It didn’t take us long to reach the stairs to the temple. It was a strange feeling returning here, and I still had mixed emotions regarding Elder Peter. What did he know of the situation the soldier class was getting into?

  Entering the temple, I couldn’t help but admire the beauty: the giant white stone statue of the goddess sitting in the middle of the room, the kneeling benches placed around it, and, at its base, the offerings people had made to the goddess.

  Even the huge white stone pillars that held up the incredibly high roof.

  I had never really appreciated it when I was here last. I shook my head and grabbed the attention of one of the acolytes wandering through the hall.

  “Hello, I was wondering if Elder Peter is available at all?”

  The acolyte turned his attention to us. “He is in private meditation. Did you have an appointment with him?”

  “Not exactly. My name is Trevor, and he asked me to seek him out when I next returned,” I said. It wasn’t entirely true — Peter had asked for details about the class, but I would need to keep those secret for now.

  The acolyte smiled. “I see. I will go and enquire if he can spare some time. Please wait here.”

  A moment later he left through the doors, and I was left waiting. Turning to Liane and Jen, I said, “I’m going to pray to the goddess of fate while we wait. I’ve been pretty lucky so far, so I wanted to say thanks.”

  Jen just nodded. “Sounds good. We’ll stick close.”

  I approached the statue, taking a place in the front pews where I knelt down, closed my eyes, and prayed to the goddess like I did all those months ago.

  Goddess, I don’t know if you helped me at all or have had a hand in how things have played out, but thank you. I have met some amazing friends and seen some amazing sights, and I’m learning my class…

  Again, like the two other times I prayed here, there was an absolutely unmistakable smell of roast chicken — a smell that I was sure was not present when I knelt down to pray. And what were the chances of this appearing all three times I had prayed?

  Thanks for everything.

  I concluded, getting up just as I saw Elder Peter coming out the side door following the acolyte, with a warm smile on his face, still in the same white robes.

  “Young Trevor, it warms my heart to see you again, and you’re looking so well,” Peter said, closing the distance between us.

  I shook his hand, but I struggled to return the smile. I couldn’t shake the thought at the back of my mind about the situation the orphans were put in — the system as a whole.

  “I don’t suppose there’s somewhere we can talk?” I asked.

  Elder Peter nodded, leading me to the small office where I had spoken to him last time.

  “Come, please enter. I’m sure you have lots to tell,” he said, opening the door — and did a double take as Jen and Liane came with me.

  “Oh, I’m sorry; I should have done introductions. Elder Peter, this is Jen, Liane, and Crisplet,” I said, gesturing towards the three of them. “It’s best they join us, but anything I say they already know.” I smiled and walked through the door.

  Peter just nodded, holding the door open for them, his eyes mostly stuck on Crisplet in the brazier.

  The small office was fairly cramped with everyone inside, but I knew Jen and Liane wouldn’t let me go anywhere alone in this town.

  Taking a seat, I cut straight to the chase. “Elder, before we get started, I have to ask — how much did you know about the situation with the orphans?”

  Jen broke in before he had really taken in the question. “Now might not be the best time for that, Trev,” she warned, but her protest was waved away by Peter.

  “I assume you mean the lack of preparations?” he asked.

  “Not just that. I witnessed, just a couple of weeks ago, a camp of starving people my age — by the hundreds — with the sick being thrown into a wagon without care and literally left to die,” I said, looking hard at Peter, gauging his reaction.

  Peter winced. “That… that’s not right.”

  Liane interrupted, bitterly adding, “We executed the leader of that company for the murder of over a dozen boys and girls.”

  “I did not know. That is to say, I admit the orphans are not properly prepared for life, but it shouldn’t be that. There are laws,” Peter said, clearly rattled by this.

  He seemed to realise something. “The others? Your friends?”

  I shook my head. “We couldn’t save Brandon.”

  Peter’s eyes softened. “I’m so sorry, Trevor…”

  “Why?” was all I could get out.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Peter took a deep sigh. “I won’t make excuses — I see it every year, though nothing as bad as you just described. But I am aware of the incredibly low survival rate for the orphans who head south. It’s why I brought you to the temple, as the army would have happily taken you in as a cook.”

  “The truth is, there is only so much we can do. The Lord is sent coin which needs to be invested in certain things — roads, guards, maintenance of the temple, the orphanage — and, to put it bluntly, I suspect we don’t see even a fraction of that investment, receiving just the bare minimum to get by…”

  I was about to argue that this wasn’t just this town, but he motioned for me to wait.

  “I understand that regardless of how you were raised, the reality of the frontline is not something the orphans are likely prepared for. But when the system was first created, it was designed to be a good thing. Decades of corruption and greed have led to what we have now.”

  “Why didn’t you warn us? You gave us our classes?” I asked, not really understanding.

  “What could I have said in that moment that would have helped any of you prepare for what was to come? Run, perhaps?” Peter looked pained.

  “The Lord here has been taken away for stealing funds from the crown, if the rumours are to be believed. But have you told the royal guards about the situation you encountered? There are laws in place — no one should be treated like prisoners,” Peter said, looking mostly to Liane and Jen as he said it.

