Adanara was huddled in a corner, wrapped in a blanket, while Nene pondered whether to talk to her. It was almost completely dark, so they had camped inside the church. Adanara had protested against that decision, so Kora, in an attempt to pander to her, had offered to get rid of the damned's body. After having lit a fire on the floor of the left aisle, still intact, in the furthest possible corner from the altar where the purge had taken place, Kora had left, dragging with her what remained of the unfortunate priest. The shaman had also placed many of her precious incense sticks all around their small makeshift camp, a kindness that made Nene feel safe, despite everything, almost as if those small glowing sticks, slowly burning on the ground, constituted a barrier against any external threat.

  ?Ada, eat something?

  Nila offered her sister a loaf of bread from her travel bag. Adanara accepted it without saying a word. She gnawed on it while staring at the flame. Nene sighed. She was eager to discuss what they had discovered there, but Adanara was in a sorry state. It would have been wiser to talk about something else, so she turned to Nila.

  ?Do you think the nomads are looking for us??

  ?We told them we'd move away?

  Adanara had made a point of speaking with the Tega Urok who were waiting at the edge of the forest, so she felt called out and raised her head.

  ?Will they still be alive??

  Her statement caused a sidereal silence. Nila looked around awkwardly, desperate for something to say.

  ?I-I thought it would be much more dangerous here, judging by their stories. If w-we managed to get by, I'm sure they're fine too?

  ?They know these woods, they are many and well-armed?, Nene agreed.

  ?Yeah… sorry?

  ?Don't be, Ada. We’re all t-tired?

  Nene stretched and lay on her back. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the fresco on the ceiling of the church, shrouded in darkness. Part of her hoped that the Archangel would send her a sign, that He would come out of that picture and show her the way. She sighed, out of tiredness rather than frustration. She turned her attention back to her companions and smiled at the thought that, even without divine guidance, she could at least count on them.

  ?What are you thinking??, Nila asked.

  ?You guys?, she said, embarrassed.

  ?Ew?, Adanara replied. ?I’m not falling for it?

  ?Oh, you're better, I see?

  ?I am. But listen, I really think we should go back. We don't know what comes up next, and we've looked around enough. Let's reunite with the Tega Urok?

  ?Can we convince Kora??

  ?We should try!?

  ?W-we can talk to her when she comes back?

  Nila retrieved a small wheel of cheese and some more bread from her bag. With a small knife, she cut a slice of each, and offered them to Nene. The scent immediately made her drool. She sat up and accepted the food happily.

  ?Hey, why does she gets…!? Adanara yelled, but was interrupted.

  In an instant, Nila handed her some cheese and more bread too, along with a deliberately forced smile. Her sister sulked, feeling betrayed, but did not refuse the offer.

  ?Children first, am I right??, Nene said while eating.

  The sisters stared at her in silence, making her feel uncomfortable. She gulped loudly.

  ?I was joking?, she added. ?Ada always calls me a brat, so...?

  ?Don't call me Ada!?

  ?You called her Ada!?

  Nila laughed and rubbed Nene's cheeks. She had inadvertently called a witch, her sworn enemy, with the same affectionate nickname that only her sister was allowed to use. For her part, Adanara slapped her sister on the back out of anger but got ignored.

  ?Nila, don't teach her bad habits! Nila!?

  Nila's euphoria was overwhelming, to the point to make it hard for Nene to keep eating. She resigned to letting her vent for a while. Not that she minded.

  ?Now you talk as if I were a pet dog...?, she protested.

  ?Paw!?, Nila ordered.

  Nene, confused by that sudden, absurd request, obeyed without thinking. She raised a hand. Nila grabbed it and laughed even louder.

  ?More cheese for you?, she said.

  ?Hey!? Adanara, interjected. ?Hey! Hey! It's not fair!?

  The witch tugged her sister, pulling her towards her. They both nearly lost their balance. Adanara's hat flew off her head and fell within a hair's breadth of the fire. She retrieved it immediately and cursed.

  ?Did it burn??, Nila asked.

  ?No… Ugh, you always toy with me…?

  ?Because I love you?

  Adanara, unexpectedly, smiled, even turning red in the face. She pulled her hat down on her head, as if to hide, and sat back down in her favourite corner.

  ?What is it??, her sister prodded her, in an idiotic tone.

  ?Leave me alone...?

  ?Oh, come on, don't make me ask. You thought of something that embarrassed you. I know you?

  Nene covered her mouth to hide her laughter. She wasn't yet sure what her role was in that family dynamic, especially when Adanara was involved, so she avoided intervening. However, she finally was part of it, which made her feel calm and appreciated. The witch buried her face below the hat, pulling it down to her neck. Her voice came out muffled by the fabric.

