Blue

by Silenta-Atestanto

The history of our world is a simple one. The Overlord emerges to terrorize mankind. Then, a Hero emerges to slay him. So the cycle went, until one day it was broken, when a succubus claimed the mantle, seduced the Hero sent to slay her, and created the stalemate of today. But history is rarely ever so straightforward. I should know. I saw the events that would unfold for myself.

10. Chapter 10: Heroes

Chapter 10: Heroes

Damn it.

The thought echoed in Morris's head, over and over again, as he stared at the ceiling from his bunk.

Damn it all to hell.

Once upon a time, Morris would have considered an operation like this beneath him. Some may have been content with the routine and the steady pay, but he saw it as a waste of skill. But sadly, much as he wanted to, he couldn't deny a simple truth: the years were catching up to him. Before meeting Mr. Vargo, Morris thought he would slowly limp into retirement without one last hurrah, but the merchant filled his head with promises- promises of one final glorious beast hunt.

And when Morris's unit received the order to report to the demi-human quarter, it seemed that Mr. Vargo was finally making good on his promise at last. But en route, they were intercepted by the city watch. It was then and there that they learned their employer had been arrested, and all operations of his business were suspended until further notice. The watchmen then surrounded them, and forced them back to their bunkhouse at spearpoint.

As dire as their situation had been, however, Morris's unit were some of the lucky ones- after a few days, they were free to come and go from the bunkhouse as they pleased. Plenty of other units were still completely confined to their barracks as the city watch tried to determine which had been at the demi-human district as it burned. And it seemed the city watch hadn't been lying- word of Vargo's arrest had spread all over the city. And apparently, the instigator had been none other than the Hero Vargo had hired to capture the Ghost of Lohan.

Morris couldn't help but find it all strange. The watch never seemed to care much for the demis before- why the sudden change? Helmand, another member of the unit, speculated that the Hero had put pressure on the Church, who in turn put pressure on the Lord Mayor. His suspicions seemed to fit- apparently, the Crusaders, led by the Archbishop herself, had come down to the demi-human quarter alongside the city watch. Not to mention, the blue-haired boy suddenly skipped town right after Mr. Vargo was arrested. Almost like he was trying to run away from something.

Twice. That blue-haired bastard had interrupted his fun twice. First with the wench skulking around the warehouse district, and then this. But agitated as he was, Morris tried not to let the boy's actions bother him too much; only the gods themselves could protect someone who had slighted Vargo. And they seemed perfectly content to wait up in their heaven. Hero or not, the boy would get his for crossing Vargo. Morris almost pitied him.

But his ruminations were interrupted when a craggy voice came to his ears. It was the only word Morris could use to describe it- it was as if a stone had been given a voice. "Morris, we need to talk."

Morris continued to look up at the ceiling. He didn't need to look to know it was Helmand who addressed him. "About what?"

"You know what. You've been down to the market, you've heard what people are saying- Vargo's under house arrest, and all the guild's operations are suspended. So what the hell are we supposed to do now?"

Morris glanced down at Helmand- a black-haired giant who seemed more bear than man. "We wait. That's what. The Lord Mayor will dismiss all the charges against Vargo, and we'll all have our jobs back, you'll see. In fact, we might be able to negotiate ourselves a better position if we get back on his payroll early enough."

"I think you're missing the big issue here, Morris. The Vargo Group's suspension means we aren't getting paid! I don't mind doing side-jobs for the Fighter's Guild, but this takes too long-"

Helmand's words were interrupted by a knocking at the bunkhouse door. "Dammit…" Morris grumbled as he climbed down from his bunk. "City watch told us they were gonna leave us alone…" He crossed the room, and tore the door open. "What do you want?"

But waiting on the other side of the door was not a member of Lohan's city watch. Instead, it was a girl, with white hair tied into a ponytail with a black bow, dark eyes, and skin as pale as an eggshell. She was clad in a long-sleeved blouse and a wide skirt, both black with red ribbons tied to them, completely covered so that only her face and hands were visible. "Good evening," the pale girl said. "I understand that you are men in the employ of Mr. Kamash Vargo."

"Sure. Who's asking?" Morris replied curtly. It may not have been the city watch, but with everything that had happened, he wasn't about to apologize for being short.

"I had a question I'd like to ask you. Do you know a young man named Abel? Blue hair, rather frail-looking, sharing the company of several young women?"

Right. Abel. That was his name. "'Course I know him. Bastard's the reason I'm out of a job now."

Morris's anger seemed to pass right over the girl's head. "Excellent! My understanding is that he's no longer in the city. Could you tell me where he went?"

Morris looked down at the girl. She was a fair bit shorter than him, and rather young in the face, but even so, she had quite a chest on her. And until Mr. Vargo was released, he'd have to keep a tight hold on his spending, which meant no more visits to the Temple of Eros. Who knew when he'd have another woman? In truth, he didn't know where the blue-haired bastard had gone. But she thought he did.

And that was something he could use to his advantage.

"I know where he went," Morris replied confidently, reaching for the girl's arm. "Why don't you come inside, and we'll talk."

The pale girl smiled up at Morris, and said in a gentle voice, "Keep those filthy hands off of me or I'll remove them for you. "

Morris stopped, but only for a moment. "I'm afraid that's not how this works, dear," he replied, now reaching for the girl's chest. "See, I learned something working under Mr. Vargo. Something called supply and demand. There's something you want, and I-"

Morris's hand suddenly fell away, cleanly severed as if by an invisible blade.

The mercenary stumbled back, looking at the stump where his hand had been. The cut was so clean- even now, he didn't feel a thing. As if his body hadn't realized his hand was gone yet.

It never would. The pale girl whipped her hand through the air in front of her, and Morris fell to pieces in front of her, blood splattering over her. She then stepped into the bunkhouse, into the red puddle that had once been Morris, yanking the door firmly shut behind her. "Now I don't like to repeat myself," Joanna said, the fresh blood still flowing down her body. "But seeing as how none of you are especially bright, I think it would be to your benefit if I did." Her eyes began to shine, giving off a bloody red light. "A boy named Abel should have come through the city recently. And in the name of my mistress, Lady Luxuria, you are going to tell me exactly where he went."

---

"You know, I've been meaning to ask you something, Raine," Abel said, laying a card with five red dots on the pile.

"Oh? What is it?" she asked playfully in return, laying out a card with five black dots in turn. "You can ask me anything, y'know. Even all the questions you're too embarrassed to ask your girlfriend. So lay it on me, Blue, c'mon!"

Before, Raine's comment would have made Abel's heart leap and his stomach clench from nervousness. It still did, but not nearly to the same extent as it had before. And not enough to stop him from asking, "What's a warp rabbit?"

Raine looked at Abel silently. Perhaps he was merely misinterpreting her expression, but she seemed… almost offended by his question. But after a few moments, she replied:

"Warp rabbits were a monster species from the north parts of Ermis. They had horns imbued with magic that let them teleport short distances. People used to hunt them to make teleportation amulets from their horns. No one's seen one in years though, so lots of scholars think they're extinct now."

"Wait, I thought there were spells that could let people teleport," Abel said. Or at least, that's how the stories always described wizards- capable of using magic to create explosions that could flatten mountains and cross vast distances in the blink of an eye.

"There are, but they're very high-level- only the best mages can cast them. And even those can only move someone a short distance. Like 'from one side of the ship to the other' short. Forget about teleporting across Lohan, for example- the best teleportation spell can't even get you all the way across the main thoroughfare." Raine suddenly shot to her feet, slamming a card on the table- nine golden dots, and the last card in her hand. "Bang! Finally won a round!"

Niel flew up, dropping her two cards- until now, she'd been in the lead. "What!? Oh, you cheater, you were using this conversation to distract us this whole time, weren't you!?"

"Hey, misdirection is a fundamental aspect of warfare, Parrot," Raine replied, before rubbing her chin. "Right, anyway, since I won, I should get a prize. …Oh, I know! Blue, show me that sword you made the other day."

"What- now?" Abel asked, taken aback.

"Yes, now!" the witch insisted.

Reluctantly, Abel held up his hand, ensuring his palm was safely pointing away from anyone, and concentrated, imagining a sword made from the sun's rays. In an instant, a beam of light emerged from his hand, compressing itself into the shape of a sword. It shone with a brilliant white light, and in the quiet of the Princess Louvia's hold, Abel realized the blade made a faint hum, as if cutting through the air merely through its presence alone.

"Whoa…" Raine reached out her hand as if to touch the sword, but quickly stopped herself. Instead, she asked, "So, what's it feel like?"

"It's… weird," he replied, voice strained as he focused. "It doesn't have any weight to it like a real sword."

"Well, it is made of light," Holly said. "So I guess that makes sense."

After only a few moments, the sword began to flicker, before vanishing entirely. Abel's outstretched arm dropped, and he slumped in his seat, breathing heavily. "Aw, that's all I get?" Raine asked in disappointment. "Isn't it a bit late to be having performance anxiety? Or is it because your girlfriend isn't watching?

"Luminous Projection is a high-level skill, even for angels," Niel said. "It's impressive that Abel can manifest anything, even if it's only for a few seconds." The angel then gave Raine a withering glare. "Though I doubt your commentary is doing much to help."

"Well if it's a skill, it just means he's gotta practice till he gets good at it," the witch said, before looking to Abel with an odd gleam in her eye. "By the way Blue, if you ever wanna-"

"If you plan to keep your tongue, you'll keep the rest of that sentence to yourself," Niel snapped, cutting Raine off.

"Niel!" Abel said. Exchanges between the two could get heated at times, but this was the first time he'd ever heard Niel openly threaten Raine like that.

But if Raine was offended, she didn't show it as she shuffled the cards in preparation for the next round. "It's okay, Blue," she said. "Being hard is how some people show they care about others."

Niel picked up her cards, grumbling, "Imaginative, aren't we…"

Three days had passed since the encounter with the kraken. The Princess Louvia sailed on to its destination, propelled by Poseidon's power. Abel had been worried that hard feelings would remain between Captain Baird's crew and the pirates, a fear that quickly proved justified, but both Baird and Cinquedea were quick to stymie any conflict before it could escalate further by swiftly and openly disciplining any who tried to disrupt the newly established order. Relations between the two captains themselves, however, seemed rather distant. Though with everything that happened, Abel surmised it wasn't without reason.

Abel still practiced flying after their encounter with the kraken, but his sessions were much less intensive than when they first set sail- after a few practice flights, it seemed he'd overcome whatever hurdle was holding him back as he darted across the sky with a bird's speed, if nothing else. He still became fatigued rather quickly after even a short flight, but Niel assured him that with time and continued practice, he would be able to remain airborne for longer before needing to rest.

