The Church was a massive creature. That was often how Cade had seen the structure -- a living thing. Its inner workings were always moving. The walls practically breathed with power. Cade stood at its base, looking up at how high it rose into the clouds, let alone how much space it took up within Shieldhome. The fortress-home held many churches but this was the Church. The Central Church where the Divine Force resided with all the pieces of its puzzle -- the High-Priest, the High-Deacon, all of its varied levels of Speakers, Scholars, the Royal Army and all its factions. All of them royalty. All of them immensely powerful.

Cade held a prominent position within the Divine Force's order of things, being the High-Deacon's advisor, as well as a high-level Speaker, Scholar and informant. He was well respected within the Church as well as by the people, his days filled with community service, charity and open sermons to those who couldn't afford some of the more higher-class churches.

He was also well-respected by those within the Church who performed their secret gatherings, alchemical experiments and... darker practices. These meetings were hidden from all levels of the Church. In fact, some might even say Cade held more power than the High-Priest himself. But those people didn't know what they were saying.

Cade entered the building, pushing open the large metal doors, emblazoned with jewels, golden paintings and the outline of the High-Priest on each door, his figure robed head to toe, the hood tall and squared off at the top. He turned for a moment, admiring the view overlooking all of Shieldhome before he would be trapped indoors for the day. Most high-class churches overlooked portions of the city -- but the Central Church was above all of the fortress-home.

"Time to get to work," Cade grunted.

He entered the cool air of the building and bowed low as he approached the main chapel, led to by an archway in the wide hall. A Speaker was within the enormous chamber, addressing a crowd of well-dressed citizens, reading from the Divinus -- the book that the Kingdom's religion was based on. As a Devoted, one must know many of the important passages from the Divinus.

The Speaker was reading from the Law of Qinos, Book of the Cursed.

"All who claim themselves Gifted are, indeed, lost," the old Speaker said, monotone, not a very passionate man for the job. "For the Divine do not bestow abilities beyond our mortal form lest it be the privilege of communicating their Word with the purposes of conversion or teaching. Or for our Alchemists, making the world a better place for all beings."

Cade stepped inside the archway a bit and watched for a moment within the doors, admiring the size and colors of the chapel. Golds and silvers, depictions of ancient events upon the ceiling high above them all.

"These Gifts, let it be known, are Curses -- Hellish powers to trick mortal men into thinking they are the true Gods of this world. Let it be known, the Force of the Divine on Nadi must purge the lands of their touch, of their breath. For none but the Divine themselves should hold such powers. So is the Law, the Word, of Qinos."

All who listened responded in unity.

"Devotion. Devotion."

Cade sighed and turned, arms behind his back, ready to brave the steps to the fourth floor to meet with his new trainee. Cade was acutely aware of his own awful posture, how the years of Alchemy and neglect of his body in service of the Church had damaged his health. The stairs had become one of the hardest parts of the job -- but only physically.

He opened a door and was met with a staircase, decorated in lavish, silky red carpets and railings made of gold. He looked up and was met with the finest architecture in all of the Kingdom. It was a jagged spiral gradually becoming smaller until vanishing into bright light. That radiance was the sixth level of the building where none but a few entered. That was the floor where the High-Priest resided.

Cade began his climb, step by step, not in any rush. His cloth shoes sank into the soft rug covering every bit of the stairways. Along the walls were enormous paintings of the Kingdom's landscapes and largest fortress-homes. Cade rounded the corner, admiring the painting of White Deer Prairie with the hazy outline of Staghome in the distance, the fields wide and hazy..

Another landing, his eyes fell upon a painting showing the border of the Kingdom from the perspective of the Scarred Lands, desperate worshippers on their knees before the stone barrier, praying for... whatever it is they prayed for. It always varied.

On his way to the fourth floor, Cade passed by many paintings, framed scripture and slabs of stone, all telling bits of the history of Nadi and the land they resided. It was all lore one would hear of before they even start their schooling -- but it was all important knowledge to be reminded of every day, and there was some info within the Church that you didn't learn in school.

