In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
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Post by Augustus Ravencrest on Jun 4, 2020 22:59:51 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","augustimage"]
POW
2
DUR
15
STA
20
SEN
2
CON
27
[break]
HEALTH
100%
MANA SKIN
100%
MANA POOL
70/70
MANA REGEN
20 IC 10 OOC
[break]
WORD COUNT
2757
TOTAL WORD COUNT
2757
TAG
[attr="class","augustscroll"]
Augustus groggily opened his eyes, the strain was getting to him, though he reasoned that he was lucky it was only just that. The past two weeks had been hellish for him. At least, hellish enough. The life of a nobleman was easy. There was nothing to worry about, after all. His life had been easy. Sleep. Wake up. Breakfast. Take a bath. Dress up. Go to the Royal Court. Debate for a few hours on topics concerning national interest. Dinner parties on some days. Then finally, sleep. He had gotten used to that kind of life. A life that a nobleman of the Upper Nobility general had if they were not either sent to the Magic Knights, or if they were not tasked with something else. The Royal Court was open to the upper nobility under the virtue that they are more knowledgeable of the laws surrounding the Clover Kingdom’s bureaucracies. In fact, for the most part, they were. It was Augustus’ god given job to have to sit through debates, and even engage in rhetorical sparring himself on most days. But, it had been all very dry and boring. Oh sure, he had fun when it was actually a very technical and knowledgeable debate partner he had discussions with. But, the Silvas always seemed to want to undermine any and all of his plans, and all of the projects that had the Ravencrest backing. He had to force himself not to rip the family a new one, and resorted to subtle jabs through any and all discourse he had with them.[break][break]
But that was all in the past.[break][break]
Augustus was now a part of the Church of Clover, a Deacon to the Priestess Sierra, and the church within the Royal Capital. He was a proud member, serving under the Priestess, Bishop, and Cardinal. Augustus knew that it was a big step for him to decide to do so, after all, his political career was still in full bloom. But he also knew that while it was in full bloom, it was starting to go stale. How could it not? The mere fact that he had been stuck within the Royal Capital for this long meant that he had not been able to see the Clover Kingdom as much as he wanted to. To see the sights, to enjoy being outside of the stuffy old castle that everyone seems to fawn over for. It was all overrated for someone who had basically spent most of their current life here within the walls of the Royal Capital. He wanted something more for it. He wanted to be able to go out of its walls, to see the different towns, interact with the common people, and help those he could. If not for the Church of Clover, then for the Clover Kingdom. The strength of the Clover Kingdom manifested within the people, after all, and he knew that best as not only as statesman, but also as someone who had worked with trying to give more funding to poor and dilapidated small towns. Augustus supposed it was why he joined the Church of Clover in the first place. This way, he could be in the middle of the action. He can actually provide aid where and when it was needed, and be at an official capacity to help those who needed it the most through whatever parish he was a part of.[break][break]
Would it be all worth it?[break][break]
Augustus rolled to his side, closing his eyes as the first stream of sunlight hit his face. The effort was always worth it, he knew. How could it not. It was something he was doing for the good of the Clover citizens, and by and large, the good of the Clover Kingdom. Augustus knew that at the end of the day, what he was doing would make an impact. While he might not be able to see it directly, he knew that the impact was there. One of which had already been felt as he and a Green Mantis Magic Knight had repelled a bear from continuing its terror attacks on merchants around the Royal Capital. Another was helping a man with his tomatoes, beating up bandits along the way. Small changes were there, small and miniscule contributions to society that would in the end impact the whole Clover Kingdom. It was a pebble sending ripples into the stream, continually growing as long as Augustus kept his efforts up. The biggest hurdle was, as always, finding the motivation to keep going. It was a new routine, after all. He was not used to it yet.[break][break]