So, having accomplished his goal of learning to fly, Abel set his sights elsewhere. Specifically, to his companions. After his flight practice, he went down into the hold to play that strange card game with Raine and the others. He still didn't understand all the rules yet, and he had yet to win even a single round of the game so far, but he didn't mind- winning wasn't his objective.

The cards were dealt, and the next round had begun. As Abel looked over his hand, struggling to remember what the card with the blue knight drawn on it did, he said, "Holly, you mentioned before that you were from Vulkan, right? Where in Vulkan?"

"Huh?" The mercenary seemed surprised at first, but answered, "I'm from a small town in the west half of the country, between the capital and the border with Peryn. I'd be surprised if it was marked on any maps made outside Vulkan."

Abel tilted his head. That was strange. He could have sworn Holly originally said she was from a town closer to the border with Peryn.

"Where did that come from?" Niel said, largely to herself, as she laid out one of her cards- a black 3.

Abel continued: "You also said you had a sister. Does she live there? And, do you have any other family?"

"No. It's just us," the mercenary replied with a sad tone. "My mother died not long after I was born, and my father was killed in a border skirmish after being conscripted for the army."

So she was alone too. Well, perhaps not entirely. "That must've been hard for her," Abel said. "Taking care of you on her own."

Holly shook her head. "It wasn't as bad as it could've been. My sister was already ten years old when I was born, and we didn't lose our father until I was seven. And we had people to look out for us after he was gone."

Abel felt an odd twinge in his stomach. He couldn't help but wonder how differently his life might have gone, if he'd had an older sibling to look after him.

"So, this sister of yours…" Raine began, seemingly having had enough of being ignored. "Does she have a name?"

Holly was… strangely silent for several moments, as if carefully considering her reply. But eventually, she answered, "It's… Alisa."

"Huh. Well we'll definitely need to swing by your hometown once all of this is over. If your sister's anything like you, then…" Raine then made a strange noise that sounded like… a growl, as her eyes lingered on the mercenary's chest. For some reason, it made the skin on the back of Abel's neck prickle, and he shuddered.

Niel looked to Raine with a glare and said sternly, "Control yourself, you animal. Or else we'll start keeping you on a leash."

Abel and the others had made only a few plays when Lailah came clambering down the narrow stairwell leading into the hold. After several breaths, she excitedly said, "Everyone, come up to the deck! We've almost reached the harbor!" In an instant, the game was forgotten, the cards left in scattered piles as Abel and the others raced up to the deck. When the young man had asked Lailah what Lescatie was like, the priestess's descriptions were surprisingly sparse- she would say only that the city was "a bastion of order and stability in a chaotic world." Lailah had never failed to answer any of Abel's questions before, so the city must have truly been breathtaking if she was left with no other words to describe it. He couldn't wait to lay eyes on it for himself.

As soon as Abel emerged from below decks, he saw a great mountain of grey and brown stone rising up from the sea ahead, towering over the ship. He and his companions gathered at the bow, and at the foot of the mountain…

"There it is," Lailah said. "Lescatie."

As Abel looked out at the cluster of white buildings on the shore, he was struck by how… small it seemed. Granted, compared to Lohan, any city would have seemed small, but as the headquarters of the Church, he expected something more… grandiose. Even as the Princess Louvia drew closer, the city didn't seem to grow any larger. But as they neared, and its pristine, perfectly uniform buildings of white stone and perfectly straight streets could be seen with greater clarity, Abel could not deny that the priestess's words had been accurate.

From aboard the ship, at least, Lescatie appeared a perfect bastion of order and stability.

As he leaned against the railing at the bow, gazing out over the water, he heard Lailah mutter something in a low voice, almost like she was trying not to be heard: "Cdub." Stop.

Confused, he looked to the priestess and asked, "Stop what?"

"Huh?" Lailah looked back, seemingly equally confused, before her expression changed to one of pure panic. "Oh! Uh-" she stammered, eyes darting around as if searching for something."m "You know… Lescatie is the last place most pilgrims visit! The end of the road! The last stop! You know?"

Her explanation left Abel unconvinced. Though he hadn't known her for long, he'd never seen Lailah so panicked, not even when he was in danger. But, why? And the way she reacted at first… it was as if she hadn't expected Abel to understand her. But before he could ponder any further, Lailah suddenly thrust out her hand, pointing toward the city. "Anyway! See that building on the side of the mountain, with the golden dome?" Abel did, in fact, see it. "That's the Basilica. It's where Heroes receive the Praetor's blessing before setting out on their quest."

Now she was trying to distract him from the question. She'd never done that before. But with their destination so close, Abel decided that, whatever may have been bothering Lailah, now wasn't the best time to pry.

Although the city itself appeared perfectly ordered, the same could not be said of Lescatie's harbor. The helmsman carefully steered the Princess Louvia around a spider's web of wooden docks and structures standing on stilts that crossed the water's surface, as well as other ships. Their passing drew many eyes, though not without reason- it was nothing short of a miracle that their battered ship was still afloat, much less sailing on.

The ship finally slowed to a halt alongside a wooden pier. Lines were cast and tied, the anchor was lowered, and a bridge spanning the gap between the ship and the pier was set into place. Once the tasks were finished, and word was relayed to Captain Baird, he strode to the center of the ship, beneath the broken mast, and called out in a clear voice:

"Alright lads, listen up! I know none of these last few days has been easy on any of us. Ya've shouldered more than yer fair share of hardship. More's happened these past few days than some sailors see in their whole lives. But through yer efforts, we've made it to port in one piece. So to reward ya fer all yer hard work, 'til noon tomorrow, I'm givin' all of ya the liberty ta leave the ship and do as you please. Get yerselves some rest. Ya damn well earned it."

Whoops and cheers erupted from the crew, andand they clambered across the brow to the pier, until Cinquedea's voice cut through the clamor: "Baird may have cut you loose, but don't you dare think you're free to do whatever you want. Go stirring up any trouble out there, and you won't have to worry about the local guards- I'll come and kill you myself." After a few moments, the crew continue to disembark, albeit with a great deal less enthusiasm.

As his crew departed, Baird approached Abel and the others. "Well, I s'pose this is where we part ways, lad. Best of luck in yer dealin's with the Church."

"What will you do now?" Abel asked.

Baird looked back, at the broken mast rising from the center of the deck. "First, obviously, is that we need ta get the Princess Louvia fixed. After that… well, that's a conversation between myself and my co-captain. You don't need ta worry 'bout us, though. We aren't hurtin' fer work. There're plenty of guilds in other ports who need ships ta carry their wares, and the Arielian's a good enough place fer fishin'."

At that moment, Abel happened to see a hunched figure emerge from below deck. She had traded the Ghost's black attire for the tattered brown clothes Abel had first met her in, her hair was disheveled, dark circles surrounded her eyes, and her mouth was pressed into a tight line, as if she had caught something in her mouth and was trying to keep it from getting out.

"Seth?" he called out.

"Oh, look who finally decided to join us," Raine said. But Seth said nothing as shuffled to the brow, hands over her stomach.

"Wait, where are you going?" Holly called.

Seth finally stopped and looked back. "I'm getting myself off this damn boat and onto some solid ground." The thief didn't wait for a reply as she continued to shuffle down to the pier.

"We should follow her example," Lailah said. "We finally made it to Lescatie, so there's really no excuse for further delays." The priestess had a point, so Abel followed Seth across the brow to the dock. But he quickly realized something was amiss halfway across the bridge, and he looked back. Raine hadn't followed him. She was still standing on the deck of the Louvia, right in front of the brow, but hadn't stepped onto it.

He stopped, which made Lailah and Holly stop as well. "Raine, is there something wrong?"

Raine didn't answer.

Abel turned, and began crossing back across the brow. "Raine, you are coming with us, aren't you?"

Raine sighed. "…guess there's no way around it…" she said. "My contract with the primordial fire spirit comes with some stipulations. One of them is that I can't set foot on ground consecrated by other faiths. Otherwise, I'll lose my brand, and my ability to use magic."

Niel emerged from within Abel, narrowing her eyes at the witch. "Are you sure this 'fire spirit' you formed a pact with isn't actually a demon in disguise?"

Abel couldn't help but recall the witch's strange behavior at the Pioneer's Cathedral. And it seemed he wasn't the only one. "That reminds me… you wouldn't go in the cathedral when we visited the Archbishop, either," Holly said.

"It isn't just Lescatie, though," Lailah added. "As the Order's domain, all of Apollonia is consecrated. Are you sure just being this close to the island won't violate your pact?"

"I'm fine. See?" Raine held out her right hand, showing the circle inscribed on her palm. "As long as I don't actually set foot on the island itself, I should be fine. Technically, I could go around the docks, but it would probably be best not to take any chances."

"I… I'm sorry…" Abel said. "I… I didn't-"

"Hey, come on Blue, don't look so down," Raine said, her tone instantly shifting to become more upbeat. "Even if I can't come with you, you still get to share the company of three lovely young ladies. So go enjoy yourself! Just try not to bring any of them back pregnant, alright?"

"Witch!" Niel instantly snapped. Lailah replied with a shocked, "Wh- Raine!" Holly squeaked, laying her hands over her stomach. Seth said nothing, but her face darkened. But Abel merely tilted his head, confused. Pregnant? What did that mean?

Suddenly, Niel flitted in front of Abel, and held out her arms. At once, he felt something he couldn't see push against him, forcing him across the brow toward the pier. Whatever force also affected Lailah and Holly, as they stumbled back as well. "Alright, that's quite enough of that for today. We have business elsewhere." As she pushed him onto the pier, he heard the angel mutter, "Honestly, it's like all she does is sit around thinking up new ways to embarrass all of us…"

Seth was already waiting for Abel and the others on the pier, the latter already beginning to look much more lively now that she was on relatively solid ground. Abel looked back at Raine, still looking at them from the deck of the battered Princess Louvia. He could understand why their passing drew so many stares now, as the scars left by the pirates' cannons and the kraken were much more visible from the exterior of the ship.

The kraken…

Remembering something, Abel turned to Lailah. "Lailah, is there a Fighter's Guild here?"

"Huh? Why?" Holly asked, before remembering: "Oh, right! We did take something from that kraken, didn't we?"

"There is a branch here," Lailh began, "but it's very small, and doesn't accept members. Monsters rarely appear in Apollonia, and the ones that do are hunted by the Crusaders stationed here. They should still pay in exchange for materias, though. Let's see if we can find their guildhall."

