Oplar’s office was far cleaner than I had expected.

  It was a large room, with many smaller rooms all connected to it. There was a huge square table in the center, but the center of it was raised and fashioned into large wall-like boards. They were littered with letters, notes and maps. They were the messiest part of the room, but they were still in an ordered fashion with not a one being unrelated to the stuff around it. Around the large table, except where there were open doorways to the other rooms, were shelves aplenty. Each shelf had rolls of scrolls, stacks of books, or bins full of papers and notes.

  The whole room smelled of paper and ink, but there was also a strange smell of metal. Maybe silver or coins? It’d not surprise me if one of the rooms had boxes full of money or something, based off the smell.

  “This is Nessa. And over there are her daughters, Bless and Laura,” Oplar introduced me to her human workers, and I happily smiled in greeting.

  “Oh…? Is she the one? Vim’s wife?” Nessa hurried away from the shelf she had been standing in front of to approach. As she did her daughters, who both had been sitting at the square table in the center, stood up as well.

  “She is the one indeed! So careful what you say, no talking about your fantasies of him you’ve had over the years, girls!” Oplar happily said as she stepped away to head into one of the side-rooms.

  I stopped looking at her as I glanced at Nessa, the older woman who had stepped forward to extend her hand in greeting… who had flinched and groaned.

  “Uh… she’s teasing. Really,” Nessa said quickly, as if embarrassed.

  I smiled as I took her now fidgeting hand and shook it. “It’s okay; I know what she’s like. My name is Renn, it’s nice to meet you,” I said.

  Nessa relaxed rather visibly as the two younger women approached to meet me too. Only one of them was dressed in the gray robes of the church, the other and her mother were dressed like common townsfolk.

  “Renn? Where you from?” the one without the robe asked.

  “The far north. Where it snows more than not,” I answered as the one in the robe held her hand out and smiled gently.

  I took it and noted the thin fingers. She felt odd for some reason. Odd enough to make me question if she really was human or not. They were human though, I thought. Oplar had mentioned that they were not just humans, but from one of the orphanages the Society ran. At least, Nessa was.

  “Laura. It’s a pleasure to meet you Renn, I’ve always wondered what kind of person Vim would find himself attached to,” Laura said as we shook hands.

  I frowned. “You’re not Bless?” I asked. She was the one wearing the robe!

  Oplar’s mighty laugh filled the room, even though she herself was still in the other room. “Right!” she shouted between her laughs.

  I smiled gently as the girl in robes blushed a little, as her sister leaned forward and patted the girl in robes on the shoulder. “Ma’ got us mixed up. But it’s not their fault, I got married early,” Bless said.

  Oh…?

  The three women smiled and giggled at each other, obviously finding humor in something they’ve all long since seen as a family joke or something.

  The sight of them all acting so familiar made me somewhat jealous for some reason.

  Not just because I longed for that familiar closeness… but also because I now wanted to work here.

  If this was the kind of environment Oplar got to enjoy all the time, then it was no wonder she was such a jubilant person. I wanted this too!

  “Still! I must say I’m very interested. I know this is likely rude, so you can brush it off if you want, but I really wish to ask…” Nessa stepped closer, and I smiled as I perked up as she glanced around… as if someone else would suddenly appear if she didn’t. Then after confirming we were all alone, she nodded and lowered her voice. “Vim. Is he the type to whisper? Or does he keep that monotone voice and attitude? Even when flirting?” she asked.

  I couldn’t help it, I laughed.

  The three startled a little, but eventually went to smiling and giggling too. “He does whisper sometimes!” I told them.

  “Aye he does! They flirt something mightily, like I told you!” Oplar said as she returned to the room.

  I nodded. “Yes. He has an odd way of doing so, but he does indeed flirt with me often,” I admitted.

  “Gosh…! See! I told you we should have went!” Bless said to her mother.

  “What? It’s rude to intrude…” Nessa mumbled.

  “Intrude…?” I asked Oplar who stepped over to me.

  “To our party. Many of the humans were invited, but they all decided it was rude to intervene,” she told me.

  Ah… “Really…?” I asked the three.

  The three nodded gently, and I felt oddly humbled.

  Honestly I would have been more than happy to have the human members come too. If anything it had bothered me that they hadn’t, and the few who had shown up had only done so to drop off food and drinks as if mere servants. But I understood why they hadn’t, all the same. Plus…

  Smiling at them, I wondered what to say or think. They had not come out of respect. To let us all feel comfortable, and have time alone.

  Such a strange kindness.

