Both of them waited with bated breath. The darkness settled back into the church, shadows moving with the flickering of the candles. Tavian stood up, and as Daniel motioned to do the same, he groaned in pain. Something inside of him was being torn to shreds, and he feared it was his soul.
Without any care for the priest, Daniel muttered the words Gate of Reincarnation in his mind, his soul detaching from the mortal world. An initial glance at his underworld revealed nothing wrong, but turning his attention inwards, he saw a silent war being waged.A palm made of darkness wrapped around his soul, digging in deeper. The sensation was calming until it reached where his heart was supposed to be, and then it turned into sheer agony.
The blood river manifested around the arm as crimson chains, locking it in place. A chill enveloped his soul, an alabaster arm reaching out from darkness hidden deep down inside him. Similar to his skill, the arm swung down a scythe made of human bone, severing the arm, and as it did, a horrific shriek echoed through his realm, the stone floor collapsing beneath him. A moment later, the void was torn asunder.
From the outside, a gigantic eye peered into his realm, locking onto his being.
A sensation of overwhelming insignificance washed over Daniel as the entirety of the night sky pressed down on him. It drowned him in its majesty, though it offered him no solace. A primal fear, once a spec in his mind, now completely dominated his thoughts. The goddess only needed a thought to completely break him.
But, before it could do anything else, the crack in the void vanished as if it was never there to begin with. His realm once again regained the illusion of peace, but this time, the feeling of comfort or power didn’t return. The silence was deafening. It left him alone with his thoughts, and he feared if he stayed for a moment longer, his psyche would shatter into a million pieces.
Coming back to the present was a blessing. The incense filled his lungs, his earlier thoughts slipping away momentarily. That was an extremely close encounter. Truth be told, he hadn't wanted to swear his soul to the goddess, but he was so caught up in the moment that the words just spilled out.
“Don’t mess with gods. Got it,” he murmured, taking a deep breath. He spotted the priest talking with another hooded figure in the corner. He didn’t know how long he had been kneeling there, the passage of time hard to sense in his realm.
Daniel stood up, dusting off his jeans. As he did, Tavian broke off from his conversation, walking over to him with hurried steps. He grabbed Daniel’s shoulders, looking him straight in the eye.
“I see why Madam Li has sent you here. A vision from our goddess immediately after swearing the vows. Even our most devout followers have trouble achieving that.”
Daniel stood in complete silence, dumbfounded. He most definitely didn’t feel enlightened. In fact, it was a miracle she hadn’t killed him. A half-crooked smile was all he managed to squeeze out, nodding his head.
“It’s an awkward topic, but, what about that job?” he asked, striking while the iron was hot.
“With that display, it would be foolhardy for me not to hire you. Hold on, I’ve still got some of the old exorcist’s spare robes. Another sign it was meant to be - he was practically the same height as you.”
Somehow, he doubted it was, but the power of fate worked in mysterious ways.
With that, Tavian rushed off to the side, opening a door Daniel hadn’t even noticed being there. He sat down on one of the pews, sorting out his thoughts.
“By the night’s veil.”
The hooded figure greeted him as it passed by. He idly nodded, noticing an outline of a dagger in the follower’s robe.
‘Suppose it’s not a bad thing to be a holy man. Certainly won’t go hungry or without a roof over my head. Plus, it should be safe here,’ he thought to himself, trying not to let his encounter with Morvina affect him too much.
Perhaps there was still a chance to make friends with her, even if whatever oath he swore didn’t affect him.
When Tavian returned, he ushered Daniel to join him in a side room.
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“Come, try this on. With that, you’ll be a proper exorcist,” he pushed a bundle of robes into Daniel’s arms. “An Exorcist of the Night, to be precise.”
Next to the robes, he spotted a small amethyst necklace of a full moon. Noticing his gaze, Tavian spoke up, “a full moon for those dealing with souls, a crescent for compassion, and a new moon for those in the night.”
