Lunch came and we ate, and then Basha took me to the prayer room and we repeated the prayer again. Doing it this time, I found myself more fervently praying, which surprised me. "You seem troubled." Basha stated after the removal attempt failed once again.

"I'm just caught off guard." I said.

"Why is that?" He asked.

"It's, uh, it's just that I never really expected to find myself actually, you know, praying." I replied.

"Is this in regards to some secrets you are keeping?" He asked. I looked at him, surprised.

"How'd you figure out?" I asked.

"You just told me." He replied. "Such baseless inquiry is not without its risk, but on the off chance that I am correct, then I am able to at least lend my attention." He nodded. "I will not pry, though, nor will I report such to anyone of consequence, after all, you have your own personal reasons for keeping secrets, and it would not be prudent nor polite to pry." He looked at the shrine. "Though, I will admit that I am curious, as the gods make their will clearly visible even to the more remote places. Fiends walk amongst us, only to be banished by the actions of the righteous. Even you admitted to glimpsing the Dragon God."

"Where I came from, there is... well, you might call it a temple of sorts. There is worshipped a deity considered to be the progenitor of Humans, and indeed, the entire world, and is considered the only true deity, with all others either false or Fiends in disguise."

"I see, and growing up in this place, with these people professing such profane belief, I understand why one from there would not think much of prayer." Basha said.

"Yeah? Well, it is their belief that all who do not follow this deity, whom they are not even certain of its actual name, let alone the spelling, will burn eternally simply for being born, and that only by their deity's grace will they escape this fate."

"I take it you were not a believer?" He asked.

"At first, I was, but the congregation, and the priest and his deacons... Well, they all basically treated me and my family as being lesser because... I don't know, because my mother was more devout and actually followed the tenets of the faith better than they did, and because my father cared too much about money rather than his spiritual well-being." I looked to my left, toward the door. "And me, well, I was in a dark place, I had so many crises going on that I couldn't exactly waste my time being concerned about what some god I've never met had to think about me."

"You were surrounded by those who practiced false faith, preferring to act as though they were holy, when in reality they simply acted holy." He nodded. "And now that you have seen the actual power of a God, felt his presence, you realize that perhaps there is truly something divine in this world. Am I correct?"

I shrugged. "I don't know." I said. "It honestly feels like it's too good to be true, personally. I always thought of people who followed a deity as just being people who couldn't accept that bad things happen without a reason just as much as good things happen without a reason." I looked at him. "I don't want to find out later that this is all just some sort of stress-induced hallucination coupled with a light show that's meant to get me to give up my dreams and desires just so I can sit around in a temple and pray all of the time."

"Is that the image we give?" He asked. "Hmm... Perhaps we are more insular than we thought." He stood up, pulling me up with him. "There is no denying that serving something that is divine, or what we think as divine, can give us a sense of greater purpose, even when our role is comparatively small. It is said that the seventh Archdrake did not take up the vestments of his station, nor preached in a large temple, but rather took to the life of a farmer and worked the fields. Though he was ridiculed at first, the messages he gave were the answer to what had surely become sermons meant solely for the nobility. One of the miracles he performed was feeding the entire Empire in the midst of a famine, for every farmer whose field had wilted to dust, he restored with holy power."

He smiled. "He filled a role that was needed, not one that he was drawn to out of avarice or pride."

"What of the current Archdrake?" I asked.

"Archdrake Furtael has taken it upon himself to redeem the Nobility who refuse to see Bahamut as the sovereign power He is, and it is his initiative that was part of what caused you to be here on Lady Wyrashe's behalf. All Noble houses are required to send one of their children to the Temple, though a special concession is granted to those who only have one child."

"Let me guess, they send their last born child who is unlikely to inherit anything to the Temple to get off scott free while the ones with only one child, or none for that matter, are forced to give away someone of greater value to them or be forced to wed someone they may not even like for the sake of having a child to give in the first place."

He scratched his chin. "When you put it like that, it seems less magnanimous." He remarked. "But there is a purpose. The child who would gain nothing would be guaranteed a place where they would be loved and accepted unconditionally, where they can be afforded peace, where instead they would have to consign themselves to the army or to dangerous adventure so they could have a chance to have the power and acceptance they would otherwise never have."

He paused. "For the firstborns, they are only here for as long as three days, much like you. Those who remain are welcomed, those who leave will go on with at least some spiritual guidance. But for those such as Lady Wyrashe, political marriages are simply a way of life, she unfortunately does not have many suitors, and thus must consider her options."

That was right, fantasy world or not, it was very much a medieval style setting where such things as political and arranged marriages were common, where the nobility had a greater amount of opportunities compared to the commoners. The fact of the matter was, it was a miracle I had found myself under the custody of Lissana, who was both caring and tolerant enough to put up with my crap.

How much did she truly care for me, and how much was she relieved that I may not be her problem anymore? Sure, I could help with the more dangerous jobs, and I could take care of cursed items with Cier, but being as unaligned as I tried to be, I was at best a distraction, and at worst a liability. Hell, I could go into any room that I pleased with impunity, magic couldn't hurt me, at least, not too much, being such a free agent within her home and her territory was a security risk that anywhere else wouldn't be tolerated.

