Chapter 22, Night Patrol

(Trisha)

Trisha strode down the corridor of the cathedral. She rested her hand lightly on the hilt of a dagger hidden, tucked into her pants at the crook of her back. The flat of the short curved blade rested coldly against her skin, reassuringly. Trisha wished she had a sword, but the damned Bishop had refused her. And so she was packing a boot knife, and a dagger hidden in her belt.

She should just go to her room and get her scabbard and straight sword. Trisha cursed herself. Did the bishop want her to die? Trisha stumbled as she brushed an unseen pillar of stone. She glared at the straight-backed guard as the man's lips turned up at the edges. Trisha wanted to be mad at the man, but she couldn't really blame him. Trisha stuck out her tongue at him just as she turned the corner, smiling at his slight show of surprise.

Trisha squinted as she stepped into the courtyard of the cathedral. The red sheen of the setting sun made the weight on her shoulders lessen slightly. How did the sun change colour from a vibrant yellow to a bright red in the evening? She shook her head, saving the contemplation for later. Many students walked in front of her, some sitting on the steps leading to the church. Most of the people in the clearing looked up at her as she had just walked out of the Cathedral.

Trisha swallowed hard, their jealous eyes assessing her. Trisha looked down at her chest, the shimmering blue medallion standing out on her black blouse. She tucked the amulet under her shirt, uncomfortable at the stares of all the other initiates. Trisha smiled as she found the short, cloaked figure of Greg. The young mans odd style of dressing made him stand out against the others like a donkey in traffic.

" Oh there you are, Trisha, or is it, priestess Trisha?" asked Eliya.

Trisha stopped in her tracks and smile at Eliya, who was dressing in wool pants and a linen shirt.

" I am just an apprentice. I think people may be offended if you use the wrong title." Replied Trisha seriously.

" Where is your sword?" asked Eliya, shrugging at Trishas retort. The woman was eying her empty belt curiously. Trisha scowled at Eliya's thick staff and back to the sword resting at Greg's belt.

" Her ladyship refuses to let me carry a sword. A lady of the court does not carry a sword in public." said Trisha imitating the bishop in a snarky tone.

" So what is the plan for the night?" asked Eliya, resting a hand on her dark wooden staff.

" Lets go somewhere quiet." replied Trisha eyeing all the other initiates around her. From what Trisha could tell, most of the people in the courtyard were here to try their luck at becoming initiates. Most were lacking the blue medallion, but she saw a group of three young women talking next to one barracks by the wall, each with dark blue medallions.

They walked around the cathedral to the back of the courtyard. They stepped off stone and onto soft grass. It was surprisingly pleasant to be mostly alone in the quiet garden behind the cathedral. Well, besides the guards eying them. Trisha wanted to reach out and pluck a flower, but one guard shook his head slightly.

" Did the bishop tell you of the request?" asked Trisha, sniffing a yellow flower on the edge of the well kempt garden.

" She said if we help you do your task we will become initiates?" asked Eliya.

" That is true, but she told me you could take the normal test if you want instead." replied Trisha, sighing at the smell of sweet nectar. Trisha was content to just stay here in the garden for a few minutes and listen to the bees flying around the garden.

" It sounds easy. We go do this minor task with you and become initiates.." said Greg.

" You say that, but you haven't heard our test. I think you will reconsider, Greg." replied Trisha, grinning.

" Stop being so dramatic, just tell us what we need to do." said Eliya stone faced.

" Allright, fine, you never let me have fun. We are going to be helping the messengers guild. We are going to be searching for a demon. From the story of the church guild master there is some sort of monster hunting in the city at night." said Trisha glancing around making sure there was noone close enough to hear.

" I don't get paid enough for this." grumbled Greg, running his hand along the stubble of his jaw.

" If we pass this test, your wage will be more than comfortable. I will offer my condolences if you pass away." said Eliya straight faced smacking Gregs cloaked back consolingly.

