Champions

Laurena wanted to argue with the woman about that, but the neglected conditions of the buildings they rode past held her comments. She had never seen such poverty before. She knew that guiding the faithful and caring for the community was the responsibility of the clergy. The conditions in this city clearly showed a distinct lack of both.

They arrived at the temple a short time later. David noticed that it was much grander than the one in Wolfsvale. This building was nearly four times the size of Astinus' temple, and was made from stone rather than wood. He also noted that the stained glass windows where much larger and more intricately worked. They tied their horses to a hitching post alongside the building, and entered, after Laurena insisted they cast cleansing spells on themselves.

The interior of the temple had a similar lay out to the one in Wolfsvale, only it was also proportionally larger. When they entered they saw a young priestess standing near the back of the room, speaking to a man dressed in fine clothes. He was tall for the region at five feet eight inches, with long dark brown hair parted on the left and swept over to nearly cover the right side of his face. He wore navy blue breeches with a silver trouser braid along each leg, a high collared white tunic, white cravat, and royal blue jacket with silver piping. David also noticed he had a sword belted at his waist. The priestess wore white robes similar to Laurena's, but she didn't fill them out nearly as well. She was attractive; standing at five feet four inches with long brown hair in a single braid, a cute heart shaped face, medium sized hips, and B-cup breasts.

The man looked at them warily, but the priestess turned to give them a polite smile. Her intended greeting died on her lips once she saw Laurena.

"Laurena," she exclaimed in shock and joy, hurrying to the young acolyte.

"Phoebe," Laurena responded with equal shock, moving to embrace the young priestess.

The two met half-way, and hugged in the middle of the room. After a long moment they separated and began talking at the same time. "What are you doing here?" asked Phoebe, "I did not realize you were in Exitibus," said Laurena.

The man that had been standing next to the young priest approached the pair, as did Sapphire and David. The look of surprise on his face mirrored the ones on theirs.

As the two women again began to speak at the same time, they stopped and giggled at each other. "Still have to get the first word in Laur?" the priestess chided her. "Only because you never let me get the last Phoebs," the acolyte responded with a smile.

"Dear, care to enlighten the rest of us?" the man asked Phoebe with a gentle smile.

"Oh," she exclaimed, slightly embarrassed, "this is Laurena, priestess of Eros. She was my roommate at the Great Temple."

"I am still an acolyte," Laurena murmured to her friend, lowering her face to hide her embarrassment behind her hair.

The young priestess looked to her friend in shock, then after seeing her embarrassment she gave her friend a one armed hug. "Acolyte of Eros," she corrected, "and the favored acolyte of all Sanctuary Port I might add. I don't think there was a single faithful to ever refuse a Blessing from her." Laurena's head rose at this praise, and she gave a small smile to her friend in gratitude.

"I would imagine not," the man said kindly. "Your smile alone would bring half of this city storming through those doors."

Wagging her finger at the man playfully, she scolded him, "Have a care Varus, and remember where your silken flatteries should be directed."

"Yes dear," he said, taking her hand and kissing the back of it.

As Phoebe skin pinked a bit in pleasure, she turned to address Laurena and her companions with a smile. "This charming man is Varus, Sheriff of Exitibus and my betrothed."

"Temporary sheriff," he corrected her as Laurena looked at her friend in shock.

"Betrothed?" Lauren asked.

"Yes," Phoebe replied with a shining smile. "This is the man that has convinced me to leave the clergy and become his wife." Yet, after she said this he cleared his throat and gave her a meaningful look. "Eventually," she added, sticking her tongue out at him.

"What my beloved means," he interjected with an amused look at his fiancée, "is that I have convinced her to wait two years before leaving the clergy and joining me in marriage. She spent her entire life working to become a priestess, and has only had the post for two years. I want her to be able to experience more of what she worked so hard for, before she gives it all up for me.

"Besides," he added. "I still hold the hope that Eros will allow her to continue leading the faithful as my wife. I know it is rare, but if there are any whom have enough love in them to do so it is my Phoebe."

The young priestess beamed happiness at her fiancé's compliment.