  ?You can call me Ada?, she mumbled.

  ?I know?, Nila replied. ?I don't need your permission?

  ?Not you! I hate you! Idiot!?

  The sisters came to blows again, noisy like two little girls fist-fighting. What was the true meaning of it? Nene had no clue about how to behave. Was she supposed to say something in return? Before she could process her feelings, they overflowed. She remembered Elora's voice. She used to miss her so much, but suddenly she didn't anymore. She felt like a boulder had been lifted from her stomach. Her throat tightened and she couldn't hold back the tears. Nila noticed immediately, even though she was busy slapping her sister. She ran to her, hugged her and held her close.

  ?What's going on??, she asked softly. ?Want to tell me??

  She shook her head and continued to sob. She grabbed the folds of Nila's shirt and squeezed with all her strength.

  ?Did I… say something wrong??, Adanara stammered, agitated. ?Was it me??

  ?It's okay?, Nila replied. ?You're happy, aren't you??

  Nene nodded. Her breath normalised a little. It was so heartwarming that Nila knew her well enough to guess how she felt. During the winter at the farm, they had spent many nights talking about their deepest thoughts, both pleasant and not. If, at first, it had been difficult for her to open up to Nila, over time it proved helpful. That moment was irrefutable proof of it being worth the effort.

  An uncertain hand rested on her shoulder. Adanara’s. Nene raised her head and so she met her eyes.

  ?Only brats cry when they are far from home?, the witch said, smiling.

  She laughed through tears. How had Adanara thought of saying something so stupid at that moment? Nene was finally used to that woman's truly unusual way of expressing her approval, perhaps even her affection.

  Shortly thereafter, Kora returned to camp. She sat down next to the fire and left some twigs she had collected near the flame. She explained that they were aromatic herbs and that when warmed they would spread a relaxing scent. Her arms were covered in dirt but, when Nila offered her some water to clean herself, she refused it, believing it was better to save it for drinking. She simply rubbed her hands on them, not getting much out of it.

  ?I buried him?, she said. ?As human custom?

  ?I think… he would have wanted it that way?, Nene replied.

  ?I also erected a pile of stones and put the rock with that symbol on top?

  ?You've been busy. Kind of you?

  Kora looked at Adanara, perhaps expecting a reaction from her. She smiled.

  ?My father was a hunter?, the shaman said. ?He always told me that respecting the dead helps us remember that we never take life easily?

  ?Life is the most sacred thing there is?, Adanara added.

  Her statement drew everyone’s attention, so she fell silent. Visibly uncomfortable, she pretended to be busy poking the fire with a stick.

  ?What is it? Can't I be sentimental too??, she mumbled.

  Nila gave some cheese and bread to Kora, who, during her stay in Kumhar and their journey through the moor, had become accustomed to human food, which she said was "unnecessarily and excessively elaborate". Despite her hostility towards cooking as a concept, she did not reject any of it. While eating, however, she kept glancing at Nene.

  ?Nene?, she finally called her.

  Nene jolted for no reason. Adanara giggled, still busy rummaging through the coals, while Nila began to make herself comfortable on the ground, wrapped in her blanket.

  ?Yes??

  ?I have something to tell you?

  That bizarre phrase caught everyone's ears. Kora was often enigmatic, but, in her own way, very straightforward in conversations. Seeing her go around an issue felt unusual and therefore curious.

  ?Okay, I’m listening?

  ?I have to…?, she sighed. ?I made a promise, and after much thought, I have decided that I have to break it?

  ?Is this why you were meditating??, Adanara asked.

  ?Precisely. Nene, I want you to understand that this is not a choice I made lightly?

  ?I don't know what you're talking about, but... I'll keep that in mind. Why are you telling me??

  Kora looked at the sisters one after the other. The light of the flame danced on her body only partially hidden by the vegetal fibre cloak, and produced flickering reflections on the occasional shiny scales that emerged from her skin.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  ?Why, the promise... I promised Jiriel?

  Nene hesitated for a moment. She should have interrupted Kora right then. Although she still had no idea what she was trying to tell her, breaking a promise made to the Emissary, whatever it was, was sacrilegious beyond imagination.

  ?If you promised her, you shouldn't…?

  ?I promised Jiriel that I wouldn't talk about it, especially to you?, she interrupted. ?But… I think it's necessary. Please listen to me. Listen to me all?

