasons to believe she may be in Caen as well. You know, wherever a Demiurge appears, she seems to be very close by.¡±


    The Holy Dame¡¯s smile returned, radiant as ever, as she eagerly nodded.


    ¡°Do you think we will find her? After all these years¡­!¡±


    ¡°I believe so. I feel it in my old bones.¡±


    Esperanza celebrated while the old man simply smiled. He didn¡¯t understand the Dame¡¯s infatuation with that vision from months ago: back in the middle of a forest, after many reports and sightings of demihumans in the area¡­ Ignatius had to admit he was a bit curious about what could that little girl know, why had she started hunting Demiurges on her own and how did she seem to be a step ahead of the Church itself at every time!


    But to Esperanza, there was so much more than just that.


    She had looked into the girl¡¯s eyes that day, just by accident. She had felt it, that sadness, that confusion proper of someone who has seen and endured suffering in the flesh and the heart. The living Saint had felt it: a connection, a kindred spirit. Someone who could truly, actually understand¡­


    A fellow Saint.


    Of course, she also knew that there was no way the girl could convince the church of that so easily, after all the red hair was a mark of imperfection! They would suspect her of being a Witch herself! Probably send her to interrogation and then to the pyre after getting her repentance¡­


    Esperanza had made it her personal mission to find this girl, to help her! She would get the Church to recognize her as one of them no matter what, and¡ª


    Wait.


    ¡°...Ignatius, do you smell that?¡±


    The Dame¡¯s eyes narrowed, her grasp on the horse¡¯s reigns tightened while Ignatius sniffed the air around them. Indeed, he smelled it. It smelled of blood and steel, of fire and smoke¡­ a battle, not too far from them. The riders of the First Battalion looked up and saw the beautiful blue skies slowly turn gray with thick clouds of smoke¡­


    ¡°... Double time, now. It must be Caen!¡±


    Esperanza feared the worst, so there was no real time to keep daydreaming. The world¡¯s cruelty was reaching for the innocent once again, and she would not allow it. Not in her guard.

 Chapter 84: Of Chaos and Stress

    There are many reasons as to why magic has been forgotten with time. Its complexity, its mysterious nature, the fact that not many are skilled enough to even grasp its very basics¡­ but there was a reason that primed above the others, something that had pushed many societies of old to outright ban its practice:


    Pandaemonium.


    It was said in the past that every time a magically inclined person performed their craft, it pushed against the Universe¡¯s very will and broke its rules to make the wondrous and impossible a reality. Done carefully and sparsely, magic was of no real harm to the world, but when enough mages go against the Will of the Universe together, then Fate takes notice and disasters begin to strike the mages and everyone around them. The terrible consequences of magical congregations, that¡¯s what the ancients called ¡°Pandaemonium¡±.


    Of course, this was knowledge forgotten by all at this point¡­ or forgotten by most, really. For Mustaf¨¢ remembered it all like it was yesterday. The seas rising, storms breaking and roaring out of nowhere, ravenous beasts pushing and prowling in the shadows.


    Mustaf¨¢ had seen it all happen many times, enough to know that when the ambitions of a pupil started to rise too high, it was time to go.


    Observing from a nearby hill, called by the erratic wails of magic hastily casted somewhere in the city, the Man of Stone simply watched as the first waves of a Horde arrived at the walled city of Caen, and sighed. For they knew very well who was to blame for this.


    ¡°Every pupil must be stupider than the last¡­¡±


    Bog walkers hungrily roared and clawed against the brick walls of the city, pushing against each other as the middle of the whole mass of creatures slammed its huge claws against the wooden gates. Each of them was much stronger than a man, leaving heavy dents on the wood and even breaking pieces of rock with each violent hit. Storm clouds were already starting to cover the city¡¯s skies.


    With another sigh, Mustaf¨¢ prepared to depart. Their curiosity wasn¡¯t strong enough to push them into a doomed city, nor morbid enough to stay and watch how the people of Caen struggled in vain.


    But something seemed to hold them in place. A sort of intuition, a gut feeling¡­ a premonition.


    ¡ª--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Gabrielle was not sure of how she had ended up in such a predicament. Was this what the visions had been warning her about?


    The girl had gotten herself a fancy new cape with a hood big enough to cover her hair completely, mostly to return Luci her hat. She felt so confident and ready to face the people of a new city¡­ only to be pushed around as soon as she managed to reach Caen.


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    As the masses of people pushed and pushed further into the city, looking for shelter wherever they could take it, both Gabrielle and Lucrece were doing their best to follow the flow of people and avoid getting stomped to death. For the redhead that sounded like a bit of an exaggeration on the Normadian girl¡¯s part, but to Luci the fear of being squashed like a potato was a bit too real.


    ¡°We need to find a good place to hide damn it!¡± Lucrece frowned, shaking her head. ¡°Urgh I knew we had a bad star over us the moment we stepped in Caen¡¯s grounds. Why did this have to happen? Here, of all places!?¡±


    ¡°It feels like Fate.¡± Said Gabrielle, nonchalantly, while the mob of people began to disperse through the many streets of the portuary city.


    ¡°Fate sucks, it sucks and I hate it!¡± Lucy covered her face with both hands as soon as both of them could afford to stop moving. ¡°I wish it stopped getting in my way!¡±


    Gabrielle let out a soft sigh, taking her time to breathe and recover while Lucrece complained. Her eyes wandered back to the towers, to the screams of the beast beyond it, and the nervous soldiers that were already bracing for the moment where their gates inevitably fell. People were carrying big cauldrons of burning oil to try to repel the beasts, but everyone knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough¡­


    Lucrece caught the look of her companion and immediately knew what was going through her mind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± She immediately exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s suicide!¡±


    ¡°They need help.¡± Gabrielle answered, matter of factly.


    ¡°Yes, they do, as in: we do! One or two more bodies in there won''t make that much of a difference.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°Gabi¡­¡±


    ¡°This is the reason I came here, I think.¡± The redhead turned to face Lucrece, a candid passion burning in those usually cold, confused eyes. ¡°I must.¡±


    The blond girl simply stared at her, long and deep. She wanted to call Gabi many different things right now, yell at her, somehow dissuade her from running to her death! But it would be no use, she had spent enough time with the redhead to know that once an idea like that appeared in her brain, that was it. No escaping it now.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to come with me.¡± Gabi soon reassured Luci. ¡°You go to the bank.¡±


    ¡°I will! I am not going to jump at them just like that, you whacko!¡± Lucrece barked back, frowning and taking a step back from Gabrielle, then turning her back on her. ¡°If you want to throw away your life like that, good! Don¡¯t count on me. Good bye! Good riddance!¡±


    The blonde kept her arms crossed, trying her best not to look back¡­ but when she inevitably did, Gabi was already gone.


    Lucrece missed her already.


    ¡ª-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The redheaded girl ran against the mob, pushing and dodging the desperate people. No one seemed to really care for the insane girl going towards the danger, to the point that no one even spared her a glance even when crashing against her. Soon enough, Gabrielle reached the gates of the city and the two surrounding towers.


    ¡°Oi! You are not allowed to be here! Go and seek refuge somewhere else!¡±


    A soldier immediately stood in front of her, gruff but well intentioned. Gabrielle had the immediate feeling of wanting to apologize and explain herself to him, but she also knew there was no time for such things.


    ¡°I am here to help.¡±


    ¡°You help by getting out of the way, missy.¡± The soldier frowned, he wasn¡¯t exactly patient. ¡°We have this under control.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡± Gabi pointed out, unsheathing her sword. ¡°Extra hands always come handy.¡±


    ¡°...Was that a pun?¡± The guard felt as if he had been battered all of a sudden by that sneaky joke. ¡°Look, ma¡¯am. You a sellsword I see, right? If you are looking to die here with us? I will not stop you. But know that I don¡¯t approve of it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Soldiers turned to look at the small woman now joining their ranks. Some of them thought of cracking a joke or two, maybe making an uncouth comment¡­ but no. Not now. Not when the gate was cracking under the pressure of a million claws pounding.

 Chapter 85: Of Violence Unleashed

    Burning oil rained on the beasts that gathered in front of the gates of Caen, the sickly smell of burnt flesh and chitin filled the area as some of the bog walkers screeched in agony, immediately pushing against each other to try and get away from the lethal, falling oil. If this was a smaller group, this would have been enough to cause enough infighting to spread through the horde to disperse them, but any beasts that tried to escape were immediately gutted by the sea of eager claws waiting behind them. There would be no deserters in this siege, from the looks of it.


    ¡°Quick! Prepare a refill!¡± The Guard Captain ordered around, trying his best to prevent the inevitable. ¡°Send these motherless bastards right back to Hell!¡±


    The door kept banging, louder and louder each time, splinters flying as the wood endured each ramming as well as it could. It felt like an actual, synchronized siege, the bog walkers banged on the gate at the same time, until the first cracks began to appear on the mahogany surface, right besides the hinges. Cracks that soon became larger, and longer, spreading like vines all around the doors.


    ¡°Everyone, step back from the gates!¡±


    Most people were agile enough to heed the warning, quickly pushing each other away as the heavy gates finally broke, being violently ripped from their hinges and thrown right down. A few unfortunate souls, however, could only watch as the huge wooden planks fell right on top of them, the sounds of their bones breaking echoed even with the sound of clicking and snarling from the bog walkers.


    They had officially broken through.


    People on the front line immediately pointed their pikes forward, trying to steel themselves and stop shaking on their boots as the horde stomped on the fallen gate and immediately rushed towards them, claws raised and jaws unhinging, showing the rows upon rows of teeth they were oh so eager to sink into tender human flesh, only to feel the bite of a wall of pikes waiting for them.


    ¡°Keep your positions! Be brave, men of Caen!¡±


    Impaled and immobilized, the first wave of bog walkers gave way to a second, and a third! All of them were skewered by iron pikes and wooden lances. There was a surge of optimism through the Guard as bog bodies fell to the side¡­ but it soon started to fade, as people on the frontline kept pushing wave after wave of desperate beasts. Soon they realized that killing a few of them had little to no effect on the horde at large, for they truly were without number.


