Small villages were all very similar to one another and this one, just like the other seemed to be doing good, no signs of the previous acts of infamy caused by a floating head.
With heavy footsteps, not weighed down by something like dread or fear but by the weight of chains and cuffs, a man wearing an ancient copper-colored clerical robe approached the first person he saw.
The chains at his feet dragged along the ground as he moved with his back straight, not seeming encumbered by any of this, he slightly bended his back to arrive at eye level with the young woman, who had been petrified, until she stared into his eyes, visible despite the iron mask on his face, which was also copper colored, dark yellow eyes that inspired a sense a of devotion, he appeared like a confessor.
"Young woman, that flying head, it went through here, didn't it?" he spoke in metalic voice due to the mask on his face.
"Would happen to know where he went or someone who does?" he asked after she nodded affirmatively.
"The heroine does but she left already..." responded sheepisly the girl.
"I see, thanks for your time" spoke the tall cleric as he went on his way, seemingly already certain of what to do.
He found the broken stone wall and knew that he had been here, immediately noticing a single strange of black hair that had gotten stuck on a sticky plant.
It seemed perfectly normal and one would normally reason that it could belong to someone else but the copper cleric knew otherwise.
He walked a determined step and vanished into a small forest, the air clearly changed, a change only he could perceive, as expected, he hadn't gone far at all or maybe he had come back, it was hard to tell.
"I know you are hiding here, show yourself" calmly commanded the copper saint.
Appearing with a flabbergasted look on his face, Corruption couldn't believe who it was that he was seeing.
"Milakro? Who are alive?!" asked the floating head, staying at respectable distance from him.
"I could ask you the same question but it is clear, you are rotten enough to become a minion of the cardinal sins, a venial sin!" the chained saint raised his voice.
"What? Did you come back as lesser virtue or something?" asked Corruption, already knowing the answer, he would have noticed immediately if it had been the case, sins and virtues were opposites and most vulnerable to their direct opposite if the legends were to be believed.
But if he wasn't a virtue, how was the copper saint still alive? Corruption's first death and Milakro's emprisonment had happened long ago, much longer ago than any human could remember.
"I am here solely to drag you to hell, alongside myself" the copper saint took a step forward as the sound rustling chains grew more intense by the seconds.
"If the gods still have a hint of trust in you, you will surely have something to resist me but from what I heard, only your treacherous tongue is of use to you" the chained saint raised his right arm and the chain linked to the cuff on his wrist grew much longer, threatening to split the lesser sin in half.
"Are you sure about that Milakro?! You already sinned by killing me the first time! Deciding who goes to hell or heaven isn't us mortals duty!" yelled the disembodied head as he dodged the powerful attack, which ripped cleanly apart everything it had touched.
"That's why we'll go together, no one was able to get through to you but you still remember our teachings, you can be purified and you can be forgiven, you and me, stop resisting Valerien, I am trying to save you!" shouted the copper cleric swinging both of his arms, resulting in all of the trees in twenty five meter radius being chopped off.
"How do you remember my name?! It should have been forgotten when I became Corruption!" spat Valerien as he weaved past the chains, only the sin themselves should remember their former name.
The chained saint didn't respond and kept on swinging but Corruption small size and swiftness in the air allowed him to evade as he floated higher and higher.
"Are you running away Valerien? Don't you wish to owe up to your sins? It might be faint but the holy is still shining in your eyes!" spoke Milakro after Valerien got out of his range.
Corruption didn't utter any words as he floated into the distance, disappearing into the clouds once more.
________________________
"Your majesty, if I may speak" Castille was very formal as per usual.
"Of course, what is on your mind?" spoke the young king of Gloire, currently sitting on his throne without much to do, delegating was a good thing to do and he had been so efficient with it that he was left to sit here.
Castille cleared his throat and heaved a low sigh before speaking, indicator that he was going to say something important.
"As your highness wanted, I searched for potential candidates for a marriage, I weighted the options based on the political advantages as you asked" he said, making Pepin open his eyes wide, he had hoped this would take longer.
The king gathered himself rapidly and signed for his advisor to continue.
"As you have heard Mawlique had already signed a treaty with us and in it's current state, is no threat to us, so I skipped over Mawlique, Heilig would be a good choice but the current king has no children as of yet and the highest rankings after him have already married their daughters..."
"We already entertain very good relationships with Lacam and UCT has also notified us of their supports, not that they had good candidates for marriage anyways..."
"Aeraliun is too far to form any meaningful relationship and Laparadi will remain neutral no matter what happens, which only leaves the rising power that is Velko" the advisor stopped to look at the king.
"What is the matter Castille? Is there a problem with who you considered?" asked the young monarch, hoping that it was the case as marriage didn't sound very appealing at the moment, he feared the population wouldn't see it with a good eye, it had been a certain time since the revolution but it was still very much warm for Gloire.
"Well, you see sir, the king of Velko died shortly after finding his companion and she is currently the one in charge of the whole country, I think she is the best pick, it is a great opportunity and I am certain she will accept an alliance with Gloire" spoke Castille a bit shakily.
"Why so nervous? Is there something off about her?" in response to that question the advisor handed him a piece of paper.
"Oh" was the reaction he had upon reading it.
"Hum, but it would be a great alliance and, huh, from what I heard she is a very pretty woman!" uttered Castille.
"And I am certain those events are not truly indicative of her personality" he added, him and the king stared at one another for a good minute before Pepin spoke up.
"Very well, let's go with that" he conceded, it was a golden opportunity, with Mawlique and UCT being so complacent and their good relationship with the other countries, adding the rising nation that was Velko would only cement their positions as the leader of the continent.