Acolyte Amber blew a lock of black hair out of her eyes as she stood in the temple greenhouse trying to stay calm. She hated this place, able to constantly feel all the dirt and grime that she wasn’t allowed to get rid of. The only consolation was that her maid gift made watering in the greenhouse easy due to all the moisture in the air. She just had to go down each row holding a hand out to draw the water from the air, letting it fall onto the sprouts.
She was worried about Seth and had volunteered to take care of his gardening chores while he was recovering. Amber had been sweeping in the sanctuary when Seth had been rushed past her into a healing chamber. She couldn’t do anything to help him recover, her birthright was just a maidservant’s, and Meranda and Philip had ignored her when she asked them to go assist him. She had tried threatening to not clean their rooms properly, but all three of them knew Amber wouldn’t follow through.
Once she finished in the greenhouse, watering the outside gardens and flower beds took a lot longer. The amount of water she could draw and carry at once wasn’t enough to be more efficient than just using a watering can. An hour and a half of humid work later, she was finished with the gardens and on the prowl for dust and rust like usual. Amber had seen Seth leave the healing chamber and head off the temple grounds while she was watering, which improved her spirits. While doing a sweep of the sanctuary, literally and figuratively, she detected some dead bugs on the upper portion of a window.
Making sure her bottle of cleaning water and yellow-trimmed acolyte robes were both secured by the cord around her waist, she hiked up her robe and began to nimbly scale the wall. She knew that one of the soldiers in the sanctuary pews was staring at her, and she tried to keep a proud grin off her face. The rough characters that were assigned to Lith were often unused to the grace and diligence that proper maidservants like Amber had. Having cleaning staff climbing across displays and bookshelves was an expected mark of status in the estates of the more affluent island, Ava.
Reaching the top of the window, about fourteen feet up, Amber opened her water pouch and drew out a third of it as a bubble hanging below her palm. She swept her hand over the arched top of the huge window, washing away the dust and insects. Scanning over the area around the top of the window in the golden light cast from its peers across the room, she nodded in satisfaction and clambered down.
By the time she was satisfied with the sanctuary and adjacent rooms, the light streaming through the windows had dimmed to a trickle. She tied a couple spare candles to her waist cord next to her pouch, and climbed up the narrow stairway in the broom closet to the cross beams above the sanctuary. Amber worked her way along the beams, leaning down to quietly snap her fingers near each candle, lighting it. Fortunately, only one was low enough to need replacing, so she hooked her legs around the beam and carefully took the nub of wax, leaving a new candle in its place.
Later that evening, Amber was making her way down the hall of the dorm, clicking her tongue to extinguish the candles as she passed. She saw Seth coming out of the bath room looking soggy and tired.
“How are you doing?” She whispered, stepping past him into the small bathing room.
He followed, and she closed the door to avoid disturbing the other three acolytes. Seth reddened slightly, but she ignored him and waved a hand over his head to draw out the water. His hair immediately went from wet dog to the kind of neat and springy she could only get if her hair was wet. It was unfair, but since Meranda’s hair was similar, Amber had a pet theory that priestly essence had cosmetic benefits.
“I’m feeling better, thanks.” Seth replied in a low tone. “Still have a bit of a head…”
He trailed off. Instead of looking anywhere but at her like usual, he seemed to be staring directly at her chest. She was about to say something about it, but then Amber noticed that he had cocked his head as if he were listening to something.
“The quietest so far, but is…” He mumbled seemingly to himself.
There was an awkward pause, then Seth’s eyebrows rose and he looked considerably more energized. He grabbed her shoulder.
“Amber, what’s your birthright?” He asked intently.
“Uh, maidservant.” She said, taken aback.
“Have you developed anything else?” He asked.
“No?” She replied.
“And you can’t use an essence directly, right?” He emphasized.
“Seth, you know this.” She said with confusion. “I can do a bit with water and fire, but that’s just normal maid work. And I’m twenty one, of course I don’t have another gift. Is something wrong? Did you get a new gift?”
