After Caleb had enough rest, he was moved to the main lobby of the temple. Various nuns, priests, and paladins conversed with themselves upon seeing Caleb. Being the focus of many discussions, the Phantom Blades stood near him to protect him from their words. A comforting warmth filled his chest upon seeing his companions standing up for him, a warmth that seemed to emanate from the very walls of the temple.

"Back to your duties! These are guests; don't bother them!" Kharl's voice echoed through the chamber. The grey-haired man raised his arms and ordered them to disperse. Accompanied by a small band of paladins, he approached Gale and Herk. "You are welcome to stay a bit longer if you like. I know it may not be the most comfortable place to be, but with my blessing, you are my guests."

Gale looked at him curiously before turning his back and letting Herk do the talking. "We appreciate the offer, but once Caleb can move freely, we must report to Guild Headquarters in town. We barely made it on time as is despite many detours and distractions. However, we are thankful for all your help."

Kharl smiles softly before looking toward Caleb. A distinctive attraction toward the young boy was suspicious yet not malicious. Herk could sense Kharl's gaze being drawn to Caleb and stepped forward to the head priest. "Might I ask why are you staring at him?" Herk whispered in order to conceal the intention.

The priest whipped his head back to the cleric and touched his shoulder. "That boy is special. The Goddess looks upon him much more than any of us. Her words reached him when he was being baptized. He is fortunate."

"I don't think luck has anything to do with it, Father. Say, I don't mean to pry into the business of your temple, but why did a thief infiltrate this place, and what for?"

Kharl's smile fades, and his demeanor shifts. His brow furls into the corners of his eyes, and he sighs heavily. "We've had trouble lately in Barou due to the shortage of adventurers being lost in the mountains, and the ongoing war between Heistorm and the Empire has given rise to criminal activities and syndicates to let their greed flow." Pressing his fingers to his eyelids, he roughly rubs them out of frustration. Caleb is the only one listening to their conversation and slowly draws near the two holy men.

"Was it the Iron Chain Syndicate?"

"That is one of many, but yes, they are prominent. Despite Barou's best attempts at being hidden, it seems we hold many spies of these groups within our walls. The thief wore their band on his arm as he stole valuable and powerful trinkets. A couple of my best workers were murdered in their sleep with poison. By the time I realized something was amiss, the thief got away with what he wanted to steal."

"What was the artifact?" Herk leans in to hear closer.

Kharl draws close to his ear..."They took the Holy Scepter." Herk's eyes lit up upon the mere mention of its name.

Herk stepped back and folded his arms. "That's really bad. Such a rare relic like that does not belong in their hands!"

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"Your frustrations is shared within this temple. We have turned away people in need many times, I'm afraid, due to increased security. We aren't the only location that the criminal scum has targeted. I fear something is in the works in the Undercity of the Empire."

Caleb interjects himself by placing his hand on Herks shoulder. "Is there anything we can do?"

Herk turns and tries to grab his arm, but Kharl orders him to stay still. "The boy is right to ask Herk. As of now, we are focused on keeping the rest of what we have in storage and display as of now. However, any retrieval or reclaiming of anything stolen and returned to us will be most gracious."

"Lukia was once a slave of them before Gale and the others took her in. I'm sure she wouldn't mind giving them a piece of her mind when we find them."

"Poor child. Let us end our conversation there. Herk, may you leave us for the moment? I would like to speak to Caleb by ourselves."

His eyes rose from their sockets before tilting his head at Kharl. "I guess so. I need to discuss our current course of action with Gale." Leaving the pair alone, Kharl invited Caleb for a walk in the temple.

As they leave the area, Lukia twiddles her thumbs together, anxiety filling her chest. Gale lays his hand on her arm and reassures her. "Worried about Caleb?"

"I'm worried he might draw too much attention if he has to walk around without concealing himself."

"The feeling is mutual. We aren't in Heistorm anymore, so the tolerance toward him isn't as strong. This was the price I was willing to pay to have him join our group. After we report to the Guild, I think we should enjoy a night out. All of us."

"Do you think we even have the effort to spare for something so trivial?" Lukia scoffs and flicks her hair to the side. Herk approaches them while eying at Yann and Ivian, who sit beside each other without much happening.

"Hey, bad time to cut in?"

Gale turns to him and Lukia and places his hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Are we about ready to head over to headquarters?"

"Yann and Ivian are ready; you two seem ready. Caleb, on the other hand, is still speaking with Kharl."

Lukia looks around to spot Caleb but soon realizes he isn't in the main lobby of the temple anymore. The inner silver walls are lined with pieces of art and religious symbols. The rest of the place is filled with unique decor. "Where did they go?" Scanning around, no trace or sign of either Kharl or Caleb is visible....

Caleb had left to join Kharl in his private quarters as he listened to the high priest and his stories. He didn't have much to respond to other a few yes or no questions. "This is my chamber; I sleep, eat, and write in this very room."

"I'm sorry, but why did you want me to come with you? I know you want to talk to me about something specific."

The old and tall priest lays in his chair and turns to look at Caleb, motioning him to sit in the chair opposite of him. "I didn't want anyone to overhear our talks. I think a little privacy is needed for our kind if we wish to be open."

Caleb's expression shifts, and when he turns his head slightly, he looks at the priest differently. "What do you mean about our kind?"

Kharl leans forward and closes his eyes while covering the grin on his face with his hands. "Why, I mean us. We both share the same blood of Nix, don't we?"

Kharl slowly opened his eyes; his dull brown was glossed over in a golden hue that overlayed on top. Lines stretched across his sockets and past his cheeks. Dark marks of weird design stained his face as the hue of his eyes illuminated brightly in the dark gold color. Staring at Caleb was a man who lived with a deep secret that he carried through his time of war without any suspicion.

Face to face with another person who shared the blood of Nix, Caleb's own eyes reacted in response. Only a slight shade of golden hue emitted from his eyes, causing him to react and stumble backward, not sure how to respond to the current events...