An entire day had gone by since they’d started, and they had made no progress. The afternoon sun was on its descent as they stopped at a food stall for a late lunch. As they ate, Zeltara thought about their situation. They still had five days to figure something out, but the lack of results so far was discouraging. Apparently, adventuring quests just don’t fall from the sky. If they failed, she wasn’t sure what they would do. Perhaps sneaking out wouldn’t be the worst idea. She’d just have to convince Kaztos of that.
Zeltara sighed. “Why can’t there just be a quest board? Dollanti mentioned those in his lessons.” Saiya and Kaztos stopped eating and glanced over at her.
“That was around thirty years ago during the sixth crisis,” Saiya said. “Things had calmed down since then, so there probably hasn’t been a need for one.” Zeltara finished her food and gestured to the surrounding city.
“Do things look fine around here? I’d call the cataclysm a crisis in its own right. There is definitely a need for one now.” Saiya shrugged as she finished her own meal.
“Well, I assume it’ll take some time to start up again. The sixth crisis probably took some time to really get going. Until then, we’ll just have to make do.” Zeltara hated to admit Saiya was right. Why couldn’t she let her complain in peace?
“I think it went well so far. We’ve helped quite a few people so far,” Kaztos said.
Zeltara scoffed. “Yeah, but doing chores and giving out money isn’t helping us so far.” Kaztos frowned at her blasé attitude.
“But that’s what being an adventurer is about. It’s to help those in need.” Zeltara waved her hand dismissively.
“Yeah, but that’s just a bonus. Adventuring is all about exploring the world. The jobs are just a way to facilitate that. Helping someone get groceries isn’t adventuring. If you wanted to do that, then just do community service.”
Kaztos seemed to grow frustrated. “That’s a rather selfish outlook. You can’t just keep thinking about yourself.” Zeltara growled as she wondered what Kaztos’ problem was.
“I don’t see any issues with it. I’m still helping people in the end. What does it matter if I have my personal reasons to do it? You’d have us as poor as the refugees on the streets.” Kaztos stepped forward and leaned down toward Zeltara. She wasn’t the slightest bit intimidated and met his glare.
“If it meant helping even one more person, then so be it,” Kaztos said. “We’re in a position to do something, so it’s our responsibility to aid those in need. Though I guess you wouldn’t know anything about that.” Zeltara’s planned argument fell to the wayside at the insinuation.
“What is that supposed to mean?” What right did he have to question her morality? Kaztos went to answer, but stopped as Saiya got between the two of them and pushed them apart.
“Enough!” She leveled both of them with a glare. “You’re both arguing over something stupid. We’re all frustrated right now, but this isn’t the time for it.” Saiya faced Kaztos. “You don’t get to lecture us on how to feel. We helped those people even though it didn’t help us. We’re allowed to feel frustrated about the situation.” She turned to Zeltara. “While I mostly agree with you, you can’t be so dismissive over what he believes. There’s no need to egg him on.” Both Zeltara and Kaztos sullenly stared at their feet. “Now, apologize.” Saiya’s tone showed there would be no arguing about the matter.
It took a few moments before Zeltara broke first. “I’m sorry. Adventurers do often help people in need. That is a perfectly fine reason to become one too. I didn’t mean to belittle you like that.”
Kaztos shook his head. “I tried to force my beliefs on you and got mad when you pushed back. Just because you have different reasons to do something than I do, doesn’t mean you can’t still do good.” He looked up to face her. “You are a good person, Zeltara. I apologize for insinuating otherwise.”
“It’s okay. I think we both said things we didn’t mean. I am happy to help those people out, and I know Saiya is as well.” The blond girl nodded in confirmation. “It’s just that we need to look out for ourselves as well. We’re not exactly in the best position right now.”
“I understand. Perhaps I get too carried away. Friends?” Kaztos asked. Zeltara smiled.
“Of course!” The two exchanged a quick embrace as Saiya rolled her eyes.
As they separated, Kaztos said, “How about we figure out what to do next? We spent all day yesterday and most of today looking around the lower district. Why don’t we try somewhere else?” Zeltara hummed thoughtfully at the idea.
