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[The Lions of God]

                The group had used Evie to contact her people in Sariquisse and set up a meeting at their capitol city. They arrived at Yadara and placed their ship down at the docks before doing one final check-up. Belix wandered through the halls, making certain that all of the shrimps had hidden away when she spotted Donald sitting in a crumpled heap on the floor.

“You okay?” she asked, looking him over, “Somebody step on you or something?”

“No…” he replied weakly, “Just, so tired…”

“Yeah, I know, And I’m sorry sweetie,” she mentioned, carrying him over to a ventilation duct, “But, I need you to get scarce right now, it’s for your own good.”

“I’m sorry…just…”

“I know,” she repeated, putting him into the duct and replacing the vent, “Just get behind a bend and stay there until it’s safe.”

“Yes ma’am,” he responded weakly but managed to scuttle away.

                She watched him leave, wincing a bit as he left, wondering what the problem was, when Zeesa appeared with a situation report.

“So, they’ve all been stashed?” she asked.

“Everyone that I’ve checked,” Zeesa nodded, “And the others have said the same thing.”

“What about Clyde?”

“Slumbering sweetly under a nook in the engine room, he’s not gonna have any problems,” then Zeesa smirked, “And, unless you want to go and give him a goodnight kiss…”

“Then we’re as ready as we’re ever going to be,” Belix cut her off and turned to head down into the ship’s hangar bay.

                Down there, waiting for her, was the rest of her crew and the orblet, which she took a moment to examine before nodding.

“Has everybody got their stories straight?” she asked.

“We stayed on the ship,” Granger mentioned, “Guarding the escape route since the Holy Mother didn’t trust us all that much.”

“They left, explored a temple,” Evie shrugged, “Sylvester was the only one who returned.”

“And this…” Zeesa leered at the orblet and shook her head, “Are we really sure we should be showing them this…thing?”

“They’ll have put as much effort into studying it as anybody else,” Sylvester mentioned, “Might even have some research materials that I can use to expand my theories.”

“Shut it!” Belix snapped at him, “We’re not here to make friends and we’re not staying for a moment longer than we absolutely have to.”

“But if we find something...”

“Then we have something to discuss, until that point, we’re just here completing a job and seeing if they’ll offer us any kind of back pay.”

“This is what people mean when they say ‘the lesser of two evils’,” Evie grumbled.

“Yeah, well,” Belix rolled her eyes as she walked over to the door controls and opened the loading ramp, “I’m at least hoping they’ll spring for dinner.”

                The moment the door opened, they were all hit by an explosion of sound and celebration, confetti and fireworks bursting in the air as a massive crowd cheered their arrival against the marble white background of the pristine and beautiful city. For a moment, they were all stricken, baffled and unable to move or respond, until the ramp fully descended and they saw what was waiting for them at the bottom. A woman in priestly robes, flanked by no less than a dozen ridiculously heavily armored soldiers.

                Belix instinctively reached for her guns, but, remembered she had left them in the armory, a sign of solidarity that she was beginning to regret. With the horribly discomforting knowledge that her weapons likely wouldn’t have done much any way against such thick defenses, she gestured to the others to follow her down the ramp. As they moved closer to their host, she moved a bit closer to Evie and hissed quietly through her teeth:

“What the fuck are those things?”

“The Grotesques?” Evie wondered with a shrug, “They’re the bodyguards of the Grand Vizier.”

“They look like Gods damned battleships!”

“Yeah, heavy armor to absorb damage if someone tries to attack her, don’t worry about them, they’re mostly for show.”

                Belix continued to glare at her but let the subject drop as they approached their host, who curtsied to them gracefully, leaning heavily on a golden staff to do so. Belix bowed, awkwardly, along with her crew as the women at the bottom of the ramp introduced herself.

“Well met, great warriors,” she bowed her head in difference, “I, Talina Desaoule, welcome you, to our humble home.”

“Humble,” Sylvester repeated, warily glancing around at the glistening spires and vast, expansive streets rimmed with polished silver gutters and light posts.

                Belix quickly stepped on his foot to shut him up before continuing.

“We of the Autumn Clover, are quite proud to be here,” she smiled, but lowered her head shamefully, “Though, we come with dire news.”

“Your mission was not a success?” Talina wondered, cocking her head to the side.

“Well, no, it was,” Belix insisted, “But, a lot of your people wound up dead because of it.”

“A necessary sacrifice, all knew the risks before setting out on their journey.”

“Including the spiritual leader and head of state…”

“ALL, knew the risks,” Talina insisted before turning away, “But, let us not discuss such dire business in front of the peasantry, this was to be a day for celebration, and I’d rather not deprive them.”

                She raised her staff and the crowd cheered once more, somewhere in the distance a band started playing a processional march. Talina led her guards through the streets and back to the capitol building with Belix and her crew following languidly behind.

