Epilogue

Francis snickered to himself from where watched the increasingly frantic elf search the ruins of the bar that no longer bore the illusion he had placed upon it.

His fellow agents of the Circle were already well on their way with the other worlder sealed as safely as the Demoness had been for centuries, and soon this elf would be heading towards the coast courtesy of the false trail of clues he had laid ever so carefully.

Right… about..now

On cue the elf found the navel uniform scrap he had left behind and started from the bar like a crossbow bolt.

Once she was out of sight phase two began. Francis stood and with the new gifts from the Circle shifted his face to match that of the Elf who just left.

That should allow him to get the chalice locked deep in the mountain of Giantknee, leaving only the one from the Dragons, and Merfolk for other agents to procure. Though rumor had it the expedition to the swamp was having some trouble, maybe after this he would be reassigned to that project.

Until then, he started heading north, shifting his shape into a crystal wolf beast before entering a distance devouring lope.

**

"Brothers and sister! The words of our Saint have been defiled and used to foster riches for those who are undeserving and to yoke us to their work with no concern for true holiness or peace!" Cried the figure in heavy clerical robes and a stylized mask depicting the angles said to have brought the words of the divine to the Saint.

The city guard had been ordered to be on alert for this rabble rouser, and yet with almost prophetic instinct the heretic would always appear in the places the guard was not watching, thus insuring time to get a decent speech in.

As the sound of boots tromped towards the speaker he redoubled his efforts to get a few more words in before having to run.

"See how the powers fear my message! If they themselves did not think I my words were true would they waste their precious time and money seeking me out? Or perhaps I read their intent amiss and they truly seek to learn what I have to say?"

A few snickers from the crowd at that remark. This was the largest crowd yet, though still under 20, yet there were some repeated faces.

Meaning there was hope yet.

The guards rounded the corner and in a flash of smoke and sparkles both the crowd and the vanished into the twisting streets.

**

Lily tossed her robe and angel mask into the hidden compartment of her cloister cell. Since returning to the capital her penance had taken the form of seclusion and tending to the ancient books in the holy archive.

It was there she had learned the extent to which her father, grandfather and great-grandfather had twisted not just the words of the Saint but the words also of the Holy book the Saint had preached from.

While she could not follow Shiro's example and violate her faith by leaving the religion altogether, she could be inspired by his courage to face truth in her own way.

So the Angelic Heresy had begun.

She only hoped that where every Shiro was he was happy and safe.

A knock on her door, she quickly finishes up and opens the door.

A page reports that her father requires her presences at court, it must be something really important as this is only the second time he has deigned to see her since her return.

Her heart flutters as she puts on her ceremonial robes, a complete copy of the ones she had worn that night Shiro had asked for her help oh so long ago, had her father figured out she was the heretic?

She arrives at court, no heralds announce the defiled one, but her father's eyes mark her as she and about four other stragglers take their places.

In the center of the audience chamber sits a large object draped over with a white cloth.

Lily almost vomits when the royal guards yank the covering off.

A purple crystal, a silver goblet, the outline of a person inside.

The outline of Shiro inside.

**

Beep beep beep.

Shiro shuts off his alarm in annoyance, why had he opted for 7am accounting classes?

He gets dressed, grabs a hurried piece of fruit to eat on his way to class.

Just like every day, the girl at the end of the hall catches his eye, there is something incredibly familiar about her but he is going to be late for class and he has never met her before.

As Shiro walks away,

The dorm halls shimmer,

like purple Crystal.