[Episode 225066] [Episode 225066]Those that knew Inquisitor Lucius would never say he was a cruel man.
It was he who had stood out from the rest of the Religious Orders by publishing writings saying that minor criminals could be welcomed back to society. It was he who had spoken against Patriarch Nathaniel's decision to raze eight square miles of Moon Brush Wood to destroy the trace of a Keeper there while ignoring the cost to the people who lived near the area. And it was he who had been instrumental in helping create the Order of the Found, an organisation that brought orphaned children into the Way of the Virtues, giving them hope after the most terrible of losses.
Inquisitor Lucius was, however, forced to recognise reality for what it was.
Making his way down through the doorway to the cell before him with his Acolyte in tow, the familiar smell of filth and dried blood invaded his nostrils. So used to it was he however, that he didn't even react to the stench before looking down at the figure below him. Wearing only a loin cloth to protect the tattered threads of his dignity, the man was covered with the marks of his treatment in the chambers here. With his remaining eight fingers on his hands, the man reached out to Lucius desperately.
"P... Please my Lord." The man gasped, his voice muffled from the lack of teeth. Lucius had to admit that the torturer the castle employed was a good one to yank the teeth out while leaving just enough for the man to be able to talk "I... Beg mercy of you. It was an accident! My family did not...!"
A raised hand from Lucius cut the man off as the Inquisitor turned to his Acolyte, a pretty young Fairy who had turned pale at the sight before her. It was then that Lucius remembered that this was her first time seeing such handiwork and mentally cursed himself for not giving her ample warning "How long has this man been down here Acolyte Dusk?"
Grateful for any kind of distraction from the sight before her, Dusk looked down to the record of the man's time in the chambers as she read through the information "Three days Lord Inquisitor."
"And in all this time, has his story changed in anyway?"
"No Lord Inquisitor. He still says that the stranger made no indication that he worked for a Keeper and stayed for only one meal."
Three days... Three days down here would have made any man confess to his guilt. Even if it was simply to stave off the pain. Lucius was not one of those who believed that pain always got to the truth, but he saw it as a tool to be wielded nonetheless "You still say you did not know the man's allegiance when you took him into your home?"
The chains keeping the man near the wall rattled violently as he sobbed, his wrists and ankles rubbed raw as he curled up "Oh that I would!" He cried out "I would have killed him there if I knew! Please my Lord! It was my choice to let the man in! My wife and child, they did not...!"
Once again, a raised hand from Lucius cut the man off and the Inquisitor nodded slightly "I see." He said, taking into account that this man had been spoken well of by his neighbours when they had been questioned. He would never have knowingly aided the Keepers, they said. But this man had broken the laws of King and Gods in his actions, ignorance was no longer an excuse, the fall of the Avatar had killed that luxury. On the other hand... This man was a loyal subject, he had kept the eight virtues throughout his life, it was the reason he was here now. Compassion was a virtue, but this man had not been vigilant in who he was compassionate too.
After a moment's thought where Lucius considered this man, this broken being whose charity to a stranger had cost him so much. In the end, he decided that he could be merciful.
"I believe you when you say you have no allegiance to the Keepers." Lucius said, seeing the man's face light up through the black around his eyes "For that, your death shall come swiftly. Tomorrow morning, you and your wife shall be taken to the gallows outside these walls and hung from the neck until you are both dead. Your son shall be taken into the Order of the Found where he shall redeem the sins of his parents by fighting in the name of the Light."
At those words, the man bowed down before Lucius, the gratitude cracking his voice "Oh... Oh thank you my Lord! Thank you for your mercy!"
"I shall see to it that you are given time with your wife before your deaths tomorrow. May the Light take you."
Having said the traditional farewell, Lucius turned and left the cell with Dusk behind him. As the door behind them shut, he turned to the guards standing beside it "Before his execution, allow him ten minutes with his wife. No more, no less."
The guards nodded silently at this order and Lucius knew it would be carried out. The words of an Inquisitor held weight here, as they did throughout the Realm. Having done his duty, Lucius decided to go back up to the light, knowing that he had indeed been merciful.
The chapel of the castle was quiet this time of day. Aside from an occasional Monk or Sister, there was no one to interrupt Lucius as he meditated on his duties. Light streamed through the windows around him, three on two sides with one being shown in a window behind him, each depicting a different virtue. In the wall behind the altar was the grandest window of all, depicting a codex symbol of the Virtues and their relation to one another and the Three Principles. Below it stood a statue of the Avatar, face forward in a noble posture as he must have done all those years ago before finally falling in battle. Lucius always looked up to statues like it all over the Realm and always hoped he had managed to live up to the Avatar's example.
"Inquisitor?" A voice from behind Lucius said, making him come out from his thoughts and face its source. It was Dusk, his Acolyte. Out of the darkness of the cells below, Lucius saw her much clearer than before. She had long silver hair that, now free of the hood of her robe, fell down to her shoulders and framed her thin face. She still wore the white robe from before, although it was specially designed for her wings in mind, gaps in the back of the material allowing them to spread out behind her and flutter as she hovered slightly above the ground. While Lucius admired the beauty of Fairies' wings, his attention was instead focused on her deep brown eyes and the worry within them. It appeared that it was time for the discussion that all Acolytes went through. And considering how young this one was, it wasn't surprising it would be this soon.
