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"She seems to be alright for now, we're keeping her comfortable." Gheld said reassuringly as Jorin sat down near Tora and ran his dexterous fingers through her hair. "She wanted you badly and normally we don't allow visitors but in this case we can make an exception."

"What happened?" Jorin looked up at Gheld and then put his attention back to Tora. Leaning down he put his lips on her cheek and was surprised to find that her skin was cold and somewhat clammy to the touch.

"It's a long story Jorin but I know she means a lot to you." Gheld sat down on the bench near him and sighed, leaning back against the wall. "Tora was attacked last night by the night watch; they attempted to have their way with her. Luckily I got here in time to stop them. Before you lose your temper remember they are the watch and you are just a guest in our city. Anyway I brought my sister here last night to see if Tora could cure her. Her magic would not work so she pulled the sickness into herself."

"Why?" Jorin whispered softly to no one in particular. "Why must she be made to suffer more? She's done nothing to anyone in fact she's saved more lives in her short years than a crowd of people would do in their entire lifespan."

"I'm sorry Jorin, I didn't want this and neither did my sister." Gheld hung his head down and sighed.

"Please don't die Tora, I need you." Jorin whispered as he began to cry regardless of the press of women around him. "Lyris please watch over your child, she doesn't deserve this."

"I need to speak to you Gheld, do you have a minute?" Jorin wiped his eyes of the tears and sucked in a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "I need your influence to make this right."

"Come with me." Gheld stood up and led Jorin out of the open cell door, turning to Rina who returned to her seat near Tora. "Take care of her Rina, we'll be in the next room if anything happens."

"I will." Rina replied with a nod.

Gheld led Jorin into the common room and they sat at one of the unoccupied tables near the wall. Jorin tried to steady himself as best he could and leaned forward, dropping his voice to a whisper. "We need your help; I've gathered the remaining clergy and we plan on trying to find these cultists and purging them from the city. The problem is we need this sanctioned by the city and a little assistance in the way of guardsmen would be nice also."

"This is a large undertaking Jorin, and with Tora down for the count and in jail I'm not sure that it's such a wise idea." Gheld replied with a shake of his head. "She's your main hope of identifying members of the cult and combating their leader."

"It's widely known that you have a hybrid in your jail, Tora is in danger here. I think you should double the guard and help us with this crusade or there will be no end." Jorin paused for a moment before he continued and looked away from Gheld to the rest of the guards in the station. "We're going on with this tonight with our without the city's help so make your decision soon."

With that Jorin stood up and left Gheld to his thoughts, heading back into the jail cell so he could bid farewell to Tora before heading back to the church. It pained him to exclude her from this but she was unwell and in jail so he had decided to take action not long after she had been taken. When he walked back into the room he remembered that the cell was closed again so he turned and returned to the guardroom to find Gheld heading in himself. Jorin stepped out of the way and allowed the Inquisitor to open the cell for him. "Thank you."

"I'll think on what you said Jorin but gathering the masses takes a lot more than just a few pretty words." Gheld said with a shrug.

"You'd do better gathering just a few trusted agents than trying to muster the entire guard. They had a captain on their pay from what Tora told me." Rina said before either of them could talk any further. "How many more would be on their payroll if they can afford a captain?"

"She has a point." Jorin nodded as he sat back down next to Tora and put his hand on her cheek for a moment. Her skin was still cold and sweaty; it was obvious she was battling something fierce inside of herself. "You'll pull through this, I know you will Tora. You've always been the stronger of the two of us, ever since we were kids. You can't let this be your final chapter."

"She spoke highly of you brother." Rina said from across the cell near the door. "I can tell you both have much love for each other, such stories can't end in tragedy."

"I can only hope that you're right." Jorin stood up and headed for the door, casting one final glance at the fitfully slumbering woman.

"Inquisitor Gheld, my sentence ends soon. Would you allow me to accompany Jorin as a remainder of my terms?" Rina suggested as Jorin walked past her with his red hair swishing around his face and ears. "Caley can look after Tora until we return."

"Make it so then." Gheld agreed with a nod as he closed the door behind the two of them. "I'll spread the word among my most trusted guards and see what I can come up with Jorin but I make no promises."

"That's all I can ask for honestly." Jorin clasped hands with the remarkable human and met his gaze for just a moment. They parted leaving Rina trailing behind him and Jorin looked over at her for a second when they walked through the outer door unhindered. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"Tora offered me a kindness no one else has ever extended to me." Rina collected her belongings from the guard shack at the doors and continued on walking beside him. "She offered me hope without asking for anything in return. I am not one to let a favor go unreturned, I figure if I watch your back we'd be even."