  “Well, I’d offer to let you three see it for yourselves but sadly we need to go. I’ll be heading out again, Nessa,” Oplar said as she lifted whatever she had gathered up in the other room. It was some kind of leather pouch, like a side bag. Maybe it was full of letters.

  Nessa nodded gently at Oplar. “We shall do our best without you, O’ dear leader,” she said to Oplar.

  Oplar chuckled and nudged me with an elbow as she did. “See Renn? I’m so important they can’t wait to get rid of me!”

  I sighed at her and glanced to the three women. “I feel for you. I bet half your duties are cleaning up her messes,” I said.

  “What! I take offense to that; I make bigger messes than that! They’ll need multiple jobs to handle them!” Oplar declared, laughing as she stepped away to head for the door to her office.

  I shook my head at her as Nessa and the girls smiled and nodded. “Farewell, then. It was nice meeting you Renn. Are you leaving with Oplar? Or?” Nessa asked carefully.

  “Ah. No. I’m not leaving with her but I am leaving in a few days. With Vim,” I said.

  “Hm…” Nessa frowned and nodded, and I wondered if it’d bother them... Or Oplar, if I asked if I could come visit them again before I did.

  I kind of wanted to spend time with them. I wasn’t sure why, but…

  “You can come visit them if you want Renn. Just don’t bring Vim when you do, they’ll write letters and spread who knows what kind of stories about you otherwise,” Oplar said happily.

  “What? Only a few, maybe two or three!” Bless said with a laugh as she stepped away to head back to her chair.

  “We would not. Not a letter,” Laura argued worriedly.

  “I’d like to visit, actually. Do you all work every day here?” I asked.

  “All but the holy day,” Laura said.

  Oh. I didn’t know what day that was… but if it was just one day then I was bound to run into them again if I came here every day for the next few days.

  “Okay. I’ll come visit. I’ll make sure to bring Vim too, when I do,” I said as I turned to join Oplar. She had already opened the door and was now waiting for me.

  “Please do!” Bless shouted from her desk.

  “Yes. We’ll look forward to it. I’ll make sure to prepare snacks,” Nessa said.

  “Goodbye Renn,” Laura said lightly.

  Waving goodbye, I decided to do just that as I left.

  Oplar shut the office door loudly with a huff, and I heard the small chatter of hushed whispers from the three women as we stepped away.

  “Should I not?” I asked Oplar. Had that huff been one of annoyance?

  “Huh…? Oh. No. You can visit. Nessa and her family are one of the few people I trust here. Fully. I’d not let them work in my mailroom otherwise, Renn,” Oplar said with a smile. A real one.

  “Then…?”

  “I’m tired. I’ve been up the last few nights, and my head still kind of hurts from all the drinking,” she told me.

  Oh. “Yet you’re going to leave? Shouldn’t you rest?” I asked.

  “I can’t. I have the vote letters to deliver, and exchange. Coming back here because of the fires put me behind schedule and stuff.”

  I nodded. “Right… I forgot about those,” I said. So that was what that bag was. Either letters to inform people of the vote, or responses and letters to other members who wanted to talk about it with others.

  “Don’t blame you. I’m actually kind of frustrated over it. Mapple had the nerve to suggest the other night that the church should take over the vote letters. That it was too important to be trusted to just me and my crew. The nerve of her!” Oplar’s voice had begun to rise as she spoke, and I found myself getting heated alongside her.

  “Mapple? Really?” I asked. She had been rather rude the other night, asking odd questions about Cat… who I hadn’t even met yet by then, so I hadn’t been sure how to deal with it. Luckily Randle had been in the room with me when Mapple had confronted me, and he had kept most of the conversation focused on him and helped me out.

  He was in actuality a kind man. Being a priest suited him greatly. Even if he hated Vim.

  “Right? That stupid slug!” Oplar said loudly as we rounded a corner.

  “Slug…? She’s a slug?” I asked. No way!

  “Huh…? Oh. No. She’s not… I’m just angry, you know?” Oplar said apologetically, as if Mapple was the one to have heard her.

  “Oh,” I frowned at her. I had believed her, so I felt a little embarrassed.

  “If you do visit the mailroom, make sure you don’t let anyone in. Only a few people are allowed into that room unsupervised, so just assume anyone other than Ness and her family are trying to get in without permission and kick them out,” Oplar said, changing subjects before I could ask what Mapple really was.

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

  “Ah. Okay. Sure,” I nodded quickly, accepting such responsibility without hesitation.

