An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

[Takimaru]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

When Tessa opened the doors to her chapel, she would find that the first faces there belonged not to more vigilant versions of the city guard, like the ones she first imagined in her sleep-deprived state, but instead the familiar faces of Ayna and Cael. The somewhat frail-looking woman peered curiously at her, seeming to notice the clerics's sleep-deprived state. "Oh! It's no trouble at all. I was actually worried that we might have come too early. A leak... my, was it all fixed? I really wish we were more capable of helping with it. It would have been the least we could do, seeing as you were so kind as to provide a roof over our heads to begin with. But um, Cael has a bit of growing to do before he can assist you with such matters," she responded. So as to avoid being too imposing as such an early hour, she refrained from simply inviting herself in until the nun took the initiative to open the door wider for the two of them.

However, Cael would exhibit much less hesitance in exploring his new temporary abode, scampering right in and looking around with wonder at the neatly arranged pews and stained-glass windows. "Wow! This place is huge!" Really, it was almost a pathetically small chapel, especially compared to some others that Tessa herself had seen. After all, it wasn't even quite as large as the bar that she had encountered the mother and child--it simply appeared to have a higher roof thanks to the lack of a second floor. But to a child the size of Cael, it must have been a rather grandiose sight. He wasted no time in running about, moving in circles before hitting the end of one of the pews headfirst. The collision knocked the boy on his butt, and he grimaced, rubbing a fresh bump on the side of his forehead.

"Oww..." Despite the welling up of tears in the corners of his eyes, he refused to let it develop into a bawl, or even so much as a sniffle. "There are too many chairs here," remarked the fiery-haired youth, looking to Tessa expectantly, as if awaiting a proper answer or excuse. "I bet a lot of people come here, huh? Is it always this empty?"

"C... Cael!" stammered Ayna in admonishment of her son's reckless actions. "Have some manners! Sister, ah, Tessa was kind enough to let us stay here for the time being, so I fully expect you to behave. And... a-and that means absolutely no horseplay in the chapel...!" she added, her voice wavering as she delivered a somewhat forced attempt to sound authoritative in the nun's presence. Despite her best attempts, it quickly became apparent that discipline was not Ayna's strong suit, as Cael didn't seem to wither as much as he could have from her raised voice. Still, he wasn't completely disobedient, as he had stopped moving around within a few seconds--though whether it was the pew or Ayna's doing was up to Tessa to decipher for herself.

"This is much nicer than that small room, though," pronounced Cael as he observed the various scenes depicted by the main hall's numerous, colorful windows. His eyes stopped on one panel in particular, which he seemed to look upon with awe. It was a scene of a knight locked in combat with a demon. To some, like Cael, it might have simply appeared as an action scene, but Tessa knew it to be related to the story of one 'Fatebender'--those chosen by Erion to keep the impurities of the Void out of the sacred realm. This knight of old, who went by the name of Isthos, was said to carry so much power as a Fatebender that Tzern himself cursed him with a demon that constantly whispered disturbing messages to him, day and night, in an attempt to influence his way of thinking. The battle depicted on the stained-glass panel, while having its fill of action, was also meant to represent Isthos' struggle with the temptations of the Void.

There was one person in the chapel who appeared to be no stranger to temptation, and that was Cael. It wasn't long before his wandering eyes spotted the back entrance to the yard in which Tessa had freshly buried last night's victim. "Whoa! You have a backyard?!"

Before she knew it, he had run over to open it, only to see a wide open area with... dirt, and no small amount of it. There were still a few patches of drying grass, which luckily drew more attention than the spot that Tessa had put Kenneth's body under. That exact location was likely one that she wouldn't forget anytime soon, but as things stood Cael was completely oblivious to the significance of such a plot, and he ran right over it, leaving shoeprints upon the flat patch of dirt. He was more interested in exploring the boundaries of Tessa's backyard.

"Cael, could you please..." Ayna started, before looking over the somewhat barren area herself. She paused, blinked a few times, then turned to face Tessa. "Oh! Unused land... do you plan on putting anything here? Perhaps a garden of sorts? You know, with the right arrangement, I'm sure it would be a lovely place to hold weddings," she commented. "I used to do a bit of gardening myself. That is, before we lost our home," continued the brunette, her enthusiastic tone fading slightly towards the end. "But, if there's anything at all I can help you with, please let us know! I certainly can't afford to be a burden to anyone much longer, especially with our... current situation," she explained.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

"Oh no, not at all!" Tessa didn't need to fake the happiness in her reply if only because of the relief that washed over her once she had realized that the duo wasn't a pair of guards come to take her to justice. "I imagine you came when you needed to, so I would say that you're perfectly on schedule," she would muse before opening the door and motioning for the two to enter. "And the leak is as fixed as it's going to be, I think, until I find a carpenter particularly generous or faithful."

The nun smiled at Cael's antics and Ayna's ensuing efforts at scolding him, but said nothing. The boy was certainly... spirited, but he reminded her so much of her brothers that she couldn't begin to be annoyed by him—at least not yet, anyway, maybe after she'd had a few more days in his company. The boy reminded her chiefly of her eldest brother, Elias, with his obsession with knighthood and his uncanny ability to harm himself and others with his roughhousing. Tessa couldn't help but spare a thought to wonder what had happened to Elias. She had lost contact with him even before her marriage when he had voluntarily become a soldier in the hopes of seeing new places and going onto bigger and better things.

She would be shaken from her pondering as she noticed Cael peering in wonder at one of the few things that marked the church as, well, a church. Tessa could not claim that she herself was particularly enamored by the content of Isthos's tale, it seemed terribly depressing to her that even a man such as he was tempted, but she, like many other clerics, had learned many lessons from it. "His name was Isthos, a knight to Erion Himself," the nun offered toward the boy. "I was taught his tale and with it that, while strength can be your shield against those who might try to beat you and while wisdom can protect you from those who might try to deceive you, only faith will serve as walls with which to guard your soul. I could tell his story to you some day, if you'd like. I imagine it might be a valuable thing to know for a future knight," she suggested with a wry smile playing about the corner of her lips.

A lesson against temptation would prove not to be a lesson that Cael would learn anytime soon, apparently, given that he dashed off and cleared two doors on his way to the plot of land behind the church not long after. The realization that the two would come within inches of where she had buried Kenneth certainly alarmed Tessa, although she was not so alarmed as she had been when she had first awoken to knocking. The nun had prepared for this. She had flattened the ground to the best of her abilities and buried him so deeply that there was no way they'd be able to dig far enough to find him unless they managed to get their hands on a shovel of their own. And if they did notice the odd plot then she still had her lies prepared, along with the ability to come up with a few more off her cuff.

"I have my hands full simply trying to keep the building from falling down and supplies for such ventures are always short, I'm afraid. Although, I think that you're right that the grounds would benefit greatly from some planting," she answered Ayna's suggestion, hoping to ease the woman's obvious pain a bit along the way. "Perhaps I will see if I can get my hands on some seeds when the church receives its next tithe payment. It might even be a good idea to find a spot for some vegetable plants as well, that we might feed ourselves and the needy. Far more fitting of the backyard of a house of Erion than its current state, I'd say. But don't worry yourself about it now. Far more important to get you comfortably settled in, first. Perhaps a tour is in order?"

 

[Takimaru]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

Ayna's eyes dropped a little at Tessa's assumption of them having left the inn at the right time, as if proving the guess to be a correct one. "Yes, we only left because we had to... really, it was a wonder that he put up with us for as long as he did, so I suppose I should be thankful. After all, it's really quite rare for establishments like those to allow children in, especially with all of the things that occur at night. I can only hope that we won't be such a burden to you," replied the woman politely.

