4

  Price of Knowledge

  “You look much better now without all that grime,” Katryn said.

  Adam had just settled on the stool in the common room when the girl spoke up. He gave a small smile and ran his long fingers through his dark hair, now free of dirt and dried blood. Bathing, or rather, washing himself, with limited water and no soap had been quite a challenge. He was grateful for it, but he dreaded having to continue living like that.

  Adam’s gaze drifted around the inn, there were fewer customers now, most slumped over a table, drunk. That was the most normal thing he’d seen since he got here. Afternoons were typically slow as well in most bars on Earth. It was nice to see some things were the same. As he returned his gaze to the counter, he noticed the grumpy lady wasn’t anywhere to be found. He had expected to find her still wiping that mug when he came back down.

  “Where’s—” he started to ask.

  “She’s in the back preparing supper,” Katryn answered before the words were fully out of his mouth. “Nighttime is our busiest time.”

  He nodded. “I see.”

  She leaned forward, resting her arms on the counter. “So, can I ask what happened?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “What happened to you? Why were you with Ms. Elsa?”

  Adam’s first instinct was to say nothing, but he quickly decided against it. He didn’t know what kind of relationship the girl and her mother had with Elsa, but there seemed to be some history at least. He figured he could talk to her, at least tell her as much as he told Elsa herself. Besides, he needed information. It might be helpful if they got closer.

  “She found me out in a forest,” he said.

  “Forest? You don’t mean Duskveil, do you?”

  Adam’s eyes narrowed sharply. He didn’t know the name of the forest he’d woken up, but Elsa had seemed concerned that he was there, and now Katryn was concerned as well.

  “I don’t know, why?” he asked warily.

  Katryn looked around, as if to make sure nobody was watching, then she spoke. “It might just be rumors, but there’s been a lot of talk around here about a company of knights that was recently slaughtered in the forest. Not even one was left alive.”

  Adam contained his expression. She was talking about the armored men he’d seen, the same ones he’d watched die in that forest. He hadn’t realized until now how serious it must be to the kingdom. He tried to see it the way they might, the scale of it, the shock; it was probably like hearing an entire squad of U.S soldiers had been wiped out.

  Did Elsa think he might have been responsible? Was that why she’d imprisoned him at first? No, she hadn’t asked about the battle at all. She’d seemed way more interested in knowing what he was doing out in the forest, and how he’d survived.

  “Is it always that dangerous?” he asked.

  “Dangerous? That’s not the word most would use to describe that place.” She stared at him with curiosity. “You’re not from here are you? How did Ms. Elsa find you?”

  “It’s a long story, but no, I’m not from here,” Adam said.

  She tilted her head. “Oh? Where are you from?”

  “Someplace really far away,” he said simply, not willing to give more. “I asked Elsa for help getting back, but it doesn’t seem like she’ll be able to do much.”

  Adam saw the curiosity still burning in her eyes. She wanted to ask more questions, but she held them back at the last moment, sensing he didn’t want to talk about it. For some reason, the act surprised him. He hadn’t expected to have any tact.

  Guess she wasn’t just a bundle…

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said. “I hope you find a way to return home.”

  “Thanks,” he flashed a smile.

  Straightening up from the counter, Katryn retrieved a rag from the cupboard below and began to wipe the counter. “By the way,” she said, stopping her task for a brief moment to look up at him. “Was it Ms. Elsa who paid for your room and board?”

  “Yeah, it was. Why?”

  A smile curved her lips. “Nothing, it just sounds like something she would do.”

  “Why do you call her Ms. Elsa? You’re not that different in age.”

  Her smile stretched wider and a teasing glint flitted into her brown eyes. “Oh, you’re curious about me too? But sorry, Adam, that’s a secret,” she whispered and leaned forward slowly, bringing their faces close. “Maybe if you tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine.”

  Was she flirting with him? It seemed like she was.

