The bishop shuffled out of the temple. He yawned. Using the staff as a walking cane, he looked like an old man, at least that was what Francis thought.

“What’s the business here?” he asked.

“Are you the one in charge?”

Standing past the fence, Francis watched as the man leisurely strolled over. That man yawned as he shuffled over. Out of the corner of the horizon, the sun peeked its head out.

“What’s going on here? I don’t think you’re invited here in good faith,” the bishop said.

“That depends on your definition of good faith. Besides, you’re the one in charge here, yes?”

“That isn’t how you address a bishop, but seeing as you’re here, I’ll assume you’re ignorant.”

“Neither is that the way to address the son of a duke, but let’s keep that for later. Since you’re a bishop, you ought to be knowledgeable about religion. Which cult or sect demands sacrifices?”

“Sa-sacrifices?!”

The bishop nearly stumbled over. For a bishop, he wasn’t well dressed. With two sets of robes, one outer and inner. The inner set spanned his entire body, whilst the other set stretched from his left to right arms. In an ugly shade of brown, his entire appearance was tarnished. The robes reached down to his ankles, and hung off his shoulders.

“Well?” Francis asked.

“Uhh... Sacrifices... That would be the Forbidden One.”

“What the hell is the Forbidden One?”

“Breadcrumb... I don’t like where you’re going with this.”

“And look at which divine lizard decides to show his face.”

“The Forbidden One... You don’t know about them?” Iris asked.

“Nope. Obviously not. Just a quick explanation would do. Evil god? Good god? You know.”

“The matter of gods cannot be divided into simply good and evil!”

“Oh yeah? Then do your job and explain it, robe man!”

Francis crossed his arms. A green leaf dropped down from a nearby tree. A cruel silence settled over, broken only by the occasional gust of wind and the rustling of leaves. He stared at the bishop. And the bishop stared back. Francis could feel the sparks within that glare, and it wasn’t romantic.

“First of all... Could you get off of him?”

Pointing at the person below Francis, the bishop winced. The nobleman was sitting atop of another person. Nick Trafel. He sat on the victim’s back. Francis waved his hand, as if to say ‘no worries’, and continued sitting. He shifted his position, and his chair squirmed. The chair slammed his fist against the ground and groaned.

“I am very light.”

“That’s not the issue!”

“Then what is?”

“You’re sitting on him!”

“Yes, I am. Would you like to do something about it?”

“Of course I would!”

“Then get off your ass and start clearing shit up, bishop.”

“Th-that’s not the way to talk to me,” he sputtered out.

So that was the type of man that the bishop was. He cared more about the respect given to him than a person’s wellbeing. Francis’ chair squirmed.

“What did I do to deserve this humiliation...”

“Shut the fuck up, murderer. You’re lucky you didn’t attack me.”

“Murder? And what would you have done if he actually did try to attack you?” asked the bishop.

“Hmm.” Francis tilted his head slightly. “I want to tie him down, and jump on his back. Or maybe pluck out his nails and feed them to him. Something like that.”

“What in the heavens...”

Iris shook her head. Her hand was trained on the murderer’s head. With her powers, she could blast a hole through the man’s head. Kim Hye-Sung squatted down next to her, and observed her movements. After all, who would be a better teacher than the hero? He certainly couldn’t do anything for her. Out of everyone, there was a clear between. Those who intruded into the temple, and those who stayed out. Francis and Ms Kim were the only two that crossed the line. Benjamin, Katalina, even Estelle. None of them stepped past that one.

“His holiness won’t be pleased to see this happening...” the bishop muttered.

“Then tell him to talk to me directly. Now, does anyone have a pair of handcuffs?”

“Handcuffs... There should be a few spare ones used by holy knights.”

“Well? Stop standing there and bring them.”

“Breadcrumb, if you don’t treat him with respect you’ll end up regretting it.”

“Yeah? So what? Can you do something about it? I’m not in a good mood right now, especially when the one that will kill me is standing right beside me.”

Of course, everything that had to do with Bahamut was conducted through telepathy. He would not appear crazy. Doing that much was obvious.

The bishop called a follower over and issued a command. The girl nodded, bowed, and ran off. Shortly after, she returned with a pair of grey metallic handcuffs. Chains linked the two sides together. He passed it to Francis.

With a click, the handcuffs were secured. Nick Trafel was forced to stand up with a kick to his back. The nobleman was reduced to such a state in a short time.

“So mind giving an explanation?” the bishop prompted.

“Before that, I am Francis Rayleigh. Son, or maybe daughter of Duke Rayleigh. And you are?”

“Shiuv, a bishop of the Lafel sect.”

“Doesn’t help when I don’t know which god that is.”

“Would you like to be educated?”

“I can’t help but feel like I’m being threatened.”

“By the mercy of the gods you are. Luckily, you’re on the temple grounds. You have an opportunity to get rid of that ignorance of yours.”

