Valkyrie's Shadow

Chapter 19

Alessia walked up and down the corridor in an attempt to calm her frayed nerves. It was too soon for her. She was too young. How could she serve as adjutant to a Vicar?

She did aspire to one day serve as a Temple Guard in the most sacred places in the Theocracy, such as the all-female ranks stationed at Eye of the Water God, but there was no way that she currently had the experience or knowledge for such a lofty post. Or even her new posting in E-Rantel. She would only bring shame upon everyone with her bumbling around doing things she was not qualified for.

“Still pacing a hole in the floor, eh?”

She leapt up, startled at the sudden question. Her head turned to its source as her heart pounded against her breastplate.

“C-Captain Lorenzo,” she said, “it is not nice to sneak up on a girl like that.”

“Paladins can’t even sneak up on a boulder,” the captain frowned at her. “What worries you so, Sister Alessia?”

“Everything,” she replied. “Everything we have witnessed. Meeting this Vicar. I am far from worthy of this posting.”

Alessia couldn’t discern the entire truth about what was going on in the Sorcerous Kingdom, but something could be seen and heard and felt in the faithful here. Even without her assignment, she knew that her life here would be very different from the one she had lived in the Theocracy.

…and if what she suspected deep in her heart was true, being a Temple Guard in the E-Rantel Cathedral was in reality the most esteemed posting for a Paladin of her faith. The thought made her stomach churn, and a nervous sweat slicked her doublet.

Captain Lorenzo slowly went along the corridor, then stopped in front of the Vicar’s office. He raised a hand, and Alessia stepped forward in alarm.

“Captain, what are you–”

Three sharp knocks echoed into the air. The Captain walked away. Alessia’s mouth fell open in disbelief as he retreated back around the corner, a mischievous gleam in his eye.

“Yes?”

Alessia froze as a voice sounded from within the Vicar’s office. She ran up in a panic, making some last-minute checks of her equipment. A shadow darkened the space under the door, and its handle turned.

“…hello?”

A young woman appeared, half a head taller than her. The black and silver garb of a senior Cleric of Surshana adorned her figure. Alessia straightened, and her hand came up in salute of its own accord.

“Alessia di Altamura,” she nearly shouted in her panic, “Paladin of Surshana. I have arrived to assu–muhmuumu!”

Her words were cut short as the Vicar’s hands reached out and grabbed her cheeks. Her steely grey eyes shone, and her lips formed into a loose smile.

“You’re Alessia?” The Vicar asked.

With her mouth squished as it was, Alessia could only nod her head in reply.

“By the gods,” the other girl said. “My little Sister can’t be thiscute!”

“Coogh?”

Vicar Aspasia pulled her into the room headfirst, shutting the door as Alessia stumbled into the room. A sharp click sounded as she locked them inside. Alessia stood very still as the Cleric turned and slowly approached her. Vicar Aspasia circled Alessia several times, scrutinizing every millimetre of her as hmms and hums floated through the air.

“Um…”

“I wasn’t sure what they would send us,” the Vicar said, “but they’ve truly gone to great lengths to fulfil our request.”

“R-request?”

“Yes,” the Cleric nodded. “Someone young, charismatic, fair to look upon and brimming with talent. They should possess a shrewd mind, yet have a positive and open outlook. Honestly, I thought our request impossible to fulfil.”

“How do you know I am all of this?”

“You’re not?”

“I…”

She couldn’t say that she wasn’t. Still, it felt wrong. Why had she been brought in for these qualities? Seniority, above all, ordered the ranks of the Theocracy. Nothing else should have influenced the selection of a Paladin who was to be the adjutant of a Vicar when there were many others far more qualified.

Could it be that they had ulterior motives for her? Alessia shifted uncomfortably where she stood, very much wishing she was back in the Katze Plains where life was simple and there were plenty of things to hit.

Vicar Aspasia stopped in front of her and offered a warm smile.

“Considering that I’m the only one here so attired, there should be no confusion over who I am.”

“You are the Vicar, yes?” Alessia asked cautiously.

“That’s correct,” the Vicar answered. “Vicar Themis Aspasia, Cleric of Surshana. I would like it if you addressed me by my first name.”

“B-but that is improper–”

The Vicar’s hands rested gently over Alessia’s pauldrons.

“I would also like for us to be the best of friends,” she said. “You and I will be in one another’s company for a long time, and there is much that we will be doing together.”

Alessia fell silent, uncertain how to reply. Her attitude was highly irregular. Was it even allowed? Their relationship was supposed to be one of sacred duty, not friendship. She pulled her gaze away from Vicar’s, turning it down to the floor.

“Why are you asking this?”

“I just stated my reasons, yes? Or do you perhaps dislike me?”

“O-of course not,” Alessia replied. “I have not known you long enough to make up my mind either way. But it is not a matter of like or dislike: we are servants of the gods who must carry out our sacred charge first and foremost.”

