Whilst I have decided that I will avoid entanglement with the 'Holy City' I do have every reason to remain and enjoy Tereza's hospitality. She is teaching me at least the very basics of how to use magic, along with how to avoid the apparently shocking inefficiency when I attack with it. I have a place to rest, good food, also through the intermediary of her junior priests I have commissioned clothing that will fit me from one of the town tailors. I am disinclined to lead until that is finished especially given how expensive a few sets of good clothing and a decent pair of boots has proven.

A single new outfit in decent wool is costing me over a thousand copper coins, months of pay for most people. Despite any wish I might have to avoid entanglements I am going to have to find some way to pay my way but my first opportunity to earn my keep comes in a manner I had not anticipated. I learn that the next day, at dawn, is to be the Holy Day and the temple will be packed. Tereza has let it been known that a higher angel is resident within the temple and though she has kept away supplicants, I will be addressing the assembled faithful.

My knowledge of theology is to put it bluntly, very, very limited but I do at least look more the part of an 'angel' once I am wearing tailoured clothing, an embroidered tunic cut for my wings over a similarly fitted white chemise, stockings and breeches, knee hight boots. The garments feel odd but not entirely uncomfortable, my impractically long and voluminous hair combed, my wings preened. I do wear my sword as well, it is very quickly starting to feel natural to go armed, though I notice that almost nobody else does inside of the walled town.

As the sun rises I find myself standing in front of the fire altar and faced with a temple utterly packed. At the forefront are nobility, including most of those whom I saw when I visited the Comtal castle but absent the Count himself, though there are a number of children and spouses in similarly rich dress. Behind are wealthy commoners in clothing that often over-matches that of the nobles in sumptuousness, merchants, the mayor, master craftsmen and a handful of major landowners. Behind are ranks upon ranks of the common folk and the doors are wide open, the courtyard outside also packed.

It is not the largest crowd that I have spoken in front of but it is the most eager to hear my words and the tension is palpable. Fortunately I have new props for giving speeches, I begin with a dramatic flare of bright feathered wings, unfurling them huge to each side and bringing an abrupt silence to the assembled people. I bite back on a part of my mind that wants to take this opportunity to run the hell away.

“Citizens and denizens of Heucia!” I pitch my voice to carry, something that seems far easier than it ever was before, I do not need to shout to be clearly audible across a great distance. “I cannot deliver to you any great secrets, I will not dictate to you how to live your lives. All that I can do is offer you advice, advice that is applicable to any person in any time and any world. None of you have easy lives, all of you have suffered and struggled, all of you have seen unfairness and railed against it, internally or externally.”

“But.” I continue. “All of you can work to make this world a better place. If another slights you, consider not that this is unfair, do not contemplate them as your enemy. They are a person in just the same manner as you and may not even have realized the harm they did. Extend to them the same consideration you would wish to be offered to yourself. Do not seek enemies, seek a better and more harmonious world. Firstly, most of all?”

This is where I have to lean into what I have gleaned of the dominant faith here. “Be honest. A lie is a terrible thing and brings at best momentary relief. A lie hurts you most of all, it weakens the fabric of society and reality. Speak and act with honesty, consider how you conduct yourself in all of your affairs and seek to behave always in a way that honours yourself.”

The temple is set out for maximum impact with such sermons, the sun rising through stained glass behind me, along with the fresh stoked pyre of the 'holy fire' burning, it casts me in silhouette with the light shining through and past my outstretched wings. That is an unfair advantage when it comes to making an impression.

“Act. Thinking righteous thoughts is merely the first step toward living a virtuous life. You do not need to carry out grand and dramatic deeds, but every day strive to leave the world a better place than it was when you awoke. Wh-”

I had a whole speech planned out, cribbed together from what I have been able to gleen of the moral imperatives of this culture along with my memories of seminars, leadership courses and similar events in my past life. I was not planning on boring anyone to death and so it did not continue for too much longer. But I am interrupted by the tolling of a bell.

