Gallen

Bishop Gallen Mbembok slammed his fists upon his desk. He had received the report concerning the potential outlaw magicians that raised all manner of chaos within the streets of his city. The bishop was not unusually large, but being one of the beastmen of the southern realms, he appeared far more intimidating. The bishop was an avian, otherwise known as a bird man. Large brown wings protruded from his back, giving him the image of a giant among men, and when he was angry, the ruffled feathers that covered his body made him appear even larger. His head was that of an eagle, with a menacing glare attached to his piercing gaze.

“Do we know if they are still hiding within the city walls?” Bishop Gallen asked Knight Commander Khadar Chaka. Khadar was a loxo, a beastman otherwise known as an elephant man. The bishop had known him his entire life, and he could never recall a time that Sir Khadar did not tower over every man he came across. Standing nine feet tall and covered in bulging muscles, Khadar always made Gallen feel safe when he was in the room.

“The town guard was just informed of two horses being stolen from the town stable,” Khadar said in Galatean.

Gallen spoke their native tongue back to him because he knew it was easier for Khadar to speak. He slammed his desk again. “This is a shame beyond measure. Two outlaws run rampant in the streets, endangering my flock, and then somehow escape from a jail guarded by a dozen Holy Knights and at least four dozen men-at-arms. If the Cardinal Four catch wind of this, my promotion to archbishop may be in jeopardy. Of course something like this would happen so close to our meeting.”

“This is not your shame to bear, Your Excellency. It was Knight Captain Talix Aldous who allowed the outlaws to slip through our grasp.”

“Of course everyone here knows that, but that is not how the Cardinal Four will see it. Though the Holy Knights swear their fealty to the church as a whole, I am their acting superior so long as they are within my province. I will surely be blamed despite the failure being theirs, unless we handle this matter quickly.”

“I will begin mobilizing the knights within the city at once.”

“No!” Bishop Gallen snapped. “If we amass a force like that, it will only draw more attention to the situation. The Sentinel Order will be far more discreet and efficient.”

“They would have been my first suggestion as well. However, it is my understanding that our Sentinel Supreme and his entire branch are away hunting the Librarian. How can they help us?”

“I will consult with Sentinel Supreme Auron and see what advice he has to give.”

“Will your gift of telepathy be able to reach him?”

“I’ve known Auron for many years. I would be able to contact him almost anywhere so long as he lives.”

“Very well, Your Excellency. Shall I leave you to it?”

“Yes, Khadar. You are excused for now.”

Khadar bowed as he stood and left the room, shaking the ground with every step. Bishop Gallen opened his desk and pulled a feathered pen from the bottom drawer. This pen was gifted to him by Sentinel Supreme Auron when they first met.

Gallen was born with the talent of telepathy. One of his many skills was the ability to communicate with anyone he could establish a link with. The better Gallen knew that person, the longer the range of their psychic link was. He had used the feathered pen to establish their link long ago, and now he could speak to the Sentinel Supreme from practically anywhere.

He bowed his head and closed his eyes to hone his concentration. A link required that the recipient be willing to receive it, so Gallen would need to wait until the Sentinel Supreme allowed the link to go through. The essence carrying his thoughts to Auron flowed invisibly from his mind, hitting a mental floodgate upon reaching the destination. Gallen could feel the floodgate opening, indicating that Auron was inviting him into his mind.

Your Excellency? Is that you?

Indeed, Auron. My apologies for communicating with you in such an invasive way, but time is of the essence.

How may this Sentinel Supreme be of service?

Riverhill has been accosted by a pair of outlaw magicians in your absence. They were apprehended by the Holy Knights but escaped the city shortly after. I’m certain you understand the delicacy of this situation and why a bishop in consideration for the position of archbishop would want this matter handled in a much more discreet fashion.

I understand perfectly.

Then, you can see why I need professional magician hunters to catch or dispatch these outlaws as soon as possible.

Typically, I would already have a dozen Sentinels armed and on the hunt by now, Your Excellency, but as you know, the vast majority of the Order in Riverhill is with me in Oxgate City hunting the Librarian. The hunt has not been going well, and he is the Order’s top priority. Even then, it would take us at least two weeks to return to hunt these new outlaws.

The majority of the Order, you say?

There is only one Sentinel remaining in Riverhill. Sentinel Sophia Ross. I chose to leave her behind while we undertook the hunt for the Librarian.

She? I wasn’t aware women were permitted to become Sentinels.

Indeed, they may. Pholton seeks balance and equality in all things. In his eyes, women and men are one and the same.

Regardless, I doubt a single woman Sentinel is capable of bringing down one outlaw magician, and certainly not two.

If it were anyone else, I would partially agree with your judgment, Your Excellency, but Sophia is no typical Sentinel. I can personally vouch for her competence. Assign the task to her, and those outlaws will be hanging in the town square before the Azure Moon comes.

She sounds quite impressive. If she is so capable, why choose to leave her behind? From what I have heard, the Librarian has proven to be a powerful and dangerous outlaw. Surely a Sentinel of her caliber would have been useful, no?

