London - England, 1491

  Nicholas sat in the private library of West Minster Cathedral with his mentee: William. Each one was tasked with reviewing the lengthy reports given by their returning delegation. Initially they had assumed that the assembled group had all perished when one of their number had manifested in their mortuary. However, an accompanying parchment found on the body detailed of the true circumstances of Randi's death. Fortunately, the body was located quickly, and word did not spread outside of a small circle of priests.

  “Most of their writings are useless.” Complained William brandishing the reports that contained a rather bloated list of grievances directed mostly towards the foreign customs, instead of detailed information about the country they had been tasked on gathering. “This tells me nothing about their staple crops, religious practices or civics in general. If they spent less time speculating on what manner of demon had corrupted their beliefs; they might have created something useful. Though we should not speak ill of the dead, the quality of Randi's reports is giving me pause.”

  “I am reading Peregine's now, it is not much better.” Nicholas sighed, trying to gain some useful insights from the reports. “At least this one seems to improve as it goes on. However, it is equally as flawed.” When he had first seen the three priests after they had returned, he had initially failed to recognize them. It was not due to their newly tanned skin-tone, which was slowly healing after almost two years of regular exposure, rather their attitudes were far more reserved. Their ego had been thoroughly deflated as each one was deeply thankful for their return home. Only Arthur, who still retained his eagerness for battle, showed little change in demeanor.

  Arthur's travels across the sea had started some manner of change in him, albeit rather minor. While his interests were still focused on contests involving strength, he had grown more mindful of the needs of others. While the other priests just wanted to lie down and rest after a month or more at sea, Arthur had already requested a new mission. With-in the following hours they were able to find time to hear a full account of their travels. Unlike the priests, who were trying to leverage their newfound experience to find a position higher up with-in the church's ranks, he gave a far more straight-forward retelling of their encounters.

  It seemed, at least from Arthur's perspective, that the culture shared some similarities to their own. The poor used religion as a form of protection, while the rich used it to further their status. Differences in faith or societal laws mattered little, unless they were so far strict or lax as to endanger the lives of the common folk. Although he did follow the teachings of bible, it was more so as a means to gain strength through loyalty. As opposed to any sense of religious relevance.

  His retelling was reminiscent of ancient Greek epics, detailing harsh environments and fearsome beasts that held an unending appetite for blood. While the rather violent descriptions of the native fauna were indeed useful, it was unlikely that any of the larger beasts would unknowingly find their way to England and establish a population of any meaningful size. His lack of social acumen hindered most of his investigations, but his love for anything physical had him interacting with the townsfolk at a level the other priests refused to engage in. This at least provided some manner of description as to how they lived in their everyday lives.

  Throughout his retelling of his journey: Victoria's name came up repeatedly, often accompanied by her familiars or a local woman named Kahina. Each interaction with supernatural entities, peaceful or otherwise, seemed to be heavily reliant on the vampire's contributions. Anytime she established a connection with a local water deity or wild spirit, it was recanted with enthusiasm. While it was clear that he still very much believed in their Lord and Savior, the other supernaturally aligned creatures had shown that many were at the very least benevolent to humanity. Something he was more than willing to permit.

  Arthur seemed to have gotten along well with the vampress, either recognizing her talents or associating her presence with all supernatural encounters. Arthur could not lie, at least not well. He was straight forward in his approach to most things, disliking any of the social games used to gain power or status. While he seemed to talk up her contributions, it was most likely showing thanks for her sincere efforts to provide assistance.

  This seemed to mirror what the three priests had reported, although they were far less positive about her actions. Each one, when pressed, acknowledged the contributions of both her and her hired mercenaries. Although the retellings were still uncharitable, they all made reference to the vampire, and they had all attempted to shift the credit onto Arthur. As opposed to “that demonic woman.” Thankfully they had observed far more than they had written down and were able to provide a general sense of the lifestyles and cultures of the land. Not one of the surviving trio had considered one or more of the creatures sneaking into cargo destined for their homeland. Something which they only realized now, with a growing sense of horror and self-reflection.