"Ooooooooooooooooh..." pronounced Cael as he listened to Tessa's explanation with wide eyes. He then shifted his gaze towards the stained-glass panel to stare intently at it as she described the nature of the story that was depicted, which contained something about a warrior named Isthos, and the things that a knight would surely need; strength, wisdom, and faith. Though he was clearly a rough-and-tumble sort of child, there was genuine interest in his expression and a level of attention that one might not expect from the boy. "Good! I'll be sure to have all of those so I can help my dad! But... what's faith?"

It was a question delivered with enough sincerity to be convincing, as he truly didn't appear to be familiar with the term at all. Perhaps his family was not the most pious in practice, but then again, a lack of faith, at least in the way Tessa understood it, was a fairly common feature of many families in Cerawal.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. I may not be of much use when it comes to woodwork or any of the heavier tasks, but I can help with the plants, for sure," assured Ayna in response to Tessa's plans for the backyard. "Not to be so nosy, but do you get much with the tithe? If not, I'm sure there must be some way for us to raise money for the chapel," said the woman with a thoughtful look.

Tessa was then free to show her new guests a tour of the chapel in the order she pleased. Ayna, seemingly afraid to impose herself too much in light of her recent trials, would not be pushy at all if the nun cared to simply gloss over or omit some parts of the tour, while Cael, in sharp contrast, didn't hesitate to run in and out of the few rooms that the building did have. It took a bit of scolding and sternly delivered words from Ayna to get him to stop, but he did not cry easily even then, instead choosing to focus his attention elsewhere almost instantaneously.

Then, a knocking came on the double doors once again--delivered with much more force than the light but incessant rapping that woke the cleric up earlier that morning.

"Who is it?!" Cael cried out inquisitively, prompting Ayna to shush him.

"Q... Quiet, Cael! It's Sister Tessa's place, remember that," she reminded him with as firm a tone as she could muster.

When Tessa finally approached the double doors to answer, they would creak open on their own just as she reached her hand out. A look upwards would show her the worn face of a man, a tall and sturdily built one whose frame could easily pass as that of a guardsman or soldier by physical attributes alone, though he lacked any sort of uniform to prove such an association. Instead, he was dressed in tattered garb and leather armor, not unlike what Tessa had seen some mercenaries or travelers wearing in their day to day travels. His somewhat rough features somewhat reminded her of a face she had seen long ago from her past, from darker days--but for some reason, it was hard to put a bead on whether she truly knew him or not.

"Are you currently taking confessions?" asked the stranger.

"I... we'll go to the yard," remarked Ayna quietly.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

Cael's question was perhaps the most unwittingly deep and honest question that Tessa had fielded in her time as a cleric. There were many who didn't seem to understand the tenets of faith, let alone faith in Erion, but most pretended otherwise and few ever asked her what it truly was to be faithful. It took the nun several pensive moments in thought with her hand placed to her chin to come up with a response she felt adequate. "A very good question," she praised the boy. "Faith is many things, but I think most of all it is a form of trust. Trust that, no matter how dark things may become, the sun will always rise in the morning to cast all the shadows away. That is faith, I think," she answered with a small smile. "But we will have more time to talk about that later when we read the stories together. There are countless tales of knights in Erion's service and I'm sure you'll like most of them."

"I fear the tithe will not be much," Tessa would later answer Ayna's question, once the trio had moved themselves to the plot of land behind the church. "This is not a large church, and I can't pretend that my predecessor nor I have been terribly successful in converting the local populace. Still, where there's a will there's a way, and with a bit of careful budgeting I'm sure we'll be able to do something nice with some of it. Although I think you've got a good idea in pursuing a means to make a little extra, perhaps we can even come up with something that will draw more interested souls to the church," the redhead suggested.

Following any further reply from Ayna, the nun followed up with a rather abridged version of a tour. Bringing them back into the hallway that ran between her office-slash-bedroom, her improvised, though currently empty, storage shed, and the main worship hall, she would simply indicate the doors as she noted their purposes. "This is the only door with a proper lock in the church," she would note regarding the door behind which she had spent the better part of a night scrubbing blood off of the floor. "I use it as a storage room to keep tools and the like in, though I fear that while I was trying to patch the leak last night I emptied it and never got around to putting everything back. I would recommend storing any personal goods that you can't easily replace in there."

She then pointed out the door to her office. "That is my bedroom and office, mostly the former. It's a bit of a mess and full of tools right now, as you might expect. As for your sleeping arrangements," Tessa continued more broadly. "You and Cael are welcome to sleep in any of the rooms that you find most comfortable. I bar all of the doors at night, so you should be safe regardless of your choice. We can work out the details on that later, though," she concluded, right before the knock on the double doors came.

"Such an unusually busy morning," she mused aloud rather than saying anything about Cael's actions or Ayna's response to them. While she might have appeared calm on the outside, though, her adrenaline was racing again. This time was it, wasn't it? This was the time that she was going to open the door to find guards. Tessa tried to calm herself even as she moved down the pathway between the pews in order to open the door. She had thought this all through earlier and she had plenty of believable lies to use so that she could deny her involvement and turn the guards away. She was going to be fine, she told herself, she just needed to take a deep breath and then open the door. Or, well, in the end she only needed the breath because the door opened right before she had the chance to open it.

The redhead wasn't sure whether to be relieved or more worried at what she saw when that door opened, though. Her visitor was such a mercenary-looking man, which was already something that put her at unease given her past experiences with them. His vaguely familiar appearance did not help to calm her, either, and while she was surprised by his question about the confessional it wasn't quite enough to put her at ease when balanced against all the rest. At Ayna's following comment she turned her head to give the woman a small nod, as while she wasn't sure she wanted to be alone with the man she thought it better for the mother and child to be outside in case his intentions truly were bad. "This is not how it's usually done, but yes, brother, I can take your confession," she answered and then motioned with her hand to indicate the confession booth before moving to take her own place inside.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

"Ohh," responded Cael after the nun provided her long-awaited answer. "My dad said to trust that he'd be back to come get us, and I know he'll keep his promise. Is that like faith?" asked the boy. "I think I have it then. I'm not afraid of the dark anyway," he remarked afterwards, somewhat smug about the latter statement.

"I see. We could even make use of the pews if need be, as I still have some blankets. I don't want to be robbing you of your mattress for what I hope is merely a temporary stay. It is truly courteous of you to take us in, after all. If this is a common practice for your church, I'm sure you'll manage to get many followers before too long," said Ayna. "Lately it seems like there have been more and more people in need. I never knew how they really felt until recently, too. Maybe it's selfish of me, but I had never found myself as a devout follower of any particular deity... yet now I find myself looking to put my faith in anything that will change our situation. When we fell on hard times, I couldn't help but wish that someone, something, would answer my call. If this Erion could heed my prayers and return my husband to me safely... I don't think I would have the right to ask for anything else from any other god," declared the woman.

The two would retreat to the backyard for the time being as the stranger made his way inside. Luckily, he seemed too distracted by Tessa to get a good glance at the woman and child exiting through the backdoor, with his attention wholly focused on the nun before him. "I see. Thanks," was all that the gruff-looking man said. He wouldn't follow up by asking what the correct method for requesting or scheduling a confession was, however. The troubles in his mind appeared to be fresh, and he would keep them unspoken until he had settled into his side of the confessional booth.

The consecutive clinking noises of several gold coins falling into the slot could be heard, joining the few that Kenneth had dropped in the other day and thus reminding Tessa that she wasn't completely broke. "Been a while since I did this... shit, I can barely remember the last time, heh," he started with a somewhat nervous chuckle. "Uh. Where do I start? Hfff..." A long pause followed.

