Earlier as Typhus broke away from Deacon to go back and help, Armand was battling with Henry in the now smashed apart general goods shop. Elle was growing hedges to filter the cursed populace around the fight. Amanda was looking for a good opportunity to enter the fight. She was posted on a nearby rooftop looking down at the shop when Armand came flying from the structure. He hit the ground with a loud clang of metal on stone. His armor seemed dented, and he was shakily getting to his feet. From the wreckage of the building stepped Henry, only now he had pauldrons and a chest piece made of glistening opal. The large Mulvarian stalked forward ripping a chunk of wall out of the crumbling masonry. He hurled it at Armand who half deflected half bounced it off his shield. Amanda dropped down to the street seeing this was going the wrong direction as Typhus’s whip wrapped around Henry’s right ankle. Typhus was revealed jumping down from the opposite building using all his weight to pull Henry off his feet. The whip was curved around a stove pipe hanging from the roof. It almost worked too. Henry face planted on the cobblestones but dug his fingers into the ground. He rolled over, throwing a handful of the road at Typhus. It struck him in the shoulder with a loud crack.

It was clear to Armand that Typhus now had a broken arm as he let go of the whip holding Henry in place. He charged over stabbing down with his enchanted sword. Sparks flew off of the Opalescent armor. Two more quick stabs and a crack began to form in one of the pauldrons. Armand planted is his feet for a two-handed slash using his technique Power Slice. That’s when Henry swept his left-hand overhead grabbing Armand’s leg. He began crushing the spot where Armand’s ankle met his shin bone. Armand switched the target for his technique to Henry’s left forearm and slashed down before he could be pulled off his feet. He struck true. Armand’s sword sizzled through the bracer and bit deep into the meat of Henry’s forearm. This earned Armand a scream from the big Mulvarian. That’s when Amanda arrived, she appeared over him and forced her right palm to secret a knockout poison she ingested when they were back at the guild after the Wode adventure. This enemy was much larger than a normal human, so she tripled the dosage. It cost her thirty percent of her health but as Henry coughed and sputtered from the fluid entering his mouth, she knew that was right call.

“Hold him down! That poison should render him unconscious shortly.” She cried out. Typhus and Armand wasted little time. Typhus tied his ankles together with Amanda’s help and Armand kept his left forearm pinned with his sword. Every time Henry tried to move his arm, he received more burn damage from the enchanted weapon. Within the next two minutes all three adventurers were panting and exhausted while Henry was snoring.

“The townspeople are all chasing after Deacon!” Elle called out from the rooftops.

“He’ll have to handle that. We need you down here. Typhus’s arm is broken.” Armand answered back.

“I’ll be fine. You all act like I’ve never had rocks thrown at me before.” Typhus said cradling his right arm.

“Maybe so but this monster did a number on my leg. Hideous grip strength.” Replied Armand.

“That should keep him out for at least an hour. We need to find a way to bind him that he can’t escape with brute strength. It’s like trying to wrestle Deacon.” Amanda uttered through her panting.

“Do you and Deacon wrestle often.” Elle asked with a smile lightly landing in front of Typhus and beginning to cast a spell.

“Not on your life pointy ears.” Amanda spat back.

“Enough, we are still in active combat. What the hell is that?!” Armand exclaimed as he pointed up in the sky were a column of purest, whitest light he had ever seen was coming from the direction Deacon was running in. As abruptly as it appeared it vanished. The side road they were all on which was recently lit up like a flood light went back to the dim shades of dusk. They all noticed people who were trapped in the hedges created by Elle lose consciousness and shake a little bit. Then there were yells for help and the sounds of confused people calling for their loved ones.

“Oh good, looks like Tantus caught up with Deacon.” Typhus said through clenched teeth.

“We only produced a ritual that might work. It couldn’t have created all that light. If it weren’t for Alfred, I doubt we would have been so lucky.” Elle said eyeing Armand who was hobbling closer.

