"The church has protected the people of this continent for millennia! We are the only institution with the moral authority to stand against tyranny when every other power has been corrupted or conquered! If you strip us of that-"
Quinlan's voice was even as he replied, "You'll have the Goddess herself to escalate to. She seems to keep a close eye on me. If she herself declares me a heretic, an enemy of life itself, all hell will break loose anyhow." He shrugged. "I merely do not wish to give that right to mankind."
Velara stared at him. Her grip on the staff shook, and it had nothing to do with fatigue.
"Fine," she breathed through her teeth. "Political neutrality. The church does not involve itself in governance."
The words left her mouth like a concession, and they were one. She knew that.