"So I've been doing this mercenary thing for a while, just makin' ends meet. Mostly bodyguard work, debt collecting, that kinda stuff. Usually the people I mess up or kill, tend to deserve it... slavers, thieves, you know, those kinds of scum."

"But it's been tough to tell the difference between guys who deserve it anymore. Been working for a banker for about a month or two now--what can I say, he pays me good, real good--and so I basically just go around getting his money back from people who don't pay up. Makes sense... they're basically stealing from him, since he's the one who lends them the cash in the first place. But he's been getting more people that try to screw him over. It's gotten so bad that he even had us start roughing guys up for a night or two. Ya know, like something of a 'motivator'. Then we let 'em go for weeks at a time so they can get his money back. One guy..." He paused, taking a deep breath. "hasn't really learned. He's not the only one, but somehow, he's managed to stay alive the longest. Stubborn little fucker."


"And well, uh... Sister, obviously I don't expect ya to know what it's like to torture a guy, to hear his screams of agony while you twist the knife and then some... but man. It's really not something I can get used to, I'll tell ya that. Cutting a guy down who wants to kill ya is one thing, but just having some hapless fuck tied to a chair while you try to make his night as bad as possible just... doesn't sit all that right with me. And yet the money's so good I can't just walk away, y'know? Never got paid this much, ever, and if I say something to doubt the boss, I'm pretty sure he'll just hire someone else in a heartbeat," he explained. "It's kinda fucked up, in a way, doin' something I'd rather not do. I mean shit, it just FEELS wrong, down in my gut. But damn if I ever make this kinda money in my life again."

"Some guys make it easier--they try to spit in your face, call you names, all that kinda shit. This guy... he doesn't talk crap, doesn't even try to fight back. Just mumbles things to himself from time to time. Promises 'Cael' he'll be back for him--I'm guessing that's his son or something. Anyway, they got other guys looking for his family to motivate him a little better, but I'm the one who has to meet up with him later tonight. I know you clerics have your vows of silence and all that. It's why I came here. Actually, I used to be a soldier for the Elynsorian Army, you know. Hoped to be a knight one day... but things didn't turn out as good as I thought they would. Now I'm torturing guys so I don't gotta worry about food ever again. It's like a bad joke, isn't it? Protect the weak, and all that... heh. I was a real idiot back then."

He sighed, the slight stirrings of his formidable figure evident behind the wicker screen dividing the two. "If I somehow end up killing this guy, I just hope Erion can forgive me for it. That is, if He even exists anymore. Uh... I guess it's pretty rude of me to say that to a cleric, but it seems like coin's the only thing that's got any power nowadays, that's all. But, ah... I guess that's about everything I wanted to say."

Spoiler

Tessa acquired 15 gold from the confessional booth.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

Tessa decided against interjecting anything to comfort the apparent mercenary or urge him on during his extended silence at least partly because she herself was using that silence to prepare herself for whatever confession the man might offer. When he did begin to speak, she held her decision to remain silent all the way through his tale.

Vocal silence was not the same as mental silence, however, and many of the things he said inspired her to think deeply. His comments about harming and even killing people weren't surprising, perhaps because she had fully expected them, but she silently mused at his suggestion that she had no idea what it was to torture someone. She knew what she had done and that she had done so for vengeance, of course, and she also knew that she had been on the receiving end of tortures at least partly because of money and those who valued it above human life—men like the mercenary confessing to her. It was as he said though, she supposed a cleric hardly seemed the type to have been on both sides of that gruesome affair, and she imagined that truth might be to her advantage someday. It also surely helped that where he wore the scars and proof of his dangerous lifestyle on his sleeve, she buried them away in her heart and beneath holy raiment.

She very nearly broke her silence when Cael's name was brought up but managed to bite her tongue in order to maintain it. That was a completely surprising turn of events. Could it be that the mercenary and his victim were speaking of the very same Cael who was currently in the plot behind the church and likely causing no small amount of trouble for his mother? It seemed all too possible when she gave it some thought. Ayla and Cael both had spoken of losing their home and Tessa recalled the boy's mention of bad men taking his father to a tower—it seemed she might need to pay a visit to those structures and find out what they were being used for after all.

The man's ensuing comment about looking for their family caused Tessa to briefly gaze upward, as if she might peer through the top of the confessional box and the roof of the church in order to see the unobstructed sky. Was this all a sign from Erion? First Kenneth had stumbled drunkenly into her confessional box and all but gave himself up for her to take vengeance on, then, when pursuing only food, she had stumbled into Ayla and Cael when they were in a moment of great need and been able to accommodate them by bringing them to the church, and now here this man was directly telling her not only that Cael's father was still alive but that his family was still in danger, information which might allow her to save the two from the very person confessing to her. There was no way she could ignore what appeared so plainly to be divine providence.

But what was she to do now? The mercenary was no Kenneth. He seemed too wealthy to be tempted into the same scenario that had eventually undone her former father-in-law by promises of fictional gold. He was surely stronger and a better brawler than she could ever hope to be as well, and she was not very confident in her ability to run the man through even if she got the drop on him. Perhaps she could at least try to dissuade him verbally? She was a cleric, after all, and he obviously had doubts. Trying to stop him with words would surely be better than allowing him to return to his grisly business without doing anything to hinder him. She had to at least try.

Tessa took a deep breath and a short pause to better collect her thoughts before replying. "It is as you say. I have taken a vow and this confession will be forever between us and Erion," she smoothly lied about the latter part, "but my vow doesn't say that I can't at least offer you advice, and my advice is that you simply not do it, brother," she suggested in a tone of neutrality that she had often practiced in that very confessional. Tessa knew she needed to play it carefully. If she were to approach it from an angle of judgment or anger she did not believe he would hear her message, but if she were to come from a position of forgiveness and kindness she hoped that she would at least have a chance to sway him.

"Let him flee and say you accidentally killed the poor soul and disposed of him if you must, Erion will surely forgive a lie if it's told to save a life. I often walk these streets after dark and it's not difficult for me to see why you are uncertain of His existence, but I would argue that the doubt in your heart toward your work is as much proof that He still watches over us as any act of charity might be." She briefly paused, allowing her words to sink in before continuing along that line. "Listening to you speak, you seem a good man who has simply stumbled onto the wrong road. It's not too late to diverge from that road. It's never too late so long as you still draw breath." Tessa let out a soft sigh. "But that is only my personal advice," she could only hope that she had performed well enough to open his mind to the prospect and elicit a response.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

"That's a relief," said the man in response to Tessa's false promise of confidentiality. Behind the wicker screen, his silhouette could be seen nodding to itself a bit, as if having correctly predicted the nun's answer despite somehow fearing it. "Yeah, I... figured you'd say as much. It's somethin' I've tried to tell myself a lot, too. But when I actually start to seriously consider it, I just can't do it. I hesitate. Maybe it's just the weight of all the damn money I've been paid, or the obligation I feel towards my boss. Turns out I'm a little too good at just following orders, sometimes," he lamented aloud.

"It's something they beat into just about everybody who joins the Elynsorian military. Orders are absolute, and all that. Sometimes I'm afraid to follow them... but often enough, I'm even more afraid not to. Even when I'm tempted to say something, while the boss is just WAILING on this guy, when I go to actually say it, I can't--it's like my throat just locks up. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? I never really had that many problems until now... I don't know."