Finding the Fighter's Guild proved much less difficult than expected- unlike Lohan, the streets were largely empty, and even though all of the city's buildings were identical in design, they flew various banners with script and symbols that identified their purpose. And the banner of the Fighter's Guild- red, emblazoned with a silver shield laid over two crossed swords- was recognized over the vast majority of the civilized world. Though when they entered, the hall was almost completely empty, save for the people behind the counter- even Hokes's guildhall, small as it had been, had a handful of mercenaries for hire.

A woman behind the counter with glasses and sand-colored hair tied into two braids straightened up when they entered. "Oh, w-welcome to the Fighter's Guild! This branch isn't accepting applicants, but we are open to visitors."

Abel approached the counter. "We have material we'd like to sell."

"Well, we can certainly take that off your hands. What do you have?" Abel pulled a chitinous mass from his pocket and set it on the counter- the mass was not much larger than his fist, and as black as the night sky. The woman behind the counter picked it up, straining as the mass was much heavier than it looked, and examined it. Her eyes went wide almost instantly. "This… this is a kraken beak." She looked up, wide-eyed. "Where in the world did you get this?"

"By slaying a kraken," Seth said bluntly. "Obviously."

The woman behind the counter called over her associates to examine the beak. After they determined it was genuine, they began appraising it to determine its value. After a few minutes, Abel and his companions emerged from the guildhall with their payment. "I can't believe they only gave us four hundred lira for that beak," Seth grumbled.

"I can't believe that the kraken you killed was only a juvenile, Abel," Holly added, as the four continued down the street."Does that mean the adults are even bigger?"

"It did seem a bit small…" Lailah said.

Abel looked to the priestess, incredulous. "That was small to you?"

Lailah brought a hand to her chin. "I only got a glimpse of its full length, but I'd say it was about thirty pedes long. The Church archives say that the average adult kraken is about seventy pedes , and many believe they grow even bigger than that."

That thought sent a chill down Abel's spine. The kraken he'd killed, the one that sank the pirates' ship and attempted to do the same with the Princess Louvia… there were others more than twice its size, swimming around in the ocean at that very moment? And they weren't alone- the pirates who'd survived told tales of shark-men, crabs the size of small islands, whatever a "scylla" was supposed to be, and other creatures so horrific, words completely and utterly failed to describe them. It was a small wonder anyone so much as dared to place even a single foot in the ocean, much less sail across it in fragile, leaky wooden ships. Perhaps, as Captain Baird said, it was only through the protection of Poseidon that humans managed.

"By the way, Abel," Seth said, cutting into his thoughts. "Doesn't this path lead back to the harbor?"

The path they took did go back to the port, and there was a very specific reason why Abel had returned. Fortunately, the weather-beaten blonde man and eyepatch-wearing purple-haired woman were easy to spot. They had their backs to him, talking to a second man- tall and shirtless. He must have been in charge of the harbor. As he neared, Abel heard the shirtless man say, "…we'll do what we can for you, but we aren't miracle workers. To be honest, it may be better to find a new ship altogether."

"I see…" Baird said, voice solemn.

Cinquedea looked toward Baird as the second man walked away. "I told you," she said. "I might not have spent my whole life on the seas like you, but I've been around ships long enough to know when one's a lost cause." The pirate then noticed Abel approaching, fully turning to face him. "Why the hell are you still hanging around here? Don't you have business elsewhere?"

"How much would it take to get your ship repaired?" he asked Baird.

The captain turned to face Abel. "I told you, lad- let us worry about that."

"I'm part of the reason why your ship ended up how it is. I should do something to make it right." Abel tossed the pouch toward the two. Cinquedea was the one to catch it. "The Fighter's Guild gave us four hundred lira for the beak of the kraken I killed. I want you to use it to fix your ship."

Cinquedea looked at the pouch in surprise. "Wait, what?"

"When someone does a job for you, you're supposed to pay for their services. I don't know how much four hundred lira is worth, but you need it a lot more than we do." Abel turned away. "That's all. We'll be getting back to our business."

Abel began to walk away, before either Baird or Cinquedea could say anything. In fact, it took a few moments for his companions to snap out of their stunned state and catch up to him."Abel, that…" Seth began to say.

"That was completely unnecessary, you know," Niel said. "I'm sure whatever money Beatrix paid him would have covered the cost of repairs. Four hundred lira is only… thirty dinars, at most. Money that would've been more useful in your wallet."

But Abel ignored the angel. He looked around, before spotting a hurling with a golden dome rising over the city. "Okay Lailah…" he began. "How do we get to that Basilica from here?"

"Um… I'm… not sure…" Lailah replied slowly.

"You… don't know?" Holly asked, sounding incredulous. "But I thought every member of the Church was trained here."

"It's true that every member of the Order begins their training on Apollonia…" Seth began, "…but that happens in other cities on the island. Lescatie is more of a ceremonial city than a place for people to actually live in. Really, the only permanent residents are the Crusader garrison stationed here, the temple attendants, and the people who run the inns."

Abel looked at Seth, surprised. How did she know that? And was that why Lailah had been so evasive earlier? Because she had never been to Lescatie for herself?

Seth looked away, folding her arms over her chest. "Vargo insisted that I receive a full education growing up. He had no intention of letting me inherit his business of course, but he wanted to ensure that I was more than just a pretty trinket to hand over to his future son-in-law."

So that's what it was. But, what the thief had said made sense. From the moment he set foot in the city, Abel couldn't help but feel as though something was amiss about Lescatie. Compared to Lohan, it seemed far too… clean, too orderly for such an important city. As though Lescatie was little more than a grand, but empty façade.

And that was because… that was precisely what it was.

"So, where are new initiates trained then?" Holly asked.

"Training of new initiates is conducted in three cities: Roux, Praidwynn, and Jibril," Seth replied. "Which city an initiate goes to depends on what part of the world they were recruited from. Once an initiate's training is complete, and their aptitudes are determined, they're sent to one of the other cities for more specialized training."

"That's… all correct," Lailah said. "I was originally from Ermis, so I was trained in Praidwynn. And after that…" The four went deeper into the city. Fortunately, the golden dome of the Basilica rose high above any other structure in Lescatie, serving as the perfect beacon for them to follow. And before long, they found themselves standing before an enormous cluster of buildings, visibly separated from the rest of Lescatie, packed so closely together that they seemed to form a wall against the outside world.

"Here we are," Seth said. "The Holy See. This complex contains St. Margaret's Square, St. Margaret's Basilica, the Praetorian Archives, the College of Cardinals, and the residence of the current Praetor."

"I wonder if any other Heroes are here right now…" Abel said. He looked around, before spotting a pair of Crusaders standing by a large gate of black iron, each with a long weapon int their hands that resembled a mix between a spear and an axe. He walked to the gate, but the Crusaders barred the gate with their weapons.

"St. Margaret's Square is not open to the public today," the guard on the left said. "The Praetor is hosting important guests at this time."

Abel and the others looked at the Crusaders in silence, the soldiers staring back, until a scratchy voice spoke up in Abel's head: "Abel, what are you waiting for? Tell them you're here to receive the Praetor's blessing."

"Th- …That's why we're here," Abel stammered. "I'm here to receive the Praetor's blessing."

"I'm sure you are," the guard replied, unmoved.

"Wait," the second guard said- he was male, like the first, but from the sound of his voice, must not have been much older than Abel himself. "I think this might be one of the Heroes we're waiting for. He matches the description: blue hair, skinny, traveling with a bunch of women…"

Why was that always the thing that stood out to others, Abel wondered. But before he could ponder that further, the younger guard stepped forward. "Is it true that you have wings made of light? I wanna see! Show me!"

Abel could help but be put off by the guard's sudden shift. The sudden attention made him feel uneasy. At the same time, Niel said in his head, "It looks like you have a fan, Abel."

The older guard stepped forward as well. "Alright then, if you really are one of the Heroes seeking the Praetor's blessing, then show us your Mark."

"Mark?" Abel asked, taken aback.

"When a mortal is chosen to be a god's Champion, their patron places a Mark upon their body to indicate their allegiance. Surely you know that much, at least."

Needless to say, this was Abel's first time hearing about such a thing. And he hadn't noticed any new "marks" appearing on his body. Aside from his scar, but he very much doubted that was what the Crusader meant. So he was caught off-guard when Lailah ordered, "Abel, turn around and take your shirt off."

Abel crossed his arms across his chest defensively. "W-What?"

Equally surprised, Holly began, "Lailah, you can't just tell Abel to-"

But Lailah cut her off, stating matter-of-factly, "I told you before, Abel, I've seen all of you before. And I think I might know where this Mark is."

Reluctantly, Abel took off his breastplate, and began unbuttoning his shirt. He was glad Raine wasn't around to see this- it was embarrassing enough as it was, and her commentary would not have helped the situation. Once his back was exposed, he heard Lailah say, "This should satisfy you."

Abel could feel the Crusaders' eyes on his back. "What sort of Mark is that?" the younger one asked.

He jolted when he felt someone prod the space between his shoulder blades with his fingers. "Well, it's genuine," the older Crusader replied. "He may be the Champion of a minor deity." Then in a more stern voice, the guard said, "It seems you are one of the Heroes the Praetor has been expecting. You may proceed. But I remind you that you are a guest here by the grace of the Church. As such, you and your party will conduct yourselves in an appropriate manner."

Abel quickly dressed himself as the two guards pushed the gate open. As he and his companions proceeded through the gate and into the tunnel beyond, Abel heard Holly ask, "Does that happen a lot? People pretending to be Heroes?"

"It's not extremely common, but it's not entirely…" Lailah trailed off. It was apparent why: sounds were echoing down the tunnel. The unmistakable sound of steel striking against steel.

"Someone's fighting up ahead," Seth said, before swiftly rushing ahead of the others.

Abel chased after her. "Hey, hold on! It's not safe!" He followed her into an open square, with an enormous staircase across from the tunnel, leading up to the building with the golden dome. But instantly, Abel's attention was drawn to two figures near the center of the square. Two men, fighting. But they were so fast, he could barely keep up with their movements. They seemed to vanish, reappearing for a split-second as their weapons clashed, only to vanish again.

Then one of the figures broke away. He had dark curly hair and even darker skin, clad in clothing that was a blinding white. He held a silver staff with claws at each end. He brought his hand to the center of the staff- incredibly, the staff began to bend, a string of light connecting the ends, like a bow. He drew back the string of light, before loosing it, an arrow of light launching at his opponent. The other man, a grey-haired man clad in armor made of furs, braced himself, before swinging the axe in his hands with all his might, batting the arrow of light aside…

…and directly towards Seth.

Abel instantly rushed forward, pushing Seth back. "Divine Armor!" He crossed his arms in front of him defensively, bracing for the impact.