“That might be for the best. Unfortunately, I don’t know if they would allow us into the upper district. You mentioned a checkpoint that had to let you through.” Kaztos nodded. “The only other area I can think of is the elf quarter. But I don’t think we could find someone with enough authority to vouch for us.”
“But is would be a likely place to go find trouble,” Saiya said. “The Kolidato gang operates in that area. They’re the only problem that could qualify as an adventurer’s quest that I can think of.” Zeltara thought about it for a moment but couldn’t find anything better to do, so she agreed.
The three made their way to the elf quarter. As they traveled, Zeltara wondered what to do at this point. While she had been confident at first, the sign-up woman at the expedition had seemingly given them an impossible task. She couldn’t even be that mad at her for it. Despite how annoying it’d been to hear someone question their competency, she had done so out of concern.
Zeltara was painfully aware that they were too young to be adventurers right now. The youngest to start their careers were usually around sixteen, and that was usually because of dire circumstances. It was the reason she planned to wait until around eighteen before leaving Urada. It would have given them time to prepare. Unfortunately, fate had forced their hands. They were now in a new, dangerous world. While they could sit around and make themselves a home here, Zeltara’s instincts were telling her that would be folly.
While a beautiful city to look at, Mousafont was in trouble. No one said as much, but it was apparent when looking at its people. There was a growing sense of desperation in everyone. The city’s resources were strained and would eventually be depleted. There didn’t look to be any relief coming from the outside. They probably lacked the time or ability to create farms outside the city. The government struggled to maintain order. Being a part of the expedition would be the best thing for them. It meant they would be out of the blast radius if Mousafont exploded.
Distant church bells chimed. While not the first time she’d heard them, Zeltara found their rings to still be fascinating. It made her think about the church back in Urada. She never went because of the elves’ current relationship with the Amedori. But part of her wondered what it was like. From what she heard, the church in Urada had helped the less fortunate and given a helping hand in organizing the town’s festivals. How were they reacting to the cataclysm, an affront to their religion? Did they suspect that something was wrong with their lords in heaven? Perhaps they could go visit before they left Mousafont. Kaztos would like that.
It’s early evening by the time they made it to the elf quarter. It’s as deserted as Zeltara remembered it. Only occasional individuals or groups walked the streets. Kaztos seemed concerned about the dilapidated nature of the district. Not that she could blame him. It hurt to see her people living like this.
After wandering around for a couple of minutes, Zeltara had them stop. “We need to think about what to do next. We won’t make any progress walking around aimlessly.”
Saiya gestured over to a nearby building. Zeltara looked over to see a tavern. Despite the early hour, the place was already loud with the sounds of drink and merriment. “It’d be foolish to keep going around blind. Wait out here, and I’ll go in and listen around. I may overhear something that could help.”
“You want to eavesdrop?” Kaztos asked skeptically. Saiya shrugged.
“Yes. People often give information if they don’t think they're being listened in on.” That raised some questions, but Zeltara knew now wasn’t the time.
Instead, she asked, “Wouldn’t it be better if I went in? I would blend in with everyone in there.”
“Perhaps, but remember what Friari said. He recognized you as an outsider. That means that there would be some attention focused on you. Combine that with the fact that you aren’t exactly subtle, and I don’t think it’ll go well. I’ll just sneak in and keep an ear out.” Despite her grumblings that she could be discreet, Zeltara saw no issue with the plan.
Kaztos still had concerns. “Are you sure this is necessary? There’s still daylight out, and you’ll be in close proximity to many people. Will your cloak be enough to keep you hidden?”
“It’s not about being hidden, but unnoticed. It’ll be best if people glance at me and then go back to their business. My cloak will help with that,” Saiya said. Kaztos still looked uncomfortable.
“I’m just worried about you going in alone, but I have no further complaints. If there’s a problem, then make a commotion. Zeltara and I will be right outside.” Zeltara smirked at Kaztos using the word ‘ruckus’ but agreed. Saiya gave her assent as well.
As Saiya entered the tavern, Zeltara and Kaztos entered a nearby alley to remain less conspicuous. The last thing they wanted was for people in the tavern to notice them watching. That’d make Saiya’s job much harder. Instead, Zeltara made sure to keep an ear out for the noise level inside the tavern. Both of them settled in to wait.