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    It was a matter of time until one of the beasts was smart enough to not just rush towards its death, the latest wave of bog walkers suddenly stopping short  and, at the same time, grabbing the weapons that had felled their many companions. Panic ensued, as those powerful claws simply snapped their polearms like mere twigs of a famelic tree.


    Soon an arm had the same fate, broken and cut in half, blood spraying all across the battlefield.


    Someone screamed. The lines trembled and shook as the front line now had to resort to their swords and daggers. The beasts kept their advance and all the guard could do now was face them without the advantage of reach. Someone less courageous would have ran for the hills at this point¡­ and most of the current front line tried. Turning around, ignoring their companions waiting behind them, many soldiers immediately forced their retreat as growling bog walkers gave chase.


    ¡°Cowards! Brigands! May you all burn in hell!¡±


    The captain, gruffed and tired old man as he was, decided that his people needed him now more than ever. He took a lance for himself, jumping off from the towers to land in the middle of the advancing monstrosities¡¯ path¡­ surprisingly, his legs didn¡¯t break! And the adrenaline pumping through his veins was enough to keep him steady and unaware of the pain in his old bones as he quickly flourished his weapon. The front line was broken, but the next people in  formation were rallied by their leader¡¯s gallantry. Gabrielle had her eyes wide open, staring in awe as the old man killed the beasts one at a time with violent, yet precise stabs through their hearts.


    She took a broken pole from the floor and charged along with the second line, jabbing the wooden stick deep into a creature¡¯s maw. The beast stumbled and hit the floor, coughing and snarling before steel reached its chest, Gabi¡¯s sword sinking deeply into its heart. She immediately stood up afterwards, regaining her posture and swinging her sword toward the next bog body coming towards her. Blue blood spilled all over the floor, the stench of burning oil and dead bodies was already dizzying enough to make some of the people on the back vomit.


    ¡°Pull back! Pull back!¡±


    The captain was a brazen man, passionate and intense in his beliefs, but still held enough rationality to see when a battle was being lost. He didn¡¯t want his people to die¡­ but they needed to buy time for an evacuation. That was the only reason he didn¡¯t call a full on retreat. Returning to his now front line, the man took a moment to look to the horizon, towards the port. If everything was alright, people would be boarding any boats available and sailing towards Brest any moment now.


    With a sigh, the captain turned right around, only to face the beast about to pounce him. His one eye widened, body already preparing for the worst, when the creature was violently pushed aside by a red headed figure tackling it. Gabrielle didn¡¯t even think much, just acted and pushed sword-first into the abomination.


    Only to feel one of her arms grabbed by the creature¡¯s claw. Her eyes widened again, feeling how the chitin squeezed her flesh and shattered the bone of her forearm¡ª she howled in pain like never before, for a second even fearing her hand would be cut. Her filthy, thin gauntlets were all that stopped the beast from fully ripping it off. Seeing that it couldn¡¯t simply cut Gabi into pieces, the bog walker used its inhuman strength to simply toss her off to the side. Her body crashed into a nearby smithy¡­ and she remained there, motionless in a cloud of dust¡­

 Chapter 86: Of Determination

    The time had finally come. The Half Moon shone brightly above Ma?ra, as the elves had finally finished their last preparations for the last part of their journey. Many carts were set in an orderly line, their occupants all eager and excited to finally leave this god forsaken land. A ritual circle had been prepared, sacrifices of treasures, fruits and grain had been made, and all that they had left was to wait for the Half Moon to be on its highest point¡­ Gabrielle still remembered, very vividly, how she didn¡¯t want to let go of Bari that night.


    They took one last trip together, walking around the encampment site and simply enjoying the silence of the emptied up tents and abandoned cooking pits. Gabi had grown fond of carrying Baraqiel around, even after they recovered the ability to walk for themselves, and Bari didn¡¯t really mind resting on Gabrielle¡¯s back for a bit longer. After all, the girl had managed to get him out of so many things, giving her one favor wasn¡¯t that much of a problem.


    ¡°You will take care, right Bari?¡± Gabi asked, kicking a few rocks. ¡°I won¡¯t be there to take care of you anymore.¡±


    ¡°I know that, you don¡¯t have to keep reminding me!¡± Bari pouted. ¡°You¡¯ve been telling me this every half moon, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but this one really is the one! I just want you to remember to take care.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. I will remember¡­ but you have to take care, too. No rushing into trouble anymore.¡±


    ¡°I make no promises.¡±


    Both children smiled at each other for a moment, before hearing the voice of Bohllin in the distance, calling for them. Gabi sighed, her hands clinging slightly to Baraqiel¡¯s legs as she turned to them.


    ¡°This is it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay Gabi¡­¡± Baraqiel pleaded. ¡°Come on, please. Come with us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been having the dreams, I made the map with Adella¡¯s help¡­ no one else can help them, Bari. It¡¯s my responsibility. We said it in the Covenant.¡±


    ¡°Screw the Covenant!¡±


    ¡°Language.¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ but I mean it. Gabi, please!¡±


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    Gabrielle looked at Baraqiel for a bit longer, but said nothing. She wanted to go with them, she wanted to see this ¡°better place¡± they all kept talking about! She had always wanted to go, even after the first time she heard of it¡­ but this responsibility hung on her neck, or at least she felt like it did. Weighing her down, tying her to Jericho. She didn¡¯t want anyone else to suffer like Baraqiel and the other children did.


    So that night she let go of her Angel, her first friend. She allowed them to slowly, clumsily walk away from her and towards the caravans. She didn¡¯t dare to get closer to the wagons, knowing that if she did she may just jump in one at the last second¡­


    So standing alone on the abandoned camp, she stared as the Half Moon finally reached its peak, and the most beautiful light she had ever seen illuminated the entire clear in the forest. For a few moments, she was blind¡­ and when the sight returned to her, the caravan was gone.


    And so was Baraqiel.


    ***


    By the moment Gabi woke up, she could still hear the ringing echoes of battlecries coming from outside the building she had been tossed into. She looked around herself, feeling her broken arm slowly and pulling off the bent pieces of metal that once were a gauntlet. Her eyes darted from side to side, seeing old furnaces, rolling machines and many other contraptions she didn¡¯t recognise.


    ¡°H¡­How did I¡­get here¡­?¡± Gabrielle mumbled as she pulled herself back up.


    ¡°Holy shit, you¡¯re alive!?¡±


    Hiding not very far from her, right behind a huge table that had been thrown on its side, there was a muscular looking woman wearing a thick black apron. Gabrielle couldn¡¯t recognise her face, but she knew enough of the world to at least know when she was looking at a smithy.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She stated, still rubbing her arm. As expected it had already recovered its shape and sturdiness in the time she spent knocked out. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°One of those things tossed you straight through my door, girl! You should be broken in pieces, you witch!¡±


    ¡°I am not, though.¡±


    ¡°Exactly my point! What are you!?¡±


    Gabrielle ignored the question. She had been asked that very same thing so many times in her life that, at this point, she didn¡¯t even know herself. The girl simply decided to try and look for her sword¡­ only to find it not too far from her, completely bent by the impact. Gabi panicked, she couldn¡¯t go back outside without a weapon, she would be dead weight! Looking around she tried to think of something, until her eyes laid upon the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.


    A long, long and pristine piece of steel, almost as tall as she was, hanging right above the smithy¡¯s entranceway. Gabrielle¡¯s jaw dropped, and she pointed at the thing with eagerness in her eyes.


    ¡°What is that.¡±


    ¡°You rude little witch!¡± The smithy didn¡¯t take well being ignored. ¡°Urgh, anyways! That¡¯s a two-hander. A memento of the stuff I made while I lived in Germania¡­ It¡¯s not for sale.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you 10 golden thrones.¡±


    ¡°Sweet Saints of Mercy, woman! It¡¯s not for sale!¡±


    ¡°Twenty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a ridiculous weapon, not made for regular combat!¡±


    ¡°Thirty.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s made for decapitating horses, witch!¡±


    ¡°Fifty.¡±


    The smithy let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing her face and just, waving her hand to give the girl permission to take it. That thing was not doing any good just hanging on the wall like that anyways, and it¡¯s not like she was not  going to take this witch¡¯s money. Gabrielle quickly counted up to ten five times and tossed the result to the smithy on a little pouch, before reaching for the sword.


    ¡°No refunds, it¡¯s not my fault if you can¡¯t wield that¡ª¡±


    Now it was the blacksmith¡¯s jaw that was left hanging, as she saw Gabrielle pulling the enormous sword and slowly swinging it from side to side as a practice, almost as if it had no weight to it.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±

 Chapter 87: Of timely arrivals

    ¡°One at a time! Please, one at a time, we will take everyone right out of here in no time!¡±


    The few guards lucky enough to stay behind during Caen¡¯s siege were up to their head in work to do: from spreading the word of evacuation to everywhere in the City to making sure people didn¡¯t trample each other to death while accessing the many, many ships docked in the pier. It was madness, really! All in such short notice! But at least they had the good luck of having several boats arrive just recently to the city.


    Among all the people nervously waiting for entrance on the next ship out of the city, there was a certain blonde bounty huntress. Walking slowly, dodging the pushing and shoving of so many people, she was doing her best to stay calm during the whole situation. Because of the general feeling of impending doom and the danger of being eviscerated alive by one of the hungering bog bodies? No, of course not.


    Lucrece¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t stop thinking of Gabrielle.


    ¡°Why do I care!? She wants to throw her life off the board, well let her!¡± She repeated to herself as she walked with the mob, clinging to the pole of her halberd. ¡°I owe her  nothing anymore, she¡¯s just a stranger I picked up somewhere and nothing more!¡±


    Oh but to remember that dumb bumpkin¡¯s innocent smile, her clumsy way of fighting and her absolute recklessness¡­ she couldn¡¯t help but feel worried about her. Killing a few bog walkers at a time was one thing, but an entire Horde!? She would be shredded to smiling pieces in no time! And for some reason Lucrece couldn¡¯t help but feel responsible for it all.


    The reason became more and more obvious the more she thought about it.


