In terms of religion, Soummara wasn't very developed—at least compared to the other two continents.
When he was young, Vael had overheard a group of hunters in his village talking about the Church.
They'd mentioned how its influence was steadily growing, and that it was only a matter of time before it reached even the most godforsaken corners of the world.
At the time, Vael hadn't given it much thought. He had bigger things to worry about.
In both this life and the fragmented memories of his previous one, he had never seen tribesmen or rebels worship any god.
Which was why he was shocked to see a massive, magnificent church standing just a few streets away from the plaza where he, Ash, and Kiera were.
Of course, the kingdoms of Sylwenne and Thandros had actual relations with the other continents—they didn't operate in the shadows like the rebels. But still, Vael was fairly certain there hadn't been any place of worship on this continent five years ago.
He'd never seen a church before.
But if he had to imagine one, it would look exactly like the building before him.
Statues of prophets and other figures from the holy texts lined the entrance.
Mosaics decorated nearly every window, casting colored light across the white stone walls.
Multiple towers pierced the sky like spears.
And above the main door sat what Vael assumed was the symbol of this religion.
It looked oddly familiar.
An angelic being, wings as white as snow, impaled a dying serpent with spears of light.
A… snake?
It didn't take a genius to figure out the symbolism. The snake clearly represented evil.
Which made one thing rather concerning:
Vael just so happened to own a necklace depicting that very snake.
A few hours passed since they ate their stews, and the group had gone to the plaza to finally buy new clothes.
'Surely, this isn't some seal to a powerful demonic being or something, right?' he thought dryly.
In any case, it was a problem for another time.
For now, they needed fresh clothing—and new identities.
They stopped at a few shops, each finding what they were looking for.
Vael picked out a long, black coat with subtle purple accents. He also grabbed a new pair of boots, as his old ones had practically disintegrated along the journey. He also bought an eyepatch, for future use.
Kiera chose a practical warrior's outfit reinforced with leather armor.
Ash went for a simple dress that didn't draw too much attention.
With that settled, they set off to claim their new lives.
After asking around for a bit, they found out where to go.
The People's Agency.
A company that dealt in shady business—but oddly enough, had ties to the Empire.
Assassination, information, and of course… fake identities.
They did it all.
The trio reached a plain-looking building with a worn wooden sign.
They stepped inside and noticed the space was divided into booths—for maximum secrecy, of course.
Directed to an empty one, they were greeted by a polite employee.
He looked to be about thirty.
"Welcome to the People's Agency, ladies and gentleman. What will it be today?" he asked with a smooth voice.
"We need three identities," Kiera replied. "Commoners. Simple backstory. Orphans."
"That can be arranged. Any names you'd prefer?"
Vael paused for a moment, thinking.
He wasn't sure why, but one name had stuck in his head—ever since he'd seen the church…
Ever since he bought that bracelet.
"Serpes."
Kiera followed, "Elena."
Ash chose to keep her name.
"All right, come back in two or three days and it should be ready."
Vael paid the sum, though it was cheaper than he expected.
"Must be a common occurrence, then."
And, with that settled, they headed back to the inn, exhausted but fulfilled from this productive day.