...Prart…

Word spread faster than the fires that raged around the city. Plumes of smoke rose from every quarter as Prart burned for the third time. And while it burned, Neia’s voice carried over the distant crackling of the flames, and behind her she dragged a man by the collar of his fine shirt, and cast him to tumble down the steps. She looked at him in disgust as he rolled on his side down the ornate steps of the great manor. Her sky blue eyes watched every thud as she centered herself at the top of the stairs and called for order.

“Gather the prisoners!” She shouted, “We’ll be done trying them before the fires die!” She held her bow in hand at the center before either curve, and raised it over her head.

The wounded were dragged out and cast down the stairs by others among her followers, and an angry mob surrounded the place, some bore untreated wounds from the fighting. Some carried weapons or wore captured pieces of armor taken from the fallen guards or paladins. A motley sight it was. All wore filth on their flesh and rage on their faces that was hotter than the plumes of fire.

“You!” She pointed to Zagan. “Take your guards and take what people you need to, contain the blazes, but unless a life is at stake, don’t worry about putting them out, we’ll build over the ashes.”

“Ma’am!” Zagan bellowed loudly, and Tinamoc’s guards filtered out of the crowd to obey her will. He was halfway down the street before he thought, ‘Wait, since when do I take orders from her…? Oh… OK. Since now I guess.’ He shrugged it off and suppressed a laugh at himself.

In front of the governor’s manor, the prisoners were gathered in a mass, some bruised and injured, some looked sullen, some looked defiant, some looked terrified.

Neia however, ignored them as they were secured unmoving on their knees at the base of the steps. "People of Prart, you have shown your strength is enough to give you justice! Well done!" She shouted as she looked out over them, her bow rose and fell as she raised her fist to punch at the sky to emphasize her words, and the people cheered as one.

A sudden stink nearby told Neia that one of the priests had soiled himself. She crinkled her nose, it was not a pleasant odor, but then, it was more or less what Prart smelled like anyway.

"But now that you have purged the evil of your leadership, there is much to do, strength that does not work, is as useful as water you cannot drink, the first is the simplest of tasks. The disposal of these survivors who sided with the corrupt, who sided with the evil of the former governor!' She shouted.

"Where is the baron, where is that shit heel of a governor?!" Someone shouted.

"I have handed him over to the Sorcerer King. His Majesty, Ainz Ooal Gown will see to his suffering. Recall how he burned even a demon? Now the former abuser of this place is in his hands.” Her wolfish grin was met by a sea of matching grins from the crowd. A guard soiled himself. "If you wish it, I will request that the Sorcerer King send him to us, that he may be seen for the worm he is. When I captured him, he was hiding under his bed like a child afraid of the darkness. That is the terror you put into evil when you sought to right the wrongs done to you! Strength lies within all, and you could have had him brought low at any time, had he not convinced you of your weakness, never be so wrongly persuaded again, rid yourself of the sin of weakness, and you will enforce a justice that will make your city a place to be proud of, a place where corrupt worms hide under their beds rather than face your wrath!" She shouted again.

The crowd cheered, the prisoners, save for the paladins, had begun to shake.

"Now we must decide what is to be done with these men who were captured. We can throw them into the prisons, we can exile them, we can put them to work, we can kill them here and now, we can request that the crown take possession of them, or we can offer them to the Sorcerer King.” She said, and walked with slow deliberation down the steps. Her footfalls echoed like thunder to those who waited her judgement, the trembling of their bodies was like an alcoholic with withdrawal, as the intoxication of their former power was ripped away. She approached the few captured priests, removed their gags and said, "Though it may pain you my people, to hear the voice of the oppressor, you are strong enough to bear it, let each man speak in his own defense! Or they may request your mercy, or request a sentence of his own devising. But this I swear, whatever sentence you name will be carried out instantly, if any bear grievance against a single man here, let him step before the crowd and speak it before the sentence is passed." Neia said, and she placed her hand atop the head of the first priest. "State your name.” She said to him in a hushed voice that forced the mob to be silent to hear her, but which the ungagged priest could hear with ease.

"Fuck you! That's my name!" The priest spt "I'm head priest Tapir, I command all the priests of this entire region in this city and in the villages beyond! My will is the will of the gods, and you will release me immediately or there will be no blessings for you! Kill me, and I will condemn you before the gods when I face them, I did nothing wrong, the temples must have their due you faithless heretics! Blasphemers! I will see you all rot for this!" He shouted with such vitriol that spittle flecked at his lips, and his voice was drowned out by the booing and angry shouts of the mob. Neia held her hands aloft to silence them, and after shoving the gag back into Tapir's mouth, she said, "Are there any witnesses against him?"