But, in seemingly the blink of an eye, a figure darted in-between Abel's group and the bolt. Drawing a gleaming silver sword from a scabbard on his belt, the figure swung with all their might, and batted the bolt of light into the sky. The intense light from the bolt faded, and after several breaths, the figure turned toward them, and asked in a gentle voice, "Are you alright?"

The figure before them was a tall man, clad in the blue-and-silver armor of a Crusader, sans helmet. His hair was long, golden, pulled into a tight ponytail that trailed all the way down to his waist. But what struck Abel the most was that the man was… incredibly handsome. Holly must have thought so as well, as her reply was a disjointed, "W-We, uh… f-f-fine."

The Crusader smiled briefly, before setting his face into a stern glare and turning to the other two. "I told you, this wasn't a place for fighting."

The other two men approached the Crusader. "In my homeland, you can't say that you truly know a man until you cross blades with him," the grey-haired one said. Was that true, Abel wondered. The boys back in Seles seemed to get on well enough. But then again, he was there as a common target they could all unite against.

"I shouldn't need to remind you, but we aren't in your homeland right now," the blonde man said.

"Hmph." The grey-haired man turned away, sliding his axe into a sheath on his back. "Without the will to use it, a blade is just a piece of metal. As a knight, I would think you would know that."

The curly-haired man reached up, running his fingers through his hair, and approached. "I'm truly sorry about that," he said in a smooth voice. "I would've been more careful if I'd known some lovely ladies would be visiting." He extended a hand to Lailah- it seemed he didn't notice Abel at all. The priestess simply looked at the man, but didn't take his hand. He extended his hand to Holly, then to Seth, but when they didn't take his hand either, he quickly stalked away, muttering.

The Crusader looked back to Abel and his companions, sheathing his sword. "Please, allow me to apologize on their behalf," he said. "They've been kept waiting for some time, and I'm afraid tensions are mounting."

Waiting? Had they been waiting for Abel to arrive? But before he could ask, Seth said, "Wait, I know you. Aren't you… Prince Roland?"

The Crusader placed a hand on his breastplate, "Indeed I am. Though I'm only a second prince. I've never much cared for my title." His gaze then shifted to Abel. "And you must be Abel and his companions. I've heard quite a lot about you, though I can't help but notice one of you is missing."

"Y-You have?" According to the stories, princes were the sons of kings. Very important people. Far too important to know a random common person like Abel by name.

"You-You know… who…" Holly stammered.

"Of course. Quelling a riot, exposing Kamash Vargo's crimes, capturing the Ghost of Lohan… I doubt there's a single church on the shores of the Arielian that hasn't heard your name. You may not have been a Hero for long, but your deeds are quite impressive." Roland smiled, as if he were genuinely proud of all of them.

"I… see…" Abel replied. He wasn't quite sure how to respond. He had been praised by a prince, and for deeds he hadn't even accomplished at that.

Abel couldn't help but feel himself shrink in Roland's presence.

"Who were those two just now?" Lailah asked.

"Cavall and Shavran, Sister. Heroes from the lands of Brighid and Dimitra. There are others as well. Would you like to meet them?"

"There are more of you?" Abel asked, incredulous.

"Quite. The churches across the land report that seven Heroes in all have been chosen. This is likely the first time Lescatie has ever hosted so many Heroes all at once." Roland led the group away from the tunnel and to the stairs. Abel looked around- there were other buildings, with facades great and small, with their own flights of stairs, but none matched the grandeur of the Basilica's. And it was only now that Abel noticed that there were others, seated on the stairs.

Roland pointed to one of them, visibly seated apart from the others: A narrow-eyed woman, with dark hair woven into two short braids, wearing glasses and clad in a sleeveless dark red shirt, cream-colored trouser that only reached her calves, and sandals. "That woman there is Xiao. She was actually the first to arrive, though as Champion of Hermes, I suppose that would be expected."

He began to point to another, but one of the people sitting on the steps stood. She was… an incredibly tall woman, with dark skin and black hair, clad in thin strips of fabric that barely covered her at all. Abel looked away, having no clue where to look, but the woman walked straight up to him, and placed both hands on the sides of his face, forcing him to look up at her. After regarding him for several moments, she finally said, "…Le. Mhux int." and turned away. He understood her strange words at once: No. You are not the one.

As the strange woman walked away, Holly asked the obvious question. "What… just happened?"

"That was Thelas. From what we understand, she's the Champion of Artemis, or at least her people's interpretation of her," Roland replied. "She came from a land in the distant west, far beyond the shores of Peryn. From what our translation experts can surmise, she was sent to our lands to find someone."

"Why… are you all waiting?" It seemed Holly had managed to find her words once more.

"All chosen Heroes must be present before the Praetor will confer her blessings. Now that you've arrived, only one Hero remains." Roland turned. "Now, I think I should speak to those two once more. I don't want our final visitor to receive any… surprises." The prince then parted from their company.

So he wasn't the last to arrive. That was a bit of a relief to Abel. But then, he felt a strange prodding in his back. "Abel?" Lailah said. "Seth told us she's been to the Holy See before, so she's gonna show us around the square. You'll be okay introducing yourself to the other Heroes, won't you?"

"Uh, sure," he replied. Introducing himself to his fellow Heroes made sense- after all, they likely would be working together at some point. He looked around, searching for the least intimidating of the Heroes present, before settling on a man seated at the very bottom of the Basilica's steps- he had black hair and narrow eyes, the sides of his head clean-shaven. A cloak was draped over his body, but the clothes he wore underneath were strange- form-fitting, yet reflective. In his mouth he held a small white stick, a wisp of smoke rising from its tip.

The man looked up, noticing Abel's approach. "You seem like an outsider," he said. "That would make two of us." The man reached up, and took the stick from his mouth, exhaling a large cloud of smoke.

Abel's attention was instantly drawn to the man's hands. "Your arms…" They were made of metal! But they moved so smoothly, as if they had always been a part of his body.

"Are made of metal, yeah," the man replied as he put the stick back in his mouth, finishing Abel's sentence as if this wasn't the first time someone had said it to him. "Name's Theo."

"I'm… Abel," Abel replied distractedly. He couldn't take his eyes off the man's arms, and asked absently, "Where are you from?" A place where people had arms made of metal… he couldn't even begin to imagine where such a place could exist. Certainly not in this world, of that much he was certain.

"Ever heard of a place called Akiton?" Theodore asked. Abel shook his head. "Can't say I'm surprised. Seems like most people in this world haven't."

This world? What did he mean by that? But before Abel could inquire further, a ring of green light appeared around Theodore, and he seized, as if suddenly restrained. At the same time, a shrill voice called, "What do you think you're doing, Theoden!?"

Abel tuned. But Theo remained sitting, merely slowly turning his head to the source of the voice. It was a girl, with long, flowing white hair, wearing a black coat and skirt with gold accents. There was an emblem embroidered on the left side of the coat's chest, though he didn't know its meaning.

The girl pushed past Abel, and glared down at Theo. "I told you you were not to speak to anyone when not in my presence!" She quickly turned to Abel. "Please pay no attention to my familiar. As a demon, every word that leaves his mouth is a lie."

A demon? Abel looked back at the man- Theodore. Metal arms aside, he seemed perfectly ordinary. And surely if he was a demon, Niel would have responded to his presence.

The girl turned to Abel. "Anyway. My name is Fio Ballardie, of House Ballardie. Our family has produced some of the most powerful mages to ever come out of Mavors." The girl emphasized her name, as though it should have meant something to him. "I'm not sure who you are, but from your appearance, it's obvious that you were drawn up from the lower ends of society. So please do me a favor and try not to speak to me too often. Or look my way too often. Or stand too close to me."

"I told you already, my name is Theodore. Theodore Dinh. Not Theoden," Theo said.

"You be quiet!" Fio snapped back. "You've already caused enough trouble as it is, devil…"

Abel decided that he would have no issue complying with the girl's demands. He also made a mental note to pass on what he'd learned to Raine when this was over. Perhaps she or one of her "super secret sources of info" would know more about these other Heroes.

Suddenly, the air was filled with a faint roar. It grew, louder and louder, until suddenly, a giant flew over the outer wall of the Holy See, landing directly in the middle of the square. It truly was a giant- shaped like a person made of steel, and standing nearly three times Abel's height.

Instantly, Abel focused, sword of light appearing in his hands. But when he tried to move, he felt as if something were holding him back. "Abel, no!" Niel ordered.

"But… but…giant metal man!" Why was she trying to stop him? And the other Heroes were just looking at the giant. Why was everyone so calm? For that matter, where were the guards?

Suddenly, the giant began to kneel. Several metal plates surrounding the giant's chest slid aside, and a young woman clambered out. Her hair was nearly white, with the faintest tinge of pink to it, and she wore a strange black-and-red outfit that clung to almost the entirety of her body, leaving only her head exposed but leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. As she climbed down the metal giant, she called, "Hey, sorry! Sorry! I know I'm late, but I forgot about the time difference and…"

Her words trailed off when her gaze fell on Abel, and she quickly made her way over to him. "Oh. Hey there," the pink-haired girl said. "Abel, right?" She then slipped a hand under Abel's chin and turned his head to look at her, her bright, almost glowing blue eyes sweeping over him. "Huh… not as handsome as the intelligence reports said you were…."

Abel couldn't even stammer out a reply. Intelligence report? What was this girl talking about? And she was so forward. He couldn't help but immediately think of Raine.

The pink-haired girl suddenly backed off. "Sorry. Should've introduced myself. Name's Lavian, but you can just call me Len. Champion of Minerva. Republic of Minerva."

Republic of Minerva? Abel didn't recall seeing any country by that name on his map. But then again, it didn't have any lands to the west of Peryn, either. Perhaps it wasn't entirely up-to-date. But more importantly… "G-G-G… giant?"

"Huh?" The girl looked back. "Oh, you mean my Relic? Yeah, Nine-Ball can be pretty intimidating. But don't worry. I only use it on bad guys."

Metal giants, metal arms, staves that could shoot arrows of light… and all he had was an amulet that could point at things. Abel couldn't help but feel terribly inadequate. Compared to the others, he didn't feel like much of a Hero at all.

Then, the square was filled with a tremendous creaking, as if an enormous door was being opened. Abel looked around, trying to find the source. Then, he saw that a large door at the top of the staircase in front of the Basilica had opened, and a bearded man dressed in black and purple robes had emerged, his head covered by a black hood. He descended the stairs, stopping a few steps from the bottom.

