Beyond?

It looks like the coming week will be stressful, so I don't know if I'll manage to write any chapters.

“Selling houses! Pay first, visit later. There is no withdrawal from the contract.”

-Street Vendor

***Quinn, Capital***

***Azir***

I yawn as I walk down the streets of Quinn's capital with Stella hooked to my arm.

“What do you think of Quinn?” Stella asks while looking around anxiously.

My eyes wander over the explosion of colours, odours and shapes. Not a single house looks the same and all of the walls are painted with graffiti.

The use of technology is also much farther spread than in Nict. There are many cars on the streets and on every corner you can find some type of mechanical gadget, like vending machines for example. People are busily running around and everything gives off the feeling of stress.

I remember places like this from my old world, but for Stella it must be a real cultural shock.

She is someone who is used to the orderly and neatly arranged buildings of Nict. This is like an attack on everything which she holds dear. “They are all nuts.” I state my own opinion, but I am referring to their choice of design and colour.

“That's-”

It's a provocation! “They aren't just clowns. They are insane clowns!”

“-Not what-”

And the way everyone is watching us. Like they are something better. I want to teach them a lesson! “If they continue looking at us like that I am tempted to wipe-” Stella's tail wriggles around my head to shut me up.

“-I meant!” She slides her tail off my mouth, but keeps it around my neck as if she is warning me not to say more. “What I wanted to know is what you think about Quinn's invitation?”

I purse my lips and think about how we ended up in a country which despises magicians. It's probably best to give Giana and Leon the fault. Their efforts in creating a good relationship with us went a little further than we anticipated.

One day we suddenly got an invitation by Novak Zerces, king of Quinn and his queen, Frey Zerces.

They invited Nict and Dwem to a conference about the future actions of our three countries. They assumed correctly that we would take action against whoever is behind the continuous deterioration of the world.

Hence they thought about coordinating our actions with each other instead of acting independently.

Of course they were very careful to avoid calling it an alliance or peace talks.

“I think they are on their knees. Their country is surrounded by enemies. From the north, barbarians who are obviously influenced by our enemy. Marauding nomads from the west and the southerners from the south. It's a pain in the ass that all these factions don't have a unified government, you simply don't know whom you should kill. I don't want to think about how Quinn's borders must look like. Nict took a low blow by the recent attack from the southerners, so I assume that Quinn must be worse off. Right now they are surely frantically reaching for any arm which could help them to their feet.”

Stella nods slowly at my side while glaring at the people around us. “If it's like that, then why is everyone looking at us like we are the enemy. Don't they inform their citizens about what's going on?”

“It's their religion. They've brainwashed themselves with it until the general citizen can't see clearly any more. I am sure that king Novak is risking a revolt by letting us walk freely through his city.” Their fanatics must be grinding their teeth while watching us.

Stella and I decided to take a little walk through the city after accompanying Lucas to the conference. Reaching Quinn wasn't a problem since our stepper disc arrived here months ago.

The Great Shaman also used the disc instead of travelling on his own. Chuck wasn't very happy about being here and he expressed that very clearly to king Novak when they met.

He isn't happy about the way magicians are treated in this country. Dwem is in a way even more dependent on its magic users than Nict. Their society relies heavily on being led by the smart and talented. Being confronted with a social construct like Quinn is an attack on everything which Chuck believes in.

Of course that doesn't mean that Quinn's leaders are stupid, but they willingly throw away a big asset of their people.

“Is that a church?” Stella stops in front of a strange building with a big symbol on top of it. The symbol looks like a Җ and seems to be made out of pure gold. Probably because their goddess has something to do with the sun?

“I don't know and don't care.” Who needs churches? There were a lot of beliefs in my old world and I am very sure that all of them caused more bad things than good ones.

Religion is a powerful tool to control the masses and its defenders are often arguing that it provides the society with a set of moral concepts which are necessary.

But does a person really need a religion to be a moral person? Morality isn't something which religion has the right to claim for itself.