The paintings showed the creation of Nadi, the Gods sending forth those which wished to continue experimentation across the empty universe. Qinos, Izesus and Odite forming the planet within their hands. Qinos spoke order to the land, uniting the humans on a single land that spread far across the surface of the world. Izesus breathed life to the system Qinos created, bonding the processes of nature to it, and life as we know it came to be. Odite saw the humans and recognized their potential and granted them freedom from the dark grave of Nadi when their lifespans ended, giving them immortal souls that could join the Gods in their realm after death.

After much deliberation, the Gods accepted this and Qinos granted humanity a book to live by. "Those who are Devoted shall become Divine themselves," he said. And thus, the Divinus was created, the book for all to become enlightened.

The pieces of scripture copied down from the Divinus through the years, spoke of the Cursed, the ones that hold those supernatural powers that the Church fears. They are of many births. Some are hellspawn, crawling to the surface of Nadi to wreak havoc and tempt people away from their Devotion. Others are the result of false-beliefs, religions that disguise themselves as good but are, indeed, demons in disguise. They grant people these so-called "Gifts" for their false devotion and worship false deities... such as the Goddesses of old, the beliefs of those who deny the Divinus.

The slabs of stone are statements on the Kingdom of the Gods' righteous place in control of Nadi's land. The southern lands have fought the north for decades, resisting the reality of the Gods... and the East has been spreading its own lies and false religions, spreading belief in the Goddesses and the deeper, powerful realities of Cursed individuals.

Cade sighed, at last, reaching the fourth floor, his back aching, his legs sore. Truthfully, he didn't know about the existence of Gods or Goddesses... he had no way to know. All that he did know was the reality of Alchemy and the strange origins of such magic and technology. And he did know the mysteries surrounding these supernatural powers many inhabitants of Nadi held. Whether they were Curses or Gifts he couldn't say. But they did exist. And they came from somewhere. That reality made him wonder about the deeper workings of the world -- of the entire universe.

Cade took a breath and stretched his back. He was, in fact, getting old whether he liked it or not. With all the innovations of the Alchemists he would assume there would be something to make stairs easier... but it was the Gods' will to have manual labor, especially in the act of working for the Divine. He approached a bench, where a Speaker was seated.

"Pardon me," Cade said, "May I?"

The Speaker's eyes lit up and closed the enormous tome he was reading, standing up.

"Of course, of course!"

Cade smiled, realizing he had never met this Speaker before. He slowly sat down and for a moment he expected this young man to hand him a pipe. But, he quickly realized he was not sitting next to Tobias. And he probably would never do so again.

"Please," Cade said, patting his hand to the right side of himself, "I don't want to invade your space. I'm only looking for a quick rest."

The young Speaker smiled and bowed a little. "You flatter me."

He sat down slowly, gripping his book. Cade looked over and read the Divine Tongue scrawled across the cover.

"The Book of Ascension," Cade said. "From the Law of Aesis." The young man visibly blushed, sitting up straighter, looking over at Cade. "This is fifth level scripture. You're looking to join those alongside the Deacon, then?"

"Yes," the Speaker replied. "Uncovering the deepest lessons and mysteries surrounding the Gods and the Divinus is the most righteous work. I've been working to be a Speaker since I was a little boy." He was silent for a moment, the now-nameless young man in the name of Devotion.

"I haven't seen you around," Cade said. "You're a transfer?"

"Yes," the Speaker replied, "I've lived in Ironhome all my life. Yesterday morning I arrived here after Devoting myself for the last twenty years. Recruiters from the Central Church were making their rounds and I just happened to be at the right place at the right time..."

"No," Cade said, laughing to himself, realizing who he had just stumbled upon. "It was the Gods' Will to have them find you. Ironhome is a hard place to live, I hear. The entire north's conditions are... less than ideal. Welcome to Shieldhome." He smiled at the boy. "In fact, you're the new Speaker I'm meant to train in Alchemy, I believe. I've been sent to meet a talented young Speaker from Ironhome today." He held out his hand. "I'm Cade."

