Chapter 8 Part 3

Engilram waited at a table for his companions to wake up, Zoey has prepared a porridge, with an assortment of topping of the customer's choice at a low price of 4 coppers. For people not staying at the inn that is. Free strawberry oatmeal bars are included in the purchase. Three for each person to take with them on their day to day.

As Thordis, Krenn and Mizubi walk down the stairs, Zoey brings over four bowls of porridge and sets them down on Engilram's table. "how did you know they were coming down?" Engilram asked.

Zoey looks behind her and says, "oh that? Those three come down the same time every day. Thordis makes sure they are on a schedule and doesn't budge on changing it."

"makes sense I guess" Engilram replied.

The group approaches the table. "morning Engilram! Have you been waiting long?" Thordis asks. She and the other two sit down at the table.

"oh, not that long. I woke up a few hours before sunrise." Engilram answers.

"that long? What happened yesterday anyway?" Mizubi asked.

"oh nothing, I just went up to my room and fell asleep" Engilram said.

"food not look like meat!" Krenn yells.

"it is hun, you really think I would give you anything else after all these years? Now everyone enjoy." Zoey said, then leaves the table to help other customers.

"Krenn sorry." Krenn bows to Zoey and eats his meat porridge in one go, along with the bowl. This stuns Engilram.

"I thought Krenn was a carnivore, I didn't know lizardmen eat wood too, heh." Engilram joked.

Mizubi chokes on the porridge and consumes the spoon, Thordis performs the Heimlich manoeuvre and the spoon flies out and across the table. "*cough* *cough* oh, by the gods. *cough* that was really funny." Mizubi said.

"heh, its more likely that he didn't know there was a bowl." Thordis laughed.

Engilram quicky ate hit bland, frankly tasteless porridge and grabbed his bag. "I gotta go to the Cathedral today so I need to take my leave, I hope to see you guys again soon" Shortly after Kate walks down the stairs and Engilram makes a swift exit upon seeing her.

"where is Engilram going in such a hurry?" Kate asks Zoey.

"the cathedral most likely." Zoey replied.

(narrator) lets go catch up to the pervy priest. I want to believe he can save Hilda!

Hours and hours of searching later, Engilram finally found the building he was looking for. The capital church in Stocaea is extremely large. The Cathedral is mostly made from quartz and stained glass, the design of the stone is immensely intricate. Each brick professionally carved with patters, showing the expensive quality of the stone, statues encompass the bottom of the pointed roofs. The stained cathedral glass depicts five gods in various ways.

The Mother and Father. Depicted as giving life to all living creatures and fauna, as well as responsible for all the water in the world. The Mountain God, Duw Mynydd is depicted as being responsible for the land's resources. From iron, coal and even the magic that all life depends on. Next we have the Hel God, Uffern Dduw. She is depicted as being the ruler of The dead. A realm door is shown to be on Epusdma, but it has never been found.

Last but certainly not least we have the Demon God, Digalondid Duw. This god is responsible for all things that destroy life, the exact opposite to The Mother and The Father. Unlike every other god, she has made her presence known to the realm many of times, destroying the land as she commands her demons to pillage and destroy all life. Occasionally referencing the other gods during the wars. So, we know they exist in one way or another.

Engilram, staring at the sheer size of the building says. "by the Mother! This place is huge. The gods have expensive tastes to be sure"

Just outside of the front door was a proxy, someone who can speak for the high priest. Engilram assumed he was outside to give him the Holy Cure Potions. As Engilram approaches the proxy, several spearmen surround her and point them at Engilram.

"it's ok, I'm assuming you sent a letter priest? What city or town are you stationed?" the proxy asked.

"I did send a letter. I'm from the church in Dungannon." Engilram answered.

The proxy flicks through a pile of letters he was carrying. "here we are. Engilram Newman?" the proxy opens the letter and reads the contents.

"I see, such a tragedy. Tuberculosis is a beast of a disease indeed. Unfortunately, we cannot spare such a high-grade potion for this Hilda. We simply don't have enough." The proxy said.

"are you kidding me! You make more of these potions than holy water, how could you not have enough?" Engilram yelled.

"I'm sorry to say, all our current stock is for a outbreak of disease. We can't waste such an expensive potion on this no-account woman." The proxy said.

"no account woman! Hilda has been a faithful worshiper of the gods all her life! How could you forsake one of their children!" Engilram is infuriated at the proxy's attitude towards this delicate situation.

"if you keep pressing the subject, we will have no choice but to cut funding to that church." The proxy said.

Engilram slowly walked towards the proxy as he angrily protested. "you good for nothing, arrogant bitch! You're just going to cut our funding! Do the gods seriously want their sanctuaries to fall?"

"this is your last warning priest! Back off and return to your residence." The proxy stood there unaffected as the guard's point their spears back at Engilram once again. Our priest had no choice but to back off and go back empty handed.

Now back at the Karthein Inn, we see Engilram brooding in the far back corner of the dining area. Kate and Zoey are with him, listening to him talk about what happened at the cathedral. "and that's everything. I gotta go home now with no way of saving Hilda" Engilram said.

