Cloth now ask questions,

the Wise now protest,

In silence, the Orange now seeks,

Prayers being to the sick.

The Father came over to Julius and me’s table, he grabbed a chair and pulled it next to us. “So gentlemen, my name is Father Lombart, and the sisters have asked me to ask you some questions. May I ask who I speak?” Depressed and worried Julius became, I was confused as to why he looked so nervous. He has no trouble, for a father of any chapel, does not judge who sits before them. Not man, not elf, not a half-elf, nor even a talus, or any other creators of the Nine. All belong loved by the Nine, even Hothlorad, who is described as negligent towards his sons. So what did Julius fear festering below his cloth, that he acts so squeamishly toward Father Lombart? “Are thou stirred, or even riled master Julius? Does thou know this preacher? Is he of ill will?” I asked Julius, as he sweats in the cold weather, but I received no such response.

“I am one Julius the Wise, a former caster and now a dedicated scholar,” Julius said shaking, and with dwindling confidence. Now was my turn, “I am one Methodius, a half-elf, and scholar of beasts. It is a fair pleasure to meet your acquaintance such as yourself.” Cough, Cough, Cough! “Are you ill Julius? You don’t seem rather well, should the sisters see you too?” I asked in worried breath for my friend but was sure he suffered no afflictions to grey howlers.

“I-I-I am very well Methodius,” Julius said coughing into a handkerchief. “Let the father now speak, for our information may be vital to the Earl’s swift recovery.” My eyes widen by the coded words Julius used; his secret is unbeknownst to myself, and what of this humble preacher, of what power does he speak for. “Father if I may ask of you, what church are you with? As far as what god do you say the words of,” I asked to gain knowledge from this man.

“Tis not special, I work the clergy of Saint Plyastie, over on 7th street. Though our chapel be small, we still have some of the texts from the Books of Insight. But rather recently, we have been having trouble deciphering the Saint’s ambiguous meanings on resonance and death. We, however, as the clergy, are closer to understanding his philosophy on life. But that is not why you are here, no?” Father Lombart spoke, “The grave and sickly one is what brings you three here. So, in the words that you provide to me may have use to the sisters, leave not one stone unturned, forgive me if my intrusions in thy lives seem harsh. Let us begin with your friend’s name.”

“He is um… his name is,” Julius ever more hesitant, became distraught to answer the Father’s request. It was odd, in my years knowing him, Julius would have never been so strangulated by the presence of learners. His whole past life was that of a knowledge giver, it is unbecoming of him, at this rate the Earl shall die or see a never-ending dream. I shall need to answer for the wise and gauge his response, for a temper of Julius could leave the Earl without care.

“If I may? That man, or rather boy, is one Earl Samuel de Arsenault, heir to the Black Unicorn household,” I said with more vigor than that of Julius.

“An Earl? Black Unicorn? I am rather afraid that I know little of such a house, sir Methodius,” the Father said with confusion, “If my accumulation of such knowledge is correct, the minor houses of Lyouse, a dutchy that no longer exists, would this be the land that your Earl hails from?”

“Our records are scant, but it is known to use that our Earl does indeed hail from Lyouse,” I said with contempt, “we, however, have yet to ask him for clarity.”

“I see… tell me,” the Father says leaning in closer, “My reclamation of my memories on political matters are abysmal, the different houses of dutchies especially, but if I recall all houses were either absorbed or raised to the ground from the calamity. Oh… I mean, what historians are now calling, the Great Stone Tiding, I am positively sure you two are well-read of such research. With you two being scholars, and sir Julius being what… a former caster was it? So how does an heir to such a dead house yet draw breath?”

“Julius,” I said nudging him to speak clearly, “this would be your rather level of expertise, tell the father how we discover the Earl.”

“I re… I reanimated him,” Julius said stumbling on his words. “Come again?” the Father proclaimed in bewilderment. With a sigh, Julius began again, “There on Titans Plateau, lie a stoney boy well passed his time, who was selected for his ability of verbose resonance. A boy who can conjure images using only his words, that could lead armies to victory, and parties to splendors treasure. Upon that plateau, I use an enchantment that broke his stoney curse, but one that could not cure my own, prolonged death. There he was alive again and needed for our grand plans, one of seeking an end to my curse, another to see the beauty of resonance brought forward to our fold. Father? Are you beginning to comprehend?”