"She'd not ask for anything in return though." Jorin said with a shrug. "But I thank you for your support."

"I don't usually make it a point to get into fights between gods and faiths and all that but I suppose I need to show some sort of effort before I'll be accepted into the faith." Rina laughed at his look of surprise. "Yeah she appointed my sister and I to initiates last night?"

"She can do that?" Jorin asked with genuine surprise.

"Yeah, she's the highest ranking member of the faith; even the mightiest of priests would have problems debating her decisions." Rina elaborated. "And here I thought I was atheistic. You travel with someone as important as Tora and you know squat about her faith?"

"I'm just the bodyguard." Jorin grinned ear-to-ear. "We have much to do before tonight so let's get busy do you know anyone that would be willing to join up?"

"Unfortunately not, but I do know a few girls who may be willing to part with some information for a few coins though." Rina grinned at him and held out her hand. "How much money do you have?"

**

Rina's search had definitely turned up some valuable information about the comings and goings in the shady side of the city. Jorin was surprised with her tenacity and connections so he felt confident at her place at his side as he led her into the gates of the church grounds. Several of the clergy were talking in groups and most of them looked as if they were preparing for a journey instead of daily prayer and duties. Of everyone in the church's fifty eight members twenty four had come forth to assist him in finding and flushing out the cultists. Several of them were young and eager but also inexperienced and for a moment he wondered what he had gotten himself into. "I'm not sure if I'm ready for an expedition of this caliber."

"You'll do fine Jorin, you're pretty handy on the street I can see why Tora loves you so much." Rina gave him a pat on the shoulder and motioned to the gathered clerics. "Don't keep them waiting."

Jorin walked into the center of them and looked around. "Is this everyone?"

"Yes sir, we've gathered everyone who is willing to help." The oldest and highest ranked cleric said as she stepped forward and clasped hands with Jorin. "We're ready to assist you in any way we can."

"Good." Jorin took a good look around him and met the eyes of every cleric present and for a moment he wondered what to do, what to say to them. A good number of them might not come back depending on the cult's numbers and since they would most likely not be getting any assistance from the city their taks was all the harder. An image of his father speaking at city hall came to mind and he smiled. This voice was merely a whisper as he thanked his father for those demonstrations; he'd never thought that his father speaking or lecturing him would come in handy.

"You've all come forth to assist us in ridding the city of these loathsome cultists that follow a vile lord. The Lifebringer would be proud to see you all gathered together for the cause and the faith." Jorin made sure to look at all of them as he spoke, they were all putting themselves on the line for a Lifebringer that no one had known existed until recently. "Lyris himself will look down on us and nod his head in approval as we carve the necrotic flesh from the wounds of this mighty city. You'll all go down in history as the few who were willing to stand up and cleanse the evil from your home! It is your faith and courage that will ensure our victory!"

The cheer that erupted around him surprised Rina more than Jorin but not by much. It seemed he had gained his father's propensity for public speaking and crowd rallying. When the cries to Lyris, Jorin, even the new Lifebringer Tora died down Jorin was surprised to hear someone clapping from gate of the church. "Gheld!"

"A fine speech my friend." Gheld said as he entered the grounds of the church followed by six guardsmen and one battlemage. "I heard you're looking for recruits to your cause."

"Aye, any help is appreciated." He put his hand on Gheld's shoulder and smiled.

"Good, you won't mind us coming along then!" Gorosh said jovially as he, Eddy, Josh, and James followed the rest of the guard into the church grounds. "We all owe Tora a debt of gratitude, especially Josh. If not for her he'd be digesting in the belly of a carrion worm right now."

"Thank you." Jorin said to them as well as he surveyed the group again. "We know the rats hide in the sewers and from what I hear they've built a chapel in the depths below us. From what Rina was able to gather it is very close to this church. Now the tunnels below us will only allow four or less to fight shoulder to shoulder with room to swing so unless someone has a better idea I suggest that we split up into three groups and each take one section of the sewers so that we can cover more ground."

"You'd trust the word of harlots and thieves?" One cleric said disdainfully as he glanced at Rina then back at Jorin.

"I'd trust the word of someone who's been on the streets and knows the hardships of life." Jorin replied to that without taking a moment to think. "Rina is an initiate, blessed and ordained by the Lifebringer herself."

