Shortly after eating breakfast with the others, Luna yawned wide and decided it was time for a cat nap. The problem was that Abigail was in a bad mood and on the warpath. She didn’t know what Abigail and HighFather Jedri talked about while she was waking the others, and honestly, she didn’t want to know. 

“Luna!” Abigail shouted as she walked past. “Enough with your yawning, you’ll catch a fly. If you’re that bored go take these to Mr. Bencari, down the road. That’ll wake you up.” Abigail shoved a load of washed, donated clothes into Luna’s hands. 

“Ugh. So heavy” Luna moaned. The fabric mountain placed in her arms blocked nearly everything in sight. Luna had to arch herself backward, just to keep the pile stable. 

“After you’re finished, join Father Hephestus in the main theater. He’s getting ready to give a sermon.” After her barrage of demands, Abigail huffed and stormed off. Probably to terrorize some other poor victim.

“Yes, mam.” Luna rolled her eyes and began heading out of the Monastery. 

As Luna approached the main entrance, Luna felt a slight bump and a little squeak of a voice.

“Ah, um excuse. I couldn’t see you there.” Luna spun sideways slightly so that she could see the person she bumped into. 

A short girl with sky-blue hair looked up from her sweeping duties, she was very young. Maybe about as young as Luna was when she first started. 

The young girl bowed, broom in hand. “It’s okay, your Holiness. Did you need some help carrying those? I can go get one of the priests.” 

That has been happening more and more recently. The clergy that worked when Luna first joined, still call her by her name. But the newer members have taken to calling her ‘Holiness’ instead. As if she was above them, and not still in training herself. The title still made her uneasy. It felt unearned.

Interrupting Luna’s thoughts, a kind but stern voice called over. “Maria, there you are. Stop bothering Luna while she’s on duty and help me sweep out the foyer.” 

The little girl named Maria stumbled around in a panic. “Ah, yes Sister Natasha! I’m coming!” before turning around and waving goodbye to Luna. 

Luna nodded at Maria and watched as she walked away side by side with the Sister. 

Sister Natasha was a kind woman, but she took her job seriously when she needed to. Unlike the many others in the capital Monastery, Natasha had already completed her training and gained the title of Sister. In most cases, once you’re given the title of Sister you’re shipped out to the other monasteries across the empire to help the priests there. It was kind of sad knowing that one day, after all the time spent here making friends, you’ll have to leave it all behind. 

Luna was different though. Thanks to her title of Holy Saintess, she’ll probably never leave the capital. 

Luna sighed in indignation and continued out of the Monastery and made her way toward Mr. Bencari’s house. 

As Luna walked, she couldn’t help but think about what Abigail said earlier about that human Dark Beast. Abigail called her a demon. Luna frowned and whispered the demon’s name. “The Witch of Calamity.” The name sent a chill up Luna’s back. It felt familiar and important, Luna was left feeling queasy so she decided to leave it be for now. 

Mr. Bencari’s house was a quick trip down the road, located in the Murky Gate district. It was a small stone house with a tiny garden packed tightly next to it. A clothesline with freshly laid linen fluttered in the warm summer wind. 

Luna stepped up to the door and did her best to knock. After about a second, a pudgy man with a warm and jolly expression opened the door. “Ah good morning, your Holiness! Is this for me?” 

Luna smiled at the man. “Good morning Mr. Bencari! I’m here to deliver the clothes you requested.” 

Mr. Bencari let out a laugh that made his belly jiggle as he grabbed the clothes Luna was carrying. “Thank you, your Holiness! Who knew the Monastery had such quick delivery services!”

As Mr. Bencari carried the clothes into his house he set them down on a chair perched in the corner of his reading room. “If you’d like, I have some tea made. I’m more than happy to share!” 

Luna smiled and shook her head, “thank you Mr. Bencari, but Father Hephestus is having his sermon soon, so I need to make it back before it begins.”

“Well that’s a shame, I’ve really been looking for a way to thank you for all the hard work you’ve been doing around the city. After my son died, it was watching you do your best every day that made me realize that I needed to keep moving.”

