“When I heard you’ve come back, I thought it was a mistake,” the albino cleric said, looking at Dallion.

While the two were friends of a sort, they weren’t exactly close. Dallion preferred to stay away from Liantol, while the albino couldn’t leave it. It seemed an eternity ago, when the cleric had been part of a hunting party sent to kill off a wounded chainling wandering the Archduke’s lands. Dallion had barely awakened back then, and was impressed to see a double-digit awakened, especially one with a magic trait.

“The bishop personally told me to be careful with what I do should you come here,” the cleric went on. “I was to prevent you from entering the citadel and call the city guard if I had to.”

“Why didn’t you?” Dallion asked.

“Only an idiot will stop a Moon’s favorite from entering a building of the Order. They can only punish me once, and being punished by a Moon is worse.”

The cynical nihilism was just as strong as Dallion remembered it to be during their first meeting. Then again, the cleric had a reason to be like this. Lacking the skill to cast spells, his name had been erased throughout the empire. The only reason he had survived was because he had joined the Order at the first opportunity, where he had remained his entire life—centuries in true time terms. From what Dallion could gather, the cleric had been beaten, starved, even imprisoned for decades within an awakened realm making him the person he was today. Not least of all, his skin condition ensured that he felt pain whenever he was exposed to direct sunlight.

Dallion followed the cleric along the common corridors to the inner section of the citadel. On the way, they passed by a room containing statues of the Moons in their mortal forms. Each was represented by the race it patroned, or so one was led to believe. According to the scrolls Dallion had read, the Purple Moon was supposed to be the Moon of nymphs, but all he could see was the generic outlines of a faceless statue; only awakened with the magic trait were allowed to see anything related to that Moon. Still, Dallion wondered whether things would be different if he held a phoenix feather in his hand.

“Have the cults been causing any more problems lately?” Dallion asked.

“That’s not funny.”

“I didn’t know they were after me. I tried to help as much as I could.”

“That’s not what the survivors said.”

Great, Dallion thought. First the Academy, then the nobles, now the Order. It was fortunate he became a hunter as soon as he did.

The cleric led on to the bishop’s chamber. Dallion expected to have a conversation with the person there, but to his surprise, the room ended up being empty. Even more surprising, the albino made his way to the empty seat behind the desk and sat there.

“I got promoted,” the cleric said in a matter-of-fact voice.

“You’re the bishop?”

“No. I’m the one who takes on the role when the bishop doesn’t want to do something. Already being cursed has its advantages, chiefly that I can always get more cursed.”

It was an interesting loophole. Since dealing with an annoying Moon favorite was a no-win scenario, the Bishop of Linatol had left someone else to handle the whole thing, namely Cleric.

“So, what do you want?”

“Give me a moment to wrap my head around this.” Dallion took a seat. “How much do you know about me?”

“I’m up to date with the chaos you caused. I also know that you’ve entered the service of Countess Priscord. That’s another reason why the bishop isn’t thrilled to see you. The countess isn’t particularly liked here, nor are her allies.”

“I’m not exactly an ally.”

“You’re close enough.”

It was somewhat unusual that the Order wouldn’t know about the aetherbird hunt, especially since everyone else seemed to know. Dallion had been left with the impression that the clerics knew everything, manipulating nobles and countries as they wished. Clearly, they weren’t infallible. Either that, or there was something more at play here.

“Nothing I say will be revealed to others?” he asked tentatively.

“I vow by the Moons,” the albino said with the annoyance of someone who used that phrase many times per day.

“I’ve been tasked with finding the phoenix. In part, that’s why I’m here.”

“The aetherbird? Didn’t expect they’d try to get rid of you that way.”

“You think it’s a wild goose chase?”

“No, it’s a death sentence. You’ve already committed to it, so if you quit, the countess has an excuse to kill you, or use you for her own political gains.”

“I don’t think so. She really has her sights on it, and she’s not the only one. So, you really don’t know anything about the aetherbird?”

“I’m just a simple cleric, not the Order itself. I know the basic gist of it. The aetherbird is the toy of the nobles. Every few years there’s a contest to find it and each time it fails. Half the nobles claim to have seen the creature with their own eyes, of course. Interestingly enough, very few hunters do. That’s because quite a few hunters have died trying.”

“How many is quite a few?”

“Impossible to say. Most had their names erased, so you couldn’t find them if you tried. You’d have to ask them directly to find out, and if they’re dead, that’s not as easy.”

“That’s possible?” Dallion blinked. For something so impressive it was the first time he heard of it.

The albino remained quiet for several seconds, looking Dallion straight in the eyes.

“No,” he finally said. “It’s not possible. The point I was trying to make is that your chances of finding out are practically non-existent. Still, I suppose I can request access to the Order’s archives. If there’s something about the creature there, it should be easy to find.”

If there were, it would also be easy to cover up. It was well known that the Order kept many secrets, just as they never shared them with the outside. Nil had often mentioned that most of the historic and skill learning scrolls originally came from the Order. The rest were personal records of noble families and discoveries among ancient ruins.

For Cleric to offer to do this, there had to be something he wanted. Cynicism had crept in, making him doubt virtually everything.

“What do you want in exchange?” Dallion asked.

