"...May this great work never be undone, may his faith be deepened." Basha spoke with clarity.

"May my faith burn away what binds me, may my faith blaze ever brighter." I spoke sincerely.

In the past few days, traveling with Basha, and spending one in the Temple, I had seen someone with both the faith and strength of character to actually be someone who acted as an example to follow. Between the power he wielded, the kindness he showed, and the genuine concern he showed not only for my physical well-being, but my spiritual as well, he was everything that the church back home failed to be.

He treated everyone equally, and though our sessions were short, they were nothing compared to some of the drawn out things he did just today.

I'd borne witness to him healing a man from near death, almost to his own detriment, I'd seen him happily assist some acolytes with cleaning, nor did he reveal to anyone else what I had told him. He was the first holy man who actually seemed holy, because he did not hesitate to laugh, or to sing, as he worked. That alone made me hesitate when I thought of leaving.

I laid in my bed as the other Acolytes talked about their day. They ignored me, I was just another commoner among them. "You will be leaving tomorrow, Richt?" One of the Acolytes asked.

"My father would want me to return the moment I am able to." Richt said.

"You speak as though it were only a mere option." Another stated.

"To be truthful, I have found more worth among these priests than I have among my parents." Richt stated. "The moment it was convenient for them, they sent me here so their obligation could be dealt with, yet these past three days have been enlightening." He looked at the first one who spoke. "You feel it too, do you not? These people do not care for status, nor do they care for rigid hierarchy. Though they do not greet me as a commoner would the son of a Lord, it is strangely liberating, I do not need to be so guarded."

"So, you are staying?" The second Acolyte asked.

"As surely as you are thinking of staying, Alphon." Richt stated. He nodded. "Yes, I have decided that my place is here, and not amongst those rude and arrogant Taths who think they are any more special than I simply because they earned their wealth through forestry."

"Surely you jest!" Alphon exclaimed. "I've had enough of this place to last me a life time!"

"A pity, then." Richt stated. "Shall I lead tonight's prayer, since I will be staying regardless, or would one of you want the honor?"

Nobody responded, so Richt bowed his head and spoke.

"Cleansing Flame, we pray that you light our path."

The others rolled their eyes, but bowed their heads and repeated the prayer nonetheless. I sat up and did the same.

"Deepen our faith, let it burn twice as bright, let those who would serve you find the will to do so, let us see the light of your flame. Unsala."

The prayer was comforting, I actually smiled as I said it.

"I will stay." The third Acolyte said. "And my Father may learn to live with this choice."

We all put our lights out and went to sleep...

"...not falter, an echo is easily heard, but difficult to recall..."

I awoke the next morning to being awoken by Richt shaking me lightly. I blinked and looked at him. "What?" I asked, still somewhat tired.

"You were talking in your sleep." He said. "It sounded like an unpleasant dream. You spoke a name, 'Alex'."

I rested my head on my pillow. "Oh. I must've been dreaming of my brother..." I muttered "He's rude." I mumbled.

"An elder brother?" He asked.

"Younger." I replied. "But an adult. Don't see much eye to eye."

"Might I ask why you are here?" He asked. "You've never spoken with any of us."

"Cursed, can't say my name." I said. "Call me Bahrot."

"I see. And so you decided to become an Acolyte?"

"Least I could do." I said. I was still tired, and it wasn't exactly time to wake up.

"I see..." He trailed off. "It is early, would you be willing to assist me with some chores?"

I sighed and shoved my blanket off. I wasn't going to go back to sleep at this rate. I followed Richt out of the room and into the main hallway. I grabbed brushes while he lit the wall sconces with magic. We both started to scrub the floor.

"It is funny." He said. "When I arrived in order to fulfill an obligation, I wanted nothing more than to get this over with. I played the part of the dutiful heir doing the bare minimum for the honor of the family, yet these chores, it is honest work that I can be proud of. Were I to leave, I would appreciate the work my servants do. Yet, I have decided to devote myself to Bahamut, and thus remain here."

