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Stepping into the Assembly Hall sent chills down my spine. The room was enormous, with marble pillars holding up a ceiling so high that it was hard to make out the detailed scrollwork decorating it. Everything about the place screamed, ‘You’re only a tiny, temporary presence in the grand scheme of this world.’
It didn’t help that the stern-faced priests were stacked in ringed rows along the sides of the hall, perched like vultures. They were waiting for my first mistake, my first misstep that would allow them to dismiss my entire being.
As I made my way in, Aleph and Tetora, flanking Relias off to the side, nodded to me once. The trio then adopted the same serious expression, mirroring the dour faces of those who closely observed us. I half expected some last-minute mental instructions from Relias, but to my surprise, all he sent was, ‘Don’t let them intimidate you.’
“The General Assembly now welcomes Captain Raelynn Lightbringer of the Order of Gold, Chosen One of the Goddess Euphridia,” Vicar Thomas proclaimed from the center of the assembly floor. “Let the record show that she has been unequivocally affirmed by Holy Sage Relias himself.”
Several priests began to murmur, but no one was dumb enough to object audibly. Part of me, however, couldn’t shake the feeling that the Vicar might be setting me up for a giant fall if I faltered here.
Vicar Thomas waited a few moments for the audience to quiet down before stating, “Captain, we require a factual report of your recent sojourn to the pilgrim encampment. We expect a comprehensive and precise account of your observations, free from any embellishment.”
Just the facts? Fine.
And so, I told them exactly what I observed. I didn’t use anyone’s names out of a vague but persistent fear that they would be used against them, even if they never would find themselves in a court of law. I told them of leaky tent patches, dwindling supplies, and the tendency toward injury due to substandard cooking equipment. But I also shared the heart of Asha’s Refuge—the camaraderie among the pilgrims, how each person had a duty to the group and a place within it amid their struggle to survive.
“In conclusion,” I stated firmly, “based on my thorough observations, I found no compelling evidence to justify the continued ban on hybrids entering the holy city of Chairo. There was no indication of any behavior that could threaten the city’s security or moral fabric.”
I knew I was edging into analysis at the end, but I didn’t want them to misconstrue my report.
A young priest, his vestments just a little more ornate than those sitting nearby, stood up from the fourth row swiftly and shouted, “What about their leader? What did you observe when he was informed of the recently released propaganda?”
“Propaganda?” I asked, arching an eyebrow. “Are you referring to the research article confirming that hybrids don’t produce any more animus than humans?”
He ignored my question, opting to descend toward the assembly floor. “He became hostile and ordered you to leave immediately, isn’t that right?”
“For safety’s sake,” I replied, casting a questioning glance at Relias. Unfortunately, he was focused on this new, black-haired antagonist, his eyes glittering coldly.
“So, you admit you were in danger,” the antagonistic priest concluded hastily.
“Hardly,” I disagreed.
He decided not to engage me further but instead turned towards his colleagues while he clung to the final step leading to the assembly floor. “Brothers, we must act quickly. The Periphery has erupted into chaos; our citizens are in jeopardy!”
“Captain Corwin and the Holy Order of Silver are already adequately responding to the event,” Relias snapped. “And I will remind Father Darric that he does not have permission to address the Assembly.”
Vicar Thomas glanced at Father Darric. “Are you requesting permission, Father Darric?”
“Yes, Vicar. Would you permit me—”
“You must ask the Chosen One, not me,” Vicar Thomas replied matter-of-factly.
I still don’t know whose side he’s on…
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Father Darric’s face hardened momentarily, and then he bowed only slightly. “Chosen One, will you permit me to speak, knowing that the safety and security of Chairo is our top priority?”
Another test. Instinct told me to deny him, but wisdom suggested giving him enough rope to hang himself. “If you have something worthwhile to share, then feel free to speak, Father.”
Otherwise, get bent.
He took the opportunity without another thought. “It’s obvious that the hybrids themselves have orchestrated the riots today,” he declared. “The timing couldn’t have been more perfect! We offered an olive branch to those beastmen, and they repay us by sowing violence and chaos—”
Relias slammed his staff into the floor, eliciting a loud ring. “You believe destitute hybrids were able to use long-range, high-level holy magic through the city’s barrier to disperse scientific evidence showing the church’s culpability for the miserable conditions they face?” He scoffed loudly. “I should think, if they had such powerful abilities, it would have been better spent securing basic needs!”