The young speaker was still. Slowly, he looked up to meet Cade's eyes, the young man's expression agape and full of recognition. "Oh, Gods bless us!" he exclaimed. "Cade. Cade the Hawkmaker! I'll be trained by a fifth-level Speaker!" He shook Cade's hand with fervor. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir! Such a pleasure!"

Cade nearly blushed at the level of respect and excitement.

"Young man, you flatter me. Come along, I'm sure directions throughout the building have been confusing. I will show you the Alchemists' quarters."

Cade led the young Speaker through the expansive halls of the fourth floor of the Central Church. Up the next flight of stairs were two stone doors that Cade could open from the outside with a key around his neck.

This floor was where all fourth-level Devotees spent their days of worship, study and practice. The Speakers were meant to be trained in Alchemy here, whether they were fourth-level or not, as they were the hidden warriors of the Divine behind the Royal Army. Not only could Speakers speak the Divine Tongue fluently and spread the message of the Divinus, but they were meant to know all things holy and royal. All things.

Even things deemed to be Cursed and evil. But that would come at a much later time for this young man.

Cade himself was a fifth-level Speaker, able to keep an identity for himself, whereas all who took up the path had to abandon their names and ties on their way to the fourth-level. Cade knew what was forbidden by the Church, what was necessary to learn and what could kill you if your abilities faltered, so he was often given the duty of mentoring Speakers in Alchemy and Devotion. He was known, as the young, nameless Speaker called him, as Hawkmaker, as decades ago, Cade was the Alchemist to discover the existence of Hawk bodies and bring them to life using Alchemy... and then learned how to create them from scratch. Since then, this tool has been a staple of Alchemists across the land, the knowledge stolen by spies and picked up by traveling Alchemists.

The fourth-floor of the Church was busy with Scholars and Speakers deep within books and intense conversation or debate. The hall was large with archways leading to adjacent rooms that really served as other hallways, decorated in bookshelves and comfortable seating areas.

Cade looked back to the young Speaker, whose eyes were practically glittering. He smiled to himself, unable to help seeing passion in people's eyes. The inner workings of the Church were fascinating and exciting at times... even what Cade did in the dark corners of the sect was thrilling but none of it was without danger or disheartening information. He slowed his pace to walk alongside the young man.

"You are not fourth-level yet, of course," Cade said, "So you can only enter these halls alongside a Speaker or Scholar fourth-level or higher. But I'm looking forward to seeing your skill. I trust you'll become fourth-level in no time."

They turned a corner at the end and then immediately went up the red carpeted stairs to their left and Cade moved to push open two massive doors decorated in silver and curved golden markings in the Divine Tongue.

"Oh my..." the young man said in surprise, "Cade I cannot read what this says. Those markings on the right... they twist the letters in my mind when I try to piece them together. Fascinating."

"'Gift of Creation'," Cade said. "It's alright, there will be many more texts you will struggle to read when you move up in your Devotion. It's all part of the journey. For now, we will test your Alchemy."

Cade pushed open the doors and a cool breeze wafted out, smelling of a conflicting mix of sweet and metallic. Within, the expansive room was dimly lit with blue light which emanated from pools of what looked like water. Other pools rested next to them which was silver and swirling in clockwise circles. The doors shut slowly behind them, the bright light from the hallway vanishing and they were embraced by the cool air of the Alchemy lab.

Next to each pair of pools were tables, large books being written in with a sense of urgency by bald, robed men and women with inked quills. Each station had two individuals. One would hold their hands out before them, eyes closed and Focus. If they faltered they sat down with a large book and studied the art of the craft further before attempting to create the proper mix once more.

"This is incredible," the young Speaker whispered. Cade led him to an empty station in the corner of the room to study his abilities.

For hours, Cade threw challenges at him. The art of Alchemy was an intense one.

