Chương 24: Chapter 23 - The Church South-West

No one said anything as they descended the creaky stairs down into The Bumbling Magician's common room, where the tavernkeeper was still cleaning glasses. As soon as the man caught sight of the party, and the weapons hanging on Ren and Varrin's bodies, he frowned tiredly.

"Please tell me you didn't kill him upstairs."

"We didn't kill him at all," Varrin answered simply, not slowing as he walked towards the exit. The tavernkeeper released a breath that sounded suspiciously like disappointment.

"Burn me... Have a nice day then." Though as Ren and Elowen went to follow Varrin to the door, Lorelle stepped forward and spoke up, her hands clasped politely at her waist.

"Excuse me, but do you know where the Church of The Eternal Flame is in The Crossroads?"

"The Church?" the tavernkeeper repeated before sighing.

"I thought you might have been a Firekeeper with the mask and all, but they hardly ever come to around these parts so I wasn't sure. I apologise for my language."

"I am a Firekeeper," she responded, her posture straightening slightly as pride settled into her voice.

"And what do you mean by 'they hardly come around these parts anymore'? Do the Firekeepers of The Crossroads not do sermons here?" The door swung open, and as Varrin stepped out, another chill blew in, the icy air easily finding its way through The Bumbling Magician's lobby and into the new hole in Ren's shirt.' Damn it's cold!' he thought, shivering slightly as the tavernkeeper rubbed the back of his head.

"Uhh, not really?" he admitted.

"But what would I know? I'm not nearly as religious as I probably should be, so just ask them about it when you get there. You'll find it in the South-West Quarter."

"Thank you, and may the Eternal Flame guide your way," Lorelle said with a warm smile. The tavernkeeper grunted something that might have been acknowledgement, and Ren, Elowen, and Lorelle stepped outside to find Varrin. Another bout of cold hit Ren as soon as he did, one not subsidised by the fire in the common room.' Hopefully the Church can give me some new clothes,'he thought, rubbing his hands up and down his arms quickly.' Include it in the supplies they'll give us or something.'

He glanced over at Elowen, who looked utterly unbothered by the winter chill. Her expression was completely calm, and her pointed ears were still and attentive.' It would also be nice to have an attribute that grants resistance to the cold…' Ren mused inwardly. He pushed the thoughts aside almost as soon as he had got them. He had awakened with a Soul Power now, and he wasn't about to start being envious of others.

Varrin stood just outside, arms crossed as his grey eyes carefully scanned the windows on the side of The Bumbling Magician.

"To the church now?" the silver-haired boy guessed when he noticed Ren and the others approach.

"That's right," Lorelle responded with warm smile.

"We'll meet with the Head Firekeeper and request supplies for our journey to Solaris, then we'll leave as soon as we can."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Varrin said with an approving set of nods.

"And this Head Firekeeper, she won't make us do any menial tasks, will she?" Lorelle acted shocked, exaggerating a gasp as she pressed a hand to her chest.

"To think you would question the guidance of the Eternal Flame!" The silver-haired boy scoffed and turned to leave, but Ren could see a grin tugging at the edge of his mouth.' It's so damn cold!' Ren thought as the wind picked up even more.

"Lorelle, can you summon your lantern and put it right here," he pointed to his chest.

"Then make it really hot!" The party moved through the South-East Quarter with relative speed, using the position of the sun, which was still hanging close to its zenith, to guide them toward the South-West Quarter. There were still all sorts of people out and about in The Crossroads as Ren and his friends walked through the streets, the constant flow of bodies never seeming to thin no matter which Quarter or street they passed through.

At one point they even passed a little cluster of popular stalls, from which a wide array of appetising smells wafted out into the cold air, heavy with smell of warm pastries and roasting meat. Having eaten nothing but foraged greens and the occasional squirrel or rabbit over the past few days, Ren's stomach made its wishes known at once, grumbling loudly at the prospect of tasting some of that food for itself.' Not now...' he thought, turning his head away from the stalls as he clutched Lorelle's lantern tight.'

We don't even have any coin yet! But maybe...' Ren stole one last glance towards where the succulent smells were drifting from.' Maybe I can convince the others to stop by here before we leave!' The party crossed one last main road, and as the buildings began to thin, the South-West Quarter opened up before them.

