[4]

The Cathedral's plaza was clear. Illuminated by the hung lanterns. On the edges, the blizzard raged against whatever barrier had been erected. To Bishop Luis's disbelief. Beside him stood that young white-haired maiden. She breathed with some effort as if she'd just had to jog, or maybe spare a little. It only took an observant pair of eyes to see it was her doing. He already tried to speak with her but it was no use. It was like she was in a trance.

Those two pools of molten gold swirled, and they were narrowed into two small slits as she stared into the blizzard. The air around her was unnaturally warm. The snow around her feet had melted away moments ago, and the Cathedral was comfortably warm. With the woman standing on the landing of his church, Bishop Luis decided he too should do his part. The time for questions would be for later.

Lady Priscilla was beside him with a chair and left a few apples for her to snack on top of it.

"Come," Bishop Luis said. "Let us attend to the townsfolk."

Bishop Luis nodded his head in parting to Cyril before he turned and headed inside. Priscilla looked conflicted with this and looked worriedly at the side of Cyril's face. She contemplated planting a kiss on those supple cheeks. She decided not to after a few harrowing seconds and followed the Bishop. She decided it'd be best to leave her to her own devices for the moment.

The inside of the Cathedral was vast. Inside, most of the pews had been occupied with fearful women and children. Elders and the sick. The ones who couldn't fight and their caretakers.

"This is not but less than a quarter of the population of the port," Bishop Luis said as Priscilla stepped inside. He stood beside one of the pillars that held up the balcony above the door where the nobility sat during service. "The guards told me that most of the people believed they would be safer in their homes."

"Are they?" Priscilla asked.

"Maybe they are," Bishop Luis said. "Maybe they are not. I cannot see the future. Nor can I tell them what they should do. I could only offer counseling and healing for their souls. Come, let us help prep the food."

"Yes," Priscilla said.

Priscilla followed as Bishop Luis took the lead down the center of the Cathedral. It seemed like every person had tried to ask for blessing or assurances they'd be safe. With gentle hands, he blessed quickly. With gentle words, he assured them that the Cathedral was safe. It took more than ten minutes to reach the end of the hall and into a side passage for the church workers.

"Are we really safe?" Priscilla asked.

"Do you really want to know?" Bishop Luis asked back as they turned a corner. Other priests and church hands mulled up and down. They all were busy with the tens of duties that came with overlooking the scared crowd. Most of them brought out wine to ease everyone's nerves.

"Yes," Priscilla didn't hesitate.

"No," The Bishop confessed. "The Cathedral is not blessed, as this land doesn't completely belong to the Lord of Light."

"How so?" Priscilla squeezed her hand.

"This church is old. Older than Alistair himself," Bishop Luis said as they rounded another corner and passed another flock of church hands. "Claiming a holy ground of another religion is not a simple thing. We're not even sure if the previous deity had been the original builder. Each year, we unearth catacombs when we have to expand. To completely take over, we must remove all their religious idols - or so the ancient texts say."

"Why didn't the Church just build a new church to begin with?" Priscilla asked. "Wouldn't it have been better?"

"It would have, but this Cathedral is apart of this city," Bishop Luis said as they turned into the kitchens. "The truth is, Lord Gulley wanted us to take it over. We're a big organization and we could afford to pay taxes. We had signed a long term contract before we knew what we were getting into. Since we've already paid for the land, and the Lord will not charge us for dealing with the Cathedral and its expansions, we stayed. Or rather, the higher-ups won't allow us to move."