Midnight

Messiah

"It's this way." Vaneer led, and Estelle hurried to keep up. She shot Jason a nervous glance over her shoulder.

"He wouldn't want to see you if it were bad news." Her trainer raised his hands in placation. "Probably not, anyway."

"What do I do?" Estelle swallowed. "Do I bow, kowtow, curtsy..."

"You be yourself." Vaneer smiled. "He's a man like me, only a bit more supernatural and mythical. He's really not scary."

"I look terrible..." Estelle worried with her hands. "I wish I'd had time to do more than brush my hair..."

"The Messiah is not overly concerned with outward appearances." Vaneer sounded amused. How rude! "In my experience, it's what lies in your heart and your soul which truly defines you to him."

"Is he good at figuring that out?" Great, more things to panic about.

"He's the best. Now come. We go up these stairs–"

"Estelle!"

She froze. "Kui, I'm in the middle of something–"

"I need to speak with you." He had books tucked under his arm, and manic certainty blazed in his eyes. "It'll be quick, but it's important."

Estelle glanced at Vaneer and Jason. "Would the Messiah–"

"Take what time you need." Vaneer made a brushing-away gesture. "I'll go ahead and let him know. Come up these stairs when you're finished. It's straight ahead–there are no turns to confuse you."

"Of course. Thank you." She turned to Kui. "Yes?"

"Ah..." His eyes flicked to the side.

"...oh." This got better by the moment. Estelle couldn't meet Jason's eyes. "Could you...?"

"Certainly." He patted her shoulder. "Tell me how it went when it's over."

"I will." Estelle waited until Jason had vanished, and then she whirled on Kui. "I am in the middle of the most important moment of my training–"

"I snuck into the restricted area of the archives."

"You did what?" Estelle's eyes bulged. "Kui, we're not allowed back there for good reasons–"

"Like hiding the true purpose of the Guiding Light?" His lips thinned. "Like obfuscating the truth about their motives?"

"Kui, what are you driving at?" Estelle stared. "The Guiding Light exists to lead humanity forward, like Jason said. It's straightforward."

"They have files on people of interest across both sides of the Iron Sea and even into the Southern Islands. They have records of every major event to happen in living memory, and beyond, and stacks and stacks of plans indicating they have far more resources than we've seen. This is a global organization, Estelle, not a monastic order in the hinterlands."

"That's...not much of a secret." She fought a twinge of unease. "It's an ancient order. Of course it's widely-spread. Of course they have plans and records and information–they're here to protect and help people. It's what they do. They need data."

"No one does good because they do good." His jaw worked. "However pure the intent, there's always more to their motives. The Paladins are extinct."

"I'm sure if you talked to Jason–"

"He'll lie to me like he lies to you."

Estelle stared. She stared deep into Kui's dark eyes, and a spark set inside of her, building and building into a conflagration of rage.