“Nothing.”

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch, even for a Moon’s favorite.”

“Maybe I’m waiting for a better time to make a similar request from you. As I said, I’m just a cleric, not the Order itself.”

That sounded like a subtle hint that Cleric wanted to leave the Order. There was no way to tell for certain. As far as the world was concerned, the only way to leave the organization was to die or be excommunicated. The latter was a rare occurrence that, as far as Dallion was concerned, had never been used.

“I’d appreciate that. How long will it take you?”

“A few days, a week at most. Will you stay here for that long?”

“Probably. So, there’s nothing you can tell me now?”

“Only the question you aren’t asking.” The cleric reached into his robe and took out a small, folded piece of parchment. “Look at this.” he handed it to Dallion across the desk.

The moment Dallion’s fingers touched the parchment, the reality around him shifted.

ITEM AWAKENING

The familiar free rectangle appeared, as Dallion found himself in an endless field full of sheep and white bushes. To no surprise Cleric was also there.

This was the first time he had been effectively forced into an awakened realm and he didn’t like the sensation of it.

“I didn’t know you could do that,” he said as the blue flames of lux enveloped him.

“You can force splitting. This is like that, just different.” The albino explained in vague fashion. “The Order knows a lot. Obtaining information is quite easy. It’s keeping secrets that’s the real challenge. Once we’re done here, I’ll burn the realm. Hopefully, that will give you enough time to do what you want to do.”

The warning was too ominous to be believed, but using his music skills, Dallion was certain that his friend was telling the truth.

“Alright.” He nodded. “What do you really know?”

“Aetherbird hunts aren’t new. However, they’re never the goal, just an excuse to shake things up. I wasn’t lying when I told you that I’m unfamiliar with the specifics, or you, for that matter. However, I know the Archduke and Countess Priscord. Just as it’s a fact that the creature exists, it’s also a given that once a noble starts the hunt, the rest must take part as well. As ludicrous as it is, none can take the chance that an opponent finds something of such power unimpeded.”

Sneaky, Dallion thought. Now he knew why the countess was so open about his mission. It wouldn’t be a surprise if she herself had leaked the information as far and wide as possible. Being a hunter, Dallion had assumed it was the creature she was after. This was a rather new twist.

“It’s said that the creature could appear everywhere throughout the world. However, there’s a method to its chaos—one of Galatea’s quirks. No one can be sure where the aetherbird will appear, but when it does, it’ll remain in the general area for several months, up to a few years before moving on.”

“If a tree falls in the forest without anyone around, does it make a noise?” Dallion asked. “How can someone tell if something unseen is there?”

“They don’t have to. The prospect alone is enough. However, I think the aetherbird has appeared.”

A ball of trepidation formed within the chest of the cleric, quickly filling up the rest of his body.

“Sightings can be faked, feathers can be smuggled in a province, but no one can force the Crippled from taking interest. And he’s been doing a lot of that. You claim that the cultists that destroyed our monastery site in the western forests were targeting you. The Order knows they were, and also you aren’t the only one. Several more hunters were attacked. All of them made it out alive.”

“That’s good, then.”

“No, it’s bad.. And it’s also the reason why I must ask you to give up on the hunt.”

The request hit Dallion like a lightning bolt. This was the last thing he expected from the cleric. To make it worse, based on the bouquet of emotions fluctuating within the albino, it was clear that he was trying to help.

“The Order will welcome you,” he continued. “You’re already an initiate and favored by Felygn. The countess, the Archduke, even the emperor himself, won't be able to harm you when you’re under our protection. Trust me. I know.”

“I’ll just be changing one master for another.”

“You’re already serving a Moon. There will be no change. All you have to do is follow some of the teachings. You’ll be able to see your friends, continue your relationship with your gorgon. In time, you might even be allowed to get back to being a hunter. There have been precedents, and if there aren’t the Order is always willing to make one.”

The offer came with more limitations than benefits, which told Dallion that it was genuine. This was why he had been allowed in the citadel so easily, or at least one of the reasons. It was quite a low blow to have the Order use a friend to make their offer. Then again, that was what they did once someone became important enough to merit their attention.

“What does the order gain from this?”

“The survival of the world.”

Dallion felt chills run down his spike. The cleric was being serious.

“The Crippled has become interested in skill gems lately. He used you to get his hands on a herbology skill gem. Now that you’ve taken that back from him, he’s set his sights on the spell-casting gem. Don’t make the same mistake you did before.”

“I thought it was impossible to obtain magic.”

“Just as it was impossible to obtain empathy? There always is a way. The laws of the Moons prevent him from getting the skill directly, but he can use someone else to get it for him. Even if it's a one in a thousand chance, that isn’t a risk the Order is willing to take.”

Nil, I could use your advice on this.

I’m just as shocked as you, dear boy, the echo said. I’ve never heard of the Order taking in followers in such fashion. If anything, they are doing their best to keep high-level awakened out.

“Do I have to decide now?”

“You can take a while to think about it, but don’t take too long. The longer you’re in play, the more difficult it’ll become to end the hunt. The only condition is that upon joining, you make a Moon vow never to go through your next awakening gate. A small sacrifice when you consider the alternatives. Think it over.”