When Viera heard that Alexander changed his mind and joined the group once more, she couldn't be more excited. Finally, it felt that the group was full with both him and Takota being able to help. While they had yet to find anywhere that needed the group's services, she knew that when the time came, they would be ready to confront whatever threat they faced. For now, she could only bide her time while waiting for the next emergency.

With little else to do for the time being, Viera focused on her duties tending to Iomedae's shrine at the Pantheon of Many. She thought that she would only get in Falenas' way if she tried to help him and wasn't ready to talk to Griffin. The priestess did feel better since taking the potion but hadn't come around to the way her friend acted. Viera knew that Griffin wanted what was best for her but she believed that it was up to her, not him, to decide on what was best.

The Pantheon of Many was the smallest of the temples and didn't have clerics as powerful as the other temples in Korvosa. There were only a few capable of casting a spell to remove blood veil but the citizens of the city failed to understand that. Korvosan Guards were stationed outside of the Pantheon of Many to ensure that little violence didn't break out. Within the temple itself, the priests bickered as different faiths clashed against one another on how to help. Viera hated to see the different priests argue, but anytime she tried to step in as a mediator, her words fell on deaf ears.

At least wanting to do something while waiting for the next fight, Viera decided it was the best time to reach out to Ishani again. During their few meetings after she introduced him to Cressida, he was able to talk about how he felt distant from Abadar due to his god's teachings. Viera invited him to visit the Pantheon of Many, figuring that it was the best place to pursue a new faith. Ishani was a good friend to her and she wanted to do what she could to help him even while Korvosa struggled with blood veil.

Viera waited for Ishani outside of the temple and smiled when she saw him approach. She had already informed the Korvosan Guard that she was expecting to see a cleric from the Grand Vault of Abadar, and when the men saw Ishani in his usual robes, they stepped aside to let him through. Ishani approached Viera and smiled softly with a bow.

"I thank you for the invitation, Viera," Ishani said. "I've been thinking a lot about our conversations on religion and I'm hoping to have more to think about after this visit."

"I'm glad to hear that," Viera told him. "I won't try to convert you from your faith but I thought that it would be good for you to have a chance to understand the different faiths and I felt the Pantheon of Many was the best place for that."

"I've heard that this temple holds shrines to all of the gods. Is that true?"

Viera led the way inside the temple. "It's close but not quite the case. Of the twenty most common deities, there are no shrines to Gorum, Lamashtu, or Rovagug, and the shrine to Norgorber doesn't have anyone to tend to it. I don't think you'd be too interested in exploring those faiths though."

"I would have to agree with you on that," Ishani chuckled.

"I'm curious but what drew you to Abadar to begin with?" Viera asked.

Ishani paused to think over Viera's question before answering. "I wanted to find a place to fit in and help people, and as a child, it seemed like that would be as a follower of Abadar. I don't think I told you this before but I'm not from Korvosa."

"And where did you come from before? Why did you leave?"

"I wasn't even ten when my mother took Vavana and I from Vudra," Ishani explained. "I don't remember much of my home but at the time we were trying to avoid an outbreak of scarlet leprosy, which had already claimed my father. My mother died shortly after we arrived in Korvosa. We fled Vudra by stowing away on one of the Arkona's ships and they required her payment through indentured servanthood."

"That is terrible to hear," Viera bowed her head. "I'm sorry that you went through such a loss."

"Thank you for your words, and while I miss my family dearly, it's all in the past now," Ishani reassured Viera with a smile.

"And what of Vavana?" Viera asked. "I haven't heard you mention her name before."

"Vavana's my older sister, and while I believe she is alive, I can't say for sure," Ishani admitted with a shrug. "She was accepted into the Acadamae after we arrived at Korvosa, and afterwards, she cut ties with me completely. It's just another loss that I had to overcome."

Viera wasn't sure what to say after hearing about Ishani's past. In a way, he reminded her of her own childhood. She knew what it was like to not have family in a city like Korvosa and how tough it was. Fortunately, it did appear as though Ishani was able to find his place at the Grand Vault of Abadar before anything terrible happened to him personally. Viera's time spent forced to work under Gaedren still haunted her dreams despite Falenas' different remedies. Their similar past was just another reason for why Viera felt like she could trust Ishani.

"When I was a child and fell on tough times, I found my way to where I am after finding a holy symbol belonging to Iomedae," Viera explained when they walked to the shrine of her goddess. "Perhaps I can share with you some lessons of what I've learned in service to the Inheritor?"

"Wasn't Iomedae the most recent of the gods to pass the Test of the Starstone?" Ishani asked curiously.

"Indeed she was, and before then, she was a mortal hero who performed many miracles," Viera answered. "Among her feats, Iomedae defeated Erum-Hel at the Battle of Three Sorrows, called upon the Starstone's power to protect Absalom during a terrible storm, and battled faceless stalkers when she ruled over the city of Kantaria. Her followers aim to follow in her example by rooting out evil wherever it can be found."

"I see," Ishani said and Viera noticed that he struggled to meet her gaze. "I mean no insult to you or your goddess but I'm not sure if I would make for a good follower of Iomedae. I'm a pacifist so I don't think that I would be able to confront any sort of villain the way you do."

"There's nothing wrong with not wanting to fight," Viera reassured Ishani. "There are deities that would prefer a healer rather than a warrior."

"Does any god in particular come to mind?"

