The Teacher

Interim

Finn walked into the house and was met by an earnestly worried Gloria, wringing her hands and shifting from foot to foot as she stared at the door. Finn smiled apologetically and slumped onto the couch with a deep sigh.

"That took too much out of me. I need a nap." Finn said.

"What-" Gloria swallowed. "How did-" the hand wringing turned into clutching and Finn leaned towards the girl.

"Easy, Gloria." Finn consoled. "Nothing's been done yet. There's a process I have to follow where any organized religion is involved." Finn explained and patted the couch next to her. "Sit. Breathe. Ask your questions, I can rest here for now and nap after."

"I think I may have spoken out of turn." Gloria said, suddenly formal and stiff where she stood in front of Findobhair. "I seem to have given the wrong impression."

Finn narrowed here eyes at Gloria, who wouldn't meet her stare and instead focused on a point just above Finn's head. "Sit. Down." Finn commanded, wrapping the magic she had been planning to use on pain control around the command instead. Not to force her to sit, but to shock Gloria out of whatever brainwashed stand she was in. It worked, although now Finn's vision was blurry. Gloria sat down, her eyes wide and scared as she met Finns' scrutinizing gaze.

"Organized religions are tedious to deal with for anything related to a hunt. This is mostly to protect their people, shepards and sheep alike, and there are very ancient, strong magics involved. All I was able to do today was approach the Bishop in charge of your diocese and make him aware of the issues."

"They really weren't that bad." Gloria murmured, but Finn read the doubt on her face and knew that was something that had been told to her more times than she'd ever said it herself.

"Maybe not. But the exorcist broke three distinct sets of laws. He must be held accountable for his actions. So do your parents, should we find out they were involved." Finn said and leaned back against the arm of the couch, folding her legs under her to face Gloria.

"What do you mean, sets of laws?" Gloria asked.

"Well, the mundane laws regarding child pornographers. The choice to slather you in wine and exposing you to adults when you aren't legally an adult and able to consent is fairly cut and dried, although I somehow think you won't press charges for that?" Finn asked and Gloria shook her head, her eyes growing large and terrified again. Finn nodded acceptance. "Too few do, but forcing you to press charges would do just as much damage. So, he also broke Church Law by doing an exorcism without the permission of the Church, those have to be sanctioned and done by trained priests." Finn paused a moment to breath through pain that spiked up.

She felt Gloria get up off the couch, and a few minutes later return to press a hot cup into her hands. Finn sipped and felt the magic seep into her body. After a moment she nodded and opened her eyes. "Thank you."

"That was two sets of laws." Gloria nudged and Finn nodded.

"To attack anyone that is part of our magical world is a crime in and of itself. In most cases there's no cause for me to get involved since it wasn't a magical attack in any way. There is a grey area though where religions are concerned, because whether the followers of the religion realize it or not their gods, and all the creatures that go with it, are completely real. Part of the reason that exorcists require training is because they are trained to tell if there is a demon and, if there is, what kind it is. There are different types of exorcisms. So that makes what he did a magical attack against an untrained, underaged witch."

Gloria blinked and looked away. "So my parent's aren't in trouble then?"

Finn considered Gloria a moment before she answered. "I don't have the answer to that yet. Do you think there's reason for me to look into them?"

Gloria didn't answer, choosing to shake her head and wrap her arms around her middle tightly instead. After a moment she stood and walked into her room and Finn nodded to herself. She finished her tea and made her slow way to the kitchen to rinse out her mug, then up the stairs to sleep.

She made a mental note to get Gloria in touch with Raphael. He would be the most likely one to help her heal from whatever trauma had been caused by the exorcism. The trick was always getting a hold of him, as he preferred to be active in his roles and among the people that worshipped him. As sleep thickened in her head she mumbled his name, hoping he wouldn't assume she was calling for herself.

She became aware in the middle of a dream and cursed. This was a recurring dream and she quite enjoyed it. For someone to interrupt her now, it had better be important. She suddenly realized she had no mouth.

"You did call me, and that in itself would warrant interrupting a dream, although if you won't give yourself a mouth I'm not sure how you mean to speak to me." Raphael chuckled where he sat on a random log in the middle of the fading dream smoke.

Finn rolled her eyes and focused. It didn't take magic to lucid dream, and in a few moments she had them in a glade she remembered from her childhood with plenty of logs to sit around a central fire pit. Finally she opened her mouth.

"It's about Gloria." Finn said. Raphael nodded, keeping his opinions to himself. "I'm worried she is hiding injuries from the Exorcism. Can I send her to you?"

Raphael blinked, taken back by the question. "Since when do you ask first?" The angel blurted, and then promptly waved off any answer Finn may have offered. "I'm sorry, that was entirely out of line. I will absolutely speak with her, but you should be aware there's a lot you don't know in this situation."

Finn nodded. "I had guessed as much. If you take care of her injuries I'll take care of the rest."

Raphael looked like he wanted to correct Finn, but she was already dissolving the dream and so in the end the last thing she saw in the dream was the angel shaking his head slowly.

Finn woke from her dream feeling much more rested than she had all week. She frowned, realizing Raphael had been helping her in the dream. Anyone but him she would call to task on, and for a moment she considered calling him to task anyways, but in the end she used the energy she had from her nap to wrap a pain blocking spell around her.

There wasn't a lot she could do about the exorcism issue until the bishop got back to her about whether she was hunting one of his priests or not, and so she made her way downstairs. She grabbed a jacket, it was raining outside where she was planning on going next, and then tapped gently on Gloria's bedroom door.

"I'm going to the village to get some information. Are you coming with me?" She waited a moment before she nodded and stepped away from the door. As she went to the front door she heard Gloria's door open and she stopped.

"Know any spells to hide puffy eyes?" Gloria asked. She looked like she'd been crying for hours, and she may well have been. Finn smiled sadly.

"No spells, and I'm afraid I was never good at make up. Bag of ice maybe?"

Gloria chuckled and shook her head. "Just don't let them ask."

"I am the shield for those that need it, and the sword for those that deserve it." Finn answered and Gloria blinked at her in surprise.

"So you only kill people that deserve it?"

"Well, that or I will kill for you if you deserve to use me as a weapon." Finn opened the door to the hotel they had stayed at a week ago.