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  “What will be our policy going forward?” Asked William, still trying to gain some measure of insight from the reports. “Mostly likely; just passive observance.” Nicholas responded, furrowing his brow at the contents of a particularly zealous paragraph. “It seems like it will be similar to the existing spice trade with the east, assuming that most of the goods pass through Islamic merchants. As long as we keep some observers near the docks, there should be no need to request an embargo on certain goods.” His apprentice nodded in agreement, neither wishing to involve the more politically motivated members of the church. He already had to deal with their miserly inclinations and desire for greater power.

  “I know of your dealings with the forest fairies.” Commented Nicholas, eyes never diverting from the page. “Your trips to the forest, while slightly questionable, have shown promise.” Under the guise of training, William had been taking recruits to the woods and grasslands outside of the city as a cover to briefly converse with the local population fae. He usually pocketed some wine and fruit, exchanging the gifts for information on the surrounding area. William had picked up the idea from Victoria, realizing that having a source of information from outside their circle would greatly aid their efforts to save innocent lives. It had been a minor success, such as the discovery of a pack of Calopus*.

  William only sighed, knowing that he had been caught and would only receive a verbal reprimand, based on how casually it mentioned. “I will see if I can make contact with any sea-faring creatures that live around the docks. If Victoria was still around, I would ask her to make the introductions. I will ask the fairies, perhaps one would know of something which is open to cooperation.” Nicholas trusted William enough to make a minor deviance, although the extent of the exchange of information was not conveyed.

  “If you need a cover story for your presence, I can create one.” The idea of creating a secretive sect that held sustained contact with demons, or at least one that others would perceive as such, was most certainly heretical. He could try to justify it later, maybe as a form of confessional for evil creatures beyond human understanding. When fighting in the dark, it was best to have some form of light. In this case, getting any information on the supernatural surrounding them was an improvement from before.

  This line of thought had both of them glancing towards an innocuous book left on his desk. Neither wished to place much weight on the contents, but they could be reasonably sure of its accuracy. Arthur had handed the book personally to his superiors, likely without the knowledge of the trio of priests. Whether it was to ensure Victoria her due credit or to prevent tampering with its contents, neither mattered. Both knew they could not share the contents of such a book, at least outside of a trusted inner circle. Whatever merits the book held would be discounted for various reasons, predominantly her womanhood and neutrality to non-Christian faiths.

  When they would eventually read her works, they found rather enlightening. Removed was any hint of personal opinion, save for small commentaries that were clearly marked as such. It contained a simplified version of everything they had encountered. Only the beginning outlined their cultural traditions and composition, with the rest filled with the local fauna. Religious beliefs and customs were reasonably well detailed, although there were many disclaimers, as the tribal beliefs varied greatly between individual communities. Only the Islamic faith held a generally uniform adherence, even if it had taken on many elements of the local values. She speculated it was due to merchants, and other influential people, often taking a pilgrimage to Mecca. This appeared to maintain the core tenants of their faith, with a somewhat uniform belief structure. Similar to nobles attempting to visit the Pope, and his council, in Rome.

  Rough sketches, perhaps drawn by a smaller child, were used as a basic taxonomy of the creatures they encountered. Both the supernatural and natural beings were described in great detail, with labels indicating points of interest and potential weaknesses. Most of the writings focused on the plants, their cultural relevance and medicinal use. It even included a list of basic prices, based on the region and local significance.

  Only at one point did her neutral tone slip. When she described the Malaikah, angels as described by Muslim texts, she included a recommendation she would not normally make. “The Malaikah can act strictly based on their doctrinal beliefs, often times to the detriment of future relationships. I would not recommend taking their word in good faith.” The direct insertion of her opinion was unprofessional but given her most recent dealings it was understandable.

  “When she returns to England.” He mused to William when it was his turn to read the heretical tome, “Do you think we would have a chance of recruiting her in a more permanent capacity?” William shook his head, “Putting aside the questions from your superiors about your moral character, bringing in a woman of demonic origin, I don't think she would accept it. Her focus is on a time which is centuries beyond us, when the church may have long changed its course. She may not value her homeland if others, such as France or Italy, become more appealing. Only God is immortal and unchanging, First Timothy and Hebrews** if you want passage and verse. Man is subject to change and our land may not stand the test of time. She would not tie her existence to something she likely feels is fragile.”