  Mail was important. Lumen had a similar rule for their mailroom too. And…

  Thinking of Lumen’s mail room, I frowned. “Do you run Lumen’s mail room too?” I asked.

  “Yes. Indirectly. Nessa’s brother runs it. A man named Gram,” Oplar said.

  “I met him! He was a grouchy man, but stern and a hard worker,” I said. I honestly had not enjoyed working at the mail room in Lumen, even if I only spent the single day there, but not because the one in charge of it had been brunt and rude. Rather I had not liked how it reminded me that I had been missing out on relationships, and all the communications they brought, for so long.

  Lomi’s letter had been the first one I’d sent and received after all these years, so before then it had been a little painful. It made me feel sad that even very young humans had people to send letters to, sometimes many at once, and I had nothing and no one. Now though I wasn't as bothered by it. Oplar had brought me many letters, and I planned to write and send a few before we left here as well.

  Oplar grinned at me. “Yeah? He had been such a baby when a boy, always running to Nessa and crying in her arms,” Oplar said with a laugh.

  Huh… I smiled at that. So that meant Oplar’s been overlooking that human family for a while. That was kind of neat.

  “Speaking of letters though… how does one go about submitting one here?” I asked. In Lumen I had asked Gerald to handle it for me. I’d written it, but had just given it to him.

  “There’s a box in the mailroom. If I'm not here just leave it in that box for us members, it'll get priority. Next time you go Nessa can show you. Just plop it on into there and I’ll make sure it gets to where it needs to. Or at least sent off by someone who will, if I don’t take it or Vim,” Oplar explained.

  I nodded and smiled. A box. Okay.

  I’ll drop a few into it before we leave then. That would give me an excuse, to give Vim, as to why we needed to go her mailroom as well.

  When I do I’ll also leave one for Oplar herself. I bet she’d enjoy that.

  “So uh… since we’ll not be seeing each other for a while, can I ask something for the road?” Oplar then asked.

  “Hm?” I smiled and tilted my head. What’d she need or want?

  “You and Vim. You went downstairs right? What for?” she asked with a huge smirk.

  Oh…? “How’d you know?” I asked. Vim and I had gone down there a little after breakfast the other day. We had gone down there from a room near the mansio. A room that had looked like a storeroom, which had been a little dirty and dusty. Basically a place that not only hadn’t looked frequented, but had been out of sight and mind.

  Oplar’s smirk turned into a wry grin as she shrugged lightly. “Jelti saw you two. She thought you two had entered one of those storerooms to be alone, and… you know. But then she remembered there was an entrance in that room, and so…” Oplar explained.

  “There really are no secrets here are there? So much for a holy place,” I said lightly.

  Oplar guffawed at me, and laughed heartily as she nodded. “Isn’t that true!”

  Smirking alongside her, I sighed and nodded. “We just walked around down there… and then used the baths. He was trying to be nice, he knows I like to bathe even though he doesn’t. I think he feels bad for some reason, he’s been really gentle with me lately,” I told her.

  Oplar’s laughing softened, and then she went quiet as she pondered my words. “Baths…?” she mumbled.

  “Down below,” I said gently, to remind her of them.

  She frowned and shook her head. “I didn’t know there were any down there.”

  Oh…? “If it was meant to be a secret, you better go with me to beg Vim for forgiveness since you’re the one who asked,” I said, teasing her.

  She flinched. “Thank goodness I’m leaving!”

  Laughing at her, I nodded. “But yes there are. Really big ones! More like giant pools, really. They’re fancy and make bubbles too, somehow. It had been nice,” I said.

  She sighed at me. “I know I had asked but now I just feel jealous. Even if I found a man I doubt he’d do something as silly as take a bath with me like that, all romantic like,” she complained.

  “Hm…? Why not?” I asked. It was romantic, but Vim didn’t really do it to flirt like that. We had genuinely just sat there talking. And not even really about anything important. The most important thing had been him promising to go get a few proper set of clothes before we left. He had offered to let me pick them out, and go shopping with him here in town.

  “Not sure. It’s probably because when I think of the really romantic types, they’re not the type I want. I want a more serious man… so maybe I just assume he’d not be into something like that, I guess,” Oplar said as she pondered it.

  Oh. Right. She wanted a man strong enough to protect her. That meant one not only strong physically, but emotionally and mentally. A warrior, basically.

  “Would you want that though?” I went ahead and asked.

  Oplar hummed a little as she thought about it. “Maybe. No? Yes? I don’t know… I’ll have to think about it. Wouldn’t it just turn into a lovemaking session? Then you’d have to bathe again anyway, right? Hm…” Oplar rambled and I felt a tiny blush form.

