“What do you mean none of us can pick a lock?” Taaffeite hissed as she glared at her husband and Hans. 

“What need for lock picking have I ever had?” Alastair shrugged.

“The guard employs a locksmith,” Hans replied, looking at Alexa.

“It never seemed like a useful skill.” Alexa let out a weak laugh as they all turned to Amethyst.

Why don’t we just, you know, break the door? Hecatolite’s voice rang in her mind causing her to sigh. 

“We can’t pick locks either.” She replied, shaking her head.

“Can’t you just” Hans made a scratching motion to the large lock that hung from the warehouse’s large double door. “Let her break it?”

“Hecatolite and I can’t switch places anymore, we are out of time. Babylon says once I go back to the soul space I will likely be suppressed again and she’s worried about doing that.” Amethyst summoned a terminal besides herself that repeated.

“It is not advisable to allow Hecatolite to cast magic while sharing the physical body given this will risk overloading your mana channels with two separate souls providing power. Also do note, Hecatolite has regained most of her aether. Once Amethyst surrenders control of her body it is likely she will be suppressed again until Hecatolite can lower her aether pool again. If you cannot rectify this before she regains more of her power, she will suppress Amethyst regardless of who is in control of the body.”

“And given it took her three weeks to lower it enough last time, we should avoid that if possible.” Alexa shook her head. “Hopefully whatever it is we are here to get can help.”

Alastair chuckled as he stepped up to the door. “Well, no point in waiting around out here,” he grabbed the great sword at his side and hoisted it into the air. 

“Now wait you oaf.” Taaffeite quickly stepped between him and the door, “or do you want to let the whole city know the Marquess is out here breaking into private property? We should see if there is another way?”

“Not to mention the priest that we know is in there.” Hans added as he looked around, “the report says that there is a small service door on the other side of the building that leads to an office like room on the other side of the storage area, but that is likely locked as well.” 

“Kicking in an office door would be quieter than blasting the lock off the loading doors,” Alastair lowered his sword. “Did the report say anything else about who was inside?”

“No, just the priest driving a cart. He got here early this morning and locked himself in, since then, no one has come or gone from inside.” Hans replied as he inspected the doors again. 

“And your watchmen couldn’t identify what was in the cart?” Alexa asked as Hans shrugged.

“It's a flower cart  apparently, he was moving the bodies of the bishop and paladin. So, the guards couldn’t search it at the gates since it is being used for a “religious” reason as per the queen's decree to not hinder the worship of faiths in her lands.” Taaffeite answered for him as she walked to the side of the building. “Alastair with me, we will go through the back door and see if we can’t get the key from the priest. You three stay out here and keep watch, Hans guard them, Amethyst and Hecatolite you two stay by Hans. If anything happens Alexa, I expect you to call for me and your father. Wake the whole city up if you have to you understand?”

Alexa nodded as she clutched her staff to her chest, she had trained with her parents and the guard for situations exactly like this. Yet the full weight of the situation was finally getting to her as she looked at her parents. If we are wrong, the church will not take this lying down, her gaze fell on her younger sister, if we are right however, this could very easily force Crown into the war.

After a few minutes they could hear a slight crunch of a door being smashed, but all fell silent after. They sat in silence, Alexa and Hans keeping vigilant for any sign of danger.

This is boring, can’t we just kick the door in and steal the cart. Why all this cloak and dagger, the cult started all of this.

“Stop calling the church a cult.” Amethyst replied. “And what do you mean they started all of this?”

They attacked us? For what? existing? I like existing, I know you do too. So, it's only fair we take their cart to keep existing. Also stop talking out loud, people will think you’re schizophrenic. 

“What is schizophrenic?” She asked, attempting to say the unfamiliar word.

“It means crazy.” A voice called from the darkness causing all three to tense as they looked around.

What? Don’t they have crazy people here? Weird, wait who said that?

“Who is there?” Alexa called into the dark street ahead as Hans moved to shield Amethyst. 

Alarm bells rang in Amethyst's mind as two figures appeared before them. One a tall muscular man holding a golden shield in front of himself blocking them from seeing him. The other however was a smaller boy, about Applejack's size, wearing long white robes with a gold sword hanging from his hip though he stood holding both his hands out showing his palms to them as he stepped forward.