    ¡°God, please no. I don¡¯t need more attachments, not again¡­¡±


    Lucy groaned, taking a full stop and turning right around. In a whim she decided that, damn it, if she was going to die, she better die doing something reckless and stupid! For reasons! But then she heard a voice. One she had never heard before, but that somehow rang loudly In her ears.


    ¡°Please! I need your help! Has anyone seen this girl!?¡±


    Turning around, Lucrece saw a woman. A black haired, thin and small woman dressed in a black nun¡¯s habit, holding a piece of paper with a drawing on it.


    A drawing of a little girl with red hair.


    Seeing that no one else was really paying attention to the poor bastard, Lucy immediately rushed over to the woman and raised her hand, trying to call for her attention. The nun could barely see her, but she was so desperate that her eyes immediately locked on to the one response she had gotten since she arrived in Caen.


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    ¡°Oi! Oi you!¡± Lucy yelled. ¡°You are looking for Gabrielle, aren¡¯t you!?¡±


    Finally getting some hope in her heart, Arianna pushed her way over to the blonde. Lucrece really didn¡¯t think that little woman had so much strength in her.


    ¡°You know her! Oh thanks the Saints, where is she!? What is happening!?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ err, I have some good news and some bad news. Which ones do you want first?¡±


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    From a hill nearby the plains surrounding Caen, the first Battalion of the Church was soon joined by several others. It was the rendezvous point, after all! Slowly, progressively, the once small group now comprised at least a hundred people. Twenty Eight Battalions, each leaded by a Coronel and their Lieutenant, observed how the city THEY intended to storm was already being assailed by a Horde the size of which they hadn¡¯t see in years.


    ¡°Could this be a punishment from the Creator¡­?¡± One of the lieutenants, a heavily armoured man, stood off from his horse to look at the city from a bit closer. ¡°Perhaps He has decided this city is to fall¡­?¡±


    ¡°But what about the heretics!?¡± A very eager Coronel dressed in long white robes grumbled, shaking his head. ¡°We can¡¯t simply let them escape.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention the casualties.¡± Ignatius politely reminded the inquisitors of the human lives at stake. ¡°What do you think, my lady?¡±


    Esperanza was standing a big far from the rest of the Coronels, helping herself with a huge pair of binoculars to see the battle at the gates. She could already see bodies, which was distressing¡­ but she could also see a wild set of red hairs sometimes peeking from within the madness of bog walkers and bloody action. She gasped, it was easy to discern what was happening.


    ¡°She¡¯s trying to help¡­¡±


    ¡°What was that, my lady?¡± Ignatius tilted his head.


    ¡°I said that we must help.¡± She turned around and, without paying the other Coronels any mind, mounted her horse. ¡°First Battalion, and anyone brave enough, follow me. We wont allow more bloodshed in the lands of the Saints!¡±


    ¡°Hold your horse, Saint Esperanza!¡± The armoured lieutenant raised a hand. ¡°Are you really sure this is wise? Even with all of us here, we are outnumbered.¡±


    ¡°And!? Do you not strive to reach the light like I¡¯ve done? Like many have done before me?¡± The Dame turned around on her horse to face the man. ¡°If so, you cannot let cowardice or conceit cloud your judgement. The Church exists for the Good of the People, our people! The same who are being slaughtered while we stand here twiddling our thumbs.¡±


    The soldiers looked at each other, unsure if to feel inspired or insulted by Esperanza¡¯s words, as she once again turned towards the battlefield.


    ¡°I have been there, fearful, alone, wishing for the light of our Saints to reach me. And I know that I am not the only one who has suffered here! All of you have, in some moment, wanted and reached for help. Have you received it!?¡± The people looked at each other again. ¡°I have. And I will be forever thankful for it. There is no greater happiness than the feeling of a helping hand reaching back at you¡­ Today, it is our chance to be that helping hand!¡±


    Esperanza took a moment to breathe, before continuing.


    ¡°Our people need us right now, and I will not stand here and watch them suffer. And neither should you, brave men and women of the Church of the Saints! If we die, we die in glory and we return to the embrace of our proud Saints! Let us make them look at our deeds and smile with jubilation!¡±


    The girl raised her lance, and some of the members of the assembled army immediately reacted by raising their arms as well. It wasn¡¯t all of them¡­ but she didn¡¯t need all of them, at least she felt she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°For the Saints!¡±


    As the brave few decided to take the first charge along with Esperanza, the rest could see how the clouds above Caen slowly parted, beams of holy light raining down on the Dame.

 Chapter 88: Of Charges

    ¡°Retreat! Retreat!¡± The captain screamed to the top of his lungs, rising his own lance to impale another charging bog body. ¡°Fall back!¡±


    The signal still wasn¡¯t visible in the sky, but the old man recognized the losing battle on his hands, and his people were on the verge of abandoning their posts anyways. He had bought his people as much time as he possibly could, but if they hadn¡¯t evacuated by now, there simply was no hope for anyone to escape, and he knew it. So instead of letting his people die, he would allow them to run¡­ but as for him? He would stay.


    As the cowards among his soldiers immediately turned tail and ran for their lives, some of the more loyal members of the guard noticed how the captain didn¡¯t make a single motion to leave.


    ¡°Sir!¡±, a young soldier cried out. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly mean to stay alone?!¡±


    ¡°This is my responsibility!¡±, the captain didn¡¯t even turn around to look at him, focused on keeping the creatures away. ¡°You people still have battles to fight! Go, now! Before it¡¯s too late!¡±


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°It was an honor to serve with you all! Now get the fuck out of here!¡±


    What remained of the guard heeded that order, as loyal as they were there was still appreciation for life in them. And so, soon enough, the Captain was completely alone and surrounded by the hungering beasts that clicked with excitement when seeing a hearty meal all by itself. Once more the captain closed his eyes and prayed, his trembling arms barely able to hold his weapon any longer. If this was the end of his life, he would face it with honor.


    But then, a cacophony. The screams of a young woman came along with the swishing sound of a singing sword. Opening his eyes in disbelief, the Captain saw the redheaded witch rising back from the building she had been thrown into, her vigor renewed and her fury burning with such intensity that even the clicking beasts hesitated for a second.


    ¡°OUT OF MY WAY!¡±


    Flesh and bone broke under the pressure of Gabrielle¡¯s sword, blood flying and sputtering all around as the woman spun in perfect circles, cutting everything that dared to stand in her path. The captain himself had to jump out of the woman¡¯s way as she cleared the area, heads and arms flying around like it was nothing¡­ until the woman had to eventually stop spinning, stumbling and holding her head with a hand. She clearly had no idea how to wield such a massive weapon.


    ¡°Run, sir. I will hold the line.¡± Gabrielle barked as loudly as she could, but her throat was sore from all the screaming.


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    ¡°Kid, you wield that thing like a club! What in the heavens do you think you are doing!?¡± The captain couldn¡¯t help but smile there. ¡°Have you ever wielded a two-hander before!?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I have.¡±


    ¡°It shows! No time for a lesson now though, keep swinging! Aim for the heads! If they catch your sword with their pincers you¡¯re dead!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Said and done, Gabrielle would continue to swing her blade with all the strength she could muster. Indeed, she moved like the blade was a huge club, and was truly lucky that the sword was as sharp as it was! Cutting through the bodies of advancing monstrosities like mowing the lawn with a scythe was not the most elegant or force-effective way of dealing with a horde, but it certainly was helping them hold the line.


    But eventually, without fail, the beasts would learn the one weakness of this strategy: just stop walking towards the sword-swinging maniac and let her tire herself up.


    The bog walkers formed a wide circle around both the Captain and Gabrielle, keeping their distance and trying their best to avoid the witch¡¯s blade while continuing their advance into the city. She still could cleave through a few unlucky strays, dashing from side to side, but that was already pushing her body to the limit.


    ¡°It was a good try, kid¡­¡± The Captain comforted her. ¡°But this is as far as we go.¡±


    ¡°I can¡­ still¡­ fight¡­¡± Gabrielle said while panting, her grip on her sword starting to loosen. ¡°I can¡­ still fight¡­!¡±


    The old man shook her head slowly, but dared not to say anything. At least they had the horde¡¯s attention right now, creatures hungrily gathering around them¡­ and then, they heard it. In the distance, the echoes of war horns approaching and the unmistakable sound of horses approaching in mass. There was a change in the demeanor of the bog walkers, the push into the city stopping temporarily as they turned to face the coming threat: a new army approached, clad in black and gold and carrying beautiful banners with the most picturesque patterns. Griffiths, Manticores, Dragons, all kinds of mythological creatures bowing to the Holy T and the Golden Crown of the Church of the Saints.


    Gabrielle¡¯s eyes widened. This was the second time she was faced with the beauty of the Saint¡¯s Army and even now, years later, she still felt that spark of childhood wonder shine brighter from the impression. Still, there was no time to really bask in the radiance of her saviors, for even if they arrived now, there was still a large group of bog walkers surrounding her. A perfect ring of predators, waiting for Gabrielle to put down her sword and then feast on her flesh.


    But then, Gabrielle heard another familiar sound: a voice, yelling at her.


    ¡°Gabrielle you fool what are you doing!?¡±


    A halberd wielding woman literally fell from the skies, its blade skewering one of the creatures as she landed on top of it. Lucrece frowned, her one eye glaring at the redhead as she pulled her weapon out of the now dead bog walker, and rapidly flourished with it before cutting down a second one.


    ¡° I thought I taught you better than this! Have you forgotten my lessons already!?¡±


    Gabi¡¯s heart fluttered for a moment, emotion filling her eyes before she shook her head quickly. ¡°I am sorry. I may have forgotten a bit.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. We will have a talk after this is all done, you hear me!?¡± Lucrece smiled there, running away from the hungry claws of more monstrosities and joining the two warriors in the center of the circle. ¡°By the way¡­ I have a message from someone in the piers. A friend of yours? Ari-something like that.¡±


    ¡°...Arianna.¡± Strength returned to Gabrielle¡¯s arms, her grip growing firmer by the second. ¡°Is she here?¡±


    ¡°She waits for us in the piers! She is eager to see you, so you better not die here and now, you hear me !?¡±


    The Captain, on the other hand, was completely dumbfounded. Where did these people keep coming from? Was he really being saved by women right now? He would have to re-evaluate some things if he managed to survive this invasion.

