Without waiting to see Nelini’s reaction, Lorelei slipped into the chapel and slammed the door behind her. She took a couple of heavy breaths. Her heart pounded like crazy as she expected the old Marzbanati to barge inside.

No one followed her.

Lorelei waited a few more seconds until she was convinced that Neli wasn’t going to follow her. This made her both relieved and uneasy since she knew well that sooner or later she had to leave the shrine and face the old woman. Well, when that happened… she was going to think of something. It wasn’t like the one waiting outside was a monster.

‘That depends on the interpretation,’ she thought somewhat disheartened, and turned around.

The interior of the small chapel welcomed her with the colorful twilight created by its tall, stained glass windows. Golden specks of dust sparkled in the air like tiny fireflies. The smell of incense and old wood tickled the nose and created a sleepy atmosphere. At the very center of the chapel’s nave, an oval dome spread between two golden staves and shone like a little sun.

Despite the holy aura it exuded, the very sight of the light dome made Lorelei’s stomach turn. She gritted her teeth as her eyes inspected the two figures right before her - one trapped inside the golden barrier and the other holding the right stave with both hands. Rasha still sat cross-legged on the cold floor seemingly asleep. Not a hair out of place or a wrinkle in her clothes showed that she had moved a muscle in the time Lorelei hadn’t seen her. Outside the barrier, the plump body of Father Ignatus was slightly hunched as his trembling hands clenched tightly around the golden corner pole. The priest’s previously rosy face was now pale and wet with perspiration. His lips moved in quick succession as he quietly sang a hymn.

With his whole concentration devoted to his task, Father Ignatus didn’t seem to notice Lorelei’s stormy entrance. On her side, Lorelei didn’t know whether or not it would be wise to interrupt the priest, lest he make a mistake that might cost Rasha her life.

She remained by the door for what felt like an eternity, listening to the priest’s chant. The foreign melody didn’t sound like anything she had heard during mass. It was somehow light and heavy at the same time, making her soul soar and at the same time resonating with every fiber of her being like a loud church bell. Lorelei’s eyelids turned into lead, her fingers almost letting go of the bowl of stew. Her whole body felt warm and relaxed as if some soft blanket was wrapping around her and telling her to let go of all earthly worries.

Just as she was about to lose herself, the chant abruptly stopped. Like mist blown away by the spring gale, Lorelei’s drowsiness disappeared, leaving her mind unusually sharp and refreshed. Before her eyes, Father Ignatus released his grip on the staff and tumbled backward. His feet caught up in his long robe and he plopped on the ground with the grace of an overturned beetle.

His pained cry was the wake-up call Lorelei had needed. She rushed toward the man and hurriedly knelt beside him, leaving the bowl of already cold stew on the stone slabs.

“Father, does it hurt anywhere?” She held his hand, taking his pulse.

“With the Gods’ blessing, only my pride for showing you something this unsightly, Your Highness,” panted the priest and smiled apologetically. “But what brings you here, my lady?”

“I thought you might need something to eat after watching after the barrier since morning.” Lorelei pointed at the stew, but her gaze traitorously darted towards Rasha. From the priest’s chuckle, it seemed that he had no doubts about her intentions.

“The Binshi child has been doing fine, Your Highness. You could say she is in a form of deep sleep.”

“But what about food? Toilet needs? And she is sitting on the floor, isn’t she cold and hurting?” Lorelei stared at the priest beggingly. “Can't we let her have a proper meal and go to the privy? And give her a blanket?”

“I’m afraid this isn’t for me to decide, my lady. Bishop Petronius was the one who erected the pillars and he is the one to take them away.” Father Ignatus sighed and dragged himself to a prayer pillow lying next to him. He took the bowl of stew and with slightly shaking hands took a spoonful of it. “Besides, in her current state, that child has no such earthly needs.”

Lorelei’s face must have looked quite distraught because the priest added:

“Don’t worry. The barrier won’t leave any damage on her body.”

“And what about her soul?”

The spoon froze midway to Father Ignatus’ mouth. He pondered for a moment.

“As long as she doesn’t touch the light and doesn’t fight against the holy powers, everything should be fine.”

After saying that, heavy silence hung between them. The only sound was the munching and slurping coming from the priest who was wolfing down his meal. Then Lorelei finally spoke up.

“What actually are holy powers?”

Father Ignatus choked on his stew and coughed, his plump body shaking.

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“P-pardon?”

“I mean… I know that the magic of the Binshi comes from using souls to influence the world. But how do holy powers work?”

"The h-holy powers are the gift of the Two Fathers.” Father Ignatus stammered and glared at her. “Everyone knows that.”

“Yes, but…” Lorelei’s fingers dug in her skirt. “But how do we put the Gods’ blessing into a staff? Or in an artifact? And what exactly does blessing mean?”

“My lady,” the priest’s face became solemn, “you realize that some of these questions, if not all of them, border on heresy?”

