(Trisha)
Anxiety welled in her chest as she smoothed the silken yellow ball gown laying on her bed. In only one day she was going to the Queen's court. Until then, Trisha had things to do. There was a knock on Trisha's door, and she sighed. For what felt like the tenth time in the last three days, a messenger bearing the emblem of the church on her chest greeted Trisha. She took the sealed parchment and tossed a silver coin to the middle-aged woman.
Many people might see such a tip as wasteful, but Trisha strongly believed that a motivated messenger was a good messenger. Word would spread and they would deliver any messages in the future with haste. One silver was as much as the average messenger would make for a week's work.
Trisha unsealed the wax and grimaced as she read the contents. Ever since word of the two remaining contracts spread, nobles were vying for her attention at all hours. Each time she wrote a reply, and this was no different. With the influx of nobles into the capitol for the queen's court, she was receiving messages even from obscure southern barons. She finished writing the response. The air smelled of burning wax as Trisha sealed the envelope closed. The recipient was Steven Tervel, a baron from the southern duchy of the rainforests. With a gloved hand, the messenger took the letter, nodded, and walked down the stairs.
Trisha sighed. How many messages would she be getting if the cathedral was open to visitors? For once, she was relieved to have the seat of the church's power, mostly to herself. Trisha poured over several other notes, wondering who was enemies with who? She perused the letter from Jermy Nero with displeasure.
The man practically demanded she rethink the contract. Hinting at the benefits of striking a deal with his county over Count Ferdinand.
Trisha set down the letter and pulled another more interesting letter. This was from the infamous womaniser count Morgan Duval of the eastern duchy. The elegant letter spoke lovingly of the lady Nyla, and his hopes of meeting Trisha at the ball. The fact that Morgan Duval mentioned the Lady Nyla several times in his note gave off the impression he strongly fancied her..
Nearly an hour flew by and a soft knocking came from the far side of her door.
" Come in."said Trisha perusing the letters. Her door swung open, revealing the Bishop in her immaculate white robes. Her long black hair was plated down her back with several long white wooden pins through her hair. Three symbols adorned her chest, one for each of the gods.
" Come with me, I wish to introduce you to the priests." said the Bishop.
Trisha stood with her mind in a whirl as the Bishop left with no more explanation. The Priests, just like that. This had to be important if more of those monsters in human form were here at once? Trisha deciding, clasped her sword to her belt and slid her curved dagger into the small of her back. Like all the bishops' tests, she expected this to be more about form than function. She had to show these Priests she had guts. Brazenly defying the bishop by wearing a sword was also a calculated move. Her hands trembled as she ascended the stairs. Before she entered the meeting room, she paused, taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves.
She cracked open the door to be greeted by the stony stares of not one but five people.
Sitting at the head of the table was the Bishop, and arrayed down the table in the other chairs were the other priests. Closest to the Bishop on her right was Lord Noah. Her instructor's eyes twinkled with amusement as his eyes found Trisha's sword. The Bishop's frown deepened, noticing her consorts amusement. The others seemed to catch the unspoken argument and pretended like they hadn't..
It broke the silence when the Bishop rose and saunter gracefully around the table, brushing her fingers against Noah's shoulder in an uncharacteristic display of affection.
" Trisha, I would like to introduce some of the highest ranking members of the church. Waving to her left, she started with the woman. This is Leyla fen, second daughter of Dutchess fen. You have already met Lord Noah. Next to him is Henry Nesp. He is the second son of Baron Nesp. And last we have Aiden Gath, third son of count Hyrum Gath.
Trishas mind whirled. She was familiar with Hyrum Gath because of a letter she had received, but aside from that, the other houses were meaningless for now.
" You all may have heard, but I wanted to introduce you to her formally. I have named Trisha as my successor." said The Bishop standing next to Trisha.
" But she is only a child." said Henry Nesp. The man was in his early fifties, his hair already showing the first hints of grey around the edges. Aside from that, he held himself like a killer with his hand casually resting near the hilt of his sword.
"I am a woman." said Trisha, raising an eyebrow in defiance. She stared the older man down, staring back into his hard eyes. The mans eyes burned with curiosity at her holding her ground. She glared at each in turn, challenging them to deny her statement.
" Surely you know the nobles will not stand for a commoner taking up the mantle of the Bishop?" asked Leyla fen, buttering a steaming loaf of bread Trisha had failed to notice on entry. Like the others, Leyla carried a sword and had the toned physique of a fighter. Leyla's short brown hair in a cue and she wore dark robes with a single long sword leaning against her chair. The woman smiled, and Trisha felt lighter. The woman's stern expression softened and her beautiful face lit up the room.
