Dmitri sighed, took a deep breath and commenced his tale. He started by telling her that he was an Exarch that would work on the Churches behest. At the mention of Exarch, Judith opened her mouth to say something but Dmitri held up his hand to forestall any comments and continued, telling her of his journey back to his homeland of Russia to purify the water supply of a small village there. At this, Judith gasped, “Oh my god, it is you!” she exclaimed.

Dmitri frowned, “What do you mean?” he asked.

“You’re the Last True Exarch! No one knew what happened to you. All anyone was able to determine was that you were sent to help a village with their water supply, which you did, but what no one else expected was that you would slaughter the inhabitants. Or that’s how the story goes. Is it true?”

Dmitri was surprised and disturbed at this, both the accusation and that all the villagers were dead. “They’re dead?” he asked stunned, and not waiting for an answer, he explained, “I did purify the water, but in the process, my elemental magic allowed a demon to escape its imprisonment. After escaping from the demon, I warned the village and the local priest and I prayed for divine assistance. It arrived in the form of the Arch-Angel Uriel. He sent me here. I’d only just arrived when your horses spooked me. Now why do you say the villagers are dead? They were fine earlier.”

“So you fought a demon?” Judith asked, and Dmitri nodded in affirmative.

“This happened to you today?” She clarified, and Dmitri nodded again. “These villagers you speak of; they were slain over twenty years ago.”

Dmitri opened his mouth to respond, but then recalled that Uriel had said that he was going to be sent through time as well as over distance to France.

“What?” Judith asked, seeing Dmitri’s expression change at his realisation.

“He actually sent me through time,” Dmitri said amazed, half to himself.

“What?” Judith asked again, sceptically this time.

“It means it was all real. All of it. It means that I really do have to find this Destria woman and soon. She would have been born in the last twenty years correct? She must have learnt whatever I need to learn from her. I was still unsure, but not anymore,” mused Dmitri, pacing. He stopped and held up a finger, “But there is one thing I don’t understand; you called me the Last True Exarch? Did the church stop using them?”

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“Oh.” Said Judith sadly, “You wouldn’t know yet. Over the course of a few years, the Exarch’s died. They were all apparently innocent and unconnected deaths. The Church requested that more Exarchs be trained, but no sooner than they had been trained, they too, fell foul to fatal accidents and mishaps. After a while, the Church simply stopped training them, they simply didn’t want any more deaths laid at their feet. You were the Last True Exarch because after you disappeared, it all went downhill.”

Dmitri was stunned, “But you didn’t recognise my name when I said who I was?” he asked.

“Dmitri, you must remember,” she began, “I was only a child when all this began, we weren’t at war with France and I was back at home in England. Of course, I wasn’t expecting to meet someone from a children’s tale either.”

“Children’s tale?” exclaimed Dmitri. Then added “But you trusted me when I said I was going to fix things.”

“Well it was that or let Strinder die.” Judith replied, “Besides, I needed to keep faith.”

“Faith?” Dmitri repeated.

“Yes, Faith that the world hasn’t completely come undone, that someone will come to save us from the evil and tyranny in this land.” Judith said sadly.

Dmitri saw a contradiction in what she had said earlier, “But before, as we were coming through the city, about the happiness of the people, you said-“

“I know what I said,” she snapped; then continued gently “I was trying to make you feel jealous, make me feel better about this city I have to be a part of.”

“But if you don’t want to be here,” started Dmitri, than shrugged, “then you can leave. But you must like it here. You are the First Merchant after all. There was enough emphasis on that earlier.”

“I know.” She shook her head ruefully, “I can’t leave because I’m trying to help them. I’m trying to show the people that there is hope that I can be the solution. But the people here can’t see it; they’re in some sort of trance. Only occasionally will anyone talk to me like they did in the old days, but now if someone starts to say something negative against Lord Draycott or his men, they’ll either seal up tighter then a clam, or worse, be silenced by the same men.”

Dmitri thought for a moment, “If it is a trance like you say, I’d imagine it’s some sort of controlling magic, but it would have to be a very powerful dark being to be able to do a whole city like this. Between that and the Exarch’s and villagers killed, I’d say that Akahaziel broke free of whatever hold Uriel had on him. If he is here, I really need to locate this Destria woman and find out what she knows about how to defeat Akahaziel.”

Judith nodded, “What about Uriel? Can he help?”

Dmitri shrugged, “I’d imagine so, but I have to contact him, I need to get to holy ground and summon him.”

“I doubt you will find any holy ground around here,” said Judith, “we’ll have to get you out of the city and to the French village. Their monastery will be sanctified.”

Dmitri nodded, “Good idea. While we do that, we need to find this Destria woman.”

Judith nodded, “Let me talk to my contacts, I’ll-” she was interrupted by a servant running in.