The great bear was slain, now reduced to a husk in a thousand pieces, its roars silenced forever. Among the creatures that still roamed the wilds of Cirilya, megabears remained one of the toughest—monsters capable of withstanding all manner of attacks, whether conventional, magical, or even divine. However, its toughness never translated to immortality.

When its spine snapped under the weight of divine judgement, August had every reason to be assured of his victory. When Miya, Vine and, even Aksel for his part, hacked, slashed and shot at the towering dungeon-kin, its wounds should have bled it dry like any other creature. Yet, each time, it recovered, yearning for its bloody rampage through the settlement.

The magnitude of this development could not be overstated. For a thousand years, the dungeon-kin, without access to their mother cores, had been on a stagnate line of evolution. Bit this creature was more than an exception, if the dungeon-kin were being altered to such a degree that even death could not hold back their ferocity, the very heavens themselves would have to get involved—like when the dwarves massacred their way right to the gates of Treda-ton. He could see it now; fields of fire stretching on for miles, the great forests burned to nothing but ashes, the charred husks of all living creatures, Dungeon-kin or otherwise, torched without discrimination to ensure the safety and stability of the world, at sight not seen since the crusades.

Those thoughts would have to come later, however, as Aksel’s attention fixed upon the girl standing before him. She was strange enough from her appearance alone, with her mannerisms only serving to verify that stigma. But, killing a megabear singlehandedly put her vastly above merely strange. After all, beasts such as those stood as an army unto themselves, one that even the knights—humanity’s great protectors—couldn’t fully terminate.

The feats she displayed were something he’d only seen in his daydreams and nightmares, and yet he was certain that he was stuck in neither.

“Vine… What did you just do?” He posed his question, though Vine only tilted her head in response, for a few moments at least. After thinking through his words, she pointed to the fallen bear again.

“… I killed it,” she stated, without a trace of sarcasm, answering his question as best she understood.

“No, Vine, not like that.” He wouldn’t be thrown off his mission so easily, instead pressing for more information. “I know you killed it—all of Carnifex knows that you killed it— but what I want to know… what I need to know, is how you killed it.”

“… I broke it,” she provided another one of her vague answers. This question was simply far too important to dismiss as another of Vine’s many quirks, however. Aksel placed his hands on her shoulders, looking her directly in her multicoloured eyes, attempting to focus her attention on his questions.

“Right, but how? Please Vine, this is very important. Are you a member of the faith in some way?” He asked, and again, she tilted her head.

“… The Faith?”

“The Faith of the First—okay, stupid question, you didn’t even know what an angel was until this morning. Well, if you’re not a faith member, then…” His eyes scrutinized her, though nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary, just the same oversized shirt, leggings and boots she’d always worn.

Is the reason why she’s been wearing that shirt because she’s hiding something underneath? A train of thought entered his mind while he glanced her over again, searching for anything that might validate his idea. “Enchanted items, perhaps?”

“… Hmm?”

“Under your shirt, you must have more enchanted items. I’m gonna guess one for strength, one for armour, and one for that, smashing spell? Maybe even one in your leggings for speed. But damn, where would you even get all of that?” He trailed off towards the end, sounding less confident in his assumption.

“… I’m not wearing… enchanted items.”

“You’re telling me you don’t have anything like that?” Aksel sceptically raised an eyebrow.

“… Look,” She started raising the hem of her shirt, more than willing to prove Aksel wrong without a hint of shame.

“That’s fine! I believe you! I don’t need any more stripping in my life right now! Thank you!”

“… Okay.” Her grip on the shirt released, much to Aksel’s relief.

“But, if it’s not divine energy, and it’s not enchanted items, then how in The First’s name did you do all of that?”

“… Lyric said, never to tell anyone.”

“Tell anyone what? Who is Lyric? Who are you? Please, just tell me already! You can’t expect me to just walk away from this, I need something, anything!” His impatience was getting the better of him, lightly shaking Vine’s shoulders as her disinterested head swayed back and forth. Despite this, however, she did not relent.

“… Lyric said—” *Cough*

The blood splatting against his cheek caught Aksel’s attention.

“Huh?” Was all he could utter, staring into her Emerald and Scarlet eyes as a fresh wave of red dripped from her mouth. Her eyes were cold and half open, showing little in the ways of consciousness, while her body remained standing in place.

“Vine?” he shook her gently at first, then more urgently as her head drooped back and to the side. This was no mere daze, seeming more like a coma. When blood started pouring out of her nose, Aksel began to panic.

“Vine? Vine! Can you hear me? What’s wrong with you? Speak to me!”

The sound of crackling glass reverberated in his ears, drawing his attention to the ground. Bright blue lines of unknown energy were emanating from where Vine stood, the very same force he’d witnessed shatter the bear into pieces. By the time he felt the peculiar sensation crawling up his hands, it was already too late.

Dright! He cursed internally, immediately releasing Vine from his grip, but like a poison released into his veins, its progress persisted, slowly advancing up his arms like water trickling downhill. Every part of his body the phenomena touched became more rigid, hindering his movements. Meanwhile Vine remained rooted in place, her head tipped down towards the ground.

Aksel retreated rapidly, preventing the phenomena from entangling his legs. A sense of impending doom threatened to overwhelm his mind, as more of his body was infected by the vibrant blue spiderweb. In desperation, he tried scratching it off his body, digging his nails into his skin until he saw blood, but to no avail. Short of amputation, nothing could halt its progress. In seconds, the phenomena had claimed his arms, shoulders, upper torso, and even his neck. After that, it didn’t take long for his head to be swallowed up by the effect. One of his eyes got caught in its seemingly randomised path, flooding that half of his vision in a sea of bright blue, one that remained no matter how much he tried to blink it away. Tears flowed from the affected eye, desperately trying to remove the foreign object.

I’ve got to get her to wake up before she breaks me apart too!

Despite his best efforts though, his voice couldn’t reach her, no matter how loudly he pleaded. She remained inactive, lost to the world. Before long, Aksel’s entire body was infected, leaving him a rigid timebomb. He’d never felt so fragile in his entire life, as if merely drawing breath would trigger his gruesome demise. Terrified couldn’t come close to describing how he felt. Not even when facing down the gigantic maw of the Megabear did he feel so powerless, so filled with dread and anxiety, a torture crueller than he would ever wish to inflict upon another.