"You were not expecting the sight of the man when you walked into his cell?" The Inquisitor asked, noting how Dusk's face flushed slightly, as if embarrassed about her answer and how easily Lucius read her mind "No doubt most Inquisitors go through the same thing, I did upon seeing the first few who had turned away from the Virtues. Just remember Acolyte, we do this to seek the truth. Our methods do lead to unpleasant results for some, but we serve a greater good. Keep to the Virtue of the Inquisition, Justice for our people."
Dusk listened quietly to these words, bowing her head at the end of them "I shall remember that Inquisitor. I've never seen such treatment on a man like that though... Did he truly deserve death for what he had done? Should we have withheld compassion from him?"
Ah... So it was going to be like that? Not exactly unexpected, Lucius remembered such a time when he himself held such thoughts “Compassion must be tempered with reality.” Lucius replied softly “It can only be given to those who deserve it and don’t give aid to our enemies. Compassion is a Virtue, but it is the least of the Virtues. We must meet our foes with fire and steel, it is the only way in which we can survive.”
Dusk took this on, although it seemed as if it was with an air of reluctance in doing so “I shall take that into consideration Inquisitor. Although I cannot help but wish…” She turned away at that, a twinge of fear on her face, and not without reason. Lucius knew of many within the Inquisition who’d have taken those words as subtle hints of treachery against the Realm. Lucius recognised them for what they were though, little doubts that could be put aside with a well-reasoned argument.
Placing a hand on Dusk’s shoulder, Lucius gave her a reassuring smile “We all wish things could be different.” He admitted “But we have to deal with how they are. That is the only way to survive.”
Dusk blushed a little at the touch but eventually nodded, looking more sure of herself than she had before “Very well Inquisitor. I shall keep those words engraved on my heart and mind.”
Lucius offered an encouraging smile at that, knowing that there were those Acolytes who would see such thoughts as weakness, something that would have been beaten into them at the abbeys with varying degrees of literalness to that statement. But it was best that they were to have doubts early on, so they could grow stronger through having answered them, rather than the seeds planting as they grew older without having heard the answers before.
“See that you do.” Lucius said in an encouraging manner before looking towards the Shrine before them “Now, before we are to meet with Earl Uxbridge, let us first take our prayers to the Gods. We shall need their guidance in the days to come.”
For Earl Robert Uxbridge of Sweetwater, there was never a time when he couldn’t remember being a part of some fight or another. When he had been a boy, he’d served at his father’s side, learning the various tools and knowledge that were needed to fight the Keepers and protect his people. Having left adolescence, he had spent his entire adult life in armour, fighting the denizens of evil and struggling to stem the tide of the Keepers. He had victories, the fact he had survived past his fiftieth year was testament to that, but the never ending battle had worn down his spirit to grim acceptance, knowing that he was fighting an eternal war he could never hope to outlive.
But despite that, he could at least always put his utmost into the war, especially with the fact there were two Keepers having appeared within his lands. It was why an Inquisitor had been sent to him, to prevent corruption from tainting the people of the land. Despite his nervousness from hosting an Inquisitor, Earl Uxbridge at least had the comfort of knowing that Lucius wasn’t the sort that demanded to control every little bit of the campaign. The Inquisitors who did that were the sort who led to disaster for all concerned.
One other advantage that Uxbridge had was also what had brought Lucius here, that being there was two Keepers, serving two separate Gods. They would fight and weaken themselves before allowing Earl Uxbridge to strike and wipe them out. It was one of the minor blessings when it came to fighting Keepers, they were even more eager to spill their own blood than those of the decent folk who lived above ground.
But there was something that had managed to take Uxbridge by surprise, the appearance of a third Keeper to the mix. It was possible to keep an eye on the Underworld by various means, a very sketchy method of scrying. A large map was laid out across a long, wooden table, infused with magic to give out several points and lines of light. A golden light was representative of the Earl's castle, with various grey lines around and connected to it that showed the lines of defence for it. To the south of this were two dark lights showed the location of the Dungeon Hearts of their respective Keepers. A third dark light had recently appeared though, deep into the north where the Forlorn Mountains were. The location was an odd one as no Keepers had been there for some centuries now. They avoided the place for some reason that hadn't been explained and no one had time to investigate.
While this action was itself puzzling, it was the colour of the new Heart that deeply unsettled Uxbridge and something that introduced him to an entirely new sensation, relief that there was an Inquisitor around. The sounds of the large doors opening at the other end of the room made Uxbridge look up, with the man in question walking through them quickly, his Fairy Acolyte just behind him “Inquisitor, I'm relieved that you're here.” Uxbridge said, the look of amazement on Lucius' face mirroring his own internal surprise at having uttered such words.
