The Church is for the Broken

JP with Hunter, Voah and Friar Jassin

After breakfast and a lot of convincing by the twins, Hunter put on his coat and one crutch to use as a walking stick for support. He was now able to slowly walk on his bad leg but he preferred to not fall outside. His pride was already past its limits as it is. So he hobbled out in the cold as the twins walked with him till they separated and made their way to their booth. Hunter watched them leave and considered going back to the shack, but he knew he would get a lecture from the twins later on if he didn't go. So he trudged his way to the Shrine of Kupen to meet the friar.

The Shrine of Kupen had been the first building ever built by the first wave of settlers arriving a few years back on the newly discoverer lands of Arcadia. The three ships had dropped anchor just off Pearl Bay after almost two month journey into the unknown of the Sea of Storms.

When many had wanted turn back after 20 odd days it had been Friar Jassin's faith and unshakable belief that the gods would lead them to land and keep the expedition on course. That and the fact that Sir Zane had hung a dozen or so of mutineers half through the voyage, leaving their bodies to drift upon the masts for days on end.

Kupen's Shrine had been the first building in what was to become Ostiarium. The city rose around it. It was a simple Tempe of stone and wood. Not very large, at the centre of Suncross Square. Every day the Friar and his acolytes ministered to the masses. Some days with sermons, readings from the Sky Scrolls, other days helping the most needy in the settlement with advice, food clothing and making sure everyone had a job.

Friar Jassin's influence in the settlement stretched far and wide and he was considering by many the father of Ostiarium and the steward of its morality among the faithful.

Hunter was not feeling to good about going to the friar for help. It went against his training and conditioning. He entered the shrine and looked around at its construction and then for the friar.

Hunter sees the unmistakable tall thin figure of Friar Jassin in his blue robes. He is near the altar praying. You decide to sit and contemplate the space while the man finishes his litanies.

As Hunter sits patiently, he can’t help wonder why he was even in this shrine much less waiting on the friar to pray. During his whole life he had seen and done a great many things that would haunt the strongest of men for life in the name of a power hungry Noble. However not once had any god intervened for or against him once. The whole belief that the gods cared and looked over the people sounded more like a scam to control the poor and ignorant. However he he was waiting for someone or something to guide him somehow. After seeing that the friar was not going to finish anytime soon he decided to apologize and interrupt the friar as he said, “I was hoping to get some uh…………..guidance but if you’re busy I will come back another time.” Hunter had a puzzled expression on his face like he had seen to many bad things in life.

The Friar smiled. Looking at Hunter's crutch he sat down in a bench nearby allowing the injured man to sit across from him with room to stretch his leg.

"What kind of...Guidance, my son?" He asked.

Hunter looked uncomfortable as he looked around and then at the friar again before saying, “Well this a new thing for me. My caregivers you could say insisted I come here to discover that thing called faith. “

The Friar looked at the young man. He had seen the look before. Young men and women that at one point or another in their life had their sense of importance and place in the world stripped bare. Many turned to faith times such as these. Times that tested you to your core.

"And what do you want? Do you want to be here?"

Hunter tried to think of a good answer but came up empty. He looked at the friar and replied, “I don’t know. To be honest I am still new to the concept of freedom.” Hunter scratched his head as he gushed the friar’s reaction. Then he continued, “You see I was raised as a tool for killing since I was knee high. You could say it my only purpose in life. However there came a time when I was no longer needed and since I was trained to survive I escaped and wound up here of all places. I had little trouble getting a job as a scout with my skills but I found it difficult to work with others who are flawed. Then our last mission was a suicidal one and we were surprisingly outclassed by the savage enemy. I can’t say much about the others but I should have died back there. Not only did I fail in my mission, but I was defeated and then rescued from death by others I barely know.” Hunter rubbed his neck as he looked at the friar. Then he asked, “Why did they do that?” Hunter didn’t realize just how much he said at this point.

The Friar listened intently. The young man was clearly wrestling with some personal dilemma although it was not apparent to the older man exactly what what that was. The Friar, of course knew of the mission to Sentinel Island.

"Why wouldn't your companions help you? You are a scout, likely a hunter too. Surely you understand why a pack is stronger than a lone wolf?"He hoped the analogy made sense. "Do you believe you are not flawed when you speak of others who are? What flaws are these you speak off?" He asked with genuine curiosity.

