A coin in the Dust ( someone's Pov)

Just another day as a guard to the holiest place on the continent. Although the job is uneventful, it’s guaranteed to keep you and your family fed as long as you don’t screw up your job. Be nice to pilgrims, collect the entrance fee, and be done with the day.

I lugged around a bag of coins towards the administrative office. I hated this part of the job. Every week, we choose a poor fellow to carry these heavy bags of coins to the office. What’s worse is that recently the wheelbarrow broke so we had to manually carry these up to the office itself as punishment for our tardiness.

I slammed a bag down on the table of the administrator sweating. “This...this is one of the bags...I’ll have to come back again,” I panted.

The lady who was standing by the window of the office room was clad in heavy, red-tinted silver armor. She was the Head of Guard of Aon, Lady Adrianna of Aon, so she was the one who punished us to carry the bag directly to her. Tsk. Damned Inquisitors. They’re so hot-headed. They should take a refreshing cold bath of the holy waters from time to time.

Although I said that, I have a lot of respect for her, as do many of the guardsmen of Aon. Lady Adrianna was said to be an orphan who lost her parents to heathens and demons. After that, an ever-growing fire of vengeance and holy pledges was born within her.

She was just the right candidate for the Inquisitors - She was both fanatically religious, and extremely hostile to corruption, which she apparently had a gift for. At just a very young age of 17, she managed to purge Aon of all unholy cultists conspiring against the holy city. She was deemed a hero by Aon, and all nations which followed the Path of Life, the only one true religion.

My daughter looked up not only to me, but also to Lady Adrianna as a role model. Although it was good that she has a goal, I would rather not have her become an Inquisitor, the most dangerous job in the path of righteousness. I’d rather she learn holy spells and stay a priestess, then marry a noble. I sighed as I rubbed my plump cheeks with a rag.

As I was about to leave, she called out to me. I did not even notice she turned around and was by the table already. “What’s that around your waist?” She asked. Her sharp red eyes which complimented her black hair gave me sharp daggers.

“Ah..this? This is the sword that’s for my duty. Oh, are you talking about this bag? Ah, yeah. I was about to head over to the accountancy to give them this.” I gave her the bag of foreign coins.

“This...this is….why do you have a bag of these?” She inquired me as she inspected the coins.

“Some pilgrims recently came by and gave me those. Like I said, I was going to the accountancy to have them checked,” I answered straightly.

“How long ago?”

“A few hours ago, I believe.”

“Impossible," She snarked at me. She tapped her chest above the heart with her palm. A prayer begging for forgiveness from the Lords in the Heavens.

“Eh...eh? Excuse me? Did I do something wrong?” I nervously asked her. I really don’t want to lose this job. My wife was bugging me lately about a new dress and I really want to get her that dress so she would shut up about it.

“No. It’s not that you did something wrong. This should be my mistake. I could have never thought of this. Leave immediately,” She commanded me harshly. Well, I guess it wasn't my fault then? I sighed hard. Well, then. I still have to get those bags of coins.

As I closed the door, I heard her saying, “Coins with the symbols of the old unholy beacon of Aon..”.