A knock on the door pulls me out of the book. The door opens as Damaris enters with a girl behind her with black hair and warm honey skin. She has some pretty, bright blue eyes. I\u2019m not sure if they\u2019re brighter than mine or not, but she must have a lot of potential. She\u2019s clearly uncomfortable because she keeps shifting her weight from one foot to the other, fidgeting with her hands while her eyes keep shifting up from the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHello girls, I hope I am not intruding, but Chalia, since you\u2019re already showing Lura around, I was hoping you\u2019d be willing to help, Melyis. I just brought her here, and I hope you three can become friends and help her.\u201d Damaris\u2019s eyes seem to say something else to Chalia, but it goes over my head. I wonder how Chalia became a stray? How did she meet Damaris? How did this new girl, Melyis, meet her? Was she too arrested for using magic without a permit?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, that\u2019s fine. I don\u2019t mind. Do you, Lura?\u201d Chalia asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, not at all,\u201d I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood, I was really hoping that would be the case. That way, Lura, you have someone you can work with on earning level 1 and so on,\u201d Lura says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat is a great idea, the more the merrier,\u201d I say with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood,\u201d she then turns to the other girl and gestures to me before Chalia. \u201cThis is Lura. She\u2019s new here as well and will help you out with the class work. And that\u2019s Chalia. She\u2019s also a Novice but has a little experience under her belt, so you can go to her with any questions you have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She gets a nod from the girl and then turns back to us. \u201cLura, I\u2019d like to sit and talk to you about how you\u2019re doing with everything, you as well, Chalia. Lura, can you meet with me later today after, say, lunch?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I nod and receive a smile with a nod in return. \u201cGood, and Chalia, will you be able to meet me after supper?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chalia nods, and Damaris gives one in return with a subtle smile. Then she turns to the other girl. \u201cWe\u2019ll set up a time to talk and check up on things after you get situated. For now, there\u2019s a lot I need to take care of, so I\u2019ll leave you in the hands of Lura and Chalia. Do not be afraid to come to me for anything. Now, I apologize for being so abrupt, but I must go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The girl gives a nod before Damaris takes off, leaving the girl standing there in the doorway, still nervously shifting from one foot to the other while she avoids making any eye contact. Chalia clears her throat. \u201cWell, come on in then, and shut the door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The girl reluctantly walks in and shuts the door behind her, as she fidgets. She\u2019s a beautiful girl, but she\u2019s so timid. \u201cWell, don\u2019t just stand there. Take a seat and make yourself comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The girl looks around before she takes one of our desk chairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWelcome to the strays. Glad to have ya, so what\u2019s your story?\u201d Chalia asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMe? I\u2026 I guess there\u2019s not much to say. I\u2019m nobody,\u201d she says, avoiding making eye contact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chalia lets out a sigh. \u201cI see we have our work cut out with you. Clearly, you\u2019re not nobody. Damaris wouldn\u2019t put so much time and effort into you if she didn\u2019t think you were worth it. Now, stop with that attitude and get some confidence. You clearly have a lot of potential; I can see it in your eyes. Now, tell me what led you to the church,\u201d Chalia demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2026 I have nowhere else to go. My mother and father passed away because of that awful glimmer. I didn\u2019t know what to do. I had no home, but Damaris found me and offered me a place here, so I took it,\u201d she says, her eyes shifting uncomfortably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry about what you went through. We\u2019ll take care of you. You\u2019re one of us now,\u201d Chalia says as she gets up to comfort the girl, rubbing her back. But then she opens up the back of the girl\u2019s dress, revealing scars down her back. \u201cIn the name of the Light, what happened to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Melyis recoils and pulls away from Chalia, quickly trying to cover up. \u201cIt\u2019s nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t look like nothing. You were abused. Weren\u2019t you?\u201d Chalia asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo\u2026 I\u2026 I\u2026 He didn\u2019t mean to. It\u2019s not as bad as it looks,\u201d Melyis says, holding herself while turning away from us. \u201cIt\u2019s not what you think.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMelyis, who did this to you?\u201d Chalia asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cChalia, maybe we shouldn\u2019t push the matter. She\u2019s clearly uncomfortable,\u201d I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, she needs to talk about this. She has to work through this,\u201d Chalia says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was my fault\u2026 I… My father, he always got mad when I spoke out or didn\u2019t do as I was told. I was bad, and I deserved it,\u201d she says, tears forming in her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo. None of it was your fault. You didn\u2019t deserve to be abused like this. Your father had no right to leave these scars. He is the one to blame. Not you,\u201d Chalia says, pulling Melyis into her embrace as the poor girl weeps in her arms. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, you\u2019re safe with us. I promise you; no one will hurt you here. At least none of us will. We\u2019ll look after you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After she calms down a bit, Chalia tells her all that goes on here and everything she needs to know. At least the gist of it. The same stuff she told me when I first came here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, what dorm are you in?