  Adam had never been popular with girls, or even boys for that matter. He was a bit of a loner, with some deep-seated anger issues, a terrible combination for a broke, eighteen year old college student. He never made an effort to connect with any of his peers, and they in turn never tried to connect with him. He didn’t mind that at all.

  But his sister did mind. She constantly worried for him, fearing he might go through college without experiencing life at all, and the argument had always been funny to him as she didn’t have much of a life either. Her job at Seattle PD consumed most of her time.

  Gosh, he missed their arguments so much…

  Adam drew back slightly from Katryn, putting more space between them. It wasn’t that he didn’t find her attractive—he did—but he was beginning to get a better sense of her character. There was a mischievous streak in her, the kind that might lead him into trouble if he wasn’t careful. The fact that she’d do something like this with her mother a few steps away in the kitchen spoke volumes. Or was this sort of boldness considered normal here?

  He released a quiet breath. “Maybe… I’ll keep it in mind.”

  Katryn started to reply, but the sound of footsteps cut off the words and she pulled away from him just as her mother emerged from the kitchen. As always, the woman’s face had a frown as her gaze flicked from him to Katryn, and she muttered something silently.

  ”Don’t cause him any trouble, girl,” she warned her daughter.

  Katryn chuckled and continued wiping the counter. “I’m not Mother.”

  The grumpy woman settled behind the counter and picked up a mug to wipe. Adam stifled a small chuckle and shook his head, cleaning the damn thing must be like her routine to help with stress or something, cause no way it wasn’t already clean.

  Adam turned sharply on his stool, facing away from the counter to survey the room again. The inn was still mostly empty. He needed to wait longer. He’d learned a few things from Katryn, but nowhere near enough. He had hoped that if he lingered here long enough, some loose-lipped drunk would stumble in, someone he could coax into talking.

  But that might take far too long, and the thought of doing nothing but waiting made him restless. Once again, he considered taking a walk, see what he could learn on his own, then return to the inn before nightfall. That had been his first plan, but he’d worried about getting lost or running into trouble. However, he might just have to take the risk.

  “Hey,” he said, calling for Katryn’s attention. She lifted her head, meeting his gaze with a perfectly raised brow. “Is there a place where they keep… records, here?”

  He’d wanted to ask for a library, but given this world was like medieval Europe, he didn’t think there would be anything like that, and he needed to make an effort of blending in and not inviting more questions. They already knew he wasn’t from this kingdom, but it might be dangerous to let them know he wasn’t even from their world or time.

  The goblins had stolen his phone and other possessions. He’d realized it only a while ago during his wash. The loss had deeply angered him at first, now he was glad for it. They would have been difficult to explain if Elsa had found it on him.

  “Records?” Her brows narrowed. “There are tomes in the cathedral, but I—”

  Adam straightened at that. “Cathedral?”

  She nodded. “It’s in the next district, too large to miss,” she said. “The church keeps records, histories, all manner of writings. But it’s not open to just anyone.”

  “You mean, I couldn’t just walk in?”

  Katryn stared at him in wonder. “You’re really not from here, are you?” she said, as though just now believing him. “You can’t just walk in and read them, not unless you’re a priest or one in training.” She turned back to the counter she was wiping. “Best not to go poking around there unless you’ve got a good reason.”

  Adam exhaled slowly, weighing her words. But his decision had already been made the moment she told him there were books with records and histories. That was he wanted.

  “Thanks,” he said, pushing off the stool.

  Katryn gave only a faint hum of acknowledgment, though her eyes looked like she wanted to say something, perhaps even stop him.

  “Supper’s served once,” the older woman said flatly, having been listening silently the entire time. “Miss it, and you’ll wait till tomorrow’s breakfast.”

  She didn’t look at him as she spoke, just kept wiping the same mug.

  Adam gave a nod and left the inn.

  Once outside, the afternoon sun and the buzz of the kingdom struck him all at once more. There were several stalls just across the inn, and children shrieked in laughter as they darted between them. It was cleaner here, less-crowded, it was clear Elsa had brought him to an upscale part of the city. Seeing this world for the second time, his amazement was no less than before, the wonder that it existed at all still weighed heavily on his mind. But he pushed the feeling aside for now, forcing his mind toward the task at hand.

