The Wicked House of Caroline

Support for her admittedly dangerous, if not reckless plan to distract the Temple and have them recall their paladins came from an unexpected source, making Laz, Lucian, and Deo even more helpless to stop her.

The image of her father on the urapearl looking proud and authoritative silenced the three men who protested. If the Duke of Caroline had been present, Beks would’ve been hugging him. Beks was so excited, she almost hugged the urapearl.

“I understand that you want to keep her safe. She is my daughter, and knowing she is somewhere safe would also put my mind at ease; however, we cannot coddle her. And Beks is the best person to run this mission.”

“Daddy, you can’t be serious. Beks has no combat experience!” Deo hadn’t been able to sit down when their father interrupted them and told his daughter to bring all the Thirnir she needed.

“Disguised, no one will be able to recognize Beks. She and the Thirnir can slip into the Great Temple as pilgrims.”

“Your Grace, Beks has never been to the Great Temple.” Lucian had tried to argue. “She doesn’t know the layout. If anyone should go, it should be me.”

“You are needed on the battle front.” The Duke had rolled his eyes inside the urapearl. “All of you vastly underestimate my daughter’s resources. She’s already memorized the entire layout of the Great Basin, including the Great Temple compound and its auxiliary sites on the basin. All she needs is final confirmation of the layout, and she can only do that efficiently if she goes in person. What she requires are biha-users.”

The tent had gone quiet and even Beks’ brows had shot up, surprised. “Daddy, how did you know?”

His expression had softened as he looked at her. “That chest that your Great Aunt collected for you had a lot of information.”

The corner of her lips had raised a bit. “You noticed.”

“Of course. My eldest daughter was falling asleep memorizing those documents. You were burning several maps into your head.”

“Beks, you know the layout of the Great Temple?” Lucian had looked at her with wide, impressed eyes.

Beks had given him a wide smile. “I told you I didn’t need you to come with me.”

She’d then proven her memory by sketching out the map in her head. While Deo and Lucian were impressed, Laz had been fixed on where she had circled particular points on the map. After a few moments, he had started to laugh.

“I don’t think what you’re planning can be considered a little sacrilege.” He then pulled her towards him and kissed her cheek. “I almost want to say don’t get carried away, but at the same time, I wish I was with you to see this.”

Meanwhile, Deo had called her chaotic while wearing an awestruck expression. Beks had been a bit concerned about Lucian’s reaction to her plans. After all, even if he had disagreements with the Temple and they had turned against him, the Great Temple complex itself was where he’d lived for half his life. Even if he didn’t like the people or the institution, there were historical buildings and religious structures.

The younger twin had taken her pencil and drew a few lines. “There is an underground aqueduct diverting from the western side of the river that leads to an aquifer beneath this training area. It is separate from the water sources spreading across the rest of the basin, which is sourced from the river on the eastern side. If you collapse the aquifer, the entire paladin training ground will become a sinkhole, but won’t affect the orphanage in the east, but it’s close enough to the Great Temple’s river island to make them nervous.”

Several eyes had settled on him. Without a word, Beks had rounded the table to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him firmly on the lips, regardless of her brother standing in the same room.

“I will avenge you well,” she had told him once she pulled away.

His flushed face had gasped for air and he nodded, flustered before shyly burying his face in the crook of her neck. “Just come back to us alive.”

After informing their close subordinates and convincing Efran to remain and assist Sandra in her stead, Beks left before dawn the next morning. There was no time to delay. She brought with her the three Thirnir her father had assigned, as the smaller the group, the better they could avoid attention and infiltrate the Great Temple as pilgrims.

At their speed, they’d reach the edge of the Great Basin in a week, and then another day or two to situate themselves as pilgrims and make their way into the Great Temple complex. The Great Basin had a large river running through it, but at one point it split and at another, reconnected, creating a long, narrow island where the Great Temple and its central complex was located. It was considered the heart of the Great Basin and only religious figures, their guards, and a few servants resided in the complex.

The majority of servants, and even low-level attendants and studying clergy, lived outside the complex. Lucian lived in the religious school not far from the orphanage as a child. When he became a priest, he was sent to aid one of the High Priests. It was a position that led him to the ‘bandit’ attack that massacred everyone in the pilgrimage caravan but him.

However, the complex was where the majority of pilgrims would go, as it was filled with shrines, a grand cathedral, various temples, and housed various relics. Over time, the places reserved for paladins, the orphanage, and the servants quarters were moved off the island and into the surrounding areas. It was seen as an honor to reside on the island.

The servants quarters, the school, and orphanages were pushed even further away the more the Temple needed to spread out. As for pilgrims, they could not stay on the island overnight. Small villages appeared around the edges of the basin to house pilgrims. Some of their inns were elaborate guest houses meant for wealthy or powerful guests on a pilgrimage, such as wealthy merchants or nobility. Indoor lodging could be booked months in advance. If those various inns and homes were full, pilgrims simply camped outdoors.

Paladins were used to keep order, at least that is what Lucian told her, but pilgrims were still relegated to areas further away. In a way, this was good. They would allow them to be freer in their movements. They could camp away from any groups. The less people who saw them the better.

Three days into their journey, they passed a unit of men on horseback, all wearing seemingly identical gray cloaks with swords at their sides. There was nothing on them, such as an insignia or crest, which identified them as paladins, but Rid Callan was certain.