*BLARG*

Vine returned to consciousness at that moment, her hand darting to cover her mouth to prevent herself from vomiting. She fell to her knees, coughing violently while tears pooled around her eyes. In the same instant, all the blue lines spreading along both the ground and across his body ejected themselves from their hosts, disappearing into the air like dandelions caught in the wind.

“… It burns… It hurts,” Vine murmured softly, her voice etched in pain between her coughing fits. “… Why does it hurt?... Was it always, like this?” She glanced up at Aksel then, an expression almost resembling sadness on her face. “I’m… sorry, I’ll be okay… in a little while… did I… hurt you?”

Freed from its horrific grasp, Aksel clutched at his chest, gasping for breath while beads of sweat trickled down his face. He peered at Vine, his pupils constricted in fear, the thumping of his heart audible in his ears. He no longer saw the expressionless oddity he’d promised to help anymore, but a monster—a complete and utter monster. Stepping away from her, he desired nothing more than to put as much distance as he could between them.

*Cough**Cough**Cough*

A fresh coughing fit almost left her riving on the ground, blood dying her hands once more as she tried to cover her mouth. Aksel paused his flight, watching as Vine suffered in her bloody fits, alone. His legs suddenly froze up, preventing him from retreating any further, as though they had a mind of their own on the matter.

She’s a monster, he told himself, the experience too fresh in his mind to think otherwise.

But… can I really just leave her like this? He racked his brain as two sides of him came into conflict. His rational mind argued for his self-preservation, recalling his near-death experience as all the justification he needed. Meanwhile, his more courageous, heroic mind urged him to remain and assist Vine this instant as thanks for saving his life, twice.

Vine tilted her head towards him, her beautiful emerald and empty scarlet eyes waiting for his next move. It reminded him of the time they first met, of the girl drenched in rainwater, of the girl who couldn’t set up her own bed and who was always on the search for small rocks on her travels. And the girl who offered such a pure, genuine smile at a stranger who promised he’d help bring her home. In that one, brief instant, Aksel knew he could never abandon her, not like this, not when she still needed him. Gritting his teeth, he strode over to her.

“… Stay back,” Vine tried to warn him off, but he’d already made up his mind, and to Nith with the consequences. Vine’s eyes opened wide as he crouched down in front of her and put his hand against her forehead.

“Bloodfalls, you’re burning up,” he told her, disregarding the instincts screaming at him to flee. With a burning fever and extensive blood loss, he’d need to bring her to a priest soon, though that had its own problems.

If a priest finds out about her and decides to take action, that could be messy. He thought, but what was the alternative? What if Vine was bleeding internally? He doubted getting some rest in the inn would fix that up for her. Of course, he could just leave it to chance, but could he live with himself if she dropped dead on him because he was too fearful to seek proper help?

That would be a no, Aksel concluded.

“We’ll need to get you checked out; can you walk?” Aksel asked her as she watched him, still wide-eyed.

“… S-soon.”

Did she just stutter? Aksel thought he heard but didn’t dwell on it.

“Right, just sit tight then and don’t strain yourself, I’ll find some help,” he told her, already rising to his feet. However, it seemed Carnifex had already come to him, a crowd beginning to form in front of them.

“Excuse me,” a man spoke up, carefully approaching them from the slightly distant gathering, who were maintaining a healthy distance from the bear’s corpse. “Is that young lady another knight of the Faith?”

Wait… what? Aksel thought, as the man drew a conclusion he himself had already dismissed.

“Wait, she’s a knight?” Another man from the crowd questioned.

“She must be! I saw that blinding light from my house. My entire family saw it flash in our windows!” A woman shouted, followed by immediate agreement from the others in the gathering.

A collective conclusion had been reached. Vine was a knight, a holy warrior of the faith. Aksel was stunned, though he could understand their reasoning. A human with strengths and abilities beyond the normal limits? Flashy, brightly coloured attacks? She must be a knight. Her hair, though not blonde, might help to sell the idea too, since members of the Faith were often known for having multicoloured hairs and eyes, Miya being a prime example.

A part of him wanted to correct them, of course, but if he dismissed their assumptions, what would he offer in exchange? If he instead told them of his other theory, of her using excessive amounts of enchanted equipment, that would only end poorly for everyone involved. Depending on their affiliation, they might consider Vine a greater risk than the dungeon-kin, and should that happen, well, having an encounter with the Heretica would not be ideal. Thus, hoping to avoid disaster, he decided to run with it.

“Y-Yes! She’s a new knight of the Faith! She’s a-a-a Prodigy from, er, Treda-Dale!” Aksel spoke off the cuff, already feeling like this lie was a terrible idea.

Why did I say Treda-Dale? Treda-Dale is miles away from here!

“A knight from the west? What a rarity! Thank you so much!”

“The western knight!”

“You saved us!” the crowd cheered for their new saviour.

Okay, they’re too happy to question the story, good, good. He internally breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, he noticed Vine attempting to get to her feet, though her body was clearly not prepared to start moving again. “Easy there, Let’s take it slow,” he urged, rushing to support her.

“… I’ll be… okay.”

“You’re not okay, we need to get you to a priest soon.”

“… It’s okay… Aksel?”

“What do you need?”

“What’s a Knigh—” The last word died in her throat as Aksel successfully covered her mouth with his hand, doing his best to obscure his actions from the crowd with his body. She tilted her head, as sweat began to form on his brow.

“Is something the matter?” the same man from before called over. Aksel did his best to play it off.

“N-not at all, but I need to take her to the priest.”

“I don’t doubt it, you both look like you could use a once over,” the man commented, noticing the blood surrounding the ‘knight’. “You’ll need to see Hera, she’s just in the church at the top of the hill,” the man pointed in its direction. “I saw a few people help a ginger lass take Miya up there not long ago. Here, allow me to help you.”

