'Where?' SJ asked, scanning the corridor below.
"The third being. The tall male orc," Dave said.
SJ had no idea what race Justin was, and knowing that he was a Legionnaire and also knew she had met orcs named Gary and Tyrone, she really couldn't have said whether he could be Justin or not. The naming convention of the various races didn't always follow what she had as a preconceived expectation. The orc was walking slightly behind the other beings; they were acolytes or similar and had their hoods up, bar the orc. SJ was unable to say what race the others were.
'I don't even know what level Justin is,' SJ thought, realising that she really hadn't planned her actions very well.
"I don't think it will matter much what level they are if you get that poison into them."
SJ continued to follow the beings until they turned into a side room. Checking around her, SJ flew down to the top of the door. All the doors were large, thankfully, meaning she didn't have to fly too low. The door led into what appeared to be a library; shelves of books filled much of the space, with an area in the middle of the room where several desks were positioned. The beings were still chatting with each other as the orc browsed the shelves, and the others stood by a desk. The lighting inside the room was darker than the corridors, and SJ took the chance to duck inside and then fly back to the roof again. The shelves were tall, and there were steps positioned at the end of each aisle to allow for books from the upper shelves to be reached.
SJ flew above the desk area, landing on a beam, and listened to the conversation below.
"This has to be one of the craziest ideas that mad old gnome has ever had," an acolyte said, pulling their hood back to reveal the face of a male dryad.
"It's definitely something new. It may provide the help that they need, though, and we will always do what we can," the orc replied.
"I know, but spending time in the warrens of the districts handing out food. What even made her come up with such a stupid idea? We will have no idea if those claiming food deserve it or not."
The acolyte who still wore their hood spoke, a female voice escaping its confines. "I asked the very question of Lady Wystria when she informed me of Her Worships wishes. She said it doesn't matter; only those who are hungry will seek food, regardless of standing or position. It is the act that matters above all else."
The orc removed a large book from one of the shelves, placed it on a stand, and turned its pages. From her position on the beam, SJ couldn't make out its details.
"What did you want to come here for anyway, Sawyer?"
"I am just confirming the location of the chapels in District 6 before we head out. What time were we needed?"
"Lady Wystria wished us to be ready to leave within the hour. The cooks are just finalising the next batch of stew," the male dryad said.
"I smelt that as I passed the kitchen. I may get some before we head out," Sawyer said after scribbling some notes on a piece of parchment.
"It sounds as though the chancellor indeed listened to your idea," Dave said.
'It does. I hope it helps settle some of the issues. That legionnaire is named Sawyer. I wonder if that is his first or last name?'
"No idea. It could be either."
'That's my point. It could be Justin Sawyer.'
The orc returned the book to the shelf, "Okay. Shall we see if we can eat before we go?"
"You are always thinking of your stomach," the female acolyte replied.
"I am still growing," Sawyer grinned, patting his rather large stomach.
"Outwards," the male dryad scoffed as they left the room.
SJ was frustrated; she was none the wiser, whether that was Justin or another legionnaire. She dropped from the beam and glanced at the books that filled the shelves. Some of the texts appeared ancient, looking at their leather and gilded bindings. They also seemed very expensive.
'I am surprised this place is not more secure,' SJ thought as she returned to the door before re-entering the corridor and ascending again.
The orc and his companions had disappeared from view, and SJ quickly continued down the corridor, stopping only when other beings appeared. None of the new beings were legionnaires. The corridor followed a sweeping curve as it neared the end where the steeple of the cathedral was. SJ could hear voices ahead and off to the right. The voices were coming from a large set of double doors. As she approached, two beings dressed in the robes of the order appeared from a door opposite before crossing the corridor and entering the room.
"Quieten down, please, everyone," a voice carried from the room.
SJ checked the corridor before diving to the door and looking in. The room was a meeting room; rows of benches faced a podium where a large draconian stood. His appearance was similar to Lythonian; he wore chainmail, and his robes had the same trim and detailing. The room was brightly lit, and Dave spoke as SJ considered entering.
