“I don’t think you heard me.” Shepherd d’Zaier snarled quietly, “I said ‘no’, Vaunn.”Shepherd Vaunn gave a tired sigh, “And I don’t think you uood me. I was not asking permission — I told you what was going to be done.” “And what gives you the right—“ “I am not having this versation again, Santis.” Vaunn gave the taller, thinner man of the cloth a stern gre over his round-lensed gsses, “I have every right to do things without your permission because we are of the same rank. We are afforded the same deaking capabilities as well as responsibilities.” “Nh.” A curling sneer graced Santis’ lips at the word.Vaunn adjusted his gsses, gring at Santis over the top edges, “As you are, nominally, in and of the martial forces I am in charge of the healers.” “Nominally?” Came the incredulous query, “And what does that have to do with—“ “Mental aional health, Santis, are just as important as physical health. She may be able to pick up a bde and wield it—“ “And that is all that is important!” Santis growled. “If she ot mentally or emotionally hahe weight of the bde then no, Santis.” Vaunn snapped, “This is why I decided on one — moving our new friend, Traya and Ennalyssa into the visitor’s suite and two — allowing her off the Church grounds for the uping Foundie.” “Off the… no. I forbid it.” Santis waved a hand, as if wiping the very idea from existence, shaking his head as he crossed his arms, gring down at his shorter and stouter patriot, “And who do you speak of? I do not want unknown persons on my grounds.” “…” Vaunn blinked, “Traya is the young woman that you assigo be the aide to the Champion… and Ennalyssa is the name of the Chosen Heroihe one we’re training?” “Don’t think I have the time or capacity to recall needless trivia, Vaunn.” Santis waved again, dismissively this time, “I’ve more important things to worry over.”

  The two Shepherds turhe er of the hallway they were walking doaused due to two things: One was the young teen girl standing, awkwardly, in the hallway. Her back to the wall but not leaning against it, rog bad forth on her feet as she tugged at the hem of her tunic. Two were the raised voices ing from the door o her. “How dare you, you horrid beast you!” came the older woman’s voice; both men reizing Reva’s sharp accusatory tone, “You have nht to stop me from disciplining my charges.” “She is my charge, ma’am.” Came Peter’s voice, stern and hard, “I ulled here from another world to be her bodyguard. So I damn well do have the right to stop you taking a stick this thick to her because she stuttered.” “No, you don’t. You know nothing of our culture, our world…” “I know abuse when I see it, dy.”

  Vaunn and Santis quickly made their way over to Ennalyssa and before Santis could say anything Vaunn stepped in front of her and spoke first, “Ennalyssa, dear…” He said gently, looking at her over the rims of his gsses, “… Could you… expin what’s going on?” “Yes, Shepherd Vaunn.” Ennalyssa said, not in a whisper but still a quiet tone; she had had enough of being scolded today, “I was doing my lesson, going over the Litany of Heroes as instructed. Mistress Reva told me to stand as she was not pleased with my recitatior… caught her pointing rod before she could hit me with it.” “I see the problem.” Santis frowned, looking to Vaunn, “You did not instruct him that Reva, being the instructor, had the right to discipline as she saw fit.” “How was that my responsibility, Santis.” Vaunn shot back, “Yht him here. The very least you could do is expin things to him.” “Why?” Santis said, “As I told you before: I have more important things to focus on and have no time to harivialities such as that.” He waggled his hand towards Vaunn as if he were shooing away something he disliked.

  “How dare you, you otherworldly heathen!” Came Reva’s shrill voice, muffled by the door and wall, “I am the instruy word is w. I choose how I punish, how severely I punish, and for what I punish.” “You’re a bully, and a nutter, is what you are.” Peter shot back.

  Vaunn turned away from his fellow Shepherd with barely-cealed disgust, looking much mently at Ennalyssa, “You are uninjured?” “Yes, Shepherd Vaunn.” She nodded, “As I said, Peytr caught the rod before it hit me even once.” “I see.” He nodded, “I think you should leave here. I’m fairly certain your lesson for the day is done. Go visit Healer Anamea befetting ready for your training.” Nodding over his shoulder to excuse her in a fairly casual manner. “Yes, Shepherd.” She said, gd to be away from Mistress Reva and the two Shepherds — She had a feeling that things were not going to be pretty and she did not want to be around for that pot to boil over.

