Missteps V.2

Chapter 49 – The Cleanup

It was a quiet walk back to Yeabrook. Everyone was tired and bruised, both from their falls off the balcony and from the perils of the house. Jun carried their prisoner over his shoulders. Anyssa, the rescued wizard, was on Iados's back as the group trudged through the snow. The sun had just begun its descent below the horizon, but already the temperature had dropped many degrees. Everyone had questions that they wanted to ask, but there was no point as the wind whistled in their ears. Never had a five-mile hike seemed so long. As they walked, the wind picked up around them and the snow began to fall harder.

When they finally made it back to town, the group splintered. Elaine directed Iados towards the Vowilian church in town so that Anyssa could be cared for. Jun, Carric, and Lia headed for the guardhouse with their prisoner. Ander and Kerri headed towards the inn to get food and warm drinks ready. The weather had other ideas. The wind picked up significantly, and the snow fell in large flakes that clumped easily. Within moments, it'd become a snow storm.

"I don't think we're leaving." Elaine said as she and Iados stood in the doorway of the church.

Iados sighed and closed the door. "Think the priest here will give us beds for the night?"

Elaine picked up her pack and headed across the kitchen towards an inner doorway. "They'll give me one for sure, you might have to sleep in a pew."

Iados grinned. "Come on, there's got to be enough beds here, this place is massive." Iados followed Elaine up a staircase to the second floor.

When they'd first arrived, the trio had gone through the main double-doors of the church into the sanctuary. The sanctuary took up half of the two-story building, with a twenty-foot tall ceiling, and balcony seating along the edges. The walls had stained-glass that mostly featured figures in golden attire, while a banner in the front proudly showcased Vowil's symbol. The priest had been in the process of extinguishing candles for the night when they'd stumbled in.

On the second floor, they found the androgynous priest right where they'd left them.

"I thought you were leaving." The priest didn't even look up at them as they continued to softly scrub dirt and grim out of the wizard's hair. Anyssa was sound asleep during the process.

"Seems like the weather had other ideas." Elaine gestured her head towards the window that began to shake from the force of the wind. "Do you have any other rooms?"

The priest shook their head. "The other rooms on this floor are either being used for storage or in the middle of a remodel." The clergy member looked up at them. "During the winter we are hardly ever called upon. Besides myself, I only have a few acolytes who live downstairs. I'm afraid that if you wish to sleep here tonight, you'll need to bunk in the kitchen or the sanctuary."

Iados sighed and left the room.

Elaine smiled softly at the priest. "I understand, thank you." Her gaze moved to Anyssa, who seemed much younger than just a handful of minutes ago. "How long did it take her to fall asleep?"

The priest smiled down at the sleeping woman. "Only a few minutes. She made me promise not to let the candle go out."

"She spent twenty years as the prisoner of a creature that lived in the dark, I'm not surprised she's wary." Elaine's mind thought back to the shadow demon. "What do you know about demons?"

"As much as I was taught. My knowledge on the subject depends on what you want to know." The older priest slowly rinsed the wizard's red hair.

Elaine set her pack down on the ground, walked over to the bed, and lightly sat down. "Could a demon create zombies or call ghouls to it?"

They pursed their lips and paused in their ministrations for a moment. "Possibly, it truly depends on the demon. Do you know what type of demon you encountered?"

Elaine shrugged. "The thing was made of shadows and it could move through them, so I'm going to say it was a shadow demon."

The priest nodded. "Seems like a fair assumption. shadow demons are peculiar, because they are literally a shadow of their former self. They are created after their body has been destroyed, but for whatever reason they aren't able to reform in the ethereal abyss of the demonic plane." They picked up a comb and began to use it on the wizard's hair. "Shadow demons feed off of a person's fear and doubts. In some cases, they've been able to delve into a person's memories to bring those feelings to the surface."

"But can they make zombies?" Elaine pressed.

The priest shook their head. "Not that I'm aware of."

"So it was Zaire, the boy, who created them?" Elaine's voice went soft as her brow furrowed.

They shrugged. "Possibly, or the area could have had enough evil magic around it to create the zombies spontaneously. Zombies are the living embodiment of corruption and vileness in the world." The priest stopped again as if something suddenly occurred to them. "How old did you say the boy was again?"