" That is already being dealt with. You are not looking at a commoner, this is Trisha Auveriant." said the Bishop, gesturing one hand to Trisha. All the Priests besides Noah stare back shocked.
" You named her as the heir to your house?" asked Henry Nesp, mouth agape.
" Yes, she will only inherit my personal fortune and title. I have no actual land so it's completely within my right." said the Bishop. Trisha suspected something like this, but now the bishop spoke the words. She too, was in disbelief.
" Have you told the queen of your plan?" asked Aiden Gath, his tone soft. The man was in his late thirties with a shock of blond hair and dark bronze skin. He appeared timid and quiet, but had a commanding presence when he spoke.
" She is aware. I don't think the queen was too impressed." said the Bishop.
" Then I hope she lives up to your standards." reply Aiden Gath, leaning back and eying Trisha with a gaze that seemed to bore right through her.
" Can we get to the matter at hand?" asked Noah, massaging his chin and eying each of the High Priests.
" Of course. Ladies, gentlemen, I have brought you here because the situation has changed on us. We have reason to believe a high-ranking demon may be in the city. In fact, the clues left on the corpse are a dead giveaway." said the Bishop.
Trishas heart skipped a beat.
" Who found the traces of the demon?" Asked Henry Nesp, the priest in his fifties. Trishas mind whirled to keep their names correct.
" That would be me. I can personally verify the findings." Said lord Noah.
" How can you say with certainty the demon is a high demon?" Asked Leyla fen.
" Several inquisitors were at the scene and none of them detected any demonic essence. They were convinced it was just a simple murder, but I wanted to make sure." said Lord Noah, his weather battered face stern and sure.
" Who was the victim?" asked Trisha.
" Lord Talu Daros was murdered on a business trip yesterday. He was choked to death in his bead. Whoever committed the murder got scratched when Lordy Talu was dying. I found a small amount of blood under one of his nails." Said Lord Noah.
" I have never heard of their house. Are they that important to involve four high priests?" asked Trisha dubiously.
" Lord Talu was seventh in line for the throne. Aside from that, he held a substantial fortune. It is quite troublesome, the list of people standing to benefit from his death is long." said Lord Noah.
" Does he have any direct family who might want to inherit?" asked Leyla fen. To Trisha, it was clear the woman enjoyed this kind of thing.
"He has several relatives to inherit, even a son." said Lord Noah.
" I thought his son died several months ago?" asked the Bishop.
" Yes, well, they have an adopted son." said Lord Noah.
" Do you mean that Brat Daren Carlyle?" asked Henry, Nesp stroking his greying beard.
" Is that the kid that flogged several servants to near death several years ago?" asked Leyla Fen, disgust in her voice.
"No, you are thinking of Kelvin. His adopted younger brother is Daren." said Lord Noah.
" Are you telling me you let Kelvin be an inquisitor even after doing that?" asked Trisha, aghast.
All four priests and the bishop scoffed seemingly at the same time. But it was the Bishop who answered.
" That man was not an inquisitor of the church. His only duty in Drent was to stay out of the way and fade from memories." said the Bishop.
" But then why did you make him the head priest in Drent? I watched him arrest and nearly kill one of my friends." said Trisha, leaving out the fact that she had helped Kelvin arrest Reskeme.
" My dear, you must understand. When someone of significant standing like Lord Talu Daros asks for a small favor, I can't exactly say no." said the Bishop.
Trisha sat back in her chair, letting the topic slide. Nothing could be gained from that line of questioning.
" What is our next course of action, lady Bishop? If we all start turning over stones in the city, the demon may flee." said Aiden Gath, lounging with one foot on the table.
" We will need to be subtle. We musn't let word spread of your presence in the city. For now, we will operate from the shadows. Leyla, I want you to attent the Queen's court.. Talk amongst the nobles, see what information you can find, " Said The Bishop.
" I will see what i can find out. There are several people I can leverage for information." said Lela Fen, grinning in excitement.
"Aiden, I want you to snoop around the city in disguise. Your mission is to observe. If you find the demon, do not engage unless it's absolutely necessary." Said the Bishop, her face a mask as she directed the high priests.
Aiden nodded his head, the man's steely eyes flashing with excitement.
" And what if I find a minor demon?" asked Aiden, twirling his knife that seemed to magically appear in his fingers.