Her next suggestion would cause him to grimace slightly. "Would he go for it though? If the others find out about him being alive later after I say I killed him, I'm fucked! Ah, hrrrgh. Look at me... I'm pathetic. I can stare an armed man in the face, get ready to kill him and it's just business as usual. But when it comes to doing something that'll get me in 'trouble' with the others, already I feel afraid. I'm a goddamn coward, aren't I? It doesn't make any damn sense how the thought of dying in battle isn't one that really bugs me, and yet when it comes to things like this... ugh! Thought I got rid of pity a long time ago." The mercenary gave pause, shaking his head slowly in frustration.

"Believe me, it's not like I haven't thought of these kinda things before, but I feel like I'm literally the only guy in that joint that feels this way. Nobody else gives a shit--they just distract themselves with the next whore or piece of equipment they pump their pay into. If there was even just one other bloke there that I could talk to about stuff like this, I wouldn't have to arse you with my problems. I just know that if I tell anyone there, they'd call me a bitch or something. Showing weakness isn't something you wanna do, if you wanna be considered a reliable asset for an employer, y'know?"

Tessa's words about Erion's existence seemed to provide some much-needed reassurance for him, however. His expression changed dramatically, and he seemed honestly affected by her words to him. Whether the nun meant it or not, her subject received them as though they were from the heart. He set his jaw so as to avoid tearing up.

"... H-Huh. I really never thought of it that way..." he started, swallowing. "You know, it always confused the shit outta me how Erion never spoke back to me in prayer. If anything, I think that's what made me lose my faith to begin with. After seeing so many fucked up things and getting no answers back about it. But if that's really Him, in my head, as you say, then maybe uh... maybe there's something to it that I've just been missing all along. If you feel that's really something I can do to ease these doubts, I guess I COULD just take it easy on him this time, fake a few hits or something. Tell him that it really is over for him if he keeps going like this. I... hmm. I'll figure something out." With the creaking of wood and leather, he slowly began to stand up within the box, opening the door to the confessional on his side so as to leave.

"Thanks, Sister. You're too damn nice to be telling a wretch like me such encouraging words like that. I'm still not a good man by any stretch... but you're a good woman."

 

[Hafnium]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

"Would that I had an easy answer for you, or any of us," Tessa softly replied following the revelation that her comment had apparently brought about in the man. Perhaps it was foolish of her, but she took some hope, maybe even pride, in the way he reacted to her words. In the end though, she was a cleric, and the mercenary's reaction was the type she hoped for whenever she tried to spread Erion's faith, although she wished it had been under better circumstances. "We all face challenges, brother, some easy and some that seem impossible, but I think this too is part of Erion's plan. You are obviously a man of the sword, so consider: how can a soldier know that a weapon is good until he has tested it? And in that vein how can a man know that he is good and just until he has been tested himself?"

While she had been genuine enough in most everything she had said to the man up to that point, barring her lie about the confidentiality of his confession to her, her latest musings truly came straight from her heart. It was the belief that had sometimes gotten her through her darkest moments of doubt, and she hoped it would help both the mercenary and Cael's father. She wasn't quite willing to leave it entirely up to the force of her words, however, and the man sharing the confessional with her made to leave she opted to pursue a second plan that might keep her informed of the status of the man's victim. "I believe that when you come through these trials, you will have been tested and learn that you are good, and that this was simply the first step. If you're not willing to take my word for it, however, then I would ask that for your penance, you return here and confess once a week, that I might hear your progress."

She would conclude by saying her goodbye. "I hope to see you again next week," she would bid as her farewell to him, regardless of whether or not he audibly accepted her offer. Once he was on his way out the door, Tessa would sit in the confessional for a few minutes, both the confirm that he had left and to collect her own thoughts, before taking a deep breath, exiting it herself, and then moving to the backyard to find Ayla and Cael. She had much to speak about with them now, and yet at the same time she wasn't sure exactly how much that she ought to speak with them about. An unusually busy morning, indeed.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

"You're right. It's gotta be a test. Man, I didn't expect a cleric of Erion to be so wise... heh, normally, they'd just tell me to say some prayers and be on my way. Maybe it's not too late for me yet, huh? Let's just hope I'm not the only one in the tower that feels that way," responded the stranger, somewhat grimly towards the end of his sentence. "Oh, yeah... and the name's Urstan."

Tessa's parting words caused the man some pause as he moved to leave. He hesitated for a moment, only to end up nodding and managing a faint grin. "I too, hope to see you then," said the former soldier without turning.

Not every visitor to the confessional had been so open with her. Then again, few had issues as serious as this man, instead being haunted by acts of adultery or theft that sometimes lingered after decades. But with Urstan, the nun's well-chosen words had managed to bring no small amount of peace to what must have been a troubled soul. Whether or not they had done enough to change the fate of the captive he spoke of was another matter, given Tessa's ignorance of the details within the tower, but she always had the opportunity to find out if she dared.

After the mercenary stepped outside, Tessa returned to the backyard to find Cael running about, exploring the yard like any wild boy his age might be prone to do, while Ayna stood off to the side watching him. The shorter woman turned to her and gave a polite smile. "Oh! Have you finished already? I'm afraid I'm not familiar with -all- of the services offered here, so I wasn't sure how long it would last..."

 

[Hafnium]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

"I am Tessa, and you may call me by as much," the nun would give her own name and permission to use it in return for Urstan's, before letting him exit and then pursuing her own intention of speaking to Ayna.

"It varies from person to person," the nun would explain once she met with the woman in the plot behind the church. "It is called confession. Under normal circumstances, I take my place in the confessional booth during certain hours of certain days and those who have sins or misgivings to confess come in to speak with me, that I might offer them guidance and a penance to help guide them back onto Erion's path. They are allowed some anonymity to ease the process, though he did not seem concerned by that, but even if they weren't I have taken vows to never speak of what is said in confession," she walked Ayna through it as patiently as she might've for the woman's son.

But when she concluded her explanation, her tone turned more grim. "That said, I think it's for the best if you and Cael stay away from that last man when he comes around next. I don't think he poses any direct threat to any of us, but he worries me a little and I'll not have my guests endangered because of my duties as a cleric. Tessa had decided not to give Ayna the full truth as soon as she had been confronted with the woman's weary, smiling face. Erion will surely forgive a lie if told with the intent of saving a life, right? That was more or less what she had told Urstan, after all. Telling the woman the rest would come in time, after she had confirmed a little bit more of the soldier-turned-mercenary's story and hopefully come up with some plan to reunite the three.

"And after giving it some consideration I also think it best to simply give you two the other room," she added a bit more brightly, attempting to shift the mood back to a lighter one after her dark warning had sunk in for the other woman. The nun followed up by producing the key for the former storage room and offering it to Ayna. She also silently hoped that she had done as good a job as she thought she did of cleaning the blood from the room the night before. "You may keep this so you can let yourselves in and out and lock it as needed. It's not quite the same as a home and a proper bedroom, I know, but you may consider it as such as long as you need."

 

[Takimaru]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

The woman listened with genuine interest, as Tessa's explanation of how confession worked seemed to provoke a degree of thoughtfulness in her guest. "I see... what an odd service! I mean, it would be unusual, at first anyway, for one to consider simply telling their secrets to a stranger. But on second thought, there have certainly been many times where I wish I had someone to speak of my troubles with. My husband has never been particularly good at listening, his own issues aside..." she trailed off, shaking her head with a sigh. "And Cael is the same way by extension, as you can see," added the housewife, motioning with one hand to her son.

As if seeking to prove her right, the fiery-haired child looked completely oblivious to the subject matter that the women were on, instead opting to run about and chase imaginary enemies. Swinging his wooden toy sword about, he was carefree, fearless in his made-up world, which no doubt had men like Urstan. The only difference was that perhaps, in his fantasy, he had the power to do something about his father's situation. Would he feel the same way after knowing the truth about such a dilemma?