 Chapter 89: Of Chance Encounters

    A full on battle had ensued on the surface. Lucrece had to use all her arsenal of tricks to keep up with Gabrielle¡¯s destructive power, jumping from head to head and feeling the pain on her legs growing harder and harder to withstand, all while the redheaded witch swung her two-hander from one side to the other, the sharp edge of that slab of steel easily breaking through skin, chitin and bone. Her arms were tired, her posture lacking, but the sheer force of her sword was compensating for now¡­ and reinforcements had finally arrived. Riders skewered abominations by the dozen, most of them managing to actually break through the creature¡¯s siege and access the city.


    But sadly, there were those without luck. Poor saps whose horses were caught by the claws of the bog walkers before they could react or move away, their screams echoing through the whole city as terror mixed with pain. Click, click, clack. Their armour offered little to no defense against the closing of the creatures¡¯ claws, flesh and bone being cut without mercy and then devoured by hungry mouths with a myriad of teeth.


    The captain closed his eyes for a moment, just¡­ internally mourning those bastards. No one deserves a death that grizzly, that painful and quick. Too old to jump like the blonde girl did, he opted for remaining in the ground, covering the redhead¡¯s back with his lance, poking quick holes on the chest of anything that dared get too close to them.


    The circle around the three had broken as the bog walkers¡¯ ranks devolved into complete disarray. Even if most of them were too ravenous to even consider running away, there were those specimen among them that held enough of their self-preservation instinct to at least try to play it smarter, hiding behind the less aware members of their own horde and letting them be killed first by the arriving army.


    Battle shifted direction, going from trying entering the city to putting all effort into pushing back the intruding Church Battalions. Gabrielle¡¯s arms fell as the bog walkers seemed to lose all interest in them, turning to push outwards and face the more immediate threat. She needed a moment to think, to breathe and properly recover from all the concussions and the abuse of her poor muscles. Lucrece arrived with her soon after, landing close and letting out a deep sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thank the saints these people are here¡­ for a moment I was starting to worry, to be honest!¡±


    ¡°Battle is still not over.¡± Gabrielle pointed at what was left of the horde, squealing and screeching while the soldiers of the Church did their best to fight back¡­ with limited success. ¡°It¡¯s a bloodbath¡­¡±


    ¡°They are being reckless! Have they never fought a bog walker before!?¡± The captain shook his head slowly. ¡°They wont be able to keep them busy forever, not when the Horde acts as it does.¡±


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    ¡°You have seen hordes before, old man.¡± Lucy narrowed her eye, catching the wisdom in the Captain¡¯s words.


    ¡°This is not the first city I see fall to one, no.¡± He sighed. ¡°I thought it would be the last for a moment, though. Thank you¡­¡±


    ¡°You are welcome.¡± Gabi spoke out of compulsion, it was hard not to say that when someone thanks you. ¡°Now go with your people. We will stay here for a moment.¡±


    ¡°...Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    The captain was old, but that didn¡¯t make him appreciate life any less. If there was a chance for him to escape, he would certainly take it. Turning tail, the man rushed straight out of the battlefield¡­ Lucrece blinked twice.


    ¡°We are staying!? Why! We already did our best, woman. Let¡¯s get out!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I still have to try.¡± The redhead sighed, rolling her shoulders and taking the sword in both hands. ¡°I think I can end this bloodbath.¡±


    ¡°Oh boy¡­¡±


    With a frustrated sigh the lancer simply accepted, already knowing that she couldn¡¯t convince the woman of anything when determination filled her eyes.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, a desperate Dame tried her best to guide her people to what should had been an easy victory. Wielding her lance with grace and power she cut the heads of as many beasts as she could, only to see them being replaced with twice as many creatures as she killed. Esperanza gulped, seeing her people dying to these uncharacteristically smart creatures only pushed her determination further to end this battle soon.


    She looked up and onwards, seeing how the beast collective had completely turned towards them filled her heart with conflicting emotions. It was great to take away the attention of those abominations from innocent civilians, but at the same time it was costing them a lot. But she also saw a figure, a woman of red hairs rising her sword¡­ looking right back at her.


    And both felt it again, that same connection they had months ago. Their eyes stared at each other for a moment, looking at the light in each other¡¯s soul, and a message was silently relayed. Gabrielle never understood how¡­ but just by looking at her in the eye, Esperanza knew precisely what to do.


    ¡°Fall back! Now!¡±


    The army looked back at her for an instant, unsure of what happened but not going to protest an order from their superior, especially if that order was to run for safety. The remaining soldiers turned to move away.


    Gabrielle could feel it, deep in her being: something burning green, beautiful, powerful¡­ the mark on her left arm began shining bright under her sleeves, the single rune marked on her skin by anger and desperation. Pain returned to her body, coursing through her veins and all over her skin, a burning, numbing pain that spread like roots all over her: Lightning, all contained within the girl¡¯s being like a raging storm, now sparked and flowed from Gabi¡¯s hands into her sword, as she slowly raised it to the skies.


    Don¡¯t faint, don¡¯t faint¡­!


    The blade of her sword began shining with a bright blue, the steel practically about to burn. Absolute power, distilled destruction concentrated in a single sword¡­ Gabrielle was not really aware of just how much energy she held in that second. She just kept focusing more, and more, and more of it!


    ¡°Gabi!¡± Lucrece could barely see in the middle of all that light, but she could feel how the redhead spasmed and shook out of pain. ¡°Gabi, that''s enough! Let it out!¡±


    The words were her guide, and she was going to oblige. With a single swing downwards, she could feel the relief of her whole body letting go, electricity unleashed to its maximum potential, with the sound of a myriad trumpets going off at the same time.

 Chapter 90: Of Disappointment

    Light continued to push its way everywhere in the depths of Caen¡¯s sewers. The cacophony of screams, carnage and on the higher levels did not reach here, it was all but a mere ¡°unfortunate side effect¡± from the creation of a Beacon like this. A Magical Beacon, so powerful was its light that no matter if the right person didn¡¯t see it, they would feel it in their soul, the summoning. And the people there were counting on it.


    The Demiurges had planned this for years, carefully planting hints hidden enough to keep away from the Church¡¯s nose but clear enough for Him to notice and follow.


    ¡°Hold on just a bit longer, everyone!¡± A leader had raised among them, one of the younger Demiurges that had managed to retain both his determination and the ring on his finger. ¡°The gate is already opening, I can feel it!¡±


    The Beacon was not the only spell they were attempting to summon, no. There was more to that cauldron than just lights and noise: deep within, hidden on all the display of power, the very fabric of existence was being pulled from two sides by invisible hands. It would be just a matter of time before the smallest of tears appeared and then, if their theory was correct, winds of Magic would once again begin blowing  in Jericho. It was a farfetched, desperate solution, but it was also the only one they had reached after years of independent and conjoined research.


    Today was the day of their Great Work, the day the entire world recovered its blessings.


    But then, they heard steps splashing in the water. Light, slow and relaxed, advancing against the light and the fluttering winds coming from their beacon. Some people turned around, only to see a petite figure in white robes advancing towards them, his hair covered by a big, white hat. Some of them couldn¡¯t recognize this figure, but those who did felt their jaws drop in an instant, their hands trembling. The Man of Stone stood right there, in front of them, seemingly undisturbed by the sheer power of their spell.


    ¡°M-Mustaf¨¢¡­!¡± The leader yelped, suppressing the need of leaving everything behind and just turning slightly to look at the man in white. ¡°Quick! We are so close! Come and help us!¡±


    The Man of Stone remained in place, his cold golden eyes darting from one member of the group to the next, before focusing on the Beacon of light they had created. After taking it all in, he finally and simply asked.


    ¡°What in the blazes do you think you are doing¡­?¡±


    There was consternation among the Demiurges, what could that question mean? Was it a test, was he demanding someone to define the process in detail? In the middle of it all? Was he making sure they were doing their job properly? Or was he actually just truly and completely confused? Whatever the case, the leader cleared his throat and spoke up.


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    ¡°Our Leader has returned, everyone! Let the Beacon fade!¡± The light dimmed slowly, the darkness of the sewers regaining a bit of dominion over everything¡­ but the cauldron still illuminated slightly. One could now see, clear as the day, red threads flowing slowly into it, dripping from the ceiling. ¡°Master Mustaf¨¢! We are opening a Gate to Babel! We are finally ready to receive its blessing!¡±


    ¡°A gate to Babel, are you insane?¡± The Man of Stone spoke with no emotion, and yet his words carried a dumbfounded, angry weight. ¡°Do you have any idea what is going on outside? It¡¯s a Pandaemonium, a horde.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we calculated that possibility as well! The emotions produced in it are giving us more than enough fuel to maintain the process!¡±


    ¡°And have you thought, for a single moment, the amount of attention you are pulling to yourselves?¡±


    The Demiurges gasped, looking back at the leader while he started to feel his past determination shrivel up and die in his chest. Still, he held fast to his belief and confronted his master with growing frustration in his eyes.


    ¡°We will be gone far before the Church can arrive! It will be easy!¡±


    ¡°The Church is already here.¡± Mustaf¨¢ narrowed his eyes. ¡°You were sloppy, they expected you.¡±


    ¡°W-What!? But¡­ but, how¡­¡±


    People put down their hands, breathing heavily as panic began to wash over them in violent waves. All that magic they had gathered began to dissipate and spread back into the air before even the tiniest of breaches could break through reality. The Church, had they really found the hints they had left across the world all this time? But they made sure their Master could be the only one who could read them. It was impossible for anyone else to decode them, unless¡­


    ¡°You¡­ you sold us out¡­¡± Someone whispered, but no one saw who.