“But the Scriptures do not prohibit us from becoming friends.”

“That is true, but…”

Vicar Aspasia’s smile faltered, and her hands slipped off of Alessia’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” she sighed, “perhaps I have become too excited. My head has been filled with thoughts of who might be sent over and what sort of relationship we would have. When I saw you at the door, my emotions ran off on their own. I hope you will forgive me for not considering your feelings on the matter.”

The Cleric turned away, walking slowly around her desk to take a seat. Alessia looked down at her glum expression, feeling something like a villain.

She considered her own situation: her circumstances were strange, she knew too little of her new home, and it was better to be on good terms with the Vicar she served rather than remaining distant.

“…I am not opposed to it,” Alessia said after several moments, “but I am still very confused over everything that has happened.”

“Confused?” Vicar Aspasia glanced up at her, “I thought the details of your assignment were quite clear.”

“The part about being your adjutant, yes,” Alessia replied. “Though following your greeting, this is also perhaps not so clear anymore. The second part, however…I am to become an Adventurer? What does this have to do with my duties as your adjutant? Beyond that, it is shameful.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand why you would consider it shameful.”

“In the Theocracy,” Alessia said, “the Adventurer Guild is something that only exists in the histories. They were only ever meant to temporarily shore up the security of newly settled lands. It is an organization of bounty hunters and mercenaries – they are not a proper army and cannot be relied upon. Selfish desires for wealth and glory drive them, and their loyalties are as fickle as the wind.”

Silence fell between them, and Alessia could not keep a dissatisfied expression from painting her face. Why was a highly-trained Paladin – one of excellent breeding and proven talent – being sent to become an Adventurer?

“I have never even heard of any Paladin becoming an Adventurer,” she muttered.

“What of Crystal Tear’s ‘Fierce Flash’?”

“That one is not a Paladin,” Alessia sneered. “He is scum that crawled out of a latrine pit. The rumours tell of him creeping around the Draconic Kingdom, so hopefully a Beastman eats him…and then someone lights that Beastman on fire.”

If anything, the degenerate’s existence supported Alessia’s case against Adventurers. After a moment, her fingers came up to cover her lips as she realized what had escaped her mouth.

The Vicar did not say anything about her response, instead reaching to take a chain around her neck in her fingers.

“Then would it help you to know that I’m an Adventurer, as well?”

Alessia gave the Vicar a sharp look, then her brow furrowed as the Cleric pulled a tag of dark violet metal out from behind her scapular.

“Adventurers do not have the same reputation here as they do in the Theocracy,” Vicar Aspasia told her. “The Adventurer Guild of the Sorcerous Kingdom is also not the same as the Adventurer Guild from your histories. It is an official government organization with the goal of true adventuring – that of exploration and discovery – in mind. They do not take up random jobs or bounties, and their affiliation is with the nation itself. Admittedly, a lot of the old culture is still pervasive in its membership, but this is something that should change with time.”

“But why join the Adventurer Guild at all? Temple life is busy enough, especially for a powerful Cleric.”

“It was Bishop Austine’s idea,” the Vicar scratched her cheek with a slight smile. “I was a newly-ordained Cleric when I joined – my progress was quite shocking to all involved.”

“The Bishop? With respect, I still do not understand why…”

“Simply put, we’re an…advertisement.”

Alessia couldn’t keep the growing frown off of her face.

“So those requirements…”

“Were for this purpose, yes,” Vicar Aspasia told her. “I volunteered, unaware of the Bishop’s scheme at the time, but I do recognize the value in what I do now. Having talented and attractive young people as the face of the faith in the public eye is an undeniably effective way of drawing attention to the Temples. The Sorcerer King has a vested interest in seeing the Adventurer Guild succeed and earn great renown. Having Adventurers who worship The Six standing at the pinnacle of an organization that the government actively promotes is to our advantage.”

“B-but I am a Paladin!” Heat painted Alessia’s cheeks, “All I know are the ways of our faith and how to fight. I do not know how to s-s-seduce…”

Vicar Aspasia blinked at her blankly for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“You have no need to do anything of the sort, Alessia,” she wiped the corner of her eye. “You are not yet twenty, anyway. Neither am I, for that matter.”

“Then how…what must I do, Vicar–”

“Themis,” the Vicar said. “When we are not conducting temple duties or attending formal occasions, please call me Themis. You were not opposed to our being friends, yes?”

“Of course…Themis.”

The other girl made a face.

“Hopefully that becomes more natural as time passes,” she said. “As for what you must do, your superiors selected you for a reason. Just act as you always have, and you will most likely be known favourably through your conduct and character.”

The Cleric reached out to take several strands of Alessia’s hair between her fingers.

“I suppose there is one thing you must change,” Themis told her. “You’ll need to pay more attention to your appearance. Come, there’s a salon nearby that I frequent – we should spend the afternoon there before going to register at the Adventurer Guild.”

