“Did you really go to the dwarven city to defeat a dragon?”

“No… Well, I did go to the dwarven city, but fighting the dragon was a different story.”

“WOW! And did Sortieva really ask you to join the circle at the age of seven?”

“No, he wasn’t even Called Sortieva when we first met.”

Grey won’t stop pestering Allous with questions about her adventure, from listening to the conversation I gain some understanding about who she is, although honestly it just makes me feel like I know less. It’s not like I have a choice but to listen. Lisa looks knocked out, she can really fall asleep in any situation, that won't be an interesting conversation though. Guy doesn't seem to have anything to say, it's like he doesn't like the silence but doesn't know how to fill it. Silence isn't the right word perhaps, Grey won't stop talking. The blame is partially on Allous too as she continues to answer back.

"I wonder why you stopped being an adventurer, it sounds like so much fun. Although if Sorteiva himself asked you to join the paladins, who could refuse?” This Sortieva must be the leader of this circle… is he a king of some sorts? “Fren, why did you choose to become an adventurer?" Grey moves a question to me. Allous turns her attention too. I… don't know what to answer.

I'm not supposed to talk about me being an outsider, definitely not admitting it to a member of the church, and the danger under the village is also a very secret topic… What should I say?

"Umm… well… it's becoming a hunter, actually, and…" I try to think fast but nothing's coming to mind. Should I just be honest? No, that probably won't work right now.

"You can't say it's personal, Inner circle paladin Allous already used that excuse when I asked her."

"You can just call me 'Allous', Gregory."

"It is personal… but mostly it's because I need to make amends. A man, two of them actually, a father and a son, they died. They died for me. That's not accurate but nonetheless they died and I couldn't save them." I guess this is a type of honesty.

"Two men?" Allous pondered. "Fren, did you… "

"What?" She stares at me, does she think… "No! I didn't kill them, Allous. They died from-“

"Gaveng?" Grey asks, my body shivers a bit when I hear his name again, he did kill me once, even though he died first.

"Yes. This armor is made from his skin, and his bones in the sword, however that works." I can't help but get teary eyed when I think of Dali and Dan.

"Well, let's change the mood, Gregory, why are you not trying to be an adventurer?" Allous finally asked the question.

"Umm… Well, being a priest is the right thing to do."

“You’re enamored by the concept of adventuring, everyone can tell that- perhaps aside from the sleeping one.” Allous adds after a small snore from Lisa interrupts her.

“It’s just… my family and neighbors will be disappointed if I leave the church to chase some dream.”

“It’s not just a dream, Gregory, it’s- uhh I start to sound like my father.”

“You’re father?” Gregory is curious, She did mention her father earlier. Just who is her father?

“We’re here, watch your head on the way out.” the carriage driver tells us as the carriage stops abruptly. Lisa falls to the floor and wakes up, then fumbles out the door and clumsily zigs and zags, probably still asleep.

“I’ll go make sure she finds her way to the chapel to report before going to the dorms.” Guy says and leaves right behind her.

beyond the door is… It’s a big stone building, with stained glass and big windows just as you would imagine a chapel to be. The stained glass depicts mostly dragons but also a tree and a few people too. The dusky light of the sun makes the colors even more unique. It’s easily the size of the ‘keep’ the noble of that town had and with the buildings next to it it’s much larger. Perhaps to enhance the magnitude of the building there are many people in robes walking around and talking.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Fren, you’re blocking the door.”

“Ohh, sorry, I was just- I never saw anything like this.”

“You really are a village bumpkin, never saw a chapel? I guess the people in the farther villages are more secular, most of them worship Sol, right?” Grey talks to me but… I have a difficult time taking this all in.

“Fren?”

“We need to report to the head priest what happened, I thought it was another lich or necromancer, I gave them quite a scare last time.”

“But Fren will-”

“Fren, are you coming” Huh? Allous is talking to me. “Fren, we need to go to the head priest, to report what happened, you will likely get a reward for your help, you should come too.” my mind was blank for a moment. More than a moment apparently, the carriage left already and Allous and Grey are becoming me at the Chapels entrance. Allous put her helmet back on, probably a paladin thing.