Elaine shrugged. "Thirteen, maybe."

"The house was closed up twenty years ago, how long do you think the boy was there?"

"No idea, and if he is connected with Kalia or Loiwin then he might be older than he looks."

The priest nodded. "Ah yes, that special wine of theirs. You make a fair point."

Elaine's eyes widened. "You know about the wine?"

They chuckled. "Every year Loiwin himself came by to peddle that wine. Every year we turned him down, but he didn't stop. He made the same offer to every church and magic-user that he came across. If I recall, he did a fair bit of business with the Circle."

Elaine shook her head. "Do you think Zaire grew up in that house?"

"I hope not," The priest stopped and stared at the sleeping wizard's face. "I dare not imagine what growing up with a shadow demon and surrounded by zombies would do to a person, let alone a child."

"If he did grow up in that house, do you think he could be redeemed?"

They didn't answer for several moments as they seemed to consider the question. "To answer that, you first have to answer two other questions."

Elaine knitted her eyebrows. "What questions?"

"Well first, do you believe he should be redeemed? The second, is the cost of their redemption truly worth it?" The priest looked fully at Elaine and held her gaze. "Just because a person is capable of being redeemed, does not mean that they should be. There are some actions that one shouldn't be redeemed of, and there some instances where the cost of their redemption is too great."

Elaine leaned forward. "How do I know when someone is a lost cause?"

The priest reached out and cupped Elaine's face. "That is just something you shall have to experience and learn for yourself. Trust in your judgement, and Vowil's. She chose you for a reason."

Elaine smiled. "Have you ever heard her? Has she talked to you?"

They removed their hand and smiled softly. "No, the only ones that Vowil talks to directly are of a much higher station in the church."

Her gaze fell to the ground as she felt her heart sink. "Oh."

The older clergy noticed the change in Elaine. "Why do you ask?" Elaine told them about the voice; about how it brought Kerri back to life and how it had talked to her in the house. They nodded as Elaine spoke. "And you thought it was Vowil speaking to you?"

Elaine nodded.

The priest stood up. "Come with me." They led Elaine out of the room and down the staircase. They picked up a candelabra in the kitchen and led the way into the sanctuary and to the dais under the banner. "Vowil is one of the most worshipped Gods, and not only in Marblebrooke. She is present not only in our world, but several worlds. While her power taps those with potential to serve her, she cannot allow herself to be stretched so thinly." Once on the dais, the priest reached into a large gilded chest and pulled out a silky golden banner. On it, was embroidered what looked like a family tree. Elaine recognized it as the church hierarchy for Marblebrooke, that listed the priests, deacons, vicars, and bishops all the way up to the Marblebrookian cardinal themselves. "It is not only our faith and scriptures that we got from Vowil, but also our ideas of our hierarchy. Like our own cardinal, Vowil has those that she trusts over certain areas within her domains. Whereas our hierarchy is mostly location-based, theirs are more comprehensive."

The priest put away the banner. "We of the mortal realm are not fully privy to her hierarchy, or at least at my level I'm not, but I am aware of who is in it." They gestured towards the stain glass on either side of the sanctuary. "Do you know who is represented here?"

Elaine turned her attention towards the glass. Some of the scenes were familiar to her, as they were scenes from old stories. The type of stories that children were told of in their lessons at the church about great followers who showed their devotion or changed the world.

There was Darkeysia and her brother Dainet, who chose to be burned at the stake rather than talk. Their silence saved the lives of hundreds who fled for their lives. Vowil had turned the flames that ate their skin into twin suits of armor, and the twins went on to lead an army and form a sanctuary.

Another was of Randal Bray, a cleric. He traveled with an army, but would heal those on both sides of the conflict. Even after being punished severely, he still did not stop. It was said, that Vowil admired his spirit and conviction, and gave him a gift. A gift to be able to heal not only the physical injuries, but the mental ones as well.

At the end of the hall, was one of Elaine's favorites. It depicted a single paladin, his armor gleaming with the crest of Vowil. Held above his head was a sword that rippled with the light of Vowil. Before him, was an army of the dead. According to the story, with a single word, the paladin had brought the light of Vowil back into the hearts of the dead. The dead wept at what they had become, and crumbled into dust.