“That’s it!” He exclaimed a bit too loudly. “That’s got to be what I’m hearing with the different volumes and overlapping tones! I’m going to bed, I have to try to figure out more in the morning!”
Seth brushed past her and out of the room, making a beeline for his dorm and closing the door. Amber stood there for a minute, absentmindedly drawing the water out of the air of the slightly steamy bath.
She shrugged. “Glad he’s feeling better, I’ll ask later.”
She dried all of the towels, put out the rest of the candles, and got ready for bed. She fell asleep thinking about her little brother up north in Estroma.
The following morning, Amber was up a bit later than everyone else. She cleaned the dorm once the other acolytes were gone, so she didn’t have to rise with the sun like them. After sweeping, collecting towels and bedsheets, and polishing the doors and desks, she finally headed to breakfast. Sammy, the temple’s cook acolyte, kept a pot of potatoes warm for her, and gave her a list of foodstuffs and other supplies to requisition from the quartermaster.
After eating, Amber grabbed a large bag and left the temple. Lith’s main supply building was finally under the new quartermaster’s full control. This did not mean the building was more organized however, as quartermaster Jane’s approach to inventory management was only slightly less chaotic than a tornado’s might be. When Amber gave Jane the list, the woman confidently dove headfirst into one of the closest piles while attempting to carry on a conversation over her shoulder.
“You really are a dear, dear.” Jane said. “This temple goes through fewer candles than some of the barracks thanks to you.”
“Thanks!” Amber said brightly. “Not many people realize how helpful a proper maid can be for saving Value.”
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“Well I certainly appreciate it.” Jane said, wading through a small hill of packaged grits. “When you have to keep track of all the expenditure details, you really appreciate anyone that can lighten the workload a bit.”
Amber noticed that a dagger on one of the nearby piles of arms had been shifted by the rummaging. She quickly stepped forward to catch it, but her maid’s dexterity was undercut by the bolt of cloth that turned out to be underfoot. Amber managed to right herself without face planting, but by the time she regained her balance the dagger had slid off the stack and impaled Jane’s left foot.
An hour later, Jane was still muttering expletives under her breath as the two women headed back to the supply building from the temple. Priest Levi had taken care of her foot, but there was now a large hole in the top of her cloth shoe.
“Miss Acolyte, might I have a word?” A nasally voice suddenly whined right beside them.
Amber jumped while Jane just glared at the man. Neither had noticed him fall into step next to them despite his distinct blood red robes. Amber bowed slightly to the Priest, while surreptitiously elbowing Jane. Jane just rolled her eyes, took Amber’s bag, and quickened her step.
“Of course, Priest…?” Amber said as the quartermaster left them behind.
“Caleb.” The man replied. “Priest of Sin. Your temple’s Head Healer sent for me.”
“I see!” Amber said, voice rising a bit. “How can I help your Judgeship?”
“I’m here regarding the speculations of another acolyte at your temple by the name of Seth.” Judge Caleb stated. “I intend to learn more about this boy and his ideas before going to the temple. Tell me everything you know about him and where to find him.”
After an uncomfortable interrogation from the man, Amber finally made it back to the supply building. Jane had already put everything on the list into Amber’s bag, and handed it over. Amber thanked her and swiftly headed back to the temple.
____________________________________________
In the jungle, Seth was starting to get tired of Landon’s latest round of questions. He could get hung up on the most basic details. Seth wanted to talk about his new ability to hear people’s abilities, but Landon wouldn’t let this question go.
“No coins at all?!” Landon was complaining. “Not copper, not silver, not gold, not even electrum? How can an economy possibly function on any scale without actual money?”
“I don’t know what money is.” Seth repeated, annoyed. “We just use the Value of things for trade.”
“But how do you know what the ‘Value’ of anything is?!” Landon objected.