\u201d Chalia asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m down the hall with a girl named Silanlina Morrowforce,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOooh\u2026 That\u2019s\u2026 I can see why Damaris brought you to us. Silanlina can be a bit of a\u2026 Stuck up crown bird,\u201d Chalia says with an apologetic look. \u201cSorry, you have to stay with her. Hopefully, it\u2019s not for long and you can move in with one of the strays. I know Charinva isn\u2019t far from achieving level ten so she\u2019ll eventually move into the Accepted quarters and you can move in with Ochilysse. She\u2019s not the easiest to deal with, but she\u2019s a lot better than Silanlina, that stuck up\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNobles\u2026\u2019 I say with a sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor now, you\u2019ll just have to hang out with us and the other strays. We\u2019ll introduce you to them at lunch. There’s quite a few, so don\u2019t feel like you need to remember their names all at once,\u201d Chalia says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn that note, we should probably get going to class. You\u2019ll meet Biremeril and Ralodan there. Fellow strays,\u201d I say with a smile. \u201cJust try not to let Olizara drive you crazy. She\u2019s the teacher, if you can call her that. She\u2019s an Accepted who is of no help and leaves us to work on our own. So don\u2019t really let her bother you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She nods as I grab my book and say goodbye to Chalia before leading Melyis to class. I manage to snag us seats in the back row next to Biremeril and Ralodan. Biremeril doesn\u2019t look at me, but Ralodan gives me a smile before his attention is drawn to Melyis. \u201cWho\u2019s she?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s the new stray Damaris just delivered. She brought her to our room and we\u2019ve been helping her. Her name is Melyis,\u201d I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ralodan gives her that smile of his that makes me a tad bit jealous. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to meet you, Melyis. I\u2019m Ralodan, and this is Biremeril. We\u2019re strays too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Olizara walks in with her usual icy contempt. She notices Melyis right away. \u201cOoh, look, another fresh face. Oh, joy. What\u2019s your name, girl?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cM\u2026 Me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSpeak up, girl. I don\u2019t want to have to walk back there just to hear you!\u201d Olizara snaps. My fist clenches as Melyis flinches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m\u2026 Melyis,\u201d she says, with her eyes down to the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor Light\u2019s grace, girl. You surely must be a low-born for how pitiful you are. Now get yourself a book in the cupboard over there, although I\u2019m sure it\u2019s a waste of time. You won\u2019t last long,\u201d she says with eyes as cold as ice. I glare at her, fighting the overwhelming urge to yell at her for being such a cunt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ralodan gives me a warning look and I take a deep breath in, letting it out slowly. Olizara continues. \u201cWell, you all know what to do. If you have any questions, then you\u2019re not very resourceful and won\u2019t make it very far. Read the book, and if you still don\u2019t understand, read it again. Read it until it makes sense. If it still doesn\u2019t after you\u2019ve read it ten times, then you probably won\u2019t have a place here. Incompetence is not a trait we embrace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She is such a bitch. What is her problem? I can\u2019t stand her. She\u2019s just like every other noble. So entitled and arrogant. I hate her and the rest of them. They all need to be put in their place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rest of the class is unbearable. Olizara is constantly on a power trip, wielding it to hurl insults hidden in sophistication. I hate people like her. Nobles\u2026 I despise all of them. If it weren\u2019t for their hypocrisy, this city wouldn\u2019t be in such a miserable state. Greed, pride, and entitlement make for awful leaders. It\u2019s because of them most of the people live in tents and have to beg for water. It\u2019s because of them that only the rich can afford to wield magic. I hate them all. I know I shouldn\u2019t, and I am trying to work on the hate and anger that resides inside me, but it is so hard. I truly want to follow this path. Damaris makes me feel like I can be redeemed. She makes me feel that I am worth redeeming. And the fellow strays make me feel at home. Like a sister. I like it here, for the most part. Of course, there are always people like Olizara and Chaetris, but I will not let that bother me. Not this time. I won\u2019t screw this up. I\u2019m going to become a Sister Priestess and from there, I\u2019ll find a way to free my family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As we are finally let out, I notice Melyis going up to the cupboard with her book. I walk up to her. \u201cHey, are you coming to lunch?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, I just wanted to get a different book. This one has a bunch of writing in it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKeep it, trust me. I\u2019ll explain later,\u201d I say. She looks at me with a curious yet weary gaze, but she nods and keeps the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She joins us on our way to lunch, and I slow the pace of the group so everyone else in class is out of earshot. \u201cShe can see the writing, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Melyis looks up at me as Ralodan, Biremeril, and I exchange looks of our own. \u201cYou mean, your books have the writing too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is a little more complicated than that,\u201d Biremeril says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d Melyis asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSomeone put a charm on the books so that the writing presents itself to certain people. I\u2019m beginning to think Damaris recruits us based on whether we can read the texts,\u201d Biremeril says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow would she know, unless\u2026\u201d I say as a thought occurs to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think she\u2019s the one who put the spell,\u201d Biremeril says, connecting the dots of my thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen how would she know?\u201d I ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know, but I find it more than a coincidence that so far, from what I can tell, the four of us can all see the writing, and we were all recruited by Damaris. I have an assumption that most of the rest of the strays can see them. Also, I have been thinking about the other books. I think we were looking in the wrong place. Those confession booths were not there when Terel was alive,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right. I already know where the books are at. They were originally hidden in the basement.