Days 30-41 (8th-19th): Feast of Spring

Days 30-40 (8th-18th):
For the next ten days, our days were sort of routine. We did go beyond Thantos and talk with the fey and others of the Old Ways. In Thantos, we made ourselves useful and earned our keep. We even moved out of Lord Carmon's castle to a place of our own. We maintained it through the money we had left from our journeying, selling old songs and stories to bards and travelers, and odd jobs here and there. Alice finally had her first moon time. She and Envy were complete. Vanity told me I could enchant my pen to write for me, but I need to feel the whole of it to get my thoughts on paper.
A few days before the Feast, Lord Carmon set seamstresses to get us attired to meet the other leaders. We thanked them and him, but informed all that our wardrobe was all ready and we had no need of anything else. Mildly annoyed, they all left.
We spent the night before at the castle in our old suite. Tess and Mara were pleased to see us. They told us that the whole of Thantos was abuzz about our visitors. Of course, no one had spoken to us about it. Why we were left out was never revealed.

Day 41 (19th) Feast of Spring:
In the morning, we could see, outside our balcony, a tent city erupt. A large pavilion was erected a few dozen paces outside the door of the castle. We witnessed grand carriages wheel-to-wheel with crude farm carts and heavily laded merchant wagons. Most of the carriages ended up at the castle. Tess and Mara hurried in, looking worn out and tired. They apologized for not being able to stay. We told them we understood. As they left, we sent some healing energy to aid them. Not long after, Lord Carmon and a woman we didn't know arrived. They both looked at us with disappointment. Lord Carmon stayed by the door. The woman looked at us, our few items we had brought with us, and the room as a whole. She returned to the area in front of the door and put her hands on her hips.
"You were offered the best seamstresses in Thantos. You, kindly, refused. You claimed to be ready for this day. I do not see anything worthy to be in audience with leaders of countries or heads of all the major faiths in the area. I hope you have something hidden?" she said in a scolding manner.
We looked at each other and burst laughing. This made both she and Lord Carmon look at us crossly. We stopped. Alice and I stepped forward.
"Lord Carmon, my lady, we are more than ready. Our attire will be sufficient for our visitors. There is nothing to worry about," I calmly told them.
"Father, remember the hill? Inside the carriage, our clothes were normal. Outside, we had those wondrous gowns. As then, so are we prepared today. We will not embarrass you, our guests, or ourselves. Remember, Envy was a half-elf seamstress who's designs are still in use nearly a thousand years later. All is well, Father."
Alice made a point of not addressing the woman as, in this place, only Lord Carmon was above her in station. The woman accepted Alice's lack of attention as appropriate but looked down on the rest of us. Lisa tensed, but we mentally told her not to cause any trouble. Lord Carmon said nothing but motioned for the woman to leave. He looked back at us with a puzzled look then left as well. The woman huffed and muttered as she and he walked out.
Tess and Mara returned for the dishes and told us to be in the pavilion in two hours. They seemed more relaxed and actually talked with us for a while before they left.
We went to the balcony and watched the visitors walking around and arriving. Alice informed us that only certain people would be housed in the castle. Others, like clerics, would stay at a church of their faith and the rest would be at inns or the homes of friends and family. We saw some look up at us. We waved, but they did not return our gesture. Farmers and merchants, however, waved and called to us. A few with strong arms tossed things up to us: fruit, a bag with some beads, a sock of fragrant herbs, and a wineskin of honey mead. We returned the skin after pouring the contents into a pitcher in our room. When we saw a lot of people heading to the pavilion, we left and headed downstairs.
The large outer doors were closed when we arrived. Lord Carmon, Major Kendar, and the woman were there. She stepped up to stop us but Lord Carmon held her back. He looked at us as if to let us know that it was time to do what it was we were going to do. We faced each other in a circle. Holding hands, we hummed and put out hands towards the center. In one continuous action, we pulled our hands out, released, and spun to face the doors. The look from those three was comical and priceless. I know what they saw. In an instant, we had changed from peasant garb to gowns that even a master tailor would have been hard pressed to produce in a year's time. Carmon and Kendar slowly smiled but the woman's expression darkened. She walked off. Carmon and Kendar opened the doors for us like valets. They proceeded us to the pavilion. They did not introduce us or say a word. The whole area under that canopy went dead silent as the seven of us stepped inside. We walked onto a raised platform so even those at the back could see us. A movement at the edges told us that someone had snapped out of their shock and was looking for some chairs for us. As one, we turned, waved, and sat down in seven identical newly materialized chairs and faced the crowd. This acted as a cue and they all sat, Carmon and Kendar finding seats on opposite sides of the platform. For a few tense moments, no one moved or spoke. Finally, an elderly cleric rose from near the front, tottered into the aisle, and addressed us in a strong voice that belied his appearance.
