Fantasy Sanctus et Foedus Sanguis

[That Lass Over There]

Fingers twitched, and then only seconds after her dim consciousness made an attempt to lift her arms, stopping after she felt the difficulty with which the action was attempted. Good. Someone stopped Feray before she could try to heal me. It had been one of Cecilia's primary concerns collapsing just outside the novice nun's room - even the most unskilled could attempt to pray to the Father and heal, but doing so could often exact prices on the unprepared. Sister Feray, barely able to invoke the Father's Grace with prayer and with no background as a mage, would simply be transferring Cecilia's own conditions onto herself if she unwisely tried out of some misplaced feeling of debt.



The second thing she thought to do was open her eyes to judge the time based on the light coming through the window, but when she did she found herself looking to the corner absent of an inquisitor sitting silently. No surprise there, even if Cecilia was disappointed. Well, at least she would get to preach to her junior with some life wisdom and play the part of wizened old woman? She'd certainly spent much of her woozy time traveling between the clinics thinking up all sorts of enlightened nothing-burgers to drop on the inquisitor so she might actually buzz off and let her enjoy the sights next time.

... Well, maybe teach her some actual life lessons about patience and not rushing life as a result. Certainly, wanting to enjoy her own limited time is only a side benefit, yes.



Looking to the open-air window after her distraction, she estimated herself to have only been out twenty to thirty minutes - the light coming through hadn't changed much for how late in the evening it was. She didn't look for too long, the strong light causing distortions in her addled vision and plainly hurting a bit.

She had toughed it through this far, but the dehydration she had accrued from healing so much heat stroke and other dehydration cases through the day was certainly near the top of her 'least favorite ailments' list. Compounded by the blood she had taken from herself due to a lack of donors endemic to clinics that typically don't work with clergy to heal the wounded, she was tempted to wave her hand and cure herself magical traces be damned. Especially since that plus one of hers is probably out starting her work on making this entire case a sloppily handled mess that could only be cleaned up with traditional inquisition methods, something the Cardinal wanted to avoid at all costs but was willing to stoop to as an agent of the Choir.



... So, she was pleasantly surprised when the room's door cracked open not to reveal Feray or one of the children, but the very inquisitor she had just been spending so much time thinking about. After a few moments of surprise, her dry lips parted, offering a rather flat "Oh." It was a pleasant surprise, but far from what she had expected given the attitude of the inquisitor today - especially a Daemon Hunter who had caught scent of a Daemon. "I had expected... you to run off, when I fell." She chose not to dwell on the thoughts of possibilities she was considering if the woman had run off.

Instead, she struggled to look at the inquisitor's hands, a difficult angle without raising her head, and questioned, "Did you brew tea?"

 

[Aron the Aron]

... So, she was pleasantly surprised when the room's door cracked open not to reveal Feray or one of the children, but the very inquisitor she had just been spending so much time thinking about. After a few moments of surprise, her dry lips parted, offering a rather flat "Oh." It was a pleasant surprise, but far from what she had expected given the attitude of the inquisitor today - especially a Daemon Hunter who had caught scent of a Daemon. "I had expected... you to run off, when I fell." She chose not to dwell on the thoughts of possibilities she was considering if the woman had run off.

Instead, she struggled to look at the inquisitor's hands, a difficult angle without raising her head, and questioned, "Did you brew tea?"

The teapot hissed with steam as "Felicia" set it down on a nearby dresser, the cup of water sitting beside unconsumed. "...Your dehydration isn't as severe as it could've been." The water was still refreshingly cool when she pressed it into Cecilia's hands, and the delightful scent of ginger tea had already begun overpowering the traces of ammonia the room previously had. "...You will have to rest and eat more... You're already failing in strength as is."

Appearing satisfied that the Cardinal didn't seem in immediate danger of dying, "Felicia" moved on with a change of topic; She hadn't quite figured out what had been going on with the Cardinal's apparent bloodloss, what with the conspicuous lack of a wound for blood to be freely pouring out of.

"...You have bloodloss... but you don't have any visible wound on you."

 

[That Lass Over There]

The teapot hissed with steam as "Felicia" set it down on a nearby dresser, the cup of water sitting beside unconsumed. "...Your dehydration isn't as severe as it could've been." The water was still refreshingly cool when she pressed it into Cecilia's hands, and the delightful scent of ginger tea had already begun overpowering the traces of ammonia the room previously had.

"... Certainly." Cecilia closed her eyes that were barely useful so that she could concentrate more on the inquisitor's words over the noise of the world and thoughts around. She tilted her hand now holding the cup slightly, swirling the liquid in it. "I... need help, sitting up." It was the reason the water in the cup had gone ignored in spite of her need and its proximity.

Once she had help from her quiet companion, she propped her back against the wall, twisting her body in the bed so that she wouldn't have to burden the inquisitor's arms for longer than necessary. Only then did she lift the cup to her lips, pacing out small sips rather than desperately chugging the lifeline in her hand.

"...You will have to rest and eat more... You're already failing in strength as is."

Appearing satisfied that the Cardinal didn't seem in immediate danger of dying, "Felicia" moved on with a change of topic; She hadn't quite figured out what had been going on with the Cardinal's apparent bloodloss, what with the conspicuous lack of a wound for blood to be freely pouring out of.

"...You have bloodloss... but you don't have any visible wound on you."

"I was... Fine this morning, inquisitor. I've not neglected, food or drink. Or sleep." Conveniently, this ignored the window of before she had someone watching over her to subconsciously pressure her into at least mostly remembering to take care of herself. That previous neglect wasn't the cause of the present situation, though, so it was neither here nor there as long as the inquisitor didn't find out.



And speaking of her escort not discovering things... Remembering the gentle but overly assertive hand she had experienced the night of their meeting, Cecilia decided that it might be for the best that she not unwrap her bandages and unveil the blemished skin underneath. Neither the scars from herself nor others were typical practice, and she felt no interest in being lectured by the one she had spent all day working on making a point to.

So, conveniently, she passed over the inquisitor's indirect question with a mumbled 'you know how healing works,' before moving the conversation on. "Where is Sister Feray? I can't be, taking her bed."



And after getting her stalling question answered, she followed with the words she had formulated in the bought time. "If I entrusted... you with a letter, to the city lord, could you... deliver it for me?" It had been her true final destination for the night, but it seemed like her next stop was the Geldhearth inn for some rest. At least until Mazhar's messenger came with news.

 

[Aron the Aron]

"I was... Fine this morning, inquisitor. I've not neglected, food or drink. Or sleep." Conveniently, this ignored the window of before she had someone watching over her to subconsciously pressure her into at least mostly remembering to take care of herself. That previous neglect wasn't the cause of the present situation, though, so it was neither here nor there as long as the inquisitor didn't find out.

And speaking of her escort not discovering things... Remembering the gentle but overly assertive hand she had experienced the night of their meeting, Cecilia decided that it might be for the best that she not unwrap her bandages and unveil the blemished skin underneath. Neither the scars from herself nor others were typical practice, and she felt no interest in being lectured by the one she had spent all day working on making a point to.

So, conveniently, she passed over the inquisitor's indirect question with a mumbled 'you know how healing works,' before moving the conversation on. "Where is Sister Feray? I can't be, taking her bed."

"... Making stew." The nun in question (who now had a name to a face) was still likely out at the markets; in fact if the noises outside were to be believed, then the orphans she usually kept an eye on were attempting to eavesdrop through the door without their guardian to scold them. Heck, "Felicia" still had yet to retrieve the gold coins Feray had turned down, though maybe that was due to them being gold coins instead of their equivalent in silver. But "Felicia" wasn't interested in what was for dinner or coinage. "... You didn't answer my question."