"I'm even a little curious as to what he told you now! Call it a wife's penchant for gossip, maybe. Aren't there any secrets from anyone else you can share without giving out any specific names?" She giggled. "I would be terrible at such a thing. I admire your steadfastness with regards to your vows of silence, though. Surely it must take great discipline!"

Ayna's somewhat cheerful demeanor faded just as quickly during Tessa's conscious shift to a more solemn topic. Her brow furrowed and her tone darkened. "Why? Is he... is he associated with the men at the tower somehow? Does he have anything to do with my husband?!" Her volume gradually increased, growing loudest towards the end, which caused even Cael to turn and look for a moment. The boy scratched his head, blinking a few times.

The fact that the youth broke his playtime fantasy to react to such an outburst caused his mother to go quiet again, carrying a newly self-conscious look upon her face. Ayna wilted slightly and bowed her head in apology. "I-I'm sorry. My husband has been having some trouble with debtors... it's complicated. He assured me that they were a reputable company, business partners of his. Though I couldn't help but to doubt such a claim more and more," she explained.

"One day he came home with bruises, fresh ones, and other sorts of injuries. That's when I really began to worry, but he kept telling me that it was fine, that everything would be alright. Then we lost our home as the debt piled up. Last I heard from him, he went to work at one of their production mills, swearing to get our house back. I haven't seen him in a few weeks now. And the last words he said to me before he left again was that he would have everything back to normal before long." Ayna shook her head slowly. "I love the man, but I cannot help but feel sometimes that I married a..." She glanced at Cael, who had returned to his playtime at a safer distance across the yard. "A liar. Even his son has an idea of what's really going on."

A momentary silence on Ayna's part passed before she finally spoke up again. "I suppose that can count as my confession..." She looked at the key that Tessa had offered her and reluctantly clutched it in her hand. "Thank you. You are truly too kind," said the woman.

"Do you need us to stay out here for the time being? Or can I move my things into the room?" All that Ayna had was just a few satchels worth of luggage, hardly anything worth mentioning that she might need help with.

The nun would also remember that she was no longer broke. She would be able to eat today (and hopefully keep it down), and her sense of hunger had returned by the time their conversation came to a close.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

A wife's penchant for gossip? The redhead mused. Sometimes it was easy to forget that she herself had been a wife, though she had certainly never found much interest in gossip. Then again, she supposed she never really had anybody to share it with. But this, of course, was far more than gossip, and she simply could not afford to share too many details.

That opinion was reinforced at Ayna's initial outburst regarding her warning. It was a well-deserved reaction, or at least Tessa believed it was, but the emotional turmoil that the woman was clearly going through seemed bad enough without the nun confirming a select few of her deepest fears about her husband. What was the point of telling her then? So that she might mentally claw at herself about what she might do or should do or could do about the man's predicament? No, if that was all it would bring then it would probably be better she not know anything until the man either returned alive or needed to be buried.

She listened calmly to the woman's ensuing story. It all but confirmed Tessa's suspicions that Ayna's husband and the man Urstan was torturing were one in the same. It was hard not to anger. Such cruelty and for what? Small coins of gold? Surely no amount of gold was worth a man's life. That gift given to all by Erion couldn't possibly be measurable in metal nor fowl. Whatever foolish choices the man had made to involve him with that banker were surely not a crime great enough to deserve torture and death either, if anyone was committing a crime worthy of that then it was surely the lender in that situation. And that it caused misery to an innocent woman and child completely uninvolved in their husband's choice made the crime even worse. She had to try to do something about this atrocity, even if there was no way it would be so easily distributed as Kenneth's justice had been.

But still she remained stony on the outside, with the sole exception of moving to place her hand on the other woman's shoulder. She replied quietly to avoid the notice of Cael. "As long as I am one of His clerics, I promise that I will do everything within my power to grant you sanctuary from any troubles that might try to follow you." Following that she would simply remove her hand and nod to Ayna before adding; "Go ahead. Even if the church drew hundreds of followers an hour I certainly wouldn't make you hide back here." After that, the nun made her way back into the church. She was starving and decided it would be a good time to break her fast with some water and the bread she'd kept from her meal the night before, and afterward she decided that she'd do a bit of tidying up around the main hall to kill time until either something else drew her attention or nightfall came.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

Ayna replied with a solemn nod. "I... suppose I shouldn't worry so much about us, as we are still unexpected guests on such hallowed ground thanks to you, and I'm sure you don't get mercenaries that regularly, right?" she added, trying her best to weave a story of a situation that would ease her own fears as much as possible. That view, combined with the cleric's promptly delivered reassurances, might do just enough to pacify the mother for the time being. "I appreciate your help, though, truly. All we can do is stay safe until Celdon--my husband, that is--returns. I just hope that he is well... and that he didn't lie to us this time." With that said, she beckoned Cael inside. "Come."


"Hyaah! Slayed the demon," cried the youngster with a mock thrust of his wooden sword, a dramatic yet undisciplined pose. His imagination was as strong and immersive as always, and he didn't even need a barstool to simulate a wooden tower this time around. While Tessa herself had no shortage of playmates in her siblings as a child, Cael was apparently the only one, and as such, had to resort to the allies and villains of his own imagination far more frequently. Even in a place perhaps far removed from what he could call 'home', he didn't fail to create a world that worked for him.

"Cael," repeated Ayna. "Let's go inside, please." Her voice wasn't nearly as firm as Tessa remembered even that of her own parents' being. The boy made a few hacking motions towards the invisible carcass, grabbed whatever piece of the 'demon's remains with his free hand as proof of his conquest, and promptly marched inside, as if his mother's command was all part of the scenario.

The nun would follow them in before long, though Ayna had gone about unpacking her things while Cael wandered about the main hall, sometimes stopping to sit on various pews or inspect the numerous pieces of artwork depicting scenes from the Iriad, the holy book of the Church of Erion. It was a work that Tessa knew enough of to elaborate on the scenarios that the child looked upon, but his attention span, at least for the time being, was so short that it was difficult to tell if he'd actually listen. He seemed harmless enough, and so Tessa was left free to sate her hunger and have a drink. The bread from last night had lost the warmth and some of its original softness over the night, but it was still enough to tide the nun over for the time being.

Despite having two morning confessions on two consecutive days, Tessa would see few, if any, visitors that day. For her, it was normal--getting between one and three random city folk either for confessions, to pray, or for blessings against sickness. She had even called upon to perform the last rites for some of the dying. But outside of Urstan's appearance, nothing so dramatic occurred.

Of the whole day, the nun received just one visitor, whom she immediately recognized; an older gentleman named Tillen. A regular of sorts, he was an aging tanner, who had numerous graying strands of hair mixed in with his natural brown, and plain cream-colored clothes. A simple man, he owed his life's work to Erion and found motivation in his life through belief in Him. Tillen paid the church a quick visit no less than three times a week--if only there were half a dozen more in Cerawal as devout as him, Tessa might actually be able to hold mass. He entered the chapel, only to kneel at the front pew and whisper a few words under his breath.

Naturally, Cael would boldly approach.

"What are you doing, mister?" asked the youth, curious as to why the rather tall man was on his knees.

"H... hrm? Oh, I'm praying."

"What do you do that for?"

"Ah, I uh, suppose it's something that people do when we need something to be true. Like a wish," explained the elderly one.

"Huh. But who grants it?"