And does a person need religion to get the answers which he is searching for? Isn't the inability to find the right answers for yourself proving that there is something wrong in your head?

“Come on. We are on a sightseeing tour.” She pulls me inside and I grumble as I follow her through the big inviting entrance.

Surprisingly the inside looks like a normal church, there is nothing special about the building. We are standing on a central walkway with many benches and praying people to the left and right. The walls are filled with paintings about their goddess and the windows are made out of coloured glass.

Some pillars are strategically placed to support the ceiling while not obstructing the view on the central statue which is on the other side of the entrance.

It's a golden figure of their goddess, ten metres tall and looking down on the people with a smiling face.

“She has no horns.” Stella notices.

I pull a grimace. “There is no tail.” The sexy goddess is displayed in a tight dress, but the tail is missing. The artist made a major mistake. Tails are important for a man's fantasies!

“Four wings?” Stella points at the wings which are spreading left and right from the goddess in an attempt to encase the audience.

“Are you searching for guidance?” The voice of an approaching priest is directed at us. He is an old, skinny fellow with grey hair and short, brittle horns. A long beard hides half of his wrinkly face.

“We are on a sightseeing tour.” Stella proclaims boldly.

I try to smile at the guy from whom I feel a faint presence of magic. It's like he is trying hard to suppress it.

He smiles back. “So you aren't of the faith then? I heard that the king invited a few foreigners. May I ask from where you are.”

“Nict.” I state matter of factly.

“So that means that you are cursed too?” He asks with a sad voice.

“Curse?” Stella asks dumbfounded. “You mean magic?”

The priest nods. “Yes, I guess that's what you are calling it. It's the ability to influence the world with your mind. How are you dealing with it over there on the other side of the continent?”

I shrug my shoulders. “I guess we accept it and train ourselves in using it properly.”

The priest raises an eyebrow. “How can you use something as dangerous as that? I can remember that I almost killed a classmate when I was a child. He angered me and I forced him against a wall, breaking his arm.”

He turns towards the statue. “Of course I was immediately brought to the priests and they taught me to suppress my power. It took me many years, but finally I was able to return under the wings of the goddess.

Sometimes a priest who manages to suppress his curse is given a wonderful gift by her. Then he might be able to heal people, or make plants grow faster.”

Stella gasps. “Don't you guys know anything about magical training? A child with magical ability has to be taken care of and taught properly.”

I pat her hand on my arm. “Those guys suppressed their abilities for generations. I doubt that there is anyone who can use his magic properly. Not to talk of subduing a child with its magic running amok. Someone without control is a serious threat to the people around him. We are also sealing the magic of children who are too young to be taught.”

The priest nods. “Hm. So you have to resort to such measures too. It's sad that the goddess didn't teach us how to deal with this issue.”

“No. That's completely different. They are forcing their people to ignore the gifts which were naturally given to them.” Stella complains, gesturing at the room.

The priest tries to calm her down. “It's not like anything was taken from me. The goddess has a place for all people in her heart.”

I notice the many eyes on us and turn Stella around. “You are right. The goddess surely is benevolent, but there are still many things to see and I believe we are short on time.”

“May the goddess shed her light on you.” The priest waves us a goodbye and turns to deal with other believers.

“What are you doing? We have to help those poor souls. They are being brainwashed!” Stella whispers to me.

“Of course they are brainwashed. Brainwashed by living a whole life like they do. The fellow believed every word he said and you won't change his world view overnight. I started to fear that we might be forced to kill the audience.” I lead her out of the church.

“Kill the audience?” Finally she starts walking faster without me having to pull her.

“The discussion was a little too loud and was overheard by everyone in the closed space of the church. Didn't you notice all of them looking at us?” Finally the church disappears out of sight and I walk slower from then on.

“I am sorry. I didn't notice, but we still have to tell Lucas about this.” Stella's happy sightseeing atmosphere is gone and she pulls at my sleeve, taking a way which leads back to the palace. “I am not sure if I really want to help this country.”

“Me neither.” Together we head back to where the conference is taking place.

.