“Oi, Brandon, wait up a second.” I heard from behind us, turning to see Old Klein just a few paces behind.
“What can we do for you?” I asked.
He smiled and said, “I figured I would answer your questions. I know I can be a bit hard to pin down, and I was planning on going on a hunt soon, which makes it even worse. So go ahead, whatever you think about the Arrows.”
I pondered as we walked for a second, and realized that I really had no idea whatsoever on what was going on. “Well, to be honest I don’t know anything about them. Just that Lady Laura was one, and I guess they go out alone to hunt vampires?”
He nodded, and took a second before answering, “Well, I ain’t too surprised there. We tend to keep to ourselves most of the time. We are the loosest in organization for the three orders, forming a wing of between five and fifteen hunters. That’s for when we have major hunts. Around here, we usually only see small nests, so it isn’t surprising that Laura was hunting alone. That she was defeated either means she was unprepared or we got some bad intelligence. Anyway, we tailor our response to what we expect to find, and each hunter can always pull back if they feel that they need backup. Ranks are based on metals, and you can work your way up depending on how many successful hunts and their difficulty you finish.”
“Ok. Is there a certain length of time you have to be signed up with them?”
“Nope. Most go for ten years or so, but once you start getting that old you tend to be relegated to backup roles. I’m semi-retired myself, as I just can’t keep up speed wise with everything. Oh, that reminds me. Look.” He pulled back his right sleeve, revealing an intricate tattoo. Just like Stannich, there were names there. The difference was that Klein’s tattoo was of a tree, while Stannich had some flowers. “This is similar to Stannich’s, but they are fallen friends from my original wing. I can’t go into the lore, but the things surrounding the names tell you how they passed. Most of them were lost fighting nests.”
“Thanks Klein, don’t worry. I’m not going to try and pry, I can already tell it’s a sensitive subject. Before we go, one last question. If you could do it again, would you be a hunter?”
“Without a doubt,” He answered immediately. He gave me a quick smile, and then headed off to wherever he needed to go. Most likely to report that Laura had been killed, and that they needed far more people to hunt down that nest.
“Momma! Momma! We’re baaaack!” Molly shouted, streaking ahead.
“Molly? Who is we?” My mom said as she stepped into the doorway, freezing when she saw me. “Molly, get inside, now!” She said, stepping around my sister protectively.
“Hey ma,” I said with a slight grin, feeling rather uncomfortable.
“Begone demon! You are not my son.”
“It’s not like-“
“I said BEGONE!” She screeched, stamping a foot.
Molly tried to walk around her, but she immediately grabbed her and held her tightly. “But Momma! It’s Brandon!”
Shaking her head, she denied it, “It’s not dearest. Your brother died, and was turned to a demon vampire. You know there’s no coming back from that.”
“Can I at least get my stuff before you throw me out?” I asked, exasperated.
“My husband burned it, so that your body wouldn’t be tempted to return. Once more, in the name of Solaris, I order you to leave!”
“Momma, that’s Brandon!” Molly insisted, only to be gently shoved back toward the house.
“Molly! Go to your room!” She ordered, turning back to me in a panic, making sure I hadn’t moved toward her in any way. “Stubborn demon! I don’t know how you bypassed the protection of the walls, but that’s fine,” She took a deep breath with her eyes closed, squaring her shoulders as if she was preparing for a fight, “Let the righteous never fear, for the power of Solaris will always come to their need. In the darkest hours when all seems lost, place your trust in Him. Call for Him, and His holy light shall come and drive back the creatures of the night!”
I hung my shaking head as she started quoting scripture, turning to hide the tear in my eye. Back hunched in pain, I ignored the pitying looks of our neighbors. I wandered around for a few hours, occasionally sipping from the flagon that Ennarion had given me. The blood tasted bland, like water that had been sitting for a few hours, but it was at least filling and quenched my hunger. No matter where I went, I always seemed to attract one of two responses. The first was open pity, and that was from anyone who recognized me. The repulsion from the rest of the people was starting to get to me, until I heard a little kid mention the smell to his dad as they were walking away. Finally! Something that I could take care of! With freshly determined steps, I headed toward the public baths.
“Good evening, sir. *Cough* How can I help you?” The receptionist asked, struggling to keep a straight face and not cough this close to me.
I gave her a gentle smile, “It’s ok, I know I must smell atrocious. Sadly, I have no money to my name at the moment. Can I get a bar of your strongest unscented soap? And if it’s ok, I do believe it might be best if I take a pre-wash outside.”
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“Yes, I do believe that would be most appreciated sir. Um, your clothes?” She asked, paling a bit.
“I’ll wash them outside as well.” I answered immediately, continuing, “I don’t think I could live with myself if I forced someone to clean these for me when I don’t have any ability to give them the tip that they deserve.”
“Thank you sir.” She said, deflating in relief before her eyes flashed in panic.
Before she could apologize, I simply said, “A perfectly natural reaction. Now, could I please have that soap? And a place for my flagon if you would be so kind.”
“Here you are. I’ll place your item in shelf 2. Simply ask for that when you are finished.”
“Thank you.” I said with a small bow, and headed out to the outer baths. These were reserved for those of us who toiled in the fields all day in the hot sun. Once we had removed the majority of the stench, then we were welcomed into the normal public baths. It was a system that worked for everyone, as a lot of farmers found their own stench rather appalling. It also helped keep the inner baths just a bit cleaner, as they were stone and couldn’t be removed. The outer ones were made of wood, and changed out monthly.