\u201d I spit out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight\u2026 How did you\u2026 and what do you mean originally hidden in the basement? Are they not there?\u201d he asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, I also know that Chalia and Charinva can see the writing in the books. And no, they\u2019re not there at the moment. Charinva has them, and according to Chalia, she has been hogging them,\u201d I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat makes sense. She always has a book with her. I never really took the time to notice what she is reading, though,\u201d Biremeril says as he scratches his chin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry to interrupt, but I don\u2019t understand what you are all talking about,\u201d Melyis says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I turn to her and meet her weary gaze. \u201cThere is writing in Terel\u2019s book that you just got that only certain people can see it for whatever reason. The writing talks about a secret within the church, and we\u2019re trying to figure out what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her eyes go wide. \u201cReally? What is the secret?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We all shrug. Ralodan speaks up. \u201cNone of us know yet. We still haven\u2019t got a hold of the books mentioned in this one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut at least we know where they are. We just have to convince Charinva to share,\u201d I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have a confession to make,\u201d Melyis says and we all look at her. Her eyes drop to the floor as she mumbles something I can\u2019t hear under her breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s okay,\u201d Ralodan says. He heard her? How? She looks up at him, showing clear relief. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to learn to read. I can teach you. It won\u2019t take long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cReally? You are so kind. Damaris was teaching me when she had free time, but she is so busy, and I don\u2019t want to disturb her,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay. She does a lot to look out for us and the people, but lucky for you, I\u2019ve got plenty of time,\u201d Ralodan says with his perfect smile and even winks at her. Seriously? I feel my gut wrench. Am I jealous? Why am I jealous? I will not jeopardize all I have here for a man. Even if he has a really amazing smile and such soft hair. He seems like he has a good heart on top of that. What am I thinking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I swear, there is something about him that makes my mind all hot and hazy. Is it just me? I look over at Melyis and she seems to be awestruck by him with those puppy eyes. Give me a break\u2026 Oh, that\u2019s not fair. Especially knowing what the poor girl has been through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We enter the lunch hall and join the other strays once we get our food. Ralodan introduces Melyis to the rest as Chalia joins us. Throughout lunch, I cannot keep my thoughts off this mystery within this book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What could it mean? Could it really have been written by the author? What could the secret be? So many questions and so few answers. We need to get those books. I need to read them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLooks like they\u2019re calling for a congregation within the cathedral,\u201d Haemyish says, an Accepted stray with dark amberish-coco skin and curly black hair that fluffs up. \u201cThe High Father will give us a sermon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d Chalia asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne hour before supper,\u201d she replies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh great\u2026 Another sermon by the High Father\u2026\u201d Ochilysse says with a long-exaggerated sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s so bad about a sermon from the High Father? Shouldn\u2019t we pay attention to what he says?\u201d Melyis asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll see soon enough,\u201d Chalia says while devouring her food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey\u2019re not exactly boring or anything. He has a rather flare about the way he speaks. A quite enigmatic man. He\u2019s just\u2026\u201d Haemyish says but is interrupted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a hypocrite,\u201d Voborrie says, not mincing her words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAllegedly,\u201d Haemyish says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAllegedly, he is a pervert,\u201d Voborrie says before scooping up a fork full of veggies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere have been allegations against him of sexual misconduct,\u201d Haemyish says, picking at her food. \u201cSeveral women have reported that he has coerced them into sexual activities that are not suitable for the church.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe raped them,\u201d Voborrie says rather bluntly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe hasn\u2019t been proven guilty of it and until he does\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe is the High Father. He has the power to silence them. There’s not much any of us can do to stop him from doing whatever he wants,\u201d Voborrie says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, regardless, he hasn\u2019t been found guilty, and until he is, he will remain as the High Father,\u201d Haemyish says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe only reason he was not found guilty is because he went after women who were whores. They worked in brothels before they became servants of the Light. He convinced the people in power that they were lying and that they were the ones who came onto him, but he\u2019s a holy servant of the Light and would not give in to such temptations,\u201d Voborrie says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cReminds me of that Paladin,\u201d says Illianaro, a man who has dark cocoa skin and is one of the Accepted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My eyes lock on him. \u201cWhat Paladin?\u201d \u201cOh, there was a Paladin a while back\u2026 I think his name was Orym? He got caught sneaking into brothels and was punished for it. They sent him up north to the human savage lands, poor bastard. Those pagans will surely mean his death. They might be weaker than us elves, but they are ruthless savages.\u201d My gut clenches in pain, and I feel sick as the heat drains from my face. I get up from the lunch table, taking my tray and dumping what\u2019s left of my lunch before I place it down and head back to the dorm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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