Sermon

Eventually, the crowds began to quiet down and the man in the center of the room began to speak. His voice was loud even without the magic that allowed it to fill the entire massive chamber, and he spoke with an authority that made it very difficult to ignore.

“Brothers, Sisters, and those guests who are with us today… I wish to bring you all comforting news and good tidings. However, given recent times, it should be little surprise that I can bring very little of that today.”

His eyes scanned the crowd. “I see that we are living in a time of fear. A time of unease, a time where our Goddess brings us peace. Brothers and Sisters and guests, please bow your heads and join hands in prayer.”

Immediately, Mary saw many heads bowing, and she joined as well. Hunter lifted his hand to hers, and she took it. She looked to Abel and extended her hand to him, but Abel shook his head. He didn’t even bow. Before Mary could do anything more than register that, the prayer began.

“Our purest guardian, Chaiz, we come before you today in prayer. This day we ask for your protection and guidance, that we may survive another day, that we may reclaim the land we have lost, and that your blessings may be with us. We pray especially that our town may be protected, that the lives within may be preserved come what may. For these blessings we ask, may your bountiful hand provide.”

A soft murmur echoed through the chamber as everybody released their hands and unbowed their heads. Mary followed suit. Was that it? Were things over?

“Now, Brothers and Sisters and guests,” the man continued, immediately quelling Mary’s hopes, “today, we are speaking on the topic of demons.”

The man took a deep breath, and the room got tense.

“For those too young to have learned, or those who are fortunate enough to never have needed to, demons are creatures that are created by those who would bring ruin to this world. They practice dark arts and magecrafts that would sicken any well-meaning man or woman. Demons are creatures just like us or our livestock, only mutated to the point where they would attack anything they looked at. Demons do not have a sense of mercy or camaraderie, they would just as soon turn on their own allies the moment it would suit their needs.”

The man continued. “Demons are not to be trusted, nor are they to be trifled with. There are many ways to identify a Demon. Firstly, major disfigurements are clear signs that something has become a monster or a Demon. The most clear sign is horns upon their head or sigils adorning their body. However, as those sigils may simply be magical, we must not….”

The man’s voice trailed away to Mary for a moment. She was reminded of those markings that had made her so scared this morning. She knew she wasn’t a demon, but… She quickly ran her fingers through her hair to feel her scalp. A wave of relief rushed over her as she felt what had always been there: Smooth skin, no bumps, no horns. Finding herself able to relax just the smallest amount, she resumed listening to the sermon.

“However, the defining trait of demons is that they are destructive, more so than any beast or monster in the land. A demon could bring to pass the destruction of even this great city. For this reason, we have those of the Bulwark who would protect us and those of the Steel who will launch coordinated attacks, moving out from the safe perimeter of our town to face the dangers of the wild.”

So Lena was one of those… That explained a bit more about what Lena had said earlier.

“Now, to all of the guests who are visiting today, I ask that you would pray for the safety of our Brothers and Sisters, those of the cloth, of the steel, and of the bulwark. Pray that they will be protected, guided, and nourished. And pray that those of the steel will have the might to lay low any demon who might cross them. ‘Suffer not that a demon may live, for its corruption will overcome the incorruption of mortal man.’ If there are any sightings of demons, report them without hesitation, directly to those Brothers and Sisters who can address such issues.”

The things after that were a bit of a blur. There was a song that Mary could not participate in, and there was another prayer, but Mary couldn’t get her mind off of that final statement in the man’s sermon. Did all demons really deserve to die? Was it possible that even a single demon could be redeemed? It was awful to condemn the entirety of them to death, but at the same time, they said that demons were not like normal creatures. They were corrupted, changed… Even if it made sense, Mary felt like something was wrong. She was glad every time she felt her hair and felt smoothness there, but she started to see worried glances being cast her way. She put her hands down, the attention only adding to the oppressive atmosphere of this building.

Mary looked down as they walked out. She stayed close to Abel, feeling strangely connected to his shared discomfort with the church. He clearly noticed, as he began to walk a pace closer to her than before as she hunched forward. The moment they were out of the church, Hunter let out a loud sigh.

“Dinnae seem a little pointless to go on that long? When ye get down to it, ye just gotta chop off any heads with horns on them!”

“Hunter,” Rosetta snapped sternly, “Be respectful!”

She turned. “And Abel, you should at least bow your head for the prayers! I don’t want to be associated with people brazenly disrespecting such a respected church!”

“U-Uhm, did… Did I-”

“No, you did not do anything wrong, Mary,” Rosetta stated firmly, “Now, I was informed that Lena will not be able to join us for perhaps another few hours. Abel, Hunter, I want you two to return to the inn. I will go with Mary to purchase supplies for our trip.”

Abel looked up, confused. “What? But don’t you usually-”

“It is not a matter of tradition, Mary simply needs the armor, so having her with me will be for the best. And separating myself from Hunter for this will not be a problem, we will not need to buy much, so I will not need his muscle. Now, please, depart from us!”

“Alright, if that’s what ye want,” Hunter said, turning to Abel, “What say ye to a drink?”

“...Maybe a cider,” Abel said, walking off with Hunter towards the inn. Mary stood there, left alone with a glaring Rosetta, very much wishing she could be just about anywhere else.