  “And you are a beast!” Reva cried, “I see the points of your ears, you’re like that useless thing, aren’t you? A half-elf or something.” “Oh, what a shocker, you’re racist on top of being a b—” Peter scoffed, “—Hey! Don’t you throw that at me!”There was a crash of something hitting a wall.

  While Vaunn was ed and started towards the door Santis grabbed the other Shepherd’s robe, jerking them around and gring at Vaunn as Ennalyssa skittered off, “How dare you…” He snarled. “I don’t want to hear it.” Vaunn shot back, “I voiced my about Reva’s issues before and you ighem. And now…” “And now? Now, nothing, Vaunn.” Santis shot back, “Reva is a fine instructor. She gets results.” “She was going to beat a child.” “A duly-earned punishment, by the child’s own admission, by the sound of it.” Santis only shrugged casually.Vaunn shook him off, “Enough, Santis” He reached for the door’s handle and burst into the room, “Peytr! Is everything alright?” “Aside from a nasty stripe on my hand and some raised blood pressure, yes.” Peter said, holding out his hand to show an angry red line across his palm. “What is that from?” Vaunn asked, moving into the room and iing the younger man’s hand.Holding up the part of the rod that had been broken off when Reva had swung it dower wiggled it a little, “This.”Taking the snapped rod the elder looked at it, then at Reva, before asking in an almost cold, stony tone, “Am I to uand that you were going to strike a ten-year-old girl with this?”Peter twitched hearing that, reminding himself that Aetyros used dozenal instead of decimal. “Of course.” Reva looked to Vaunn as if he had grown a sed head, questioning her decision as he did. “And why did you think that was a good idea?” Vaunn asked coldly.Reva, again, looked at Vaunn fused, sparing an annoyed go Santis before answering, “I was told to make the girl learany of Heroes so she would know how the DaiMaou was defeated in the past.” She said annoyed, “I was told to teach her as I saw fit, including punishment when she failed.” “And how did she fail?” Vaunn inquired.Peter spoke up now, arms crossed over his chest, “She didn’t remember the name of a holy relic totally correctly, the words were all there but the order was wrong. She wasn’t quiough in her answer, and she stammered five times.” His tone was sarcastic, irreverent, and angry. “You were not asked.” Santis chided, “You would do well to stay out of matters that do not you.” “Is that so?” Peter’s tone lilted.It was then that he felt a weight at the back of his head like he was being watched — it was familiar… and he had to wonder why now of all times Na’at made herself feel known to him but he focused on Santis instead, tinuing, “Because, Shepherd d’Zaier, I was informed that I was summoned here, by your ritual, to be the mentor and protector of your Chosen Heroine.” “Were you now.” Santis grumbled.Peter nodded, “I was.” He affirmed, “Which is why I stepped ihis harpy thought it roper to discipline a child she was berating with a stick as thick as my little finger.” He held up his other hand, piended, and put the broken part of the rod he was still holdio it for parison. “Yes. Well…” Santis begaer extehe rest of his fingers on his other hand in a pg gesture, “So, with my duty in mind—” “Duty?!” The tall, thin, Shepherd barked incredulously. “—I mentioned one of my s to Shepherd Vaunn.”The shorter of the two holy men nodded, “Which is being handled, Champion.”With a nod to the elder maer tinued, “This i, however, raises another .” “Oh does it?” Santis raised his head a little, with the io look down his Peter in an attempt to cow him. “It does.” Peter was uerred, actually shifting himself and standing a little more straight in a silent ter to Santis’ attempt at superiority, “The most obvious, one hopes, being the safety of the Chosen Heroine.” “Safety!” Santis gave a scoff, “She is the divinely chosen o to fight the DaiMaou! What about that is safe?” “Exactly why she should feel safe in what amounts to her home.” Peter snapped, “Instead, you have her reg a list of names and their achievements like it will do anything for her iher the short-term or long.” “How dare you… you know nothing of our history!”Peter waved a hand sharply in front of himself, “Spare me! All it was was a list of past Heroes and how they died — Martyrs, all of them, and while their sacrifices should be honored I fail to see how it will help her survive when it es to her turn at this seemingly endless cycle!” “Then, oh Champion—” “My name is Peter.” The young man’s voice straio keep calm, “My name is literally the only thing I had after your summoning ritual abducted me from my world. The least you could do for me is use it.”He could feel the ched fists by his side tingling and prig — not on the surface but within like there was something making his very boch. Peter flexed his muscles to quell those feelings and focus on the ‘versation’ at hand. “Fine.” Santis growled, “Ther—” he added mogly, “— what would you do.” “Mentor her myself.” “Me— you mean to teach her yourself?” Santis barked a ugh, mog the younger ma again. “Someone has to.” Peter gave the simple answer, “Since I pn on having her make it back alive.” “Quite the decration.” Santis sneered, “Quite the epitaph as well: I po make it back alive.”Peter felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment, g his fists harder, feeling a wet warmth suddenly. “Well. If that is your wish, Champior, then it will be so. Take her, teach the girl if you pour anything of worth between her ears. But she has a schedule. She has training — she has important things to learn for her ever-nearing future. May the Goddess watch over you.” He finished mogly before turning, “Reva, it seems your services are no longer hanks to Champior here, you are free to pack your things.” He did not deign to look over his shoulder as he turo leave the room.“You… you ’t, Santis!” Reva followed him angrily.