Perhaps she wanted me to become comfortable enough to swear fealty, and thus become a powerful ally or servant, or perhaps she was trying to find some way to get rid of me without having blood on her hands. Was this a convenient out for her?

"By the Dragon God's power, I wish for peace to surround you, that you know you are protected, and loved." Basha spoke, reaching out. My growing anxiety abated, though it remained a constant low burn.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I could feel within you a growing dread, as though you felt yourself targeted by a Fiend, or perhaps dark thoughts encroaching on reason." He said. "It is a simple prayer, one to strengthen the mind and to remove doubt." He saw my expression of disdain and added, "For instance, it can help those who are nearing what can be best described as a sudden attack of hysteria, to those who think they are experiencing a moment of intense faith, but are otherwise being misdirected. I cannot force you to no longer feel fear, nor can I force you to believe any more strongly. It grants clarity of mind, but only for the worst of it."

"I see." I said. It was essentially the same thing as saying 'calm down' and it actually working. Was it possible that divine magic could affect me more than arcane? If that were the case, it was entirely possible that the curse I had on me would eventually break with enough work, even if it only chipped away one percent of it.

'Which means it would take at least thirty-three days minimum to remove the curse.' I thought. Which meant around ninety-four more attempts assuming that were true. Could I even really stay that long? Would I be able to hide my abilities for that long? I had one more prayer session until I had two more days to go.

"I am sure you have much to think about." Basha said. "But as I have little to do for the rest of the day until supper, would you like for me to instruct you in how to read?"

"Sure." I said.

Learning to read the local language was a welcome distraction. There were not many books written in Kanat, and the few that were had been written by acolytes who could only read and write Kanat. It was a lot more complex compared to a children's fable, but with Basha's help. I was able to pick up on the subtleties.

"So, this faith of your home village, did they have a name for it?" Basha asked as I copied down the different Kanat.

"Baptist." I said.

"An unusual word." He remarked.

"It refers to a sort of spiritual renewal in the eyes of the deity, as well as a symbol of fealty to that deity." I replied. "I've encountered many who saw it as an absolution of wrongdoing, that they could no longer be considered evil."

"It sounds to me they misunderstood the intent." I nodded. "Do you have a family name?" He asked.

"It was to my understanding that only Nobles have a family name." I remarked.

"That is true." Basha said. "But you are not a mere commoner. The way you hold that quill, though you are inexperienced in its use, you clearly have learned to hold it properly, which indicates you are used to enchanted quills that do not require dipping. This would imply some mastery of writing, your lines are neat, yet quick, which means you can indeed write, just not the local tongue, which indicates you are a foreigner of some nature. Not to mention, I know every village, town, and city, and I have never heard a name as strange as Salem. If not some manner of Nobility, then what?"

"I'm just a traveler." I said. "A traveler with an unfortunate curse." I looked at him. "My Lady took me in at a moment of great misfortune and-"

"And you effortlessly took off a mask that was clearly cursed." He said. "You came willingly, yet hiding an untruth to save face." His gaze was even, neutral. "You knew you were caught in an untruth, and tried desperately to regain some degree of control. To act out the lie you perpetuated, or to reveal yourself."

"I do not know what you are talking about." I replied.

"Then how did you enter the Focus Crystal chamber alone?" He asked. "It is heavily warded."

I kept my breath even, I didn't avert my gaze, I simply said, "If there was a ward on the door, you would have accompanied me and allowed my passage." I replied. "Or, you granted me access when you showed me what is expected."

"A Focus Crystal is dangerous even to your kind." He said. "Untrained Acolytes are never given unrestricted access, and everyone knows the risks well enough to know this without being told." He sighed. "Which means you are likely highly resistant to magic, and thus hid it out of fear of the Temple holding you here against your will. Thus your insistence on your leaving here after the third day."

"With respect, you are mis-" He placed his hand on my shoulder. "Bahrot." He said. "Would you allow me to be disproven with the use of a relatively weak fire spell?"

"You got me." I said.

"One with your talent is invaluable to the Temple." He said. "But the practice of binding those to the Temple's service has been out of practice for thirty years."

"What?" I asked.

"The Archdrake found it was against the Temple's precepts to take away such individuals against their will, and to then bind them in Contract." He explained. "I will not question your reasons for hiding what you hide, but I want you to understand that you are not being held against your will, that you are only here for what you agreed was a reasonable period of time, and any longer is your will only."

He let go of my shoulder. "I will always pray that your faith grows, that you remain with us, but I will never force you to stay, nor can I in good conscience allow anyone else to force you to. Three days is the amount of time that most decide whether or not life here is for them, they are given the freedom to explore their faith, the freedom to choose to sit around bored, the freedom to choose to do chores, or to pray. Those who would sit doing nothing would rarely make a good priest, but those who do work, yet leave, find a greater appreciation for those who do work. And for those who remain, they are welcomed with open arms."

"I see." I said.

"I wished to be transparent with you." He said. "To let you know your deception was seen, and forgiven."

"I'm sorry for lying." I said. "I am from a faraway place, but I am not nobility."

"Thank you for your honesty." He said. "Now, let us continue the lesson."

It actually felt good to let it off my chest. Liberating, even. Basha was a good man, and seeing the example he made actually did make me consider, maybe, that staying was the better option...