Hey guys! Welcome back to Hear a Tale! Got a long one for you today, but first, review time!

Thanks so much to CitrusChickadee for reviewing! I figured it would be a good time for some fluff amidst all the darkness and angst, haha XD Glad you enjoyed!

Relevant Events: Ophilia's Chapter Four

19. Gray

The mid-dusk sky over Wispermill was clouded and gray, heavy with the promise of impending rain, as Ophilia, Therion, Primrose, and H'aanit carefully made their way into town. The other four travelers in their group were holding back for the time being, just in case something went wrong for the first team. They were dealing with an unknown threat, after all, and they had all thought it best to exercise as much caution as possible.

"I hope we can find Lianna here…" Ophilia whispered, anxiously wringing her hands. She kept feeling for the familiar weight of Aelfric's Lanthorn at her side, only to recall with a heavy heart that her grieving sister had stolen the Flame's ember. "I know not who this 'Savior' is, but…his power must be great, if he has been able to exert his influence over so many…"

Primrose reached for Ophilia's hand, squeezing it gently. "We'll find her, Ophilia," the dancer reassured her softly, "and we'll make her see sense, I swear it."

The cleric took a deep, steadying breath. "Thank you, Primrose…"

H'aanit scanned the area with narrowed eyes, motioning for Linde to stay close to her side. "This town…" she murmured, "...there is something unsettling about it…dost thou noticen the villagers who watcheth us?"

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Therion mumbled, lowering his face until it was hidden by his scarf. "It's too quiet here…and these people are all doing a terrible job of pretending they're not staring at us."

Indeed, though the evening was gray and dismal, there was still a sizable amount of townspeople milling about outside. Oddly enough, however, none of the people seemed to be making much conversation amongst themselves. A few would occasionally murmur something unintelligible to one another, but otherwise, they were mostly silent. Many of the villagers' eyes were fixed solely on the four travelers as well, though they pretended to busy themselves with other tasks. Overall, a strange sort of hostile tension permeated the area, like a waterlogged storm cloud just before a downpour.

"Perhaps…all it will take is some friendly conversation to break the ice…?" Ophilia suggested uncertainly. She headed towards the closest villager, while her three companions exchanged unconvinced looks behind her.

"Ah, excuse me," the cleric began, putting on her best smile, "might I ask…?"

"Hm?" The man she had approached turned and stared at her for a moment before his eyes widened. "A cleric of the Sacred Flame!?" he exclaimed, drawing back away from her. "I…I'm rather in a hurry, I'm afraid." Without another word, he rushed off, leaving Ophilia standing there, taken aback.

With a nervous glance back at her companions, Ophilia hurried up a nearby set of stairs towards another man standing just outside the town's tavern. "Um, if I might have a moment…"

The man waved her off without even looking at her, grumbling, "I've got fields to till. Another time - " When he finally glanced in her direction, he cut himself off, his expression turning suspicious. "...you're from the church, eh? The Sacred Flame?"

Ophilia nodded, grateful that he was even giving her a chance to speak. "Yes. I am Sister Ophilia. If I might trouble you with just one thing…is there perchance someone in this village known as the Savior?"

The man's eyes narrowed, but his face remained otherwise passive. "...beats me," he said after a bit, shaking his head.

The cleric blinked. "S-Seriously…?"

The villager shrugged. "This is a peaceful farmin' village. We've got no troubles here. Least none we need your help with." His expression morphed into a scowl. "So if you were thinkin' of prayin' for us, you can go somewhere else." Then, he turned away, refusing to even look at Ophilia any longer.

"I…I see…"

Ophilia gulped, then backed away, quickly returning to her companions' sides. "A sister could get the impression she isn't welcome around here…" she murmured, eyes downcast. "Best to keep digging, I suppose…"

As the other three escorted her further into town, she did not notice the man she had spoken to glance over his shoulder, watching them leave with slitted eyes.

"Damn," Therion muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I've seen friendlier faces in prison. I'd bet half my ill-gotten fortune that 'Savior' is here somewhere."

Ophilia sighed and nodded gravely. "I agree. They are far too wary of us for it to be something else."

The thief glanced about at the townsfolk surrounding them, openly scowling at those who stared just a moment too long. "Looks like he's turned them all into true believers. No doubt by using some underhanded means…I wouldn't put manipulation past him."