“Novel words for an Inquisitor to hear.” Lucius conceded before making his way over to the map, stopping short as he looked over and saw the third colour denoting a Keeper “Is that another Keeper?” He frowned as he realised the location “In the Forlorn Mountains no less?”
“It is.” Uxbridge nodded slowly “One part of the Sapphire Darkness. We can try and work out which God they worship from that.”
“See to it.” Lucius nodded before looking at the map keenly. There were other things to worry about for now to be certain, this Keeper was isolated and no one lived near the Forlorn Mountains anyway. There was little information to go on as of yet, but they'd uncover something. For now though, the endless war carried on and Lucius turned his attention to the other Keepers on the map, knowing that he'd have his hands full with the Keepers in front of him “For now though, tell me our plans for the immediate threat these two pose.”
With a sigh of exasperation, the Horned Reaper held a hand to his head and let out a deep breath. The girl was powerful and creative, he (Very reluctantly) gave her that much credit. But when it came to business, it looked as if she hadn't a clue.
“Who was Keeper Nemesis?”
“Oh ye Dark Gods...”
A pause that could only come from surprise followed as Nicodemus evidently was taken off guard by such a question. Despite being more into killing than business, or anything erlse for that matter, the Horned Reaper knew that you never showed ignorance in front of someone you were trying to buy something from. In truth, the Horned Reaper didn't know the answer to the question himself, being shut down in this abandoned Dungeon for centuries on end meant he was rather behind with current events. Hells, he didn't even know if the Keeper Metriande was still alive or not. What he wouldn't give to get his hands on that miserable little pile of...
“Oh, a very powerful Keeper.” Nicodemus replied, a little hesitantly, his voice tinged with uncertainty. It seemed that the trader was part way confused that someone who could take down a Horned Reaper wasn't up to date on her history. That said, it seemed that the display of the girl's... unique powers kept him on the honest path “I managed to procure a copy of his dungeon blueprints. As you're just starting out, I'd recommend a copy of it. Now, as to price...”
A frown crossed the Reaper's face and he crossed into sight of the crystal ball, just to remind Nicodemus that he was still here. He wouldn't be seen to be a minion to a Keeper who was useless at haggling. The day had provided enough indignities as it was. The figure in the crystal ball leaned back, trying to keep himself was hidden as best he could while Mercury looked down at that little... thing she carried around with her “I'm afraid I don't have much on hand at the moment.” She conceded, something that made the Horned Reaper scowl and Nicodemus leaned back even further “I'm just seeing what resources are available to me, just a moment.”
Several seconds passed as Mercury seemed to tune into the magic that made up the Dungeon Heart and tapped into the mind of the Keeper. She was a disturbingly quick learner, the Reaper noted, that little device of hers proving to be a great aid it seemed. He didn't like that, the more that the girl was ignorant of, the more power he held over her.
“I can offer you some gems for them.” Mercury said, after a moment's pause, causing Nicodemus to cough unexpectedly.
“G-Gems?” He asked, unable to believe his ears.
“Oh yes, there's a seam of them quite close by. I can have my yo-Imps dig them out quite easily enough. How many would you like?”
Keeper Metriande was willing to sacrifice a gem seam to get rid of him? The Horned Reaper couldn't help but smirk a little, feeling some pride in his worth being evaluated in such a way. Even if the girl didn't realise the boon she had, this at least provided them wealth for the foreseeable future. Still, he had to step in before the girl exposed even more of her inexperience.
Stepping forward, the Horned Reaper all but shoved Mercury out of the way “Send us the blueprints and we'll send you the payment!” He barked, making the merchant jump in fright as the Reaper's face got far too close to the crystal for comfort “And send m... the Keeper a book of the most powerful spells you have!”
“A-At once!” Nicodemus yelped before the crystal ball suddenly went dark. The Reaper had no doubt that the trader was feeling some relief at not being subjected to the scorn of a Reaper and its Keeper.
If Mercury wanted to make any objection, the girl faltered as she placed one hand on the ball to steady herself, the Reaper noticing just how exhausted she was looking. Apparently the fight from earlier had exhausted her almost completely and she was just about keeping on her feet “Get some rest.” The Reaper snapped “I'll not be seen taking orders from one too weak to even stand on their own feet.”
“But there's nowhere to rest...” Mercury protested weakly, actually managing to look the Reaper in the eye as she steadied herself.
Rolling his eyes, the Reaper wondered if he'd have to explain everything to this annoying little fool. He wasn't going to start with something as simple as that though, not after the humiliation he'd had to endure. No, let the girl suffer for now. It was a petty form of revenge the Reaper would admit, but that was usually the best kind “There's the floor. Even someone like you can handle sleeping there.
Turning his back on Mercury, the Reaper resolved on waiting until she was asleep. He was out of the loop these last few centuries and needed to use the crystal ball for his own uses to uncover what had been going on. Then he'd give a few morsels of information to Mercury, as he saw fit. He needed control over her if he was ever to break down her morality and turn her into a Keeper that he wouldn't be humiliated from being seen with...
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(Posted Tue, 13 Oct 2015 13:32)
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