prologue: Shadow Over Fortuna

These monotonous gatherings that barely hold a candle to Mass were wearing thin on Corinna's mind. The nun sat with her hands politely clasped over her knees, a strained expression worn on her face. Her stomach turned at the thought of worshipping a demon; even if he was a savior of mankind. Swallowing her disdain, she tried her best to at least give the Vicar the decency of her attention.

She mindlessly found one of her hands wandering to her cross, hidden under the bleached folds of her cowl. Her fingers run over the smooth metallic finish, finding herself unwinding at its touch. The Order was far from her home; she missed the comfort of the sisterhood. As much as she wanted to go home, she knew she had a job to do in Fortuna. The only thing that she looked forward to was the praise that she would get from her sisters once she was finished.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the shuffling of cloth next to her. It seemed that the Vicar had finished his droning ceremony and released the congregation for the day. She patiently waited for the citizens next to her to shuffle past before standing herself. As she walked past others, she smiled and warmly nodded her head. Despite her slight discomfort with the idea of the Order, she still loved the people of Fortuna. Corinna had never strayed far from her Monastery or from her sisters, so moving to Fortuna had been a major stress to her. Thankfully, the people had welcomed her with kindness and warmth, and her doubts were quickly stomped out.

Stepping out from the cold Cathedral, she breathed in the beautiful sunlight. She took in the view of the city from the tall steps, its elegance not losing its touch in her eyes. She felt a moment of peace, as she meditated quietly on her life, descending down the stairs. Again, however, she felt something stir; this time an uneasy knot within her core. Something had shifted in the air, her content smile dropping into a serious straight line.

Not to cause a panic, she continued down the cobblestone at her pace. Her eyes and ears were open and scanning the city streets. The air buzzed uncomfortably, her sights settling on a tattered cloak that strided past her. The very presence of the tall stranger made her skin prick and her heart jump into her throat. She paused, then slowly turned around to examine this stranger closer.

Unfortunately, his cloak obscured him almost completely– but it also made him stick out like a sore thumb among the crowd. He seemed harmless enough, but the twisting feeling deep in her chest would not allow her to leave this be. Corinna watched the figure steadily continue forward, against the crowd that dispersed from the Cathedral. Once he nearly disappeared from her sight, she picked her feet up and traced his footsteps.