    ¡°Now you shift the blame on me. How blind can you get?¡± Mustaf¨¢ shook his head slowly, a small sigh escaping his lips. ¡°You¡¯ve become so enamored with your own ideas that you didn¡¯t even see the despair you¡¯ve planted growing into the vines that now strangle you.¡±


    ¡°We are the bearers of the torch of progress, the only ones who understand magic and its nuances! Can you really blame us for disregarding the ideas of the uninitiated?¡±


    ¡°Not really, that much I can understand. There¡¯s little value in the words of a fool.¡± The Man of Stone was willing to admit. ¡°But the Church has powerful magicians of their own, you are not the only ones in possession of knowledge. Have you really grown so full of yourselves that you couldn¡¯t even consider that fact?¡± Silence, no one really knew how to answer that. Mages in the Church? How hypocritical could they get? ¡°And besides. They are not the only ones you should be afraid of right now.¡±


    A tremor began shaking the entire sewer system. Demiurges looked at each other in confusion, as cracks began appearing on the ceiling, spreading further and further. Mustaf¨¢ was either ignorant or uncaring of this, turning his back on those who had tried to learn from him for all these years. He only had a few final words for them.


    ¡°You are, by far, my biggest disappointment.¡±


    Mustaf¨¢ closed his eyes as blinding light poured from the cracks on the rock before completely breaking through. The demiurges covered their eyes, trying to shield themselves from it. When they opened them again, Mustaf¨¢ was already gone, but not only that: the ceiling had fractured completely, leaving a wide hole exposing them to the absolute chaos of the surface.


    And standing atop the ruins of the sewers, right in front of them, there was a new figure. A red headed woman, with hatred burning in her eyes.

 Chapter 91: Of Vengeance

    The earth had crumbled under Gabrielle¡¯s call for lightning, and for a second everything in her world was chaos, pain and clouds of dust. She had managed to stay on her feet this time, which was great advancement, but the amount of devastation in her wake seemed to only get worse this time. The redhead felt guilty, knowing that someone would have to repair the way now that she ruined everything; but it was worth it, or at least she hoped it was, for this was certainly the end for most of the horde.


    ¡°Lucy? Everyone? Hello?¡±


    Gabi¡¯s eyes looked all around the place for a moment. She was now standing in the middle of the stinky sewers, light reaching down from the enormous hole she had broken into them. She couldn¡¯t see Lucrece, or anyone really¡­ until her eyes locked on a figure. A group of figures, in fact, all robed in black clothes and reunited in front of a cauldron. Images flashed through Gabrielle¡¯s mind, as this whole situation struck a nerve in her: the way these people were hidden, the rings on some of their hands! She couldn¡¯t recognize their faces and yet, she could swear she had seen some of them before.


    There was no doubt in her mind.


    ¡°Demiurge.¡±


    Confusion turned into fury in a split second. A cold, instantaneous hatred pumping hard and loud through the woman¡¯s veins, as her hand clung harder to the slab of steel she now called her sword. Recognition also came to the sorcerer¡¯s eyes, immediately remembering the inexpressive face, the burning blue eyes and the filthy red hair of the woman who had been assailing them for so long. Had she really found them again!? How did this woman keep finding them!?


    ¡°Everyone scatter! Quic¨C¡±


    One of the Demiurges turned for a second, trying to snap his dumbfounded comrades back into reality, but he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Gabrielle¡¯s sword found a way to his neck in an instant, blood pumping  and splattering all around the now headless body as her victim¡¯s horrified expression fell to its side. Someone screamed, but no one had the time to see who: They could only stare at the bloodthirsty woman, rushing towards someone else. The four who still retained their rings were quick to squeeze them, trying to use the spell engraved in their steel.


    ¡°Cover our retreat, o Candela!¡±


    Four lights flashed at the same time, blinding¡­ but Gabrielle was already used to the pain in her eyes. Instead of stopping on her tracks, this time the woman continued rushing onwards, her sword swinging all the same, and even with the light advantage someone screamed again with pain shaking their entire body. A hand flew away from its arm, blood once again flowing onto the floor while people ran in all directions.


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    Unfortunately for Gabrielle, that was the last hit she could land before the group of demiurges ran straight for the sewers. As soon as she was able to open her eyes again, Gabi knew in her heart that her prey was still close¡­ this was the first time she saw so many demiurges in just one place. A unique opportunity, to say the least.


    And she wouldn¡¯t let this chance escape her, not now nor never again.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Tonitrus and Alexa had managed to escape by the hairs of their chins, running straight through one of the tunnels in the sewers without really thinking of where they were going beyond just wanting to get as far away from that girl as possible. Who was her? Why was she hunting them down!? One could easily think she was working with the church but the possibilities of them accepting a redhead in their ranks were minimal! And besides, Mustaf¨¢ himself had said it: the Church was not the only thing they should fear.


    But if she wasn¡¯t with the Church, then why? Had they wronged her in some way?


    Screams echoed from the depths of the sewage system. Battlecries and pained, terrified yelps¡­ the girl was growing closer to them.


    ¡°Quick, prepare an escape spell!¡± Tonitrus still tried to play the leader role, even if the group had completely disbanded by now. ¡°Do you have the ingredients!?¡±


    ¡°I do, I do! Just like he taught us!¡± Alexa thanked the heavens for giving her such foresight, she had left her things prepared to bail as soon as things got dicey. ¡°We just need a moment to deploy!¡±


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for!?¡±


    Letting out a frustrated huff, Alexa began the process: she just needed to trace a specific circle on any surface and add the required ingredients to its center. There was no time for stating the specific coordinates or anything, for any other place would be better than this one; all she needed was to specify that she wanted to be on the surface, to avoid accidentally opening a portal to the bottom of the ocean. Taking a piece of chalk, and remembering that the wet floors of the sewers may not be the best surface for a ritual circle, the demiurge quickly began sketching the circle on one of the walls. She needed the rune for Distance, the rune for Movement, and the rune for Light. But the walls were damp and slimy, and the steps of the merciless woman grew closer and closer.


    ¡°Quickly, damn it! Quickly!¡±


    Alexa needed a few tries before the chalk stuck to the wall, drawing a very ugly circle and then tracing the three runes they needed around it. Then, the ingredients: She pulled a flask full of a concoction made out of blood, oil and finely pulverized crystal. Now, she had to find a way to properly and carefully apply the mix on the circle.


    ¡°She¡¯s almost here!¡±


    Caution to the wind. Alexa grabbed the flask and violently threw it against the wall, letting it splatter all over the circle before slamming her hand on the stain on the wall. Pieces of glass and pulverized crystal were stabbing onto her skin but she didn¡¯t care at all, she used the pain to fuel the urgency of her spell. She pressed harder against the wall, flinching and focusing as much as she could¡­ until finally, the green flame of magic ignited deep inside of her chest.


    A gust of wind pushed against them, powerfully blowing as a tear was open in the fabric of reality itself, connecting those sewers with a beautiful scene of a snowy forest, all through a very irregular-looking green portal. There was little time. Alexa immediately rushed through the portal she had just opened and reached out for Tonitrus with a hand.


    ¡°Here! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The man reached out as well, for a second his fingers touching Alexa¡¯s, only to then see a pair of cold blue eyes staring from the darkness. He couldn¡¯t react. Right before he could hold his comrade¡¯s hand, Tonitrus felt the weight of a massive sword sink deep into his shoulder, pushing him to the floor while the unstable portal dissipated, erasing all marks of its existence from the wall.

 Chapter 92: Of Anger

    Without the hood or the pompous attitude to cover him, Tonitrus looked like any other young man in Jericho: dark skin, black hair and a look of utter, abject horror in his eyes. Gabrielle was standing right in front of him, her sword sinking so deep into the young man¡¯s shoulder that he couldn¡¯t even hope to move it, or the rest of his body. She looked frustrated, and with good reason: she always aimed for the head, but this time exhaustion had taken a toll on her aim. There was no reason to give these people more time of the day than just a swift death¡­ and yet, when Gabi tried to pull her sword out, the man grabbed its blade and kept it in place, shooting  her a defiant glare.


    ¡°W-Why¡­ are you doing this¡­?!¡± Tonitrus managed to utter, taking slow gasps to try and keep the pain under control. ¡°Who are you!?¡±


    The woman stared back at him, unblinking. Seeing that she wouldn¡¯t be able to pull her sword out, she pushed harshly  back in, leaving a huge gash on the man¡¯s hand to force him to let go¡­ and yet he still held on to it, his hand trembling as blood began staining the blade.


    ¡°Answer me! Who or what are you!?¡±


    ¡°My name is Gabrielle.¡± Once again, she pulled the blade. ¡°People call me Gabi.¡±


    Tonitrus let out a pained snarl, his back arching and his feet kicking in the water, but his hand still didn¡¯t let go of the sword. He knew for a fact that if he allowed this crazy woman to recover control of that steel slab, she would most certainly kill him on the spot. He needed to make time, time for¡­


    ¡­ For what, really? All the others definitely ran away already. This would be his same fate if the Church snatched him, unless he confessed of course. Whatever the case, he was certainly screwed.


    So then, why did he cling to life like this? Fear of death? Or maybe¡­ maybe he just wanted to know.


    ¡°Why are you killing us like this!? Who sent you!? The Church!? The local crown!?¡±


    ¡°No one.¡± Frustrated, Gabrielle twisted the sword slightly, squeezing another pained scream from the man. ¡°Now be quiet and die.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you doing this!?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­.¡±


    Why.


    Why was she doing this?


    Saint Martha never killed anyone, except for a few dragons of course. This was certainly not what she would do! She would kick the butts of anyone who wronged her, but killing them¡­ no one had told her to do it. It¡¯s something that came to her naturally, as her way to stop them from spreading suffering.


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    So she did it to stop them from spreading suffering? Was that really it?


    No. No it wasn¡¯t.


    She could still feel the pain coursing through her body, the years of neglect and torture. She could see the faces of Donatella and Samantha, and the many others that ¡°ascended¡± under Father¡¯s constant work. Every time she summoned it, every time electricity pushed her to the limit, she remembered it all again. Samantha¡¯s body on the ground, motionless; Baraqiel¡¯s marks all over his skin.


    Gabrielle narrowed her eyes¡­ and for the first time, she felt words push their way up her throat, one after another.


