The rumors

Rafael explained the process of distillation as best he could. The priest's eyes widened with awe. "I've never heard anything like that. The Great Father truly knows the unthinkable," he said, marveling at the knowledge.

Just then, the other cleric emerged from the bedroom. "We did as you asked. Now they've eaten, drunk, and had their temperatures lowered. Is that all, priest?"

Rafael raised an eyebrow, noting that it wasn't the old man who had given the instructions. "That's all, yes. You can go now," the priest said, dismissing him before turning back to admire Rafael's seemingly miraculous actions.

"Oh, I have so many questions! Are you sure you didn't hear a voice in your dreams? Or an angel? A name? And paper—how could it be so simple to make?" The priest's curiosity was insatiable.

They chatted until noon, their conversation only interrupted by Rafael's growing hunger. "I understand; let's go our separate ways. It was an eye-opening experience to talk to you, Cleric Robert. Rest assured, you have my and many other priests' votes for next month. I'm sure my friend is speaking with the others right now to convince them. God bless you."

After the priest left, Rafael went to the mansion's kitchen to get food for himself and Julius. Eventually, Julius arrived, and they shared a meal and some casual conversation. Their moment of peace was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Go see who is knocking, please," Julius requested.

Rafael opened the door to find another cleric with a serious expression. "I'm back to report my findings to the high priest."

Findings? Rafael wondered.

"Of course! Please, come in," Julius said.

"High priest," the cleric bowed before continuing, "My trip to that village under Baron Floutt's command resulted in some strange discoveries." Both Julius and Rafael listened attentively, though with differing thoughts.

"When I arrived in the village, it was packed with soldiers. The peasants spoke of recent incidents where the village commander went rogue, killing everyone in his path. There were rumors of a 'chariot of hell' in the forest that had corrupted the knight. I only believed it because there were many guards coming and going, and they prohibited anyone from entering the forest. After my guards managed to distract them, I snuck in and... I saw..."

"What? Saw what?!" Julius almost shouted, his concern evident.

"I saw that thing... It was of impossible existence... Truly something from hell!" The cleric shuddered at the memory and made the sign of the cross. "Bless us, Father!"

They fell silent for a few moments, but for Rafael, it felt like minutes. Julius broke the silence. "This can't be... It seems Floutt already knows and has sent soldiers to secure it. Hmmm... Did you discover anything else?"

"When we left, we came across some caravans with many commoners. I don't know what they were for, I'm sorry."

"No, that's fine. Why would he send people there? Is he trying to build something around it? Or maybe carry it to his city?" Julius pondered aloud, coughing slightly.

"What if he plans to sacrifice those people in a devious ritual? Ah! Yes, I remember hearing some guards referring to it as a 'relic.' They are worshipping it! They've changed sides," the cleric said with evident disgust.

Julius stroked his chin thoughtfully, deep in consideration.

"My apprentice, what do you think about all this?" Julius asked Rafael, seeking his opinion and clearly surprised.

This old man! Okay, I think the best option is to secure the time machine somehow. I don't know if they can move it, but if it's possible, we might be able to hide it. The book is inside it, and I can't afford to lose it, Rafael thought.

"Sir, I think we should bring this object to Calistoga and hide it. As our brother and you said, Baron Floutt already knows about it and may be under the influence of dark energies. That explains why he's trying to protect it."

"But how will we carry it all the way here? It's huge, bigger than a peasant's house," the cleric said.

"I don't know. Even if it's impossible to move, we should at least build a barrier around it to prevent more people from learning about it. If we can contain and control it, we could study it," Rafael suggested.

"Why would you want to study *cough* something from hell?" Julius asked, eyeing Rafael with suspicion.

"Pardon me, sir. May God be my witness that I have no ill intentions. We don't need to study it, but we shouldn't let it spread corruption in the world," Rafael explained.

"Mmm... Brother, do you have any more information?"

"No, sir. That's all," the cleric said, nodding before leaving.

Left alone, Julius looked pensive, staring at the ground. "What's happening... First the war, then..." He looked at Rafael, "... and now this."

"High priest, I really think we should take control of this object," Rafael urged.

"Something isn't right. Strange things are happening lately. First, the sudden declaration of war against our kingdom. Second... You. And third, this thing fro..." Julius had another coughing fit. After calming down with Rafael's help, he continued, "This isn't something small. I'll have to summon the priests for a meeting to discuss what to do next." sigh