“So…” Belix summarized, “She was the next in line huh?”

“Temporarily,” Evie corrected her, “Until the Council of Seven choose the next Holy Mother, she will retain a figurehead position as the leader of our nation.”

                Belix nodded quietly and continued to follow in silence. After being paraded through the streets at length, Talina finally brought the group before a massive temple that consumed the equivalent of three city blocks. The entry, past the massive stone doors, was a simple and wide hall that led to an altar.

“Bit of a cumbersome entrance,” Sylvester commented as they stepped into the wider place of worship.

“The time spent in the hall is meant to stir the mind and the soul,” Evie mentioned as they approached the altar, “To have all focus upon and reflect over the path we walk.”

“Also narrows enemy numbers,” Belix commented quietly, “Makes the place more defensible.”

“Two things can be true at once,” Talina interrupted them, stopping the group before reaching the altar, she turned back and walked up to Belix, “Captain?”

“Yes…your…highness?” Belix pulled back, confused.

“You do your title service,” Talina nodded respectfully, “Clearly you were gifted with a keen analytical mind…”

“I just noticed the gunports in the walls,” Belix shrugged.

“And quite perceptive as well, I see why you were chosen for such a heady task,” the Grand Vizier raised her head and stepped forward to kneel at the altar, holding her in front of her like a torch as she prayed.

    Both Evie and the Grotesques joined her in their reverie while Belix looked to the others for some kind of clue what to do next. Granger also knelt, saying his own brief prayer, while the others just shrugged in frustrated defeat. Talina rose before he finished and smiled down upon Granger.

“You needn’t have joined in,” she plied him softly, “Great warrior.”

“I needn’t,” Granger agreed, “I just…felt the urge.”

“Ah, the One Spirit moved you,” she commented, reaching forward and touching Granger’s scarred face, “Surely this is evidence of the truth in our belief.”

“Well, my people believed that, to have a good harvest you had to have sex in the field,” Belix muttered.

“That explains so much about you,” Zeesa joked.

“Diavos,” Talina offered, turning her attention to Belix, “Your people’s God of Fertility and Harvest.”

                Belix flushed red as every eye in the room turned to her.

“Um…I mean…” she grumbled, regretting that she had said anything, “There’s, that is to say a…”

“A connection,” Talina finished for her, moving close to Belix again, “A similarity between the action, and the act, to plow, to sweat, to carry, to nurture, and to labor…”

“…something like that, yes…” Belix mentioned, trying desperately not to look the other woman in the eye.

“Forgive me,” Talina reached out and touched Belix’s chin, “I had thought the markings on your face an affection, I had no idea I was standing before a fellow priestess.”

“You’re not,” Belix pushed her hand away and backed up, “I’m more a failed monk than anything else.”

“This is nothing be ashamed of,” Talina gave her a warm and understanding smile, “If everyone could walk the path of the righteous, everyone would be a saint.”

“Thank you…” Belix sighed awkwardly, “For your kind words you…”

“Talina will do,” she replied softly, then turned to the rest of the group, “And that goes for all of you, do not treat me as a tyrant or your pay master, today I am your host, and you, every one, my honored guest.”

“Ma’am…” Sylvester stepped forward, “Um, Talina-ma’am, I…I wish to ask you a favor.”

“Now’s really not…” Belix glared at him.

“When would be better?” Talina eyed him curiously, leaning on her staff as she pressed herself closer, “What would you have of me, Avatar of Water?”

                He glanced over at Evie who only shrugged.

“I did send reports,” she mentioned.

“Forget it,” he shook his head and faced the Grand Vizier, “There’s an object on our ship, I need some help studying it.”

“We’ll have it brought in immediately…” Talina smiled.

“That won’t be necessary,” Sylvester explained, fishing around in his pockets, “I have a sample…”

                Belix turned and glared at Granger who ashamedly avoided her gaze. Sylvester held up the slab of rock for Talina to examine and she stared hard at it before jabbing it with her finger only to be electrocuted when a sudden spark jumped from its surface.

“It has a…disturbing aura,” she commented, “What is it?”

“The thing we were hunting,” Belix supplied, “Our boy here thinks he knows a way to kill it…but…”

“Ah, so this is why you said the mission had not been completed.”

“Wha…No!” Belix looked at her with disgust, “I already told you, a lot of people died just to get this done…”

“Sacrifices, made willfully and with a full understanding of the consequences,” Talina snapped, still leering at the stone, “But this…this is intriguing, I’ll send for an alchemist, shall I? And our top scientific adviser?”

“Either, or, both, preferably, yes,” Sylvester nodded happily, briefly catching Belix’s eye and turning away from her cold glare.

“Then I’ll have a messenger after them at once,” Talina bowed before facing the crowd again, “As for the rest of you, well, you must think me an ungracious host, let’s have a meal while we wait.”