Francis looked over at Iris. Her face was stoic as always. He could never quite tell what she was thinking about. That aloof look. Eyes that always looked forwards. What would she do? His actions were determined by her. It was sad, but it was the truth. As long as she existed, his peaceful life could never exist. He made a mental note.

No doubt, she was strong. He saw her abilities up front. After tackling Nick Trafel, she took aim at his arms. Anyone familiar could recognise that stance. She was ready to blast off his arm. Francis couldn’t quite help but feel scared. Sure, he would have done the same thing, but still. When it wasn’t him doing the violence, it was scary.

“Sure, we’ll start slightly later. Hey!” Francis turned away from the bishop and faced the guards standing just outside. “Hand him over to the police. Make sure he’s dealt with, or else. If need be I’ll talk to the crown princess herself to see it through.”

Pushing Nick Trafel towards the guards, the nobleman stumbled forwards. His arms were locked, as he slowly made his way across the temple grounds. Of course, both Iris and Ms Kim kept their aim. After safely passing the criminal to his new holders, the bishop beckoned for Francis to come closer.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Are you not coming in?” Francis asked.

“No need. I’m friends with a holy knight, after all.”

“Oh my. Who might you be acquainted with?” the bishop asked.

“Sir Edmond Ren. Have a good day,” Benjamin said in a matter of fact way and left.

“Am I right in assuming that he is Lord Wynt?” Shiuv asked.

“Most certainly. Ah. Look see? They’re all uninterested in your lecture.”

“Tsk. You’ll learn in due time.”

“Sure sure, continue yapping on.”

“Um, my lord? Should I come in?” Katalina asked.

“Do you want to? You can be honest. Besides, if you’re worried for me, I’m in the temple. Surely there’s some divine magic at work here, right? Isn’t that right, Mr Shiuv?”

“Divine magic? Certainly. Our priests are equipped with Blessings.”

Francis nodded. Katalina stood rooted to the ground, seemingly unsure of what to do. On one hand, she would have to break the rules. She wouldn’t be entering with good faith, at least not in the temple’s eyes. How far was she willing to go? That was a question that Francis had always wanted to ask. Between social conventions, laws, and her duty, which would she choose? Her eyes darted across. Gripping the handle of her sword, she stepped past the line.

“Welcome Katalina. This is Bishop Shiuv. And this is Iris. Bishop Shiuv, this is my personal knight. She is to stay with me at all times. Her name is Katalina. And finally this is Ms Kim. She works for me.”

“Pleasure to meet you.”

“Yes. Now, begin please.”

“Of course. Please, follow me.”

“Why is she following you, my lord?” Katalina whispered.

“Who? Iris?”

“Yes. I don’t see why she would be accompanying us. After all, you’re only here on a whim, right?”

“You’re not wrong. But you’re not right either. I have wanted to go to a temple for a long time.

“Very well my lord.”

Katalina nodded. It seemed like she understood. He didn’t wish to elaborate, nor did she push further. After all, why would she? To her, Francis was definitely just a bratty, scummish lord to serve. Who he associated with wasn’t her business, And surely she didn’t care enough to dig around.

Venturing further into the temple was something amazing. Past the outer perimeter, they stepped into something comparable to a mansion. Soft green grass spanned the entire area, and every step that they took was on that ground. The buildings had a distinct ancient Greek feeling, with buildings made of marble. Walking towards a concrete path, Francis took the time to admire the scenery.

Children played. They tossed a ball around, and tried their best to hit it towards their friends and family. A middle aged man watched over them as their chaperone, and waved at the bishop from his seat on the bench. In the middle of the path, as a show of power and wealth, sat a large water fountain. Water sprayed out through the tip of the fountain, and it depicted a scene of what looked like angels pouring water out from a flask. As clear as the skies on a great day, the water was clean and safe to drink. The bishop even offered them a glass for scooping.

Upon entering the main hall, Francis stared in awe. Hidden away from the prayers, apparently this section was much more private. Limited to priests, and the occasional special guest. The bishop emphasised the latter. So they were considered special guests, was it? Katalina and Kim Hye-Sung looked like they were in a similar state of surprise and awe. But Iris. Who was she? She looked at the hall with bored eyes. How could she just ignore those decorations, and the statues?

On both sides, there were a multitude of stone statues. All of them life sized, and all detailed down to the hair. The bishop smirked, and stopped in his tracks.

“Well. This is the temple,” Shiuv motioned to the area around him.

“I could tell. So who are they?”

“Hrmp. This is Lord Yhanion. He is god of time itself.”

The bishop led them to a statue. It depicted an old man with a hunched back, and a walking cane thrust into the floor. The cane in particular was interesting. Squarish in shape, with what appeared to be 4 clock faces on each side of the square.

“I don’t care. Where is Bahamut?”

“The True Dragon? Why would you be interested in that?” Iris asked.

“Why not?”