"Manipulation…?" Ophilia asked hesitantly, her eyebrows creased.

Therion nodded. "Tough times will wear anyone down," he explained gruffly. "Sometimes it will leave you weak, and vulnerable. These people want to be saved…they'll even start believing in miracles if it'll make life easier for them." The thief scoffed lightly. "So if you want to be a 'savior,' it's just a matter of finding what those people need saving from, then telling them you can do it."

"Thy sentiment is quite cynical," H'aanit commented, frowning. "Yet…not inaccurate."

"Indeed…" Primrose murmured, looking down at the ground, yet her thoughts were clearly elsewhere. "Mhm…exploitation such as this is cruel, yet effective. You are not wrong on that front…"

The sullen thief shrugged. "Take it from me. Most people have more faith than they know what to do with."

Ophilia was quiet for a bit. When she finally found her voice, it was soft and tentative. "...but don't you think there are times when people truly need a savior? I…I believe it's not wrong to reach out for salvation when a helping hand is offered."

The other three travelers fell silent.

Finally, Therion released a resigned breath. "Then I suppose we'd best make sure it's us who does the saving."

For the first time in a while, a small smile came to Ophilia's face. "Exactly," she said gratefully, briefly touching Therion's shoulder. Then, she stepped back, addressing all three of them. "Alright…let us keep moving. Hopefully at least someone in this town will be willing to speak to us…we need to uncover more information before we can properly act."

The four travelers made their way through Wispermill, attempting to question many of the townspeople, yet finding themselves rejected at every turn. For a time, it almost seemed as though Therion, H'aanit, and Primrose might have some luck in their conversations, but one look at Ophilia's clerical attire immediately set the villagers on edge. Eventually, it looked as though word of the companions had spread far enough that most villagers even refused to speak with the thief, the huntress, and the dancer.

"Perhaps I should have worn a disguise of some kind," Ophilia sighed as they approached the edge of town opposite from where they had initially entered. "I've never come across a town before that treats clerics with such hostility…"

"Well, perhaps the others will have more luck when they arrive?" Primrose suggested. "Alfyn and Cyrus are skilled at procuring information, and it's not as though anyone is aware that we know them and the other two."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Therion said darkly, eyeing a few villagers a little ways away. "A group of four travelers, coming into town right on the heels of another group of four travelers, all asking about Wispermill's 'Savior'? It wouldn't exactly take a genius to connect point A to point B there."

"Thou makest a fair point," H'aanit agreed. "Perhaps we shoulde returnen to the others…we may needen a new plan."

Ophilia reluctantly opened her mouth to concede, but before she could say a word, a woman rushed out of a nearby house, her eyes wide with fear. When she caught sight of Ophilia, she gasped and hurried towards the group of travelers.

"S-Sister!" the woman cried frantically. "Oh, please! Are you from the church? You must help me!"

Taken aback by the woman's urgency, the cleric quickly closed the distance between them, leaving her companions staring after her in surprise. "Whatever is the matter?" Ophilia asked, her voice calm and even.

"M-My child!" the woman sobbed. "My boy - he suddenly took ill…" She darted forward and grasped Ophilia's hands as she pleaded with her. "Please! You must save him!"

"I understand," Ophilia said gently, squeezing the woman's hands in return. "I will do everything in my power to help him. Pray take me to him."

"Oh, thank you! H-He's right this way!"

"Ophilia, waiten a moment!" H'aanit called as the woman whisked the young cleric into the nearby house.

"Are you sure this is such a good - !?" Therion's voice was cut off by the door slamming shut behind the two women as they crossed over the threshold.

Ophilia blinked a few times, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness of the house's interior. The building was smaller than she had expected, only amounting to one cramped room lit solely by the feeble, gray light seeping in through a dusty window. Most jarring, however, was the fact that, save for a table and a few mats on the floor, the house was completely empty.

The cleric tentatively took a few steps further inside, glancing around. "Hm…? Where is the child…?" she asked uncertainly, a distinct feeling of dread beginning to wash over her.

The woman did not reply, instead turning back towards the closed door and peering into the dark shadows beside it. "I've brought the cleric, Brother," she said, her voice suddenly much calmer than it had been before.