"The Seven Sisters of the Swords have not assembled in many generations. Why have you been brought together?"
"The most immediate reason is the Baalocs. They present a threat that even others have stated will take nearly divine power to stop. Beyond that, it has not been revealed," Sarah told him confidently.
Nodding, he returned to his seat. This encouraged others to come forward. A very decorated man stood up next.
"Why are you in Thantos? What is so special about this place that you have assembled and stayed here?"
"I was the last to connect with my sword. Lord Carmon is my father and he has given us leave to stay here as long as we wish," Alice explained. He sat down.
Another cleric stood up and approached. He had a hard look on his face. He stared at us for a moment before speaking, "May we see them? We have only vague descriptions. I have several artists to capture their likeness fully," he indicated a knot of people behind him.
Without a word, each sword rose from their sheaths and hung in front of us. Seven clerics with paper in hand rushed up and began drawing. They circled many times to get every detail. As they drew, the cleric who spoke returned to his seat.
Several military men, Commander Lehand included, approached next. The oldest and most ornamented spoke tersely, "To fight the Baalocs, do you intend to usurp our authority and take command of the troops yourselves?"
"No, we do not, " Lisa answered crisply, "We are here to protect. Only when needed will we attack and only as the last option. You are the leaders, not us. We will follow the choices that bring the greatest good to all involved."
They seemed satisfied and went back to their chairs. The artists finished and left as a group of wizards stepped forward. The swords returned to their holders as the wizards took a moment to decide who should speak. The one chosen cleared his throat and began.
"From you accounts, the being formerly known as Baracabas resides with you as Sloth. His knowledge is priceless. Much magic from his time is lost or forgotten. Are you willing to share his knowledge?"
"We have shared, " Anna's young voice carried to all, " and will share with those who are honest and open-minded enough to listen. Some of his knowledge and magic may seem disturbing or evil to certain individuals who are not open to other ideas."
They murmured to themselves and sat back down. Before they had reached their chairs, a cleric in billowing robes hurried to the front.
"You have hit on the subject many are afraid to ask. Are they, and you because of them, evil? Physical forms of the seven deadliest vices in many different faiths. It is hard to believe they are good and benevolent."
"Sir, at the time of their creation, one new faith was wiping out others in the claim that their's was the only true path. Andros and Barcabas used their beliefs against them. They could have used anything to empower these swords. Would you be asking about evil if they were earth, air, fire, water, heart, day, and night?" I countered.
The cleric thought a moment. The crowd murmured as they pondered my question.
 Finally, he answered, "You have made a good point. To them, those seven ideas were as powerful as any other. Just because that faith feared them and were behaving unrighteous made them more suited to use as weapons. Thank you. The candor you have all shown speaks volumes to both your character and your swords' valor," He actually bowed to us and sat down.
I saw a couple shifting as if they wanted to stand but felt unsure. I stood and addressed them, "I see your apprehension. Please, come forward without fear," I gently encouraged them.
Tentatively, they rose and approached us. She was blushing and he was pale. Alice stood by my side, concentrating on the pair. Before they spoke, Alice answered what they didn't ask.
"You are both of royal descent, but different royalty. Cassandra, daughter of Roland, direct descendant of Maldar the Red. Fredrick, son of Kelvin, direct descendant of Rodrick the Giant. Your bloodlines are pure."
The couple hugged each other tightly and bounced in joy. Back where they had been sitting, their families also rejoiced.
Alice interrupted by adding, "Common names should not lead to assumptions."
The couple and their families left. The crowd buzzed. Five people, two women, two men, and a small boy, approached. Alice sat down and Sarah joined me in standing. They began to speak but Sarah went off the platform to the two women.
Looking up at them, Sarah smiled and said, "Congratulations. Two healthy pregnancies."
The women began to cry. The men shifted and the boy stared.
Sarah continued, " To you," she told the one on her left, "I say do not worry about gender. You are blessed with one of each."
The woman shrieked and hugged the taller of the two men.
"To you, " Sarah said, turning to her right, "you will have the girl you so desperately desire."
The woman stood still and her eyes darted between the other adults. The shorter man fixed her with a cold look.
Turning to him, Sarah said, "The child is your blood, without a doubt."
The two slammed into each other as they ran and embraced. The boy kicked at the ground. Sarah squatted to be at his eye level. All she said was, "Ask."
Almost in a whisper, he said, "Who's my daddy?"