Gone were the closely packed structures and lines of hanging washing, giving way instead to parks and gardens, with open paths branching off from the road, lined with neatly trimmed hedges and manicured green spaces. Even the air smelled different here, less damp and suffocating, more earthy and fresh.

Ren had assumed it would take time to find the church based on the tavernkeeper's vague placement of it in an entire Quarter, but it was actually hard to miss. As soon as one entered South-West Quarter, one could see its steeple towering above everything else, a spire built from pale stone that dominated the blue skyline of the open Quarter like an arm reaching out for the heavens.

"It's quite the contrast from the one in Southwood," Ren murmured, as the party approached. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

"It kind of looks like the Grand Temple in Losso if you squint," Elowen responded, scrunching her to put her theory in action.

"I don't know if you've seen it before Ren." Ren shook his head and was about to say he hadn't when Varrin cut him off.

"Huh," the silver-haired boy said, scrunching his pretty face as well.

"Well would you look at that princess, it does look a little like the Grand Temple if you squint. It's about a hundred times smaller, but I get what you were saying."

"Losso? Grand Temple?" Lorelle asked, tilting her head to the side.

"They're places back in our world," Elowen clarified quietly, glancing around them as she did.

"We'll explain when we can be sure no one is listening. I have something I would like to share with you guys as well." Ren was curious what the regal elf meant by that when he finally got close enough to the church to see two guards standing outside the entrance, but, curiously enough, they didn't look anything like Flameguard. They wore black mismatched armour that was dirty and worn, like they'd slept in it.

Painted clearly on the right-side of their chest pieces was an insignia depicting a black bird with its wings mid-flap. Neither of them paid the party much attention as they approached the doorway.

"Sorry to disturb you," Lorelle began, her voice pure and melodic, "but might we find Head Firekeeper inside?"

"Huh?" one of the guards said, sounding annoyed at the fact he was being talked to at all.

"Yea—" He stopped short as coughed up phlegm and spat it beside him before wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Ahem. Yeah. She'd be inside I reckon," he said, dismissing them with an uninterested wave. Despite her mask, Ren could still clearly tell Lorelle was shocked at the display. Elowen also scrunched her nose slightly at the sight. The young Firekeeper recovered quickly and inclined her head politely.

"Thank you." She then strode past the two men and entered the church first, her lantern slipping from Ren's embrace to float along behind her like a patient star. After a brief pause, the rest of the party filed in after her, one by one crossing the threshold into the magnificent church. The interior was familiar, reminiscent of the church in Southwood, but magnificent was the right word to describe it.

A long, wide red carpet, its edges decorated with swirling lines of golden yellow, ran the length of the church's central nave. There were actual pews this time as well, dotted with people deep in prayer, their heads bowed and hands clasped tightly before them.

Rising up on either side of them at equal intervals stood great pillars that radiated a gentle heat, towering all the way to the arched roof high above, and from each one hung a grand tapestry, the symbol of the sun nestled in flame expertly woven into every last one of them. The roof itself was a sight to behold as well, painted with stunning shades of orange, yellow, and red that caught the flickers of light from the braziers around the church.

Across its vast arched surface stretched, what Ren assumed were, grand depictions of the Eternal Flame's glory, complete with robed figures kneeling in worship beneath a great radiant fire, their faces upturned and bathed in golden light, the whole scene rendered with such devotion that it felt less like decoration and more like an act of prayer in its own right.

Still in awe, Ren looked down from the roof and saw that Firekeepers moved between the braziers and pews, tending to flames or speaking quietly to those seeking comfort. Most wore masks as plain as Lorelle's, but some were adorned with a single gem embedded at the forehead, like Lady Agatha's. As his gaze drifted across the chamber, he noticed the guards at the door weren't exclusive to just there, and more people in black armour were inside as well, the same black bird insignia on their chests.

Eventually, Ren's eyes landed on three Firekeepers that were approaching him and his friends. The one in the middle had three gemstones embedded into her mask, making him think she was far more important than the others he had seen thus far. Lorelle bowed slightly when they got close enough.