The shadows shifted, and a figure dressed in a deep gray robe stepped out into the dim light. He seemed to have been hiding behind the door when it was opened, but now that it was shut, he made his presence known without hesitation. Ophilia took an instinctive step back, her heart missing a beat. The newcomer's hood hid his eyes, but she could plainly see the eerily serene smile on the man's face.

"You have served us well," he said calmly. "The Savior will be pleased."

Ophilia's eyes widened. "C…Come again?"

He stepped forward, and suddenly, the door swung open again behind him. Two of the villagers that Ophilia had attempted speaking to before slipped inside, but the cleric was more concerned with the commotion occurring outside, just past them. Though she couldn't see what was going on, she could hear the voices of her three companions, as well as thumps and pounding footsteps indicative of a struggle.

"Linde!" came H'aanit's cry as the snow leopard yowled loudly. "Unhanden her! Thou canst not - !" A muffled scream followed her abruptly cut off words.

"The hell are you people doing!?" That was Therion's voice, filled with venom. "Get your hands off of - !" The thief was suddenly silenced as well, this time by a loud thud that Ophilia strongly suspected had been a blow to his head.

"Therion!" was Primrose's startled call, mirroring the alarm that Ophilia felt creeping up within her. "You bastards, unhand us, now!" The cleric heard a male cry of pain, for a brief moment she dared to hope that the dancer would be able to prevail in whatever conflict was going on outside, but soon Primrose let out a strained yelp as well, before going silent as the others had. Ophilia felt her heart sink as the door slammed closed once again.

"Sister Ophilia," the cloaked man said with a thin smile as he slowly approached her. "It is not wise to put too much trust in others. For there are many in this world who are all too eager to deceive…"

Ophilia gulped, stepping back further until her back was pressed against the wall. "What…what have you done to my friends!?"

The man tilted his head, though his smile did not change. "Do not fear for them. You will be reunited soon enough." He folded his hands in front of him, studying her unhurriedly. "The Savior foretold your coming. He said a female cleric would come, seeking the ember. He said she was, in truth, a witch with the power to ensorcell the hearts of others…and that we should capture her, before she brings ruin to our village." At his gesture, the two men that had just entered began moving towards the young cleric.

"A…a witch!?" she stammered, drawing in a sharp gasp. "Now hold on a moment! Give me a chance to explain - !"

Before she could say another word, however, the men lunged for her, and everything went black.

()()()()

When Ophilia opened her eyes once more, gray stone filled her vision. Her head pounded, and as she pushed herself up off of the cold, dingy floor, she let out a soft groan of pain. "Where am I…?" she murmured, vacantly looking around as she struggled to set her thoughts in order.

"Ophilia?" came Primrose's familiar voice. Footsteps sounded behind Ophilia, and within seconds, the dancer had reached her side, gently grasping the cleric's shoulder so that she did not collapse again. "Oh, thank goodness…we were worried that you weren't going to wake up."

Ophilia's eyebrows creased. "We…?" She looked past Primrose to see H'aanit and Therion both sitting on the floor a few feet away. Linde was curled protectively around H'aanit, and the huntress absently stroked the snow leopard's head, though her fierce gaze was fixed on something behind Ophilia and Primrose. Therion seemed a bit out of it, and a large bruise had formed across the small section of his forehead that was not concealed by his hair. Still, the scowl on his face was just as dark as H'aanit's was.

Her frown deepening, Ophilia slowly turned around, relying on Primrose to keep her steady as she did so. Though her vision blurred slightly thanks to a combination of her headache and the movement, it soon cleared, and she was able to catch a glimpse of something that made her heart nearly stop in her chest.

Iron bars.

They had been locked up in a jail cell.

"Oh no…" Ophilia whispered faintly, earlier events gradually coming back to her. The cloaked man, the hostile villagers, all of the companions she had brought with her facing some sort of struggle outside. It appeared to have all culminated in the four (five with Linde) of them being captured by those who worked for the 'Savior.'

And it was all because of her.

Ophilia opened her mouth to speak, to profusely apologize, perhaps, but she was cut off by another voice coming from outside of the jail cell. To her surprise, it was a voice she recognized, yet never would have expected to hear in a place such as this.

"Awake at last, Sister Ophilia?"