The attempt at dodging the question was cute, but Cardinal Cecilia proved less subtle than she likely believed herself. The Blanchette still needed to know why her charge had collapsed; dehydration was understandable from even looking at the sickly-looking Cecilia, but the inexplicable bloodloss wasn't when no signs of recent bleeding could be found (at least, not without invading her modesty and privacy) "... Enlighten me, Cardinal... Why are you showing symptoms of bloodloss... you don't have any visible bleeding."

 

[That Lass Over There]

"... Making stew." Heck, "Felicia" still had yet to retrieve the gold coins Feray had turned down, though maybe that was due to them being gold coins instead of their equivalent in silver. But "Felicia" wasn't interested in what was for dinner or coinage. "... You didn't answer my question."

The Blanchette still needed to know why her charge had collapsed; dehydration was understandable from even looking at the sickly-looking Cecilia, but the inexplicable bloodloss wasn't when no signs of recent bleeding could be found (at least, not without invading her modesty and privacy) "... Enlighten me, Cardinal... Why are you showing symptoms of bloodloss... you don't have any visible bleeding."

"...?" Cecilia cracked her eyes open again to judge the light from the window, once again coming to the same conclusion that she had only been out for half an hour or less. Yet, the nearest market was about that much of a walk away. She doubted Sister Feray had everything necessary here, poor of means as the orphanage is, so the idea that she was currently 'making stew' didn't make much sense.

Assuming her companion was just being brief with words, she moved on, shaking her head at the inquisitor's inability to drop the question. "I already..." As she was about to complain about her half answer being sufficient enough with context clues, she paused and looked at the inquisitor in spite of how painfully the stark white popped in her eyes. She thought about her impressions of the woman so far and her behaviors and attitude, and something clicked in her mind.



Closing her eyes again to shield herself even slightly from the delusions of the mind, she answered patiently: "Prayers invoking the Father... can heal, but only what is there. To create a lost limb, or, an organ, a mage is... necessary. Blood is... infamously demanding, for something so easily lost. The clinics in Bursa... are not used to working, with clergy gifted in healing. They don't have, healthy donors available. I verified... years ago, that whatever ails me is not transmissible... not by blood, so I gave my own - to those who lost too much, when no alternative. You were often, wandering off, so you didn't see." She knew the border she could toe better than most, though she ended up pushing just a bit closer to it than intended and ran out of steam to finish the day.

"... And my question?"

 

[Aron the Aron]

Closing her eyes again to shield herself even slightly from the delusions of the mind, she answered patiently: "Prayers invoking the Father... can heal, but only what is there. To create a lost limb, or, an organ, a mage is... necessary. Blood is... infamously demanding, for something so easily lost. The clinics in Bursa... are not used to working, with clergy gifted in healing. They don't have, healthy donors available. I verified... years ago, that whatever ails me is not transmissible... not by blood, so I gave my own - to those who lost too much, when no alternative. You were often, wandering off, so you didn't see."

Considering how long she had been living, "Felicia" was surprised at herself how she didn't know this until just then. Then again, the Inquisitor always preferred to mend her own injuries, and mages who could heal were far from commonplace. Still, the explanation for her bloodloss brought up a concern for the Cardinal's bodyguard.

Being injured on duty was a guarantee as a Daemonhunter; the very nature of her job meant that death was always nearby, waiting for an opportunity to snatch her up like many of her sisters-in-arms. If Cecilia deigned to try and personally tend to any injuries "Felicia" got...

... No. If it came down to it, the Inquisitor would make sure she dealt with it before the Cardinal could spot it. Far from the wisest idea, but it beat out the alternative.

"... And my question?"

...

"If I entrusted... you with a letter, to the city lord, could you... deliver it for me?"

"... Right." The request she had made earlier.

"... I'll deliver it before we return to the Inn." If "Felicia" were frank, she'd have asked more questions just about the letter, but considering the circumstances, she had doubts that the letter was an attempt at something behind her back.

 

[That Lass Over There]

Still, the explanation for her bloodloss brought up a concern for the Cardinal's bodyguard. Being injured on duty was a guarantee as a Daemonhunter; the very nature of her job meant that death was always nearby, waiting for an opportunity to snatch her up like many of her sisters-in-arms. If Cecilia deigned to try and personally tend to any injuries "Felicia" got...

... No. If it came down to it, the Inquisitor would make sure she dealt with it before the Cardinal could spot it. Far from the wisest idea, but it beat out the alternative.

It was a sneaking feeling, a tingling on her skin, instinctual after having dealt with way too many idiots. And she certainly considered the person in the room with her an idiot of a kind. "... Just in case. This case will likely be the only, dangerous thing you do... with me, but, don't even think of avoiding treatment. I wasn't gifted abilities, to let those around me suffer. And physical impairments... are much more detrimental, to you than me." And, you won't have very good chances of hiding, but she left it unsaid. As much because she felt the words were pointless as it was that she simply felt she should be limiting her speech a bit more until she's managed a bit of a recovery.

"... Right." The request she had made earlier.

"... I'll deliver it before we return to the Inn." If "Felicia" were frank, she'd have asked more questions just about the letter, but considering the circumstances, she had doubts that the letter was an attempt at something behind her back.

Cecilia nodded in response, acknowledging that as fine. She still had to write the thing, so it would have been troubling if her companion had been wanting to go right that moment. With sluggish movements she rummaged in the pouch always kept at her waist, fishing out a bottle of ink and a piece of paper. The paper was haphazardly tossed, oddly carried by the air to the desk where it lay, while the bottle of ink was uncorked with a weak flick of her thumb.

Adjusting her grip, she dipped her index finger just inside, pulling it out and just under it a rippling string of fluid, controlled by her with hardly any apparent effort. With her right hand, she continued sipping from her cup, a cup that was strangely full even considering the small bits she had been drinking at a time.



"If you want, the technical explanation..." She flicked her finger, and with it the ink it had been pulling, over to the paper where it started very slowly snaking into words following her thoughts. "... Of why this much, won't get caught - it will have to wait." It was difficult to talk and exert the delicate control necessary for writing with 'movement' - she wasn't even able to listen to what her companion might be saying, really - so she simply attempted to speed through the process, causing her to smudge a few letters of the unfamiliar language of Takheit.

She allowed herself the mild imperfections given her state and forged the shape of the Daube family seal stamped into the paper with a practiced thought, not carrying sealing wax or something to heat it with (without magic) on her. The entire process was... Actually, faster than writing it herself, but she found writing to be much less straining than the exercise this sort of parlor trick was so it was rarely used as replacement.

"All done..."



... She was a little surprised with how fast the inquisitor left the room holding the letter, even if they didn't have much to chat about. Should she have talked up Sister Feray's cooking, and mentioned how it was unlikely to be spicy?

...

By the time dinner had been enjoyed together at the large table and she had gone back to check on the twins to see how they were doing, the inquisitor still hadn't returned. Unsurprising given the distance and likely bureaucracy around the delivery, but still disappointing that she hadn't been able to join them. There was even a boy who normally followed Emre around, Munir, who specifically asked about 'the missing big sister'.

That put a big smile on Cecilia's face, because she finally got to confirm that her companion hadn't done too poorly with the children. She had felt bad leaving her like that, but maybe she was a bit less stiff around kids? At the very least, the kids said she had talked the tiniest amount, about some hard to understand thing, and that was more than she had known the inquisitor to speak in the presence of anyone that was not herself.



It was only a bit of deliberation before Ceci decided, feeling a bit better in spite of the day catching up with her, to return to the inn on her own. If the inquisitor came back to the chapel, then Feray and the children could direct her in the right direction. Or she might already have started on her way back to the inn.

There was the possibility that the Daemon Hunter had taken the opportunity to slink off, but... She hoped that after the talk they had in the morning, and the day to cool down, her companion would have the restraint to wait just a bit.

