THEY sat in silence for a while and during that time, Kyla had managed to imprint the details of this grand architecture in her mind. She wondered how something so magnificent could have been built by ordinary people and although she wasn't a religious fanatic, any rational explanation fell short to her mind.

  After imagining several silly ways in which the cathedral could have been built, she realized she had nothing to do than stare at the commander in front of her. Although they had just met less than a day ago, Kyla felt very comfortable in his presence. He radiated a very welcoming aura, something she didn't think should be a defining trait of a commander.

  “I don't like quiet,” Kyla blurted, breaking the silence.

  Finn glanced at her, a teasing smile resting on his face. “Alright girl, what do you want to talk about?” he leaned forward, stretching a wrap of chocolate pudding towards her.

  “I don't know,” she collected the sweet and unwrapped it. “Oh, I know, that other brother outside, why didn't he speak to us?” She asked.

  “He is a Hallow, they are weird,” he replied simply.

  Kyla frowned, she didn't really understand the hierarchies in the church. She has met lots of division. From Sanctified to Hallows, even Credents. It all felt like a jumble of threads. It didn't help that there were two big churches in the kingdom. Apart from the Order of Her Eternal Touch, there was also the Church of the Evermother. These two factions had different hierarchies and they all struggled to cover as much area as possible.

  This made life difficult for those in the smaller towns where there are always two church factions and townsfolk sometimes have to choose between either and there are those who even combine churches. Kyla grew up going to the church of the Evermother with her mother. However over the last two years, she had been attending the Order after she had been convinced by a rather handsome priest.

  “What is a Hallow?” she chewed the sweet while she spoke, so her voice sounded a bit odd and it made Finn chuckle. "Is it part of the churches hierarchies?" she ignored him.

  “The Hallows are people that have devoted their entire lives into serving a particular god. So, it isn't part of a hierarchy and it isn't even peculiar to the church, you can be a Hallow if you want to. However, most people who want to excel in the areas of devotion usually need guidance and that is why you find lots of them in the churches.”

  “I don't understand, the other priests don't devote their lives to serve a particular god?” Kyla frowned, licking the tip of her index finger that had been stained by the chocolate.

  “No. Lots of people serve multiple gods.”

  “Even the priests?” she raised her eyebrows.

  “Yes, even the priests. You didn't attend any church growing up?” he inquired.

  Kyla grimaced, then blushed in embarrassment. “I wasn't very devoted,” she replied with a smile.

  Finn chuckled. “Neither was I anyways. I didn't know any of this till I became a soldier. I have had to work hand in hand with the church a lot.”

  Kyla nodded. She knew that much—being a soldier meant serving the four main powers of the kingdom. Although soldiers were naturally beholden to the Queen herself, she didn't have absolute control over them. There were three other factions that shared a high percentage of power with the royal families. One of them was the church.

  “Anyways, the churches naturally serve more than one god but they do have one patron goddess that they consider above the rest of the gods. For example, consider the Order—” he gestured to the entire building. “Their patron goddess is Armastus but they serve other gods including Aureli and Omikron!” he explained. “So their priests are naturally meant to serve any of these three gods or all of them, depending on the person's personal beliefs!”

  “So a Hallow would choose devotion to just one?”

  Finn nodded and Kyla frowned. “So if I decided to serve just one god, I can call myself a Hallow?” she asked with a teasing tone.

  “As a matter of fact, you can. Then the church will issue the lists of penance you have to serve to please said god. For all have sinned, and the light of the gods hath been extinguished from within them. To rekindle that which is dead, to retrieve that which is lost, atonement must be rendered.” Finn quoted. “I think that's from the Holy book, The Sacred Hearts.”

  “So, the Hallow out there could be serving a penance?” she whispered.

  “Most definitely, this is a common penance among the priests. It is called the Penance of Silence.” he smiled. “Enough about the churches. It is a boring subject.”

  Kyla stretched her hand towards him and he handed her another sweet while he unwrapped one himself. “Well, I guess you get to choose the topic this time,” she smiled.