"Erion does, of course. If you pray hard enough, diligently enough, he can make all things possible. If there is something you desperately want, he can grant it, if your intentions are pure," responded the man, whose face took on an expression of surprise when he saw the boy mimic his kneeling posture next to him.

Even when Tillen concluded his prayer session for the day, he would find Cael still praying, offer a gentle smile, and a nod to Tessa. "I suppose there is hope for our youngsters yet," he remarked with a chuckle, before dropping a single coin into the donation box and taking his leave. "Be well, Sister."

Several hours passed, and Cael's youthful energy, despite being kept in large stores in such a tiny figure, finally began to dwindle. Him and Ayna shared a small supper of crackers and cheese; it seemed that money-wise, they were in no better of a situation as Tessa was.

Before long, night had fallen, as it was easy enough to tell when the light faded from the chapel's stained-glass windows.

"I think we'll be heading to bed now," said Ayna. "Goodnight, Sister Tessa."

"Night!" added Cael, peeking out at the redhead for just a second before his mother quietly closed the door to their room.

With her visitors asleep, and a newly acquired amount of coin that could actually buy her something substantial, Tessa was then free to go out as she pleased.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

For her part, Tessa would leave her two guests to their own devices for the rest of the day. She was nothing if not glad to have company in the church, which was always big and usually empty with the latter serving to make the former more pronounced, but she had many responsibilities when it came to the maintenance of the building. In truth, in the state the church was in it was beyond the ability of any single person to maintain and repair things faster than they broke. In order to bring it up to its rightful glory the redhead would've needed to find a way to work more than twenty-four hours in a day on it, and as it was she could only reasonably give it the daylight hours, which on that day were quickly fading.

After taking a brief break in her bedroom-slash-study-slash-storage shed to eat and finish her bread from the night before, which she dunked into water in order to help soften it, the nun immediately went to work cleaning. The dirt and dust were the worst culprits in the war waged by the land itself to reclaim the church and all that was used to build it. For every speck she removed another two took its place, and they seemed to spring into existence directly from the void itself. It didn't matter how many visitors came to the church or how long the doors were open or whether the windows were open or not, there was always dirt. The effort to keep the place clean was practically one of His trials.

But it was one that Tessa took on with patience befitting one of Erion's crusaders marching against His more substantial enemies. Her weapons against her own enemy was broom and dry rag and brush, and when it was particularly encamped she used some water and soap though she had to ration those supplies. Her most common plan of attack was to remove the dust from its perches with her rag and then simply sweep it out the door. She was sometimes disheartened when her cleaning brought her attention to signs of damage that she did not have the materials or skills to properly repair — like the nails that had worked their way loose of some of the pews, the flooring squeaking and feeling as though it was sinking in places, and that terrifying drooping in the roof — but she never let it overwhelm her.

Even though her own efforts weren't enough to bring it into pristine condition, there was a sense of pride to be had in maintaining the church. It surely wasn't a match for the grand works of architecture and art that were found in more faithful places, but that only added to its charm in Tessa's eyes. Modified from a building that hadn't originally been intended to be a church, it was the very model of those tenets of frugality and humility found in His holy books. Even though its stained glass windows had very obviously been installed after the fact and the building itself and the pews and everything else to be found in it was made of local lumber rather than the imported woods found in some places of worship, it was every bit as much a proper church as any that could be found in the capital.

Cael's interest in the windows and carvings and depictions served to reinforce that pride, though Tessa didn't take time away from her battle with dirt to attempt to educate the rambunctious boy about any of it yet since she imagined it was better to let him become familiar with his surroundings before attempting to teach him Erion's word. She did, however, pause in her efforts later on when Tillen came to say his prayer and had his exchange with the boy. She listened and watched with a genuine smile on her face as one of her most pious visitors attempted to educate Cael on prayer and Erion. "There always is," she would reply to the older man's comment about hope with that smile still present. "Erion be with you," she bid the man in farewell as he left.

Before much longer though, daylight would be gone, and just in time for her to sweep the last remnants of dirt out the church's front doors, and she would be left to close up for the night. "Goodnight, you two," she would warmly bid the mother and son before they retired for the night, and then she would take to her own room. The nun, however, had no intention of sleeping. And after removing her habit, before which she was mindful to bar her door now that she had two others in the church who might accidentally walk in on her, and carefully inspecting and folding it so that it would be ready for the next day, she changed into her casual clothing, buckled her weapons at her hips, collected her various donations from the day, and quietly exited the church through the side door. Her first stop in mind for the night was the tavern from the night prior, because she might find both food and information there.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

Her tasks for the day completed, Tessa would then find an opportunity for some momentary privacy to change into something more comfortable for her usual strolls. She would encounter no interruptions from either of her two guests--even the more rambunctious one. As lively as the boy was during the day, he hadn't quite acquired the sense for staying up late as the nun had. After all, for a child like Cael, there were very few people on the streets at this time of night willing to entertain. For a woman like Tessa, however, there would be many options indeed; drugs, sex, food, gambling, and various other forms of entertainment. Not that most of them were considered proper activities for a cleric of Erion, but tonight she wasn't to be recognized as one. To most, she was just another potential customer.

After preparing herself to her satisfaction, she would be off, away from the serene atmosphere of her chapel and into the more dangerous nighttime setting of Cerawal's streets. Of course, she wasn't without some protection in the form of her weapons, as most citizens here were keen to bring with them at any given time. But after traveling only two blocks or so, she would find a need for such things lessened. Tessa found the roads to be largely empty, moreso than usual.

Tonight was already proving itself fairly quiet in terms of the ambient bustle she was used to; the streetwalkers were few and far between, perhaps having dragged their johns away to some secluded corner, while the dealers might have migrated to other parts of town. It was just as well, since the well-prepared woman would also find no lewd introductions or threats of violence upon her from random strangers. Her trip to the tavern felt as quick as it was uneventful.

Inside, however, was a reminder that the city was still populated and very much alive. The same busy atmosphere from the previous night was ever present, along with the establishment's warm interior that provided instant relief from the chilly weather outside. In addition, the familiar smells of great food filled the air, tempting Tessa's stomach once again--even if her hunger wasn't quite as pronounced this time around, her coin purse was ironically much heavier for the time being.

The clientele was naturally different as well. In Brogan's spot from the night before was a rather short man, barely four and a half feet tall, enjoying a mug of ale with his feet hovering well off the stool. The customers from the night before were also absent. Rather than a pair of town guards, there was a scantily clad woman and a rather unattractive gent, whom Tessa might guess to be her special customer for the night. And in place of the cloaked stranger and the blonde traveler were two average-looking men, both artisans by trade given their dirty aprons and practical wear.

The husky barkeep seemed to recognize Tessa, and gave her a nod while going about his business. She could take her pick of seats, as there were slightly more than was available the previous night, which would allow her to eat in peace if she so chose. The meal selections were different this time around: stuffed yams and salted pork ribs made up tonight's choices, priced at 2 and 3 gold respectively. The food was a noticeably higher price than the simpler specials from the night before, but given a look at what others were already feasting upon, came in larger portions as well. There was even dessert in the form of custard tart and lemon pastries, for a coin each. Tessa had enough to give in to more gluttonous urges, though how she spent her gold here was up to her. She wouldn't have to wait long to get service, as it was the burly owner of the tavern himself that approached her after finishing with his prior tasks.

