I seperated from Tarnak, telling him I'd meet back up with him when he decided to leave and go back to his farm up north. He was a bit sad, but understood I needed to pray (a damn lie, but its not like I could tell him I didn't want him getting killed because of his involvement with me). It also wasn't a total lie because I had decided on hiding out at one of the local Followers of Fire buildings. They were structurally sound, surrounded by people who literally worship conflict, and it fit in better with my cover story. The followers aren't big on advertising their precence in a city, but their circular stone buildings are hard to miss, as are the men in blood red robes outside of them. I kept my face covered and went inside.
Inside was the huge fire pit I'd seen all those years ago when I first met Lorissia, the interior almost looked like it was lifted straight from that temple. There were followers of all kinds walking to and fro, no one harrased me as I took a moment to sit down at one of the stone benches a couple back from the fire. It was hot inside, almost unbearably so, it was summer outside, and keeping a roaring fire inside a large stone building probably wasn't the best idea for not having people pass out from the heat. I was sitting with my head bowed when I heard a disturbance and saw a bunch of Ronerawthian military barge in.
"Something I can help you with gentleman?" The head follower looked more like the leader of a group of bandits than a religious person. Even wearing the long robes of a worshiper I could see muscles bulging underneath, he also was missing an eye and had a nasty scar to go with it.
"One of your attacked a toll, we demand you turn him over to us." I tried not to move or show any interest with what was going on, I didn't see one of the men who I had attacked from the day before, but that didn't mean they hadn't given my description.
"Your toll? You mean your robbing the people of their goods for protection that never comes? Why must my followers patrol the slums, while your garrison sits getting fat? Why must the Emperor demand of us a fee for being in the city, yet provide us nothing in return?" His arguments sounded rehearsed to an extent, I could also see that he had placed a hand on his sword, and that the weapon looked like it was used for a lot more than ceremony.
"You forget your place priest." The guard captain had five men with him, but he was outnumbered by the followers, and the other people who had been milling about now had surrounded his small garrison.
"You forget yours parasite." From beneath robes rifles were drawn, the Garrison was now staring down about twenty different barrels of various different rifles.
"We shall not forget this! The emperor will hear of this insolence!"
"Good tell him that I'm done paying his fees, and that if he wishes to discuss it in person I'll be happy to arrange a meeting." The Ronerawth military boys ran, I figured they might have wanted to show they weren't afraid, but like a dog who had just been kicked they fled as fast as their feet can carry them. Rifles were returned to robes, words were had amongst members, I breathed a sigh of relief until I felt a heavy steady hand on my shoulder.
"Nice to see you today brother, though I don't believe I've ever seen you worshipping here before." It was of course the leader from before, I was had, I could try and fight, but I had seen how fast the rifles had come out, and this guy didn't look like the type to go down easy.
"New convert?" My voice was meek.
"Right, not wearing the robes and covering your face, totally a follower of fire." His voice was jovial, but I couldn't be sure if this was just the rattle before the strike.
"Ok not exactly one of your number."
"You don't say? Let me guess you are who they are really looking for." I had stood up and was now facing my accuser, he wasn't holding on to his sword and he'd let go of my shoulder, but I was still within easy striking distance.
"I may have been involved in an incident with a toll road, and possibly have used the Fire God's name to get myself out of trouble." I tried to size the man up, I mean my ribs hurt, but I was still a necromancer and had taken bigger in my time.
"Well then you did the world a favor, the Emperor has betrayed his people, sooner or later this conflict was going to erupt, better here and now than in Dunlok I guess." It was not a reaction I expected. I was about to leave when I felt his hand on me again."And where do you think you're going?"
"Elsewhere I mean if you guys are going to war."
"Because of you then you will stand and fight with us, you can not use our God's name for your conflict and expect to walk away. No you will join us in the fight, and earn the blood you would have us shed." Great I just wanted to hide out from a fight, and now I joined a war. You know with how my life goes, I should have expected this. You hear that Tarnak whereever your soul came to rest, this is all your fault!
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