“Inner circle paladin Allous! and Guy and Lisa entered too, I was surprised to see them return at such a late hour, what happened.” An old priest with a big hat greets us from afar as we enter, in fact all eyes are on us, likely Allous’s status as a paladin.

“Head priest Lionel, yes, we have something important to report.”

Allous tells the head priest what had transpired, I didn’t know what happened to her until we met. Turns out she knew about the three priests, she couldn’t find any priest corpses but could tell that priesthood magic was used, she didn’t mention how. Since she didn’t want to hurt the priests accidentally she carefully made her way through the undead to where she thought they might be and used some light beckon to signal us. It sure did work. She asked Guy to continue with his own story, and he did mention how we met and the undead at dawn, the church at dusk getting ambushed, the walk to the ‘keep’ the forest and the shack. He also mentioned meeting Allous and the splitting up. He and Lisa went to the cemetery and couldn’t find a single suspicious grave. Grey had to pick up from there but he was a bit embarrassed and stuttered a bit so I was asked to continue the story.

“Perhaps the mercenary can tell us what happened?”

“Yes, I suspected the body was inside a well we passed by previously, Grey went down the well to ‘help it pass on’ and I stayed outside to make sure the undead don’t bother him.”

“He was injured, a lot. But he was so brave.” Grey finds something to add.

“That was very brave of you all, I will report this to the cardinal. Inner circle paladin Allous will no doubt report this to Sortieva. Thank you very much for your service, all of you, the church thanks you greatly.” The head priest thanks us and bids us farewell.

“Are you not forgetting something?” Allous tells him before he leaves.

“Ahh… what?”

“The ‘mercenary’ was not at all obligated to help, but he saved the lives of three priests. Does the church not reward such a thing?”

“But… serving Mythos in such a way is in itself a reward.”

“Lionel,” She stares at him through the helmet. Even without seeing her face you can tell she gives him an angry stare. “He will get a reward either way, but your cooperation might end up in my report.”

The old priest looks half pissed, I don’t understand the politics of the church of Mythos but he isn’t happy. “Allous I am much older than you, even if you are a paladin. You have yet much to learn from your elders. Serving Mythos like this is its own reward, perhaps a pebble as a symbolic gesture but no more.”

“You!” Allous calls to a priest watching from the side “Go to the treasury and get a dozen silver rocks, also an artifact. A shield would be nice, he could have used one while fighting the spirit.”

“Allous! how dare you?” The head priest’s voice bursts with rage. “Common child!” he pauses angrily, holding his fists in his hands and quickly turns away and walks off. I think he mutters something like “Common vagabond” on his way.

“Please don’t let this leave a bad impression, he is just a bit proud of his position. I was like this before too before I met Fren. Thinking that anyone outside the church is worse for not being a priest.” Guy tells Allous, trying to protect his superior.

“That’s fine, Guy, I met plenty of people who thought they’re too old to learn something new. You’re dismissed, and so is Lisa.” Allous releases the priests and sends them on their way. Grey looks at me with sad eyes.

“I-I guess this- it’s-Umm… Fren… thank you, for saving me- I…” Grey stutters, he probably has so much to say and can’t find where to begin. “This is goodbye for now… I will-”

“I didn’t dismiss you yet.” Allous turns to Grey “I have a task for you. I need you to accompany Fren to Mandoza and keep an eye over him. I will arrive there soon after I report to Sortieva but I need someone to watch over him.”

“You mean… I need to go with him to Mandoza? I’d love to but… why?”

“He is a suspicious individual, and the church must keep an eye on him. He will become a hunter though, so you might need to join him in his adventures until we meet up again.” She says while definitely smirking under the mask, and why wouldn’t she, she turned to the sour look on Grey’s face and turned it into the widest smile I have ever seen on him. “I will arrange for a carriage for the both of you. Now let’s all follow Lisa’s example and go to sleep.”