Those that sought beginnings flourished,

Settling in forgotten distant lands.

They befriended ancient god-borne

And so those Sherya were prosperous.

-The Book of the Abandonment 2;17-20

Vallerian wrapped his fingers around his bow, watching as the young man tried his best to slice into Gardinal. It felt good to have a bow in hand again, even if the reason he had abandoned it in the first place still gnawed at him. That damned Khazimi huntsmaster still lingered in the back of his mind every time he notched an arrow. Yet, cursing himself again as the voice seeped back in, Vallerian drew an arrow from his quiver. The thug was getting a little to close to piercing into Gardinal. The priest had already taken down a large brute of a man, but this small one seemed to be causing him trouble.

Vallerian was sure the priest could handle himself. Sure the man had nearly been cut into moments earlier and a cudgel almost crushed his skull before that. The Belnur man was far too willing to let himself get bashed and cut into pieces. Not to mention burnt worse than a Khazimi ram roast from how he had looked last night. Maybe Vallerian wasn’t so sure Gardinal would be fine. That was why Vallerian much preferred to be up here, a proper distance from any real danger.

It had been a perilous climb up the swaying warehouse he now sat atop. A few ripped boards, a couple crumbling planks, but he made it in one piece. It was a rough roof top. The barely clinging wooden shingles were half rotten with the other half missing. Yet resting atop an exposed support beam, Vallerian figured it would have to do.

The sound of a man roaring drew his attention back to the docks. The glow of a rusted lamp near Gardinal provided little illumination beyond the immediate vicinity. A small ball of flickering light among the dank grimy docks. He could almost imagine some poet writing on the scene. Behind Gardinal, a few men worked away, seemingly uncaring of the duel steps away from them.

Vallerian focused on Gardinal. It appeared the scrawny street rat wielded a razor, one that he had lodged into the priests side. Vallerian cursed, he couldn’t imagine going to Celeste and telling her that Gardinal had died. Or could he? Grief had a way of making people desperate. But no, that would lead to the Bishop likely taking her back too soon. Then he would never get to her. It seemed he had no choice but to save the suicidal priest.

Sighing he aimed his arrow, accounted for wind, and drop, and let loose. It must have been four hundred paces away, but Vallerian very nearly beamed when he saw the arrow puncture the man’s skull. He still had the skills. He wasn’t happy about the murder, Vallerian really did dislike killing, but he couldn’t just let Gardinal die. In the wilds it was kill or be killed. And in all his hunts Vallerian had never seen a place as wild as Southshore. He notched another arrow.

Watching now, Gardinal seemed to be making some show of force. Banging his hammer against his shield and yelling at the kids about something or other. Hopefully the shot had sufficiently scared the goons. One pointless death was more than enough for Vallerian today.

“STOP THEY’RE JUST KIDS!” Gardinal shouted. Vallerian shrugged. Yeah, he knew that.

A motion from the shadows caught Vallerian’s eye. A dozen hooded figures flowing from the darkness, each lighting torches as they left the shadows. Very interesting. As long as Gardinal didn’t get himself killed, Vallerian might be able to track these cultists afterwards and get some information. Information had a way of keeping the Marchioness off his back. That was something he could always use.

The hooded men approached the edge of the docks, and for a moment bandied words with Gardinal and the street gang. Come on, he thought, don’t do anything stupid. Vallerian had a bad feeling that this could get messy all too quick. He hadn’t brought that many arrows.

What looked like the leader seemed to make some sort of motion with his sleeve. Gardinal seemed to stare at the robed man in shock, then began shouting something at the thugs. Vallerian noticed an orb floating in front of the lead cultists. A sphere that looked like liquid glistening in the flickering firelight.

“What the…” Vallerian exclaimed. Then the floating sphere erupted into flame. Vallerian’s eyes grew wide with shock. He had seen magic in his time. From the arcane magic of the Academy too any of the Pantheonic “gifts” he’d seen, they had all at least been normal. This? This was beyond anything he’d ever seen, and it felt wrong.