"Every person or being represented in the glass, stands at the side of Vowil." The priest continued. "Not only do they fight for her, but they work for her. They work to uphold her tenets, ideals, and laws. They also serve as teachers for those that catch their eye, like they caught Vowil's." They laid their hand on Elaine's shoulder. "If you are truly hearing their voice, do not fear it. Do not question it. Allow them to guide you."

Elaine opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She understood what they were saying, but she did not fully believe in the reasoning.

The door to the sanctuary opened up, and the rest of Mellow Andromeda practically fell through. An icy covered Carric and Kerri did their best to close the door against the strong wind. Iados helped Jun to his feet, who still had the teenager over his shoulders. Ander looked up and saw Elaine and the priest on the dais.

The wizard pointed outside. "We didn't make it to the Inn, and the church was closest."

The priest narrowed their eyes as they spotted the boy around Jun's shoulders. "Is that the child you were telling me about?" Elaine nodded.

They sighed. "Wait here, and that boy is not to leave the sanctuary." With that the older clergy member left the dais and disappeared into the hallway behind the sanctuary.

Elaine also left the dais, but headed towards her party. "Is it really that bad?" She watched as everyone patted a thick layer of white snow off their clothing.

"We barely made it back to the church." Lia stomped her feet and dislodged some of the snow from her boots. "Luckily Iados was just outside the door, and he helped guide us here."

Elaine turned to look at the akudaem. "What were you doing outside?"

Iados shrugged. "Honestly, I seriously considered running into the snow back to the inn. I had really been looking forward to a bed tonight."

Ander screwed up his face and looked at Iados. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Iados smacked the closest wooden pew. "This place has no beds. We'll be sleeping in the pews or in the kitchen tonight."

"I would actually prefer if you all stayed in the sanctuary." The priest came back with a large wooden box in their arms. They set it down on a pew and gestured for Jun to come forward. "Please set him there." They pointed to the pew, and Jun complied. The priest reached out and took the gag off of the boy. The teenager shivered, and his skin was cold. They leaned down and looked the teenager in the eye. "You are on consecrated ground, in the house of Vowil. While you are here, the eyes of Vowil's most trusted shall be on you." They reached into the box and pulled out a set of golden bands and affixed a band to each of the teen's wrists and neck. As each band was clicked together, the seam disappeared and the bands tightened to conform to the contours of his skin. "As long as these bands are on your wrists, you cannot cast spells, and as long as the band is around your neck, you cannot speak spells or magic."

The priest gathered their box and stepped into the aisle. They looked at Elaine. "As soon as the storm is past, I want him out of here." They left, and there was a resounding click as the door to the rest of the structure was locked.

As no one had planned on spending the night anywhere but the inn, none of them had their bedrolls. Between them the group had five blankets.

Carric draped a blanket Zaire's shoulders. The boy hadn't spoken at all since the Priest had left. "You should get some rest."

Zaire looked up. "Why? So you can just kill me in my sleep?"

Carric rolled his eyes. "If we'd wanted you dead, we would've left you in that burning house."

The teen scowled and narrowed their eyes. "Don't lie, Oogac told me everything. He told me that my sister had put a price on my head. You don't get paid unless you give her my actual head."

The ranger squatted down next to the boy. "Your sister? Who's that?"

Zaire spat in Carric's face. "Give that to Kalia. Tell her that if she wants me dead, then to do it herself."

Carric wiped the spittle of his face and stood up. He strode over to the rest of the group that was huddled a few feet away. "How come everything in this town circles back to that damn Wanit clan?" He grumbled as he settled down next to Ander on the pew.

Jun raised an eyebrow. "What happened now?"

Carric pointed at the teenager. "That kid says that Kalia is his sister, and that she wants him dead."

"The house had been owned by the Wanits, maybe they bought it so that the kid couldn't leave?" Iados suggested.

Kerri shook her head. "Why would Kalia imprison her brother, instead of just killing him? We've already seen that she has no problem with killing her siblings."

"Let leave that for the local guard to figure out." Jun yawned. "We've done our part, our community service. Now we should be free to leave Yeabrook. We still have to deliver those toys and supplies to the kids. After that we can start planning our next adventure."