“If they were traveling incognito, they should've all dressed the same, down to their saddles,” Rid Callan said as they ate at a pilgrimage rest stop. He kept his eyes down as he ate, but Beks knew he had studied the men.

“Why are there so few of them?” Rid Haal asked. “I thought there were thousands.”

“Lucian said that while the majority of paladins are located at the Great Basin, at least a quarter of them are elsewhere doing work for the Temple or guarding high ranking clergy,” Beks replied.

“Then, it’s possible that units have to be called in first and then sent out?” Rid Haal nodded.

“The order was just given, so adjustments need to be made. There must’ve been reassignments, which take time,” Beks said. “I didn’t expect them to all move at once.”

“That's too eye-catching,” Rid Callan replied with a frown. “It would be clear that the Temple is moving a small army and people will get curious. They’ve always remained politically neutral.”

“Supposedly.” Rid Norddottir muttered under her breath. The Caroline Duchy never had close ties with the Temple. From Beks’ understanding, it wasn’t until the duchy joined Kadmus that they began to have formal contact with the Temple; however, the people in the island of Sagittate weren’t very religious, at least in the same way as the Temple.

Most of their rituals revolved around bihar and weren’t as rigorous as the rituals on the mainland. The opinion of the Temple had soured back when Beks was born, as the Great Oracle’s prophecy was blamed for Beks having been taken from her family. Then the new oracle appeared and had an affair with Beks’ ex-fiancé.

It was not good for the Temple’s reputation no matter how important the oracle was. However, it seemed like a small price to pay for an oracle.

“The new oracle’s prophecy wouldn’t have been announced to the general public, as the Temple is supposed to be an immovable entity on the continent. If there were hints that it could be attacked, they’d keep that quiet and try to deal with it on their own so as now to show weakness. Not to mention, helping Langshe can be a political move and that can be interpreted a number of different ways,” Beks replied. “At best, they contacted Tarkan.”

It had also taken some time for Nexus to hear of it, meaning the prophecy had secretly been passed to the Temple, whereas previously, the prophecy had spread from the new oracle herself. If it weren’t for Nexus’ contacts within the Great Temple, it is likely that they wouldn’t know until the Red Iron Cavalry crossed paths of the paladins blocking their way.

Beks and the Thirnir passed several pilgrim rest areas and villages since they crossed the plains to get back on to a pilgrimage route, and there was no word for the movement of paladins or Langshe despite noticing the groups of paladins all riding in the same direction, not escorting anyone as they should’ve been.

As Beks expected, they kept quiet about maintaining their status of neutrality.

Once the Temple got involved, countries would be vying for favor. While on the outside, that would appear to put the Temple in a good position, there was a chance that the already influential Temple could be branded as an enemy by other countries. Anyone in power would be wary of the amount of influence the Temple had, after all.

No one had really spoken out against them because they remained staunchly apolitical.

Beks had no plans to oust them for any involvement in Langshe. Yet.

They finished their meal and continued on their way in clothes with tattered edges and some tears. Showing humility was important when on a pilgrimage, although this practice was not done by the rich. Peasants who could afford to go on pilgrimage were supposed to show the trials they’d gone through before reaching the Great Temple.

It made identifying who was on their pilgrimage easy. The closer they got, the more pilgrims they saw, along with the expensive carriages and escorts of the wealthy.

The villages bordering the Great Temple’s territory had entire buildings dedicated to information on the Great Temple, including prayer schedules, when was the best time to go, if there were any large groups leaving, and what was appropriate to offer and to whom. Energetic young people happily handed out pamphlets and maps, as well as offered suggestions.

“Are they clergy?” Rid Haal asked in a low voice as they accepted a map and pamphlet and left the ornate two-story hall in the center of the village. Beks looked down at the papers, admitting that they seemed surprisingly plentiful, meaning the village either had a lot of money from pilgrims or the Temple supported them directly.

“I don’t think so,” Rid Callan replied. “But I’ve heard orphans who had been supported by the Temple move into villages like this. I’ve heard the more popular shrines have such centers or buildings to welcome pilgrims, but this....” He lifted up the map along with a schedule of prayers being held at different buildings at the Great Temple complex. “It seems less like a religious pilgrimage and more like a tourist destination.”

“Don’t let them hear you,” Rid Norddottir whispered, though they were all speaking in Sagittater. “Mainlanders on this side of the continent are very devout. They might take your words as heresy.”

Beks let out a small snort as she kept walking, her eyes looking ahead of her. “They have an army masquerading as a holy order to kill people they don’t like. I’ve read plenty of religious text and I’m fairly certain assassination is against the Temple’s dogma.”

“So is profiting off of prayer, but here we are,” Rid Haal said as they reached the edge of the town. The four of them stopped in the shadow of the village’s wall and looked down at the sprawling valley just below the low foothills.

Beks crinkled her eyes. From their vantage point, they could see the long stretch of river, where it split into two and reconnected, and the island in the center. It was hard to miss with it protruding from the surrounding greenery with its glistening white buildings topped with gilded domes or azure tiles. In the center, there were numerous towers covered with porticos high up with what appeared to be gilded window frames.

She understood the need to have such a visually stunning site to show the majesty and strength of the gods, but the white marble veneered and gilded complex reeked of excess. The Six Shrines were like modest altars built by paupers in comparison.