  Nila, wrapped in the blanket, rested her elbows on the ground and her head on her hands, almost as if waiting for a bedtime story. Adanara and Nene, on the other hand, were extremely nervous, although for entirely different reasons. Adanara got on edge easily, especially when the Emissary was mentioned, Nene feared what was about to leave Kora's mouth.

  ?During my stay with the infant spirit, we discussed many things. Or rather, I asked her many questions, about the spirits, Ascension... But she never answered. She always hid her wisdom behind a mask of naivety?

  ?A mask, you say??, Adanara insinuated.

  ?Shh!?, Nila scolded her.

  ?She asked me many things about Rune, Shilfy and Salisander. I shared what I know with her in the hope that it would convince her to do the same. I failed?

  ?The Emissary is greedy for knowledge?, Nene said. ?And stingy about her secrets. She does it to protect us. There are things we mortals cannot understand?

  ?I disagree?, Kora replied. ?But that's not what I want to discuss. One day, while dodging my questions by talking nonsense and showing me weird figurines, she let something slip. I'm sure it wasn't her intention to tell me. In fact, immediately afterwards, she begged me not to tell a soul?

  ?What did she say??

  Kora paused for an exasperatingly long time. It was hard for her to find the courage to continue speaking, so the whole conversation started to feel even heavier. The shaman pointed to the ceiling of the church. The shadow cast by her arm completely covered the figure of the Archangel.

  ?I asked her what she knows about the one who whispers. I wanted to know where I could find it?

  ?You want to face the Evil One?!?

  ?I know I can't defeat a spirit, but, after what happened to the invaders' village... I don't want something like that to happen ever again. If the nameless cannot be stopped, perhaps it can be persuaded. Perhaps understanding its reasons could help us oppose the destruction it brings?

  ?So, you have…?, Nene hesitated. ?Have you asked the Emissary to assist you??

  ?She told me she doesn’t want to get involved?, Kora replied. ?She also tried to reassure me, saying that…?

  ?What...??

  Kora took a breath, still torn about her broken promise. She glanced at Nene, then stared into the flame, as if avoiding eye contact could help her confess without feeling the pressure of other people's expectations.

  ?She said that… her brother isn't as dangerous as I think?

  Adanara froze. Her arm stood tense and immobile, while the stick she was using as a poker slowly catched fire. Nene, on the other hand, felt nothing but mild confusion. She tried to gather her thoughts, convinced that it was nothing serious.

  ?The Emissary often says strange things. Her mastery of our language is sometimes lacking?

  Kora frowned, which made Nene flinch. She didn't mean to question her words, but she was sure it had to be a misunderstanding. Before her mind began to process blasphemous thoughts, before the terror she felt growing took over, she made one last attempt.

  ?Maybe... it's no big deal...?, she whispered, unconvinced.

  ?It must be?, Kora insisted. ?After she said that, she panicked and started making excuses and trying to deflect the conversation. When I insisted that she explain herself... Well, I didn't think I would ever see a spirit in that state... She prostrated on the ground, begging me to swear to keep it to myself?

  ?But… but…?

  ?What?!?, Adanara shouted.

  ?I-I don't understand... Nene, what do you think??

  ?I don't…?

  She began to tremble. The doors of fear had been thrown open and her thoughts were free to unfold. She remembered how the Emissary referred to the Archangel as "brother". The thought that she had spoken the same way about the Evil One gave her shivers. The implications of any kind of relationship between those three entities were too many and too complex to be understood, but she began to imagine what would have happened in the Principality if word got out that the patron of the Church and the Evil One were related in some way.

  ?I… we…?, she stammered. ?We don't know what the term "brother" means to the Emissary. She... doesn't even have parents like we mortals have, I think?

  ?This is too much?, Adanara fretted. ?Jiriel is in cahoots with…?

  ?They're not in cahoots!? Nene snapped. ?Sorry, I…?

  ?Calm down?, Nila said. ?Let's think, calmly?

  ?I'm sorry?, Kora added. ?I thought it was right to tell you after seeing that drawing. I fear you all have been deceived?

  …

  The fire crackling echoed in the deserted church. The flames and smoke emitted by the incense swayed in the crisp evening wind. Cold and silence fell on the camp. Kora nervously observed her companions, one by one, doubtful whether she had made the right choice or not. Nene blinked several times, as if unable to concentrate. She wanted to disprove it all, and she could think of a thousand reasons why it was inaccurate, even false. She would have rather argued with Kora, even called her a liar, than accept her insinuations.

  Doubt, however, had crept into her.

