Chapter 8: Father Achilleos

        Caden and Rilyn went to the temple as soon as they finished eating. They left Starlight and most of their gear back at the Blue Fox. They walked along the river. They banks of the river were replaced by stone levees. About every eight fathoms there were stone stairs and a stone landing for boats to tie up to. Many fish merchants docked at the landings and sold the fish straight from the boat.

        Rilyn plugged her nose. "Uhg," she grunted. "I hate the smell of fish."

        "So, do I," Caden said. "And the taste is even worse."

        "Well, at least Cassy gave us good food before I lost my appetite from this smell."

        "Yeah, I guess she heard some rumor about us."

        "You mean a rumor about you," Rilyn said. She poked Caden in the ribs. "I wasn't even mentioned."

        "It's not a big deal." He shrugged. "Everyone is going to forget about it and move on to a new story tomorrow anyway."

        "This coming from a kid who sat on the roof of a Tavern to listen to traveler's tales."

        "How did you..."

        "The mayor told me." She slapped Caden on the back. "He said it was important information to know."

        Caden blushed. "Well, from now on, I'm going to be writing my own stories."

        They walked around a corner and saw numerous people stand on the Temple mall. Father Achilleos and two other priests were speaking with them.

        Rilyn looked at Caden. "Another witch?"

        Caden shook his head and ran up the steps and onto the mall.

        The people in the crowd were shouting to the three priests. "... protect my son!" "My brother disappeared on his way to Scania, can he find him?" Everyone was calling out a request for protection, aid, and a few seeking revenge. 

        Caden pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "Father!" he called. "Father!" He got pushed back and fell down. He moved between the crowds legs till he got right next to Father Achilleos. "Father!"

        Father Achilleos looked at Caden and grabbed him by the arm. "Good, to see you my boy," he said. "Now let's go." Father Achilleos lead Caden through the shouting mob.

        "Shouldn't we go inside the temple?" Caden pointed behind them.

        "Uh..." Father Achilleos looked back at the crowd. "Where are you staying?"

        "The Blue Fox."

        "That will be much better I think." Father Achilleos lead Caden away from the shouting mob and past Rilyn. She followed them.

        Father Achilleos didn't say anything until they were sitting in the Blue Fox's common room. He asked Caden to tell him what happened with Father Coteson. Cassy served them all cinnamon milk tea. While Caden talked, Father Achilleos scratched his short scraggly beard. Their mugs stopped steaming before Caden stopped talking.

        When Caden finished his story, Father Achilleos said, "That is very distressing. Brother Coteson was protecting a very religious site. There might be greater dangers then the dragon queen." 

        "Then you didn't see what she did to my home," Caden said. "And what was going on at the temple?"

        "People have been making requests," said Father Achilleos. "That are beyond the church." He took a drink of cold tea. "As for the dangers I mentioned, I spoke with the council of Brothers, and the Dragon Queen has been seen attacking other Temples."

        "Where has she been seen? We need to get that information to the Knights!"

        Father Achilleos held up his hands. "That will be dealt with in due course," he said. "However, the barrier that protects the temples seems to be fading. The next temple that the Dragon Queen may not survive the assault."

        "Barrier?" asked Caden. "Do you mean the magic that saved our temple?"

        "Yes. There was something very important in Erdon that made that protection possible."

        "The Queen's Heart."

        "No." Father Achilleos shook his head. "There is something far more valuable in Erdon."

        Rilyn looked at Caden. He shrugged. 

        "Brother Michael was supposed to go, but he seemed busy today. I think I shall make the trip to Erdon in his place." Father Achilleos looked at Caden. "If you'll talke me."

Chapter 6: Witch

        The crowd of people hauled two woman bound to seven foot stakes. One was an old woman, in her seventies. The other was a young brunette, barely over 17 harvest. The old woman was cackling and crying out about the crowd being tortured for a thousands years and black death reigning from above, destroying the town.

        The young woman was shouting, "I'm not a witch."

        Caden heard about witches in temple service, but had never seen one before. He didn't know if he was actually seeing one right now. What he did know was, the old crone had the same shroud of darkness as Father Coteson, the undead Dragon Knights, and the Bandit leader in the forest. Yet the young girl, she didn't have it. She looked normal, like everyone else in the crowd.

        "Rilyn," said Caden. "I think that girl is telling the truth."

        "What? Why?"

        "Doesn't the older woman remind you of the bandit leader who vanished on the highway?"

        "Well, she does have the same eyes, but that's not all that strange on someone her age."

        "No, the black shroud."

        "What shroud?"

        "You don't see that darkness surrounding her?"

        "No," Rilyn said. "And the bandit leader had the same thing?"

        "Same with Father Coteson."

        "And the girl doesn't?"

        "Right," Caden said. "We have to save her."

        "So do you want to tell the angry mob that they got the wrong person?"

        "Follow me." Caden pushed through the crowd and ran down a side street.