“Now now. We practice religious freedom,” said Shiuv, “Bahamut is here.”

Indeed, the statute he led them to had a resemblance. Then again, all dragons resembled Bahamut somewhat. But the wings of that statue were a tad bit too short, and the body too large. On each statue, there were carvings below them. A short description, and a name.

“Oh breadcrumb. Are you gonna pray?”

“Pray? To you? I’ll die before I do anything like that.”

“So which one is the one that the murderer prays to?” asked Francis.

“The Forbidden One. That.”

He pointed to the last one of the right row. God of time Yhanion was the first one of the left role, and the Forbidden One was opposite. The statue had an outstretched finger, and faced towards the old man. Francis followed that imaginary line, and looked back. Actually, everything there was arranged like a scene. Each statue was doing something, as if the gods themselves were in the middle of a situation and a photo was taken.

The Forbidden One was dressed in loose robes. Faceless. If its left hand was pointing towards Yhanion, its right hand held a longsword. Dragging it behind, it looked recently defeated. If they were alive, Francis could just imagine the wispy robes of the Forbidden One. He read the carvings. Unlike the others, there was no name. Simply, a title. It wasn’t scratched out or anything like that, but rather like the stonemason themselves refused to carve it in.

“Stasis, right?” Francis asked Bahamut.

“Yeap. That’s Stasis.”

“God of stopped time, god of the present. With that second part, you’d think people would worship Stasis.”

“They don’t worship Stasis because of what’s needed to fulfil their teachings.”

“Mr Shiuv. What does the Forbidden One preach about?”

“Hm. To keep everything as it is now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everytime a child is born, another person must die. Whenever someone dies, a child must be created as soon as possible.”

“To keep the net change of everything at zero.”

“Yes. That is what the god of stopped time, and the present asks for. The future holds growth, and the past holds decay. As we are living things, everything will grow. The present, that is, the now, is what the Forbidden One wishes to preserve.”

“To stop the march of time, then?”

“Essentially. That is why no matter what, the Forbidden One and Lord Yhanion will always be locked in conflict.”

“Interesting.”

Francis shot a glance at Iris. She had broken away from the group, and Kim Hye-Sung chose not to follow her. He approached her. They stood in front of yet another goddess. This one held a balancing scale. Justice? He read the name. Truth.

“So this is a special goddess then?” Francis asked.

“If Lord Yhanion is the current head god, Truth is in a close second place. Soon enough, she can get enough followers to replace him at the top.”

“Is that so?”

“Mr Shiuv, where is the goddess of magic?” Kim Hye-Sung asked.

“Right here.”

She approached the stone statue and looked. Closing her eyes, she touched the base of the statue. Was she praying? That was unlike her.

“Hey Bahamut?”

“What do you want, breadcrumb?”

“Can’t you come here? We’re in a place of divinity. Surely you can easily make your appearance here.”

“Is that supposed to be a joke, breadcrumb? If I want to descend to the earth I’ll need to go through so much bureaucracy.”

“And if I came to you?”

“Don’t be stupid. You can’t.”

“What if I tried, really hard?”

“I mean, to be perfectly honest, it wouldn’t be the first time a moral invaded the realm.”

“So it's been done before?”

“Yeap. By that girl with you. The blonde one.”

“Iris?”

“Mhm. That’s her name.”

“Hey Iris!” Francis called.

His words echoed throughout the spacious chamber. She turned her head. Still stoic as ever. With an eyebrow raised, she approached.

“What?” He couldn’t help but feel suspicion behind those words.

“Bring me to the realm of the gods,” he whispered to her ears.

“What?!”

“I know what I said. Bring me to the realm of the gods.”

“Ms Kim. Please stand behind her. Katalina, stay beside me.”

“Uh sure? I don’t see what this is supposed to do, though.”

“The goddess of magic brought you here, right?” Francis asked privately.

“Yeah but, so what?”

“Just do it.”

“Okay, but I’m not buying any sports shoes.”

Kim Hye-Sung shuffled into place. No doubt, Iris would have noticed. She clicked her tongue.

“Which god are you trying to see?” she asked in a low voice.

“Bahamut. Can you do it?”

“Tsk. Just pray. And if your will is strong enough, you can travel there. But, if you don’t give a good reason or defense, your soul will be eliminated immediately.”

“Just pray, huh?”

“Breadcrumb, don’t try it.”

“Make me.”

Francis smirked and nodded. He approached the Bahamut statue and touched its base. He closed his eyes, and started praying. In the sea of darkness, the air felt different. But he also felt a touch on his shoulder.

“What the hell did you do?!” Kim Hye-Sung asked.

Opening his eyes, he was met by white. It took a while for him to realise, but the air rushing was more than enough to figure it out. He looked to his left and right. Katalina, Iris, and Ms Kim. Why had they all come along? Just as he sighed and recited his will, they landed on a large and familiar being with a thud.