Chapter 1: The City of Glass

Some time passed without Sister Melile emerging from the chamber where she and the other elders had retreated. Initially, the small group decided to hold a prayer circle to the goddess Levain in the meantime, but now they only waited, speaking in whispers, for new instructions from the leading sister.
Nasim and Leylia sat together in a corner, under an empty shelf where barrels were once stored. The small niche had enough space for the two of them, but was comparatively quiet and secluded from the rest of the assembly. Nasim leaned against the wall as she played with one of her pendants around her neck. The first was the crucifix of the sisterhood, the second, also hanging around her neck, was the eight-pointed symbol of the Divine Right, representing the light of enlightenment and the blessing of the goddess. Next to her, the tall Leylia crouched.
“Do you think the church will ever send us help?” Leylia asked Nasim, who was thoughtfully staring into space. “I mean, they should, right? False gods holding an entire land captive. The crusaders should be called again!”
Nasim shook her head. “I don’t know if there will ever be another crusade. Remember the lessons: the last one led to uprisings in the Westerlands themselves. Who knows what a crusade could stir up here in the East.”
Leylia looked distraught and gazed down at the ground. Nasim indirectly referred to the Faith Uprising of the Fourth Era. Groups of reformers and protesters who, after the Third Crusade in the last age, came with criticism of the structures and methods of the church, putting the otherwise united and stable West in imbalance. They deemed the church too controlling and corrupt, and even condemned the sparse magic of the Known World, which was believed to be blessed by the Goddess with their magical abilities in the Faith of the Divine Right. As a result, conflicts and a faith rebellion broke out across the land in the West, until the church eventually kneeled and retreated from many positions of power and political areas.
Here in Meridia, of course, they knew little of the confrontations, but like every member of the church, the Sisters of Taraneh were taught about it in their history. Particularly the Sisterhood, who was always interested in historical events. The thought of what a crusade could trigger in such a ‘pagan’ land worried Nasim, even though she would accept any help. The Sisterhood and their members were not necessarily the most popular in the country, but Meridia was still their home. And the only home for Nasim.
Leylia looked up again and gazed into the dark eyes of her friend, whom she had known since their early days of training as nuns. “There is a council, if I’m not mistaken! The Hesha are trying to do something about the false gods.” Nasim considered briefly.
“Yes,” she said slowly, sounding somewhat uncertain herself. “Somewhere with the Dravken, I believe. As far as I know, representatives of the Church are also present there.” Nasim tucked her pendant back under her robe and leaned back even further. “Perhaps they can achieve something,” she said, her tone once again tinged with uncertainty. “Oh, I don’t know…”
Leylia looked dissatisfied, not with the situation, but more with Nasim’s mood. “The Goddess will not abandon us!”
Nasim laughed softly, earning a warning glance from Leylia. “Don’t worry. For now, I am still confident.”
One of the workers stood up from one of the circles, cursing softly. The followers of the one true Goddess moved on from prayer to playing cards to pass the time. The man in linen clothing angrily threw two coins onto the dusty ground, which were quickly picked up by a nimble hand.
Followed by soft laughter, he approached Nasim and Leylia. “How much longer does the sister need? I think I’m about to burst from waiting so long.”
Nasim seemed offended that he had simply invaded their privacy, but Leylia smiled in her unmistakable way. “I’m sure the sister and the others will come to a decision soon.”
The man grunted discontentedly. “From the way she sounded earlier, we’ll just sit here and hide. Why ask for the Mother’s guidance if we’re going to ignore her orders anyway!?” Leylia was unsure what to answer, but the man was already turning to Nasim. “You said we should do something. What did you have in mind?”
Nasim was taken aback, while Leylia looked at her pleadingly. Her friend would always try to calm things down and hoped Nasim would support her. But in fact, she sympathised with the worker. A few weeks ago, she had made the long journey to the Waalian capital Vlakis Oras to bring the writing of the Mother of the Order, who was in exile, here to Ahel’Hwalem, only to do nothing contrary to her words. Melile was not only a harpy, but also always keen to avoid problems as if they would solve themselves. It was by chance that the older sister stayed behind with the rest of the group in Ahel’Hwalem and received something like a leadership position. She would probably have preferred to be with the Mother at the court of the Mountain King.
Reluctance surged within Nasim and she spoke, “It’s been pretty quiet around the palace lately, hasn’t it?” Leylia looked confused, while the man agreed with her.
“Yeah, yeah,” he said, coming closer. “But I know the No’farzand are still there. A cousin of mine works in the servant’s quarters and he said he’s seen at least two strange figures there twice.” He tapped his nose conspiratorially.
“Do you know your way around there?”, Nasim asked. The man shook his head. The gears in Nasim’s head started turning again, while Leylia looked disappointed at the two conspirators. A whiny ‘goddess’ escaped her throat. Nasim grinned.
“I know a little about break-ins,” she said, now tapping her own hooked nose.
“A past life!” Leylia jumped in as if to divert the worker’s thoughts.
“Is your cousin religious?” Nasim asked.
“Not really. Neither the goddess nor the old gods. But he owes me one!” Nasim nodded thoughtfully.
“We could try it once…” she said, as the door to the next room opened. Melile came out again with the other elders and turned to the group.
“We have interpreted the words of the mother and made our decision!” she said solemnly. “We must serve as the ears and eyes of the church in Meridia, but we must not leave our post! We are the last believers who endure in the eye of the storm. If we fall, then Meridia falls!” Nasim knew what Melile was getting at and found it almost presumptuous to give such attention to a small group of outsiders. She knew that Melile only wanted to keep herself out of any trouble. “We will stay in the shadows and safety of these for now, until we hear more from our beloved Mother.” Discontent arose again in the group, but Melile interrupted it with a chopping gesture. “Now go to your families and rest. And don’t forget the next meeting in three days!”
The group slowly dispersed, with members leaving the cellar at different times to avoid drawing too much attention to themselves. Nasim and Leylia waited as the man grabbed Nasim’s shoulder and briefly looked at her as he walked by. “I work in the warehouses by the lake during the day,” he said, nodding to her before leaving. “We are not alone.”
Eventually, Nasim and Leylia also left the vault, heading to Leylia’s parents’ home in Ahel’Hwalem. The two merchants lived there and were always open to the faith of Divine Right. When Leylia joined the Sisterhood, they also joined the Church, convinced of the faith of the Westerlands. Now they provided Leylia and Nasim with accommodation and food.
Nasim lay on the upper of two beds, looking out the window. While Leylia quickly fell asleep, Nasim remained awake with her thoughts. She played with her pendants again as she looked at the majestic palace in the distance.
Going in to take a look can’t hurt, she thought, as her decision solidified.