"That sounds wonderful Phoebs," Laurena overcoming her surprise and smiling at her friend's happiness. "David, Sapphire this is Priestess Phoebe of Exitibus; my former roommate at the Great Temple. And Phoebe, allow me to introduce my companions. This is Sapphire, a powerful sorceress and trader and David the..."

"First Lieutenant David Kennisham, United States Army," David interjected extending his hand. Seriously, he thought to himself, it's like she has no ability to remember our cover story. You would think a woman like her could lie better. Of course, as he considered the idea, he realized she probably didn't lie much. In a society, where people could simply cast a spell to discern the truth, lies sort of lost their value.

With that thought in mind, David easily caught the barely perceptible movement of Varus' lips as he cast said spell.

"What brought you to Exitibus?" he asked them.

Realizing any lie would be easily caught, he resolved to start working on those damn protective enchantment ideas again. This was going to suck.

"I'm not from around here," he began, trying to cleave as close to a version of the truth as possible. "I met this lovely young lady on the road," he continued, gesturing at Laurena, "and she offered to guide me. We picked up Sapphire in Wolfsvale to help us navigate this part of Erosius."

Varus could tell he spoke the truth, but not the entire truth. He was holding much back.

Having noticed the spell as well, Sapphire realized they needed to change the subject quickly. "What happened to Priest Pelagios?" she asked the couple.

Phoebe's mirth died upon hearing her question. "We had heard reports of a few traders going missing on the Calavius road. It is rare, but not unheard of. Usually they are discovered by other travelers, victims of some unfortunate accident, but we could not find any word of them from others on the road. When the wife of one trader, who was known to Priest Pelagios, asked for his help he decided to look into it. I begged him to take me along, but he said that one of us needed to stay here for the faithful, and that he was far more experienced with things like this.

"He was found dead on the road barely a day's ride from the city. He had been stabbed to death in his sleep, and all of his possessions stolen," she explained, her eyes beginning to tear up as she spoke. "I was panicked. Who would kill a priest? So I sent a messenger to the Great Temple for help, but I have heard nothing since. If it were not for Varus I am not sure what I would have done."

"She was worried, for the town and for us," he took over the story as he gathered her into his arms. "My beloved wasn't sure what to do, and neither was I. But I offered to help her try to find the culprit, and keep the peace until the Inquisitors could arrive."

"He has been an Eros-send," she continued, looking into Varus' face lovingly. "He organized the defense of the city, and assigned those sentenced to servitude to guard the roads. He truly believes that they should be given the chance to redeem themselves by protecting the people they once harmed. And it has worked. Many of the men and women who felt shame in their servitude have a new-found love for this city. They are thankful for their chance at redemption, and the ones they once wronged now look upon them with respect for their courage and sacrifice."

"But it has been two months since his murder; surely the Inquisitors should have arrived by now?" Laurena said. "I was in the Great Temple less than a month ago, and I heard nothing of this."

Both Varus and Phoebe looked concerned at her words. "We though that the Inquisitors should have arrived by now, or at least some word of them, but we just assumed they were busy elsewhere. If our request has not yet arrived at the Great Temple then something may have happened to the messenger," Phoebe said, looking to her fiancé in concern.

"We will send another messenger tomorrow beloved," he comforted her, "a pair of them this time. We have done well these last two months but Inquisitors would be of great help in restoring peace to the city."

After calming the young priestess, Varus excused himself from their gathering. He apologized, and explained that he needed to check in with his representative at the office. Priestess Phoebe invited them to stay with her at the temple, and they graciously accepted. In return David and Sapphire offered to take care of Laurena's horse and bags so that she could catch up with her friend. Before he left he reminded the acolyte of their deception with the sheriff's representative, and cautioned her about sharing too much. The priestess may be her friend, but she was also the fiancée of the sheriff, whose subordinate they had lied to not an hour before.