"My apologies." The speaker said quickly and bowed his head. "Forgive me, I'm just nervous."

"Don't worry about it." Rina replied, winking at him. "You're cute enough to forgive easily."

Jorin chuckled at the young man's look of embarrassment and continued. "I'm not sure where they may have built this chapel but it will have to be in a relatively secluded section of the sewer system, I'm sure they wouldn't want anyone stumbling in on them unannounced."

"Wait." Gheld said as he held up his hand and regarded Jorin. "I know where they might be."

"What?" Jorin turned to him looking for an explanation.

"I've had time to think about extensively since we've talked last. When this city was built there were several reservoirs in the sewer systems that were designed to help drain the pipes in times of flood. During the wet season flooding is a danger to all districts by the river." Gheld pulled a blank parchment and a stick of charcoal from his pack and began sketching something down. "There's one not far from the church as a matter of fact. A few years back we had to close it off because the city had ordered some extra work to be done; there was something wrong with the drain mechanism. That would be a perfect place to set up shop."

"As good a place as any to start." Jorin agreed with a nod. "Do you know how to get there?"

**

Dark had settled in and the city was quiet but no one would hinder a procession thirty five strong. The entrance Jorin, Rina, and Gheld had chosen wasn't far from the church itself but they had to walk around several buildings to get there. Along the way they got stares from local night owls and guards alike but Gheld being there provided them with the comfort of no questions asked. As they turned the last corner into what looked like an oft-traveled alleyway Jorin had a gut feeling that they were on track.

The three of them were considered to be the leaders so they had opted to split the group into three teams. Jorin's group consisted of two guardsmen, eight clerics, James, Gorosh, and Jorin himself and they entered the sewers first. The drainage system in question was located at a four way junction so each group could approach from their own angle. He trusted Gheld implicitly and though he didn't know Rina he knew that Tora trusted her so he in turn respected her judgment. He descended first and surveyed the tunnels around them. His eyes and Rina's worked near-perfectly in the dark as opposed to the eyes of humans so she followed him down and the two of them crept forward into the shadows each in one of the two directions of the large sewer pipe. The only illumination provided to them was the occasional grate with light from the twin moons filtering through.

After scouting through the initial entrance tunnel the both of them returned from their respective sides and Rina climbed back up the ladder affixed to the side of the stone and gave the rest of them the signal to descend. It took a while for everyone to pile down into the tunnel but once they were all in they split into their designated groups and went their separate ways. Jorin and his group had opted to take the temple head-on so they walked slowly toward their goal. Although he tried to keep himself outwardly cool he was shaking like a leaf inside, he'd never done anything like this before. Looking back on his days of stalking his friends through the forest as a child he was quite sure this type of endeavor, while similar, would be more deadly. A hand on his shoulder made him jump just a little until he realized it was just James trying to steady him.

"You're doing fine my boy." James whispered to him and nodded before leaning back toward Gorosh and drawing his weapon.

Jorin did the same and everyone behind him from the guardsmen to the clerics followed in suit. He stared down at his twin daggers for a moment as butterflies fluttered around somewhere between his stomach and bowels. Taking a deep, but unsurprisingly fetid, breath he led them toward the turn in the pipe and crouched down to peer around the corner. Gheld had been right; the cult was in the indicated location. There were two guards holding long halberds waiting at the end of the short junction in front of a sealed metal hatch. Ducking back around the corner he nodded to those present and all of them stood in tense silence waiting for their queue to attack.

It was almost a nervous tick for Jorin to peer back around the corner at the two stationary men time and time again as they waited. It seemed to him that eons slipped by until he heard Rina scream bloody murder at the top of her lungs. He grinned when the two guards looked at each other and the one on the left walked away to investigate the noise. After counting to five Jorin rushed around the corner toward the remaining guard hoping that the cleric on Gheld's team had done his job properly. The remaining guard attempted to sound an alarm but his the entire tunnel had fallen supernaturally quiet.

Immediately the guard turned and began opening the hatch using the wheel in the center of the round door but Jorin was the quicker. He flung his magical dagger out in front of him praying that its magic would help him yet again. When the guard crumpled to the floor in a heap a wave of relief untied the knot in his chest. Right on queue both of the other groups met him at the junction with Rina's group carrying an undoubtedly dead guard in their arms. Jorin quickly retrieved his dagger but didn't bother to clean it; it would see more action before the night was through.

