Glitchlings can blush, it shows as a more intensive hue. At this moment, this was very visible in Kiresula’s face. “Why do you ask?”
The [cleric] shook his head: “Whom do you want to fool?”
Mayana responded: “It seems quite confusing to ask something this specific of my wife Kysan. So, of course, she is confused.”
Kju nodded: “It seems like an utterly specific question that can cause confusion.”
The [cleric] made a sign to the [Holy Guard]s and they grabbed the three glitchlings by the wrists. Then, he slowly spoke: “Kiresula-tsei-Haditera. Mayana-tsei-Nahmaya. Kerimni-tsei-Hayat. Don’t toy with me. You tried to infiltrate the Holy Order. You are going to give us information! One way or another.”
Kiresula looked confused: “We never tried to infiltrate the Holy Order. Sure, we led people to the core of the Dungeon of the Bridge to be punished, we caused a commotion in Jetahkalesa and worked with a rumrunner in Mabetshehir, but we didn’t infiltrate the Holy Order.”
The [cleric] stated: “Do I need to mention the name Kedsel-tsei-Hantakgiventa?”
Kiresula looked at the [cleric] and raised her eyebrows. She then responded: “I ran the Dungeon of the Bridge with Makit’s group, containing also Kedsel. Yeah, I might have accidentally exposed her to broken magic and reduced her magical capacity slightly, but that happened in the heat of combat…”
The [cleric] had a steely expression: “What about the corruption to her status? Her Aura is no longer shown. This was clearly an attempt to sneak a glitchling or someone who had a glitched status into the Holy Order.”
Kiresula shrugged: “This was related to the Dungeon of the Bridge, not to me. I mean, the dungeon studied me and learned how to use sy… broken magic. So, I assume it offered a synthic reward. I didn’t talk to her afterwards.”
“Synthic?” the [cleric] asked in confusion.
Kiresula blushed deeply.
Mayana interjected: “Synthic magic is what my wife calls broken magic. I think it pertains to her perception of it regarding its shape. If I know anything about her, it’s a reference to something we learned in class and I forgot a decade ago. Because I married an adorable bookworm!” She rubbed Kiresula’s cheeks.
“What happened in the dungeon from my memories was that Kedsel felt really bad about the accretion of broken magic and she hoped no one would notice. Then we defeated the boss and got rewards. She received some kind of spell or skill on a piece of paper. But then, on the way back, drama happened. Never quest with someone who you used to teach – or someone who your brother has a fling with. Let me tell you that. And when that drama was semi-sorted, the Holy Order was already bringing Kedsel to the dungeon, apparently to get to its core. I can only assume that whatever happened, did so in between.”
The [cleric] harrumphed, then said: “Would you be able to say the same under a truth spell? You even handled Kedsel’s brother to make sure that the tale can’t be told! So I do not trust you at all!”
Kiresula shook her head: “I didn’t. He ran into broken magic in pursuit of us and glitched. We got him in touch with the glitchling community, because we were afraid of the reaction of the Holy Order.”
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Kju added: “The place where they are staying has a great community. Obviously all Island-and-Coast descendents, I mean, I am sure you heard what happened in Jetahkalesa.”
The [cleric] nodded. “Terrible things happened there. The seal around the ancient ruin was broken and the thing started spitting out broken magic immediately.”
Kju reacted angrily: “Don’t forget that the secular leadership of that village apparently made only the Island-and-Coast descendents glitch en masse.”
The [cleric] looked at the others in the carriage with a questioning expression. One person nodded.
Kiresula explained: “We used that chaos to escape.”
The [cleric] nodded: “I see. We will send you to a healer, maybe they can help your crazy glitchling bodies. Afterwards, the Holy Order wants to talk to you.”
Kiresula nodded sadly. She mentally grumbled about her low deception stats that got her once again into a bad situation.
Meanwhile, the group had reached Ilkshehir. The town looked impressive. The houses were made out of a white stone that made them practically shine in the light of the midday sun.
The houses stood tall, as if reaching for the clouds above. They were surrounded by luscious gardens in the rich areas and by the hustle and bustle of commerce in the less rich areas. While Kiresula didn’t see the poorer areas, she knew that in that area, houses were built out of whatever was around and that these houses or tenements were full of people who lived in tiny rooms, shared with vermin. In one of these tenements was the entry to the glitchling caves. Kiresula felt the closeness of her destination and it was vexing that she could not immediately get there. Eventually, the carriage stopped at a windowless tower.
The [cleric] led the group inside while the [holy guard]s prevented their escape. The inside was lit up by enchantments and it was completely unadorned. The walls and ground were simple grey stone. There were several doors, made out of metal, with thick locks. This was not good. She had no idea where they would be brought to.
They walked through hallways which looked exactly alike, climbed stairs until they reached a door that looked like all other ones. The [cleric] knocked thrice and then the door opened. It did so in a quite elegant manner: Different parts slid to either side, forming the symbol of the Holy Order until that too slid away, but doing so upwards. Then the [cleric] motioned them to go through.
They were in a room that was larger than the outside would imply and it contained many beds with people of various illnesses. The [cleric] then said: “[Doctor] Janaita, thank you for responding to my [Instantaneous Missive] so quickly. This is the human patient and the two glitchlings. Now, I know that healing spells don’t work on glitchlings but I am sure you have ways to make them at least somewhat better.”
The [doctor] nodded. “These fellows look like they have gotten into an altercation with the boss of the Forbidden Dungeon. But I will see what I can do, [cleric] Rukam.”
After exchanging some pleasantries, the [cleric]s and the [holy guard]s leave.
Janaita then asked Mayana and Kiresula into a side-room and washed and then dressed the wounds of the glitchlings.
Kiresula asked: “Healing spells don’t work on glitchlings?”
Janaita nodded: “Healing spells use the inherent magic of the body. Glitchlings don’t have any inherent magic, so healing spells don’t work on them.”
Kiresula looked at him in confusion: “We do. It is just inherent broken magic. So, a healing spell working on glitchlings would need a…, I guess you can call it a bridge, to be able to affect glitchlings. This would actually also be interesting in the other direction, so glitchlings can heal regular people.”
The [doctor] looked at her and spoke in a voice as if talking to a child: “Since when do you think that glitchlings can cast spells?”
Kiresula breathed in. Once again, she had manoeuvred herself into a bad position. She would either be declared insane or she would potentially risk the existence of other glitchlings. She gulped and responded: “As a former [Ice Mage], I guess that I sometimes cannot bear being unable to cast and still hope beyond hope that someone will lead glitchlings into a new era of magic.” She tried to hide the fact that she wanted to bring glitchlings to the new era.