Phoebe guided Laurena to her priestess quarters, and the door had barely closed before they were catching each other up on their lives. Phoebe described what it was like to pass her priestess tests, and how she was chosen to come to Exitibus as the junior clergy member. In return Laurena explained why she was traveling to Calavius, glossing over her quest from Eros. It nearly killed her to keep that a secret from her friend, but she knew David would never forgive her for discussing it. She was already on thin ice with the Champion, and anything he perceived as a betrayal now would doom her chances with him.

"Your companions seem nice," Phoebe said, shifting the conversation.

"They are," Laurena agreed.

"Especially David," the priestess added with a smirk. "His rescue in the mountains was timely, and your own words describe his as strong and honorable."

"And your point would be?" the acolyte replied with sarcasm.

"Oh please Laurena, it is obvious you like him. And I have to admit, there is much about him to like. He is tall, strong, kind, and very handsome."

"I could swear you said you were engaged moments ago," Laurena teased her friend.

"Oh I am, but even a love besotted woman such as I can appreciate a hot hunk of man like that," her friend joked back. "How is he at Blessings? Does his manhood match his height?"

"I do not know," Laurena replied. "I have not worshipped with him yet."

"But you said you worshipped in Wolfsvale," Phoebe argued.

"He was not with me," Laurena answered. "Astinus asked him not to participate, because David was new to our faith and still learning our way," she continued. It was not technically a lie, she just did not wish for Phoebe to know what had happened between them.

"Then you have to bring him tomorrow night," the young priestess said. "One Blessing with you and he will be all yours."

Laurena was glad they had arrived on a night when no services were scheduled. She was not sure she would have been able to convince David to attend tonight, but if she could get Sapphire to help she might just get him between her thighs tomorrow.

***

Shadow Lord, I have a task for you, came the voice of the Night Lord into Cassius' head. He was working behind the bar in his tavern, and the words shocked him. The Night Lord had never spoken to him during the day before.

Quickly calling a serving wench to take his place, he moved to the outdoor privy making sure it was unoccupied. "What do you need of me Lord?" he whispered softly.

There are three visitors to the city that may be a threat to our plans. An acolyte of Eros, a woman trader, and man dressed in strange clothing. Contact Shadowmaster Blade and have him put his best people on them.

"The assassins?" Cassius asked, shocked. The assassins were rarely used, and never more than one at a time.

Pickpockets for now, the Night Lord corrected him. I need spies at the moment not killers. Find out why they are here, and what they want. Their presence is a complication I do not need, but the deaths of three visitors in my city would draw more attention than it is worth at this time.

Cassius relaxed a little at these words. Killing targets in town was a risky business. It was far easier to eliminate them on the road than to have an assassin arrange 'accidents' in the city. Their organization was profitable, but too much exposure would draw the Inquisitors. Cassius really didn't want that.

All the same, tell Shadowmaster Blade to ready his assassins, and have Shadowmaster Whisper ready a team of destroyers as well. We may not like what our spies find, and we will need to move quickly in that event.

Cassius was glad he was in the privy, for he suddenly needed to use it.

*** Chapter 24: Investigations ***

240800MAR13 DW

Exitibus, Erosius

Laurena spoke with Sapphire the previous evening, and she agreed to help get David to attend the next Erosian worship service. It was actually fairly easy for the acolyte to get her to agree, and if she had thought to ask why she would not have been happy with the answer.

The next morning Laurena chose to stay at the temple with Phoebe, and help her prepare for the evening services. Sapphire wanted to visit some of the craftsmen and shop owners she knew, to track down Galen. David chose to accompany her, leaving most of his gear in his room. He did take his three pistols (one in each of his drop-leg holsters and the last in the IWB holster on his right hip), vest, extra pistol magazines, his two fighting knives, six throwing knives, and three folding knives.

The new fighting knife he had crafted was impressive. He had etched the words for the enchantments into the blade with magic. It was a painstaking process, and he decided that when he conjured the swords he would do so with the words already on them. He had also spent as much time on the road as he could feeding his magic into it, and he had begun to get a feeling of fullness from the blade, as though it could not hold much more of his magic. This had surprised him, since Zaffre had told him the enchantments would take nearly a year, and he had only been working on the knife for a few days. He decided to test it this morning.

