Going to Church
Two days later, shortly after descending the mountains, Hinterdupfing comes in sight. It looks like a grand city in a style similar to Colabar but everything is just a bit more grand and intricate. Even the city walls have small decorative carvings in them. As we enter the city, there are mostly Dwarfs, Frigants and Squirrel Beastkin around. We also see some other races, most commonly humans, but they mostly seem to be travelers or merchants.
After asking around a bit for directions, we pull up in front of a huge church with a white circle surrounding a star as a symbol where a bald human priest in his late forties seems to be waiting for us.
Walking up to our wagon the priest politely bows and asks Rayla, “Are you the Shooting Stars?”
“That’s correct.”
“I’m glad, I was waiting for you. Could you leave the wagon for a bit so I can greet you properly?”
“Sure!”
As we all leave the wagon, he looks us up and down and offers Rayla a handshake, “Welcome to Frieden, may the Gods be with you.”
They both shake hands and he next moves to Sher Aka, “Welcome to Frieden, may the Gods be with you.”
“Likewise, thank you.”
Skipping John and me he walks over to Scarlet next and offers her a handshake, which she reluctantly accepts, “Welcome to Frieden, may the Gods be with you.”
“Yeah…Thanks.”
After he’s done shaking Scarlet’s hand the priest’s face changes from a kind to a disgusted one as he pulls out a towel and wipes his hand with it, “Tsk So it is neither of you…Now go make yourselves useful you damn demihumans and put your wagon away. You’re stinking up the whole street.”
“Excuse me!?” Rayla yells.
“Yes, yes, you’re excused, now get out of the road already. The others are already here.” The priest says waving his hand dismissively as he goes inside the church.
Rayla angrily utters,“What the hell is his deal!?”
John scoffs, “Just a man true to his faith, I’m surprised he gave you his hand in the first place. But perhaps he’s just a pervert wanting to touch some pretty women.”
“Is that why he avoided us, John?”
“Probably. Although if he knew you were a child he’d probably have shaken your hand as well, haha.”
“Why? Are they kinder to children?”
“Nope but they are known to touch them inappropriately.”
“You mean, like on the butt?”
“For example, yeah. So, it’s best you stay away from them Thoma Ahad.”
“Allright…”
After parking our wagon behind the church, we go in through the side entrance. The inside of the church looks really clean and beautiful. There are a bunch of benches with knee cushions for praying in front of them. The walls are decorated with the holy symbols of a bunch of different Gods, I can even see Holly’s in the corner.
Also, the second I step inside, I feel something prickly under my hat. Reaching under it, it feels like a wreath.
“Uh oh.”
“What’s wrong Ro-Thoma?” Rayla asks me.
“Do I have a wreath on my head, ane?”
“Yeah…Where did that come from?”
“I think it’s from Holly. Does it hide well under the hat?”
“Yeah, it looks like you have something under it but it doesn’t look too suspicious, just don’t take it off. It's best if we don’t have them ask too many questions or they might find out about your relation to Blaze.”
“Alright.”
Walking up to the front, we sit down at the front bench opposite to another group of adventurers consisting of six humans. Four men and two women.
The men consist of a spear wielding blonde man in his mid twenties, who seems like their leader,
an extremely muscular and tall man in his early thirties, with a two handed hammer on his back that looks like a meat cleaver,
A lean looking man with a pair of swords and a scarf covering his mouth and a burly looking guy in his mid twenties with a sword and shield.
As for the women, one of them looks like she’s in her late twenties with long brown hair tied in a ponytail, her weapon of choice seems to be a thorned metal whip and she also carries a small shield. The other one is a blonde woman in her early twenties, she seems like the mage of the party. She carries around a magical scepter and wears white clothes with pink accents and a red ribbon in her hair.
The blonde guy with the spear then stands up and walks over to us, “Yo, I’m Martin. I’m the leader of the Bloodhound company.”
Rayla stands up and shakes his hand, “Nice to meet you, I’m Rayla, the leader of the Shooting Stars adventuring group.”