"Why?" I asked.

"Perhaps it is to escape the expectations of my parents, perhaps it is because I have grown in faith these past few days. I feel no guilt in wishing to stay, even though I am the only heir of my family." He paused. "Were my parents to die, and I were to dedicate my life to the Temple, the Temple would in turn inherit the land I would otherwise gain. Imagine the good that it could be put toward."

"That honestly seems a little too idealistic." I replied. "What's to say it wouldn't be used to just build another, fancier Temple?" Richt shot me a look. "What would happen to the servants your family hired? Would they simply be out of a job suddenly, unless they too joined the Temple?"

He straightened out and rested on his knees. "I had not considered that. My family does support the lives of many commoners, it is not likely the Temple would allow them to stay without tax, as such land requires maintenance. In all likelihood, it would be sold off to another family altogether."

"And if it changes hands to one who is greedy, who does not care for the livelihood of those who live there?" I asked.

He closed his eyes for a long time, and when he opened them, he said. "I wish to devote my life to the Temple." He said. "To serve the Dragon God, but in doing so, I would abandon important duties..."

"The answer is simple." I said. "You return to your family, you play the part of the heir, and should your parents decide to have another child, you can give up your inheritance to the second in line and serve the Temple in peace. If your parents die before then, you can serve the Dragon God by acting by the tenets of your faith."

He nodded. "And by doing so, by living as an example to follow, I share the glory of the Dragon God in my actions, thus serving the Temple regardless." He nodded. "It is unfortunate, I had grown rather fond of the Temple. But I do not need to return to my home, I can remain here, and whichever way destiny chooses, I may remain, or I may leave." He nodded and resumed cleaning.

I wasn't exactly certain why I gave him that advice. Normally, I would have just suggested leaving and living his own life for himself, but the idea of him remaining at the Temple made me smile. It was like the Temple was consuming me, the longer I stayed, the more I wanted to be here, to devote my life to the Dragon God.

"Can you handle the rest by yourself?" Richt asked. "I will need to speak with High Drake Basha."

"Sure." I said, and Richt got up and left. I continued to clean for a while, then I stopped. Why was I so fixated on this place? Why was it slowly taking up my thoughts? I got up and walked to the Temple's main entrance and put my hand on the door. I wanted to leave, but the Contract kept me from doing so. I grabbed my cowl and I wanted to yank it off, but I instead pulled it on a little more securely. I walked back to where I'd been cleaning and resumed scrubbing the floor. I saw my face reflected in the polished stone. I couldn't recognize myself, and yet I felt proud to be wearing the vestments of an Acolyte.

'I think something might be terribly wrong, but I don't really know what it is.' I thought.

I quickly finished cleaning and went to the library. I got out the writing supplies that Basha had set aside for my use for practice, and using my very mediocre understanding of Kanat, I wrote a letter.

'My Lady,
I am sorry I can not help you with cleaning. My bad is not gone, but I want to tell you-' How the hell could I write something similar to 'important'? '-big news.-' I died a little inside. I hadn't written anything this terrible since I was a first grader.. '-I may not return. A lot of prayer has show I have big faith. I wish I smart speak with you.' I signed with the Kanat that would, read aloud, sound like Rex. It told very little about what was happening, my only hope was that she'd realize something was amiss because I felt it necessary to write her a shitty letter, name drop my smartphone, and use the name I'd been using instead of Bahrot.

'This is stupid.' I thought as I looked the letter over. 'I'm having a panic attack and I'm thinking it's something when it's actually nothing. I've convinced myself that something nefarious is going on and my plan is, what, to drag Lissana over here for nothing?'

I crumpled up the letter and sighed. I was a fucking idiot. I was in a fantasy world with literal magic and gods, and face to face with a good one, I was actually willing to maybe, just maybe, have something that might actually turn out to be good for me. I was so used to being agnostic that the idea of me actually having some faith was too much of a mental shock.