“A s-salon?”

Alessia’s eyes grew wide. Despite its nature as a military installation, Altamura did have a few salons and boutiques. These were places for adults, however: luxurious establishments to be used by those who had come of age and were pursuing family life after establishing themselves in their vocation.

Themis seemed to sense her trepidation. She reached out and took Alessia’s hand in hers.

“Looking your very best is a part of your duty now,” she told her. “Let’s get you out of that armour for the time being – the salon staff will have no idea what to do with it.”

The midday sun bore down on a group of figures making their way from E-Rantel’s southern gate to the Adventurer Training Area. Along the way, a man carrying a longbow drew close.

“That’s some amazing equipment you have there,” he said. “Is it something you inherited from your family?”

The Ranger, Linden, spoke in a tone that clearly expressed his favourable attitude towards her. Alessia resisted the urge to shyly shrink away.

Since the previous day, after she came out of the salon and Themis made further ‘adjustments’ to her appearance, men of all ages would openly cast their gaze in her direction. It was not something that she had to bear in Altamura, and she wondered what strange magic had been woven over her.

She tried to relax, turning to reply with a slight smile.

“Paladins are provided equipment by the Temples according to their rank and station,” she replied. “I am most likely mismatched with this trial, but the procedures of the Guild must be observed.”

“Mismatched…” Linden’s hand moved up to touch the Silver tag hanging from his neck, “I guess that means we’ll be having an easy time of this.”

Alessia supposed that they could, but she didn’t think she should be going all-out. The way that the Adventurer Guild conducted their training was simple to understand: opponents and various other challenges were laid out to test not just combat capability, but many other aspects of group operations.

Paladins were looked to as living bastions in the ranks of the Theocracy, so she thought that, rather than single-handedly overwhelming everything that stood in their path, it would be better to demonstrate her ability to protect her party, as well as coordinate and lead.

There was also the matter of her new appearance, which she was still unaccustomed to and paranoid about marring in some way. The previous evening, Alessia left the salon only to find herself smashing giant insects an hour later. Themis found her guilt-tinged account of gingerly making her way through trying not to splatter anything on herself quite humorous, and she cast a Clean spell on her after she finished. The stains and the smell clinging to her armour abruptly vanished, and the Vicar told her that appearances could always be fixed. Still, she dared not do anything that might ruin her image.

“These trials are not solely to prove our individual prowess, yes?” Alessia said, “Else we would not be in these parties. There should be something for everyone inside.”

“Both beautiful and wise,” Linden blushed as he belatedly realized what he had said. “I-I mean…”

“You two lovebirds back there,” an annoyed voice came from the front. “Could you flirt on your own time?”

The speaker, who went by the name of Alice, turned to face them when they reached the entrance of the Adventurer Training Area. She was equipped in a steel cuirass over a hauberk and gambeson, giving the impression of a warrior who relied on a more dextrous fighting style. A rapier and buckler hung over her hip, and bits of her sandy blonde hair stuck out from under her sallet.

When her hazel eyes crossed over Alessia, she clicked her tongue and turned away.

“Let’s go,” Alice said.

“Wait,” Alessia called out. “Should we not order ourselves, first?”

“Seems self-explanatory to me,” Alice replied. “We’ve got a Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Druid, Bard and Wizard.”

“We should not simply assume that everyone knows how everything will work,” Alessia told her. “This will lead to woes in the future. It is better to gain an idea of our capabilities and settle on some basic tactics to start with, yes?”

Alice narrowed her eyes at her proposal. Her ire was tangible, though Alessia was not sure why. It felt part antagonism, part resentment. She did not recall doing anything to put the Fighter at odds with her.

Was it jealousy? This sort of competitive attitude from other girls was something that Alessia had never experienced before. It seemed there were other sorts of pitfalls that came with maintaining a pleasing appearance.

“That’s just a waste of time,” Alice snorted. “We’ve all fought in here before – it’s easy stuff.”

Now it was Alessia’s turn to rein in her anger. She was unaccustomed to dealing with another girl’s jealousy, but the flippant attitude Alice displayed towards combat operations was something Alessia had seen many times before. Alessia opted to show her hand to the entire party rather than challenge Alice directly.

“We have a party ideal for a conservative advance,” she told them. “With our Bard using a song of healing to restore our injuries between fights, our Druid can switch to offence to help keep each battle short. As a Paladin, I can heal any critical injuries that might occasionally occur. Progress may feel slow, but it will be both stable and safe.”

“Your ‘tactics’ stink,” Alice dismissed her words. “This plan is going to make the session take five times longer than it needs to be.”

Alice stomped off, and Alessia jogged forward to catch up. The girl was both prideful and unreasonable. Dangerously so. She offered no counterproposals, instead…what? Did she think to simply smash her head into every obstacle, trap and opponent in their path?

Alessia took a deep breath, flexing her grip on her shield. There were, fortunately, other answers available for unruly individuals.