After successfully getting away at the cost of my hand, I successfully managed to drag my battered body into a dark corner before passing out. When I came to, I couldn’t recognize the area around me, though I could recognize the hunger gnawing at my stomach. Going roughly from the level of hunger, it had been at least half a day since we ran into those thugs.

“Big bro!”

However, I could a hear a familiar voice worriedly calling out to me. Crystal was carefully making her way through the dirt and trash of the alley I was sprawled out in, desperately looking for me. She must have seen that thug cut my hand off and wanted to find me sooner, but I was proud of her for listening to the things I taught her over the years.

“Over here, Crystal!” I managed to call out through my dry throat, currently far too weak to so much as move a finger. I did, however, manage to turn my eyes towards the entrance of the alley. I could see Crystal’s familiar shock of violet hair and, a few paces behind, a mature woman sporting a saintly expression and shining red hair.

“I brought a priestess, Rock. She said she could help you! I saw those jerks had hurt you, so I went to get someone…… It took forever to find someone who was willing to listen.”

“Is this little boy the Rock you mentioned? You said he was hurt…… but his entire hand is gone! Aid to the Saintess I may be, but healing this is beyond me. We’ll have to get you to the Saintess herself…” The priestess said while checking me over.

I let the priestess do as she pleased, cleaning the wound and bandaging up my stump. Something about her gentle touch was profoundly comforting, as if her kindness alone reduced the pain I was feeling. However, something about her worlds bothered me.

“What do you mean the Saintess will heal me? I’m just poor slum rat, a crippled one at that. No way someone so high and mighty would want to have anything to do with me.” I said in a depressed voice.

“Fufu,” the priestess said with a gentle smile, “Let’s get you somewhere safe for now. I’ll have to contact Sister Fae and get one of the Church’s magical carriages sent over. I'll take you to an inn, get you and your little friends set up there.”

With surprising strength, the unfamiliar woman picked me up and began to move me out with a princess carry. Crystal nervously followed behind, Apple joining us at the entrance of the alley.

A short walk down the road, in one of the finer main streets, we eventually arrived at a decent inn. Though it wasn’t high class by any means, it was still the type of place us slum rats would normally ever be able to enter.

“Here we go, you three. We won’t be here long, but I’ll pay for a private room and some food while I contact Fae.”

The priestess, however, just confidently walked us through those doors and booked us a room as we dumbly looked around. Finding ourselves quickly deposited on the fluffiest bed we had ever seen, us three slum rats just looked at each other in disbelief. The priestess, for her part, hurriedly went off to contact someone and get a carriage for us. She was pretty thoughtful though, because she had the inn bring us some food to eat while we waited.

That red-haired priestess must have been remarkably efficient, because she returned less than hour later. Bringing us down, we gaped at the pure white carriage embossed with a golden cross.

“Fufu, get in, get in. The carriage won’t bite!” The still nameless priestess said with a smile. She kindly helped Apple, Crystal, and I into the carriage before hopping onto the driver’s seat herself and taking off.

We were all so uncomfortable with our opulent surroundings that we all just sat there silently. As the carriage made its way toward the Church, we were desperate to not dirty the opulent interior. Even the normally energetic Apple sat quietly on Crystal’s lap the entire journey - cowed into submission by the spotless interior.

After half an hour of painful silence, we arrived at the entrance of the church. The red-haired priestess helped each of us off the carriage, where we met another priestess in fine robes, though this one sported white hair and possessed a unique air.

“Are these the ones you mentioned Nefi? I must admit, I was a bit surprised when you requested a sudden meeting with the Saintess, but if it’s these three…… I can see why. You've done well as the Wings of the Saintess newest member.”

“Indeed, Ms. Fae…… Little Crystal begged me so fervently that I couldn’t help but want to help. Then, when I laid eyes on the boy in person, I thought it might be worth letting him meet the Saintess herself. I can’t do anything about lost limbs.”

“Right you are, only the best and brightest of mages could do anything about that. Hard for a boy from the slum to meet one of those so easily…… Anyway, why don’t you all come with me. Let’s go meet the Saintess.”