“How good is your hearing? Can you make out any conversations inside?” Kaztos asked. Zeltara glanced over to see him keeping an eye out deeper in the alleyway.
“Not exactly. How can I describe it?” She thought for a moment before continuing. “I can hear people talking even from out here, but it’s all jumbled. I can’t make out anything specific. The farther away I am, the less detailed the sounds are. Maybe if we were out in the wilderness I could do it, but the city is too noisy.” Kaztos seemed to grow concerned.
“Does that mean someone inside could overhear our conversation?” Zeltara shook her head.
“Theoretically? Maybe. But I highly doubt it. You need to focus to hear something that is far away in any detail. Every elf in there probably had our voices appear as a blip in their subconscious but, with the noise from inside, they wouldn’t be able to make anything out. It’s a defense mechanism to protect ourselves from excess noise. While we can still hear just as far, our comprehension of what we’re listening to goes down.” Kaztos visibly calmed upon hearing that.
“That’s good to keep in mind. I’ll have to remember to be quiet in the future when we’re relying on your hearing.” The two fell silent. So far, the noise in the tavern had stayed steady. Nothing so far showed that something was wrong. Good, Zeltara didn’t fancy getting into a bar fight. She glanced over at Kaztos, who was still keeping watch. A wave of guilt from earlier hit her.
“Hey Kaztos.” He turned to her questioningly. “I just want to say sorry again for earlier. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
He grinned at her. “Don’t worry. I should have known that you didn’t mean anything like that. The three of us are becoming adventurers for different reasons. It makes sense that there will be some conflict. But as long as we remember our friendship, everything will work itself out.” Zeltara smiled.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Thanks for that.” The two settled in again. Time passed with no sign of Saiya anywhere. No trouble from the tavern either. Maybe they should have asked her how long this was going to take. Kaztos appeared as anxious as she felt. Zeltara drummed her fingers on her arm as the minutes passed. She kept her eyes on the street, looking for anything suspicious.
That’s when two men wearing familiar red vests walked by the mouth of the alley. They passed without glancing at either of them. Zeltara straightened as she realized who they were.
“Kaztos, we need to go.” He turned towards her, confused. “Two Kolidato members just passed by. We should tail them and see what they’re up to.”
“What about Saiya? We can’t leave her here.” Kaztos said. Zeltara realized he had made a good point. They couldn’t abandon Saiya when she might need their help. That left just one option.
“Alright, then you stay here and wait for Saiya. I’ll follow them. After she’s back, then follow me.” The two were getting further away as they spoke. Zeltara could feel the opportunity slipping through their fingers.
Kaztos remained unconvinced. “That will just leave the both of you in danger. How am I supposed to watch Saiya without you here? What will happen if you’re discovered?”
Zeltara rushed to explain. “I’ll raise hell if I’m spotted. Just follow the sound. As for Saiya, just get closer and keep an eye out.” The men were almost at the end of the street now. “Come on, Kaztos. They’ve almost gotten away.” He raised his hands defensively.
“Alright, I’ll stay. Just be careful.” Zeltara nodded and rushed out of the alleyway. She went as fast as possible without making herself known. Still, the Kolidato members turned off onto another street before she made up half the ground towards them. Making her way around the corner, Zeltara spotted them turning onto another street at the last second. She rushed to follow them.
This continued for several more streets as she gained ground on the two. Finally, after five minutes of following, Zeltara saw the two turn into an alleyway. She slowed her pace and walked to the alley entrance. Peeking inside, Zeltara could make out another gang member approaching the first two. She pressed up against the wall to stay hidden and concentrated on listening.
“What are you two doing? You’re supposed to be at the raid at sundown. You’ll never make it in time,” one man said.
Another one scoffed. “We were just enjoying ourselves. Getting something to drink is all.” The slur in his voice showed just what the men were drinking. “I don’t see what the problem is. It’s not like they’ll run into any trouble. By the time the guards show up, it’ll be too late.”
“Enough,” the first man said. “This raid is supposed to be our first step. If we pull this off, then we can expand our operations to the other districts. You’re jeopardizing everything.” There was a momentary pause before he continued. “I’ll have to tell the boss. For your sake, I hope he’s in a forgiving mood.”