" Dont engage, deliver a report when you can, and I will send the inquisition. If we kill demons unexpectedly, the major demon might catch wind of our search and go into hiding. However, if an inquisition finds them, the high demon won't suspect four high priests on his tale." said the Bishop.
" Henry, examine the contents Noah procured. I want to know what affinities this demon has as soon as possible." said the Bishop.
" Do you have the contents containing the demon's essence?" asked Henry Nesp, excitement splitting the old man's face.
Lord Noah stood and placed a mostly empty vial with a small drop of what looked like blood in front of Henry Nesp.
Trisha could only watch in awe as all four priests fell into their roles with excitement. They all seemed to have an area of specialty.
" What about me? How can I help?" asked Trisha.
"This is a high demon we are talking about." said Lord Noah sternly.
" That doesn't mean I cannot help." said Trisha, keeping her back straight. What was the point of all her training if they didn't let her do her job?
" You must understand. In direct combat, a high demon is a deadly threat. Even as a high priest, facing one by myself is almost certainly suicide." said Lord Noah.
Trisha shiver at the thought. Lord Noah was an absolute monster in combat. She remembered that fight in Drent. His channeling was fast and his power completely overwhelmed that demon.
"If the demon is so powerful, why is it hiding?" asked Trisha.
"That is because with two of us, we can kill it. Unless the demon has a suitable vessel and a soul contract. Without a vessel matching its affinities, the demon will rapidly corrode its body when it uses its power. That is why, even though high demons are terrifying, they will hide until they can grow in power. Gods forbid they form a contract." Said the Bishop.
" And what is a soul contract?" asked Trisha. Leyla fen scoffed.
" Noone is stupid enough to give their soul willingly to a demon." said Leyla scoffing, pouring herself a glass of purple liquid. Trisha scrunched up her nose in distaste as the tangy scent of cherry wine filled the room.
" A soul contract is the offering of one's soul and body to a demon. It is suicide. But sadly, it has happened in the past. Demons are crafty and they play the long game. Once they find the right vessel, they will slowly gain their trust until they can trick the human into signing the contract." Said Lord Noah.
" Trisha, if you wish to take part in this, then you will need to step up training." Said the Bishop, clearly referring to the demonic talismans.
Trisha swallowed. That meant she would be volunteering for more nights of mental torture. Lord Noah's physical and magical training was hard enough every day, but to add on more while she slept sounded horrible. Trisha nodded her head, not wanting to miss out on something so rare as helping defeat a high demon. After all, there were only ten high demons imprisoned inside the Bishop's vault, and that was after hundreds of years.
" Alright Trisha, lord Noah was going to go, but I want you and your team to go meet with Daren Carlyle and Lady Daros. Learn what you can. I want a report by this evening on your findings." said the Bishop waving her hand towards the door. Trisha rose and walked towards the door, her scabbard swaying gently as she strode from the room. She strode confidently, feeling the eyes of all the powerful figures on her back, as any sign of weakness would be noticed.
She descended the stairs and navigated the maze of the cathedral to the exit. She could have sworn that the young guard at the front winked at her, but that must have been a trick of the light.
With the comforting weight of her short sword at her hip, Trisha descended the stairs into the courtyard. An inquisitor with the gold badge stood in front of a group of twenty initiates as they practiced. The early morning sun filled the clear blue sky, glaring down on her, but even still her breath steamed in the cold air. She pulled her cloak embroidered purple cloak around herself, wishing the silk was thicker.
A familiar tall figure with a staff caught her eye amidst the crowd of training initiates. Trisha strode up to the instructor and returned his glare. The tall athletic instructor exuded confidants, but Trisha refused to show any weakness.
" I will be needing Greg and Eliya again." said Trisha calmly.
" Another mission?" asked the Instructor something like respect in his eyes.
"Yes, the bishop tasked use with another mission." said Trisha.
" Where to today?" asked the Instructor. Standing ramrod strait, his stance more friendly than usual.. The older mans cold temperament seemed to thaw slowly the more he got to know her.
" To investigate the death of lord Talu." said Trisha, eying the veteran inquisitor from the corner of her eye. His hard, weather-worn face scrunched up in distaste.
" Greg, Eliya, you are cleared from training for the day!" said the instructor. All the other trainees stared angrily at the backs of Greg and Eliya. Their faces were a mix of jealousy and anger that those two had the day off. Anita, who was amidst the group, paused in her jumping jacks and said something to Eliya. Eliya laughed and made her way out of the squad of trainees. It amazed Trisha what five weeks of hard exercise was doing to the church trainees. Anita especially seemed to have gained at least ten pounds of muscle on her lanky frame.
