Within a minute, there are fights breaking out in the crowd around Barden and his entourage. Angelidis has joined his group and is keeping watch around him to make sure that no harm meets him today.
The old draconid man is in the center of a group of forty people and one person tries to approach Barden in this group. She slowly wades through the group, towards the center. People let her through quite easily, having seen her running around and healing people within the crowd. Barden’s confidants as well recognize her.
Angelidis notices her as well and nods towards her. Prisca smiles softly. While Prisca can get closer, Angelidis cannot since Barden’s confidants don’t trust her yet. In this hostile environment, Barden’s people have to keep an eye on threats from within as much as without. The Federation is quite willing to use infiltration methods to weaken resistance movements.
"Sir." Prisca greets, respectfully.
"Hello, child. Why are you approaching me right now?" Barden asks, a warm smile on his face, his lips twitching slightly. He had explicitly given Prisca instructions not to do this. Even if he and these people, his close associates, get arrested, she can still keep her affiliation with him secret. His current circle of protection are all hardened members who are prepared to deal with torture.
However, Prisca is someone too close, Barden would never risk her safety, especially when she’s not as prepared.
Angelidis is nearby and watching Prisca. She is curious why she looks so anxious right now. This group of people fighting each other doesn't seem like a big threat to Barden at the moment, at least in Angelidis’ eyes. Prisca speaks calmly, trying to hide her fear.
"I apologize for inconveniencing you, I just wanted to speak to you about what exactly is happening right now. I have a friend in the audience. She can tell who all the people starting the fights are. They're not our allies, they're undercovers."
Barden grimaces but doesn’t look surprised.
"Hmph, I had guessed earlier. Let me guess, the guards are going to use this as an excuse to enter the crowd and start surrounding our group."
"...Yes, sir. I-If you had guessed that earlier, why haven't you already tried to leave yet?" Prisca asks.
Barden sighs. He looks unsure of how he wants to say this.
"I can't leave until the statue march is over, Prisca. You know what I am. Does 'coward' describe me accurately?"
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
"Sir… are you… are you trying to kill yourself today?" Prisca whispers.
Barden looks at her in shock, his mind racing.
Prisca had learned about what it takes to be a priest in the church of Panaphon and Savitarius. Each member in the hierarchy from priest and above have a certain protocol that they must fulfill if they are ever captured by guards, crime syndicates, or the Federation’s church or nobility.
A priest of the church, let alone a Bishop or Archbishop, has names and locations that would prove invaluable intel to the church of Osva. As a result, the moment a priest is captured, they can activate a magic device within their bodies that will destroy the nerves responsible for telling their hearts to pump blood.
It was this innovation, the so-called suicide protocol, that allowed the underground church to exist for centuries, even during the era of slavery.
Though Cel and Sito are unaware, Prisca had accidentally discovered the truth when Barden and a Bishop of Panaphon for this region of the Federation had convened a secret meeting; it was when she was younger, she's not proud of spying on Barden. She very much regrets having learned this little detail.
It put a timer on Barden’s life and it was always why she was so anxious for Barden to get involved with these kinds of public events.
"Barden… I'm not going to just let you sacrifice yourself. Why are you doing this?" Prisca asks.
Barden tries to understand how she learned of his sacred duty first of all. It's not that he doesn't trust her to keep it a secret, but the protocol was supposed to be known by only those who would one day have to take it. It would only result in complicated results if too many people knew, especially family members and friends.
"I'm… I'm not planning anything of the sort, Prisca. But, if I run away, what about all of you lot who are left in the square? What is the point of all that I have seen today, of all that I have preached if I left just because some thugs tried to capture me? I knew the risks, dear. I'm not going to back down now. If I die… then I will die standing my ground."
He gazes at her with a fierce uncompromising glare.
For a moment, Prisca shrunk back from that look of his. Barden is like a father to her. He's the only father figure she's known since her own parents passed away.
However, her frustration quickly dispels her fear. She stares back at Barden with a glare of her own that makes the old man take a step back, unsure of himself.
"Fuck… fucking… why are you so stubborn!?" Prisca shouts. The people around her look at her as if she's gone insane.
"Shit… shit, ok, you stupid old man, what will it take for you to leave with your life?" She asks, her voice returning to a harsh whisper. At least let her learn how long she needs to protect this fool for.
"Well, it should be obvious to you, right? So long as that statue remains standing tall, I'm not leaving. I'm going to remain here until they complete their depraved ritual, bearing witness to it all."
Prisca stomps out of the crowd and Barden feels exasperated. Her father was like a son to him but Barden didn't think he had taught Prisca to throw tantrums…
I really hope she didn’t learn that from me. Her parents would be so annoyed with my parental failures…
The old draconid man also notices the young draconid girl following Prisca away.