“Pax, the revered goddess of peace, did not achieve it by honourable means. She slayed every living being, every human, every creature and plant that possessed even the slightest ability to commit the smallest of disruptions and crushed them with her thundering fists. She demolished until there was barely anything living left. Until the silence of near extinction finally brought the peace that she so fervently desired. She committed countless genocides so that the world could have a second chance and begin anew. What did mankind do with this gracious second chance at building paradise? They disagreed and argued on the best way forward and who to follow until they all started stabbing each other with swords once again. It bodes a question of the few who believe in a deity that committed such monstrous crimes that resulted in such little result. The Priestesses of Pax believe it is not too late to salvage this second chance and redeem mankind. I ask them to spend a day on the battlefield and then ask themselves if humanity truly is worth saving.”

Professor Medcroft of the New Jade City University – Criticisms of Twelfth Century Gods.1305.

Evalina struggled to pray that night. One of the many persistent leaks appeared above the bronze statue of Pax, dripping water sliding down the multi-faced deity’s eyes. Her goddess cried ashy tears onto the floor below and Evalina had to move away from the stream. It was a cruel and lonely night. Evalina barely slept before the Gargoyle’s band of thugs attacked the chapel. Now she was practically nocturnal. Only the sound of thunder would keep her company. She looked up at her crying Goddess. How could you let those men attack Ilana like that? Was it you who sent the ninja to protect us? If your will is peace, why send an assassin to intervene? Evalina found herself having to comfort the old priestess late into the night when she kept waking up screaming. It never happened before Wes burst into Pax’s home and threatened her life. And I am to blame. I took the assassin in, and the trouble he brought with him.

Her lamenting was interrupted when she heard footsteps from behind her and cursed herself for not tending to the broken door sooner. “Have you come to pray?” she asked, not willing to turn her head to see who the visitor was.

“Here to collect.” The voice didn’t sound like Wes. It was softer. She turned to see a man in dark-brown boiled leather armour, a black hood over his head. Evalina noticed the dagger on his belt that the man’s fingers were flirting with and no longer felt optimistic that this would be a pleasant encounter. Pleasant encounters were a rarity in the Shards.

Someone has cursed this chapel, she thought solemnly to herself. “The Gargoyle never demanded money from us before?” she questioned, refusing to show any sign of fear.

“Gargoyle’s dead,” the hooded man stated bluntly. “The Shards now belong to the King and Queen O’ Thieves.”

“Well, tell them the Priestesses of Pax never gave money to criminals before and there is no reason to do so now.” She turned and knelt back to pray again, hoping the simple strategy of ignoring him would be enough.

“The King and Queen O’ Thieves do things differently, M’lady,” the Thief continued, sounding increasingly agitated. “Fifty Denarii every month is all they ask for. To contribute to the guild’s organisation. In exchange, we keep you protected. So, if you please…”

Evalina did not respond. She continued praying in quiet dignity. “I don’t want to make things unpleasant any more than you do,” the man behind her urged when he was granted no response.

The threat hanged in the air and dissolved into silence. She could hear the Thief’s footsteps get closer to her. When she felt the muddy hand on her shoulder, she reached for the bronze bowl she had used to feed the Assassin the other night and slammed it into the side of the Thief’s head. The Thief wobbled back in dazed shock. Evalina jumped up and pushed him, knocking the Thief on his back. He collected himself and ground his teeth, pulling a rusty iron dagger from his belt. The Thief grunted before bouncing back to his feet. Evalina grabbed the blade. She could feel her hands stinging as blood started to ooze between her fingers and drip down her knuckles. Another hand from the shadows grabbed the Thief’s shoulder. One with a sapphire gauntlet and scarred fingers. The Ninja pulled the attacker back and hit him in the jaw. The Thief desperately slashed with his dagger, but the masked Ninja caught it and twisted the attacker’s wrist.

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“You must not have heard about what happened to the previous men that intruded here,” the Ninja echoed in his hauntingly inhuman voice. “The Shards are under my protection now. Come into this chapel for anything other than a confession, then I assure you, you’ll never hold a knife again.” He kicked the hooded man in the stomach, who then went scrambling and fled through the broken doorway.