“My concerns about, Alfred, will have to be tabled until we can stabilize this population here. There will be plenty of people with questions. Elle can you dispel those hedges and free those people?” Armand asked.

“No. The hedges are a biproduct of an increased growth spell. We’ll have to spend some time cutting them free. It was my only non-lethal option.” Elle said with a shrug.

“So be it.” Armand said as Elle began working on his leg. Amanda got up and stood over Henry’s sleeping body. Her hand hovered over the handle of her knife before she visibly forced herself to be calm. Typhus, having had his arm healed, grew even more concerned about her.

Back at the church, Deacon used the stairs to approach Tantus. He put his right arm over his shoulder and gestured out using his left hand around the group of confused people arrayed before them.

“Doesn’t it feel good to help people? Imagine what kind of bloodbath we would have had on our hands if we didn’t try this?” Deacon asked.

“How did you do that? I’ve never seen you use so much power and light before. I couldn’t even see for a moment there.” Tantus asked him not taking his eyes off the people getting to their feet and conversing with each other about how confused they are. Some even turned in place looking around not knowing where they were.

“What do you mean? Astrael came to our aid. It was gamble but I assumed she’d be able to see us clearly in her own church. Just like Mantarok did.” Deacon said.

“Is that why you came here? On a roll of the dice?” Tantus asked shrugging off Deacon’s arm and turning to face him.

“Yea. What’s wrong? You aren’t making the smile face I expected for this victory.” Deacon asked.

“So we didn’t have to run across town?” Tantus asked.

“Um, everything worked out. I’m not sure what issue you are having right now.” Deacon replied.

“Unbelievable. We were separated from everyone. What if one of us went down? We’d have had no help. Is anyone else in this party with us. Nope looks like just you and me. What if they got hurt? Did you think of that?” Tantus said waiving his finger at Deacon.

“The shit had already hit the fan. I did what was necessary and we got a fucking miracle from Astrael. Where is all this coming from?” Deacon asked. Just then one of the citizens dropped to their knees and began praying. Shortly followed by another. Than two more. Half of the people who rushed into the church were now all praying, and a soft white light was emanating from the alter.

“What now?” Deacon asked.

Hidden Holy Quest Complete: Walk into the Light- Re-establish the church of Astrael in Clayton City. This quest is class locked to, Priest…. Rule Breaker has activated. This quest is no longer class locked. Rewards: Book of Astrael, Bangle of Astrael.

New Item: Book of Astrael- This is a holy tome intended for a new priest of Astrael. It will imbue them with the teachings of the Astraelian doctrine and change their class.

New Item: Bangle of Astrael- This item worn around the wrist, contains light born of Astrael herself. The user can control the direction and intensity of the light. It will have violent reaction when shown upon anything Unholy in nature. No cost.

The book and the bangle dropped into Deacon’s hands from nowhere. Tantus just stood there staring at him. The crowd began chanting Astrael’s name. Deacon stopped and looked around. He was searching for that first person who started praying. She was a small blonde woman in her early thirties. He made his way over to her and kneeled in front of her.

“I think she would like you to have this.” Deacon said as he gently pressed the book into her hands. He noticed her reading from her slate as she began to cry. Immediately he questioned his decision before bright light spilled from the book into her eyes and spread all over her body. Deacon back peddled to get out of the way. Once the light show was the church was back in pristine condition. The cursed minotaur had burnt away leaving only it’s horns behind and the woman stood tall cradling the book. Her clothes had changed into robes very reminiscent of those worn by the clergy back in Iron Mountain Plateau.

“Wait, what?” Tantus said looking around at the church that looked whole again. The pews were all in neat rows and the walls looked like they had fresh paint on them. Even the windows had fresh stained glass with depictions of the battle they just had. He could even see himself in one of them.

“We should probably get going.” Deacon said grabbing Tantus by the arm. As they left the church they could hear the new priestess begin speaking to the gathered people about the glory of the light.