119: Gathering

It didn’t take us long to reach the stairs to the temple. It was a strange feeling returning here, and I still had mixed emotions regarding Elder Peter. What did he know of the situation the soldier class was getting into?

Entering the temple, I couldn’t help but admire the beauty: the giant white stone statue of the goddess sitting in the middle of the room, the kneeling benches placed around it, and, at its base, the offerings people had made to the goddess.

Even the huge white stone pillars that held up the incredibly high roof.

I had never really appreciated it when I was here last. I shook my head and grabbed the attention of one of the acolytes wandering through the hall.

“Hello, I was wondering if Elder Peter is available at all?”

The acolyte turned his attention to us. “He is in private meditation. Did you have an appointment with him?”

“Not exactly. My name is Trevor, and he asked me to seek him out when I next returned,” I said. It wasn’t entirely true — Peter had asked for details about the class, but I would need to keep those secret for now.

The acolyte smiled. “I see. I will go and enquire if he can spare some time. Please wait here.”

A moment later he left through the doors, and I was left waiting. Turning to Liane and Jen, I said, “I’m going to pray to the goddess of fate while we wait. I’ve been pretty lucky so far, so I wanted to say thanks.”

Jen just nodded. “Sounds good. We’ll stick close.”

I approached the statue, taking a place in the front pews where I knelt down, closed my eyes, and prayed to the goddess like I did all those months ago.

Goddess, I don’t know if you helped me at all or have had a hand in how things have played out, but thank you. I have met some amazing friends and seen some amazing sights, and I’m learning my class…

Again, like the two other times I prayed here, there was an absolutely unmistakable smell of roast chicken — a smell that I was sure was not present when I knelt down to pray. And what were the chances of this appearing all three times I had prayed?

Thanks for everything.

I concluded, getting up just as I saw Elder Peter coming out the side door following the acolyte, with a warm smile on his face, still in the same white robes.

“Young Trevor, it warms my heart to see you again, and you’re looking so well,” Peter said, closing the distance between us.

I shook his hand, but I struggled to return the smile. I couldn’t shake the thought at the back of my mind about the situation the orphans were put in — the system as a whole.

“I don’t suppose there’s somewhere we can talk?” I asked.

Elder Peter nodded, leading me to the small office where I had spoken to him last time.

“Come, please enter. I’m sure you have lots to tell,” he said, opening the door — and did a double take as Jen and Liane came with me.

“Oh, I’m sorry; I should have done introductions. Elder Peter, this is Jen, Liane, and Crisplet,” I said, gesturing towards the three of them. “It’s best they join us, but anything I say they already know.” I smiled and walked through the door.

Peter just nodded, holding the door open for them, his eyes mostly stuck on Crisplet in the brazier.

The small office was fairly cramped with everyone inside, but I knew Jen and Liane wouldn’t let me go anywhere alone in this town.

Taking a seat, I cut straight to the chase. “Elder, before we get started, I have to ask — how much did you know about the situation with the orphans?”

Jen broke in before he had really taken in the question. “Now might not be the best time for that, Trev,” she warned, but her protest was waved away by Peter.

“I assume you mean the lack of preparations?” he asked.

“Not just that. I witnessed, just a couple of weeks ago, a camp of starving people my age — by the hundreds — with the sick being thrown into a wagon without care and literally left to die,” I said, looking hard at Peter, gauging his reaction.

Peter winced. “That… that’s not right.”

Liane interrupted, bitterly adding, “We executed the leader of that company for the murder of over a dozen boys and girls.”

“I did not know. That is to say, I admit the orphans are not properly prepared for life, but it shouldn’t be that. There are laws,” Peter said, clearly rattled by this.

He seemed to realise something. “The others? Your friends?”

I shook my head. “We couldn’t save Brandon.”

Peter’s eyes softened. “I’m so sorry, Trevor…”

“Why?” was all I could get out.

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Peter took a deep sigh. “I won’t make excuses — I see it every year, though nothing as bad as you just described. But I am aware of the incredibly low survival rate for the orphans who head south. It’s why I brought you to the temple, as the army would have happily taken you in as a cook.”

“The truth is, there is only so much we can do. The Lord is sent coin which needs to be invested in certain things — roads, guards, maintenance of the temple, the orphanage — and, to put it bluntly, I suspect we don’t see even a fraction of that investment, receiving just the bare minimum to get by…”

I was about to argue that this wasn’t just this town, but he motioned for me to wait.

“I understand that regardless of how you were raised, the reality of the frontline is not something the orphans are likely prepared for. But when the system was first created, it was designed to be a good thing. Decades of corruption and greed have led to what we have now.”

“Why didn’t you warn us? You gave us our classes?” I asked, not really understanding.

“What could I have said in that moment that would have helped any of you prepare for what was to come? Run, perhaps?” Peter looked pained.

“The Lord here has been taken away for stealing funds from the crown, if the rumours are to be believed. But have you told the royal guards about the situation you encountered? There are laws in place — no one should be treated like prisoners,” Peter said, looking mostly to Liane and Jen as he said it.

Jen took the lead, as I saw anger in Liane’s eyes and knew she likely wouldn’t take part in this conversation anymore.