A woman stepped forward, she was young but somewhat weathered as commoners tended to be, but still beautiful despite that, her head was bowed, her steps small, and her hands were folded in front of her, she rose to the middle step between the crowd and the priest. "A few days ago... I went to Tapir... begging him to heal my child when she was sick. He asked if I could pay the fee... I... I couldn't. The guards had taken my last coin to pay the rent on the rebuilt home the governor held, I had to have that... be-because the rain coming down was making her worse, so-so then he said there was another way I could pay," the woman's voice began to pick up, going from fearful to furious more and more. "...he touched me, he told me to do... things... for him. He said it was a sin to refuse a priest, he said it was a sin if I let my daughter die, so he did things to me... promising he would come after to heal her since my daughter was too sick to move and I could not carry her... like this." Her eyes seemed to catch fire to Neia as she looked up at him, and then hell flew from the woman's mouth, "THIS IS WHAT HE DID TO ME!" she shrieked, and reached up to her shoulders and pulled her simple clothing off, letting it fall and leaving her naked... in other conditions, this might have aroused the lust of the crowd, but not now... not ever now.

A gasp of horror was drawn from the crowd, and from the paladins who were still bound, several of them were weeping openly at what they saw from their bound position, because her body was bruised and beaten, barely an inch of flesh or more in all the places no one would see her, she spun to the crowd, screaming, "This was his work! This was how he pleased his god… his fucking cock! That’s all he worships!' She spun to him, "Do you see what you've done!" She screamed at him. "And for all that," despair filled her voice, "because I was too weak to carry her when I was finished enduring this, he'd promised to come do it himself, but he didn’t! He DIDN'T! He didn't and she died. Oh, by the gods, she died because he didn't... this was all for nothing...!" She collapsed from the sheer stress, a naked mourning heap of a woman, there were few who were not mourning with her, but there was one that wasn't.

Tapir had an erection. Neia didn't see it from where she stood, but someone else did, and pointed it out, and the bloodlust of the crowd was in a frenzy. "Someone cover her up." Neia ordered through gritted teeth, and one of her people stepped down and put a cloak around her, then helped her up to walk her away somewhere private.

"Anyone want to speak for him?" Neia asked as neutrally as she could. Silence answered her question.

"Sentence?" She asked brusquely, her hand went to his mop of dark hair and clenched it into a fist, tugging at the roots and drawing a sudden minor cry of pain from him. He struggled in futility in his bonds as the crowd made their collective choice.

"Death!" They roared.

Neia’s mind ran through the ways of torturous death she’d learned of in Nazarick. ‘Crucifixion, impalement, my they were creative… but I don’t want him to live even a moment more, and all those take time I don’t expect to have here. Time I don’t want to spend on that anyway.’ She pondered her options, and then a brutal thought came to her.

She stowed her bow and drew out her sword.

The shouts of ‘Death’ washed over her like cleansing rain, her sword flashed out and cut his bonds. He looked with disbelief at his sudden freedom, and for a moment the crowd appeared shocked, until Neia yanked him up, twisted him back so he was going to stumble. He fell and hit the stone steps, and while he was suddenly splayed out and groaning at the pain, she thrust her blade out and hit him in the groin. She stared at him with gritted teeth as the thrust came and went.

She quickly wiped the blade on the fine cloth he wore, and stored it before she walked back up the steps and stood over him.

He looked down in confusion, for a moment, the sharpness of the blade ensured he felt nothing, and then his hand drew back the place he’d touched, and he saw the blood.

The crowd saw it too, and the men winced involuntarily for a moment while his screams of horror and the sudden impact of pain hit him. He scrambled to grab the missing manhood that had fallen to the stairs and began to roll down them as if it were repulsed by who it had belonged to.

Tapir wailed as he rapidly began to bleed out, the little red river pumped and pumped as he tried to staunch the bleeding and stared with wild eyed horror. “Help me!” He screamed. “I’m a priest of the gods! A priest of the gods! You have to help me! You have to!” He screamed again and again until his voice grew weaker, and weaker, and stopped entirely.

Finally Tapir stopped moving, and the blood of his body ran down under the feet of the mob.