“Wake up. Breakfast. Bath. And then meet the Priestess Sierra.” Augustus would whisper to himself. Instead of going to the Royal Courts, he would need to be at the church where the Priestess Sierra called her own. It was not as quaint as some of the other churches, as he had been told, but it was still dwarfed by the large and expensive buildings that housed the nobility here in the Royal Capital. However, the place was still massive. It had to be, since the most pious of the upper nobility went there for their mass whenever it was held, and Augustus himself was a frequent visitor and worshipper when he had been merely a nobleman. Now, however, he was a Deacon of the Church, and he had other duties that he needed to actually preside over. He did them as more of an assistant to the Priestess Sierra, but he was there none the less to provide any aid if necessary. He needed to prove his worth and his conviction to be a part of the Church of Clover after all. The only problem was that he needed to actually get up from his bed, and his tired and aching body was unwilling to cooperate, it seems. He would roll a little, trying to see which muscles hurt, but was rewarded with a sharp pain that shot from his spine. It seems that his combat training was slowly killing him, but he would endure as he had always when faced with trials and tribulations. [break][break]
“God forsaken woman and her affinity with weapons.” Augustus cursed softly, as he slowly lifted himself off the bed. He could still see scars on his arms and his legs, while he was sure he was bruised all over his back and his stomach area. While Augustus was fond of fighting when there was a fight to be had, he was sure that the fights he had with his current instructor was more like a massacre, and he was the victim. At this point, however, he could not complain. While he was constantly beaten up black and blue, he was sure that he was actually improving. His sword work and play had actually been more polished now than it was previously. Every strike and parry was more precise, and he was sure that he got a few hits in on his current mentor, even if she did not show it. The woman was both tenacious, and fairly decent, though it seems that she was not one to actually rise up in ranks within the Magic Knights where she had been a part of for along time. Augustus supposed that there was a reason she accepted the position, possibly to get away from the Magic Knights. He wondered if it was a traumatic experience that had her leave, but it was all conjecture at the end of the day. The woman was tight lipped, if anything, and was not willing to share anything save her techniques and her lessons. It suited Augustus just fine, professionality was important after all, but he still wondered. [break][break]
“I do not think I can even walk at this point,” He whispered, before slowly easing his way to standing up. His back definitely hurt quite a bit, and the weight he slowly eased in only made it just a little worse. But, he digressed. As he put his second foot on the floor, he found himself easing in to the pain. It started to become a dull ache at this point, and he knew that as the day progressed, it would slowly subside. It was a good thing that he was actually going to be doing Church activities today with the Priestess Sierra, instead of training with the mad woman from the Crimson Lions. He was sure that if he had continued his training regiment today, he would finally start losing limbs because of the woman. “Crazy. That woman is too crazy for her own good.” Augustus shook his head as he finally got the hang of the dull pain, as well as moving without wincing every step. “I would rather serve time within the Church cleaning all of the surfaces than spend an hour with that woman today. Crazy woman.” He sighed to himself. But there was a modicum of truth in his statement. Doing a menial task would be much more appealing to him currently, though he knew that he would need to continue his training no matter what. At this point, having the skills of a swordsman would help him out, since he had no skill what so ever with offensive type magic save for his golems. It would save him from too much trouble down the line if and when he might need some form of offensive capability to deal with opponents and mana beasts. [break][break]
“Still, I really do not think I will survive one more fight with that crazy woman. A nightmare, that one…” He trailed off, though he was now able to hobble his way down towards the main dining area of the Ravencrest Household. As expected, a meal was already prepared for him in his customary seat at the head of the table. Being the current and only member of his household to be actively be in the Royal Capital made him the de facto head of the current household. His and Lydia’s parents were somewhere else, but Lydia herself was usually staying within the confines of the Crimson Lions base. There were some members of the Ravencrest family, mostly those who were considered to be extended family, living in the spare rooms, but he really did not give them any mind. As long as they do not cross paths, Augustus would not bug them for anything. Or, of course, if they ever crossed paths, sometimes Augustus pretends to not see them unless they call out to him. More often than not, he was usually out of the estate before the sun really got up, and therefore would be unseen by most of the family members. He liked it that way better, after all, peace and quiet was usually ideal during an early morning. That, and he liked to enjoy his meal by reading through documents and letter sent to him the previous day.[break][break]