Five wide ornate bridges with statues along the walls stuck out from around the sides of the island, stretching out across the split river like thin, bony white legs of an insect. A thin sliver of a bridge, the most modest of the lot, went north. With some of the trees cut, Beks could make out the path east. In fact, several areas around the Great Temple had been cleared of trees and were where clusters of buildings had been built.

On the western bank, a sprawling compound with rows of narrow buildings and empty open areas: the paladin’s compound.

On the eastern bank, a small compound of small buildings clustered together without the order of the paladin compound. Numerous dirt roads led away, with the largest going to the nearest bridge into the Great Temple complex: servants’ quarters.

South of them were much more modest complexes where lower ranked clergy lived.

Nestled on a hill in the north was a building with two adjacent wings and four satellite buildings that made up the school. Further up, a smaller building: the orphanage.

Beks swallowed hard. Although he had arrived at the Great Temple for different reasons, Lucian still knew a lot about the orphanage and the Temple orphanage system as he studied with many of them. When the orphaned children were young, their temperaments, intelligence, and physical abilities were assessed. Those who were deemed rather average or difficult were raised without much expectation and were expected to leave when they came of age.

Many who knew nothing else would end up taking on work for the Temple as a servant. They received pay, food, and housing, but it was a laborious job, even for servant standards. However, they used a contract system and when it was over, they could choose to renew. Alternatively, the Temple could also refuse to renew the contract if they didn’t think the servant could do the necessary work. They were then forced to leave the servant quarters in such a scenario, but could take all their belongings that they’d bought.

If they were well prepared, they would have money left over from their time working. Sometimes, they’d move into the surrounding villages.

However, it was a different story for those who were deemed above average. Lucian said that any orphans who showed promise that were left at Temple-run orphanages around the continent were sent there after their initial assessment. They would receive religious instruction and be urged to join the Temple to function as attendants, priests, or priestesses. If they were particularly healthy boys and showed any athleticism, they would be groomed to become paladins.

This wasn’t just a matter of convenience; it was a matter of loyalty. Any service to the Temple that raised them was seen as an honor. With no family or external support, they had no loyalties elsewhere. The Temple was their family. Their lives.

What was more: paladins also drank the Water of the Covenant. They couldn’t have children of their own, once more ensuring their focus on the Temple. They could put all their energy and development on protecting the Temple.

“What do you think, my lady?” Rid Norddottir asked.

Beks swept her eyes across the landscape. “I think we should find a place to camp for the night. Tomorrow, we’ll enter the Great Temple complex and survey all the entrances, the bridges, and try to find the entrance to the water sources beneath the city. I don’t know how old the maps I was given are and things could’ve been built over. We should do a preliminary survey before we finalize the plans. There are so many pilgrims; I want as little collateral damage as possible.”

Though she said this, the next morning, when she found herself staring at the crowds of people already on the bridges leading into the Great Temple complex before the sun rose, Beks wondered if avoiding collateral damage was even possible considering the sheer amount of people.

The statues along the sides of the bridges acted as lamps with lanterns lighting the way. About an hour earlier, paladins had come to light the lanterns with torches. It seemed to be the signal, as the once empty bridges were swarmed with pilgrims waiting to enter.

The crowd of moving people, even with the limited light, was noticeable to the four hiding in trees at the far north of the island.

Rid Callan squinted. “Where did all those people come from suddenly? Surely, they couldn’t have all been waiting in the dark.”

“The nearest village is a few minutes’ walk away and paladins won’t let anyone close to the bridges once the doors were shut,” Beks said with pursed lips. They’d seen paladins on patrol and if they noticed people getting too close, essentially crossing the paved road on the riversides on either side of the complex, they would make those people leave.

It gave the illusion that the well-lit, almost glowing complex was an unreachable beacon in the dark.

Behind her, the Thirnir also had looks of uncertainty on their face. “We...have to join them?” Rid Haal asked in a hesitant voice.

“There are so many people; they’re spilling past the bridges,” Rid Norddottir said with a frown. The five bridges led to the five major gates into the complex. The entire island was surrounded by a massive white wall similar to any other fortification wall. The gate houses had huge double wooden doors with black iron fixtures.

At sunset, after the pilgrims were forced out, the doors were shut and would only open again in the morning.

Crowds of people gathered, as attending the morning prayers was one of the biggest events of the day.

Beks took a deep breath. “Try to stay together. Keep your arms up to your chests and align your feet. In this sort of crowd, it is easy to be trampled if you fall.”

“My lady, you must stay close to us,” Rid Callan told her. He looked at the other two. “Make sure to stay around her at all times.”

With some trepidation, they made their way down to the paved road on the eastern side of the river. It was the busiest side, and walking down the road required one to maneuver around others. Still, it was nothing until they reached a bridge. Human bodies were pushed forward, as close to the closed gate as possible.

People were yelling, either calling out to others or trying to simply be heard above the crowd. Around her, the three Thirnir tried to give her some space, but the force of the crowd and individuals trying to squeeze their way to the front, caused them to bump into her.

Beks dismissed it. There was no way they could stop so many people. All they could do was try to stay balanced and on their feet. Beks raised her arms up to her chest and moved to a defensive stance that was difficult to topple over.