        Caden and Rilyn emerged from an alley. They were at the temple mall. Large, flat, white stones paved the ground. The mob was already there, carrying the two women into the temple.

        "Damn." Caden punched the side of the alley. "I was hoping to beat them here."

        Rilyn noticed the cracks left in the stone from Caden's punch. "I'm surprised we got here when we did." Rilyn walked past Caden and onto the mall. "After all, you did try to take a short cut in a city you've never been to."

        "How hard is it to head towards the giant stone tower." Caden pointed at the white marble tower above the temple. It was the tallest building in Tinate.

        "Apparently it is," said Rilyn. "Judging from the number of dead ends you lead us to." He looked back at Caden. "What do you want to do now?"

        "Only thing we can do," Caden said. "We wait for the crowd to leave, then we speak with the Father."

        The sun was setting by the time the crowd completely disbursed. The Father was walking in the garden, tending to the plants. He wore the daily vestments of plain white shirt and pants under his black and silver coat. The holy, ten-pointed star was embroidered in gold on the back of his jacket. Caden and Rilyn walked with him as he moved through the garden.

        "So why don't you think she's evil?" he asked.

        "It's hard to explain, Father Achilleos," Caden said. "But I feel a fire in my gut telling me that this is the right thing to do."

        Father Achilleos stopped next to a flowering tree. He lifted a shriveled, rotting flower in his gloved hand. "This flower isn't evil, it'll soon be dead. Yet if left on the tree, the rot will spread to the other flowers. If left untended, the disease will consume more flowers and leaves, till the tree can no longer function. It won't die from the rot, but it will die from the loss. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Father Achilleos snipped the flower off and handed it Caden.

        "Yes."

        "I wonder if that's true."

        "I will save her from the rot."

        "It's not easy, they have already been placed on the top of the Shrift Tower." Father Achilleos pointed to the white marble tower. "The only thing you can do now, is stand witness to her judgment by the goddess."

        Caden looked up at the tower. "Very well." 

        "You might get cut off with the flower you want to save."

        He walked into the temple. "I know."

        "Interesting boy you're traveling with." Father Achilleos turns to Rilyn. "Does he know about you?"

        "He knows nothing." They turn and watch Caden enter the shadows inside the temple.

        "Come, my child," Father Achilleos lead Rilyn into the temple. "I sense that you're in need of some absolution yourself."

        Caden stood on top of the spire. The roof was flat, with no walls on the outside edge. He was next to the chained women. The old hag screamed like she was being burned. The young girl cried. The wind whipped through his hair and clothes. Caden watched the sunset. When the last part of the sun fell below the horizon, the sky flashed green. Caden raised his arms and shielded his eyes. The wind picked up and he felt like he was going to be blown off the edge.

Chapter 3: The plan

        Caden walked through the empty streets. He kicked a loose stone and it clicked down the cobble stone road. He didn't want to leave the party. But he didn't want to stay either. He didn't want to stay in Erdon anymore. The quiet town, in the corner of the Kingdom. The only view of the outside world he had were Sir Eric's stories of the Dragon Knights.

        Harron seemed to understand it. Why didn't anyone else in town? Maybe he could get Father Coteson on his side. Next time the Dragon Knights came through, he could talk to them. They would hardly turn down a direct request from the church. They served the church even before the king.

        Caden stopped by a horse trough. He could see himself in the dark water. He would be a great Knight, and honored by the King above all others. Earning a seat in the royal court. Captain General of all the Dragon Knights, standing atop the bodies of countless slain dragons who attempted to return and free their Dragon Queen.

        Yes, that was his plan. He walked to the temple. Father Coteson wasn't at the party, so he had to be the temple.

        He reached the temple, and it was glowing in the night. Every window was lit up with a green glow from inside. The doors were open, and dozens of kids, all under ten harvests, were walking into the temple. Their eyes glowed with the same strange green fire.

        Caden ran back to the town square. He was halfway there when he stopped. Something strange was going on. If he wanted to prove to Keilee, to all of them, that he had what it took to be a Dragon Knight, he knew that he could not run away.

        So he returned to the temple.

        Inside, there was no one. The dead still rested in the side alter, so that everyone could pay their respects for the next three days. The temple was quiet. A cold draft of night air blew through the open doors. The green fire was gone.

        Caden walked down the long center aisle, past the rows of stone benches. He listened for any movement, but only heard the soft footsteps of his boots on the slate floor.

        Clack. Caden stopped. He looked around the temple. Nothing changed, yet the shadows seemed deeper. As the wind blew a tree outside, Caden saw shapes moving from shadow to shadow.

        He stepped up onto the first step. "Father Coteson?" he called. "Are you here?" Skrr... Caden ran up the last three steps. He moved behind the altar so he could see all parts of the temple.

        He tripped as his foot failed to meet the floor. He fell down a hole behind the altar, and tumbled down a circular stair well. His head hit the stone stairs. As pain shot through his body, everything went black.