With her quest complete, Guin ran back to the church. This time, it was quiet. It was empty. Furrowing her brows, she walked inside and found Pastor Jormund sitting in a front pew.

The setup struck her as odd. Jormund was staring up at the statue of The Lady — not as one might think a priest would pray. Rather, he reminded her of how she had left Alta Noin, lost in thought. Guin stood just before him, watching him in her peripheral vision as she also took to staring at the marble statue.

It was beautiful. From reading the source material, Guin knew there were upwards of ten known religions in Uldarin; The Lady was simply the official religion of the Imperial Court. It was a religion somewhat similar to human Christianity, though it was mostly based upon the Valkyrian’s religion of Uram. The statue of The Lady resembled their only Goddess, the great Ur, right down to the red flower she carried in her hands.

The statue stood at about six feet tall, carved from smooth, white marble. To Guin, she looked like an angel, with a beautiful, peaceful face, delicate features, and a pair of outstretched wings. In her hands was a single flower, painted a vibrant red, with each of its seven petals tipped with gold. It was a very classic piece, beautiful in its modesty.

Screenshots of churches from around Uldarin had shown many different statues of The Lady — most moving or eliminating the flower from her depiction — but this was the most common image in books and paintings. There were a variety of player theories about The Lady and the differences in her depictions. Those who had delved into the church-related lore had found differing accounts of her origin and identity.

After a while, Guin turned to look at Jormund, still sitting. She wasn’t sure if she should be worried about him or not. He showed no signs that he would ever notice that she was standing there.

His lips twitched, then pursed. Guin decided to sit in the pew in front of him. Surely he had to notice her at that point.

But the silence continued.

Guin looked around, but her attention was consistently drawn to the peacefulness of the statue.

“Do you believe in The Lady?” Pastor Jormund’s gentle voice came from behind her. Glancing behind, she merely shook her head. His lips curled into a smile. “Do you know of her?” he asked. She shook her head again. “Ah. But is she not beautiful?”

Guin looked back up at the statue, unsure how to feel about what he was saying. More time passed. Guin wanted to leave, but not only did she need him to finish her quest, but somehow it didn’t seem appropriate. Jormund had barely moved since she found him in the pew.

“Oh — I’m sorry!” He jolted back to himself suddenly. “I seem to have kept you waiting. You were the one I sent to Alta Noin’s, correct? Did the package make it there safely?”

Guin looked back at him with a smile, glad for the change in the atmosphere. “Yes!” she told him. “She sends her thanks.”

“That’s good,” he said. “She’s been lonely since her husband passed last spring. I worry for her, but I don’t get to see her as often as I like.” Standing up, he added, “Wait here while I get you a little something as a reward for your time.”

Watching as he walked back toward the pulpit, Guin’s curiosity about him grew. She turned her attention back to the statue. The polished marble glittered in the lights.

“I’m sorry,” she heard him say as he walked back toward her. “I seem to have forgotten your name.”

“I don’t think I told you. It’s Guin,” she answered. Pastor Jormund nodded and handed her a small bag.

“Here you go, Miss Guin. It isn’t much, but I’m sure you will use it well,” he smiled as she took it. “I do very much appreciate what you did for me today. Mrs. Noin means quite a lot. Be careful on your way back to school!”

Guin nodded as her quest screen popped up.

<<>>

Quest Completed!

<Delivery for the Church>

At the request of Teacher Grimhai, Pastor Jormund of the Imperial Church of The Lady has asked you to deliver a package to an old widow.

You have reported your success to Pastor Jormund and have received your rewards. Report back to Teacher Grimhai about your success.

<Reward:>

<Tutorial Token: 1>

<Mist - Bade, +250>

<Church of The Lady, +250>

<<Difficulty: E><XP Reward: N/A>>

<<>>

Guin fiddled with the bag in her hand as she willed away the quest screen. She looked at Pastor Jormund, who went back to his seat in the pew behind her.

“Pastor Jormund?” she asked, still seated.

“Hmm?”

Guin fiddled a little more with the bag of coins in her hand. “Who is The Lady?”

“The Lady herself, the daughter of our Goddess, sent to us to be our leader in a time when our faith alone was not enough,” he answered, his eyes shifting to the statue. His smile was wistful, but his eyes seemed to be full of sorrow. “Scripture tells a grand story of her fight against the Dusk Lords of old, led by their leader, Grukai. The Lady was a brave woman who fought for what she believed in. She fought for our humble souls that we might be free. She was strong. She did what she thought was right, no matter the trials she faced.” His voice faded as he spoke as if he was no longer in the present moment. “Would that I had half her courage.”

Guin looked at the statue curiously. “She doesn’t look like a fighter.”

Pastor Jormund chuckled behind her. “Perhaps not,” he said. “Not here, in this place.”

“Other places, then?”

“Other places. I grew up in Cryvaria, the Imperial city,” he told her, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the back of her pew. “There, there are dozens of temples devoted to the Lady, and all of them have grand, painted statues of fine stones and metals, sculpted by the most skilled hands, decorated with the highest quality materials. In the Temple of Her Legacy, the central temple in Cryvaria, she stands, sword in hand pointed to the sun. Her mouth open in a battle cry, skirts fluttering, wings outstretched like an eagle striking for its prey — each wing the size of this small house — she stands against the night. Is it not marvelous?” His eyes lit up like a child as he described the image.

Looking from him to the statue, though, she had a hard time imagining they were talking about the same individual.

“Maybe.” She tilted her head. “But here, she looks... Sad.”

“...Doesn’t she just,” his voice was quiet, and silence again fell between them. After a few moments, he leaned back in his seat. “My wife used to say that in these parts, they told a very different story than we knew at the Imperial Court. Mrs. Noin, too.”

“What kind of stories?” Guin asked. “How were they different?”

Jormund laughed. “A curious one, aren’t you? How about this: I’ll make a deal with you.”

“What kind of deal?” she asked with suspicion.

“Come to me again after you finish with Teacher Grimhai’s lessons, and I will teach you more about the story of The Lady. In the meantime, if you want to know the stories they tell in these parts, go ask Mrs. Noin.” Pastor Jormund smirked.

Taken aback, she gaped at him momentarily, then laughed out loud.

“Well?” he pressed her, sounding amused.

<<>>

You have been offered a quest!

<The Path of The Lady (Crossroads)>

Pastor Jormund has offered to teach you about the stories of The Lady, but requests that you visit Alta Noin in exchange.

This is a “Crossroads Quest,” and will only be ended at the discretion of the assigning NPC.

This quest is OPTIONAL.

<<Difficulty: E><XP Reward: N/A>>

<<Accept?>>

<<Yes><No>>

<<>>

Crossroads Quest? She wondered. It didn’t ring a bell. Still, she wanted to know his story. The Pastor had struck her as odd, but something about him drew him to her. Plus, she had to respect his intention.

“Deal!” She answered, holding her hand out. He shook it with a smile.

“Good!” Pastor Jormund gave a very genuine smile. Oh, she thought. It was a nice smile — but that made it all the more obvious that something had been wrong with him before. “You really should get going. It’s going to be dark soon!”

“Oh no!” Guin glanced at the time at the top of the screen. It was going to be dark; it already was night in the real world. “Shoot!” she exclaimed. “Forget the school, I have to get home!”

“Go! Be safe on your way!”

Rushing out of the church, she tripped and nearly fell but caught herself. She returned to the house, where she hurriedly hopped into bed and logged out.