“Thank Solaris, I’m alone.” I muttered, walking over to one of the tubs. I spent three rounds washing the stench from my clothes, and hung them up to dry as I took a good four turns myself. Even then, the water wasn’t quite running clear. The sniff test on my armpit let me know that I was at least clean enough for the proper baths, and I still had half the soap I originally received.
“Excuse me.” I said to the receptionist after I headed back inside, “Could you add these to shelf 2?”
She smiled and took the still slightly damp clothes, “Of course sir. Do you need any extra soap?”
“No, but a towel would be wonderful.”
“Of course.” She said, handing over the towel. It was a bit on the smaller side, but it was good enough for me. I gratefully took the towel, and headed in to get properly cleaned.
I groaned as I slid into one of the smaller, individual tubs. Oh the slightly heated water was bliss. Since I was the only one in the bath at this time of day, I was going to enjoy my time. The room was made of grey stone mined from the nearby mountain, with plenty of open space and a few decorated columns holding the ceiling. The outer two rows of tubs were the small, individual tubs and only got the barest of heating. General practice was to use these to get the vast majority of dirt off your body, even if it took a time or two. Towards the back were slightly larger tubs meant for families, and at the very back were paying tubs for those rich enough to pay for hot bathwater no matter which level they were in. The second set of tubs were a few rings of tubs slightly closer to the center. They were a bit larger, and were heated a bit more thoroughly. Most people used them to remove the last traces of soap and dirt from their body, and the central tub was for relaxation. Set in the ground, it was kept at a near steaming level. The depth varied, and you could find all sorts of seats to relax on. The shallower area even had a small area with carved figures for children to play in.
“Brandon? Shouldn’t you be at home with your family?” I started, having drifted off in the relaxing heat of the bath. Slipping in across the way was Father Ennarion.
I answered rather glumly, “Should be. Mom thinks I’m a demon. She said Dad already burned my things so that I wouldn’t be tempted to return.”
“Oh Brandon.” Ennarion said, unsure of how to comfort me. I could see the hesitation in him, and I felt it too. Were I younger, he wouldn’t have hesitated to bring me into a hug. Hells, any boy my age would still feel a hug, but I was balanced on the edge of a knife between adult and child.
Wanting to move along, I decided to ask, “Enough of that. It was going to happen sooner or later. You said the caravan leaves in a week?” He nodded, so I kept going, “In that time, do you think I could work at the temple for some coin? You could use the time to fill me in on the basics of what I need to know, and I could help out with some of the lowly chores. I know it’s been a few years since you had a youth join the church out here.”
Ennarion exhaled with a smile. “That sounds like a fantastic plan. I can pay you ten copper laurels a day, and while it is more than a neophyte would make, you aren’t officially part of the church. As you are on a mission to return a memento from a wing of the church, you will also get a free pass on the caravan and will earn a tidy sum upon returning the items. Now, are there any questions you have of what the priesthood does?”
“Well, the only thing I know of is that you maintain the walls runes and deliver the sermons on Sunday. Is there anything else?”
He chuckled, and answered, “Of course! We are always open for those down on their luck. Preparing nightly soup meals, offering shelter from the cold nights. All of us are also trained in basic medicine. If it can be fixed without an apothecary, we can take care of it. Granted, some of us do go on to study as apothecaries, but they are in such demand that they are limited to the major cities and the frontlines.”
“Front lines?” I asked, confused.
“Yes. We are far from them, thank Solaris, but there is a vampire nation we are constantly at war with. We don’t get much news of it out here, but it is a bloody conflict that has been going on for decades. We work to save as many as we can, to hold the line against the darkness. You’ll hear more of that depending on what branch you join, should you join the church. Just promise, should you be sent out there, that you will be as careful as possible.”
“Of course, I promise.” I said immediately.
That seemed to pacify him, as a bit of tension that I didn’t notice he was carrying unwound. He continued, “Now, the lower ranks in the church aren’t fun, but the work is worth it. Math and runes are must pass classes, as well as the study of the Book of Light. The rest of your time will be spent in improving the church. Most would be tasked with cleaning, either the chapel or dishes. Some with talent will be preparing food, and you would likely be sent to the farms. You’ll be trained in a small bit of self-defense eventually, and finally taught how to channel holy magics.”
“And if I choose to be a mage?” I asked, wondering once again what any kid would. The power to control the elements was an incredible draw.
“You won’t.” He said sadly. “You don’t have any elemental affinities, so they would require you to learn from the church. There just aren’t any certified masters of curses. That is left to the church, and sadly we haven’t had anyone to learn blood magic in hundreds of years.”
After that we both sank a bit in to relax, me to ponder what I wanted to do and Ennarion to do whatever priests do at the end of the day. The magic called to me, but I wasn’t about to join the priesthood to learn it. I just wouldn’t be able to handle the math and runes. Perhaps they would make an exception, since I was something that hadn’t been around in a while.
“Brandon, are you ready to head out? I’ll get you set up with some clothes and a place to sleep for tonight, and you can start work tomorrow morning. Dust and sweep the chapel.”
I nodded, standing and working my way to the side of the bath. “Yeah. I think I am ready Father. Thank you.”