The Assassin offered his scarred hand to the priestess, but she swatted it away and pushed herself up without help. “I shouldn’t be surprised to see you here,” she said with contempt in her voice.

“I only arrived to see him attack you with a dagger,” the Ninja said in his real, human, and timid voice. He pulled his half-sapphire mask off, reminding Evalina that he wasn’t a monster, but a man. A rather gawky-looking man, in fact. A man she had rescued from a gutter. “I didn’t lure him here if that’s what you’re implying,” the gawky man in his armoured ninja suit said. Evalina did not like the snarling silver tiger at its chest. Its horns made it look demonic and unnatural.

“I know,” Evalina said, sighing and regretting her anger.

“Who was he?” he asked.

“He was from the Thieves Guild, demanding money.” Evalina retrieved some bandages from under one of the damp benches and started wrapping a layer around her hand. “At least the Gargoyle left this place alone… before you appeared, that is.”

The Ninja looked away. He appeared visibly disheartened. He sombrely turned to leave, heading towards the empty archway where the arched door once stood.

Evalina felt a stab of guilt. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t fair,” she called out. “I was the one who took you in. You weren’t to blame-”

“No,” the gawky man interrupted, walking back to her. “I was… reckless in how I handled that situation. I was taught to be better than that. No civilians should have been caught in the crossfire.” He sat on one of the wooden benches, wallowing in silence for a moment. After a while, he asked, “Why were the Thieves’ Guild at your door?”

“Apparently, they’ve taken control of the Shards after Thorne’s death. Speaking of which…” The Priestess looked down on him and gave a dark look. “Was that you're doing?” she asked hesitantly.

“The Gargoyle? No,” he said firmly. “Although most of the city thinks it was me. Do you want to know the worst part?”

Evalina let the silence answer. After a long pause, the gawky man confessed. “I wish they were right.”

“Well, despite your true feelings, Pax smiles at your mercy.”

“That will be short-lived,” he said, pulling off one of his black fingerless gloves and observing his hideously scarred hands. “How is she?”

“Who?”

“The old woman Wes attacked?”

“Still having night terrors,” she reported wearily. “But she’s alive and will only get better.”

“I throw Thorne to the City Watch in the hopes of preventing that night from ever happening again,” he reflected sadly. “Now I hear some new mobsters have taken his place already.”

“It is the way of the city.” The Priestess placed a hand on his shrouded shoulder. “If you dispose of one tyrant, another will always replace him. Besides, the King and Queen of Thieves will perhaps be more lenient than Adrian Thorne was.”

“How can you say that after one of their factotums just attacked you with a dagger? That Thief will only come back later and with more numbers just like before.” The Ninja pulled his fingerless gloves back on and donned his half-crystallised sapphire mask.

“Please assure me that you’re not going after them?” Evalina asked with trepidation.

The Ninja headed for the door. “If they’re attempting to extort money from you, they could be doing the same for plague hospitals, orphanages, taverns-”

“You don’t know where they even are,” she pointed out.

The Ninja stopped and looked back at her. “I’ll find that thief and make him talk,” he said candidly.

“Why is your solution always violence?” Evalina asked in agitation. “The beggars are their eyes and ears on the street,” she then suggested. “I happened to provide shelter and guidance for one during a particularly dark night. She might know of their whereabouts.”

The Ninja contemplated. The silver and snarling horned tiger on his chest shined in the dark shadow he stood in. “It’s worth a shot,” he finally conceded.

Evalina sighed in relief. An assassin who could be reasoned with was an oddity indeed, but a welcome one. “She lives in the Shards. She usually rests opposite the River and Tide Inn during the night. Please be courteous to her. And if you kill anyone, Pax will punish me for it, too. Show mercy to them, as you did with Adrian Thorne.”

The Ninja nodded and continued to walk towards the rain outside.

“I thought you were meant to be protecting the Duke?” Evalina called out just before he left.

“The Duke is protected for now,” he said gloomily.

“And what of his would-be assassin?”

The Ninja did not answer. He walked out into the rain.

The Priestess wondered why the Ninja returned to her chapel in the first place.