 

[Aron the Aron]

Cecilia nodded in response, acknowledging that as fine. She still had to write the thing, so it would have been troubling if her companion had been wanting to go right that moment. With sluggish movements she rummaged in the pouch always kept at her waist, fishing out a bottle of ink and a piece of paper. The paper was haphazardly tossed, oddly carried by the air to the desk where it lay, while the bottle of ink was uncorked with a weak flick of her thumb.

Adjusting her grip, she dipped her index finger just inside, pulling it out and just under it a rippling string of fluid, controlled by her with hardly any apparent effort. With her right hand, she continued sipping from her cup, a cup that was strangely full even considering the small bits she had been drinking at a time.



"If you want, the technical explanation..." She flicked her finger, and with it the ink it had been pulling, over to the paper where it started very slowly snaking into words following her thoughts. "... Of why this much, won't get caught - it will have to wait." It was difficult to talk and exert the delicate control necessary for writing with 'movement' - she wasn't even able to listen to what her companion might be saying, really - so she simply attempted to speed through the process, causing her to smudge a few letters of the unfamiliar language of Takheit.

She allowed herself the mild imperfections given her state and forged the shape of the Daube family seal stamped into the paper with a practiced thought, not carrying sealing wax or something to heat it with (without magic) on her. The entire process was... Actually, faster than writing it herself, but she found writing to be much less straining than the exercise this sort of parlor trick was so it was rarely used as replacement.

"All done..."

Colorful magic display aside, the relative speed of the letter's completion must've meant a certain degree of urgency for its delivery. She still didn't really know what the letter entailed, but she hoped that the whole thing wasn't another frivolous waste of her time and energy. After receiving it, Inquisitor "Felicia" made for the door without much discussion or question. The mayor's office and residence was a fair distance, an hour's travel there and another hour back if she was extremely optimistic.

No time to waste then; "Felicia" ought to get straight to it... after retrieving her gold coins.

... She was a little surprised with how fast the inquisitor left the room holding the letter, even if they didn't have much to chat about. Should she have talked up Sister Feray's cooking, and mentioned how it was unlikely to be spicy?

Bursa - Takheit Republic
October 18th, 1029
-------------------------------------------------------------------​

The harsh summer sun hung well above the sprawl of the desert city, casting a golden glow across the sandstone rooftops. The Inquisitor ran and leapt across Bursa's rooftops like a gazelle, her nose tickled with the scent of spices and dry earth, and the hum of the marketplace below barely registering to her. The "Thieves' Highway" proved clear of traffic unlike the busy streetlife, which meant several minutes were shaved off with each leap. At her current pace, she could confidently estimate that what had looked to be an hour-long run had been comfortably cut down by 10 minutes, precious time she could recoup later as she finally saw her destination peek over from the rest of Bursa's skyline.

She was only another few minutes before the building she had been looking for hoved into view. The better part of the hour spent, "Felicia" wasted little time in leaping down, her nimble fingers latching onto the first windowsill she could find with the precarious creak of dry wood. She only need to get inside and drop off the letter where the mayor would find it without fail, then she could bugger off without anyone being the wiser, just the way she liked doing things.

No better time then, as Lumina clambered through the window and helped herself inside.

---

.
..
...

---

"Felicia" would never admit that things going as she wanted was a sadly rare occurrence, but the fact that she dropped off Cecilia's sealed letter on the mayor's desk without anyone noticing was a net positive to an otherwise crummy day (notable since a lot of said "crumminess" was because of the same Cardinal who was the reason "Felicia" was there in the first place). The Inquisitor could at least be assured that Cecilia wouldn't have gone off by herself in the two hours she had been absent, and once she had leapt down from the last rooftop to the dusty street in front of the orphanage (and getting enthusiastic applause from some very curious orphans who had been playing outside), "Felicia" could finally sigh that the day was, for the most part, over and done with.

And once she opened the door to the chapel... that sigh would quickly turn into one of immense frustration.

 

[That Lass Over There]

The Inquisitor could at least be assured that Cecilia wouldn't have gone off by herself in the two hours she had been absent, and once she had leapt down from the last rooftop to the dusty street in front of the orphanage (and getting enthusiastic applause from some very curious orphans who had been playing outside), "Felicia" could finally sigh that the day was, for the most part, over and done with.

And once she opened the door to the chapel... that sigh would quickly turn into one of immense frustration.

As the inquisitor cracked open the door, she heard the children who had been clapping for her start to erupt in another commotion of all sorts of reactions. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tiny silhouette making up for grace with luck and determination as a girl, one of the youngest orphans in the group, clambered her way to the top of a nearby building. To the cries of admiration and worry from her peers, she puffed her chest out at the top, hands on her hips and a proud smile across her face.

While a select few kids sought and mostly failed to mimic her, she looked at the ground judging how to mimic the acrobatic landing of the inquisitor - at least, until her viewpoint unexpectedly rose, her limbs swimming through the air as she struggled against the sudden force hoisting her into the air. When she started falling along with the person holding her, she barely had time to be scared before she was sat alongside the other kids that had followed her and faced down by the inquisitor they had been inspired by.

The other kids followed behind as Lumina took the troublemakers inside, dragging them in front of Sister Feray - and after some struggles with incredibly brief words, the nun started telling off the children with a pale face, realizing what had nearly happened out of her sight.



Leaving Feray to her business Lumina slipped further into the building, where a bump in her calculations was discovered; the Cardinal was, in fact, not obediently laying in the borrowed bed where she could at least be looked over by the locals. Now that the inquisitor thought about it, she hadn't seen Del outside either. Not strange for a normal horse left untethered with creature needs, but the Cardinal's mount seemed far more well-trained than normal and likely wouldn't have wandered without explicit permission.

Paranoia winning as usual, a cursory examination of the room and surrounding area denied any suspicions of a forceful disappearance. Given how calm Feray had been cleaning dishes before bringing the children to her, the Cardinal had likely gone off on her own after feeling a small bit better. Now the question remained where, exactly, her charge had gone off to in such poor condition.



"Oh, Inquisitor." Feray caught Lumina on the way out, having returned to the dishes in the time that the inquisitor had taken examining the area. "Miss Cecilia said if you came back, that you should go to the inn, she'd be waiting for you."

... Well, at least the goose chase had a clear destination, though that wasn't much to assuage the grumbling of the heart.

Before Lumina could fully slip away as she was prone to do, she heard a faint voice behind trying to catch her attention. "Uhm..." The nun looked torn over something, an uncertainty gripping her as she struggled to think on the words to say, fumbling at the skirt of her habit. "Miss Cecilia, she told me that she was like that because..." Feray bit her lip before blurting out, "Should she stop healing people? I knew she wasn't well, but-!" She immediately bit back, though, likely thinking about how many people a healer of Cecilia's caliber saves with a guilty look on her face.

 

[Aron the Aron]

As the inquisitor cracked open the door, she heard the children who had been clapping for her start to erupt in another commotion of all sorts of reactions. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tiny silhouette making up for grace with luck and determination as a girl, one of the youngest orphans in the group, clambered her way to the top of a nearby building. To the cries of admiration and worry from her peers, she puffed her chest out at the top, hands on her hips and a proud smile across her face.

NOPE.

NOT HAPPENING.

SHE WAS SHUTTING THAT DOWN.

Ignoring the stroke she nearly had, "Felicia" monkey'd her way up the building in seconds before any of the orphans' zealousness overtook common sense. The speed with which The Inquisitor's hands and feet pulled the rest of her up was awe-inspiring for more of the orphans who were left watching, which she felt would become a major headache in the foreseeable future.

"Felicia" couldn't help mutter a silent apology to Sister Feray for what she accidentally implanted in the kids' heads, hoisting the young lass who, as far as the Inquisitor was concerned, was going to be the only child on a rooftop that day.

While a select few kids sought and mostly failed to mimic her, she looked at the ground judging how to mimic the acrobatic landing of the inquisitor - at least, until her viewpoint unexpectedly rose, her limbs swimming through the air as she struggled against the sudden force hoisting her into the air. When she started falling along with the person holding her, she barely had time to be scared before she was sat alongside the other kids that had followed her and faced down by the inquisitor they had been inspired by.