The fireball tore towards the group of thugs. Vallerian gasped, ducking behind the peaked roof. He heard an explosion and a bright light shone from the other side of the roof. Back flat on the tile, he breathed heavily. This was not what he had expected. Who in the Pantheon’s Light were these freaks? Breathing deeply, Vallerian felt a familiar light form rest atop his chest. He locked eyes with Charlotte.

“Don’t tell me we’re going to have to face those madmen, are we?” He asked his oldest friend. She cawed in response. Vallerian sighed, yeah, she was right, Gardinal needed him. “Wait.” He said aloud, realizing exactly whom he had spoken to. “What are you doing here? I thought you were with…”

“HEY!” That cursed girl shouted. “I’M THE ONE YOU WANT!” Vallerian’s jaw dropped. What in the Chaos was that child thinking? She had a damn death wish! Vallerian dashed across the roof, thick wood tiles sliding out beneath him as he ran.

Reaching the edge, he looked down and spotted her, with Valleresa and the Jöln in tow. Of course, she had to bring the whole choir along didn’t she? They talked among themselves for a moment before the Jöln girl ran off. At least one of them was smart. They then both looked back towards Gardinal. Vallerian followed their gaze to three of the men heading towards them. Vallerian muttered the dirtiest curse he knew. This was getting worse by the second. He glanced over to check on how Gardinal was faring, not well. The fire engulfed the docks far too quickly for wet wood. Not only that, but six of the men were pressing in on Gardinal, seemingly unfazed by the flames. Not good at all.

Vallerian’s eyes darted between Gardinal and the girls. Why did it seem it was always up to him to keep these people alive? These religious types were far too eager to become martyrs. He followed the cowled figures moving towards Celeste and Valleresa. He had time, he would take out a few of the ones on Gardinal to give him a fighting chance, then stop the ones moving on the girls. Vallerian moved to a steadier location, a part where the tiles had rotted into a little groove for his back foot. Lowering himself, he notched an arrow and looked to Gardinal.

The priest was locked in combat with two of the men, bashing away dagger and torch with shield and hammer. The other four stood behind, one of them going to his knees as the others moved around with knives drawn. Easy taget. One of the standing men positioned himself behind the kneeling one, placing his knife upon his neck. Vallerian didn’t wait, he pulled back, aimed, and fired.

The arrow streaked through the air, piercing straight through the man’s back and out his chest. The now corpse collapsed into the kneeling man. After the flaming blood sphere, Vallerian had no intention of finding out what would happen if they killed one of their own.

All too quickly the kneeling man pushed off the corpse, shrugging the body through flame and into the water. Vallerian growled. In quick succession he knocked an arrow and took a shot, aiming for another of the cultists moving to kill their compatriot. Unfortunately, the man shifted just in time, the arrow only grazing his shoulder. It spun the man like a child’s top, but ultimately left him standing.

Charlotte squawked from Vallerian’s side and he waved her off.

“Not now Charlotte.” He muttered as he looked at her. She seemed to want his attention for something, but he had to stop that…

Turning back to the dock Vallerian’s stomach sank as the cultist with the grazed shoulder slit the throat of the other man. The kneeling man fell to the ground, and even from far away Vallerian could see the man slowly begin to bloat. Vallerian wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the firelight, or something else, but it looked like hands were trying to claw their way out from under the robe. Vallerian didn’t wait. He launched an arrow directly into the bloating man’s head. Then another. He let arrow after arrow loose until the shifting form on the ground stopped moving. Finally, he breathed, his back aching from the force. It had been too long since he had shot a bow. He was out of practice.

“Radiance!” he heard his sister call out in a desperate tone. Vallerian froze. He had gotten too wrapped up in protecting Gardinal. He glanced one last time at the Khazimi priest. The man had taken out the first pair of cultists and was moving towards the remaining two, he could handle it.

Vallerian clambered across the rooftop once more, the roof tiles sliding out from under his feet and crashing to the ground. Hitting the edge, Vallerian’s heart dropped. His sister was held aloft by what looked to be a Korek. Celeste was on the ground nearby with another Korek above her, ready to stab into her. Damnit, he didn’t have time. He pulled an arrow, ready to kill the man above Celeste, but he hesitated. He couldn’t kill him; Celeste wouldn’t forgive him for that again.

