I learned a few things over the next several hours.

  Firstly, that though according to history books the various Orders had declined in power a bit from their peak that did not mean that they were weak. Two priests letting it slip that there was a 'Death Priest' on the loose meant that there was now a lot of scrutiny. I wasn't sure what that would mean, but both Priscilla and her companion wanted a full breakdown from me on what I knew.

  Secondly, it looked like Ignus and his people might have downplayed the danger to these same Orders. Perhaps someone somewhere knew exactly what was going on, but it appeared the local leadership was now fully up in arms about the appearance of a rogue, non-human priest. The fact that he seemed so willing to kill and disable alarmed them as well.

  “So that's your story young man?” asked the priest who'd come to see me whilst we were still cleaning everything up. His name was Father Leerson, and his eyes were sharply focused on me.

  “Yes sir,” I answered, he looked less like one would think of a priest and more like one might think an inquisitor.

  “You knew about these creatures, about their leader?” he asked accusingly.

  “I did, and I reported that information to the proper authorities.” I was a bit irritated at his tone.

  “So you did, so you did,” he said with a small placating gesture. “It really should have been reported to us though... I don't suppose you know why it wasn't?”

  “You would have to ask the Duke and his men,” I responded.

  “And I shall. We were told of certain deaths, certain... incidents, but not of all the details clearly.”

  “I was there for what happened with the archmage, you don't need to hide it from me,” I told him bluntly.

  “Interesting.”

  “As was one of these creatures, the one who I suspect was responsible for the bomb.” I could lie to him, or hide it, but I really had no need to at this point. More secrecy would probably just piss these people off, and I knew well enough from my studies what an angry biomancer could do, for that is what the priests were, regardless of what they claimed.

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  “Very interesting.” He thought for a few moments. “And if I might ask, what is your opinion of this 'Father', the one we suspect of this incident.”

  “He's insane,” I told him bluntly. “Dangerously, vigorously insane. Some of the others of his kind may not be though.”

  “Oh? What makes you say that?”

  “I've talked to them, and the one I fought could easily have slain me, but she didn't.”

  “A quirk of their psychology perhaps?”

  “No, they seem like us. I've spoken to a few of them, some at least seem reasonable. Even if I'm not seeing all of the pieces there's something more going on.”

  “On that I can certainly agree.”

  “What will you do if you find them?” I asked him, curious as to how they would handle the situation.

  “Well, the leader here may or may not be a death priest. If he is he must be killed, but if he isn't, and is possible to reason with, we may try to communicate.” At my raised eyebrow he went on. “The Orders aren't opposed to other races by any dogma, in fact we welcome elves without any issue at all. Few join, but that's neither here nor there.”

  It was so weird to me, how some, but not all of the sayings in English translated over, evidence of others like me was my guess.

  “I've a question, if you don't mind,” I said.

  “Certainly, though I cannot promise an answer.”

  “What exactly is a 'death priest'? I've heard the term a few times now, but I'm unfamiliar with it.”

  “Ah, not something one runs into unless they study our particular history and arts I suppose. Very well then, a death priest is a priest, but one who has gone completely mad. Normally this manifests in killing everything around them, hence the name. They are formidable opponents, as one might suspect, and luckily quite rare. Something about our magic seems to engender a certain desire to do right.”

  “I see, then you should know that Father thinks he's doing right,” I told him.

  “How so?” he asked.

  “I spoke to him, briefly. I believe he's trying to 'improve' people, though he doesn't seem to care how many he must kill for those improvements to come to fruition.”

  “That is concerning, and dangerous. Not what I feared, but in some ways...”

  “Yes.” I nodded.

  “Don't suppose you might shed some light on why they were here tonight, or killing these people?”

  “I've already told you that I didn't know that,” I said, a bit frustrated at that repeated question. He'd asked about five times, in all different ways.

  At this point Ignus decided to enter the small side room we'd taken up. He looked none too pleased.

  “This young man has been aiding me in my work, and he is well outside your authority,” he said, sounding quite peeved.

  “With the facts we've seen I care to disagree.”

  “Disagree all you like, but it remains so. My people are taking up the investigation, as we have been for some time.”

  “This matter concerns a rogue priest, and it clearly our jurisdiction,” Father Leerson, said with a frown.

  “A non-human invader is mine.”

  “Not when they're using priest magic.”

  “Ladies, you're both pretty,” I interjected. “But perhaps it would be better if you worked together?”

  They both looked at me slightly aghast, it seemed that one hadn't made the rounds yet. Well, I wanted them working together, more allies and all. Perhaps the priestly faction had fallen out of favor, but they still had people, and power. Those Orders of theirs were international, and might well be able to get information we couldn't here. Similarly, Ignus and his people knew this city better than anyone.

  “We're not giving up an ongoing investigation to an outside entity,” the lawman gruffed.

  “Nor are we giving up what is clearly our area of expertise.”

  “Both of you want answers, perhaps you should allow the other to help. Ignus here knows more about what's going on than any of us.” The man in question looked peeved I'd brought that up. “And I'm sure that the number of priests the good Father here could bring in would certainly be of help examining the bodies.” The priest looked irritated that I was implying he aid another.

  “And when it comes to dealing justice?” Father Leerson asked.

  “I think everyone agrees at least their leader needs to die, start there.” That at least got me a pair of guffaws, hope for them yet.