== Church of Aerikesh, Podgrad / Main Hall [Bishop's Office] (Morning) ==

The Bishop swiftly entered the room, followed by Director Kester and the High Priest. "Close the door," the Bishop commanded solemnly. The High Priest obeyed, and the Bishop whispered, "Tacet Locus." As he moved papers on his desk, an orb of radiant light appeared, expanding to fill the space and enveloping the room's inhabitants with its magic.

"GOD DAMN IT!" the Bishop shouted.

"The children, sir," Director Kester exclaimed, looking shocked.

"Oh, shut up, you imbecile," the High Priest interjected, stepping forward. "What are we going to do? We promised—" he began, but Bishop Kur cut him off.

"We can't follow through with it now. You will head to Porta and notify the Archbishop directly. Give him this." Bishop Kur produced a small ring and handed it to the High Priest. "Arth, leave now. Do not delay. Time is of the essence," Bishop Kur urged, turning over a piece of paper and beginning to write.

"What do we do with the children? They can't return to the orphanage," Director Kester inquired.

"They will stay here for the time being. He is the hero, after all. Tomorrow, we will begin training him and his companions," Bishop Kur replied, still focused on his writing.

"But why? Aren't we just—" Director Kester started, but the Bishop's deathly stare silenced him.

"Do not question me. Is that understood?" Bishop Kur handed a piece of paper to Director Kester. "Take this to the Transport Guild and give it to the owner," he instructed. Kester took the paper, and the Bishop handed him a second piece.

The Bishop continued writing as he spoke, "Ianua aperta, silentium levavit." As the final word was spoken, the door creaked open, and the magical light faded. "Now go," the Bishop ordered, looking back down at his papers as Kester and the High Priest quickly exited the room.

== Church of Aerikesh, Podgrad / Main Hall (Morning) ==

The five children sat staring at the young curate, who had remained motionless since the beginning of the ceremony. His posture was slouched, and his arms trembled slightly as he struggled to maintain his form.

"I wonder how much longer he can last," Saria whispered, feeling sorry for the young curate.

"Not much longer by the looks of it," James replied.

"I wonder what will happen if he drops it," Eric mused. As soon as he finished his sentence, Geer elbowed him in the ribs. The young curate's face went grim, his eyes showing the horror of potential punishment if he dropped the orb.

Director Kester emerged from the Bishop's office, followed by the High Priest, who headed for the main entrance. "To me, young curate," the High Priest beckoned. The young priest quickly aligned himself behind the High Priest as they exited the church together.

"I will miss you. Our journey together must end here today," Director Kester said, looking at the five children before nodding and following the High Priest out of the church. The children exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what to say.

A voice echoed from the Bishop's office, "Come here, young ones." All five heads turned toward the door. A priest appeared next to them and hurried them toward the office.

== Church of Aerikesh, Podgrad / Main Hall [Bishop's Office] (Morning) ==

Eric, James, Ire, Saria, and Geer stood before Bishop Kur. The priest who had escorted them bowed deeply before closing the door. Bishop Kur, diligently shuffling papers, smiled to himself before looking up at the children.

"There hasn't been a hero awakened in Podgrad in over 400 years," the Bishop said with a smile, rising to his feet. "Now, I know you're wondering what exactly is happening. I'll give you time to ask questions in a moment, but first, let me explain a few things."

He walked from behind his desk to stand before the children. "The gods have deemed it so that a hero is needed in the world," his voice grew serious. "That means something is coming."

The Bishop paced behind the children. "And the gods have decreed that you are our only hope. You now hold the fate of this world in your hands." He moved back behind his desk, his eyes filled with hope.

"Will you take up the gods' decree and become the heroes of this age?" he asked. The children's faces beamed with pride as they shouted in unison, "Yes, Bishop Kur!"

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"Good," Bishop Kur said, nodding. "You will live here in the church for the time being, taking over the upstairs dormitory. Tomorrow, you will begin training to strengthen yourselves and your teamwork. We need you to be strong to face the evil that is to come."

His tone was solemn and absolute. "For now, we do not have any food present, so I would like you to take your lunch at the tavern. Speak to the owner behind the bar and tell him I sent you. After lunch, go to the Transport Guild for equipment fitting."

James, Eric, and the others nodded, committing the instructions to memory. "Now then, do you need a priest to guide you?" the Bishop asked.

"No, Bishop Kur," the children replied in unison.

"Good. Return before dark. I expect you to be at the church door by dusk," the Bishop instructed. The children responded with another unified "Yes, Bishop Kur," before quickly exiting his office.

== Road through Aerikesh, Podgrad / Walking West (Forenoon) ==

The children conversed as they walked, with James in the middle and the others on either side. "Can you believe this?" Saria exclaimed, jumping nearly three feet in the air. Geer laughed at her excitement.