Jorin again was the first through the hatch; he opened it slowly because the silence spell had worn off and flinched when the door squealed loudly. Luckily no one was in the immediate vicinity of the hatch. Just inside he surveyed their cache of stored weapons and armor quickly then stepped into the room. It looked to him like they had converted the spillway into an entrance and erected a door just inside of it to conceal the chapel itself. His sensitive ears picked up a light chanting coming from beyond it.

The feeling in his stomach did not lessen even as his comrades piled in behind him and began inspecting the side passages and the small chambers at each end. To his left Rina was obviously eye-molesting the goods that the cult had gathered while squeezing what they could out of the city. He nudged her with an elbow and shook his head when she pulled a weapon out of the pile and began inspecting it more.

When she nudged him back and tossed him a long gauntlet-looking contraption he arched an eyebrow until he saw the hilt of a small blade sticking out of one of the slots on the item. Getting her drift he strapped the arm piece on and sheathed his good dagger, pulling the concealed dagger out of his sleeve to replace it. His surprise was genuine when another one appeared to replace it and the other three slots in the leather item filled with similar daggers seemingly out of the air. A thump to his ear caused him to scowl at Gheld and then lead them forward toward the door. Jorin put his ear against it and listened for a moment.

"Brothers and sisters our time is neigh, the hybrid Lifebringer has been imprisoned and placed under a minimal guard. With her pure blood we can begin the process of restoring our lord to his full glory!" A shrill voice shrieked at the supposedly gathered masses. "As we speak Painlord Garrik, our best agent is preparing an attack on the prison itself to get us this hybrid Tora Alanthia."

Jorin panicked and backed away from the door, grabbing Gheld and pulling him close. He whispered as quietly as he could. "They're going to attack the prison tonight; you have to alert the guardsmen on duty. They can't take Tora!"

Gheld nodded his consent and motioned for one of the guards that had accompanied him to approach. Once the instructions were relayed Gheld motioned toward the door and readied his weapon. Jorin gave him a nod and slowly opened the portal. Just beyond they could see one priest with his back to the door watching the sermon as a masked man below preached to no less than fifty priests of various ranks. Jorin pointed to Gheld and then at the guard and then hefted the dagger in his hand and pumped it as if he would throw it.

Gheld got the idea and nodded in return. When Jorin had the door open all the way the priest standing in front of them started to turn but it was too late. Gheld ran his blade through the unfortunate man and then kicked his body down the stairs. Jorin quickly followed up by throwing two of the daggers in his new brace straight at the preaching man. Once again time slowed down as the body of the dead cleric bounced down the stairs gaining the attention of all present. Jorin and Gheld lept down the small staircase and into the center of the drainage room clearing the dead man and charged forward behind the two airborne daggers as the rest of their force filtered into the room.

Having gained the element of surprise Jorin was happy to hear the high priest croak in pain and double over. Their attack had caused sufficient confusion for a large squad of clerics and a few guardsmen to charge into the room and the large chamber quickly erupted into a full out battle of spells and metal. Jorin and Rina fought side by side dodging and darting past opponents leaving them grasping at small wounds that quickly added up to larger hurts. Jorin wielded two daggers as his usual and Rina obviously favored the short sword she had picked up from the cult's makeshift armory.

The two of them traded off opponents as often as possible, Jorin's strikes came more frequently and Rina's strikes were harder and more efficient. The cultists proved to be quick to react; the initial confusion did not last long. Above all else Jorin heard the high priest chanting in some vile tongue and fought to break away from the ugly, pock-marked man in front of him so he could get a clear shot at the powerful man before he could finish his spell.

A flash of fire rocketed over his head from behind them and he turned to see the battlemage that had accompanied Gheld running through the motions of another spell. Once he was sure the priest was occupied he returned his full concentration to the battle at hand just in time to dodge the lumbering swing of a large warhammer that had targeted his head. Falling to one knee he drove his left blade forward and gouged the arm of the robust cultist hard enough to make him howl and drop his weapon. Jorin had never really gained the stomach for killing but he would do anything to protect Tora so he drove his long daggers forward and into the man's gut then pulled them apart effectively disemboweling the unfortunate fat priest. He allowed the man to topple forward and dodged through the crowd toward his real target. His size and speed were his allies as he avoided several cultists that apparently knew what he was after.

