Priests hastily shuffled through the sanctuary dispensing blankets, water, and food. The eleven slaves sat on the pews with tears streaming down their cheeks. Urielle stood off to the side and wiped the exhaustion from her eyes. A smile gently graced her lips as the early morning sun illuminated the room in a rainbow of colors thanks to the stained-glass windows. A blanket draped around her shoulders, and she pulled it tightly to cover herself up.

“Thanks.” She smiled at Halligan warmly.

Halligan smiled back as he leaned against the column. “I’m glad we were able to save them, but I would have preferred to arrest the slavers as well.”

“I agree, but we must look on the bright side.” Urielle whispered. “We can investigate the King of Jericho after we destroy Reviled Legion.”

“Has Emir found anything else from the schematics?”

“I’m not sure. Would you like to visit him with me?” She was thankful that the red light covered her flushed face.

“Of course.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Patron Waldren’s voice echoed through the sanctuary. He eyes burned with rage, and they trained onto Urielle. He stormed up to her. “What have you done?”

“I investigated the auction and brought you proof.” Urielle replied. Her own eyes burned with righteous anger. “Had you chosen to investigate the auction instead of ignoring Sir Halligan’s claims, then we could have arrested the slavers along with freeing the slaves.” Her words made everyone stop and stare at them.

Sweat started pouring from Waldren’s forehead. “I may have been slow to act, but that’s because I wanted to be cautious.” He snapped. “Your rashness will make it more difficult to find these criminals in the future.”

“Then why not bring in Lord Triemiere?” Halligan growled.

“Lord Triemiere has been given a-”

“Then take it away!” Urielle spat. “As the Patron of Jericho, you have every right to deny his Noble Pardon. Why won’t you?”

“Because… actions have-”

“Patron Waldren, there’s someone here to see you.” A priest nervously approached.

“Now is not the time…” He snapped, but his eyes widened in horror at the pair standing behind the priest.

The lithe woman in leather pants stood patiently with a wolfish smile on her lips as she played with her blonde hair. Her black vest sat open, exposing her short brown top and exposed midriff. Behind the woman, stood a young girl in a frilly dress with bows decorating her hair. She looked uncomfortable to be here, and the Patron’s eyes lingered on the girl.

“How may I be of service?” He said, wiping away his sweat furiously.

“I’m here on behalf of my master.” The woman said calmly, but her eyes gleamed with malicious delight. “May I speak with you privately Patron?”

“Of course.” Waldren chuckled nervously. “This way, please.” The blonde woman quickly ogled Halligan with a flirtatious wink before following the Patron.

“Do you know her?” Urielle said with a sneer.

“Never met her before,” Halligan replied, “Since I’m here, do you want to check in with Emir?”

“Of course.” Urielle’s scowl quickly turned to a bright smile.

The cathedral felt strangely empty since most of the priests were tending to the slaves, but a few were performing their morning chores. Exhaustion weighed heavily on Halligan’s eyes, and he rubbed at them to clear his vision. The stench from the sewers still lingered on his clothes. The thought of a warm bath and soft bed nagged at the back of his mind, and he was certain that Lady Urielle felt the same way. However, despite the dark circles around her eyes, her smile radiated genuine joy.

The double doors to the cathedral’s library stood ajar, and they both quietly stepped inside. The cathedral library wasn’t anything like the one in the castle. The bookshelves at the back were ornately carved with gilded edges, and they reached all the way to the ceiling. Golden plaques with numbers carved into them were nailed to the rows whereas the ones in the castle had markings carved into shelves. Ancient scroll cases lined the upper shelves while freshly minted books sat closer to the floor.

As they passed the librarian’s desk and deeper into the library, they found Emir standing over a table. Books were stacked next to him as he stared intently at the sheets laid neatly over the table’s surface. A couch with rumpled cushions sat behind him with a blanket tossed over the back.

“Have you learned anything, Sir Emir?” Urielle whispered.

“I have, and it deeply worries me.” Emir rubbed his eyes before looking at them. His gaze lingered on the Saint, and a small smile came to his lips. “Looks like you enjoyed yourself last night.”