" She is right, you are our bodyguard." said Trisha trying not to burst out laughing. Trisha glanced up at the pale blue sky. She breathed deeply of the floral smells of the garden. Trisha wished she could afford the expensive perfume that smelled of flowers. She sighed, turning towards the exit gate.

" Lead the way, your trusty bodyguard will just hang around protecting the flowers." said Greg.

" For a trusty bodyguard you sure do complain a lot." said Eliya.

The head guard at the front gate raised his hand as Trisha and her companions approached the gate.

" Halt, it is against church policy to leave at night." said the head guard.

" I did not know that." replied Trisha presenting her shimmering blue medallion.

The guard's eyes widened as he touched the metal.

" Open the gate, she is the apprentice of the lady bishop." said the head guard breathlessly, his legs shaking slightly. Trisha could understand the man's predicament. It was a shock to the senses for the first time touching the medallion from the Bishop.

" Tell Harry I said hello." said Trisha, exiting the gate.

" Damit, why didn't he tell me when we changed shifts?" mumbled the Guard. They entered the streets on a mostly empty cobblestone road.

" There is a curfew for nonessential travel at night. If you don't present your medallion, you will be fined." said one guard in front of the gates.

" Thanks, I will be sure to keep it ready at all times." replied Trisha. She waved to the guards on the outside of the gate as she headed to expedition plaza. Some civilians ran down the streets as the faint light left the sky, leaving the streets only lit by torches. By her estimation the torches were spaced every one hundred steps.

Trisha and her friends cautiously strode down the street, reaching their destination without running into a single patrol. That was not good. Why hadn't she seen a patrol in twenty minutes? Trisha watched the flickering torch on the corner, eying the woman dressed in a red and black uniform. Trisha had to admit the woman disappeared in the darkness, her bright red outfit somehow blending in.

" Greetings, are you the church monster hunters?" asked the Messenger woman.

" Yes, we are. We hunt people mostly but I'm sure we can handle a monster." said Trisha, only somewhat confident.

" What is our plan? I don't want to get eaten or killed like the others." said the messenger, shifting from foot to foot.

" I was thinking on the tried-and-true method, called bait the cat." said Trisha.

" And what is that?" asked the messenger, raising an eyebrow.

" Dont worry, just walk ahead of us. Dont get too far away, make yourself look like a slow target." said Trisha.

" That doesn't sound safe at all." replied the messenger, clenching and unclenching her fists.

"Just don't get too far away. If you think you 're in trouble, run as fast as you can back to us." said Trisha reassuringly.

" Okay, I will try." replied the messenger breathing in a shaky breath.

" I hope you can keep up, I have messages to deliver tonight." said The Messenger woman straightening up.

" Has anyone who wasn't alone went missing?" asked Eliya.

" No, we have started traveling in pairs as to not be a target. But with the war, we just don't have the people we need to send two messengers for every delivery." replied the messenger.

The tall athletic woman dressed in the messenger's uniform took a drink from a leather flask on her side and speed walked down the road. Trisha and her two companions followed her, keeping as far back as possible. Making sure they could just see the young woman as she walked down the street.

Trisha yawned, stretching her aching legs. She hid in a dark alleyway, watching as the messenger dropped off a message to a two story building. Trishas was slowly loosing interest, the excitement of the first hours had faded. Now all that was left was to stay vigilant, and not let boredom take her. She clasped the cloth hilt of her hidden curved dagger; the metal reassuring.

Trisha's eyes snapped to an alley down the street. Something shifted, its shadow flickering across the alley wall. She crouched, moving slowly, knowing any sudden movement would give her away. The messenger walked past her alley and knelt down as if tying her boots.

" Did you see anything?" asked the messenger.

" Yes, down the street. There is something in the alley on the right. Just do what we talked about, wait until this monster or person steps out then run back towards us." said Trisha.

"Do you mean the alley between the two torches where there isn't any light?" asked the Messenger, the woman's voice concerned.

" Thats the one, just stay calm and run like hell when it shows itself." replied Trisha, her heart skipping a beat.