It was dark and it had been cold in the morning, but with so many people, Beks didn’t feel the morning chill at all. If anything, she felt almost suffocated. Every so often, they were pushed forward and the group swayed. More and more people continued to arrive.

“How much longer?” Rid Haal asked behind gritted teeth as his sharp eyes glared at those around them.

“Once the sun breaks the east horizon,” Beks replied. “Then they’ll open the gates.”

“Remember to try to stay together. If we get separated, once you get through the gate, make an immediate left and try to find a place to rest away from the crowd,” Rid Norddottir said. The group agreed just as they heard a trumpet blare from the top of the walls.

Beks looked up on instinct, but couldn’t see the trumpeter. Instead, she looked over her shoulder. Along the hills on the east, a thin sliver of orange appeared on the horizon. Almost at once, the crowds began to cheer. Beks snapped her head forward. The double doors were opening.

The crowd didn’t wait for the doors to open completely. As soon as a slight crack appeared between the doors, they surged ahead. Beks didn’t expect them to be so aggressive. She was lurched forward, her eyes widening as the pressure of bodies around her pinned her and her feet left the ground.

Her brows shot up. She was a tall woman and somewhat larger than average, and the crowd had just picked her up. Her heart shot to her throat. She’d completely lost her footing.

She felt someone grab her arm and pull her back. Three bodies were glued to her in an instant.

“Are you all right, my lady?” Rid Callan asked, his voice half concerned and half angry.

“I’m fine. Let’s just make our way left and get out of the crowd!”

With her instruction, Rid Haal took the lead. Instead of moving with the crowd forward, he tried to make their way to the left as they walked. There were so many people pushing and shoving to enter. Beks wasn’t sure if the swaying she felt was from the crowd or from the bridge itself.

The stone bridge was wide and looked durable, but old and with that many people, and this happening every day, she had her concerns.

Rid Haal told Beks to hold on to his shoulder while Rid Callan and Rid Norddottir flanked her back and right side, each holding on to one of Beks’ shoulders to make sure they didn’t get separated.

Simply getting through the gates was a sweat-inducing, heart racing experience. The crush of people, the threat of being trampled with one wrong step, the worry of the bridge’s integrity, and the urgency in the atmosphere as people yelled with rising tensions and impatience was overwhelming.

Rid Haal managed to pull them behind a large pillar of the nearest random building on the left as soon as they pushed through the gates. As soon as they crowd spilled through, they fanned out. Beks peered behind the pillar and narrowed her eyes.

The sight must’ve been similar at all gate entrances and Beks felt her skin crawl at the madness. People had been pushed. She knew at least a few people who had fallen and didn’t know if they’d gotten back up.

“Everyone is so eager to get in. Is it because they must leave at sunset?” Rid Norddottir asked.

“I don’t know, but if it were me, I’d have a difficult time praying in such an environment,” Rid Callan said.

“The crowds don’t look to be thinning out,” Beks told them. “Let’s wait a bit longer and then circle the perimeter. Take a look at the gate houses and the surrounding area.”

The Thirnir nodded, but the crowd did not thin out by much. Beks narrowed her eyes and Rid Haal shook his head. “Where is everyone going?”

“According to the map, the complex has many places to worship. Even if the great cathedral is full, there are plenty of shrines and temples to visit,” Rid Norddottir replied.

Beks pursed her lips. “Then let’s just get started if this is as good as the crowd will get.” Steeling herself, she stepped out into the street followed by her escort.

The crowd wasn’t so bad once they passed the gates. The closer they were to one, the more people, but there were some areas that seemed completely void of anyone. It made sense that the larger places of worship weren’t in narrow alleys.

As they wandered, Beks compared the layout of the Great Temple complex in her mind. All the maps she’d memorized highlighted the important buildings; the ones pilgrims would visit such as places of worship, purification pools, locations of various relics on display, altars to offer sacrificial flowers, food, or incense, and even the great library.

The internal map she collected from Nexus also noted where the clergy lived, the various water sources they relied on, offices, and storehouses.

Beks narrowed her eyes as she walked into another narrow alleyway deeper in the heart of the complex. Just around the corner was a plaza to a major god bustling with people, but there was no one in that alley.

She placed her hand against the white marble side of the building and looked around. There were no doors. No windows. She looked up. The wall at the dead end went up and turned into a small tower with a dome. Narrow windows were at the top, just before the bottom edge of the dome.

“All these central alleys lead to a dead end,” she said as she turned around and looked at the Thirnir. “Have you noticed?”

“The inner streets are in a circle, my lady,” Rid Norddottir said. “The buildings are built around this cluster of towers.”

“The towers don’t have windows except at the top.”

Rid Callan squinted. “From afar, they look like individual buildings, but from here, you’ll notice that the towers connect with the walls.”

“And the wall goes all the way around, like singular structure,” Beks said, her hand still on the wall. “The maps only mark the sites on the plazas around this cluster of buildings, but the building itself isn’t marked. It isn’t in the maps I memorized, either.”

The two younger Thirnir looked at one of the maps they’d brought with them and nodded. Rid Callan looked back towards the street. “Did you notice that we’ve gone uphill?”

The other three followed his gaze. From where they stood, they could see above some buildings and even a bit over the complex’s massive walls.

“We are uphill....” Beks said. “With all the buildings and flat plazas, I didn’t notice.”

