Corruption and dark alleys

After a three day March through the unknown forest, only living of some hunted animals and water that was purified by Fear Soray finally reached the end of the forest. He came out of the forest and the bushes on to a gravel path.

Soray looked around and saw a huge structure reaching into the sky on one side of the path.

'A cathedral' Soray thought.

Fear:"as far as I know, it shouldn't be the one we came from, we should be far enough away."

'So, should I go there and hope to touch the crystal?'

Fear: "yeah, as stupid as it may be to go into a large city, I can't give any priest an explanation without being out of your head and the crystal is our only hope. You should probably hide your face or get something with a big hood."

' I don't have any money on me... Let's just get closer and hope for the best.'

Fear:" But stay cautious!"

'Whatever, as long as I don't have to drink any more purified puddles.'

The exhausted Soray started walking into the direction of the cathedral. After 2 hours of walking Soray finally came to the entrance of an city.

"God's sanctuary"

"Leading God: joy"

This is the second largest city in the flat lands, the biggest part of the continent of Trinity...

'How did you teleport me to a place that is more than two weeks by horse away?' Soray asked surprised as he read the city's entering sign.

"At last they won't follow us here any time soon." Fear answered.

'Follow us? The teleportation spell leading here would have killed even an human hero, no human has enough mana for this distance!'

Fear: "What's done is done, we are far enough away that no one should have come here by now. We should just be aware of the guards and hide your face, they probably only have a rough sketch of you. They also shouldn't think that you got this far already."

Upon entering the city Soray tried to act as natural as one could be, which turned out to be more awkward than natural, but nobody was paying him any attention anyways. The city was full and there where new things for Soray at every corner.

Soray tried to ignore the nagging voice of Fear while making his way to the cathedral and also tried to not sight see to much, as he was getting hungry and there where food stands everywhere. Without money he would have to endure the hunger and hope the crystal ball would help him in some way.

Maybe Fear could persuade the priest to give money to Soray?

Fear: "I got it, you are hungry, but as long as I am in here I can't do anything."

Soray realized that this city apparently wasn't looking for him at all, as he couldn't see any wanted posters of himself. This was very fortunate for him but also somewhat concerning. How could a city as big as this not care about something as big as a broken crystal ball?

Soray was slowly getting closer to the cathedral. The whole concept of this city always wondered Soray. How could someone just build a city around an godly structure? Wasn't it heretic to disgrace the holy ground or was it the folk of his own town that where over thinking the concept of the cathedrals?

While he wondered Soray realized, that more and more prosperous buildings came into sight the closer he walked to the cathedral. The streets became more silent and there where less street vendors than on the entrance.

The biggest flaw Soray found in the city where the missing guards. One could think that a city of this size would have more guards stationed through out it, but Soray wasn't even checked on the entrance.

That's when Soray started to hear a loud mob. Just in front of the cathedral a big mass of people where screaming at a wall of guards standing in front of the entrance portal of the cathedral. It seems like there was no coming in and Soray also saw none of the guards even talking to the people.

'What is this?'

Fear : "I don't know, I only know what happens inside the cathedrals but this. I have no Idea."

Suddenly a big armored Dragonier came out of the cathedral and screamed at the masses.

Dragonier: "Shut up and listen volks, I know you all have some important business with the priest here and I know that your family was cursed and bla bla bla. Every day we have the same problem with you and every day we sent you forth. Aren't you getting tired?"

The massive croud didn't seem to listen to the imposing 2 meter tall lizard.

Dragonier: "Just as always, if you have some buisness here than pull a number and wait for your time. And if you don't want to wait just go to another cathedral and talk to the priests there."

Some voices where here in the crowd opposing the guard: "you know full well that this ist the only commercial cathedral in the flat lands!"

'Commercial cathedral? Do you know what they mean?'

Fear: "Well, every priest is allowed to talk to the God's and they often use our power to heal some people. But this is very taxing on their bodies and they can't afford to do it to often. Some cathedrals ask for our help like once a month to break some deadly curses, but some come to us daily, I don't know how but I think they have more priests than one and always change him, this is probably the later kind of cathedral."

Dragonier: "Than stop complaining draw a number and come back tomorrow! The cathedral is closed for today! "

With these words the big doors of the cathedral closed.

With no way of coming in the crowd slowly started to split up and go back, some where still standing there arguing with the guards.

The biggest part of the guards started to also walk away from the cathedral. Into the direction of the main gate.

'Where this the missing guards?'

Fear: "Most likely."

'Wow, that's a really stupid security system.'

Fear: "It doesn't matter, go to the guard and ask how you can get in."

Soray did as he was told and asked one of the still standing guards?

"Sorry, mister, how can I get an attendance in the cathedral?"

"Didn't you listen kid?" the guard looked angryly at Soray. "Get a number and wait for your turn. Do you wana buy a ticket?"

"Ah... Sure?"

The guard looked at Soray and snorted while laughing. "That will be one gold piece for outsiders or 1000 contribution points at the guild. And you look like you have neither." The guard grinned.

"But I really need to get in, please, there has to be something." Soray thought for a short moment what he could bring as an argument. "I didn't receive my gear."

"You didn't receive your gear, hahaha that's a new one. Trust me kid what ever family member of you is dying, no ticket no entry. Now get lost" The guard shoved Soray away and turned around "Didn't receive my gear. Haha that was good."

The now furious Soray was about to take his knife and stab the man before Fear could warn him about the most likely deadly consequences.

Fear: "You are already wanted, you don't have to make it worse by pissing of the second biggest city."

"Yeah Sorry. That wasn't smart." Soray said out loud, not realising that he was talking to himself.

The started to turn around slowly: "You still there kid, trust me if I turn around and you still aren't gone then I won't go so light on you, and trust me, this would hurt you more than me, Huehuehue."

Before the guard could turn around fully Soray was grabbed by the arm and pulled into an dark alley between two really high houses.

A female voice asked.

"You said you didn't receive your calling?"

Fear: "They got us!"

'Fuck!'