These were not things that normal children did, and Aria knew it. She had to sit her daughter down, and get her daughter to listen to Walden’s offer with an open mind. Aria let out a small sigh to herself, as she entered Villamcreek.
She knew how stubborn her daughter could be, and she knew how much her daughter loved her. Trying to get her to not only change her mind, but also separate from Aria, would not be easy. But easy was not what Aria signed up for when she found out she had become a mother. Easy was not something that came with pure, unconditional love.
Love was difficult. And because Aria loved her daughter, Aria would speak to her, convince her, and part with her. Because I love you, Melas, I will protect you, thought Aria.
Aria’s mind was made up. She knew what had to be done. She was focused, determined, and ready. Perhaps it was because of that, that she did not notice them until they saw her. And by the time she realized they were there, it was already too late.
In front of Aria, seven individuals stood. She had never met them, and neither have they, her. But that did not stop them from recognizing her, and she, them. They knew who she was because they had seen her pictures before, while she knew who they were because of the pictures they bore.
Seven individuals, each donning a crest known throughout the world. The symbol of hope, the mark of greatness, the flag of the Holy Xan Empire.
Inquisitors.
Chapter 7: Standing Prayer
Seven individuals stood in front of Aria, a look of recognition filled the eyes of every single one of them.
A man with golden blonde hair, neatly trimmed to an amicable length, stood at the head of the group. He was dressed in an elegant golden doublet, emblazoned with the sigil of the Xan Empire at its center. The signature red sword— pointed downwards— surrounded by streaks of holy rays, was embroidered just under the collar. A large glowing mana crystal, about the size of his palm, rested at the very top of the symbol, where the hilt of the depicted sword should be. The man rested his pale gloved hand on a silver and gold saber, sheathed on the side of his black trousers. The casual way he approached her, and the fact that he was the only one without any armor, immediately set off alarm bells in Aria’s head.
"Valeria Aimy Corinna," said the man, almost as if declaring it. "It is truly a fortune bestowed upon us by the Goddess that we run into you here."
Aria reacted immediately. She covered her face as much as possible, turning to the side, and lowering the brim of her purple pointed hat downwards. Carefully pitching her voice to sound as young as possible, she spoke.
"G-greetings travellers! Are you looking for someone?"
Each word she spoke was full of purpose. Aria needed to sound like a scared young maiden, who was interacting with outsiders for the first time. It did help that she was actually afraid, though what she feared was not that they were strangers, but of what they would do. The chances of actually fooling them were slim at best, but this was the only way she could resolve the situation without actually fighting them. The man however, was less than amused.
"Do not think you can fool us. We know who you are, Fiend."
"F-f-fiend?! I’m sorry sir if I have offended you. I was just heading to—"
Before Aria could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by the red haired woman standing to the man’s left.
"Be silent, heretic! Saint Theron is not an idiot, and neither are we. Turn yourself over and accept your divine retribution, or we will make you."
The woman drew her great sword as she spoke. Unlike the man— Saint Theron— the symbol of the Xan empire was plastered on the shoulderpads of her plate armor. Both her sword and armor were embedded with a dozen mana crystals of varying colors, though none of them were as large or bright as Theron’s.
Aria was now getting more and more wary of the group. What is a Saint doing with Inquisitors?
Saints were supposed to be incredibly rare and powerful, shedding their life to perform miracles that rival even the most powerful of magic-users. As such, they were only deployed to deal with crises, and would not be grouped together with Inquisitors which functioned more like an elite strike force.
The tense scene, paired with the woman’s previous outburst, seemed to have attracted the attention of some villagers, and among them was a familiar middle aged man. Walden stepped out from the crowd of passersby, and approached the group of Inquisitors and the Saint.
"Greetings Sir Saint. What seems to be the problem?"
Theron broke off from glaring at Aria, and glanced around quickly. He seemed to have only just noticed the gathered crowd, before he turned to face Walden.
"Mr Walden, I apologize for the commotion. We were just apprehending a known heretic, so if you may please assist us in dispersing the crowd, we would be very grateful."
Murmurs immediately spread throughout the crowd upon the mention of a heretic, and Aria tensed up. She was expecting Walden to turn to her, and suddenly connect the dots, but he continued speaking with the group.