“How can trying to understand the world the Two Fathers have created be called heresy? Doesn’t using unknown power make one susceptible to misusing it? Doesn’t it harbor the danger of one mistaking witchcraft for a godly gift and a godly power for witchcraft?”

Father Ignatus just gaped at her for a long time before he spoke.

“Your eloquence, Your Highness, although coming from, as far as I can see it, good-natured curiosity, might bring you into a dangerous situation one day.”

“Are you going to hand me to the quaestors, Father?” Lorelei lowered her head and felt the cold from the stone floor seeping into her bones.

“No, child, I won’t.” The priest sighed. “But common folk shouldn’t try prying too deeply into the Church’s matters?”

“But I’m no common folk, Father!” Lorelei lifted her chin and looked at the man daringly. “I am the Duchess of Norden. My people worship both the Two Fathers and the Mother Above. Half of my retainers carry Binshi talismans, while the other half battle fiends with swords engraved with holy verses. My escort is currently locked in a holy barrier. My husband dons armor which is a holy artifact from the era of the Saints. Now, tell me, Father, in order to protect my people. In order to not stand in the way or make the wrong decision, don’t I need to know the source and the form of the powers I’m dealing with?”

Panting slightly, Lorelei locked gazes with the priest. In his eyes, she could see the struggle between admiration and horror. He needed one more push.

“Father,” her fingers touched his hand, “I’m not asking you to divulge the Church’s most sacred secrets. Am I?”

“Close enough.” Father Ignatus sighed and his plump cheeks seemed to deflate. “Alright, Your Highness. I’ll indulge you this time. I’ve seen you and know of your merits. You don’t seem like a bad person. But don’t tell Bishop Petronius.”

“I won't.”

The priest sighed again and aimlessly stirred the rest of his food.

“What we call holy powers is the force we get from the Other Side.”

“Other Side?”

“The Realm of the Gods.” He looked at the shimmering barrier. “As you’ve read in the Holy Scriptures, ours is just one of several realms that exist.”

“The Nether Realms, the Mortal Plane, and the Heavenly Realm,” recited Lorelei.

‘And also the Spirit Realm and the Dream World of the Binshi,’ she added in her mind.

“Yes,” nodded Father Ignatus. “And those realms are divided by strong walls so that they don’t mix and call forth chaos and destruction. But there is a way to connect to realms different from our own.”

“How?” Lorelei’s whole body tensed.

“Through our souls.”

She blinked at the cleric’s answer, making him chuckle.

“I know what you think. It might sound like a heresy, but there are some similarities with how the Binshi conduct their rituals. Indeed, our souls, which are gifts from Father Lustris, are what connects us with the Realm of the Gods.”

The priest pointed with the spoon at his heart.

“There is a thing we call the Heart Chain that tethers our souls to our mortal flesh. When we die, the Chain breaks and our soul returns to Father Lustris. In that instance, the veil between the realms is broken for a brief moment to let the soul ascend.”

“But what does this have anything to do with wielding holy powers?”

“According to the legends, the founding members of the Church were personal disciples of Father Lustris and Father Norn. The Two Fathers taught them a method to thin their Heart Chains to the point of almost breaking, simulating one’s own death. And in this near-death state, when the door to the Other Side opens, there is no soul to ascend. Instead, raw power from the Heavenly Realm flows into our body. This power then gets expelled from our bodies either in the form of a cleansing blessing or is used to wield an artifact.”

“But then…” Lorelei gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

“Yes.” Father Ignatus’ face was stern. “A priest using holy powers is always on the brink of death. It takes years of training, meditation, and purification to achieve this. And even then, it takes some time to charge an artifact and make it work. That’s why we are so vulnerable when evoking these powers.”

“But does that mean that No… that the Duke is almost dying every time he uses his armor?” Lorelei’s face paled.

“You must be talking about Nerodris.” Father Ignatus shook his head. “Although it is a nasty artifact for other reasons, it was created by Saint Markus himself for the ones inheriting the bloodline of Sant Arslan. A saint’s bloodline, as well as their acolytes, seem to be exempt from the danger when using an artifact created for them. Our scholars believe that those special bloodlines carry innate blessing and a permanent connection to the Heavenly Realm.”

Lorelei heaved a sigh of relief, but the fear in her heart still lingered. Wielding power always seemed to come with immense risks. Next to her, Father Ignatus gathered the skirts of his habit and stood up with a groan. She hurriedly jumped to her feet and found herself face-to-face with the cleric. His eyes were dark and piercing.

“I hope you keep this conversation a secret, my lady. And also, don’t get tempted to try and touch the barrier’s staves. For an untrained person, the influx of holy powers will break their Heart Chain, rip out their soul, and destroy their body.”

“I… won't act recklessly, Father.” Lorelei gave him a sunny smile. “Thank you for the conversation. I should be going now. The infirmarian still needs my help.”