Lily's Christmas Gift

Brother Imio prayed for a sign. His own future in service to Pelor seemed racked in darkness, and uncertainty. The small temple was silent, the many sanctified candles that lit the alter only served to make the shadows dance. His heart felt as temporary as those shadows. His faith held less substance still. Imio held doubts, the Priests and Deacons spoke of the reassurance Pelor brought to the faithful but in his three years of service he had never felt in the least reassured.

He shivered in the draft while reciting the prayers for the dark hour. Fumbling mentally through the words, struggling with the ancient tongue of the fallen empire he repeated the mantra in barely audible whispers. The chill on his bare neck suddenly disappeared, he felt a shadow cross over him and he paused. Footsteps at the back of the chapel made him forget his ritual as he jumped to his feet.

A tall thin stranger strode confidently down the aisle toward Imio. This man wore tight leather britches and a matching waistcoat of the darkest midnight black. His arms were decorated with thick black tattoos, each arm bore a design that made it seem as if his hair flowed from his scalp down his shoulders and into his skin. The stranger's chin carried a five o'clock shadow, his hair was long loose and matted with sweat. He sat on a pew near the alter and bowed his head ignoring the stunned look on the initiates face.

Light from behind the vestry door shone in on the alter, Imio turned to watch as the door was pushed ajar and the silhouette of one of the priests filled the frame. But as his eyes adjusted the young cleric realised this was no clergy member he had met. This strange friar was a stout man, rounded and squat, a cheerful face under a bald and shiny scalp. The friendly seeming friar entered the chapel and sat opposite the dark stranger.

“I accept your choice of witness.” Spoke the dark stranger.

“He is suitable for our needs. You do us an honour meeting here.” The clergy man spoke softly “Tonight two seeds are planted. Our attention was required, your attendance is welcome.”

“Do shut up! I have allowed you to reside here. I am welcome because the ground beneath is mine. You place high hopes that the two girls are going to change the balance. But we will share influence over them. The terms of that pact shall be decided here.”

“Indeed. The ground rules, of the standing agreement for this city specify that we meet with a mortal witness whenever a wild champion enters the field. Here we have two such champions and a new pact will dictate how they will be used.”

“It seems to me that our decision is simple. You take one I take the other. We lead them through their life each one serving on a path of our own choosing.” The black clad stranger slumped in his seat, sure the matter was dealt with.

“I disagree, I know you are young and that the old ways are abhorrent to you.” The light hearted friar smiled warmly “ So I thought I might suggest a new approach. I have an idea, something I think is more your thing entirely.”

“Keeping me happy is in your interests. Tell me, if we're not going to take one each, then what do you want to do? Kill them now, and remove their potential from the field?”

“No, I still feel there's a game to be played and an advantage to be gained. But I think you and I can break from tradition. Your presence here has had it's advantages, I've seen in you new ways to tell the old stories.”

Imio was frozen in place. His ritual all forgotten, the ancient syllables gone, but now every word the two strangers spoke were committed to memory. Entranced he struggled to grasp the details, he felt his part in this deal was still to be discussed.

“So light bringer what do you suggest?”

“I suggest brother shadow, that we ignore one and focus on the other.” Steepling his fingers he continued “Let us agree that there will be no interference at all in one of the babes. And instead of taking one girl each we fight entirely over the other. Whichever power sways her wins out.”

“And you think I'm twisted, do your faithful really know you? One girl grows up with no influence from either of us, her path will be her own to discover and pursue, the other poor girl will constantly feel the pull and sway of our bickering.” A moment of consideration passed before the shadowy man continued. “This appeals to me, you were right. I suggest that we watch the two girls till they wake, whichever sleeps longest let her be free of our influences. The first to wake shall from that moment feel our sway. Do you accept?”

“I do brother shadow. I shall instruct our witness to carry the basket and the two babes over to Ginger street and have them left with the orphanage. Will there be anything else?”

Without response the dark visitor receded into the formless shadows beneath the pews, and as he did so the cool draft returned yet the chapel filled with a warmth and a calm that Imio hadn't realised was missing. He looked at the jolly friar in bewilderment.

“Brother Imio, walk outside with me.” Imio stood and followed the friendly faced priest. “You have served your order well this night. And what you are asked to do now will if all the God's smile on us, serve to protect this chapel and it's congregation in the future.”

“Yes father. I will do as you ask.” Brother Imio stammered.

“Imio, just there by the door a basket has been left, take it to the orphanage on Ginger Street and have them care for the two baby girls inside. They were left by two women, they were born at the same time, yet share only a distant ancestry. The omen of their birth and the pact you have witnessed must remain a secret known only to yourself. But these girls must be delivered to a warm cot tonight.”

Imio found the basket by the Temple door as he had been instructed he started to trek across Redforge to Ginger street. He felt no more reassured now than he had at the start of the night, but now he had seen god's at work, and understood a little more of the situation here in the city. The girls he carried to the municipal quarter were living embodiments of a god pact. They would maybe provide him with more insights as they grew. Maybe they were agents of change. He wondered if Pelor would succeed in winning this small battle. Imio was doubtful, his faith didn't give him hope that anything would change in Redforge, at least not in his life time.