The men argued as Zeltara took in what she heard. This was just what they needed. The Kolidato were planning something, and if they stopped it, then surely they’d be allowed on the expedition. She just needed to figure out the location. There wasn’t much time. Zeltara looked up to see the sun closing in on the horizon. They had at most an hour to figure this out.
The sound of the men moving away snapped her out of her thoughts. No, Zeltara still needed a location. This would be meaningless otherwise. She darted into the alley to follow them. Her hastiness proved to be a mistake as she stumbled and broke a glass bottle. Fortunately, she caught herself before falling into a pile of broken glass.
“What was that?” Zeltara looked up in a panic to see the three Kolidato members turning to face her. “Look, someone was following us!”
One of them chuckled. “Looks like we have a little spy. Listen, if you help take care of her, I’ll put in a good word with the boss. Maybe he’ll even let you off the hook.” Zeltara’s heart rate skyrocketed. She didn’t like her chances of fighting three grown men at the same time. And who knows when Kaztos and Saiya could show up? No, there was only one thing to do now.
“Catch!” Zeltara yelled as she fired a white marble from her gauntlet. Before the explosive even landed, she ran off. She turned to go left, away from the tavern. Once she heard the marble detonating, Zeltara spun around and started running back towards the tavern. Based on the colorful collection of swears, it was safe to say that she at least blinded them.
Zeltara listened as she ran. Once the men recovered, she darted into another alley. Zeltara heard the men going in the wrong direction to pursue her. She let out a sigh of relief. It looked like her plan worked. Still, she needed to hurry back to the tavern. There was still a chance that they could find her.
She hurried back towards the tavern after exiting the alley. Zeltara moved fast and kept her ears out for anything. Her focus was entirely behind her, and thus Zeltara was surprised when she turned a corner and collided with someone. Fortunately, it was just Kaztos who caught her before she could hit the ground.
“Zeltara, are you alright?” Kaztos asked as he helped steady her. Saiya stood behind him, looking relieved to see her.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just ran into some trouble on my brief trip,” Zeltara said. Relief washed over her. With the three of them, they’d be able to take care of those thugs if they came back. For now, there were other matters to take care of. “Listen, I need to tell you what I learned. The Kolidato gang is up to something. They’re planning some kind of attack at sunset. It sounded serious.”
Kaztos looked towards the horizon. “There’s not much time until sunset. Where is the attack going to take place? We’ll make our way there immediately.”
“That’s the issue. I couldn’t figure that out before they spotted me. I had to run before they caught me,” Zeltara said. Kaztos examined her for any injuries and seemed relieved that he found none.
Saiya took a step forward, grabbing their attention. “I may be able to help with that.”
“Oh, Saiya. How did your eavesdropping go?” Zeltara asked. “I hope it went better than mine did.” The blond girl shook her head.
“It went fine, but that’s not what I want to say. I gathered some information, but nothing that would be helpful. At least until now. I may have discovered where that attack is going to take place.” That surprised Zeltara. Were there more Kolidato members in the tavern?
Kaztos said, “That’s great! Tell us what you learned, and we’ll hurry over.”
“Slow down. I’m not sure this is what we’re looking for. It’s just a chance connection, that's all. For all we know, I could be wrong,” Saiya said.
“Still, it’s probably the only lead we have. Like Kaztos said, there’s almost no time. We don’t have a choice,” Zeltara said.
Saiya sighed. “Fine, I can’t think of anything else either. I overheard two men talking about the Kolidato gang. Most of it was irrelevant, but one of them mentioned something interesting. People have been noticing an increased presence of them around the Orrangi Church. He believed the members were staking it out.”
“That might be it,” Zeltara said. “The gang members I followed mentioned that the attack was something they hadn’t done before. Something that would help increase their presence in the city. I haven’t heard of them attacking anywhere that important before.”
“Maybe they're after money? The church is bound to receive a lot of donations,” Saiya suggested.
A look of dread overcame Kaztos. “I may know what they’re after.” They turned to him. “Few realize this, but churches don’t only contain monetary donations. They also often hold surrendered mediums. They store any that people wish to get rid of for any reason. These accumulate in number over the years. Anything from enchanted utensils to battle staffs. That’ll be what they’re after.”