The other kids followed behind as Lumina took the troublemakers inside, dragging them in front of Sister Feray - and after some struggles with incredibly brief words, the nun started telling off the children with a pale face, realizing what had nearly happened out of her sight.

Leaving Feray to her business Lumina slipped further into the building, where a bump in her calculations was discovered; the Cardinal was, in fact, not obediently laying in the borrowed bed where she could at least be looked over by the locals. Now that the inquisitor thought about it, she hadn't seen Del outside either. Not strange for a normal horse left untethered with creature needs, but the Cardinal's mount seemed far more well-trained than normal and likely wouldn't have wandered without explicit permission.

Paranoia winning as usual, a cursory examination of the room and surrounding area denied any suspicions of a forceful disappearance. Given how calm Feray had been cleaning dishes before bringing the children to her, the Cardinal had likely gone off on her own after feeling a small bit better. Now the question remained where, exactly, her charge had gone off to in such poor condition.

"Oh, Inquisitor." Feray caught Lumina on the way out, having returned to the dishes in the time that the inquisitor had taken examining the area. "Miss Cecilia said if you came back, that you should go to the inn, she'd be waiting for you."

... Well, at least the goose chase had a clear destination, though that wasn't much to assuage the grumbling of the heart.

If the stunt was supposed to be some form of retribution for what "Felicia" pulled earlier the same morning, boy was Cecilia going to be disappointed with the results. At least the Cardinal had the decency to leave word of her location behind and save the Inquisitor the trouble of turning all of Bursa upside-down just to look for her wayward charge... She could've gone without the icy feeling in her gut though.

Just as the lady in white was about to turn for the door, Feray interjected.

Before Lumina could fully slip away as she was prone to do, she heard a faint voice behind trying to catch her attention. "Uhm..." The nun looked torn over something, an uncertainty gripping her as she struggled to think on the words to say, fumbling at the skirt of her habit. "Miss Cecilia, she told me that she was like that because..." Feray bit her lip before blurting out, "Should she stop healing people? I knew she wasn't well, but-!" She immediately bit back, though, likely thinking about how many people a healer of Cecilia's caliber saves with a guilty look on her face.

"... There's only so much she can do alone..." "Felicia" had more than enough experience to know just how much a single person could do, and at the same time how little they could do in the grand scheme of the world. It was still a lesson the Inquisitor was trying to learn, and it was a harsh lesson that the world seemed bent on hammering in at every opportunity.

"... But that doesn't mean she shouldn't try." But far be it for "Felicia" to spout hypocrisy when she was still prone to putting others well above her own needs. To her, there was no greater form of justice than to dedicate one's own life to the future, and perhaps Cecilia saw similarly through her healing.

"Some causes are worth suffering for."

And with that, "Felicia" turned back and left to reunite with her missing Cecilia.

---

Geldhearth Inn - Cecilia's Room
Bursa, Takheit Republic
October 18th, 1029
-------------------------------------------------------------------
​

It had barely been another half-hour after leaving the chapel when "Felicia" slipped through the door, and it surprised her not at all to see the Cardinal in bed like she was supposed to be back in the chapel. The addition of a third person seated at the foot of said bed was not expected though, but the Inquisitor's entrance seemed to pique both Cecilia and (... who was she again? The Innkeeper or her daughter, if "Felicia" recalled) her guest from... something.

 

[That Lass Over There]

Geldhearth Inn - Cecilia's Room
Bursa, Takheit Republic
October 18th, 1029
-------------------------------------------------------------------
​

It had barely been another half-hour after leaving the chapel when "Felicia" slipped through the door, and it surprised her not at all to see the Cardinal in bed like she was supposed to be back in the chapel. The addition of a third person seated at the foot of said bed was not expected though, but the Inquisitor's entrance seemed to pique both Cecilia and (... who was she again? The Innkeeper or her daughter, if "Felicia" recalled) her guest from... something.

Peri, just moments earlier leaning close to Cecilia's side with a serious face and hair held back behind her shoulder, jumped an impressive distance into the air when she saw the inquisitor suddenly seem to just appear out of the corner of her eye. Her face went bright red from embarrassment as she once again leaned over, this time to clean up the pieces that her impressive leap had sent flying across the board. From the Cardinal who watched that scene, there was only a weak chuckle as she turned her attention to the inquisitor with benefit of pillows to prop her up a bit this time.

Once again, it seemed her companion had unexpectedly not used the opportunity to run off and take things into her own hands. This time, Cecilia had put more stock in this possibility, but she still couldn't quite shake the idea that after confirming her care in the chapel the woman would run off and do something stupid.

Knowing now that her companion preferred silence in the company of others she almost fully turned her attention to Peri, eyes flicking over the girl's shoulders, arms, and face - thankful to see that there were no signs of tension left from the scare of yesterday. Yet again, she found her opinion of the young lady rising, though her thoughts cut off there as she felt a chill, what must've been her imagination acting up.



"Thank you... For staying, with me." Due to the combination of the day's burdens, her voice was notably feeble in comparison to the previous two nights. Her hand raised almost by habit, shifted course before it could cup the girl's cheek to patting her head. Nevertheless, the effect was there, Peri averting her eyes slightly away from the direction where they now had an onlooker.

"It's nothing, Lady Cecilia..." Her gaze flicking over to the recent arrival and understanding the subtle message, Peri quickly picked up the pieces she had been replacing and the board they had been set on before standing up. "I hope you feel better in the morning. Have a good night." Cecilia hummed in response, waving her hand without lifting the arm as Peri left the room with ever so slight haste.



"It seems... We'll have, news tomorrow." Mazhar's messenger, one of the reasons she had decided to stay awake in favor of wholeheartedly resting, had not arrived this night. If the silence continued to the noon tomorrow, she would have questions of whether mishaps had burnt bridges between them. Yet, she had a feeling that they would be hearing back from the guard captain soon.

It wasn't quite the moment to say any of the various 'wise sayings' she'd napkinned into existence today, so she decided that the topic of taking one's time would have to be brought up later to the inquisitor in a moment that would have good impact - wherever she might happen upon that. Instead, she only closed her eyes, passing the stick to her companion. "Any thoughts...?" She didn't specify a topic or timeframe, curious if the inquisitor might surprise her with yet another unexpected twist for these eventful few days.

 

[Aron the Aron]

"It seems... We'll have, news tomorrow." Mazhar's messenger, one of the reasons she had decided to stay awake in favor of wholeheartedly resting, had not arrived this night. If the silence continued to the noon tomorrow, she would have questions of whether mishaps had burnt bridges between them. Yet, she had a feeling that they would be hearing back from the guard captain soon.

It wasn't quite the moment to say any of the various 'wise sayings' she'd napkinned into existence today, so she decided that the topic of taking one's time would have to be brought up later to the inquisitor in a moment that would have good impact - wherever she might happen upon that. Instead, she only closed her eyes, passing the stick to her companion. "Any thoughts...?" She didn't specify a topic or timeframe, curious if the inquisitor might surprise her with yet another unexpected twist for these eventful few days.

Conveniently ignoring... whatever the hell was going on before, "Felicia" took a spot near the bed, looking down at where the Cardinal had just been playing chess.

Now it was important to note that "Felicia" would be the first to admit that she was -for lack of a better term- dumb. Certain philosophical topics flew clear over her head, and while she knew plenty, she wasn't quite as academically raised as she would've liked to be, a symptom of being raised a warrior over a person. It was therefore not hard to forgive anyone for thinking she wasn't strategically-minded enough for something like Chess. However...

"... White Queen to b8."

... what?

"... Black Rook to b8; White Bishop to B5."