    ¡°Because I hate you.¡±


    She was surprised by that! She had never truly crystalized her emotions into words before, but the relief coming from it pushed her to speak even more:


    ¡°I hate you. I hate you! All of you! All demiurges! And as long as I am alive, you will never know peace.¡±


    Tonitrus¡¯ eyes opened widely, he screamed as the woman twisted the sword inside of him a bit more. The pain forced him to let go of the sword, and Gabrielle immediately pulled it back out, raising it and preparing for the coup de grace. At that moment, the demiurge understood it all: this woman was one of the survivors from a Demiurge¡¯s experiments. To think someone would be as sloppy as to leave someone alive and harboring grudges like that! In his last moments,  the man cursed both that fool and the monster of hate he had created.


    As the sword swung down, he closed his eyes and waited.


    ¡°STOP!¡±


    The impact was minimum. He felt a cut on the top of his head, but nothing beyond a grace. The sword had stopped right before touching bone. Tonitrus opened his eyes, staring at Gabrielle for an instant, then looking up at the sword on his head¡­ and then he fainted, unable to endure pain and stress for longer.


    Confused as to whom commanded her and why, Gabi turned around and saw¡­ an old friend.


    A woman around her age clad in shiny, beautiful silver armour, with brilliant locks of black hair falling from her head and a pair of hazel eyes staring right at her with a concerned look. This woman was panting, a hand raised towards her.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Many inquiries had been made about the old Alp¨¦ Forests up north. Whispers of the last colony of demihumans hiding away from the entire world there. Excited, Esperanza and Ignatius had taken the vanguard work on herself, scouting the way into the woods, eager to find and talk to the disappearing demihumans to ask a million questions. At first her search didn¡¯t pull many results, just some game prancing about and mild signs of habitation near the only river crossing the thicket.


    But things changed when she saw the lights in the forest.


    No one really believed her much when speaking about it, but Esperanza could swear it: she saw light falling from the Moon, as if the Sphere was weeping for them all. Was it a sign from the Saints? Maybe the Creator himself? She could not say, but she followed the lights to the best of her ability. They guided her to a clear in the middle of it all, a place she somehow had missed despite her best efforts.


    Abandoned tents, old cooking spots and pieces of cloth scattered about¡­ but not only that. There was also a young redheaded girl, sitting in the middle of it all with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Why do you cry?¡± Asked Esperanza, walking over to her while Ignatius investigated the scene.


    ¡°They are all gone.¡± Said Gabrielle, shaking her head slowly. ¡°All of them.¡±


    ¡°Where did they go¡­?¡±


    ¡°To a better place.¡±


    Her words were cryptic, but somehow Esperanza understood what she meant. They had all walked away from this world, going somewhere kinder to them, softer, more welcoming¡­ somewhere both girls yearned to go one day.


    The black haired saint looked at Gabrielle for a moment. She didn¡¯t have her name and yet, with a single look into her sorrowful eyes, she felt it. Kinship, understanding¡­ experiences that harrowed, deep in her soul. Esperanza wished to talk, long and deep! To see how right her intuition was¡­ but a sign from Ignatius made it clear that they had no time for pleasantries.


    ¡°Go. Run.¡± She told the redhead. ¡°The Genesis are coming, and they don¡¯t like people like you¡­ run.¡±


    Gabrielle was confused for a moment, but she knew that the Genesis were bad news for her. Standing up and cleaning her eyes, she looked at the Saint one last time, before quickly disappearing into the forests.

 Chapter 93: Of Mercy

    Both women looked at each other for a long time, tense. Feeling the seat trailing down their necks, their breathing hectic and uncomfortable. Esperanza very slowly lowered her hand, calming down when seeing that the furious Gabrielle could be reasoned with after all. But the redhead wasn¡¯t exactly happy, she kept her sword unsheathed as a way of saying she could kill that man at any time she wanted, all it took was a provocation.


    ¡°Why did you stop me?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t out of mercy or a moral problem, to be honest. If Esperanza had been the one arriving first, she most definitely would have slaughtered these people without an ounce of consideration for them, but she needed at least one alive to make sure Ignatius didn¡¯t get in trouble.


    ¡°He must be punished.¡± Said the Saint, looking down on the unconscious man for a moment and then back at the redheaded girl. ¡°I¡­ I know you¡¯re angry. I am too, I promise. But please, we have to take him to the Dungeons, so he can tell us more of who he works with and why!¡±


    Gabrielle didn¡¯t feel especially inclined to believe this woman, but her words did make sense! And killing the man could make the Church¡¯s work even harder when it came to investigating. She quickly reached the conclusion that her constant ¡°scorched earth¡± policies may have given the people of the Church, or more specifically the Genesis, a big headache.


    ¡°I am sorry¡­¡± Gabi finally sheathed her sword. She didn¡¯t have the best of opinions of the Genesis, but if they were after the Demiurges as well, then maybe they were on the same side?


    ¡°You are fine. You were doing what you thought was right¡­¡± Esperanza really wanted to say ¡®remember that killing is wrong though¡¯, but she didn¡¯t exactly feel like she could say that without hypocrisy escaping her every pore. ¡°They hurt you too, right? I¡­ wanted to ask you before, but there wasn¡¯t time.¡±


    The redhead nodded, showing her left arm and the scars of electricity left in it. The rune of Lightning was still there as well, branded in ugly scar tissue. Esperanza covered her mouth for a moment. She wished she could tear her armour apart for a moment to show the marks on her back, but the time and the situation simply didn¡¯t allow for it.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ they can¡¯t hurt you anymore.¡± The Saint offered a calm smile. ¡°What is your name?¡±


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    ¡°Gabrielle¡­¡±


    ¡°Well Gabrielle, I am Esperanza. It is nice to finally meet you properly.¡±


    With some effort on her part, Gabi managed to smile back. It was forced, but not completely devoid of all emotion. She could feel it too, after all: that strange kinship with the saint, a feeling of being truly understood for once. But why? What did she see in this girl¡¯s eyes? What had she gone through exactly¡­


    ¡°They hurt you too.¡± She said out loud, while the Dame nodded slowly. ¡°That¡¯s why you hunt them, too? Because they hurt you.¡±


    ¡°I hunt them because it is the right thing to do, Gabrielle. They are dangerous heretics, rogue mages that endanger everyone around them. What they did to me doesn¡¯t matter in the slightest.¡±


    Neither of them believed that at all, but Gabrielle knew better than to contradict someone from the church. She let out a deep, shaking breath, her knees bending slightly from both pain and exhaustion; with the rush of the situation gone, so was her ability to ignore her body¡¯s needs, and now it demanded a rest right then and there. The redhead looked at Esperanza for a moment, trying to muster the strength to speak a few more words.


    ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°Now? We will take that man to the Church and extract as much as we can from him. How many did you kill?¡±


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡°Ugh. I am going to get into so much trouble¡­¡±


    Both women sighed, the Saint slowly shook her head as she turned around. There were echoes approaching. Soon, the whole place would be swarmed with soldiers looking for proof and hints for further investigation, eager to justify their presence in Caen. Not that they really need any justification, now that they were the saviors of the town, but it was still protocol¡­


    ¡°Gabrielle, you have to run. If they find you here, there will be trouble! And¡ª¡± There was a sudden splash. When Esperanza turned back around, she saw the redheaded girl floating on the shallow waters of the sewer just like the body behind her. ¡°Oh poppycock¡­¡±


    The sounds were approaching faster, and faster; Esperanza reached for Gabrielle, thinking of maybe carrying her to a safer spot or something¡­ but a hallberd flew straight between her hand and the girl. The Saint was quick enough to react, jumping away and reaching for her own spear while another woman arrived at the scene. A blonde woman with a single eye, wearing a feathered hat.


    ¡°Do not touch her!¡± The woman barked, standing in front of Gabrielle and pointing her weapon right at the black haired girl¡¯s neck. ¡°Back off!¡±


    ¡°Calm down, lady. There is nothing to fear.¡± Esperanza blinked slowly, keeping her standing and looking at the new arrival with confusion in her eyes. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think for a second that I don¡¯t know who you are, you little wretch¡­¡± Lucrece clung tightly to her weapon. She knew that in terms of skill, she was probably outmatched here, but she needed to at least play it off somehow. ¡°Lady Esperanza of Aragon, Saint of the Church and Great Inquisitor of the Saints¡­¡±


    ¡°You speak as if all that was a bad thing. Are you a servant of the Demiurges, woman?¡±


    ¡°I have no place in your demented war!¡± Luci shook her head. ¡°But I know enough of your dislike for the common folk, Hound of the Church.¡±


    ¡°Please, you have it all wrong! Where did you get these ideas¡­?¡± Esperanza¡¯s heart pumped loudly, she didn¡¯t know if to feel insulted or sad.


    ¡°Where did I get them!? From living in your realms, of course! Where else¡­!?¡±

 Chapter 94: Of Grudges

    Truth is that life on the Saints¡¯ side of Jericho was¡­ complicated. An ignorant, reactionary populace kept many members of society gated from basic dignity. The minorities, the foreigners, the demihumans, all who didn¡¯t conform to their standards was quickly ran out of the big cities and ostracized from the smaller, often more ¡°lenient¡± communities across the Church¡¯s territories. Of course, the Church didn¡¯t technically own any land! But with the influence it held on those who followed, they may as well reign as the true government since the fall of the Golden Empire.


    Lucrece had seen it all firsthand. She had the luck of being born with the right lastname for most of her childhood, but since becoming a sellsword things had turned sour and hard to manage. She didn¡¯t mind it on herself, after all she did profit on war! But seeing those less fortunate being kicked out again and again for being ¡°filthy¡± and ¡°wicked¡±, not to mention Gabrielle¡¯s trauma with her hair being on display¡­


    But all of this was news to Esperanza. She remembered very little of the days before her torture at the hands of a Demiurge, and her new upbringing with the Church had been comfortable in most ways. Of course she was aware of the struggle of the poor, she had to, right!? And it was only natural that the wicked were punished for their ways¡­ but to see such rejection to her presence from someone was shaking, and kind of scary.