Vicar Thomas cleared his throat. “You did not have permission to speak either, Holy Sage Relias. Do you wish—”
“He has my permission,” I stated. “I second the question.”
Father Darric’s face flushed crimson. “We heard about the problems with the crystals less than an hour ago! It’s very plausible that—"
Before he could continue, Captain Corwin burst through the door, his face pale and sweaty as he held his helmet with trembling hands. “Forgive my trespass, but I must speak with Holy Sage Relias immediately.”
Relias glanced at Vicar Thomas, and he nodded slowly. “The General Assembly will take a small break to allow Captain Corwin and Holy Sage Relias to confer in private—”
“I object!” Father Darric shouted, obviously a sore loser. “We are in the middle of an important discussion!”
“Then I will speak with Captain Corwin right here,” Relias declared, waving the Captain over.
Captain Corwin approached him and whispered into his ear. Relias flinched, and I saw him mouth, ‘How?’ After a few moments, Relias requested Vicar Thomas join them. Father Darric, annoyed about being preempted, started forward to the trio.
“One more step, and I will have you removed,” the Vicar said without turning to him.
Father Darric stopped his advance, but he just wouldn’t shut up. “I think it's important for the Assembly to know everything you’re talking about right now! Everyone knows that Captain Corwin, a beastman sympathizer, would have the authority and ability to—”
My god, er, goddess, does he not know how cringe he sounds?
“It is with a heavy heart that I must report tragic news,” Relias announced loudly over Father Darric’s protestations, his voice echoing through the hall. “Councilman Pravum and Councilman Procul have been murdered, along with the brave souls entrusted with their protection. May the Goddess Euphridia grant them all peace and bless their souls as they pass into her eternal light.”
To say that the General Assembly devolved into mindless panic would be an understatement. Thankfully, Captain Corwin had had enough sense to bring some soldiers with him before interrupting. Restoring order was out of the question, however, and Vicar Thomas ended up dismissing the emergency session. Many priests demanded guarded escorts to their homes within the Sanctum, offering additional money if the soldiers would secure their private premises as well. Captain Corwin made it clear that while they would be granted protection, no money was to be exchanged between any party for services rendered.
As for us members of the Gold, we quickly convened in our customary meeting room. Nora arrived a short time later after Relias issued an invitation for her to join us.
“Why does everyone look so…” she paused, her curious gaze falling on me. “Oh no, what happened?”
We took turns filling her in as we waited for Vernie, but the temple servants came up empty-handed.
“When did you last see her?” I asked everyone. “We need to find—”
“She left for the Periphery shortly after sunrise, but I am sure she is safe,” Relias tried to assure me. “Current conditions may force her to lay low, but she, out of all of us, knows how to weather such storms.”
I began to pace, too anxious to stay still. “We need to investigate the scene of the crime.”
Relias nodded quietly. “Agreed. Follow me.”
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We first visited Councilman Pravum’s temporary chambers which had been stowed away in a small building connected to the back side of the temple. To my horror, the corpses of the guardsmen charged with ensuring his protective custody still littered the adjoining rooms. They had fallen in crumpled, outlandish shapes, with multiple slashes across their backs and faces in neatly aligned rows.
Vernie would be better suited for this… I hope she’s alright…
“Iron claws… like mine,” Tetora sighed mournfully after noting the wounds. “I should recuse myself from any further investigation.”
I couldn’t help but give him a hug. “I won’t let anyone besmirch your name! Remember, you were with me today.”
Aleph nodded. “Your weapons are not so uncommon. Do not let weak circumstantial evidence frighten you.”
Pravum’s corpse, found in his private quarters, bore all the hallmarks of an execution-style murder. His blood-soaked body was slumped to the side and twisted with his legs tucked beneath him, suggesting he had been kneeling during his final moments. One of the guardsmen’s swords was buried in his lower back, angled deeply into his bowels. A dagger had also been stabbed into the side of his neck, with a tattered note hanging from it.
“What is Final Judgement, Chapter 7, verse 12?” Nora asked Relias in a trembling voice, referencing the bloody scrawl.
With a heavy sigh, he replied, “‘When the final breath is drawn, and the last shadow falls, the soul—be it tainted or pure—shall be laid bare before my judgment. None shall hide from my final gaze, and I shall render my verdict in accordance with the Eternal Covenant, for I am the End as well as the Beginning, the Final Arbiter of all fates within this world.’”
The message stuck to Procul’s body was even more direct and damning.
“And when humanity falls to its knees, the hybrids will rise, seizing what was long withheld from them with a vengeance.”
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