Heavens Glass and An Old Man's Request

After a long period of time Drew opened his eyes and a strange calm emanated from his milky blue eyes.

It was a strange clarity that filled his being.

'It seems like I am one step closer to reaching the state of tranquillity required to gain the focus skill,' Drew remarked and began to think of the task in front of him.

'So the first goal I should focus on is finding Atun and communicating with him,'

'Clearing up our situation would help ease my mind and help me understand the situation of the church better,'

Drew took in a deep breath and steeled himself for what might come to pass.

He carefully listened at the door but found that he couldn't hear anything from outside which relieved him slightly. He cracked the door and found the corridor unlit and smiled at his correct guess.

He stepped outside of the small room he had spent most of his day in and entered stealthily as if he had been born in the shadows.

He passed through the corridor and found that it finally branched out in the form of two staircases after quite a distance had been passed.

A torch lit up the steps with a dim light to allow one to see where one should step but other than that there didn't seem to be any other type of light.

'Up... or Down?' Drew pondered as he looked at the winding staircases that would perhaps change the outcome of his journey.

"Fuck it, Eenie Meanie, Minie Moe, Catch a Tiger by its toe..." Drew recited his most powerful divining technique and landed on the stairs that led upstairs and followed the path with utmost certainty in his choice.

The steps up the stairway were arduous to climb as Drew found himself climbing up what seemed to be ten flights of stairs that were endlessly connected. But thanks to his improved physique he managed to climb them without breaking a sweat.

After reaching what appeared to be the top he found himself to be in a strange tower.

No, 'Tower' wouldn't do this place justice. It was more like a mystical observatory. It had glass panes for walls and the ceiling and seemed to amplify the surroundings with a strange magical enchantment.

He stared at the night sky and found that the stars were much more pretty compared to the ones on earth. They glittered in dozens of variants of colors and each seemed to hold a unique luster that the others couldn't grasp.

He stared at the sight before him with awe and found his eyes lost in the sea of stars depicted before him.

"Quite a marvel, isn't it?" An old and familiar voice echoed out.

Drew turned around with a speed akin to lighting and stared at the familiar Atun standing near one of the panes of glass. He seemed to blend into the scenery perfectly and the only thing really visible to Drew was his sparkling eyes and his bright smile.

Drew instantly relaxed at the sight of Atun and smiled in return.

Atun stepped out of the shadows and walked closer to Drew and stared up at the stars with him.

"This was made by a master architect with a bias towards the skies... It is truly a work of art," Atun said with clear pride in his voice.

"It is rare creation that we have the honor to keep within our Temple,"

Drew stared up with Atun and watched as a few stars had begun to dance with each other and almost seemed like children playing.

"What is it called?" Drew asked with wonder.

Atun smiled at his question and answered with similar energy.

"It is called 'Heavens Glass',"

Drew hummed lightly in appreciation as the name was truly befitting of the sight that it held within this tiny dome of glass.

They shared the view for a few moments longer before Atun let out a long drawn-out sigh that was filled with weariness.

The old man moved his gentle gaze onto Drew and stared at him intently, and Drew met the stare with one of his own.

"I am truly sorry for the problems I have caused you," Atun spoke quietly.

Drew nodded in acknowledgment.

"I accept your apology and I would like to offer one of my own, I have caused distress in your Temple and that is something that I should own up to,"

Atun looked at Drew with a nod of recognition.

"I believe that all God-Chosen should be treated with the utmost respect... But others in the faith of Bram do not see it that way,"

"Instead of celebrating those blessed by the gods they only respect those recognized by Bram,"

Silence filled the large and empty observatory and a feeling of loneliness radiated off from the old and solemn man.

"Someone is coming here from the old capital to hunt you down," Atun said in a matter-of-fact manner and waited to see Drew's response.

"I overheard of it not too long after my arrival here, apparently even those of faith like to gossip every now and then," Drew said unbothered from the obvious warning on his life and even mustered up a weak laugh at his pitiful joke.

Atun laughed and nodded in return and gazed at Drew fondly.

"I do have a real reason for coming here, however," Drew said.

Atun simply raised an eyebrow in response.

"I have received word from Bram... He wishes for me to help you with your troubles and I believe it is only fair that I oblige his request since I caused most of the damage,"

Atun pondered for a long while before nodding in acceptance.

"I could use your help..."

"I am a man of my faith, therefore I am limited in what I can do since breaking my oaths to Bram would cause a violent punishment that is not pleasant, to say the least,"

"Even asking you for what I am about to ask is rather risky... though since Bram himself has sent you on this errand I reckon I may have a pass just this once,"

Atun took in a deep breath and seemed to steady his mind as some sort of anxiety seemed to fill him.

"I do not ask this lightly... and if you do manage to accomplish what I ask of you I should be able to not only revoke your wanted status but also give you a treasure of our temple,"

Drew's eyebrows shot up in both excitement and fear at what Atun had to say next.

"I need you to do something that is in a... morally grey zone,"

"And what exactly would that be?"

Atun paused once more before quickly continuing.

"I request that you steal a holy relic back for the temple,"

"Is that all?" Drew asked, clearly surprised at the simple request.

Atun nodded happily at the lack of a backlash from his god and also at Drew's easy acceptance of the task.

"It is something that belongs to the faith of Bram and by 'retrieving' it for us you will earn quite the reputation among us and it would most definitely free you of your previous mistake,"

"Alrighty! Where do I go, who am I stealing from, and what exactly am I stealing?" Drew said simply.

"You shall be retrieving the Artifact known as The Candle of The First Light. It is believed to be currently held by a man known as 'Sebastian Greennose'. He is a snake among snakes and is as slippery as a sea serpent. He has escaped every single attempt on his life and made quite a bit of money on conning those desperate for a miracle,"

"As for his location or current identity... I have no clue,"

Drew nodded and absorbed the information presented in front of him.

'A conman that has a reputation... He reminds me of some of the criminals in some movies I watched back on Earth,'

'He goes by many names as Atun hinted at and he probably relocates after every scam he performs and might leave sooner if he gets wind of someone snooping around,'

"This seems rather difficult but I might be able to accomplish it with some of the new skills I have learned," Drew said skeptically.

"Oh, right! You seem to be quite talented as a warrior. I must congratulate you on your progress, it is commendable,"

"Thank you for your praise!" Drew said with pride in his voice for the first time in a long time.

'When was the last time I was praised? I can't even remember my parents saying a word of acknowledgment of my abilities in academics and sports,'

Atun smiled warmly at Drew and placed a hand on his shoulder and patted him with a type of care that Drew had never felt before.

But after a few seconds, Atun stopped in his tracks and turned deathly pale as if a demon was standing behind Drew.

Drew slowly sighed and felt the fear that had filled his mind for a moment subside as the calming energy filled his being once more.

He turned around and the sight in front of him was one that was both disgusting and respectable.