Alex looked over the rising sun from atop the castle walls. The castle was built on the edge of a river, flowing through its one end while the city slept behind. The silent river brought with it a cold morning fog. The black robe on his back kept him warm enough, but without the usual luxury of rune-enhanced heating, it still felt lacking.

“Close the gates!” a guard bellowed and the creaking of the pulley’s followed suit.

The [All-Speech] in his arm lit up as a catman guards voice bellowed. Alex looked below.

Cynthia and Ray, the last surviving mages of the Brazen Outcomes, were mounted on horseback as they made their way to the Leypoint.

“Be safe!” he whispered.

The two combat-mages definitely couldn’t hear him, but he prayed with all his heart. Everyone’s lives depended on their success. The empty villas stretched out before the castle’s south face, with the bustling slum sticking out like a sore thumb beyond it. The marketplace was to its right, barely visible near the horizon.

Alex let out a deep yawn and stretched his eyes. He was exhausted. But no matter how long he lay on the bed, sleep eluded him. After hours of tossing around, he gave up.

The prisoner’s words refused to let go off his mind, his words still echoed. ‘You will learn the truth when the true Goddess Nekya arrives.’

The Prisoner called the Faith of Nekya corrupt thugs looking to take power for themselves. While the True Nekyas would liberate Gypsum and enlighten everyone!

“True Nekyans,” Alex murmured with furrowed brows.

Alex wanted to ignore the catman’s words as the ramblings of a fool. But the conviction in their eyes made him rebuke at the thought. There was a zealous belief in their eyes. The maniac conviction in their brazen laughter that made them fearless in attacking the rulers of the city in the middle of the day!

The assault that they had launched at the marketplace was brutal and well-planned. The True-Nekyas knew the mages would be at their weakest, and they had come prepared. At the very least there was a mole within their ranks. Someone that had leaked their arrival to the True-Nekyans!

Some good did come out of it as well. Even Devin seemed to realise the threat, insisting he privately ‘question’ the prisoner to get information off them. But Alex forbid it.

A part of him knew it was the right choice to take, but his morality held him back. It was better to have him as a spy than force him to blurt some half-truths, he reasoned.

Alex looked back as he heard footsteps approach.

“My Lord, I-I hope you not have to wait too long,” the Priestess gave a deep bow.

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“Please, speak in your language. I can understand you just as well,” Alex smiled, activating the [All-Speech] rune. He added, “I hope I didn’t disturb your sleep.”

The Priestess looked barely awake. Her hair was done a messy bun and her sunken eyes struggled to keep open while she muffled a yawn.

“Nekya’s Blessings! You speak our language!” the Priestess said wide-eyed. Suddenly, the shock on her face was replaced with fear, “I-I am sorry Lord. Please. I di-didn’t mean–”

“It’s alright,” Alex smiled, “Goddess Nekya is merciful. What is your name?”

His stomach retched at the words he spoke, but appearances were necessary.

The Priestess looked to the ground, her face flushed, “Myriam, my Lord.”

“How’s Lieutenant Venessa doing?” Alex asked.

“She woke up in the middle of the night, my Lord. I asked her to rest the night, but she wouldn’t listen. She stormed out of the temple,” Myrian said.

Alex nodded. It was good that she recovered. It wouldn’t do well for him to lose another mage here!

“You did a wonderful job, Myriam. Nekyas blessings are on you,” Alex gave a genial smile, walking along the castle walls. The priestess walked beside, waiting for him to continue. “Myrian, do you mind answer some questions I have?”

“Of course not my Lord.”

Alex stopped his stride and turned around, “Why did you become the Priestess, Myriam? Goddess Nekya and her followers invaded your city and killed the rulers who Gypsians considered Gods! What made you see the glory of Goddess Nekya?”

It was a question he had on his mind for a while now. From what he had gathered, Gypsum was a rather completely magic-less society. With only the royals and other important members of the family ever learning of the existence of magic! So it wasn’t surprising that Devin had only found six locals with the latent potential high enough to become casters.

Priestess Venessa spoke with spite in her words, “The Royals weren’t gracious Gods my Lord. They were Gods that were meant to be feared. We were told that everything we own was theirs. That even if the Royals are catfolks just like us, we are inferior to them.

“That day, I was brought to the Castle to stand trial. I remember it like it was just yesterday. The King sat on his throne barely listening to a word I spoke. He must have thought it was my honour just to see his pasty whiskers! He decided that my punishment would be to have my tail cut. And my crime? My crime was not getting out of the road while a Duke’s son was walking on the road.”

Alex’s eyes went wide in surprise. How was that even a crime!

“I was here when Goddess Nekya and her army flew over the wall. It was like the wall was nothing more than mud for Goddess Nekya! The stupid King even dared to demand Goddess Nekya leave the castle at once.” Priestess Myriam said with a chuckle. “When she killed the King, I cried in joy. I was saved by the Goddess my Lord!”

“The Goddess is merciful,” Alex said with the smile plastered on his face. “And what of the rest of Gypsum? Do they believe in the Faith of Nekya?”

Priestess Myriam gave a rueful smile.

“There are a lot of folks that cannot change what they know so easily. They have believed the royals to be Gods for so long, it’s hard for them to change their minds. For many more, they don’t care who holds the castle till they can get by peacefully.”

“This won’t do, Priestess Myriam,” Alex shook his head, dropping the smile. “We need to enlighten the rest of Gypsum. It isn’t just for a few that the Faith of Nekya exists!”

“It’s not easy for starving people to care for a God, my Lord. As the Goddess said; believers, arrive when they are destined to, never late, never early,” the Priestess flashed him a radiant smile after that recitation.

Alex could barely contain himself from bursting out in laughter.

“They can choose to come or not. But we have to guide them to good,” Alex shot back with his dialogue. He couldn’t tell the Priestess directly that he wanted more believers of the Faith of Nekya to beat whoever these True Nekyas were. It wouldn’t bode well with the image that mages had here! “Help your fellow catfolk. Give them the food and cloth them. Show them the true way.”

“Yes my Lord,” she said with a bow, not a trace of anger or annoyance on her face.

The two of them discussed more about the Faith of Nekya and the greatness of his friend. But after a while, Alex couldn’t take any more of the nonsense and bid the Priestess goodbye.

Alex looked at her retreating down the wall and heaved a sigh of relief. Unless she was a masterful spy, he couldn’t see the Priest being the mole. It was already well into the morning and the castle was bustling with life.

Soldiers were getting out of their barracks getting ready, while others cleared the horse stables and gathered firewood for the kitchen.

“Captain Zevin!” Alex called out as he saw just the man he was looking for walk down out of the Keep.

Alex rushed down the walls to meet up with the combat-mage.

“You’re up early, eh? I can’t wait to try the local food either,” said Captain Zevin with a toothy smile. But his sullen eyes betrayed him.

“I need to go out of the castle,” Alex replied with a lopsided smile. “I need a bodyguard.”

“Where to?”

“There’s an old man at the shantytown I need to talk to,” Alex replied honestly.