Leonardo had mostly kept his promise. He did return rather quickly as he guided us into the heart of Haven. Beyond the secondary walls was the stronghold of these Wardens. The space was packed with people training, and it was as I imagined.
People no older than ten were gathered together in large groups, training in various ways, from magic to swordsmanship, to physical conditioning, and nearly everything in between. And it was not just those young, those in their early teens, but also those physically older than me who were everywhere. Even a handful that seemed a bit too out of their prime were trained.
Each group was guided by its dedicated instructor, each wearing robes or plate armor that matched Leonardo's and his group. I hadn't learned what they actually called themselves yet, but perhaps calling them Paladins was not out of the question. Although even those who wore armor or robes and trained the mages did not seem to be purely of the school of light magic.
And a simple look through Soul Sight showed that everyone, even the younger ones, had souls just like those in the town, above what was to be expected. Thankfully, or perhaps, unfortunately, depending on their agreement of an alliance, there were not dozens of individuals at or even near the status of War Gods. No, just above the average, and oddly uniform in power. Leonardo seemed to be the only outlier so far, which tracked with his status as the Vice-Watchmaster.
Regardless, there was little doubt about whether any of them were being forced, at least from a cursory glance. Perhaps many disliked it, but none seemed to voice it or wear such emotions on their faces as they focused on their tasks. The entire area had a solemn yet serious aura. Everyone seemed to train with a certain amount of zeal, as swords clashed, people shouted, and magic and arrows picked apart targets. These people were training as if their very lives depended on it.
And perhaps their zeal and worry were not unfounded, considering who was skulking around their front door.
Leonardo guided us to the main structure, and I couldn't help but draw the parallels from my previous life, even if it was just an aesthetic choice so far. Built into the stone was a mixture of a Gothic-style church, but one heavily fortified and essentially turned into a fortress. Perhaps a fortress monastery would be an apt description.
The architecture seemed to jut into the air, their arches high and pointed, with braces supporting walls, towers, and roofs; their exact name did not come to me, but their style was evident. The only true missing feature was some stained glass, or even windows for that matter. But that was not surprising, considering murder holes took their place, as it was not just a pure church design.
Even without the more quaint embellishments it did not detract from the structure at all, at least in my opinion. It did indeed give off a very impressive and even dignified air of being a "holy" structure, or at the very least, showed that these people clearly cared more about this building than any other in the entirety of Haven.
When we reached the open double doors that looked more fit for a city wall than a church, two armed and armored Paladins gave nods of greeting. The immediate entrance made me almost feel bad for whoever decided to break in, as they would be funneled into a narrow hallway with various balconies and landings overlooking the space, which would no doubt be filled with mages and archers waiting to make them regret their decision.
Regardless, walking into the church proper, it was familiar in design, at least to my old world standards, not that I frequented churches in either lives. And it was indeed a church, as rows upon rows of wooden pews were set up, looking ready to house hundreds of people at a time. A few people were sprinkled about, silently in their own prayer.
Candles lit the entire area, giving it the same atmosphere as the architecture. At the end was a raised platform with a podium, behind that a giant winged cross made of pure gold.
Leonardo looked up at the giant cross and let his head drop slightly before turning to us with a smile. "The meeting with Watchmaster and Cardanel is already set. I honestly feel bad about leaving you once more, but I would really prefer to get out of this armor. I promise it will be brief and I'll be back shortly," he said.
"Understandable, it's no problem with us. I take it we should…remain here?" I asked.
Leonardo's smile strained slightly as he shrugged. "That would be best, yes, and once again, I thank you for your understanding. Of course, if someone comes around and is willing to guide you, please do not hesitate to accept them. Any official capacity here at this hour works here, and your arrival is being spread even now, so they will be understanding of the unique circumstances. And on the off chance someone does raise a ruckus, don't be alarmed; just seek out the guards at the entrance or someone else to clear up any misunderstandings. I'll be off," he said with a wave.
With Leonardo gone and asked to remain, the two of us just found a seat at the back and simply took in the atmosphere. The church was grand, and the ceilings were so high that most of the candles barely reached the top with their light. The echo of voices through the halls was oddly pleasant as well.
I signed.
Cerila raised an eyebrow at me.
Cerila's eyes widened as she took in the implications.
I could only nod. The similarities were just too striking, too convenient to be casually glanced over. There was design, intent, and meaning in everything here. Perhaps it was just my ignorance that I didn't know more, but it wasn't exactly something I was knowledgeable about, as differentiating specific religious designs comes in a handy packet for a vat-grown super soldier.
I doubted the original founder of this religion on this planet still lived; perhaps they were nothing more than ancient history, maybe even predating Talgan. Regardless, their work lived on, and they were clearly not shy about making some changes in their new life, as I had yet to see or hear the mention of a certain crucified individual.
Now that may be a surprise if it does happen.
As we took in the atmosphere, I decided to look around a little more from my seat. Mostly at the people in the church itself. The handful of people seemed like normal people from the town itself, just praying on their own time. Only a single other person in the pews appeared to be from the church itself.
