The simple, wooden door opened with more noise than Vakdragnar had intended. The hinge nearly ripped free of the frame as the door flew back and slammed into the wall. Vak stumbled inside, losing his balance, and was forced to roll to avoid landing on his face. He leapt to his feet, whipped around quickly and closed the door behind him only to find he had indeed broken it. It would not stay closed.

Vak quickly scanned his new surroundings as the whistle of the city guard grew closer. The room looked to be a very small space for prayer. He knew a little of the Hierarchies but the church functions were not detailed very well in many of the stories he’d read. This room seemed like a poor design.

If the goal was to have as many people worship as possible, why have such a small space to gather?

A single alter stood near the middle of the room depicting the goddess Vite. The kind-looking goddess was familiar to Vak, and he recalled she stood atop one of the four Sacred Hierarchies. Vite’s dominion was summer and birth. The room reflected this, and was adorned in the trappings of her hierarchy; tapestries depicting the sun overtop the sea or great libraries of knowledge.

Vak grabbed a small stand holding a bowl of water meant to connect the worshipper to the sea. Vak apologized to the invisible deity and set the bowl on the ground. He propped the stand against the door wedging it back into its frame. It held. Vak took a moment to finally catch his breath. He’d been running from the authorities for a few hours, and really, it seemed, since he came to Tirough.

“Do you seek sanctuary?” A feminine voice asked from out of the darkness. Vak spun around to find a woman wearing all white. Her head and face covered by a white headscarf which she pulled down, revealing her face as she spoke. “If you are in need of help the temple will weigh your need. They can speak on your behalf to the authorities.”

“I need a moment to rest,” Vak responded. “Nothing more.”

“Very well.” She said walking over towards Vak, seemingly without fear. “Did you have to break the chapel door to get this rest?” She asked with an annoyed tone.

“I misjudged the strength of your door. It is far more frail than it looked.”

“Well, I doubt the builders had giants in mind when they constructed it,” she said paying more attention to the door than Vak.

“I am no giant.”

“No?” She said looking up to him. “Could have fooled me.”

“I am human, like you. Where I am from, I am of average height.”

“Uh, huh.” She said looking at the door. “Yup, it’s busted.” She shook her head.

“I… cannot pay for the door, but I can help you repair it or if you give me some time I could…” Vak stopped as the woman pulled out a small necklace from under her robe. A small orb with rings encircling it. They spun as she held it in her hand, and it began to glow a brilliant blue. The woman ran her hand along the frame of the door and the wood shifted, reknitting itself.

“Magic,” Vak said disbelieving his eyes.

“No,” the woman said with a contemptuous look. “Magic is stolen from the gods. What I do is through them. They are miracles.”

Vak wasn’t sure he understood the difference. “I apologize if I've offended. As I mentioned earlier I am not from…”

“Yes, yes the wildman, no need to apologize. I’m not so easily rattled as the Joh Vira would be if he caught you breaking his chappel.”

“Joh Vira?”

“Ya, the guy who stands behind the pulpit, delivering the sermons… nevermind.” She said as Vak stared back blindly. “So who are you exactly? What did you do to piss off the Cityguards.”

“I am Vakdragnar, and I have done nothing wrong, except, perhaps, my initial decision to move to this city.”

“Ah, right… Va… Vadi… I’m just going to call you Rag.” She said giving up. Vak sniffed at the indignation but she barreled on, “I’m Anka Cotton, Tey Paira of this temple.” She undid her headscarf as she talked revealing long brown hair.

“Vawk Drahg Narr.” he said, enunciating each syllable while trying not to let his anger show through.

“Yeah… no offense but I’m going to stick with Rag. It's easier.”

“Fine,” Vak said giving up and walking around the small room to put some distance between himself and the young priestess.

“You know, you really should not be back here.” She said sternly.

“Are people not permitted to come and pray?”

“This is a… special room. It is a blessing for the more devout followers of Vite.”

“How can you judge their devotion. Is not spirituality a personal thing?”

“It is.” Anka Cotton said as she was teaching a small child. “But their faith can be judged by their charitable contributions and works.”

“Ah,” Vak said understanding. “This is a private space for the wealthy to pray. They do so apart from the regular people.” He tried not to judge them as he conveyed his understanding. Certainly the temples needed money to continue and incentives such as this likely helped fund them. It still reeks strongly of buying their way into an afterlife. He kept this to himself.

“Yes, if you wish to be simplistic.” She said with a huff. “So Rag, you sure you don’t need sanctuary? If you really are being unfairly persecuted the Joh Vira would gladly speak on your behalf. He really gets off on that kind of thing.”

“Gits off?”

“You know when… you know, don’t worry about it.” She said stopping herself halfway through an explanation.

This woman is very confusing. She seems annoyed at my presence but then keeps engaging me in conversation. So, much of these city people and their customs are just plain peculiar. Nearly everyone in it has misunderstood my intentions. The guards most of all. It could be beneficial to have the temple explain to Lance that I am trying to be an upright citizen.

