Chapter Eighteen: And Other Sins (Part Three).

Some Champions were so renown that they garnered their own cults. Folk who believed the Champion had so thoroughly embodied their patrons, or acted so inhumanly kind, that they must have been demi-gods in and of themselves. If such a fate would befall Ash, she hoped that her temple would be here; a simple bathhouse.

The only place in the world where she could be at peace. Weightless and warm in waters that cleansed even the deepest of shames. She could have spent a lifetime there, she should have, but duty called and her paradise had to be short lived.

"My lady," an all too soft voice whispered from the far end of the halls. It startled Ash, but she hid it well. Unlike the last time, she did not flounder and splash. Instead, she simply turned to see Mei, her supposed attendant, stood with a set of cloths in hand.

"Mei," Ash choked. "How are you?"

"I am well, thank you. Master Sujin has informed me that you plan to meet with the Ducissa."

"I- Yes," Ash replied. She sank deep enough into the water that her jaw suffered occasional splashes from rogue ripples.

"I have taken the liberty to prepare you some appropriate garments," Mei whispered. She lay the towels down and removed the top one to reveal a set of neatly folded clothes beneath. "If they do not please, I will gather some others for you, my lady."

"Thank you, Mei, I hope it was no bother."

"It is my job, my lady. Would you consider it a bother to go on a hunt?"

"Oh, I suppose not. I'm surprised you know I'm a huntress though," Ash said.

"It is also my job to know about you, my lady. I am very good at my job."

"Then," Ash hesitated. "You know what I am?"

"A Champion, my lady."

"Do you know of what?"

Mei hesitated for a moment. It seemed two or three answers battled to leap from her tongue and she had to decide which one was permitted to part her lips. "One has been granted many answers, many of which cannot be true."

"They're true."

"Then you mean to tell me that you are the Champion of Black?" Mei doubted.

"No, I told you I'm Ashtik... but, yeah," she awkwardly chuckled.

"Such seems... unlikely," Mei slowly said.

"Believe me, I agree."

"Then that is why Veytor's inquisition chases you?"

"Yeah," Ash chuckled. "The Black Heretic, they've dubbed me."

"This is... a remarkable claim. Do you have any proof?"

"Aside from the gauntlet and mark?" Ash offered. She flexed the invisible muscle that allowed her to retract her steel skin. The flesh beneath had grown much paler than the rest of her skin, but the little sparrow seemed elated to have free reign of her arm. It fluttered along and danced around. It circled her bicep and landed at her wrist before regarding Mei with a little flutter.

The sight captivated the artificially severe woman. She seemed to forget her lifetime of propriety training as she drew close to Ash and stroked a hand against the fluttering little bird.

"She's beautiful," Mei whispered. She regained herself at the words, and noticed that she had stepped into the bath and soaked the rim of her dress. "My apologies, my lady."

"Don't worry," Ash said with a forced smiled. It ceased to be forced as she finally released the gauntlet back to its preferred state. It writhed across her like a corruptive fungus before settling back around her bicep. Ash noticed that the gauntlet only spread so far as the sparrow had flown.

"It seems too beautiful for the Black Champion," Mei whispered.

"Dreams can be beautiful," Ash meekly protested.

"But the Black Champion... In Tave we call you the Champion of War. It is said you shall wage a war against the very night. That all will be consumed, and only if you win shall we be permitted to rebuild. Where is beauty's place in this?"

"I cannot wage war against the night, Mei. That's just prophesies trying to sound poetic. For all we know, the war I'm destined to fight won't start for a thousand years, and my only role in it is to create some doo-hickey that kills one specific guy."

"That would be the beauty of the beast, I suppose. One can never truly know, until it is too late," Mei said. She seemed to regain her formal air as she bowed away. "Your clothes are here, my lady. Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with."

"O- Of course. Thank you, Mei. Will- Will you join us this evening? Evara wants to have a big meal together, and you're more than welcome to come," she timidly offered.

"I am your maid, my lady. It would be improper of me to eat with you."

"Sharing a meal is never improper. Besides, you've seen me all wet and naked now, I might as well buy you dinner afterwards," Ash chuckled. A gentle snort found Mei who was so gracious as to even crack the first genuine smile Ash had seen from her.

"It is a... kind offer, my lady. If my duties to not keep me away, I would be honoured." With that, she made away yet again. The bottom of her dress dragged along the floor and left a soggy trail as she went.

Ash dried herself off and wrapped her hair in a red towel with a small ignis symbol stitched into it. It quickly dried her hair, but left it in a horribly tangled mess. She bound it all in a single lazy bun and decided to deal with it at a later date.

The clothes left out were much greater than any she would have picked for herself. Not so lady like as to be restrictive and stuffy, yet still elegant and – dare she to think – even pretty.

Purple satin and silk, loose around the belly and tight around the chest. On its own, it may have been a little too exposed. But a black felt undershirt covered the chest window. It acted as both a right sleeve with a fingerless glove, and a turtleneck, for the purple overlayer lacked either. It was clear that Mei had made adjustments to the undershirt to remove the left sleeve and allow room for her gauntlet.

A pair of tight black cavalry pants, trimmed with purple seams covers, fit as though perfectly tailored. She elected not to wear the given leather boots, as the four-inch wedges made her feel off balance, so she simply slid her own armoured greaves on over the pants.

She spent a moment attaching her spear sheath to her back, and her dirk sheath inside her boot, before making away.