Mr. Bencari smiled the sugary sweet smile only a jolly old man could make and adjusted his too-small circular glasses. 

“Listen, Luna, many of us around the town know about your memory issues. We feel really bad that such a young girl like yourself had to struggle on her own for so long. So I want you to think of us all as your family, okay? You know the saying, it takes a village to raise a child, right?”

Luna beamed a bright smile as tears threatened to break the surface. “Thank you Mr. Bencari, it makes me really happy to know you all care about me so much!” 

Luna was about to walk out when she decided asking another person about the Witch wouldn't hurt, “Actually, I have a question Mr. Bencari.” 

Mr. Bencari raised his eyebrow, “Oh, you do now? Well, ask away your holiness! I’ll answer anything I can!” 

Luna looked around her surroundings to make sure no one overheard and then whispered quietly. “Have you ever heard of the Witch of Calamity?”

Mr. Bencari’s jolly demeanor suddenly shifted as his face went as pale as snow. “N-now why would you want to hear about something like that?” 

Luna noticed his shift in tone and stammered, “I-I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just wondering because the Head Priestess Abigail mentioned her once but didn’t go into detail. It made me curious. That’s all.”

Mr. Bencari sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, your Holiness. Since it’s you, I don’t mind telling you, but I wouldn’t go around asking random people about her. A lot of people associate her with a bad omen.” 

Mr. Bencari cleared his throat and whispered in a hushed tone. “The Witch of Calamity is the only known human to become a Dark Beast. It’s said that she wreaked havoc across the world a thousand years ago. She was eventually sealed away by the original Sword Saint. Apparently, the capital we live in today was destroyed in the battle and rebuilt around the Sword Saint’s grave. Now, we select a new Sword Saint by hosting the Blade Tournament in her honor.

After hearing Mr. Bencari’s words, Luna felt the light in her eyes fade. Her mouth tasted like copper. “Sword… Saint…? Blade… Tournament…?” 

“Is there something wrong, your Holiness? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Mr. Bencari asked.

Luna struggled to regain her composure. “Ah, no. I’m okay. Thank you for telling me even though it made you uneasy, Mr. Bencari.”

Mr. Bencari chuckled, “of course your Holiness.” 

As Luna began walking back to the Monastery, she tried her best to ignore the nagging feeling that was crawling up her back. It felt like she was staring down the pointed end of a sword. She just couldn’t for the life of her, figure out why. 

Father Hephestus’s sermon wasn’t anything special in particular. After some preaching, and reciting scripture he had Luna come up to the altar and use her Holy Magic to bless the masses. She would occasionally heal some of the congregation. Luna was never very good at Holy Magic, but she was good enough to give a few minor buffs and blessings. Although, it always left her woozy with a slight headache afterward. Apparently, Luna’s magic capability was so bad most children surpassed her.

Even so, Luna and the others did their best to keep it a secret that their Holy Saintess wasn’t even that holy. It would be even worse if people found out that Luna’s healing magic wasn't even a type of Holy Magic. To keep that little nugget of information from slipping out, Luna often chanted scripture while healing others, even if the chanting had no actual connection to the effect. 

After the last of the congregation squeezed out of the Monastery, Luna stretched ready for a break. She was exhausted from all the magic she had cast. Luna figured the more she did it, the better she’d get. But she never seemed to progress, at all. 

“Luna, now that Father Hephestus’s sermon has ended, I need you to join me in the clinic for your blood work.” Abigail stood in the middle of the doorway, leaning on its frame. “After that, join the others for dinner.”

Luna moaned. She hated needles. “Oh come on, why do I need to have my blood tested every weekend?”

Abigail’s tone shifted to a stern whisper. “Because nobody knows how your magic works. For all we know, each time you use it, you’re trading a part of your life away. Studying your blood tells us if you’re damaging your health.” Abigail and Luna began walking down the hallway, toward the Monastery's clinic. 

Once at the clinic’s door, Abigail halted outside. “We care about you Luna, if it turned out this magic of yours was hurting you, I’d do anything I could to put a stop to this Saintess business. I know I can be stern sometimes, but I really do care about you.”