Rid Callan stood beside her and put his hands on the wall. He shut his eyes and waited a moment. “There is earth,” he said as opened his eyes. “There is stone, but there is dirt past it.”

“What does that mean?” Rid Haal asked.

Beks stared up at the tower above them. “It means that the center is a hill and these buildings were built to cover it up.”

“Why would they cover up a hill?” Rid Norddottir frowned. “Those are the best places to build scenic locations.”

Beks jerked her head back. “Because they hollowed it out. There must be using the inside of the hill to store things.”

Rid Callan nodded. “The climate inside can be a good place to store things. They’re safe from the elements and less likely to have accidents like fire.”

“Like the Acerian Wealth Vaults,” Beks replied. “And the Temple has a lot of valuable goods. Centuries worth of religious texts, relics, and artwork.”

“According to the map, the great library is just on the other side. If all these buildings go back to the mountain and are closed off, like this dead end, the library may be a way in,” Rid Norddottir suggested.

Beks nodded. “It’s likely just an extension of the library’s vaults, in that case.”

“Then, shall we ignore it?” Rid Haal asked.

Beks opened her mouth to agree, but paused. She narrowed her eyes and looked back at the dead end. “No...there may be records of something I want to look into here. I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to come again.”

There were two things she wanted to look into. The first was for any additional documents regarding the last Great Oracle, including any possible journals or essays she’d left behind. The second was something she didn’t want to share with Nexus and ask them to dig for her, as the subject seemed almost unbelievable.

The Temple kept good records; perhaps it had a record of the last Inheritor and their relationship with Gah-ruhn.

“The great library allows pilgrims to come and study religious texts. It will not be a problem to enter. It is just that no texts can be removed,” Rid Norddottir said.

“I can glance through and memorize the pages to be read later. Since we don’t have to leave until sunset, I’ll try to get some research in.” Beks made her decision.

The entrance of the great library was facing one of the adjacent plazas. The entrance was impressive with multiple sets of double doors leading to a foyer with a reference desk. Engraved on the marble walls were the basic rules of the library, and before someone could enter through one of the two doors on either side of the reference desk, they had to pass a pair of paladins on guard.

Following a few priests who entered, Beks kept her head up and her eyes ahead, as if walking into the library was the most natural thing in the world.

“Please wait.” A paladin stepped in front of them and Beks stopped in her tracks. The paladin motioned to his head. “Please lower your hoods when you enter. Your face must be visible at all times.”

With her hair colored by Lucian’s light biha, Beks didn’t hesitate. She grasped the edges of her hood and pulled it back, revealing her neatly braided hair, save that stubborn set that should’ve been a different color. The paladin nodded and stepped to the side, allowing her in. In the center of a long hall were rows and rows of tables and chairs dotted with pilgrims hunched over old books.

From the ground floor, one could see the second and third floors of the library. Around the side railing, looking down at the main floor, there were desks with chairs. Priests and priestesses were seated very so often, also reading. Towards the back of the hall, there was a curved set of stairs, also guarded buy a pair of paladins.

The long narrow hall had pale stone pillars and dark wood shelves, and she could smell the scent of old paper, faint leather, and wood oil. There were few windows to let in the light, but the hall was brightly lit. Beks restrained herself from narrowing her eyes as she saw light pearls hanging from pendant cages attached to the wooden beams.

“I didn’t know there were light pearls here,” Rid Haal said.

“If it’s as old as the island, then there are bound to be some,” Beks replied, though her eyes were fixed on the familiar metal sconces on the pillars. They were the exact same style as she’d seen in the laundry room of the Forbidden Valley, except that the edges of the metal fixtures were not embedded in the stone. The metal fixtures holding the light pearls were not flush against the round pillars, either.

It wouldn’t have been noticeably out of place if Beks had never seen how they were supposed to look like. Even the sconces in Aceria followed a familiar style of installation; there were no screws or nails holding them up. Earth biha had been used to attach the metal fixture with the pearl inside of a column, which required precision and control so as not to damage the column or the sconce and pearl.

She swallowed hard and tore her eyes away from the stolen light fixtures. The Thirnir followed her as she walked along the edges of the shelves, reading the labels in Classic Esuser to find a section on oracles. She gathered a few books and had them carried over to one of the many seats.

As she flipped through the first book, she frowned. The Thirnir glanced over at her.

“Is something wrong, my lady?”

“I already read these,” Beks replied as she moved from one book to the next. “There isn’t anything new.”

“Shall we try another section?” Rid Norddottir suggested.

Beks kept the last book open and thought for a moment. “There is an entrance into the mountain here. It should be restricted. Wait here for me.”

“My lady-”

“If I get caught, I can claim I got lost and can’t read Classic Esuser. If there are too many of us, it may be suspicious. Just wait here for me. If I can’t find anything, I’ll come back and we can leave to prepare for tonight,” she told them in low Sagittater.

“What if you are delayed?” Rid Callan asked with a frown.

“Yes, one of us should still go with you.”

“Typically, I’d agree, but the less people the better. If I don’t return before the sunsets, leave without me, and return in the morning.” Beks put her hand on each of them to refill their biha before standing up. “I’ll be back soon.”

She took one of the books to return and slipped into the aisles between the rows of shelving. She took her time, pretending to pursue the books and be engrossed in the pages every time someone passed, but made her way to a back corner. Along the walls, tapestries were draped with artwork depicting the Great Basin and various saints and gods.