Walking from the temple with Sapphire, they went to a pile of fire wood near the stables. Selecting a decent sized log, he drew the knife and tried to carve a chunk off. The knife slid across the log smoothly, as though he was cutting paper, and a piece of wood the size of his hand fell off. Impressed he tried slashing the log, and again the blade cut through effortlessly. Finally, he thrust the blade, point first, into the thick log, and it buried to the hilt as though he were striking a Jell-O mold.

Impressed with his creation, he drew the knife out and inspected the blade, seeing no blemishes on its surface. As he went to sheath it he noticed a large stone nearby, and had a crazy idea. Deciding it wasn't really a test until he knew the knife's limits; he walked over and slashed the stone. The knife passed cleanly into the stone, with no more resistance than slicing a watermelon. Amazed, he decided to risk it and stabbed the rock point first. As with the log, it sank cleanly in, stopping only when the hilt reached the surface of the stone.

Looking back at Sapphire, her stunned face was mirrored by his own. "I've never seen a blade do that before, and you've only been working on it for four days. That's not possible!" she protested.

"Apparently...it is," he replied shrugging. He pulled the knife from the stone and checked the blade again, seeing a small blemish on the point. Apparently it wasn't indestructible, but then it wasn't completely full of his magic yet, and he doubted he would end up fighting many boulders.

"How?" She asked him in amazement.

"No clue, I just did what your mom told me to and put in as much of my magic as I could as often as I could. Technically it isn't even finished," he told her, "it can still hold a bit more."

"No, you don't understand. No blade I know of could handle absorbing that much magic that quickly. They would be destroyed," she explained.

"Hmm, what do you normally make your blades out of?" he asked the sorceress.

"Iron if we want it strong, bronze if we want it light," she answered.

"This is neither," he told her. "This is steel, quite a bit stronger than both of the metals you just described. Would that make a difference?"

"Sometimes. But usually the power of the conjurer determines the properties of the item."

"So maybe because I have a butt load of power, the stuff I conjure is more resilient, and better able to accept magic?" he mused aloud.

"That seems possible, we may need to test your theory," she said, now excited at the prospect.

"Sounds like fun. We'll put it on our to-do list for this evening," he said jokingly.

As he went to sheath the knife Sapphire surprised him with the announcement, "Actually tonight I was hoping you would join me for the worship service."

He couldn't help it. Yeah, he was trying to put a knife that could cut through solid stone with ease back on his vest, but her words distracted him. All he could think about was the idea of her in naked, sweaty ecstasy beneath him. After the idea of her bare form pressed against him finally quieted in his mind, he looked back to see the knife still in his hand and the sheath sliced cleanly through its side.

"Shit," he swore.

"Something wrong David?" Sapphire teased him. She had seen his eyes glaze over at her announcement, and she suspected he was imagining lying with her. The thought that she could so distract the Champion made her feel very happy.

"It's nothing. I just gotta make a stronger sheath now, that's all," he bitched. Turning to look at her, he asked, "What did you mean by 'join you for the worship service'."

"I mean, Laurena asked me to convince you to go to the Erosian worship service tonight. She thinks it will help with your education. Since I'm also tasked with teaching you, I'll go as well."

Needing a moment to think, he began to conjure another sheath, but this time weaving the enchantments for strength and durability into the material. Attaching it to his vest, he pushed as much magic into it as he could, but was only able to partially fill it before he felt it start to become unstable. Sheathing the new knife with great care, he decided to push as much of his power into the sheath as he could today. He really didn't want that knife poking him...ever.

"Have you ever been to one before," he asked.

"No, this will be my first," she replied with a knowing smile.

"And you want to go...with me...to tonight's service, knowing what happens there."

"Of course I want to go there with you. I've never gone to one because I have no desire to sleep with random men. But with you there, I'll be safe from them," she said with a smirk. "What could go wrong?"

***

Shadowmaster Blade was intrigued. He had been contacted before dark yesterday and tasked with keeping watch on a group of three that had entered the city. He would normally just assign a few men to watch them, but this was a request that came directly from the Night Lord. He intended to oversee it personally.