“Thank you, but I think we’ll be fine, it’s better if I take it from here,” he politely refused the offer, inspecting Vine once more. Traces of blood still covered her face, and her legs weren’t fit to support her just yet, let alone make the climb up the hill to the church. Had this been anyone else, in any other situation, he’d have happily accepted the extra assistance. Under these circumstances, however, he deemed it best to involve as few people as possible, not only to avoid them shattering to pieces, but also to prevent Vine from exposing her horrifically bad knowledge of the Faith to others. Seeing little other alternative, he knelt down ahead of her.

“Get on,” he offered, only slightly embarrassed by the stares of the villagers witnessing him offer to become Vine’s mount. The counterfeit knight looked confused for a moment, then seemed to understand Aksel’s offer, and sat upon his shoulders like she was a child being carried by their father. “Not there!” His protests were as loud as they were humorous, the crowd’s concern replaced with many chuckles. “Just put your legs between my arms and put your weight against my back.”

“… Ohhhh,” she answered in apparent understanding, and followed the instructions. As he rose with Vine on his back, he noticed how little she weighed, a welcome relief to the exhausted man, still weary from his sprint through the village, who now faced a challenging climb.

---

Built in slight isolation from the rest of the village, stood the church of Carnifex. The hill was tall, providing an ideal vantage point to overlook the entire settlement. Stretching his endurance to its limit, Aksel pushed himself up the hill as Vine silently rode upon his back. Though he was grateful her bouts of coughing and bleeding had subsided, he insisted on her receiving a proper check-up. Step by step, he walked between wooded paths and stone steps, the harsh inclines of the hill dictating what he’d face, until he finally reached the summit, where a group of villagers who spotted their approach directed them inside.

Aksel was immediately familiar with his surroundings, despite never setting foot in this place. The nave of the church, the place where all attendees gather in congregation, felt similar to the one he attended back home. A wide path ran between the pews, large enough so that The First himself could walk amongst his followers with his wings at full span. A stage rose at the back of the church—a few steps above ground level—where festivals, hymns and the occasional performance could take place. Raised higher still at the very back was the pulpit, centred above all else for the priest to be witnessed delivering the good word of God and the Faith to all in attendance, with all pews angled to face the speaker.

Stained-glass windows adorned much of the building’s exterior, each depicting the famous tales found in the Arcana Divina, the Faith’s most sacred text. Though Aksel had visited few in his time, every church he’d visited featured at least one illustration of the Hero, Kale, and this church was no exception, dedicating three spots to the illustrious figure. The First’s sanctification of Kale, the splitting of Mt. Barbarnia—the turning point in the war against the unending hordes of goblins—and the liberation of the mountain elves, a people turned into slaves by their own goblins after their magic had been stripped away from them. There were other depictions too, including the defeat of Akemi, the last summoned hero from another world, and the gifting of the six commandments. Strangely, there was even a depiction of the First standing upon the ruins of Treda-ton, enforcing his seventh commandment after the corrupting of the bells—A war where angel fought angel, an event not often illustrated, given its dark and troubled history.

Of course, each piece paled in comparison to the masterwork that lay at the end of the church, raised high above the priest in every speech, prayer, and action they took at their lectern, as if every word were sanctioned by The First himself. The great mural of glass, intricately crafted so every generation would grow up in awe of their one true god, depicted the great sealing of mana into the depths of Mythrin upon The First’s return, the shining light of the heavens at his back, banishing the false gods from the world they had corrupted for so long. It was the moment Humanity was released from their elven overlords and gifted their freedom by the one true god.

A thin, golden aura surrounded them both, their exhaustion bleeding away with every second that passed. Even their clothes were affected, the blood and dirt from their ordeal being stripped from them, making Aksel feel clean for the first time in forever. A small ball of light pulsed into existence in front of them, growing miniature angel wings of a similar golden light.

“The Heavens light be upon you,” the golden orb greeted him with a voice mimicking that of a young woman as it rhythmically flapped its wings.

“Guide, she requires the divine hands of a healer, please take us to the priest,” Aksel requested of the divine construct.

“I will guide your path,” the little ball of light confirmed, and flew on ahead of him, maintaining a pace he was comfortable to match. Further inside, it was clear many of the villagers were here too, some in prayer, others speaking in hushed, but happy tones with news of the bear’s demise, though none interfered with Aksel’s mission. The guide led them to a room off to the right of the stage, one marked as a rest area for the pilgrims of the faith.

The door swung open upon the guide’s approach, and Aksel was greeted by the sight of Miya laid out on a bed with all but her underclothes removed. Beside her was David, the innkeeper of the Hero’s Tale Inn, and a blonde woman with glowing golden blue eyes. She must have been Hera, the priest of the church, who retained her own glowing guide nearby. She was possibly in her early to mid-twenties, dressed in the traditional clothes of the Faithful’s priests. A white amice fell over her upper body and down her chest, with a simplified depiction of angel wings sported on her right and left shoulders. Her dress was of a light blue colour outlined in gold, with a circular hole left open in the centre of the outfit’s chest, exposing the heart, as it were, to the people and the heavens. A single cut ran along the right side of the dress, exposing her leg up to her thigh, most of which was covered by her thigh-high white sock. Her hands hovered over the fallen knight, a radiant, golden white glow emanating from her palms as they carefully moved across Miya’s body.

“The left lung has collapsed too, possibly punctured by the fractured ribcage,” Hera noted to the guide by her side. “No damage to the heart, thank The Heavens.”

“Lady Petrannus, another of the Faithful requires your attention,” the guide beside Aksel drew the attention of the room.

“Aksel?” David spoke after seeing the pair. “What’s happened? Is she okay?”

“I don’t know, but I think she needs help,” he looked towards the priest.

“How bad is she?” Hera responded, concern visible in her gaze.

“She was coughing up blood not too long ago, a lot of bleeding from the mouth, eyes and nose, though it seems to have stopped now,” Aksel did his best to list off her symptoms. Hera swiftly nodded and pointed over to the empty bed opposing Miya’s.

“Okay, I’ll be over as soon as I can. The church will provide her relief until I arrive, but if her condition worsens, don’t hesitate to call for me,” she instructed, before returning to her task. The guide flew across and hovered above the appropriate bed, with Aksel not far behind. Gently, he lowered Vine onto the bed, though she held onto him for a few extra moments after he’d released her.