"As you know, it's like a muscle," Cade explained to the young Speaker. "We have muscles within our pinky toe but they're relatively unfelt, somewhat useless muscles aren't they? Well... you could view Focus as that sort of muscle. Except it actually is useful." He paused, looking at the young man sternly, who stood before the pools, looking back at Cade intently. "These materials, as I'm sure you know, were made for us by the Gods. They have a deep connection to us. And throughout centuries, humans have mastered the techniques required to harness their energy and manipulate it... Alchemy."

The young Speaker nodded. Breathed. He was exhausted from all the other fusions he had made. He held out his hands and worked the first step of Alchemy, with the intention of beginning his training his Hawk creation -- fusing Un-Daer, the rare liquid metal found in deposits deep in the mountain ranges of Nadi, along with Un-Masi, the powerful blue energy source that is sapped from the Trees of Life.

He held his Focus, which was a process of feeling the vibrations emanating off the two Divine materials. Humans were made to manipulate such things and these substances were made to be manipulated. Once the fusion has been set, the malleation can begin.

The young Speaker could fuse well, taking the right amount of Un-Masi and wrapped it in a thick layer of Un-Daer, creating an orb of shimmering, glowing, hot light. His fists were tight and his eyes watched the orb pulsate, floating between the two pools. As it settled and finalized its fusion, the orb was a spinning metallic, liquid ball of gold, silver and blue. The young Speaker exhaled slowly, lowering his arms, settling his creation down onto the stone platform between the pools of Divine Material. When it touched the stone table it was like a solid object, swirling innards of color encased in what could have been glass. This was the first stage of alchemy — the fusion.

The young Speaker relaxed his body and nearly fell over but steadied himself. Cade inspected his work and nodded in approval. This was impeccable work. Honestly, he didn't always create such a pure fusion the first time around and he had been an Alchemist for nearly three decades now.

"Fantastic," Cade said, "You have the skill of a master Alchemist within you." That recognition brought pride and delight to the young man's face... but it was a dark compliment. Talent and power within the Church meant you could be perceived as a threat given the correct mistakes. One false move could lead a rising Alchemist to become awful things in support of the higher powers of the Church.

But, for now, the young man didn't have to worry about these things. Cade would teach him carefully and accurately. And, if the time ever arrived, he could use this Speaker within his secretive order. His skills would be invaluable.

Also, despite his skill and accuracy, the amount of time needed work. It was nearing dinner time. The speed at which he needed to fuse had to increase. The young Speaker clearly recognized this. So, they kept the fusion on the table — fusions were pure for a minimum of seventy-two hours — and they descended the steps to the base level of the Church, parting ways for the day, for supper.

Cade sat within his chambers that night, waiting for Swift. The man was often late despite his given name.

The note slid neatly beneath his door, the sound interrupting his meditation. He waited for a moment. Then got up and went to retrieve the message.

He took it and walked over to the fireplace against the wall with the letter and a vial of liquid-fire, sitting down into the cushioned seat before it.

Ca, the letter read, Capt. Mee.

Cade sighed, deciphering the coded message, shivering from a chill that was gathering in the room from the night as well as from what tonight's work was. He placed the letter in the fireplace, pulled the cork off the liquid-fire and doused the paper in flame. The room was filled with warmth but the cold within fought against it.

Cade's quarters were within the fifth level of the Church, quite large and comfortable. He took a vial from the cabinet in his washroom, an awful tasting, rare and forbidden Alchemical potion -- vanish.

He breathed heavily before throwing his head back and downing the foul drink. He forced his hand over his mouth and swallowed the last of it hard, resisting the urge to vomit. He leaned against the counter, feeling it instantly take effect, the potion making his body vibrate and make him cold.

Bit by bit he removed his clothing, breathing steadily, the taste in his mouth going away, intense focus being held to resist his upset stomach, his nearly frozen flesh. It was all just a side effect, making his mind feel strange. Eventually, Cade was naked. And when he turned to look at himself in the tall mirror next to the washroom door, there was no one in the reflection.