Luna huffed and smiled. “I know, I care about you too Abigail. Er, I mean ‘mam.”

Abigail laughed and and gave Luna a slight push. “I’ll let that slide. Now, go and get your shot and when you’re finished I’ll be right out here to collect your blood sample.”

After stepping inside, Luna jumped in surprise as a short girl with blond twin tails spun in her chair like a top came speeding up to Luna. 

“Ayayayaya!” the girl exclaimed before screeching to a halt right in front of Luna. 

“Hey there Luna, are you here to get your blood drawn?” The short girl asked. 

“Hehe, hey there Sister Heidi. You’re as energetic as always.” Luna replied nervously. Luna was never really able to match Sister Heidi’s energy. 

Sister Heidi wore a nun’s robe similarly to everyone else, however, hers was a distinct pure white while a black armband with a red cross sat pinned to her upper arm. 

Sister Heidi jumped up from her chair and hugged Luna tightly, “You know it! I’m as energetic as you are cute!” 

Heidi spun around Luna and grasped her cheeks. Luna had to bend over for Heidi to reach. 

“Seriously, girl! What are they feeding you!? You're way to cute, Luna!”

Luna smiled and laughed, “If you ask me, you’re way cuter than I am.”

Heidi sighed and stepped away from Luna while tears formed in her eyes. “That’s the problem! I’m twenty-nine, remember? Everybody always thinks I’m a ten-year-old. I have zero sex appeal. My date literally ran away from me, last night after my friend set us up. The jerk.”

Is that something a Sister should be talking about? Luna couldn’t help thinking to herself. 

Heidi slouched into her chair and spun back to the patient’s chair sighing all the way. 

Once settled, she gestured to the chair. “Go ahead and take a seat, I’ll grab the needles.”

Luna squirmed, jumped at the needle, and Heidi threatened to strap Luna’s arm to a table, but after the struggle, it was over with and Luna was laying on her bed in her room exhausted. 

As Luna lay there she couldn’t help her mind begin to wander to the story of the Witch of Calamity. Why did Highfather Jedri try to keep it from her? She knew it was apparently a bad omen but was that really all?

Luna sat up. Maybe the Monastery library had a history book on the topic, Luna thought to herself. 

Luna stepped out of her room, she passed through the dining hall and into a long hallway that stretched to a doorway at the end. The door apparently led to the catacombs under the Monastery. The door was always kept locked, so she had never been down there herself but she’s heard rumors from the other clergy that it was haunted. Luna liked to steer clear of it as much as possible. 

After heading down the hallway, Luna turned right and began heading down the hallway where the back offices were kept including Sister Abigail’s and Highfather Jedri’s. As Luna moved through the hallway she noticed Maria peeking into Highfather Jedri’s office. 

Maria stared intensely into the office fully preoccupied with watching, as Jedri wrote into his notebook and mumbled. As Maria stared, she didn’t notice Luna creeping up from behind. 

“What are you doing?” Luna whispered into Maria’s ear. 

Maria jumped and shrieked before covering her mouth, and closing the door. 

“Oh, it’s just you, your Holiness,” Mari mumbled. “I thought you were Sister Abigail.”

Luna chuckled. “What were you doing, spying on Highfather Jedri?” Luna’s smile turned into a devilish grin.

Maria stumbled over her words as her face turned red. “I-I-I wasn’t spying on him, I just… I like watching him work. That’s all.” 

Luna’s devilish grin grew even wider. “Oh, I get it. You’ve got a bit of a crush don’t you?”

Suddenly, Maria’s face turned bright red. “No, no no no! I don’t!” Suddenly, Maria burst down the hallway in a full sprint back towards the bedrooms. 

Luna couldn’t help but laugh hysterically at the adorable display she had just been given. It was pretty common for the new orphans that had been rescued to develop crushes on the Highfather. He was a pretty good-looking man after all. 

As Luna laughed she couldn’t help but tear up. “How cute!”

Suddenly, the door to Highfather Jedri’s office opened. Highfather Jedri stepped out with a confused look on his face. 

“Luna? What are you doing outside my office at this hour?”

Luna gulped in surprise. “H-Highfather!”