From the place she’d been removed to, a battered and bruised woman saw, and smiled.

The distraught woman saw, and smiled.

"State your name." Neia said, moving to the next man.

"Taki." The man said as his gag was removed.

"Do you have anything to say in your defense?" She asked.

"I am not Tapir." He said in disgust and spat on the corpse next to him. "I have never refused to heal anyone, even against temple policy, I have never taken a bribe, and I have never done anything but serve the gods by serving the people... I am just a common priest, I don't know anything about what supplies go where, I don't keep accounting on projects for rebuilding, all I do is work in the building and tend those who come to me, what else could I do, even if I knew how corrupt... he... was, I wouldn't have had the power to do anything."

"Will anyone speak for him?" Neia asked.

Several from the crowd stepped forward and confirmed that he had healed them or loved ones at no charge when they were poor, one said that Taki had given him coin to pay rent to the governor, a few spoke of him being of good character in general.

"Are there any specific accusations against him?" Neia asked.

None stepped forward.

“Then he is guilty only of being a priest in a city of corruption, guilty of being here and doing nothing, and until today, everybody was guilty of that. What punishment he is given, should fall on all, so do we free him?" She asked.

"Free him!" The crowd echoed, and Neia cut his bonds and helped him up.

"Go back into the manor," Neia said as she held his soft brown eyes in her steel blue, “and await me in the governor's office."

He mutely bowed his head, and walked back into the manor.

The next few priests were a mix of guilt and innocence, two were exiled for simply taking bribes or refusing to help the people, but one more was executed immediately after he was exposed for his responsibility in the blasphemy charges of numerous citizens who had opposed the regime or spoken for the Sorcerer King.

The surviving guards were arrayed one by one in front of the deceased priests and held to account for themselves. The weapons of those ninety of Neia’s soldiers at the backs of the former oppressors, she waited as the crowd pronounced sentences. A name was called, the accusations came, and one by one, the mob shouted, “Death!” and swords ripped through flesh from behind, and the dead toppled forward.

Exceptions occurred… “I am Mikan! I only just joined the guard! I haven’t done anything to anyone! I just needed the work! That’s all!” He was a fresh faced lad, with pale skin in ill fitting clothes that, without the armor, were no better than anyone else’s. His blue eyes were dancing around fearfully has he stood next to the corpse of one of his fellows. “I never stole! I never robbed or burned! Please! Please I don’t want to die!” He howled piteously with his knees shaking.

Neia stood behind him with her sword at his spine, he felt her at his back, a constant shaking as he felt the cold stare. ‘Oh gods… is she… she wouldn’t… no… please don’t do this…’ He turned up his eyes to the sky and begged for a miracle.

“Free him.” Someone said, and it was taken up as nobody came forward with accusations. He felt the breath he’d been unknowingly holding, fly out of his body as he relaxed. Neia cut the ropes that held his wrists and ankles, and as she stood in front of him, she got a good look at his face, and he at hers.

The difference in ages was minimal at best. Yet they stood worlds apart. “You made one mistake.” She finally said softly, so that only he could hear. “It nearly cost you everything. It happens to everyone, but ‘most’ don’t get a second chance. Now go, live your life, and don’t find yourself in my way again.”

He nodded mutely as he rubbed his left wrist, and ran, and he did not stop until the city of Prart was far, far behind him.

“Bring out the Paladins.” Neia’s entire body tensed. ‘These are my own… to do this is to tear aside the last thread of my old life. Can I really do that?’ She asked as the waiting Paladin Order members were brought and lined up with the dead.

Her breathing grew deeper, longer, her chest rose and fell anxiously. She gritted her teeth again and went behind the first man and asked his name.

‘Damn… that’s got to be hard.’ Skana thought as she watched through the corner of her eye from her position behind a prisoner. She thought back to the wall, the day she saw her commander fight in person for the first time. ‘She didn’t quit then, she won’t quit now.’ Skana thought to herself, and proved right when Neia went in front of the paladin who the crowd sentenced to death, and looking him in the eyes, she ran him through at the heart, giving him a quick death.

“There’s your mercy.” Neia whispered as she looked down at the dead paladin that she’d just executed, and moved on to the next one.

To her surprise, most of the remainder were not sentenced to death, advocates came forward for almost all of them, only a handful were convicted of any crimes at all, and only two more were ordered executed.

