Thief of Time

The newcomer was dressed in robes that made Claud think of a priest immediately. Black, body-length robes that just hovered above the ground, with golden filigrees that gave off a sense of both authority and prestige.

Claud sized up the newcomer properly, and then said, “Who are you? Nero sure as heck didn’t tell us anything about this. We only know the procedures right up to this point.”

“I am…a bishop of the Black Church. Before I say anything, however, I would like to ask if you two know where this channel will lead you to.”

“The Black God, right?”

“That idiot really gave you this channel?” The bishop held his face. “There better be a good reason for this, or I’m whooping his ass.”

“How is this person a bishop?” Lily whispered to Claud. “So crass! I thought the religious types were all soft and elegant.”

“Big surprise, I suppose…”

“I can hear you two,” the bishop added. “Please do not lump me in with the sanctimonious bastards whose body strains the very fabric of their robes and frock, thank you very much.”

Claud looked at the slim, tall bishop and nodded. “Looks like you’ve been doing cardio.”

“I run every day, as well as three hundred practice swings.”

Dia would be pleased, if nothing else, but Claud wasn’t going to let on anything more than was absolutely necessary. Still, it was surprising to learn that a stately bishop was actually keeping fit, rather than just letting himself go…and more importantly, this fellow was indeed no small fry.

“Mhm. You seem like you can give the weaker Moon Emissaries and Dark Heralds a good fight.”

“A good fight, mhm. I wish I can do more, but I am but a penta-folder,” the bishop replied, a hint of pride on his face. “Maybe this will change in good time.”

“Maybe.” Claud paused. “Anyhow, we were kinda summoned by your master, so that’s that. And we have something we need to consult him on too.”

“You speak as if you are equals…what disrespect. But if He summoned you, I can see why the Holy Son told you how to come here.” The bishop shook his head. “Follow me.”

Claud and Lily followed the bishop through the door the latter had come in, and their footsteps echoed in the long, winding passage. It lasted for a minute or two, before the bishop abruptly said, “How is Holy Son Nero now?”

“He’s…quite happy.” Claud paused. “Very happy, even. Found a sweetheart.”

“He did?” The bishop stopped. “Well, I suppose…after everything that happened to him when he went missing, it’s a good thing that he found a new pillar of mental support. How’s his partner like?”

“She’s a noble scion of the Saran Supremacy,” Lily replied. “Very caring. And odd, like Nero. They’re a good match, and they’re busy living and cuddling in our house for some reason.”

“Your house? What are they doing there?”

“Living there, why?”

“No, I’m asking why they’re in your house with you two,” the bishop replied. “That doesn’t make sense. I might not be married, but I definitely know that two couples usually don’t share the same roof if they don’t share familial ties. What’s the deal with that?”

“Oh, we were staying in a different house,” Claud replied. “No biggie.”

“…Thank you, then. For lending them your house. The Lord will surely bless you.”

“It’ll do if he can answer my questions,” Claud replied. “Anyway, you seem to care for Nero a lot. Were you his designated caretaker or something?”

“You can say that,” the bishop replied. “Why, I even changed his diaper.”

“Did not need to learn that. What was the training for a Holy Son like?” Claud asked, curious. “Was it really boring and everything?”

“Quite uneventful. The Holy Children under my Lord tend to mature quite fast in terms of mentality. They understand what is best for them, and grasp at any and all opportunities to grow in both strength and wisdom,” the bishop replied. “It is the influence of my Lord, who specialises in the domains of the mind.”

“I see.”

“What does the Black Church think about the other Coloured Churches?” Lily suddenly asked. “Are the various churches all friendly to each other, or are there animosities?”

“The Black Church has a good relationship with the other churches in general,” the bishop replied lightly. “Mostly due to our teachings, which do not claim areas that the other Coloured Churches’ teachings would cover. By way of illustration, the Blue God, the Red God, the Violet Goddess, the Indigo God and the White God all have overlapping areas of influence over the notions of fate and destiny. As a result, all of them hate each other.”

“That’s really pushing it…”

The bishop chuckled once, and then turned around one more corner, which led to a flight of stairs. “Come on. Follow me up, but take care not to slip and fall. It’s…quite dangerous, even for folders of your power.”

Claud looked at the shimmering flight of stairs. They looked like they had been made from shadow, but on closer inspection, the shade of black that they had been dyed in was quite different from the black colour that the great Dark had as its colour motif. Rather, this shade of black was a bit closer to grey, although there definitely wasn’t a Grey God sitting around.

“Where are we?” Lily asked.

“The Stairway to the Skies,” the bishop replied. “Or, to be more accurate, one of the surviving Stairways to the Skies. Every single Coloured God that had lost their Bearer of Destiny has had their Divine Kingdom plummet to this world. No, do not ask me why both the White God and my Lord have no Bearer of Destiny. I have no way to answer that question either.”

“…We kinda already know, so it’s fine,” Lily replied. “Still, a Divine Kingdom…”

“A weakened, depowered one at that. You saw the Red God, yes? If he had been at his full might, he would have already gotten away with his abduction of a Bearer of Destiny.”

“Mhm.” As Claud bobbed his head, he found something rather curious. Sure, the bishop obviously knew about the Red God’s attempt to steal a Bearer of Destiny for himself, so why didn’t he know that Nero and his lover was the cause of it all? It was quite odd, to be honest.

“Where did you hear that from?” Lily asked.

“A spy overheard the incident from someone drinking in the bar, and we collaborated it with some skills,” the bishop replied. “Why?”

“…Nothing in particular.”

The three of them continued to climb up the stairs made of shadow. While Claud was certain that he could just fly the three of them up, he was here to ask about something, and if necessary, to gain the Black God’s help. Flying up and ignoring the customs here was completely and utterly rude.

The fatigue that covered his bones and his very existence tugged him down as he continued to put one foot in front of the next, but even his hollowed lifeforce didn’t stop him from carrying on forward, not with Lily supporting him.

“Are you alright?” the bishop asked. “You look quite fatigued.”

“It’s an innate condition,” Claud replied. “I’ll slow down a bit and admire the scenery, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure. I can do some introductions too.” The bishop gestured at the city around them. “This Stairway to the Skies is invisible to the outside world, for one, so don’t worry about causing a panic or anything. And it really isn’t about height either. This Stairway to the Skies is designed to bring us into the Divine Kingdom of the Lord; it’s a transitory passage from the mundane to the divine.”

Claud tilted his head. “Huh. So if I drop something high up enough…”

“It won’t hit someone on the ground.” The bishop paused. “Thereby saving people from concussions due to objects falling out of the sky randomly. However, why would you even drop anything here?”

“As a hypothetical. And are you really sure the Holy Son never did this as a kid?” Claud asked.

“Well…hmm. Well. That might explain a few things...”

The bishop made a face as the three of them continued to climb up the stairway. It was a shame that they had to walk, but there was probably some random story behind these damn things. Either that, or the divinities wanted the various pontiffs of the Coloured Churches to lose weight whenever they had a meeting.

“Well, we can see flocks of birds passing through us right now,” Claud observed wryly. “We’re really in another dimension.”

“A shame we can’t catch them either,” Lily added.

“…There are refreshments in the Lord’s Divine Kingdom, so please eat proper food.”

“Fine…” Claud continued on the staircase. “Right, is it fine for us to just meet the Black God like this? Isn’t there anything like an application or a due process? This is way too informal.”

“It’s the Holy Child’s privilege. No worries.”

Claud looked at a floating black door that had appeared in their view. “Okay, then. As long as you don’t get punished…”