Sophia and the Librarian have a bit of history. He has evaded her for over half an Azure Moon. We received word that the Librarian was spotted riding north of Riverhill, and hence we are inclined to follow, but she insists that it is a mere bluff and that he is genuinely riding west toward Port Lood. She could present no proof for this theory other than her gut feeling, which isn’t enough to trump eyewitnesses. I rejected her proposal to send men west, so she declined my orders to hunt north.

Could you not have forced her to follow?

I could have, yes, but if you knew her as well as I do, you would understand why it would have been fruitless.

Perhaps it was the will of the Gods that she stayed behind to provide me with aid in my time of need.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

It would appear that way, Your Excellency.

Thank you, Auron. Your advice was well received. May the Holy Trinity watch over you on your hunt for the Librarian.

Thank you, Your Excellency.

Gallen disconnected his link with the Sentinel Supreme and summoned Khadar back into his study.

“How may I be of service, Your Excellency?”

“Send word to the Sentinel Order barracks that I wish to speak with Sentinel Sophia Ross posthaste,” Gallen commanded.

“Consider it done.”

“Also send Sir Talix Aldous up here immediately. There is much we have to discuss.”

“As you wish.”

Khadar bowed and left to carry out his orders. Gallen did not look forward to the conversation he was about to have with Sir Talix. The Holy Knight came from a prestigious family of Holy Knights and was a devout servant of the church. To see him fail so miserably deeply saddened the bishop, but a failure such as that could not go without dire consequences.

Sir Talix was the first to arrive. Despite being a towering human, his shame made him appear small. His jaw was severely bruised, and his arm was pinned to his side with a blood-covered bandage wrapped under his armpit. He knelt, never letting his gaze leave the ground.

“You wished to speak to me, Your Excellency?”

“Come, Knight Captain Talix. Have a seat,” Gallen said in Traven. “You may leave us, Khadar.”

Khadar bowed out as Talix took a seat across from Gallen’s desk. Gallen leaned into his fists, staring through the nervous knight.

“I assume you know why you are here before me today?”

Talix nodded. “I do.”

“This is an embarrassment to the Order. You apprehended two outlaw magicians and thought it was only necessary to shackle one of them?”

“I did not know the other was—”

“That doesn’t matter,” Gallen interrupted. “You should have shackled the thief anyway. Now we have two outlaw magicians on the loose! Do you realize how much trouble you have caused me?”

“Your Excellency, I only left them alone for—”

“You left them alone with only a single drunken idiot guard to watch them. What did you think would happen?”

“I swear to you, I will not rest until I find them and—”

“Out of the question. You’ve done enough already. I intend to call upon the Sentinels to handle this since it is clearly beyond your capability.”

“Please, Your Excellency. These outlaws stole something dear to me. I’m begging you to allow me to pursue them.” Talix’s eyes never left the floor.

The bishop wanted to immediately shout no, but seeing Talix this distraught gave him pause.

“What did they steal?” Gallen asked.

“My family’s amulet. The one my father used during his battle with the vampire lord, Brevn.”

Gallen slumped his shoulders. He slowly stood from behind his desk and walked around to stand over Talix. Gallen sighed and calmed his voice. It was he who baptized Talix and took him under his tutelage after his uncle Tichealix passed. Seeing his ward in such a state tortured the empathic bishop.

“Talix . . .” Gallen put a hand on the knight’s shoulder. “I’ve been a close friend of your family for nearly two Azure Moons now. Few know better than I how much that amulet means to the Aldous dynasty.”

“It is the last tie I have to my father. He died holding it in his hands.”

Gallen rubbed his brow. “I’m sorry, my young friend. Pholton preached that there must be a punishment for every sin.”

Talix nodded. “I . . . understand.”

A salamandra came barging through the door with Khadar quickly trailing behind her.

“My apologies, Your Excellency!” Khadar yelled, trying to grab the slippery intruder. “Ms. Ross refused to wait in the chapel.”

“Sorry for interrupting . . . whatever is going on here. I won’t be long.”

Gallen had trouble determining what he was seeing. It was already difficult to distinguish male salamandra from female salamandra, but this one was especially androgynous. Her black hair was so short it barely touched her neck, and she wore trousers and a tunic rather than a dress. Her russet, reddish-brown skin indicated she was likely of Avelornian descent.

“Sophia Ross, I presume?” Gallen asked.

“The one and only.”

“How fortunate. Your arrival could not have been better timed. Come have a seat next to Sir Aldous here.”

“That won’t be necessary, Bishop. Like I said, I won’t be long. I’ve only come to refuse your request to track the outlaws that escaped this morning, for I have a far greater prey to hunt. Now if there is nothing else, I think I’ll be on my—”

“Please sit, Ms. Ross. You may be interested in what I have to say.”

The Sentinel Order was an independent organization that served the church of its own volition, meaning Gallen had no true legal authority over Sophia. Though it would be possible for him to force her to obey his orders, the discourse of such an action would only make matters worse.