“…Am I even allowed to say no?” Belix wondered.

“Of course you can,” Talina scoffed, her voice bemused, “It would only hurt my feelings.”

                Belix rolled her eyes, then glanced at the rest of her crew who only shrugged.

“Yeah, I guess we could eat,” she mentioned, “I’d prefer to get the debriefing done beforehand…”

“Oh? Had you not known,” Talina wondered curiously, “The debriefing is done, Sister Valdes sent us a rather comprehensive missive of your exploits and the losses you’ve acquired,” she stamped her staff on the floor, “Rest assured we are more than ready to repay you for your efforts.”

“That so…” Belix glared at Evie, “In that case, might I peruse the report? I want to make certain that ‘Sister Valdes’ didn’t exaggerate any of our actions, I wouldn’t want the church to go out of pocket on our account.”

“Such an honest soul,” Talina commented, and Zeesa had to cover her mouth to stifle a loud scoff, “I can lead you to it myself, if you would not find the company…distasteful.”

                Belix grumbled quietly but didn’t object to the offer, a moment later, Talina smiled and loudly clapped her hands. A swarm of nuns emerged from the surrounding halls and made an impassable line that cut off the crew’s escape and advancement.

“I must apologize to say,” Talina spoke loudly, “That the Grotesques must come with me, as is their duty, for the rest of you, take the run of the building, go where you will, do as you wish, for any and all assistance,” she swept her arm around the room gesturing to the nuns, “You need only ask.”

                All of the nuns bowed and gave their agreement to the suggestion and a collective chill ran down everyone’s spine. With a final appreciative nod, Talina spun and marched away, leading Belix down one of the adjoining halls. After discussing it for a while, they all settled on going to the mess hall for a meal. Though the menu offered them was far from extensive, what they were served, mostly bread and wine, was actually quite delicious and filled them up quickly, not knowing what else to do, they simply sat at the long wooden table, slowly picking at a basket of rolls while they waited for their captain to return.

                An hour or two passed, and Belix arrived to take her portion. When Sylvester tried to approach her she immediately shut him down.

“Don’t!” she warned him, “That was a dirty fucking trick you pulled, and the only reason I’m not stoving your head in right now is because it’ll look bad in front of our hosts, speaking of though…”

“…shit…” Granger muttered under his breath.

“Goddamn right!” she snapped, “I thought I told you to keep him away from the hangar bay!”

“Guy’s gotta sleep,” the big man shrugged.

“Both of you are on punishment detail as soon as we get out of here.”

“Meaning?” Sylvester wondered.

“Any thing and Every Thing that I personally think will make your lives miserable until I am satisfied that you’ve learned your Gods damned lesson, now shut up and let me eat.”

                She was halfway through with her plate when Evie finally broached the subject that had been dancing on the end of her tongue for so long.

“Do you not trust me?” she demanded.

“It’s not the place to have this discussion,” Belix snapped.

“No it’s just the place for you to double check my…”

“How long have you been sending reports on us?” Belix demanded, giving her a hard look.

“Since the beginning, you knew this!”

“Yes, and I also told you to filter your reports through me so don’t go bitching about who broke whose trust because I’m feeling a bit betrayed myself right now.”

                Evie tried to continue the argument, but Granger put a hand on her back and shook his head to silence her. Zeesa took notice of this but didn’t say anything about it, instead deciding to focus on the matter at hand.

“I take it you managed to iron out some of our…courser details?” the mermaid asked.

“You mean our payment?” Belix surmised between mouthfuls of bread, “Yeah, it’s squared away.”

“What’re we getting?” Granger asked somberly.

“Supplies, mostly,” she picked up her last roll and tossed it back onto the plate, “Six barrels of high-quality flour, three more butter, cheese, salt, sugar, one barrel of wine.”

“No coin then?” Zeesa asked.

“Mentioned it,” Belix shrugged, “But, they did pay for the new ship, she figured signing it over to me legally and filling our stores should be enough, managed to haggle her up to throw in some fuel, a full tank and half our reserve in fact.”

“Generous,” Sylvester commented, “So they’re just gonna pat us on the head and send us on our way?”

“No,” Belix admitted, “She still wants to keep us on retainer.”

“…they’re not going to let me go,” he muttered.

“Yeah, well,” Belix picked up her last roll and started nibbling on it, “We knew what we were signing up for, and it’s not such a bad deal, we go back to Miji, wait for word, give priority to their requests, and they give priority to us if we ever need some coin thrown our way.”

                She finished eating and eyed the basket once more, then shrugged, folding her arms and staring at table pensively.

“Does this seem a bit too easy to any one else?” Zeesa mentioned.

“Oh, obviously,” Belix agreed, “Plus, I think that Vizier chick wants to have sex with me.”