  Right. That was usually what people assumed, I guess.

  Great. Is that what everyone thought of when Vim and I took baths together? I mean… they weren’t outright wrong, were they? That was what one expected…

  I huffed as I thought of Lumen. My bet originally with Vim had been to take a bath together. I had lauded that fact loudly, and proudly. To everyone.

  My face grew hotter as I realized they had all interpreted it the same way Oplar had.

  Great. Just great. Stupid Vim.

  “Maybe I would…? I don’t know Renn. I’ll admit lately I’ve been thinking of a lot of odd things, thanks to you, but this takes the cake. It’s so silly yet somehow strangely important all of a sudden,” Oplar then said.

  “Huh…?” I made her think odd things?

  She sighed and nodded. “I’ll ponder it. Alongside all the rest of the stuff you’ve said and done,” she decided with a nod.

  “What stuff…?” I asked carefully. What did she mean?

  “You and Vim. And the things you like and dislike. Watching and talking to you has made me re-assess my own desires a little. It’s weird, but I don’t know how else to explain it,” she told me.

  We slowed a little, and once we came to a stop Oplar gave me a small smile. One that was a little too timid for her face. It didn’t suit her.

  “I’ve not been rude to you, have I?” I asked softly, worried.

  Oplar’s smile disappeared as she quickly shook her head. “Heavens no! Not at all! You’ve been a joy to travel with, Renn, and I wish I could keep doing so! I just… well…” Oplar shifted and glanced around, and I knew it was because she had just shouted a little. Maybe she didn’t like drawing attention to herself here in the halls of the religious. After a moment she eventually calmed down and sighed. “I find your relationship with Vim lovely. I hadn’t realized he could be so gentle in that way. I mean… he’s always been gentle, Renn. I’ve seen him do things for us members that most wouldn’t believe. Even tiny little things. But for you it’s like all of his gentleness is… just always constant? And more pure, I guess? It just confirms I’ve been right all this time. So it’s a good thing, really,” she said.

  “Confirms?” I asked.

  “That I want love. Not just a physical relationship. Not just a child. I want a companion,” she answered without hesitation.

  I gulped at the serious and pure words, and nodded. “I’m sure you’ll find one, Oplar,” I said gently.

  She really will. She was such a lovely, happy person. How could someone not love her?

  Oplar gave me a lovely smile as she nodded back. “I hope so.”

  How lovely, yet sad all the same.

  I was glad now I hadn’t mentioned to her that I had been jealous of her workplace. It may have seemed more like an insult to her than genuine, if this was how she truly felt. My longing to have simple friends, and responsibilities as she did, might have seemed very rude and shallow. Especially since the truth was… I would not trade my position for hers, ever.

  There was a strange sense of wonder knowing someone was jealous of me. Of what I had. I wonder if this was the first time someone had so genuinely said such a thing to me before? Others have mentioned it, sometimes off-handedly and other times a little more seriously… but had any of them said it so purely before? Had any phrased it in such a way, that had actually been affected so visibly?

  For a few moments we stood there, awkwardly smiling at each other… and then Oplar stepped forward. She extended her long arms, and didn’t even hesitate to wrap me in a hug.

  I returned it and laughed as we squeezed each other. She really was strong.

  “I’ll be off Renn. Stay safe until I see you again,” Oplar said warmly.

  “Mhm. Stay safe and stand tall, Oplar.” And I vowed once again to try and find someone for her.

  I still wasn’t sure how I’d accomplish it… but I’d try all the same. Somehow.

  She sniffed and squeezed one last time… and then we separated.

  I gulped and wondered if I should go with her. I wasn’t sure where she was headed now, since she had mentioned earlier that she had a few stops before leaving… but…

  Yet as she nodded and stepped away, to head down another hallway… I realized why she had said goodbye.

  Randle was approaching. He must have been waiting for us to stop talking.

  As he approached I watched Oplar as she stepped past him. The two nodded to each other, but said nothing. It seemed they really didn’t get along.

  It was a little sad honestly. It wasn’t like they hated each other… they just simply had their own beliefs, and were so deeply dedicated to them that they didn’t allow themselves to see past them.

  “It seems you two have become very good friends,” Randle said as he stepped closer to me.

  I nodded. “She’s a good person,” I told him, unafraid to say it.

  Randle smiled at me. “She is. Regretfully my… associations have diluted our relationship. Though here in the future that might change a little, mayhaps,” Randle said gently.

  Oh…? “Should I comment on that or not?” I asked him.

