Cleaning Up

"What happened?" she cried. "What am I doing here? I... I blacked out when I got to the main building... Fred - is... is everyone allright?"

"Um... no." Fred said. He was bad at this. "They're all dead. The guards, and the other priestesses, and Father Suivant too - well, brain-dead, at least. All he does now is drool. I'm sorry, Tarsa."

"N... no..." Tarsa sobbed. "I can't believe it... no!"

She climbed to her feet and hurried down the hallway. Fred followed her from room to room as she wept over the bodies of her dead friends, tried in vain to use her healing magic to revive them. Finally, as she was about to enter the chamber of the dead guards, Fred caught her by the arm. "That's enough! The villagers will clean this mess up. You need to get some rest."

"Fred... why did this happen? Why?!" Tarsa wept, falling to her knees.

She cried for a long time. Fred merely stood by, trying unsuccessfully to think of something comforting to say. Finally Tarsa seemed to calm down, yet her voice still trembled as she spoke. "Who did this?"

"Not sure. There was a woman in dark clothing, but I'm not certain she's the one responsible. I, uh, chased her away, so everything's okay now."

"I... I have to see his Holiness, Pope Zera." Tarsa said, standing up. "He must know what happened - that the ceremony was thwarted, and that Darkness ravages the land unchecked. Fred, thank you for all you have done. But I cannot continue your employ or even pay you for your work. The little money the temple has must go toward rebuilding the town. I'm very sorry."

"You're planning to cross the Granacliffs and head to the Papal State all on your own? Are you out of your mind, girl?"

"I have no other choice." Tarsa said in a hurt tone. "Do not worry about me - I will be allright. Granas himself will protect me."

"How convenient to have a magical bodyguard in the sky! I guess you really don't need me, huh? Whatever."

Tarsa said nothing and walked out of the room. Fred groaned as he leaned back against the wall. "Well, that's just great! I bust my ass and what do I get? Hmmph!"

"Fred, have I ever told you you're my hero?" Skye snickered.

"Allright, allright! I'll take her across the Granacliffs. Sheesh."

"And what made you decide on this course?"

"Think about it, Skye - the Pope!" Fred grinned wickedly. "If we get in good with him, we can get our hands on some ungodly amounts of loot!"

"I am not a newly hatched 'chick', Fred. I suspect you have other reasons for your rather 'broad' change of heart."

------

Rather than bother Tarsa with whatever she was doing, Fred spent the night checking out the town. The surviving villagers were deliriously happy that Tarsa was alive, and even sadder that she was now leaving. It appeared she had been something of a town darling. According to the peasants, a horrifying dragon-like monster had been the one to burn the town with it's fiery breath, and then had flown into Suivant's chamber in the temple. This only confused Fred even further, as he had seen no such creature.

He had employed Skye to scout on Tarsa's movements, and met her the next morning on the outskirts of town. She wore the classic uniform of a priestess of Granas - white overcoat and blouse, white shorts, red and blue tassels and ribbons, and spiffy little white shoes. She was armed with a stout travelling staff, and the dark circles around her eyes made it obvious that like Fred, she hadn't slept a wink.

"I suppose you're here to kill and rob me for my failure to pay you?" Tarsa asked coldly.

"Well, insofar as that would be the sensible course of action, I was actually going to offer to take you to Granas Cathedral." Fred said, annoyed. "But since you've decided to insult me, I guess I'll just slither back to my crypt and resume gnawing on bones."

"No, wait... I'm sorry." Tarsa said. "Your companionship would be... not unwelcome."

"Well then." Fred said. "To get to the Granacliffs we'll have to...

1. ...head east through the Agear mountain range, and we'll be there in a couple of days."
2. ...head south through the plains. It'll take a bit longer than going through the mountains, but we can stop at the big city and get supplies."

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