  Jen took the lead, as I saw anger in Liane’s eyes and knew she likely wouldn’t take part in this conversation anymore.

  “Yes, we spoke to them. I think what Trevor is really trying to get at is whether there’s any way to better prepare and train the orphans — to better prepare them for what’s coming. Heading in blind like they are is a death sentence for all of them,” she said.

  “I don’t know. Truthfully, I visit that orphanage once a year to take the orb for the children to get their classes. Outside of that, we don’t really see them,” Peter said to Jen.

  “How can we change that?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, Trevor,” Peter began. “Perhaps get a meeting with the interim Lord here and raise the issues — use what you have just seen to really push it home.”

  I sighed. I’d come in angry, but that anger was slowly fading from me. He clearly wasn’t fully aware of everything — he looked as shocked as I did.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t actually come here to interrogate you. I came to invite you to the inn tonight after sundown for a catch-up, and I would love to see Martin and see if he can come as well,” I said, trying to change the tone.

  “Tonight, you say? I can certainly get you to Martin — he’s in the kitchen as we speak. I would love to come tonight. I wish to ponder what you’ve told me until then, so I shall take you to Martin now.”

  I got up out of my seat, and Elder Peter led us out of the room. There was a heavy silence within the group. I could see Liane was still angry, but she said nothing.

  No words were spoken until we arrived at the door to the kitchen.

  “Martin is inside. Trevor, I am truly sorry for what you have witnessed and how you have been treated. I will think on what we have discussed and talk to you this evening at the inn,” Peter said with a small smile as he pushed open the door.

  “Martin, you have a guest,” Peter called out before saying his farewells and leaving.

  It didn’t take long before a gruff-looking, portly man made his way to the door — almost a spitting image of the day I had last seen him.

  “Trevor? Is that you?” he said as he got closer.

  “Hello, Martin, long time no see!” I said happily, the previous anger I’d felt now fading away.

  Martin took me in a giant hug, nearly crushing me.

  “How are you?” he boomed. “It’s been too long! How goes the class?”

  I chuckled, scratching the back of my head. “Really well. I’m already level twenty-five,” I said proudly.

  “Bullshit,” Martin said, looking at me, then to Jen and Liane behind me, before his eyes locked onto Crisplet.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Martin — I was Trevor’s first mentor,” he said, holding out his hand and happily shaking hands with Jen and Liane, who introduced themselves in kind.

  Crisplet had come out of the brazier at the word mentor, and, growing in size, I noticed he also put out a fiery arm, which, after a brief hesitation, Martin also shook.

  “That is Crisplet. He’s my bonded companion, and my cooking companion — well, more than that. Crisplet is the master of cooking,” I said with a chuckle, and Crisplet shot off some embers in agreement.

  “Fire elemental? No… not fire. Odd,” Martin mumbled.

  “Oh, I’m sorry — we got distracted. I wanted to invite you to the inn tonight for a get-together and a catch-up,” I said happily.

  “Absolutely — you don’t need to ask me twice. I’ll let the cooks know I need to step away for the evening right now,” Martin said, about to turn around.

  “No huge rush — just be there by sundown. I’ve got some ingredients I want to get before we head back, so I’ll meet you there?” I asked.

  “You got it. I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Martin said happily, shaking hands again with Liane, Jen, and Crisplet before heading back into the kitchen.

  Liane shook her head. “That’s a real change of emotion from the first conversation you had there,” she chuckled.

  I sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have interrogated the Elder like tha—”

  Jen surprisingly interrupted me. “Don’t apologise, Trev. You don’t know if you don’t ask. For what it’s worth, I think he genuinely didn’t know how truly awful it was.”

  Even Liane nodded. “As much as I hate to admit it, Jen is right.”

  “Should we try speaking to the interim lord then?” I asked.

  Both Jen and Liane shook their heads. “He might have a meeting with you, but it’s unlikely he’ll take the word of any of us. With luck, Victor found the atrocity in the south, and word will spread from that. The word of a royal guard will make changes. Maybe,” Jen said.

  We made our way back out to the main hall and finally left the temple.

  “Can we detour past the market, please? I want to get a chicken. It might seem strange, but I want to make an offering to the goddess — of a roast chicken,” I said.

  Jen quirked an eyebrow at me, but Liane looked happy for the first time in a while. “Could you make two? I love roast chicken!”

  The market was not far from the temple, so we made our way quickly over there.

  Seeing it again made me think of the fond memories I had of coming here every morning with Geo, and I couldn’t really explain why, but just walking through the stalls made me feel happy. It felt right.

  I quickly found a stall that was selling meat, and after a quick haggle, I had three whole chickens for only four coppers. I was fairly certain that the last time I hastily purchased chicken from this man; I was charged a lot more for a single one.

  After that, we made our way back to the inn. I couldn’t help but notice a group of four royal guards watching over the market, and initially I thought they were watching us, but when I looked again, it appeared they were just doing their normal patrol.

  Shrugging to myself, I made my way back to the inn. I would need to fight Geo for some kitchen space, but I was looking forward to that.

  “Crisplet, are you ready to see the kitchen I learned most of what I know in?” I said happily, looking over at the brazier, getting a small burst of sparks in response.