PROLOGUE
They stood in the center of the room
waiting. He was one of the old guard, mid-thirties and worn by
fighting. His armor marked by repaired damage and stained with the
blood of the dark ones. She was much younger, untested and nervous.
Even her armor betrayed her lack of experience, new and unmarked.
Both stood beside each other looking about the room. Two empty cells
made of barred walls, a table in the middle of the room covered with
papers, books and some writing instruments, wooden stools and a
single oil burning lamp hanging from the ceiling.
Within a few minutes a third man
enters the room through the door. Wearing the leather armor of a
town guardsman with one arm colored black to denote his rank as a
sergeant. Carrying a bowl of soup in one hand he stops just two
steps in as he raises his eyes to meet those of this visitors.
“Chevaliers... I was unaware of your
presence or I would not have kept you waiting. It is an honor to be
graced by your company. Please have a seat.” he motions to the
chairs as he sets his soup onto the table, “I was attending to
tonight’s orders and grabbing a late dinner. There is still more
left if
you are hungry. I can have a man bring
you...”
“That isn't necessary Sergeant we
are not in need of food at this time. I am Brother Joseph and this
is Sister Mary, we are here to look into some matters involving some
of your men.” He motioned for the guard to sit down, “Do sit down
and enjoy your meal, we have a few questions to ask you while you eat
and then we'll be on our way.”
With a little nod he takes his seat.
A bit of sweat already appearing on his brow. He pulls a spoon from
his his belt and stirs the soup a bit. “Anything you say Brother
Joseph, I am always ready to aid the servants of our Lord.”
“Then before your first bite... put
this in your mouth for a moment.” He drops a silver coin onto the
table where it rolls a bit before stopping. The guard stares at it
for a moment, sweat building more on his face, before looking up.
“Why do I need to do that? I mean
what is it for Brother?”
“Just put it in your mouth please,
on top of your tongue.” Her voice was a bit soft compared to the
two men. But very clearly spoken and slow as if every word was
premeditated long before they were spoken. Staring at her for a
moment he then reached over and retrieved the coin from the table top
and rubbed it slightly with his fingertips. Glancing back over at
Brother Joseph while laying the coin onto his tongue.
“Good, now please swear your loyalty
to our Lord who...” His words are cut short as the coin is spit
back on the table, smoking with a good deal of burnt flesh and blood
clinging to it. The guards mouth hanging open and a charred
twitching chunk of burnt meat laying out of it. The body shook, eyes
rolling back into the head, “A prayer of cleansing now Sister
Mary!”
The thing that was the guard stands up
quickly, inhumanly fast, bringing the table up with it. Running it
forward slamming against his enemy as he tried to draw a blade.
Running him back into the bars with a metal clang as they met with
his armor. Sister Mary pulling her Lords Badge from beneath her
robes immediately begins reciting a prayer in a clear determined
voice.
With its face growing red with
blackened veins it looks over to her and lets out a shrill scream.
The skin of it starting to smoke faintly. Joseph regaining a bit of
footing shoves the table back pushing the creature back across the
floor and against the wall, shattering the table between them. In
the close quarters neither are able to pull their swords reducing the
fight to short strikes, kicks and shoving each other into the walls.
As the prayer continues the smoke gets thicker and an acidic smell
fills the room. Finally as the two tumble through the middle of the
room one manages a grip on one of the chairs, bringing it across the
others head knocking them down in a heap.
“Stop... that... you... wench...”
Gurgling out the words as it turns towards her. The eyes bulging out
now, face an almost purple red and the neck swollen to twice the
width of the head. With a forward lurch and a cracking noise as a
jaw dislocates itself a spew of intestines is vomited forth onto the
last the Sister. Moving around her body and slithering upwards
towards her arms. Pausing for a moment to keep from throwing up
herself she keeps on with the prayer as the guts wrapping around her
smoldered as well. They continue to pull around her, gripping her
arms tightly as they constrict, trying to pull down her arm that
holds the badge forward. Her throat burning with each breath from
the smoke and eyes running with tears from it as well. Each word a
struggle as they fight to see who can outlast the other.
Suddenly there is a flash of steel
from behind the thing and the tendrils of guts go limp around her.
Brother Joseph had regained his feet and finally managed to pull his
sword. Headless and spurting blood the creature falls to the floor.
The Sister backs away shaking the gore off of her and stumbles back
against a wall gasping for breath and covering her mouth.
“Sister Mary are you injured.”
She shakes her head in response as she swallows hard still keeping
herself from throwing up. “You did good, your faith did not
falter. Well done, especially against a Baalarashi. They are quite
a nasty bit of business.”
Speaking from behind, her hand still
at her mouth, “I fear my stomach may not be as strong as my
faith...”
“Nonsense,” with a grin and a
laugh. “the first time I came face to face with one I threw up all
over it and myself.”
Lowering her hand and finally smiling
a bit she nods. Reaching down and retrieving the fallen coin he
tosses it to her. With clasped hands around it she utters a silent
prayer and the flesh and blood of the creature turn to dust. As she
hands it back over to him she looks out the small window into the
night. “ Baalarashi almost never travel alone do they?”
“No... they do not. I fear we have
our work cut out for us in this town Sister.”
They both turn as the door suddenly
flies open, one with sword at the ready the other holding forth their
Lord's Badge. A guard stands stunned by the sight at the doorway,
short sword in a trembling hand. “Sergeant! What is going on
here? What has happened?”
“Your Sergeant is no more, he had
succumbed to the dark ones. Look for yourself at his remains he was
one of the unholy soul and body.” The guard glanced down towards
his fallen commanding officer and winces holding back emotions. His
eyes narrowed and watery now. Finally he looks back up, holding his
sword towards the floor and straightens his stance.
“I understand Chevaliers, you do
what must be done.” Pausing to swallow hard and keeping his eyes
averted from the mess at their feet. “What are your orders for me
now?”
“What is your name watchman?” Mary
asked.
“I am Morgan Wright sister, named
after our patron savior Morgan the Black.”
“Well Morgan,” Joseph fumbles his
free hand into his pouch, “you can start by putting this coin in
your mouth and swearing loyalty to our Lord who stands behind us at
all time.”
