“I’m Father Mattias. I run this hospital and am responsible for the younger acolytes and priests ministering here.” The elderly priest led Falcon out of the common area and down a dimly lit hall. “Father Sebastian Alexander is a foundling, raised here to serve the Church with his gifts. This isn’t his first vision, but none of his previous visions have been to this scale.” Father Mattias paused with his hand on the door handle and turned to give Falcon a look of warning. “If Sebastian saw the city fall, it will fall, and we may indeed need your help, Sir–?”

  “John Peregrine, of the Knights of the North Star.” Falcon hated the way the elderly priest’s face tightened at the name of his order. Blasted mercenaries. “I’m willing to help however I can.”

  Father Mattias nodded and opened the door. The young priest stood staring at a large painting of the Pieta on a side wall, his hands clasped behind his back and a troubled look on his face.

  “Sir Peregrine has offered his aid in whatever vision you’ve been given, Sebastian.” Father Mattias drew the young priest’s attention from the painting. “Since this is a little bigger than Father Peter’s broken leg, I think he should be included in this conversation.”

  “Peregrine?” Sebastian seemed to relax at his name and gave Falcon a small smile. “That’s a bird, right?”

  “My friends call me Falcon.” Falcon canted his head to the side at the young priest's odd reaction to his name.

  “Well, at least that part makes sense now.” Sebastian blew out a soft breath and started pacing the length of the small room. “I probably should start at the beginning.”

  “Probably.” Falcon leaned back against the door frame and crossed his arms over his chest while Father Mattias took a seat at a worn wooden desk.

  “I saw the ogres overrun the city, burning, pillaging, and killing as they went. Like a wave of destruction no man could stop.” Sebastian paused his pacing, closed his eyes against the memory, and took a deep breath. “So many people are going to die, Father. We have to warn them.”

  “We will,” Father Mattias assured him.

  “The bigger question is if we can make them listen. Father Peter didn’t until I was setting his leg.” Sebastian opened his eyes and looked at Father Mattias with sadness as he resumed pacing more quickly. “I didn’t understand the next part at first. I was standing at the door to the hospital as the ogres swarmed the streets and came for us next. A giant bird landed in the doorway, and fought off the ogres. I was confused as to how a bird would defeat ogres.” He gestured at Falcon without breaking stride. “But that’s pretty clear now.”

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  “Give me a sword and an axe and the ogres will only get through the door over my dead body.” Falcon felt like he owed it to the priests, not only for caring for him after his injuries, but also to make up for the apparent shame of his fellows.

  “His wounds were significant, Sebastian.” Father Mattias really looked at Falcon for the first time. “Are you sure he’s ready?”

  “A few cuts never kept a Knight of the North Star from a battle,” Falcon bragged before Sebastian answered.

  “No, apparently only empty purses can do that.” Sebastian snorted, but raised both hands quickly in surrender when Falcon turned to glare at him. “For whatever reason your fellows left, I am grateful. My vision was clear that your presence is key to our survival.” Sebastian stopped pacing to answer Father Mattias’s question. “His wounds are healed enough. It has to be him. He’s literally a giant bird. It’s the only way it makes sense.”

  “I’m standing in a hospital talking to a baby priest who saw a vision of me as a giant bird single-handedly saving the city from an army of ogres. None of this makes sense.” Falcon was beginning to question whether the Church taught her foundlings manners, or if he was going to be forced to teach the mouthy young seer a lesson in respect himself.

  Maybe they should survive the night first.

  “Not the city, just the hospital.” Sebastian stopped pacing and sat on the small cot. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “And not single-handedly.”

  When no further information was forthcoming, Father Mattias prompted, “Sebastian, you can’t hold back any of it if we’re to understand and act on your gift.”

  “I know. It’s just… I’m not sure I want to understand the last part.” Sebastian grimaced and rolled one shoulder into a shrug. “I saw myself at the giant bir–Sir Peregrine’s side, shrouded in death. A light from heaven drove the darkness of death away, but the door to the hospital was closed to me after and I could not get it open. The bird—” Sebastian glanced at Falcon with alarm, turned a deep red, and swallowed hard. When he continued his voice was subdued. “The bird put its wing over me and turned me away from the hospital.”

  Falcon frowned. He didn’t think that was all that difficult to interpret. Except maybe the shroud of death part. “So I either protect you, or kill you. At the moment I’d give either even odds.”

  Sebastian gave him a withering look.

  “I agree that it sounds like Sir Peregrine will be instrumental in protecting you personally, either before or after the Spirit of God intervenes on your behalf. More than that, we will have to wait to see.” Father Mattias shook his head as he stood. “There is much to do. I will go to the governor and give him the warning. Sebastian, help Sir Peregrine find armor and weapons to suit him.” At Sebastian’s raised eyebrow and gesture to Falcon’s size, Father Mattias waved him off. “His own axe and mail came in with him, though I can’t swear to their condition, and he was not the only member of his order to fall in this battle.”

  The young priest nodded to Falcon grimly. “Sir Peregrine, you’ll know best what you need. If you’ll follow me, you can have your pick.”

  Falcon pushed off the wall to follow. He’d gotten used to holy wars, warrior clerics, ogres, and all manner of strangeness since he’d joined the The Knights of the North Star as a boy no older than the priest leading him now, but visions that placed him as the God-sent savior of a hospital full of the wounded, ill, and helpless were outside his area of expertise. God, strengthen me for this task, and give me patience with the messenger you’ve sent.