Hunter was puzzled by the friar’s. He understood the concept of what the friar said but he didn’t understand how it applied to him. Then he said, “I am guessing the Arbiter kept my secret after all. My apologies friar. You see the organization I was raised by was very strict and ruthless. We competed to the death regularly and were only give an education, assassin training and missions. Friendship, family, culture and anything outside the mission was banned because it made us weak. We didn’t even have a name, just a purpose. I am called Hunter because I hunt people. If we failed in any mission we were executed. I survived because I was was very good at my job. So as you can see your logic is the opposite of was I was conditioned to believe.”

The Friar looked at the young man. He was not surprised. Everyone experienced hardship in life. No one had monopoly on pain. "You didn't answer my question." He said smiling.

Hunter recalled the friar did ask some questions before. Hunter thought he answered them but since the friar asked again he decided to address. So he addressed the first question first as he replied, “Clearly our understanding of companion differs. The armed fighters I traveled with are just hired help like myself. The only companions I have are the twins I share a bed with now and then. Now as for the question on flawed teammates………… well to be fair I am a flawed weapon now. I am not worth saving. A broken weapon is useless, so why save me?”

“I’m no smith but I know that a broken blade can be reforged…” came the voice of the Arbiter from across the room. “And I’m sure that YOU especially have some skill with improvised weapons.”

Hunter turned and was a bit shocked to see Voah. At that moment pain surged through his body and his emotions began to overwhelm him. He struggled to find the words to say after seeing her alive before him. He rubbed his eyes to make sure it really was her and not his delusions. Hunter finally managed to ask, "Why would you put value on something like me? I am not even like you all?"

Voah was surprised to hear the man speaking at all and with such feeling. He had always been so quiet but now, he seemed to be in trouble. She slowly walked closer, her Mizaran accent was thicker than usual as she spoke, “You don’t think your life has value? My dear, Hunter… Everyone of us has value even if we cannot see it in ourselves. Maybe we are different from each other… But I think you will find there are similarities… if you do not make yourself blind to them.”

She found herself a bit overcome with mixed feelings as well at the sight of him in the shrine of all places. She covered her face for a second. There was a tear, a smile and a choked laugh.

“It is good to see you.”

She wanted to ask all of the questions about the others and about himself but he was here for answers.

Hunter was on the verge of tears as his breathing became erratic. Then he asked, "How did you survive?"

She just gulped back tears of her own with eyebrows raised in an expression of uncertainty and disbelief, she shook her head as if to say ‘I don’t know.’

“The others? What of them?”

Hunter sighed as he replied, "I only know what my caregivers told me. Tarmen was patched up and sent to the soldier barracks. Nicolaus has been sending me medicine through my caregivers, I am not sure about Till and Alexis, but I heard she was seen about. I was not sure you survived. I have yet to see any of them as I was in bad shape. I haven't been outside much. To make it worse I still have nightmares about that monster mocking me as he moved like the wind."

“I… got separated from Alexis… and fought to survive… but we both made our way to the beach. There I found you all… except Till, I fear that Zin claimed him around the time our group split.” she grabbed Till’s necklace and showed Hunter.

“It sounds like everyone else made it out alive.” she said with some relief.

“That one-legged demon! I don’t know what Nicolaus was thinking by talking to it but… the creature tried to claim YOU. By the Gods it was fast but it’s whirlwind could not withstand the holy sword of Vastad. I cut him down but alas, that is all I can recall.”

She struggled with the last few words as a coughing fit took her. She stepped back from Hunter and the Friar.

“I am sorry, I am imposing. We can speak later.” She felt bad about interrupting Hunter’s talk with the Friar and was worried about getting them sick. She still had no idea what sickness had taken her or whether it was contagious.

Hunter tried to stand up but stumbled a bit as his leg was to relaxed. He was shocked that she killed the redcap and asked, "If I train like you will I be able to defeat that thing next time?"

“I cannot say for certain what weapons could harm one of those creatures in their dust form except for the Holy Sword… but in its man form, I imagine anyone fast enough to get a lethal strike on one can kill it. But again, I don’t know for sure. One man alone? Maybe. Better chances with many distractions keeping it outnumbered. I don’t think you need any additional physical training to fight it, Hunter. Perhaps your confidence was misplaced. It can be overwhelming to witness such things of magikal nature and it can fill your mind with uncertainty, but the Gods despise magik and faith can help protect you from that uncertainty.”

It was true, if she hadn’t had such faith, which at times was shaky, she was sure to be overwhelmed by the magik users she had encountered in her past. The Pillars gave her the certainty to face them alone even though she nearly died.

“That being said. You are welcome to train with me anytime.”