After a few hours of silence, father asked me a question, a question he had never asked me before, a question so profound, it took me days to answer it.

  “Inno, what is Aurora to you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What is the Most Merciful to you, what does the Most Gracious’s faith mean to you?”

  “I don’t think I understand.”

  A faint smile appeared on her face.

  “What is faith to you, Inno?”

  I did not answer. I could not answer, in all my years of studying and devoting myself to Aurora, I had never asked myself such a question, not even once.

  Stumped, I looked out the window, pondering. Father’s smile grew a little larger.

  ‘What is faith to me?’

  Is it obedience to Aurora? When I obey her Laws and her Word, am I faithful? Am I faithful only when I obey? No that isn’t it, Nuntius 4:19 And as Saphir stood before, I heard his tongue as if it was mine, and so he spoke. Not everyone who worships the Origin will be granted eternal mercy, nor those who worship the entire Pantheon, but those who enact its will.

  What is faith to me?

  And so my question would go unanswered for longer than I expected.

  The journey had finally come to an end. On our way to the capital we had seen countless views of stunning beauty. We stopped and admired them, even as we rested at inns, I still went out in the night such that I could admire the beauty of the night sky, and as I looked at the shining moon and setting sun, a single verse of the Word came to mind. Genesis 1:1 And all beauty will be made in my Image yet will never replicate me.

  Truly, how much more beautiful was the Most Merciful? And once again I found myself asking, what is faith to me.

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  Stepping out of the carriage, the capital looked more stunning than any town I had ever seen, with hundreds of houses laid about, streets bustling with people and stalls, yet seldom did a priest make themselves seen, still, when they did, they immediately recognized mine and my father’s Vestments and came to pay respect.

  In the middle of it all, standing tall as mountains, two giant castles eclipsed the sky behind them. To the right, the Imperial Castle in which the Imperial family resided and the government existed; to the left, the Original Cathedral, the first church of Aurora and the main church of the Faith.

  In this place, the Pope, as well as the Cardinals and Archcardinals resided, a place of great importance who held many grand artifacts of Aurora. It also served as the headquarters of all branches of the Church, from the Scholars to the Inquisitors, their leaders all resided here.

  Father put his hand on my shoulder as he pulled me forward toward the church. With a soft smile, he spoke to me.

  “Come, don’t you want to see the church?”

  “Of course, father.”

  The closer we got to the Cathedral, the bigger it seemed and, at the same time, just as small. The headquarters of the biggest faith in the world were still smalled than the next five largest faiths. A humble, but powerful building.

  Closer still, statue of old Saints started to appear. Andras, the First Saint of War, Patron Saint of the Knights, a man with a frail build and soft expression, with pristine Vestments, he was depicted in a prayer. I would have mistaken him for a merciful doctor or priest rather than the Founder of the Inquisitors.

  Milo, the First Saint of Mercy, Patron Saint of the Oppressed, a tall man with a muscular build and a frightening expression, his face was full of scars, his Vestments tattered and his body bleeding, he was standing tall, his fists clenched. The Founder of the Wardens.

  Armida, the First Saint of Protection, Patron Saint of the Neglected, a tall woman, with pristine Vestments, her left hand holding a shield stuck in the earth, her right hand swinging a sword on her back; her face wore a grand smile from ear to ear, her eyes smiling just the same. The Founder of the Sentinels.

  Despite the tens of statues of the First Saints scattered across the capital, the only ones we saw were those three.

  Our walk would continue and we would quickly find ourselves in front of the entrance to the Court of Origin, the place where the ordination ceremony would take place.

  On the sides of the doors stood two Sentinel Archpriests, clad in white armor and presenting their shields and swords. Atop the door, A sentence from the Word was written. I abandon here my doubt.

  Father took me by my hand and took us closer to the two Sentinels. I remained behind him, hiding from their watchful eyes.

  “I am High Priest Alexander. I have come to attend the ordination ceremony conducted by Pope Zephyr the Second.”

  With a nudge, he urged me to present myself, just as he did.

  “I-I am Innocentius the First, the Most Innocent One, I have come here to be ordained Priest by Pope Zephyr the Second.”

  As the two saw me, their gazes shifted from wariness to respect. Only now had I truly started to understand just how significant my blessing was.