At night, Dove was a sparkling jewel. The outermost ring of the city, the residential area, was lit by various torches. The second ring, the merchant area, was mostly dark, though a few houses containing working ladies were more vibrant and thoroughly lit. A few of the higher end ones, with balconies for their higher floors, had scantily dressed women hanging over the railings advertising their goods. The center of the city, the mage area, had several magically maintained light sources instead. The domes that made up center area were illuminated as well, showing off their enchanted splendor. To some they looked like a tribute to the greatness of the city. To others they looked like big glowing mushrooms.
The cloaked man sighed as he stood on the biggest dome, the home to the Mage's Library. Normally, there wasn't any access to the top without magical means, so he was happy to see that there were no guards stationed nearby. The view was splendid, but from up here the people looked rather insignificant. He looked down at the large bulbous dome beneath his feet and made note of the silvery symbols inscribed into it. After a moment, he tilted his head and kneeled down, a gloved hand tracing several of the obscure scribbles that dotted it
After a moment, his eyes found the targeted section, and he traced it to a nexus where the symbols met. After a long moment, he pulled out a sharpened stone and began scraping. The silver symbols gave way easily, and after a few minutes he had cleared roughly a foot wide section.
"I know you guys worked hard for this, but I gotta change a bit. Don't worry, I'll make sure nobody notices," the man muttered to himself, reusing the same silvery material he had scraped off to make smaller symbols in the stone of the dome. The process took another twenty minutes before he had decided the job was satisfactory. Standing up again, he sighed once more. "Alright. Only about eighteen more places to rewrite. I hope the pay's good for this."
"Stop right there!" A voice rang out. Two robed men landed on the dome near the cloaked man, staves at the ready. Several gems attached to their armor were glowing blue, a sign that they were enchanted with a spell to make them fly. They were also indicators that these were magical guards. The cloaked man raised him hands in a nonchalant fashion, indicating his unwillingness to fight.
The guards took note of the man. Besides his cloak, which was camouflaged to match the white of the dome, he was also wearing a crude smiling mask that covered his face. He wore gloves as well, and his belt had several pieces of equipment hanging from it. While the equipment seemed plain, it indicated someone well versed in stealth. "What's your deal?" The less formal guard asked as the other approached to arrest him. "Are you here to disable the defenses or something?"
"Disable? No. I think repurpose is a better way to put it," The masked man replied, his tone sounding flat and uninterested. "What's the crime for modifying these, anyway?" he asked, tilting his head to the side.
The guard approaching him stopped. "Are you serious? Trespassing on the dome is worth a death sentence by itself!"
"Ah, no good then," the man responded, his cloak falling again as he lowered his arms. "I'm afraid I'll have to run."
"Where to?" The guard furthest away asked. "We can fly just like- hey wait!"
The masked man rolled away from the guards, his body curled into a tight ball. After a moment, the dome ended, and his body fell. While the guards could use magic to fly, it wasn't faster than gravity. Thus, the masked man fell swiftly into a dark section of town. There was a loud crashing noise, and a few shouts from the neighborhood.
While the guards flew down and searched, ultimately they couldn't find the masked man that night.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The morning light filtered between the domes A few stray rays fell down on Cyn, and he yawned loudly as he walked.
Emil had returned to the other Desert Rats after the meeting at the Mage's Library, and while Rosa had been a bit flustered she had also departed to see to her curator duties. Cyn had spent the night at a local brothel that Emil had suggested, but he hadn't gotten much sleep as a result. The reward money the Archmage had given him was mostly gone, with a few rough coins remaining in his pocket. After a very long walk throughout the residence ring of the city, Cyn finally found himself at his destination.
A large, white stone church stood in front of him. Even from outside, he could hear music, and he knew that inside a sermon was partway done. While he had nothing against the religion, he decided to wait outside until it finished.
A clear, crisp voice echoed from the church when the sermon became more passionate, and a few voices joined it in response. Several times the music started up again, but eventually the doors of the church opened and a small following filtered out. Most of the people were old and their efforts took some time, but eventually the doors were open and empty. It was then that Cyn finally entered.
The church was large, but felt threadbare. The seats were common wood, and the podium was plain to look at. A small organ sat in the corner, where a petite girl was talking to priest with a sparkle in her eyes. Cyn smirked and sat in the center of the pews, his eyes resting on the cross against the wall. As if to pay his respects, he nodded at the cross.
"I wondered if you'd come to see me."
The voice was the same crisp voice that had led the sermon. Cyn turned to see the priest in his traditional black robe. His hair was unkempt and gray, but his most distinguishing facial feature was a black eyepatch that covered his left eye. The priest's left arm was also bandaged and hung in a sling. While his smile was serene, it seemed to twitch at the corners when his one eye beheld the pyromancer.
"Just passing through. Figured I'd check in. Father...?"
"Luperan. You can call me Father Luperan. I've been leading this church for a number of years now. They know me well. I thought about visiting when I noticed you had entered the city, but I decided against it. No need."
Cyn smirked knowingly at the priest and put his hands behind his head. "You can call me Cyn. I don't plan on sticking around too long. Just looking into something. Nice sermon by the way. Seemed like a small following."
Luperan sighed and sat in the pew behind Cyn. "It's been difficult. In a town that worships magical aptitude, there's little left for God. Add that to the fact that people are repulsed by my appearance, and generally the majority leave me alone. Plus with my arm I can hardly aid people with hard labor." He lifted his eye patch and showed the grey, cracked skin underneath. With the way the skin folded in on itself, it almost looked like a patch of scales. His left eye was firmly shut, and the edges of his eyelid looked like it was lined with grey spikes. A small trail of grey skin went down his neck, and one could infer his left hand was similarly afflicted.
"Can't blame the people for being careful. We both know they've been tricked before," Cyn replied, showing no hint that he was repulsed by the sight of the priest. "Have you had any trouble? I noticed a couple things when I came in...."
Luperan shook his head. "Can't say I've seen anything. You know more about human magic than I do, obviously. Most of the flock's been quiet, as well. More joint pain than sin." The priest pulled at his collar slightly, then smiled. "So, it's been some time... would you like to confess your sins?"
Cyn smirked. "You know I don't believe in that."
Luperan chuckled. "Considering where you spent the night, I expect not. Oh well, I suppose I will have more chances to absolve you. Any more business? I have another sermon in a little while."
Cyn shook his head. "Nah, I'm sure I'll see you again. You take it easy. I know how those sermons drag-on."
"Indeed. Well, luckily I have the energy for it for now. We can't all live forever." The priest let that line linger for a moment, then handed an empty metal plate to Cyn.
The pyromancer looked confused. "This is?"
"Collection plate." The priest replied, winking. "The word of God can only continue with your generous donations.
And so, the reward money from the Archmage was completely spent.