Beks pretended to study them intently, following the walls that were lined with religious artwork meant to be admired until she reached the back. There was an enclave behind a short railing, and an old priest appeared to be collecting some books and shuffling them around. Every so often, someone would come and leave some books with him before walking off.

Perhaps this was where people returned books when they didn’t remember where they got them. That meant that eventually, the old man would turn his back or leave. Beks bent over to look at the bust of former priest who, according to the plaque, had donated his personal collection of books he’d collected in his travels to the Temple.

Halfway through reading about the former priest, she saw a movement from the corner of her eye. The old priest pushed a wooden cart topped with books around the railing and made his way to the shelves across from her.

Beks calmed her excitement as she slipped into the enclave and walked behind the wooden divider that shielded the entrance to another room behind it. It led to a hall without a door and she walked in. Like in the main room of the great library, there were light pearls hanging from metal cages above her. They were sparse and after a few steps, she’d reach a dark spot before the light of another pearl lit the way.

Occasionally, she glanced over her shoulder in case anyone had seen her walking in. She didn’t relax until she rounded a corner. Along the hall were doors, each clearly marked with their subject matter. She was right about this being a book depository. If it was like the one back in the gilded palace, then the rarest, oldest books were hidden deepest.

She turned another corner and walked down some steps. By her estimation, she should’ve been well within the hollowed-out hill. It wasn’t very big; nothing like the Acerian Wealth Vaults, nor was it lit as well.

The further she got from the entrance, the scarcer the light pearls became. She placed her hand against the wall and walked along, squinting. The doors stopped being labeled, but each was unlocked. After jiggling a few handles, she glanced back down the hall to make sure no one was following.

The halls were silent, which made even her quietest movements echo. She drew in her lips and bit them as she reached what appeared to be a dead end. There was no door at the end of the hall, but there was one to her right. Her eyes narrowed as she looked towards the handle and found that on the doorframe beside it, there was a small fist sized pearl.

Beks jiggled the handle and narrowed her eyes. It was the first door that was locked. Her gaze drifted back to the pearl.

They couldn’t have stolen this, too, could they? She looked back down the hall and held her breath as she listened. She couldn’t hear any footsteps, but the shadows from the pearls flickered. Beks waited, readying herself to play the role of lost pilgrim if she was caught, but no one came. Maybe the old priest dropped off a book....

She turned back to the pearl on the doorframe and put her hand on it. She chewed her lower lip and readied herself.

A small crack sounded as a slight release of her biha entered the pearl and immediately broke it. She withdrew her hand and twisted the handle. She almost let out a hiss of excitement. She wasn’t sure breaking the pearl would actually work, but the door was now unlocked.

She pushed her way through the door, wincing as it let out a low creak. Once more, she looked out into the hall and then rushed inside. She nearly tripped on a stone step in the dark. She closed the door part way behind her and let her eyes adjust.

The only source of light seemed to come from a sliver of an opening from an arched doorway far above her, and the only way up was a spiral staircase. She began to climb at once, though every step was done with caution in the dim lighting. Beks wasn’t sure if she should’ve been surprised or not when she reached the open doorway without any problems. There were no missing or broken steps; it was just dark.

However, once she pushed the door open the rest of the way and walked through the arched doorway her eyes went wide. A large rectangular room with vaulted ceilings that were likely beneath one of the domes stretched out before her.

I was right.... The cluster of buildings was just a facade for a hollowed-out storage space. In this case, there were rows of books from floor to ceiling. Freestanding shelves were filled with books, scrolls, and leather-bound folios. The source of light that came through the open doorway came from narrow windows near the top of the walls. There was a half dozen of them, and thick curtains were draped over three.

Even with only three windows open, the light was sufficient. It was dim, but she could still read some gold embossed text on the spine of a book. She glanced up at the windows as she reached the halfway point. It wouldn’t hurt for it to be brighter.

She walked around the shelves and to the nearest window where the curtains were drawn. Thick, braided ropes were used to pull the curtains up or release them, so Beks reached for the ropes that hung down. As her hands wrapped around the worn rope, she heard the faint creaking of wood behind her.

Her body seemed to freeze and the room went quiet and her senses seemed to tell her that there was someone behind her. Her hands tightened around the rope and as she pulled it, she darted to the side.

Something flew past her head and her eyes widened as she saw the quick flash of light reflected of a blade as it embedded in the thick rope, pinning it to the wall. Beks turned to the side where it had flown from and saw a hooded figure down the aisle with their arm still raised from throwing the knife.

“Esteemed priest! Forgive me! I got lost and-” She sucked in a sharp breath. The script she had been prepared to say died at her lips as her eyes crinkled up. The cloaked figure was not a priest.

She’d see many priests and priestesses wandering around that day, and none of them had a sword at their side. She took a step back, adjusting her footing as she kept her eyes on the figure and reached for the knife. She grasped the handle and pulled it out, leaving the rope to sway back to its original position.

Beks brought the knife up, the flat of the blade against her forearm as she stared at the figure.

“It really is you.” A hoarse voice came from the figure and Beks frowned. The accent was from the Great Basin. It was possible that this man was a paladin, but he wasn’t dressed like any of the patrolling paladins they’d seen.

“Who are you?” Beks asked.