The cleric's jaw dropped as a familiar figure walked up to the other side of the bars, smirking down at her. "Wait," she gasped, "you're…!" She shook her head, as though it would somehow fix the strange image she saw before her. "Master Mattias? But…you couldn't be…"

Mattias chuckled lightly and shrugged. "Ah, but I am. I suppose there's no need to hide the truth from you any longer." He spread his arms and flashed a serene smile. "I am the one these people call the Savior."

"You!?" Ophilia stared at the man with wide eyes. "Then the one who made Lianna steal the ember…"

"Yes," Mattias replied with a nod. "That was me as well."

"But…but why!?" The cleric attempted to rise, nearly falling, but Primrose stood with her, preventing her from toppling over. Ophilia lurched forward, grabbing a bar on the door with each hand to prop herself up while she stared into Mattias' face, searching for some semblance of the kind, modest merchant she had thought she'd known before. "Why would you of all people do such a thing!?"

Mattias smiled sympathetically at her, as though she were a child asking an innocently ignorant question. He stepped away from the cell, turning his back on her as he said thoughtfully, "Long ago, the gods brought fire from the heavens down to the earth to seal away one of their own. That is the Sacred Flame now worshipped throughout the land."

Ophilia frowned. His voice had turned oddly cold when he had mentioned the Sacred Flame.

"Given your position in the church, I'm sure you are well-versed in the history of our world," Mattias continued nonchalantly. He glanced back over his shoulder at Ophilia, head tilted slightly. "But ask yourself this - what would happen if the Sacred Flame were to lose its power? If it grew weak, and faltered?"

There was a brief silence as cold realization settled over each of the four travelers in the cell.

"No…" Ophilia whispered. "No! You can't seriously mean to release the fallen god from his bonds!?"

Mattias chuckled, strolling back over to the cell and lightly patting one of Ophilia's hands. "Oh, perish the thought. I am not so foolish as that. And yet…even sealed away as he is, Galdera is possessed of great power." His smile became just a fraction wider. "Power that he has deigned to share with me. As his power grows, so does my own…"

"That power is forbidden!" Ophilia cried, her pure shock and horror suddenly returning her strength to her. "There's a reason the twelve gods sealed Galdera away for all eternity! It's not meant for the hands of men!"

Mattias scoffed, merely waving his hand as though to dismiss her. "That is not for you to decide. If the power exists to be taken, then it exists to be used."

Ophilia gaped at him. "You're abominable…"

"Are we not all the same, Sister? Just look at these poor villagers…" Mattias shrugged and turned away once more. "When disease was running rampant and they were desperate, all I had to do was save a few of them…and they were all too eager to declare me their 'Savior.'"

The cleric's brow furrowed briefly. "You…saved them…?"

The man nodded. "As a loyal servant of Galdera, I wield a fragment of his great power. Mhm…and yet even that is but a fragment of a fragment. Sealed away as he is, my master's powers are not what they once were, but…with Sister Lianna's aid, I will loosen those bonds."

Ophilia's eyes widened. "Lianna? Is Lianna here!?"

"Of course." Mattias smiled. "She is my loyal vestal."

"Vestal…?"

Mattias ignored her, glancing over at the door leading outside. "Ah, but I must be going," he said lightly, turning on his heel. "There is much I still must prepare." He took a few steps, then paused and said, almost as an afterthought, "Fear not, Sister Ophilia. As long as you and your friends do not oppose me, I will do you no harm. After all…I might need a replacement for Lianna, should aught go amiss." With that, he left, shutting the door firmly behind him.

"W-What!? Wait!" Ophilia shouted, thrusting her arm through two of the bars as though reaching out to grab Mattias, despite the closed door. "We're not through here!"

As expected, there was no response.

"Don't bother," Primrose said softly, laying a hand on Ophilia's back. "The rest of us already shouted at him plenty before you woke up. He never budged once…wouldn't even say a word until you opened your eyes."

"I…I…" Tears welled in Ophilia's eyes as she slowly sank to her knees. "I'm so sorry…all of you…none of you would be in this mess if it wasn't for me…"

"I don't know about that," Therion muttered, rubbing at his bruised forehead. "It's not like this is a particularly unfamiliar environment for me, you know."

"Hush," H'aanit scolded him, tossing a sharp look in his direction. "Now is hardly the time for thy quips." In response, the thief merely shrugged and fell silent.