    The Saint remained silent for a few moments, her emotions had turned into a huge and confusing tornado inside of her chest.


    ¡°Your people have left a trail of blood all over Jericho, and then demand others to worship them for it. Don¡¯t expect treatment like that from me.¡±


    With a soft grunt the blonde woman kneeled down and picked up Gabrielle, letting her rest on her back before standing back up. There was a look of intense hatred in her only eye, staring a hole into Esperanza¡¯s soul¡­ but the Dame simply decided to sigh, and accept it. There would be no good in trying to refute such claims now.


    ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Esperanza finally said. ¡°Do you know the girl?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my friend.¡± Lucrece spoke up before having time to be embarrassed about it. ¡°I am not giving her up to you.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect so¡­¡± This had to be the first thing that cyclops of a woman said that made the Saint smile. A friend, so Gabrielle wasn¡¯t alone anymore. ¡°Take her away. Through a different way if you can.¡±


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    ¡°You¡¯re letting us go¡­?¡± Bafflement was palpable on Luci¡¯s face.


    ¡°If they see her here, she¡¯ll get in a huge trouble. Go, now.¡±


    There was no real reason to believe the woman, but there was also no time to stop and confront her. The people of the church were everywhere in the city already, and if they hoped to make an exit she had to make a decision fast. Lucrece grabbed her weapon, adjusted Gabi¡¯s weight on her back, and immediately made the run  through the tunnels, barely able to keep her balance with both a halberd on her hands and a woman on her back, but there was no time for pauses or rests!


    Meanwhile, Esperanza stared at the body of Tonitrus, kneeling down and checking if the man was still breathing¡­ he was. With a sigh of relief, she uncorked a little bottle kept close to her heart and let a few drops of the gooey, red contents fall on the unconscious demiurge¡¯s mouth. ¡°Dragon¡¯s Blood¡±, a powerful healing concoction and a gift from the Chamber Priest to be used only on the direst of emergencies¡­ she quietly thanked the old man for his wisdom and then watched as the man¡¯s wounded shoulder quickly sealed up. Nodding to herself, she picked up the man and turned around, retracing her steps through the tunnels.


    It didn¡¯t take long to actually encounter Ignatius and two mercenaries of the Battalion, who were already looking for her after seeing their Saint abandon her horse and jump into a hole on the ground.


    ¡°My Lady! You are okay!¡± The elder celebrated, letting out a sigh of relief. ¡°Who is that man you carry? A prisoner?¡±


    ¡°I managed to capture one of them before he escaped! The others were beyond my reach.¡± Esperanza nodded, sighing. ¡°At least we managed to get one alive¡­¡±


    ¡°We found three corpses on the way here¡­¡± Ignatius narrowed his eyes.


    ¡°I got a little zealous and sent them straight to the Saint¡¯s embrace once again. I hope you can forgive me.¡±


    The mercenaries let out a bit of a laugh, waving the girl¡¯s concern¡¯s off and taking the man from her shoulders. They left with a bow, without really asking for more details¡­ but Ignatius, ever observant, whispered to the Saint¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I saw the bodies. The wounds were not made by a spear. What are you hiding, my lady?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ cut them down with my dagger. I lost my spear temporarily while fighting them.¡±


    ¡°Three consecutive times?¡±


    ¡°I was clumsy.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh.¡±


    There was silence between them for a moment, but eventually the old man simply gave up, shaking his head and walking away. Esperanza sighed, she was a terrible liar under pressure and she knew it well, but she also knew he could count on Ignatius to cover her tracks now. Despite their differences, the elder was really a dependable ally in mischief¡­ but she would have to talk about this with the Chamber Priest later.


    There was so much she wanted to ask, so many things she needed out of her chest¡­ and a strange feeling, a hope that maybe this wouldn¡¯t be the last time she saw that redhead woman. But for now, she simply walked behind her retainer, setting her weapon on her back and simply resting for a moment. She had felt way too many emotions for a single day.

 Chapter 95: Of Awakenings

    It was a stormy, windy night, exactly sixteen years ago. Thick, black clouds had completely swallowed all of Doggenband in a sorrowful, heavy rain, and trapped in the middle of it all there was a much younger Father Enrico. He was soaked, running under the rain and trying to cover himself as well as he could with a fluttering black cape. His errands that day had expanded for a little too late, having to dispense blessings and perform rites in Gwynedd to stay in the good graces of its people. All to keep his front in place¡­


    Not that he minded it that much, to be fair. Despite his ¡°scientific¡± proclivities, Enrico was first and foremost a man of faith, so looking after his congregation was a bit of a pleasure for the young priest.


    He passed the city gates and into the forest proper, hiding for a moment under one of the trees to recover his breath, and then he saw it on the side of the road. The earth had been recently moved, someone had dug an impromptu grave, so close to town! These sorts of unauthorized burial places weren¡¯t exactly uncommon in Doggenband, or in Jericho in general, but that didn¡¯t make them less grissly to see.


    What made it worse, the grave looked small, too small for an adult¡­


    The man could have just left the grave be, let the rain clear the hastily moved dirt and expose the little body underneath. But no, for an upstanding citizen such as Enrico, this came off as unnecessarily cruel, especially considering he had already seen it. Even while rain poured down, he walked to the burial site and with his own hands he dug in. It was tiring, but he endured the cold winds on his back and the harsh dirt on his hands as he worked, thinking that maybe he could use the body on his studies and no one would ever know.


    Under dirt and pebbles, he found the laying body of a newborn child, a little girl covered with silky white mantle. Her little head already showed the start of bright, red hair¡­ The man stood back up, looking at his discovery from afar.


    ¡°Sweet Saints have mercy¡­¡± Enrico sighed, shaking his head slowly while making a T sign on his chest. A stillborn child? Even if her hair showed an unclean soul, such a young death was always a tragedy. ¡°Please receive this little girl back in your embrace, Saints. May her next life be one of joy and discovery. Please receive¡­¡±


    The man realized this child probably didn¡¯t even have a name. He couldn¡¯t just perform a rite for a being with no name! So, in his infinite mercy, the man raised a hand towards the child.


    ¡°Gabrielle. Please, receive Gabrielle back in your embrace, and guide her in the way to join you in your golden thrones forever more. Amen.¡±


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    Silence. Once he had waited a moment to make sure his prayers had been heard by the Saints, Enrico kneeled to reach for the little creature¡­ when suddenly, he noticed it moving. Her little hands wiggled their fingers slightly, her filthy face grimacing and her little eyes opening. The priest had to use all of his will to not fall on his back right then and there. A miracle!? Or something more insidious¡­?


    The old man had told that story so many times that the nuns had memorized it by then. How he had found a dead child and how it came back to life by the mercy of the Saints¡­ it was the only reason they allowed the ¡°wicked witch¡± to live with them, out of a feeling of obligation to preserve such a miracle. Years later, so far away from Doggenband, Arianna couldn¡¯t help but reminisce on such tales while watching another ship leave Caen¡¯s harbor.


    At times she wondered if the girl¡¯s cruel, painful life had really been a blessing of the Saints, or if something different had a hand on it all.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    When Gabi¡¯s eyes opened once again, she was moving. Her arms were crossed, hugging the neck of the taller Lucrece while she carried her around in the city. She thought of asking what happened, but she knew it too well: once again she had fainted after exerting her body beyond all limits. The redhead let out a sigh of frustration, eyes looking at the many houses surrounding them and only then realizing they were out of the sewers. The air no longer smelled rank and dank, it now carried the scent of burning and blood, but very faintly¡­ they were moving away from the gates.


    ¡°When did you get me¡­?¡± She asked, almost making Lucrece drop her on the spot out of surprise.


    ¡°Argh! You spooked me, creep!¡± Luci turned to look at the girl with a tired smile. Carrying her had been quite the ordeal. ¡°I found you floating face up like a dead fish. Thought of carrying you around, knowing you never seem to stay dead.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for carrying me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing! But do you think you can walk on your own now? My legs are about to give, really¡­ you¡¯re quite heavy, woman!¡±


    Gabrielle thought it long and deep for a moment, she did feel ready to get back up, but she also felt quite comfortable being carried. Oh, but she didn¡¯t have the time to feel comfortable now, did she?


    ¡°Put me down.¡±


    ¡°Aye aye, captain.¡±


    With a deep and loud sigh of relief, the lancer allowed Gabi to stand once again. The redhead stretched and spun her arms around for a bit, while Lucrece enjoyed the lack of weight on her back for a few moments before putting her halberd back in place.


    ¡°Alright! Oof, you really are putting on some kilos, Gabs.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s mostly the sword¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t sure why, but being called fat kind of irked Gabrielle the wrong way. She looked at the blade on her back, a huge chunk of its tip was missing, taking away the blade¡¯s beautiful shape and a bit of its prodigious length. ¡°It broke.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, it was like that when I found you. Sorry, girl.¡± Luci tapped her hat and sighed, shaking her head slowly. What a waste of money.


    ¡°I will need a new one.¡±


    ¡°How much did this one cost you?¡±


    ¡°Fifty Empires.¡±


    ¡°Did you seriously get scalped the moment I left you alone!?¡± Lucrece shook her head again. ¡°You really need to take better care of your money, Gabs.¡±


    She was complaining but, at the same time, her nagging didn¡¯t really feel malicious. Gabrielle could see the blonde lancer smiling all the time she spoke.

 Chapter 96: Of Reunions

    Arianna looked around, nervously. She had promised to stay behind and wait for the return of that blonde chick, and even if she was determined to be patient about it, fear was still firmly clutching her heart. What if something happened to Gabrielle, or if their return was interrupted not by the beast attacking them but humans themselves deciding to make things difficult for a ¡°witch¡± like her? What if they needed her help and she was just there, sitting on a barrel and waiting forever?


    She bit down her lower lip, patience was key! She couldn¡¯t simply run off out of a panic and risk missing the girl¡¯s return! But then, how long would she wait here? What if they never came back? Shouldn¡¯t she take the initiative and go look for them at some point? The nun squeezed her cheeks, trying to contain the growing anxiety for a moment. What would she do out there anyways!? She would be a burden for those who were fighting, and things seemed to be heating up on the battlefield! She did feel that tremor that shook the entire city some time ago! No idea what could have caused it but, it couldn¡¯t be anything good.