“And that’s a problem for you?” Evie scoffed.

“Not particularly,” Belix admitted, and glanced around the room, noticing the army of nuns who were watching them all attentively, “But, it’s a gift horse situation, we go looking for trouble, we’re damn sure gonna find it.”

“So keep our heads down,” Sylvester smiled and waved at one of the nearby nuns, “Hope they wave us through without incident, wonderful.”

“Yeah, not to mention your little research request is going to delay us a few days longer,” Belix snapped at him, “Which is why you don’t jump the line like that, idiot!”

                He winced and turned away, ashamed, so she let the matter drop.

“First off,” Belix changed the subject, “I’d say we figure out how to make a gracious exit, this place is makin’ me itch.”

                As she spoke, the heavy footsteps of the Grotesques could be heard approaching from outside the mess hall, both they and Talina arrived a few moments later, her gilded staff clicking heavily against the floor as she walked.

“Good news,” Talina told them cherrily, “I’ve sent the requests, and made arrangements for the specialists to arrive, both should be here by morning.”

“Much appreciated,” Belix nodded, rising from her seat along with everyone else, “No to be, um, ungrateful, but, it’s been…well, it’s all been a touch overwhelming, I think we’d all like a few moments to ourselves if you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” Talina nodded, “We have rooms prepared for you already…”

“Um…I meant back on our ship,” Belix cut her off, “It’s no offense meant, but, we…that is to say, ‘I’ have never been one to find comfort in a church.”

“I had assumed as much,” Talina responded with a conspiratorial giggle, “So I arranged your lodgings at a nearby hotel, you’ll be quite well cared for…”

“I…know this might seem rude,” Belix continued to press, a frustrated edge creeping into her voice, “But…I would prefer…to sleep on my ship.”

“Your dedication is noted, and much appreciated,” Talina told her pleasantly, “And you’ve worked hard for us these past few weeks, don’t you think that you’ve earned a bit of pampering, in fact, I insist upon it, and to deny it would be nothing less than an insult,” she tapped her staff against the floor, ending the conversation, “So says the Grand Vizier!”

                Belix plastered an unmistakably fake smile on her face and gritted her teeth so hard she thought they might crack.

“Then what choice do I have?” she said while barely moving her lips.

“Very good,” Talina nodded, then gestured to one of the nuns, “Sister Kathrine, show them to their abode.”

                Belix said nothing and, fists clenched at her sides, fell into step behind the nun as she led them to their waiting hotel room. As they walked, Sylvester came close and put a hand on Belix shoulder.

“It’ll be alright,” he whispered in her ear, “It’s just one day, the Shrimps can take care of him for that long.”

                Belix brushed him away, and kept her silence.

                Some hours later, Clyde awakened in his nook, alone and in the dark. He nearly panicked until he felt something on his chest, something surprisingly warm and soothing, it calmed him long enough for his addled mind to remember what was going on, why he had stashed himself away. Yet, despite the risk, the ship was quiet, and he was hungry. With as much grace as an injured man with one good arm could muster, he held the strange object to his chest and slid out of his hiding place.

                Though he had gotten accustomed to the ship over the past few weeks, it was still difficult to locate the kitchen while hobbling through its halls in the dark. Only there did he dare turn on a light and examine the strange companion he had taken with him. In the light, he could only describe it as a black egg, with strange stripes and protrusions across its surface, it did seem to have a center of mass though, and, every time he set it down, it popped upright again. Examining it curiously, he made himself a quick meal of porridge and bread, even managing to finish most of it before his appetite failed him.

                After washing his meal down and cleaning his plate, Clyde chose to return to his hiding spot, but, on the way, he heard footsteps, someone besides himself traipsing through the darkened halls. He set the egg aside and cautiously approached, though he lacked his teacher’s night vision, he could tell from subtle clues various details about his quarry. A woman, likely a rich woman considering that brazen way she stomped about, and the expensive perfume that wafted off of her as she moved through the darkness. After following her for a few minutes, he heard her foot clang against something and a string of curses fall from her lips.

“God-fucking-dammit, didn’t think they’d power the whole damn ship down, urgh! Should’ve brought a candle at least…and what the Hell is that smell?”

                Clyde made his move, pouncing on her and wrapping his hands around her slender throat, only to get an elbow in his sore ribs for the trouble. As he fell to a knee, he heard the rasp of steel, a sword being unsheathed and lunged at her blindly. The two tumbled together through the darkness, she lost grip on her sword and he managed to wrestle if from her before pressing it to her neck.

“Up!” he commanded, letting her feel the cold steel resting against her jawline.

                With a faint grumble, she obeyed, getting to her feet only for him to restrain her and push her against the nearest door. He pinned her there and reached around the frame to turn on a light, and what he saw immediately drew his ire.

“You…” he hissed, his voice a mixture of hatred and disgust.

