There was also the matter of the church. They had been expecting me, which was a pleasant surprise. In all likelihood that meant they had expected the Pact Mage I had murdered to show up instead. That meant I had a unique advantage, one that was contingent on time. I was not prepared to lose a town because I couldn’t keep my eyes open.
I wiped the exhaustion from my face and proceeded to open the door. I must’ve looked positively frightening, because the bishop recoiled almost immediately. Whoops.
For a bishop, he was surprisingly down to earth. None of the pomp and circumstance that bishops in my past life loved to adorn themselves with. His hair was rough, natural, and spoke of a humble life despite his position. Reminded me of Charlotte’s hair, in a way, though not quite as pretty color-wise. More of a dull brown. Also, less of an adorable curly mess. Okay, his hair was nothing like Charlotte’s.
My frown softened and I widened my eyes. Was I glowering at him? Or maybe if I wasn’t trying to look cute, I looked like a monster. I knew I was an open book, but at least I wanted to be an accurate book.
I let out a sign, hoping to disperse the tension.
“I apologize if I have caused offense, but I thought it would be…” he began, formal as ever as I gave a dismissive wave.
“Do not worry too much. I’m a little tired and a lot hungry.” That part was true. Distance flying was something new that I hadn’t calculated for, because I had never needed to before. Now it was catching up to me in waves. My dragon form may not actually be suited for long distance flights, considering my massive size and armor. Flying against the wind meant that my entire upper body and back were sore.
“Oh! Of course! I’ll get you something for you to eat right away!” He rushed off, surprisingly fast for someone of his age. So different from Uncle Caen.
“It’s Aria,” I added as I made my way to the front foyer trailing behind him and trying not to think about it. About what happened.
“Aria. I won’t forget!” he shouted back as I was left alone in my own thoughts.
Caen.
Things were happening too fast, so fast that I didn’t have time to cry about it. The first few times stuff like this happened, I was a weeping mess for weeks. Yet, as time went on, I found myself crying about people dying less and less. Now, I felt a deep void in my heart, as if Caen had ripped a hole in it, and took it with him to the grave.
Maybe that’s why I latched onto Charlotte so hard.
I gave a tired sigh and placed myself on the first bench I could see. Seeing the dazzling but faded mural reminded me of her. Cestra. The dragon that left herself behind to ensure that humans would never fight among themselves again. My mother.
I held the title close to heart, since my own adopted mother always treated me like a second-hand child. I couldn’t blame her either. The one child born out of wedlock was the one that became a Pact Mage.
My personal head canon was that Cestra foresaw this and took me in as one of her children instead. Sometimes I would have short dreams of her. Sometimes I would feel her tug, like a mother guiding a child. As I stared up at the mural on the wall, I wondered if she was watching? Was she up there, smiling with approval or snarling with disdain? Or maybe she was the kind of mother that wished the best for her children, with no kind of burdensome expectations.
I wanted so badly for that to be true.
Soon enough, the bishop emerged with a large basket of bread and a pot of stew. A large tray was placed right beside me, the warm smell of tomatoes and spiced meat flowing through the air.
“It’s the food we have left over from…” the bishop began as I picked up the bowl of stew and began drinking it down. Suddenly having food right by my side made me realize how famished I was. With a lick of my lips, I put down the bowl only to be met with his amused gaze.
Despite my upbringing, I’ve always liked commoner food. Fancy spices and such never sat right on my tongue, but a simple stew was something that I’d never turn down. I could gulp down the stuff by the bowlful. I sure hope that Mother knew how annoying it was to be perpetually mistaken for a child.
Then a laugh rang through the church as the bishop tried to stop himself from doubling over in laughter. I looked up at him, before brushing my cheeks and lips with the back of my hands. Did I leave a stain somewhere?
“You remind me of some of the kids here.” His laughter died down as I placed the bowl back onto the tray. “It puts some things into perspective. That’s all.” He nodded as I grabbed a loaf of bread and stuffed it into my gullet. I was too hungry to care.
“You can call me Buryan. As you can see, I’m the bishop of this place. Been here for many years. Mithil didn’t put me here, but I was voted in instead. It’s just how we do it here.” He seemed proud of the fact, but also cautious. Guarded. I could see hints of uncertainty as I stuffed more loaves of bread into my mouth.
I put down my half-eaten loaf for a moment, analyzing his expressions.
“I suspect not all has gone well? Mother has guided me here, but as you can see, it has not been a smooth journey.”
When I spoke, I could see the surprise emerge on his face, before disappearing again. I was right on point. I imagine that being occupied by the inquisitors didn’t sit well with anyone, but from what I could see the issue was more deep-seated. Good news for me.
“I see that. You’re young, Aria.” What he didn’t say was that he thought I was too young. I narrowed my eyes. People calling me too young always annoyed me, for so many reasons. “I wouldn’t send you on the same trial that has been forced upon you, but you’re right. Cestra did seem to guide you to us. I suppose the church was correct this time around.” I could see his expression. Dissatisfaction. Conflict. Doubt.
I had to make a quick estimate. He trusted me, or even if he didn’t trust me, I didn’t see a reason for conflict. Not yet. I needed a cautious way to weed out the truth.
“So you disagree with the church’s decision?” I asked, as I watched his gaze waver.
It was a trick question, one of the many I had learned in my father’s court. I’m sure it must’ve sounded terrifying in my lower-pitched voice. Nobody wanted to be the one to make a child cry.
“No, I’m worried about your well-being, that’s all.” He frowned.
I could see beads of sweat dripping on his brow. Good. I picked up the bowl to finish off the stew, watching him as I sipped it down to the last drop. He was still sweating nervously. With a soft clang I placed the empty bowl back onto the tray.
“So you do disagree with the church’s decision. Good, because so do I.” I left the last line open for him to interpret as he wished, returning to my softer, more chirpy voice.
I wished I had that voice naturally. My actual voice was too harsh, too sharp, too low. It had its uses though. It could drop people silent, command a room, or be the voice that shook people to their core. Now was such a time.
Indeed, the silence in the room turned Buryan’s face to one of pleasant surprise. We were supposed to be the highest members of the church, at least on paper. How did a Pact Mage disagree when it was she who made the rules?
“I can sense it. Mother says you’re not happy with the church either,” I lied, but that’s a better explanation than the truth. “The church does not like me either. In fact, they did everything they could do to stop me from getting here.” I was using my regular voice again, as I watched his posture relax. Or it was the relief from knowing that I was a fellow dissentient of the church.
I swiveled my draconic eyes around, watching the nun taking her time washing up dishes for the day. She was almost done, so I should make it quick. Else she might hear us.
“There’s a ploy by the church to trap the town of Arlond by breaking the bridge. Their Pact Mage was supposed to arrive and give the order, but as you see that hasn’t happened.”
He narrowed his eyes as I felt the blood rush into my cheeks. Did I say something wrong? Was I incorrect in my calculations?
“We call it Armis. The foreign charts still have Arlond,” Buryan added as I sighed in relief. Nothing to note, though he did look irritated.