"So you're back," said the bartender. "Glad to see it. I hope you're not expecting our chicken soup again, though, as we're fresh out of ingredients for that. But we've got a few things that are just as good, if not better, if you've got the appetite," he remarked in a noticeably more cordial tone. If Tessa had come here for food and information, the door seemed to be open for plenty of both.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

While it might not have been of the same type as those of her chapel, the night brought its own comforts to Tessa. Those silent nights where most of the wanderers, streetwalkers, and dealers hid themselves away for one reason or another were the most comforting of all. For a long time following her escape, she had been absolutely terrified of the dark. Her fear had never fully vanished and, indeed, even on that night with all its calm she watched corners and alleys with paranoia that somebody might be lurking and waiting to victimize her once more. Ironically though, her fear of it and her discovery of Erion were the two most prevalent reasons that she came to love the night.

She could not sleep at night out of sheer terror that her pursuers would come to drag her back when she was vulnerable, and so she was forced to remain awake during it. The dealers who sold the drug that allowed her to sleep were difficult to find in the daytime, and so she had to seek them in the dark. Crowds and large groups of people terrified her, and there was very little of that on the streets of Cerawal at night. In the end, the dark brought her more comfort than it did grief. Perhaps it was only natural that after Erion's influence in her life began to heal her and allowed her to manage her terror she began to favor the night.

She basked in that comforting feeling of solitude as she made her way to the tavern, and strolled perhaps just a bit more leisurely than she ought to have on her way to the tavern. Her pace picked up noticeably once she got a whiff of the food however, as all she'd managed to eat and keep down over the two days prior had been nearly stale bread. Her rush also led her to take a seat at the bar again, leaving a stool in-between herself and either artisan in respect to their personal space, in the hope that it would get her faster service.

The combination and her patronage the previous night seemed to work out in her favor, given how soon she got that service. "I was looking to try the ribs this night, actually," she replied easily, having quickly decided when she had entered the tavern that she'd have meat again to make up for what she'd lost the night before. "I'll take a lemon pastry and a cup of wine too," she added, going slightly against Erion's teachings and much more against her own common sense in order to further make up for her lack of food as of recent. The redhead would immediately begin counting out coins for the meal, dessert, and drink after she had concluded her order, pulling out four and whatever she owed for the wine and depositing them on the bar. She wasn't quite done with the burly man yet, though.

"I had a question as well, it's about that young woman and her son from last night. Did she happen to mention to you where they were going to stay?" It was a gamble, to be sure. If Ayna had mentioned it in any detail then Tessa would look suspicious at best. Still, the amount of information, not just about Ayna's trail but even about his disposition toward the woman and her husband, the man's answer to that simple question might reveal seemed well worth that risk.

 

[Takimaru]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

The man looked all too pleased to see his new regular, or what looked to be one, make her order for the second night in a row. "Ah, good choice," he responded in a mirthful tone, swiftly taking the coin before turning to carry out the order in a much more direct and obvious manner this time around, seeing as the customers weren't quite as needy tonight. He would, however, stop and turn at Tessa's query, his brow furrowing slightly. "Oh, you mean Ayna... no, she didn't, now that I think of it. I thought you might've taken them in?" he asked in reply, showing that he did likely overheard at least some of the discussion that the nun had with the lady and her son.

"Err, well, sorry about the hasty assumption. Anyway, I don't know how much you know about her, but she's the wife of an old regular of mine. So I don't even really know them all that well, to be honest. Thought it'd be good to do 'er a favor, since her husband brought me so much business. As you saw, though, the kid was more than just a handful to deal with, 'specially in a place like this, so we just couldn't afford to take too many more hits like that. But that's about all I know. If they didn't end up goin' with you or somebody else, I really have no idea where the two went off to."

"Though ah, lemme get your food first, hmm? Then if you got any other questions, I can answer," he then added, taking a moment to give a few words to the help in the back. He would then return to his duties behind the bar while waiting, answering any additional queries Tessa might put forward.

Even then, she wasn't given too long of a wait before her food came out. Delivered on the same sort of beaten, oft-reused wooden trays that everyone else was eating from, was a set of four segments of pork ribs, garnished with salt and a dash of pepper. While basic to richer tastes, it was certainly filling enough for the likes of Tessa, with rather large portions as if to acknowledge the appetite that she had built up over the week. Such was the trademark of southwestern Elynsorian cuisine; food here often lacked the expansive list of spices that those in the capital city and the northern provinces enjoyed. The best spices were traditionally saved for water--or for richer folk.

For the redhead it would be no less delicious to her own tastes, however, and the lemon pastry, along with a wooden goblet of wine, would be an extra treat on top of her first good meal in days. The bartender set the drink and dessert down in front of her only a few seconds after her initial course was handed to her. Once she started eating, he wouldn't bother her too much, however, as there were other faces to attend to. Several new customers entered the pub. Even if the barkeep wasn't actively looking to pay them any attention, they would get it regardless.

The six men who entered were dressed in the garb of mercenaries, with leather armor and swords shamelessly sheathed at their sides. Their overall look was not terribly unlike that of Urstan's, the man who had visited her earlier that day, contrasting with the commoners and artisans already seated at the pub. Cohorts of his, perhaps? The one at the head of the group, a middle-aged man with long, brown-grey hair, had a noticeable scar over the corner of his lip, another upon his left eyebrow. And while the others could boast no such trophies of war or general conflict, they also appeared sturdy enough to be threatening. Given their expressions and the way they scanned the establishment, looking intimidating was part of their current goal.

It wasn't long before their leader had marched forward, shoving the stool between Tessa and one of the other patrons off to the side so that he might lean over the counter. Even if the bartender had several inches on him in height, the head mercenary was like a badger, finding the difference in size no obstacle to his blunt delivery.

"Hey! Bartender. Seen a woman and a redheaded kid around here? I got word that they were hangin' in this joint..." he started, only to be interrupted by one of his own men, who would wordlessly get his attention with a few quick gestures.

A tap to the man's shoulder and a pointed finger to the upstairs area would clue him in as to the location of the inn portion's rooms, and he would grin. "Nevermind, alls I gotta do is check your rooms. You won't mind, yeah? Heh..."

With a concerned look on his face, the hulking barkeep looked to be reaching towards an area beneath the bar--perhaps for a weapon of some sort--but the waitress nearby would rush to silently stop him, carrying a pleading look upon her face. Muttering under his breath, he could only watch as the pack of men made their way upstairs, barging in to various rooms and inciting a few screams and cries of surprise, no doubt from the guests within, as they searched the building. No one dared stop them; after all, Brogan wasn't here tonight, nor were the two city guards.

Luckily, they would return to the first floor after just a few minutes, apparently having found nothing of value. "Thanks for givin' us the tour," mocked the scar-faced mercenary before making his way out, his subordinates in tow.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

The redhead wasn't terribly surprised that the bartender had overheard her offer to Ayna and she had even suspected that it might be, along with the promise of her recurring patronage, why he was being so courteous to her that night. For his sake, for Tessa's sake, and most of all for Ayna's sake, however, the nun needed to lie often and publicly about what had truly transpired, just in case the mercenaries picked up the trail and began to question those who had seen the woman and her son.

"I had offered, yes," she admitted in the face of the bartender's knowledge. "She found somewhere else to stay, however. But yes, I'm famished and will gladly see my meal readied first before we continue on the subject," she would also happily use the moments of delay to come up with a better cover story for what became of Ayna and Cael as well. There was one in particular that she liked which sprung to mind and once the bartender had turned his attention back to her she spun that tale. "She came and met with me in the morning as she said she would, but only to tell me that she'd found another place to stay."