  Vaunn looked to Peter, taking one of the ched hands into his own, “e on d. Let’s get you to a healer, and the you to the training field. You have to train as well as young Ennalyssa.”Wordlessly the younger man followed the stout Shepherd, turning dowher way the hallway went ohey were through the door.

  “Oh, Otherworlder!” Santis called out, his tone holding a gleeful er kept walking, not pausing nor looking babsp; “Champion.” The tall Shepherd’s tone lost some of its glee and took a anding tone.Agaier ignored him, keeping walking. He flexed his hands, frowning at the cuts his nails put into his palms, as well as the angry red stripe from the ‘teacher’’s rod that was slowly fading. “Peytr!” Santis spat his name.Now Peter stopped, half-turning and really only looking at Santis over his shoulder, “Yes, Shepherd d’Zaier?”Face slightly red in annoyahe older man growled, “Since Shepherd Vaunn has not informed you, allow me the pleasure to do so.” “About what?”“Your new living arras. Your pint… apologies; your about being too far away from your charge has been heard and, as Vaunn said, being handled.” Santis grinned haughtily, “You are being moved into the building that holds a suite of rooms for visiting dignitaries or other important people. Lucky you.” He sneered, “You, the girl, and your aide, all.” “Oh, well that’s good.” Peter said.Santis nodded, “And, since you and Vaunn are so ed about the girl’s health and well-being… You should know that the suite has its own small kit. Nothing akin to a full dining hall but suitable enough for the three of you.” He steepled his fingers, “And I would suggest you use that as the distaween your suite and the Dining Hall would be detrimental for our Chosen Heroine were she to walk back after a meal in the chilly evening.” “… Are you…” Peter started. “You should be aware, however, that it has been quite some time sinyone has visited, so any kit supplies have been stored and, at this moment, I am unsure of where they have been stored.” A cruel smirk curled up his lips, “However, I am sure you or your aide just jaunt into town for anything you need.” He turo go, taking a half-dozen steps before snapping his fingers, “Oh! Ahing you should know is that there is a celebration soon, about the founding of our very try.” He said, “And our city gets many visitors. It’s quite the spectacle, actually. You should be warhough, that with the influx of revelers that security for the Church will be tightened. Something I pnned on implementing in the day, actually, to allow everyoo get used to the new schedule and new procedures necessary — first, and foremost, being that no one is allowed into or off of the grounds of the Church without express permission. For security reasons, of course.” He gave Peter and Vaunn a wide smile, “We wouldn’t want anything to happen to our Chosen Heroier all, yes?”

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