    Anxiety was about to reach its maximum inside of the woman¡¯s heart, when suddenly she could see two colourful heads approaching from a side of the city, away from the crowd. That blonde lancer girl leaded the way, her hat now resting on Gabrielle¡¯s hair to try and over some of it from the public eye. Arianna deflated, letting out a long sigh of relief as the girls finally arrived at her side.


    ¡°Here she is!¡± Said Lucrece, not really specifying to whom. ¡°Safe and sound.¡±


    The nun looked at Gabrielle with a sheepish smile, why was she suddenly so nervous? She was aware that the girl wasn¡¯t specially open with her feelings or physical interactions, so there was a bit of uncertainty on how she should say hi.


    ¡°W-Well¡­ it¡¯s been a while, Ga¡ª¡±


    She couldn¡¯t continue. The redheaded girl had walked the distance between them and quickly embraced the nun in a tight, relieved hug. It took a moment for Arianna to snap out of her daze and smile, hugging the young girl back and gently rubbing her back. Gabrielle was trembling, some rogue tears finding their way out of her eyes.


    ¡°I was worried.¡± Gabi confessed. ¡°I never saw you or Sister Alejandra again¡­ I¡­ I am sorry for running away.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Everything is okay now, Gabi.¡± The black haired woman smiled with more confidence. ¡°Everything will be okay now.¡±


    Lucrece observed it all for a moment, letting out a sigh and rolling her one eye before turning away. She didn¡¯t understand why she felt so bothered by the scene but it really got on her nerves and she wanted to leave as quickly as possible. With her arms crossed, she was ready to say her good byes when, suddenly, she felt someone hugging her from behind. The blonde girl froze completely, eye wide open and all. She could feel Gabrielle¡¯s tired yet ragged breathing on her back, as she squeezed the lancer tightly.


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    ¡°Thank you. For everything.¡±


    ¡°O-Oi now, no need to get all sappy on me, Gabs!¡± Luci said, yet made no effort to stop or push Gabi away. ¡°You¡¯ve done the same for me, probably.¡±


    ¡°Still.¡±


    Gabrielle didn¡¯t let go for a good moment, before finally separating from Lucrece and cleaning her face. She still didn¡¯t like to be seen crying, it was uncomfortable and disgusting for everyone involved. The lancer sighed, trying not to show any of the emotions going around in her chest before turning around once again, crossing both arms and looking at both the redhead and the nun.


    ¡°So! What¡¯s next for you two? Don¡¯t think I¡¯m interested in more adventures, this has been enough for a while for me.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    Arianna looked around the harbor. Some boats had already departed from the coast according to the evacuation plan, but the crowd that was left already was starting to calm down with the arrival of riders from the church. Word on the streets was that a Saint had visited the city and, apparently, things would be fine after all. The wounded members of the guard would be tended to, and normalcy would return with enough time to the city. She then looked back at the ships left, maybe one of them could deliver them back to Doggenband¡­


    ¡°Gabrielle, I came to take you back home. Please, we have a nice place now, things will be different!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay home anymore. I have things to do.¡± The girl shook her head softly¡­ but then managed to express the tiniest of smiles. ¡°But I can visit now, just to say hello.¡±


    Lucrece blinked. That had to be the most emotion she had seen out of the girl to this date. Arianna hugged the girl again, letting out a soft sigh and simply nodding. There wasn¡¯t much to do when Gabrielle decided something! She would follow through with it to the end, and the nun remembered this well.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough for me¡­ but what about you, miss? What will you do now?¡±


    The blonde girl looked down for a moment. She was tempted to barge into the trip and accompany them but, what good would that do for any of them? Those two probably had plenty on their plate to talk about and she would only get in the way. Besides, she didn¡¯t want to get too attached, did she?


    ¡°A little too late for that¡±, she said sadly to herself before turning back to the nun and the girl. ¡°I will stay here for a night or two before continuing my way around Normadia. A girl needs to keep grinding for that money, you know?¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t come?¡± Gabrielle¡¯s eyes were pleading, it took some willpower for Lucrece to nod at her. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry Gabi, but it will be fine. I¡¯ll be fine, and you¡¯ll have your people back, right?¡±


    The girl wasn¡¯t really sure if that would be the case, it¡¯s not like she had a very fond memory of most of the girls that she assumed were still in this home Arianna spoke of, but she also didn¡¯t have more places to go for the moment now, did she? The visions had stopped and this was the last spot in her map¡­


    ¡°Fine. But at least see us to the boat.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, what? Did you get attached or something?¡± Lucrece smirked ¡°I never thought of you as the emotional sort, Gabi. But fine, fine. I guess I can spare a few minutes."

 Chapter 97: Of Farewells

    The last remnants of the Horde dispersed with time, running back to the forests they had come from. Jubilation spread across the Genesis troops, who celebrated with battlecries and thankful prayers to the Saints that no doubt had guided them to victory that day. It had been a quick battle, hard fought and bloody, but the lightning called down by the Saints had saved the armies of the Church from what could have easily become a massacre. The remaining citizens of Caen received the soldiers as heroes when they finally arrived at the harbor, applauding thunderously and throwing flowers and herbs upon them¡­ this had to be the first time in recorded history where a city was able to repel the Horde so thoroughly.


    It was in the middle of such celebrations that, away from the amassing crowd that was forming around the arriving soldiers, three ladies approached one of the ships still stationed in the harbor. They had been asking around, looking for any boat willing to take passengers that paid for a trip to Doggenband, and after a bit of negotiation with the Captain of ¡°The Persecutor¡±, they had finally found themselves a little safespot on a relatively good looking ship.


    ¡°Again, I have no words to thank all of your help, miss Lucrece.¡± Arianna bowed her head repeatedly while holding the blonde lancer¡¯s hands. ¡°Without you, Gabi probably wouldn¡¯t be here with me again! Really, thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°R-Really, you don¡¯t need to tell me this much, woman! I only did what I had to, that¡¯s all.¡± Luci wasn¡¯t sure how to take the repeated praise, quickly pulling away from the bowing nun and crossing her arms. ¡°Just make sure you arrive safely to the isles, these are dangerous times¡­¡±


    ¡°We will, we will!¡±


    ¡°So¡­ you are staying.¡± Gabrielle sighed. ¡°Will you take care, too?¡±


    ¡°Bah, are you worried about me Gabs? You should be more worried about yourself!¡± Lucrece smirked. ¡°Remember to practice posture and movement, okay? No more swinging around like a madwoman.¡±


    ¡°Move like a pendulum.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Good girl, yeah.¡± The blonde casually patted Gabi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Now go. The captain will not wait on you forever.¡±


    With a confident smile, Lucrece simply watched as both Arianna and Gabrielle jumped on the ship, while the last boxes of cargo were pushed into the boat¡¯s poop deck as well. The redhead and the nun smiled back, waving as the sails were hoisted and The Persecutor began moving once again. Sailing away at a lazy, slow pace first, while the winds started to pick up. Luci waved back, standing at the harbor and observing how the boat got lost in the horizon, just as the sunset rays began pushing away the stormy clouds that otherwise covered the entire sky.


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    She felt it again, that strange hole growing in her chest, a deep longing that could not be easily satisfied. It pulled everything inside, an uncomfortable feeling of mourning that Lucrece couldn¡¯t really explain¡­ until a realization hit her in the back of the head like a moving wagon.


    ¡°Oh Saints¡­ have I really fallen for this dumb girl?¡±


    Despite her great efforts, there was no real way to deny it anymore, or anything she could do about it now. Love, a force stronger than any other, always finds a way to push through the barriers of the heart. No matter how much she had resisted it, the bounty hunter had no choice but to admit it, at least to herself.


    Lucrece sighed, shaking her head slowly¡­ only to realize she had not even recovered her hat from the girl after she left.


    ¡°Damn rascal takes my heart and my hat.¡±


    All that was left to do was laughing, shaking her head once again and turning around. It was time to move on, to continue with her life trying to ignore the feeling of absence growing on her heart. After all, life didn¡¯t wait for anyone and she knew it very well.


    But there was someone else observing the leaving boat.


    A figure covered in silk robes from head to toe, his golden eyes staring at the redheaded girl on that ship. It had been a confusing encounter, but Mustaf¨¢ had seen the girl wield the Lightning Rune with the elegance of a rampaging toddler. No talent, no sense of finesse or real wit to the way she used magic; and yet, there was a hint of potential in her attitude, in the way she stood up and took the blunt of the spell¡¯s energy into her own body.


    For the first time in a very long time, Mustaf¨¢ smiled with interest. He had found a diamond in the rough, a potential new assistant¡­ and he was excited. Beyond excited! A new pupil, one with a spine for a change. And this time, he wouldn¡¯t mess it up like he had done with every single one before.


    This one would be perfect.


    ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Both Gabrielle and Arianna took a seat inside of The Persecutor, more specifically in the cargo room alongside boxes of coal and chopped wood. They sighed, feeling relief wash over them for a moment. They had so much to talk about, so many stories to share¡­ but the exhaustion was too much, too real to ignore. Despite their best intentions to speak, Arianna soon found herself closing her eyes and dozing against the wall, sleeping calmly for the first time in what felt like an eternity.


    Gabrielle, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t  sleep so easily. She took the hat off her head and looked at it for a few good moments. She missed her friend already, but it was not only that leaving her restless. She felt afraid of the future, of the challenges to come. The visions may have stopped for now, but she did allow some of the Demiurges escape that day. Would she have to hunt the ones remaining? What was Fate going to do with her now?


    For a moment, she wished she could just stay in one place, rest a little bit. Maybe staying home would be a good idea, for a while. Forgetting about her promise, just for a bit¡­ and taking a chance to recover her energies.


    With that thought in mind, Gabrielle finally managed to close her eyes, and sleep deeply; dreaming of what she would see when arriving back in the place of her birth.