Description

[The Lions of God]

                The group had used Evie to contact her people in Sariquisse and set up a meeting at their capitol city. They arrived at Yadara and placed their ship down at the docks before doing one final check-up. Belix wandered through the halls, making certain that all of the shrimps had hidden away when she spotted Donald sitting in a crumpled heap on the floor.

“You okay?” she asked, looking him over, “Somebody step on you or something?”

“No…” he replied weakly, “Just, so tired…”

“Yeah, I know, And I’m sorry sweetie,” she mentioned, carrying him over to a ventilation duct, “But, I need you to get scarce right now, it’s for your own good.”

“I’m sorry…just…”

“I know,” she repeated, putting him into the duct and replacing the vent, “Just get behind a bend and stay there until it’s safe.”

“Yes ma’am,” he responded weakly but managed to scuttle away.

                She watched him leave, wincing a bit as he left, wondering what the problem was, when Zeesa appeared with a situation report.

“So, they’ve all been stashed?” she asked.

“Everyone that I’ve checked,” Zeesa nodded, “And the others have said the same thing.”

“What about Clyde?”

“Slumbering sweetly under a nook in the engine room, he’s not gonna have any problems,” then Zeesa smirked, “And, unless you want to go and give him a goodnight kiss…”

“Then we’re as ready as we’re ever going to be,” Belix cut her off and turned to head down into the ship’s hangar bay.

                Down there, waiting for her, was the rest of her crew and the orblet, which she took a moment to examine before nodding.

“Has everybody got their stories straight?” she asked.

“We stayed on the ship,” Granger mentioned, “Guarding the escape route since the Holy Mother didn’t trust us all that much.”

“They left, explored a temple,” Evie shrugged, “Sylvester was the only one who returned.”

“And this…” Zeesa leered at the orblet and shook her head, “Are we really sure we should be showing them this…thing?”

“They’ll have put as much effort into studying it as anybody else,” Sylvester mentioned, “Might even have some research materials that I can use to expand my theories.”

“Shut it!” Belix snapped at him, “We’re not here to make friends and we’re not staying for a moment longer than we absolutely have to.”

“But if we find something...”

“Then we have something to discuss, until that point, we’re just here completing a job and seeing if they’ll offer us any kind of back pay.”

“This is what people mean when they say ‘the lesser of two evils’,” Evie grumbled.

“Yeah, well,” Belix rolled her eyes as she walked over to the door controls and opened the loading ramp, “I’m at least hoping they’ll spring for dinner.”

                The moment the door opened, they were all hit by an explosion of sound and celebration, confetti and fireworks bursting in the air as a massive crowd cheered their arrival against the marble white background of the pristine and beautiful city. For a moment, they were all stricken, baffled and unable to move or respond, until the ramp fully descended and they saw what was waiting for them at the bottom. A woman in priestly robes, flanked by no less than a dozen ridiculously heavily armored soldiers.

                Belix instinctively reached for her guns, but, remembered she had left them in the armory, a sign of solidarity that she was beginning to regret. With the horribly discomforting knowledge that her weapons likely wouldn’t have done much any way against such thick defenses, she gestured to the others to follow her down the ramp. As they moved closer to their host, she moved a bit closer to Evie and hissed quietly through her teeth:

“What the fuck are those things?”

“The Grotesques?” Evie wondered with a shrug, “They’re the bodyguards of the Grand Vizier.”

“They look like Gods damned battleships!”

“Yeah, heavy armor to absorb damage if someone tries to attack her, don’t worry about them, they’re mostly for show.”

                Belix continued to glare at her but let the subject drop as they approached their host, who curtsied to them gracefully, leaning heavily on a golden staff to do so. Belix bowed, awkwardly, along with her crew as the women at the bottom of the ramp introduced herself.

“Well met, great warriors,” she bowed her head in difference, “I, Talina Desaoule, welcome you, to our humble home.”

“Humble,” Sylvester repeated, warily glancing around at the glistening spires and vast, expansive streets rimmed with polished silver gutters and light posts.

                Belix quickly stepped on his foot to shut him up before continuing.

“We of the Autumn Clover, are quite proud to be here,” she smiled, but lowered her head shamefully, “Though, we come with dire news.”

“Your mission was not a success?” Talina wondered, cocking her head to the side.

“Well, no, it was,” Belix insisted, “But, a lot of your people wound up dead because of it.”

“A necessary sacrifice, all knew the risks before setting out on their journey.”

“Including the spiritual leader and head of state…”

“ALL, knew the risks,” Talina insisted before turning away, “But, let us not discuss such dire business in front of the peasantry, this was to be a day for celebration, and I’d rather not deprive them.”

                She raised her staff and the crowd cheered once more, somewhere in the distance a band started playing a processional march. Talina led her guards through the streets and back to the capitol building with Belix and her crew following languidly behind.