  He started walking, no clear direction, just keeping a straight line so he could retrace his steps if necessary. Katryn had said the cathedral was too large to miss, so he hoped he could find it without asking for help. But the longer he walked, the more uncertain he grew that he would find it, and he was even less sure that he was still walking a straight line.

  He needed to ask for directions before he got hopelessly lost.

  Adam slowed his steps as the sound of trickling water reached his ears. There was a marble fountain just ahead, right at the center of small square.

  He spotted a group of kids gathered there, some sitting quietly, while others skipped small stones into the shallow basin and laughed as they splashed each other.

  Adam hesitated for a brief moment, unsure how people here might react to a stranger talking to their children. But then he noticed there were no parents or guardians anywhere in sight. Most of the people around just went about their way, ignoring the children playing in the water. There was a real chance these were street kids, the pickpockets and informants every movie and show he’d ever watched warned to be wary of.

  But he didn’t have much choice right now.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “Hey,” he called out, making sure to keep his voice light.

  Six heads turned at the sound of his voice. The tallest, a boy that couldn’t be much older than thirteen, looked him up and down with guarded curiosity. The younger ones that had been playing in the fountain also stopped their game to stare openly at him.

  “Do any of you know where the cathedral is?” Adam asked.

  The oldest boy was silent for a moment, then he pointed off toward a distant row of rooftops. “You mean the big white one with the bell tower?”

  Adam didn’t know whether that was it, but Katryn had said it was big.

  “Yeah, that’s the one,” he said.

  The boy grinned, sensing an opportunity. “We can show you, Mister. It’s not far.”

  Despite being on guard, Adam nodded. “Okay, lead the way.”

  The children took off at once, running down a street with the boundless energy only kids could have. Adam followed behind at a steady pace, keeping them in sight as they wove through the crowds. His guard never dropped and his eyes swept his surroundings, tracking every odd movement, noting every stare that seemed to linger too long.

  After several twists and a short climb up a narrow street, the massive shape of the cathedral came into view, its twin spires rising high above the other structures.

  “Told you it was big,” a younger boy said as he pointed up.

  Adam breathed freely for the first time, thankful he hadn’t been led into a trap.

  “Yeah, you weren’t kidding,” he said.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out the four copper coins that had been given to him as change. He wasn’t sure about the exact value, but the children’s eyes lit up as he handed it to them. Maybe it was too much, but he didn’t mind, they deserved it.

  “Here,” he said. “Thanks for the help.”

  They beamed at him, the oldest one clutching the coins. “Thank you, Mister!”

  “Don’t get lost again,” a young girl called as they turned away.

  Adam watched them run off then turned his gaze back to the towering cathedral. Its heavy doors stood open, and men clothed in white and gold robes loitered around.

  Okay, he’d found it, now how was he going to get into their library?

  “First things first,” he murmured and started forward.

  Adam tried to form a plan as he climbed the short flight of stairs and stepped through the open doorway. Inside, the cathedral was even more magnificent, reminding him of the grand cathedrals of Europe he’d seen on the web. Its vaulted ceiling soared above him, and the tall stained-glass windows cast shafts of light that painted the marble floors.

  Hushed voices came from somewhere deeper within the hall, but near the entrance, it was quiet enough that he could almost hear his own breath.

  He paused, taking it all in, the towering arches, the faint echo of footsteps, the rows of pews stretching toward a distant alter.

  He surmised just entering wasn’t prohibited as no one had stopped him.

  “First time inside, young man?”

  The voice sounded close and Adam spun around sharply to see a man in white and gold robes standing near one of the columns. He was middle-aged, with a gentle face and streaks of gray hair at his temple. The man smiled kindly, watching him.

  “You look lost,” he said, his voice was as gentle as his face.

  Adam gave a short laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “That obvious, huh?”

  The robed man nodded faintly. “Most who come here already know where they’re going. You, on the other hand, are still deciding. Did you come to say a prayer?”