Ah, "Felicia" had spied the chess game before it had been tossed around by Peri's startle. If Cecilia was going to recall the state of the chessboard. But wait a minute... If Cecilia heard the Inquisitor's comments correctly...



She had just checkmated her in 2 moves.

 

[That Lass Over There]

"... White Queen to b8."

... what?

"... Black Rook to b8; White Bishop to B5."

Ah, "Felicia" had spied the chess game before it had been tossed around by Peri's startle.

"... Mm." After the delay of trying to recall the board, not putting too much effort into remembering it as she did not expect a quiz, Cecilia hummed approvingly to the inquisitor's suggestion. Indeed, this was another little surprise from the stranger who had wormed herself into Cecilia's life recently. "Queen to... C7." The move Cecilia named wasn't half as excellent as the inquisitor's suggestion; in fact, it was almost gifting the game back to Peri, if the girl didn't panic under pressure.

"If... She didn't, recognize and surrender... QC7. Better... to have, her play. Learn. I can... show after." Well, that, and playing with Peri was fun. She wanted to see if the sharp-witted girl could catch how to escape the situation and turn it around. She didn't like the idea of handing over victories, but she enjoyed playing with her a bit too much, and loved seeing the progress Peri's strategies and tricks had made in just a few days of having been introduced to the game... And, well, she also enjoyed - just the slightest bit - the sadistic idea of making a comeback after making Peri fight tooth and nail for what could have been her turnaround victory.

There was something darkly appealing about the idea of watching the girl's hard efforts coming undone and consoling her, or calling attention to the two separate times in the game Peri had 'blundered the king' as her brother liked to call it and watching the pride over the victory dampen just a bit... Though, in the later scenario, she might not be so cruel and just keep to a more plain and educational tone. After all, Cecilia really would make it a hard-fought victory, and 'forfeited' in a fashion or not it would be something for the apprentice to take pride in. Something Cecilia would certainly be proud to see, herself.



"If there's... Nothing else." Thoroughly amused by the unexpected topic and even welcoming of this glance into her companion's interests, Cecilia was very open to any other surprises that may come out. However, her voice - and everything else, really, though that wasn't something that concerned those around her - was incredibly worn down, and well-deserving of a night's rest if the inquisitor did not have any further thoughts to discuss this night.

 

[Aron the Aron]

"If there's... Nothing else." Thoroughly amused by the unexpected topic and even welcoming of this glance into her companion's interests, Cecilia was very open to any other surprises that may come out. However, her voice - and everything else, really, though that wasn't something that concerned those around her - was incredibly worn down, and well-deserving of a night's rest if the inquisitor did not have any further thoughts to discuss this night.

A slow shake of the head told Cecilia that her bodyguard had nothing extra to contribute or comment besides her little Chess tidbit... Well, she did have one thing to say...

"... Rest."

It was only after Cecilia had properly fallen asleep that "Felicia" felt content to move to what was becoming her own "bed". By all accounts, an uncomfortable chair tucked into a dusty corner of the room hardly constituted as a place to lay one's head, but Daemonhunters were no strangers to austerity. "Felicia" had slept in far less pleasant places; she could handle one more night.

---

The night passed with nary a peep save the faint din of patrolling guards and the odd traveler; and it was well into sunrise that the throngs of sleep began ebbing away for Cardinal Cecilia. To absolutely no surprise, her Inquisitor guardian was already awake -how long she couldn't tell, nor could she figure if the Inquisitor even slept that night- and minding her own business. Strangely, "Felicia" was sans her Inquisitorial robes as she sat in the chair, the offending pieces of white clothing neatly folded on the floor in front of her alongside a dizzying array of rawhide pouches, straps, and webbing. The only thing that was missing was her sword, the sinister-looking black blade sitting on "Felicia's" lap as she ran a small whetstone across its edge.

The faint, smooth-sounding slide of stone against steel was the only noise offered in the room, not so loud as to have been unpleasant, let alone capable of rousing Cecilia from her sleep, but still noise in an otherwise dead silence. "Felicia" for her part had her eyes set squarely on her work, her hands steady and meticulous in maintaining a honed edge of her primary worktool.

It seemed that she hadn't noticed Cecilia awakening yet...

 

[That Lass Over There]

The night passed with nary a peep save the faint din of patrolling guards and the odd traveler; and it was well into sunrise that the throngs of sleep began ebbing away for Cardinal Cecilia. Strangely, "Felicia" was sans her Inquisitorial robes as she sat in the chair, the offending pieces of white clothing neatly folded on the floor in front of her alongside a dizzying array of rawhide pouches, straps, and webbing. The only thing that was missing was her sword, the sinister-looking black blade sitting on "Felicia's" lap as she ran a small whetstone across its edge.

The faint, smooth-sounding slide of stone against steel was the only noise offered in the room, not so loud as to have been unpleasant, let alone capable of rousing Cecilia from her sleep, but still noise in an otherwise dead silence. "Felicia" for her part had her eyes set squarely on her work, her hands steady and meticulous in maintaining a honed edge of her primary work tool.

Only after a few moments of blinking blearily, trying to recognize the waking world, did Cecilia recognize the quiet sound of grinding and the figure of the inquisitor seated in that lone chair, as had started to become routine. The unexpected variation of her doing maintenance, divested of her outer robes, was a change of pace but recognizable enough to ground her in reality.

Still feeling exhausted, a rare turn of events for the morning time that she had at least been enjoying most of her past energy in, she looked to the window to see daylight bright enough to be later in the morning than usual, the shadows far too short for the sun being just over the horizon. A west-facing window didn't help the analysis, but she noticed all the same. "... I slept in later today." She didn't look to her companion, but her speech carried an accusatory note, like the inquisitor had a responsibility to make sure they didn't waste daylight.



It was worse today because of the blood loss that she still hadn't quite recovered from, but she was still incredibly unhappy with the dreadful encroaching of her time by exhaustion. Just a few minutes earlier to bed one day. A few minutes later out of bed another.

Minute differences that only someone so hypersensitive to their own body, keenly aware of every change and its meaning, could ever care about.



Turning her mind to less morbid thoughts, and her eyes to the corner of the room that her escort found perch in, she found herself once again looking at how the inquisitor made a nest of such an unimpressive piece of furniture. "I hope I won't hear you complaining about back pains," she joked with a rising note, pushing herself up off the pillows that had been propping her up even as she slept. She rubbed her back as it freed itself of support and made its complaints about the prolonged arrangement known, giving a wry smile to the inquisitor. "You're too young to be dealing with this."

She looked to the dresser, where she saw a bowl and half a loaf of bread, as well as an empty platter and two cups. Peri had come, likely expecting her to be awake at the usual time and left breakfast for them. The idea made her look back to the inquisitor, who she knew to be not so good with social interaction and wondered if the woman had been able to handle interacting with Peri through the awkwardness. "... Peri already came up with breakfast, it seems?" Unable to think of a politely worded way to satisfy her curiosity, she cast a line thinking that she might get an answer by chance - slim as that was from the inquisitor's sparse vocalizations.

 

[Aron the Aron]

"... I slept in later today." She didn't look to her companion, but her speech carried an accusatory note, like the inquisitor had a responsibility to make sure they didn't waste daylight.

"..."

If Cecilia had been expecting a response beyond an indiscernible look with an eyebrow half-raised, then "Felicia" didn't deign to grace her with it. It was a quick look up, then it was back down to her sword as if nothing happened. Not like it was the Inquisitor who was telling her to sleep in; plus she was sure that Cecilia wouldn't be thrilled if she knew the alternative was having the Inquisitor be out and about while she was sleeping in...

The whetstone in her hand was small from what had to be years of use, and though she carried all the necessary whetstones for a full sharpening in her toolkit, she much preferred to not go through the process of irritating her ears with the horrid noises that came with sharpening at a low grit. Raising her blade after another half-minute of work, the Inquisitor felt satisfied when she ran a rag over her blade edge and accidentally cut it in twain, conveniently ignoring the comment made about her poor sleeping arrangement. Sharp enough to get work done, if it could cut her rag without her meaning to.