“… Thank you,” Vine offered gently.

“It’s no trouble, how are you feeling?” Aksel inquired, inspecting her once more. The church had truly worked a miracle in cleaning her up. She looked perfectly healthy now.

“… Better.”

“Are you okay to let the priest look you over? You’re not going to…” Aksel paused, not sure how to address his concern. Vine though, shook her head all the same.

“… I’m okay now.”

“Good, we’ll just wait for Hera to give you a check-up then.” With that, he commandeered the seat next to Vine’s bed, sitting down with a sigh.

“Do you require further guidance?” The winged ball of light flew in front of his face.

“That’s all for now, thank you.”

“May you always find yourself under the shining light of The Heavens,” the orb gave its farewells, and dissolved into particles of light.

“… Goodbye,” Vine waved at the last motes of light as they disappeared. “… Aksel?”

Here it comes, Aksel was waiting for this question.

“Yes?”

“… Why is a girl trapped in a little ball,” Aksel snickered at the childish interpretation, before covering his mouth.

They didn’t hear that, right? He turned towards the others, hoping they didn’t notice. Both, however, were transfixed on Miya, Hera focusing on her healing, while David sat by her side, holding her hand and occasionally mopping her brow with a nearby wet cloth. Aksel’s heart sank at the sight. He hardly knew the aged innkeeper, but it was clear he bore a great love for his son, proud of his achievements as a knight. Now, all he had was Miya, the only surrogate for his feelings. With little chance of being overheard, Aksel quietly explained what Vine wished to know.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“Those balls are called guides. It’s a divine construct a priest will manifest to, well, guide people while they’re in the church. Most of the time, they lead people to seats, answer basic questions, help lead people in prayer. Think of them like another set of helpers.”

“… So where does the woman come from?”

“There is no woman. Well, okay, I guess there is kind of a—look, it’s just the priest’s voice being mimicked. And no, they never do sound completely right.”

“…Ohhhhh… Where did it go?”

“It… how do I describe this?” Aksel thought for a moment. “It’s not gone, it’s just not in that form anymore.”

“…It’s not?”

“Here, let me show you quickly.” He paused for a moment, before he picked up his voice slightly. “Please grant me guidance.”

“The Heavens light be upon you.” The winged ball of light appeared once more, materialising in much the same way as when they entered the church. Vine, however, gave a small gasp.

“… Aksel can summon small golden women,” she nodded to herself.

“It’s not even human,” Aksel did his best to make her understand. “It’s just a construct for the clergy.”

“I’m a guide of the Faith of the First, under the authority of Hera Petrannus, the serving priest of Carnifex’s holy church. Might I be of assistance?”

“No, thank you, that will be all.”

“May you always find yourself under the shining light of The Heavens,” it told them, once again fading from view.

“See, it’s just sort of around, waiting to help people. And no, it doesn’t work outside the church, so please don’t try calling for it in town,” he almost pleaded that last point to her. Satisfied with that explanation, she eyed up another curiosity, the light emanating from Hera’s hands—another example of the Divine power granted to humanity. Hera had moved on from the torso to begin work on the legs.

“The right leg is fractured in three places, the left in five. I won’t have the divine essence necessary to mend these fully in a single session,” Hera continued to note to the guide beside her.

“… What’s she doing?” Vine questioned.

“She’s healing Miya right now.”

“… Healing?”

“Yes, she’s using the divine power granted to her by The First to make her better. Do you remember what you saw Miya and August use when they fought the Megabear? She’s got the same abilities. Well, maybe not the exact same abilities, but she’s using the same kind of power,” he tried to explain. “Remember when we came in? Do you recall feeling any relief of sorts?”

“… I felt better.”

“That’s normal for most churches. It’s a little complex to explain, but think of the church as an extension of the residing priest. So, just like she made us better, she’s doing the same to Miya. Not to say knights can’t do that too, but most will try to hone a more offensive skill set.”

“… It’s, not magic?”

“The only magic left in this world is what little enchanted gear has survived this long. These are called miracles, which use divine essence, or holy energy, if you prefer.”

“… Like mana?”

“I won’t recommend making that comparison,” Aksel swiftly informed her, before continuing. “Divine essence is much more than mana. It doesn’t just innately float around in the air waiting for someone to give it purpose, its power is granted directly from The Heavens. Only those within the faith can wield it, and in most cases, you’ll need to pray to get more.”

“… Okay,” she acknowledged, becoming enthralled by the priest’s work. The warm light from her hands drew Vine’s attention almost entirely. Aksel, however, had questions of his own.

“You know, you’ve asked me about some pretty basic things since we met, and that’s fine, I don’t mind or anything like that. But out of all the questions you’ve asked me, you’ve never once asked about mana or magic directly.”

“… Oh?”

“You seem to have a fundamental handle on those topics, and that’s without talking about your bag or what happened with the Megabear.

“… I see.”

“So Vine. Who are you, really?”

“… Lyric told me, never to tell anyone.”

“Right,” Aksel turned back to the operation. Their conversation was too risky to pursue further with the others around, especially if Vine was unwilling to engage. “Well, when Hera comes to examine you, just let me do most of the talking, and only respond when you’re sure of the answer. We need to get you healed, but we don’t want her digging too deep.”

“… Okay.”

Hera continued her work for close to twenty minutes, recording every injury with her guide all while stitching Miya back together. Torn muscles, broken bones, organ damage, honestly, Miya was lucky to be alive. When her hands stopped radiating their heavenly light, Hera wiped her brow in relief.

“Tell me the truth, Hera. How is she?” David’s voice trembled with worry. The priest however, returned a serene smile, as soothing as her healing light.

“She’s going to be perfectly fine. Her head wound has cleared up nicely and you can already hear how clean her breathing is. I only wish I had the endurance to restore her fully, but I’m afraid we’ll both need some time to recover. She’s going to be alright though, don’t you worry.”

“Really? That’s great news. Thank you so much, Hera. I’m forever at your service.”

“Healing a Knight of the Faith injured in the defence of others is a reward in itself, David. Please, stay as long as you’d like, I’ll just see to the other patient.” Hera moved away from David, whose red face could barely contain the tears of joy.

