I Can't Get the Vampire Rogue to Romance Me

Chapter 54 - The High Cleric

They didn't have to actually wait long. The door reopened and the cold-eyed cleric slipped out.

"The High Cleric will see you," he said, with the resignation of a man who had lost another round of an ongoing argument again. He held the door for them.

Harrowheart's shoulders dropped a noticeable inch, then she smiled and led the way into the office of the High Cleric.

It was much like the rest of the tree, formed like a giant hollow a squirrel family would live in, except the opening at the far end was filled with panes of colored glass arranged in the pattern of a beautiful woman holding a cornucopia against one hip while her fingers draped gracefully at her shoulder touching a small white squirrel sitting there.

Just in front of the beautiful glass was a white desk with strips of birch bark decorating each leg. This definitely hadn't come from the Great Tree itself.

Behind the desk stood a small woman. She looked human, judging by her ears, if short with bright white hair. She was dressed like the other clerics in the Great Tree, but there was an aura around her that seemed finer. More divine.

As the party approached, Sigismund bowed her head and saluted the High Cleric like she had the other clerics yesterday. Artmond bowed his nobleman's bow a half second after her.

The High Cleric nodded her head in acknowledgement of both their salutes then turned her eyes to Hagor standing on Evangeline's right.

Hagor crossed his arms before himself before resisting, then failing to nod his head to the High Cleric. She nodded back and made no further comment.

At last she regarded the two rogues, who did not feel compelled to salute her in any way.

"Welcome, I understand you were of great help in quelling the fire at Harrowheart's forge the day before?" she said.

Of course she would have heard about that.

"Yes, ma'am," Evangeline said, clasping her hands behind her back. "We were happy to do so."

Valerian snorted, but Evangeline's face didn't crack from its congenial smile.

"We are very grateful to you. A fire so close to our sacred trees is a great concern, as I'm sure you can understand." Then the High Cleric laid her hand against her chest. "I am the High Cleric Sageoru. I am pleased to meet with such brave adventurers."

Now Evangeline nodded in return. "I'm Evangeline. This is Valerian, Artmond, Sigismund, and Hagor," she said, indicating each in turn.

"Hagor?" High Cleric Sage asked, tilting her head to one side. "I feel like I have heard that name before?"

Evangeline could practically feel the druid bristle. She knew from burning her Meta point last night that one of the options to obtain a sun-gem easily had been to reveal Hagor's status as a Companion of Kish. But she also knew that it harmed the relationship with Hagor to out him in this way. Nothing insurmountable, but not the course of action Evangeline hoped would play out.

Besides, there were lots of other ways to get a sun-gem.

"We were hoping to acquire a sun-gem. Harrowheart here directed us to you," Evangeline said, avoiding the High Cleric's implied question entirely.

Her eyebrows twitched together. "Then Harrowheart should also know that sun-gems are a very special and highly regulated gift bestowed on us by the Tree of Dawn. It is not something that can simply be purchased."

"We were hoping to make a donation," Evangeline said, slipping the pouch holding the starter gold she had forgotten about. She wiggled it in a way that made the coins within chink, while not being obvious that was what she was doing so as not to be rude or imply anything about the High Cleric's virtues.

Thieves' Skill: Persuasion. Failure.

The High Cleric's fingers twitched a little at the sight of the money, but she immediately folded her hands into the sleeves of her robe. That was not the reaction Evangeline was hoping for.

"While I can understand why you would think so, I feel I must decline your generous donation, for I do not think it will be given in the necessary spirit."

Well, that figures, Evangeline thought. She had always succeeded on that roll all the times before when she had chosen this route, so it just made sense that the one time it really mattered, that's the time when she failed the roll. And there was no scum saving this situation. At least not one she had figured out yet.

"High Cleric Sageoru please," Harrowheart intervened. "I can vouch for these people. They have done a lot of good for several others here in the grove. Their intentions for the sun-gem are nothing but noble."

"Well, that's laying it on a little thick," Valerian muttered, but Evangeline was confident she was the only one who heard it. She had to bite her inner lip to keep from smiling.

Again, the High Cleric considered them. "Maybe if you told me what you need it for?"

That elicited exchanged glances from the party. They hadn't discussed if they wanted to reveal the existence of the Phoenix or not and Evangeline had no "Meta" feeling about this since she had never failed the roll before.

The High Cleric smirked. "Hmm, I seem to have found the rub of the matter."

"Our apologies, highest one," Sigismund said, bowing over her own folded hands. "It is not that we are trying to obfuscate our intentions towards you, it is that it involves a secret and a story that is not ours to tell."

Harrowheart was visibly sweating.

The High Cleric nodded her head sagely. "I respect your candor, Daughter, and I will honor it, but please understand my position then. I cannot just let the sun-gem go without knowing its intended purpose or who I'm giving it to beyond simply your names."

Again, her knowing eyes landed on Hagor.

A thought occurred to Evangeline then. Is she a fan?

It was the same look she had seen on people's faces when they were at comic con and had run across one of the celebrities while they were walking around in a normal setting, like the hotel lobby or strolling through the dealer's hall. That limbo in between knowing pretty sure that the person you're looking at is the person you think it is and the natural human understanding that the person in front of you is actually a stranger. The protocol in those cases was you had to wait them out and hope they declared themselves or gave you permission to ask.

Testing out the opportunity, Evangeline made eye contact with Hagor again. And again, his eyes pleaded with her not to say anything.

Letting out a sigh, Evangeline relented. "Thank you for your time, High Cleric. We very much appreciate it."

Harrowheart's face fell into "alarmed puppy dog" when she realized they were leaving without the sun-gem.

Evangeline gave her an apologetic half-smile. They were going to have to go another route. Probably a more rogue-ish route and judging by Valerian's smirk, he already knew that. Why did she have to place a bet with him?

Just before they left by the door however, the High Cleric gestured with a hand. "Hold on a moment. I have an idea."

To be continued...

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