Cecilia looked to the dresser, where she saw a bowl and half a loaf of bread, as well as an empty platter and two cups. Peri had come, likely expecting her to be awake at the usual time and left breakfast for them. The idea made her look back to the inquisitor, who she knew to be not so good with social interaction and wondered if the woman had been able to handle interacting with Peri through the awkwardness. "... Peri already came up with breakfast, it seems?" Unable to think of a politely worded way to satisfy her curiosity, she cast a line thinking that she might get an answer by chance - slim as that was from the inquisitor's sparse vocalizations.

"... She wanted to check on you."

What went unsaid was the odd wordless interaction the Inquisitor had with Peri earlier, when she caught the young lass halfway down the hall when she nearly bumped into "Felicia". One staredown and a one-sided conversation later, and the Inquisitor had been the one to set down breakfast to the side of the room. Peri had only come into the room to check on the poorly Cardinal, but left just as quickly as she came in. Likely the girl was too uncomfortable around the Inquisitor without Cecilia to act as a balance to her aloof silence.

"... Lentil soup and flatbread... I can get tea if you want."

 

[That Lass Over There]

"... She wanted to check on you."

Peri had only come into the room to check on the poorly Cardinal, but left just as quickly as she came in. Likely the girl was too uncomfortable around the Inquisitor without Cecilia to act as a balance to her aloof silence.

"... Lentil soup and flatbread... I can get tea if you want."

Cecilia shook her head, though her companion remained blissfully ignorant that the gesture was more than declining the offer. "The water is fine." 'Ambivalence' is perhaps a step too far, but the Cardinal did not appreciate the fancy leaf juice as much as her companion seemed to. Several spoonfuls of sugar or honey make a difference, but she was well aware that was more a sweet tooth than her actually appreciating the beverage. Also, as she had thought the last two times the inquisitor had foisted tea upon her... A hot beverage in a climate as scorching to her cold-acclimated body as Bursa's was a crime.

After getting up and fetching her food and cup the two fell back into silence, time passing by with only the sounds of tableware to punctuate the quiet. No doubt the inquisitor had her own thoughts as Cecilia sat eating, quietly mulling over the situation facing them and weighing what options were available.



- Thankfully, many of the swarming thoughts in her mind were proven obsolete.

"A letter? Come in." After exchanging a few pleasantries, Peri left the room and a letter on the small dresser, much like the letter that had announced the arrival of her unexpected escort. "It would seem Mazhar came through, thankfully." She commented to the inquisitor in question - and also the main reason why she had doubts of Mazhar's assistance. While the letter was likely the one she had been waiting for, it came at a poor time so Cecilia did her best to finish what she could of the soup and bread first.



After eating what she could she stood up and took the letter, performing the same prayer as she had a few days prior - once again, receiving no reaction from the innocuous envelope. Just like before, a blade flicked out of her sleeve and cut the seal before disappearing, though this time there was an audience to her little 'magic trick'. In comparison to the Daemon Hunter's physically impossible concealed armory, though, the mage felt her concealed weapons had lost a bit of their impressiveness.

With a small sigh and feeling of defeat, she pulled the papers out and scanned over them in a matter of moments. Then, she set them apart in two piles, one with two pages and the other three. "We have our suspects for the interference with the guard." She tapped on the dresser she set the papers upon, looking to the inquisitor who would be no small help at this stage of things.

"We could do our best to search all these residences and offices today, raising quite the alarm but possibly catching someone unprepared. Of course, taking things slow and quiet is the other option." Until now, the Cardinal had almost fully advocated for 'slow and methodical', but even she wasn't immune to the fear of leaving anything Daemonic to fester another day. So now with a better chance of coming out with something fruitful she mentioned the option of rushing forward. While she felt she already knew her companion's answer, she decided to ask anyways - "In your professional opinion, which do you think will have the best results?"

 

[Aron the Aron]

"A letter? Come in." After exchanging a few pleasantries, Peri left the room and a letter on the small dresser, much like the letter that had announced the arrival of her unexpected escort. "It would seem Mazhar came through, thankfully." She commented to the inquisitor in question - and also the main reason why she had doubts of Mazhar's assistance. While the letter was likely the one she had been waiting for, it came at a poor time so Cecilia did her best to finish what she could of the soup and bread first.

After eating what she could she stood up and took the letter, performing the same prayer as she had a few days prior - once again, receiving no reaction from the innocuous envelope. Just like before, a blade flicked out of her sleeve and cut the seal before disappearing, though this time there was an audience to her little 'magic trick'. In comparison to the Daemon Hunter's physically impossible concealed armory, though, the mage felt her concealed weapons had lost a bit of their impressiveness.

With a small sigh and feeling of defeat, she pulled the papers out and scanned over them in a matter of moments. Then, she set them apart in two piles, one with two pages and the other three. "We have our suspects for the interference with the guard." She tapped on the dresser she set the papers upon, looking to the inquisitor who would be no small help at this stage of things.

"We could do our best to search all these residences and offices today, raising quite the alarm but possibly catching someone unprepared. Of course, taking things slow and quiet is the other option." Until now, the Cardinal had almost fully advocated for 'slow and methodical', but even she wasn't immune to the fear of leaving anything Daemonic to fester another day. So now with a better chance of coming out with something fruitful she mentioned the option of rushing forward. While she felt she already knew her companion's answer, she decided to ask anyways - "In your professional opinion, which do you think will have the best results?"

Ever the type of person to want to see information for herself, "Felicia" needed no prompt to take a gander at what the Guard Captain had generously offered Cecilia (she was under no illusion that the man would've done the same to her without a good word from the Cardinal). The first sheaf of papers was an unremarkably long list of names that the Inquisitor didn't recognize, and the second smaller pile proved no better at triggering any recollection from her. It was a decent collection of names overall, but given the sheer size of the laundry list and how quickly it had to have been since the Cardinal requested them...

"... Do you recognize any names on these?" "Felicia" made a point to wave the papers Cecilia had just laid down. "... If even half of these names lead somewhere..." She was no stranger to moving on a short timetable; Daemons were an unpredictable lot, humans even moreso if they happened to be on the wrong side of "Felicia's" sword. "... We don't know how much time we have... Probably less than we think." And that was compounding the potential issue that some the names on the papers were deadend leads. The Inquisitor would have to act faster just to make up time she didn't have, and at times like those, "Felicia" knew the exact things they needed:

Speed, Surprise, and overwhelming Violence of Action; all qualities that "Felicia" happened to be quaintly talented with.

Of course, keeping quiet also helped her situation if she could manage it. She'd have to rush, but if staying quiet for as long as she could get away with in her mad witch hunt meant it bought her precious minutes then she would; it meant better odds of resolving everything neatly and tidily down the line.

"... I can move out right now... see if I can hit every name on these lists before dusk."

 

[That Lass Over There]

"... Do you recognize any names on these?" "Felicia" made a point to wave the papers Cecilia had just laid down. "... If even half of these names lead somewhere..."

"No. I don't." Cecilia's response was frank, denying whatever thoughts or hopes the inquisitor may have had in that question. "The letter you sent for me is only my second communication with the city lord. I didn't have it in my agenda to associate with politicians until later."

She did however raise her eyebrow at her companion's second thought spoken aloud, even quicker to shoot down that overly cynical line of thought. "If half these names lead us somewhere, inquisitor, then I do not think they would have needed to consort with Daemons. Bursa does not strike me a city under thumb of a heretical cabal. The streets are far too peaceful for the chaos that Daemons love to sow."

"... We don't know how much time we have... Probably less than we think." And that was compounding the potential issue that some the names on the papers were dead-end leads. The Inquisitor would have to act faster just to make up time she didn't have, and at times like those, "Felicia" knew the exact things they needed:

Speed, Surprise, and overwhelming Violence of Action; all qualities that "Felicia" happened to be quaintly talented with.