The four adults stopped. The entire pavilion stopped all motion and noise. All eyes focused on Sarah and the boy. Sarah stood up, took him by the hand, and placed his hand in the hand of the shorter man. They erupted in tears, hugging him, his wife, knowing once and for all that his mother's husband was his real father. The five also left, talking and crying as they went.
"Any other shocking news?" a man in the back asked.
Gretta stood up and Sarah and I sat down. Gretta identified that one third of the jewels the visitors were wearing were fake, including holy relics, talismans, family heirlooms, and "one of a kind" creations.
Next, Lisa identified an entire order of nuns with metal poisoning from the well from which they get their drinking water. She also diagnosed the "soldier's itch" was a reaction to their metal buttons on their pants, not a sign of loose morals. Many military people breathed a sigh of relief.
To end things, I revealed seven "noble" families to be false; two bought their titles, three blackmailed for them, and two prostituted to get them.
As the sun faded, we stood as one, vanished the chairs, and left. Carmon and Kendar jumped up and followed. They, again, opened the doors for us. Inside, they were beaming. Carmon expressed how well we handled ourselves. Kendar proclaimed that we had expelled all doubt.
Citing fatigue, we excused ourselves to return to our suite. Our old clothes returned as we entered that familiar place. Tess and Mara had a large dinner waiting. We dove in as if it were the only food in the world. Tess and Mara talked as we ate; gushing over our gowns, talking about the reactions of our visitors, and all the stuff we had done. As the food disappeared, they remembered their duties and rushed out apologizing. We continued until no food was left. Exhausted, all we wanted was to sleep. When the door opened, we thought they had returned for the dishes. Instead, the woman from earlier entered. She radiated such hostility that everyone felt it.
"Quite a show you put on. Now everyone believes you lot are the real thing. So, what now? Con some sappy nobles into marriage? Squeeze the land for all their wealth? Drop the act! I demand the truth!"
We faced her together.
I spoke, "Who do you think you are? If you have doubts, why voice them now? We intend to return to our house, do what we've been doing, and wait for Raval and Cassabla to ask for aid against the Baalocs."
"LIARS! Evil little bitches! I am not fooled! I will prove to all what evil creatures you are!"
"How do you plan on that, Georgina?" a male voice asked from the door. Carmon, Kendar, and Lehand entered, staring at the woman.
"With this, " she said as she pulled a vial out of her bodice. A clear liquid sloshed inside it. "This will reveal their evil for all to see."
She took the stopper out, placed her thumb partially over the opening, and began splashing it on us. It smelled salty and fruity. Other than a light tingle, nothing happened. When she finished, she turned to face the men and proclaimed, "Behold their evil!"
"What evil?" Lehand asked.
Georgina turned around and went pale. Other than wet spots on our skin and clothes, nothing had changed. She took my hand and place a large drop, the last of the liquid, on my palm. Nothing. She even smeared it around. Still nothing. She looked fit to faint.
"But... it should... they should be... no, no, no. This is not possible! These evil creatures should be burning! I know, it is an illusion. You are hiding the burns. Drop it! Show your true selves!" she screamed.
She slapped my hand a few times. As she leaned back to slap my face, Lehand stopped her.
"That is enough! You have proven they are not evil. Let it go."
"Never! I will be the last to accept these bitches as good, holy, or even special. Except for Alice, they all belong in the dirt that spawned them. I will see all of you, even Alice, brought to holy justice and burned for the demons you are!"
"So, you are an expert on demons, eh, Georgina?" a fourth male voice asked from the door. It was the elderly cleric who had asked the first question.
"Eminence," she cooed as she knelt before him, "I only seek to purify the world of this black mark," indicating us.
"I see, so you splashed the sacred water on them, expecting them to writhe in pain and develop sores where the water touched skin. Is that it?"
"Yes, Eminence, but they are hiding the burns. Their foul magic is preventing anyone from seeing the truth. Please, vanquish this poison! Damn them to the abyss that created their foul swords!" she bellowed again.
The cleric muttered something and laid his hand on Georgina's head. She slumped to the floor at his feet.
He faced us with a grandfatherly smile, "Why do the fanatical ones have to be stupid, too?" he asked laughingly.
We all relaxed. Carmon, Kendar, and Lehand bid us good night and took the limp Georgina out of our room. The cleric remained.
"I know you are tired. I only came up here to tell you that, should Thantos turn on you, Green Spring will welcome you with open arms."
"Thank you, sir. We appreciate that. We have received the same offer from the fey, " I told him.
"Good, the more allies you have, the less likely her type will cause you trouble. I will speak with my fellows and let them know my position concerning you. Good-night, ladies. Sleep well."
"And to you, sir," we answered as one.
He smiled and left.
Tess and Mara claimed the dishes and we all settled down to sleep.