Today, however, was a little different. It seems that the Church of Clover had sent him a letter stating his full membership to the Church itself, outlining their welcoming message with a tinge of pride. He supposed it was customary, and their more than happy reaction to him joining was the fact that Augustus was a part of the upper nobility. While there were a handful of upper nobility that were a part of the Church of Clover, it was still few and far between. As noted from the reports recently to the Royal Court, a lot of the upper nobility tended to join the Magic Knights more than any other organization within the Clover Kingdom. Their innate prowess with magic made them quite a force to reckon with when they rose through the ranks of the Magic Knights. It was only a boon to the Clover Kingdom, and Augustus saw nothing wrong with it. So, the Church of Clover’s happy response to him joining was somewhat expected. There was also the fact that from what Augustus can surmise, he was the first Ravencrest to have joined the Church of Clover. At least, the first one in a very long time. [break][break]
“Oh? What’s this?” Augustus took a bit of his toast, while opening up the next letter. It seems that Priestess Sierra had sent him a letter. He was curious now, anticipating that she might be sending him to a different place or something of the sort today. The letter itself was short, as Augustus finally opened the envelope to reveal a white paper with very neat handwriting on it. He expected nothing less from the Priestess who was known to teach young school children how to read and write for free during the weekends in her own church. No matter if you were a commoner, or a nobleman, the Priestess never turned away those in need. Her classes were more so for the commoners who were too poor to be able to send their children to proper school, or had to send their children to go work thus making them miss classes. The Priestess was a kind woman, and she knew that basic reading and writing skills were necessary for any true citizen of the Clover Kingdom. It was why she held these classes, and her handwriting was legendary to those even in the upper echelons for being the most neat and with perfect calligraphy style.[break][break]
“It seems that I am to report to the Church Orphanage today? How interesting.” Augustus would nod his head, taking another bite of his toast as he continued to read through the short note. While he had been assigned to some of the more menial tasks around the church, some of which were slightly degrading in his opinion, like cleaning the public washrooms within the church grounds, he knew that it was his job as a Deacon and had done it without any complaints what so ever. He had used his golems to help him with some of his tasks, since they were at least able to do some things with basic instructions. However, he had actually not seen the Priestess Sierra in true action within the orphanage that the Church of Clover operated within the royal Kingdom. He knew of them, of the children that were housed in it, and he had even donated some of his yearly stipend in getting the children some needed space and clothes. However, he had not actually been to the place to check it out. He knew that soon, if and when he became a priest, that he would be leading his own church, which will have its own orphanage attached to it. He supposed that he needed to learn how to run the orphanage if he ever wanted to actually be a priest in his own right. Maybe it was why the Priestess Sierra was taking him to the orphanage. After all, the Priestess was nothing but canny, and very much a planner when it comes to everything she does. There was a always a reason for everything the woman did, and Augustus was fairly impressed with her ability to navigate the Royal Capital and its bureaucracies. [break][break]
“I suppose it’s time to finally face the music then.” Augustus wiped his face with a clean napkin, before getting up. He was thinking of foregoing his usual outfit today, though he was sure that it would make the children even more happy to see a member of the upper nobility joining them today. It might give them a sense of hope, since he knew that the children were most likely not the best in terms of their circumstance in life. Augustus would order for some food to be cooked and prepared for transport. He might as well bring some food with him for the children. Meat was always a commodity, so possibly a cooked ham would lift up their spirits.[break][break]
“Have the food sent to the local church, the parish where Priestess Sierra currently resides in.” Augustus would order, before grabbing his coat and making his way towards the entrance of the estate. He would make sure that he looked at least somewhat presentable. After all, he was still a nobleman at heart. He held his Church of Clover Sigil, before placing it on his neck. It was what marked him as part of the Church, and a symbol of his commitment to his religion. He wore it with pride, and in the open. Placing a hand on the double doors of the family’s estate, Augustus pushed it open to reveal the world.
