The Guiding Light

//Chapter 1: A mere flicker//

It's been a few days since you started coming to the faith's church when nothing was being held. The reason you did this was because there was a non-zero chance you might get thrown back to the lower city if the city watch had caught you there. But so far, so good. Either they figured no lower city scum would make it to the faith's main base of operation, or they just didn't care enough to send patrols to check on the place. Whatever the case may actually be, it was wise to take advantage of the opportunity presented before you while it lasted. You wondered if you should tell some of the more friendly folk you knew in the lower city about this place.

But you figure if there's too much traffic, it might attract the city watch and the whole thing would be a complete bust. Selfish it may seem, this was something you weren't going to let just go up in smoke, now would you? After all, life in the lower city taught you to be scrappy and to hold onto whatever things you could in order to get by. But with a lack of a job, freeloading off of the church would likely not last indefinitely. Hell, it might not even last a month at this rate. You had to figure out some way to either get a source of stable income and thus food, or figure out how to get this service to be readily provided in the lower city.

And it seemed that last one wasn't happening anytime soon, what with the republic's stance on the lower city in general. But maybe if you got in with the faith somehow, even as a lower ranking position, you could start to influence others within the system. But how, how could you do such a thing? A lowly priest or cleric wouldn't cut it, not even close. And getting to some of the higher positions would take too long. A real catch-22 of a situation, hm? But while you were thinking this, Cream Priest began to speak up. "Hello, stranger. I do not believe we have exchanged names yet despite our encounters over the past few days. I am cream priest cookie, I grew up as part of house custard." She said with utmost transparency. The fact she was a custard baffled you. "I'm Y/N cookie, and I grew up in the lower city all my life. Surprised you're a custard, I heard they don't take too kindly to my type." You say in reply.

"It is true, and such a shame that it is. All that power and influence, and they use it for themselves. That's why I became part of this little faith." Cream Priest replied, looking down in disappointment for how her house had turned out.  At least she was honest, or so it looked. Now wasn't the time to really see if she was truthful or not, so you had to have faith that she was. It was then at that moment that someone you weren't familiar with came into the church for some unknown reason. And right away, you could tell they were one of the paladins. You hid your scowl under your cloak as she spoke up with "Good afternoon, Cream Priest Cookie. I see you have taken a new one under your wing." "Right you are, Financier Cookie. What brings you here on this day of all days?" Cream Priest replied, revealing the paladin's name. 

As the priest and the paladin talked, you remained silent for fear of retribution by such a thing. And yet, you couldn't take your eyes off her, this financier woman. She seemed capable and well trained, stoic but passionate all the same. You wanted to hate her with all your heart because of what being a paladin meant in the lower city. Yet you seeming couldn't, what was this feeling you had within you? Something about the way she walked, the way she talked, it spoke to some part of you buried deep inside. It was then that she approached you and officially introduced herself. "Salutations. I am Ser Financier Cookie, I serve the consul as his bodyguard. Who might you be?" She said flatly, wanting to make some small talk while you were here. "Oh, uhhhhh... I'm Y/N. I'm from the lower city, I kinda need the service this place provides. I just wish I didn't have to sneak past city watch to get here." You say, admitting to your scheme of using the back alleys as entrance.

Seemed that Financier caught this annoyed look on your face when you gazed upon her. She sighed and said "Look, I know I'm not giving the best first impression with my paladin garments. But I need you to bear with me. A lot of the paladins you see? They can barely hold a sword by the hilt, much less how to swing it efficiently. Damned houses, always putting their people in place of actual capable warriors." She beared much the same anger as you did towards the paladins who went into the lower city. "You don't know the half of it. I could barely stand just one of them galavanting about in the lower city, going on and on about some divine right and or mission. Honestly, just makes my dough thinking about it." You tell her bluntly, trying to learn more.

Financier then looked at you. Despite the looseness of the humble robes you wore, she could tell you had quite the body. "You know, you seem like you've got a solid grasp on things. Perhaps you'd like to be a paladin yourself? Prove to a lot of cookies that a lower city citizen could be a more capable paladin than any of those incompetent suck ups who're there because of nepotism?" She asked politely, approaching slowly. This was certainly a major proposition to be given when you came to get some food today. "I... I'm not sure... Tell you what, I'll make my decision tomorrow. I need to think about this a little..." You tell Financier, being honest as possible.

"Very well. I recognize that this will definitely be a major departure from the lifestyle you lead as of now. But please consider it, really. You would be gaining a major set of skills, and could easily show a lot of flaws in the system we may not even know about. Regardless, take care and sleep well tonight." Financier finished with, giving a polite bow to end this first encounter. Cream Priest merely waved as you left and said "I hope we can meet some more, Y/N. You're a wonderful cookie to be around." You would take those kind words to heart, maybe they would be the deciding factor in your choice.