“They are dangerous.” Amethyst whispered as Hans placed his tower shield between her and the two men. 

Really? Is that this noise in here, your danger sense? Mines not reacting at all, weird. Maybe it’s because you’re driving?

“That's a little rude don’t you think? I assure you we mean no harm.” The robed boy said as he stopped his advancement. “We simply wish to know why you are standing in front of the church's warehouse?”

Amethyst could feel Han’s tense as he shielded her, she could feel the slight movement of mana as he locked his shield in front of her and released it, allowing it to obscure her as he looked around it.

---

Bolin watched as the armored man cast a spell on his shield. That seems useful, he thought as it seemed to stay in place after he released it, freeing his hands as he pulled a short sword from his waist.

“Does the church employ children now?” The tall woman in robes asked, though her tone seemed stiff, almost hostile though she made no movement to raise her strange silver staff.

Good, she doesn’t want to fight. I can work with this. “Yes, they have sent us to assist Father Joshua in moving the bodies of our fallen to a ship waiting in the docks.” Bolin bowed, “I am Bolin, Priest in training of the Holy father Valor. This is Yaroslav, Paladin in training. We were sent here to retrieve Father Joshua and his precious cargo and escort them back to the holy lands.” They wouldn’t attack children even if they are hostile to the church. He grinned as he looked up, the woman’s eyes seeming to flash a sickening black as she looked back at him.

---

What stared back at Alexa was not a child’s soul, no it was a monstrosity. It looked like a large reptilian man that seemed to pulse red as smoke seemed to waft off it, standing on its hind legs as it looked back at her with glowing ruby eyes. She was stunned looking at it, towing over them as if waiting to pounce. Surprisingly the sword on his back seemed to be part of his soul, still clearly visible as it radiated with a blinding golden energy that wrapped around it like golden tentacles.

Ooo that ones Russian. Even in Solresol it sounds Russian. Ask him if he is Russian man who fights bears in the woods? I wonder if they have vodka here. What’s the drinking age in this world?

“Can you shut up for five seconds.” Amethyst whispered only to have her sister start counting. The act somehow caused her trembling knees to find strength as she let out a groan causing Bolin to look quizzically at the shield that blocked her.

You're right, your poor tiny liver couldn’t handle vodka… maybe another time.

“But we did not expect to find a group waiting at the door, are you perhaps local followers of the church?”

Alexa shook her head, canceling her soul sight as she looked back at the young man. “No, we are with the city guard investigating a disturbance in the area. You wouldn’t mind opening the door for us, would you?” She took a moment to finally inspect them, only to find her skill blocked as she tried to call their soul pages.

---

“I am afraid I can not do that, only Father Joshua has the key to the door you see.” Bolin straightened himself, “and to allow you to search the cart would break the preservation seals on it, not to mention it would be an insult to bishop Alexander, I am sure you understand.” He replied not taking his eyes off the shield with the strange girl hiding behind it. The man who had placed it clearly visible as he stood with the girl between him and the shield.

Robert won’t be able to grab her if that man doesn’t move. He sighed internally as he looked back to the woman, her eyes going back to normal as he inspected her. Well Robert was not wrong; she is quite beautiful.

---

Alexa glanced back at Hans who simply shrugged, unlike Alexa he had carefully inspected the boys. They stood in defensive stances, and their weapons looked eerily like the staff Alexa now held before Hecatolite had… broken it. He couldn’t help but laugh at the audacity of two children caring around relics of Valor as he finally spoke. “I don’t think they are going to simply let us take the cart…” He stopped himself from speaking Alexa’s name, knowing that if the boys ran back to the church a little piece of information like a name could spell disaster for the family.

“I don’t think they will either.” Alexa nodded as she looked back at the young man who seemed stunned by their blatant conversation. “What kind of priest in training carries a long sword anyway and a relic at that?” She had also noticed the gaudy golden weapons and drawn the same conclusion that Hans had.

Bolin tensed as he glared at them, His eyes flashed with power as he identified the woman.

Name: Alexandrite Lapidary

Age: 20

Race: Human

Titles: Archmage, Scholar, Ice mage, Medic, Chosen of Siofra.

Traits: Ice affinity, healing affinity, Dual affinity, inquisitive, strong will, Bilingual, ancient knowledge, short tempered, Mana bathed, well educated, Blessed by Siofra.

