It was dusk when Isaac returned to the campsite, bone knights marching close behind him. He held in his arms a hefty sack filled to the brim with talons—the sum of the knights' daily wages.
"Welcome back, Isaac," Tommy greeted him. "How did our undead workforce perform?"
Isaac narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?" he asked, voice laced with hostility.
Tommy lifted his ring finger, putting the fox-head ring on display. "I retrieved my ring from Edonia this morning."
He fell to one knee. "My Lord Bones—please forgive your humble servant. I meant no disrespect."
"You have caused me no offense. Please rise. Tell me how today went."
Isaac donned a smile. "Well, my lord; it went well. The man in charge of the mine—"
"Elijah," Tommy supplied.
"Thank you. Elijah dubbed them the hardest workers he had ever seen, dullards though they are. I suppose it is unsurprising considering they are undead."
"I see he has fulfilled their salary."
"I counted it twice over. The full amount is within this sack—one hundred and ninety-four talons."
"As we've discussed—tomorrow, you will go to the inn and purchase rations. I will be taking Nigel and Elliott on a trip into Newhorn."
Isaac raised an eyebrow. "A trip, my lord?"
"We're going to seek funding to build a church on this plot of land."
The cogs in Isaac's mind began to turn. "I see. If we establish a church, we needn't ask a lord for land, nor must we pay taxes. A brilliant idea." His lips pressed into a small frown. "I must ask, though—how do you plan on convincing the high priest to bless your endeavor?"
"Not too long ago, you told me that the Holy Church despised monsters. That wasn't the whole truth, was it?"
"There are a few species that the Church does not condemn. In fact, some are exalted, revered as symbols of purity."
"A pixie is one of those species, is it not?"
"Yes. Pixies are beings of pure light, wholly innocent and pure. Or so the Church claims."
A wicked grin made its way onto Tommy's face. "I just so happen to know where a pixie is. And with young Nathan's help, I believe recruiting her to our cause will be child's play."
"With a pixie by your side, a high priest will almost certainly fund the church's construction. Yet another brilliant idea, my lord."
Tommy paused for a moment, sending Isaac a solemn look. "I would like you to be the head of the church. You are the only one I can trust with such an important job."
Isaac boasted a peculiar expression—a mix of pride and apprehension. "You honor me, Lord Bones. If you see me fit for such a task, then I will surely accept the responsibility."
That was good news. He really was the only one for the job. Nigel and Elliott may be more knowledgeable about the religion, but Isaac had a certain wisdom to him—one that would fit the position perfectly.
"Thank you, Isaac. I will take mimic form to convince the high priest. If you would allow it, that is."
"You needn't ask me for permission, my lord. I see it as an honor to serve you in any way you require."
"Good. Now get some rest. I'm going to go speak with the pixie."
"Yes, of course."
Tommy set his eyes upon an unassuming patch of grass. "Blink!"
Within ten minutes, he arrived at the Tear Gate, cursed with a pounding headache. He had the idea of changing his appearance, but if the little pixie joined his church, she would figure out his true identity anyways. It was best to be honest. Well, perhaps, honest was the wrong word. It was best to only tell lies that she could never uncover the truth of.
"Miss Butterworth," he hollered, walking into the circle of stones.
"Go away," came her vicious, nasal yell.
"I've come to apologize. The way my friend and I behaved earlier was unacceptable."
A few sniffles came from behind one of the stones. "You have?" she asked, voice laden with hope.
"Yes, so please come out."
The pixie flew toward him with zest, flapping her little wings like a hummingbird. "The great Barley Butterworth is known far and wide for her kind heart. It is only natural that I forgive you!"
Well, that was easy. It seems pixies were equal parts pure and gullible.
Tommy chuckled. "Thank you for your forgiveness; I hadn't expected to gain it so quickly." After a few moments of silence, he spoke again: "Now that we're square, I'd like to make you an offer."
"An offer?" she asked, tilting her head. "What kind of offer?"
"A job offer. I want you to become the mascot of the church I'm building. Instead of guarding a pile of rocks, you could spread love and joy to the people of Alyria."
"Nuh-uh. No way. Not a chance," she said, shaking her head. "If I'm not here, who will defend this place from evil?"
He quelled a devilish smile, offering a warm one in its place. "One of the strongest knights in all of Alyria—Sir Colby of the great and noble house of Goodmere."
Her eyes went wide. "A real knight?"
Tommy nodded. "He is a fearsome and honorable warrior. Were he to guard this portal, none would dare defile it."
"Well, I don't know," she murmured, biting her lip.
"Without you, I can't build this church. And without this church, I can't help people."
After a minute of intense deliberation, she spoke: "I'll do it! But first, I want to meet this Sir Colby."
"Of course; allow me to fetch him. I will return within the hour."
He used blink to travel back to the campsite, worsening his headache tenfold. When he arrived, all of the disciples were in their tents save one who sat by the roaring fire, clad in the shimmering armor of Sir Colby.
"Nathan, are you ready?" asked Tommy.
He lifted his visor to reveal a handsome, boyish face. "I am, my lord."
"Thank you for doing this. I assure you—you will receive a fitting reward for your service in due time."
"My reward is serving one as great as you, Lord Bones," he stated with an unwavering resolve.
Sometimes it felt like he was abusing these people's trust; that he was unrightfully walking in the old lich's shoes. Was he? Yes, he most definitely was. Did it bother him? Not to any considerable degree, no.
"Keep your visor raised in case you need to vomit. This trip will be quite sickening," Tommy said, grasping the man's hand. "Blink!"
