VIII. The Priest
Cardinal Quincy entered the rather run-down church, eyeing the dilapidated structure with distaste. Unlike the other houses of worship in Romalia, this church was located in a poor peasant village just outside the capital. Thus it didn't have the usual splendor found in the typical Romalian cathedrals. There were no grand vaulted ceilings, nor were there awe-inspiring stained glass windows. The walls were not lined with expensive tapestries nor were there any magnificent reliefs sculpted by famous artists. Instead, the church that he was in now had creaky wooden floors, unpolished pews, and regular glass windows. Up at the altar, where the symbol of Brimir would usually be found, there hung a strange emblem. It resembled two swords clashing together at ninety degree angles. It was a simple yet powerful design.
Kneeling before the altar was the man the Cardinal had been sent to speak with. Said man was a tall one when standing, well over six feet in height. He had brown skin and black hair streaked with gray, features that marked him as a foreigner in these parts. His eyes also had an odd slant to them, a feature that Quincy always found unsightly. Unlike the other priests of the Church, who wore regal white robes and much finery as befitting their holy station, this priest wore only simple garments of black. He had a black shirt, black pants, black coat and black shoes; the only other color that the foreigner wore was the white on his collar. A pendant of the same strange symbol that was hanging over the altar also hung around the priest's neck. Only this one wasn't made of wood, but pure silver.
As the Cardinal approached, he heard the man's soft deep voice reciting some type of prayer in a strange language.
"Ama namin, sumasalangit Ka
Sambahin ang ngalan Mo
Mapasaamin ang kaharian Mo
Sundin ang loob Mo
Dito sa lupa, para nang sa langit.
"Bigyan Mo kami ngayon ng aming kakanin sa araw araw.
At patawarin Mo kami sa aming mga sala,
Para nang pagpapatawad namin
Sa mga nagkakasala sa amin.
At huwag Mo kaming ipahintulot sa tukso,
At iadya Mo kami sa lahat ng masama.
Sapagkat Iyo ang kaharian, at kapangyarihan,
At ang kadakilaan, magpakailanman."
The man stopped his prayer when Quincy approached. Instead of a greeting, the strange man merely raised his head up and asked, "What task does His Holiness wish me to undertake?"
Quincy frowned, unable to help but feel distrust for the person before him. Although the man called himself a priest, he was like no priest Quincy had ever met before. For one thing, he was always willing to forgo staying in the capital, choosing instead to live a life of abject poverty among the dirty peasantry. The man also refused to attend services or even perform them, and he always dressed like some common grave digger. His every behavior was an affront to the glory of the Church, yet Pope Victor kept his council. But even with all his reservations, Cardinal Quincy had to admit: this man had his uses.
Such as what he needed done today...
"Father Montoya," the Brimir Church official stated, frowning at both the strange name and unfamiliar title. "His Holiness has received some very disturbing information from Tristain. They say there is someone there, a young child, who is able to use the Founder's magic."
The man in black made a strange motion with his hand, tapping his forehead, then chest, then left and right shoulder, before standing up to his full height. He towered over the other priest, and Quincy forced himself not to flinch under his stern, black gaze.
"This news," Quincy forced himself to continue, "is an affront to all that our faith stands for. It is heretical and an outright lie. If it were up to me, I would purge every man, woman and child from that miserable-"
"But it is not up to you," Montoya interrupted. "What has His Holiness decreed?"
The older man's face twisted in fury at the foreigner's insulting tone, but quickly calmed himself. It was no use to lash out at this man, this demon, before him. Quincy had seen him in action once before, and there was no way he would dare incur the Black Priest's wrath. "The Pope wishes for you to go to Tristania and meet with this supposed... Void mage. See what he is about, find out whatever you can."
"And then?"
"Well, if he is just some crazy person or a charlatan, then do nothing. It is of no big consequence. But," Quincy smirked. "If this person does show signs of having this... power, then you are to bring him to us. Quickly and as quietly as possible. The Tristanian court is not to know."
Father Montoya nodded. "Understood." He turned away from Quincy, then made his way to the altar. The tall man reached behind it and pulled out two swords, which were rapiers by the looks of their scabbards. He clipped both weapons onto his belt, then moved towards the exit. His dark eyes shone with cold steel as he prepared to leave on his mission.
"Do not forget, foreign priest!" Cardinal Quincy called to him as he marched across the aisle towards the doorway. "You serve God and the Founder, as well as the Church of Romalia! Do not let pity for these heathens cloud your judgement!"
The black priest continued out the door, not saying anything in answer except for one word.
"Amen."
His right hand clenched into a fist, and upon the back of it a set of intricate runes began to glow.