He looks at us a little disappointed, “Adventurers, huh? Piece of advice, quit while you’re ahead. This contract isn’t made for bright eyed idealists like you.”
“Oh? Our contractor seems to think so though, they specifically requested us.”
“Really? In that case let’s hope you can keep up. By the way, what's your deal?”
He asks, looking at me.
Not knowing how to answer that question I say, “You’ve got to be a bit more precise than that.”
“I mean your get-up. Hiding your face with a mask, wearing Meridian clothing despite being an Elf and the girly hair pin, it’s a complete mismatch.”
“It’s not a hair pin, it's a barrette.”
“Right…My point is you’re sticking out.”
“So?”
“Nothing, I just wanted to hear why you chose to walk around like that.”
“I-”
The priest interrupts us, “Alright, now that you have all assembled here I welcome you all to this church. Blessings be upon you all. As you already know it is your duty to protect the delivery of Sunsteel-ore. For that we have blessed a wagon that will be driven by a member of our clergy that I need you to accompany but that is not all. You will also be accompanied by one of the most holy beings, a saintess.”
As he says this the Bloodhound’s seem immensely surprised.
“What!?”
“No way.”
“You’re shitting me old man.”
And even our party seems completely surprised with Sher Aka and Rayla seeming genuinely shocked and John mumbling, “Why would they send someone like this here…Is this a trap of some kind?”
Scarlet meanwhile just seems angry and slightly uncomfortable.
A young human woman in her early twenties with long braided white hair then enters the church. She is wearing a white veil over her face and an extremely expensive looking white dress with the same circle imagery on it. In her hand, she holds a glowing white staff.
Accompanying her is a female human knight with black hair and a glowing white hammer on her back. She is clad in extremely expensive looking shiny white armor with a tabard, that has the same circle symbol on it as the church we’re in, waving above her armor.
As she walks to the front, the priest and the Bloodhounds all kneel down while we stay seated.
Speaking up in a soft spoken voice she says, “Please, there is no need to bow your heads. We’ll be traveling together from now on, you can’t protect the ore if you’re on your knees.”
Martin, the Bloodhound’s leader, slowly stands up and says, “Thank you, your Holiness,” and after him the rest of his members follow suit.
Looking at the mage of their group the saint gets close to her and says, “I can sense a strong light from you. Are you a practitioner of holy magic?”
“Y-y-yes your Holiness,” the blonde mage stutters.
Brushing one of the mages locks from her face behind her ear the saintess says, “Keep on practicing, you have potential.”
“Th-thank you, your Holiness! I will.”
Next she walks over to John, “It seems you too practice holy magic, though I sense that you are also a practitioner of the dark arts. I can sense you have talent, don’t waste it on dark magic.”
Clenching his teeth he gives a smile and says, “I will consider your words, your Holiness.”
Walking over to Scarlet she says, “I didn’t know you were participating in this quest as well, your Highness. What a coincidence.”
“Yes…What a coincidence. Though please do not address me like that, I am here solely as an adventurer not as a princess.”
“I see…You must have your reasons.”
“As for you…” She says, looking at me, “It’s like looking at an abyss. You’re clad in so much evil I nearly mistook you for a demon.”
Hearing her say this seems to put everyone present on edge.
“I don’t think I am a demon. Though I can’t be sure of that.”
As I say this both John and Scarlet give me a panicked expression and make motions for me to shut up.
“Is that so? Well I don’t think you are. What kind of demon would wear such a pretty barrette?”
She says with a warm smile as she reaches for my barrette causing me to slap her hand away, “Don’t tou-”
I can’t even finish my sentence before a hammer swings down on top of my head but before it can connect it gets stopped by some sort of invisible force and the knight gets pushed away into the wall. Shortly after, I can feel arms around me as a body hugs me from behind and green hair with red berries in them flow down the side of my face as I feel the weight of someone's head resting on top of mine.
A gentle voice of a woman then echoes in the church saying “This one is under my protection.”