When she was done, she exhaled deeply and ascended the stairs. “Paladins, face me.” She ordered, and those who had been granted a repreive but not yet released, shuffled their feet slowly around, and looked over the shoulders of the Black Justice soldiers who kept their swords out and ready to thrust home.

“You were complicit by inaction, your weakness was a moral one, where you did not have it in you to defy authority, even when that authority was wrong. I would say you are not fit to be paladins at all. Your first obligation was always to justice, and second to authority which had to carry it out!” She thrust her finger down accusingly and glared fiercely, “You should be standing where I am, you should have done long before today, as I just have. You were called to be better, and you failed. Nor is this your first ‘failure’ to the people.” Her evangelistic voice ripped into their often troubled consciences, and they hung their heads.

Most had told themselves they were just doing their best, that the governor could not be overturned, but now with the governor gone and those who supported him also cast down… there was nothing left to lie to themselves about. So down they stared at bloody stone and bodies.

“As a former member of the Paladin Order, I must set this right, and so also… must you.” Her finger lowered and her hands fell to her side and folded authoritatively behind her back. “Go inside, wait in the governor’s office. We will have words on how to fix this.”

With spirits broken by failure that was compounded by her success, they trudged inside with heavy steps, until the last of them closed the door behind themselves.

"Now we must settle on how this city is to be ruled..." she began, only for cries of 'Governor Neia!' to be hurled back at her.

She shook her head as she raised her hands to still the crowd. "I cannot do this, but someone must be appointed to do so." she began, and inspiration struck as she remembered something from a book, "Go to your districts, and select from each district, one whom you will appoint to represent you, with every adult lending their voice to the one they favor, each district will appoint one representative, and they will form a council that will decide the issues of the city until a new governor can be sent from the capital. I will remain here for a few days while this is decided, and I will have the merchants who have come with me, pore over the books and determine the depth of corruption. Those exiled already, and those who are found to be corrupted, will have their property confiscated and their wealth returned to the people as compensation.”

The sheer novelty of the concept caught the crowd off guard, and it began to disperse as the issues in their mind were on the way to being resolved. Neia however, had more to do while she waited for the blasphemers and heretics to be released and brought to her.

She returned to the manor, followed by many of her warriors, and went to confront the priest and the paladins. They were waiting in silence, sitting in front of several members of Black Justice and... no longer surprisingly, a few of Tinamoc's personal guards.

"I will deal with these in a moment gentlemen, but first... I must seek the permission of my god for something related to them." She said, and prompting looks of confusion, followed by shock when after a brief message, a gate opened and she stepped through like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Finding herself in the throne room before the guardians and her god, she knelt with her head bowed. “Raise your head, Neia Baraja.” Ainz said and extended his hand with palm out in welcome approval. “Come, speak your mind.”

As Neia explained what had taken place in the city, the guardians eyes grew curious and interested and more than a little pleased, and Neia presented her idea to the Sorcerer King, he peppered her with questions, and laughed loud and long.

"Neia Baraja, you have read to the very heart of my desire, your service is above and beyond that of all the mortals who have knelt before me.” Ainz stated with an evident tone of pride in his voice.

Neia sputtered out quickly, "It is my purpose to serve His Majesty's justice, had you not made it clear to me through your gift of learning, I never could have known your will." She said with a passionate voice and resolve of steel in every syllable, prompting another laugh from her treasured god.

"When all is done, I will see to your reward, but for now, you have a lot to do." Ainz said, and opened the gate, and Neia took the hint and departed.

Neia walked out of the gate, and purposefully moved in front of them and sat behind the former governor's desk, as if she had NOT just stepped through a hole in reality... twice... to speak to a god.

"I will speak plainly.” I’m not a cardinal, a bishop, I have no authority over a faith I have left. Given that I ran my sword through those of my own order… you could choose to ignore me. I serve only one god now, and you know who that is.” Her eyes swept the room, few allowed their eyes to linger on hers. “But as you’re here, I assume you know that doesn’t mean you’re off the fisherman’s hook either. I’m going to offer you a chance at redemption. If you’re willing to take it.”

Her words trailed off into silence until faces turned to her again with a mixture of shame and optimism, more than one had glassy eyes and or was shaking from the still lingering tension of their near executions. “What do you say?”

“Can we go to our own temples for atonement?” One of the younger paladins asked with a crack in his voice that marked his relative youth.