A Human man in tan robes, with shaggy black hair, sat a few pews in front of us. He didn't seem to be in prayer at all, just simply sitting down and enjoying the relative silence. But perhaps he felt my gaze as he slowly turned his head to me and couldn't help but be confused for a moment.
He didn't look surprised to see us, shocked, upset, annoyed, or anything I really expected. Instead, he looked me up and down, nodded to himself with a smile, and with a friendly wave, turned back around.
I…felt like…that was odd? What…what just happened there?
I didn't get much of a chance to ponder it much as a set of heavy footsteps approached from behind us. Not directly coming to us, but when I turned around, I caught the eyes of someone with a far more normal reaction, one of actual surprise. At least, as normal as a Dragonkin could muster with their reptilian features.
Dressed in a tan robe with a unique symbol of a praying man sewn into it, the yellow-scaled Dragonkin's eyes went wide, but despite his normal reaction, his appearance was anything but. Across the visible scales of his face and neck were not scars, or at least they didn't seem like them, but thick patches of brown, almost like hardened dirt or stone.
Lines ran through some of the patches, almost like cracks, and while nothing seemed to be ongoing, there was a distinct color of dried blood on them, as if from a wound. The Dragonkin blinked with its vertical eyelids a few times before quickly flipping a veil over its head, covering its face and neck, before approaching us.
He gave a short bow as a warm voice spoke to us, "I apologize for my appearance. I had not heard of guests from the outside coming to grace us today."
Cerila looked at me, and I just nodded to her that he was indeed talking to us, as obviously she couldn't read lips if she couldn't see them. Not that I knew how useful that would have been with a Dragonkin, but that was beside the point.
However, I was slightly confused as I said, "I'm sorry for staring, but I'm not quite sure you need to apologize for anything, as you've done nothing wrong? You are not exactly the first Dragonkin I've ever met, and this is your home, after all."
The Dragonkin seemed to shake his head in understanding. "I see. I assume it is your first time seeing a Rock Skin such as myself. While my face may be spared for the most part, many find our kind to be…less than enjoyable company," he said solemnly.
"Yes, I've never heard of a Rock Skin before. I take it that it has something to do with those growths on your skin? A genetic disease of some sort, perhaps?" I questioned, genuinely curious.
Despite not being able to clearly see his face, it seemed the Dragonkin was somewhat surprised. He took a moment but said, "That would be correct, although I do not know of the term 'genetic' in reference to disease."
The Dragonkin took a deep breath as he continued, "Are you not afraid of catching it? Many on the outside are wary of it. Most Dragonkin are killed simply for showing signs of it. Many believe it can spread."
I shook my head and told him honestly, "If it were infectious, you wouldn't be standing before me, correct? Which means most concerns are born of ignorance and fear, nothing of concern, at least to me personally. I can't imagine a patient would willingly walk around, risking his fellow."
The Dragonkin bowed slightly. "It appears this guest is braver and more willing to listen than most, something I greatly appreciate. Many do not treat my people with the kindness and understanding as you do. May I ask your name, friend?" he asked.
"Kaladin Shadowheart, and this is Cerilla," I said.
"Ah, a famous and brave man indeed. I believed you to be the Dragonslayer based on appearance alone. But it would be unbecoming of me to make assumptions based on such things. I am a Templar Knight Captain of the Watch, Master of the Order of the Martyred Father, Aszreal. It is an honor to meet you, Sir Kaladin and Lady Cerila," he said.
Azreal looked at Cerila, seemingly awaiting her greeting, before she looked over to me with a wry grin and took out her writing stone. With a few strokes, she passed it over to Azreal, who read it and nodded in understanding.
"I understand…I was not aware, so I apologize. How may I work this item to communicate with Lady Cerila?" he asked me.
I explained to him how to write on the stone tablet, and as he started to write, I decided to check his soul. And his grand title, if it was as special as it seemed, was not unfounded. Azreal's soul was indeed at the level of a War God, one even stronger than Leonardo.
The two exchanged the tablet with each other as I considered the Dragonkin. His "disease," if it was one, seemed unique to Dragonkins, as I had never heard of it. It seemed reminiscent of Leprosy but hardly the same. It was not difficult to imagine it being genetic, or at the very least, only spread amongst Dragonkin if it was infectious. It would also make sense why someone surrounded by light mages couldn't heal it, another reason to believe it wasn't a disease itself.
Either way, just upon guessing those patches of "rock" must spread over time on the skin, eventually constricting something vital, such as their chest, throat, mouth, or the like. Eventually leading to being crippled, then death. A sad and slow way to go, and not surprising to know his people are treated as pariahs for it.
Our little chat was interrupted as Leonardo returned with a wave as he patted Azreal on the shoulder gently. "Azreal, there you are. Just in time. You'll be joining us for the meeting. The Watchmaster is nearly ready, but we shall convene with our guests beforehand. The Cardinal is very keen on meeting them now," he said.
"I would very much enjoy the opportunity to continue speaking with such esteemed guests," he said.
"Perfect, shall we finally get to the business at hand?" Leonardo said.