“But wouldn’t that mean churches would be among the best-guarded areas?” Saiya asked. Kaztos shook his head.
“Perhaps before that would be the case. But we’ve seen just how spread thin the guard presence is. The church is likely less protected than it should be.”
Realization overcame Zeltara. If the Kolidato gang got their hands on battle mediums, then they’d become an active danger to the city. No longer would they have to stick to low-watched areas in the elf quarter. They could plan ambushes on high-value targets and use the mediums to fend off any guards. The more she thought about it, the more likely it appeared to be.
Saiya looked convinced as well. “Then we need to make our way over there then.” Zeltara looked to see the sun on the horizon. The attack could happen any minute now. That’s when a church bell chimes in the distance.
“Well, that’s about where I remember Orrangi church to be when we passed it yesterday,” Kaztos said. The bell went silent after eight rings. “Come on! We need to hurry.” Kaztos started to run. Zeltara and Saiya followed a few paces behind him.
“Slow down, Kaztos! We need to think of a plan,” Zeltara called out. Things wouldn’t end well if they ended up running into the gang members at a full sprint getting there.
“No time! We’ll just have to wing it,” Kaztos answered. Zeltara felt the groan Saiya let out.
“Why is he like this? It’s not like a minute or two is going to make a difference.”
“Maybe, maybe not. Maybe Kaztos is right, and we shouldn’t risk it. I’ll try to think of something, and hopefully we don’t run straight into them,” Zeltara said. Saiya remained silent, but she noticed the blond girl’s agitation as she sprinted to their destination.
It took them six minutes to reach the street where the church was. Immediately, Zeltara could tell that they had made the correct decision. Six men with familiar red vests were being held up by someone at the door to the church. Kaztos looked ready to charge in when Saiya grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back.
“Enough. We’re thinking of a plan before charging in. I’m not having one of us get gutted because we rushed them.” Kaztos looked at her offended, but didn’t say anything. While the two were having their standoff, Zeltara observed the situation.
The person stopping the gang members was a priestess who looked to be in her older teens. She had shoulder-length dirty blond hair and wore a white robe. Her expression was stern, and she looked upon the six men unamused. In one hand, she held a wooden staff as tall as herself, its top branching like a tree. Zeltara could only assume that it was a medium of some kind. Concentrating, she listened in to what the group was saying.
The lead Kolidato member said, “Just let us in and you won’t get hurt, ya? We’re just after the treasures you got inside. We won’t even mess the place up too badly.” The men behind him chuckled when he said that.
The priestess remained resolute. She responded, “No, those treasures belong to the church. Leave now before the guards show up. They come down this street every few minutes.” Hearing this, the lead thug laughed.
“Oh, I don’t think we’ll have to worry about that. I think you’ll come to realize that you’re all alone right now.” For the first time, the priestess's facade showed a crack as she now looked nervous. They needed to help immediately. Zeltara had half a plan put together at that moment. Hopefully, it would be enough.
Meanwhile, Saiya and Kaztos had fallen into a quiet argument beside her. Zeltara sighed. Couldn’t those two just get along? She turned to them and said, “Enough! We’re in the middle of something.” The two stopped and looked at her. “As you can see, things are about to get bad. We have to get involved soon.” Both of them looked embarrassed.
“My apologies. What do you want us to do?” Kaztos asked. Both of her friends looked ready to hear her plan. She smiled despite the situation.
“Alright, I didn’t have much time to think about this. But I think simple and tested will work best here. Just a shock and awe tactic to scare them off. I’ll fire a white marble, and then we’ll start beating them up. Don’t try to trap them and let them retreat if possible. This will get difficult if we don’t scare them off.” It wasn’t the best she thought of, but it would have to do. From their last encounter, the Kolidato members seemed to be somewhat cowardly when they were on the back foot.
“We should lie and mention that we alerted someone to get to the guards. If it sounds like their plan is ruined, then they’ll likely turn tail and run,” Saiya said. Kaztos looked around the street.
“It’s strange that none have walked by. Even with their decreased presence, at least one should be by every few minutes.” Zeltara was curious as well, but now wasn’t the time to think about it. She looked over at the front of the church.