Neia shrugged. “Do you think it’ll work? Within a few days everybody will know what you’ve done, what temple will take you in outside this city? You’ve a better chance of making away with yourselves with your swords when you get them back, if you get them back, and getting forgiveness directly from the gods. I’m offering you a chance to ‘really’ start over. Do you want it or not?” She asked in a deadpan voice and looked down her nose at the one who asked the question.

“Let me make this even more clear.” She said gravely, “You're not all on equal ground here." She said. "Taki, you did nothing, but you remained oblivious to such a degree that I must conclude that you did not want to see. I knew the moment I walked into this city that it was a cesspool of corruption and abuse, you lived here, and never noticed the depth of corruption? Either you didn't want to see, or you are hopelessly naive." She sighed, "But... you didn't do anything wrong, except be blind to evil, so I'm not going to hurt you, but as a priest you have an obligation to penitence when you sin, especially one that you have to engage in daily."

The priest lowered his head and nodded. "But you also did a lot of good even in spite of everything, so I have to take that into consideration. That also goes for the rest of you." He looked up, curious as to what she'd say next, a reaction shared by his peers.

"Priests are not perfect, but in their imperfection, they get a chance to show the grace of their nature, so we will begin something new with you, something the world needs."

There were blank but hopeful stares in her direction.

"The temple's policy of charging for healing kept them out of politics, but it also kept them from doing the one thing they should have done all along, taking care of the people. For years there was no answer to how to cope with this, but I believe I've hit upon an idea, something that you paladins, and you Taki, are well positioned to do." Her smile was genuine, and they leaned in and listened with care. "I cannot take full credit for these concepts, were it not for the God of Justice, Ainz Ooal Gown, and his books, I might never have had this thought." She said.

"We will begin a new order of priests. Given the nature of things, I will call them 'The Chained'. Their responsibility will be nothing but the care of the people, in healing and good advice, they, beginning with you, will travel the land and care for all with your skills, never stopping for too long in one place until your vow to them is complete. The corruption of this city endured for three and one half years, give or take, therefore that will be the duration of your vow to carry this out. However, to mark your penance, there must always be a few links of chain around your wrists, until your vow is ended and they are removed."

Taki looked profoundly enthusiastic about the idea, but he asked, "How will I... you know... eat... and live, in all that time?"

Neia had a ready answer, “Black Justice is going to establish a temple here just like what we've done in the capital. But we will sustain ourselves economically not by charging for healing, but by acting as brokers for the Sorcerer King in the rental of undead for various tasks, we can collect the surplus for transportation to his realm, and take a commission on what he provides, this coin will pay for the upkeep of the temple, and that will pay for the supplies you need to continue to travel and to heal.

Their heads spun as they imagined what this represented. Paladins were capable of healing, to a degree at least, but more than one had the heartbreaking task of refusing because of temple policy. This erased that completely.

"But... what of us?" A paladin spoke up, "It sounded like you had a role for us in this?"

"I do." Neia said. "You are able to heal, but your chief skills are in combat, you will have two roles, which will require an entirely new order of Paladins, and if you accept this, you will be the first. Let us be truthful, you DID have a role in the oppression of the people, and you did, however halfheartedly, fight for the oppressors when the riots began, even if you did not know the extent of what you were supporting, you were guilty of making it possible for men like Tapir to get away with doing what he was doing."

One of the paladin's retched at the memory, and wiped his mouth with a deep red blush of shame.

"So I would say you owe a debt of honor if not of blood." Neia finished, politely ignoring the well justified retching and the slight mess it left on the floor.

They nodded. There was no denying it.

"In memory of the blood you wrongly shed, you will be the Red Paladins. Your tasks will be to escort priests like Taki and protect him with your lives, and you will also escort and protect travelers departing from temples to holy places. You will be free to use your healing arts on any who need them, and your vow will be for the same length of time as 'The Chained' both orders will fall under the temple of Black Justice, you will at least temporarily, base yourselves out of here as you help the city, and then you will move out more widely as people are drawn in. Do you accept your sentence?” Neia asked.

The group looked at each other with wide eyes as they contemplated what lay before them and said in unison, "YES!".

“Good. Gather your things and go to the largest temple in the city. I believe I will have people to meet you there before the day is out." She said, they bowed after standing, and quickly departed.

Not long after they had gone, one of her people returned, but without the blasphemers and heretics, "Where..." she began, only for him to interrupt and say, "There are too many."

"Gather them in the courtyard." She said in hushed disbelief.