Days 28 & 29 (6th & 7th days together)

Day 28 (6th day together):

I dozed lightly, waking well before sunrise. My new completion made the dawn all the more beautiful. I was aware of each of my sisters as they fully awoke. Fortunately, Sarah remembered nothing of her bad dreams. They asked if I had been awake all night. I told them truly and recounted the exchange with the necromancer. Several were horrified but changed their opinion after I told them what I had seen in the bone disk.
Mara and Tess were at our door with breakfast and the three men at their heels. They each expressed genuine happiness at my health. They were unsure of their role in today's events. To get them to leave and give them something to do, I gave them a list of items, mostly trinkets, for the fey, to have ready by the time we needed to leave, which was just after mid-day. They left eagerly, presented with a task that they could handle and understand.
When they left, the others turned to me, wondering what we were going to do and how to do it. Sloth answered for me, telling them that it was similar to the image we had sent of me to Alice and the mirror bowl image on the table. We would be extending ourselves like the sending, but pulling information to us instead. My sisters seemed to understand. Then, it dawned upon Alice that the rest of us "had nothing to wear" for such a gathering. Some of us laughed. We were not going out to impress anyone, so why dress up? I felt a warm breeze inside of me. 

I told the others, "Our outward appearance is already taken care of and will not be of any concern."
They looked at me a little strangely, shrugged, and returned to chatting about what we might see and who we might meet.
The three men returned just as we finished lunch. They were proud of their completed tasks and told us our ride was waiting. We followed them down to the front of the castle. Before the door was a large carriage. All of us fit easily inside with room to spare. Lord Carmon gave the driver his instructions. We used the time to see more of the countryside from the ground that we had briefly passed over while flying on Leo. I could tell the men were getting restless and agitated at our seeming lack of focus. I thought to console them, but Vanity told me that they would, probably either not accept or understand my explanation. I agreed and let them be.
We reached the hill as the sun was touching the horizon. A centaur, satyr, pixie, and dryad met us. The men exited the carriage first, trying their best not to do anything to offend our welcoming party. As we each walked through the door, a wonderful shift took place. Our ordinary frocks and clothes became gossamer gowns of various colors, each accenting the place where our marks were located. Our hair was caught up in grand styles, even Lisa's short military hair was adorned and jeweled. They marveled at it all. I went to the four fey and greeted them, thanking them for their permission to use this hallow ground. They responded, citing their honor and privilege to aid us. They told us that, if Men should fail us, the Fey would aid us. I thanked them for that.
We headed for the top as the fey, examining their gifts, returned to their homes. Just before reaching the crest, I bade the three men to be with us. Tentatively, they walked into the middle of our group. At the top, we circled around them. The other three, wizard, cleric, and historian, remained outside the circle. We assigned them to their tasks as we explained what would take place.
"We and the swords are going to summon the mind of Maalicus, make it into a visible image that can see, hear, and speak. Those outside will be writing it down as you on the inside speak with him. Our job is two-fold; bring him to you and to keep up all safe. On this place and at this time, we are very strong. Only a group as strong or stronger could break our casting."
Everyone stated that they understood. We reminded the three leaders that it would be an image only, not solid and unable to be harmed or harm them. They relaxed their hands off of their swords. We began. Chanting the spell, our vision shifted. We flew over the countryside, over Cassabla, far into Raval. We saw the Baalocs and followed them to a crude castle pieced together with little, if any, planning. We slid inside and found Maalicus sleeping on a pile of furs surrounded by naked women who were also asleep. We reached into his mind and took hold of his consciousness. Faster than lightening, we snapped back to the hill with him in tow. Forming an image, we placed his mind on that hill, facing the three leaders.
