Following the protector into the Cathedral, I once again realized how little I understood about the world.

How had they built this place…? The towers, the massive tree-like buildings, looked so tall the very clouds were below them. And they weren't tiny little spires either, but huge circular things that looked like each floor had enough space for dozens of rooms!

No wonder people say religion was stronger than money. I don't think even all the money in the world could build this… this place had to have taken more than just money. It had taken faith. Complete and utter devotion…

"Vim!"

The protector, and I, slowed to a stop as a younger woman ran up to him. She wasn't dressed in the familiar robes of the church, but her dress was plain in color and form enough to not seem odd here. She grinned happily up at the protector, in a way that made me wonder if she was someone important to him, or he her.

"I've figured it out!" she then shouted at him, proudly and confidently.

"Figured what out?" Vim asked, his voice the same bored one he had been using this whole time with me on our trip here. If she was important to him, he definitely didn't show it.

"You forgot didn't you? That's fine. Last time you were here, remember I told you I couldn't figure out how to make mother scream? I know how to now!" the woman said excitedly.

Scream…? Mother? I got a little closer, rather interested now. Just what was she talking about?

"Light, you're a menace," Vim said with a sigh.

I blinked as I realized who she was.

Light! The leader's daughter!

I gulped as I focused on her eyes, and realized sure enough that she did indeed have glowing eyes. Enough so that I should have noticed right away, they were so obvious…

She must have felt my stare for she turned her attention to me. She grinned at the sight of me, stepped forward and leaned close to me. I felt my back go stiff and the hairs on my neck and upper back stand up a bit as she whispered quietly into my ear.

"Welcome Brandy, to Telmik. Make sure you stay here, and turn down the offer to leave tonight. Okay?" she whispered.

My whole body started to sweat as Light leaned back away, smiling gently at me as she nodded and turned around. She grabbed Vim by the arm, as if I'd never even been here in the first place, and started to tug him away. "Come on! Mother's waiting!" she said.

Although I had planned to follow him, since he had intended to take me to someone he thought I'd find to have answers for my questions and needs, I didn't step forward even as they got farther and farther away. Vim didn't seem to be very interested, but Light began to ramble and tell him all about some person she had met the other day. One that had insulted her and made her sad.

The way she acted reminded me almost as if she was his daughter. She was acting like a young girl, telling her father all about someone that had bothered her… almost as if she wanted him to correct it for her.

It made me wonder if the rumors about the protector being involved with Celine were true. And also, whether he was that girl's actual father or not, if he would in fact do something about this person she claimed had been rude to her.

Snapping out of it, right as they were about to round a corner, I hurried forward. I shifted my bag on my shoulder as I picked up my pace, as to keep them in my sights.

I didn't want to really get involved in their conversation, especially just in case they actually were related and family, but at the same time I didn't want the protector to forget about me.

This place was huge. Bigger than a hundred of my family's castles. I'd get lost here if not careful.

"It was rude though!" Light said with a huff.

"If you're rude to people it's only expected they'd be rude back," Vim said.

"I wasn't being rude! I was just telling them what would happen if they weren't careful!" Light complained.

Oh…?

Vim sighed and glanced at the girl on his arm, and then turned his head enough to look back at me. Our eyes met for a tiny moment, and he looked back ahead after doing so.

Had he just checked to make sure I was still with them…? How interesting.

"Don't ignore me!" Light complained as she tugged on his arm.

"I'm not. I wish I was though," Vim said simply as we entered a new hallway. One with other people in. The proper grey and white robe wearing kind.

"Gosh! No wonder mom burns prayers in hope you'll sneeze so hard that your you-know-what falls off!" Light said, laughing as she did.

My face got a little red, as Vim glanced at her and frowned. "My what?"

"Your nose of course. What did you think I meant? Gosh, Vim, you're so gross!" Light said, laughing again.

My face got a little hotter, but only because I had fallen for such a simple and silly joke. And it hadn't even been directed at me.

Vim shook his head, seemingly used to the girl's antics as we rounded another corner. We entered a hallway with a really fancy rug, the type that made me feel bad for walking on with my dirty boots.

Light giggled happily at his reaction, as if her joke had actually bothered him. She tugged on his arm a bit as she pointed down the hallway in front of us. "Mom's with Randle and the rest. There."