"May the Eternal Flame lighten your path."

"And her warmth guide your way," the woman in the middle finished smoothly. She had long raven-black hair that fell all the way to her waist, and her fair skin was smooth and unblemished, pale as fresh cream where it caught the warm firelight of the church. She wore the same robes as Lorelle, though hers looked far finer, the stitching cleaner and the fabric richer.

"I am Lady Darla, Head Firekeeper of The Crossroads. How may we be of service to you, sister?" she continued kindly.

"And might I ask where you've travelled from? I don't recognise you."

"We are from Southwood, Lady Darla," Lorelle said sombrely.

"But there is so much to tell you! Things that might be important, so do you believe this is the best place for it?" Ren caught a brief flash of some emotion he couldn't quite place cross Lady Darla's face before she smiled and continued.

"No need. These two Firekeepers can be trusted with whatever you have to tell me."

"Well to start then," Lorelle began in a soft voice, "Southwood was attacked by an incursion of demons that was far too big to be predicted and defended against, leading to the entire village to be destroyed I'm fairly sure."

"Southwood has been destroyed you say?" Lady Darla said, looking slightly taken a back. The two Firekeepers at her side had more pronounced reactions, gasping and clapping their hands over their mouths.

"How did you four manage to escape?"

"O-only we and my master. Lady Agatha, managed to get away," Lorelle continued, choking up a little.

"We ran through a path behind the village and made it t-to a r-river where my master..." The young Firekeeper paused for a second before taking a deep shaky breath.

"Lady Agatha sacrificed herself to allow us to escape." That apparently was the straw that broke the donkey's back for Lorelle as despite just steadying herself, she promptly collapsed sobbing.

"Oh you poor darling," Darla cooed, kneeling to console Lorelle the same time Ren and Elowen did.

"Gabriella, would you be so kind as to prepare a room for the girls?" she asked one of the Firekeepers, a beastfolk woman with long bunny ears and hair of soft blonde.

"I shall write to inform the Peak of this at once. No doubt she will be able to tell me if there is anything more once she has had the chance to calm herself this evening." The other Firekeeper, an elf with light brown hair, stepped forward towards Ren and Varrin with quiet and composed movements.

"My name is Tinsei," she said with a quick nod.

"I will escort you and your friend to your lodgings." Ren glanced at Lorelle's still-trembling frame before looking at Elowen. The regal elf offered him a small smile.

"I'll tell you what I wanted to tell you later." With that, the party split off, Elowen and Lorelle staying where they were while Ren and Varrin followed Tinsei toward the far side of the chamber. On the way, they passed close by one of the great stone pillars, and Ren found his earlier observation confirmed. This time he didn't even need to lay a hand against it to feel the warmth pouring off its surface, a steady heat that washed over him as he walked by.

Tinsei led Ren and Varrin toward the far end of the massive chamber and through a side door. Beyond it lay corridors of pale stone, far quieter than the main hall had been. The elven Firekeeper navigated the winding hallways with practiced ease, turning without the slightest hesitation despite the mask covering her eyes, leading them past countless doors and alcoves and little candle-lit niches until at last she came to a stop before a small room.

She opened the door and inside were two beds, a washbasin, and a single narrow window that let in light from the midday sun.

"I hope this is satisfactory," Tinsei said.

"It's perfect, thank you," Ren replied honestly. She smiled and turned to leave.

"Dinner will be at sunset, feel free to join us for it. And no need to worry about your friend, we will take care of her." Tinsei paused in the doorway, placing a hand on the frame to steady herself.

"Was Southwood truly lost to demons?"

"Yes," Ren confirmed with a nod as Varrin inspected the room.

"I see," the elven Firekeeper said solemnly.

"May the Eternal Flame guide them into her warm embrace." A brief silence settled over the room before Tinsei sighed.

"Make yourselves comfortable."

"Hey, um, just a moment," Ren said sheepishly, causing the Firekeeper to pause and look back at him.

"Would it be possible to have a set of clothes? I'm basically naked right now and it's really cold." Varrin slapped his face and Tensei stood there, her mouth slightly agape.

"Excuse me, what?"