"On behalf of the Praetor and the Order, I welcome you to Lescatie," the priest said. "Now that everyone is here, we may begin with the ceremony. Please follow me."

"Oh, perfect timing! Let's go!" Lavian didn't wait, rushing past Abel and bounding up the steps. She wasn't the only one- the other Heroes were climbing up the steps as well. Lailah, Holly, and Seth began to ascend, only for the priest to hold up his hand and stop them.

"I am afraid that only the chosen Heroes may proceed into the Basilica. Your companions must remain behind." His attention shifted to the white-haired girl. "I'm afraid you must remain behind as well, Miss Ballardie."

"What?" she cried out in a shrill voice. "How can you trust that demon to-" Whatever she said next was cut off when he passed through the threshold of the Basilica's main door.

The Basilica's interior reminded Abel of the Piioneer's Cathedral in Lohan, but on a much, much grander scale, filled with what had to have been dozens upon dozens of rows of pews. It was likely that the entire Abbey back in Hokes could comfortably fit inside of it. High overhead, the great dome he saw outside glittered as the sun shone through it, filling the massive chamber with light. And at the far end of the chamber, as with the Cathedral, stood a towering statue of a winged, stern-faced woman- It was so massive that even at his distance, Abel was certain that if he and his companions with the stand upon one another's shoulders, they would not have matched its height. As with the Pioneer's Cathedral, able couldn't help but marvel. Everything was so massive… how had ordinary people managed to build such a structure on their own.l?

Abel followed the other Heroes to the other end of the Basilica, where he noticed a large, ornate white chair resting on a raised dais at the feet of the enormous statue. A throne- there was no other way to describe it. And what's more, the throne was occupied. As Abel drew near, he saw that a priestess was seated in the throne, clad in robes of dark green, her hood raised, thick locks of wavy brown hair pulled to cover her left eye.

Once all the Heroes had assembled before the dais, the seated woman stood. But before she could say anything, Roland took a step forward. "Friede? Is that really you, Friede?"

"Prince Roland…" the woman in the green robe began.

Roland raced up the dais steps. "I-I can't believe this. I know you haven't been writing as many letters, but I didn't realize…" He let out a sigh. "It's wonderful to see you again."

She smiled faintly at the prince. "Yes, Prince Roland, I am glad to see you as well. But this really isn't the time to catch up."

"But…"

"We'll speak later, I assure you. Now please, stand with the others."

Reluctantly, Roland retreated. And after a few moments, the woman in green spread her arms, and said in a gentle voice that nonetheless filled the massive space:

"To all who stand before me on this day, I bid you welcome. I do not doubt that the journey here was long and difficult for many of you." She then rested a hand on her chest. "I am Sister Friede Schtauffen, Praetor of the Order of the Chief God."

Another beautiful priestess. Surely, the gods were up in their heaven having a laugh at Abel's expense.

"Some of you may know why you are here," Friede continued. "Some of you may be left with only questions. For those with doubts, allow me to put them to rest. You are here today because you have been called upon to serve a higher purpose." Her gaze swept across each of the Heroes in turn, her expression darkening. "A new Overlord has emerged to lead monsterkind, and threaten humanity with subjugation and death.

The grey-haired man- Cavall- crossed his arms. "Then why are we all here? Shouldn't we be out hunting the bastard?"

"Patience," Roland said. "There is an order to these things."

"Indeed," the Praetor added. "You have been summoned to receive the blessing of Ilias, for it is through Her divine grace that you have been granted the strength to meet your foe in battle." A second priestess in a blue robe approached, holding a bowl filled with a white powder, which she gave to the Praetor. "Now, let us begin."

The Praetor descended the steps in front of the dais, stopping in front of Roland. At once, Roland knelt.

"Roland Gabriellos, Prince of Mavors, Champion of Ilias." She dipped her fingers in the bowl and traced a cross on Roland's forehead, leaving a white mark where her fingers touched. She then stepped in front of the man in white. "Shavran, Champion of Poseidon." She traced a powdery cross on his forehead as well, before moving on to the black haired woman in glasses. "Beifang Jitian Xiao, Champion of Mercury." The woman sneezed loudly after the cross was drawn on her forehead, and she muttered a quick apology.

The Praetor continued down the line of Heroes, speaking their name and patron deity before marking them with a cross. "Cavall Macolwen, Champion of Ares. Thelas, Champion of Artemis. Lavian, Champion of Minerva." The Praetor finally stopped in front of Abel. "And, Abel, Champion of Bacchus."

Abel blinked. Wait, Bacchus? Bacchus was his-

Friede traced a cross on Abel's forehead as well, before stepping back. "May the protection of the Celestial Master be upon you all. May She shield you from harm, give you strength in times of need, and guide your feet when the way is unclear."

Abel touched his forehead, feeling the residue the Praetor had left behind. Was… that it? All of this trouble he'd been through… had been for a mark on his forehead? And he didn't even feel all that different. A sentiment that Cavall shared, as he heard the grey-haired man grumble, "All this for some ash?"

"Okay, we have your blessing," Theodore began. "What should we do now, Your… uh, Holiness?"

"Your path from this point forward is for you to decide," Friede replied, returning to her throne. "Though I would advise any that have not yet communed with their patron deity to do so before leaving Lescatie."

Cavall immediately wheeled around and headed for the door. "Finally! I need a stiff drink after all this stuffiness."

The other Heroes moved to follow the grey-haired man, save Roland, who once again climbed the dais and began to speak with Friede.

The three were waiting right outside the main door. Seth's gaze immediately focused on something just above his eyes."Abel, you've got a…"

"So. How was it?" Holly asked.

"I… don't really feel any different," Abel admitted. "But, I learned something. Who my patron deity is."

"Really? Who is it?" Lailah asked, visibly excited.

Abel answered with much less enthusiasm, "It's… Bacchus."

For several moments, nobody said anything. Then, Holly began slowly, "Wait. Bacchus? Like the Temple of Bacchus in Lohan?"

"Bacchus? The god of wine?" Seth asked, in seeming disbelief.

Niel suddenly emerged. "Wine, revelry, and good fortune, among other things," she replied, before turning to Abel. "And since you know who your patron is now, I think the time has come for you and Bacchus to meet face-to-face, Abel."

"He can do that?" Holly asked.

"Heroes can commune with their patron deity at one of their temples," Lailah replied. "So, if we find the temple dedicated to Bacchus here in Lescatie, Abel can talk to him."

Was it really so simple? Then again, Abel had technically already met a god once before. It couldn't hurt to try. So, he pulled out the amulet hanging around his neck, and placed a clear directive in his mind:

Find the temple of Bacchus.

The amulet began pointing toward the tunnel where they had entered the square. Abel followed the pull on his amulet, down the straight street leading away from the Holy See, and back to the harbor. Specifically, to a building built on stilts, amid the wooden docks and floating pathways that covered the water's surface. Unlike the other buildings, there were no signs or banners, and there were no windows to look inside, but there was quite a lot of noise coming from within. "Well, I guess this is it…" Abel said, as he gripped the knob of one of the exterior doors, and pushed it open.

Inside the building was a small, but completely packed tavern. Among the crowd were a handful of Crusaders, priests and priestesses, several of the Princess Louvia 's crew, and the grey-haired man, Cavall. But barely anyone seemed to take notice of the arrival of Abel and his companions at all. The air was filled with a sour scent, one Abel recognized- the same scent hung in the air of the Temple of Bacchus in Lohan.

"A… tavern?" Abel asked.

"You know, now that I think about it," Seth began. "I don't think I saw any taverns in the city before now…"

Cautiously, Abel made his way to the bar, which was manned by a large man with squinty eyes and a bushy black mustache. "Uh, hi there," he said. "I'm… looking for the temple to Bacchus?"

"Well you found it," the mustached man replied.

Bacchus's temple was… a tavern? Well, the Temple in Lohan had been a tavern as well, but perhaps more oddly…

"Why is Bacchus's temple out here on the docks?" Seth asked, before Abel could. "I thought all the gods were supposed to have a temple in Lescatie."

"Heavenly mandate," the bartender replied. "Ilias and Bacchus don't get on very well. Never have. And whatever the tiff between them is, it's bad enough Ilias not only refuses to let Bacchus's followers build a temple in the city, but anywhere on Apollonian soil. The Order's higher-ups weren't happy to see this tavern out on the docks, but since it technically isn't on the island, they can't do anything about it." The bartender then leaned in. "Anyway, what brings you all here? I know I shouldn't judge, but you seem a fair bit younger than my usual clientele."

"I'm… well, I'm… Bacchus's Champion," Abel replied.

The bartender narrowed his already squinty eyes even further at Abel. "Very funny."

"No, really! I have the Mark to prove it. Look here!" This time, Abel didn't hesitate- he turned, removing his breastplate, and raised his shirt so his back could be seen.

"Huh… Well I'll be," the bartender said in surprise. "She really did choose a Champion. I thought that was just a dream. So, how can I help you?"

"I need to talk to Bacchus. …Can you tell me how to do that?"

The bartender reached under the counter, pulling out a small wooden cup and a bottle of dark blue glass. "Bacchus works a little differently than the other gods," he said as he poured the contents of the bottle into the cup. "For most, you just lay your hands on their altar, but to talk to her , you have to use liquor to 'reveal your true self.' Which is a polite way to say 'getting completely and utterly shitfaced.'"

The bartender then slid the cup toward Abel, the liquid inside practically black in color. "I gotta warn you. This is probably gonna knock you right on your ass. But if you wanna talk to Bacchus, this is the fastest way to do it."

Abel closed his fingers around the cup, but didn't drink from it right away. This wasn't… poison, was it? In his head, Niel said, "Well go on, what are you waiting for?" She was right. No sense delaying the inevitable. So he picked up the cup and drank its contents in one swallow.

It was… sweet. That wasn't at all what he was expecting. But then again, this was Abel's first taste of alcohol- he didn't know what he should have expected. It was rather warm though- far warmer than it should've been if you had just been sitting under a counter.

Then all of a sudden, the world began to spin. He staggered, trying to grab the bar, but the floor seemed to stretch, pulling him away from the counter, and he fell back. The last thing he heard before the darkness overtook him was, "Told you it'd knock you right on your ass…"

---

Abel could feel himself… floating. He opened his eyes, to see a world bathed in a dim red light. Strange. His head felt clouded- he could have sworn he was trying to do something important just now.

But when he tried to breathe in, all he inhaled was water. He thrashed around, breaking the surface, realizing that he had been floating face-down in some kind of pool. Climbing out, he looked around. Wherever he was, he certainly wasn't in Lescatie anymore- the only structure he could see was a large white building with a roof made of orange tiles. There was nothing else but a large grass lawn stretching out beneath a golden sky.

