ZEN - Part Two [COMPLETED] [#WATTYS2017]

We Don't Meet The Necessary Level of Crazy

Chapter 90 - We Don't Meet The Necessary Level of Crazy

"Oh. Wow. How many crosses can you actually fit on a wall?"

"Yeah. It's a little insane, here."

"You've been to Rocha before?"

"A couple of times." Joanne stowes the enchanted mirror into her pouch, then begins to strip off the tabard with Scylla colours. "Once to receive an award for some stupid writing competition, and the other on my day of graduation, where I was offered a place in the clergy."

"Oh, yeah... I remember you sayin' something about that."

"Hmph. I hate your memory, at times."

"Comes in handy."

"I'll bet. But, yeah. They were rather insulted that I didn't want anything to do with them. I guess not too many people turn them down."

Jessie follows her frequent lover's lead in tucking away their weapons and wiping any traces of blood from their dyed-white leathers. "So, what... you denied them 'cause they're all a little crazy?"

"It goes well beyond that. Do I have any blood on my back?"

"No. Me?"

"Yah. Hold on. Alright. So, it's not just because they're all nuts. They can do anything and get away with it. You know the clergy is the only organization in the country that's exempt from the King's laws, right?"

"Mm. I always wondered why."

"Been like that for centuries." The red-headed healer moves over to the door of the hotel-room they'd magicked into, and gently cracks open the portal to peek along the hall. "Clear. We'll go out th' back. Less people t' see us."

"'Kay."

"I guess a long time ago, so much of the population was devout in their beliefs, including the King at the time... and..." Joanne pauses at the top of a tight stairwell, then sets into motion again when she hears no sign of others below. "When a huge scandal broke out among the highest levels of the Church, the King was forced to choose between dismantling the entire religion, or taking the easy route and just have the Church look after it's own affairs."

"What was the scandal?"

"I dunno. The Priests and Priestesses never said... but if you'd believe the older kids at the academy, it involved a large number of virginal boys getting sodomized."

"Lovely."

"Yeah. And we're talkin' ten year-olds... punishment of which is death."

"Makes sense, then, that the King wouldn't want to kill the top dogs."

"Yeah... except that, right after he signed the declaration, the Church began exterminating Beastkin."

"That's what led to the Race Wars?!"

The ginger healer peeks back over her shoulder to display a look of confusion. "Didn't you know that?"

"W-well... not... really. I mean, I was taught that the Race Wars happened because a bunch of small-scale skirmishes were breaking out all over the place, and it just naturally turned into a proper war."