“So…” Belix summarized, “She was the next in line huh?”

“Temporarily,” Evie corrected her, “Until the Council of Seven choose the next Holy Mother, she will retain a figurehead position as the leader of our nation.”

                Belix nodded quietly and continued to follow in silence. After being paraded through the streets at length, Talina finally brought the group before a massive temple that consumed the equivalent of three city blocks. The entry, past the massive stone doors, was a simple and wide hall that led to an altar.

“Bit of a cumbersome entrance,” Sylvester commented as they stepped into the wider place of worship.

“The time spent in the hall is meant to stir the mind and the soul,” Evie mentioned as they approached the altar, “To have all focus upon and reflect over the path we walk.”

“Also narrows enemy numbers,” Belix commented quietly, “Makes the place more defensible.”

“Two things can be true at once,” Talina interrupted them, stopping the group before reaching the altar, she turned back and walked up to Belix, “Captain?”

“Yes…your…highness?” Belix pulled back, confused.

“You do your title service,” Talina nodded respectfully, “Clearly you were gifted with a keen analytical mind…”

“I just noticed the gunports in the walls,” Belix shrugged.

“And quite perceptive as well, I see why you were chosen for such a heady task,” the Grand Vizier raised her head and stepped forward to kneel at the altar, holding her in front of her like a torch as she prayed.

    Both Evie and the Grotesques joined her in their reverie while Belix looked to the others for some kind of clue what to do next. Granger also knelt, saying his own brief prayer, while the others just shrugged in frustrated defeat. Talina rose before he finished and smiled down upon Granger.

“You needn’t have joined in,” she plied him softly, “Great warrior.”

“I needn’t,” Granger agreed, “I just…felt the urge.”

“Ah, the One Spirit moved you,” she commented, reaching forward and touching Granger’s scarred face, “Surely this is evidence of the truth in our belief.”

“Well, my people believed that, to have a good harvest you had to have sex in the field,” Belix muttered.

“That explains so much about you,” Zeesa joked.

“Diavos,” Talina offered, turning her attention to Belix, “Your people’s God of Fertility and Harvest.”

                Belix flushed red as every eye in the room turned to her.

“Um…I mean…” she grumbled, regretting that she had said anything, “There’s, that is to say a…”

“A connection,” Talina finished for her, moving close to Belix again, “A similarity between the action, and the act, to plow, to sweat, to carry, to nurture, and to labor…”

“…something like that, yes…” Belix mentioned, trying desperately not to look the other woman in the eye.

“Forgive me,” Talina reached out and touched Belix’s chin, “I had thought the markings on your face an affection, I had no idea I was standing before a fellow priestess.”

“You’re not,” Belix pushed her hand away and backed up, “I’m more a failed monk than anything else.”

“This is nothing be ashamed of,” Talina gave her a warm and understanding smile, “If everyone could walk the path of the righteous, everyone would be a saint.”

“Thank you…” Belix sighed awkwardly, “For your kind words you…”

“Talina will do,” she replied softly, then turned to the rest of the group, “And that goes for all of you, do not treat me as a tyrant or your pay master, today I am your host, and you, every one, my honored guest.”

“Ma’am…” Sylvester stepped forward, “Um, Talina-ma’am, I…I wish to ask you a favor.”

“Now’s really not…” Belix glared at him.

“When would be better?” Talina eyed him curiously, leaning on her staff as she pressed herself closer, “What would you have of me, Avatar of Water?”

                He glanced over at Evie who only shrugged.

“I did send reports,” she mentioned.

“Forget it,” he shook his head and faced the Grand Vizier, “There’s an object on our ship, I need some help studying it.”

“We’ll have it brought in immediately…” Talina smiled.

“That won’t be necessary,” Sylvester explained, fishing around in his pockets, “I have a sample…”

                Belix turned and glared at Granger who ashamedly avoided her gaze. Sylvester held up the slab of rock for Talina to examine and she stared hard at it before jabbing it with her finger only to be electrocuted when a sudden spark jumped from its surface.

“It has a…disturbing aura,” she commented, “What is it?”

“The thing we were hunting,” Belix supplied, “Our boy here thinks he knows a way to kill it…but…”

“Ah, so this is why you said the mission had not been completed.”

“Wha…No!” Belix looked at her with disgust, “I already told you, a lot of people died just to get this done…”

“Sacrifices, made willfully and with a full understanding of the consequences,” Talina snapped, still leering at the stone, “But this…this is intriguing, I’ll send for an alchemist, shall I? And our top scientific adviser?”

“Either, or, both, preferably, yes,” Sylvester nodded happily, briefly catching Belix’s eye and turning away from her cold glare.

“Then I’ll have a messenger after them at once,” Talina bowed before facing the crowd again, “As for the rest of you, well, you must think me an ungracious host, let’s have a meal while we wait.”