Post by Augustus Ravencrest on Jun 4, 2020 23:03:47 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","augustimage"]
POW
2
DUR
15
STA
20
SEN
2
CON
27
[break]
HEALTH
100%
MANA SKIN
100%
MANA POOL
70/70
MANA REGEN
20 IC 10 OOC
[break]
WORD COUNT
2497
TOTAL WORD COUNT
5254
TAG
[attr="class","augustscroll"]
The walk to the church was not too long. Though, it was mostly because this early in the morning, the traffic of people through the streets was not in full swing yet. If Augustus had decided to leave just a bit later, when the markets start flourishing and the merchants start taking their things out, then he would have needed more time. But, it seems that the merchants are not even awake yet, and the streets were filled with emptiness save for the sweet smell of freshly baked bread. Augustus had thought of grabbing some, and paused for a few moments just outside of the shop itself. Maybe some for himself, and a basket full of treats for the young children living in the orphanage. Augustus was sure that they would love that, and would be something that they might clamour for. He smiled at that thought. Children needed to live happy lives, a carefree one as long as they are able to. Their innocence was something that was cherished by parents alike, keeping them safe from harm, and giving them the necessary tools to be successful in life. Of course, not all children will have the same circumstance, nor will each parents have the same idea about how to prepare their child for a bright future. He still remembered his constant barrage of critiques his father and mother had of him when he was learning how to form sentence structures properly. It had gotten worse when he started learning the rhetorics, and having to construct speeches on the fly that would be able to woo a crowd for a specific cause or another. That was the Ravencrest way of showing love and care, to prepare a child in so much that they had forgotten how to show their love in a tender way. Thinking about it now, Augustus could only sigh at his own childhood traumas. He knew that it must have been worse for his own sister, having been trained to fight as early as she was. Augustus himself had only just started to train his combat skills, and he was already hurting all over every single day he had a session with the she devil. That was what he was going to start calling her: the she devil. [break][break]
Shaking his head with mirth, Augustus made his way towards the nearby store that sold freshly baked baked bread. The smell wafted through the rafters and the opened door as Augustus stepped into the place. It was still fairly empty, save for the baker that was preoccupied with the large stone oven that was set behind the counter where the man displayed his baked creations and took payment. Augustus stopped for a Monet, inhaling the freshness of the scent. He might need to start ordering his own daily supply of bread here starting next month. While the current supplier of their estates daily bread was great, they were also a large company that was managed by one of the lower nobility houses. Augustus was happy enough to fund their start-up when they first came to him for financial backing. He had been their first customer, and had happily recommended them through his numerous connections. However, the debt was paid. The money he was owed had been paid with interest, and their storefront seemed to be booming the last time Augustus checked their place out during an afternoon stroll around the Royal Capital. While their estate was still a customer, Augustus was sure that they will not be losing much if he changed his supplier. Their bread was good, no doubt about that at all, but they did not smell as good as this baker’s, and they certainly did not look as good either. It seems that Augustus has found a gem hidden amongst the various storefronts here in the Royal Capital. It rarely happened, but it did happen sometimes, and Augustus was always happy to support the local merchants, artisans, and craftsmen. They were the lifeblood of the Clover Kingdom, after all, and even more so the Royal Capital. [break][break]
It was then that the door opened once more, and a familiar voice called out.[break][break]
“Augustus Ravencrest. Or should I say, Deacon Augustus. It seems that we meet at such an opportune moment, does it not?” [break][break]
Augustus would turn to see the Priestess Sierra, who had a basket on her arm, smiling at him. The man smiled back, before giving the priestess his signature wave, “It would seem so, priestess. I was actually just on my way to see you and get our day started together, but was distracted and tempted by the aroma of the bread that was being baked in this bakery.” Augustus shook his head with mirth, “Bread has always been one of my weaknesses during mornings, a breakfast that was made for champions.” He would smirk at the woman, before pointing at her basket that was empty. “It seems, however, that you are here for the same thing. I am guessing that you are buying the breakfast for the children at the orphanage?” He would ask, though he was almost sure that the answer would be a yes. Unlike estates, churches did not get their foods delivered. Whoever was the parishioner must be the one who acquired the food, or maybe even a deacon or two. He was surprised that the Priestess Sierra had been out and about herself, instead of one of the other deacons that he had seen walking around the church itself. [break][break]
