Life in the shadow of God

[Altias_Bromn]

The Priory had stood empty for nearly a year now. The Inquisitors gone back to their home churches, leaving Myrken to rot in filth of its own making.

For almost four months now, there had been a sole inhabitant of the Priory, solitary, save for the myriad of rats which had moved in to feast on the cakes left behind my Lady HIgh Inquisitor Graf. The skinny old biddy had been quite fond of cakes.

A man so used to the comforts of the wealthy found himself oddly suited to the cold stone and drafty nature of the Priory. A few bolts of silks and fur stolen from a merchant's caravan had done much to improve the comfort of the bare lodgings of the holy men. Candles made from the tallow of animals killed to feed him lit the shadows of the rooms he inhabited, throwing an ill light upon the place. He was wise enough to remain in the inner rooms, where no light would be seen from outside.

In another inner room, lay a man broken and bleeding. From time to time the rats would come, drawn by the sweet coppery scent of fresh blood, nibbling on the flesh of the still form. Enough strength and sanity was left within him to swat at them, driving them away for a time, until darkness fell on his addled mind once more, and he was still once more.

During his moments of waking he would remember, slowly, why he was here.

Arms crossed above his head, clothed only in his silken bed skirt, the leather whistled through the air, striking sharp against flesh marked so many times before. The tails would snap wetly as they pulled away from the sticky flesh. Only silence answered his tormentor's attempts.

"Tell me what you did! I know this was your doing, Bromn!"

Again the heavy single-tailed whip would crack against his tormented flesh. Violet eyes would close, but no words would come.

"If it was not you, then it was her, and she will be punished for what she has done!"

Slowly, despite the pain, the humiliation, and the fear, his head did turn, looking over his shoulder at the demonic vision that was Thadius Dhrin. The man was splattered from head to toe in crimson. Silken gowns of white now painted scarlet, his face wet with blood not his own.

"I did it. I gave her tea, to kill your vile spawn in her belly. She did not know. She could not know, as she trusts me, like she would never trust you. She drank, and I knew, and I reveled in the death of your wicked seed. I killed your son, Thadius. I killed him, and I am glad."

The lash had come so hard and heavy then that eventually Altias had lost consciousness. Even as his body had gone limp, the madman had continued to raise the whip, again and again, until he could no longer lift it. Leaving behind a mess of torn flesh that would likely never be the same again.

He had no way of knowing that as he hung there bleeding, his capture had dipped his quill time and again into the flowing river of crimson, penning his hateful note to Ariane.

Altias knew, when he was conscious enough to try and think about it, that as long as he tormented Thadius, as long as he took responsibility for the murder of the man's child, Ariane would be safe. So long as he did not go and die before she could find some way to save herself.

As darkness once more overcame him, the rats returned, nibbling, then tearing at the wreckage of his back, and this time, he was too far gone to care.

[Thadius Dhrin]

Thadius Dhrin sat in the smallest room of the Priory, one he had taken as his office, so to speak. A small silver bell rested on a rough wooden table before him. A single finger traced the rim of the bell, before it was deftly taken between two fingers and given a short sharp shake.

In short order a tall figure entered the room, dressed in a clean silver gown. As it reached the table, it dropped into a low bow, remaining on the floor, head pressed against the icy stone.

"You rang for me Brother Prime?"

"Yes, Fawn. How fares our guest?"

The bell was rested lightly upon the table once more. Thadius Dhrin, known to those who near worshipped him only as Brother Prime rested back in his chair. A small patch of his bared upper body covered with a fresh cloth, just over the left shoulder.

Slowly, Fawn looked up from her position on the floor, Prime motioning for her to rise. The young woman did so, but only to her knees, hands folding to rest before her.

"He is well enough, Brother. I have bandaged his wounds. He dreams. Heavily. He speaks...of her...in his sleep."

At this, eyes unseen beneath the heavy silver cowl would lower to the floor. She knew he would not be pleased to hear this.

"As I knew he would. I hope he dreams of her death. I hope he dreams of the slow torture that will befall her once she is in my control once more. I hope he dreams of the birth of my child from her loins...as it will be."

"As it will be, Brother Prime."

Fawn would look upward once more, drawing the cowl from her hairless head. Bits of silver glinted wickedly in the lamp light from ears, lips, throat and neck. Long barbs of metal placed in ornamental patterns all over her flesh.

"I see that my work is healing. The patch should not remain much longer. The ink will bleed into the cloth and not set in the flesh, Brother Prime."

The words which carried from the femal to Thadius were spoken with such reverence that he could not help but smile softly toward her.

"You are kind to think of me, Sister Fawn. I shall remove the patch before I retire this night. I have...something special for you to do. Will you perform some more work for me?"

"OF course, Brother Prime."

There was no hesitation from the girl, only a look of sheer delight at the idea of performing mroe work in His name.

"I wish you to go to Myrken. There are women there who will be both repulsed and fascinated by your art. Some there may wish to have some of your jewlery. Get to know them. Especially the one called Carnath Emory. They call her Ariane. Befriend her...and bring her to me."

