Sunlight filtered through the forest canopy, piercing the dark recesses with the light of the Lord.
Haider and two other men stood in the forest clearing. He did not wear his helmet, revealing his almost white-blonde hair as well as his striking red eyes. Both features marked him as a favourite of the Sun Father, someone destined for great things.
As for the other two men, one of them was Bishop John, whilst the other was a familiar but unpleasant man.
He was a thin, gangly figure who stood almost as tall as Haider, with light brown hair and equally brown eyes.
His name was Finley Harwick, and he was a member of the Inquisition as well. Finley was not from the Solar Knight Order like Haider. He belonged to the main branch.
Finley had a casual sense of style compared to the other two. Unlike John's priest robe and Haider's bulky golden armour, he wore a black overcoat and a plain yet sophisticated brown suit underneath.
A golden medallion depicting the Eye of God rested above his chest. This was the same symbol of the Church; an eye with the sun as its iris, surrounded by three stars.
People from the main branch like Finley held animosity towards those of the special branches such as the Solar Knight Order, and the feeling was mutual. As a result, Haider and Finley both found the other unpleasant.
It was rare for three vastly different high-ranking members of the Church to be present in the same place at once, but the situation in front of them most certainly called for it.
A pile of ash sat at the center of the clearing, with only a few slightly more solid parts that identified it as a corpse.
The corpse was the least of their concerns, however. It was the two similarly charred spell structures that alarmed them.
They were smudged, but it was impossible to mistake them for anything other than demon summoning circles.
"When was it found?" Haider asked, breaking the silence first.
John replied, "Around midnight. I was in the middle of some prayers when I heard two explosions. By the time I got here with some Bronze Knights, I found this as the result."
Bronze Knights were of the lowest echelon of Knights who had received Sol's Blessing.
Haider, as a Pale Knight, could deal with them easily, but they were still more powerful than ordinary humans and even low-level mages.
"What was he trying to—" Haider began, but was interrupted by Finley's silky voice.
"Why do you not leave this to the professional, chosen one?" he smirked.
"You were only called because you were nearby. I will give you a shout when I need some cannon fodder dead, though."
Haider's eyes narrowed in response.
'I should cut this bastard down here and now.'
But he could not deny that the first part was true. Finley was a demon specialist and an Exorcist. He had more knowledge on this topic than anyone else present.
"Watch your mouth, scum. Only the Lord knows why people with your heretical abilities are allowed to survive," he spat back, unwilling to let Finley have the last insult.
"Heh."
Finley conceded and turned towards the body.
"The sigil is completely gone. I cannot tell what demon was being summoned here."
John stroked his bearded face. His kind, old-man smile had vanished.
"And the summoner? Can you tell us what happened to them?"
Finley thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"I could make a few guesses, but they might not be correct. All I can tell concretely is that this was no failed ritual, at least not because of the demon summoner. Someone else was her. Another mage interfered."
As he spoke, he pointed to a single tiny wooden tile sitting unharmed amongst the ashes, as well as a spot a few meters away where a hole had been dug.
Haider and John noted the two oddities.
"It looks like a piece of that board game, Tabula. But the glyph… I cannot read what it says," Haider muttered.
"You would have a hard time even if you had any knowledge at all. It is a bit strange." Finley explained, "It ultimately means 'Explosion,' but it is slightly different from the regular glyph for explosion."
"So it's a calling card of some sort?"
"Not likely. It is a talisman that failed."
All three men fell into silence once more.
"Can you not consult your filthy demonic entities to obtain the information we need? For a professional, your information is scant. Even a fool would be able to infer what you just did."
Haider did not bother concealing the jab aimed at Finley, but as always, the other man revealed a toothy grin.
"If you have a problem with my summoning of spirits to aid the Church, take it up with the Lord. After all, he was the one who sanctioned it. And besides, like any other member, his Blessing gave me this power in the first place."
Exorcists like Finley had to go through extensive study before being able to banish and exterminate demons. However, that study was instantly negated by what Haider felt was heresy.
Demons and spirits were the same beings, but some Exorcists disliked the term and replaced it with "spirits" to avoid scorn. Haider and many others still considered it heresy.
"In any case," Finley continued, "this does not look like the work of a baby mage. It is far too precise. I will actually take your oafish advice and see what information the spirits can provide me."
Haider resisted the urge to pull Morning Glow from its sheath and simply nodded.
"Inform us when you have the information ready."
Then, without waiting for a response, he turned away, armour clinking loudly against the fallen leaves and branches.
'I need to cut something down lest I kill this fool.'
...
In the meantime, unaware that people from the Church were on to him, Luca freshened up and headed out.