The press of people became easier to navigate as he reached the far end of the chamber. Jorin lept up and vaulted off of a cultist's back, falling to a crouch only a few feet away from the chanting man in the mask. Jorin could see the white-eyed man staring right at him and did not detect any fear; the old priest merely changed his target to the closest threat and continued chanting. Alarms went off in his head and he dove to the left just in time to avoid a spray of some sort of reeking liquid that came from the old man's outstretched hands. He continued the run as the priest began redirecting the spray at him and grinned broadly as a plan came to his mind.

Jorin danced out of the range of the spray and taunted the priest with insults until he elongated the acidic fan of liquid out in front of him. When he rolled to the left again and came back to his feet the two cultists behind him yowled in pain and began writhing on the ground attempting to get the burning liquid off of their backs. "You missed old man!"

"Insolent whelp!" He cried in response and dropped the spell. "I'll boil your blood where you stand!"

When the cleric began chanting again Jorin took the opportunity to break into a run headed right for him. Jorin's luck had run out, suddenly he became hot and his limbs were heavy. Unable to stand straight he fell to his knees and dropped the two daggers to the ground. His skin was turning a bright red and sweat beaded on his entire body as the magic of the spell began to take hold. Jorin fought against it and failed initially, dropping to his hands and knees just barely ten feet from the priest in his disgusting, dirty robe.

"That's right, kneel before your master!" He called out triumphantly as he continued to clasp his hands together in front of him and clench them as if he was trying to squeeze the life out of something. "Your thin blood is under my control."

Grimacing against the pain he lifted his arm slowly and put his hand on the new bracer. One of the light daggers slid from its sheath into his hand. Droplets of blood began pooling on the ground from his eyes, nose, and mouth. For a moment he was afraid but then he thought of Tora wasting away in a cell alone. Everything that had happened to them had been because of his man and his cronies. The blood in his eyes could not better match the rage in his heart as he pushed back against the offensive spell and sat back on his legs looking up at the angry priest.

"Impossible! Die you worm!" The priest spread his arms wide and began chanting again, slowing moving his arms together as he continued.

Jorin felt an explosion of warmth hit his mouth and coughed up a gout of blood before he mustered what strength he had left and let his dagger fly, hoping the random shot would hit its mark. He collapsed on the ground as the spell took over and his strength flew from his limbs.

**

Caley sat next to Tora silently, her sister had told her to take care of the kind woman and she had every intention to do just that. Gheld had returned after his sister left with Jorin and left two female guards at the door to watch over them in case something else were to happen in his absence. She sighed and looked out of the window, wondering where her sister was and what she was doing. The promise of leading a better life under the tutelage of the church was actually a pleasant thought to her; it would mean she could spend more time with her sister which is all that she wanted. Caley sighed when she thought of their lives up to this point. After their father had been killed in an incident involving a nobleman's wife they'd been left to fend for themselves. Rina had always followed in the more promiscuous footsteps their father had left but it pained Caley to see her sister doing such things just so the two of them could eat.

As she sat there lost in her thoughts she looked down at Tora. The poor girl was sweating profusely and breathing heavily, her skin was skill cold to the touch and she was shivering so much Caley was surprised she hadn't fallen off of the bench.

"No." Tora breathed in a whisper. "Jorin."

"Hey it's alright Tora." Caley said soothingly, running her fingers through Tora's sweat-soaked hair. "Don't worry about Jorin, he'll be fine because Rina is looking after him now. Go back to sleep and get some rest."

A commotion outside of the building drew her ears and she looked around at the other girls who looked equally concerned. One of the two guards at the entrance of their cell walked into the common room and shut the door behind her to see what the noise was. Caley looked down at Tora then at the closed door. "Girls I need a hand please, we need to get Tora's robe off."

"What?" The oldest of the group said questioningly. "Why would we do that?"

"Because I'm going to put it on and take her place." Caley replied to her as she stood up and began removing her clothing. "Guard you may want to sound the alarm."

"I'm sure someone would have sounded it if there were a commotion, just settle down in there." She replied in a nonchalant tone.

Caley didn't want to take the chance, with the help of two other girls she removed the sweaty robe from Tora and exchanged it for a long blanket to cover Tora's legs up. She ordered two of the other girls to sit at Tora's feet and try to conceal her as best they could as they leaned backwards against the wall and closed their eyes. Once she had the cold wet garment on her she pulled the hood up over her face and leaned against the wall, sitting down on the ground. "Not a word ladies."

