A Holy Man's Decision

Father Enzo looked over the correspondence he had received from the churches across the land. While they all followed different gods and beliefs, they were still related in the pantheon. They needed to work together to figure out the cause of the widespread miscarriages happening and the devil deals happening. They needed to learn its motivations.   Stix approaching him threw a complication into the matter. He didn’t know whether or not he could trust the supposed warlock and his fiendish master, but he did not get the sense that he orc was being deceitful. He hadn’t heard of a devil working with a mortal to prevent total corruption of a soul, but logically it was feasible to sever part of one's soul, like how one would amputate and limp to prevent a fatal toxin from reaching the heart.   He rubbed his head in frustration, finding himself at an impasse. He walked over to the book shelf and pulled out his copy of Demonic Servants, a book that described various denizens of the hells. He was willing to trust the orc, but he wanted to find more assurance about his master.   He began flipping through the pages, looking through any entries that could match what he had known about this devil. The biggest clue he had was Stix mentioning that there were various shades of grey between black and white. It really narrowed down the possibilities.   He eventually arrived on the article ‘Orobas Devils’. He had read the book countless times before, but never once remembered reading this article. He raised a brow as he read through. They were described as protecting those from the torment of evil spirits in exchange for their loyalty. Large, black anthropomorphic stallions that put a stop and untrue statements and lies. They were still evil beings in nature, but they directed their ire and plans towards other devils and outer beings, rather than towards mortals.   It went against everything he knew of devils, and made him consider Stix’s words more carefully. He was not wrong in saying not all priests worked in complete faith to their gods. Some had stolen from the faithful and the church itself. In fact, it has been believed that the gods themselves have been known to commit evil acts to ensure for the better good. Those fighting against evil often have to commit evil acts to get ahead of their foes.   He had never considered that devils and fiends may work on the same laws and rules.   Enzo placed a marker on the article for future references and looked to the window. It was extremely late, the meeting with Stix rattling him. The light from the lanterns flickered as the oil within began dying out. “I should meet with the Woodhams tomorrow and tell them the truth.” He said aloud, rising from the desk to head home.       Enzo couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t get the Woodhams and the strange orc out of his mind. He sat on his couch, looking into hot cocoa as everything went over in his mind. The late autumn air was only kept at bay by the fire in the fireplace and blankets. Much of what he knew was opposed in a single day, and as blasphemous as it would appear, he wanted to know more.   He felt like he knew everything he needed to know of his goddess, Fililia, but not much of the forces that opposed her. Fililia was the goddess of nature and cultivation, essentially everyone in the town of Brishwater was a follower of her. She brings bountiful harvests, being credited for the success of the town. Even in times when there was drought or disaster, the fields always remained fertile and producing so long as everyone remained hard working.   She also… also…   Enzo sighed. He didn’t actually know that much of her other than the basics. He had followed her teachings for so long they had become so ingrained into him. He found it difficult to separate what was him and what was her teaching. <<Expand later>>     Stix stayed at the tavern for most of the day. Staying sober all day proved difficult with the bar trying to push him drinks, but he needed to gather as much information as he could and needed to keep a stable mind. He was able to get a list of names of the many bards who performed there, but getting anything else was difficult.   Brishwater was a central trading hub, with shipment being sent across Ferallum. It was a prime location for the mortal minion of the devil to operate out of, but the size of the town made it hard to narrow down potential suspects. It could be an individual, or even an entire shipping company. Furthermore, if the suspect learns he is tracking them down, it may put him in danger.   Not that he couldn’t defend himself, but it would cause a scene which he didn’t want. He was already an Orc out of his element, and he didn’t want to make things more difficult.   Stix played with the mashed potatoes on his plate during evening dinner, not happy with any of the progress he ultimately made. He didn’t expect to have to contact The Firm tonight, but he would have rathered had found something to go on. He had considered approaching the Fairland Merchant Company about their caravans, but was worried about being too upfront.   “Something wrong with your food?” A familiar voice came.   Stix looked up to see the familiar Father Enzo standing at his table. “Father, I didn’t expect to see you after yesterday.”   “I had some time to think about your request, that is all.” He explained, lowering himself into the chair. He motioned to the tavern wench, who proceeded to bring over a fine goblet of red wine. “Who you are and what you believe in is really a non-factor in this matter we both are concerned about.” He admitted, looking down at the wine. “The fact of the matter is that people are being taken advantage of by outside forces, and we both want to find an end to it, even if it might be for different reasons.”   Stix smiled honestly, glad to find equal ground with the holy man. He finally brought himself to take a bite of his meal before continuing. “Well, I am glad we have an agreement. As I said, I don’t expect you to do anything so serious, but are you certain? I do have a lead, your assistance would be helpful, but it may involve divulging some information about those that trust you.”   Enzo shivered, but he nodded tripdently. “As long as it is related to our shared goal.”   “Come to my room, we can discuss it there.”   When the two were settled and Stix finished his meal, the two retired to Stix’ room. Stix sprang for a larger room for himself, knowing he might be having meetings like this one. He moved two of the chairs and the desk provided together to make the meeting more formal, giving the impression that he knew what he was doing.   “If you do not mind, I think as we are both on the same page, it would be best for my contact to be here.” Stix offered.   “Your contact? You mean your patron. An actual devil? Here?” Enzo stammered.   “It will actually be his partner, an imp.” Stix corrected as he took a paper out of his pack. He began unfolding it, revealing it to be a small summoning circle. “I find it easier just to have these ready on standby instead of drawing them out everytime.”   “I don’t think this is a good idea.” Enzo warned, stepping back. “What if someone came in?”   “Then put the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign up if you're so concerned. Would you rather me use your office at the church?”   “No, but…”   Stix threw the little hanging sign to the priest and grinned. “Then just hang this on the doorknob and we will be fine.”   Enzo flushed red, realizing there was really no backing out now. He opened the door and quickly hung up the sign before slamming it quickly. As he did, Stix lit the incense to attract Inkwell. Enzo expected it to be a foul smelling concoction, but was surprised by the pleasant, energizing aura it exuded.   “What kind of concoction is that?” Enzo asked, not sure if he should be impressed or disgusted.   “Jasmine and Lemon Extract.” Stix replied. “The hells are filled with the stench of death already, it's not like something that is normal for them would attract them.”   He stepped back, and looked to the Priest. “And now we wait.”   “We, wait? No chanting, no ritual, just draw out a circle and wait?” Enzo exclaimed.   Stix motioned to the circle. “The rituals and chanting you often hear mortals doing are not needed.” He explains, looking to the priest. “It's the circle that is the main conduit, as soon as it is drawn out correctly, a passage is formed between the circle and the fiend. Essentially they can hear and smell anything through it, and pull themself through as well.”   “Then the chanting is…”   Stix smirked. “People degrading themselves in Infernal. If I wanted to, I could just say, ‘get your ass in here, Inkwell’ and it would work the same as an elaborate and complicated speech about how much I suck.” He explained. “The incense however is a message to him. Basically, ‘I have a lead, get to me when you can’, and the constant smell is a reminder I want to speak to him.”   “Seems rather… normal.” Enzo said. “And you can just lay out that mat and summon him whenever.”   “Sort of… specifically only in areas where a main Summoning Circle was previously drawn to summon his boss, and I don’t contact the big guy unless there is a severe need to.” Stix explained. “If you don’t mind me asking, how do holy men contact their patrons.”   Enzo looked at the orc. “Prayer for the most part,” he explained. “When we are earnest in our belief, we get this, feeling that our words are being heard. Like a pressure on the edge of the mind. When we are especially in danger, they even sometimes grant us a portion of their power.” he glanced down at his jacket, his holy symbol tucked in his inside pocket. When he thought of it it grew warm against his chest, briefly staving off the autumn chill. “Fililia may not answer all the time, but I still feel she is close to me.”   “And what do you think she would do if she knew you were consorting with fiends and warlocks?” Stix asked, leaning back in his chair. “You didn’t exactly seem thrilled about what the Woodhams did, or my nature.”   “Well, I looked all day… and.” He looked down at the wine. “I never actually found any teachings on not consorting with evil forces…” he explained. “And yet, as I sit here, talking to you and agreeing to meet with a fiend directly, I still feel Fililia with me. She still supports my choice despite it seeming wrong.”   Stix nodded understandingly. “It’s like I said before. Not everything out there is black and white. Sometimes bad things need to be done for good reasons, and good things need to be done for bad reasons.”   “And what's the reason you, or rather your boss, is helping us mortals?”   Stix sighed, looking at the priest. “Normally when a devil makes a deal, it's for a claim on a soul upon the death of the mortal.” He explains, taking out a copy of ‘Dealing with Intentions’ and handing it to him. “Contracts that devils have mortals sign are designed to almost always be in the best interest of the devil, but a lot of the time these contracts are opportunistic in nature, they are rarely planned and the terms of them are thought up on the spot. Then, the devil twists the meaning of the words to suit their needs. These contracts however often have poor wording, and with careful thought mortals can escape them.”   Father Enzo looked at the cover of the book. “The Lesser Evil Firm?” He questioned.   “That’s the firm I work for.” Stix explained. “Essentially, rather than exploiting mortals in unfortunate situations, they help get mortals out of the contracts they signed by finding those poor wording within the contract and exploiting them. If they can free you, the soul is cleansed of the taint and corruption, freeing it from damnation.”   Enzo nodded, as he flipped through the book. “It seems a little too good to be true. What is in it for your employer?”   “Well, rather than take your entire soul at your death, he instead takes a small portion upfront as payment.” He explains. “Often this is in the form of an important object that one is attached to, like in my case, my name.”   “Your name?”   “In orc culture, you receive your name when you slay your first solo quarry. At that point you are recognized as an adult and mature. Without a name, you are constantly treated as a runt.” He shrugged. “The word Stix translated from orcish is Runt. My identity is that of a Runt.”   “What was your name?”   “I can’t say it, it's part of the deal I made with the big guy. Can’t really even recall it, it's just sort of a hazy fog in my mind.”   Enzo showed concern to the orc, which he was able to pick up on quickly. “There is nothing to feel sorry about. The way I see things, it's a reminder of a mistake I made in the past, one I won’t make again. That’s essentially what the payments to my boss are. Reminders that you screwed up badly. Things could be a lot worse for me.”   “So what did your boss get out of your deal?”   “My loyalty, for the most part.” He stated. “He hasn’t really ever asked me to do anything outside of my abilities, I don’t feel like he is taking advantage of me or anything. Heck, I could go months at a time without him contacting me, and still get paid the same amount he allotted me each season.” He smiled at the priest. “Guy is still an asshole, don’t get me wrong about that, but he kind of just found a different way to do things without meddling in mortal affairs too much.”   “I appreciate the kind words and everything, green skin, but can we move things along.” A high pitched voice squeaked.   Inkwell sat at the desk, holding Enzo’s wine glass between two of his clawed fingers. “Seems you brought a snack for me… and here I thought I was the one who owed you a meal.”