After carefully opening his door and slipping into the hallway he made his way to the underground level of the Church, a long journey but an easy one when you are invisible. The door leading to the basement where the cooks and servants worked was unlocked and he descended the stone steps, through the kitchens, past the storerooms and opened the door of the breakroom for all who worked night and day cooking, cleaning and servicing the royal members of the Church and military.

He was invisible but once he appeared in the room, all need for secrecy was no longer needed. Servants were forbidden from questioning or worrying themselves with anything that didn't interfere with their work. When Cade entered the room there was a man seated, reading a book by candlelight. The workers down there were aware of the secret passageway in the breakroom but nobody bothered. The man simply glanced up when, to him, the door behind the coat rack slid open and closed all on its own. The man was undoubtedly more concerned with keeping a job and feeding him family than he was getting involved in royal affairs -- not that he was allowed to do so anyway. If such a person were to accuse even a no-level Speaker or Scholar of treason or strange activity, such an accuser would be banished from the city.

Cade descended more stairs, feeling the vanish slowly wear off. He rounded the corner and knocked on the door three times, followed by a cough and one more knock after a three second delay. The wooden door unlocked and he entered, naked, but he had been naked in front of these people before.

The person who let him in was Mantissa, a woman about his age, also bald, also robed much like he was, a fourth-level Scholar.

"Hello, Cade," she said. Cade rushed inside and the door was closed and locked behind him. "The team brought him in just a few hours ago."

Cade was silent with disbelief. With fear. Flashes of his past, of having to torture and experiment on these people pained him. He was relieved such things weren't necessary anymore... as far as he knew. Mantissa handed him a brown robe and as he tied it around himself he met eyes with Hammac, a quite muscular fourth-level Speaker who simply nodded to Cade, a dark expression on his face. The other man in the room was Razo, the head-cook, his skin leathery and his face worn down with heat and stress.

These were only a few people that helped Cade work against the order of the Church.

"He's quieted down from the drug," Hammac said. "He's a powerful one. Wasn't easy. As always... careful of his eyes."

Cade took the stone staff that Hammac presented him, an artifact with a unique fusion orb attached to the top. The entire artifact was Alchemical. Necessary when dealing with the Cursed.

Cade paused before the next wooden door and looked back to them all. He simply smiled, sadly and nodded to them all. And then he entered the room.

Within was nothing more than a wine cellar, cold, damp and dark if not for about a dozen candles offering light. The man was restrained to a wooden chair, wobbling slightly, a blindfold over his eyes.

Cade held the staff and with it could feel the man's Aura. It was there, strong and vibrating power throughout Cade's body. Being in the presence of such a person was always terrifying.

The man lifted his head and grunted. Cade flinched. He knew the blindfold was not necessary right now... but it made him feel better to know it was there. This man's abilities were frightening. But the drug was seemingly in place, the blindfold there for precautions. The drug was something they had developed long ago, learning which areas of the brain activated upon Cursed powers being used... Cade tried not to remember the methods used to discover such things.

Cade pulled over a second chair and sat before their captive. He was nothing more than an average person. Sometimes the Church did consume his thoughts with their rhetoric about such people being evil and monstrous... but every time, he realized they were just ordinary people. Ordinary people with Godlike powers.

"Hello," Cade said, resting the staff on his lap. "I know how this looks," he coughed, "But we have no intention of harming you."

The man relaxed just a bit and sat back against the chair. He laughed and shook his head, probably in bewilderment to the situation he found himself in. "You people have approached me time and time again. And I've refused every time." His voice was harsh, throaty and confident. "Now that you've assaulted and kidnapped me you think I plan on working alongside you?"

"We are not with the Church," Cade said. "We work for the Church. But only to work against them from the inside. We've taken you in because... well, because you--"

"I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE OR WHY YOU'VE DONE THIS," the man boomed, thrusting himself forward in his seat, his teeth bared, stubbled face becoming red. Cade paused. The man sighed and slumped forward. "You took me away from my family. You will have to kill me. Because when... whatever it is you did to me... wears off, I'm going to kill every last one of you."