The man’s hand shot to his hip. He grabbed the hilt of his sword and unsheathed it. Beks’ eyes went wide as the man rushed towards her. All she had was a knife, and while she knew how to hold it, she didn’t have much ability with fighting with one, especially against a sword.

Her mind raced. If she turned and ran, he’d run after her. The reach of the sword could close the distance between them. So, she waited. He raised his arm and prepared to cut down at her. When the blade came down, she stepped aside, narrowly evading the weapon as it was brought down where she had been standing.

She kept the knife in her hand between them and as the sword passed her in a downward strike, she extended her arm and slashed forward. It was lucky that she even managed to hook the tip of the knife against the side of the cloak and pull it back, ripping part of the cloak off.

She saw pale hair, scars against broken skin, and disfigurement from trauma to the side of one’s face. The man’s head turned towards her as she rushed back to put distance between them and his face hit the light. Although injured on one side, she identified him at once.

The fear was replaced with anger as her eyes narrowed and spat out a word.

“Paladin!”

Deo never found the body of the captain of the new oracle’s paladin guard in the gorge, but now it looked like she did instead. And the paladin was still alive.

“Die, you Caroline bitch!” He swung his sword up, but Beks darted behind a bookshelf. The sword hit and shattered the corner of a wooden shelf, but wedged itself in it. Beks ran towards the door across the room.

On her right, the tall, freestanding bookshelf began to shake. She heard grunting coming from behind her and glanced over her shoulder. The paladin shoved his body against the shelf once more and it pushed the freestanding shelf forward. Beks watched with disbelief as the shelves teetered over and fell.

“No...no...!” A tidal wave of books fell from the shelves as the wooden structure toppled over, pushing the partially open door closed and then burning part of it in books and broken shelving. Beks grit her teeth and whirled around, sending a murderous look to the man who was looking at her with equal sentiment. “It’s a shame that flash flood didn’t kill you!”

“You lured us out there!” The man growled as he stepped over the fallen books, his shoulders heaving as he seemed to shake with fury. “You killed my companions!”

Beks scowled. “You tried to kill us first!” She was drawn to the curtains around them and she narrowed her eyes. If he couldn’t see her, she could stall to squeeze herself out of that room.

She adjusted the knife in her hand and instead of remaining where she was, she ran to the nearest open window. She grabbed the rope and tugged as hard as she could. The old rope snapped and tumbled down, nearly hitting her on the head, but the curtains fell over the window, darkening the room.

Beks ran to the next curtain and repeated the process. Pulling on the old rope hard and fast enough would break it, but the curtain would still fall. When there was one more window left, Beks turned and found that the paladin was standing between her and the last window.

She narrowed her eyes once more.

“You can try to hide all you want, but you’re not leaving here alive.” His voice was filled with such vitriol, but it only irritated her. The corner of Beks’ eye twitched.

How dare he be angry when they were the ones who started it? Did he just conveniently forget how this all began? Did he expect her to pretend nothing happened?

She wanted to enrage him further. “Whether or not I leave here alive doesn’t really matter. Once my family finds out I’m going, who do you think they’ll go after first? That pathetic mistress masquerading as an oracle.”

His face twisted with anger and he rushed forward. “She’s not a mistress!”

Beks snorted and darted to the side, hiding behind another set of shelves. “Are you stupid? She had an affair with a man who already had a partner! That is the very definition of a mistress! And no matter how many prophecies she gives, nothing will ever change that!”

A furious growl came from behind her and Beks wove through the aisles. Books came crashing down as the paladin seemed to lose his mind and knocked the books off the shelf. Dust filled the air and Beks squinted.

“Iris couldn’t help who she fell in love with!”

“Are you saying that what she did was right? That fall off the cliff certainly didn’t kill you, but it affected your head!”

Beks grabbed the last of the curtain ropes and pulled hard. This time, the curtain didn’t give way. She looked up and swore.

“Stop trying to get away! You’re not leaving this room!”

“I’ve come too far to die at the hands of a second-rate paladin who fell in love with a woman who’ll never love him back!” Beks yelled and pulled on the rope once more. As the curtains fell and sealed off the last bit of light from the room, she saw the stunned expression on the paladin’s face before everything was cast in darkness.

She kept her hand against the wall and ran, trying her best to climb over any fallen books in order to get back to the door.

“She does love me!” His voice screeched behind her and Beks grimaced.

She’d yelled that only because his blind defense of the new oracle reminded her of those secondary male leads from the romance novels Lady Eleanor let her borrow. Every single one was just as handsome and talented as the male lead, perhaps even more loyal, but the heroine just didn’t fall in love with them.

Sometimes, Beks would pity them, but most of the time, she was annoyed. True, no one could control who they fell in love with, but they could control their actions regarding that person. There was no point to throwing away a perfectly good life because someone who wouldn’t give you a second thought decided to do something ridiculous.

“You wouldn’t understand! Iris has been with me from the beginning! She saw me through my darkest hours! Because of her, I became a captain in the paladin guard! I swore to protect her, and the most dangerous thing to her is you!”

Gods, he’s even spewing the nonsense of a second male lead. Despite the dire situation, Beks couldn’t help but sneer in disgust. I can’t wait to tell Lady Eleanor that I found a real one.