She'd always had a nose for trouble and in this instance she wished she was wrong but when several armed priests and warriors burst into the room she knew she had been right. The guard surrendered without a fight and laid her arms down, backing away from the cell door. Caley marveled at the sheer cowardice of the act and scowled from under the hood. As the armed men approached and opened the door she shied away from them as if she was afraid. She showed genuine surprise when one of the armed men ran the guard through anyway and took her keys.

"You're coming with us wildblood." One of them said through cracked and rotten teeth as he unlocked the door and opened it. "Please resist, I'd love to give you a sound thrashing."

Caley was shivering not only for Tora's sake but because he was genuinely scared. She wondered where the bright idea to pose as Tora had come from as she approached the door and was lead out forcibly by the group of rough men. "You'll not get away with this, Jorin will come for me."

"I don't think so little lovely, you're ours now." The man hissed like a serpent rising out of the grass.

"Your breath reeks of ass and dead fish." Caley said as she turned her face away from the ugly man and held her breath trying not to gag. She received a hard slap across the face and she fell to the ground smiling under the hood as the man berated the lesser priests for making fun of him. As they attempted to gather her up she went limp in their arms as if she was unconscious.

"Great Trinsk, just bleeding great, you knocked the little bitch out. Now we have to carry her to the Painlord." The larger of the men said with distain as he picked Caley up roughly and tossed her over his shoulder.

She was thankful that the robe was too tall for her because it covered her feet well when the man carried her out of the jailhouse and into the open yard. Daring to peek around she found that the yard was almost abandoned save for them. She wondered where all the guards had gone. As they walked toward the main gate she let her head hang limp again and was carried through to another group of priests including one loud bellowing man with a belly that looked as if he could carry twins or triplets. When he approached her and began barking orders she was scared out of her wits that she would be discovered and killed but it was apparent that they were in some sort of hurry.

"We have to get out of here before the main guard returns, the counselor can only do so much for us or he'll draw suspicion. Did you take care of the guards?" The tall white-haired man said quickly as they started walking away. She could only figure the leader nodded because he began speaking again. "Good, we're going to take the east river gate, it's faster."

Caley tried to devise a way to get out of the predicament and even as she thought about it she heard the grating of metal upon stone and figured they had reached the sewer entrance the priest had been talking about. Once a few of them had gone down the big priest lowered her down into the arms of another then took her back up onto his shoulder once he was down in the sewers with them. "Hey boss, do you think the High Prince will promote us when we present the Lifebringer?"

"He will have no choice but to promote us all." The older priest said with a nod. "Reenzich will smile down upon us when we present him the blood of the hybrid."

Caley heard a grunt of pain and dared to look out from under the hood to find the ugly fat man holding his head in pain. Several of them came to his aide and she put her head back down so no one noticed she was awake.

"Boss are you alright?" One of them said not far from her left side.

The volatile man cuffed the concerned priest on the side of his shoulder and pushed him along. "It's nothing, just pick up the pace you slackers, the High Prince is waiting and he is not a patient man!"

Caley almost sighed but she remembered herself and kept quiet. They walked for a long time until she heard a metallic squeal and the man carrying her stepped through a round doorway. The smell of the sewer was still strong in her nostrils she didn't know how these men could stand it day in and day out. A soft chanting greeted her though and she felt panic taking her stomach to new heights of discomfort. Resisting the urge to struggle and flee she hung there limp with the notion that she was about to be killed for impersonating Tora. She could think of no better way for her life to end though, she had done her part to make up for all the bad things she had done to survive.

"My lord, I present to you the Lifebringer Tora Alanthia!" The leader cried out as they entered a chapel and all of the chanting stopped.

For a moment time slowed down for her. Caley could see the room through the man's arm pit as he held her in place on his shoulder. All at once the priests seated in the pews stood and began cheering at the priest who walked triumphantly down the small flight of stairs. She was surprised though when the priests suddenly shed their robes and charged forward, taking the cultists by surprise.

She was dropped unceremoniously and quite painfully down on the steps and she took the time to crawl away from the priest until someone grabbed the hood of her robe and her hair and hauled her up to her feet.

"Stay back or I kill the Lifebringer!" The leader held a dagger near her throat and scowled at those present as the last of his priests were dispatched or detained. "I mean it!"

"If you hurt her Garrik I will gut you like a fish!" Jorin replied to him suddenly as he advanced slowly.

