Servant of the Serpent

Yellow Bellied

Fern bites her lip, adjusting her veil nervously. "It's not just that... He killed his last servant. He may be civilized thanks to Father Sheppard, but he's still dangerous."

Eben's eyes widen. The gorgon had seemed so...fond when talking about the woman. Could it be true that he'd been the one to slay her?

"Her name was Helia, right? She raised him, why would he kill her?"

Daisy shrugs. "Nobody knows why he did it. Maybe it was an accident, or maybe she made him mad and he lost control. Either way, she's dead and he's dangerous. Nobody exactly wants what happened to Helia to happen to anyone else."

The half-elf narrows his eyes. "Unless of course it's an expendable half-breed, right?"

Daisy doesn't back down, meeting Eben's eyes with her own icy blue ones. "You're not expendable because you have pointy ears, you're expendable because you're a bastard who tried to rob us."

Eben glares. "Are you a nun? Because with that mouth, your true calling must be as a sailor."

Fern interrupts the pair. "You're not expendable, Eben. You can make a new life here in Nǣdre Tor, you just have to redeem yourself."

The half-elf grimaces. He doesn't believe that for a second. He knew that he would always be seen as a criminal and an inhuman monster...

The rest of the walk is spent in uncomfortable silence broken only by the occasional chirping of a bird or rustling of leaves. The redhead couldn't help but feel on edge, knowing that he was returning to the town that he had tried to rob.

As they reach the gates of Nǣdre Tor, Eben's anxiety spikes. The stares of the townspeople bore into him as they walk down the cobblestone paths. Some whisper to each other, averting their eyes, while others openly glare at him. It's nothing the half-elf hasn't endured before, but it never gets easier.

The women direct Eben to the cathedral. The holy building looms ominously, seeming more like a place of apprehension than worship. He steps inside warily, feeling exposed in the large-high arched room. As pass through the dimly lit cathedral, he observes the scent of incense thick in the air, intermixed with the low rumble of worshippers chanting.

After walking the maze-like stone corridors for a time, they finally turn a corner, coming face to face with Father Sheppard's office. Fern knocks lightly, turning the brass knob as a deep voice answers; "Come in."

Eben takes a deep breath and follows Fern and Daisy into the room. The office is large and ornate, with bookshelves lining the walls and a large oak desk dominating the center of the room.

The half-elf swallows tensely as he takes in the domineering man who sits behind the desk, his piercing green eyes studying Eben intently from behind his spectacles. Behind the priest is a large stained glass depiction from the myth of the great deceiver, scales meticulously shaped from red glass. As the sun shines through the colored windowpane, it backlights Father Sheppard in an ominous red hue.

"Eben, it's good to see you," the graying man gestures to the plush chair in front of him. "Why don't you take a seat?"

Eben sits reluctantly, hands toying with the soft material of the chair anxiously.

"It can't be understated how pleased I am to see you, Eben. Have you been acclimating well to your new role?"

The redhead grits his teeth, resisting the urge to tell this pompous bastard how he really felt. "I'm doing fine. Father, why am I here?"

Sheppard leans back in his chair, amused by Eben's curtness. "Why, you're here because I'm concerned for you. These meetings are intended to confirm your well-being, in addition to Adder's. How is he, by the way?"