  “I’d rather you didn’t. Not yet,” he answered with his gentle tone.

  I nodded, and obliged him. Instead I turned, and gestured to see if he’d be willing to walk with me or not. I wanted to go find Vim now.

  Randle obliged me in turn, and we soon went to walking side by side. Though not as quickly as I had been with Oplar. Randle was a slower walker than her.

  “I’ve come to make a request of you, Renn,” Randle said quietly as we walked.

  Glancing at the priest, I wondered what to say or do. Vim and I hadn’t spoken much about Randle yet, so I wasn’t sure just yet what to think of him.

  He hated Vim… but at the same time respected him. Plus he had in a way already proven to me how trustworthy he was.

  He had held my ancestor’s heart, and Celine’s letter, all this time. Him not informing Vim about them was one thing, considering both his aversion to Vim and Vim’s aversion to prophecies… but he seemingly had also not informed the Chronicler about them either. Vim had found that very interesting. It told me that at least for things that were a personal matter, that were special, I could trust this man. So I wanted to. I really did. Even if he seemed to be at odds with those I loved.

  “Are you going to ask it while Vim isn’t here on purpose?” I asked carefully.

  We weren’t alone in the hallway. These large hallways of the Cathedral were often the opposite of empty. Right now we were alone enough we could talk without being heard, especially by humans, but I was still not going to say certain things without care. Just in case.

  Randle chuckled. “Possibly. I will admit I had hoped to find you alone… though I would have asked it in front of him all the same,” he admitted.

  “Oh…? Then okay then,” I said, nodding.

  He smiled at me, in such a way that I was reminded once again that he was old. Very old. He had just smiled at me as if I was a young child in his eyes. I’d consider it condescending if not for the fact that he genuinely was old enough to look at me so. Plus I’d seen him smile in the same way to Vim, so it was likely just something he did without realizing it. And not with malice.

  “I have a letter. One I’d like delivered without anyone knowing about,” he said.

  “Even Oplar…?” I asked. That was odd. Oplar was not a part of the Chronicler’s group, so if he was worried about such a thing like her finding out then it should have been fine to utilize Oplar’s services.

  “Especially Oplar,” Randle stated.

  “You just saw how much I cherished her, are you sure you wish to say that in front of me?” I asked.

  He smirked. “I say it not because of that, Renn. Rather… because if Oplar found out, she’d then become visibly friendly with me. And I can’t have that. Not yet,” he said quietly.

  I slowed a little, and noted the approaching group of sisters down the hallway. They had rounded the corner and were quietly talking amongst themselves, but I knew better than to think they were harmless.

  Those were the Chroniclers people. Her eyes and ears, as Vim called them.

  “Should we talk in private?” I offered.

  “Yes. We should,” Vim said.

  I startled, and spun to glare at the man who had just made the hairs on my tail stand up.

  Vim was right behind us, behind me, and smirking at me as I hissed at him. “Jeez! What’d I say about this!” I angrily said.

  Randle next to me paused, and I tried not to notice the fact that he had not jumped or startled at all. Either he had noticed Vim this whole time, which was possible, or he had nerves of absolute steel like Vim.

  “That you’d stuff your tail in my mouth. Feel free to do so,” Vim answered with a smirk.

  I’m doing it! Tonight! My heart was still thumping. It wasn’t fair. This hallway was made of smooth stone. The type that made footsteps sound loud, and helped voices carry a far distance. Vim should not have been able to sneak up on me like that, even with my ears beneath my hat.

  “Careful. He might bite it off in his sleep,” Randle warned gently.

  “Not if he gags to death first,” I said.

  Vim’s smirk grew. “Wouldn’t be the first tail to suffocate me.”

  Randle sighed as I glared at the man who looked far too amused at my disgruntled self.

  “The fact it probably wouldn’t bother you annoys me more than it should,” I said with a huff.

  He frowned. “It’d bother me. Who knows where that tails been? Knowing you, you’ve even painted with it and stuff so I bet it’s got a bunch of filthy stuff on it,” he teased.

  The fact he was right made me even more upset.

  That’s it. I’m totally messing with him tonight.

  Even if he doesn’t fall asleep, I’m doing it anyway!

  Or at least I’ll slap his face with it. He was so scared of touching my tail and ears, for whatever reasons, so I bet it’d be quite unsettling for him. Maybe just as unsettling as it was for him to startle me like he did.

  Vim’s lovely smirk grew a tad, as if he could tell what I was planning… so I smirked back.

  Two could play his game.

  Hopefully my attempts didn’t backfire on me, though.

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