“I had to wear this.” Urielle blushed deeply as she covered herself. “We were trying to infiltrate a slave auction last night.”

Emir’s smile quickly faded. “Virtues, why weren’t we dispatched?”

“Patron Waldren wanted proof that the auction was real,” Urielle said harshly, “Thankfully, we were able to free a number of the slaves, but the slavers were allowed to go free.”

“But why wasn’t I sent to investigate?” Emir punched the table. “As a paladin of Yaniel, it’s my duty to investigate any crimes against the Church.” He ran a hand through his hair as he looked at them in frustration. “The Patron’s actions are making me question his dedication to the Church’s doctrine.”

“I’m in agreement with you, but right now we have more important issues to tend to.” Urielle said, turning to the papers laid out before them. “Have you found anything that can help us against the monster.”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

“I believe so.” Fear shined in his eyes. “But it also makes me concerned.”

“Why is that?” Halligan leaned over, looking confused at the blueprints.

“Because there is no possible way this was designed by mortal men.” Emir set a sheet in front of them.

The sheet depicted a strange device. It was a orb suspended in a decahedral cage by multiple spikes. Runes were scribbled on the metal bands of the cage with a large tube connected to the top. At the top of the page read Phylactery Core.

“What is this?” Halligan scratched his head while rotating the sheet around.

“I know that a phylactery is a vessel that lich’s use to house their souls.” Urielle gasped in horror. “Is that what it is, a lich with a metal body?”

“Something worse,” Emir replied. He slid another paper in front of them.

This one showed Reviled Legion’s upper body. Urielle flinched at the sight of the long, bladed tongue, but the sight of it connected to the core confused her. Wired connected to the core, but they immediately ended.

“The core acts like a phylactery, but it isn’t a lich’s souls inhabiting it. It’s the souls of its victims.” Urielle covered her mouth as she tried holding back her tears. Halligan simply stared dumbstruck at the sheet. “The core itself is enchanted with several spells, one of them being Soul Thief. When it uses its tongue to kill, that spell is activated, and it seals the soul into the core. The souls are what power it, so, the more souls it steals, the more powerful it becomes.”

Halligan went pale at the news. “You’re telling me, Elizar is trapped inside that thing.” Emir slowly nodded. “How do we get him out!”

“There is none. According to the blueprints, once a soul is sealed inside, it’s forever trapped.”

“How do we free them?” Urielle stuttered as tears ran down her face.

“We can’t. Destroying the core, destroys the souls.” Halligan slammed the table in anger. Emir sighed heavily. “Lady Urielle, it is impossible for a person to have designed this on their own. The level of skill, detail, and knowledge of necromancy is too advanced. This leads me to the conclusion that the goddess Elithis herself designed this thing.”

“Shecoga have mercy on us.” Urielle’s voice broke, and she ran her fingers through her hair.

----------------------------------------

Oria hummed a joyful tune as she sauntered into the Patron’s office. She admired the man’s taste in décor as she sat down in the plush chair in front of his desk. With a satisfied sigh, she kicked her feet up and gestured for the girl to sit in the other seat.

“May I ask, why you are here?” Waldren smiled nervously at her as he sat down.

“The King is displeased with you, Patron.” Oria scolded him with a teasing smile. “After his generous gift, you had the gall to send the Saint, of all people, to his auction last night.”

“That wasn’t me!” Waldren snapped, his eyes flashing between her and the child. “Saint Urielle learned about the auction from Sir Halligan, and he found out because of Lord Triemiere.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes, so there is no need for him to threaten me!”

Oria cackled harshly, “A threat, Patron, this isn’t a threat.” She smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes. “If it was, then you’d be missing a few priests. No, this is merely a reminder, that’s all.” She gently petted the girl’s head.

“Don’t lie to me!” Waldren slammed his fists against his desk. “Why else would you bring her here.”

Oria’s feet slammed against the floor. “As I said, it’s a reminder.” Her snarling smile sent a shiver through him. “It’d be a shame if everyone found out about your preferences.”

“Why would they take your word over mind?” Sweat slowly formed on his forehead.

“They may not, at first.” Her smile widened. “But that’s the thing about rumors. They start off small but can quickly grow out of control. Eventually, everyone will see you as the man who forces himself onto young girls.”

