My father came alongside me at our temple to request an audience with the head priest.

Patiyar welcomed us in his office acting polite with my commoner of a father. This is one of the things that earned him my respect, Patiyar was of common origins himself and didn't discriminate lower citizens by flaunting or abusing his power on them. He was one of the few that knew the hardships we faced.

He even asked for some tea to be served and only after everyone was poured a cup of peppery warming tea did he get to the point. “What did you want to meet me for? Are there any problem with Telerios? Or his escorts?” he patiently asked with a gentle smile. He could see the embarrassed look of my father and could guess there was more to it than just that.

My father briefly exposed the problem: our blade is asking for way more money than we can afford for my protection. Has the temple ever been faced with such problem?

“By all of Shinpilo's shenanigans, what scheme is this again?” He exploded as his fist fell on his desk making all out teacups tremble. He took a breather to calm down a bit. “It happens that blades ask for more money for member of the clergy. After all monsters do target us more often.” He said with an ominous glare at me reminding me of the dangers my benediction was bringing alongside it, “But this much for a child that barely became an acolyte is preposterous. Except if he somehow found out...” He stood up and went at the door and caught the nearest acolyte on duty “Go fetch for this old hag of Nutusi, tell her that we need to urgently discuss. And keep pestering her until she is on her way here. Don't even try coming back without her.” He ordered the acolyte that quickly went to query for the majores.

“Did Telerios cause any trouble?” asked my father as shy as a mouse when facing the old man. This was quite the funny sight: my burly panda dad with arms as large as the elders thighs, acting all meek in front of him.

Patiyar just smoothed his beard before grumbling “hmmph, he always do,” that hurt, “Not that he looks for it but troubles are looking for him.” he added while looking at my right eye like he could see my blessing.

We waited for quite some time before Nutusi arrived, sipping on tea and munching bunta crackers. Patiyar was trying to keep some idle chat going, about weather, work or the food problem. He was genuinely worried about what was going to befell the commoners this winter.

This time the ol priestess wasn't wearing her shawl. My father shivered at her cloudy eyes, clearly disturbed by the woman ability to see despite her affliction. This was her way to show off the power the gods were bestowing her.

“What was so urgent that you had to stick this tick on me?” she asked pointing at the acolyte but this one had already vanished, not waiting to face the commotion.

Unlike their usual comedy Patiyar kept calm and pointed at a chair “Telerios has some troubles with a blade.” he simply said.

This was a bit of an overstatement on my involvement but it caught the Shinpiloite attention. She forgot about her scene and sat before accusing me “What did you do this time?” she sounded exhausted, like I was the cause for all her white hair.

Patiyar came to rescue dispersing his own misunderstanding. “He actually didn't do much. His blade is the one causing trouble. He is asking for an exuberant amount of protection fee for him.” he explained.

Nutusi was about to say something when she stopped herself and turned towards my father “I'm sorry to ask you but could you wait outside? This is a delicate matter.” Not waiting for his answer she stood up and lead him outside, showing some surprising strength for a woman her age.

She closed the door at the nose of my bewildered father, he had a dumb look on him with his sunken eyes wide open in surprise at what just happened.

After that she mumbled a prayer and from her hands came out a blue mist that coated the whole room. Patiyar looked displeased with the act but didn't voice his discontent.

“Sorry about this but I don't want more prying ears.” she half-heartedly apologized, “You mean someone already found out about his blessing?” she was pointing at me.

Patiyar snorted in discontent “I'm not sure about that. His blade is asking for an unreasonable amount of protection money: 8 large iron coins for a commoner's child. But I can't tell for sure why.” he explained her.

The old woman was actively thinking about something, her blurry eyes looking at somewhere far from here. After some time her coarse voice broke the silence: “Your blade in charge is first blade Duarch isn't it?” she asked me.

I nodded in approval even if I've only heard the man's name for the first time yesterday.

She looked relieved. “Then I doubt he figured anything out.” She then turned towards me “I'm sorry kid but I think you just got caught in a crossfire.” She cracked an ominous smile of apology, “The first blade is currently in conflict with the temple. You must be the latest small bother he is throwing at us. I bet he'll try to have us pay for your taxes. If we pay he extorts us money and pride and if we don't he earns himself a serv that was an acolyte of the temple, humiliating us for not taking care of our own.” She was now frowning threateningly clearly infuriated by the man's use of Shinpilo's plots.