“Oh, well yes. I am here to procure the breakfast for the children. Their diet in the mornings usually consists of either cereals or bread. For today, it will be a combination of both, since we have had quite the donation from a certain family recently.”[break][break]
Augustus would chuckle at that. “Well, I am fairly sure that the Ravencrests was more than happy to provide for the childrens, wards of the state and all. To be truly honest with you, I had come here thinking of buying breakfast for the children, something to supplement their meal. It seems that fate brought us here together, however.” He would shrug, “Would you mind if I pay for the bread for the children? I think it would be a great treat, and something I was already planning anyway.”[break][break]
Augustus was one to always think about the joys of other, especially when it came to children. The orphanage was such a sad state of affairs, and truthfully, it somewhat hurt Augustus’ heart that there were children who had grown up as a baby and into adulthood within the orphanages of the Church of Clover. If he could adopt them all, he would have, but sadly, he knew he would neither have time, nor does he really have any inclination to be a father. He probably would not do well, and botch it all up. No, it was best that he supported the children as much as he could while he was part of the Church. He did not mind becoming a Priest just because he would have better and more options as to what he could do to help the orphans. The Ravencrest estate was well off enough to donate some of its revenue every year to the Church of Clover, and Augustus usually donated his small portion, instead of taking from the family funds. He supposed that it had been his own way of showing that he cared, and that to him, giving back to the Church and the needy was one way to show his devotion to the religion and to the Church of Clover.[break][break]
“You are starting to act like a Priest, Augustus.” The Priestess Sierra would laugh, angling herself so she could see the man much better. The light from outside had started to cast a shadow inside the store, which funnily enough had been as dark as night without the soft glow of the candles around the place, as well as the mighty brick oven. “The donations were more than welcome. You know just how much it means to the children that they are able to eat more than just one type of food every single day. They had been clamouring to eat every single meal now because of all the various fruits and vegetables that you had provided us. There was also the meat that had been delivered a week ago. That had been a godsend. Let me tell you, the children were quite enamoured, and were wondering who the mysterious donor was. I am sure they will be excited to know that it was you all along.”[break][break]
Augustus would smile softly at her words. It seems that after joining the Church of Clover, he had started to become softer in his nature. There was still an edge to him, his prideful nature still exudes when he talked, especially when it was with other nobility or even in some instances where his personality slips up. However, since becoming a Deacon, he found himself starting to mellow out. His faith had been the one of the handful of things that had kept him sane in the years since being the Ravencrest’s political pawn. Going to church, saying his masses, keeping up with his daily prayers, and generally just doing charity work when he had time, it had all been to his advantage. While joining the Church of Clover had been a political move at first, Augustus found himself starting to warm up to the organization. His once goal had slowly been turned into something more. His piety was tested, and has proven itself strong, and he felt that he had started to gravitate towards wanting to actually serve the Church of Clover and the religion. Of course, the immediate thought of political clout was still there. And he would still have it no matter what as he takes the stage and starts rising up in the Church’s own ranks. However, he knew that it was less about politics now, and more about wanting to actually make a change, and wanting to serve the religion he had placed his faith in. It was life changing for Augustus, and he knew that it had manifested because of the things he had seen recently after doing some missions within and outside the boundaries of the Royal Capital.[break][break]
Poverty. Disease. Criminal behaviour. Starvation. All of which plagued the towns and cities that were closest or are within the Forsaken Region. He had heard of them before, news reports from his informants, and even from some of the Magic Knights who reported to the Royal Capital with their findings. It was a terrible state, and the only way to understand the gravity of the situation was to actually be there yourself, seeing the mayhem and the desperation of some of these people. Augustus felt for them all, and wanted to help, but he did not know how. The riches of his family was one way, but he could never do that to his sister, his parents, and his extended family. To deplete the resources of the Ravencrest family was a sin worse than murder. And he knew that he would never be forgiven for it. No, he needed to help in other ways. And the best way was already presented to him in a silver platter. [break][break]