"Figured," Vim said.

Had he…? It had seemed almost as if he knew exactly where to go. Maybe Celine and the rest were always in the same area, or using the same rooms or something.

Slowing as we neared one of the doors, I felt a new panic. One I'd not felt before, even when Light had told me of a warning. A prophecy.

I was about to meet Celine. The Celine. The leader. The real saint. The Saint.

Gulping a little, I took a deep breath and followed Vim and Light into the room. The rug we were walking on didn't continue into the room, but only because a new rug took over. This one was even fluffier than the last, to the point I felt like I sunk into it a bit as I walked upon it.

"He's home, mother!" Light released Vim and ran deeper into the room. I followed her, excited to follow her to her mother… as to finally put a face to the name I've been hearing since joining.

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Yet I hadn't needed to. Like her daughter, Celine's eyes glowed. Spectacularly. She was sitting at a small round table with a few others, people I probably should have glanced at and studied since they were undoubtedly other members and most likely important… but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the glowing orbs before me.

"I'd say he is, but he doesn't see this place as home. So in theory, he's not home, Light," Celine said as she smiled to the young woman, who quickly went to stand beside her chair.

"Home is where you lay your head," Vim said simply as he too stepped up to the table and group, though he paused a few feet from it.

"Coming from anyone else that would have been something humbling, but from you it just sounds like you're trying to be rude to us," Light said.

Celine smirked at her daughter's words, and I had no choice but to admit that the two really didn't look like mother and daughter.

They didn't share much at all between them. They didn't share their hair colors, the tone of their skin or angles of their faces… in fact the only thing that they shared were the off-putting eyes that glowed. Though I suppose out of everything to inherit as proof of one's bloodline, that was good enough.

Slowly approaching as well, I did my best to not notice the eyes glancing my way. I politely looked away from the strange creatures with glowing eyes, and instead smiled and gently nodded to the others sitting at the table. There was a taller, thinner man. A portly woman and also a man with really dark circles around his eyes. Were those tattoos? Some sailors had them, but I'd never seen any around the eyes like that. Maybe it was a religious thing.

"As much as I'd love to listen to your off-handed whining, I'll instead do something productive…" the thinner man sitting at the table stood, shifting his robe a little as he did.

"Who is whining?" Vim asked the man.

"Both of you. Welcome back Vim, Celine, Eyes," the man nodded a few times to everyone as he stepped away.

"Ah. Wait. Take her to Brail for me, would you?" Vim said before the man could leave completely.

The man frowned at me and I stood up a little straighter at his look.

"Let us go then, a far better purpose than listening to their foolish quips," the man said to me, gesturing to the door.

I gulped as I glanced away from the taller man and to Vim. He nodded at me, and then turned his attention back to the table.

"Like always you simply push trouble onto others. Really, Vim, must you?" Celine asked with a sigh.

"She's not trouble, that's what she's here for," Vim defended himself.

Although I was the one being talked about, I didn't get to join the conversation. The taller man stepped out of the room before I knew it, and I had to hurry as to follow him.

Leaving the room, I wasn't sure if I should be glad or not to have left. They had all seemed so interesting, and I had at least wanted to introduce myself to Celine the leader…! Though maybe I'll get another chance…

"My name is Randle. You look like you're hungry, are you?" Randle asked as I followed him down the hall. We headed deeper into the Cathedral, going the opposite way from whence I had come from earlier.

"Oh… a little yes… My name is Brandy. It's a pleasure to meet you," I said, wondering who he was. He must be important, since he had not only been sitting in a meeting with Celine but had also talked to her that way as he had.

"Hm… And you're here to meet Brail are you?" Randle asked as I went to walking by his side. Unlike Vim he seemed to walk a little slower, as if he was in no hurry and had no reason to be. But not because was lazy, like so many other men. Instead he just seemed…

"Yes… Vim recommended I meet her, after I told him what I wanted," I said.

Randle smiled gently as he nodded, as if he somehow knew full well what I wanted already. "Then it would be wise to trust his judgment. Would you like to eat before or after you meet her, though?" he asked kindly.

I see. Maybe he was some kind of priest or something. He was acting all fatherly all of a sudden.