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  Finn pondered for a while before speaking. “Tell me about yourself. Why did you leave your peaceful town to this raggedy part of the kingdom, surely you didn't think life would be better here?” he demanded.

  Kyla sighed, the memory of her exodus from home reshaping in her mind, making her feel a little solemn. “I left because I felt drawn here, sincerely,” she explained. “At least drawn to the Capital.”

  Finn appraised her with a calculative expression. “Humor me, when you reach the Capital, what do you wish to accomplish?”

  Kyla smiled. “I haven't got the slightest idea, to be honest.”

  Finn sighed, the expression of his face twisting from awe to confusion. “So you are just going with the wind?”

  “Yeah. I have, dream. Sort of. But I don't know how to go about it and thinking about it now, I should tell you,” she grimaced, appalled at her own stupidity. “I want to be a soldier,” she declared abruptly.

  Finn ran his eyes across her body. “You,” he pointed at her with a grin on his face. “A soldier?”

  “Yes,” she shrugged. “What's wrong with me?”

  “Have you ever been in a fight?”

  “A couple, I guess. Everyone has been in a fight,” she said offhandedly

  “Humor me, why would you want to be a soldier, what is appealing about it?”

  Kyla pondered for a while before answering. “I sincerely like the idea of being strong. However the desire to be a soldier started when I was around thirteen. I sneaked out of the house to explore the Silenced as usual and I was fortunate to stumble on a group of royal warriors passing through the woods at the time.” she paused and a distant smile settled on her lips. “They were all girls, like me. Probably not older than I am now. They were protecting something inside a wooden box and they marched with unnerving focus and precision. That memory was ingrained in my head and since then, I have always wanted to be like that.”

  Finn smiled and was about to speak when Mia marched into the cathedral waving at them to join her. The two stopped discussing and got up to meet her. She led them outside and the three bid the two priests at the entrance goodbye. “You two seemed to have spent a lot of money on sweets,” Mia commented as Finn disposed their sweet wraps into a public bin.

  “Makes the journey interesting. Anyways, are you done with the dealings?” Finn demanded.

  “Yes, but something came up,” she glanced at the red haired. “You will be going to the Capital on your own,” she explained.

  Finn frowned. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, it's a letter from Eyeless,” she sighed. “I still need to do something here in Alkhamas and it would take me almost a week.”

  Kyla felt a bit of trepidation, she’d never considered the idea that she could be travelling alone. Although she was used to exploring the world in the middle of the night she knew travelling across the kingdom of Egrimorth alone would be insanely difficult because she would have to deal with all kinds of people.

  Mia seemed to have seen the concern written all over her face. “Oh, don't worry, I will hand you over to a trusted friend. He is a sailor and he just came back from the outer ring with a shipment of salt so he is heading back to the capital. Don't worry, you are in safe hands.”

  Kyla nodded and turned her attention to the world around her, distracting herself from overthinking her situation. Her gaze fell on the several people walking around her. The people of Alkhamas indeed had an exquisite taste in fashion. Most of the women wanted to appear flashy adorning themselves with several jewelries and pearls while their cloth colors were always bright. The men however liked to show themselves from a point of strength. They wore heavy leather jackets made from different hides and some of them even had sword pouches dangling from their waist.

  The port announced itself with noise and Kyla was already dreading what she would see, the memory of the lower boroughs flashing in her mind. However when they reached there it was not unsightly. There were loads of people at the river bank shouting and speaking in loud tones and it was indeed chaotic but it was not as bad as she thought it would be.

  Everyone was busy here and they were watching them from an elevated area. Kyla noticed a couple of cracks on the ground where they were standing. It spiraled from the valley where the main port was like lightning. The port itself was located within a half circle that spanned several kilometers. The depression was like a crater and she inferred that it was probably caused by large waves.

  “Welcome to Giant Port!” Finn announced. “Do you know why it is called Giant's port?” he didn't wait for her to answer before continuing. “It is because the people believe that the port was made when an angry giant struck the ground!”