Primrose knelt down beside Ophilia, lightly squeezing her shoulder. "You're not to blame, Ophilia," she said quietly. "The only one at fault here is Mattias." The dancer shook her head, scowling. "It just isn't right, shutting up pretty girls - and Therion, I suppose - in a place like this. With a 'savior' like that, who needs enemies?"

"Primrose…I'm so sorry," Ophilia said again, resting her forehead against the bars of the cell door. "It shouldn't have come to this…if only I'd - "

"Now now, Ophilia," Primrose chided gently as she drew the younger girl's head away from the bars, having Ophilia look her in the eyes instead. "No one's saying this is your fault. Quite the opposite, in fact…we should be blaming the ones who took advantage of your kindness."

"But…"

The dancer held a finger up to the cleric's lips, silencing her. "But nothing. Now stop blaming yourself and help me find a way out of here, alright?"

Ophilia blinked, taken aback. "Y-Yes, of course!" she stammered, unsure if such a thing was even possible, but still moved by Primrose's words. Despite the cold mask she frequently wore, the dancer truly did have a generous heart underneath.

Primrose straightened, smiling grimly. "Mhm…that charlatan will get his comeuppance, ten times over…"

Then again, perhaps at least some of her frostiness was not an act after all.

The cleric took a deep breath to steady herself, then stood as well, examining the lock on their cell door. "Is it even possible to free ourselves in this state…? Our weapons have been taken, our light and dark magic doesn't have the physical force necessary to break iron, and using the amount of concentrated fire or lightning magic it would take to melt the bars in such a confined space would be extremely dangerous."

"Mhm…our only viable weapon for now is Linde, and I doubt even she could manage to tear apart solid metal like this," Primrose agreed. "Normally, our best bet would be Therion's lockpicks, but…well, see for yourself." She gestured to a nearby table, upon which a familiar set of lockpicks sat, clearly placed there merely to taunt the imprisoned travelers.

"There has to be something," Ophilia murmured, wringing her hands. "We need to get out of this cell, regroup with the others, figure out how to find Mattias…and we have to hurry and help Lianna."

"Stayen now, child," H'aanit advised from where she still sat up against the wall, stroking Linde's head. "We can doen but little for now."

Ophilia's eyebrows creased. "Yes, but - "

"To panicken is to maken mistakes," the huntress said. "Thou shalt only maken the situation worse."

The cleric shared a nervous glance with the dancer before giving a slow, reluctant nod. "If you say so…"

"First things first," H'aanit continued. "Thou needest rest, both for thy body and thy mind. 'Tis the same as a hunt. The hunter must ben tranquil and alert, else the quarry will turneth the tables, and the hunter becometh the hunted."

"We wouldn't want that," Ophilia admitted.

H'aanit nodded. "So listenen. Thou must be patient. Our time shall come, and with it doth, we shalle striken together."

Ophilia considered the huntress' words for several long moments before exhaling heavily and making an attempt at a small smile. "...I'm most grateful to have you on my side, H'aanit."

The older woman returned the smile readily, then tipped her head back to rest against the wall, closing her eyes. "Now I shalle heeden mine own counsel, and sleep. Waken me if thou needest me."

"Alright…" The cleric glanced over at H'aanit, watching her for a moment, then shook her head in wonder when the huntress did not stir even slightly. "Gracious…she fell asleep, just like that."

"A rather impressive talent," Primrose commented, sitting down on the cell's stone floor as well, "and some wise advice at that. It seems that Therion has taken it upon himself to adhere to it as well…"

Sure enough, the thief's head had dipped low enough for his face to be mostly hidden by both his long bangs and his scarf, and he appeared to have nodded off some time ago. Rather than the mild awe she had felt at H'aanit's ability to fall straight asleep in the most uncomfortable situation possible, Ophilia felt only unease when considering Therion's condition.

"I'm concerned about that wound on his head…" the cleric said softly as she too lowered herself to the floor. "It had to have been quite a hard blow if it so swiftly knocked him out cold before…not to mention he's been awfully quiet and distant since we've been in here. My healing magic will be a bit difficult to channel without my staff, but…I worry about what might happen if we don't correct whatever damage was done right away."