And he did vomit—quite a bit, in fact. Once after the first five minutes, then once more when they arrived at the Tear Gate.
"Are you alright?"
Nathan looked at him with desperate eyes, then expunged hot bile onto the flowers.
Tommy placed a hand on his back. "Greater restoration, greater magic shield, greater enhance strength, greater enhance speed," he whispered.
Lights of every color encapsulated the man, visible through the cracks in his armor. They faded after but a few seconds, and he rose from his knees, made anew by its effects.
"With the effects of those spells, you'll pass any test of hers with ease."
"Thank you, my lord," Nathan said, wiping the vomit from his lips. "That you remain unaffected by such a method of travel shows your profound strength."
Unaffected was a bit of a stretch. The mind-shattering headache he had spoke in opposition to such an idea. But it wasn't like he could use healing magic on himself; that would be like bathing his undead body in holy fire.
"Yes, I suppose it does. Now, are you prepared to speak with Miss Butterworth?"
"Yes, my lord. Thanks to Alice, I believe I have learned enough about House Goodmere to mimic Sir Colby," Nathan claimed.
"Very good. Let's go, then."
Miss Butterworth could be seen within the confines of the stone circle, glowing like a light bulb under the moon's cold stare. She raced about the area as though an angered wasp, left and right, up and down, frantically and without aim.
"Miss Butterworth," Tommy began, waving at her, "I've brought my friend—Sir Colby of the house of Goodmere."
Her face was aflush with redness—the color of a watered rose. "Oh, goodness! I wasn't expecting you so soon."
Tommy lifted an eyebrow. "I said I'd be back within the hour."
"Yes, yes, of course. I just meant that—" A gentle cough overtook her words. "Sorry, I'm just rather shocked, is all. I wasn't expecting your friend to be so"—she averted her gaze, sending it to the ground—"handsome."
Oh, how cute. The little pixie had a crush on Nathan.
"Thank you, my lady; your words do me honor," Nathan said, standing stiller than a stone soldier.
Though it seemed impossible, her face grew even redder.
"So, were there any questions you wished to ask him?"
"Not really. I just wanted to meet a knight; I've never gotten to before."
Oh, for the love of fruit snacks. Was this girl serious?
Tommy suppressed a sigh. "So, will you help me build my church?"
She gave three quick nods. "Yes, definitely. Now that I've met Sir Colby, I feel comfortable with leaving this portal in his strong, manly hands."
Good. The plan was unfolding just as he had hoped it would. He'd have a bone knight replace Nathan as soon as possible; no point in keeping him trapped here.
"Sir Colby, Miss Butterworth and I will be leaving this place in your hands. Tomorrow, after Isaac has made his trip to the inn, I will bring you enough rations for a month's time."
"And books," Miss Butterworth interjected. "He'll need books to stave off the boredom. I have my light spirits to talk to, but he won't have anyone."
Her light spirits? Were those the things laughing at Impy and him when they first arrived here?
"Of course. A fine idea, Miss Butterworth."
"Please, just call me Barley. We're going to be partners, after all!"
"Very well, Barley." He offered her a hand. "I'll use blink to teleport us to the campsite."
Barley grabbed his hand with two of her own. "Goodbye, Sir Colby. I'm sure we'll meet again soon," she said, face still stricken with redness. "At our wedding."
"Blink!"
The little pixie was half-dead by the time they arrived at the campsite, severely affected by their rate of travel. She lurched through the air and expelled glowing vomit like a faucet would water.
"Greater restoration."
She puffed out her chest and gave him the widest of grins. "Thanks for the help, best friend!"
Best friend? She was quick to form bonds, it seemed. That was a good thing for him.
He offered her a smile in return. "Not a problem. I assume that, like me, you don't require sleep. Am I correct?"
"Righto, partner-o! No sleep for this gal anytime soon."
"I'd like to discuss the plan with you, then."
"We have a plan?" she asked.
It was an innocent inquiry, but it revealed much about her. The carefree pixie would require guidance; perhaps even more than the bone knights required. That did not detract from her value, however. She would be crucial in the plan to come.
"Of course. Tomorrow, you and I, along with Nigel and Elliott—two disciples of mine—will visit the city of Newhorn to meet with a high priest of the Church of Light. Your presence alone will help us to convince him to fund our church."
"Sure! That sounds like it'll be fun," she chirped.
Fun wasn't the word he would've used. Perhaps he needed to explain the importance of this without the tact it was due.
"You called me evil when you discovered I was a skeleton—"
"But I changed my mind when you apologized to me!" she interjected.
He chuckled. "Yes, yes, I know. But they wouldn't be so understanding. If they discover I'm a skeleton, they will burn me alive. Do you understand?"
"I'm not an idiot, y'know! I can totally keep a secret."
Somehow, Tommy doubted that.
"I trust you completely, best friend."
She puffed up with pride.
"One other matter—I will not be the priest of this church; a disciple of mine will be. His name is Isaac, and I will be taking his form when we meet with the high priest. Is that okay with you?"
"Whatever you say, best friend. I trust you completely too!"
How sweet.
"Thank you for your trust, Barley. I will be sure to treat it with the utmost care."
If the utmost care meant lying to her at every possible turn, then yes, that was the truth. Was this new body taking over his mind, or was it simply the unimaginable power he held that made him so—
Evil. Evil was the word. Was he evil now?
No, he wasn't evil. But he certainly wasn't good.
Whatever. Who really cared? He was willing to sacrifice his morals to achieve his goals; there were plenty of others who had done and would do the same. He'd be the biggest cog in a horrible machine.
"Let's talk about the role you'll play in our church."