"Honestly I'd rather meet Brail first, if I can. Something Light had said worries me, so…" I said, unsure if I should say it or not.

"Ah… just now? What had she said?" Randle asked as he slowed a bit.

"She told me to stay here, and to turn down the offer of leaving tonight… though didn't really explain what she meant," I said.

Randle sighed a little and glanced back down the hallway, to the room we'd just left. We could just barely make out their voices, notably Light's. "A prophecy; forewarning with a purpose. It would be wise to heed it, though do not feel obligated to. If your life had been at stake she would have said so, as is their rule. Unless she had said so, and you omitted it," Randle said.

I quickly shook my head. "No! She hadn't…!" Thankfully.

He nodded slowly. "All the same. I'd suggest taking it to heart. Her prophecies, their prophecies, are given to them by the gods. It'd not do well to ignore them. even if you came out better after by doing so, you'd only have upset gods to deal with afterward," he said as he turned and started walking again.

"Upset gods…?" I asked. What'd he mean by that?

"They're warnings form the gods. For better or worse. If the gods took the time to send you, specifically you, out of everyone in the world… I'd think that would mean they'd be rather offended if you didn't at least hear it or heed it, don't you?" Randle suggested.

Although it was a slight stretch… I did in fact see where he was coming from. He was basically saying if I ignored a prophecy, no matter its importance or purpose, it'd be the same as ignoring the gods themselves. And that would indeed be something foolish.

It was likely why my father had failed, after all.

Coming to a stop, I frowned at the realization.

Randle noticed, and came to a stop again too. He turned a bit, frowning at me as my mind whirled and hurt.

"Young Brandy… is all well?" he asked worriedly.

"No… I just realized another reason for my family's demise…" I whispered.

Randle must be far older, and far wiser, than he seemed. He didn't even flinch or blink at my words, and instead patiently waited for me to continue and tell him what I meant.

Clearing my throat a little, I stepped forward so I'd not have to speak too loudly.

"My family. We had a kingdom. Up north. It fell… thanks to my father's hubris. He got in debt to the wrong people, terrible people… but I now realize he and… well, all of us, had been without faith. We didn't even have a church or place of worship!" I said, my heartbeat starting to really thump in worry.

After all, it was true! I myself knew of the gods, of course, but had never actually worshiped them or anything!

Maybe that was why I'd felt so lost.

Maybe that was a failure on my part. Since it obviously had been a failure of my father's, too.

"Are you religious, then?" Randle then asked.

My mouth became dry all of a sudden as I stared into the eyes of a man who suddenly seemed like a mountain. Somehow I now feared this man more than I did Vim. Even though it was obvious he was frail and thin. His baggy robes barely hid how small he was in frame.

"I… don't know…" I answered honestly.

And that was the problem. What if that was an issue…?

After all… wasn't this place proof?

This giant church? The people here with glowing eyes? The prophecies? Had the Society not been built on the backs of saints and divine figures, such as Vim and monarchs? Celine and her daughter?

If they were proof of the gods, and thus the gods powers and authority… then…!

"Hm… It looks like you're going through quite a mental crisis. Would you like to sit and talk about it?" Randle then asked, gesturing to a nearby bench.

Gulping my dry mouth, I slowly nodded. "Could we…? Would you talk to me about it?" I asked.

Randle seemed to become even calmer as he gently smiled and nodded. "Of course. Come. Sit with me. Take your bag off and tell me just why a lack of a church is so important, and also why you must confront it here and now," he said.

Although his invitation somehow felt… dangerous, it was also everything I needed. I nearly started to cry as I hurriedly took a seat next to him on a small wooden bench, and went ahead and told him everything. About my family. The kingdom. How it had fallen… and what I'd been doing since.

I had thought money was the answer. To everything. It would give me a place to belong. It would give my life purpose, and my membership to the Society justification. I had also thought it the most powerful thing ever, since it had so easily laid low my family and the nation we had ruled.

Yet now…

Now…

Sitting with Randle, he kindly talked to me for hours… for so long in fact, I had not been able to meet Brail. She had left Telmik in the middle of our conversation… and although nothing ill had befallen her, I always thanked Light for sharing her prophecy with me that day.

Without it I would have never found faith.

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