He then looked back at the pool, and the strange liquid within. Whatever it was, it wasn't water, or blood like he initially thought- though red, it was too clear to be blood. And the smell was completely different- more sour. Almost like…

As he pondered what the strange liquid was, an icy female voice asked from behind. "Lord Abel, I presume?"

Abel wheeled around, reaching for his belt, but his sword wasn't there. Neither was his belt. He looked down at himself, to find that he was wearing some kind of white robe. Well, formerly white- the liquid of the fountain had stained it with a reddish discoloration.

Standing before him was a very woman, wearing glasses with thick frames, long dark brown hair closely freely down her back, a pair of small, curled horns sprouting from her temples. She wore a robe similar to Abel's, albeit one that was partly open to make room for her… rather sizable chest. Abel immediately shifted his gaze back to her face. He didn't see her legs, so he couldn't say if the woman was a satyr, like Marsya.

All at once, Abel remembered what he was supposed to be doing. "Um… are you… Bacchus?" he stammered, trying desperately to not stare- the woman's chest was… not quite as large as Holly's, but still significantly larger than any other woman he'd met so far. It was a bit distracting.

"Hm? Am I…?" The woman seemed taken aback, and quickly adjusted her glasses. "Oh, no. Goodness, no! I'm Sterope, Lady Bacchus's humble attendant. And you are Abel, I presume?"

"Yeah," he replied nervously, taking another look around, so he could look at anything other than the woman standing in front of him. "So, uh… w-where… is this?"

"Each of the gods has a space in the heavens where they reside," Steope replied. "This is Lady Bacchus's domain."

Wait, Lady? Then, Bacchus was actually a goddess?

Before he could say anything though, Sterope continued, "You've come to speak with Lady Bacchus at the Praetor's behest, I know. Please follow me."

Sterope began walking toward the white building, Abel following behind as they passed through the open front doors. Both the inside and outside reminded him of Vargo's villa… if some kind of windstorm had blown through it- bottles and cups and fabric was strewn everywhere, mixed among various overturned, ripped, and otherwise broken pieces of furniture. They crossed some large room, and entered a much smaller space, containing only a single bed surrounded by wine bottles. Sprawled on it, snoring with a big smile on her face, was a girl wearing a black robe, her hair a greenish shade of blue, tied into two very long braids, her bangs blunted just above her eyes. Abel couldn't help but notice that she too had horns, though much thicker and wider apart- like a bull's horns.

"My Lady, Lord Abel has come to visit you," Sterope said. But the girl didn't react. "My Lady," she repeated, a bit more loudly. Still, no reaction. "My Lady!" Sterope kicked the frame of the bed as hard as she could. To Abel's surprise, her leg wasn't covered with fur, and ended in an ordinary sandal-covered foot. So she wasn't a satyr. Maybe the horns were some sort of… god thing

At this, the blue-haired girl bolted upright. "Hghh- wha? Whuzzat? Whuzgoinon?"

"My Lady. A guest has come to see you." Sterope motioned to Abel.

The blue-haired girl squinted at Abel hard, before her eyes suddenly widened in shock. "Oh, fuck!" She leapt out of her bed, running around in an attempt to hide the enormous mess in the room. Fuck, fuck, fuck! I'm so not ready for this! God, my hair's probably a mess, too…"

"Um…" Abel began. "Do you… need a minute? I can leave if-"

The horned girl spun around to face him, waving her arms frantically. "No no no no, don't leave! I just… you're here sooner than I expected." The girl gave up trying to clean, and hurried back to Abel. "Okay, okay, we prepared for this. Just have to…"

The girl suddenly whirled around on one foot, before stopping, bending forward, one hand in her hip, another by her face, two fingers making a V shape as she smiled broadly.

"Hey there, handsome," she said. "Name's Bacchus. How ya doing?"

Abel stared in stunned silence. He… had no idea what to say. This… was a goddess? And his patron deity, no less?

Bacchus's shoulder suddenly slumped, and she looked at Abel in disappointment. "Oh come on, nothing? And I spent so much time practicing…"

Abel cleared his throat. "The uh… Praetor said I should try to commune with you before leaving Lescatie. So, here I am."

Bacchus sighed. "Eh, should've known this wasn't just a social call. But, it's a good thing you came- Ilias did say I was supposed to pass on some information to you. It was…" She trailed off. "It was…" Bacchus began digging her knuckles into the sides of her head. "Oh, what was it about again?"

"The altars, My Lady?" Sterope said.

"Oh! Right! The altars!" Bacchus sat down at the edge of her bed. "So, all around the world there are altars built by the first Hero, Alondight, at the request of us gods. Your quest now is to go and visit each of these altars."

That… wasn't at all what he was expecting to hear. "But, what about the Overlord?"

"Well, I know I shouldn't say this about my own Champion, but if you were to go up and fight the Overlord right now, he'd totally squish you flat." Bacchus raised a hand, and pretended to crush something between her thumb and forefinger. "You need to get stronger, and this quest is how that's gonna happen."

Abel's brow furrowed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I… don't see how that will make me stronger."

"Alondight's altars are located in some of the most treacherous and inhospitable locations in the world" Sterope replied, adjusting her glasses. "You will need to overcome many challenges in your efforts to reach them. And in overcoming these obstacles, you will gain the strength needed to defeat the Overlord."

So that's how it worked. But one question remained. "How many altars are there?"

Bacchus kicked out her legs and fell back on her bed. "Oh there's dozens of them! Honestly, pick a direction, walk in a straight line long enough, and you'll probably trip right over one."

Abel felt his heart skip several beats before Sterope continued, "While Alondight erected many altars at the behest of the gods, you need only visit eight, selected by other members of the pantheon."

"Do I have to do… anything special at these altars?" Abel wasn't worried about how he'd find them- his amulet could point the way. But…

Bacchus rolled over onto her stomach. "Nah, just getting to one is special enough. Just lay your hands on the altar, have a nice chat with the god who picked it out for you, then be on your way."

All of a sudden, the room seemed to ripple, and Abel stumbled. "Wh-What just happened?"

"Looks like you're waking up," Bacchus replied. "And I was hoping we could get to know each other a bit better." There was another ripple. "We'll anyway, you know how to find me. Come by if you ever need to chat! And don't leave me hanging for so long next time, okay?" Then all at once, the world went dark, as if someone had bashed Abel over the head with something heavy.

---

The pain was the first thing Abel became aware of. He opened his eyes, only to quickly shut them again, as the light seemed to stab at the back of his eyes. Instead, he squinted, seeing vague but familiar-looking shapes standing over him.

"Hey. Are you alright?" Seth's voice asked.

Abel sat up, slowly- his head pulsed painfully, as if a tiny person was beating the inside of his skull with a hammer. "Where… are we?"

"Still at the tavern," Lailah's voice replied. "You fell, and you've been unconscious for the last few minutes."

The pain finally faded enough for Abel to see his companions clearly. That was it? It felt much longer in Bacchus's realm. And speaking of the goddess. "I… talked to Bacchus."

After a moment, Seth asked, sounding irritated, "…Well? Did she say anything?"

He focused, concentrating on the new mission his patron gave him: find the nearest of Alondight's altars. At once, his amulet slid across its chain, over his shoulder, and pointed at something behind him and to his left. So, it hadn't been a dream. He really had talked to Bacchus. And what she had told him was true.

He relayed the information the goddess shared with him as he climbed back to his feet. "Bacchus told me that the first Hero, Alondight, built altars all over the world. Before I face the Overlord, I have to visit them."

All eyes turned to Lailah. After several moments of silence, the priestess finally asked, "…Why are you all looking at me?"

"Well, you are a member of the Church. This seems like your area of expertise, Lailah," Holly said.

But Lailah replied bluntly, "I've never heard of these altars before today."

Seth leaned in close, looking into Abel's eyes intensely. "Abel, did you hit your head when you fell?"

At that moment, Niel emerged. "No, what he said is true."

"Your Grace?" Lailah said in obvious surprise.

Niel sat herself on Abel's shoulder. "Alondight's altars are an important aspect of a Hero's development. So, to protect them from being defiled by forces aligned with the Overlord, information about them is heavily suppressed. Only the highest ranking members of the Church know they even exist, and even they only know the locations of a few."

"Well, if they're such an important secret, how are we supposed to find them?" Seth asked. "We don't even know what these altars look like."

"Technically, there's one last rite Abel needs to complete before leaving to face the Overlord. He'll find out what he's looking for once he completes it." The angel's gaze turned to Lailah. "I'm sure you know what that is, priestess."

Lailah blinked, as if realizing something. "…of course. The altar at the peak of Mt. Gradivus!"

"What are you talking about, Lailah?" Abel asked.

"It's traditional for Heroes to climb Mt. Gradivus and leave an offering behind before leaving Lescatie after receiving the Praetor's blessing," the priestess replied. "And it said that the Church keeps a very important relic from Alondight himself atop that mountain. That relic must be one of the altars Alondight left behind."

"But… doesn't Alondight's time predate the founding of the Order? And the raising of Apollonia?" Seth asked.

The priestess nodded. "It does. But it's said that before his battle with the Overlord, Alondight left all his effects in the care of his closest allies. And when Apollonia was raised, those items were relocated here. One of those items must have been one of his altars."

Seth folded her arms over her chest. "The Church sure makes Heroes jump through a whole lot of hoops before letting them go to face the Overlord."

Niel fluttered away from Abel's shoulder to look him in the eye. "Well then, Abel… how do you feel about a little mountain-climbing?"

---

Apparently, the Church as it was now didn't always exist. The gods always had devotees, whether those who worshipped them collectively, or as cults who venerated a single god. But the cults were small, competing fiercely with one another for followers and prestige. Occasionally, a cult might spread its influence across an entire nation, but this was rare, and other cults would cooperate to ensure the larger cult's influence- and by extension, the influence of its patron deity- would not expand any further.

But that changed when an Overlord was defeated by the Champion of an obscure god named Ilias. And when a new Overlord emerged, it was slain once again by a Champion chosen by Ilias. As was the following Overlord. And the one after that. Over the course of five centuries, champions of Ilias would strike down successive Overlords, causing her cult to grow with ever-greater numbers. And as the ranks of her devotees swelled, so too did Ilias's power.

Eventually, Ilias became powerful enough to raise a section of the seabed to the surface- an island that would eventually be known as Apollonia. She then commanded one of her followers, a woman named Margaret, to gather the faithful and build a temple to her there. Ilias's display of power brought even more people beneath her banner, and when St. Margaret's Basilica was completed, she had enough influence to finally end the conflict between the gods, and assert herself as the Chief God. Thus the Order of the Chief God was established, unifying the gods and the nations of the Arielian Sea for nearly a thousand years (991 to be exact, if the Church's calendar was to be believed).

