Chapter 10: A cozy conversation.
Down at the breakfast table, Archibald was finishing packing his rucksack. Meanwhile, Ruantha was making them breakfast.
A small fire charred the meat, smoke billowing out the chimney above, some bread was sliced and small berries had been assorted into a large bowl.
Archibald folded the hide jacket and stuffed it to the bottom, placing an assortment of tools and pouches that Aurelia had given him in top.
“Thats a big breakfast for just the two of us, you didn’t have to go through all the effort.” Archibald could smell the sizzle of meat, his mouth watering.
“It’s no trouble, you need the energy for the road ahead, it’ll do me some good too, it’s exhausting some days.” She shouted over her shoulder, not daring to look away from the fire.
“What is, the church? Ohh I’m sure giving impassioned speeches and blessing must be extremely tiring work, poor you! Meanwhile I’m getting my ass thoroughly beaten day in and day out.” His tone was dripping with sarcasm.
“Well so was mine last night!” She couldn’t help but laugh, which in turn made Archibald chuckle.
“And I’m talking about mentally, I tell you, most of the time it’s less spiritual guidance and more therapy sessions! I had Delia in here last month spiraling over her lost shovel!” She sort of shout-whispered, as if she felt guilty repeating it out loud.
“She has a new one, I saw it when Aurelia had us make her a new latch for the pen.” Archibald took out Aurelia’s tools and decided to hang some pouches from his belt instead.
“What didn’t she make you do?” The sentence hung in the air, Archibald didn’t comment.
Sensing the tension Ruantha changed the subject “It’s better here, in the village. I much prefer it over the city.”
“Yeah, you mentioned the city a few times now, I would have thought you were born here. What’s it like?” Archibald’s ears perked up, he’d be going there soon enough, the overseer said they’d be needing him.
She gasped and looked over her shoulder “Archie! It’s beautiful! The most heavenly place in all the realms!” She beamed
“Oh yeah?”
“Mhm! The pebbles streets, the brick buildings! Oh heavens, the architecture is to die for! You haven’t lived until you’ve seen the relief of the saints adorning the grand temple halls.”
“Well your little church isn’t too bad.” Archibald thought back to seeing the angels adorning the church doorway for the first time.
“Oh but you have to see the grand temple!my favorite part was the processions they had, I remember every holy week like it was yesterday.
Each saint has its own statue they’d parade around the streets, but the best one was always the arch-bishops speech! At the end he’d clap his hands and the skies would literally part, then heavenly rain would wash away our worries, just for one day, but it was always the highlight of the year. That’s when I first realized I wanted to become a priest.”
Before Archibald could respond she’d started gushing about Southforest city again.
‘She must miss it a lot’
Archibald meanwhile packed the camping gear, mostly a small fire lighter and hide for the tent, he was struggling to fold it tight enough.
Bzzzt, Jade buzzed with annoyance.
‘Yes I’m trying that Jade, but it’s too thick.’
“-But the smells! Mmmm! The smell of the market can’t be beaten. I loved going there when I was a little girl and just salivating over all the food.”
Sounds of plates banging and utensils knocking about signaled to Archibald that it was meal time!
They sat down next to each other, loading their plates with food. Archibald was keep to keep the conversation going though.
‘Who knows when I’ll be able to do this sort of thing again…’
He deliberately called back to something she’d mentioned about the market “That doesn’t sound very food safe, the market thing, must be why you’re here, forced into debt from all the drooled-on food you were forced to buy.”
“No, you see, dealing with corruption was never my specialty, so after graduation they sent me here! Good thing really, I’ve never had to touch the stuff thanks to Aurelia.”
“How come? I noticed it’s all very clean and manageable around here.” Archibald didn’t really know what corruption looked like, just that demons did it and it was bad, that’s all he could remember.
“Aurelia, believe it or not she’s an arch-demon, sort of like their equivalent to a bishop, so when other demons do come around, if they start making a mess then she kills them and eats them then their bodies don’t spread corruption.
Otherwise I’d have a mammoth task in my hands of having to defend all this land and burn the bodies, it would be endless. Southfield really couldn’t last without her.”
Archibald didn’t know how to feel about all that, letting demons run wild in human society.
“And the temples are just ok with it?”
‘They must be, why would they have sent Rue out here to fight Aurelia?’
“Well she’s proven herself to be beneficial, she’s actually become quite famous, after all these decades of minimal priest deaths and a safe village, they tried to replicate it in other places!
A lot of them went badly though, all I know is that a few villages around Northpeak actually worked out! She’s kind of a mascot for the demon rehabilitation sect.”
Archibald forgot to chew he was so shocked! *cough* “So you’re telling me that there’s a bunch of demons running around the cities because of her? And everyone’s ok with that!?”
“No! Of course not, there’s no demons in the cities, apparently demons don’t do well with temptation, so if too many people are around… well it’s a masacre. That’s why it’s limited to small villages.”
Archibald continued his meal, his mind still stuck on demons. ‘So demons become arch-demons.
Priests can take down demons and bishops can take on arch-demons.’
“So how do you get promoted?”
