"Above... Protection? Tandem? Difference? The hounds?"

There was a mildly confused expression on the nun's face as she listened to Izel speak, only giving a vague nod in response as if what cryptic words she had been given made any sense to her at all. A few of the older children who were listening in were just as confused, but the rest seemed to crowd around the magician in response to her question. A few seemed to clamor over one another, but after a short (but stern) glance from the nun, the children quieted down and formed a group centered around Izel. They were, of course, gathered by the church now instead of scattered on the street, so as to not interrupt the non-existent traffic in the area.

Once the oddity had moved to entertain the children, though, the nun was able to focus her attention back towards Sylphie, who seemed comparatively more reasonable to speak to instead. When the topic of the orphans came up, though, there was a brief pause as the nun's gaze turned towards the ground. It took but a moment for her to right herself and begin to speak in turn.

"Forgive me for the assumption, but you and your companion are from out of town, correct? I do not know if it is any place for a servant of Aphei to share her worries with others, but... Recently, a string of incidents have occurred on the outskirts of town. The children you see here... More than a few of them have had their guardians [i]disappear[/i], and as it is difficult for a single parent to care for a child on their own, you see, and so..."

There was a brief pause as the nun turned back to look at the children, making sure that none of them were focused on her conversation, before continuing.

"But even beyond that, there have been scant raids on the town on occasion. Often times, the guards and adventurers repel those responsible, but on occasion... There have been unfortunate accidents. I would not doubt that the two problems would be related, but... As of late, it is becoming difficult to care for those who come here for solace, so I have no time to worry about that any further."

Maybe it was the presence that the demigod gave off, but the nun so openly speaking of her troubles was not something that she was consciously aware of. It was here, though, that she stopped, her hands clasped together in front of her.

"I apologize for burdening you with such worries, ma'am..." she finally apologized, a distinct blush on her face as she spoke. "It is not the place of one in a position such as mine to confess such things to a weary traveler who must have their own share of worries..."

[@Rune_Alchemist][@VitaVitaAR]

[hr][hr]
The barkeep failed to keep himself from laughing at Malachi's explanation, though that itself drew no attention from the customers who were engrossed in their own conversations.

"Ah, you've been unlucky, then? Damn shame, then!" he said, a smile on his face despite Malachi's own expression. "Well, everyone's got their own share of things to hide, so I won't pry any further than that. But, hm... Information? Well, let's see... This is Lefine, a city in the Kingdom of Pyden... The year... I think it's 937? Oh, right! It's the twelfth day of the seventh moon, so we're nearing the Festival of Crows! If you're the type to cut loose, you should drop by next week! Free drink if you buy a meal from us, among other things; not too shabby a deal, eh?"

[@Lugubrious]