Trisha smirked as Eliya and Greg split off from the group. Eliya was smiling like an idiot, with a flush on her cheeks.
" Sorry for the delay instructor, Hallen. If you will excuse us." said Trisha, turning for the exit. Eliya gave Greg a high five. Both of them were gasping for breath and sweating profusely.
The instructor scowled at their excitement, clearly displeased.
" Dont worry, instructor Hallen. Tomorrow I am at the queen's court. I'm sure these two can catch up on training then." said Trisha, winking sweetly at the two.
" You are right! I know tomorrow is leave, but I expect you two to pick up the slack and put in at least three hours of training." said instructor Hallen.
Greg grumbled as they headed for the gate, and Trisha couldn't help but notice Eliya hesitant wave to Anita.
"Anita, what are you doing? Now is not the time to doddle! Get down and give me fifty!" shouted the instructor Hallen.
" This is almost slave labour. I don't see why I have to go through basic training." said Greg grumbling.
" IF you don't like it, you can give back that copper Token?" asked Trisha, eying the copper church token pinned on both Greg and Eliya's cloaks.
" No way, and lose the chance to become a church inquisitor." said Greg scoffing.
" Good Morning Trisha." said Harry, the gates opening behind him.
" Good morning. How are you today, Harry?" asked Trisha, waving to the captain of the guards.
" I'm good, just watching the rookies training." said Harry, winking at Greg.
" Rookies? I bet I can drink your soldiers under the table any day." said Greg, an obvious challenge in his voice.
" Oh, ya? Meet us at the drunken goose tonight. Looser pays the bill." said Harry with a boisterous laugh.
" You are on!" said Greg.
The streets bustled with people, and Trisha walked down the boulevard in search of the Daros manor. She asked a guard for directions before leading her team down the street.
" So Eli, are you going to the ball tomorrow?" asked Trisha, winking slyly at her best friend.
Eliya's eyes went wide. She still had a smile on her face. Her eyes roved the street, glaring at anyone getting to close as she used her staff as a walking stick.
" Not all of us were invited." said Eliya.
" Well, if you get an invitation from a certain noble then you can attend." said Trisha. Eliya fell a step behind, flushing at the insinuation.
The chaotic sounds of clattering carts, hollering merchants and the background chatter filled the air as they followed the flow of foot traffic through the city. The frigid wind gusted and the smell of a gutter vent filled her nose.
"Who are you going with?" asked Eliya, diverting the subject to Trisha.
" Oh, look, there is someone I can ask for directions." said Trisha.
Trisha stopped a young man dressed in fine purple silk and wearing a bright feather hat.
"Can you direct me to the Daros estate, my lord?" asked Trisha. The man bowed gracefully and gestured to a large mansion three blocks down the street.
" My lady, fret not. The house on the corner with the spiraling fence is that of Lord and lady Daros." said the noble.
" Thank you, my lord." said Trisha curtsying.
The man grinned and bowed once again before retreating down the street.
Eliya snickered.
" What is so funny?" asked Trisha.
"I could swear you are getting good at pretending to be a noble." said Eliya.
" Well, I'm no longer pretending. Her Ladyship the Bishop took me as her heir." said Trisha.
" When did that happen?" asked Eliya, her usual calm broken as her jaw dropped.
" I learned today." said Trisha.
" Does that mean I get a raise? Surely protecting a noble mage has a higher pay?" asked Greg with a grin.
" Take a whiff of your stench and then you will understand why you do not get the raise." said Trisha walking between a wrought-iron gate. The bars were twisted in looping patterns to in the image of a rose. She walked up the cobbled driveway to the fountain spurting mist. The gardens were still flourishing but the signs of winter were setting in as some were dying. Trisha knocked on the polished double doors and waited. The doors slid open silently, and a butler greeted her. The man wore a velvet doublet with a linen undershirt and silk pants.
His eyes widened as he took in Trisha's silver inquisitor's medallion.
" You must be here from the church. What is the purpose of your visit?" asked the Butler, eying her sword nervously.
" I wish to question Lady Doros and Daren Carlyle." said Trisha.
" May I inquire as to why?" asked the Butler.
" I'm here on behalf of the inquisition. It is regarding Lord Talu." said Trisha.
The butler bowed, his face scrunching to concern as he rushed into the house.
" Please come in and take a seat. I will fetch the lord and lady." said the butler, striding away gracefully.
Trisha walked to the waiting room but didn't sit. In her experience, delivering this kind of news to the aggrieved was better given standing. Not to mention people were horribly uncomfortable when inquisitors were around.