“I hope you can forgive the wait. My name is Hera Petrannus, the priest of Carnifex Church. May I ask for your names and injuries please? Hera addressed Aksel and Vine.

“… My name is Vine.”

“And I’m Aksel. I apologise, but I’m not sure what’s wrong with her outside the bleeding. So, I was hoping you could just quickly look her over, and make sure she’s not, you know, dying.”

“Not to worry, I’ll just—“ Hera halted, getting a better look at Vine before coming to a realisation. “Hold on, I know who you are. You’re that girl everyone was talking about, the one that fought the Megabear, aren’t you? I think I saw you from here.”

Dright! She was watching!?

“… I killed it,” Vine confirmed.

“So you did do that?”

“… I’m a knight,” She parroted perfectly, pointing to herself.

Dright! Aksel cursed internally, this encounter already spiralling out of control. No, no, we can still salvage this. We just need Hera to ask as few questions as possible.

“Another knight? But, I thought only… I thought we only had the two,” Hera avoided mentioning August’s name in front of David. “Are you on assignment?”

“Ah! She’s just traveling to Treda-Lake from a mission down south,” Aksel quickly deposited his explanation before Vine could add anything.

“Are you a knight too?” Hera asked curiously.

“Heh heh, I wish, I’m just her… guide,” he replied, as the chair from Miya’s bedside scraped along the floor.

“You’re a knight? Are you serious?” David stood up, an unreadable expression marring his face as he stared directly at Vine. “You… were a knight this entire time.”

“… Yes,” Vine continued to act her part, though her blank, dispassionate voice didn’t help ease the growing tension.

“That can’t be, if you were a knight, then, why?” Vine tilted her head at the unfinished question. “Why didn’t you help them? Why didn’t you help Miya? Why didn’t you help my son?!” David unleashed is fury upon her.

“… I helped,” she responded briefly.

“No, you didn’t! My son is dead! He died fighting off the Megabear to save this village, while you stood back and watched! Why didn’t you help them sooner?! Why did you wait until my son was eaten and Miya was fighting to draw breath?” The grieving innkeeper waved his arms over to Miya, lying unconscious in bed. “She almost died, she almost died! Why did you wait?!”

Aksel felt a burning urge to rise and defend Vine from the bitter accusation. He wanted to, but the truth was, he desired the same answer. If she was concealing her power, then it explained why she didn’t initially intervene, but even after August perished, Vine still didn’t reveal her abilities. No, she only stepped in when…

She only stepped in when I was about to die, Aksel concluded.

“David, that’s enough,” Hera interjected herself between them.

“Don’t defend her Hera, she needs to answer for this!” He turned back to Vine. “How did you manage to kill it when my son couldn’t!?”

“David, enough.” Her words booked no argument now, the authority of a Faithful priest outstripping anyone else in the room. “Please, I need to concentrate, or I might miss something vital. I know you’re grieving right now David, but I can’t have you berating my patients. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave until I’m done, please.”

“But Miya—"

“Will be fine until you get back,” Hera finished his words for him. “Please David, we can talk about this later, but I need to put my work first, okay?” He may not have liked it, but he was in no position to argue. Gritting his teeth, he moved to exit the room.

“… I’m sorry,” Vine spoke just as he got to the door. He glanced at her, only to see her insincere neutrality. An almost scornful breath left his mouth as he finally left.

---

Aksel rested on the bench just outside the church, attempting to relax. His body ached from the few bruises he had to his name, even after receiving relief from the church. Shortly after David left, he too, was asked to leave. Hera stated that she was having trouble examining Vine and would require ‘unobstructed contact’ with her body. He understood the meaning and happily vacated. It was around then he considered his next quest.

Finding his missing bandit.

The last he’d seen of Theo, he’d left her with a broken knight and a traumatised child... He was going to have to apologise for doing that to her. Regardless, despite Miya being here, and hearing the boy had been reunited with his parents from others in the church, he’d still yet to locate his ginger companion.

She better not be looting down there, he thought cynically. He was sure he’d find her eventually, but for now, he needed a break away from it all. From atop the hill’s summit, he surveyed the village below. If it wasn’t for the wrecked buildings, destroyed roads and the dungeon-kin corpse the size of a boat rotting in the distance, he imagined someone could really enjoy this view. As of now, it was just so-so. He closed his eyes, almost feeling comfortable enough to take a quick nap right there.

His mind refused him however, constantly reliving the last few hours in vivid detail. Arriving at the village, eating at the inn, the knights facing off against the bear, August’s death, Vine saving him, and the strange phenomena that consumed his body.

That power she used, that wasn’t just some enchantment, was it? What kind of item activates when you’re unconscious yet vanishes when you’re awake? Aksel pondered the ordeal he suffered. No, it can’t be an enchantment, and it’s certainly not divine essence. That only leaves just one option then. Magic.

Aksel roughly scratched his head, unable to believe what he was considering. I know it sounds stupid; The First already sealed all the mana of Mythrin. Still, what else could it be? I need to speak to her again, alone this time. If it’s truly magic, I need to know how she’s doing it… But what if it is magical enchantments? He scratched his head even harder.

Where would a girl like that even get so many enchanted items though. Unless she’s a nobleman’s daughter? Actually, that might make sense. She could be an extremely sheltered noble, someone who has access to tons of magical items, allowed to slip by the Heretica… Does that mean I’m escorting a runaway? Ugh, maybe I’m overthinking this again. He opened his eyes, staring up at the clear sky above. This whole thing is way beyond me. I’m not even a member of the faith yet. By Nith, I’m just a guy that believed he was helping a girl reach her home. Granted, she had a magical bag, but still. Should I get involved? Maybe I should just walk away before I stumble upon something that’ll get me killed, he mused the thought over in his mind. It was true, if he left now and proceeded out of the village, he could easily make it to the next settlement before it got too dark. He could just underline the last couple of days as a lesson in not traveling with strangers and move on with his life, resuming where he left off before Theo grabbed his collar, ending this little story right here.

*Sigh*

As if I could do that. If my mind makes me run out in front of megabears to save knights, then there’s no chance it would let me abandon everything here so I can start over on my own. No, I’ll just have to put my overly ambitious goals where my mouth is and start acting like a hero. The hero-to-be resolved his will, tightening his outstretched hand as if to display his renewed determination to this vow.