Vak asked, “I suppose I might be interested in sanctuary. What is it exactly?”

“You officially claim that you are being unfairly persecuted by the state authorities. Then you are protected.”

“Protectected?”

“If you keep interrupting me by asking inane questions this is going to take all day.”

Vak wasn’t sure if Anka was being serious or not, but he could feel himself growing slightly annoyed at the exchange. “I will not interrupt, proceed, please.”

“Very good. Yes, protected. The city guard, heck even the king’s guard or the military are forbidden from entering temple grounds in an official capacity. They are free to worship, of course, but they cannot arrest you.”

“Why?”

“It’s part of the law.”

“But there is nothing physically stopping them from removing me. No fortifications or magics… I mean ‘miracles’?”

“Nope, that door you busted down was probably one of our stronger doors, but don’t worry, they would never break tradition.”

“Is ‘tradition’ perhaps the name of a very skilled fighter that they are all afraid of?”

“No… what? How are you not getting this?” she said raising her hands in frustration.

“Because you are telling me that I would be just sitting here, and they would know where I am, have lots of swords and manpower, but would not come in and arrest me, because they never did it before now?”

“Right!” She exclaimed.

“This is lunacy.”

“It is NOT lunacy it IS a tradition! Everyone civilized follows it!”

“And what does the temple get?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean if I am to stay here until your Temple-keeper..”

“Joh Vira.”

“Yes, him, until he convinces Captain Lance to stop pursuing me. Why would the temple take on this burden?”

“Ohhhh… yes, I understand. Well, we would simply place the offering plate out, and if you were so moved by the great generosity you have witnessed; you could donate to the temple.” Anka said with a wink.

“Why are you winking?”

“Because the temple doesn’t care where you came by this money. It is all the same to us.”

“And if I have no money?”

“You obviously have money,” Anka said flatly. She was clearly not amused by this turn in the conversation.

“I in fact have none.”

“You are covered in blood, and running from the cops. Clearly, you’re a bandit of some kind. A big guy like you? You weren’t hired by the Grievspair Organization?”

“I don’t even know what that is.”

“So, you have no money?”

“None,” Vak said patting his waist down where his coin purse would be.

“WHY IN THREE OF THE HELLS ARE YOU WASTING MY TIME! GET OUT! GET OUT BEFORE I CALL THE GUARDS!” Anka shouted grabbing an ornate candlestick and brandishing it like a sword. Vak did not think she would really hit him with such an expensive thing, but he had taken up enough of this very frustrating person’s time. He quickly slipped out the door of the chapel and back into the alley.

He tried to keep to the back roads as he walked. The guards are still looking for me, I need to be cautious. All of these roadblocks keep popping up in the way of this investigation. This city is entirely backward. Can they not see that I am here to help? How am I ever to be a hero if my very presence causes an outcry of panic?

“Get out of this city!” A voice called breaking Vak from his stupor. A mob of people stood in his way, all angrily shouting.

“You’re not welcome here!”

“We know you’re up to no good!”

“This was a nice neighborhood before you moved in.”

Vak moved to the mouth of the alley. They were not shouting at him after all, but at some strange little cottage that stood apart from the buildings along the block. It’s light brown thatched roof and painted white wood base were in stark contrast with the stone buildings surrounding it. The mob looked angry and ready to burn this little cottage down for some reason. He wished he could see who they were shouting at. Vak tensed, preparing to step in and disperse the crowd when a violent green blast erupted from the center.

The mob wasted no time in showing how cowardly they truly were at heart. They scattered like rats… just like… Vak was stunned as the crowd dispersed in every direction only to find a sentient mouse standing there shouting after them. The creature had a light brown coat of fur and a bright red cloak tied around her neck. It stood no more than three feet tall and walked around on its hind legs.

In her hand was a bubbling green concoction that she held above her like a weapon. She was cursing up a storm at the mob as they departed. Then she looked right to Vak.

“I’m warning you arrogant bastards that if you try any of this again I will find your homes and use my alchemy to blow you all three cities over! They’ll be finding pieces of you in every direction for…”

“Please, you misunderstand,” Vak said his hands raised. “I am not with them. I just happened by during the commotion.”

“Oh,” The strange mouse said lowering the potion in her hands. “Well, you better keep walking. You won’t make any friends talking to me.”

“I have already pissed off quite a few people all on my own, thank you,” Vak said. “Did you say you are an Alchemist?”

“That’s right… What of it?”

“I am looking for an alchemist, by the name of Wither.”

“Well, you found her,” Wither said pointing to the sign outside her small cottage. It read: Wither’s Oddities. “Why don’t you come inside, looks like we might get a little rain here in a bit.” She said turning and walking in without waiting for him to respond.

The door to her shop was split in half with two doorknobs. It seemed the lower knob allowed her to walk in without opening the entire door. The upper knob seemed to open both halves together.

Quite smart. Vak found himself musing. He quickly followed Wither inside, taking care to be much more gentle with this door, then his last.