The change in the crowd is immediate, shouts of panic, people looking to the doors, or to me, hopeful. I have absolutely no idea what it means but Tereza helpfully rushes forward to speak to me, ducking beneath one of my wings as I hurriedly furl in the outstretched feathery limbs. She keeps her voice low. “It is the attack bell! We need to get everyone out of here without a stampede.”

She strikes me as making a great deal of sense. I pitch my voice to carry again. “Hold still! Those at the far edge of the crowd disperse first, do not run. The walls will hold and the worst thing we can do at this juncture is panic.” I assess the presence of most of the nobility in the town right in front of me, along with most of the notables who should presumably be leading any kind of defence. “I will proceed to the walls personally to see what threatens this place!”

Then to Tereza. “Can you keep too many people from bolting through the side entrance and causing a jam? We need to get the knights out, along with me.” She nods, motioning to several of the other more richly dressed merchants and similar. “The master crafters as well. They will need to don their armour and marshal their apprentices. But go! Hold against whatever this is.”

I definitely see pushing as I head for the back, through the priest's quarters, the 'elite' of the town who were at the front following behind me with an urgent intensity to their expressions and motions. I step out... Then step with long legged strides for the nearest gatehouse, those behind me dispersing to their homes, I hope to retrieve weapons and armour, or rally the militia, or whatever it is they do. Several of them call out benedictions or encouragement to me though, which is nice?

Regardless I make am very fast indeed and hammer upon the iron shod door to one of the gatehouse towers, the gate itself closed and barred. There is no immediate response, I hammer my fist against the door once again before shoving. “Open up!” I get no response.

I give the thick wood a frustrated kick, I glance up, I reflexively angle my wings and poise them in the air. Thus far I have not risked flight, I am near absolutely certain that I do not know how to steer myself and have no wish to hit the ground at high velocity. But when fighting those trolls I did find myself jumping something ludicrous like fifty feet with a beat of my feathered pinions? I crouch and brace, I feel my halo burning into incandescent light above my head as everything seems to become intangibly easier.

Then I leap, dust blasting to each side as my wings beat down, lofting myself to at least triple my own height in a fraction of a second. Then I kick off against the stones of the tower with booted toetips, another beat of my wings, again. Within moments I have cleared the battlements and rise glowing skyward before I arrest my upward motion with an angling of vast feathers. Then I drop rather heavily and fail to entirely suppress a wince as I hit wood, only the impeccable balance offered by an additional pair of limbs preventing me from stumbling.

Atop the tower are two guards in partial armour who were looking outward but are now reeling and half blind after turning astonished to look at me, both have, or had, crossbows, though one has just dropped hers. The other tower seems to be similar, albeit with three guards one of whom was ringing the bell.

Beyond the gatehouse? The road is crowded with armoured figures, hundreds at least, mostly on foot and drawn up on battle array out of bowshot. A large party seem to be in the middle of tearing a building to pieces whilst quite a few of the banners display abstract eagles. I have to distract myself from exalting at the fact that I (sort of) flew. “Who are they?”

This I direct my words the guard who is still holding his crossbow and seems to have managed to retain some vision, shielding his eyes with the brim of his helmet. He still seems stunned though, I step forward and take hold of his plate armoured shoulder. “Who is attacking the town?” I repeat with different words.

He finally recovers sufficient faculties to answer me. “The. The Empire!” Then. “Defeat them Divine one, please!” I look past him, the party tearing the building apart seem to have finished demolishing the roof and have the main beam down, ahh, a battering ram. Heavily armoured infantry seem to be assembling but activity seems to be faltering and people are pointing to where I glow atop the tower. Several men in full armour on horseback are spurring forward and I can feel presences from them.

I have absolutely no doubt that those individuals are absolutely ladened with enchanted armour and weaponry though they seem to be approaching for something other than an assault. Unless they can charge their horses up or through stone walls? I suspect not given they were preparing the battering ram.