Sitting upright, he looked back towards the village and spotted a familiar face climbing up the hill. Her hair was bright, her outfit revealing, and her expression was one of exhaustion mixed with an ‘I’m so done’ attitude.

“Theo! There you are, where have you been?” Aksel greeted his companion with genuine enthusiasm. “And is that Vine’s sword?” His eyes naturally drifted to the strange silver weapon held in her hand.

“Move over, I need to rest.” The bandit plopped herself down on the bench Aksel was sitting on, releasing an overly dramatic sigh as she leaned into the seat’s natural curve.

“Are—“ Aksel barely got started before Theo punched him in the arm as hard as she could manage. Letting out a low “OW,” he rubbed the area she’d just brutalised with her attack.

“What was that for?” he asked, confused at the unprovoked assault.

“That one was for me, and this—“ she punched him a second time, striking another part of his arm, causing him to retreat further up the bench. “—is for that kid you left me with, and this— “

“Okay, okay! I get it, I’m sorry alright!” He threw his hands out in front of himself, hoping to prevent any further attacks.

“You dumbass wannabe hero! What were you even thinking back there?!” She demanded an answer. With a sigh, he gave the only answer that came to mind.

“I don’t know.”

“… Huh?” Theo gave him a bewildered stare.

“That’s the truth. I mean, I was fully on board with escaping, but then I… Argh, how do I say this,” he scratched his head once more, while Theo remained unimpressed. “I saw someone needed help, I saw no one else was going to help them and that if I didn’t do something, they wouldn’t make it. After that, everything else just sort of happened.”

“…Huh?” her expression was a mix between disgust and confusion.

“Please don’t stare at me like that.”

“I can’t believe I’m associated with such a horribly helpful person,” she placed a weary hand to her forehead.

“I’m… sorry?” Aksel wasn’t sure if he should apologize or not.

“Seriously, I didn’t know you were some do-gooding psychopath!” He never thought someone would make him feel bad about being a good person, yet here he was. “At least have some ulterior motive, or you’re going to get screwed.”

“Hey, don’t forget, I also gave you money when you were down on your luck.”

“What, you mean the coins you threw at my head? Oh, about that by the way, you following me back to my cave was a horrible idea on your part. I could have been an axe murderer posing as a super hot, lovable, innocent bandit. Like a siren of the roads.”

“How can you say any of that with a straight face?”

“I’m being serious! You seemed to have survived everything so far through luck. Luck! Let me ask you this, did you know Vine was going to save you? No! Of course you didn’t! You would have been bear chow if she hadn’t been some super hidden badass, all because you have a damned hero complex. Even flies have good enough sense to avoid the hands swatting at them, but you’re happy enough to ride by the seat of your pants and let The First take the reins. You need to think things through before you act, you damn moron. What, were you going to float up to the heavens happy you got flattened because at least you were doing the right thing? Did you get your morals from a fairy tale book or something?” Aksel could only sit there, his mouth partially agape at the brutal murder of his character, as Theo began poking him in the chest to emphasize her points. “Let me tell you this, you wannabe hero dumbass, you aren’t strong, you aren’t tough, and you certainly aren’t a skilled fighter. You’re just really damn lucky.” After delivering her verbal beatdown, she turned her gaze away, muttering something under her breath. “Don’t go getting yourself killed on me, this was supposed to be a fun adventure.”

Still recovering from the onslaught he received, he missed her last remarks. He attempted to conjure some sort of witty retort or counterargument against Theo's critiques, but his mind kept drawing a blank. Finally, he resigned himself to the truth. “I really screwed up, didn’t I?”

“Well,” Theo, to his surprise, didn’t immediately jump on his admission. “I suppose it worked out. You rescued the kid, you half saved Miya and we didn’t have to hightail it out of here. So, while I’m disgusted as Faithless Theo of the Black Surcoats, I suppose I have to give you some credit.”

Was that praise she just gave me? Aksel couldn’t believe his ears.

“Just promise me you’ll be that little bit more selfish, okay? I swear, If I find you diving into another megabears mouth to save anyone else but me, I’ll be pissed.”

“Ha, I’ll keep that in mind,” Aksel gave a light smile while Theo seemed a little proud of herself.

“Good, I might make a bandit of you yet,” Aksel ignored that statement.

“What are you doing with Vine’s sword anyway?” he pointed to the weapon by her side.

“Oh, this thing, I was planning to just take it and run for a while,” Theo shrugged her shoulders.

“W-what?! You were just going to take her sword and leave?” Aksel barked, ignoring his own stray thoughts of leaving.

“It was an idea. Any enchanted weapon can go for a boatload if you find the right buyer, and it would be an excellent way to start my empire.”

“Why are you like this?” Aksel looked on with a weary expression.

“Calm down, I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, I guess you are. So, even you have a decent sense of right and wrong. Maybe I can bring you into the fold yet.”

“Bite me. I came back for the bag, the free meals and board, and to avoid pissing off the girl that just punched out a megabear.”

“Ha! Right, of course.”

“By the way, I’ve heard an interesting little rumour going around town that our rock-collecting friend is actually a knight from Treda-Dale. Care to explain?

“Ah, dright,” Aksel cursed, putting his head in his hands. “Where do I start?”

---

“Excuse me. Aksel, was it?” Hera popped her head around the corner of the church entranceway. “Oh, and Theo, it’s good to see you again.”

“Oh, Lady Petrannus. How is she?” Aksel asked, eager to hear the news.

“Please, just Hera is fine. I’m only the village priest after all, and I’ve got some good news. Vine is going to be fine. As far as I can tell, she doesn’t appear to have any injuries at all, internal or otherwise.”

“Really?” Aksel was taken aback by the news. After getting kicked by the Dungeon-Kin, he at least expected some severe bruising and a broken bone or two.

“Yes, it’s truly remarkable. I have to say, I was a little sceptical when she brushed over being thrown through a wall before combating the bear with only a sword, but my examination showed she has no physical injuries to speak of. I do have one question I hoped you could answer for me, however.”

“Sure, what’s that?”