"There are at least half a dozen legionnaires in there."
'Damn,' SJ thought. Identifying Justin wasn't going to be a simple task. SJ ducked under the door frame and shot up to the ceiling of the room. This room had no floor above it, and the eaves were easily thirty feet. Thankfully, all the eyes of those in the room were towards the draconian, who had now turned to face the symbol of the order and knelt. Silence filled the room as the draconian said a prayer. To SJ's untrained hearing, it sounded similar to the lord's prayer from back on Earth, and as he finished the final line, the gathered acolytes all repeated his words.
"Right then. Down to business. Thank you all for attending on such short notice. I know it is later than usual this evening, but I have only just left Her Worships company. This evening, we began the process of delivering meals to the outer city."
There were some murmurs from the gathered beings.
"I know not all agree with this approach, but we do what Her Worship requests. She has the backing of many gods, as you all know. She wouldn't do something without due consideration, and she has never directed us badly in the past."
Another being sitting near the front spoke up. "I thought Lady Wystria ran the order, not Her Worship."
"Lady Wystria is indeed the head of the Asterfal order; she remains our high cleric, but Her Worship is still one of the four members of the High Order of Axynllrewam. You know full well we are fortunate to have such an esteemed member of the order that chose Asterfal as her home rather than the capital."
"She scares the life out of me," another being said.
That brought chuckles from several of those attending.
The comment about Petunia surprised SJ. She hadn't expected to hear anyone within the order comment about her. She supposed it happened in all organisations. When she was performing her forensic accounting tasks, she used to get more helpful information from the office staff than from the business managers.
"Three further groups are going out this evening. Districts 4, 5 and 6. Food has already been delivered in districts 1, 2 and 3, and they are due back imminently. So far, from the reports received, the undertaking has been successful. There has been very little discourse, and many beings have been grateful. I have created a schedule for all our members. You will find it posted on the notice board in the accommodation block. Each member has been assigned a district and a day. Tomorrow, we will be delivering food to districts 7, 8 and 9, and then the second shift will be in 10, 11 and 12. This rota will then continue for the foreseeable future, so please make yourselves aware of your duties."
Some members audibly groaned at the assignment, while others appeared happy.
'Which ones are the legionnaires?' SJ thought.
Dave identified the six beings: two elves, a dwarf and three humans.
"Three of them are female, so they are doubtful to be named Justin. So that leaves you with the dwarf, an elf and a human."
There were at least eighty members in the room, and SJ followed Dave's description as she identified the seats where the three potential Justins were sitting.
'I am going to head to the accommodation block. If there is a list on the wall detailing groups, I am hoping his name will be there, and I can then identify him more easily. I am guessing the accommodation is on the other side,' SJ thought as she moved towards the exit.
The draconian had started speaking again, and the crowd was listening to him, so she again dived to the door and quickly checked the corridor before entering. It didn't take her long to identify an exit, and she was soon back outside. Night had set in fully, and its darkness had tried to envelop the cathedral. It hadn't succeeded, though, due to the number of lanterns that filled the gardens and shone from the building's windows. It wasn't like daylight by any means, but it was still much easier to see than usual during this time of day. Her vision didn't even need to adapt. It remained so bright. Flying high so as not to be noticed, she headed over to the other wing of the cathedral. There appeared to be a constant and steady flow of beings coming and going down the main cathedral path. Its massive doors are open and inviting to all.
'I need to check this notice before that meeting disperses, and they all start to go and find out when they are on duty,' SJ thought as she began descending towards a side entrance. It looked like the main entrance to the other wing, so she hoped the notice board would be there if anywhere. This wing was much darker than the other, and there was little light coming from the building's windows.
She flew inside and again up to the ceiling. On this side, it was a standard height, and she felt nervous knowing that she could be spotted so much easier. There was nothing of interest or any beings that she could hear, and she headed through into an open area. It reminded SJ of a hotel foyer. There were benches and plants scattered around its open area, and the ceiling here rose all the way to the roof of the building. A set of stairs led up to the first and then continued to the second floor, where corridors ran down either side of the building.