Caley met eyes with Rina and Jorin who wore instant looks of surprise. When the ugly man looked down at her she shrugged at his horrified look and elbowed him in the gut hard enough to get him to drop the dagger and dropped down through the loose robe, diving out of the reach of his fat bear-like arms. Rina rushed to her aid even as the priest made his hasty exit through the door behind him. "Hi guys, nice to see you again without the whole bars thing going on."

"Caley I could kiss you!" Jorin rushed forward and hugged the girl tight in his arms then put her back out at arm's length. "Is Tora safe?"

"Yeah she's still sleeping in the cell." Caley grinned wickedly and shrugged a little. "You can't have all the fun without me now can you?"

**

Tora's eyes fluttered open and she shied away from the bright light shining right on her face. With a sigh she looked around at her surroundings and found Jorin sleeping in a chair not far from her bed. Her smile was weak but genuine as she took his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Good morning."

"Tora!" Jorin cried as he veritably fell out of the chair and knelt down beside her before taking her into his arms and dragging her into a tight hug. "By the gods I've been so worried about you!"

"Ugh, put me down you lout I'm still feeling sore." She said after wrapping her arms around him wearily. "Where are we?"

"We're back in the church." Jorin motioned around him with and smiled broadly. "So much has happened since you were knocked out I don't even know where to start."

"Well usually one would start at the beginning and when you get to the end you stop." She replied matter-of-factly and kissed his forehead as it wrinkled in mocked frustration. "Start with what happened after I passed out."

"Well I came back here and spoke with the priests; I encouraged them to help us purify the city of the cult. Luckily for me almost half of them agreed along with Gheld and a few of the guys from the caravan. We went down in the sewers and killed most of the priests and used their robes to set a trap for Painlord Garrik and his men. Unfortunately Garrik got away in the confusion." Jorin sat back down on the chair near her and pulled it closer. "Caley took your robe and posed as you when they came to the jail and tried to take you, Tora you should have been there to see Garrik's face when he found out he kidnapped the wrong girl!"

"Is everyone alright?" Tora said after digesting all of that.

"Amazingly enough no one died, however we had quite a few wounded that needed to be taken care of." Jorin said with a bright smile. When the door opened and Rina and Caley entered both wearing the robes of an initiate he called to them. "Tora's awake!"

"Tora!" Caley said loudly as she rushed forward and clapped her hands excitedly. "We were so worried; Jorin hasn't left your side for even a minute."

"Glad to see you're okay Tora." Rina said from the doorway as she leaned against the wall and smiled at the sight.

"You look much better in those robes than you did in that skimpy clothing." Tora replied while admiring the cut of the custom-tailored robe Rina had apparently altered herself. It showed a little more arm and chest than the usual robe and it was a bit tighter but it looked good on Rina. "Did you do the alterations on your own?"

"Caley did it actually." Rina said with a nod. "I didn't like how big and bulky they felt so I had her cut it down to something more manageable. Several of the priestesses are against it of course, saying it's against the normal regulation garb but I didn't see anything written in the tenants of faith saying we couldn't alter our wardrobe a little."

"I like it; I just wish I could wear one myself." Tora said with a smile.

"I can make you one, you are staying right?" Caley piped in before anyone else could speak. "You'd look so pretty in one of those!"

"Staying?" Tora echoed incredulously.

"Jorin didn't tell you?" Rina said with a shake of her head and a laugh.

"Tell me what?" Tora asked as she looked over at him.

"I was saving it as a surprise but the magistrate went to the city council and asked them to pardon you for your heroic effort in saving the city's residents from the cult and their diseases." Jorin put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "They wish to personally welcome you into the city and clear your name of any wrong doing. Your plan to exterminate the cult and bring them out of hiding by getting caught worked beautifully."

"What? I was in a cell the whole time!" Tora looked over at Jorin in wonderment, he had single-handedly cleared her name and done all the work and he was willing to give her the credit. "I can't take credit for your deeds Jorin!"

"No one but us knows it wasn't you but the four of us in this room." Rina said with a grin as she indicated Caley and Jorin with a nod. "You can and you will take credit for it, the wheels have already begun turning."

"You all did this for me?" She said through a few tears and a sniffle.

"That's what friends do for each other." Rina said as she turned to leave the room. "Caley we have a sermon to attend, come on."

"That's not for another half hour." She whined in complaint until Rina shot her a look. "Oh, right, right! Okay we'll see you guys later!"