  The Emissary, on several occasions, had boasted and demonstrated knowledge about the Evil One which, over time, had proven to be by far deeper than the Church’s, and by consequence, presumably, also the Archangel’s. Nene had seen her chase it away, almost as if she had simply asked it to leave. Jiriel was anything but easy to understand. There had to be more to it. It had to be a simple misunderstanding, yet she couldn't give a plausible explanation, one that could shed light on Kora's testimony without casting a shadow somewhere else. Her thoughts were interrupted by Adanara who, retreating to the corner of the aisle, wrapped herself in her blanket.

  ?Goodnight?, she grumbled.

  ?Ada??, her sister called.

  Kora stood up and went to sit on the back of a bench in the central nave.

  ?I'll keep watch so we won’t have to extinguish the fire?, she said. ?I think Adanara is right, it's better to sleep. Maybe tomorrow we will have a clearer mind?

  Nene held back the urge to argue back. She was upset ??by the hideous blasphemy, the slander that Kora was repeating. Yet, she somewhat believed her. The Emissary knew much more than what met the eye, but it was too much to think that she had lied about something so serious and important. She suddenly doubted her every word since they met. Was she really under her protection? Or was she perhaps being used for some sinister purpose? Jiriel had promised to guide her, to help her find her happiness. And after all, hadn't she kept her word? How, though? Everything that Jiriel had done and said, everything had brought Nene away from the principles of the Church and the Archangel. Thanks to her, or perhaps because of her, she had learned to see Adanara, the Cloud Folk, and other things of the world that the Church would have condemned as heretics, in a different light. Was it perhaps just the first step to slowly, subtly, lead her to perdition? What if that was their game? A game where the Evil One played the role of the bad guy to then lead their victims to a benevolent figure who promised salvation. Were she and Adanara both victims of their desire to repel the Evil One? By doing so, had they gotten themselves into a more subtle adversary’s embrace, hoping for redemption?

  She felt like screaming, like cursing Kora. It would have been so much easier to doubt her. She watched her, arms folded, staring into the darkness outside the broken church door. She was a heretical shaman, a creature who held nothing sacred, and who had already acted questionably in the past. She was a person prone to selfishness and with an unusual perspective on reality. It was so easy to believe that she was lying, that she was the one trying to manipulate her, to sow discord for some reason. Although, whatever that reason, it would have been foolish of her to go against an angel. Kora was also the same person who claimed to have attempted to consult Jiriel's wisdom in the hope of understanding how to defeat the Evil One, but was she to be trusted? What insane, suicidal undertaking was she planning? Was she perhaps hoping to return to the good graces of her master, whom she was blindly in love with? The idea of ??having to choose whether to trust the Emissary or the person who, all things considered, she saw as a companion, almost as a friend, caused Nene the naive desire to disappear, the hope of dissolving among the fumes of incense so as not to having to face that dilemma.

  ?Nene?, Nila called.

  She turned around. Nila lifted her blanket and with one hand invited her to come closer. She shuffled lazily toward her, shocked, absent. She curled up against Nila, with her back to her, and wrapped the blanket around them both. The heat warmed her limbs, but not her spirit. The feeling of despair didn't go away, as it was deeper than the common cold of the night. Nila gently caressed her hair and shoulders. Nene closed her eyes, even squeezed them, in an attempt to push away those horrible thoughts.

  She heard the sound of footsteps. She saw Kora heading towards the exit. The shaman waved to them and left the church. Suddenly, Nene didn't feel safe anymore. Were they in danger? Was it wise to let their guard down around her? But above all, if Kora had ill intentions, why had she helped her fight the damned?

  Nila held her close and kissed her cheek. It burned like a hot ember, and the contrast in temperature made Nene shiver.

  ?Are you ignoring me??, Nila grumbled.

  ?Uh? I'm... I'm thinking?

  She giggled. Unlike her and Adanara, Nila had taken the news relatively well. Her good mood had not faltered, despite everything, and it was contagious as well.

  ?You think too much?, she teased her.

  Nila caressed her side, tickling her. Nene laughed and fussed to chase her away.

  ?You're still high in spirit?, she said amused.

  ?Yes… I-I know, it's weird. In fact, I feel weird...?

  Nene recognised that pretty common pattern, a reaction to fear. She turned. Nila stared at her intently, her eyes were bright and her face slightly red. She touched her forehead, thinking she had a fever.

  ?I'm not sick, don't worry?

  Nene looked towards Adanara, half-sitting, hidden by the blanket and her hat. Surely she was awake, and listening. There was no way to sleep that night, so they might as well have faced the issue.

  ?Can we talk about what Kora said??, she asked.