  Given what Katryn had told him, Adam knew he couldn’t just ask for permission to see their library. He needed to be subtle and clever. He was pinning his hopes on the chance that the priests here would be like the evangelist on earth who were always eager to convert the next person. His entire plan depended on that assumption. He had nothing else.

  “Its actually my first time in the city, and I’ve heard a lot about this place,” he said, his voice even. “I just wanted to learn… about what you believe.”

  The priest’s eyes brightened. “Ah, you wish to know about the Divine?”

  Perfect. He believed it…

  “Yeah,” Adam said. “If you have the time, I was hoping—”

  “Of course!” the priest interrupted, beaming. “There’s always time to speak of the Divine‘s mercy and love,” he said, then glanced at the altar. “Wait here a moment.”

  Adam watched as the priest turned and walked toward the altar, then grabbed a large tome that was resting on the pulpit. He had to hold back the wide grin threatening to crack his face. This was exactly what he wanted. He couldn’t believe it was this easy.

  “You’re not from this continent, are you?” the priest asked as he returned and sat on a bench. “Most across the kingdoms already carry the Divine in their hearts.”

  Good, he was already learning things. There were several continents on this world, just like there were on Earth. But how many continents were there? How many kingdoms were on the continent he was currently in? Were the races of people different?

  He’d already seen Demi-humans, but were there others?

  “No,” Adam replied, joining the priest. “I’m with a merchant ship. The captain still has some business here, so we’ll be in port for a while. I had a bit of free time to spare.”

  That was the backstory he’d come up with just now.

  He’d figured a kingdom this large and seemingly prosperous had to maintain a port for trade. The wall that surrounded it must open somewhere to allow access to the sea. This was all guesswork, of course, based on what he’d picked up from movies and books.

  “It’s good you wish to turn toward the Divine,” the priest said.

  Adam almost shook his head. It was amusing how certain things like religions didn’t change, even across time and worlds. But he kinda appreciated the familiarity.

  “The Divine are deities, born from the primordials. They created all things that walk, crawl, or swim, and they blessed us with the gift of magic.” The priest opened up the tome, and on the first page he saw the illustration of a serene woman surrounded by waves. “This is Valla, goddess of water. There are many blessed by her grace.”

  Valla. He had never heard that name before. He didn’t think any god or goddess by it existed on any major religion on Earth. Did that mean there was no overlap at all between this world’s faith and his own? Was that why he had no magic? From what the priest said, the Divine created all humans on this world and blessed them with magic.

  But he was not from this world, so he wasn’t blessed by them?

  Then it wasn’t some deity who had transported him here?

  “Does everyone have magic here?” he asked.

  The priest tilted his head a little to the side. “To different degrees, most people have at least a slight trace. Though, there are a few unfortunate souls who received no blessing from the Divine, but that is quite rare,” he said. “Is it different where you’re from?”

  He shrugged. “There are some with magic and some without.”

  “Ah, I see,” the man said. “Those without a blessing are believed to have committed misdeeds in a past life, but that’s just a saying among the masses. We in the church do not judge, our doors are open to any who wish to devote their lives in service to the Divine.”

  “Are they discriminated against?” Adam asked.

  “No, they’re not. But I do not deny that it is hard for them.”

  Adam could only imagine. In a world where magic was common, finding out that you had none at all must be a huge blow, and then having to hear comments about how you might have been a bad person in your past life… yeah that would take him over the edge.

  “How many are they? The Divine, I mean?” he asked after a while.

  “As many as we needed,” the priest said and began to flip the page. “The earth under our feet, the air we breath, the emotions we feel, they are because the Divine exist.”

  The priest stopped his flipping and landed on a page with an illustration of a woman holding up a torch, this one even more beautiful than the last.

  Thalonis, goddess of beauty and love.

  Adam was beginning to understand how the religion worked in this world. The tome contained hundreds of pages, so there were hundreds of gods and goddess’s, most likely one for each aspect of the world. The church didn’t worship one single deity, instead, it honored them all collectively as the Divine. But was it prohibited to worship only one deity?