"Can we wait a week to leave?" Kerri asked. "In a few days it'll be the End of Year Festival. Flyta says that it's the only time in the winter that merchants come to Yeabrook. Besides, after that house, some fun at a festival is in order."

"I agree," Lia nodded as she crossed her legs and shared a blanket with Iados. "Besides, we might be able to leave town with a caravan group. It'd be safer in case of more weather or bandits."

Ander tapped his chin. "The festival would be a great time to earn some money."

Jun shook his head. "We just got paid a hundred gold from Loiwin, I think we're good for a while."

"Actually, I was hoping to use some of the money to transcribe some new spells into my book." Ander said.

Elaine nodded. "I'd also like to ask for some to use to make some more healing potions. It's actually cheaper in the long run if I can make them myself."

Jun's face scrunched in confusion. "Wait, why do you need actual money for any of that?"

Ander shrugged. "The gold acts as a magical binder between the words of the spell and the magic that it conveys, plus the ink and paper for it are expensive."

Elaine nodded. "Same, the gold binds the healing spell to the healing ingredients. It also acts as a preservative so that the potion doesn't go bad." Jun didn't look convinced. "If it helps, I've still got some of the gems we found in the dwarven settlement. We can hock those with the merchants to raise money."

Iados's eyebrow raised. "I'd wondered what happened to those."

Elaine smiled. "I've been holding onto them like a rainy day fund."

"Makes sense." The akudaem stretched. "Hey Ander, have you spoken to Chaxelle about those magic books? Once you're done with them you might see if he'll take them off your hands."

"Why would Chaxelle want them?" Ander asked.

Iados shrugged. "He told me that he deals in rare books, both magical and non-magical. Figured it might be up your alley." He yawned, an action that was repeated by almost everyone.

"Alright, we should all get some sleep. Let's set up watches to keep an eye on the kid." Jun pointed a thumb over at Zaire. When everyone turned to look, they saw that Zaire had slumped over the pew and was fast asleep. "First order of business in the morning will be to get rid of him as fast as possible."

Lia and Elaine took first watch, and everyone else settled down in the pews for an uncomfortable night.

That night, Jun dreamt of his daughter. The two of them were at the edge of a creek. Three year old Kai danced around her father with a daisy crown on her head. The two of them both sang out a simple tune. The brown-haired little girl didn't quite get all the words right, but Jun didn't care. He was with his daughter, and that's all that mattered.

Suddenly a fork of lightning hit the ground nearby accompanied with a clap of lightning, and Jun's vision went black. When his vision returned, he stood in an arena. Above him was a dark red mess of clouds. All around him shadowy figures spoke and cheered amongst themselves. Jun couldn't hear what they were saying. He looked around, and saw that he was not alone in the arena.

Both Bidrek and Ardena, his fellow candidates, were there.

There was another clap of thunder, and the arena quieted.

"Congratulations, to all." From the stands emerged Dirann, High Priestess of the Tribe of the Red Storm. She raised her arms towards the sky, where the clouds parted.

Dirann continued. "Bidrek," The ground below the dragonborn raised him up into the air. "You proved your strength when you felled a monstrosity from below." The cloudless circle began to show the moment. From the ground burst an amber-hued humanoid with large pincers and fuzz along its extremities. They watched as Bidrek attacked with his twin axes, even as he held on for dear life to the creature as it delved underground again and again.

The image faded. A second circle appeared in the clouds.

"Ardena," at Dirann's voice, the human female was similarly hoisted into the air alongside Bidrek. "You proved your tenacity as you fought against a foe who would not die." The circle showed an image of Ardena as she faced a gangly-limbed creature with sharp claws. With every swipe of her battle axe, she watched in horror as the creature's wounds healed before her eyes. Finally, she cut off its arm, then its leg, and then finally its head. The creature still moved. The scene ended with Ardena throwing the severed limbs into a bonfire.

The elven priestess's gaze moved to Jun as a third circle cleared overhead.