Waldren’s head fell, and he pulled his hair. Slowly, he raised his head. “What do you want from me?”

“Have you heard of Lady Priscilla’s pet project?”

“Yes.”

“You will provide any aid you can to her cause.” Oria sighed contently as the Patron nodded sullenly. “The King has taken a liking to her Grace, and he wants to see her succeed.” She pulled out a piece of paper and slid it over to him. “Also, you will authorize the House of Destiny to operate as a place of worship.”

“This is that fate cult, correct?” Waldren scanned through the paper. “You want me to recognize this Lady of Fate as a title to one of the Virtues?”

“Yes, I’m certain you can find something in your scriptures to support that.”

Waldren’s face went pale as he reread the parchment. “I’ll see what I can do.” He scratched his signature onto the paper before handing it back. “Is there anything else?”

“What’s that Noble Pardon I heard you mentioning earlier?”

“The Church of the Virtues has been tasked with upholding the law by his Majesty’s decree,” he said shakily, “However, his Holiness has seen that some nobles need to bend the rules to tend to their people, so those nobles that have proven themselves worthy have been given pardons. This allows them to engage in activities like slavery without the fear of punishment.”

“How can my master receive such a pardon?” Oria’s eyes shined with hunger.

“He would need to prove his noble lineage as well as provide unwavering support to the Church, and only his Holiness can bestow such an honor.”

Oria’s smile faded. “I see.” She rose from her chair, pocketing the note. “That should be all for now, Patron. Do have yourself a wonderful day.” She gently gestured for the girl to follow her out.

As Oria sauntered through the cathedral, she couldn’t help but scoff at the pretentious décor. The entire building appeared to have been carved from precious marble that glistened from constant cleaning. It must have cost a fortune to import the stone, since Jericho was surrounded by grasslands. Then there was the furniture made from rich, dark wood with fresh lacquer, and the golden candlesticks and chandeliers. The entire building felt like it belonged to obnoxious nobles than benevolent gods.

“Is there anything else you need of me, my lady?” The girl whimpered as they stepped out of the church.

“No, you are free to go.” Oria fished out a few gold coins and dropped them into the girl’s hands. The poor creature stared in awe at the treasure in her hands. “The King is pleased with your service.”

The girl gave a clumsy curtsy. “It was an honor to serve.” She ran down the road clutching to her money tightly.

Oria watched the girl flee with a small smile before heading towards the lower city. The richly dressed citizens gawked at her simple attire, and she enjoyed the sights of their horrified stares. Of course, the men stared at her in fascination.

Unlike their prudish women, Oria sauntered through the streets in her fitted leather pants, and her cropped shirt showed off her toned stomach. She was proud at how her heeled boots helped shape her figure which was a small blessing considered the other women in her life. She gave a wink to a group of young men ogling her and laughed at their flushed faces.

Are you having fun? Oria froze at the sound of Reviled’s voice. She searched around her, and her gaze stopped on a black cat sitting at her feet. It’s tail waved patiently as it stared at her.

“I am.” Oria smiled, trying to hide her shock. “Is that a new familiar?”

Our familiars can take on any form we desire. Reviled chuckled at her surprise. The cat jumped onto her shoulder and snuggled against her neck. How did it go?

“It went well. Sending the girl with me was a smart decision.” Oria whispered. She didn’t want anyone to see her talking to a cat. “The Patron will support Lady Priscilla and authorized Eirgnon’s House of Destiny.”

What about the Saint and Hero?

“He claims that he didn’t send them, but rather, they heard about the auction from a noble in the castle. A lord from Triemiere apparently.”

Meridith is heading to the castle to speak with our Princess. We’ll have her learn what she can about this lord. The cat’s tail gently brushed Oria’s jaw, and the cat licked her cheek. We are pleased with your report. Why not take the day off and enjoy yourself?

“Well, there is a wonderful shop here I want to check out.” Oria flashed him a sultry smile. “Perhaps I could get your opinion on a new outfit?”

If you insist. Reviled chuckled into her ear. Oria’s hips swung wildly as she sauntered down the road, but this time, she completely ignored the lecherous stares.