Of course, keeping quiet also helped her situation if she could manage it. She'd have to rush, but if staying quiet for as long as she could get away with in her mad witch hunt meant it bought her precious minutes then she would; it meant better odds of resolving everything neatly and tidily down the line.

"... I can move out right now... see if I can hit every name on these lists before dusk."

"Speed is a fine goal as long as you're thorough, inquisitor." She was acquiescing to her companion's methods against some of her better judgement, but she still felt the need to emphasize that point to the seemingly rash Daemon Hunter. As she spoke the words, she reached up and pinched the smaller pair of pages from her companion's hand, tapping the other set that she left in the inquisitor's care. "These are all close together in the city center. You'll have less conflict between haste and searching if you focus on them; your inhuman speed might actually make hitting them all by dusk possible."

As she spoke, she looked over the parts of the list she had taken for herself once again, confirming the locations and estimating how to handle it efficiently. "I'll contact you once I'm done with my side of things," she said while still considering the names and locations on the papers in front of her.

 

[Aron the Aron]

"Speed is a fine goal as long as you're thorough, inquisitor." She was acquiescing to her companion's methods against some of her better judgement, but she still felt the need to emphasize that point to the seemingly rash Daemon Hunter. As she spoke the words, she reached up and pinched the smaller pair of pages from her companion's hand, tapping the other set that she left in the inquisitor's care. "These are all close together in the city center. You'll have less conflict between haste and searching if you focus on them; your inhuman speed might actually make hitting them all by dusk possible."

As she spoke, she looked over the parts of the list she had taken for herself once again, confirming the locations and estimating how to handle it efficiently. "I'll contact you once I'm done with my side of things," she said while still considering the names and locations on the papers in front of her.

"... You plan on going out too?" Of all the things "Felicia" had anticipated, Cecilia asserting intent to take part was not one of them, and certainly not something the Inquisitor was in favor of. The pinkette hardly inspired confidence in staying upright without keeling over after an hour, and she had just suffered dehydration and bloodloss the day before. The only thing that counted for her in the Inquisitor's head was the fact that she knew some magic, although it was hard to quantify or qualify the scope of magic she knew given what she had displayed before.

The sigh that left her lips was an involuntary, but helpful indicator of her opinion towards the idea of Cecilia taking to action as well. Healing and acts of charity were fine, but acts of subterfuge and potentially violence? Not inspiring.

Unfortunately, "Felicia" also knew that taking care of the entire list by herself was likely beyond her capability however way she tried to go at it, and Cecilia was about the only person she held an ounce of trust towards in all of Bursa. Loathe as she was to admit it, but "Felicia" needed the assistance of an additional body, even if it meant dragging Cecilia out of the bed she was supposed to be recuperating in. That didn't mean she would leave Cecilia to her own devices without something from the Inquisitor's arsenal.

Spoiler: Reaching into her robes, "Felicia" withdrew a curious spherical objects, small enough to comfortably fit in the palm of her hand

The wonders of black powder were something Daemonhunters appreciated in their tools. A simple combination of black powder, magnesite powder, sugar, and a secret ingredient, all wrapped and held together in a soft shell wrapped with string gave them one of the most fundamental tools of un-gentlemanly warfare.

"... A smoke bomb... in case you get into trouble... Just throw it at your feet."

 

[That Lass Over There]

"... You plan on going out too?" The sigh that left her lips was an involuntary, but helpful indicator of her opinion towards the idea of Cecilia taking to action as well. Healing and acts of charity were fine, but acts of subterfuge and potentially violence? Not inspiring.

Unfortunately, "Felicia" also knew that taking care of the entire list by herself was likely beyond her capability however way she tried to go at it, and Cecilia was about the only person she held an ounce of trust towards in all of Bursa. Loathe as she was to admit it, but "Felicia" needed the assistance of an additional body, even if it meant dragging Cecilia out of the bed she was supposed to be recuperating in. That didn't mean she would leave Cecilia to her own devices without something from the Inquisitor's arsenal.

Spoiler: Reaching into her robes, "Felicia" withdrew a curious spherical object, small enough to comfortably fit in the palm of her hand

View attachment 1206825

"... A smoke bomb... in case you get into trouble... Just throw it at your feet."

No sooner had Cecilia nodded in response to the inquisitor questioning the obvious than did she feel a ball wrapped in rough string placed in her hand. When she heard her escort's explanation, she wanted to sigh much like the inquisitor herself just moments before. Conjuring fog or smoke were among the easiest of spells to perform, not to mention that she could just turn invisible or, say, teleport away.

Actually, since she'd already been thinking she'd need to do some of her third-favorite method of transportation, the latter filled her mind with a funny idea. An idea that she did, fortunately or unfortunately, put away with a rare moment of understanding for the slightly overbearing care of the inquisitor. She, now that she thought about it, had never really told the woman what exactly she was capable of. Not that she ever would; a mage was only as strong as the other person was unprepared. But at least, in this light, the worry for her going into a mission far out of her typical job description was reasonable.



... Now that she thought of it, that she wasn't facing more resistance in the first place showed a previously unknown amount of trust. Especially surprising to her after the friction between them yesterday. "... Alright. If it'll give you peace of mind."

For the sake of that trust, she calmed herself, taking the trinket into the pouch at her waist. If nothing else, it could save her some concentration as an improvised spell material. Almost as a return favor, she passed a wooden token to the inquisitor, something that'd help her a bit in finding the woman before she could get up to too much trouble. "Like I said, I'll contact you when I'm done. Don't be surprised to hear my voice."

 

[Aron the Aron]

"... Alright. If it'll give you peace of mind."

For the sake of that trust, she calmed herself, taking the trinket into the pouch at her waist. If nothing else, it could save her some concentration as an improvised spell material. Almost as a return favor, she passed a wooden token to the inquisitor, something that'd help her a bit in finding the woman before she could get up to too much trouble. "Like I said, I'll contact you when I'm done. Don't be surprised to hear my voice."

"... Thank you."

"Felicia" beheld the simple wood trinket that Cecilia had dropped into her hand, reflexively testing its size and heft before she nodded to herself. If such a simple-seeming object was a means of communication between them, even the Inquisitor suspected it was only capable of one-way traffic, then it was a huge boon for the sake of coordination... And as advance warning for if the Cardinal ever found herself in a situation that necessitated the Inquisitor to divert and intervene. So, "Felicia" only felt it right to tuck it away under a flap in her robes, patting its hiding spot to ensure it wouldn't fall out.

"... I'll do my best."

And as "Felicia" whirled around and began to leave for the door... Cecilia swore she could hear the Inquisitor mutter something under her breath.

"... eam hodie incolumem serva... et in tempore tentationis diabolum expelle... Amen"

 

[That Lass Over There]

Not but a few moments after the Daemon Hunter left the room she felt a horribly violent shudder of her detection talisman, complete with the sound of air crashing in on itself. The noise wasn't so loud as to disturb Peri or her father to come check, but it did disturb the inquisitor into opening the door - only to find an empty room without trace of the Cardinal that had been a moment before, the painting that had been behind her still lightly knocking on the wall from the disturbance.



The culprit, meanwhile, was slowly falling like a feather well above the town, visually spying her less familiar destinations in Bursa. While she made a show of confidently striding around, truth be told if she weren't so good with directions she'd be completely lost. A week is only so long to learn a location after all, especially with how much of her initial stay was spent in bed. "There, there, and- hh..." As she was visually marking her targets with a pointing finger, she felt woozy, nearly losing concentration on the perpetual spell keeping her afloat.