“Why are you lying about her being a knight?” Hera asked, her cheerful demeaner becoming etched in disappointment.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Aksel screamed so loudly inside his head, he worried it was becoming audible to others.

“L-Lying? What do you mean?” he played dumb.

“Well, for a start, she doesn’t have any divine essence left in her system. Not that she only has a little bit left, or some small amount that’s not worth counting. I mean none, except for what I pumped into her myself. So, if she was a knight in this condition, I’d expect her to be suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. And that’s without getting into the lack of circles within her body, something she should have at least five of if she was a part of the Knighthood.”

Aksel knew the concept well. Circles, occasionally referred to as halos by some, were the embodiment of a person’s progression within the order. Divine energy which has been collected, refined, and formed into a permanent miniature cycle for divine essence to pass through. The more circles added to a person’s formation, the stronger the wielder grows.

“A-ah, well, I’m a-a-a-“ Aksel nervously attempted to fabricate an explaination. “Well, she erm… she does have them… maybe you just… missed… them… maybe?” Aksel was truly clutching at straws.

Dright! I was really banking on her not digging too deeply into the claims. Bloodfalls, I’m an idiot! Maybe I can say she just broke her circles down? Argh, it’s too late to say that now!

“Well, funny you should mention that. While I was examining her body, I actually found something peculiar. For some odd reason, I struggled to push essence through her body. Usually, I’m able to circulate my divine essence around the patient’s body so I can see all the things wrong with them. But for some reason, it was extremely difficult to move it around inside of Vine, like I was pushing my essence through a big body of… slime.”

“Slime?” Aksel gave her a quizzical look.

“Indeed, despite that, I did complete my full examination and then some. Not only has she forged no circles, or retained any essence, but she has never even received a basic blessing from birth. So, in light of this revelation, is there anything you’d like to tell me?” Hera asked politely but firmly.

“I… I” Aksel hesitated, caught in a bind. He couldn’t tell her the truth as it eluded even him. Revealing anything remotely connected to mana would bring the Heretica crawling out of the woodwork in less than a day. With his lies exposed, however, he froze up, unable to come up with an explanation under Hera’s scrutinising eyes.

“It’s magical enchantments, isn’t it?” Hera answered for him. “I’m quite familiar with their inscriptions from my studies, and that sword your friend has next to you is a dead giveaway.” Aksel glanced back to the sword Theo left propped up against the bench, silently cursing their carelessness. “I only have one thing I’d like to say to you.” Hera gave a small bow to Aksel. “Thank you so very much.”

“Huh?” Aksel’s dread turned to utter confusion. “I don’t understand, you’re thanking us? But isn’t magic an unforgivable sin?”

“Perhaps if I was a member of the Heretica. But as it stands, I’m a priest of Carnifex, and my duty is the safety and service of my community. Yet, despite being outsiders, and knowing the risks exposing yourselves might pose, you still slew the bear, not only saving the residents, but Miya too.” Hera’s smile radiated genuine happiness. “How could I condemn any of your actions as sinful? We owe you everything.”

“So, does that mean…?” He left the question open for Hera to answer.

“Consider this our little secret. I’ll play along the best I can with this knight story, so please, try not to raise any more suspicion.”

“We won’t, I promise. Thank you so much!” Aksel bowed to Hera in return, a massive weight lifted from his shoulders.

“Please, I’m the one that’s supposed to be grateful here. Though, I hope it doesn’t come across as ungrateful if I ask you not to tarry in Carnifex for much longer. It’s not that I want to be rid of you, quite the opposite, in fact. It’s just that I’m about to report the incident to the branch in Treda-Lake, and the news of the attack will likely draw the attention of the Heretica. As much as I love all my fellow members of the Faith, they can be a bit… strict, with their interpretations.”

“That works for us too, we weren’t planning to stay longer than a meal and a supply run. In fact, we can leave as soon as we get Vine. Seriously, I can’t thank you enough, Hera,” he felt he needed to thank her again, and probably a few more times after that for good measure. She once again rejected his praise.

“Please, you’re going to embarrass me, I’m only a servant of The First,” she waved her hands in front of herself. “Anyway, Vine should be waiting for you in the rest area. I’ll take you to her.” They moved through the much emptier church, with most people having cleared out to begin the clean-up. Theo quietly hid the sword under her cloak to avoid drawing any more attention. As they approached the room however, Aksel began to hear an unintelligible conversation, with David’s distinctive voice bellowing loudly inside. Hera took a quick look at Aksel and Theo, before opening the door.

“THIS IS YOUR FAULT! YOU DISGUSTING FREAK!” David’s scream reverberated in the halls of the church. Seeing movement, he turned to see the three of them standing in the doorway watching him. “Oh, I, erm…” he started, but ultimately failed to find an explanation to the situation.

“David, what are you doing in here shouting at my patient, and in front of Miya too. I thought I told you to stay outside for now,” Hera approached the man, primed to chew him out for his words. Aksel checked on Vine, still seated on the bed, a blank stare aimed at the innkeeper.

“It’s nothing,” David tried to brush Hera off.

“That was not nothing. Tell me what happened?” Hera persisted.

“I just said it’s nothing,” David repeated, venom enriching his voice.

“Vine, are you okay? What happened?” The priest twisted her head to speak to her, keeping herself between the two.

“… I think… David’s still upset.”

“Still upset?!” David’s voice cracked in disbelief, “Yes, I’m still upset that you decided to wait until the last fucking moment to jump in!”

“Hey, you can’t pin this on her,” Aksel interrupted the grieving man. “Vine saved everyone in the village from the Megabear.”

“Oh, did she now? Well la-de-fucking-da. I’m so glad this lazy western bitch decided to do her fucking job and protect someone other than her-fucking-self!” David vented his fury, his face red with anger, staring Aksel down with burning hatred. “Too bad she was too fucked in the head to stop Miya from getting hurt and my son from being kille—” Hera slapped him hard across the face, leaving a visible red mark on his cheek.

“David, I know you’re grieving, so I understand that you may say some things you don’t truly mean. But you need to understand that August’s death was not Vine’s fault,” she spoke with reserved anger, but something more akin to a mother disciplining her child. David, meanwhile, rubbed his reddening cheek, stunned by her actions. Just as suddenly, Hera wrapped the grieving man up in her embrace. “I’m sorry, David. I’m so sorry about your son.”