  The witch hid even more. Nila's smile faded and Nene felt awful. Her request was a selfish one, but she felt the overwhelming need to discuss the matter at hand. Suddenly, Adanara raised her hat, showing her troubled face.

  ?I don't know what to think?, she said. ?Kora already fooled us once?

  Nene nodded. She too desperately wanted to believe that was the case. Nila, on the other hand, seemed less convinced.

  ?Why would she lie??, she said.

  ?Nothing I can think of?

  ?Maybe she didn't lie?, Nene suggested. ?Maybe she... misunderstood?

  ?Yeah, sure... Look, I know Jiriel is your whole world, but... Is it that impossible? She's certainly a bigger shot than she wants to admit. I think that’s a fact?

  ?Yes, it’s just... I've always found it weird that the Archangel never mentioned her existence?

  ?What if He had always been??

  Nila and Nene, at the same time, raised their heads. They stared at Adanara in disbelief.

  ?W-what do you mean??

  ?Think about it…?

  ?Don't act mysterious, tell us!?

  Adanara sighed. She took off her hat and rested it on her lap. Her raven hair blew in the breeze and fell over her face, but she didn't even make the effort to brush it away.

  ?If she and the Evil One were one and the same…?

  Nene froze. Adanara's hypothesis was crazy beyond imagination. In the past, she would have immediately taken to arms upon hearing a witch utter such a blasphemy. Yet, she had come to know Adanara as a person and was certain of her goodwill. Thinking of Jiriel, however, she knew very little. She only knew the clumsy creature who played at imitating an ordinary, silly mortal woman, a facade for whatever the Emissary really was. She had appeared in her life out of nowhere, a manifestation that was miraculous beyond all imagination at the most convenient of times, one that had literally fallen from the sky, according to Oto.

  ?Could it really be??, Nila asked.

  ?Maybe?, her sister replied. ?Well... it's just a thought on the fly. But… What if she had a much more complex plan than we think? Maybe being among people and appearing harmless, innocent, is part of it?

  ?She freed you two from the mayor?, Nene remembered. ?She convinced me to assist you, she repelled the Evil One from my body... She also saved you from the Evil One while you were in that cell?

  Adanara bit her lower lip. She shook her hair away from her face and covered it with her hat again.

  ?It’s just a possibility. We can't rule anything out?

  ?What could "brother" mean to her??, Nila said.

  ?This is what she calls the Archangel, to whom she refers by His name?

  ?I didn't even know He had one!?, Adanara said.

  ?N-Nene, tell us more?

  ?There is not much to say... She speaks of the Archangel as an equal. She calls Him “brother” and freely expresses her disagreement with some of His principles. This is why she bet on you, on your alternative method of chasing the Evil One?

  ?The name, tell us the name!?, the witch insisted.

  ?Haven't you ever read it in your church’s books??

  ?Father Cosco has a few books, but he usually just reads them aloud during mass. Come on, spit it out!?

  ?But… it is disrespectful…?

  ?Please?, Nila begged. ?W-we're all trying to think of something else... Aren't we??

  Nene peered up at the frescoed ceiling. The darkness of the night had by then claimed the entire church, except the immediate vicinity of their fire, which kept the darkness at bay, growing dimmer as time passed. She took a breath and gathered some courage as she got ready to break yet another taboo whose usefulness she couldn’t understand anymore.

  ?Oroel?

  ?Pft?, Nila held back a laugh.

  ?What?!?

  ?Sorry… sorry… I just r-remembered when Ada had a crush on Him?

  ?Hey!?, Ada blurted out. ?In those pictures, He looked kinda… Never mind! I was little, okay??

  ?Their names, where did they come from??, Nene wondered.

  ?God must have given them or something of the sort?

  ?God?, she repeated. ?She even calls God by Its name?

  ?Does God have a name too?!?

  ?She calls It… Yave. She talks about It with admiration, but… there's something strange about her when she mentions It. Melancholy, I think. She once told me that she hopes that, one day, God will come to stay here with us?

  ?Is this part of her plan??

  ?Or her act?, Adanara surmised. ?Nene, weren't you the one who said she mimics a lot of human behaviours? How can you be sure that she admires God, or that she has feelings in general? What if it was just something she learned to mimic??

  ?I… it's something… too horrible to think about…?

  ?I think we have no choice but to confront her, t-to figure it out?

  The sound of quick footsteps came from the entrance. Nene lifted the blanket and dropped to her knees, fearing they were in danger. She brought a hand to the hilt of the sword and didn't retire it even when she recognized Kora. The shaman raised a finger to her lips, urging them to be quiet.

  ?There's someone outside?, she whispered.