I never enjoyed the bitterness of winter, nor the heat of summer. To live in a place where the pendulum swung hard to either side of the pond was once a fact of my old life. Sull was a little different to that. The weather stayed mild even during winter and snow deep into the mainland was a rarity. Some people willingly chose to live further north – where the white cover never lifted or abated.
There was a promise that attracted people to Noel's Chapel, not just to see the historic Branch Church that had been built there hundreds of years ago, but also to potentially strike it rich amongst the metal filled hills and mountains beyond. The landscape was rich in minerals, and despite the sparse population of the area it enjoyed continued prosperity as a mining and forging community. The tall pine trees that surrounded the roads grew hardier by the mile, and soon the dirt pathways were replaced with blind trails covered by snow.
It was easy to believe that you had gone amiss somewhere. The only hint given to weary travellers was the occasional wooden signpost that beckoned you even deeper into the wilderness, higher and higher into the sky above. Every so often our party would make camp rest and hydrate ourselves, and the view down into the green below became more breathtaking with each stop. Low rolling clouds hovered above the sprawling city and endless farmlands, ending abruptly with the arrival of the Bend's twisted forests.
As we crested the hill, the mountain dipped back down into a new valley, and beyond that was the target of our investigation. It was difficult to see through the natural fog, but that was where Noel's Chapel was located. The difficulty of the journey meant that the miners there were an even more resilient sort than somewhere like Pascen. They would shepherd horse and cart over this difficult terrain to sell their goods to third parties in bulk.
"Cold, very cold!" Tahar declared, her warm breath turning into mist as it left her lips. We were heading down the path to the village. It had been a long and arduous walk, though it was shorter than I was expecting. We had powered through within four days of setting off. The pathways closer to either end of the trip were well worn and free of jagged rocks. Tahar had tripped more than a few times thanks to the uneven ground. I had no idea how someone with a cart full of marble and stone did the same route.
The first signs of civilization in many days, aside from the literal signs that had been guiding us, was a small abandoned cabin to one side of the road. It was a picturesque spot beside a river flowing with perfectly clear water, but the dilapidated building spoiled it. The wooden planks that had constituted its walls were falling to pieces from rot and wet. The roof had caved in and left it uninhabitable. It must have been left there to collapse many years ago. There were no signs of fire or claw damage like I initially expected.
It was mid-afternoon when we finally arrive in Noel's Chapel proper. The trees suddenly gave way to a small clearing where the village had been constructed. I almost made the mistake of thinking that the buildings in the village were dilapidated too. The cosy homestead was completely void of people. We ventured deeper down the main avenue and finally laid eyes on the chapel that gave the town it's identity.
It was a medium sized stone structure, with a tower at the front and a pair of large wooden doors. For such a small settlement it was a beautiful piece of architecture. It was prominently placed between a dozen other buildings at the top of a small hill. Much love and care had been taken in preserving the building over the centuries.
"What a charming chapel," Cali observed. The first and only time I had ever heard her express an interest in something as mundane as a building. Our investigation was interrupted by the sound of a door slamming. A short man with a thick beard stormed over to us with a bright red nose and irritation in his eyes.
"What the hell are you lot doing here? Name your business."
It was a suitably frosty reception from the first person I had seen. I gathered myself and explained why I was in their village; "I heard there was a drake around here. I came here to see if the rumours were true."
"Do we look like we have the money to pay for a hunter?" he scoffed, "Ever since that damnable thing came here – we've buried five good men and lost access to our mines! We're barely surviving as is."
"I'm not looking for money. I came here for my own reasons. Are you saying that the dragon is real?"
He rolled his eyes, "As much as I wish it weren't… If you feel like killing yourself trying to catch it, you can find it over that way. It's lurking by the mines and attacking anyone who tries to get near it. Don't expect to hear nothing else from the people here – we've heard enough gloating from fools who went and got themselves fried trying to fight it."
He didn't want to hear a word of thanks from me. He turned and re-entered his home, locking the door shut behind him. The people in Noel's Chapel were at their wit's end it seemed. They'd been terrorized for some time by the drake. I wasn't anticipating much hospitality anyway. Remote towns like these were tightly knit and didn't have services intended for visitors. There were no hotels or restaurants, the most you could hope for was a tavern or bar.
We huddled up at the bottom of the steps that led to the chapel and considered our next move.
"We'll need to properly asses the threat that this drake poses," Cali reasoned, "I do not believe that any of us can defeat it through brute strength. We will need to identify its habitat and behavioural patterns, and create a plan to entrap and exterminate it."
"Do you know much about them?"
Cali nodded, "A small amount. I have read notes about them in my family's library. They are aggressive, territorial, and have hardy scales that will deflect most weapons. Unlike our previous quarry in Versia, it does not boast regenerative abilities. Should you strike it using your technique, it will bear the injuries until we slay it."