  He recalled how Elsa’s body had been consumed with a light as blinding as the sun, and the heat that’d left him feeling as though he were standing before a raging furnace. The sight had terrified him, and he’d sputtered the oath she’d made him swear.

  The ‘One Light’… was that the deity who had blessed her?

  “Who’s the One Light?” Adam asked.

  The priest smiled. “Ah, you know of him?”

  “Someone told me,” he said.

  The priest flipped more pages and stopped on the illustration of a man wreathed in gold with rays of sunlight spilling behind him. On his hands, he held a blazing sun.

  “This is Elios, the god of sun and life. A most famous deity.”

  Adam studied the page, seeing how the figure’s eyes seemed to glow even through the page. “So… the One Light? Why is he called that?”

  The priest gave a soft chuckle. “That’s just a common name people use for him,” he said. “Knights, farmers, travelers, they like simple words for their prayers.”

  “Do people usually have a closer connection to the deity that blessed them?”

  The man nodded. “Yes, that is often the case, but when we say a prayer, we all give thanks to the Divine, because if not for their mercy we would not be here.”

  The priest finished speaking and closed the tome partway.

  Adam wanted to know more, he wanted to know everything. He’d been lucky to run into a kind priest, this might be only his chance. He hesitated, then took a quiet breath.

  “Would it be alright if I looked for myself, just for a bit?” he asked slowly.

  The priest blinked and his expression shifted into one of uncertainty. “I’m afraid I can’t allow that, the Divine script is only to be handled by those devoted to the church.”

  Adam gave a nod. “I understand that,” he said, careful not to push too much. “I only wanted to know more of Divine… to remember them when I leave for home.”

  The man hesitated, then after a quiet deliberation within himself, his brows softened and he inclined his head. “I suppose there’s no harm as long as I’m here with you.”

  “Thank you,” Adam said with a smile.

  The priest passed him the tome and his hands shook from the weight, the damn thing was as heavy as it looked. Adam opened it to where the man had left off and began to turn the thick pages slowly. He didn’t expect to remember all of the names, but he hoped to stumble onto one that might give him an idea of how he got here.

  Like a god of dimensions or something…

  He read the name as he flipped through them, each one inscribed ornately.

  Agnis, god of fire and war.

  Loris, goddess of frost and silence.

  Mirilith, goddess of lust and desire.

  Dothar, god of harvest.

  Chrono, god of time.

  None of the names interested him. He turned more pages, sometimes three and four at once. Before he knew it, he reached the final page and his hand immediately froze.

  The air seemed to still around him.

  The page he opened was black, just entirely dark. There was no illustrations to see, nothing at all, Yet, somehow, against that darkness, a name was written. Not in white, not in silver, but in ink that was even darker than the page, like a shadow over a shadow.

  Zelphyr, god of darkness, the beginning and the end.

  Adam stared for a long while, feeling a faint recognition for some reason. When he finally closed the tome and handed it back, the priest’s gentle eyes were on him.

  “You have a curious mind, young man. That is a primordial, the only we know. It is said they retreated from the world after the rise of the Divine. There is still very little known about them, in fact, there are discussions whether to keep the name in the records.“

  “Why do they want to remove it?” Adam asked.

  The priest released a quiet breath. “Because his most devoted followers were… are the demon-kin. Long ago, the twelve kingdoms on the continent united to wage war against them, a struggle that lasted many years. After great sacrifices, their leader, the Dark Lord, was defeated. This was two hundred years ago, since then, the demons have been confined to their own realm in the North. There have been no attacks since his fall.”

  Adam, somehow, managed to contain his shock from the priest. There were demons here, actual fucking demons. And they’d fought a war.

  The twelve kingdoms on the continent had united against the demon realm, and judging by the priest’s words, the realm wasn’t some other dimension. It was in the North, separated by borders. What kind of world had he stumbled into? He needed to see a map.