This also angered Patiyar. “This is not befitting of a first blade, I'll go have a talk with cardinal Alead. She will stop him at once.” he blurted, beard trembling with rightful wrath.

“No you won't.” Said Nutusi with a chilling tone that calmed the old man at once, “She will not be able to bend the man, not for such a small matter. Blade Duarch is a minister not a simple member of the first circle. Let the Shinpiloites deal with it. We are his target after all and Telerios is one of ours.” She put her bony hand on my shoulder to ascertain her property.

Patiyar creased his eyes in mistrust, looking more wrinkled than ever “Fine. But I'll keep a watch on this and if anything turns wrong you'll take the blame.” he concluded.

“As always.” answered Nutusi following up with a cackling laugh.

Now it was maybe time to explain me what was going on. I asked her about it politely but firmly, my family's savings were on the line here.

She focused back on me, pondering what she should reveal me or not. “Duarch is like a curse from Dard testing our patience. He is a powerful blade, decent magician, good manager, a fine politician but ambitious and too short sighed.” She both praised and blamed him, “For a while now he's been opposing our cardinal, Fortmo, at the Shield's council.” She is referring to the egg-headed cardinal of Shinpilo that is the head of the intelligence for our country. “They are often hindering one another to annoy the other. He somehow found you out. That we will have to investigate. Making you his serv is just his last plot.” She shrugged as if she wasn't sorry for the fate I'm currently facing, “It's a win-win for him in his eyes: if you pay he gets money, if we pay for you he'll take our money and if you don't pay he gets a smart serv at his service.” Her hands were raised like tipping scales at a perfect balance.

I for one do not see this as a win-win. The fate of my whole family is at play in their childish fight. Even if I became a serv for the man he shouldn't expect me to cooperate after almost enslaving my kins...

Patiyar interceded “Do not worry Tel, you are now part of the temple. Even if the Shinpiloites can't protect you, I will. It is my duty as head priest so do not fear to ask for help.” As sincere as he looked I also knew that this was one of his ways to mess up with Nutusi. But I won't shun off any good willed help.

“He will become a member of our order,” objected the Shinpilo's priestess, “So naturally we will take care of it. I'll make sure we help you before the next instalment.” She assured me.

* * * * *

Turns out I had to worry. The old priestess somehow had a hard time convincing Fortmo to help my family.

In the end my parents had to scrounge the sum up however they could. Patiyar was a man of his word and gave us a few large iron coins.

The surprised face on the young official was worth the trouble. Or maybe it wasn't, that was a lot of money. The secretary of blade Duarch didn't expect us to manage to collect this much. In the end he just shrugged and took the money without a word, time was on their side.

We were safe but only for a month. In 32 days the tax collector will come again...

There few things that were the same in both worlds: the sun was white, water made you wet and the tax collector will always find you.

My parents and grand mother were working longer shifts, looking for any side job they could take, asking for any additional task available. Even my sister was put to work, having to look after our youngest sister in stead of my mother so that she could go back to Ms Tarina's workshop sooner than she did after my birth.

After that we also had to cut on our expenses. In this colder winter than usual this meant even less fuel than ever and less food. I could see my grand Ma get skinnier by the day, her wrinkly skin sadly flapping around her emaciated face.

I stopped eating at home and instead gorged myself at the temple. Sansho was happy to feed me and was even smuggling some food out of her kitchen to help my family. As nice as this was it meant very little if we couldn't pay the next ransom at the end of the month.

I pestered both Nutusi and Patiyar for help. Somehow the cardinal decided that helping us wasn't worth it. He would rather “Give money directly to Jalea than let the blade be a better plotter than him.”

When the end of Mistire approached Patiyar and Nutusi had to help us on their own personal savings.

My parents were reluctant to accept the gift of such hefty sums. To them a large iron coin was a fortune, so accepting that many indebted them for a long time.

We managed to convince them, explaining how this was all the fault of the Temple's management. My mother was afraid enough to become a serv again that she was the one to cox my father to accept the help.

When this month's nightday arrived I couldn't make the offering to Shinpilo that I had planed. I had to sell the paper instead to gather a few small iron coins to help.

I was looking forward to talking with the god again, I had so much to ask. But right now I had other matters to attend to.

Secretary Khun was once more surprised by our wealth. He didn't see the price we had to pay to gather the sum nor my emaciated grand mother or how we were freezing in our home.

We were “safe” for one more month but what about the next one? This was a “death by a thousand cut” curse. Vulnerant omnes, ultima necat.

[nfa: each of them hurts, the last one kills; talking about time]