"that's entirely fucked up!" Kate Yelled.

"stop swearing, there are kids that come here!" Zoey yelled.

"Sorry Zoey, ive been thinking since you told us, why don't you sneak in and steal one?" Kate asks.

"I retired from being an adventurer, not a thief in the thieves guild Kate. I can't just steal a potion anyway. There are so many defence spells in that place I could ever afford to break into it." Engilram said.

"I understand, why not hire someone to do it for you?" Zoey asked.

"I can't do that. The laws of the church are very clear, I cannot be associated with crime in any fashion." Engilram explained.

"I'm so sorry Engilram" Thordis said.

Thordis, Mizubi and Krenn had returned from a quest and overheard the conversation. "thanks, you guys, it's going to be really tough to go back. At least I tried right?" Engilram slumps down in his chair, hands over his face. His efforts to save Hilda from tuberculosis amounting to nothing.

Not knowing how to help, Zoey gives Engilram a complementary Tholvian Ale, Kate gives him a hug and the trio went to cash in their quest from the guild. Engilram takes his Ale and headed up to his room and sits down on his desk, starting a prayer. "I pray to the Mother; I pray to the Father. Provide me a miracle, save your devoted servant. Save those connected to her from the anguish of loosing her. Save those who will suffer without her healing. I beg of you. Provide those who love and care for her with a miracle."

After making his plea to the gods he rests his head and falls asleep, waking hours later with drool all over his hand and the cat from earlier nudging his head with its own. "hay kitty! It's nice to see you again! How have you been little guy!" the cat replies with a cute "rrrmewrph"

Engilram looks around, rubbing his eyes, wiping the tiredness from them. "did I really fall asleep here of all places?"

(narrator) yes, yes you did. I don't know how that was comfortable but ya did.

Engilram looks back at the cat and smooths it a few times before remembering he hasn't peed in days. "damn gotta go!" he scrambles to find the hidden bathroom before kicking a wall and the door pops open.

(narrator) Alright, I'm not gonna follow him in there, you get it. He just took a piss.

Ok, ok, alright he's out. So Engilram exits the bathroom a few minutes later and notices a little baggy on his windowsill. He walks up to it and sees a note in front of the bag. He picks it up and reads it out. "I overheard you at the bar earlier today, this was meant for my 86-year-old grandmother. But I think you should have it. -sincerely a secret admirer."

Engilram puts his head out his window to see if he can spot the culprit with no luck. "have the gods have answered my prayer?" he asks himself.

Engilram picks up the bag and cautiously pulls on the bright red ribbon surrounding the opening and... wait, is he crying?

(narrator) what the hell is in this bag? Hilda's head!

Engilram pulls out the item and it's a blood red potion labelled "Holy Potion"

(narrator) oh, now the crying makes sense.

"oh, thank you kind stranger. You have no idea how much this means to me." Engilram says. "I gotta show my friends!" he continued.

Engilram engil-ran down the stairs, tripping on the final step, almost breaking the bottle. "guys! Zoey! Kate! Come look at this!" he yells.

The six of them gather in the kitchen as Engilram slams the potion down on the marble preparation station. "did you steal this!" Zoey said in a yelled whisper.

"no, no. of course not!" Engilram hands her the note. "someone left it on my windowsill" he continued.

"so does that mean you can save Hilda?" Kate asked.

"yea, it does." Engilram's eyes start to well up.

"im so happy for you!" Thordis said.

"Krenn glad friend can be saved." Krenn said.

Mizubi, Zoey and Kate hug Engilram and he picks up the potion out of fear one of Zoey's customers would swipe it. "Kate, tomorrow I need to hire a carriage. Are you available?" Engilram said.

"for you hen. I'm always available." Kate said.

"sunrise ok?" he asked again.

With mild hesitance Kate says, "yea, that's fine babes."

Engilram puts the potion in his bag and takes out the two old pastries he bought the day he arrived. "is there anywhere I can bin these? I was meaning to eat them the other day but forgot"

"there is a trash can out back, it's a tall metal container made from steel" Zoey said.

Engilram walks off towards the back to bin his stale pastries and the group remaining split into two with the women in the kitchen and the men back in the dining area. The girls were gossiping about Engilram.

"so, let's talk boys. Engilram, what's his deal? I saw the huge spell he cast. He made lightning come from the sky! a large part of the sky went dark. I got worried." Kate said.

"how didn't you know it wasn't me?" Thordis said.

"come on, only a mage of his tag level can cast a spell like that." Kate replied.

"alright you got me. I was there with him on the field. While me and our party was out for the count, He held his own against an army of feral wolves! Giant ones too!" Thordis said.

"anyone else have a feeling Engilram is hiding a hell of a body under those robes?" Kate said.

"so, I'm not the only one, good to know." Zoey said.

"there is no way that Engilram isn't as muscular as Krenn under those robes." Thordis said.

Engilram comes back into the room and Kate shushes the other two, sensing his presence.

"is—everything ok in here?" Engilram asks.

"hmm? Oh. Yea. Yep. All good." Zoey scrambles.

"oh—kay then. Im just gonna to go to bed. See everyone in the morning" Engilram said.