The piles of books grew larger and Beks carefully raised her feet higher so she could climb over them. She was sure she was close to the door, but she still had to figure out how to open it and push aside the books so she could get through.

More creaking and wood splintering was heard from her right. Beks rushed forward as the sound grew louder and felt a rush of air behind her as the free-standing shelf toppled onto the side and slammed against the wall. She could hear the books falling off the shelves as further back, more creaking was heard.

Was he trying to bury her in books?

Beks pressed her hands against the wall, trying to find her way to the door over the sound of the paladin’s heavy breathing, cursing, and the cracking and breaking of old wooden shelves. The air was filled with dust and Beks covered her mouth with one hand to keep from inhaling. If she coughed, she’d give away her location.

She squinted in the dark and pressed forward.

“Where are you, Caroline? I told you, there is no way for you to escape!”

From the sound of his voice, he wasn’t far away. Urgency filled her as she nearly tripped over more fallen books. If he started slashing away at random, even in the dark, there was a chance that he’d get her.

Where is that wretched door? Her mind screamed and she began to regret having covered all the windows.

She heard splintering beside her and held her breath. The shelf was falling.

She lunged forward to get out of the way.

Before she could, a cool hand grabbed her forearm. She was pulled forward with what seemed like all of someone’s strength, and slammed into a soft, small body. The force sent them both to the floor and she barely heard the sound of stone grinding and the crashing of books and wood before the darkness was filled with silence.

The paladin’s ceaseless cursing was gone.

The falling books were quiet.

Beks felt the body beneath hers move and her first instinct was to put distance between them. She pushed herself up and found herself pressed against a cold stone wall. Before she could get to her feet, the darkness was broken by a pale glow near the floor.

Beks narrowed her eyes as she noticed the glow was not only getting brighter, but coming from a small, scarred, and deformed hand. She’d seen badly healed injuries in the slums when she was in Kadmium and could tell at once that those hands had been broken and not given attention.

A narrow stone corridor was illuminated and Beks followed the hand to a scarred forearm barely covered by a thin, worn out, and patched sleeve. The colors were faded and there was some staining, but it vaguely resembled the clothing she’d see on young priestesses in training who were acting as attendants in some of the shrines they passed that day.

Beks’ gaze reached the woman’s face. She didn’t let out a sound, but her eyes couldn’t help but dilate. The woman’s face, save her mouth and a strip across her eyes, had been burned, resulting in discoloration.

Yet, the woman’s dark eyes were bright and looked at Beks with what almost appeared as excitement.

Beks swallowed hard. “Who-”

The woman’s other hand, which didn’t have the same burn marks as her right hand, but was still deformed from injury, rose and covered her mouth. She made a gesture to silence Beks and pointed to a wall to the side. Beks turned her head in the direction she’d fallen from.

She narrowed her eyes. There was no gap, just a stone wall.

The woman in front of her stood up. She was petite and thin, likely from malnourishment. Her dark hair was rough and thin, held back by a worn piece of cloth. She waved for Beks to follow her.

The woman, for whatever reason, saved her, so Beks followed. As they walked, she frowned. The woman had a limp, and once more, it was from a badly healed injury to the leg. Her eyes crinkled up.

What had happened to that woman?

She didn’t say a word and continued to follow her deeper down the narrow hall before they came to another dead end. Beks watched as the woman pressed on a stone and the wall opened like a door, revealing a gap just large enough for her to squeeze through.

Once inside, the woman rushed somewhere and a moment later, the familiar glow of a light pearl filled the room.

Beks’ brows shot up as she looked around the circular room with the rounded ceiling. There were no windows, just holes near the ceiling. However, all around the room were piles of books or books on broken shelves. She could tell at a glance that the shelves didn’t match and were likely brought from different places.

In the center of the room, there were some folded pieces of cloth, a small box, and some trinkets, like a bowl and a comb. Beks turned back to the woman who placed her small light pearl gently back on to the pile of cloth, which was likely her bedding.

“Is this your room?” Beks asked, whispering despite them being the only ones present. “You have so many books; how lucky.” The woman nodded proudly and smiled, her smile brightening up the room further. Beks’ lips pulled into a smile as well. “Thank you for your help. May I ask for your name?” she asked.

The woman’s smile faltered. She lowered her eyes for a moment, appearing to think before she looked up. She pointed at her mouth and opened it. Beks craned her neck and this time, she let out an audible gasp. Her heart sank.

“They cut out your tongue....” She paled and her eyes reddened.

The woman seemed to notice her distress and grasped her hand, patting it gently with her deformed one, as if to comfort her.

Beks nodded. The woman pulled her to sit on an overturned box and then rushed to one of her little broken shelves. She picked up a book and rummaged through the pages with deft hands before stopping and showing the opened page to her.

Beks tilted her head to the side and looked down at the Esuser written in the book. The woman’s finger pointed to a small line of text: daughter with dawn in her hair.

Beks’ head shot up and the woman looked at her excitedly. She tapped at text and then pointed to Beks before tapping the text once more.

“How do you know....” Beks trailed off as thoughts collected in her head. Her brows shot up once more and her eyes met the elated ones of the woman. A stiff hand rose to the length of hair that habitually fell to the side of her face. Beks could see the hand glow and the strands of black returned to their red before turning back to black. That was all the confirmation she needed. Bek squinted at the woman and leaned forward. “Are you senior Sister Levina?”