“Oh, well that’s a pretty lengthy process. Mostly though it’s all about reputation. It’s a peer-reviewed application, and once your peers have accepted your promotion then heaven deems you worthy!
But the actual application happens in a grand temple. If it were closer I might’ve tried for arch-priest. It was my dream actually, after seeing the great Arch-bishop Archibald of the heavenly southern temple at the procession, it’s always been my goal to one day become an arch-bishop…” Rue slowed her chewing and looked into the distance. “But I can’t leave them.”
She got up, which confused Archibald since she hadn’t finished eating when-
*creak!*
The back door opened, and a shorter dark-skinned man with a big belly but big arms came through, bag of vegetables slung over his shoulder.
“Got this weeks rations for you, Ruantha!
Oh Archibald! I thought you’d left! You staying after all? Or-“ he liked between the two priests, sat close to each other sharing a morning meal.
Archibald could tell what he was thinking, he didn’t want Rue to feel embraced so he tried his best to steer the conversation.
*ahem* “I’m just getting my things together still, Ruantha here was telling me about the corruption!”
“You mean over in Southbridge right? The traders haven’t come by for a while now, I’ve had my stores overloaded for months!” Taiga slumped the bag down in the kitchen, routinely pouring himself a mug of water and leaning on the counter.
“Southbridge?” Archibald looked to Rue.
“I hadn’t thought about it, but I suppose so, it’s likely they’ve shut down trade if there’s a corruption outbreak. They do have a touched, his name was… Carlial I think, touched Carlial” she looked back to Archibald’s ever confused face that always made her smile. “He’s an arch-priest, so he can consecrate the corruption.” she explained, happy to see his little confused expression turn upside down.
Taiga glanced between the two of them for a beat before continuing “Yeah, but I just hope they haven’t been overwhelmed, Gretchen said last time they’ve had a spike in hunting parties. She had to bring a few priest with them last time for protection.”
*sigh* Rue pinched her brow. “Sounds like they’ve been targeted. Archie- *ahem* Blessed Archibald, you’d better hurry, they’ll need all the help they can get.”
Taiga couldn’t help but smile, he slapped the counter and proclaimed, “Happy for ya’ Rue! I’d lend you a horse Archie, but we’ve got none to spare! Anyhow, I’m off. Bennet’s out pretending to fight monsters again, gotta find him before he does something stupid.” With a wave and a wink at Archibald, he left them to it.
Ruantha sat there, back straight and face as red as the vegetables he’d left.
…
Jade broke the silence with a memory that made Archibald blush just as much.
— — —
After another hour of meandering around the church, chatting and finishing breakfast, Archibald and Ruantha embraced in a somber goodbye.
“I’ll be back, I promise, even if I have to face Aurelia head-to-head. Eventually I want to reach Southforest, hopefully I’m there before the season is done, and I’ll send a letter along through Southbridge.”
She loosened their embrace and stroked his chin. “You’d better, I want to see our savior in action.” She kissed him, slapped his ass and sauntered over to a cracked pew, which she often leant upon.
Archibald marveled at the sight of the woman, confident, strong willed and a heart full of hope.
‘It’s incredible how fast ones priorities can shift.’
Aside from the obvious initial attraction, he couldn’t help but start to picture a life together.
‘Maybe together we could take this town back from Aurelia, start strengthening the churches influence around here. Clean up the trade routes. Bennet seems interested in being a priest, we could train him...’
Jade softly nudged his heart, gently reminding him of their overall goals.
…
He finally drew his eyes away from her, having made a hard decision. His heart fluttered and sank, the weight of responsibility outweighing his own personal desires.
“Damn. It really could have been beautiful. Goodbye Rue, If I don’t return, then keep yourself safe, yeah?”
He couldn’t look at her, it wasn’t love, far from it, but humans are curious creatures, so incredibly dependent on emotional connections, especially in dark times.
Rue steeled her gaze, “mhm. Stay safe, blessed. May the heavens bless your travels.”
Archibald took small steps, each one leading him forward, away from his desires. Eventually he found himself halfway down the path outside the village, but he couldn’t look back.
Jade sent him her own small sense of comfort and warmth, nudging him to let him know he’s not alone.
“Come on then, where to?”
…
Rue stood at the back door, watching the man that had reignited her faith in humanity leave for heavens know how long.
She couldn’t help but grasp at the stray thought running wild in her mind.
“Spark, you’re intimately connected to my soul, so is there even the slightest possibility I could be….” Hope barely contained between her shallow breaths.
It took a while, a lot longer than it would Jade. But with Archie’s advice and guidance she got a response.
Images flashed through her mind.
“I’m still holding out hope, the eastern temple must have a new champion.
I need to write to Seraya about him as soon as possible, maybe the temples can be unified after all.”
Her hand instinctively on her belly, she reset herself, and made her way towards the front doors, ready for morning prayer.
…
*THUD*
Aurelia dropped down in front of the slowly closing back door, a creeping devilish smile adorning her face. “You sow the seeds, you lead them to water, and you teach them to fish. The goose will eventually lay the golden egg.” Her eyes landed on Ruantha’s stomach. “Interesting indeed.”
— — —
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