With that, he left him alone, the only source of light a blue candle glowing with a ghastly flame. The small room housed several sealed crates. What was inside of them was a small mystery that would be left unsolved as Daniel found no way to force it open. For all he knew, there was an equal chance of either dead bodies or a bunch of incense.
He fiddled with the clothes for quite some time. Figuring out how to put on his veil took an embarrassing amount of time, and he would have to get used to wearing a necklace. There wasn’t much need for accessories in his hospital bed. The veil coloured the world around him purple, the aesthetics of which were quite soothing.
Stepping on one of the crates, he used the window as a makeshift mirror, looking himself over. His entire demeanour had changed along with the clothes. Just like Tavian, he now had a sense of holiness and solemnity around him, which made him subconsciously straighten his back and pull back his shoulders. Even the most discerning eye wouldn’t be able to tell he wasn’t from this world.
Returning to the nave, he saw that the hooded figures had multiplied. All of them had an amulet of an onyx new moon on, and some even had their weapons openly displayed. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought he had walked into an assassin guild’s meeting. How peculiar.
They gave him respectful nods, and Daniel had to return their greetings more than once, though none tried to strike up a proper conversation with him.
“You’ll get to know the watchers in due time. They keep the streets safe at night, checking up on the residents here. Unlike other parts of the city, you won’t find crime here,” Tavian said, making Daniel jump in shock. Another peculiar thing - none of them made much sound when they moved.
“Is it just here or do you patrol other areas?” Daniel asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
“Our influence is concentrated around our churches, though our believers are all throughout the city. Here, Croelius watches over the day, and Morvina safeguards the night.” Tavian said, beckoning him to join him in a walk.
“You must always remember, the nights are deadly in places where light shines too much. Some would see our influence diminish.”
They left the church behind, the crescent moon on the ceiling switching to a full moon bathing the streets in a silver light. A soft mist rolled through the streets, but despite that, the streets were bustling. Everywhere the two of them went, the citizens greeted them with reverence, offering prayers and blessings.
Their progress was slow, having to stop as Tavian offered guidance on minor problems. A scuffle at work, a disagreement between lovers. The priest seemed to have an answer no matter what the situation might be.
“Once again, it’s quite an uncomfortable topic, but how much would the job pay? And what are my responsibilities?”
He mulled over how to bring up the topic best but decided it didn’t matter since he was such a devout follower.
“I understand, every person needs to put food on their table. You won’t have to work all the time - in fact, as cruel as that sounds, I hope we won’t need you at all. Alas, spirits are way too common, and people who can deal with them are few.”
They left the residential district behind them, the buildings becoming more and more crumbled by the second. Most were abandoned, and those that lived here scowled at the sight of them, sitting closer to their makeshift fires. Daniel wondered why there were people living in poverty this close to the church, but now was not the time to ask.
“Thirty crowns per job. You can expect a job every week, sometimes more, sometimes less.”
An average of 120 crowns per month. From what he was told, it was the upper range of a craftsman apprentice, though less than a qualified craftsman. More than enough to survive in the city.
“Right, and here we are. This here is not a pressing issue, but more of a test,” Tavian stood before a rusted wrought-iron gate, chained and held in place by three different locks, a key in his hands.
The chains dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, causing every crow in the area to scatter. The eerie silence was only broken by a chilling howl of wind that swept through the area.
“I’m sure you’ll do fine. Someone of your faith won’t succumb to a minor challenge. If you do, you can be sure that your spirit will be safe with Morvina,” he said, stepping through the abandoned courtyard overrun by weeds and wildflowers.
Before them rose a stone mausoleum, a once magnificent tomb that had now lost its grandeur. The engravings on it had faded with time, the nameplate now cracked and shattered on the ground. For a moment, Daniel swore he could hear the sound of laughter echoing inside the tomb.
“I’ll leave you to it. Best of luck.”
And with that, he was all alone.