"There might be one," Viera tapped her chin in thought. "I only have a passing knowledge of the rest of the deities we have shrines for but perhaps Sarenrae could be a goddess that appeals to you more."

"The Dawnflower and her lessons on redemption do stand out to me," Ishani nodded and returned his gaze back to Viera. "I'm just not sure if I have what it takes to strike down someone that's beyond redemption."

"That's understandable and it might not be a problem. I'm sure there are nonviolent approaches a follower of Sarenrae could take. Have you heard about what the Temple of Sarenrae has been doing since the riots?"

"I've heard mention of it but I'm not too sure what they're doing."

"From what I've heard from the shrine here, the Temple of Sarenrae is intervening in the cases of people who were arrested during the riots, pushing for community service instead of time spent locked away as a form of repentance," Viera explained. "Verik helping my friends and I is actually a part of that."

"Is that so?" Ishani asked, taken by surprise.

"Indeed it is, and while it was a shock, I've seen that he can do good if given the right push. The point is that even though I don't know what the Temple of Sarenrae asks from its clergy, I believe that they would be willing to take and accommodate someone who doesn't want to fight more than my goddess."

"Then perhaps I should find a time to visit the Temple of Sarenrae," Ishani said with a smile. "I'm not making any decisions yet but it could be a good start."

"I'm glad to hear that. I hope that I was able to help."

"Indeed you were," Ishani said and bowed his head. "If there's anything I could do to return the favor, I'd be more than happy to."

Viera thought about telling him that she didn't need him to return the favor and that she never expected it to begin with. However, for a brief second, she thought that perhaps Ishani could offer a new perspective on the dreams she suffered from. They happened less than before and skipped a day but it was the same dream each night. Although Viera was no longer frightened when she slept, she couldn't help but wonder who the cloaked man that helped Gaedren was. Each time she fell asleep, she was no closer to finding the truth.

"There might be," Viera admitted. "I've been suffering from terrible dreams of my childhood recently and there's one memory that keeps coming up."

"I see," Ishani said. "Would you feel comfortable sharing that with me?"

"I would," Viera answered without any hesitation. "I didn't have any parents and I was taken in by a crime lord, Gaedren Lamm, who forced me to be a pickpocket. I… he's dead now but I've been dreaming about my time spent under his care. I think that he has an accomplice, one that escaped justice. I just can't remember anything about who this mysterious man is because I've only seen him in a cloak."

"Have you told anyone else about this?" Ishani asked.

"I've mentioned it to Griffin and Alexander but only Falenas knows the whole truth. He suggested that I let the matter drop, and even though he's given me elixirs to help sleep, I don't think I can."

"I don't know if it's a good idea to look for this man but I think it may be worth it in your case," Ishani told Viera. "I wouldn't ask you to go into what happened during your time under Gaedren but it feels as though you haven't found closure."

"Closure," Viera repeated to herself. "I think you're right."

"I'm afraid my advice is all I'm good for here," Ishani sighed. "I don't know how to help you."

"You've done enough," Viera told Ishani with a smile. "To know that I have a friend to support my decision is enough. That is all I have to ask of you. I think I'd like to introduce you to the other priests before you leave. I think they could use someone to coordinate their healers."

Viera spent the next hour introducing Ishani to the priests of the various shrines and giving him a chance to come up with a plan. She was fine with taking a break from talking with her friend and focused on her thoughts instead. Her mind was settled on taking a more proactive stance in finding the mysterious man from her visions. The priestess wasn't sure what she would do once he found him but knew that for her own sake, she needed to. She was never going to move on from the pain she suffered under Gaedren until she found closure.

Finally, Viera escorted Ishani outside of the Pantheon of Many with him promising to talk to her again after he visited the Temple of Sarenrae. She was hopeful that he would find happiness under a new deity. The priestess had no problems with Abadar but knew that Ishani may prefer a goddess who had no problems with him wanting to heal others without asking for anything in return.

Before Viera could enter the Pantheon of Many, one of the Korvosan Guards ran up to her.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but an elderly lady has asked to speak with you," the guard said. "She was able to describe you in detail so I thought that she knew you."

Viera wasn't expecting such a meeting but nodded. "Please, send her through."

The guard stepped aside and relayed her message to his comrades. Viera watched the woman in question approach her, walking up the steps leading to the Pantheon of Many. She had short gray hair and wore stained clothes from which the priestess caught the scent of fish. When Viera looked at the elder's face, she took notice of the yellow tint in her eyes.

"I don't mean to take up too much of your time," the woman said. "My name is Eries and I was hoping that you would be able to introduce me to some of your friends."

"I might be able to arrange a meeting," Viera told the woman but was still curious. "Is it important?"

Eries nodded with a frown. "It is of dire importance. Korvosa faces a war, not from any other nation, but from within the city itself, and I need you and your friends' help to ensure that such violence never occurs."

A/N: Nothing much to say here other than that I've made it to 50,000 words. Another year of National Novel Writing Month completed.

Moving forward, I think I'm going to take a short break from Seven Days to the Grave but nothing longer than a few days. This story is going to be way longer than Edge of Anarchy as there's still plenty to write about and I want to get back to this with a refreshed mind.

For anyone who's stuck around this long in my NaNoWriMo journey, thank you very much. As always, feel free to follow the story or leave a review if you feel up for it.

Until next time.