By now, the gang members seemed frustrated by the lack of progress getting in. But they seemed almost hesitant to engage the priestess. Zeltara motioned for them to sneak closer as she listened in. Fortunately, the thugs seemed to be distracted. It seemed likely that they would pull off a successful ambush.
That’s when their luck ran out. Just as they had closed half the distance, the priestess’ eyes turned towards them. Before Zeltara could signal her to be silent, she called out to them.
“Are you three just going to do nothing? Help me.” The gang members turned and saw them approaching. Kaztos and Saiya stopped, unsure of what to do. Zeltara wasn’t sure herself. They had lost the element of surprise.
The leader took a few steps toward them. He said, “You should move along. Could get hurt otherwise.” He and his underlings all had their weapons out. Fortunately, only two of them had knives. The rest carried clubs. Zeltara didn’t fancy getting stabbed.
Still, both sides knew just who was at a disadvantage. That didn’t mean the situation was hopeless. Putting as much confidence as possible into her voice, Zeltara said, “You guys should leave. We sent our friend off to alert the guards. They should be here any minute.” Her words had the intended effect as the men behind the leader fidgeted.
“We’re not supposed to attract too much attention. Maybe we should leave,” one man said. The leader remained calm.
“And give up on the fortune inside? I don’t think so. The boss will have our heads if we turn up empty-handed.” His words bolstered the resolve of his men. They looked ready to shove into the church and begin raiding.
Kaztos took a step forward. “Are you really willing to sully holy ground? How would the Amedori look upon those who would commit such a crime?” Again, some thugs became nervous.
The leader just scoffed. “Haven’t you seen what happened recently? The lords of heaven are dead. What use are their churches now except as a way to give us power?” The priestess looked between the two parties impatiently.
“Well, are you three going to help me or not? If not, then-” The leader cut her off when he backhanded her with his free hand. She stumbled to the ground in a heap.
“I’ve had enough of your nagging. How about we just get rid of you now and save us the trouble?” The leader readied his knife and turned to face the downed priestess.
Seeing the situation deteriorate, Zeltara raised her gauntlet and fired a white marble. Kaztos and Saiya saw this and protected their eyes. Gasps of surprise and pain rang out in the white flash of light. Seeing their opening, Kaztos charged in with a war cry. Zeltara and Saiya were half a step behind.
The Kolidato members failed to recover before they crashed into them. Zeltara clocked one man across the cheek and laid him out. She then turned to another thug and landed another haymaker with her gauntlet, breaking his nose. So far, so good.
Saiya and Kaztos, meanwhile, engaged their own pair of thugs. Saiya was fighting using the pommel of her knife while Kaztos engaged in hand to hand combat. Both downed one combatant so far. Zeltara prepared to help when a hand wrapped around her ankle. The gang member whose nose she’d broken had grabbed her. She tried to use her free leg to stomp him, but his grip remained strong.
Meanwhile, her other opponent had recovered and charged. Zeltara aimed her gauntlet and fired a black marble. The thug dodged to the side and continued advancing. The marble uselessly detonated in the distance. He swung his club, and Zeltara tried to block with her gauntlet. This only partly worked as the diminished blow still hit her on the temple.
Zeltara’s forehead exploded in pain as she fell backward. After landing, she felt a liquid pour down her face and get into her right eye. The strike caused a cut on her forehead. Desperation set in as the thug closed in for another attack. The other gang member more firmly grabbed her legs and was trying to stand up. An idea came to her, and she aimed her gauntlet again. This time, she fired her grapple shot at the standing thug.
He yelled in pain as the tipped end stabbed over an inch into his abdomen. She then had the gauntlet retract the line and pull the man towards her. He stumbled and slammed into his friend. The impact gave her a moment to escape. She yanked to pull the line out while standing back up. As the thugs recovered, she backed away to think of what to do next.
She ended up not needing to as the sounds of metal boots hitting the ground approached. It sounded like several men running towards them in a hurry. Immediately, the two thugs in front of her backed away.
From behind Zeltara, the leader called out, “This plan is a bust. Get out of here now!” The Kolidato members turned tail and ran. After taking a moment to make sure they were leaving, she turned to see how her friends did. Kaztos had several burgeoning bruises forming on his face. Saiya had a slight cut on her cheek.