He showed no disorientation. He looked at all of us and grunted. He addressed the three.
"I was wondering what tricks to expect from you. Lehand, Kendar, and Carmon, protected by the Seven. So, I am here, speak."
Lehand was having difficulty keeping himself from slashing at Maalicus' image. Kendar was the first to speak.
"All of these years, you have sent men to find these swords. You refused their stories and killed them for lying."
"They were lying. The nonsense they told sealed their fate. Total fabrications."
"Such as a sword in ice that couldn't melt?"
"Exactly, utter rubbish. That man was ripped apart for that lie and fed to dogs."
"It was true. Vanity was sealed in dragon's ice for over one hundred years. As you know, ice dragon ice cannot melt in sunlight or anything short of a concentrated flame at a small point."
Maalicus turned this way and that. I waved at him and pointed at Vanity floating in front of me. He stomped and refaced the three.
"Every one, each ridiculous story, was true? I killed men for telling me what was reality?"
"Yes, ice, stone, dragon flesh, and magic have sealed these swords for between fifty to over one hundred years from going to their next guardian. One to two generations have passed without anyone touching a single sword."
Maalicus cursed loud and strong, "So the ones I rewarded, who told me tales of massive fortresses armed with wizards, clerics, soldiers, and impenetrable traps, were the real liars? The ones I made generals and commanders for their loyalty and honesty were the real scoundrels?" he asked gruffly.
All of us nodded. He cursed even more. When he ran out of words, he looked around at us.
"Kind of old, aren't they? They are, what, seventeen, eighteen years old?"
"All but two are eighteen."
"But the texts said that they had to be maidens. None of these could still have their purity intact. I'm surprised none of them have a babe upon their hip or heavy with child."
"They are all maidens, only one has yet to see her first moon time. Only after their first can they find their sword from any distance."
"Wait. After their first moon time? They have to be that old before they can find their swords?The mark is not enough? "
We all shook our heads. He launched into a fresh set of curses. His image paced around inside our circle. I could feel him recall each marked girl child he tormented to locate the swords, killing each when they could not guide him to even one sword. Fed up with his pacing, Lehand stopped him.
"Call off your attacks. These girls have all seven. They are strong. They have learned from the past. Neither you nor anyone else will get the swords from them."
Maalicus stood still for a moment. Slowly he spun in place and focused on Sarah. A wry wicked smile crept across his face. Her brow wrinkled as she wondered about it. He walked over to her.
"Survived the convent I see. Too bad about the others. Fortunately, nuns make good whores."
Sarah's anger rose, but Lust's presence kept her focused. Kendar motioned for us to sever the connection. As we began to reverse it, Vanity and I "tasted" the darkness we encountered in Sarah's dreams. Being so open, we looked for it. We found it beside Maalicus in his castle. A woman was standing beside him. Sarah gasped. We flung him back and ended the casting. The six men huddled together to talk. The six of us gathered around Sarah, who was near tears. Holding her, I said what she could not say.
"She was a nun. Sarah thought she was her friend. This woman is a witch of the darkest kind. She aided the raiders in sacking both convent and monastery. They knew about Sarah's mark but didn't know what she looked like, so they took all of the young girls and killed the older women. She has been looking for Sarah ever since. Our being in one spot for nearly a week had given her the chance to lock onto Sarah. We pushed her out of Sarah's dreams last night. She thinks she can weaken us by weakening Sarah. Both she and Maalicus are counting on it."
Sarah had slowly leaned over until she was nearly lying on me as I spoke. We all surrounded her. Without looking at the men, we made out way in the darkness back to the carriage. Lisa and I were practically carrying her by the time we got to it. We made a half-hearted excuse about being tired and rode back to the castle in silence. Lust assured us that she would be more vigilant with Sarah and keep the bitch out of her dreams.

