New God

Outside of the steel factory were Desmond was being held captive the area was loitered with workers. Even as the sun began to set on the place the sound of metal being pounded and the raging fire of the forges never stopped. People worked tirelessly at there jobs, they intended to keep the engines of there machines roaring and steel flowing threw the factory all night. To produce as much noise as possible to help conceal the dark secrets that the place held.

Amongst the workers were a few individuals that didn't garner any suspicion. They looked just like the rest of the workers, but a bulge in the back of some of there pants betrayed them. The outline of guns could be shown, occasionally a weapon would pop out from someone's side of one of the workers while they were working.

While the weapons were briefly exposed a few workers could see the weapons sheen as the light from the burning forges reflected on to them. Yet, no one was unnerved by such a sight because they all were apart of the purifiers and in support of the momentous occasion that Desmond gets to be apart of.

Just like how armed workers secretly guarded the main building there were those who walked around the facility while armed doing the same. Some were on the roofs pretending to work while submachine guns filled with enchanted gullets secretly laid next to there feet. Four people with submachine guns guarded the roof of the detached building that housed Desmond.

Inside that building had many different kinds of runes lining the walls keeping any kind of noise from escaping the building. Even if someone placed their ear to the wall they wouldn't hear a whisper. While anti-divination and anti-scrying kept unwanted eyes from seeing what no one wanted to be seen.

Inside one of the lounge room in the back, Gresham was alone trying to relax after he had finished cleaning and patching up his wounds. He took a new bag of ice and put it on his cheek again and silently cursed Desmond's very existence in his head. His jaw hurt a lot, but he knew he would feel better when he got to see Desmond get sacrificed.

As Gresham sat still in a chair at the only table in the room a man with thick mutton chops walked in. His sideburns were so thick someone could easy to assume he spent his whole life growing them. He had worn a newsboy cap when he walked into the room and a light brown turtle neck. He was well groomed and walked upright unburdened just as a man in his posing would.

As Gresham tried to ease his pain the man with mutton chops spoke out to him. "Gresham, I heard about the old man you brought here today, did he do this to you?".

Gresham looked at the man in front of him and replied, "Mr.Cornel as ashamed as I am to admit it, it was him. He may have terrible magical talent and probably can't use his chi, but he definitely knows how to throw a punch".

"This is what happens when you underestimate someone just because they can't do the same things as you. It is the same lesson we will teach to the magi when we are ready".

Gresham nodded his in agreement as Cornel walked closer to him then handed him a piece of paper. Gresham took the paper from Cornel's hand, inspected it then asked with a confused look, "what's this?".

"Don't you remember how over a year ago we received rumors from one of our brothers in Norbury that they ran into a man who made contact with an actual god. Others over there have apparently attempted to contact that god as well. Because of there so-called success, they wanted to spread word of that god to the rest of our faction. That slip of paper is the location of the meeting place ".

Gresham remembered that day, but he didn't really believe a word of what he heard at all. He still was in doubt the whole thing is true. The purifiers have been trying to establish a connection with a god, actually any god they could get to listen to their pleas. So, they could be bestowed power even mightier than the magi. This would allow them to break free of their suppression and fight them on equal ground.

Gresham shook his head as he said, "how could we possibly believe any of this, we've been trying to contact a god since before I was born. Hell even longer than that before the organization even became known as the purifiers. Yet, some guy just shows up and suddenly we found a god we can plead for help too".

"I agree it is quite suspicious, but I guess you are gonna have to decide on whether this is legitimate or not. If you think that man can't be trusted I want you to kill him. We don't need any unforeseen problems popping up because he was just a rat for the magi".

Gresham's eyes got wider when he realized what Cornel said.

"Are you telling me that guy who first made contact with the god is here in Delmar City?"

"Yes, that is why I will be giving you some magical equipment to inspect him and a few things to guard against charming magic, you need to go now to not be late".

Gresham wasn't pleased that Cornel was telling him to go now because of his invested interest in Desmond.

"Can't you get someone else to do it instead I kind of want to personally see that guy I brought in die".

Cornel had a dissatisfied look on his face after listening to what Gresham said.

"Put your petty vendetta aside this is far more important than some random person you met on the street. I don't have a lot of people I can trust to do this on hand at the moment so you're going to suck it up and go there now. If this is real then our long-awaited revolution against the magi can finally begin. There's practically no chance of us communing with a god tonight anyway so it's not like you're missing anything special".

Gresham debated over going, but caved in and decided to go to the meeting. "If I'm going can I get a drop of a healing potion for my tooth it's killing me".

"No, you can't you think those things grow on trees. If we were wealthy enough to spare a healing potion for every broken tooth or stubbed toe for everyone of our members has then. We could have launched an assault on the magi decades ago. Now get you to butt moving its almost dark so people are starting to come in for the ritual sacrifice".

Gresham grimaced over everything, but got up and left as he was told.