"And what about you?" Primrose asked with a frown. "H'aanit and I weren't knocked out, they only restrained us and shoved cloths in our mouths, then dragged us here. They even threw a weighted net over Linde, but left her conscious as well. But…from the looks of it, they hit you over the head, same as Therion. Damned thugs…are you alright?"

"I'm fine…" Ophilia raised a hand to her head, wincing slightly as she touched a tender spot. "I'll be sure to heal myself up too, though, just in case."

Primrose nodded. "Good."

Too tired to stand back up, Ophilia crawled the short distance between her and Therion, leaning back against the wall right beside him. She carefully placed one hand on the thief's bruised forehead, then rested the other against her own. The cleric closed her eyes, focusing her healing magic into her fingertips, letting it slowly flow out until the pain in her head cleared. By the time she opened her eyes and looked back at Therion, his bruise had all but faded away, and though he did not immediately wake up, his expression did seem a bit less distressed than before.

Releasing a long exhale, Ophilia pulled away from him, resting her head on the stone wall and covering her face with her hands. If she peeked through her fingers, all she could see was gray. Gray stone walls and floor, gray bars locking them inside, gray light filtering in from beneath the door to the outside, and gray, dismal prospects for their future.

Regardless of Primrose's assurances, Ophilia couldn't help but feel that she was to blame for the predicament they had found themselves in. Therion had once told her that she had a little too much faith in people, and given everything that had occurred, she was beginning to think that he was right. How could she have been so careless? All it had taken to draw her into a trap was a frantic woman shedding crocodile tears over a sick child that did not even exist - and, looking back on it now, that woman had not even been a particularly good actress. Ophilia had been blinded by her desire to help, and had knowingly separated herself from her companions in a clearly hostile town as a result of it.

She felt like a fool.

Ophilia had always considered kindness and honesty to be some of the most important virtues a person could possess. Archbishop Josef and Lianna had brought light back into her life with their kindness, and not once had they ever told her a lie (at least, not until Lianna was manipulated into doing so). Her little adoptive family had shaped her life in more ways than she could count, and she had always strived to show the same compassion and benevolence that they had always shown her.

Evidently, not everyone in the world felt similarly.

Kindness was a virtue only until someone willing to take advantage of it came along. Someone like Mattias, who was willing to target people's innermost faiths and desires in order to further his own quest for forbidden power, was the bane of anyone trying to be an honest, decent human being. To people like him, people who were kind and quick to trust were little more than tools to be used to their own ends.

It made the young cleric sick just to think about it. She had been so easily drawn in by Mattias' innocent merchant act, to the point where she hadn't suspected a thing up until the moment he'd smiled down at her from the other side of a wall made from iron bars. Ophilia had been thoroughly played for a fool, and now she, half of her traveling companions, her beloved sister, and whoever else Mattias would hurt with Galdera's power were going to pay the price for it.

Come to think of it, what had become of the other half of their band of travelers? Had they been captured as well, or had they caught wind of what had happened to Ophilia and the other three and stayed clear of town? Perhaps Alfyn, Cyrus, Tressa, and Olberic had managed to find out where they were, and were in the midst of making a plan to rescue them? Or perhaps that was mere wishful thinking, and their companions were completely in the dark, and had no idea where they were.

From the inside of the cell, they couldn't know for sure.

Before her thoughts could spiral even further through a whirlwind of worst case scenarios, Ophilia's attention was brought back out of her own mind by the sound of Therion shifting slightly beside her. The thief groaned slightly, bringing up a hand to rub at his head, then paused in slight confusion as he realized that he was no longer in pain. Therion opened his eyes (or at least his one visible eye) and glanced sideways at Ophilia, seeming to quickly put together the pieces of what had just happened.

"...thanks for the heal," he said gruffly, then looked across the room. "So…the creepy zealot left, did he?"

Ophilia sighed slightly and nodded. "Yes…I believe you were awake when he took his leave, but perhaps your mind was still hazy from your head injury. My magic took care of it for now, but…well, as you can see, we're still trapped in here, so I don't know what will become of us in the end. I'm so sorry…"

"Oh, come on…knock it off," Therion said bluntly with a roll of his eyes. "I'm sure Prim and H'aanit already lectured you enough about this, so let's do this instead: you tell me what I'm about to say to you."

"Um…" Ophilia winced and looked away. "You're…going to tell me that it's not my fault that we're stuck in here…"

"Uh huh. And?"