  Just then, a bell rang through the cathedral, the heavy chime seeming to bounce off the walls. The priest glanced toward the far end of the hall, where a few other men in white and gold robes began to move. He closed the tome gently and rose to his feet.

  “It’s time for afternoon prayers,” he said with a smile.

  Adam stood as well. “Before you go, can I ask about the towers?”

  “The Towers of Heaven? They’re tests from the Divine.”

  He wanted to ask more questions about the tower, how it had been built, what deity was responsible for it, what kind of wish could be granted on the first floor. But the man was in a hurry, so he swallowed his curiosity and moved to his next question.

  “And resurrection magic? Does something like that exist?”

  For the first time, the priest’s gentle expression twisted into something darker, with suspicion flashing in his eyes. “Resurrection magic? Why are you asking about that?” His voice was lower, his eyes narrowed, and his entire posture tightened to be on guard.

  Adam swallowed. “Just something else I heard.”

  The man took a small step forward, no longer seeming in a hurry. “You’ve heard a lot, and these questions you’ve asked have been… quite interesting,” he whispered.

  Adam realized then that he’d fucked up and his chest tightened.

  He didn’t know why the mere mention of resurrection magic had changed the man’s whole demeanor, but he knew that he needed to leave right now.

  He forced a smile as sweat began to head on his forehead. “I should get back to the ship,” he said quickly. “Thanks for all the help. I learned a lot.”

  The priest regarded him for a moment longer with sharp eyes. Then with a slow nod, he gestured toward the cathedral doors. “May the Divine guide your way.”

  Adam returned the nod and muttered a quick thank you before turning away. He felt the man’s burning stare on his back and he walked as quickly as he was able, only stopping after he exited the doorway and climbed down the step.

  He’d gotten way more information than he expected, but he’d screwed it up right at the end. What was the deal with resurrection magic, was it some kind of taboo? If so, why hadn’t he just said it was forbidden or it doesn’t exist. Why did he ask how he knew?

  What the fuck was happening?

  “Hey, Mister,” a voice called. Adam turned to see the kids from earlier approaching. “We figured you might not know your way back, so we came back and waited for you.”

  Adam breathed a deep sigh of relief.

  He’d been worried about how he’d make it back to the inn, and after what had just happened with the priest, wandering around aimlessly seemed like the worst idea. Tipping the kids earlier had been a spur of the moment decision, but now it could save him.

  “Thanks,” he whispered. “Do you know an inn run by a woman called Yara?“

  “An old, mean-looking woman?” The taller boy asked.

  He smiled and gave a nod.

  “Yeah, we know it,” another kid said. “Follow us, we’ll get you there.”

  Adam’s smile stretched, grateful. “Lead the way, then.”

  The children grinned, and once again, they darted off ahead of him, weaving easily through the thinning afternoon crowd. Like before, Adam followed just a few steps behind, careful not to lose sight of them. And as he trailed, he quickly noticed they were taking a different path to the fountain this time, with narrower streets and fewer people.

  “Shortcut?” he asked warily.

  “Yeah,” the tallest boy called back without turning. “Much faster.”

  Adam nodded but slowed his steps a little, a sense of unease stirring in his gut. He’d always had keen intelligence, but sometimes intelligence was simply knowing when to trust your gut more. Right now, his gut was telling him something was way, way off.

  The buildings were too close together, the alleys narrower.

  “You sure this’ll get us back to the fountain?”

  “Almost there!” one of the younger girls chimed to him.

  They turned another corner and the sunlight swiftly vanished. The alley they entered was darker, with walls pressing in tight. The laughter of the children stopped at once.

  Adam’s steps faltered. The kids had stopped as well.

  “Hey,” Adam said slowly as his gaze flicked around. “What’s—”

  Two men suddenly stepped out from the darkness in front him, one had a long sword hanging at his hip and the other carried a spiked rod. Adam instantly turned around and he saw another man blocking the entrance they’d just entered through. This one had a knife.

  Shit, just fucking shit…