“Sentinel, this is Sir Talix Aldous. He is the knight who first apprehended the outlaws and had a chance to interrogate them personally.”

Talix stood to wait for Sophia to extend her hand, but no such gesture came. Instead, she grabbed his arm and shook it like a brother-in-arms. Gallen was appalled by this lack of etiquette, but he had worse things to worry about.

“They sure ravaged you, didn’t they?” Sophia jested.

Talix clenched his fist like he was ready to strike.

Gallen cut in, “Sir Talix just informed me of the identity of the outlaws.”

Talix glanced at Gallen, confused.

“They were agents working under the employ of the Librarian.”

Talix opened his mouth as if to say something, but Gallen gripped Talix’s arm with enough intensity to split wood.

Sophia leaned in. Her relaxed composure froze tight. “Truly?”

“Indeed. The outlaws allowed themselves to be captured to attempt to rob the library on the Librarian’s behalf. Luckily, they were unsuccessful despite their escape.”

Sophia slapped the desk and grinned. “I knew it! The Librarian wasn’t traveling north!”

Gallen smirked. “I assume this means you’ve reconsidered your answer to my request?”

“You can bet your beak on that, Bishop. If I can catch these men, they could lead me to my true prey.”

“It seems the Gods have favored us both then.”

“That would seem so. I will begin my hunt immediately.”

Talix still looked quite confused and began retreating into himself. Sophia shot up from her chair and immediately started for the door.

“Before you go, Ms. Ross, I have one last order,” Gallen said.

She turned back around and leaned on her chair.

“Talix, I mentioned earlier that Pholton demands that every sin deserves punishment.”

Talix nodded.

“However . . .” Gallen rubbed his lower beak. “Qitos preaches that every sin deserves redemption. Last I checked, Qitos was of the Holy Trinity, placing him well above Pholton, no?”

“That is true, Your Excellency, but what are you—?”

“I will allow you to go on a quest to retrieve your amulet and restore your honor. You will travel under the command of Sophia here and see to it that those outlaw magicians pay for breaking the Four Laws of Pholton. Return to me with them in chains or in coffins, and we shall discuss your future with the Order.”

Talix’s quiver ceased. “Thank you, Bishop Gallen!” He knelt down once again. “I will not fail you again. This I swear on my honor as a knight!”

Sophia put up her hands. “Whoa there, Bishop. This is a sweet gesture and all, but it isn’t necessary. I prefer to work alone.”

“I am aware of your preference, Sentinel Ross. Despite his recent failure, Sir Talix is a competent Holy Knight who possesses multiple divine gifts. I’m certain he will be of use to you.”

“I don’t doubt this tree of man can fight. I just don’t need any Evintian lunk slowing me down.”

Talix stood to look Sophia in the eye. “Please, Sentinel Ross. Let me correct my mistake and redeem my humiliation. I will be nothing but a boon to your hunt.”

Sophia rolled her eyes. “I’ll think about it . . . But only because you may have saved my entire career. Meet me at the River Spirits tavern on the docks, and we can talk more about it.” She knocked on his breastplate and turned to leave before Talix could respond.

When Sophia was well out of earshot, Talix sat back down. “What an insolent wench! She did not even bow to Your Holiness on her way out.”

“Had I more authority within the ranks of the Sentinel Order, such dirty women like her would not be permitted. However, she is the only Sentinel available to hunt these outlaws, and from what I hear, she is quite capable at it.”

“Your Excellency, if I may ask, why did you lie to her?”

“Lie? About what?”

“You mentioned the outlaws saying they had ties to the Librarian. I do not believe Don Traveler mentioned anything about him.”

“Sometimes, a bishop must tell a small lie for the greater good. You saw how quickly Ross was to refuse my orders. I simply needed to manipulate her motivations a bit. A small sin is washed away by the good it spreads.”

Talix tilted his head and lifted an eyebrow. “I suppose it is.”

“In addition to capturing the outlaws, I wish for you to keep an eye on the Sentinel. Make sure she remains focused on the task at hand. Those outlaws must be brought to heel before the Azure Moon arrives in the sky. We cannot risk her diving on a tangent quest to chase the Librarian, where he clearly isn’t. Your only objectives are the two new outlaws. Am I understood?”

“I understand clearly, Your Excellency. But I must ask. What is the need for such haste?”

Gallen would never reveal his real motivation, but a simple, innocent explanation would be enough to satisfy Talix. “I will be traveling back to my childhood home in Boukua for the festival that is held there to honor the coming of the Azure Moon. I have never missed a festival, and I do not intend to start now.”

Talix nodded. “I see. Worry not, my lord, you will be able to rest easy knowing that the outlaws will be hanging in the courtyard before your departure.”

“I will pray for your success. May the Holy Trinity guide your path.” Gallen gave the prayer salute of the church, making a triangle with his hands and bowing his head. “You are dismissed.”

Talix returned it in kind.

Gallen stood to look out the window of his study. To his terror, he saw a cardinal’s entourage parading through the streets toward the cathedral, weeks before they were due to arrive.