  Kyla scoffed. “Superstitious,” she muttered under her breath as Mia led them forward, shaking her head while staring at Finn with a disgusted gaze.

  “What? I didn't say that's what I believe,” he protested as they walked on the suspended wooden bridge that led into the valley.

  The scent of water washed over Kyla as they got closer to the several boats anchoring at the shore. There was a clown at the center of the port, performing several circus tricks while reading news from a scroll. “The Ancient Thrall has finally crossed the Rowdy Belt and should make it two days earlier but sources say that the Rolling Thunder has been spotted near their path!” the announcement was followed by a backflip and someone in the crowd tossed a dagger that hit an apple which had magically appeared in his mouth.

  A group of passers-by clapped and so did Kyla. She wished they could stay to watch more performances from the clown but neither Finn nor Mia seemed remotely interested so she begrudgingly followed them. They stopped at a large ship with a rather colorful mast.

  The ship itself seemed a little old but Kyla noticed that it was actually painted to look that way. Three men stood at the gangway waving at both Mia and Finn. They climbed aboard and one of the three men, a rather bulky sailor with colorful teeth, spread his arms wide and gave the white haired woman a hug. “Been a lon’ time comin’ don't ya think!” he spoke in the drunken dialect. “Your Verdance, grown a foot taller since I las’ saw you ey!” his voice grungy, like he heard gears grinding each other in his throat.

  “Hobly! Nice to see you too!”

  He turned to Finn and his lips somehow got wider. “Commander! I hope I am safe from scrutiny, or what do the royalies call it ey!”

  Kyla didn't think she understood what he was on about but the two answered with smiles. “Who is this commonly princess?” he asked, gazing directly at Kyla.

  “Ain't a commonly princess, just a commonly lady,” Mia replied, using the drunken accent and Kyla raised her eyes in surprise.

  “Naaah, your itching at my fur, ain't ya. Sure is a princess than any other,” he replied.

  Kyla stepped closer to Finn and whispered. “What is a commonly princess?” she asked.

  “It means a humble princess,” the man replied, chuckling. “You are not familiar with Drunken Isith?”

  “No!”

  Mia and the man talked for a while and the other two sailors just stood there quietly. They seemed to be bodyguards but Kyla couldn't tell. “Oh, so your not comin’ but the commonly lady, still can’ bring it upon myself to call her lady. Sure is a princess,” he said again. “ She is ta catch the wind with us? No problem, me an’ my boys might be raggers but Shilly will make good company.”

  Mia nodded. “Thank you my good man, I hope she will be staying in the cabin you prepared for me and are all our loads there?”

  “O’course!” He said and then started to walk away. “We’ll be leavin’ soon enough, two days, we oughta make it to tha Capital in that time. Tha first month of Gethsemane is upon us, and drink we shall boys!” Others on the ship shouted in approval as Hobly headed away from them.

  Mia turned to Kyla. “He isn't like the best guy to talk to, especially if you can't hear what he says but others in his crew speak the normal dialect, he has just been a sailor for a long time,” she commented. “So you okay to go alone with them?”

  “Of course,” Kyla nodded, putting on a brave face.

  l

  “Alright, anyway when you get to the capital,” Mia handed her an enveloped letter. “Tell any of the carriage riders you are heading to the bar called Devil's Rising and ask for either of these three names. Lorna Crowley, Reece White or Erous White,” she said.

  “Lorna Crowley, Reece White or Erous White,” she repeated.

  “Good, they should let you stay till I can come over to help you settle. Maybe you will be a fine merchant like me!” she chuckled.

  Kyla nodded. “Thank you very much!”

  “Oh, I owe you parents this much,” she smiled.

  Finn smiled. “Well, I guess we will meet again, your Verdance,” he bowed.

  “I hope so too, your Brilliance!” she greeted and the two waved at her as they stepped off the ship.

  Kyla stood at the deck’s starboard as the ship's crew raised the anchor and the vessel slowly drifted into the River Tyris. She heaved a sigh waving one last

  time at Mia and Finn who held each other’s hand as they responded to her greeting. For the first time in a long time, she was utterly alone.