“…Am I even allowed to say no?” Belix wondered.

“Of course you can,” Talina scoffed, her voice bemused, “It would only hurt my feelings.”

                Belix rolled her eyes, then glanced at the rest of her crew who only shrugged.

“Yeah, I guess we could eat,” she mentioned, “I’d prefer to get the debriefing done beforehand…”

“Oh? Had you not known,” Talina wondered curiously, “The debriefing is done, Sister Valdes sent us a rather comprehensive missive of your exploits and the losses you’ve acquired,” she stamped her staff on the floor, “Rest assured we are more than ready to repay you for your efforts.”

“That so…” Belix glared at Evie, “In that case, might I peruse the report? I want to make certain that ‘Sister Valdes’ didn’t exaggerate any of our actions, I wouldn’t want the church to go out of pocket on our account.”

“Such an honest soul,” Talina commented, and Zeesa had to cover her mouth to stifle a loud scoff, “I can lead you to it myself, if you would not find the company…distasteful.”

                Belix grumbled quietly but didn’t object to the offer, a moment later, Talina smiled and loudly clapped her hands. A swarm of nuns emerged from the surrounding halls and made an impassable line that cut off the crew’s escape and advancement.

“I must apologize to say,” Talina spoke loudly, “That the Grotesques must come with me, as is their duty, for the rest of you, take the run of the building, go where you will, do as you wish, for any and all assistance,” she swept her arm around the room gesturing to the nuns, “You need only ask.”

                All of the nuns bowed and gave their agreement to the suggestion and a collective chill ran down everyone’s spine. With a final appreciative nod, Talina spun and marched away, leading Belix down one of the adjoining halls. After discussing it for a while, they all settled on going to the mess hall for a meal. Though the menu offered them was far from extensive, what they were served, mostly bread and wine, was actually quite delicious and filled them up quickly, not knowing what else to do, they simply sat at the long wooden table, slowly picking at a basket of rolls while they waited for their captain to return.

                An hour or two passed, and Belix arrived to take her portion. When Sylvester tried to approach her she immediately shut him down.

“Don’t!” she warned him, “That was a dirty fucking trick you pulled, and the only reason I’m not stoving your head in right now is because it’ll look bad in front of our hosts, speaking of though…”

“…shit…” Granger muttered under his breath.

“Goddamn right!” she snapped, “I thought I told you to keep him away from the hangar bay!”

“Guy’s gotta sleep,” the big man shrugged.

“Both of you are on punishment detail as soon as we get out of here.”

“Meaning?” Sylvester wondered.

“Any thing and Every Thing that I personally think will make your lives miserable until I am satisfied that you’ve learned your Gods damned lesson, now shut up and let me eat.”

                She was halfway through with her plate when Evie finally broached the subject that had been dancing on the end of her tongue for so long.

“Do you not trust me?” she demanded.

“It’s not the place to have this discussion,” Belix snapped.

“No it’s just the place for you to double check my…”

“How long have you been sending reports on us?” Belix demanded, giving her a hard look.

“Since the beginning, you knew this!”

“Yes, and I also told you to filter your reports through me so don’t go bitching about who broke whose trust because I’m feeling a bit betrayed myself right now.”

                Evie tried to continue the argument, but Granger put a hand on her back and shook his head to silence her. Zeesa took notice of this but didn’t say anything about it, instead deciding to focus on the matter at hand.

“I take it you managed to iron out some of our…courser details?” the mermaid asked.

“You mean our payment?” Belix surmised between mouthfuls of bread, “Yeah, it’s squared away.”

“What’re we getting?” Granger asked somberly.

“Supplies, mostly,” she picked up her last roll and tossed it back onto the plate, “Six barrels of high-quality flour, three more butter, cheese, salt, sugar, one barrel of wine.”

“No coin then?” Zeesa asked.

“Mentioned it,” Belix shrugged, “But, they did pay for the new ship, she figured signing it over to me legally and filling our stores should be enough, managed to haggle her up to throw in some fuel, a full tank and half our reserve in fact.”

“Generous,” Sylvester commented, “So they’re just gonna pat us on the head and send us on our way?”

“No,” Belix admitted, “She still wants to keep us on retainer.”

“…they’re not going to let me go,” he muttered.

“Yeah, well,” Belix picked up her last roll and started nibbling on it, “We knew what we were signing up for, and it’s not such a bad deal, we go back to Miji, wait for word, give priority to their requests, and they give priority to us if we ever need some coin thrown our way.”

                She finished eating and eyed the basket once more, then shrugged, folding her arms and staring at table pensively.

“Does this seem a bit too easy to any one else?” Zeesa mentioned.

“Oh, obviously,” Belix agreed, “Plus, I think that Vizier chick wants to have sex with me.”