Cade swallowed. Tightened his fists. Then, he stood up and ripped the blindfold away from the man's face. Cade met his captive's gaze and was lost in them for a moment... violent eyes. The irises bright red and nearly shimmering.

The man, the notorious Ordvir, held the ability to control people with his eyes. When he extended that power -- entered what his kind called their duality-point -- he could do much, much more frightening things. Even with his abilities lulled to sleep by a drug, his eyes were terrifying to behold.

Ordvir laughed. "Old man, you have no idea what you've done. I don't care if you call yourself 'one of the good guys'. I don't care about fighting the Church. I've refused all of you time and time again. And now you've crossed the line."

Cade stared at Ordvir with intensity, towering over the seated man who was, no doubt, much taller than Cade himself. "Stop being a child," Cade said. "The Church will come for you and your family someday. You know this is the only way to keep yourself safe."

Ordvir glared. "And you left my child and my wife all al--"

"I've posted trusted mercenaries around your household," Cade interrupted. "And my people are watching your property twenty-four-seven. They are going to be safe. And without a Cursed with them, they couldn't be any safer."

Ordvir looked away, scowling. But he said "thank you."

Cade sighed and sat back down. "Listen to me, Ordvir. You think you have a choice but you don't. Eventually, the Church will command all of Nadi. Eventually, all Cursed will be under their control or be killed by their hands. They're slowly learning more and more about how you people work, about how to contend with your Aura and conteract your abilities, no matter how varied they may be."

"...and who do we have to thank for that, Cade?"

Cade looked away, his heart skipping a beat. "That was in the past," he said. "I'm not proud of what I did. But my crimes have allowed my group to be able to contend with the Church on our own terms, using their own techniques." Cade tightened his grip on the staff. "You know what I'm saying is the only way. We need someone like you in our midst. Alchemy can only go so far."

Ordvir thought for a moment. He shook long brown hair out of his face and adjusted himself in the seat. His eyes were sharp and his nose was pointed ever so slightly. His lips moved and he chewed on them in either deep thought or annoyance.

"You know what I think, Cade," he said. He flashed a smile at him. "I think whoever was in charge of injecting me with that drug didn't do a great job."

Cade felt the air become alive. Ordvir's eyes became bright and seemed to burn with flames. Cade leaped out of the chair and aimed the end of the staff at Ordvir.

"Don't make me do this to you, Ordvir! It doesn't have to go down this way!"

Ordvir grinned. Cade could feel himself within the grasp of something otherworldly.

"You're within my aura, Cade," he growled. "It'd be all over for you if I wanted it to happen."

Cade knew he was right. Wielding the staff made him feel better, but he knew Ordvir could strike before Cade could even think of using the staff on him. And even then, the staff couldn't take away Ordvir's power completely. It was simply another dulling agent.

Ordvir threw his head back then in a fit of laughter and Cade felt the grip of his eyes leave him. He exhaled in relief.

"Alright, Cade. I'll join you... but it's for my family. And it's because I choose to. If taking down the High-Priest means freedom from pursuit then I will help you. And then if I ever see your wrinkled, ugly face again, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Cade nodded. "Fair enough, Ordvir. We'll arrange a bed for you tonight down here."

Ordvir laughed again. "You're just trusting me, just like that, huh? What if I'm lying so you can untie me?"

Cade sighed and walked over behind Ordvir, knelt down and worked at the ropes.

"Because, Ordvir, I'm tired. I'm tired of it all." He loosened the ropes, stood up and faced Ordvir again. "If you choose to kill me, so be it. I'd have died trying to do the right thing. Because the only two options are succeeding in our goals or dying in the process." Cade lifted his arms to the side, signalling openness. "So, you can either kill me, escape, and continue to live in hiding. Or you can help us and our chances at success are heightened significantly... and you'll be able to return to your family as a free man."

Ordvir stood up, letting the ropes fall off his body. He walked past Cade and patted the man on his shoulder. "Fair enough, Cade. I'd like a proper introduction to the rest of my captors."