Back at the castle, we wearily made our way to our suite. Tess and Mara met us half-way. Seeing our expressing, they did not go get a big dinner. As we settled in, our old clothes having reappeared on the way back, they brought us a light snack and tea. We undressed Shara as she was in an unresponsive daze. It was like having a really big doll. We laid her down and placed Lust next to her, unsheathed, in bed. We briefly filled in Tess and Mara as we got ourselves to bed. We bid each other good night.

Day 29 (7th day together):

Before sunrise, Vanity woke me up. In the darkness of our room, I saw all seven swords encircling Sarah. The dark "taste" was strong, almost sickening. The swords were keeping out the worst, but Sarah was still seeing bad things that were aimed at breaking her will. Each of my sisters walked over as soon as they were awake, worry plain even in the darkness. Without a word, we all positioned ourselves to touch Sarah. We entered her dream.

People were burning. Crowds were chanting, "Burn, burn, burn," over and over. Sarah was facing three clerics, Lord Carmon, Major Kendar, and Commander Lehand. They were accusing her of evil acts and foul deeds. They charged that, as a nun in training, she should have turned us all into the first authorities she met after meeting us. I had enough when I saw her, on her knees, begging for them to stop, tears forming puddles under her head.

"False and lies!" I shouted.

All eyes snapped to us. The six of us were in ornate armor, swords in hand. Lust was hanging at my side. Sarah wept harder, confusion and pain overwhelming her young mind. 

Pointing Vanity, I commanded, "Show your true self, bitch."

The six before us vanished. The woman from Maalicus' castle was there alone, dressed in her habit from the convent. Still pointing, I spoke again.

"Your true self. No disguise or falsehood. We permit only the truth."

The habit was replaced by Baaloc demon armor. Sarah stopped crying, got up, and joined us. She did not take Lust, but did allow us to lay our hands on her shoulders. The woman laughed.

"Yes, Sarah, the whole time I was a Baaloc. Maalicus ordered me to join the convent. He knew I would be in a position to find girls with the mark. I got you to trust me so you would show it to me freely. When you began to speak of being drawn to someplace, I knew it was time to strike. Unfortunately, the apothecary had sent you to find herbs for her on that day. When I realized you were not one of our captives, we torched the monastery to cut off any safe place for you to hide."

"Monster!" Sarah yelled, "Horrible beast! What have you gained from this?"

"A place of honor within the Baalocs, third behind Maalicus and his general. As long as you are the good little girl you are, I can enter your dreams and torture you every night."

"No! This is the last, Abigail. It ends now!"

Sarah drew Lust. Instantly she was in armor similar to ours. She turned to face Abigail. The older woman sneered. With a cry, Sara hurled Lust at Abigail. She raised a hand to stop the sword, but failed. Lust pierced the Baaloc armor and stopped to stick out of her chest. Abigail looked down, at first in horror, then began to laugh.

"Even in anger, you could not bring yourself to kill me. How noble." Abigail's laughter was cut off when Lust moved.