“I suppose I am,” Augustus would nod, “From my time with you, as well as taking missions around the Clover Kingdom, going through various cities and towns, I have realized just how much luckier we are to be here in the Royal Capital. My birthright, my blood, was something that Lady Luck seemed to have deemed me worthy of. While I know that I am prideful at times, I do understand that the common people have their plight.” He shook his head, remembering one of the missions where he had been charged with protecting tomatoes, and the bandits that had tried to take them on. “The people are poor. The people are starving. The people are desperate.” Criminals were not born, after all. A lot of them were made because of the circumstances that they had been faced with. Of course, there were those that were malicious in nature. Augustus himself had seen them, having been present when they prosecuted some of the Magic Knights that had turned rogue on their own comrades. Murderers and rapists were also on top of Augustus’ list of vile humans, those deserving a fate worse than death. “While the Magic Knights help the Clover Kingdom with their might and magic, the Church of Clover must pick up the rest, giving hope where it is due, and helping those who need alms.” He had been mulling it over for a while now. A week, if he was correct. “To them, the nobility stand for nothing but straw men. We are but scarecrows to them, all for show, and nothing really inside but dust and straws.” He would shake his head in dismay. “I want to be able to help the people. I want to be the conduit that would help ease the pains of the Clover citizens, to be the light in their darkness.” Augustus said with conviction. “To be a part of the Church of Clover, for me, is more than just serving with my faith in mind, but it is also a way for me to give back to the common people. To be the light in their darkest.” [break][break]
“And you shall, Deacon Augustus. Your piety has finally shown itself in full force, it seems.” Priestess Sierra would smile at the man, genuine, and full of joy and sincerity. “To be a part of the Church of Clover is more than just wanting to serve the faith. You must also have some sort of affinity to the people. The people will be listening to you for guidance. They will be asking you questions, sometimes even questioning their faith as you try to dissuade them from straying from the flock. And it will be tough. And it will bog you down sometimes. But, at the end of the day, Deacon Augustus, you are doing the Spirits’ work. We worship the Four Spirits, the Four Deities, because they are the progenitors of every other element. They are the manifestation of mana in its purest form. And with your faith and their guidance, you will persevere onwards.”[break][break]
Augustus would nod, trying his best to take note of the Priestess’ spiel. One day he knew that he might need it. He knew that his faith will be tested sometimes, and that the common people will test his conviction, especially those who are in the fringes of society. But, as a member of the Church of Clover, he will need to persevere. He knew that he had the Four Deities’ power by his side metaphorically speaking, and he will keep to his faith so long as the spirits did not cause him to waver.
Post by Augustus Ravencrest on Jun 4, 2020 23:07:21 GMT -5
[nospaces]
[attr="class","augustimage"]
POW
2
DUR
15
STA
20
SEN
2
CON
27
[break]
HEALTH
100%
MANA SKIN
100%
MANA POOL
70/70
MANA REGEN
20 IC 10 OOC
[break]
WORD COUNT
2273
TOTAL WORD COUNT
7527
TAG
[attr="class","augustscroll"]
“Well, shall we buy our fill and head out then, Deacon Augustus?”[break][break]
Augustus stared at the Priestess Sierra for a little, before shaking his head of the cobwebs that seemed to have started to form as his mind wandered away far into the future. It was a bad habit of his, to sometimes get too lost in his thoughts that he found himself in awkward situations. It was more prevalent when he had been younger, and had been a problem when he had first started studying with his tutors. During those days, he would daydream of being an explorer, or even a Magic Knight. There had been days when he would see his sister through one of the windows training with their father in combat. Of course, he had not known then just how strict their father was. All he had seen was his sister doing some combat maneuvers, and sometimes even using small scale spells that need not a grimoire. Augustus had been jealous then. He had wanted the adventure associated with the Magic Knights. He had wanted to be trained to fight. He wanted to be one of the shining knights, protecting the realm from corruption. He wanted to be a soldier, going into battle and defeating the mighty but horrible Diamond Kingdom. But in the end, he was to be a statesman. His days were spent verbally battling the other nobles whom had their own agendas and try to push it in the Royal Capital. When projects or funding came into question, he was the person who would be called to lobby the other Upper Nobility families, though always blocked by the Silva family whenever possible. He had been raised to be the brains and the mouth of the family, unlike Lydia who was raised to be the arms and legs. They were both a unit, an inseparable duo that worked apart but worked together in order to preserve their familial honour, and to further their influence throughout every crevice of the Clover Kingdom. [break][break]