“And that’s a problem for you?” Evie scoffed.

“Not particularly,” Belix admitted, and glanced around the room, noticing the army of nuns who were watching them all attentively, “But, it’s a gift horse situation, we go looking for trouble, we’re damn sure gonna find it.”

“So keep our heads down,” Sylvester smiled and waved at one of the nearby nuns, “Hope they wave us through without incident, wonderful.”

“Yeah, not to mention your little research request is going to delay us a few days longer,” Belix snapped at him, “Which is why you don’t jump the line like that, idiot!”

                He winced and turned away, ashamed, so she let the matter drop.

“First off,” Belix changed the subject, “I’d say we figure out how to make a gracious exit, this place is makin’ me itch.”

                As she spoke, the heavy footsteps of the Grotesques could be heard approaching from outside the mess hall, both they and Talina arrived a few moments later, her gilded staff clicking heavily against the floor as she walked.

“Good news,” Talina told them cherrily, “I’ve sent the requests, and made arrangements for the specialists to arrive, both should be here by morning.”

“Much appreciated,” Belix nodded, rising from her seat along with everyone else, “No to be, um, ungrateful, but, it’s been…well, it’s all been a touch overwhelming, I think we’d all like a few moments to ourselves if you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” Talina nodded, “We have rooms prepared for you already…”

“Um…I meant back on our ship,” Belix cut her off, “It’s no offense meant, but, we…that is to say, ‘I’ have never been one to find comfort in a church.”

“I had assumed as much,” Talina responded with a conspiratorial giggle, “So I arranged your lodgings at a nearby hotel, you’ll be quite well cared for…”

“I…know this might seem rude,” Belix continued to press, a frustrated edge creeping into her voice, “But…I would prefer…to sleep on my ship.”

“Your dedication is noted, and much appreciated,” Talina told her pleasantly, “And you’ve worked hard for us these past few weeks, don’t you think that you’ve earned a bit of pampering, in fact, I insist upon it, and to deny it would be nothing less than an insult,” she tapped her staff against the floor, ending the conversation, “So says the Grand Vizier!”

                Belix plastered an unmistakably fake smile on her face and gritted her teeth so hard she thought they might crack.

“Then what choice do I have?” she said while barely moving her lips.

“Very good,” Talina nodded, then gestured to one of the nuns, “Sister Kathrine, show them to their abode.”

                Belix said nothing and, fists clenched at her sides, fell into step behind the nun as she led them to their waiting hotel room. As they walked, Sylvester came close and put a hand on Belix shoulder.

“It’ll be alright,” he whispered in her ear, “It’s just one day, the Shrimps can take care of him for that long.”

                Belix brushed him away, and kept her silence.

                Some hours later, Clyde awakened in his nook, alone and in the dark. He nearly panicked until he felt something on his chest, something surprisingly warm and soothing, it calmed him long enough for his addled mind to remember what was going on, why he had stashed himself away. Yet, despite the risk, the ship was quiet, and he was hungry. With as much grace as an injured man with one good arm could muster, he held the strange object to his chest and slid out of his hiding place.

                Though he had gotten accustomed to the ship over the past few weeks, it was still difficult to locate the kitchen while hobbling through its halls in the dark. Only there did he dare turn on a light and examine the strange companion he had taken with him. In the light, he could only describe it as a black egg, with strange stripes and protrusions across its surface, it did seem to have a center of mass though, and, every time he set it down, it popped upright again. Examining it curiously, he made himself a quick meal of porridge and bread, even managing to finish most of it before his appetite failed him.

                After washing his meal down and cleaning his plate, Clyde chose to return to his hiding spot, but, on the way, he heard footsteps, someone besides himself traipsing through the darkened halls. He set the egg aside and cautiously approached, though he lacked his teacher’s night vision, he could tell from subtle clues various details about his quarry. A woman, likely a rich woman considering that brazen way she stomped about, and the expensive perfume that wafted off of her as she moved through the darkness. After following her for a few minutes, he heard her foot clang against something and a string of curses fall from her lips.

“God-fucking-dammit, didn’t think they’d power the whole damn ship down, urgh! Should’ve brought a candle at least…and what the Hell is that smell?”

                Clyde made his move, pouncing on her and wrapping his hands around her slender throat, only to get an elbow in his sore ribs for the trouble. As he fell to a knee, he heard the rasp of steel, a sword being unsheathed and lunged at her blindly. The two tumbled together through the darkness, she lost grip on her sword and he managed to wrestle if from her before pressing it to her neck.

“Up!” he commanded, letting her feel the cold steel resting against her jawline.

                With a faint grumble, she obeyed, getting to her feet only for him to restrain her and push her against the nearest door. He pinned her there and reached around the frame to turn on a light, and what he saw immediately drew his ire.

“You…” he hissed, his voice a mixture of hatred and disgust.