A word of advice: don't cross the Church. If they don't agree with you, if you don't fit into their structured little box, they execute you. And then, to kick you while you're down, they execute your family, too.

When I originally saw this Thursday_Prompt , I imagined an event that would get someone kicked out from a group. But then...I knew exactly what kind of person that would happen to, and what might cure them of the mindset that got them there.
Also...
Davy isn't just any character, but an important character in the novel. I knew some of this information going in, but I learned so much more during the writing of this short story! I'm looking forward to perhaps writing some more backstory for other major characters :3c

Glossary:


spells: Every spell in Alka requires ingredients of some kind, and many of these spells come in the form of potions. The art of spellcraft involves careful measurements, specific techniques, and also a touch of etherial manipulation. Without a mage's inborn talent, not even a person following a spell's recipe to the letter can hope to create one for themselves.

ether: Sometimes called lifeforce or mana, this is a mysterious energy that suffuses the world, allowing mages to cast spells and giving rise to many strange, magical plants and animals.

Sarkuul: A vast, mostly flat land consisting of windblasted grasslands, scorching deserts, shifting swamps, murky thickets, and more. The nomadic people of this region, the Sarkuuli, are as diverse as the landscape and its climates, and they are known for their uncanny good fortune.

Belbatoria: The proud goddess of order, light, and knowledge. Of all of the gods and their followers, hers are the most numerous, with devotees across the entire world.

alk: The anthropomorphic residents of Alka call themselves alks to differentiate themselves from the animals that they resemble.

Malevolent Damnation: Sometimes simply called hellfire, use of this spell is considered the highest crime by most nations. In essence, it is a supremely potent and painful itching powder, though none of its victims would ever call it that. It is most often used in interrogations as the effect can be toggled on and off by speaking the incantation.

Zzix: While this is the name of the god of corruption, death, and insects, the same name is sometimes used to refer to their dominion: the land of the dead.

Toria: The city of Toria was founded on the Bay of Anat, and it is this bay that shaped the capital of Verdania into what it is today. Once a place of orthodox order as the supreme seat of Belbatoria's worship, the constant flux of trade in and out of the harbor brought alks from all over Alka, each one changing the city bit by bit. Now, it is known as the most diverse and free city in the world.

Verdania: With its numerous trade routes, wealth of magical resources, and status as the seat of Belbatoria's worship, it is not uncommon to hear people say that Verdania is the center of the world.