Sujin stood at the threshold. Shaved and kempt in an all-white suit of the Forgeland fashion. His dark hair had been cut shorter than she had ever seen of a man outside of a monetary or the military. She had seen bald men with more along the sides than he, but it was a look he wore well. It seemed a shave and a bath had done wonders for him. His skin had regained its golden hue, and his eyes had lost their weighted bags. A pattern rode up his left sleeve, a flag bearing sparrow of flaming red and orange. It looked closer to a phoenix in its depiction, but it was clearly designed with Ash in mind. She did not recognise the flag it bore, but it wasn't that of the Forgelands nor Maester Veil.

"You look dashing, Ashtik," he smiled.

"Thanks, you scrub up better than I expected."

"I'll take that as a complement, then," he chuckled. "Once your sister arrives, we can be off."

"Where is she?"

"Dressing, I believe."

"Gods, you should probably take a seat," Ash groaned.

"It has already been some time, she won't dally, I am sure."

Ash didn't reply. She scoffed and found a table to sit on while they waited. It wasn't such a long wait as she expected. Mayhaps an hour before the child made herself visible.

"Sorry!" Ev shouted as she rushed out. "I lost track of time!"

She burst through the doors without an ounce of grace, but such could not be said for her appearance. Ash had seen paintings of princesses renowned for their elegance and beauty who would pale in comparison.

Silver and gold flowed like a waterfall down her little form. It pooled around her calves as the golden trim of her gorgeous dress. White sleeves carried golden flames down to her hands and linked around her middle finger. Her long flowing hair had been bound around a single halo braid and allowed to flow down to her shoulders.

Her maid, Rosie, must have showed her how to apply makeup because Ash had never seen her sister so expertly painted. Black wing tips rode over the steely and sparkling shadow over her eyes. Her natural blush had been brought to a faded pink against her dark skin. A single strip of matching pink gloss had been added to the middle of her lips and a single freckle had been marked just beneath her eye.

"Ev," Ash gasped. "You look gorgeous."

"Thanks," Ev blushed. "And you look badass." She made note of Sujin's own outfit and smiled as she noticed the sparrow at his arm. "Is that the flag of house Macau?" She asked.

"It is," he confirmed. "I hoped it would be a sign of friendship. The sparrow of Ashtik, with the phoenix of Lady Macau."

"I like it," Ev beamed. "Did you have the staff make it?"

"No. I went in to town yesterday when I realised we would be visiting."

"Oh, right. Well, I've held us up much too long. Shall we adieu?"

"Of course, after you, my lady," Ash bowed with a teasing smile.

"Thank you, my good knight," Ev curtsied in as regal a voice as she could manage before taking her royal leave.

The royal chapel was a sight beyond sights. The nation was not one of zealots, and yet this monument to the gods must have the grandest creation since the gods themselves tried their hands at the craft. It was not so tall as the ice spire, nor so vast as the crater from which they had left Meomi, but it was a sheer marvel of architecture. A crystal dome capped the marble and jade construction. Pillars of twisting glass coiled out and met in the middle, where a single diamond strut rested. Though it reached from the tip of each spire all the way to the ground, it looked as though it was utterly loose; resting against the small ring at the centre of the glass coils.

It must have been constructed atop of an ancient hill. A thousand marble steps stretched high, but seemed utterly unworn by footsteps.

A thousand soldiers of steel and stone stood their solemn vigils for untold centuries of silent safeguarding of this spiritual shelter. Those nearer the top had been so weathered by the countless ages that barely a trace of warrior remained beneath the formless mounds of stone. As the soldiers came lower, they seemed to be made of newer materials. She saw a bronze knight near the peak, then an iron warrior towards the middle, and a steel-clad knight much later on. Each silent warrior was bespoke. Carved by different hands in different times, but all in the same pose.

"They add a new knight for every king," Sujin whispered. "It has become custom to grant the warrior the best technology of the era. Look, there's king Donaleaf's." He pointed out to the statue clad in runed silver armour with a great hammer resting where most others equipped blades. It was nowhere near the bottom of the chapel, but it was the last knight added as yet. Maybe three-hundred preceded it, while nearly a thousand spots awaited a thousand future monarchs.

"This is my stop," Ev smirked. For as elegant and lady-like as she looked, she was still a child. She bounced up and down in place, giddy for the chance to learn of some magical ways. She was like a dog awaiting permission to tear into a meal.

"Remember your promise?" Ash said.

"Yes," Ev quickly answered.

"Say it."

"I'll tell her about the forest before she teaches me anything."

"Good," Ash whispered. She stepped up to her sister and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Be safe, be good, and have fun. I'll walk by later and check in on you."

With that, Ev was sprinting away. "Good luck with the Ducissa!" She breathlessly called back as she clambered up the thousand ancient steps up to the chapel.

"Thanks," Ash sighed. "I'm gonna need it."

The child scrambled upwards. She skipped over some steps, and nearly slipped down others. Ash couldn't pull herself away until she was safely atop them and entering the now distant chapel.

"Are you well, Ashtik?" Sujin asked.

"Not at all," she snorted. "She's gonna blow that whole building up, isn't she?"

"I doubt it," he lied. "She's surrounded by some of the greatest magical minds of the nation. There can be nowhere safer in the world for her to explore her powers."

The fact didn't settle Ash's mind. "Did... you find out why she... exploded?"

"I... did not," he hesitantly admitted. "That level of magic would be difficult for a powerful magician to sustain. For an utter novice? It makes no sense. If not for everything else happening, she'd be the single most significant discovery in the magical community that I've ever seen."