Minutes later, her disbelief was erased, and when they saw and recognized her, a cheer went up long and loud. Just as she suspected, she recognized many from the former rescue detachment that was intended to seek out the Sorcerer King after his first fight with Jaldabaoth. There were faces she didn't know, but many more she did, and when she started speaking and filling in the gaps, she had to pause to let them cheer.

The cheers went on for much, much longer when the immaculately armored and equipped members of the organization 'Black Justice' formed up at her back. The roars however, were most deafening when she explained the founding of the temple in the capital, and the overthrow they could only hear through barred windows from behind stone walls.

"I assume," Neia said wryly, "That you have no intention of doing nothing, now that you're out of prison?"

That prompted laughter, as if they would do nothing when free to do anything.

She went on to explain the founding of two new orders, one of priests who would freely heal, travel, and support the people while promoting the faith of Ainz Ooal Gown and his ideals, and another of paladins who existed to protect others in the dangerous world out there, priest and pilgrim alike. The details she added filled them with optimism, and when she asked if they'd like to be a party to any of those organizations, the only question was which group of volunteers should go where.

In the end those volunteering as healers were fewer, not least because it required talent, but she reasoned that this was acceptable, it took more people to protect one healer, than it took for actually doing the healing. And when they had divided up, Neia explained all that they would have to learn, and sent them to the largest temple in the city.

When they were gone, she thought she might get a moment's peace, until Tinamoc appeared, offering his congratulations. "Now what?" He asked after shaking her hand.

Neia smiled broadly and said, "First, I need you and your people with a head for numbers to go through the accounting books, find where the thefts were and where they went, and also, the wealthy manors of the corrupt here are going to be emptied and the wealth redistributed. Suffice it to say with all the money returning back to the people's pockets, I'd suggest staying for a few extra days.”

Tinamoc looked at her blankly, “Not that I don’t admire your… thorough commitment to justice. But this isn’t a crusade. You’re my escort, we need to do that. I won’t fall behind any of my rivals and counterparts.” Tinamoc frowned slightly as he began mentally running numbers.

‘Not looking forward to seeing her angry at me but… buck up Tinamoc. You can handle it.’ He reassured himself, only to be surprised by her sly smile.

“Why Tinamoc, this serves you best of all. Did you not catch that part about all the money that will be flowing out of the treasury and into the hands of the common folks? You want to miss this merchant’s dream? Plus, with all the coin flowing about, I’ll bet you can find some prospective talent and establish a new contact in this city that will serve… you… for… years…”

His eyes widened very, very slightly and she felt his thinking shift the way she felt the shifting mood of the crowd. “Think about it, I’m purging out the corruption of this place. A few days, there won’t be a thief or fraud or extorter alive in this city. I don’t need to tell ‘you’, do I master merchant, what that means for traders? What’s better for business than flowing coin and honest scales?”

“How long are you asking for… exactly?” Tinamoc said tentatively as he stroked his double chin and tried… and failed, to suppress the forming opportunistic smile at the corners of his lips.

“Just a few days, I have to send word requesting a replacement governor and give out the details of our impromptu trials, the results, and the information about everything taken from the Sorcerer King. This is going to create some chaos in the court, but that can't be helped. I do wish," her smile turned predatory, "that I could see the Count's face when he learns what happened here. But anyway, it’s a lot to do. However we don't have to stay for too long, just long enough to get a council established, hammer out the fine points of new orders, and I'd like to be able to dedicate the temple before I go, but we can't stay here for months, I know that. Just give me long enough to get things started, that’s all I ask."

"I almost wish that we could stay for months, I'd like to see what you'd do with Prart if you had that kind of time." He said with a laugh.

"Me too." Neia answered, “but there's just never enough of that to go around."

"Maybe not." Tinamoc replied magnanimously, “but that may be best for me, that was the most merchant like argument I’ve ever heard, if you’d lived a different life, we might have been rivals.”

“Maybe so, maybe so. In a way, I am a merchant, only I sell the vision of His Majesty’s justice, and my profit is the world I get as a result of it.” Neia’s voice was serene as an angel’s singing, and her smile soft and sincere as a mother holding her infant.

‘What does she see, when she looks like that?’ Tinamoc wondered with a tender and rare sense of being on the cusp of awe.

“You may not have months here… but I look forward to seeing what you do with the next few tomorrows." He said with genuine enthusiasm, clapping Neia on the shoulder as he walked back out.