Father Tremo sat alone in of the chapel he called home. It had been a few days since he had been visited by the Divine Lord’s demon. Its manic words still echoing through his mind. What it revealed to him held vast consequences for him. And if it had been truthful towards him, then the Divine Lord wasn’t as all powerful as he appeared. But how could he believe a creature like this demon? It could lie. Tell tall tales of its master failing, only for those to be false in order to fool his enemies.

Still, beyond its words, it had left him enough food and even a warm coat. He had taken those gifts with great reluctance. After all, they came from not just from some demon but the Divine Lord’s servant. Perhaps even through him. But to what end? Yet, without them, Tremo knew he couldn’t stay. Without them, he would die. A slow and painful death.

Nonetheless, its worst gift was twofold. First, a promise to return to tell him more. Something he dreaded more than he would fear for his life when this being would have told him it were to return to kill him instead. Second, it had promised him more food and more amenities, considering his situation.

For now, the demon hadn’t asked for anything in return but his attention. But Tremo feared that it would soon request more, fore he felt curiosity well up inside him. What more could it tell him? What did it know? And what did it mean that the Lord had chosen him? It hadn’t sounded like the demon had meant its master but the one true God? What bitter price was he willing to pay?

A sudden gust of wind blew through the broken windows. Tremo flinched and jumped to his feet. But the only thing in his sight was some dust raining down from the rafters. He calmed his beating heart and sat back down. Folding his hands, Tremo lowered his head in silent prayer.

For some time, nothing happened. He was alone and neither bird nor animal made itself known. Yet, there seemed to be something off. Tremo could feel the hairs on his neck start to stand on end while a mellow dread settled into his bones, as if something was slowly approaching him.

Frightened, he stood up slowly and turned towards the main entrance, which stood open since the door had been used as firewood a long time ago. He felt as if there was something lurking beside the doorframe, outside his field of vision. Waiting. Watching.

Suddenly, a blond man stood in the arch of the entrance. His clothes expensive and his face full of youthful mischievousness. Despite being unarmed and the unassuming posture, Tremo flinched away towards the altar.

“May I enter, Father?”, the man asked softly, his voice firm and strangely clear despite the distance between the altar and the entrance.

“A-are you the Divine Lord?”, Tremo asked, trembling.

“I’m a Lord but divine?”, he chuckled as if amused by the mere assumption. “I’m certainly no saint. In fact, I’m just a poor, old sinner, but, Father, would you allow me, a wayward and weary traveler, to enter this humble chapel?”

“This is no trick, is it?”, he asked and adjusted his worn robes as well as the coat since a gust of cold air entered the chapel.

“Trick?”, the traveler asked, confused. “I do like to play tricks on people, sure. But I’m not tricking you.”

“Then… Come in”, he replied meek, if this was his end, then he was willing to accept it. “Is there something I can do for you? I can perform a variety of blessings and rites, as well as take your confession, if you so desire.”

“It seems I found myself a proper man of the cloth”, the man remarked, smiling while entering the chapel – for a moment his boots sounded more like the hooves of an animal than proper boots. “A rare occurrence, with most of them either executed or driven off the land. And thank you for your offer, but neither confession nor prayer can wash my soul clean. But you might help me with something else.”

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“Something… else?”

“Yes, I do seek information.”

“What kind?”

“Information about the Divine Lord and his henchmen. You don’t, per chance, know something?”

For a split second, Tremo was about to tell the traveler about meeting the Divine Lord’s demon but decided against it. This man would never believe him. No one would, as the thought alone was ridiculous. The Divine Lord’s demon visiting and helping a poor friar and telling him this tall tale of its master’s path to power? Ludicrous. Insane. Unbelievable.

“I know nothing about the Divine Lord nor his henchman, Sire”, Tremo answered with his gaze cast downward. “I have lived in seclusion ever since he rose to power.”

“And yet, you wear a coat with the coat of arms of the Divine Lord embroidered on its back”, the traveler remarked with a clear warning in his voice. “How come, someone like you, owns such a peculiar item?”

Tremo flinched away from the man, despite him standing perfectly still with already some distance between the both of them. At the same time, he felt so utterly stupid for not only dressing in it, but also for not checking the coat before putting it on.

“I-it was a gift!”, he replied hastily.

“How peculiar”, the traveler mused with a mischievous smile and stepped closer. “I actually lied about the coat of arms on this one. After all, I wouldn’t have been so nice towards you if you had worn this man’s emblem on your back. Still, your reaction has revealed more to me than your words. Way more. Whom of the Divine Lord’s henchmen gifted you this rather expensive looking piece of clothing?”

“One of his knights”, Tremo answered, and felt like he was about to faint. “He found me a few nights ago, gave me food and clothing, and went away again.”

“And what did this man want in return?”, the traveler asked, intrigued. “I doubt he took you up on your offer of blessings, rituals, or confessions.”

“He wanted just a place to stay the night, nothing more.”

“That was all?”

“Yes.”

The man’s face grew suspicious. “A knight of the Divine Lord showed kindness? To you? An ordinary priest?”

“It’s unclear to me why he did what he did!”

Tremo feared for his life.

The traveler seemed not too happy about his words.

“Did he tell you his name?”, the stranger asked, thoughtful.

“He didn’t”, Tremo answered truthfully.

“I expected as much. Do you know where he went to? Did he go to Eldebourgh?”

“I don’t think so. I… I guess he returned to the Divine Lord.”

“Did he tell you as much?”

“He… he alluded to it.”

“Alluded?”

“Yes! Good Sire, I know naught of this… man’s plans, orders, or why else he was out here. I can’t even fathom why he was helping or how he even found me! He just appeared with his horse out of nowhere at that night and offered to share some of the game he had caught. Two rabbits! It were two rabbits! We then talked for a while, and after the supper he left me more food and the clothes I told you about.”

The traveler considered Tremo’s words with a frown. For a moment, the friar thought about telling him all that he knew. All the knight had told him, but something kept his mouth shut and his mind weary of the traveler. It was almost like a thick cloud of miasmic force emitted from this man, equaled to the demon’s. Something was not right about this stranger. It almost felt like this man was in cahoots with the Divine Lord’s demon, but at the same time, it was more than clear that they were on different sides. But could Tremo be sure about that? After all, the demon had told him some of the secrets of the Divine Lord. It had also made clear to him that it didn’t want to continue to work with the Divine Lord but was bound to him.

“Am I right to presume, you’ll continue to stay here?”, the traveler asked with a strange gleam in his blue eyes that seemed to shift their colour to green.

“I’ve nowhere else to go, Sire”, Tremo replied reluctant.

“I’ll return, in due time”, the man continued, as if in deep thought. “Perhaps in the company of another man and a woman. Until then, I implore you to stay in this general area. There will be more questions.”

“More?”

“Yes. And be prepared. One of my companions will not be as gentle as I was towards you. Keep that in mind.”

Without allowing Tremo another word, the man turned around and left. Utterly frightened and robbed of the last bit of strength, the friar dropped to his knees. For some time he just knelt there, unmoving and staring towards the gaping hole, which had once been a massive door, and the darkness of the night beyond it.