"A 'Kennard,' she said, who was implied to be a relative, offered for her to stay at his family farm near Toubes." She smiled inwardly as she imagined Urstan breaking in the door of her previous home and scaring her former mother-in-law and her former husband's pretty little new wife half to death. It certainly wasn't something endorsed by the teachings of Erion, but Tessa took a little bit of delight in the idea of indulging in petty revenge while working to keep an innocent woman and her child safe. "She thanked me repeatedly and apologized for inconveniencing me and after she bid me farewell it was the last I saw of her," she continued in a completely serious delivery.

After her meal actually arrived, however, she went quiet and offered a silent prayer of Erion as thanks for the meal. The redhead had no complaints about the nature of the meal. Tessa had never eaten better than what she had in front of her right then, and didn't really care about what she might be missing out on by not indulging richer tastes. She tore into the rack of ribs with her hands and gorged herself, carefully scouring every single morsel of meat from the bones with the knowledge that she might not eat so well again for a long time. She took rationing sips from the wine between so many bites to help counteract the effects of the salt on her thirst.

She had picked up her lemon pastry by the time the mercenaries had burst into the bar and was taking small bites from it to make it last as long as she was able. Tessa paid them a glance, though only a glance before she returned to her dessert. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in them, simply that she didn't want to appear as such. Indeed, she couldn't be anything but interested when the group all but confirmed that crueler men than Urstan were on Ayna's trail.

And she knew the mercenaries' types oh so well, even before their apparent leader had opened his mouth and confirmed it. The type that believed that anything they could take belonged to them with human beings and their lives not removed from that list. Ayna would surely find fates worse than death if she were to fall into their hands, and that thought was enough to spark a cold rage in Tessa that easily matched what she had felt toward Kenneth. So while she tried to look uninterested and continued to take bites of the lemon-flavored treat with her left hand, her right hand subtly crept to rest beside her dagger in case things became violent. She had no delusion that she would win while so outnumbered, not even if the bartender did pull out the weapon he was apparently reaching for, but she wouldn't leave the bartender to fight them alone and she'd at least have the pleasure of stabbing the wretch beside her in the groin before the fight became a bloodbath.

Fortunately the situation disarmed itself, even if it was in a noisy and destructive manner as the mercenaries barged into the rooms upstairs to check them and departed once they had searched the building. Tessa finished her pastry a few moments before they exited the tavern. She waited another few minutes after they left to speak to the bartender again. "Those men are another reason why I've come asking about her. A similar such man came looking for her not long after she had departed from my doorstep and, to be frank, the idea that such brutish men are after a kind woman and her innocent son is appalling to me. I wanted to know a bit more about her husband and his debts, in the hopes that I might be able to do something for their family."

 

[Takimaru]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

"I see. Generous of you," replied the barkeep in response to Tessa's explanation of what had occurred between her and Ayna. Either Tessa had proved herself a competent liar, without the usual signs that someone doing so would show, or she was just lucky. Either way, the man had no reason to doubt her words, and so would take them as truth. "And your husband had no objections? Well, I guess it really helps to not run this kind of establishment. Probably for the better, I'd say."

When the hirelings moved past Tessa, she was hardly given a second look, save for one--it was from a slightly tanned fellow with shoulder-length jet-black hair, his chin marked with stubble. He only stopped to get a better view of her face, giving her a wink before his cohorts pulled him along to get back to business. Should Tessa pay just a smidge of attention to the mercenary's actions later on, she would find him to have repeated such an action towards all of the women present. And while the cleric's precautionary gesture of moving her hand over the hilt of her dagger proved unnecessary for the most part, as she proved to be one of the last people in the bar that the group perceived as a threat, it might have helped in bringing the nun a slight sense of security, between the thugs' ruthless leader and his flirtatious subordinate.

Seeing as they failed to find their targets of interest, the gang would soon exit the bar, leaving no actual damage but only frightened patrons in their wake. An awkward silence would then pass. However, conversation would naturally gradually resume once the group had made enough distance from the establishment. And this would give Tessa the space and ambience she needed to make her next inquiry.

Still a bit shaken up from the experience, the bartender listened intently. One of his waitresses, the slightly thick yet pretty woman who had stopped him from grabbing his weapon, was quick to join in on the conversation.

"Oh, my. I don't think that's a group you want to get yourself caught up in. I'm fairly sure they're Trinaldo's men. I guess he's some kind of merchant from Greybourne... a banker, I think it was called? But he likes to hire mercenaries, plenty of them, to find whoever crosses him," she explained. "Since, you know how the constables are in this area..." the woman would then add in a quieter voice. "Still, I hear rumors that some of the people he is on bad terms with have disappeared and never come back. Luckily, this hasn't happened to any innocents, I don't think, but I figure it's better to not be associated with him or anyone he knows."

"Sounds like you spared yourself some trouble by not taking them in," remarked the barkeep. "When Ayna came in, she didn't give me too many details. Only that her husband was in 'debt'... that is to say, owed whoever hired those men some kind of huge favor, and was working on paying them back so that he could get his wheel business up and running again. But I guess they seized his home anyway, and so the family was left without one. Thing is, Ayna claimed she wouldn't stay long, though, that she had some relatives that would take care of her in a few days. They never came, of course. I kept her and her son a little longer, 'til they just proved too much for a place like this to hold. But looking back on it now, what with these hoodlums barging in, I think my timing must've been good."

"A blessing from Erion, to be sure," commented the waitress.

"Maybe it's for the better that they left as far as Toubes," said the bartender.

 

[Hafnium]

Re: An Empty Confessional (Hafnium) GMed by Takimaru

"I've no husband to object," she replied plainly. Though the bartender surely meant nothing by it, given her past the insinuation annoyed her enough that she couldn't simply let it go without reply as she did the rest of the bartender's comments.

She did not vary her strategy for dealing with the mercenaries in face of the man's look at her or wink. She considered making an effort at offering him a forced smile in the hopes that it would further persuade him that she was no threat, but when even a forced smile didn't come easily she instead just did her best to look neutral.

"It surely isn't a group I wish to involve myself with," she would reply later after the mercenaries had departed and both the woman and her employer had said their parts. "Still, if I do nothing at all it feels as though I'm simply accepting that mercenaries stalking around and disturbing the peace in the name of abducting an innocent woman and her child is a reasonable activity so long as it doesn't directly affect me. But I've no intent on storming the gates or trying to report this to the guards. I'm only really interested in trying to help pay off the debt and buying them some breathing room."

"I admit that I'm less hopeful about my ability to help them now, knowing that even the taking of their home wasn't enough to pay back whatever debt they owe. I must try though." Perhaps the notion was a result of idealism and naivety, but she was nothing if not honest in it. Erion had given her a second life after the first one had been shattered at the hands of Kenneth's cruel act of greed. She was scared of the idea that she might lose that second chance at the hands of Trinaldo and his men, she couldn't not be, but at the same time she couldn't believe that the prior few days were all just coincidence. Her former father-in-law's appearance at her church, her chance encounter with Ayna, Urstan's visit, and even the conversation she was holding right then, it all felt like fate.

Tessa couldn't presume to understand Erion's will; she could only do her best to interpret His plans. The way she saw it though, it was time for her to pay her own debt to Him for the life she had been returned by helping a family gain their own second chance. It was a duty she had no intention of backing down from. "On the bright side," she continued with a bit more energy, "it sounds as if her relatives came through for her. A blessing of Erion, indeed. Hopefully she'll be safe in Toubes," she repeated for good measure, just in case anybody listening in had gotten the bright idea to report the information to Trinaldo's men for a reward.

"Do either of you happen to know where Trinaldo does business then?" She had a hunch that the answer would involve the wooden towers on the northern side of town. If not though, she would need to ask about them separately, as while Cael's mention of them might have been the simple imaginings of a child Tessa wasn't quite willing to discount him outright.