“Yes, yes we should.” Augustus would finally respond, “You lead the way, Priestess Sierra.” He would gesture as he finally paid for the basket of bread that the priestess has procured from the baker. Augustus himself had to stop and tell the man to deliver a batch of his most delicious bread at the servant’s entrance of the Ravencrest family. He had been delighted by a sample of the bread as he paid the dues of the basket that the Priestess Sierra was carrying. Augustus knew that a good baker was fairly hard to find in a huge city like the Royal Capital, and to make sure to procure the man’s services. The baker had been delighted, have Augustus a few bows of gratitude which was wholly unnecessary but he did not both to stop the man. He was fairly certain that the baker was making just his ends meet, but with the Ravencrest’s patronage, he would be set for a lifetime as long as he delivered his very best. Augustus will need time make arrangements as well to stop the deliveries from the other bakery, something he filed away to talk to his household staff later on. [break][break]
“Fall in step with me Deacon Augustus, and tell me of your travels this far. I know that as Deacon, I might have pushed you just a bit harder than most of the other ones under my charge. I have sent you to other towns and cities to talk to the other priests and priestesses, had you run errands, and have even sent you to clear out ruffians on more than one occasion. But that does not mean I detest or despise the sight of you. In truth, I simply wanted to use your capabilities to its full advantage.” [break][break]
Augustus would chuckle at the woman’s words. He had been sent as an errand boy to different cities. Though it was only once that he was sent to a place outside of the Common Region as people called it. In truth, Augustus has thrived with the adventures he had gone on. Sure, they were simple courier missions, passing on letters and notes to the other parishes from the Priestess Sierra. He had also been assigned to clear away some of the beggars and vagabonds that had tried to set up camp outside the church. That one had been very heartfelt, as Augustus made sure that each and every single one of those beggars and homeless individuals were wearing clothes at the very least, while he sent most of them to a homeless shelter with express orders from the Ravencrest family. Finally, he had been asked to take out some ruffians who had been vandalizing the nearby church just on the outskirts of the Common Region, which was fairly simple with his budding sword skills. That had not been too bad, and that specific time had been very well for his increasing mastery over weapon handling. Of course, he had also used his golems as per usual, which was not such a bad thing.[break][break]
“I suppose I felt a little bit awkward at the start. But, of course, you will never see me actually be awkwards, as you know, priestess.” Augustus would start, falling in step with the woman as she still carried the basket full of loaves of bread. Augustus had actually asked to carry it, but the woman had declined. In truth, he was sure that the Priestess Sierra was someone who loved her independence, but had forsaken some of it to be a part of the Church of Clover. It might have been something to do with her, though Augustus himself was not eager to ask. For the most part, Augustus kept his questions to himself about people, unless they voluntarily give the information, or his informants passed it to him secretly. “But, at the end of the day, I stepped up and did it. I had even volunteered and had taken a mission while I was visiting the city of Sosshi. Quaint place, but its outskirts seem to be lidden with bandits and those of ill will alike. Truly, it had opened my eyes to what is outside of the Royal Capital, and how the common people lives through it all.” He shook his head. “They are a resilient people, more than what most people give them credit for.”[break][break]
“They are, truly. The common people are known to be hardy, work themselves to the bone honestly until they can no longer subsist through it, and sometimes they go awry and join to rogues that plague our Clover Kingdom. We cannot fault them for trying to find an easier way to live, and we can never always be there to help them out at every turn and corner. But, as the Church of Clover, we always try our best, and that is what matters at the end of the day.”[break][break]
Augustus nodded. There was wisdom laden within the words of the priestess. He could not fault the people who turned to rogue like behaviour just so they can feed their families. He cannot fault them for trying to find the easier way to be able to live. He cannot fault them for blaming the Clover Kingdom for the troubles and woes, since the Clover Kingdom itself has had its fair share of bad decisions. In the end, they were all just trying their best, and Augustus can at least give them credit for that. While he cannot absolve the injustice that some of them had done, he can at least help them absolve their sins once he was at the capacity to do so.[break][break]
“Here we are.”[break][break]