A large fireplace sat in the rear wall, and to the left of the fireplace, SJ spotted what she was after. A large notice board covered in parchment. There was no one in the area, so she quickly flew over and started to look at the notices. It only took her moments to find what she was after. Justin's name was against a group that was in District 1. That meant that he wasn't even at the cathedral currently. The draconian had said the groups from Districts 1, 2 and 3 were due back imminently. SJ was just about to leave again when she spotted another notice.
She scanned it and could have jumped for joy. It was a list of who lived in each of the rooms; it took her several moments to find his name again. Justin apparently lived on the second floor of the east wing in the Gaptu suite. It took SJ several moments to realise that all of the rooms were named after the gods of Amathera. She knew that Gaptu was the god of hunting from speaking to Darren, who had apparently prayed to him before when hunting.
SJ heard the crunching of footsteps on the gravel path that led to the entrance. Immediately, she flew as fast as she could towards the ceiling. She just made it as she heard voices and footsteps entering the foyer below.
'That was too close.'
"But fruitful. You now know where he lives," Dave said.
'Yes, and I am going to find his room,' SJ thought as she made her way towards the east wing on the second floor. The corridor was dimly lit. It was apparent that the building would typically be occupied at this time of day, and she supposed with the meeting that had been called and the duties that were assigned, many of the acolytes or clerics that may typically have been in the accommodation weren't. Staying as close to the ceiling as she could, she quickly flew the length of the corridor, her eyes having to adjust to the gloom this time.
There wasn't enough natural light entering the corridor, and even with her improved vision, she was struggling to read the room's names. She could still hear voices from the foyer and wasn't sure how long she may have before beings began to come up to their rooms. There were no windows in the corridor that she could see, and she could end up trapped if she wasn't careful. She was just about to give up and head back out when she eventually found the suite that Justin had been assigned.
Letting out an audible sigh, she quickly landed and grew. She listened at the door briefly to make sure there was no one inside and tried the handle. To her excitement, the door opened, and she slowly pushed it open before stepping into the room. The suites, as they had been named, reminded her of the suite she had stayed in at the Hogling Arms. There was a lounge area with a fireplace, sofa, desk and shelves. Then, another door led through to a bathing area and then further into a bedroom. It was decent accommodation, and SJ was impressed with the way they lived. She knew friends from back in London who would have given their right arm for the floorspace the suite had.
SJ knew what she was looking for and quickly checked the desk and shelves. On the desk was a glass, and next to it was a bottle of spirits. SJ wasn't sure whether to chance poisoning the bottle until she noticed several empty bottles by the side of the desk.
'Yes,' she thought excitedly. Quickly uncorking the bottle, she removed the vial of poison that Carlito had given her. With extreme caution, holding it with her dress, she tipped the contents into the bottle. The room was in darkness apart from moonlight from a window, and she carefully held the vial with her hand protected by her dress before reapplying its stopper. She gave the vial a quick rub with her dress before she returned it to her inventory. The last thing she needed to do was call it to her hand and find that a drop of the poison had run down the outside of the vial.
'Okay. I think we are done,' SJ thought triumphantly as she placed the spirit bottle cork back in.
"Very neat job. Now, all you will have to do is wait to see if it has the effect you wish."
'What do you mean by that?'
"Well, he could potentially have resistance to poison and being a cleric in an area surrounded by clerics. If he is poisoned, he may be able to receive healing."
SJ's heart sank, the jubilation being smacked out of her by Dave's comment.
'Now you say that.'
"It's obvious that it's a possibility. I do doubt it, though, seeing how quickly you succumbed to the poison at the tower. It was almost instant, and you couldn't move."
Grumbling, SJ quickly moved into the bathroom. There was no way she was going to be able to leave now via the corridor. The window was small but was at least open, so she wouldn't have to leave a window open. Shrinking again, she quickly left the building.
'Now, I just need to wait and see what happens,' SJ thought as she flew back towards the outer city and her home.
