While the train leaves the train station he walks trough the train, and finds a good seat in the first class wagon. This wagon is almost empty, though the other wagons, which are second class, are almost completely filled.
Settling in Nillian takes out the first book, "The Church and its Internal Structure". He begins reading the first chapter, but after ten minutes he puts down the book. The writing is just so ... dry ... that he cannot continue reading. He has to reread every sentence several times before he understands what the author is trying to say, and even then it doesn't really make sense.
Nillian frowns, and leafs through the book. It looks like the whole book is written in the same dry way. Nillian sighs and searches for the section where he might find some information about the Order of St. Joshua. He finds a diagram of the whole church, but it only mentions that the different Orders are not really part of the whole structure, but separate. There are still regulated in theory, but in practise they are self sufficient and therefore self-regulated.
In the chapter about the Orders there is only some general information, together with a list of all Orders. Nillian sighs again, and puts away the book. He look out of the window for a little while, watching the countryside pass by.
After a while he returns to his research, taking out the other book, "Saints and their followers". It is a much more readable book and soon Nillian is engrossed in the first few chapters. They treat the history of the church, and list the different saints as they were canonized. The way it is written is very informative, with several anecdotes and funny legends about these saints.
But there is no information about St. Joshua, he is not named even once. In the rest of the chapters an overview is given of the different saints, every chapter one saint, with a complete description of their life and the Order that was based on him or her. Nillian slowly leafs through the pages, and in one chapter he finally finds a mention of St. Joshua.
It seems that Joshua lived almost a thousand years ago. He was part of the church, a priest in fact. But one day he went away, and was put in the ban. Ten years later he returned, was accepted back into the church and soon thereafter was canonized, though no official reason was given. People surmised that he repented with such vigour that the church decided that he was a good example.
This idea was reinforced by the fact that when the Order was created they claimed to be inspired by a book written by Joshua. This book apparently described his travels and the reason he returned to the church. The Order therefore was created to give a second change to people who have fallen, and give them a chance to repent. Often a criminal is given a choice between entering the monastery, devoting their whole life to the monastery, or a high punishment (prison or sometimes even the death penalty).
Having red this Nillian becomes confused. What was Lyxia doing in such an Order? Did she really have something to repent? Maybe that is why she was in Räan, escaping from the monastery? But why would she have entered the order in the first place then? And what if they found out, what would they do with her? Filled with worries Nillian spends the rest of the train trip thinking about it.
As the train arrives in Stokes(*) Nillian tries to get any thoughts about Lyxia and the Order of St. Joshua from his mind. The train comes over a small hill to arrive in Stokes, and Nillian can see the city lying before him.
The first thing that he immediately notices it that part of the city is hidden behind a smokescreen. That part of the city is probably home to all the furnaces and smelters in the city. The other part of the city is made of both wooden and stone houses, and looks a bit rundown in some places.
Then the train rolls in into the Stokes train station and Nillian gathers his things and disembarks from the train. The train station is divided into two parts, a bit like the station in Räan. The train has stopped at the passenger side of the station, where the station is very calm. The other side of the station is where all the loading and unloading is done, and there it is very busy and noisy.
Nillian walks towards the main building, where the ticket office is located. Most of the other passengers are local workers, and immediately walk off into the city or to the loading part of the station. So when Nillian arrives at the building he is alone. He looks around, but does not see any coaches there. He walks around a bit, but does not see anything.
So he returns to the train station, and walks toward the ticket office.
"Hello sir, could you perhaps help me? I am a first-time visitor in Stokes, and I was wondering if you could perhaps direct me to a decent inn?"
"Hello, of course. Just go that way, walk out the street and on your left you will see the White Shade of Coal."
Nillian thanks the man behind the counter and follows the directions.
The White Shade of Coal seems to be a nice inn, though not as luxurious as the inns in Kataras or Räan. Nillian makes his way in, and is greeted by the innkeeper. Nillian talks to the innkeeper and soon has a room for a few days. The innkeeper shows Nillian his room himself, trying to impress Nillian with his manners. The room is quite small, but looks good with a private bath chamber and toilet. Nillian unpacks some things, then looks on his watch. It is only three o'clock, so he decides to see if he can tour the city, getting an idea of how the city looks like.
He goes downstairs, and asks the innkeeper about it. The innkeepers looks at him strangely.
"How do you mean sir? How the city looks like? You are in the city right? It's just houses and shops and such."
"No, I mean, like where everything is. Where the foundries are, where the smelters are, where people live, where I go for coal, where I can get information about certain companies, that kind of stuff."
"Hmm, well there is Old Joe. He has a carriage he sometimes uses for giving a tour for new arrivals. You mean something like that?"
"That would be perfect! Where can I find this Old Joe?"
"Oh, he is one of the regulars here. I will see if he is willing."
The innkeeper walks off, and several minutes later returns with a wizened old man in tow.
"Ron here says that you'd wanting a tour then, sir?"
"Yes indeed. I would like to see something of the city and where everything is located."
"Alright, that'd be no problem. Just follow me."
The old man walks outside with Nillian following him, curious what kind of ride he will get.
No comments:
Post a Comment