The priestess turned around the corner to reveal the medium sized church that seemed to be dwarfed by all the other buildings around the area. Augustus could not help a smile as he looked on at the structure. For some reason, he always felt at home when he was close to or was inside the church. It was like a second to him, and there was an affinity that called out to him whenever he was close to a sacred place. Augustus would slowly wander into the place, as the sound of children started to permeate through the halls. It seems like the orphanage was ran just behind the church itself, which for some reason, Augustus never actually had seen. Though to be fair, he was usually a church goer, and his time as a Deacon was mostly used as a courier and messenger for the Priestess Sierra. He would slowly wander into the place, and kneel down to genuflect. A sign of respect for the Four Deities that were the progenitors of mana and magic. After a few seconds, Augustus would rise up and follow the Priestess, who made her way to the back. The back door opened to reveal a cluster of children ages three years old to about late teens. Augustus was just guessing the ages but it seems as though there was a variety of them.[break][break]
“Children, this is Deacon Augustus. He was the one who provided us with all the yummy foods we have been eating for the past couple of days. And! He brought us all a surprise! See, this basket of bread was bought by Deacon Augustus for us all to share for breakfast! Is he not a nice man? What do we all say?”[break][break]
“THANK YOU DEACON AUGUSTUS FOR THE FOOD!”[break][break]
Augustus was shocked by the loudness of the children, and had almost been moved to tears. He had to stop for a second, before stifling up a response, though weaker than his usual boisterous self. “You are all very welcome, children. Now, why don’t we all sit down and eat our breakfast, okay?”[break][break]
The children immediately scrambled to find their spots. They seemed to know where to go, and who to sit by. Most likely, there was an order to things, just as with any type of seating arrangement for a family. They were a family, were they not? These children, all they had were each other, so they must be a family in and of themselves. Augustus would find himself stunned at how behaved the children were, and he was immediately pulled by a small hand towards an empty spot.[break][break]
“Here you go, Deacon Augy. You can sit beside Momo!”[break][break]
Augustus watched as a small blonde haired girl smiled at him toothily, though she seemed to be missing her two front teeth. Augustus smiled at his nickname, before bending down to be at eye level of the young child, “Thank you very much, Momo.” He patted her head, before taking the offered spot. [break][break]
The Priestess Sierra started the prayers, which the children all recited at heart. Augustus merely watched, though he said his own prayers of thanks as well to the Four Deities. The children were eager, and once the prayer was over, the pandemonium started. The children were all at once trying to grab a piece of the bread laid down on the table. Their oatmeals, grey and mushy, were forgotten as the fastest amongst them were able to grab a piece and were already eating it with a smile of their faces. The slower ones were able to take portions as well, though not as large as the faster children. Augustus can only shake his head at the antics of the children, and they did not seem to mind his presence at all. Augustus merely observed, though Momo seemed to be delighted that the new Deacon had decided to sit beside her, even though she had all but pulled him to the spot.[break][break]
After breakfast, the children all went to their designated classrooms, were some school teachers were waiting for them. They were separated by age group, with the younger ones starting to learn how to read and write, while the older ones were doing quite a bit on numbers and history.[break][break]
“This is the orphanage, Deacon Augustus. These children, all they have is each other. Every day, they long for a home. Every day, they long for parents that would take them home. Yet, every single day, I have to take care of them. This is the reality of becoming a part of the church. We are not only caretakers of the people’s souls, absolving them of sin and giving them hope for a better life, but we also take care of the neglected ones, those who have nowhere to go. We are a family here, Deacon Augustus. A family that was forged in unfair circumstances, but we are all that we have. This is what you should be expecting, Deacon Augustus, as you start to think about your future within the Church of Clover.”[break][break]
Augustus would nod slowly. “I can see what you are getting at, priestess. And truthfully, this is the first time I had been shown the orphanage part of the church. These children depend on the church so much, and even though I know that they would rather find a home for themselves, they still persevere through it all.” He would shake his head then. “If this is what it means to be a priest of the Church of Clover, I will happily accept the task when it is my time one day.” Augustus nodded his head. “One day, when the time comes, I will do what you have done here, and what every single Priest or Priestess has done. I will take care of the children as though they were my own.” [break][break]
“Good, Deacon Augustus. You will make a fine Priest yet!”