Abel huffed as he trudged up the steep path before him. "Hah, hah… this is a tough climb."

"It is a mountain, Abel," Niel replied in his head.

The day after receiving Praetor Friede's blessing and meeting Bacchus, he set out to climb Mt. Gradivus. Only Heroes and select members of the Church were allowed so much as set foot on the mountain, and any who sought to climb to the summit were forbidden from bearing arms or armor. And Niel doubted members of the Order would very much appreciate if Abel were to simply fly all the way to the summit, so he had to make the trek on foot. He'd set out on the trail just before dawn- now, the sun beat down from directly overhead. Alone, and without much to distract him, Abel spent the time asking Niel various questions about the Church.

"So, what is a Gradivus?" he asked aloud.

In his head, Niel replied."'Gradivus' is the name of the weapon Alondight wielded in his journey. You usually see it depicted as a sword, but truth is, nobody really knows what kind of weapon it really was." She paused. "Actually, almost everything on Apollonia is named after something tied to Alondight. Mt. Gradivus is named after his weapon, the twelve major cities are named after his companions… and the island itself is named after him."

"It is?" Abel didn't see how "Apollonia" could come out of "Alondight."

"Technically, it comes from the title he got after defeating the Overlord: Apollo. The Slayer."

Abel couldn't deny that was quite an impressive title. If by some miracle, he was the one to slay the Overlord, what sort of title would he be given?

After several minutes of climbing, Abel looked up, and realized that the mountains simply seemed to… stop up ahead. His pace quickened as he pressed forward, eventually coming to a flat, roughly circular platform hewn from the stone of the mountain, around twenty paces wide. This must have been the summit. And across from him…

"Is that it? One of Alondight's altars?" It was a simple thing: a slab of flat, rectangular white stone, set upon two similar, but smaller slabs, with numerous small stones resting atop it. If someone were to set it alongside a road, Abel might have mistaken it for a bench.

"Yep," Niel replied. "You have your offering, right?"

"Yeah." Abel reached into his pocket, and pulled out a gold coin about half the size of his palm: a golden Istari dinar. As he approached the altar, he realized that it was not stones resting on the altar, but coins, of all makes, colors, and shapes, depicting all manner of things: faces, birds, animals, and strange writings that he had never seen before but could read nonetheless. Some shone in the sun's light, while others were dingy, nearly black with age and wear. But as Abel reached out, to set his coin amongst the others…

"Keep your filthy hand away from that altar," a voice suddenly ordered. It was a man's voice, and an old man's at that- Abel could feel the weight of his years from his tone alone.

Abel quickly turned around, to see another man climbing the trail behind him. He was quite portly, both in his face and body, and almost bald save for a few strands of black hair. He was clad in a robe that resembled others worn by clergy of the Order of the Chief God, but in red with white accents.

"Who are you?" Abel asked. "I thought only Heroes and members of the Order were allowed on the mountain."

"I have every right to be here. Far more than you can claim," the man replied sternly as he stepped onto the summit. "And all you need to know about me is that I'm a high-ranked member of the Order, with a vested interest in ensuring the stability of the civilized world."

"What do you want?"

The man reached up, running his finger beneath the collar of his robe. "I'm going to put this as simply as I can. Go home. Return your Relic, forget about the Overlord, and leave this situation to the true Heroes."

"What?" Abel asked. "Why?"

The man glared, his time becoming far more venomous. "You are the infidel Champion of a drunkard mid-tier goddess, who indulges in the company of whores and sinners. You are not fit to serve as mankind's savior."

Heat flared up in Abel's chest. He's been belittled for his entire life, but for his companions to be insulted… "You can insult me all you want, but you leave my friends out of this!" He turned his back to the man. "I can decide what to do for myself. And I choose to be Bacchus's Champion."

Friends? It was a strange thing to call Lailah and the others, especially now. But… he enjoyed their company, missed them terribly when they were apart, and would- and had- thrown himself into harm's way to prevent them from being hurt. That seemed to be the very definition of what friends were. Had they become friends without him realizing it?

"I see," the man said in a stony voice. "That is rather unfortunate. …For you, that is."

Suddenly, something wrapped around Abel's neck, tightening rapidly. Abel reached up, and tried to pull whatever it was away, but something drove itself into the back of his leg, causing him to collapse down on one knee.

The outer edges of Abel's vision were going dark. He had to do something. He focused, and the wings of light erupted from his back, launching him forward and out of the grasp of whatever was holding him. He reached up, pulling away a thick cord from around his neck. But before he could recover, something wrapped around his legs, then around his waist, driving him to the ground. Whatever had taken hold of him then seized his left wrist and pinned his arm against his back at an awkward, painful angle.

Niel emerged from within Abel, pointing at Abel, light shining from her fingertip. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing!?"

The bald man seemed surprised, but only for a moment. "Ah, yes. Sister Alexei did mention an angel in her letter."

"Let him go!" Niel demanded, looking toward the man but keeping her finger pointed towards Abel- or perhaps, at whatever was holding him.

The man replied calmly. "I'm afraid I have no intention of doing that."

Niel then pointed her other hand at the man, and a light began shining from her fingertip. "Order your men to stand down or you'll all be explaining yourselves to Lord Ilias, in person!"

The bald man fixed Niel with a fierce glare, before turning his attention back to Abel.

"Sariel. Jophiel. Release him."

Whatever had been holding Abel let him go, swiftly coming to the bald man's side. Niel kept her hands pointed at them, light still shining from her fingertips. Four figures stood alongside the man, two at each side. They were different heights, but all wore nearly identical cloaks that concealed nearly the entirety of their bodies, and strange white masks that were blank save for narrow slits for their eyes. Only the hoods differed, each a different color- orange, blue, purple, and red.

The man reached up, and ran his finger beneath the collar of his robe again. "As I understand it, angels assigned to accompany a Hero in his quest are meant only to provide guidance and counsel. Mind that you do not overstep the boundaries of your role… Your Grace."

Niel twitched, but said nothing, whatever spell she had ready still shining at her fingertip.

"And as for you…" the bald man said, his gaze returning to Abel. "Remember that you lived beyond this day only because I allowed it. Should you cross paths with my Archangels again…" The man then turned, and began descending the trail. "…I will not be in such a generous mood."

The man descended from the platform and out of sight. The other figures quickly vanished, melding into the surrounding air as if they had never been there at all. All but one. The remaining figure stared at Abel intently. His cloak was partly open, allowing Abel to see his attire: a strange garment that was somewhere between priestly robes and armor, a red hood drawn up over his head. His mask, too, was different from the others: metal, covering only the lower half of his face, while the upper half was hidden beneath the shadow of his hood. He stared for several long moments, before he turned away, disappearing into the air with his companions.

Abel was completely frozen, sprawled on the ground, breathing heavily, a ring of skin around his neck still burning. What… What just happened? That man, he… tried to have him killed. But, the Church was supposed to be his ally…

Only once they were alone did Niel's arms return to her side. "Archangels…" she scoffed. She then turned to Abel. "Are you alright?"

Abel didn't answer.

Niel fluttered in front of Abel, putting her hands on his face. "Hey. Hey, Abel! Look at me! You're alright. They're gone, okay?" An invisible force lifted Abel onto his feet. It felt almost as if he was leaning against someone for support. "I'm gonna get you back to the boat. Just hang on." Slowly, dragging his feet.

The sun had long since set by the time Abel reached the harbor. Several times, he had tried to stand on his own, without Niel's support, but each time he failed. But each time, the angel had caught him, assuring him that she would carry him for as long as he needed her to.

As Niel guided Abel across the brow and onto the deck of the Princess Louvia, he heard Raine's voice floating on the air. "…I know, right? I'm so glad he was facing the right way. I have it as my wallpaper. I kinda wanna get a print of it and hang it over my bed, too, y'know?" Raine herself was standing at the bow, pressing two fingers behind her left ear, before she suddenly noticed him. She said in a low voice, "Shit! Sorry Vee, gotta go." before turning to him and saying much more clearly, "Hey Blue. You were gone for a while. The others were getting worried, you know? What kept you?"

Dammit. Of course someone would have asked why he'd been gone for so long. He needed to think of an excuse. He remembered the guard from the other day. What had Niel called him? "Uh… sorry. Word spread about things I did, and some… fans wanted to spend time with me."

"Fans, huh?" Raine's already narrow eyes seemed to narrow further. "I'm guessing they were the loony kind that wanted to kill you to keep you to themselves."

Abel's mouth fell open. How did she know? But then he remembered. His throat still burned from the cord the red-hooded figure had wrapped around his neck. And Raine could spot the design on the flag of a ship near the horizon without a spyglass. If that cord had left a mark, she would've seen it with ease.

Niel emerged from within Abel. "Nothing slips by you, does it?" she said. "A member of the Church visited us on Mt. Gradivus. He isn't happy that a Champion of Bacchus is in the running to slay the Overlord."

"Let me guess- bald, a bit fat, with red robes?" the witch asked.

Niel crossed her arms over her chest. "That's too good for a guess. Don't tell me you were expecting this."

"Who was that guy?" Abel asked. "All he would say was that he was high up in the Order. But it sounds like you know who he is."

"Cardinal Uriel Szandor," Raine replied. "Head of the Inquisition. And a Monodominant on top of that."

Cardinal? Inquisition? Monodominant? There were far too many terms entering the conversation that Abel didn't understand. Something Raine noticed. "You look confused, Blue."

"Cardinals are high-ranking members of the Order," Niel explained, "typically the heads of specialized departments, and subordinate only to the Praetor. Whenever the current Praetor dies or abdicates their position, the Cardinals hold an election among themselves to choose their replacement."

"The Inquisition is one of the Church's departments," Raine added. "They were originally founded to enforce the Order's official doctrine, but they mainly conduct research into the best methods to fight demons these days. At least, before Szandor became its head. They've returned to their roots of hunting down heretics, and anyone who criticizes their sudden policy shift has a habit of suddenly and inexplicably disappearing."

There were two definitions. Just one left. "You said he was a Monodominant, Raine. What does that mean?" Abel asked.

But it was Niel, rather than Raine, who answered: "From the outside, the Church tries to put on a unified front. But the truth is, there's lots of different factions fighting for control, both between followers of the different gods, and even inside the Order of the Chief God itself. The Monodominants are one of those factions. They believe that Ilias- and only Ilias- should be revered, and they're willing to do almost anything to ensure she keeps her position as Chief God. They distrust the other gods and their followers on principle, but they hate certain gods with a passion. And Bacchus is one of them."

