Chương 869: [830] - Y03.130 - Trouble in East Port III

'Well that was easy…' Adam thought, walking alongside the Hope. He had seen the smile on the Hope's face, one that stated she was ready for whatever the Captain decided. Addler let out a soft sigh, a cautious eye falling across the captain.

"Y'alright, Cap'in?" Jill turned towards Addler, her eyes filled with a viciousness the guard hadn't expected.

"The noble's going to have my head."

"..." Addler decided against saying any more while the Captain marched back into the city.

'Divine take you!' the Captain thought, already hearing the sighs of the higher ups, and could smell the assignment she would be sent to for at least a few months, or if they were particularly annoyed, years.

'Damned Marquise and her ridiculous games!' The group arrived at one of the temples, a smaller temple within one of the districts, though calling it a small temple was quite the disservice. It was a large estate, one not quite matching a minor noble estates, though no doubt it held great wealth. The entire complex was near white, save for the colours all across it's trim, the etched stone revealing many stories of the temple, painted vibrantly with colours only East Portians could name.

'Damn,' Adam thought, glancing around the temple. A Mother guided them through the temple, allowing the children to stay within rather bare, but well built, rooms. However, the children didn't seem to mind, not when the shelter was so sturdy, and filled with the tingles of divine magic all throughout.

"What would be an appropriate donation within the temple?" Adam asked, letting out a soft sigh.

"You are under our protection," the Hope replied.

"You have donated much." The Mother beside the Hope smiled innocently, annoyed the Hope would refuse a donation to the temple. Though they worked closely, it wasn't as though the entire city worshipped them with as much zeal as those of Life River.

"Right..." Adam met the Mother's eyes, noting the look on her face.

"Well, we're not the kind who will leave the temple without appropriate worship. I'll leave the children here with Ray Vonda and the Aswadians, but we'll find our lodgings elsewhere. We'll be sure to return with a donation for the Good Mother, lest you believe we shirk her." The Mother's eyes fell towards the heavily armoured young man adorned in purple, then towards the amulet around his neck, that made of obsidian.

She vaguely recalled a rumour which had passed by, of a young man who had been chosen by the Lord of Death.

"..."

"Ray Vonda, you don't mind, do you?" Adam asked.

"No," Vonda replied, smiling warmly.

"The children will be safe within the temple. I believe it would be best for Hope Willow to assist you, so that trouble is delayed by her presence." Adam frowned.

"I'd rather you babysit me."

"A Hope outranks that of a Ray, Adam."

"A Ray possesses the will of our Mother," the Hope stated firmly. Though, she couldn't outright deny that Vonda was indeed outranked by herself, though it was particularly awkward, as Vonda was a Ray under the direct command of the Order of Life's Rose rather than herself. Hope Willow personally commanded four of the Rays beside her, and typically took five with her, one which took the command under the Mother Priest, and acted as a second in command in case something happened.

If every Hope left, with the assistance of one of the Rays under the Mother Priest, that still left fourteen Rays at the order, just in case. Vonda, as well as another, were under the direct command of the Mother Priest. Vonda's particular ascent had been rather problematic, not that the group understood that. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Hope Willow thought back to the scene.

"It is against convention," Hope Robert stated, his voice level and calm.

"It is an exceptional decision for an exceptional time," Mother Priest replied.

"The First Hope is right," Second Hope Ava stated.

"We are already in a time when Seventh Hope Thomas has gained the right at such an age, but Mother Vonda, though with the piety to reach the title of Mother, should not have a seat among us. We must consider the company she keeps, that of the grandson of the Undying Jarot."

"Mad Dog Jarot," Lily, the Third Hope, said. Her hair was equally as short as Ava's strawberry blonde hair, though it was darker, chestnut in colour, her amber eyes curious. There was definitely something about the situation she was missing, though she wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Perhaps it would be best to allow her to remain within their company, a touch of the Good Mother, against the death the Iyrmen bring." Willow remained silent, yielding her moment to speak to the Fifth Hope.

"There is no need for the Mother to gain the title of Ray, for she has yet to gain the wisdom of a Mother," Hope Sophia had said, the woman, almost as well built as Willow, though slightly short and thinner. Her hair was black, her skin tan, her eyes in between the darkness of her hair and skin.

"It is against convention," Isabella said.

"We have already broken through convention for the Seventh Hope. It may be taken that we are disregarding the rules of those who came before us, those who had built this order into the grand force that it is now. Even now, the King heeds our words, because we are for tradition, a tradition of carrying the Mother's will, of stability."

"I will leave the matter between those of my elders," Hope Thomas said, unsure of what he should say. He had been rather young when he took the role of Seventh Hope, so such was hollow. However, he had made quite a name for himself, and he had been personally groomed by a Hope. Mother Vonda was not quite the same. Though she had gained a name for herself, she had shown little want to become a Ray, but now…

"The Mother's companions were not just of the Iyrmen," the Fourth Hope said.

"There was the Brother, Adam, along with those of the Order of Black Mountain. I spoke with Brother Dunes, who has revealed a peculiarity within the group which we should consider. It may be the case that the Mother should watch over the group, but the title of Ray may allow her greater ability to do so."

"What peculiarity has you speak for breaking convention?" Hope Robert asked.

"The same peculiarity which had defeated our Seventh Hope, before facing you so eagerly," Willow replied, her voice curt.

"I am not confident I will be able to defeat the young man, and though it seemed he was ready to fight that day, and perhaps other days he may not be quite so fortunate. The young man from Aswadasad believed Adam could defeat any of the Hopes, save perhaps the First Hope." Hope Robert could still feel the phantom pain within his arm after coming to blows with Adam.

"I will admit we had underestimated him, but I do not believe the next time we clash…" He felt the gaze of Mother Priest against him.

"If we were to clash again, I do not believe he would be able to defeat me."

"His companions all believe he would be able to clash with you, our First Hope, who claims the title as the strongest within our order, and who can clash against the strongest across not just East Aldland, but all of Aldland. Does he not travel with the likes of the grandchildren of Mad Dog, and not just his grandchildren, but the grandson of the previous Elder Wrath." The silence grew for a moment. That was it. Indeed, Adam's strength was truly terrifying, but wasn't his company also ridiculous?

What did the Iyr see in the young man, or was it that it was just Fate that so many great figures surrounded him? The discussion had lasted for a long while after, though eventually one of the Rays retired, taking the title of High Priest, while allowing Mother Vonda to immediately ascend to her place. It was done right before the young woman returned back to the group, with orders to watch over the group.

Willow followed Adam as he made his way to procure an inn for his group, while the Iyrmen and porters took the cart and wagons full of hydras to the Guild, with a Ray to confirm the matter.

'Should I have left Jonn with them too?' Adam thought.

'No, Nobby and Fred are enough. They need to personally watch over the boys, otherwise I won't be able to sleep, but I need to show them that I trust them.' Adam found an inn with the farmers, an inn which was fairly close to the temple, just in case anything happened. However, as he approached the inn, he glanced to the side, where another group coincidentally met them.

'No,' Adam thought, noting the way the knight was staring at him.

'It's not a coincidence.' She was a heavily armoured knight, whose armour was made of a darker steel, engraved with the image of one of the noble symbols which seemed vaguely familiar to the half elf. That of Tiderock. A small smile appeared on Adam's face.