"Jun," Jun felt himself shoved into the air. He had braced himself, and expected it to be unstable, but the ride was smooth. "You proved your conviction when you battled against shadow itself." The image shown was of the battle against the shadow demon. As they watched, Jun's warhammer slammed into the creature again and again with a burst of light. Once again Jun watched as the light burned holes into the demon itself, until there was nothing left.

Even though Dirann was far below them, her voice boomed out all around them. "The three of you have proven yourselves worthy of continuing. Now, take your mark." From each of the three circles in the sky, a ray of light shot out towards the candidates.

Jun winced as he felt the ray burn into the skin of his tattoo. The pain lasted only a moment before the ray dissipated. When Jun looked down, one of the fists was colored in with a reddish/golden hue. He looked over at the other Candidates, and saw that the same had been done to them.

Dirann was suddenly shot into the air in front of the candidates. "Wear these marks with pride, and be prepared. Zhonnic's gaze is always on you. He watches your every move, and waits for the right moment to test you." Dirann grinned, brought her hand up, and snapped. The pillars under each candidate suddenly burst, and the three of them plummeted towards the ground.

Jun groped wildly for something to break his fall. After what seemed like minutes, his whole body collided with something solid. He lost his breath and closed his eyes for a split second from the impact.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself dangling in the air. His right hand gripping onto the edge of the wooden banister. "What the hell?"

"Quit struggling!" Jun recognized the voice of Iados. He looked up and saw the death grip that the akudaem and Carric had on his arm. Below him, the other members of his party had shoved the pews out from under him.

Jun tried to throw his other arm up at the balcony banister, but he wasn't at the right angle. The two men both grunted and pulled, and Jun felt himself being lifted slowly but surely. Finally Jun was able to get a grip on the banister, and together the three brought Jun over the side. The trio laid splayed out on the balcony floor, as they sucked in large breaths.

It was Iados who spoke first. "What the hell was that?"

Jun chuckled. "Why don't you tell me how I ended up on the other side of the bannister?"

Iados sat up. "You sleepwalked. Got up from the pew, and walked up here. I, being on watch, followed you. You got right to the edge, and just stood there. I tried to wake you up, but you were out. Still had your eyes closed. Next thing I know, you're taking a header over the side. I yelled to Carric, and the rest you know."

Carric sat up and shoved Jun's shoulder. "Your turn, what were you dreaming that made you suicidal?"

Jun chuckled again. "I wasn't suicidal, it was just Zhonnic." Jun showed them his tattoo. "He was real impressed by our bout against that shadow demon."

Carric shook his head. "He's got a weird way of showing it." The three of them stood up and headed downstairs.

Ander met them at the bottom of the stairs. He reached up and smacked Jun's arm. "Don't do that again."

"Trust me, it wasn't on purpose." Jun took a moment to explain the dream to everyone.

Kerri leaned against the back of a pew. "What do you think happened to Ardena and Bidrek?"

"What do you mean?" Jun asked.

"What I mean, is if the end of the dream made you take a header off a balcony, where did they fall off of? Do you think they're alright?" Kerri crossed her arms.

Jun nodded. "I'm sure they're fine. They're both tough with thick skin, which in Bidrek's case is true. Probably sore and bruised, but alive."

Iados grabbed a blanket and settled himself down in a pew. "That's what we're here for. Anyway it's close enough to your watch."

"Sounds fair." The berserker watched as everyone, save for Ander who was on watch with him, settled back down.

Once everyone was asleep, Jun and Ander started to move the pews back as quietly as they could. Zaire hadn't woken up through the whole ordeal, or at least he hadn't opened his eyes.

"Jun, do you think that shadow demon was a test?" Ander asked. They sat near one of the stained-glass windows. They could barely see out through the colored glass. "Do you think Zhonnic put it there on purpose?"

Jun shook his head. "Neolemus was still alive when the house got locked up. Zhonnic was probably just impressed. Next time will be a test of his making." He sighed.

"Do you think it'll be another monster to fight?"

Jun shrugged. "Maybe, or something else entirely. Honestly, I probably won't even recognize it as a test until after it's done."

Ander laid his head on the cold glass. "Why do gods make everything so complicated?"

Jun reached out and ruffled Ander's hair. "Don't worry about it. We'll deal with it when it comes. In the meantime, you start thinking of ways to make money at the festival, and what our next adventure is."