"And…that Mattias is the only one who has done anything wrong in this situation…"

"And?"

"A-And…" The cleric frowned, staring down at the gray stone floor. "And…that none of you are angry with me, and Lianna wouldn't be either. You're all…you're all here because you care about me, and you want to help me get out of here, stop Mattias, and save my sister…"

"Good." Therion leaned back, folding his hands behind his head. "Thanks for saving me the trouble of coming up with all of that myself. Sappiness was never really my strong suit."

Despite his brusque demeanor, Ophilia couldn't help but smile in response. He frequently had trouble showing it, true, but it was clear that Therion truly did care more than he would have the rest of their group believe.

"So…" the thief drawled, averting his gaze so that he would not have to acknowledge Ophilia's gratitude. "Are we getting out of here or what?"

"We'd like to, but we don't exactly have many options at our disposal," Primrose pointed out. "No weapons, no magic that's both useful and safe to use, and no lockpicks for you either. So unless any of that changes, we're just about completely stuck here."

"Mhm…" Therion shrugged. "I wouldn't say that."

"Oh?" Ophilia looked at him, eyes wide. "You mean…you have a plan?"

He smirked. "Even better. I've got - "

The slow creak of the door to the outside opening cut him off.

"...Ophilia?"

The cleric drew in a sharp breath, her eyes growing even wider as the door opened a little bit further. "That voice…" she breathed softly. She jumped up, running to the bars and grabbing onto two of them, calling out, "Lianna!?"

A familiar figure quickly slipped into the room, shutting the door behind her swiftly, yet carefully enough not to make a sound. Lianna turned to stare at Ophilia, alarmed, and put a finger to her lips. "Shhh!" she hissed desperately. "Not so loud!"

It nearly pained Ophilia to force herself not to scream, but she managed to soften her words to a slight whisper the next time she spoke. "What…what are you doing here!?"

Lianna smiled sadly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "I'm so sorry, Ophilia…I'll get you out of here…" She started searching the room, presumably looking for a key to their cell, or anything else that would help get the door open. She hadn't yet noticed Therion's lockpicks on the table, but Ophilia was not quite ready to point them out to her yet.

She needed to talk to her sister first.

"But…Lianna, why…?" she murmured, watching Lianna rifle through various barrels and sacks that had been left in the room. "I…I don't understand…"

Lianna stopped in her tracks, her back facing the cell. She took a deep breath and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Phili…" she whispered, her voice almost too faint to hear. "I did it…for my father." Lianna swallowed thickly as her hands began to shake. "H-He's gone. He left us, forever, but…"

She turned to face Ophilia, and the desperate smile on her face broke the young cleric's heart more than tears ever could. "But the Savior promised me he can bring Father back! All I need to do is act as his vestal!"

Ophilia's heart sank. "Listen to yourself, Lianna! This…this is madness you speak!"

Lianna's eyebrows creased, and the fragile hope faded from her face, replacing itself with confusion and hurt. "What…? Phili, how could you say such a thing…?" She shook her head, her voice breaking as the thin sheen of tears returned to her eyes. "Do…do you not even care that Father is gone!?"

"Lianna…" Ophilia began, but Lianna did not let her continue.

"A-All those days we spent together…you and me and Father…dining together, talking together, laughing together…" A strangled cry escaped her sister's throat. "W-We'll never know that happiness again! Don't you even care!?"

"That's an awfully cruel thing to say," Primrose scolded, though Lianna's attention was focused solely on Ophilia.

"I do care, Lianna…" the cleric said softly, reaching her hand through the bars towards her distraught sister. "But that doesn't mean you can bring back the departed."

"True enough," Therion agreed bluntly. "What's dead is dead. It's a harsh reality, but a reality all the same."

Lianna took only a moment to aim a scathing glare in Therion's direction before rounding on Ophilia once more. "I can't believe you, Ophilia!" she snapped, evidently no longer concerned with the volume of her own voice. "Were you always this cruelhearted!?"

Ophilia shook her head, never once lowering her arm, outstretched as it was so that Lianna might take her hand. "Listen to me, Lianna!" she pleaded. "Of course I wish His Excellency were still alive! But…those who pass through the gate to the afterworld are never to return. And if you let that man use this forbidden power…there's no telling what horrors might be unleashed."