“That doesn’t make any sense.” Seth shot back. “Things are worth their Value. What are you talking about‽”
“Right, yes, of course.” Landon said sarcastically. “Everything has a Value, and you walk around paying for things with your own Value. That makes total sense.”
“No, no, no.” Seth said. “It isn’t about our own Value, people are worth way too much. We just carry around what Value essence we have.”
The ghost’s eye twitched. “Seth, do you have any books about economics? Like, basic basic economics.”
“Probably?” Seth mused. “At least the temple does. Why?”
“How about this.” Landon suggested. “Bring one of those next time, and read me the introduction. The part that explains this confusing mess for people who aren’t familiar.”
Before he could reply, Seth paused. He looked at Sheldon, who was patrolling the clearing, and tapped his ear. Sheldon instantly went on full alert.
“I hear what might be a person.” Seth told Landon. “Conceal yourself.”
Seth walked over to Sheldon and pointed back toward Lith. “I hear something from that direction with my ability. It’s as loud as a Priest or wanderer, but it could be a Monster. I’m still trying to figure out what the tones themselves mean.”
Sheldon adopted a firm defensive stance in front of Seth, his sword and shield at the ready. Both of them scanned the jungle but didn’t see anything at first. Then, they saw a flash of red. Before Sheldon could swing, the figure spoke.
“Are you Seth?” A nasally voice asked.
“Yes?” Seth said, as Sheldon relaxed slightly. “What do you need? Is something wrong in Lith?
“I am Judge Caleb.” He said. “Priest of Sin. I’m told that you have some ideas about how to use my church’s essence.”
Seth straightened up nervously. “Well, yes. I think there is a way to cure an unusual disease with your Judgeship’s abilities.”
The thin, red-robed man strode into the clearing, giving Sheldon a wide berth. Seth was surprised to see that the man was missing an arm. The injury must not have been recent, because Caleb’s robe also had no right sleeve.
“Indeed?” Judge Caleb said with a thin smile. “Well, since I’m already here, why don’t you tell me about it.”
____________________________________________
Back in Lith Head Priest Joe was furious. The Judge from the Church of Sin had finally arrived, but instead of coming to the Temple of Virtue, the man had accosted one of his acolytes in the street. Since the Judge hadn’t come to the temple after talking to Amber, Joe could only assume he’d gone out into the jungle to talk to Seth. This was a severe breach of etiquette.
Finally, he felt an ominous presence step onto the temple grounds. Striding out of his office, Priest Joe met the Judge as he was slowly walking past one of the temple gardens, clearly in no hurry. Before Joe could decide whether to be the bigger man or give vent to his frustration, the red-robed man spoke.
“Astounding what you can learn from plants these days, isn’t it.” The Judge remarked sarcastically, gesturing to the adjacent garden.
Head Priest Joe clenched his teeth. “No more surprising than the erosion of decorum towards one’s elders. I am Healer Joe, Head Priest of the Temple of Virtue in Lith. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“Caleb.” The man said. “And I simply needed to learn about the situation here in a reasonably objective manner.”
“Oh?” Joe said, unimpressed.
“I’m here for more than just healing one of your acolytes, but only if I so choose.” Judge Caleb said with infuriating smugness. “I think we should take this little chat to your office.”
As the two Priests walked back through the grounds and then sanctuary, Joe used his Priestly connection to make sure that the Temple’s Virtue weighed down on Caleb as much as his displeasure would allow. To his credit, the Judge didn’t push out his Sin essence in response.
Priest Joe closed his office door and strode behind his desk. “What are you really here for then, executioner? There’s been enough meddling in Seth’s prospects from higher-ups already, I don’t need you causing more problems.”
“Funny you should mention that, Healer.” Caleb said, pulling a large bundle from his robes. “If I’m suitably impressed, I’m authorized to make Seth a full Priest.”
He unrolled the bundle of ecumenical ritual supplies on Priest Joe’s desk, and Joe’s eyebrows shot up.
“Or even something more.”