Szandor's words about Bacchus did seem especially venomous. "Why though?"

"Bacchus is one of only a handful of gods who doesn't bless members of the civilized races exclusively. Demi-humans and even monster species intelligent enough to worship her can receive her blessings as well. Her willingness to bless followers regardless of their race is why some call her a mid-tier deity."

Mid-tier. Szandor had described Bacchus in that way as well. And presumably, Ilias was upper tier. But… "Is there a tier below Bacchus?"

"Technically there is, but there's only one god on that level: Bastet, the goddess of cats. Only cats receive her blessings."

"Demons also have a god they follow, but the other gods claim he doesn't exist," Raine added. "But I think we're getting off-topic. Do you have any more questions about Szandor?"

Abel had a lot of questions, in fact. He decided to start by asking the most relevant one: "What should I do?"

Niel turned, arms folded over her chest. "What is there to do? You delivered the message from Hermes. You received your Relic, and the blessing of the Praetor. You met your patron goddess, and you know about Alondight's altars. Regardless of what the Cardinal says, you're a Hero, Abel. You have your mission. You can't abandon it now that you've come this far."

"But-"

"Are you afraid of him?" Raine asked.

She must have meant Szandor. From her tone, the witch didn't seem to think he posed much of a threat. And he couldn't blame her- she likely saw him as nothing more than a fat old man who looked as if he couldn't even carry a knife, much less use it against someone. The others that had appeared on the mountain, though, his Archangels - Jophiel, Sariel, and the other two whose names Szandor didn't say… Abel was afraid of them. And Szandor had shown no hesitation in using them to attempt to end his life.

So yes. He was afraid of Szandor.

"I… I am," he confessed.

"Afraid enough to give up on trying to defeat the Overlord?" Raine sounded much more serious as she asked this.

"I…" Abel hesitated. Even before meeting Szandor, the difference between Abel and the other Heroes was readily apparent. Any one of them would have a better chance of defeating the Overlord, and with so many, surely one of them would succeed. It would have been easy- so easy- to entrust the fate of the world to them, and quietly melt into the shadows.

But, if he did that, what then? Go home? He didn't have one. Seles may have been where he was raised, but it was no home to him. And while Master Rachel may have raised him, he didn't see her as family. And, what would the others have thought? Their anger, their hurt, their disappointment… a man had tried to strangle the life out of Abel, but that scared him less than imagining his companions' reactions were he to tell them he was giving up on being a Hero.

"I don't want to give up…" he replied hesitantly. "I don't. But-"

He wasn't strong enough. He wasn't like the other Heroes. All of them stood on their own. But he…

"You know…" Raine began. "Even if you had agreed to give up on your quest, there's no guarantee Szandor would've let you go."

"What do you mean?"

"Even if a god strips their champion of his title, your potential as a Hero would remain unsealed," Niel replied. "Because of that, Szandor would never perceive you as anything other than a threat to the Order. He'd come after you again eventually."

Terrifying as their words were, Raine and Niel had a point, Abel realized. Even if he had agreed to abandon his quest on Mt. Gradivus, Szandor may have had him killed anyway, either to prevent him from going back on his word, or to deprive Bacchus of a Champion, at least for a while.

"You're afraid," the angel said. "That's perfectly understandable. Fear has always been the Inquisition's main weapon." She flew directly in front of his face, placing a hand on her chest. "But Abel, I swear to you in the name of Ilias that I won't allow that man or his agents harm you. You'll be facing enough enemies on your quest as it is. The Church shouldn't be one of them."

"Hey, don't try to hog Blue to yourself, Parrot," Raine said. "I'll be right there protecting him, too."

"Y-You will?" Abel stammered in surprise.

"Well yeah. I like you, Blue. You're fun to be around. And I'd be really upset if something happened to you." She slipped a hand around his waist, pulling him close. Abel's breaths instantly became shallow as her chest pressed against his- he hoped she wouldn't notice how hard his heart was beating. "It's not just me, though. The Sister, Jugs, Pukey… I'm sure they'd do anything to keep you safe."

Something in Raine's words must have stuck out to Niel, though likely not the ones the witch intended, because the angel asked, "'…Pukey?" Is that supposed to be the thief?"

Raine let Abel go. "I'm… still thinking up a nickname for her."

"I…" Abel stammered. His heart was still racing, both from his closeness to Raine, and from her words. "…thank you. Just… promise me one thing."

"What is it?" Both Raine and Niel asked.

"What happened today with that Cardinal guy… no one else can know about it. Especially not Lailah. Finding out that a member of her own Order tried to have me killed… I don't know what she might do. But it won't be good for any of us. I'll tell her at some point, just… just not here. Not now."

Raine folded her arms over her chest. "I guess that's fair. The Sister does seem to spend a lot of time worrying about you. If she found out what Szandor did, she'd probably try to shove her spear down his throat." She gave Abel a small smile. "Don't worry. Nothing we talked about leaves this little circle of ours."

"Thanks, Raine." He added, "Also, can you do something for me?"

The witch put her hands on her hips, cocking them to one side. "You've gotten so pushy all of a sudden, Blue. …I kinda like it."

Able ignored her comment. What he was about to ask her was far too important to let himself be flustered. "Szandor wasn't alone. He had people with him. He called them his… Archangels. Two were named Jophiel and Sariel. There were two more, but I don't know what their names are. Do you… know anything about them?"

Raine tapped her temple, thinking, but after only a few moments, she answered, "I don't." She then looked toward Abel. "But I'll change that as soon as we get out of here."

---

Abel focused. He willed the amulet to show him the path to his destination, and at once, the golden charm began to float in the air; sliding across its chain to point of something ahead of him and to the right.

Raine circled around Abel, assessing the direction the amulet pointed in. "Hmm… northeast? No, east-northeast."

"East-northeast?" Holly asked. "That doesn't give us a lot to work with…"

"It tells us that the altar is somewhere on the mainland, at least," Lailah said. "I think we should sail around Apollonia and to one of the ports on the south shore of Ermis. We can pick up the trail again there."

After a sleepless night for Abel, dawn finally came to Lescatie. Shortly after waking, Lailah suggested that Abel use his Relic to locate the nearest of the altars erected by Alondight. From there, they could plot the course provided by the amulet on a map, and use it to determine their next destination. She, Holly, and Seth seemed none the wiser about the events that had transpired the day before.

Sadly, the Princess Louvia was too badly damaged to be repaired, more useful as spare parts than as a whole vessel. Thus, it was with a heavy heart that Captain Baird sold his ship to a local shipbreaker. The funds from the exchange, however, along with Abel's contribution, proved to be just enough for the captain to purchase a new ship. Thus, the Princess Louvia II had been christened, ready to raise anchor at any time. Though at present, Abel and the others were on the dock alongside the new vessel, plotting the next leg of their journey.

"Ermis?" Seth asked. "Wouldn't it make more sense to sail to Mavors? Or Proserpina?"

"We don't have the money to pay for a trip that far," Lailah replied. "The Archbishop only paid Captain Baird to take us to Lescatie- any further, and we have to pay out of our own pockets. Ermis is closer, so it's a shorter trip, and less expensive."

"Money troubles?" a gentle voice asked. "Perhaps I can help you with that."

Everyone looked, to see a tall man in Crusader armor approaching him, his blonde hair tied in a long ponytail. Prince Roland.

For a moment, everyone was too stunned to speak. Everyone except Raine, that is. "Oh wow, Jugs wasn't kidding. You need something from us, Prince?"

The prince nodded. "Yes, actually. I need to return to my homeland to retrieve my Relic. As time is of the essence, would you take me as a passenger aboard your vessel?"

Holly began stammering incoherently. "This… not… not our…"

Abel furrowed his brow. "You didn't bring your Relic with you?"

"My Relic, Durandal, is an heirloom of the royal family of Mavors," Roland replied, "and rightfully belongs to my father, the king. Only now that I have the Praetor's blessing, do I have the authority to carry it."

Abel recalled how Roland had intervened in Shavran and Cavall's duel. The way he had deflected Shavran's arrow of light… that had been with nothing but his own strength? Was that what a fully-developed Hero was capable of? Abel already knew he had a long way ahead of him before he would be strong enough to face the Overlord, but every piece of information he learned seemed to stretch the end of that road even farther away. He began to wonder if he would ever be truly ready.

Raine looked Abel's way. "I say we give him a lift."

"Really?" Seth asked.

Niel emerged, hands already on her hips. "Just what are your intentions with the good prince?" she asked accusingly.

Raine shrugged. "I'm just saying- even if you serve different gods, you're both Heroes, working to a common goal. It makes sense to help each other. And besides, if we're gonna find this altar you're looking for, we need to move away from Lescatie. The further, the better."

"Why's that?" Holly asked.

"Think about it like this: Blue's Relic points to whatever he's trying to find, right?" She pulled out a map and a stylus from within her jacket, setting the former on a nearby crate. "But it doesn't tell you how far away it is. All it really gives you is a direction. You could take the direction the amulet is pointing in, and draw it on a map from where we are now, and follow it…" She drew a point on the map with the stylus, right over Lescatie, and then drew a line leading away from it, stretching over the continent. "But the altar he's looking for could be anywhere on that line."

Her hand drifted to another spot on the map. "But let's say we move somewhere else, and Blue uses the amulet again to find that same altar. If you take the line the amulet makes at the first location, and the line from the second location, and draw both on a map…" She mimed drawing a line across the map. "…the point where those two lines cross will show you exactly where the altar is."

The group was silent for several moments, before Holly said, "That was amazing, Raine!"

"As much as it pains me to admit it, your reasoning is solid…" Niel added, reluctantly, still eyeing the witch with suspicion.

Raine looked up from the map. "It's basic geometry. Anyone can do it. But, where we go from here is all up to Blue." She turned her gaze to Abel. "What do you think we should do?"

Abel couldn't think of any reason to oppose Raine's suggestion. As she said, he and Roland were both Heroes- helping each other made sense. And to be perfectly honest, the more distance he could put between himself and Cardinal Szandor, the more comfortable he would be. He looked up to the deck of the ship, and called out, "Captain Baird! How soon can we leave?"

The captain appeared at the edge of the deck, and called in reply, "We can leave at any time, lad. Ya need only ta give the word."

"Alright then! Set a course for…" Abel trailed off, as he tried to remember their destination. "For, uh…" He turned to Roland. "Where did you want us to take you again?"

"Aglis," the prince replied.

"Right." He turned back to Baird. "Captain Baird, set a course for Aglis!"