Lianna looked down at Ophilia's outstretched hand, and for a moment, it looked like she might take it. However, to Ophilia's dismay, she soon turned away. "I won't give up," she insisted quietly. "Father is coming back. I'll see to that! And…and when he's back, we can all be a family again, just like before. Wouldn't you like that too, Phili…?"

Ophilia did not respond, only silently pressing her head against the bars in despair as she finally lowered her arm back to her side.

"I…I can't find the key," Lianna admitted, folding her arms over her stomach nervously. "I wanted to let you out, so I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find it anywhere…"

Therion cleared his throat. "Right, ah…there's a good reason for that." He slipped his hand out from under his shawl, where a set of keys was looped around one of his fingers like a ring. "I've got it right here."

Primrose turned and stared at him, her expression halfway between exasperated and impressed. "Have you…had those with you the whole time?"

He shrugged. "I was kind of in and out of consciousness while they were throwing us in here," he explained. "Had just enough sense in me to nick the keys off of the one who locked the door before he left. You'd be surprised how many people don't check their pockets after they've dared to turn their back on a thief."

"...all this time," Primrose muttered, dropping her face into her hands. "All this time, we were languishing in here, and you already had the keys. I can't believe this…"

"Well excuse me for being unconscious," Therion grumbled, standing up. "And it's not like I could've said anything with the snake oil 'Savior' in the room, now could I?"

"Fair enough…" the dancer sighed.

Therion made his way to the door of the cell, slipping past Ophilia, who still hadn't moved from her head-bowed position. He spared her a mildly concerned glance before he made it to the door, examining the keys on the ring to see which one might fit into their cell's lock. When he found one that looked promising, he slipped his hand out through the bars, awkwardly maneuvering his arm so that he might get the key into the lock without quite being able to see what he was doing.

Lianna reached out to take the keys from him. "I can help with - "

Before she could touch them, however, Therion snatched the keys back inside the cell and glared at her. "I think you've done enough already," he said coldly. Then, he resumed his attempts to unlock the door, pointedly averting his gaze from Ophilia's sister.

She gaped at him, taken aback. She glanced at Ophilia for help, but the cleric still did not look up. Lianna waited for several seconds, then wilted when it became clear that no response was coming. In the meantime, a small click sounded as the cell door unlocked and swung open.

Lianna stepped back, as though worried that one of Ophilia's traveling companions might attack her. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then said quietly, "Alright…the door's unlocked. So…please. Get away from this place before anyone finds you. And just…leave the rest to me, okay…?"

When no one responded, Lianna sighed and turned away, heading for the door. She did not once look back, even when Ophilia finally lifted her head and called out her name. Without another word, Lianna slipped back outside and shut the door behind her. She was gone, leaving only silence in her wake.

"...I can't believe this is happening," Ophilia eventually whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "Lianna…how could you believe the words of a charlatan like him…?"

"It's just like I said," Therion muttered, stepping out of the cell and collecting his lockpicks, dagger, and sword. "Manipulation. She just lost her father, so she's vulnerable. The bastard's taking advantage of her pain to get what he wants from her."

"We'll save her, Ophilia," Primrose promised, placing a hand on the cleric's shoulder. "We're not going to let Mattias have his way, I swear that much. And…if nothing else, just by coming in here with the intention of letting us out, your sister has proven that she's not too far gone. No matter what she said in anger and despair, she clearly still loves you, and I believe, if it comes down to it, she will choose you over Mattias."

Ophilia looked up at the dancer, uncertain. "You…truly think so…?"

Primrose smiled. "I'm sure of it. Now…we should take Lianna's advice and leave this place. I'll wake up H'aanit, you start collecting everything they took from you. Sound good?"

"Y-Yes…" Ophilia took a deep, steadying breath as Primrose left her side. Their circumstances were still looking bleak, and Lianna was still in far more danger than she realized, but if nothing else, they were out of that cell. They now had the ability to escape, find the others, and figure out how they were going to stop Mattias' plans. It wouldn't be easy, of course, but thanks to Lianna's kindness (and Therion's quick fingers), they had a chance to make things right.

Perhaps there was a little sunlight peeking through all the gray after all.

See you guys next time for Tale 20: Fortitude!