Pathfinder: Sacred Order - Chapter 44

‘Where am I?’

That was the question everyone wanted to know when they woke up in a mysterious place or found themselves lost.

For Jacob, the voice that asked this question came from inside his head. The voice was his own, but it was not him asking that question. Vulcan was the one who asked, but Jacob was too stunned to reply.

So far, Vulcan has only taken over the body a few times. He never sat back and watched what Jacob did or saw. At least, Vulcan did not comment on anything so Jacob could not be too sure if that was true or not.

Yet, from the way his voice shook, Jacob had a feeling this was his first time taking the backseat.

Frankly, it was weird.

Who exactly was Vulcan, and what were those memories that popped into his head? This was what Jacob wanted to know.

After taking a breath, Jacob calmed himself.

“That is a hard question to ask, you are here inside this body.”

There was a small silence after Jacob answered the question Vulcan asked.

‘This body? My body? Who are you, and why can I not move my body?’

Vulcan threw more questions towards Jacob in a rapid fashion.

Truthfully, Jacob did not know how to answer him.

This was indeed his body, but Jacob took control of it. Why did he arrive in this body? Was Vulcan sick and on his last breath about to die?

There were many unanswered questions, ones that he did not know how to find the answer to.

At first, Jacob perceived Vulcan to be just a random act one that appeared to drive the story forward. However, after interacting with all the other citizens here he knew that was no longer the case.

Everyone was alive, so why couldn’t Vulcan be as well?

This began to bother Jacob. He did not want to kill innocent people, but he also did not want to die. If he died, who knew what would happen.

Looking at it from a different perspective, Vulcan was a person who had his body taken from him forcefully. Jacob was an intruder, someone who did not belong.

Was it fine for him to keep Vulcan locked away? But, if he did not do that, then he would be the one locked away forever.

Setting that thought to the side for a moment, Jacob decided to continue with the answer he stated before.

“I’ve already told you, we are split personalities. I was created to be strong enough so we can survive.”

‘That makes no sense! I’

Vulcan shouted, but stopped mid-sentence.

He could recall something, it was a faint memory but it seemed like it happened yesterday.

“What did I tell you fucking rats about stealing from me!”

The figure’s face was blurry, but once could tell it was a man’s voice due to how rough sounding it was. He was large, as one could not even see the waist straps of his trousers.

“I-it’s only an apple”

A meek voice cried out.

“A pear last time, an apple this time, next time you’ll steal my meat! Your disease-infested hands touch my food and no one wants to buy it. I let you go last time with a warning, but you dared to do it again. This time, you all will pay the price.”

After he finished speaking, the man motioned with his hands as two other men whose faces were also blurry approached.

Vulcan felt anger in his heart.

It was a hard scene to forget, yet, he ended up not remembering it until now. He was beaten black and blue along with some other orphaned kids in the district for stealing food from a stall.

At that time he felt weak, powerless but most of all scared. Death was a common thing for orphaned kids like him, and no one really cared if they died.

For him, he did not want to die.

“You still there?”

Jacob asked after two minutes of silence passed.

‘Yes But if I created you, why am I not in control?’

Rolling his eyes, Jacob could only sigh.

Vulcan was asking too many questions, but he should have counted on that. Still, it was better for Jacob to make it seem like Vulcan placed him in control.

What was his purpose here? He did not know, but Jacob felt that his appearance here was for something else. What exactly? Who knows, but for now Jacob only wanted to meet up with Veronica and try to stop the empire’s downfall.

“That is something you must ask yourself. Maybe something terrified you and you did not want to live in this world anymore?”

Jacob suggested to Vulcan.

Vulcan said nothing for a moment as he recalled that memory from before.

‘B-but, I want to live!’

“I’m sorry”

That was all Jacob could say to him.

‘Give me back my body! Give me back my body!’

Those words kept repeating as Vulcan cried out, and each time he said those words Jacob could feel his heart being ripped apart.

For him to live, Vulcan’s life had to be put on pause.

While it was strange that he woke up now and started talking, Jacob figured that may be for the best. That, or it could break him, even more, when Vulcan started to see what he was missing out on.

Besides Vulcan’s appearance, his body felt rejuvenated. Although one could not heal limbs, as long as a person was not dead they could survive with a priest around. Jacob’s wounds were already recovering and with the spell he cast, he felt much more alive than before.

Vulcan’s voice went silent, but Jacob could still hear his cries that sounded as if they were distant. He had to shut his heart off and try to ignore Vulcan.

Being cold-hearted was hard, and definitely a challenge for Jacob who was kind at heart.

Walking out of the study, Jacob turned back to look at all the books. This place was filled with various spells, ones that normal people could never learn. He knew he would return here one day to obtain more knowledge, but he had to keep moving.

The bishop’s plans would not stop just because Jacob wanted to study. Time waited on no one and Jacob knew that better than anyone.

Before he left with Jack to visit the man named Ash, he needed some new equipment.

While the temple was a holy place filled with those that worshipped Mother Nessa, it was also a place filled with treasure. Relics of the past era, and sometimes armor from those fallen soldiers who gave their lives to protect the land.

What was located here, was not much of a mystery to Jacob.

There was one item he knew of that was located here in this city, one that could be claimed one of two ways. From pillaging the temple, or from stealing it from the temple.