"- Right. The blood." She had, in the joy of cutting herself loose on the magical front, completely forgotten that she was not her younger and healthier self who would have been perfectly recovered from such a drain the very next day. Fishing around in her pouch, she grasped a small gem-like object and crushed it, watching it disappear into her palm with careful attention. "... Okay." With that done, she looked almost immediately better - better than her companion had ever seen her the past few days, better than anyone at Bursa had seen her. The pallor that seemed to haunt her, and the other faint scars of illness on her face and body like the bags under her eyes almost completely faded away.



That was only visible for a moment, though, as in the next moment she quite literally bent out of view - the image of her in the world distorting before simply disappearing entirely from her high perch in the sky. And, with another of those sounds somewhere between a pop and a small explosion, she physically disappeared as well.

---

After the first few locations put her incredibly behind schedule between her attempts to dodge attention and rifle through even the most innocuous of items, Archmage Cecilia started doing something she should have been doing from the start when she resolved to go guns-blazing with her likely overeager companion.

"Nighty-night." Her transparent finger pressed against the back of a man's head as he stood in front of a bookshelf, and without ceremony the official collapsed like a sack of rocks into Cecilia's arms.



... Well, 'crashed through' might be a more accurate term, as the Cardinal momentarily forgot her weakened body, and at the last minute was forced to recognize that her arms might not even be able to just lower 80 kilograms of human to the ground. Thankfully, she did have the foresight to soundproof the room before her actions, so she only winced a bit and apologized mentally before doing her best to lift the man into his chair over a couple minutes of struggle and some magical aid. Only after he was seated did she quickly swipe a strong-smelling powder below his nose before quickly re-corking it, careful not to smell it herself.

Times like these, with her panting against the wall, reminded her why one of the only times she got into a fight with her brother was over his ignorant statement that 'mages can do anything easily'. She didn't want to think about how much money she would be burning today and could only be thankful that the Church has quite deep pockets.



With the new, less delicate strategy, she found some success in cutting down her time at each location. For a moment, looking at the sun already high in the sky, she had been worried she wouldn't be on pace to do her half of the work by the promised time. Now, though, she felt a bit more optimistic. What she didn't feel so optimistic about was that she had yet to find a single clue - either all thirteen officials she had investigated the residences and offices of were innocent, or she was doing something wrong. And her mind had a terrible tendency to suspect the latter at any given opportunity.

With that worry now pulling at her on top of everything else, she went to the next location on her list, feeling even more impatient. Starting with the residence, she teleported some distance away, walked close, and tried to 'see' if there was anyone inside before entering. As she did, though, her face turned ashen - visibly, as she lost concentration on the bending of light around her.

Without ceremony she let herself in through the door, a short and blood-curdling scream occurring for just a moment before the noise of air crashing in on itself.

---

Thankfully, she wasn't missing things or doing anything wrong besides being far too wasteful in her thoroughness. As she was nearing the end of her list, she found that by some coincidence the three positive results were all clustered at the tail end, just as the darkening sky had really started to make her doubt again. Though evidence of a Daemonic... Well, based on what she gathered, 'cult' wasn't quite the word for it - regardless, evidence of such wasn't a happy thing to find, but it was still a relief to find something rather than feel like she was going insane.

Tossing the paper in a flourish of flame amidst the falling night, she reached out with her senses and quickly found the talisman she had handed over earlier. She held a sheet of cloth in front of her mouth, speaking directly to the inquisitor over the distance that separated them. "I'll be heading over now."

 

[Aron the Aron]

Meanwhile...

---

The manor loomed ahead, its darkened windows like vacant eyes staring into the fading daylight. The chill of the evening air wrapped around Inquisitor "Felicia" as she pressed her back against the dusty wall, listening. The distant noise of civilians making their way home, the soft whisper of wind through her ears—no signs of movement. Good. She adjusted the grip on her dagger, its dull edge coated in soot to prevent any betraying glint of moonlight.

With practiced precision, she pulled herself up onto the sandstone ledge beneath a second-floor window. The iron latch was old but well-maintained—someone took security seriously. "Felicia" exhaled, steadying her heartbeat. From a pouch at her belt, she withdrew a thin strip of metal, working it into the lock with gentle, deliberate motions. A brief moment of resistance, then a satisfying click. She slid the window open just enough to slip inside, landing with the silent grace of a shadow.

The room smelled of parchment and candle wax—an office. Papers were stacked neatly on a mahogany desk, but "Felicia" ignored them for now. She needed something more damning than ledgers and correspondence. Keeping low, she moved toward the heavy wooden door, pressing an ear against it. Muffled voices drifted up from below. At least three, speaking in hushed tones. Their words were indistinct, but the cadence suggested urgency.

The Blanchette exhaled slowly and eased the door open. The corridor beyond was dim, lit only by the flickering glow of a distant wall sconce. She padded forward, careful to avoid the creaking floorboards near the rug’s edge. Down the hall, a single door stood slightly ajar, a faint golden light spilling from within. The scent of burning incense slithered into her nostrils—cloying, metallic.

Bloodroot resin. A common tool in occult rituals.

This was it.

"Felicia" hugged the dagger in her hand close to her chest and inched closer, pressing herself against the doorframe. She risked a glance inside. A study—bookshelves lined the walls, but her eyes were drawn to the heavy oak table at the center. A candle burned beside an open tome, its pages filled with esoteric symbols. Next to it, a small wooden box sat slightly ajar, revealing a cluster of teeth—human, by the look of them.

Evidence.

She took a measured breath and stepped inside, every muscle tensed for the slightest shift in the air. Carefully, she reached for the tome, fingers gliding over its aged parchment. The ink was still fresh. A journal, perhaps? She flipped the cover open—

A voice from the hallway.

The Inquisitor froze. A shadow stretched across the threshold.

There was no time to retreat. Silently, she pressed herself into the sliver of darkness beside the tall bookshelf, her blade poised.

The figure stepped inside. A man in fine robes, his face lined with suspicion. His eyes flicked to the candle, then the book. His brow furrowed.

"Felicia" moved.

One hand clamped over his mouth and nose, the other-

"I'll be heading over now."

"... Busy."

Shaking her head, "Felicia" violently slammed the butt of her dagger against the man's skull. A quick, quiet scuffle-then stillness. She dragged his body to a dark corner of the room, listening as she disposed of her quarry into a part of the room not illuminated by candlelight. The voices downstairs continued, oblivious.

After 16 manors, half of them not amounting to much, Inquisitor "Felicia" had what she needed. With a final glance at the tome, she slipped it into the satchel at her hip.

"... Keep it quiet."

 

[That Lass Over There]

Unfortunately for the inquisitor telepathic communication was rarely a two-way street, and in no small part due to laziness among other concerns Cecilia had elected for a more standard one-way communication. So, the mage remained blissfully unaware of her companion's whispered words - though she did have the sense to remain invisible during her teleportation, given how little she was doing to check her destination.



In less than a blink of an eye, Cecilia found herself a small distance behind the inquisitor - or so it should have been, as no sooner had she processed the blatantly heretical decor of the small room than she noticed a knife suspended before her, barely a hair from her breast. Just a small error from her heart. She shrugged off the surprise as quickly as she had come to receive it, quickly scanning the room again before finally dropping the invisibility around herself.

"For an invisible target -" She reached up and wrenched the knife from the barrier it had wedged into, a faint crackling sound as the enchantment was broken by physical force, "- that was an uncannily good throw."



With a somewhat cocky grin, like the knife never could have really hurt her, Cecilia held the blade by the tip and offered the handle to her companion. "The lack of hesitation was also reassuring." If it weren't for familiar spindly fingers wrapped in bandages giving a hint of the weakness that had been the Cardinal's identity for the past few days, her escort may have been left to wonder who this imposter was.

After handing back the throwing knife the Cardinal pulled up her long skirt out of the way and squatted down without issue to observe the person that the inquisitor had incapacitated moments before, a man practically flaunting his wealth in his finery. "Difficult to tell the heretic from the vain. Found anything on your side?"