"Before you go, I have something I wish you to take with you. Rise and step forward."

Fawn rose from the floor, stepping forward toward the table. As she did so, Thadius was moving too, stepping around the table. As they reached one another, Fawn's arm was caught, as she was drawn upward. A strange sight as the woman stood a good 5 inches taller than Brother Prime. A gleam of silver in the lamplight, as the blade slide across her throat. Not too deep, just enough to show she had been attacked. A flick of his wrist and a second cut appeared just left of her right eye.

"Take this to them. Show them what Brother Prime has done to you, and win their trust...and sympathy. Now Go!"

With those words she was abruptly dropped from the relative safety of his embrace.

"I have to visit our guest. "

ONe of a dozen heavy whips was drawn from the pegs on the wall...and Thadius Dhrin vanished into the darkness of the Priory once more.

[Altias_Bromn]

As the prone form of Altias Bromn twitched upon the stone floor, blood weeping from wounds both old and new, footsteps moved away from his holding cell, finally disappearing into the darkness. The governor had long since stopped caring about the whereabouts of Thadius Dhrin. It was hard to care about your tormentor when all your energy was devoted to breathing and making sure your heart kept beating.

As the pain receeded into little more than damp warmth upon his flesh, Altias slipped once more into the dreaming. Fortunate was he that Fawn had made a little game of killing the rats in the Priory. None came out to nibble upon his damaged skin.

A slender hand brushed gently at a bit of lint that no one would notice but him, smoothing the dark red velvet of the long coat. Fingers tugged at the ruffles of the white silk shirt beneath, then at the ruffled cuffs of the sleeves, so they hung just so outside the arms of the coat. Feet were finally slipped into those obnoxious red boots that Ari hated so much(They had been destroyed hadn't they?), making sure that the hem of his black silk trousers hung just so. Crimson locks flowed loose about his thin frame, restored somehow to their once glorious length.

"Hurry 'Tias, they are waiting on us you know."

Ari stood in the doorway, a vision in monochrome. Her long dark hair framed a stern but beautiful face, dusting just to her waist. Black silk shirt, grey suede breeches, and the sword she seemed never to be without. One whose name was so foreign to his tongue he dared not try to name it.

"I know, they've waited this long, a few moments more certainly won't kill them."

A carefree smile tossed over his shoulder, before he turned to face her. His arm was offered, but as was her way, she simply stepped in behind him, standing just to his right in case of any trouble.

The banquet hall had been decorated for his return home. The last flowers of fall were scattered across tables draped in gold and copper silks. Oak leaves formed rings around huge wax pillars upon each table which lit the room.

His name was called by those he saw as he entered. Kerrak, Treadwell, Suede, Jirai, Molly, Quincy, Vyzorn, Daniels, Kilborn, Elil, Giscard, Starr, Lamai, Alexander, Heldenbrand and so many others that the faces began to blur as he looked down the lengths of the tables set out. Suddenly they seemed packed with wonderful foods from Proxenus.

As he and Ari headed toward the two chair set at the head of the center most table, words were spoken, wishes of health and joy at his return. A kiss on the cheek as Vyzorn rose to greet him. (Had he not disappeared from the realms months ago?)

As they settled at the table, the doors opened once more, admitting the impossibly tall Dark One known as Nathaniel Darve.

"Come Altias, others are waiting. You have greeted your guests, now it is time to greet those who have waited so very long."

It did not occur to Altias to dispute the idea of leaving his welcome home party. The governor rose and followed Nathan out into the corridor. (Had it always been this long? This dark? This cold?)

"We are happy to see you again, 'Tias. It has been such a very long time."

Nathan smiled, white teeth brilliant when set against his ebon skin. (He was dead, wasn't he?) Another door opened at the end of the hallway, candle light flickering softly, backlighting a female figure standing in the doorway.

"Oh Altias, welcome home my son."

Talia Bromn smiled at him, hovering in the doorway. (Could she not cross the threshold?) She looked exactly as she had that day when he was 8 years old. Days before the illness had taken hold. So beautiful, so full of life.

"M..mother?"

"Yes, my son, I've waited so long to see you again."

Behind her, within the room, he could see other faces. He could hear someone softly singing.

~All around the meeting house the numptys chase the gov'ner...~

Dhugal? Jospeh O'Cynen? Was that Santos as well? He had never returned from Guast. Phlynn? He wasn't sure if he saw the strange boy, he seemed to flicker in and out of the shadows .

"Come Altias, we're waiting."

Nathan's hand rested on his back, gently pressing him forward.

"Altias! You have guests waiting, you're being rude!"

Ariane's voice called down the hallway, it seemed so far away, the light from the banquet hall seeming dim and unfocused.

The governor hesitated. Remaining where he was, caught between the only two women in the world who's opnion's mattered. Nathan watched him, but said not a word, simply remaining there in the darkness beside him.