Once the two of them left Tora tried hard to dry up her tears and stop crying but it went on for a few moments longer. When Jorin reached up and brushed the tears from her cheeks it almost made her cry again but she smiled and kissed the tips of his fingers instead. "I don't know how I'm ever going to repay you for doing this."

"Well, for starters you can get better soon." He said as her took her hand in his and smiled right back at her. "You're so beautiful when you're happy. I was so worried about you when we took you from the jail cell; the clerics here have been taking good care of you though. You've been out for days."

"I want to get up, I feel like I've been asleep for ages." Tora said softly as she sat up and found herself completely nude. With a yelp she covered herself and looked over at Jorin. "Where are my clothes?"

"Don't worry! I only let the female clerics tend to you." He replied sheepishly as he retrieved her clothes from a nearby stand and set them down on the bed. Jorin helped her stand and put her clothes on slowly, she was still weak but her strength seemed to have recovered a little. Once the tunic and breeches were on he picked up her new robe and helped her put it on. "You sure you're ready to be up and around?"

"Too late to ask now." Tora replied as she put her arm around his shoulders and leaned on him for support. She was grateful he was there because her legs weren't one hundred percent functional yet. Once they cleared the door and stepped into the main corridor she felt a little better. The chapel was quiet save the sounds of a sermon being held. Jorin led her into the large room with the pews and people and helped her sit down in the very back. She didn't miss the knowing look that the woman at the front gave her when they took their seats. "Thank you Jorin."

"For what?" He whispered back to her, leaning in so she could hear him.

"For everything." Tora leaned her head on his shoulder and listened as the priest near the altar spoke of Lyris and everything else that priests preach about but she started paying better attention when the woman at the front spoke her name.

"Tora was chosen by Lyris himself as his representative on this plane. A Lifebringer hasn't walked among us for centuries and now we all know why. Those of you who fought with us proved your faith in Lyris and his chosen while those of you who decided to stay back out of fear or disbelief should be ashamed of yourselves!" The woman cried suddenly, shaking her fist at the gathered masses. "Our god called upon us for help and you turned your backs to him."

"You need not be ashamed of yourselves." Tora interjected. When all eyes were upon her she bid Jorin to help her stand. "Forgive my interruption."

"No, please my lady." The priest said with a flourish of her arm. "I would welcome you to speak."

Jorin helped her walk slowly up to the front of the crowd and behind the podium. He stood behind her and let her lean forward on her hands. Once she had gathered her strength she took a deep breath and steadied herself. "Those of you who came forward to help us have my gratitude and the gratitude of our lord but I am not so quick to condemn those who didn't come forth and volunteer. I can understand why you would be mistrustful of me; my heritage precedes any of my deeds. I cannot scold you for being mistrustful of me but I can tell you that when you look at me you should not see a hybrid, but a handmaiden of Lyris himself. Is your faith in your lord so shaken that you cannot see beyond my blood?"

Jorin leaned against the column behind Tora and looked around. She could tell who had volunteered and who hadn't by the way that most of them were holding their heads down. He felt the same way the priestess before Tora had felt, they should be ashamed of themselves for abandoning their faith when it needed them both. Tora had a big heart though, she couldn't stand injustice but she also did not like making people feel bad.

"I barely knew my father and I did not know my mother at all. For all of my life I have watched my kind be ostracized and downtrodden because of our parentage. I have never done a single thing to harm a human being that did not deserve it." Tora paused for a moment and wobbled on her feet. She waved Jorin away and sighed softly. "I risked my life for a human girl a few nights ago but I do not ask for thanks or recognition. My friends and I put our lives on the line in the name of Lyris and the good of this city. I want you to meditate on these thoughts and come to your own conclusions of what is right and wrong but for my part I never hesitate to right injustice or try to save people."

Tora was glad that Jorin was nearby when she finally toppled down to her knees. His arms wrapped around her and he led her away from the crowd and to the back of the room. She felt all eyes upon her as she limped her way back out of the large open chapel and to her room. Tora opted to just remove the robe and leave the breeches and tunic as she lay back down.

"You need to rest, no more of that." Jorin scolded lightly as he ran his hand across her forehead. "Rest, we'll take care of everything else that needs to be done when you recover fully."

When Tora closed her eyes again she felt a sense of peace inside of her. Her name had been cleared and though her kind would have a rocky road to recovery she had taken the first step. She knew that the morning would come and she would have to rise to the next challenge but for now the blissful feeling of sleep taking her was good enough.