“Charlotte, Go!” He commanded and Charlotte shot off. Adjusting his aim lower, he loosed an arrow into the man’s knee. With a howl the burly attacker collapsed. The other cultist holding Valleresa turned to look at him, and blessedly his sister kicked the man in his groin. Not bad ‘Reesa. The second man’s howling almost made a harmony with the first’s.

Returning to Celeste, Vallerian saw Charlotte being struck down by Celeste’s attacker. Vallerian growled and reached for another arrow. His hand only grasped air, empty. He cursed; he had wasted too many turning the bloating freak into a seamstress’s pin cushion.

Looking down, he scanned the wall beneath him. It seemed to have enough handholds, if not sturdy ones. He lowered himself over the edge, boards creaking as he clambered down the wall. A few planks threatened to buckle entirely, but he was quick and got off before they gave. With a glance, he saw Valleresa making short work of her attacker now. Then there was Celeste. Why was she always such a danger to herself? The bloodied freak with a missing knee was atop her, hands wrapping her throat. He wouldn’t be able to climb down in time, but the fall wasn’t too far now. Vallerian cursed, she better damn well heal him for this.

He leapt off the wall. Falling through empty air he brought his foot into the man’s head. With a crack the man fell over, pushed away from Celeste. Dead or not, the man would not be getting up from that.

Vallerian grunted as he struck the hard earth. He wasn’t sure what it was, but something in him had certainly cracked. He wasn’t done yet though. With a suffering grunt he rose and moved to kneel next to Celeste. He held out his hand for her.

“Your Radiance, you glow even with a bloody Korek atop you. Are you harmed?” he asked her. She took his hand.

“Lord Vallerian, you came.” Celeste responded.

“I came? Feren’s blade girl, what are you even doing here?” he asked.

“You were in danger, both of you. I had to help.” Celeste responded. What in the Chaos was that supposed to mean? How could she have possibly known Gardinal was in danger?

“You are the danger.” He snapped. “I had this under control.” Everything had been going fine until she showed up. He tried to calm himself, damn did his leg hurt.

“No. You didn’t.” She whispered, allowing him to help her up. Vallerian almost glared at her.

“Oh no, don’t you all get concerned about me.” Valleresa complained from a few steps away. “I wasn’t in any danger at all. Nope, not little old unimportant me.”

Vallerian didn’t even look at her when he responded. “I saw you. You were doing fine.” He wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of looking at her. Valleresa had always had a flair for melodrama. She continued mumbling but Vallerian ignored her. “Come on.” He spoke to Celeste. “We need to make sure that grumbling oaf of a priest is alive.” Vallerian moved to go, but Celeste grabbed his arm.

“Wait.” She told him, and he stopped. He didn’t have time for another sermon.

An energy pulsed through him. He had been healed by Ethinian priests before. The way his father had ‘raised’ him, visits to the old temple had become commonplace. When the priests had healed him though, it had been slow and difficult, leaving both him and the priests in bed for a day. But as Celeste grasped his arm with a faintly glowing hand a tingling warmth flooded over him. The power like water of pure life seeped into his every muscle and bone with a humming energy. An energy that reached into him and mended cracked bones and flushed away all aches and pains. He felt as though he had finished a feast, rested, and was ready to go wrestle bears.

As the flow faded away, Celeste stumbled into him.

“I’ve seen you do more than that without collapsing.” He commented to her. She held him for only a moment before steadying herself.

“I tried something earlier… It didn’t work…” Vallerian nodded. He never had quite grasped all this magic nonsense. The priests would get mad at you for calling their “divine gifts” magic but he found it worked awfully similar to that of the Academy mages. He figured that he would just have to trust that Celeste, voice of the First Mother herself, knew more about it than he.

“Valleresa, get over here and help.” Vallerian grunted, holding Celeste up. “We need to get to Gardinal, make sure he’s not been made into a roast Khazimi.” His sister rolled her eyes, but she made her way over. Vallerian chuckled at the sorry sight they must have made as they all trudged towards the burning dock.