I looked to Tahar, "Do you know how to use it too?"
She nodded, "Yes. Veteran hunters are taught when possible. A first strike from my bow will be able to disable an organ or limb."
"We shouldn't expect to locate the drake easily. We are only a group of three, the disturbance caused by the town's miners was likely the cause of their frequent encounters," Cali continued. "We should find somewhere to shelter in the event that we cannot find proper lodgings."
The only place I could think of was the destroyed house just outside of the village centre. It would be extremely cold – someone would have to make sure that the fire was burning at all times. That meant sleeping in shifts.
"Uhm, excuse me. Are you from out of town?" A soft voice spoke up from further up the stairs. A young woman in a long black coat peered down at us from above. She had freckle covered cheeks and a slight overbite.
"We are," I replied, "I suppose you overheard our conversation earlier?"
She nodded, "Aye. I did. Forgive them for their bristly reception. Tensions have been running very high as of late, I'm sure you understand why. Too many young men and women have been buried in the snows. To see people trying to take advantage of our collective sorrow has caused negative sentiments to bubble to the surface."
"And you?"
"I… I have not yet lost a family member to the beast. But I understand their pain. I would recommend leaving. There is no reward to be gained here. No money to be paid, and no honour to be spoken of."
"That's fine by me. I don't need either of those things. I'm here for an even more selfish reason, I guess you could say."
"Ah. Well, as long as you are rid of the drake, I'm sure they can forgive a selfish motivation. My name is Sandra, are you seeking a place to spend the night?"
"Yes, do you know a suitable location?"
She motioned to the chapel behind her, "As it happens, I am presently the custodian of Noel's Sanctuary. I would be happy to provide a solid roof to hide under for the night. I hope that some small comfort will assist in your efforts to fell the drake."
I was about to reject the offer, as if to balance it against all of the other times I had accepted assistance in spite of my principles before – but Cali quickly stepped in to stop me from doing something pig-headed for no good reason; "We will accept. Thank you." I stared at her as she started to follow Sandra up the stairs to the front door. She didn't even spare me another glance.
Independence. I sighed, that was some progress towards making her a fuller and healthier person. Tahar and I went after her, finding the front doors already open for us. Inside was a small area for visitors to remove their shoes and items. I didn't want to leave my valuables for someone to find, so I kept most of everything on me and inside of my bag. I remembered my manners and left my shoes though.
I could hear Sandra speaking to Cali through the archway that led into the main worship space, "I so rarely see outside visitors. What do you think of the chapel? Isn't it wonderful?" I stepped up and through, emerging behind a row of wooden benches. The chapel was rather compact on the inside, with little room spared for anything other than seating arrangements. A wooden stage and altar stood at the other end.
The impressive part was the intricate décor. The stones on the walls had been engraved with murals depicting various important religious events. It didn't take me long to recognize them as passages from the Branch Church's lore of old. The curled branches of the magical tree were a constant motif throughout various items within the space. Not just from the recorded history of events that involved them. They were seared onto the back of the pews, even the metal chandelier hanging above was forged into the façade of a bed of twigs.
I was curious, which meant that Sandra was speaking to the wrong person if she wanted to extol the virtues of preserving the Church's history. Cali was giving her the same glass-eyed stare that announced an even deeper sense of disinterest than usual.
"This has been a labour of love for the community for many decades now. This is one of the last standing examples of a Branch chapel, complete with original murals and religious texts. Tis' a torrid shame that most cannot make the journey to see it for themselves."
I moved in to relieve the pressure from Cali, "I take it you're interested in the Branch Church."
Sandra had a queer look on her face – one that I couldn't place at the time. "Oh, yes. Indeed. I know everything there is to know about the church and how it operated here. In a sense, I suppose you could say that I'm the residing priest. I'm the closest thing to one, anyway."
"A lot of people don't realise how valuable history is. You only have one chance to protect places like these." My mind drifted back to the many historical monuments that I had visited in Tokyo over years of school trips. The castles, pagodas and temples that dotted the urban landscape. As many as there were, and even greater number had been lost to time and neglect.
I had said the right thing to get on Sandra's good side. She smiled happily and clasped her hands together, "You are right. Exactly right. I keep telling everyone that they'd regret allowing this place to fall to ruin. It's a part of our identity and history even if none of us actively worship anymore."
I tried to move things on before she got hung up on explaining everything to me, "Hopefully by the end of the week that drake will be history too. Do you have a guest room for us to stay in?"
"That I do. This way! It's a mite small for three, but it's much better than being out in the snow."
She led us behind the stage and to the back door. The rest of the building was reserved for the priest's residence…
Thump!
"Ah!"
I turned back to see Tahar cradling her head.
"You okay?"
Tahar waved me away with her claw and made sure not to hit her head the second time under.