“Well, that went poorly. Still, we made it out in one piece,” Kaztos said jovially. He turned to face Zeltara, and his expression turned to worry. “By the holy lords, are you okay?” She could imagine that the wound looked bad. Blood was still dripping down her face. Her head still ached from the strike. Saiya reached into her satchel and pulled out bandages while Kaztos stood there.
Zeltara ignored both of them and walked to the priestess, still lying on the ground. Despite the heavy blow from earlier, she looked to be relatively unharmed. Zeltara reached down, grabbed the priestess’ hand, and pulled her up. Just as she was going to let go, the priestess used the grip to pull Zeltara closer. She cupped the sides of her face as her hands glowed. The pain from earlier disappeared, and Zeltara felt the bleeding stop.
The priestess dropped her hands with a sigh. “Well, at least your brains aren’t leaking out anymore.” Zeltara hoped that was an exaggeration. The injury wasn’t that serious, right?
“Thank you,” Zeltara said. Before she could say anything more, three guards reached their location. One of them approached the priestess and bowed.
“Are you alright? We heard a disturbance in the area and came.” He leveled a glare at Zeltara. She just realized that her hood had fallen again. “Were these people bothering you?”
The priestess sighed. “No, it was the Kolidato gang. They’ve grown bolder, it seems. These three helped me, in fact. Fortunate since you’ve failed to do your job.” The guards looked ashamed.
“Our greatest apologies. There should have been a patrol here. We will investigate why there wasn’t one immediately.” The priestess nonchalantly checked her fingernails.
“Be sure that you do. Run along now. I need to talk to these three.” The guards saluted and marched off. The priestess turned to them. “Thank you for the help, even if you seemed to struggle.” Zeltara wanted to point out how she had ruined their ambush, but felt that now wasn’t the time. “Why don’t you three stay for dinner? I’ll let you get cleaned up while you're at it.” She looked at Zeltara as she said it.
“Of course! We’ll be glad to accept your invitation,” Kaztos blurted out. Zeltara felt annoyed by his quick acceptance, and she saw that Saiya felt the same. They should have at least discussed it.
“Good. Then follow me inside. We can talk there.” Before Zeltara could get a word in, the priestess turned and walked to the entrance of the church. She opened the door and beckoned them inside. “Come on. We don’t have all evening.”
The three of them exchange glances and shrug. It looked like they had little choice in the matter. Kaztos led the way, with Saiya and Zeltara following behind. As they passed, the priestess grabbed Kaztos and healed him. Saiya couldn’t elude her vice grip and sullenly accepted healing as well. Zeltara took up the rear and nodded her head in thanks as she passed. This priestess may just be the person to help them. She entered the church and felt the comforting warmth from inside hit her.
Epic Fantasy of Intrigue and War
Epic Fantasy Political Intrigue Character-Driven War Aftermath Magic & Secrets Morally Grey
The war is over, but the empire is not at peace.
Prince Raymond Auraleth has survived the imperial court by being overlooked—listening when others speak, watching when others posture, and learning the quiet mathematics of power. He was never meant to rule. That makes him dangerous.
Far to the north, Alain Galaide returns from the Demonfront as a legend the empire would rather forget. Raised in war, sharpened by loss, and known as the Black Knight of the North, he now faces a harder battle: peace, politics, and a realm eager to use him—or erase him.
As courtly intrigue tightens, old alliances crack, and sacred secrets draw the attention of the Church, shadow and flame begin to converge. Steel may have ended the war, but words, vows, and ambition will decide what rises from the ashes.
The Shadow and The Flame is a character-driven epic fantasy focused on political maneuvering, post-war tension, and slow-burning power struggles—where victories are quiet, mistakes are fatal, and heroes are liabilities.
If you like thoughtful princes, dangerous heroes, and intrigue that simmers before it explodes, welcome to the game.
- Political Intrigue: Courtly schemes and hidden alliances.
- Epic Battles: War heroes and demonic threats.
- Magic System: Rare affinities and enchanted artifacts.
- Complex Characters: Princes, warriors, saints, and schemers.
- No Harem: Focused relationships and deep dynamics.