"Servants to the Hero, it sounds like a dream," Geer said, looking up at the sky, his mind wandering.

"Oh, Hero, what do you need of me?" Ire teased, walking backward in front of James and the others. Carts and carriages moved along the road as they headed toward the town center.

"This feels almost too good to be true," Eric said, trying to ground them. He looked at James. "What do you think?"

James, lost in thought, snapped out of it. "All I know is that I was in serious pain this morning, but now I feel like I could run to the next village and back," he said. His posture and tone had indeed improved.

"Well, you were declared a hero. Didn't the Bishop just cast magic on you? It probably healed you," Saria speculated. "That sound was pretty special."

"I don't know... how the Director acted though," James mused. Geer interjected, "He knew he no longer had power over us. Now whatever we earn is ours." A greedy gleam sparkled in his eye.

"You're just going to spend whatever you make on food," Eric laughed. Geer paused before bursting into laughter, "You're right."

Saria, Ire, and James joined in the laughter as they walked past the orphanage that had been their home. The children they called friends played outside. "I wonder where the Director is," Eric pondered, watching the older children take care of the younger ones.

"Probably out back taking a shit," Geer snickered, prompting more laughter from the group. They reached the town square, where the statue towered above. They stopped to pray, as was their habit. James winced as he prayed, his body feeling numb, his head starting to hurt.

"What's wrong, James?" Saria asked, noticing first.

"Nothing, Saria... nothing," James replied, moving away from the statue toward the tavern. The others followed closely. An old crone approached them from the crowd, her walking stick tapping on the stone walkway.

"Be careful, boy. You're more valuable dead than alive," the old crone croaked to James. The other kids reacted with disgust.

"Watch it, you old hag," Geer snapped angrily.

"Wretched woman," Eric added spitefully. But James just stared at her, noticing a deep sadness or pity in her eyes. He watched her walk away before continuing to the tavern with the others.

"What was her problem?" Ire wondered aloud.

"Hasn't been laid in a hundred years," Eric joked, causing the children to laugh as they pushed open the tavern door and disappeared into the darkness within.

== Tavern, Podgrad / Dining Hall (Noon) ==

The children entered the tavern, their laughter quickly silenced by the atmosphere. Whispers, clinking metal pints, and the scraping of wood on wood filled the air as patrons dined.

They walked to the bar, with James stepping forward. "Excuse me," he said to the bartender.

"What do you want?" the bartender replied gruffly.

"Bishop Kur sent us," Eric chimed in from behind James. The bartender's gaze shifted to Eric.

"Who?" the bartender asked, putting down his glass.

"Bishop Kur," James repeated. Eric stepped forward to stand beside him. The bartender eyed them for a moment before turning away. "One moment," he said, disappearing through a doorway.

Soon, an old woman with a thick pipe in her left hand and a letter in her right emerged. "Ah, you're the children from the letter," she said, inhaling from her pipe and igniting the paper. "Yes, the Bishop wrote that you were coming. FAE!" she called out with an ear-piercing howl.

"Yes, ma'am," a young lady responded, appearing next to the children.

"Fae be a dear and show these children to a seat. Bring them each the special with a pint and a third of a loaf of bread," the old woman instructed authoritatively.

"Yes, Mistress Colbol," Fae replied, turning to the children. "Right this way," she said with a kind smile, leading them to an empty long bench table. They all sat on the same side, with two on each side of James.

"Why are you guys putting me in the middle?" James asked, bewildered.

"We're your servants; we're going to protect you," Saria said with a smile and a giggle.

"We've already been doing it for a few years now, so nothing's changed," Ire smirked. Eric stared at the table, lost in thought. Geer nudged him back to reality.

"We have to protect our meal ticket, or Geer will starve," Eric joked, forcing a laugh that spread to the others.

Soon, a bowl appeared before each child, along with a third of a loaf of bread and a pint of the town's special ale. Geer stared at the food, already drooling. "Let's eat!" he declared, and they all began to dig in.

Time passed as their bowls emptied and the bread disappeared. Geer licked his bowl clean, while Eric wiped his with the last morsel of bread. "This was amazing. We never got anything like this at the orphanage," Ire said, letting out a loud burp and placing his pint upside down.

James looked at Ire in amazement. "For how small you are, where did all the food and pint go?" he asked, flabbergasted.

"In his stomach," Ire replied seriously, causing Saria to spit out her pint, choking as white foam leaked from her nostrils. James patted her back as the boys burst into laughter.

Fae walked by, collecting their dishes. "A pint is too much?" she teased. "Mistress Colbol says now that you've finished, hurry to the Transport Guild before it gets too late. Good luck," she added, taking the dishes behind the bar.

"Let's go, everyone," James said. The children jumped down from the bench and made their way out of the tavern, crossing the street to the Transport Guild.