"She may not be able to finish you off, but I can." Lust's voice resonated around us.

Abigail struggled to pull Lust out, but Lust just sank deeper and deeper. We saw the tip break through the back of the armor. Blood began flowing out of Abigail's mouth. 

She managed to croak out, "Curse you, Sarah! Curse all of you!"

Sarah calmly replied, "To be cursed by evil is to be truly blessed."

Lust flew out of Abigail just when she began to fall. Sarah caught her easily.

"I would like to wake up now," Sarah meekly requested.

"Then awake, my sister," I said.

Sarah opened her eyes to find us all sitting on her bed with one hand touching her. She was torn between tears and laughter. We got up and stretched. Dawn was over and the sun was well above the horizon. As we got dressed, Sarah came to each one of us and thanked us for coming to her aid. We each let her know that there was nothing and no one that would come between any of us.

Mara, Tess, Lord Carmon, Major Kendar, Commander Lehand, the wizard Thoric, and a cleric who's name we didn't know entered after a terse knock. Mara and Tess were as friendly as ever. The men, however, were not. Lord Carmon held a length of parchment he rolled in his hands. Finally, Alice asked him what was wrong.

"News of your assembly has reach the leaders of many nations and faiths. Many have asked to meet you. However, the High Lord of the Empirical Church has demanded that all of you be turned over to him for 'just action' and all swords be destroyed. Anything less is an act of war," Lord Carmon told us gravely.

We looked at each other. None of us girls had ever heard of the Empirical Church or the High Lord. The swords told us that the old missionaries claimed to answer to a High Lord, but they never said anything about what church they were representing. Unable to figure out how to answer, I called the mirror off the wall. When it stopped in front of us, I asked to see this High Lord. Everyone gathered so they could see as well. The mirror became hazy. It cleared to reveal a scruffy man in tattered robes. As we watched, Maalicus arrived and began speaking roughly to him. Asking to hear, Maalicus' voice boomed.

"Send another! Those self-righteous fools will give them over if a church demands them. Swear to call plagues or something! I must have them!"

The men stomped and swore. The cleric went pale. We continued to watch. Another man entered and whispered to Maalicus. Without a word, they both left. Before the door closed, we heard, "Are you sure Abigail is dead?"

I sent the mirror back to the wall. The cleric was still pale and speechless. The other men, having vented enough anger to think, turned to face the cleric.

"You said it was authentic. The wording, grammar, even the ink and parchment, all of it was only a true church would use. So, Oros, what do you say now? Do you stand by your original statement or do you wish to reconsider?" Lehand confronted the cleric Oros.

"I...I...I am at a loss. Only a learned cleric of the upper hierarchy should have penned that letter. But he, that one, could not..." Oros trailed off as his mind could not deal with what he had witnessed.

Alice stood up, "My gift has informed me that the one writing is a learned cleric, a former bishop of a church in Raval. Maalicus holds him prisoner to do just what he has done: write holy orders, proclaim holy wars, and give the Baalocs the illusion that their actions are justified by theology. You were not fooled, Oros, but tricked."

Cleric Oros took in this information and visibly relaxed. The other men relaxed as well. Knowing how they had been tricked eased their anger at the others who had also been tricked. They tossed the parchment onto the pile of dishes on the table.

"Well, now that is over, how do we deal with the real leaders who wish to meet you?" Lord Carmon asked as if commenting on the weather.

Conversing again, we came up with a nice idea.

"The Feast of Spring is a few weeks away. We could meet with them then," Alice informed them.

The Feast of Spring was an old tradition to celebrate new crops and livestock. It also clears out the remaining winter stores before it all goes bad.

Everyone thought that was an acceptable idea. It was far enough to give those from distant lands time to get to Thantos and it was not a religious day or a day for any specific group or tribe. Plus, it would give those visiting something to do before and after meeting us so that they would not have "wasted a trip" if they did not like what they saw in us or the swords. The cleric, finally finding himself useful again, began drafting the invitation to the other leaders, faiths, and societies that asked to meet us.