Cerberus Rex, Nameless

Lady Of Versitude, 30

Noarwin turned his coat inside out, so its gold lining hid the purple outside's wear and tear of battle. He'd been lucky to have received more of the solare's blades than it. Expensive pieces of artwork such as his coats, the only items he splurged on, were hard to obtain for solare usually charged a twenty percent markup. He sighed, wishing he'd had time to clean up, but he doubted Arne would wait for him. He stepped into the cathedral where Bishop Yandez waited. He twiddled his fingers and paced under one of the stained glass windows. Noarwin approached him from behind and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Is the captain growing impatient?" he asked.

"You know him better than me," Yandez said looking at Noarwin. "What's going on, Winny? Sir Sefu lugged in a young woman here late last night. He'd chained her in his magic manacles. Is she a mage?"

"She is. And a suspect," Noarwin replied.

"That poor girl..." Yandez shook his head.

Noarwin tightened his lips in an attempt to avoid sharing Yandez's sentiment. "Don't pity her yet, Yandez. We don't know how involved she is."

"Her tears were real, Noarwin," he said.

Yes, so was her fear. "I've no doubt, but people weep for various reasons. Not all because they are innocent." Noarwin walked past Bishop Yandez into a hall that led behind the goddess's altar. The thick shadows reminded him of Feri, and he scanned his surroundings for a darker corner than the others, but he didn't notice anything suspicious. He and Yandez approached an arched wooden door at the end of the hall lit by torchlight. Two guards stood before it, each in blue and red tabards that hung in inlaid patterns over their bronze chainmail. Yandez waved them away, and he revealed a large key to open the door.

"Don't let him hurt her, Noarwin. Please," Yandez said.

Noarwin glanced sideways at the bishop, recalling that Yandez had once been in Gunilla's position. He didn't want to imagine the things Yandez went through before Goddess Forefa brought him relief. Sometimes Noarwin thought it her plot in order to convert men like him and Yandez. Other times, he wanted to believe that she would have intervened even if Yandez hadn't turned his life over to her.

"Captain Fairwind isn't as brutal as you all assume," Noarwin began, "but yes. I will stop him if he takes things too far." Noarwin stepped through the threshold and started down the spiraling steps alone. It reminded him of the wizard's dungeon, and he wondered where Afonlas went. Why protect the girl and then let them find her? Unless he changed his mind. Arch Mages, according to his experience, often did.

The winding staircase straightened out after a final bend and led Noarwin into an underground chamber. A set of stairs on the other side mirrored his. Two pillars framed each over a gated trap door. Noarwin glanced down, glad it was too dark in the candlelight to make out more than the ashen bones under them. Below lay the marauders of the goddess, left where they burned to remind others of when she and her followers were attacked.

Her cathedral didn't have a dungeon, but Arne sometimes treated her basement like one. Noarwin doubted she cared for the things Arne did in the belly of her church, but he'd forced information from guilty parties more than once to protect her people. Perhaps that's why she allowed it. Or perhaps she stood behind Arne to ensure that he learned all he needed. She was the goddess of knowledge and learning secrets. Maybe that's why Noarwin felt drawn to her. He didn't have any firm ideas though, and nothing solidified before he traveled through the long stretch of hall and found Captain Fairwind in the final chamber. Torches and candelabras encircled the damp and shining cobblestone room in dim golden light. Black iron bars and reinforcements gave it a bird's cage look more suited for griffins than a terrified girl. Arne looked down at the moth he'd tied to a chair in its center. Every bit of flame graced his features with an intense warmth that felt more ominous than ethereal.