The fury that was so visible from before collapsed within Hera’s loving arms. Though he did his best to maintain his composure. In the end though, the mourning father finally broke down.

“Come on, Let’s give them some space,” Aksel called to his group. “Hera. I think we’ll head out now. Thank you again for everything.”

“Oh, before you go, there’s something I wish to give to you. Could you please give me a few minutes?” Hera suddenly remembered, looking over her shoulder while comforting David.

“Something for me?” Aksel questioned, a little bewildered by the offer.

“Yes, sorry about this. Could you spare just a few minutes for me, please?” Hera pleaded apologetically.

“Of course, no problem at all. We’ll just be outside then.” Aksel departed with his companions, making sure to offer a small donation to the collection box from his diminishing coin purse on his way out. During their wait, Theo attempted to interrogate Vine about her unexplained abilities, but found herself stonewalled just as thoroughly as Aksel. Soon enough, Hera and David emerged to speak to them.

“I’d like to apologize. Hera has shown me that I said some truly regrettable things that can’t be justified. I hope you can forgive me, Vine,” David spoke, his head hung low.

“… It’s okay,” Vine responded briefly.

“Please, let me make this right. Come back to my inn, the village will want to celebrate, I’m sure. I promise, everything for your party will be on the house, including your rooms for the night. What do you say?”

“Oh, that’s more than generous, but I think—”

“We’ll be more than happy to accept!” Theo cut Aksel off, answering for everyone. Aksel looked back in protest only to run up against a smirk of pure greed.

“Perfect, you won’t regret it. Everyone here would love to thank you all for what you’ve done, especially for you, Vine,” his smile seemed to turn a little bitter. “I know how sudden it all happened. I’m sure you’d have done more if you could.”

Aksel looked over to Hera, his eyes seeking approval, worrying they would be overstaying their welcome. Much to his surprise, she nodded in agreement.

“Well, a little rest after today might not be a bad idea. Thank you.” Aksel thanked David for his generosity.

“Aksel, I want to give you this, here.” Hera held out a necklace in her hand.

“Wait, isn’t this item meant for pilgrims?”

“Normally yes, but Vine mentioned to me a few times that you wish to be a knight yourself, so I thought you might appreciate this. I'm aware it won’t be useful for a few years yet, so just consider it a good luck charm until then.” Hera’s beautiful smile was beyond charming.

“Are you sure you’re allowed to give this to me?”

“Well, erm, I don’t think it will be an issue, heh heh,” Hera nervously laughed off Aksel’s concerns. The silver necklace faintly emanated a divine aura, shimmering against the metal. It took the shape of three sets of angelic wings spawning from an orb in the centre. If his information was accurate, this was a container for divine essence, used to receive all twelve blessings required for a militant to ascend to the next rank.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” He stumbled for the right words, overwhelmed with childlike joy at such a generous gift. It felt like a sign from God himself that his goal was within his grasp. That perhaps, becoming a hero of the Heavens was achievable after all.

“Your gratitude is more than enough. But if you’d be willing, I suppose I have one selfish request.” Hera’s cheeks tinted with a hint of embarrassment evident in her expression. “When the day comes that you undertake your pilgrimage, I’d appreciate it if you would consider receiving one of your blessings here with me. You see, most begin their journey at Treda-dale or Hero’s Blade and travel in a straight line, so I’ve never had the chance to give my blessing to a pilgrim. And, if I might be so bold,” Hera’s voice quivered slightly. “I’d love it if you’d consider visiting us after you joined the Faith. Visitors are so scarce in the resettlement region, you see, and it's always been a pleasure of mine to speak to other members and hear of their journeys.

Aksel felt himself on the verge of falling for this priest, his heart pounding in his chest. If she were to suddenly sprout angel wings, he’d probably drop to one knee to propose. “Don’t worry, I promise I’ll return every chance I get.”

“Ah, you don’t need to go that far, just visiting every now and then will be more than enough,” Hera hurriedly assured, waving her hands in front of herself in a modest panic.

“R-right, of course, Heh heh.” Aksel stammered, feeling like an idiot, as Hera offered a good-natured chuckle. Nearby, David and Theo exchanged a quick, but knowing glances with one another at their expense. At that moment, a little blue and gold bird fluttered into view, circling the group with its wings in motion.

“What’s with this bird?” Theo asked, raising her arms to defend herself.

“… Cute.” Vine simply liked the bird.

Hera lent the creature her arm, which quickly perched itself on the offered limb. Upon landing, the bird began chirping incessantly at the priest, both human and bird locking gazes until it had finished. “Oh good, I don’t think we could handle another bear.” She expressed with a hint of relief, before she began chirping back at the bird.

“Aksel, your girlfriend’s talking to a bird.” Theo whispered, providing some very worried glances in the priest’s direction. Meanwhile, Vine tried her own hand at bird talk, but the best she could manage was some poorly attempted whistles. Aksel, on the other hand, knew exactly what Hera was doing.

She can speak Purecrest, he thought in awe of the angelic priest. It was a rare skill, even among the clergy. In Mythrin, there exists several species of birds that can communicate with the sentient races. While technically a dungeon species, it resided under a peculiar subsection of ‘commissioned races’, one of many species whose creation was bartered with the dungeons of old before the sealing. After a few extra tweets, the bird flew away with haste. Hera glanced back to the group, embarrassment colouring her features.

“Sorry, that probably seemed a little strange. I had Goldy search the area for signs of other bears. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like there are any others in this area.”

“That’s music to my ears,” David responded, visibly relieved.

“So, what did you say to the bird?” Theo inquired, sounding a little sceptical.

“I told him the situation; he’s heading to Treda-Lake now to inform the bishop.”

“That’s incredible,” Aksel found himself saying, eliciting a shy chuckle from Hera.

“It comes in handy, especially if your fond of birds. Hehe, Anyway, don’t let me keep you. I need to monitor Miya tonight, but please, go and enjoy yourselves.” Hera said as the group departed, waving her off as David escorted them to his Inn.