Thus the panic attack and the shitty letter.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, there was too much that I was doing that just felt less like me and more like something that wasn't me. I left the library and went to the only place where I was certain nobody would bother me.

The Focus Crystal shone with orange light, but it wasn't particularly bright, it was more like a large mood light, kind of like a Himalayan Crystal Salt Lamp that I'd seen when I accompanied Mom to the Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I walked over to the other side of it, so that I'd be more hidden in the event someone did poke their head inside, I crossed my legs, laced my fingers together with the index fingers and thumbs out, and I closed my eyes.

I took a deep breath through my nose, and slowly exhaled through my mouth. I took several more breaths like this, holding it in just a little longer, breathing a little slower, until I felt a wave of calm wash over me.

When I had dabbled in paganism and witchcraft, meditation had been used as a focus for gathering and sensing energy. The use of a hum, such as when a Hindu or Buddhist priest said 'Om' in their meditations. I didn't recall exactly, but I was fairly certain the sound helped the energy resonate not only within the body, but outside it as well, letting the inner and outer exist in a state of unified resonance. I took a deep breath through my mouth and let it out as a soft hum. The vibration was small, located only within my nose and lips, but as I breathed in and repeated, the vibration seemed to spread, until it seemed to make the whole room vibrate with it.

There was a point when I stopped, and I sat in silence.

'...but an echo can be heard, if there is noise to create it...'

The door opened, but I didn't need to quiet my breath, as my breath had already been quieted. It was only when I heard footsteps around the crystal that I opened my eyes.

"Might I ask what you are doing?" Basha asked.

"Partaking in a very spiritual art known as meditation." I said. "When I was younger, I was prone to violent outbursts. When I learned that my lack of control would lead to others being injured, I took to it to learn to control my anger, my fear, to allow myself to be calm when I need it most." I felt nothing, even if temporarily.

"And so you sought to hide in here?" Basha asked.

"I knew if I meditated out in the open, where there are distractions, such as people asking me what I'm doing, I would never be able to reach the point of calm that I needed." I took another deep breath and released it. "I could have done it in a prayer room, but that is not what I am doing. Why bother a God for inner peace when you can achieve it by yourself? Why ask for something that is easily in your reach?"

"Because, in times of turmoil, is it not fitting to ask for strength?" Basha asked.

"I am not asking for strength." I replied. "If I sought strength, I would train my body."

"Then is it not fitting to ask for stillness of mind?"

"If I sought stillness of mind, I would focus on learning to write." I replied. "Or I would clean."

"Then what is it you came here to do?" Basha asked. "To, perhaps, bask in the glow of a magic crystal?"

"I came in here because it was not well-lit." I replied. "It is quiet, it is lit so that I do not fumble about blindly, but it is not so bright that I cannot be in darkness with my eyes shut."

"Why seek darkness?" He asked. "When Bahamut is the Cleansing Flame, would you not seek the warmth of a flame?"

"A flame is warmth, a flame is light, but a flame is not peaceful." I replied. "It can be passion, it can be anger. A spark that sets alight dry tinder. To seek flame is to embrace rage, when instead I seek peace." I looked at him. "Do you fear darkness, because it is not a flame?" I asked.

He looked at the crystal. "Darkness is the absence of light." He said. "The flame is a guiding light."

"But without darkness, the light would be blinding. This room is lit, but it is also dark. Neither blinding, neither an abyss."

I took a deep breath and stood up. I shivered as I let the energy in and around me be grounded, Basha's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Just now, I felt something strange." He said.

"Shall we talk about it after we take another crack at my curse?" I suggested.

"Very well." He said. "But only because I am starting to feel ill."

We left the room, which drew some attention, but I didn't particularly care. We entered a prayer room, and we went through with the now-typical magical working needed to loosen the curse. It didn't take...