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Astonished by such words, could it be true, could my dear friend have committed the ultimate sin? Had Julius just announced that he reanimated the dead? Could the Earl have be brought forth against his will? I fear the sisters will need to know the origin of the wounds, if Julius has committed necromancy. “Excuse me but for a moment,” I said in grave words, and went to the nearest sister, moving away from both Julius and Father Lombart. The act of walking itself in this asylum became hard, the idea of death swarming me, but an odd easiness tried to soothe me. As although this place be a restituted and medicine, no person would want to willing be here. For even a sister, so kind and so sweet, has the burden of dealing with a person’s last breaths. Yet as I walked I saw only glowing white halls, and paintings of smiling children, perhaps a sister can beat back the darkness that likes to play in death. But right now I could only picture Julius…

Irate, the Father became, I looked to see him about to blow fowl words. “You Julius, a former caster, have committed the greatest of sin. For you one so ‘wise’, so arrogant, so manipulative, have brought forth the dead against their wishes. NECROMANCY! A sin so abominable, me wonders if that is why you wear a scarf over your eyes.” Julius, once so hesitant, stood up straight as a needle, now loomed over the father, and a fight of wits was to begin. “I am no fool, the mere fact that you suggest it,” he said with a booming caw, “would make me less of a man, than that of one I already am. I traded my eyes for the ability to reanimate the Earl, I traded my mortality for knowledge, yet I gained little.” Thud! Julius fist I heard, as he smashed the table. But what to make of this knowledge I knew not, for he told me he lost his sight to that of a beast, not some resonance infused trinket. So, he lied to me about the Earl, about how that he came back from the Land of Heroes, and he lied about his blindness. I begin to think my friend is not so wise as he claims, but rather a schemer who uses his others to enact his plans. Was I a fool?

As of the moment, it did not matter, later I shall contemplate my so-called ‘kinship’ of Sir Julius. If the Earl is indeed a man reanimated of stone, then I shall tell the sisters of his wounds, if not… Then he shall be laid back to rest in the immortal realm, a place I hope he will find peace. When a sister, late in her years, sat behind her desk ready to leave my moment of words was quickly ending. “Sister, oh sister,” I said with the courage of a soaked child, “my friend in your medical ward, tell your sisters that his wounds come from a grey howler. One that bit him, and that had a sickly foam, please let them know.”

“Umm… I will try, but excuse me, sir,” she said like that of my dear nan, “you look like you have seen a spirit, you look pale. Please tell me… do you seek help too?” I paused for I might need time to think alone, with naught but candles and waves. For what I have just learned could put me over the edge and drift into sanity. “You know sister,” I said with a haunted tone, “if you could direct me towards the nearest meditation box that would soothe my mind.” She pounder for a time, with a smack of her lips, she said, “you know, there is a place for somber meditation that we run near the port, up down the coast. If you want, I’ll give you a spare key, all you have to do when you are done is place the key on the rock next to the box. Here I’ll give you a map…” I shook my head, I knew of the one she referred to, as I remember it bearing the Sister’s mark. “No need, I know of which you speak,” I said with a deep sigh, “the key shall suffice. Just let your other sisters know of my friend's wounds and treat them well.” She handed me the key, and in kindness, I return it with a small amount of ten gold coins. “Why thank you,” she said with a glowing smile, “this donation will do splendors for the needy and ill. But, are you sure you don’t need aid?”

I shook my head in acknowledgment, “aid the ill, not the disheartened and confused, sister.” I turned and began walking towards the rainy night sky, blue by the clouds that pour water onto a dying world. I walked past Julius and the Father, still arguing the merits of his supposed ‘reanimation’ of the Earl. “Julius,” I said ghastly, “if you need of me, seek my body by the port. I’m going to seek silence in thought.” With that, I left the Sisters, the Earl, Father Lombart, and most importantly Julius, behind and sought my silence along the portside of Millween.

“I too hope you wind up dead,” Father Lombart said to Julius, “I’ll pray tha… that the ‘Earl’, seeks the cold embrace of death and that he may return to where he belongs. Amongst family!” The Father then stormed out behind me and told me that I should never trust that ill-gotten man ever again. He proceeded to slip back into the night, to what I assumed to his chapel, but with anger and hatred festering under his brow. But I could not bring myself to leave just yet, so peering in the window, closest to Julius, I saw a broken man. Maybe his story holds true, but a broken man needs time, as do I, especially when it comes to matters pertaining to trust. I sighed and began walking, a place by the sea, where candles wait for me.