Skills; Frost magic, Healing magic, spell circle creation greater, inspection, spell chant negation, mana mastery, first aid, etiquette, housework lesser, Alchemy, enchanting greater, teaching, Soul sight, Parallel though.

Bloodline skill: Babylon

Alexa felt the tingle of an identification spell as she cursed, “I really should learn a deception still.”

“And here I figured you some common thugs,” he looked to the shield that obscured the other two.

Anchoring shield, this shield is enchanted with a spatial locking spell that will render it unmovable once activated. This shield is soul bound and will reject use by anyone other than Hans Pensworth.

“It would seem I am mistaken,” he let his hands fall to his side. “You are clearly here to steal from the church, though I cannot fathom why?” his body seemed to stiffen as he looked to the boy holding the shield and whispered in the same harsh language Hecatolite spoke when she first arrived.

---

O wow those guys are probably those summoned people Taaffeite was talking about, that kids speaking English… I can’t make out everything he’s saying… something about the other two not being here… 

“Are… are we going to have to fight….” Amethyst's voice cut through the night as the four others stood in a stalemate. “Hecatolite says they are likely the summoned heroes.” She leaned against the shield afraid to look around it. “We can just let them take the cart; we don’t have to fight.”

“I do agree, fighting would likely not be very beneficial to either of us.” Bolin cut his hushed conversation short. “Who is Hecatolite, and how did she know we were Heroes?”

“That would be information you don’t share before a fight.” Hans hissed as he looked down at the shrinking girl.

“I am sorry sir…” She flinched as she was about to say his name.

Blaa go ahead and tell them. I bet Hans and Alexa can take them, I mean did you see that ugly shield? The one I made Hans is like a million times cooler, I bet that one doesn’t even float. 

“Hecatolite you’re not helping!” Amethyst yelled as her legs began to shake again. “I don’t want them to fight, you said yourself you didn’t want to fight so why would it matter if they could win!”

It's not about wanting to Amethyst, I said I won’t go looking for a fight. Hecatolite voice came calm and even as she spoke to her sister. Answer the kid, I am sorry Amethyst, but I doubt it will change anything. 

Amethyst was nearly in tears as she looked up at Hans. “I don’t want people to die because of me.”

The look on her face tore at the older man’s heart as he put a hand on her head. “Well then, as a knight of the Lapidary family, it is my job to be sure no one does.” He knew it was a promise he could never fulfill yet he couldn’t help but say it in hopes to ease the burden on the young woman.

With a thunderclap a Babylon screen appeared behind Hans, its appearance causing everyone to jump as it spoke. ““Hecatolite'' is an entity currently inhabiting the young woman's body, to answer your question” its voice distorted to mimic Hecatolite, “you're speaking English you moron, how could anyone miss it. O yea I can ask now, hey shield guy, you got vodka? Also have you fought any bears? Do they have bears here… are they normal bears, or like evil magic bears… what do you mean both… hey wait stop the message at vodka, hey don’t send that you stupid box!” 

Bolin stood slack jawed at the appearance of a talking computer screen; he had been told of the “voice of the world”, but he hadn’t seen it yet, and this strange red screen was not what he expected. Yaroslav simply let out a low laugh unable to see around his shield. 

“Well… that… is interesting.” Bolin finally said as he could hear soft crying coming from the shield.

Alexa rolled her eyes as her shoulders slouched, “why? You could have done anything else.” She sighed as she lifted her staff again. “Ok so we answered your question, so why are two heroes here to pick up some bodies?”

Bolin chuckled as he motioned to grab his sword, at the movement however, there was a brilliant flash of golden light and Yaroslav appeared before him as a wall of ice slammed into his ready shield. The ice seemed to dome around the shield creating a wall before them as it outlined the defensive barrier he had created.

“So, it’s like that then, well we can’t say we didn’t try.” Bolin sighed as he drew his sword, the blade erupting into gold and red flames. 

Alexa had reacted to the movement of the boy attempting to grab his sword, before she even fully realized her parallel mind attempted to freeze him solid only to be shocked by her spell forming a dome of ice where the two had stood.

She watched in amazement as the ice began to melt at an alarming rate, she took a deep breath and pushed mana into her vocal cords. “Mom, we have a problem!” her scream shook the ground around her as it blasted through the clam night just as the ice wall had started to crack.